2012 Wrap Up

2012 was a good year- a really good year. It was without a doubt 'The Year of the Wedding' for me. I was a bridesmaid three times, a guest once and even a bride (thank heavens, also only once).

While it was the 'Year of the Wedding' in my personal life, it's safe to say that in my knitting life, it was the 'Year of the Baby'. I knit six baby sweaters and two baby blankets. Funny... because I don't know that many babies. But I suppose that when  you have a year of weddings, a year (or several years!) of babies to follow is inevitable.

And just like I learned as a wee Brownie many moons ago... I'm just doing my best to 'Be Prepared'.

Whatever the case may be, it was a year filled with joy- and as always, knitting.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year.

May your 2013 be filled with joy, love, happiness, and of course- even more knitting than 2012.

♥

When In Need- Just Make It Yourself

One of the nice things about being a 'maker', is that when you need something- something specific- you can often just make it yourself.

Such is the case with these fingerless gloves.

I knit myself a pair YEARS ago out of some Koigu that I had in my stash. I used Smoking Hot Needle's 'Kyla' pattern which triggered what turned into quite the binge. I knit a tonne of those gloves! For friends, for sisters, for me... you name it! Such a great pattern.

But here we are, years later and I am in need of some new ones.

The cast off had popped, there was a hole in the thumb, the colour had faded... it was getting pretty ugly.

Queue the updated (not to mention festive!) version I whipped up over the past week.

Extra long to cover my knuckles

I was hoping to have these done by the 15th for our annual 'tree cutting' day, but low and behold, I got cocky and messed up both thumb gussets royally.

When will this knitter ever learn that there is no such thing as a knitting pattern that's too easy!?!?!?!

And extra long cuff to fold back over my wrist

While I did miss the tree cutting day deadline, I completed them just in time for our first snowfall of the season on Friday. I wore them while I shoveled, and I wore them yesterday as we headed over to my sister and brother-in-law's for lunch.

Merry Christmas to me!

Festive Nail Polish- OPI's 'Die Another Day' from the 007 Collection

Christmas is here folks, and there is that nip in the air that tells us not only Santa is on his way, but that Jack Frost has already arrived.

WORRRK!

Details pour vous
Yarn- Naturally's Aran Tweed in shade 86, 1.5 balls total
Pattern- Churchmouse Yarns and Teas Ferryboat Mitts
Needles- 4mm DPN

I might just be hearing the rumblings of another binge just around the corner- and I'm not only referring to a Christmas cookie binge!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful, happy and healthy holiday season.

xo
♥

Mystery Solved

The day after our wedding, my man and I climbed into the car and somehow managed to get ourselves up to my parent's place to eat a little food and open a few gifts. It was quiet and intimate. We just took our time, and delighted in each card and token of our love. It was the perfect way to wind down after a pretty exciting past 24 hours.

And then... we got to an unmarked box.

The box had no paper to rip off, but had a red and green printed pattern all over it. And when we took off the lid, we found ourselves simply covered in glitter. As we dug through the tissue paper, we uncovered one Christmas ornament after another, all clearly handmade- some of them even yarn themed! But by whom???

Red Yarn!

We could not for the life of us figure out which kind souls had thought to give us ornaments to help us get in the festive spirit for our first Christmas together as a married couple. 

I must confess that without these ornaments, our neighbors would have thought we had given up on Christmas all together. We had no plans to put up a tree, no plans to hang up lights, not even any plans to buy a wreath... As of the day after our wedding, we just had plans to catch up on our sleep.

And Green Yarn!

But when you're given a box of such thoughtful handmade ornaments like we were, it somehow reignites the Christmas spirit within- fatigued, or not.

So we kicked our Scrooge-ish ways to the curb, bought a mini tree and decked those halls of ours.

Who could the thoughtful recipient be!?!?!?

Complete with tree topper et al.

Or should I say cake topper?

So who do you think it was that so kindly made us our box of ornaments???

'His and Her' sheep on chocolate disks from Swiss Master Chocolates

Why none other than our two absolutely beautiful, glitter loving, six year old flower girls.

Christmas arrangement by my lovely and talented sister

Thank you girls.

Christmas in our house truly would not have been the same this year, were it not for all of your love.

♥

An Early Christmas Gift To Me- From Me

I thought I might give the wedding talk a rest, and show and tell a little something that I somehow managed to finish up recently. While I can't say that the bulk of the knitting happened recently, the casting off part did- and I'm thrilled.

Not only am I thrilled that I actually finished something, I am thrilled with the finished product. I can't tell you how rare that is... So sad, but so true.

I seem to recall casting this sweater on during one of those BRUTAL hot days last summer. The kind of hot that is too hot to even go swimming because the pool feels like a bathtub. You know?

While I'm not entirely sure what possessed me to cast on a long sleeved, alpaca/wool blend sweater... I did. And not only did I cast it on, I knit the entire darned thing (minus the stupid neckline) during the hot, hot heat of the summer.

  

And am I ever pleased that I did.

Because that Mother Nature of ours kept her promise, and winter has indeed rolled around once again.

And I have found myself with a lovely new warm sweater to head out and chop down a Christmas tree in next weekend. 'Tis the season for long sleeves and wool!

An early Christmas present to me, from me you could say.

Necklines and Raglans

I must confess that this sweater would have likely sat in a pile on the floor for even longer than it did had it not been for some kind customers that gave me the kick in the pants I needed to get 'er done.Why is it that I can be so close to the finish line, and then bail and move onto another project? Another project that will also likely lie on the floor until someone sets me straight...

What the HECK is my problem?

Yeah no... I did not knit that hat

This sweater was well worth the effort however and I'm eternally grateful for that much needed kick to the finish line.

So much so, that I intend to cast on another one of these as soon as the Yuletide festivities are behind us.

I will be sure to let you know when I'm ready to do the neckline and need a firm talking to regarding seeing it through until the end. Be as harsh as you want. I'll need it.

While I would be the first to admit that this sweater isn't anything entirely exciting, it's something that is entirely wearable- and I like that. Perfect for the cozy weekends indoors that lie ahead and perfect for those late night skates on the public rink after dinner.

Like I said, it's perfect.

Certainly not the workmanship... but the idea of this sweater is perfect.

And that's good enough for me.

You know what else is perfect?

Nail Polish- Butter of London in Wallis
Purchased at Blossom Lounge

How well my tacky nail polish matches my green sweater.

Festive, indeed.

Some sweater details to keep you warm as follows:

Pattern- Basic Chic Pulli by Bonne Marie Burns over at Chic Knits (I opted against the waist shaping so that I can eat as much as I want at Christmas dinner and not look pregnant in my newly knit sweater)
Yarn- Berroco Ultra Alpaca 5 skeins in a lovely shade of green, and some little leftovers from my Vonica for the cast off on the waistband and cuffs
Needles- 4.5mm for the body, 4mm for all of the ribbing

And you know what else??? It's knit all in one piece.

Perfect.

Am I right or am I right?

WHAT!?!?!? Blue poinsettias?!?!?

Felice Navidad to you all!

Us Knitters? We Sassy.

When I started to plan my wedding, the first question people would ask me was 'So what are your wedding colours?' to which I replied 'Huh?'

Er, I must confess... I had no clue that weddings had colour schemes. But I must also confess to knowing very little about weddings at all.

So in order to have an answer ready for anyone that asked, I picked out some grey and green invitations that I fancied and ran with it. It felt like a pretty good starting point.

And you know what??? It worked (if I do say so myself!). The green was a lovely pop of much needed colour in an otherwise somewhat dreary month and the grey worked as a beautiful backdrop for my brightly hued flowers. I was pleased with the outcome.

What I was also pleased with however, was this incredibly thoughtful gift made by my buddies Lynn and Kerry. (Remember them???)

Most definitely inspired by my wedding colours.

 

Ah. Maze. Ing.

Right???

Wedding colours or not, I flippin' love it.

The grey yarn and the green Christmas balls? A perfect blend of contrasting colour and texture. SO beautiful.

Since the colours were just so perfect for my big day, I didn't hesitate for a moment to incorporate this wreath into my wedding decor. It hung proudly on the podium where the speeches were made, for all of our lovely guests to see.

This wreath contains luxury fibres only- HELLO!

So thank you dear friends. I love it like crazy and it will hang on many doors for years to come.

I appreciate you parting with all of the beautiful yarn from your stash (talk about stash busting!!!), and I appreciate all of those glue-gun inflicted blisters I saw on your poor hands. Those blisters must have seriously hindered your Christmas knitting productivity levels and I can't thank you enough.

OH! And I almost forgot to share one little detail with you.

Silly me... how could I?!?!?

I urge you to take a moment to check out the tag that was included on the wreath.

And who says knitters aren't sassy people?!?!?!

Talk about starting off my marriage with a BANG!

Much love. ♥

When Wool Gets Woven

We have a friend at the shop whom we have known since the first few weeks of opening up our doors almost ten years ago. She is a prolific knitter whose sleep patterns I question as I have done the math... and really have no idea how she manages to get through as much as she does in a day.

Her knitting is always beautiful (I mean always) and more recently, so is her weaving.

Several months ago she popped into Mary's Yarns to pick out the wool to weave my sister and her husband a blanket as a wedding gift. I helped her pick out some beautiful shades of purples and browns, and as we were laying them all out to admire our selection, she spotted my newly acquired engagement ring.

'Are you getting married too?' she asked.

'Yup' said I.

'Well...' she paused,  'you may as well pick out your colours while we're at it!' What kept her from running out the door screaming is beyond my wildest dreams...

As it turns out, I didn't pick out my colours that day- but I didn't have to.

I left that up to the expert.

And not surprisingly, she did a most wonderful job.
  

 

Not only did she do a wonderful job with the colour selection, but with the weaving itself.

Absolutely wonderful.

Our blanket... is stunning. So much so that when I got home that night and draped it over a chair to admire it, even my husband (OH! I love saying that word! HUSBAND!) said 'WHOA! Where did that come from!?!?! Now THAT, is a nice blanket.'

Home decor isn't exactly his 'thing'. I was rather shocked that the dear man even noticed it at all!

So trust me... that says it all right there.

While I can't say that this present was a complete surprise, it was more surprising than one might think.

Even when you've been given a major clue such as 'Lynn, pick out the colours you want for your own blanket' (can I even call that a clue???) you don't actually believe it until it is finished, right in front of you, with your very own name on the gift tag.

He asked to be in the photo.
I couldn't refuse such a face.

It was just last week that we were presented with our present and already I have curled up under this beautiful blanket to nap, to knit, to read and to watch a movie. It's only a week old, and I've already put it to work.

You might think that she intentionally coordinated her colours with my cushion, wouldn't you?

The yarn? Cascade Eco.

How many skeins? We don't know... but several. Let's say several.

Needle size? HA! Just kidding. I can't talk weaving... so I'm not even going to try.

So thank you friend. Winter is upon us and these nights are getting chilly. Nothing like a thick wool blanket to keep the shivers at bay.

And to all of you dear knitters, I hope that you are also staying warm.

Because I know that we certainly are. ♥

Toasty Toes for Two

I have a friend- a really good friend- from whom I have drawn much knitting inspiration over the years. Her knitting is beautiful, her stitches even, her production level impressive, and her projects, unique.

Throughout her career, she was a knitting teacher. More specifically, a handwork teacher- but much of her teaching revolved around knitting. Dreamy... right? Over the years she had the privilege to watch literally hundreds of children discover the joy of knitting.

While she did not teach me how to knit, I was fortunate enough to sit as a student of hers for two years, and she has quite literally watched me (and my knitting!) grow.

Much to my disappointment, she was unable to attend our wedding due to a previous commitment, but she so graciously stopped by the shop just days before, with a beautiful gift bag in tow.

I had strict instructions not to open the bag until we were married, and I gladly sat tight and waited. I am rather impatient by nature, so while the waiting nearly killed me, I knew that this surprise would be worth the wait.

After our two day post wedding trip, the first thing we did when we got in the door was open our gift. While I wasn't entirely sure what our gift was, I could tell from the weightlessness of the gift bag that it certainly wasn't a package of mixing cement.

While it might be crass to admit this... I am going to. Deep down, I had my fingers crossed that our wedding gift from her was something of the knitting sort.

As it turns out, I was right.  

 

His and hers socks. 

So perfect.

In every way possible.

On left- Opal Shade 5431
On right- Opal Shade 5430

Knit at a nice tight gauge to prevent holes, re-enforced heels, ribbing down the leg and top of the foot for a snug fit, stripes lined up exactly to the stitch- there are so many things about these socks that make them wonderful.

What's more, is that she had me unknowingly choose my own wedding sock yarn! What a sneaky thing to do... But oh-so clever! She had been in the shop a while back and as I enthusiastically showed her our latest shipment of Opal Van Gogh sock yarn, she ended up buying the two balls that I was most keen on.

She left the shop leaving me feeling quite chuffed that she had actually listened to my opinion (a true Knitting Queen if there ever was one- listening to me!?!?!?) only to surprise me weeks later with the yarn not only knit up, but knit up with me and my man in mind.

Warm toes together

I'll take 'His & Hers' socks over 'His and Hers' monogrammed towels any day. 

Those stripes... so perfectly lined up!

So thank you dear friend for the thoughtful and warm wedding gift. My man and I are lovers of hand knits, and lovers of warm toes. Getting married in November, we should have thought to register for hand knitted socks... but thanks to you, we didn't have to.

You just knew.

Here's to keeping those toes toasty over the upcoming cooler months.

xo

I'm A Wife!

I'm baaaaack! And I'm maaaaarried! And only is it just now, two weeks after our big day that I'm starting to feel my wedding hangover subside. Since our big day, I have felt jet lagged and foggy. Someone could have mugged me on the street and I likely would have just shrugged and shuffled onwards.

However, after much planning, we can now get on with married life, and I'm so happy to be moving forward. Goodbye wedding, Hello Christmas! So nice...

While I am not too interested in going on and on about my wedding here, I do have a few things I would like to share with you that are wedding related over the coming weeks.

Why?
Two reasons.

1- Because I am fortunate to know many talented people. Really... you have no idea. And there was lots of yarn and knitting related goodness to be had at our wedding, and the festivities that surrounded it. I think I would be cheating all of you not to share some of these wonderful things!

2- I don't care if you love or hate weddings, we're all nosey people (that's why we read blogs! Admit it!) So when I get some decent wedding photos, I will most certainly share them with you.

In the meantime, speaking of talented people and wedding photos... Check out what Mother Mary made for the top of our chocolate wedding cake!

My poor groom seems to have misplaced his glasses!

The likeness is uncanny.

So there you go. That's the best photo that I've got of us on our big day.

More to come.

I promise.

Thanks for all of the love everyone!

It is so very much appreciated- you have no idea.

xo

Tick, Tock

So, the countdown is on. Three more sleeps until I have a husband. Holy smokes.

Like... REALLY! 

Holy smokes.

With only three days to go, I am under the illusion (more like delusion?) that I am going to finish knitting a bolero out of some beautiful mohair to keep my shoulders warm on what I imagine will be a sunny, but chilly November afternoon. I don't like the idea of being covered in goosebumps in all of my photos! So a bolero should solve that issue.

I only have a sleeve and a half left to go... and then I need to sew it up.

But I can do it- right? Because I don't really have anything else going on over the next few days. (HA!)

It's funny how my wedding is all of a sudden starting to feel like Christmas Eve. You know when the clock continues to tick as you stare down the barrel of all those knitting deadlines you've set for yourself? You've been busy driving across Hell's half acre to get Uncle Donny the perfect tie for under the tree or a box of the best truffles in town. You've been up until the wee hours perfecting this year's batch of Christmas cookies, or getting the piping perfect on your gingerbread house... and somehow (don't ask me how!), the knitting gets put on the back burner.

The only difference here is... an "IOU a knitted bolero for your wedding" doesn't photograph too well.

Thank heavens I at least had the foresight to whip off a wedding themed cowl to keep me cozy.

Yarn- 1 skein of Cascade Magnum
Pattern- My Kind of Town CowlNeedles- 12.75mm

Is it the "Kate-Middleton-on-her-wedding-day" look that I was going for? 

Not really.

But then again, I'm pretty sure that it was ME who my man proposed to six months ago...

Not that Kate Middleton character.

Pfft...Her loss!

Stay warm friends. ♥

Building Blocks

This wedding is a funny thing. With less than three weeks to go now, I'm starting to feel slightly overwhelmed. I know it's coming soon, and I know it's coming fast. I also know that everyone that's coming will leave well fed and that no one will notice if my shoes don't match my nail polish perfectly. I know that details like whether or not we opt for square dishes or round dishes will be lost on every single person in the room. I know that if I have mascara running down my face, or fake eyelashes stuck to my cheeks, someone there will let me know. And most importantly, I know that by the end of the day, I will be married to the one guy I want to spend the rest of my life with- which I realize is really the only thing that anyone at my wedding will remember.

We are down to that point in the planning process however where it's all about the details- the little bits and pieces. All the fun stuff like colour scheme, dress shopping and flowers are behind us. Those decisions have been made (thank God!). Now it's all about the "Who is going to sit with who? Who needs a vegetarian meal? Are there any allergies? What time should people show up to the reception? What order should the speeches be in? What am I going to do with my 1" long hair-do once I take off my veil? What shoes am I going to dance in? Should the groomsmen have little pieces of fabric that poke out of their suit pocket to match their tie?" It's all about the details. And as soon as one detail gets nailed down, there seems to be a sea of more details just waiting for us to sort them out. While I have never made so many rapid fire decisions in all my life, it still feels as though nothing is actually getting done.

Amongst all of these details, I often find myself loosing sight of the bigger picture- the reason why we're going through with all of this. Which brings me to... my knitting.

It's a vicious circle, isn't it? When one finds themself too busy to sit down and knit, that's exactly when they need it most. Knitting's soft rhythm soothes the soul and calms the nerves, which is precisely what I find myself craving these days. Right now, I feel as though all I what is a good three week vacation full of nothing but... knit time. Nuts to this wedding! We can make a pit-stop at City Hall when we get back (Er...just kidding Mom and Dad!).

Last week at the shop I taught a class to a group of lovely ladies on 'Entrelac'. This particular technique is achieved by knitting little squares that build on one another resulting in a fabric that looks like woven strips. So tricky! So clever! Right? I have knit entrelac in the past, but it had been a while since I had played with the technique much.

Yarn- James C. Brett "Passion" in shade P3
Pattern- Danica by Jesse Loesberg

Turns out, entrelac is exactly what the knitting doctor should have ordered this bride-to-be long ago. Nothing is more satisfying than building blocks- ask any child out there. You can knit up a 'little block' in no time and when you finish one, you end up feeling like you've accomplished something- like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if you intend to knit a 40 foot scarf, you can still see that light. You can pat yourself on the back and say 'Good job Lynn! Look at what you did! You made something!'

A friend once told me that no matter how big or small your wedding is, there is drama and stress that goes along with it. While my wedding is certainly no Kate Middleton/ Price William affair, it's enough for me.
Perhaps if I think of all of these little tasks that I have left to do as if they are tiny knitted blocks, it won't seem quite so daunting.

Besides, I work best when knitting is involved, so I'm just going to stick to my entrelac. Chipping away at it bit by bit.

And if my scarf ends up being a few feet shy of 40 feet, I'm pretty sure that no one is going to notice.

Happy knitting dear knitters!

It's November now... only 53 more days until Christmas.

 So you'd better get your knit on.

Late Night Cravings

Late this past Friday night, I found myself craving a big bowl of something. But what???
Ice cream? Chocolate chips? Betty Crocker icing?

As I was making my way down to the kitchen, it was a big bowl of a little something else stopped me in my tracks.

A big bowl... of leftover sock yarn.

All of a sudden the type of craving I was having shifted gears completely.

But I knew that my craving wouldn't be entirely satisfied until I did the unmentionable... which is 'cast on'.

  

So that's exactly what I did.

And what I ended up with... was utterly and entirely addictive.

Linen Stitch Scarf by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas

Normally I wouldn't think twice about casting on a new project- especially at the beginning of a weekend!

However... today marks the 'one month to go' until I walk down the aisle and say "I Do". (Yeeeeeah... so much for a Winter 2013 wedding- right?) November 17th it is! And the calendar indicates that today is October 17th... Whoops!

Between now and then there is lots to get through, and I should know better than to cast on a project like this one only because... nothing else is going to get done until I cast this scarf off. (And I'm not just talking about tasks that are knitting related that are going to be neglected).

Little flower fighting against the first frost at the shop

If my groom ends up waiting for me at the altar... tell him I just have to finish off the fringe, then I'll be right there.

He knows not to take that sort of thing personally.

That's why I'm marrying him.

To Baby, With Love

So, I think I've found it. My "go-to" baby sweater.

You know? The one that you lovingly cast on and churn through when you hear a baby announcement, or get a shower invitation in the mail? Of course you know it. Even if you don't have a "go-to" baby sweater, you will. And you know exactly what I'm talking about. Right? You think that you'll switch it up the next time, but try as you might, you just have to knit the same little number again (and again, and again) each time a new little life is announced.

There's a reason why we repeat the same sweater over and over again, isn't there?  In the case of this sweater, it goes a little something like this. I love knitting every stitch with this yarn, I find stripes entirely addictive- and adorable!, and being able to choose the perfect buttons for baby??? Pure bliss.

I like to think that the love I have for knitting this little striped cardi will translate over to my love for the little baby that will someday wear it.

Red pants were the obvious choice

Approximately five months back, an old high school friend of mine popped into the shop, and loaded herself up with some Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. Since I'm a pretty nosey person, I naturally wanted to know ALL the details of who this yarn was for and what it was going to be. My questions were being dodged (in the politest way possible), until my friend finally succombed to the pressure of my rapid fire questioning, and admitted that it was HER that was going to have a wee babe in the coming months! Oh the excitement!

There was simply no question in my mind that I would knit for the babe (knitters are just the BEST people to knit for!) and there was also no question what yarn I would use. (My shop counter, piled high with this yarn was the clear indicator).

So away I went.

Since this is the third time I have knit this sweater this year, I won't go on (and on and on) about the yarn and the pattern. But for those of you just tuning in- here's the scoop.

Yarn- Four balls of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, two balls in shade 203 and two balls in shade 21
Pattern- Striped Cardigan from the book Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino 2 
Size- 6-9 month
Needles- 2.75mm and 3.25mm
Cuteness factor- OVERLOAD!

I'll see what I can do about getting a pic of the dear babe modelling his sweater once he makes his debut into the world this November.

Just so baby knows that is was 'Specially' hand made for him

 So, baby! I look forward to meeting you!

You're lucky to have the mom that you have.

And once you're ready to learn how to knit, give me a shout. 

I speak from experience when I say that it's not always the best idea to learn that skill from your own mother.

It's That Time of Year Again!

It's officially Fall in my books. And not because my calendar says so... Not because I have finally put on socks for the first time in months... And not because my bathing suit has been lovingly folded up and put in the bottom drawer for safe keeping.

Autumn has arrived because The Markham Fair is here!

Growing up in the Markham area, the Fair always marked the official beginning of Fall. As soon as the Fair arrived, you knew that you could no longer get away with not wearing a jacket to school. You also knew that the excitement of new binders and fresh pens had worn off, and now the teachers actually expected you to get some work done. (UGH! Really though??? Is it Thanksgiving yet!?!?!?)

So last night, my good buddy Amy and I headed on over to the fair to celebrate this new season by moaning and groaning over how adorable all of the barnyard animals (OK... Mostly sheep) are.

See?


 
















You just moaned and groaned a little yourself there, didn't you?

SO flippin' adorable.

These creatures just make me want to whip out my woolens and cast on some mohair.

Even the sheep have the good sense to wear a jacket in the evening now

Or at least cast on something to enter in next year's fair! 

This category looks right up my alley...

Beautiful baby knits

 So you'd better be diving back into that knitting basket of yours, all you seasonal knitters!

And you'd also better be taking advantage of the Fall harvest! (Lots to do this time of year... isn't there!?!?!?)

I must also extend a big congratulations to my dear Uncle Guy of Farintosh Farms for winning a whack of 'First Prizes' for his beautiful produce.

I would expect no less! These peppers and tomatoes are perfect!

Top notch!

So while I do hope that you are maintaing a healthy diet (there is no better time of year to do that!), I also hope that you are taking some time to indulge.

Indulging in both some knitting time, and some donut time.

Cinnamon Tiny Toms please! A Markham tradition.

"Twist my rubber arm" you say!