everything but blogging

Been knitting, been working, been posting new yarns on the website, been helping with my new grand niece, been listening to Amy Singer talk about no sheep, been shipping, been shopping ..... just not been blogging

Aforesaid Ms Singer spoke at our guild yesterday and had all of the sheepless garments for us to ogle. And ogle and fondle we did.

I LOVE Intoxicating

I LOVE Morrigan

I love the fabulous silk coat/dressing gown/silk fabulousness whose name I can't remember at the moment - the largest size of which takes 18 skeins of 42.00 a skein silk!!!!

Intoxicating is 3 colours of silk - knitted in mosaic patterns (different front and back) and lace (sleeves). The colour combination is BRILLIANT - absolutely BRILLIANT. Mossy green, plummy purple and tangeriney light orange. What a combination. Truly intoxicating. Now to figure out if Handmaiden's Silken will work as a substitute. Calls are in - answers will be had.

And then there is Morrigan. Complex with a capital COMPLEX cables - mostly single stitch crossovers I think and a centre front braid that is gorgeous. Done in Rowan Calmer in a soft blue that also costs a fortune and might make a sane knitter crazy and a crazy knitter (like me) even crazier. Must be knit in a cool, quiet room with no distractions - guess I better move to a hotel for that one!

Too much knitting - too little time

Works in progress and finished recently include socks in Shepherd Sport - Watercolor, Piece of Beauty - Dark Matter, Mystery Diamond Shawl in soft blue Kid Seta, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend in Heather 3/8 - Chokecherry - a complex red with a bit of blue heathering, a crocheted (yes I said crocheted - I really dont' crochet) Rowan sweater for my daughter in Sapphire Hemp - progress on this one is actually being made! Also a couple of summer tops in Estelle 100% Silk for me but to be developed into a pattern for this great yarn. One done, 1 about half way, 1 more to go.

Also working on an idea for April's Sock of the Month that isn't quite working in its current configuration so some ripping has taken place (twice) and some re-knitting will happen (but not until tomorrow). I knwo what I want it to do and so far 1 of the 3 things I have tried has worked and the other 2 were too awful to contemplate.

More blogging and definitely a few pictures to come.

Did you see the new Sea Silk!!!!!

Virginia van Santen

I started reading Virginia's blog about a year or so ago and was always inspired by her words and pictures and her use of colour. A couple of times, I would have just posted something that I had been working out - something about colour or self patterning yarns and I would see that she had posted a very similar thought.

I love her garden pictures too.

We wrote back and forth a bit and spoke on the phone once or twice when I ordered her beautiful yarns and patterns.

My favourite Virginia object is this knitted gold fish bowl that she told me was knitted with many many many different colours of shetland.


The imagination and art that produced this will be sadly missed. A most amazing woman and a terrible loss to all.

We have a new baby!

I am a great aunt! My brother's oldest daughter had her baby!

Here she is at about 20 minutes old!

Ainsley Adrienne was born on Friday and I was there at the hospital for all of the excitement. 7 lbs 15 oz, 20 inches with a head full of dark hair and the sweetest rosebud mouth.

Happy Mother and Babe:

Proud Papa!

We have a new BABY!!!! First of the next generation

Knitting may commence

Well, yes, apparently it can be far away!

Blizzard. White out. Can't see the house across the street kind of white out. Thunder. Thunder!!!!!

I am holed up knitting since it isn't pretty out there. Not a bad way to pass a snowy day and it makes me very thankful that I can choose when I have to go out.

Oh yes, and Red Bird Knits is SIX years old today! 6! Wow! Have to think of some way to celebrate (other than eating since I am on a diet... which is working... have lost 21 pounds... not bad.... and more to go....)

I am knitting a summer top - of course - must always be thinking ahead - out of aran weight silk - in a tweedy coffee colour. A nice and quick knit. This is about the heaviest weight yarn that I knit and it feels rather large compared to my usual lace and fingering weights. But it is going so fast, I sure see the advantages.

And in support of the Harlot (see her rant about the rude anonymous spell checking boor who sends her corrected versions of her postings):

cheque
theatre
neighbour
colour
doughnut
centre
labour
pop
programme
cancelled
knitted
fulfilled

Canadian/British spelling rocks! Blog it for the Harlot!