Saturday, November 10, 2007

berry good


It's chilly time here in Kitchener and for fun I decided to knit a new design with berries and leaves. I love curvy patterns and this one definitely does it for me. The brown yarn is most likely a mix of acrylic and wool, I'm not too sure as I picked it up at a garage sale years ago and finally found a use for it. I love the brown and I love the red with the brown.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

CGK Pendant


September 9/07 I received the news that I had won one of the only 5 http://www.cgknitters.ca pendants and then I received it in the mail on September 20/07. It's so pretty and I'd like to publicly thank Cynthia MacDougall, the editor of Knit Together and administrator of the CGK for her generosity! This pendant was created to celebrate her 5th year in business.

Cynthia wrote to me and explained the symbolism behind the design:
"The blue topaz was chosen because gold and blue are the official
colours of Canadian Guild of Knitters. I liked the way it represented
both the wrap of a circular needle (part of the new logo), with a
topaz spark where the knitting actually happens, *and* how it
represents the arms of a knitter at work, with the spark where the
needles are held."

I've worn it a few times and have already received compliments.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Dark into Light


Finally, I have my latest design ready to be printed within the next 2 weeks. I had so much fun using up more of my Lisa Souza sock yarns in this sporty corrugated rib zippered cardigan. I can't wait to wear it when the weather gets a little cooler. It's so comfy and goes really well with a skirt or pair of jeans.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Another stashbuster


Originally, this was going to be a vest, not anymore, sleeves have been added and still, there is some Lisa Souza yarn left over. I decided to knit it on slightly bigger needles than Coral Reef, I know, going from 3mm to 3.25mm isn't much of an increase in needle size, is it. :)

What do I call this one? I haven't been able to come up with a suitable name. Help!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Coral Reef & Summer

Finally, I've managed to have my photo shoot for the two latest designs Coral Reef and Summer offered by Needle Beetle. I'm still in the midst of proofreading and plan to have these patterns printed within the next 2 weeks.

And, because I still have Lisa Souza yarn left over I've created another design to use up your sock yarn stash. It never seems to end and I think I'm still going to have some left over. Left over yarn drives me crazy.

:)

Monday, June 11, 2007

Mosaic Knitting on the Brain


Mosaic knitting is my most favourite knitting and sometimes when you are on a roll you just have to go with it. I've decided to postpone my last mosaic design until this latest mosaic design is finished and then I will have 2 patterns to offer. Both are completely different, but both are equally fun, at least to me.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Sexy Knitting


Woohoo! I received my very own personally autographed copy of Joan McGowan-Michael's most gorgeous book Knitting Lingerie Style. Chapter 3 on Corsets is my favourite section, I love the designs and hope that one day some of these pretty tops will be part of my wardrobe. If you have any tips on cloning, please pass them along as I will obviously need 2 or more of me to accomplish this feat.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Running towards the Future


I know I haven't posted in ages, but I have a very good reason for that, I've taken up running 3x per week with the Running Room with their "Learn to Run" clinic and it's been a fantastic experience. In 2 weeks I will be running in a 5k race. 2 months ago I never imagined being able to do so. I've signed up for the next clinic which is 5k to keep up with the progress I've made but at a comfortable pace. My group leader keeps saying that I should have signed up for the 10k clinic but I don't want to push myself that much. She thinks that before I'm 50 I should attempt a full marathon. I giggled at that one!

So far, I've had 2 injuries, my calf decided it had enough about a month ago and I missed one night of running and now for the last couple of weeks, my hip has decided to complain. I don't think it helps that I've also been biking every weekend checking out all the fantastic walking/biking trails and parks Kitchener-Waterloo has to offer. Totally amazing, I just love it.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Berry Poppins & Pumpkin Gold


Yummm, doesn't the title of this post make you a little bit hungry? It could be for me because it's close to lunchtime. The photo is of more mosaic knitting, my favourite kind. I just realized this morning I hadn't posted in such a long time, oops. I've been very busy running, knitting and going to the gym and I keep forgetting. I'm itching to start my next project so will be very glad when I can show you what I've been up to with all the mosaic snippet photos I've been posting for you to see.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The Bear Guys


I haven't been knitting as much as I should be, but it's not my fault, honest. I've been busy working on my cousin Steven's website. He and his partner Shane make the most incredible collectible teddy bears and they've just been written about in the well known teddy bear magazine "Teddy Bear and Friends". The magazine came out last week and so the website had to be all spiffied up for the flood of visitors. Take a peek at their adoption and gallery page. Now, I'm back to my knitting...

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Watermelon in Emerald City


I'm so sorry, I have been remiss in providing eye candy! Too busy knitting, yeah, I'll blame it on that. I finally scanned Watermelon and Emerald City playing together. Here you go, yummy stuff that Lisa Souza sock yarn, she always gets me with her colours.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Cabled whatever



Okay, 3 shots, I don't know what to call it but it's definitely not a bolero. :)

Friday, March 9, 2007

Sizzle


Whenever I come into contact with Lisa Souza's handpainted yarns, I have an uncontrollable urge to knit. Not just one colour at a time mind you, oh no, I have to combine them. 2 eye-popping colours together, being subtle just doesn't work for me. Mosaic knitting is one of my favourite techniques, here is Sapphire and Earth Birth together in all their glory. Hot, sssssssss.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Cabled Bolero


I'm finished my cabled Bolero by Norah Gaughan. I changed the pattern. It was going to be a bizarre shape, too big and just plain weird, even in the small size with a finished measurement of 36". So, instead of following the diagram, I made up a new one. The sleeves became triangles instead of pentagons.

I picked up 29 sts from #3 pentagon, 28 sts from #2 pentagon and then 29 sts from #9 pentagon for the right sleeve, worked back and forth to row #12, then worked even (no more decreases) and followed the directions for cabling according to the magazine instructions until the final decrease row for the small size. Did the decrease row and made the sleeve nice and long to my wrist. I did the same thing for the left sleeve. I've provided a diagram with arrows to show you my fix. It is drying on my sweater rack, I'll take a photo soon. Now it looks like a bolero...and it fits.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Alpin Glow


It was Janet's idea, Alpin Glow, Joanne also came up with Summer Dusk and that's nice too. But, I've decided to go with Janet's, sorry Joanne! Anyway, the silly thing is finally finished, now I have to work on the pattern. This one is a mind bender so I bet it will take me awhile before I decide it's ready for publishing. Thank goodness for the timer on my camera, proof positive that I really do self-publish, self-photograph, a selfless thing, all by myself. Sheesh.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Dewberry Delight


My Norah Gaughan cropped sweater is in progress. I have a few more pentagons to knit and I want to wear it before the snow completely disappears. It's coming along wonderfully and I just love the colour. Now to find a pretty button for it, it can't just be any button either. This deserves something special.

Friday, February 2, 2007

Knitting Lingerie Style

Look at what I just ordered...pretty huh? Joan is offering this beautiful book in April 2007 but she's accepting pre-orders now.

My copy will be autographed (lucky me), free shipping (lucky me again) AND a coupon for 15% off the purchase of any White Lies Designs merchandise (now I'm really lucky). Cool. Can't wait to see it in person!

2 whole months of waiting, what will I do?

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Dead Muppets

I've always promised myself that I would never make dead muppets. But, before Christmas while shopping for gifts for others, I came across these pretty pigskin dyed gloves and couldn't resist them.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any scarves to go along with them. So I hit the yarn isle and came across dead muppet yarn in two colour combos that went perfectly with my new gloves. Sigh, go ahead and laugh, yes, I bought 2 balls of each and here are the results. They look fabulous with my winter coats.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Dewberry

I know, I've been lax, I haven't posted. I'm sorry. I got caught up with everyday living. Oops. :)

Today I treated myself. You know that gorgeous new design by Norah Gaughan on the cover of the latest Vogue Winter 2006/2007??? Oh my, I was beside myself when I saw it. Well, I just ordered this yummy colour of Carloway Mills Shetland Aran in Dewberry from Elann. Isn't it glorious? Now, to knit the silly thing so I can wear it this year.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Nice Ice

No school today because of ice pellets. Instead, a day for sledding and hot chocolate, and writing a resumé, writing a new pattern, calling the drugstore, finding a new doctor. Wow, a great day for doing almost anything except driving.

Walking to the gym looked a little iffy this morning, so I decided to do an in-home workout. It's amazing what new muscles you find when you substitute placing your back against the wall in a sitting position to work on quads and hamstrings, push-ups for chest press and tricep dips on a cedar chest instead of the usual gym equipment.

For your viewing pleasure, and because I can't stand to write a new post without sharing a photo, here are the ice pellets in all their icy glory sitting on my windowsill. Pretty, huh?

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

no name

Here's the promised sneak peek at my new cardigan design. I've been so focused on the design aspect that I haven't given much thought to a pattern name. I chose the colours because they reminded me of a summer sunset. However, "Summer Sunset" as a name just doesn't do it for me. I want it to be a little more exotic than that. So, if you think of something, please share, I need all the help I can get. :)

Last night I attended a meeting at the K-W Knitters' Guild and had the opportunity to listen to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (Yarn Harlot). She is a delight and very funny with her comedic delivery and I enjoyed her presentation very much. If you have a chance to hear her in person, go, you'll have fun and laugh a lot.

Sunday, January 7, 2007

6 colour sneak peek

Well, I promised a photo and here I am delivering. Although this is not a sneak peek on the progress of this design, sorry about that. But I am sharing the colours it's being made with. Black, Aubretia, Lavender, Poppy, Flame & Buttercup (all from Anne). It's a work in progress, I'm not sure when it will be done. I'm still carefully figuring out what it will be. At this point, I know it will be a steeked cardigan, with a mitred hemmed border.

I have to find some pretty black frogs to close up the bodice and then I'll be in business. Although Anne thinks I should be adventurous like Nicki Epstein and make my own frogs. I'm hoping to avoid that process, not because I couldn't do it, but because I'm feeling a bit lazy. It does happen sometimes...

Thursday, January 4, 2007

Furballs


I know I promised a sneak peek of my new design that I'm working on but the light is dreary now. So, in place of that, I will share my 2 favourite furballs with you.

I have noticed that many people post pics of their pets on their blogs. Without further ado, I present these 2 fellows, Cinder Bear (13) and Blue Bear (5) who are Devon Rex kitties. Which means, their fur is wavy, soft and velvety and they don't have normal cat guard hairs that fall out all the time. I love to pet them and they love it when I pet them.

Blue quite often keeps me warm while I'm sitting at the computer and Cinder likes to sit with me in the morning at the table after I've eaten my breakfast. They are best friends and keep each other company throughout the day when I'm not here. I don't know what I'd do without them.

Monday, January 1, 2007

Here comes Summer

I'm currently working on a stranded design in Anne's shetland yarn, and I will show you sneak peeks soon, but the other day I started obsessing about my next sock design. Summer has to be full of colour, so, where do I go for colour. You guessed it, Lisa's sock yarn page.

Here they are in all their glory, I can't wait to start, hopefully in a couple of months. From left to right and starting at the top, we have Earth Birth & Sapphire, Emerald City & Watermelon, Berry Poppins & Pumpkin Gold.

Colour is what keeps me going, well, Chocolate does too though. Hmmm, I suppose there are a few things that keep me going. I'd say the 7 most important are (in order of preference):

1.Chocolate
2.Colour
3.Hot Chocolate (with 2 teaspoons of Mint syrup added, try it, it's really good)
4.A Challenging Design
5.Glazed Chocolate Donut (1 only)
6.Yarn (wool, wool blend, silk, all the good stuff)
7.Chocolate Chip Cookie(s)

No wonder I have to visit the gym 3 times a week...sigh...