What a busy summer!! Where has the time gone? I say that now as I'm sitting in my housecoat hacking at the computer. I've been sick with a cold/cough, stuffed up nose, plugged ears. So for a change, this week seems to have gone on forever.

Here's something that's been making me feel better.

After being housebound for the last three days I ventured back to my LYS and exchanged the Ambiance Superwash yarn (picture in last post). I had it sitting on my ironing board and I kept looking at it, and rethinking the navy blue colour. "I've got a fevah, and the only prescription is more heather." (God bless C. Walken). I just couldn't face knitting the navy colour for the next month and a half. In the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits magazine they've got an article about going organic. It mentions that superwash is one of the most chemically treated yarns. I was surprised by that info, and I thought with my doubting the colour, and finding out something like that I was heading back to see Bonnie. Check out Interweave it's a good article. In it's place is Galway Heather, Irish Worsted Knitting Wool, colour brown heather, 18 st/24 row to 10cm/4in., 200 metres. As soon as I got home I started casting on. The pattern is designed by Elsebeth Lavold in her 'Book Nine, The Second Viking Knits Collection'. The name of the pattern I'm knitting is 'Ymer, man's vest'. With my brain fog/head cold I ended up frogging it about six times. I couldn't get my head around reverse stockinette stitch (purl side is right side), and the cables knitted on the purl side..geesh.

While at my lys I couldn't get out of my mind the Flower Scarf, designed by Nicky Epstein. It's in the new Vogueknitting Fall 2007, Silver Anniversary Collector's Issue. I had in my stash a couple balls of Watercolours by Estelle, and searching around Bonnie's store she had more of the same. So I added a couple more balls of the light tan, enough to eventually start on this scarf.

Watercolours is so soft, 50/50 Mohair, Acrylic.

Hold me back.....Bonnie then shows me what she's clearing out of....and of course do you think I could stop?

Sisik by Dalegarn, 30%wool, 30%mohair, 34%acrylic, 6%viscose. I'm thinking something along the lines of a vest maybe for me...we'll see. It feels great, and I'm thinking that's going to be the end of my buying for awhile....I've got to get at the actual knitting now.

I've been feeling guilty about not sharing equal time between both of our pets, so here's Anna and she doesn't care how much yarn I buy just as long as she gets fed, and let out of the house so she can have a roll on the pavement.

Anna is a finicky feline and she loves the guys, doesn't tolerate girls all that much. I met Anna when she was eight weeks old. I was working at a school and it was bring your pet, show and tell day. Well this little girl had this little grey ball of fluff and was throwing her down the playground slide. I couldn't stand the thought of the kitten being treated like that again so that afternoon I adopted her, and we've spoiled her ever since. It was destiny, and I really believe I didn't find Anna, but that she actually found us.

Either way she's been a great old girl for the past 15 years and she's still going strong.









Have a great Labour Day weekend!!!!!

I'm happy to say I got my 'you know what together' and remembered to bring my camera along so that I could share a couple pictures of my lys Wool Revival

Bonnie is proprietor of the shop, and you can see her tallying up my purchases behind the desk. She has a beautiful shop that I never seem to have enough time to look over everything. Idea's for projects are never ending here. Thanks Bonnie for letting me take pictures!

About a month ago I picked up Elsebeth Lavold's Book Nine of The Second Viking Knits Collection (another Maia referral). I love the book and it's wonderful photography. The patterns focus more on cable knitting and it's something I haven't done in a long time so I'm looking forward to starting. I'm hoping to do a couple of projects from the book, but the first one will be for dh's birthday coming up in October.

Even though the pattern shown here is in green, I've knitted a sweater for dh in green before so I went for this wonderful navy blue (colour 229) from Ambiance Superwash, 210 yards/190 m. I have been so tempted to start shopping online for this vest, but I keep holding back because I'm not sure of what I might be getting. I've spent hours online looking at wool, loaded up shopping carts to just decide it's not worth the chance. For myself I can't wear some wool it's just too itchy, but my dh can tolerate some itch, and I opted to go to the store this time. I just don't know enough about the different brands/makes of yarn/fibre to take that chance buying online. This navy yarn is called superwash it's pure new wool and it feels great. It's soft enough that I could wear it against my skin, but I wouldn't have known that from the online stores.....so I guess I just have to chaulk it up to experience and keep my eyes open for some good sales on superwash.

Something else I picked up and of course it's sockyarn from Trekking pro natura, 75% superwash, 25% bamboo, 100g, 459 yards, made in Germany.
This yarn feels great and has a wonderful sheen, could it be coming from the bamboo? I'm not sure if I'm going to use this on socks or a shawl....I better make up my mind as I'll need more for the latter...Geez I guess that means another visit to Bonnie....

Through the vastness of online knitting sites I came across this idea.....

Oh yes it was involving beads and knitting mwaaaahhh......knitting markers. To identify rows, or cables, reminders of any kind that come up in your knitting rows...I thought this was such a great idea and I found some animal print glass beads that will contrast with most colours I'll hopefully have time to be knitting with.....

That's only if the weeds slow down in the garden.....Sounds sort of like the phrase 'When hell freezes over'. Time... a precious commodity.

*update* Here's the beadmarkers all wired up and ready to go.

Good morning fibre artists.... :)

It's been awhile since last posting...I left with pictures of a unfinished wheel...so now here it is.....

All put together and sitting pretty. It took my DH and myself to get the thing together, and it was an education in part names and what they do, and where they go. Which is good, because it'll help me when spinning classes start.


This was all done just before the long weekend in August, and I had to start packing for the farm. It was raining, and wet for half of the weekend, but then warmed up of course the day we headed home. Got a fair amount of knitting done considering we did a lot of visiting with relatives.


One of my favourite parts of going out to the farm is picking rocks to put around the flower garden. The North Saskatchewan river borders along side the property, and the sky was huge that day.

My DH was home this last week and there seemed no time to get some posting done. We were getting caught up with work around the house and the upcoming Edmonton Folk Music Festival.

I did bring my knitting along with me and got another foot or so of my twining leaf scarf done. I have to say I've never knitted in public, and I felt like I was really out there. It sort of made me feel like I was categorizing myself to the public that yes I'm middle aged and yeah I like to knit, and I enjoy beer, but I don't have to sit in the beer gardens to have a good time. I didn't see not one other knitter out in amongst all these folksy people....where is everybody? I've only knitted in front of my relatives out at the farm, and even then I feel like maybe they might think it's rude to do so. Like I'm not being attentive to the ongoing conversation. I don't know....I'm still confused a little about my knitting boundaries. What's the etiquette considered in situations like these?

Either way we had a really good time. My son volunteers for the four day event, and he's met really nice people through the experience.

Here's a shot of my daughter Nicole and I sitting on the lawn in the beer gardens showing off our knitted socks.



It all ends too soon. The nighttime sky is soon lit up by the city lights and the candles that everyone holds while groovin to the music. (my daughter's just going to cringe by me using that phrase 'groovin') It's amazing sharing it with so many people. Peaceful.
Next post is some stash pictures....yes I'm waiting on some alpaca roving to spin, but of course I've got a couple of felting projects I'd like to do next which explains my latest purchases....