New Yarn on the (Canadian) Block ...

Estelle designs is distributing several shades of Cascade 220 under their house label, Estelle Andes. It's selling for a discount price of $7 per skien for solid colours and $9 for multi-colours (not bad since it retails under the Cascade brand at $9 for solid colours and $11 for multis). I already like this yarn immensely for felting and it makes a very affordable sweater ... now extremely affordable! It's as soft as a non-merino wool gets, milled in Peru, and is the paradigm of a worsted weight wool (knits on 4.5mm needles).

Knitted Icons

Amigurumi

Kyuuto!

it's quiet today so i'm catching up on my homework. i've updated my flickr. i also found something very clever, the power search on style.com. i'm on number 168 of 288 sweaters in the fall 2007 ready to wear shows.

i'm knitting my dad's birthday gift, so i can't show it or describe it.

i want to make this crochet edged cardi form spring/summer 2006 vogue knitting. i was struggling with the Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton, not because of the yarn, but the colours just weren't working for me. i excavated some needful kim in the basement and i'm going to give that a test run.

~ Later Gator ;-)

I'm Coveting ...

i've got the madil kid seta on my desk, just sorta hanging out with me, keeping me company. the light one is 409 and the dark one is 459. it is 70% kid mohair and 30% silk. i think the two held together will really 'pop'! it is destined to be this hat:



ooh la la kid mohair hat from sublime book 601.

i think i'm more likely to wear the blues, but the reds are making me happy right now. the light one is 403 and the dark one is 467.

I'm Working On ...

last week when it was really hot and i had a meeting on monday i decided to try out the needful ceramic on a simple shrug. elaborating on glampyre's one skein wonder, i'm adding 3/4 arms. i've almost finished one arm, because, as always, it was not finished by the monday deadline (even if it was i don't think it will look good on me). should i finish it or rip it out? i'll finish it. i hate wasting all that work.

the ceramic shrug strikes a casual pose with della q silk drawstring bag. the ceramic is really slickery! i've had to be REALLY careful about not losing stitches, so i've got point protectors on my needles. i'm making all my decreases with locking stitch markers because ripping back is not an option i want to explore. the ceramic knits ok once i got going. it's fine on the bamboo needles. i had to trim my hangnails and file and snags on may nails to keep them from snagging the yarn. it looks really nice knit up, kinda artsy, stretchy. the true test will be when the temperature climbs again.

my great big green hemp tote! i've found a lace stitch suitable for the body and i'm going at it as fast as i can.

I'm Coveting ....
you didn't think I covet things around the store?



Opal Rainforest in 'Caterpillar' colour 1610

Handmaiden Silken in "Pewter"

Handmaiden Silk Spun in 'Pewter'

Campanula for the Cure




Ramona is fundraising for the Walk for the Cure to end Breast Cancer, and she's offering up her baby, the Campanula sock pattern for donations! This pattern is Knitty quality but you can get it for any donation amount you like ... plus you you get a tax receipt! I have the original pair, they're real purty and real comfy! Here are some more pictures ....

so tired, must blog, must blog, so tired ....

i'm not sure how, but somehow i ended up on the committee that is organizing Stitch 'N Pitch in Toronto. I'm such a loner, i've never been a 'committee' person. a man called me a week ago from Westminster Fibers and said something about supporting the event and meeting the Blue Jays. I figure sure, why not, sounds like something different to break up the week, the next day i get an e-mail with an 'Agenda', a list of 'committee' members and a request for us to 'think outside the box'. how did i get into this? i don't know. but i figure it'll still break up the week, so i go. now i'm neck deep. tomorrow morning i have to go to Mississauga at Coats & Clark for another meeting, we're car pooling, meeting at the spinrite offices.

i thought all day yesterday and i worked hard all day today compiling contact lists, spreading the word online, creating a blog, facebook group, etc. the jays are handing out tote bags and i want to get lots & lots of great freebies from all the distributors to stuff in there! i also want to collaborate with a charity, like Streetknit and Afghans for Afghans. It would be great if people would knit squares while they are at the game and donate them to make blankets for the charities. it could be like a great big knit along!

i think i'm going to be the one to make a huge scarf for the Jays mascot. i wonder what it's measurements are? i'm pooped just thinking about it.

did you want tickets? you can get them at the store (then we can all sit together), or here's the Jays' Stitch 'N Pitch page.

my mind hasn't been working efficiently today but i just figured out why i'm currently addled. i expect it's the codeine laced acetaminophen i took before i left the house. today is a crampy day. it all makes sense now, it explains so much: why i'm wearing my hair in pigtails with red bobbles, why i keep spelling 'explain' as 'sexplain' (well, that may also be the very interesting boy i've been chatting with) and why i'm so pleased with the new pants i got last night at H&M (i normally reserve that level of interest for shoes, handbags & jewellery). i think i should probably not bother with any lace patterns today.

luckily i was able to download some pictures.

tilt your head slightly to the right. here's sahara so far. i'm not happy with the design of the arm so i have to rip it back a bit. i'm making the long sleeved version, 'cause i live in canada, and i feel that the wide belled sleeves are kinda incongruous with the tightly fitted body. anyway, it's been sitting in my basket at home for the last week.

i've taken up embroidery. i was inspired by terri and a temporary lack of knitting inspiration. this was my first go. the stitches are a bit harder than i expected, but i think that's just a newbie thing. the budgies are from Jenny Hart's book "Sublime Stitching", but i've got loads of her Sublime Stitching pattern leaflets for sale in the store, the bag is from american apparel. Of course, i got bored while working the budgies but i'm happy with the result. I'm hoping that my next project will be a little more stimulating becuse it will be my own design and i'm going to try and do some free form colour work. if i get into it i might buy a bunch of the AA denim totes wholesale to (i really like the density of the fabric) sell in store. so far i've been using DMC embroidery floss that i've got for sale in store. i got a bunch of anchor floss last night at wal-mart (it's not my fault, i hate that place but i had to get some barbie fixins for a 4 year old's birthday this weekend because they didn't have the right thing at toys r us because the ceiling fell in or something equally ill fated). the anchor floss is so cheap, i have no idea what the quality is going to be like. it'll probably be annoying.

everything is annoying (although the codeine is taking the edge off). a bunch of fall berroco books arrived less the one i really wanted, the norah gaughan book. i called berroco and my rep didn't order it. why can't people just read my mind? ugh, it wouldn't matter anyway, nobody would be able to make heads or tails of my thoughts. except for my friend Richard in Oakland, he can deconstruct it all. he knows when i sad even when i don't know. not to diminish my other best friends, you've all got unique and essential haley-wrangling skills.

gratuitous pluto shot.

it's not much to look at but this is the bottom of an eventually to be knitted grocery shopping tote in Allhemp6. grocery and food stores have been selling really cheap totes as a nod to the dying planet. and i'm not complaining, it's better than plastic bags. but the new ones are cheap will only serve for 6 moths to a year of regular use, so they're destined for the landfill too. so i'm making a classic styled, heavy duty, long, long, long term shopping/everything tote. actually, the project started as a bag for my cousin steven who got a new boat and needs a bag to put his recycling in, but now that i've been working on it i think it's too good for him.

Wednesday Freebies

hmmm, sorry, this was supposed to be last friday's freebies but i guess i was waylaid by work. but i've found more good stuff in the interim, so all's well that ends well.

Check out the new website for Knitting Daily. It's home to all the free patterns from Interweave Knit's plus some more. They've also been posting some really useful articles, this week is bust darts.

Vine Lace Baby Hat

Bordeaux wrap sweater

Ruffina shawl collar sweater

Wright summer tee

Really Summer Vest

p.s.
Since I'm not going to be able to do the Weekend to End Breast Cancer I'm throwing my support to friend and Knit-O-Matic local Ramona Carmelly. Ramona's already raised over half of the entry minimum (they don't let you walk unless you come up with 2k)!