It's done and I like it very much. I have been interested in working on closer fitting Top Downs and working with this design by Elizabeth McCarten has been very interesting. She did a great job. I still have some work to do though before it goes out to the wide world, drawing a schematic of it is going to be an interesting job, sending it once more to the pattern checker and getting it photographed (and note to self, good idea to wash and block it first). That's my 'to do' list on this one.

I'm getting together with the Teen book designers this coming week too. It will be exciting to see what the sweaters we are working on look like and scary to see what we still have to do. Yicks time is ticking away. Lots of exciting work to come.
-Deb

We woke up to a double, small 'd', disaster - the internet was out and our car wouldn't start! Now why the internet being out provokes such panic escapes me but it certainly does. It's illogical, we're not cut off from the world. The phone is still working. We have neighbours. We can walk out the door and go to the library and log on. Oh wait, I need to drive to the library and the car won't start. I could go to the shop and check my email there except that's an hour's walk and it's -19 degrees which is of course why the car won't start. We wiggled every connection between the phone and the computer, tried to calm down and wait for the sun to thaw our car. I'm not sure which wiggle worked but eventually the internet kicked back in and by mid-afternoon the car started. So we are back in connection with the world. Phew. And I finished the second sleeve on the Valentine which in the flurry of adrenaline I didn't photograph when the sun was shining (I was directing all available rays at the car).
-Deb

In the middle of lots of knitting to do, I have had the urge to begin a project which has been sitting on the top of my stash for quite some time. Last summer Lynda arranged for me to get a kit from Strickwear http://strickwear.com/ . I have always admired Candace Eisner Strick's work. I am making the Adagio Shawl in the Cape Cod (blue to green) colourway.

It's a fairly simple pattern but the fun is watching the colours change. You begin with 3 small balls of the same blue colour, holding 3 strands of wool throughout, every so many ridges you change one of the strands to a paler blue.

I am going to work through all of these colours by the end. So far I am on the second colour of blue. I can't wait to get to the greens.

I have had a bout of the flu, am now recovering but during that time couldn't think too clearly so knitting someone else's pattern is wonderful. All of my own projects are exactly where they were before the weekend. I'll get back to them very soon. I'm sure they will forgive me for the delay.

-Deb

While Lynda is getting ready to go to Stitches West I am recovering from my other interests. Last weekend I went to adult camp - a music DIY weekend. It's just like a knitting retreat. It's relaxing,

there are intense conversations about equipment,

groups get together to do what they do best,

and sometimes things happen so fast you cannot capture them on film (that must have been Saturday because no one was moving that fast by Sunday - late, late nights).

Everyone is given a chance to shine.

A wonderful sense of community springs up.

And I must confess I did not knit one stitch! So I have been making up for lost time this week.

I am working on the sleeve flare of the Valentine. The pattern is pretty close to a final version. I have to reknit the bottom section since Elizabeth and I both felt that we would like to see the hip a little wider than the bust since this is a close fitting garment. Most of us could use an extra inch or so over the hip, right? A pleasure for me, I have another chance to knit that beautiful cable pattern.

And I am almost there on the Teen cardigan. No more sleevelessness. But I think I made the cuff on the sleeve too long. I had it on, even though it is about 3 sizes too small (no one is seeing a photo of that!), and the sleeve looks like it's a short sleeve instead of a cap sleeve. So I'm going to rip back 2 of the pattern repeats and leave 1 pattern repeat for the edging. I think that will do it. It's A-lined so that the bottom is about 7" wider than the bust to give it a

bit of s-w-ing.

Have you been to a retreat and was it great or what?!

-Deb

Getting Ready for Stitches West

February is creeping ever closer and I'm trying to get ready for the Stitches West show. Karen, from SheepStrings Yarn Art Studio and I are again sharing a booth. We have to ship our goods early in February so time is getting short! I'm madly knitting away on some samples and doing a bit of shopping. I like to have some new items at each show, either our own or some cool things I've seen. So this year I'll have our new patterns (Last Minute Baby and Delicious Diamonds), some kits of the the terrific JJ Jacket and new Beaded Mittlets plus some new yarn I've dyed and am knitting the shawl right now, pictures to come. And I'll also have some new pretties, see below:

Adrianne, who does these, works with pewter and these are shaped like spools of yarn. Very beautiful and have matching earrings as well (I don't have quite the swan neck to wear the earrings myself, but am having trouble picking out only one of the necklaces to wear).

The "dog tags" are very funky.

And these ae sweater sticks/shawl pins. The top ones are coloured, wooden beads, pretty, simple and light. The stick on the right is absolutely stunning on a heavier stole or sweater that needs a closure. Very celtic looking as is the round pin below.

If anyone is going to the show and wants me to bring anything in particular - please let me know soon! 

-Lyn

I have a model. It's wonderful to see it on someone.

This is the Valentine sweater sans sleeves.

And the Teen cardigan, again, no sleeves. This seems to be a theme at the moment. Maybe I should make it with small cap sleeves? This new trend saves some knitting.

Gotta run,

-Deb

What do you think of the 'comment reply or not' question? Blogger doesn't give me the option of tracking back to your email so I can't reply to you personally right now. And that seems like a one-way communication that is not entirely satisfactory. I know I don't comment on very many blogs for that reason. But maybe if I could reply I would feel I had to reply and that might mean a 'thanks for the comment' when there is not much else to say. I do check to see if the commenter has a blog and I visit them and sometimes leave a comment there. Any thoughts?

I have one more project on the needles. Or rather I just took it off the needles for a moment.  I've finished the Valentine body and am ready to do a big push to finish the sleeves.

The cabling was really fun to do and I'm sorry it's over.

I am at the bottom border of the Teen cardigan. Now I'm excited to see how it looks off the needles.

And in between a trip to Toronto and a rehearsal tonight for a music show we're going to do in the spring, we are packing for a music weekend.

The big bag is a drum I'll be playing this weekend. It was a Christmas present to ourselves and it's fun, fun, fun. I'm looking forward to banging away over the weekend. There may not be much knitting done.
-Deb