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

Test Blog

I'm doing a test blog (it's Lynda). Deb would like the ability to reply to comments so I'm checking out anything that might move us in that direction. I made a change to the "comments" feature and wanted to see if they now show up on the bottom of the blog (this is a new feature that's in beta testing so let's see if it works).

So, sorry, no fun pictures but I sure would appreciate a comment or two to see how the new feature works!

- Lynda

I'm ready to 'fess up. I have . . . this many projects on the needles.

This one is stalled because I'm not sure I like it. I think I made the overlap on the front too wide.

This one is the speculative knitting which I think I will probably rip out. Or maybe cast off so I have it to refer to. Yes, a much better plan.

Remember this one? I am stuck in a huge 'second sock symdrome' but I think I could get it out now that it's almost brand new again.

The Double Cross sock still needs some work at the top of the ribbing. Sigh.

I'm test knitting the Swirl Sock and carry it around in my purse. It's coming along very slowly because I never think to take it out of my purse!

And this is my current project, the Teen cardigan.

And I wish that was all but there is a shawl that I started somewhere, an angora scarf which sits languishing, and a single sock which needs a mate. So that adds up to 9 projects which I can put my hands on which are in the UFO pile. And they are laying on the floor which I am going to paint this winter or spring or sometime soonish. I am naming January - Begin the Finishing Month - a little work on everything gets everything done, right? Does this really work? How about you?

-Deb