Woodstock Fleece Festival - The Day

Helen and I had a blast!!! Neither one of us bought very much but we found what was needful and lovely and touched so much more!!!







Shouts out to Lori and Carol - awesome to see you ladies again!!

Helen found a perfect worsted weight for a hat for her grandmother - Malabrigo. She also purchased another knitting project bag and some koigu for fingerless mitts.

I fell hard for some Studioloo - the colours in Vintage Sundress sung an irresistible siren song to me (and my feet), then I saw "eat your greens" and knew that I had to have it to swatch up for another Sweet Spot strip.





We petted an French Angora rabbit and had some close moments with Halifax, a very loving (and lovable) alpaca!!

I had swatched for Seanair Friday.

Very Loose

Still loose

Apparently I am a much looser knitter on circulars. I started on the recommended 4mm needles and finally achieved gauge on 3mm needles! I cast on for while Helen was in class for the afternoon. With that time and the drive home and DVR watching last night, I am off to an excellent start!!














Today I am revisiting my Rockefeller shawl - I really hope that I can finish the 2^nd (and final) wing today.

I have been coveting starting the Color Affection shawl but between not being able to completely commit to a colourway and having a lightweight shawl on the needles I've talked myself out of purchasing yarn.

This is a Madelaine Tosh Merino Light colourway that I've picked out that I keep going back to.

Okay ... back at it; I am really excited about finishing a project for myself!!

And re-started

I have never been a fan of the kfb (knit into the front & back) increase - it just looks out of place, especially in stockinette. But I also like to stick to a pattern fairly closely when I'm doing a store sample. I tried ... I really did. I just wasn't feeling any love at all for it so I tried a few increases using a M1b (make 1 below), doing a yo on the WS row before so that it didn't pull too tightly. The sweater is done from the top down and I definitely didn't want to have the arm shaping too tight - not a good look on anyone! Much better!! The kfb left the single center stitch really showing a smaller stitch on the inc row. The M1b allows 2 center stitches and they are much more even and the incs are more subtly integrated. I'm really lucky that Julie allows me interpretive latitude when I knit for her!! So I ripped it out and am much happier!

My hair is growing back - hard to photograph, shiny white head, fuzzy hair - but it's coming in. I have a couple of baldish spots where there is no fuzz but there is stubble where brand new hair is coming in.
I would love to have it come in curly, even if it doesn't last past a first haircut ... ask my hairdressing cousin Pam, I can hold out on a hair cut for quite a while. But I'm not picky - I'm just happy to have it growing back. I'd really love my eyelashes back soon though!!

Stopped & Started

The interminable rib is still going, kind of. Normally when I have a sense that I'm going to run out of yarn I start knitting faster in an admittedly futile effort to beat the yarn to the end. This time I think that I was trying to postpone the inevitable. I am about 10cm short on the ribbing. Julie is sending out another ball - thank goodness I had something else to knit on!!

Every Last Yard by Amy Swenson knit from Madelaine Tosh DK in tart. I am in lust with this yarn already!!! I know that to most of you this is like preaching to the choir, but for those who haven't had the experience ... get thee some Madelaine Tosh!! The yarn has a nice twist that I think will stand up to wearing but is soft in hand when knitting. I don't know if the depth and richness of the colours are coming through on your monitor but they are mesmerizing. Saying that it's cherry red, merlot and almost sangoire only begins to describe the complexity of the colourway. insert lustful sigh

This is difference in just winding a skein once (on the right) and twice (on the left). It's just a bit tighter with one winding, and while I'm knitting it up right away I can almost hear the yarn whimpering from being so cramped so I wind twice.

I think that Julie is trying to make me a circular needle convert - that's okay, it's giving me a chance to make good on my justification of the collection of Addi Lace needles that I bought in The Netherlands.