Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. ~ The Dalai Lama
Waking up at 7a.m. on a Saturday morning is never my version of fun, enjoyable in the slightest or amusing in any way, but I have to tell you that after looking forward to the Downtown Knit Collective's Knitters Frolic for more than a year now, I had a very hard time sleeping last night and was really looking forward to touching, feeling, smelling and being around all things woolly.
As I was a Frolic virgin this year, I had planned my day out with time for classes and time for shopping, time for knitting and finally time for socializing...in that order.
I have been particularly looking forward to the workshop with Lorriane Smith (editor of Spinner's Quarterly) on spinning.
The class did not disappoint me in the least. Lorraine's method for teaching was relaxed, informative and most importantly enjoyable.
This was my sad and extremely pitiful attempt at two ply made out of chocolate brown Shetland roving from Ontario.
I played around with all of the roving stash that Lorraine provided as part of the class materials and was really surprised at how differently everything spun. I have determined that I do not like to spin cotton - I was just not made with enough patience for that...and highly doubt that any level of meditation will get me there.
I really couldn't wait to get home and play with the fabulous roving I purchased from Black Lamb.
This is me experimenting with the beautiful hand carded mix plus some fabulous alpaca I got at Creativfesitval last weekend from Helga at Green Acres Farms.
After running in Shelley & Richard and then Janet after my spinning class I was feeling energized and ready to shop. After a good twice through, I felt completely overwhelmed and had no clue where to start or what I wanted to buy. In fact, I was too busy focusing on something else that Shelley and Janet had told me......
It seems that the Yarn Harlot was at the Frolic...and me having a small case of the starry eyes for her in an entirely yarny kind of way wanted to get a picture with her. Janet of course found this quite funny and was looking forward to laughing her ass/relentlessly teasing until the end of time. So after a little while she crossed my path (honestly I didn't hunt her down), there she was....
...and yes that's me looking like I am in shock and stunned and Stephanie looking fabulous!!!....***Sigh****
So maybe not my best look, but they can't always be perfect and as mentioned above I was in shock. I have never met Stephanie prior to today nor have I ever heard her speak. She is a very petite woman, with a very earthy voice and personality. She was very gracious to me for allowing to snap this picture - although she was in a rush to meet up with a friend....thank you Stephanie - you made my Frolic! :)
In addition to some spinning supplies I also bought eight of the most beautiful blush coloured baby alpaca/silk blend wool skeins (Blue Sky Alpacas)
...to make a fabulous summer ribbon shell.
I expected my day to end with a workshop on Crocheting with Cachet - but found the workshop way too challenging as the instructor was moving about 10,000 miles per minute. You absolutely needed to be an advanced crocheter to keep up. A bit disappointing - given the $40 workshop fee, but what can you do except know better for next year.
Overall, I think the day was smashing and I really enjoyed my experience there and would absolutely recommend it to any knitters in Ontario - well worth the drive to Toronto.
Who knew.... what a little ray of sunshine a cute knitted teddy bear could bring. I know I didn't until this beautiful little bear was finished tonight. (see below for before assembly and the final almost done - except for his face.) Thank you Barbara Prime at Fuzzy Mitten.
Today in Toronto, was a sunny beautiful typical Canadian winter day, it was lovely. It was a wonderful day to spend inside warm, balling hanks, fiddling and unwinding yarn that was once in knots, and finishing cute and adorable teddy bears all the while chatting with one's dearest friends.
This lovely bunch of delicious yarn is all of the yummy goodness I will need to make a scalloped Colinette blanket. This blanket kit was purchased late last fall in Belleville at a charming quilt/knittery store that was selling off all of its yarn (Yes, I know very wrong) for a whopping 50% off (Yes, I know amazing. An I was able to purchase enough sock yarn, mohair and hand painted hanks that the owner after a little haggling agreed to sell me this Colinette kit for 50% off too. Yes I scored...but its been sitting in its bag awaiting time to ball all of the hanks, because otherwise it could be hand-winding hell...and I didn't want to hate the Colinette blanket before I started, but know there is no excuse. The next pictures you will see of this yarn will it being knitted into a wonderful blanket.
The day is wrapping up with a blustery, cold finish leaving Toronto covered in a white blanket. I am happy to be crawling into bed for a snugly sleep. Sweet dreams.
So as usual, the weekend has flown by and another week is coming on full steam ahead. Time is something that when taken for granted flyes by in a blur and leaves us wondering where it has run away too. **Sigh**
Today was an especially awful day, filled with board financial literacy training - cause that just how you want to spend half of your Sunday; cranky mean-spirited children; general family snappiness and finally emotional outbursts resulting in drastic parenting actions - which then leave the remaining uninvolved family members feeling off and slightly down. I do realize that all families have days and weekends like this...but I really didn't need a bad day. Thanks G-d for knitting!!!
I have been busy working on bear, Suzie bunny's cousin, and although its coming slowly...its coming. Thus far the body and legs have been completed, although not stuffed yet. And yes, I have realized upon previewing this post, that I have not matered the art of digital photo taking, unlike many of my blogging expert counterparts.
I am not quite sure why,b ut knitting these little toys bring me a great deal of joy, I can only assume because they are simple to knit, they don't take a lot oftime, and when your finished, you have a wonderful finished product who can't jelp but to make you smile.
This to me is sunshine at the end of a long grey day. :-)
teAfter many many days of ooogling and admiring of Julie's blog - see little cotton rabbit link to left of blog, I finally decided to hunt down a knitted bunny and teddy pattern. Fortunately for me I stumbled upon the amazing Barbara Prime of FuzzyMitten fame on Etsy and came across the most beautiful bunny pattern ever.
So excited was on last Friday that I rushed down to Romni wool early'ish on Saturday to have some one-on-one wool bonding time. I think I would like to sleep n that store one day and just feel and smell all of the yarn and read through patterns. To anyone who is a yarn-a-holic like me it is an irresistible store. I covet everything in it and one day hope to retire near it. HA HA HA. At a minimum weekly visits will be planned.
I was able to purchase a cone of 100% yarn in a beautiful shade of oatmeal and a second large ball that came off a cone that is a wonderful colour of cafe latté - yummy. I figured this way I could test my bunny and see how I liked her. All I had to do was wait for my patterns...
Finally, I was able to sort out my technology newness (with Paypal) and then the wonderful Barbara send over the PDF patterns. It seems like a long time since I was this excited about a project and I couldn't wait to start knitting.
I worked on Bunny about 2 hours on Saturday and another 2 on Sunday and finally stuffed and sewed her up late Sunday evening. Olyvia was so excited to see her almost done that she has demanded that bunny be hers...we'll see about that.
Bunny went on her first outing last night - to the first Yarn-a-holics Anonymous meeting. It was a lovely evening of knitting, baby admiring, hot chocolate sipping joy and bunny got her fare share of admiration. I have started to work on her dress and am hoping to have it done soon as I am quite eager to get knitting her brother bear. Here's a picture of her:
And yes, I know Susie bunny does not have a tail as of yet, but she is coming to the next Monday Yarn-a-holic's Anonymous meeting to get help in creating her pompom tail.
OK so I don't think I could be much more excited, I finally finished my knitting guru Meredith holiday gift - yes I know very late, but that's what happens when you have to rip apart 90 rows of the body and re-start - ARG!
The fortunate or unfortunate part was that Meredith the sweetheart that she is also knit me something. Not just anything, but the most beautiful and fabulous chocolate brown and pink mohair swirly scarf - see below being modeled by my super cute dog Java. I have been wearing everyday since as the weather has gotten freezing cold and get complements daily. I am not so sure Meredith will be getting complements on my handbag - but hopefully she know it was made with love and many torturous hours of knitting and re-knitting and re-knitting. :)
OK - so I think I previously mentioned that I love knitting - Thanks again Meredith. :)
I decided to knit my first pair of mittens about 6 weeks ago - of course picking a great free pattern online from http://www.elliphantom.com/images/SquirrellySwedishMittens.pdf. I will take a picture of "mitten one" this weekend to share with those who love to knit, but have to tell you I have found it hard to keep the momentum up as far as my interest in concerned to finish "mitten two".
I am also knitting a holiday gift for good friend Meredith who is my knitting goddess/guru which I will share post holiday gift giving - as I wouldn't want her to get wind of it. I forgot my original reason fro blogging was to connect with other knitters - so I will be happy to share my first major knitting and felting project. Hopefully my wonderful knitting sisters & brothers can find it in their heart to be supportive and not laugh. My technique is still pretty new (7+ months), but finishing a project is everything.
Cheers. :)
