No, it's not pink!

I obviously need a crash course of taking pictures of knitting. The chain motif is NOT pink it's a brown tone. Same problem with the green that looks gold. Part of the problem is that the yarn is all heathered and the colours do not show up in the pictures the way I had hoped. I love knitting with this wool.
I would have taken a picture outside but it's gloomy and raining. I am happy with how the charts are turning out so far. Next is a traditional X & O fair isle design.
My ear ring came in handy to mark the center front. Improvise, improvise.

Knitting stuff...just not mine

I feel terribly guilty that I haven't posted anything here in so long. Bad news is I haven't finished anything in ages. Good news is I haven't started too many projects in the meantime.

Do you remember the miniature sweater I knit a while ago? You can refresh your memory HERE.

My co-worker brought in one of her miniaturist magazines and showed me something that makes my litt-bitty sweat look like it would fit the jolly green giant. Let me introduce you to the work of Althea Crome


This is her Japanese Crane Sweater. (click on name for more pictures). If you look at the bottom of the picture you can see her fingers and thumbnail. It's 2 (TWO!) inches from hem to neckline.

You think that is small? Look at this!!



This is 1/144 scale, or dollhouse for dollhouse scale, or as knitters would understand. 80 stitches PER INCH! You can see more HERE.

Isn't that amazing?

She also knit the sweater and gloves for the movie CORALINE. This is a quick 2min video that I enjoyed and you can see her knitting on her itty bitty needles.




~Daughter #1

Fair Isle knitting

The first band of the design is finished on Michael's vest. I am into the water and waves motif then comes the anchors and chains. When I am further along I will explain the significance of these designs. I really really like this wool for fair isle work. It is "Whiskey" by Reynolds, 100% wool, 170 some odd meters to 50 gm. To see the colours I am using go back a bunch of posts and you will see a picture of a wooden bowl full of loaves of wool. That's the wool I bought in Connecticut. I just noticed that the colour photoed incorrectly. Joys of using a flash at 6:30 in the morning. It is really brown zigzags on a green. Hmmm.. Oh well, looks good either way. Hopefully I will get a couple of inches done this weekend because the kit I ordered is on it's way and once that arrives...well you know. I am going to have to start it just because because.....

Have you seen this......

How gorgeous is this????? 21 colours in each bag. I have died and gone to fair isle-intarsia heaven.

This e mail was in my "in" box when I woke up this morning. Oh, I have to make the red one. I do... really I do. I am going to order it today...as a reward for finishing Carl's black "ebony" socks.
Granny Ann is in hospital scaring us to pieces this week. Last night is the first time I picked up the needles all week. I am finishing up my socks, Michael's Christmas present is on the needles, pictures of that later. No worries he doesn't read this blog. I still want to make Molly's socks for a set of Celtic Forge Needles. Then I can cast on the Shipwrecked shawl.

"Shipwrecked" Knitty Spring 2009

I have been looking at this pattern for months. Go to Knitty.com and check it out. I don't think I want it dye it myself as the pattern suggests. It calls for a fingering weight. I think it's the 5000 beads that call to me as well as the design...lol

Today is the Knitter's Fair in Kitchener. I missed last year I was recovering from my bout with emergency appendicitis.. I was looking at some of the vendors web sites and there is one who makes glass buttons. I love buttons.....hmmmm

Sue, Qknitter on Ravelry, is going to be there and I look forward to meeting her and seeing her Queen Ring Shawl. I have yet to get mine on the needles. I am so intimidated by the yarn. Yes, I am. Really.

Sandy is coming too and we be able to have some fun time sniffing wool and drooling over all the goodies. Corinne has to work today and won't be able to join us. The three of us had such a good time at the "Frolic" in Toronto last spring. She will be missed.

The Dog Free Zone

Jackie and I could have used one of these when our children were younger. A child free zone or playpen for grown ups..lol
Don't know what kind of vine but it is lovely.
Paul and the red heads, Irish and Flower...hence: the need for dog free zone ...white fence to the right.
That Miracle Grow is good stuff..lol
The "fishless" pond and fountain.
Many cups of tea were consumed on that swing...sigh ...Better picture of the shawl and the recipient....and you thought this post had no knitting content.

Thank you Mrs. von Zuben

Just look at all the lovely kool aid I bought whilst away. Woo Hoo
Yesterday was a perfect day to end my holiday. The sun was bright and I started swatching for Michael's vest with the wool I bought in Connecticut. I got all my addis out and cast on.

Fancy shmancy graph huh? I did it on Excel. Cheaper than knitting soft wear. Now I know I used a calculator but if I hadn't learned arithmatic from Mrs. von Zuben I wouldn't have a clue how to take 26 sts. over 4 inches times a finished size of 46" with 90% of the total number of stitches for the rib and making it a number divisable by 4 ....... =272

Knitting and Connecticut

We are home from Connecticut and you will have to watch the other blather to see all the pictures. Suffice it to say,"A good time was had by all."
Now, a pictorial record of the great reveal.
The Ballet Examiner's Shawl
pattern: Vernal Equinox
needles: 3.5 mm Addi lace (of course)
wool: Fiddlesticks Zephyr (doubled) colour: pewter

"Paul, come here and see.... OOOO pretty box"

" Oh, I love the colour"

Yup, she likes it!

She really likes it! I am so happy I could bust.
The measure of a holiday is how much knitting you accomplish. This is the black sock on the way down. I managed to turn the heel while she was teaching a class. Other than that I knit "diddly"..lol Good thing it was hot and he didn't need his socks.
We went on a wool shop crawl ( was there any doubt) and ended up in Glastonbury Conn. at Village Wool. You couldn't move inside for boxes. Three shipments had come in and it was chaos.
They were wonderfully helpful and I found just what I was looking for. Shetland wool, heather tones and jumper weight! It is by Reynolds and is called "Whiskey." I could have had a job teaching in there if I lived closer. She liked my accent.
??what accent??.....lol
The colours are richer than this picture shows. You will be seeing more of it.
The following is not knitting related but I had to share. Forgive the blurry shot I had to zoom in as this is hanging over one of the windows in the sun room. I made this for Jackie in 1976. It is dated in the corner, I was overwhelmed when I saw it after all these years. Time truly has flown.