Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Closing early tomorrow night

I have to close the store at 5:30 tomorrow as my Mom is going to work and they catch the 5:50 ferry home. I can't work tomorrow. Sorry if that causes problems for anyone. I have had a bad week so I haven't got much done. I got 8 of the 9 socks knit on time and thank heavens the last pair weren't urgently needed. I am finishing them tonight. I will post some picture tomorrow. The heirloom shawl is nearly done. We are so glad the baby wasn't born before the shawl was done. Mom is on the home stretch with it. She has it all sewn up and a bit more border to knit. It is amazing. I can't wait to see that sweet little baby wrapped in it.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

6 down - 4 to go

That is the sock count. I am just starting on the 4 pair that need to be done by Sat. I also knit 5 pair of baby socks and have enough yarn for a few matching hats. I took a break from sock knitting yesterday but I am back at it today. Hand knitting I am working on the last square of the Heirloom afghan my Mom and I are making. She has it all sewn up except the last square and a bit of the border she is working on. If my daughter can hang on to the baby for a week more it will be done. Her midwife said she could have the baby anytime now. She is 37 weeks and her due date is June 17th.
The store was great yesterday as usual. So much fun I can't call it work. I don't have any picutes but I will on Sat. I will take some pictures of our booth at the Sat. Market.

Sunday, May 22, 2005

What a great Sale that was

Just as my title suggest the sale went great. My post yesterday was just before I went and sat on the couch to watch a movie. Fell asleep and then got up at midnight and went to bed. I really was exhausted.
The sock yarn star of the sale was the Opal Petticoat everyone loves it. I have to order more already. I also sold lots of Fortissima
The first market went well also. I got so many orders for socks that I will be knitting for many hours this week. I have 2 pair adults and 1 baby pair knit already 8 adults and 9 baby pair to go.
One problem I have with knitting socks is I don't waste any yarn I have to wind it onto a spool to knit using my knitting machine so once its on the spool I knit until it is gone. So making 10 adult pair of socks means I also knit 10 baby pair. So I will really knit 20 pair this week.
The store was packed yesterday all day. My brother and his family came to visit for the holiday weekend so they were there for a while. I gave my niece Jessie aspool knitting set and showed her how to use it. She was well on her way to knitting miles of cord when she left. She is going to stay with me for 2 weeks this summer so hope to teach her to knit. She is quite eager to learn.
Jessie learning spool knitting
There were a few people in the store yesterday with knit items one was a lady and her grand daughter. She made her grand daughter this poncho with Sirdar Yoyo. It looks so cute on her. She is also teaching her to knit and they came in to get some sock yarn.
Yoyo poncho The poncho sure looks great.
Karen was in with another baby sweater completed. Hopefully the next picture of Karen will be holding the baby wearing the sweater. It is fun to have someone to share my excitement with about the new grandbaby. I wonder who will be a Grandma first. I will keep you posted.

Karen's Baby Sweater
Isn't that sweater sweet. She made if with Sirdar 4ply confetti colour. The buttons are little Kuala bears.
Well I better go knit some socks.

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Well I am exhausted

That was a great sale. It actually put a visible dent in the sock yarn section of the store. I am too tired tonight to think so I will write a decent post with pictures tomorrow. I have 10 pair of socks to knit before next weekend. 6 pair by Tuesday, wish me luck. I might just burnout my knitting machine. Better go get started winding yarn.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Socks, socks, socks

I have benn knitting socks. Not as many as I hoped I would get done this week but I got a few done. I want to have lots of examples of the socks for Fun knits big sock yarn sale this weekend.
Here is a picture of the socks I have knit so far.
Socks
The are (left to right) Fortissima 9094, Opal Petticoat, Opal Springtime, Regia Cotton 4086, and Opal Magic Turquoise.
I love the new Opal petticoat. It is such nice soft colours and the yarn seems extra soft too.
Opal Petticoat
Tomorrow I hope to get a few more pair of socks done. I have to decorate the store window with socks for the sale. This should be fun. I hope a lot of people come.
I also got 2 more squares done on the baby afghan this week only 2 left to go.
My daughter's baby dropped the other day and she is getting lots of false labour. Her Midwife thinks she may deliver early. Her due date is June 17th. Hopefully the afghan will be done in time. Mom and I may have to do some speed knitting if that baby comes early.
Thanks for your kind comments about my son walking. He is still doing good and making very slow but steady progress.

Monday, May 16, 2005

My Son took his first steps today

This is an off knitting post but I feel like shouting this from the roof tops. My son who is special needs took his first steps alone today. He is 17 years old so this is a very long time in coming. We have been working with him for years and years and I always beleived he could learn to walk. For the last year every Monday the local Physio Clinic allows us to come in and use the parallel bars. At first we were thrilled when he would stand alone hanging on to the bars occasionally he would take a step with one foot or move his hands on the bars but today he got it. Today he walked up and down the bars one foot after the other just like he had done it all his life, he turned and got himself into the chair then got back up again with a little coaxing and did it again. We just stood there and watched and cried for joy. Its hard to describe the feeling when you have waited so long for something. My son was very proud of himself too. That will be hard to top.
A great day!!!
I don't know if he will ever walk completely unaided, but this is sure a great start.

Sunday, May 15, 2005

The Star of the Store yesterday

The star of the store yesterday Layla a 5 month old baby in shopping with her Mom. I got to hold her and play with her while her Mom shopped. She was so cute and she posed for a picture wearing one of my baby hats made with Opal Brasil 5001.
Baby in Hat
The store was great yesterday. Very busy all day. I got a lot of work done and feel ready for the Big Sock Yarn Sale next weekend. That should be great fun. We are also going to start our booth at the Farmer's Market that day too. It should be a very busy weekend.

My one accomplishment I am proud of this week is this lace poncho that Ming volunteered to model for me.
Lace Poncho It is too big on her but she didn't mind.
This is my first attempt at lace knitting with my Mom's new Brother knitting machine. It was a lot of work but worth it. Lace knitting is very fun on the knitting machine. I hope to do lots more.
On the hand knitting front I have been whipping up scarves for samples for the store to showcase the yarns. I love combining the yarns to get new looks. I have also been working on the baby blanket that Mom and I are making for the new grandbaby. It is amazing how different 2 people can knit. Mom knits tighter than I do so I have to go down 2 needle sizes to get the same tension. I will post a picture of the blanket when finished sometime within the next month. My last accomplishment for the week was a matter of necessity. Last weekend my son's shoe laces broke and we have no where on Quadra to get shoe laces on Sunday. He needed to wear these shoes to school on Monday so I made him some using left over sock yarn. I used 3 strands together and crocheted a chain. I used Lorna's Laces Rainbow and 2 Kroy yarns a black and black and white. Well these shoe laces were a big hit at school.Lace Poncho
I was thinking these would be great to include with a pair of socks for a child as a gift.

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Very busy week

This has been a very busy week and I haven't had any time to write in the blog. Sorry for anyone who follows this. I got in some new sock yarn this week and just list it on eBay. One of the yarns I wasn't expecting until early summer came in early. That it the new Opal Petticoat. I think it is the nicest colour that Opal has come out with yet. I am sure this will be a big seller. I plan to make socks for me and a baby set from this for sure.
The other yarn that came in is Opal Prisma.

It is great. The colours are so rich. I love the rusty brown and the sage green and of course the navy. I think I will make a pair of navy for myself it will look great with jeans.

Today will be a busy day at the store. Next weekend I am going to have my annual sock yarn sale. I will post more details on the web site later in the week. I have lots to do to get ready for that.

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Another Baby sock mistake

Wow you can tell I am a sock machine knitter when it comes to writing a sock patterns. Thanks to Audrey who has made baby sets from my pattern, it is now corrected.
The first line under Shape toe should read
Put the first and last stitch from needle 2 onto needles 1 and 3 respectively.
I only made the little pink pair by hand the rest of the baby socks I have made on the machine.
If anyone else finds a mistake or has a suggestion on improvements please e-mail me at shelmack@telus.net and I will eventually have a perfect pattern. You are all great proof readers.
If anyone has a Passap knitting machine and wants the machine knit version let me know. I have a chart I made for all sizes of socks based on the pattern in the Passap manual.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's who read this blog. Especially Happy Mother's Day to my Mom. She helps me out so much and I just say Thanks. Well thanks is not enough. My Mom taught me everything I know about knitting, she fixes most of my mistakes and finishes things that I just can't get done. She works for free in the store and much much more. I love you Mom and Thanks for all you do for me.!!!

Yesterday my friend Karen came in the store. Karen and I have a lot in common right now. Her daughter is also expecting a baby June 20th, my daughters due date is June 17th. Karen is an avid knitter and has an impressive wardrobe for her grandbaby too. She brought in one of the sweaters she made to show me yesterday. Isn't it cute. It is a cable and check pattern made with Sirdar Snuggly. She also had the back done of a baby sweater in confetti Sirdar and we are anxious to see the finished sweater.
Karen's Baby Sweater
She is also waiting to know the sex of the baby before she really gets knitting. I will have to restock the store in blues or pinks once we know.
It is fun to have that in common and to be able to share our excitment and knitting for our first Grandbabies.
I actually haven't knit anything for the baby this week. I am slipping. Mom is working on a beautiful blanket for the baby and I am going to help her finish that over the next few weeks. It is made with Regia Silk in cream colour and is it ever amazing. It is from an old pattern called the heirloom shawl. She made this same blanket for my oldest brother who is now 50+.
The store was busy yesterday. Lots of new customers and it was a fun day. Too cold and windy to sit outside and knit. I had all the knit items on display outside. I sold a few things but not too much.
Our Mini Market
Mom and I thought we didn't have enough to go to the market but when I got it all spread out yesterday I realized we have plenty for a booth at the market. I think we will start selling at the market on the May 24th weekend. I had better get busy making socks. They are my best sellers.

Saturday, May 07, 2005

Today at the store we are going to have a table outside with knit items for sale. Hopefully some will sell for Mother's Day gifts. The Quadra Island Farmers Market starts today and I am usually in that. I don't usually start going until the May 24th weekend and then go every Saturday until Sept. It is cloudy then sunny this morning and I can't really decide if it is going to be a nice day or rainy. I have to set up a tent if it is going to be rainy and not if its sunny so I will write this blog and hopefully the weather will decide what to do.
I have been so busy I don't have much made for it. I usually have 20-30 pair of socks in all sizes for sale. This year I have 2 pair of women's and about 8 pair of baby. No mens's or childrens. I NEED to get knitting. Last night I knit 3 pair of short socks out of cotton. I used Opal cotton 1171 and Regia cotton 4086. I like them both equally. Maybe the Opal a little better. It feels denser knit up.
Here is a picture of the socks I made last night. The ends aren't in yet. The Opal pairs I didn't match up as I was trying to see if I could get 2 pair out of a ball of yarn. Came close but needed about 10 gr. from a new ball to finish the last sock.
Short Cotton socks
The socks are all the same size its just looks like they are different the way they are layed out.
Well it looks like the sun is going to shine here today so I better get busy and start setting up our mini market.
I will post pictures later of our set up.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

So this is what it's all about

Last night at the store I was sitting talking with one of the knitters about my summer plans for the store. We were discussing teenagers and that some seem to have interest in knitting. I said we should have a summer program where they can meet once a week and learn knitting, new stitches etc. Just in the middle of this in walked the cutest 12 year old girl with a box she got for Christmas. It contained knitting needles , wool and a learn to knit book.
She is left handed and the book went into great detail about how to knit left handed and nobody could help her. I sat her down and told her (hopefully I don't offend and left handers) that knitting requires 2 hands and she doesn't need to knit left handed so I showed how to knit. By the time she left the store she had knit 4 rows all on her own. She wasn't awkward knitting at all. She is going to be a knitter, She even found her only mistake and asked how to fix it. She had 2 balls of Boa in her little box of knitting too and wants to make a scarf so I told her to work on the knitting for a few days and come in on Sat. and we could give the Boa a try.
I haven't taught a young person to knit in so long. It felt so good.
I asked her what she thought of having a teen knitters group over the summer and she loved the idea and would come.
My son is the last young person I taught to knit and he is 31. He is also left handed and learned fine from me. He was 16 and had no money and wanted Christmas presents for his friends. He got the idea of using left over wool from my huge stash and knitting stocking hats for all his friends. Well he knit about 20 hats. They were quite a hit.
I love teaching people to knit. It is so cool to watch it click, when they realize what they are doing. Young people learn so quickly. Hopefully there are more teens on our island that want to learn to knit. I think they would be a fun group. I could turn them into great yarn consumers !!!!

On the knitting front.I finished the socks with Noro Kujaku and started a pair for my husband using Hemp/ Wool. He is going to test drive a pair made with this and see if they wear well or wear out quickly. They knit up very quickly so I should be done in a day or 2. I will post pictures when I get some taken.

Monday, May 02, 2005

A little mistake is fixed

Thanks to a very fast knitter who has already knit my baby sock pattern she found a little mistake. It was in the shaping the heel part and I had inverted the k1 sl1 after the k6. Now it is fixed so if you print the pattern earlier today you might want to correct that or print a new one.
Hey I am mostly a machine sock knitter what do I say!!! Whoops

Thanks Ann - I was telling her my new Grandbaby will have to change socks 3-4 times a day to wear all the pairs of socks I have made that child. That baby will have the best looking feet in Vancouver and the best sock collection ever. I think I will make a little clothes line mobile for the baby.

Guess what I finished the baby sock and started a new pair of child's socks using Noro Kujaku, This yarn makes great socks. I will post the picture when done. I am starting to get hooked on hand knitting socks. They are really cute. The poor lonely poncho is still in waiting. I just can't get at it. Anyone want a 7/8th finished poncho to finish. It is haunting me.

Sunday, May 01, 2005

A day of finishing items

Today was my day to finish knit items and patterns. I got 90% of it done. One item I am knitting is so borrrrrrrring that it will take a miracle to finish it. It is the poncho I am making out of Noro Silk garden , that in itself should keep me knitting. As soon as I am done posting this blog that is the only thing I am allowed to knit on until it is done. It is 85% done, I just have serious knitters block on this item.
The rest of the Noro I am finished. I got all the ends sewed in and the patterns written and even a picture taken. I took 2 group shots as I didn't feel like doing individual pictures.
Here is all of the knitting I have done so far.
All the Noro Knitting
I took a picture of the table items so you can see them better

Small Noro items
My favorite stuff is the shawl, the baby stuff (vest,leg warmers, hat and booties) my sweater and the Noro socks. They are incredibly cosy. I put reinforment yarn in the toes and heels so they should wear well. The hats are from my patterns I wrote last year.
This was fun but a lot of work. Once the poncho is done I will send all this to get photographed for the book. He wanted easy patterns and these are sure easy. Once the poncho is done I have a great idea for a childs hooded jacket with Noro. I think that will be my next project.
The new Noro colours will be loaded into the Fun Knits eBay store tonight.

As promised I have loaded the pattern for the baby hat and socks on my web site.
It is really quick to knit this set. This will be my new baby present from now on.
The whole set takes about 35gr. of sock yarn.
I still have to finish the little pink sock. Maybe after the poncho. Maybe before the poncho hmmm!!!. How many ways cans I put off the poncho.

Another picture I have to show is my patio set. I actually found a level spot and put it up yesterday, no one got to sit at it because it started to rain shortly after I set it up. So we sat and knit in the store yesterday. Had quite a few knitters in and it was a fun day as usual.
Patio set