Sunday, September 30, 2007

Knitter's night





Better late than never for posting about fun stuff.

These are the pictures from our 1st knitter's night of the season. We met 2 Thursday's ago. Look at all that nice knitting and all the nice hand knit socks on people's feet. Marni has her kauni nearly done and it looks great. She did hers in EG and EK. Great combination.

My Kauni is on the table. I have actually been working on it this weekend and have the sleeves done. Now I m deciding on what to do with the button band. I am definitely going to steek it and knit it in the round. I am still deciding on my design for the buttonband. I don't want buttons but I want the clasp closures instead. I will show pictures of it once I am done.

Tomorrow I am heading off the Salt Spring Island for a few day. Be back on Thursday. If I am slow answering emails that is why. I'm gone. I will be busy hanging out with great knitter's and designers. WOW what fun.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

This one is for you Mary - New Kauni Pattern



I have new Kauni pattern available on my web site here. It is a great jacket for Kauni Yarn designed and knit by Mary Tanti. So far we just have the pattern available for the adult sweater but the child's one and hat will be available soon. Mary made both these wonderful jackets with EG and EJ colours of Kauni yarn.
The pictures of Meika wearing her jacket are attempts at getting Meika to pose like Mary did. We had a lot of fun getting these pictures.
The colours are the same for both jackets but the small jacket is lighter. It is identical to the big jacket. This is a great pattern, Mary is a great designer I have many more of her patterns coming soon. Next week I am going to Salt Spring Island where Mary lives so I am looking forward to visiting her and getting more patterns to bring to you. She is friends with Lucy Neatby so has invited us for supper with Lucy one evening. That should be very fun.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Help !!

Anyone who would love to come to Hollyhock on Cortez Island please sign up today. This retreat is in jeopardy of being cancelled as a few people had to back out at the last moment.
I have been looking forward to going this retreat since Dec. and I really don't want it to be cancelled. So if you were thinking of coming and not sure - let me help you decide.
You get 4 days and 3 night of knitting, weaving, spinning, playing with fibre - great food and absolute peaceful surroundings. If you have never been to Hollyhock take my word for it - it is the most restful, peaceful place on earth.

Don't think twice it may be too late.

If you are a designer, artist, writer or anyone even remotely creative you will get at least a years worth of ideas just being there.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Spinning







Every Tuesday morning at the store we are going to have spinning. This Tuesday was our first spinning day. I have sooo much to learn but I really enjoyed spinning. Luckily Vivian and Sharon came who are both expert spinners. There were 5 of us this week and I actually produced something close to yarn.

Deb was working in the store and at times it was so busy we had to call in back up. Meika is getting old enough to work in the store. She can almost reach yarn on the 4th shelves now.

She was very busy and very cute at the store today.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

I got on Ravelry

Wow is Ravelry ever neat. It is so vast/ endless. I got my invitation this morning and spent the entire morning briefly looking around it.
My name on ravelry is funknits so I will be easy to find.
I am listed as a designer on it so that is cool. It has links to some of my patterns and a list of who is making the patterns and pictures of lots of finished items people have knit. The Pinwheel sweater is the most popular knit pattern of mine.
Now that I am on Ravelry I will be posting a lot more patterns that are available. I wish I had more time
I got my first sleeve of the Kauni done last night and picked up stitches for the second sleeve. I tried it on I hope it blocks out a little bigger because it is snug. I am on a diet now for sure.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Knitting on my Kauni Cardigan



I am finally back to knitting on my Kauni Cardigan. I couldn't knit on it while I was waiting for that yarn to arrive. That seemed like such a betrayal to all the people waiting for yarn. Now that it is come I am knitting again. I don't like the purple yellow combination I am knitting right now and it is going to change to green and red, we will see how that looks. I decided a while ago that the colours for the sleeves can do what they want and I am not matching my sleeves at all.
I got in 2 new colours with this shipment. The EM (reds) and EZ(turquoise) both are wonderful alone but I think they go really nicely together. I think that will be another combination I will make a sweater out of. I really love this yarn. Can you tell.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

What a busy day



Everyone who ordered Kauni yarn from me in the last few weeks - your yarn was shipped today. I will be emailing everyone but there are a lot of you so it may take a while to reach everyone. Here is Nadine our very happy Post lady with the first parcel of the day going out.
Michele that is your yarn she is holding. Nadine is just as happy as we are that the yarn came, so now I won't be bugging her daily.
We got 2 shipments today. They were ordered a week apart and arrived the same day. The one parcel was very beat up. I guess they inspected it at customs. Played football with it or something. None of the yarn was damaged thank heavens. These are very huge parcels, the 2 of them are the size of the couch.
Deb spent the entire day packaging yarn and we even have a bit left. Actually we have a lot left. I got in 2 new colours and I LOVE them. I got in EM the reds and EZ the turquoise. I will get them on the web site for sale tomorrow night. Well back to emailing.


IT CAME !!!

I will blog later. I am really busy

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Let my Kauni Go !


Here is a button made by Vicki - one of my very patient Kauni customers waiting for her yarn. She made this button for the cause hoping it would help. Well Vicki it helped me feel better and gave me a good laugh. Please feel free to take this and display it on your web site if you support our cause of freeing the Kauni from Canada or International customs, whoever has the parcel.
Here is where to track this parcel with tracking # CC025124981EE . I figured that you have all paid for this yarn so you should be kept up to date on its whereabouts. Still in the customs office in MISSISSAUGA, I haven't heard from the Yarn Harlot yet but she may not have seen my email. I have one customer waiting for the yarn and she lives in Toronto, her yarn is so close but yet so far.

Kauni stuck in customs still

I spent all day on the phone yesterday and even talked to one person who was a knitter, she was very sympathetic but couldn't help me. It seems the parcel of Kauni yarn isn't valuable enough for them to check what is going on at customs. They said if there was a problem a Custom's Officer would have phoned me. What they don't understand is the value of this yarn to all who are waiting for it. I tried to get that point across but no results.
Since this yarn is sitting in some warehouse near Toronto I have asked the Yarn Harlot to rally the knitters of the area and go and picket the customs office until they releases the yarn.
Won't they be surprised if she does it, won't I, but then maybe they would see it isn't just a box of yarn coming from Denmark to some unpronounceable name in BC. ....IT IS IMPORTANT...

Friday, September 07, 2007

Finally a post


I guess I took a holiday from blogging. I have had a few people wonder whats going on and I realized I haven't blogged in a few weeks. I have been really busy.

Anyways back to blogging. I am still working on the Kauni cardigan( no recent pictures). It now has a buttonband and 1/2 a sleeve. I also bought a new loom/cat bed when I was at Gibson's and I have been playing with that a lot. I have a lot to learn about weaving but I am sure having fun. The cat didn't realize that loom falls into the same category as knitting. An absolute no no for cats. I think he really wondered what my problem was when I kicked him off the loom.
As for selling yarn I am in yarn sellers hell. The totally sold shipment of Kauni yarn is sitting in a customs office waiting to be cleared.
Luckily I have wonderful patient understanding customers, I would like to throw a party when the Kauni finally arrives but I will be too busy packaging yarn. I have lots of it coming so soon I should be able to get ahead of this yarn( I hope). Ruth's new pattern the Autumn Cardigan is certainly a hit and there has been a KAL started on Yahoo.
I have lots of fun coming this fall.
Sept 18th we are starting a Spinnning group at the store on Tuesday morning 10 am. This should be fun and educational bring your wheel and come.
Sept 20th will be our monthly Knitter's night at my house - 701 Heriot Bay Rd 7 - 9 or so come and bring your knitting.
On Oct 3rd I will be selling yarn on Salt Spring Island at this retreat. I will be meeting Lucy Neatby and that should be fun.
Oct 12th - 15th I am going to this retreat as a participant. Doesn't that sound inspiring. I can't wait. I really need some relaxing and inspiring time. I think there is still room for more participants if anyone wants to join me for this wonderful weekend. I am getting a dorm room. I went last year and it was a wonderful break. The food was fabulous and the setting is completely serene so add everything fibre to that and I would define that as the perfect weekend
Oct 26th - 28th Fun Knits will be hosting this retreat. That is going to be a lot of fun. So far we have about 35 people signed up and room for about 15 more so if you are interested act quickly.
Lots of fun activities are being planned for this. Stay tuned for lots more information on this.