It's Monday

I'm surprised that I am actually awake and functioning (and ready to start making cinnamon buns and eccles cakes).  My shawl is still on my needles...barely!  Okay, okay, it's not that bad.  I made a mistake.  For the life of me I couldn't find where that one extra stitch came from.  Every other row I dutifully count my stitches then suddenly, voila!, an extra stitch.  I even made my loving husband sit down and count...multiple times.  So, last night after everyone went to bed I started to Tink....and Tink....and Tink.  I was to the point where I thought I wouldn't have to Tink anymore then I dropped a stitch.  I'm in the border now so I am Tinking pattern.  I didn't think that I would have to get into the pattern areas however I ended up going back 3 rows and to tell the truth I'm not exactly 100% sure where that extra stitch came from because after pulling out and picking up said stitch...I was one stitch short!  What?!!?!?  So, at 2 o'clock in the morning I did what any tired, determined problem solver does...I created a new stitch, re-knit that row and went to bed.  This morning I cannot even see where I added the stitch or where the chaos could have started in the first place...and nothing looks like its going to unravel so I guess that's a big plus!!!

Off to make cinnamon buns!  In the fog of my sleepy brain I can almost smell them and they are divine!!  After that, I may take a stroll down to my studio, hug my new sewing machine and assure her that we will be sewing soon.  The countdown for the first day of school has started, my girls are anxious, my sewing table is cleared and ready to go!  Feeling very motivated on this beautiful sunny Monday morning!  Do you have any back to school plans?  Would love to hear about them.

On My Needles

I have been knitting.  My parents came for a two week visit from British Columbia.  Mom brought me yarn.  It may seem like an odd gift for someone that spins their own yarn but I love yarn.  The brand...Sirri Yarn.  The colours are rich and beautiful.  I questioned the coarse hand of the yarn but mom assured me that the girl (sadly I don't know her name) at electrictree yarns said that it was beautiful to knit with.  Okay then, I'll listen to someone that actually knows how to knit (in truth I spin because I love the process of making yarn...knitting was rather forced upon me because I needed to have a finished project for a spinning course.  A How to Knit book soon became my constant companion and I loved every moment of it sweat out every stitch and cursed every Tink.  Now I actually enjoy knitting!)  I just finished a fairly intense spinning Design Challenge and I needed something that I could just relax with.  I pulled out a shawl pattern (Old Shale Shawl pg. 28) that I found in Jan/Feb 2005 Piecework and have carried around since then dreaming that one day I might be skilled enough to make it.  Actually it is a rather simple pattern once my brain got out of the way and just let my hands and needles do what needed to be done.  I've been working on it hit and miss for the past few days (while helping my husband navigate around the province taking my parents on sightseeing trips).  All that I can say is that she was right!  It is a beautiful yarn to knit with.  I sent mom home to BC with a request for more.  Wow!  I never thought that I would ever use the words KNIT, SHAWL & RELAX! all in the same thought.

My daughters have been knitting.  I believe my husband thinks that there is a fibre conspiracy going on in the house.  As he watched his youngest daughter walk through Gaspereau Valley Fibres rubbing skeins next to her face a couple of days ago, I heard him say to me "I am witnessing a mini-you".  This week, my oldest daughter sat down long enough to learn how to knit and has suddenly become a knitting machine.  She has carried her knitting bag everywhere that we have gone this week and pretty much has a scarf done.  I love looking in the back seat of the car and seeing the girls creating beautiful things with their hands rather than getting annoyed with each other because one won't let the other play a DSI  game.  It is nice to see them getting back to creating rather than destroying Zombies (not that that is a horrible thing).  

Tell us...What's on your needles?  The three of us are now officially hooked so any patterns or yarns that you love and think we might love...let us know.  We'd love to give it a try!