yarn

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TTC Knit-a-long and other antics

Nigh on a month since my last post, oh my. Work gets crazy when school gets out, that’s really my only excuse. That and the beau and I had a vacation. Niagara!

Vineyard inspecting.

On to more on-topic things… July 14 was the annual TTC Knitalong, and my first year attending. It was ridiculously hot for Toronto (42 degrees!) and the Queen streetcar was under construction, which meant more walking, but it was lots of fun regardless.

There are some great photos here. Plus the event made the news!

Behold, my purchases:

The yarns are Berroco Linsey (I have plans for a lace t-shirt) and Jo Sharp DK Wool. Yes, I splurged on a Namaste bag (there was a sale!). The Bette Hochberg books are fantastic and hard to get your hands on, being from the 70s as they are. They can go for a lot online, but I got them for $12 each. I was a very happy girl.

The free swag we got made me even happier. Behold, the final haul:

SCORE!

And that photo doesn’t include the patterns we got in our loot bags as well. Mine included:

Hansel Mittens by Stephannie Roy, the Aberdeen Ave. Hat by Glenna C. and the Signal Hill Scarf by Laura Chau. I believe I will make all of them 😀

I also recently acquired a lot of roving (Craigslist I love you… most of the time).

And naturally this meant I needed a spindle. I found a basic high-whorl for a decent price on eBay. I happened to come from a family in Wyoming who raises their own alpacas, hence I ended up with a kit with more oh-so-soft roving.

I immediately used my birthday gift of a Chapters gift card to order Abby Franquemont’s book Respect the Spindle. If I can’t go to Rhinebeck for her workshop this year (partially since I am now out of funds), it’s the next best thing. I had some credit left over, so I also got Gibson-Roberts’ Spinning in the Old Way 😀 Thanks to magpiecrafter for the great book advice (originally heard of Hochberg through her blog as well).

I somehow managed to find time to make another doll for Heart for Africa. They are now on their way to children affected by AIDS in Swaziland.

Also this past week, I stumbled across this ridiculously cute piece of whimsical online reading, featuring quite a lot of knitting!

And last, but not least, the Ravellenic games starts this week (along with something called the “Olympics,” whatever). Got my projects all picked out. I will be entering the Cable Steeplechase with Tanis Gray’s Cabled Belt from Vogue Knitting Winter 08/09 since I’ve been meaning to make it for a while. I’ll also (am I taking on too much?) be making a TARDIS amigurumi, using Ms. Parke’s lovely design. A) it’s super cute, B) I needed something to enter into the British Cricket event that I actually wanted to make. Team TARDIS will so be besting Team SHERlocked, hands down.

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New York trip makes a good yarn

I’m back from NYC!

Mom and I had a great mother-daughter time.

Look! A library! Oh, and the beautiful scenery of Bryant Park too.

Just a couple more gratuitous photos (I actually managed to take some good ones so I have to share) and then there is some yarn news, I promise.

Central Park

Brownstones.

Driving through Times Square via pedicab with our awesome cabbie.

Annnnd *drumroll* the Lanesplitter is finally done! I was determined to get the finishing done so I could wear it, so I did. It involved two late nights stitching in my hotel bed while mom complained about the light being on. Sorry mom!

Now for more NYC related yarny goodness! Cause you know I couldn’t come home without a few skeins.

I managed to talk mom into two stores. I really owe her for that.

Voilà Purl Soho.

And the yummy DK weight Merino blend I bought there. Mmm

Some have said Purl Soho can have an elitist feel. I didn’t get that vibe. It has an upscale look to it, but I think this is just due to its location and the fact that it is very well laid-out and the displays are artfully done (apparently the owner used to work for Martha Stewart, so there you go). I found the staff friendly (granted there is a small possibility I may be biased since three of them commented on my Lanesplitter). The prices were usual and not inflated to my mind.

We also popped uptown to hit up Knitty City and The Yarn Company. Unfortunately Knitty City was closed  because it was Memorial Day. (Being two Canadians in NYC for Memorial Day of the bicentennial anniversary year of the War of 1812 was interesting timing on our part. American history classes like to gloss over the fact that we won). I neglected to get a photo of The Yarn Company but here’s my swag, complete with labelled bag that proves I was there.

I wish I had gotten a picture of the inside: they have a huge and wide selection of yarns that is beautifully displayed. The new owners have done a bang-up job.

I’m excited for the Tanis Gray pattern, though funny enough that is not what the yarn I bought is destined for.

This Woolen Rabbit skein (Opulence in colourway Mystic Mountain Pine) I just got because of the deep glorious greens and the fact that I’ve never seen it in Canada. It was the last one left, so I’ll have to think of a small project for it.

I also don’t think I have seen Hedgehog Fibers in Canada, so I picked up some sock yarn (yes, more Merino). In the Fool’s Day colourway unique to The Yarn Company to boot.

I think it will be an Amiga when it grows up. Amazingly, one ball should be enough. Score!

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Things I am excited about

1) The arrival (on my radar anyway) of a decent (I’ve seen some that leave something to be desired, let me tell you) knitting web comic – Worsted for Wear. It just started last fall, so it doesn’t take long to catch up reading it. Thanks to canadianchia for pointing it out to me.

2) The Toronto Edition of World Wide Knit in Public Day is now official and will be happening on Jun 9th.

3) The TTC Knitalong date for 2012 recently got announced. July 14th! Eagerly awaiting when registration starts 😀

4) The Knitter’s Frolic was this past weekend. Look what I scored!

The pattern, Shetland Trader/Homin Shawl by Gudrun Johnston is meant for the lovely lilac-hued, lace weight, made-in-Ontario Alpaca you see on the left.

At the top is some Malabrigo sock, but a close up is necessary in order to appreciate its range of purples. I unfortunately lost the label, but I think it is 854 Rayon Vert. There are touches of green in it, albeit hidden in this ball.

Next there is this recycled sari silk yarn:

If you’ve never heard of recycled sari yarn, a quick Google search will tell you more, though basically it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s different, and colourful and silk is apparently very insulating. I only got the one skein to try, so wrist warmers here I come!

And a close up of the alpaca is required, of course.

Soooo soft. I have no words. I cannot wait to cast on that shawl.

Also in the above photo are two buttons handmade in South Africa. I liked the antique look to them.

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I need for an iPad edition of this to come out.

bissellbomber's avatarispy at the ischool

Once again a Bissell Bomber has been struck by the common cold and was 
out of commission for a few days. Sorry for the lack of posting, but all the syrups,
pills and tonics I was on made my keyboard a bit tricky to navigate.

I was also worried that I had started hallucinating when I saw that there was a yarn video game?!
Leave it to the fine people at Nintendo to make something that is already adorable
(a pink, squishy ball from Dream Land) and add an awesome yarn element!!

In this Wii Game, our hero eats some random tomatoe that he finds and is banished by the evil
sorcerer Yin-Yarn to Patch Land, a place made completely out of fabric.
In this new world Kirby’s ability to fly and swallow/copy enemies are useless
so instead he uses a whip to capture things and turn them into balls of yarn.

Kirby’s…

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The most perfect mug ever

So, I was shopping and saw this mug and had to have it.Kitten (and BLACK like Desmond at that!) and yarn. ZOMG.

Plus, he really does like knitting 😉

Here they are together! …sort of. I was aiming for closer proximity, but this is the best I could get. It’s a little sad just how long I struggled to even get this oh-so-lovely shot of his butt…

I also grabbed this at the dollar store in the same trip. It’s a tin on a keychain that zips up. It came with candy in it, but my first thought was “omg I can keep my notions in it!” Everything in my life gets related to my yarn habit, it seems.

And in project news, mom’s driving mitts are coming along nicely. Slowly, but nicely. After I’m done the mate all I gotta do is put the buttons on the top and sew on the grips to the palm.

And I’ll end with some yarn porn. Swiss Mohair was on sale at Mary Maxim last week (I’d blame Lynn for talking me into buying it, but that would be a lie) and the Alpaca was from the 20-Somethings holiday party gift swap on Thursday 🙂