THE PRECEDENT HAS BEEN SET
Calgary is a Hockey town and my family loves the game. While I know who Iggy and Kipper are, I have never been interested in the latest score, trade, or playoff position. I have been invited to attend several if not most of the games, but have maintained that if I couldn't take my knitting, I would rather stay home. My knitting has always been banned from the games with the threat that it would be thrown on the ice if I dared to be so sacrilegious as to knit in the great dome in the shape of a Saddle.
Saturday night - The Flames against the Ducks - I went to the game and the knitting came out! Granted, this picture was taken between the first two periods and those are little guys on the ice, but I knit all throughout the third period.

I do believe that the Flames played their best hockey during the third period and my knitting was probably the reason they won the game!

WE INTERUPT YOUR KNITTING TO BRING YOU THIS...
A welcome break to a busy time of year!
Doug and I headed out to Banff for the weekend. We stayed at Baker Creek Chalets where there are no TV's, no phones, no computers. There are however, paths along the Bow River, Cross country Ski trails and snow shoes! We followed the moose tracks through the clearing under the power lines for about three kilometers which doesn't sound like it was very far. With snowshoes, it was about a two hour hike.

There were a few tumbles in the snow when I stepped on my own snow shoe but it was easier than I thought it would be, It also helped that Doug broke trail for most of the hike!

Next time, we might have to try the Cross Country Skies.

We also found a puzzle in our cabin. We ignored the 1000 piece puzzle for the small 500 piece one. Once we started, we had to finish it. There were 13 missing pieces and the last piece didn't get put in place untill 11:00 - checkout time! It will be a long time before we work on another puzzle.

After we arrived at home, we had company. LD sure does like his carrots.
We will now resume our previously scheduled stressful December. Baking today and Cabbage rolls on Wednesday with Christmas sock knitting thrown in just in case I get bored!

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

It has been cold in Calgary the past couple of weeks. Cold enough to chill the coffee in the short blocks between the local coffee emporium and work. The solution? Coffee sweaters!


Instead of knitting my Christmas gifts or stitching ornaments for the tree, I have been knitting tiny sweaters without sleeves. One ball of Kureyon will make two Vente size sweaters.
If you feel the need to make a coffee sweater, Cast on 40 stitches on 5.5mm needles. join in a round with 10 stitches on each needle.
Purl 3 rounds.
Knit 5 rounds. Increase 1 stitch at the beginning of needle #1 and needle #3.
Knit 8 rounds. Repeat increase round.
Knit 8 rounds. Repeat increase round. (46 stitches)
Knit 5 rounds.
Purl 3 rounds.
Cast off. Finished length is ~6". Felt the sweater and dry on the appropriate size cup. Felted length is ~4".


You also should check your yarn before you start knitting because not all yarns that look like they will felt actually will!

I HATE COMPUTERS!
I have recently taken numerous pictures of finished socks, and a sweater and wonderful new yarn that has been added to my stash but unless you wander over to Ravelry, you will have to use your imagination.

It's enough to drive me to drink!

Tulip Sweater Finished I started this cute little sweater on Wednesday and was finished it by Saturday. What a great pattern and soft squishy yarn! It also helped that Amy and I had an unofficial race. I won!
It was a good thing that I had a couple of productive knitting days because Saturday was the day to help D#2 clean out her room.

There were books! And more books. Notice that there is nothing in these piles of collectibles that resemble clothes. Those are in a different room. I'm amazed that she could ever find her bed !

Back to knitting now! I'm on the second sleeve for my hoodie and the end is in sight!

THIS SWEATER DOES NOT WANT TO BE FINISHED!




Do you see that line where started the new ball of yarn? My family doesn't. So much for a "quick project that I''ll be wearing before the snow flies" This one is very close to having a "time out" in the basket.

THE SWEATER FROM HELL!!

On Sunday, I got the brilliant idea that I should cast on a new sweater. After all, the weather is going to be turning cooler soon and since I had this wonderful Malibrigo yarn that was calling to me and a simple top down Hoodie pattern, I would soon have a new sweater. I quickly knit a gauge swatch and cast on. By Tuesday afternoon, I was at the armholes when my good friend Knitting Grammy suggested that I should put my stitches on a string to check the fit. I protested. I had knit a swatch. My gauge was correct. It would fit. I put my stitches on a string and tried it on. I ripped it and cast on the next largest size.
I now had many more stitches on my needle but I was determined. I would have a new sweater soon. By early this afternoon I was back at the armholes. I was ready to place my sleeve stitches on holders. I paused briefly to admire my work and saw it. The missed decrease. Inches back. In the section that I had so cleverly knit while playing on the computer.
This pile of yarn is now my sweater. This wonderful sweater is quickly loosing it's appeal.

This is a warning!

As I was happily sipping my tea and reading the morning paper I realised that my good mood was about to be changed. Today is National Grouch Day. Today I can be as cranky as I want. I can slam the phone down on the unsuspecting telemarketers. I can impatiently tap my foot while waiting in line at the bank. I can honk my horn at the drivers that cut me off because they don't think the stop signs are meant for them. I can even throw my knitting across the room when I realise that it needs to be ripped. Today I will be Grouchy!
The main problem with being a Grouch today is that everyone else out in the world can be Grouchy too. It might be a good day to hide out at home. See you all tomorrow!

QUILT OF BELONGING

Yesterday, I went to Glenbow Museum to see the Quilt of Belonging. I had heard of this 120 foot long and eleven foot high quilt but was not prepared for the amazing work that I saw. It features 263 blocks of fabric that represent every country in the world and each of Canada's first peoples. Each block was stitched in Canada, by a Canadian about another country in the world that they have a connection with.
If you haven't seen it, Go! Go Now! Turn off your computer, Put your knitting down ( unless you want to knit on the bus downtown) and Go! It's only here until September 30 so you must go now! You won't regret it!
Glenbow Museum

HERE WE GO AGAIN!
MS3 is not complete and I have been feeling the need to cast on for a sweater or two. So why does this appeal to me? Secret of the Stole It's not like I don't already have 2 or more shawls that are started. I also have three other shawls that I have been wanting to start but have not cast on because I could only handle so many WIPs at a time.
I joined. I've checked out my Stash to see which beads would work best with the yarn and I've printed off the General Instructions. Currently there are 1477 members. I can't help but wonder how large this group will become.
First Clue will be posted on October 5.

AT LONG LAST

It seem like forever since I have actually finished something. I have knit socks and ripped out socks. I have planned new sweaters but not actually cast on. I have fretted over the stack of projects in the WIP basket. Today the was success. Today the Estonian Lace Lace was declared finished as it is blocked and the pictures have been taken.
Including the artsy outdoors shot with the breeze blowing.
Designer - Nancy Bush - Lily of the Valley Shawl - with nupps on every lily rather than every second one
Book - Lace Style - Interweave Press
Yarn - Suri Elegance - 100% Suri Alpaca By America's Alpacas

When the knitting is not going well, I can always bake. It's a different recipe but looks just as tasty version of Sticky Toffee Pudding. I think Karen is right. I just like saying "Sticky Toffee Pudding".
When I wonder why I haven't been getting much knitting done, I can find a dozen excuses. The best one is that there's nothing better than a baby's giggles. The knitting will all get done eventually.

Ravelry Conundrum
Today I got my invitation to join Ravelry! I want to spend time setting up my Flckr account and start taking pictures of my WIP. I need to inventory my STASH and figure out how many UFOs I have. My list of future projects is growing as I read other pages and find new and exciting projects to knit. I'm being introduced to many more blogs to read. There are yarn sites where I can sign up for newsletters to find out about new yarns that I have to add to my Stash and then inventory.
But, if I spend all my time on Ravelry, I won't have any time to knit! I'll never have another finished project to post on Ravelry. If I can never post a picture of a finished project, there's no need to set up a Flickr account. If I don't have time to knit, I don't need more yarn and I certainly won't have time to read all the new books that I'm finding out about.
The thought of it all just makes me tired. I knew the computer was my enemy!
If you have discovered the evil that is Ravelry, I'm AuntyTink.

FLAT YORKSHIRE PUDDING
and other weekend projects. After eating in British Pubs for three weeks, I was feeling the need for some calorie heavy goodness this past weekend. This is not what Yorkshire pudding is supposed to look like. This isn't the first time I have ever tried to make them, but it is the first time that they were a flat dismal failure.
This, on the other hand is what Sticky Toffee Pudding should look like. But if you pour a sauce made out of cream, butter and brown sugar over anything, it tastes good. Maybe I should try it over the Yorkshire Pudding.

Mystery Stole 3 Progress and decisions being made.
Clue #4 is done and I am at the halfway mark of the stole. I know there are 7 clues but I have decided to make mine a symetric stole rather than following the last three clues. I looked at the pictures on the Yahoo Groups site and the Bjork look is not for me. I love the first half of the stole and will finish it with a slight modification to the pattern.
Socks were ripped out and restarted
This is Waving Lace pattern out of Favorite Socks. Every once in awhile I come across a pattern that just seems right from the very first stitch. After ripping out several of the last socks that I started and knew I would not enjoy finishing, this one just has been a dream to knit.

WE'RE BACK!
After being away for three weeks, the tomato plants are dead, the Little Dude doesn't remember who we are and there is a mountain of laundry to be done, but it's great to be home. We saw castles and ruins and hills and paintings and more castles. After reaching maximum sensory overload, we are happy to be able to sleep in our own bed and not have to rummage through a suitcase looking for a passibly clean shirt.
While I was gone, My Sockapalooza 4 socks arrived. I don't know what thrilled me the most when I opened the package. My Sock Pal is from Japan. How neat is that? Someone on the other side of the world knit me a pair of socks! They are my favorite color! She knew they would be the perfect shade of green (Fottozey Foo). They are knit out of Socks that Rock. The pattern is perfect. I started knitting the Embossed Leaves socks last year when the pattern was first published in Interweave knits but ripped them apart when I decided I didn't like the fabric I was getting with the size of needles that I was using. I tried again with a different yarn and different needles and ripped it out a second time. When the pattern was republished in Favorite Socks, I thought I should try it again. Now I have my very own pair of Embossed Leaves socks, knit out of STR in green - Perfection! There was an extra surprise in the package. Sock yarn that I haven't seen before. Jaquard superwash. It looks like a self stripping yarn that will be perfect for a plain pair of socks. And chocolate covered almonds. The package was full but we started eating them last night and it's going to take all my will power to not eat the rest of them before Noon!

Airplane knitting

This is how much of a sock you can get done on a flight to Scotland. I don't like the way some of the stitches have stretched out so this is probably the last time you will ever see this sock.
Yes, you can knit lace on an airplane. Some of this lace was knit before we left and the majority of it was knit in quiet evening moments but 1/5 of it was knit on the flight home yesterday. I'm pretty sure that there aren't any mistakes in it and I didn't spill my lunch on it, so it was a good project to take on the plane.
Today is the day I tackle the laundry and watch Y&R. MS3 might come out of the basket while I'm seeing what Nickie and Victor have been up to for the last three weeks and I'm even looking forward to cooking supper. Now that is a scary thought!

ANOTHER MONKEY DONE!

These socks are being sent to my Sockapalooooza 4 pal. Will they fit? Will she like the colour? Will the yarn be itchy? Will they be the best socks that someone else has knit for her? All these questions will hopefully be answered in the near future aafter my socks fly off to a foreign country where they will come face to face (or sock to foot) with their new owner. The suspense continues.

MY SUNDAY DOWN AT STAMPEDE PARK
One of the displays that very few people know about is in the Agricultural area and involves several of the Guilds from the Calgary area. There is a heritage cabin that is a Summer Kitchen, and volunteers demonstrate various crafts for the ten days of Stampede. This past weekend, the ladies from the Calgary Guild of Needle and Fibre Arts were demonstrating knitting, spinning, doll making and stitching.

Donna decided that her crocs were not time period appropriate and ditched her shoes to spin barefoot. The 29 degree temps. might have had something to do with it as well. We refrained from making comments about being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen but it was tempting.
This is an activity I sign up for every year. I believe it is the best way to see the Stampede. We spent a wonderful day knitting and visiting and chatted with some really interesting people who ventured into the cabin to see what it was all about. Further entertainment was provided by the sheep being sheered and cattle being milked across the road. The high temperatures were lessened by a nice breeze and I can now see the end of my Sockapalooza 4 socks. (Catching the Stampede Express bus and finding out that it only took 30 minutes to get from the far north end of the city to the grounds was a definite plus. It would have taken me double that time to drive down and try and find a parking spot, plus a great deal of aggravation)

Before I caught my bus home, I wandered over to the Creative living display in the Roundup center. (D#2 had taken pictures earlier in the week of my shawl, but the computer wouldn't let me rotate the pictures. I thought you might like to see them without having to kink your neck)

The ABC blanket won 3rd in it's category. After Tuesday, Carson can finally have his blanket!
My Hanging Garden Vine shawl won a second place ribbon. (Crappy picture but that's what happens when I take pictures through the glass) This was a last minute entry since I didn't finish the stole that I had planned to enter. I really should start now for next years competition rather than leaving it until May.

Caution - Rant Ahead

One of the highlights of the Stampede for me is going down to see the Creative Living Display. The display was much smaller this year and while the quality of the articles submitted for display is wonderful, I would like to see more entries submitted. The Committee reduced the number of entries per person to only two. The categories were also changed- a christening gown would be in the same category as an adult sweater because they were lace items. The Seniors Division was eliminated as was the Nursing Home Division. These changes were implemented to increase the quality of the entries. What it did was reduce the number of entries as many people showed their anger by not putting in anything. Without us showing our support for the Creative Living Display, I fear that it will disappear like it has in Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto. This is a part of our annual exhibition that needs to be kept.

The Creative Living Committee is a very hard working group of individuals who get very little recognition for the work they do. They spend hours throughout the year organising things for the display. From the time the entries come in at the end of June to when the are finally picked up after Stampede, the ladies on the committee are there: assisting the judges, putting up the displays, washing the fingerprints off the glass, answering questions, taking down the displays and finally returning all the entries. (One year I assisted in returning the entries and wore my pedometer. I calculated that I walked over nine miles. ) They are not the people who make the final decisions.

The Creative Arts and Craft Committee is under the Western Lifestyles Show Committee who are the people who believe that in 2007 there is no interest in Arts and Crafts.

I disagree. Many people pay their gate admission every year and the only activity they take part in is viewing the displays. To shrink the Creative Living display or to eliminate it would be a great loss to the Stampede. We don't need a Cowboy Theme park that ignores the history and heritage that was the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede.

So, what can we do? Glad you asked! Write a letter. If you saw the display and were disappointed, tell someone. Even though it is 2007, an email or a phone call won't have the same effect as a good old fashioned letter and after all, we are trying to keep something that is old fashioned but still very valuable.

Plan for next year. Knit a sweater. Stitch a picture. Bead a necklace. AND ENTER IT INTO THE STAMPEDE! Don't worry about winning a ribbon. The thrill of going down the the World Famous Calgary Stampede and seeing your article on Display in the Roundup Centre is worthy of a great big Yaahoo. You might win a ribbon and that is even better. If we don't enter, the powers that be can only believe that there is no interest. The best way to prove them wrong is by entering.

Rant over - for now

FINISHED PROJECTS

I love this sweater pattern. It was such a fast knit. The hardest thing about finishing it was finding the perfect buttons. I'm still not sure that these truck buttons are right for the sweater but they will stay....for now. It's also my first finished Christmas present. Hooray! My socks for the Gillihook Heritage Knitting Guild Sock exchange are complete. I knit one extra pattern round for the cuff and then worried all the way through the foot that I would have enough yarn to complete them. Fortunately I did and have since started on my second pair using the same pattern. I'm in love with the Monkey!
I am one of the 6689
We are knitting the Mystery Stole 3. I am working on clue #2 and I will be finished it before the next clue gets posted on Friday. I almost wish I had all the clues so I could continue on with it and not have to wait for each one. Sanity does return and I remember that since I'm also working on socks for Sockapalooza4, it's a good thing I can't get all the clues. It's an easy knit but I don't seem to have much knitting time lately. Maybe that's because I spend too much time planning my next project! I also found out that my Hanging Vine Stole and ABC blanket won ribbons at the Creative Living displays down at the Calgary Stampede. D#2 took pictures for me but once again the computer is not cooperating. If you are down at the grounds, check out the displays of needlework, knitting, quilting etc. I usually go down on Sneak-a-peak night just to check out the displays but didn't make it this year. Pictures will be on a later post.

HERE HE IS!
Five days old and already been out shopping, to the Dr. for the first checkup, over to Grandma and Grandpa's house and to Starbucks for Chai Lattes. No wonder he's all tuckered out. Note - the socks fit but it won't be long before the little guy needs bigger ones.
His mom may not be a knitter but she definitely takes good photographs!

LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!

(All those people who are thinking that the madness started long ago, can just stop thinking that right now!)

I realise that I have signed up for not one but two sock exchanges. And I know that I have a new Grandson who needs some new cozy sweaters. And I know I have more than one shawl that is waiting for me to finish it BUT another Mystery Stole is starting. More information is here Pink Lemon Twist . I heard the call of the pattern and felt the urge to join. Does anyone else suffer from the need to start a new project? Care to join me in my downward spiral into knitting Insanity? I will bring my mystery shawls to Knitting Circle tonight at Make 1. What's one more project?

CAN YOU GUESS?? Carson Ray decided to finally make his appearance at 4:20 this morning. Mom, Dad, and Baby are all doing fine. I'm off to the hospital to meet my Grandson and to take lots of pictures!

PINK OR BLUE? WHAT'S A KNITTER TO DO? We are still waiting for the Grand baby to make his/her appearance and until that happens, my knitting of gender specific sweaters is on hold. Since the knitting needles were lying idle and calling out to me to knit cute baby stuff, I had to cast on this.
This cute little sweater in a neutral aqua is probably too girly for a boy and not pink enough for a girl but I'm liking the pattern so far. I might even get it finished before baby arrives and I start knitting pink or blue.
Monkey socks.
These will likely be my exchange socks for the Gillihook Heritage Knitting Guild sock exchange. Knitting them both at once seems to be the best way of making sure they are the same since I have modified the pattern slightly. It will also ensure that they both get finished before I switch gears to knit mega numbers of baby socks. (Do I sounded excited and impatient yet?)

ONE MORE RANDOM FACT

In 2005, Little House on the Prairie, a mini-series, was being filmed south of Calgary. I knit Laura Ingall's socks for the movie. Six pairs of socks were knit in five weeks. No, I didn't get listed in the credits and I haven't watched the whole show yet.


Today is a Snow Day!

Originally my plans for today included driving out to Crossfield to help D#1 plant flowers and the garden. Oh Darn! I guess I'll have to stay home and knit.

The Baby's blanket is done. The baby can arrive any time now. And as soon as we know if it is a boy or a girl, the sweater knitting can start.
Debbie Bliss pattern, knit in Cascade Pima Tencel

Seven facts about me.

I've been doubly tagged to list seven facts about myself. I'm not sure I can think of seven interesting facts but I have been thinking about it for a day now and the only way to stop the daydreaming is to put some thoughts into actual words.

1. I put salt on watermelon. Weird? yes, but ever since I've been a child that's the way it tastes best. My preferred way of eating that same salted watermelon is with a knife and fork. Both of these idiosyncrasies were taught to me by my Grandfather. (no-one said the seven facts had to be earth shattering or even interesting!)
2. I'm competitive. The easiest way to convince me to start a new project is to say "let's race!"
3. I've been entering projects in the Stampede since 1988 and have several ribbons awarded for both needlework and knitting. It's that old competitive streak again. My goal is to win the Gina Brown award.
4. I used to be a co-owner of a needlework store. The day I regained my sanity and decided to sell my share in the store was both one of the happiest days and saddest days I remember.
5. I'm lucky to have survived my childhood. When I was six, my brother and I were playing with candles in the hay loft. Of course, we started a fire. My older brother left me to put it out while he ran to get help. My grandfather who came to help never did tell my parents. I had to 'fess up the next spring when my Mom found some burnt doll clothes.
6. I am a Y&R addict. I will rearrange my day so I can be home knitting in my favorite chair when Victor and Nickie make their daily appearance.
7. I read when I'm away from home - holidays on the beach, weekend retreats or camping. I pack lots of books and tune out everything else. When I'm at home, the TV is on and I'm knitting.

As I look through the blogs, I realise that most of the blogs authors have already listed their seven facts. Feel free to play along without being tagged.

A LIFETIME OF KNITTING

I came across this on a couple of other blogs and thought it looked interesting. It made me realise how many things I have done already and how many more I have yet to try. There are also alot of techniques that do not interest me at all. Knitting with dog fur? No Thank you!!

The instruction part:
Mark with bold the things you have knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own hand-spun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Participate in an exchange
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s hand-spun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Knitted flowers
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Free-form knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/arm-warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an on-line knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

What have you learned to do that has marked a definite change in your knitting life? To be patient and wait for the yarn to let you know what it wants to be. This is why I have a yarn stash. It hasn't "spoken" to me yet.

HURRAY FOR RETREATS!!!!

I should be packing my bags because I am heading out on a retreat this weekend with my friends from the Calgary Guild of Needle and Fibre Arts. I am looking forward to a weekend filled with knitting, stitching, eating, drinking wine and lots of laughter. We head out twice a year to North Bow Lodge to enjoy the scenery, the company and to have some uninterrupted knitting time.

Before I head out this afternoon, I will be making a stop at the Book Store. One of the things that I enjoy most about retreats and camping is getting away from the TV and losing myself in a good book. (Yes, I realise that I could turn the TV off when I'm at home, but I don't.) My problem is, I don't know which book to read next. On my last trip out of town I read three books. Two were excellent. One was marginally better than reading the security card on the airplane - I should have known to avoid the Harlequin romance but read it because it was set in a knitting store - silly me! And one that I gave up on after the first one hundred pages. I detest books in which half the story line is a repeat of what happened in previous books. I don't care about the personal disagreements that the pathologist had with the detective in the last book. Tell me who was the victim and find the criminal in this book.

As I was describing the books to D#1, I found myself comparing them to my all time favorite book, and realised that it has become our standard for all other books. I'm looking for another book to read and hesitate to start another one because I want it to be a good read. Any suggestions?

All time favorite book - "A Fine Balance" - Rohinton Minstry
Also good is "Family Matters"
Last Weeks Excellent books were "Kite Runner" - Khaled Hasseni and "Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Kidd

BACK FROM DENVER

While in Denver we did the Tourist thing and stopped off to see the State Capitol Building. We thought we were going to look at a building and perhaps a few portraits. We were amazed at our luck.
The Colorado Quilting Council has a display of 210 quilts on four floors of the State Capitol Building. What had started out as a 45 minute tour ended up as a two and half hour viewing of some of the nicest quilts. We finally had to leave because our necks were protesting that we had been looking up long enough.
The Mile High Lace Knitting Conference started Wednesday night with an opening reception and our classes started early Thursday morning. It was absolutely marvelous. I took classes from Margaret Stove, Nancy Bush, Donna Druchunas, Galena Khmeleva and Joan Schrouder. The classes were all very small and the teachers were excellent. I learned about Estonian Lace, Russian Lace and Arctic Lace. I knit samples and attempted to chart my own designs. I learned about the importance and necessity of swatching both when designing and when knitting a pattern. I sat in on Round Table discussions, admired lace shawls that were being worn and shopped. (Doug, stop reading now!)

This is all destined to become more lace shawls. Clockwise, Blue zephyr for an Orenburg styl triangle shawl, Fino Alpaca and silk the has started to become the shawl in the new Knitters' (It may not stay as that shawl.) Quiviet, two skeins of merino tencel that is so soft and reflects the light in ways that just demand for it to be knitted and two skeins of a 2/32 wool. The two balls in the center are varigated with some of the most yummy colors. The green goes to blue and back again but you can't really see the colors because of the way it is wound. It needs to be knit to show off the shading.
Of course I couldn't just buy Quiviet, I had to see what it was like to knit with. It isn't as soft as I thought it would be but since I got to look at and molest many samples, I know it will bloom and soften when it is washed.
I didn't just start new projects, I actually finished one too. It will be nice to wear my Spring colored new socks since spring also means we will still have many cool days.

I'm glad to be home but I am looking forward to next year's conference. Now, back to reality!

Living dangerously in Blogland!
This is new sock yarn being added to the stash. I found a local source for Koigu and since I have signed up for Sockapalooza 4, more sock yarn sounded like a necessity. Karen went on a road trip to Edmonton and found the Socks that Rock and her husband found the perfect shade of green. Now I just have to find the perfect patterns. The other option is to let the yarn age for a certain amount of time first.

My Hanging Vine Stole is done. I don't have the outfit to wear with the stole but I'm working on it.


This is the first half of the baby blanket. Entrelac is only fun for the first little while and then it really begins to drag. My project for this afternoon is to decide which projects to take to Denver for Mile High Lace Knitting weekend. Socks would be ideal for the plane ride but the I really should have an actual lace project with me. I found out that one of the Vendors at the marketplace will be bringing Quiviet. I can't wait to see what other treasures I can find!

I really hesitated before showing the stash additions and discussing purchasing luxury yarns since my husband has asked for the link to this page. I'm not sure if having him read this is a good idea!