About waterfalls and yarn shopping

On Tuesday eight o'clock sharp (plus 10 minutes...) my Mom and I got into the car and started our journey to Niagara Falls. The driving isn't that bad except around and in Toronto...waah! Talk about impo(ssible)lite drivers! Haven't heard that much honking in the two years I've been living in Montreal.

On our way to the Falls I had the brilliant idea that yarn shops deserve a sign just as much as museums, wineries and other tourist attractions, don't you think? It would make locating them so much easier. Did you know that Niagara Falls doesn't have a yarn shop?? Very disappointing but not surprising. Here is one of the not at all disappointing reasons we drove there:


I think I took a hundred pictures...

Then this morning off to Romni - very exciting! It got less and less so when we were stuck in a traffic jam from hell just before Toronto and then I missed the correct exit (of course). To make a long story short: around 10.45 we arrived to look for a suitable parking space. All we could find was one for an hour - which, as any yarn addict can confirm, is not enough for a thorough perusal of a large yarn store. To be honest: at that point I didn't give a damn about a possible parking ticket.


Isn't this heaven? At least that's how I picture it. And lots and lots of cones in the basement. I am almost embarrassed to tell you what I actually bought. Being overwhelmed by all this choice I decided to stick with yarn I knew I wanted, and, of course, being on a budget didn't make it easier.


This is it. Two balls of the new "Regia silk" for a pair of socks and three "Noro Kureyon" Color 146 - a possible scarf for me. I know, know....it could have been so much more! Too bad that the shop is so far away, I would go there all the time.


This is my Mom after shopping at Romni, which is located at 658 Queen St West and not at all hard to find - even I could manage it.

The vest is started

I finally had the time to start the vest for Rolf. I haven't knit a lot on it but I already like how it looks. I decided against ribbing and knitted a hem so I could start with the ribbed pattern right on the hemline.



Tomorrow my Mom and I will be off to Niagara Falls. It is very convenient that one has to pass by Toronto to get there since "Romni" is located almost on our way. We plan to visit the largest yarn store of Toronto on Thursday. Can't wait to check it out!

Riding shotgun and knitting

We (my Mom, Rolf and I) went on a trip to Québec yesterday. I didn't have to drive so I started the scarf with the Brillant and 8mm needles...knitting with big needles is not so much fun after all. And this fancy yarn is not so cooperative either. Well, I finished the scarf today on our way back - meaning this whole thing can be done in 3 to 4 hours. Here is a photo while it was still on the needles - the finished work will follow. It looks quite nice, the pattern with the drop stitches works fine.



I did not expect to find knit-related items this time so I was pleasantly surprised when we stumbled upon this garment in the exhibit "Clothes make the man" in the Musée de L'Amerique Francaise today. It's a fair isle vest from 1925. This particular part of the exhibition dealt with the homemade things men used to wear. Right beside it were some patterns for knitted items, see also below. The pics are a bit flurry, I'm not even sure I was allowed to take them...




Later this afternoon we visited the Maison Chevalier - it was very unexpected and not planned at all. Inside you could see how people used to live in the time from the early 1800 to about 1850 and how their houses were furnished. In between the beds, chairs and armoirs I found this:



Suffice it to say that I was very pleased how our little outing turned out. (And I enjoyed the other things we saw, too!)

My first ring!

Yep, from today on I am a proud member of the Knitter's Review Member ring! That's all I have for now, no news on the knitfront. Maybe tomorrow?

Oh, yes, I'm the great enabler....

It took me only three days to "make" my Mom order yarn from elann...She saw the Classic Elite Tweed for Rolf's Vest and now she wants to knit a sweater from it. Must be the incessant talking about knitting, yarn, yarnshops, patterns....*grin*

I did not knit on the socks yesterday but couldn't resist to swatch said Classic Elite Tweed:

One can hardly tell but it's a ribbed pattern. I like knitting with this yarn very much and I love the feel and how it turns out. Can't wait to get started on the vest.

Not much knitting going on here....

....but a lot of sightseeing etc. - which can be nice but is also tiring!

Haven't knit in two days (a cast-on for a sock doesn't count as "knitting", or does it?). Am I going cold turkey? Not yet. Can't knit on the TTT with a twist since Mom is not supposed to see it. Don't have enough quiet time to get started with Rolf's vest. Don't have enough energy to block the sleeves of the other TTT. Maybe tonight after our dinner at "Ben's Deli" (hooray, don't have to cook! and: Mom has to try one of Montreal's specialties: smoked meat) I will be able to knit a bit on a pair of socks I started some time ago.

Look what I got!

I did NOT have the time to block the sleeves yesterday - no wonder. But I did get some goodies from Germany, look:


A "Sabrina" knitting magazine and a ball of Trio Tahiti Brillant for a fancy scarf. Thank you, Mommy!

It is unbelievable in what contexts one can find yarn...this afternoon we spent time in the Château Ramezay Museum and there was some YARN (100% wool) in the museum shop! It is kind of special because it was dyed with plants, supposedly Cranberries (it says so on the label). Of course I had to have a skein. And the price was ok, too: 8.80$ for 110 g.

Another knitter arrives

Yes, come this afternoon we will be two knitters in this household! My Mom arrives from Germany for a visit - she is staying for two weeks. I guess I won't be able to post every day while she is here, but then I won't have as much time to spend on knitting, either.

The TTT dries nicely, maybe I'll manage the blocking of the sleeves today - even with a visitor one cannot totally neglect fibre related duties, can one?

This just arrived, too!


Yummy yarn for the vest I am going to knit for Rolf.

Isn't blocking fun....ouch!

I managed to give me four bleeding fingertips while blocking the back and front of the uncooperative TTT... The reason why the collar is already there is easy to guess: I really thought I could cheat around the block-action, but no way. Still have to tackle the sleeves - anyone want to help out?


On the bright side: I tried the weaving-in method from Techniques with Theresa in the fall-issue of knitty and I just can't believe how well it works. It is so easy and clean that weaving ends in is almost fun - who would have thought! (This will come in very handy with a certain project of mine that has been "resting" in a box for two years now...)

I try to do better

I like the principal idea of Sally Melville's Two-Tone-Top. That's why I wanted to knit one for my Mom. Turns out I need something more challenging. I don't mind plain stockinette stitch with this yarn, it looks nice. But the whole thing was just too plain, so I changed the design a bit. I call it "TTT with a twist".


Before
Looks nice but quite boring, doesn't it? Well, here is how it looks now:


After
I think it's loads better, and it doesn't overpower the effect of the yarn itself either. The sleeves are going to be altered accordingly and I have a special idea for the neckline - need to think it through, though. One hint in advance: it is going to be a V-neck after I am finished with it.

It's a Monet not a Van Gogh

How could I mix up a Monet with a Van Gogh you want to know? Oh, it's easy. Just don't think when you write.


Grain Stack, Claude Monet

Maybe you can see what I was thinking whe I add some of the colors of the tweedy yarn:

There are a lot more colors that could be used. I really like toying with this idea. Don't know how much will come from it, though. You can dream, right?

The mean knitting reds

I don't know exactly why but at the moment I dislike (to say the least) everything I have on my needles. I need to block parts of the TTT before assembling - I hate blocking. I ripped out three(!) projects yesterday after considering that I probably won't finish them anyway. I decided I have to do something "better" with the Filatura di Crosa Oxford (see sidebar) 'cause this yarn deserves it.

Not a clean slate yet, but will get there. And then I will knit something really fabulous. Ha.

More, more, more....

...Kylie Minogue sings and that's how I feel about my knitting meetup yesterday. I am pretty sure I would love to have one every week - but once a month will have to do, I guess!

Either all knitters are friendly people or I just got very lucky. I enjoyed meeting and talking to the other fiber-holics so much, that I (literally) forgot to drink, eat and go to the bathroom - the last mentioned made the walk home from the metro quite a challenge...and when I came home I was asked "what were you thinking, staying out that late without telling me where you are? I've been imagining you mugged, dead, in the hospital..." (okay, not quite his words because he was talking German to me, but you get the drift). Oh, how I feel loved and cared for! No irony here, I mean it!

Back to knitting: in case anyone wondered, I brought a sock (selfstriping yarn) and the back of my Mom's "Two-tone-Top" to knit. I ended up knitting on both projects, having to knit back some rows on the sock-heel because all the talking kept me from paying attention to turning the heel correctly. I really liked the variety of projects brought because I enjoy looking at knitting from others. Leaves made from linen (can you imagine? they look almost real!), a scarf, a pullover (how soft the yarn was!), socks (with a cast-on I've never tried), intricate cables on a mitten (I think) and a kiddie pullover - can't wait to see what everyone has on their needles next!

What to bring?

Tonight I am going to my first knitting meetup here in Montreal. I am really looking forward to it and wondering which one of my WIPs to bring.

This morning I ordered 9 hanks Classic Elite 03 Tweed in charcoal from elann because last night I couldn't fall asleep. If you can't see the connection, I'll give you one: while lying in bed wrestling with the Sandman I thought up a design for a vest. A vest for the very husband who thinks that these are garments for old men. I swear I will prove him wrong!

While sitting here thinking what else to write I am staring at my calender which sports a Van Gogh this month. Looking at it it occurs to me that the yarn elann offers next Tuesday reminds me very much of this painting. The tweedy yarn with specks of color comes in all of the hues I would need to knit up a Van Gogh. How cool is that?

Anyone?

I wonder how many women are out there with a husband like mine. It takes a lot to find a sweater design he likes and actually accepts. "Would you wear a vest?" - No, that's for old men. About seven months ago I knitted him an Einstein-Coat. He's happy with it. Now I wonder if I should just go ahead and knit what I think he might like....

Today I finished my Einstein-Coat. My collection of Sally Melville Designs is certainly growing. It's the third jacket of hers I made for myself. One day I will find the time to post the pictures. In the meantime I will keep working on two "Two-tone-Tops" I started, one for my sis and one for my Mom. I loooove Sally Melville!

I did it....

After spending a lot of time online surfing other peoples blogs the desire of having my very own outgrew the thoughts of "you won't keep up with posting", "it's a lot of work" etc....so here I am!

My husband does not favour my new toy, I admit that he has a point when he says: instead of spending time on THIS I should look for a job and do more (better?) housework. On the other hand he is pretty much fed up with my fiber obsession and my constant talking about buying yarn (he thinks my stash is much too large) and I figure this will pretty much spare him from being pestered by my "what do you think of this yarn?", "should I use this color or that?" which are just two examples of very important knitting related questions he really does not care about...