Look What Happened!

See this? This is definitely not my fault. It seems to be yet another new sock cast on the needles. Now - there is a perfectly logical explanation and it is absolutely, under no circumstances, not my fault.

Last night, I joined the Castoffs (an incredible group of women who've been meeting for a long time and were kind enough to invite me to join them). Yesterday I announced a contest on my blog for someone to guess which was the next sock I was knitting in my quest to finish the partners for my poor lonely single socks. Ok - so - several of the Castoffs read my blog and have made a guess for the contest. So I could not, in all good conscience, show up there last night with the sock I was working on and give them an unfair advantage over other's who were playing along as well. The only viable solution to this dilemma was to cast on a new sock. So there you have it, not my fault! Who's fault it actually is will remain a question - far be it from me to cast blame!

This little portable knitting bag is available at Unwind Yarn House. It's just $15 and all the money goes to the Southlake Regional Health Centre to support cancer research.

Another sock???

Ok so - yesterday there were 7 socks that needed mates - there was an 8th on the needles and I have discovered a NINTH SOCK WITHOUT A PARTNER! This is totally out of hand - I promise never to knit single socks again.............who believes me? Well, I have started the partner to one of the socks so let's have a little contest! Which sock did I start? The winner will receive a skein of Mama E's Ceyeber Fiber in the Pick Up Sticks Signature Color. If there are more than one correct guess then I will draw for the prize. Let's say this contest ends next Thursday (that would be October 5th) with the posting of the finished sock. Just what I need another deadline!

I'm off to meet the Castoffs tonight - I can't wait!

I Need Support

It became apparent to me that I should start a Support Group for.....socks without partners. I got the bright idea that I would finish all my started socks and then not knit another new sock until I've knit their partners. However...there's 7 single socks - that means 7 partners need to be knit. Needless to say - this has gotten completely out of hand. 4 of those pairs are for me - the weather is turning colder and I could use them. One is for my husband - and two are for my daughter. BUT.....I've had a thought I could turn all those pairs into Christmas gifts and that could possibly save me alot of Christmas knitting time. Don't you agree?

This is the promised Posh Yarn sock in Chintz Lucia. It's 70% merino 30% cashmere - pure heaven for the feet.

I've started a Sock of the Month Club on the website and boy oh boy - do we love Sock Clubs????!!! What could be better than a surprise package of yarn arriving on a monthly basis! Meghan is hard at work on the patterns and I know they will be inspired.

I can't believe so many days have passed since I last blogged! I had a little health crisis last week which has passed (Thankfully!)so I was a little more distracted than normal. Tonight I'm off to the SnB at Unwind and tomorrow I'm joining the Castoffs for the first time. I hear they are a fun, crazy bunch of knitters so I should fit right in! I can't wait!

Pretty In Pink Contest

Check out http://needles.guzzlingcakes.com/ for all the contest details. I'm providing the prize for a very worthwhile cause.

Got my haircut today - badly needed - I hate the time it takes to get color and a cut - I'm way to impatient to sit still. But today I brought along my knitting - (I'm knitting a cashmere/merino sock - they will be for me!), read the trashy magazines, drank my Tim Horton's decaf and ate my bagel so it was actually quite enjoyable. And....the big news is that it was $40 less than last time. My own hairdresser wasn't in today but TODAY was the day I HAD to get my haircut so when I called the owner said he could take me so off I went. Not only was it cheaper but it is the best cut I've had in a long time. Now I'll just go on Tuesdays when my regular hairdresser is off - I'm a big chicken and couldn't possibly go to another hairdresser while she was working.

Stormy Day.....

Here's my Claudia Handpainted sock in Stormy Day colorway. You can see in the close up how just a bit of blue peeks through all of the grey - just like a Stormy Day - especially like the stormy days we been seeing in Southern Ontario for most of the summer. This is a basic sock recipe that worked very well - my first one out of my head and not off paper. Not that it was any great feat - I mean when you've knit 100 single socks you should really have some idea how it works, right? Right!




I ordered some new yarn today - yup I did and I'm very, very excited about it. More from the talented Felicia of Sweet Georgia. Lace yarn seems very popular so I have added Sweet Georgia Silk/Merino blend in lace weight (it's called Silk Lamb) and worsted weight - yipee! happy! happy! happy! I'm not sure when it will be in - I do know that about half of my order in Handpainted Sock will be in just after the beginning of October. I will keep you posted - and promise that you'll know when I know.

It doesn't appear that the Teenage Boy is going to stay in school. I've been very good about not getting up to wake him up - my only concession was another alarm clock - but he missed every day last week. He was at school today but I got an attendance notice that said he missed all but the last period - we are going to look at alternatives - apparently there are ways to earn credit so we'll see. If only he could fast forward 20 years and see how important an education is.

Happy Birthday to......

Unwind Yarn House! This cute little store turns one this weekend and we are celebrating by Knitting in Nature! From noon until 6 pm bring your sticks and knit in Fairy Lake park - if the weather doesn't cooperate then there will be lots of knitting at the store - 234 Main Street in Newmarket.

I was just at the SnB there this past Wednesday and Wendy has done a fabulous job of re-organizing the store - there's tons and tons of new stock! Cascade, Fleece Artist, Lily Chin, and Lorna's Laces!!!!!

I've finally got all the yarn on the website - check out all the new Butterflynet Knits Lace and Sock Yarn. I've had this yarn since the weekend but didn't really get much of a chance to see it up close and let me tell you - it is beautiful! All of the colorways are inspired by butterflies - it's great stuff. Posh was released from jail and has a new home on my shelves. The cashmere is wonderful - right this second I am fighting the urge to cast on a new pair of socks - but I have two problems - one is that I'm sold out of 2.5 mm Pony Pearls and all my other pairs are in use and....I can't decide which of the Wildhorse Farm Design patterns to use.

Guys Just Don't Get It

Yesterday I went to see my web design company and arrange some changes etc. and they were just full of congratulations on how successful my website had been so far. They were actually incredulous over the whole thing! The owner said he thought I was a nice person and everything but he figured that there was no possible way for me to sell yarn online. He absolutely could not believe it. Then he went on to say that he had no idea that older women even knew how to use the internet. Suddenly, the picture was clear - when he thought of knitting he thought of grandmothers rocking away in their rocking chairs. Not hip chicks with sticks! Chicks of all ages mind you - but all of us hip little knitters!

Posh has been released from jail and hopefully, fingers crossed, it will arrive today! I cannot wait to get my hands on that. What could possibly be better than cashmere and merino socks?

Ok so it's back to adding all the Wild Horse Design sock patterns on my website - this was a brief and pleasant break!

Oh - guess what? I am in the process of designing a new sock pattern using Sweet Georgia - this idea has been bumping around in my head and today I'm going to see if I can do it. And.....I'm going to have Comfy, Cosy Mittens designed by me with yarn supplied by a very, very special company. More to come on that soon!

More fair pics...

Thanks to Sarah who got this shot of the crowd from Saturday! It was a wild day!

You can't see me but I would be the one with my mouth hanging open in amazement!












Here's a picture of the Sweet Georgia side of the table - in the basket at the back are Painted Yarns - they did really well at the show - one skein does a pair of socks and they are super cozy!










The back shelving held Fable Handknits which sold like crazy! It is the softest alpaca ever and the colors are to die for!

The table held Apple Pie Yarn - kits and individual skeins. The shawl on display is the Glorious Garter Shawl. The kits also did very well. The pattern for the kits uses every bit of each of the 5 skeins which I think is great - no waste!
Yesterday was spent adjusting inventory on the website and finishing up adding the Claudia Handpainted - already I have to re-order about 13 colors! I was reading on a blog today about sock colors for men and she does some great ones - check out Ink or Navy Olive just to name a couple.

My Posh Yarn has been kidnapped and held for ransom! Dee worked very, very hard to get that yarn to me in time for the show and on Friday (the day I was leaving) I received a notice from Canada Customs that the yarn was being held for clearing. Clearing means you need to pay for your yarn to get it. I called and they said I needed to go to an actual customs office to fill out the appropriate paperwork - and guess what? - the closest office was about 45 minutes away. So on Monday morning, my sister and I took off to go rescue my yarn. After struggling through the paperwork, driving 45 minutes, almost being side swiped by another driver not paying attention - the Customs Officer suggests that I probably should just get a Customs Broker - it would be much easier and they just charge a bit to handle all of this for you. So where is a Customs Broker I ask? Oh there's one in the town where you live. Really! So now my Posh Yarn is in the hand of a Customs Broker and hopefully, it will find it's way to me by Friday! Hmmmm!

KW Knitter's Fair

Wow! Wow! Wow! That's about all I can say - the Knitter's Fair was a resounding success and I'm sure they broke attendance records this year. The hall was packed. Our booth was packed - it was so exciting!

I met Amy Singer of Knitty fame and got stickers for my truck - Laura of Cosmicpluto and Lettuce Knit stopped in and then did me the honour of a mention on her blog!

Here's my Pick Up Sticks team - Lisa on the left, Meghan in the middle and Sarah on the right. They were invaluable and I wouldn't have wanted to be there without them.


Here's a shot of the back's of our jackets. You can't see very well but each jacket was embroidered with the website address.












Here's little old me! I stood there like that all day welcoming thousands to our booth???!!!! Actually this was just before the doors opened and it would be the only time all day that the booth was empty.

In the lower left corner is Meghan's Butterflynet Knits Lace and Sock Yarn - her yarn made it's debut at the show and the lace almost sold out. And.....she got a new wholesale order from another shop! It's beautiful stuff!



And of course, Sweet Georgia! So many people were so happy to see it in person! No picture could possibly do it any justice.

Tomorrow I will post pictures of the crowds - Sarah has them on her camera and when she reads this I'm sure she'll send them to me.

After the show was over, we treated ourselves to dinner at the Outback where we ate way, way too much! Then it was back to the hotel for an evening of tea (two pots), knitting, spinning (Sarah bought the most beautiful spinning wheel) and movies - we watched the Devil Wears Prada. Doesn't that sound like pure bliss? I kept thinking that we need to do this more often. It was so much fun! And.....only the kind of fun that other knitters would appreciate. We also planned lots of new stuff for the shop so stay tuned for that. Oh and KnickKname2B - thanks for sending your friends by to say hello - it was nice to meet them!

Gone Knitting!

Today is the day we leave for Kitchener for the Knitter's Fair. My sister's van is absolutely packed with yarn - and the Claudia Handpainted arrived. It's fantastic! I've already cast on a new pair of socks in the Stormy Day colorway. Yummy! If you are planning on attending we are at Booth #50 - hope to see you there!

September?

How time flies when you're having fun? It's September all ready - and today feels like it. No rain yet from the dregs of Ernesto but apparently it's supposed to be a miserable long Labor Day weekend. I do have some pictures - how about that?

Here is the finished hat for my grandson - 1.5 inches longer than last time. It's knit from Apple Laine Yarn in Old Blue Jeans - one the Handpainted Lites. It was great to work with!

Next is the picture of my latest sock in progress - just a basic pattern but the yarn is anything but basic. It's Stillwater Speed Demon from Sweet Georgia. Everytime a box of this yarn arrives I am astounded at the colors. Felicia is amazing and the yarn is sheer pleasure to work with.

I have lots to do this week coming up - we are leaving for the Knitter's Fair on Friday afternoon and I have books to price, samples to tag, stitch markers to make. And lots of new yarn arriving -the last part of my Sweet Georgia order, Posh Yarns is making it's way across the pond from the UK and......40 colors of Claudia Handpainted is on the way. Yup, 40 colors which will mean lots of picture taking for the website.
Plus school starts - that means following Emma's school bus on Tuesday to meet her at the school and seeing if the teenage boy is actually going to go to school. And lunches again - I really, really dislike packing lunches!