Ahhhhh.....

I always feel a huge sense of relief when Christmas is over - presents are opened, all the food has been consumed and I have a couple of days to relax. Now I'm knitting what I want, not what I need to - so it's Dipped Infinity in blue for me and a cute hoodie for Quinn out of Laine Magnifiques - I picked up this yarn in Kitchener and it's really nice to work with - might need some more investigation. The Boxing Day sale will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday. Still everything at 30% off - in store purchases only! Don't worry onliners - there's a sale coming up for you just as soon as we verify our inventory counts!

Almost sidelined.....

Sunday night I was knitting like a mad woman on my FIL scarf -finished last night by the way - and when I went to get up I felt all funny - my equilibrium was way off. I went to bed and as soon as I laid down I got dizzy - I mean really dizzy - couldn't open my eyes for the room spinning dizzy. I couldn't move for the dizziness - of course, I was envisioning all sorts of wonderful illnesses - stroke, heart problems, the middle ear disease. Even Greg hardly slept for thinking he would have to take me to the hospital. When I got up in the morning I wasn't as dizzy so I decided I would go visit my chiropractor (or quack as we lovingly call her)just in case it was my neck - I was describing my symptoms to her and she said it's actually quite common and happens almost exclusively to women - apparently, there is a nerve running up your neck into your brain stem which controls your inner ear and that caused the problem - it was being hunched over my knitting for hours at a time along with the regular Christmas stress that tightened up my already tight neck and sent wacky signals to my inner ear. After some massage and a few adjustments I was as good as new - yesterday I finished the scarf and now I might just take a knitting holiday. Hat for my BIL got scratched off the list - it's a Princess Auto gift card for him instead....but....now I can knit what I want.......I've got the blue dipped infinity scarf kit all ready to cast on......I really want a Just Enough Ruffles for me out of Sweet Georgia Merino Silk Aran.....or maybe I could finish my rug.........there's gifts still to wrap.....a bit more shopping to do.....right! stress, who's got stress?

By the way - our first ever and first annual Boxing Day Sale is Saturday December 26 (in store only) 30% off everything knitting, 10% off rug hooking supplies. Be there or be square! :)

And it keeps on coming.....

Just Enough Ruffles in Sweet Georgia Riptide - Finis! The super wash worsted was fantastic to work with - this took just 3 50g skeins (261yds on a 4.5mm) - is this Pistachio colorway not the perfect color for the new Citron that came out in Knitty. The pattern calls for lace weight but I think it would be spectacular in worsted!

Irish Hiking Scarf in Donegal Tweed is cast on for my FIL - but I have to tear it out because I'm not happy with my gauge.

Oh by the way - Just Enough Ruffles is now my favorite new scarf - I think it's amazing looking and I plan to knit lots more of them because they are going to be my new accessory!

Surprised?

Bet you all were thinking - oh she's blogged for a few days now - no way she can keep it up. Well, I'm here again with the finished Ballard Cowl as promised. Now I'm on to Just Enough Ruffles in Sweet Georgia Riptide for my aunt - needs to be finished by Saturday to be gifted on Sunday.

Want the Ballard Cowl pattern? Leave me a comment - don't forget your email. Tata for now!

Knitting Machine....

that's what I am! Yes I am a knitting machine! The knitting gift fever hit me on Saturday with a shop full of people and I've been cranking out the gifts ever since. I must admit I was getting a bit worried about myself because I was struggling to choose what to knit, struggling with who to knit for but I've got it happening now.

Teacher #1 done - fingerless gloves from Canadian Living, Birthday Cowl from Ravelry

Teacher #2 hat done, casting on cowl today. By Sweet Georgia Ballard Slouch Hat made from one gorgeous skein of Sweet Georgia Merino Silk Blackberry. This stitch pattern was so easy to memorize that it's what I'm going to use for the cowl.

That's 4 gifts that will be done by tonight - that just leaves 3 more. I've decided on Just Enough Ruffles for my aunt in Sweet Georgia Merino Silk, a scarf for my FIL and hat for BIL. I've got it sooooo together I might just add more gifts in....now I know the secret to Christmas knitting is to wait until the last 2 weeks...............and then the spirit will move you!

Winners!

We've drawn the winners from today's Open House - I will be calling everyone tomorrow but just in case you're lurking around to see if I post here's the list:

Woolpets Needle Felting Kit - Jillian O
Sock Kit - Nancy F
Sock Blockers - Elizabeth A
Thrum Mitten Kit - Gillian G
Tanis Fiber Arts Spinning Fiber - Lynn Bee
Tanis Fiber Arts Dipped Infinity Kit - Roselle P


Yay to everyone!

Another blog post -

Here's another gift - fingerless mitts for one of Emma's teachers. Ideally, I would love to design a cowl to go with them but unless I get my knitting butt in gear there's not much chance of that! They are the ones from Canadian Living designed by Glenna C. There's actually a bunch of free pattern on the Canadian Living site that are worth a look!

Here's the door prizes for Saturday's open house - is that a Tanis Dipped Infinity Scarf Kit up for grabs? .....yessiree Bob!

All you have to do is show up to fill in a ballot for a chance to win! Kind of like the lottery, you can't win millions if you don't have a ticket!

It's Winter

Well, winter roared in last night in a mess of heavy snow, wind and freezing rain. Things are pretty quiet around here today and I'm sure they'll probably stay that way! I'm trying to upload pictures of my MIL's Montreal Canadiens Socks - they came out beautifully but after two tries no luck. Aha! The picture loaded after try #4!

School buses in York Region were not cancelled - so what else is new? What has to happen before they decide driver and student safety is more important than anything. There was a bus accident this morning in Newmarket - six high schoolers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, thankfully. I didn't send Emma because there was just no way she was going on a bus in this weather.

We're having a Holiday Open House this Saturday, December 12th - 10-40% off a variety of yarns and lots of door prizes to be won. Hot cider and yummy treats are being served as well! I suppose that means I should decorate the shop - for those that know me, I'm not a decorating kind of person - every year I do it against my will. Lisa's in tomorrow - maybe that will be her job! Well, I'm off to watch Julie and Julia on tv with Emma and do some serious Christmas knitting! 2 gifts down!

You know what - I just noticed - I use ! alot!

Christmas Knitting Update

Here's my mother in law's socks - didn't Deb from Dye Hard Fibre Arts do an amazing job? She's going to be thrilled because she loves these colors.

I also finished Multnomah - a free Ravelry pattern in Dream in Color Knitosophy Super Hero.

I've decided to do the Irish Hiking Scarf by Hello Yarn in Donegal Tweed homespun. He's born and raised in Ireland so this is a good gift for him.

Sweet Georgia arrived last night and is looking truly lovely in here today! And I found the rug hooking stuff - it's in Bradford!!??!! Greg is coming home early to get it for me! Isn't he a good boy?

Tomorrow is the big Christmas party here - 33 people - 11 of which are children under 10 - just kill me now!

Pins and Needles

I'm sitting here on pins and needles waiting for mail and for UPS - mail because Tanis Infinity Kits are coming and Tempo Tape highlighting tape and all my rug hooking stuff - UPS because they have 2 big boxes of Sweet Georgia which I can't stand waiting for. I'm also planning our Christmas Open House which will be Saturday December 12......I'm on the last repeat of Multnomah which I hope to get blocked today and pictures tomorrow. So at the moment....I'm waiting for things to happen which really rubs me the wrong way because I am the least patient person I know.

Christmas Knitting
Sister in law - mitts - check
Brother in law - hat
Mother in law - striped socks in Montreal Canadians color
Husband - hat
Father in law - Donegal Tweed Scarf - he's from Ireland.
Aunt - something- maybe the Sweet Georgia scarf in Cashsilk
Dad - new hat because I hate the one I made last year
I'd really also love to make neck warmers for all the girls but that would be 7 more things and at the rate I am procrastinating on what I have to do, there's not much chance of that.

Tomorrow is a haircut - did I mention I'm not coloring my hair anymore? I've been going gray since I was 29 and seem to have developed an allergy to hair color. I've tried all different kinds with all different hair dressers and nothing seems to work without me getting itchy like I have lice. Charlotte, my hairdresser now, was putting big chunky highlights and lowlights over the gray to cover it. It worked fine but it takes forever so the last time I went I decided to not color it anymore. This next haircut will reveal even more gray so we'll have to see. The gray is pure white which is nice - my grandmother had beautiful gray hair so maybe it will be like that. I did hear, though, just as I made this decision that men are considered distinguished as they gray but women who don't color their hair are thought to not take care of themselves. Hmmmph!