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Friday, March 28, 2008
It’s Friday already?? It’s been so busy here, I hadn’t noticed time flying!! Between cleaning, baking, cleaning, eating, cleaning, egg hunting, cleaning, company, and cleaning, the days have just whizzed by. Now it’s time to clean some more and have a seat and see just what’s been done and what is to be done! I did manage some knitting over this last week…I finished the Catherine Vardy Fulled Gauntlet Mitts, and they turned out great: 
Check! Off my list. I also got one chunky sock done and the back for a new chunky cotton summer sweater: 
Partly off my list. Oh, and I did manage to get the Easter sewing completed before the big morning, but I’ve decided that that’s just about it for sewing “incognito”…this waiting till all hours to make sure they’re asleep before starting sewing for the evening has got to go. I’ll just work on it when they’re awake and forget about the element of surprise! One little eyelet blouse and gaucho pants: 
And one “handkerchief” shirt and gaucho pants: 
Check. Off my list. Also did manage to get the new-sweater-design-in-progress pieces blocked and the shoulders seamed. I don’t expect to get to it much until next week, seeing as how it’s now practically the weekend again. I also have a new assignment coming up that I hope won’t supercede the sweater but would instead just light a good fire to getting the sweater done, which is dragging on waaaaaaaaay too long already. We’ll see. I’m getting much better at playing things by ear instead of stressing out over the calendar deadlines. (This results in slower progress at knitwear design, but does actually allow me to participate in the real world more than just occasionally!!) Off for cappuccinos and some more summer sweater knitting…love those chunky (read: instant gratification) yarns! |
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Wednesday, March 19, 2008 And thought I’d never finish my Darrowby Walking Socks 
Didn’t they turn out great? I haven’t been knitting nice, heavy boot socks much these last few years, and it was nice to knit a pair of such “substance” again. I love the colorway; it gives these Yorkshire countryside-inspired socks a bit of a Nordic flair. Don’t ask about the sweater projects…they will hopefully be having their pieces blocked this weekend. We’ve been doing a bunch of wall painting lately, and sweater designing/finishing had to take a bit of a backseat. I’m feeling very smug that I managed to get the socks actually finished. I think my next small project will be a pair of Felted Gauntlet Mitts by Catherine Vardy (ask me about the pattern if you’re interested)…there’s a birthday coming up next month, and although I know it’s not really the season for mittens, we don’t do Christmas presents for siblings, so birthdays are our one shot. I have been doing a bit of Easter sewing, but it’s all hidden away in closets at the moment, so maybe I can snag a photo over the weekend for next week. We’re gearing up here to make Hot Cross Buns, my personal favorite part of Easter (the eating of the buns, that is). We’ll also be entertaining company, eating lots of chocolate and dealing with inevitable sugar highs, so it’s shaping up to be a great holiday weekend. Oh, and I should mention that The Woollen Earth will be closed Friday, March 21 to Tuesday, March 25, reopening again on the Wednesday (regular hours). One last thing…I just got in a bunch of great new spring/summer leaflets and books, along with a couple of new shades of E. Lavold’s “Silky Wool”, so we’re all stocked up to fulfill your every warmer weather knitting/crocheting need! Just ask! Hope Peter Cottontail is good to you! Tuesday, March 11, 2008 Doesn’t it sort of seem like you’re in that dream where you’re running, but your legs are moving S O S L O W L Y? That’s how I’ve felt the last few days since the time change. The first day wasn’t so bad, but the next few have really knocked me out! I had the same problem last fall, too, when we pushed the clocks back. I don’t know what it is about the extended weeks of Daylight Savings Time, but I’ve only noticed it really taking its toll since DST has become a longer part of the year. Too early and too late. Even though I’m perfectly ready for spring…but it’s just that Mother Nature isn’t quite there, yet, so why all the messing around? Knitting has been progressing seemingly at a snail’s pace, too. Not really, but it’s just that I don’t have anything to show for it. I’m almost done the last sleeve on both a jacket for my oldest and my newest sweater design for my leaflet line, but at this stage of the game…”close, but no cigar”, as the saying goes. Once all the pieces are knit, there’s the blocking, the seaming, and the finishing, and THEN it’ll look like I’m ultra-productive, churning out one sweater after the other. But right now? Nada. Hope to get the blocking all done by the end of this coming weekend, and then maybe we’ll see some progress happening. Might also have some spring (Easter) sewing to show, too! We’ve also been making some steady progress on spring cleaning and sprucing up around here. Bags and bags of stuff to the thrift shop (great stuff, too…but just not seeing any use around here), all sorts of cracks and corners being cleaned, curtains down and washed and up, new paint on walls…it’s all coming along nicely, and just makes you feel good to be able to accomplish something nice inside when OUTSIDE it’s that dreary, mucky time of the year. Been selling off some of the baby stuff, too, that we’ve been hanging onto…stroller’s gone…anyone need a crib that converts to a daybed? (Call or email if you’re in my area and know of anyone who might be interested.) Nice to start to see the floor again, that’s for sure. We’ll definitely be celebrating spring knitting soon…I have a huge whack of spring-ish leaflets on their way, and I’m sure we’ll be putting the spotlight on cotton when they arrive. I’ll keep you posted. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll have a photo of some actual knitting for next time! Monday, March 3, 2008 Busy, busy, busy here, Chez The Woollen Earth. You’ll be happy to know I got my “second helping” in of the wonderful Rocky Brook birch needles from New Brunswick, so any size you’re after in straights or double pointed, just ask! Lots n’ lots of stock in 3.0mm d.p. size…in both 6” long sets (of 5) and 7.5” long sets…socks here we come! I also got in a big schwack of Alafoss Lopi…including some new shades…and the newest Lopi book (which is fabulous, as usual). I used Alafoss to crochet these slippers, the Crocheted Boot Slippers from Fiber Trends: 
They turned out really cute, didn’t they? I have to warn you, though…crochet felts down A LOT slower than knitting, and I DEFINITELY wouldn’t use a front loader for this project. Even with my top-loader, these took AGES to felt down, and I finally left them at a bigger size than my feet, just to be done with the felting. They are still wet, DAYS later, but once they finish fully drying, I’m thinking of needle felting a tree or somethin’ on the ankle. Pattern is in stock, though, for all you crocheters looking for a great felted slipper! These remind me of the felt insoles for winter boots…toasty, toasty. Unfortunately, we still need toasty footwear in these parts. Just when we get one bout of melting, the next day brings either cold weather and/or another big dump the white stuff (which, incidentally, is what it’s busy doing right at this moment). I think today might be a good day to bake some bread and work on my second Darrowby Walking Sock, which hasn’t gotten much farther along than the photo from my last post shows. I’ve had a few questions lately about the best method to order from me. You can do it a couple of ways. You can call me toll-free in North America, 1-866-690-WOOL, between 10 am and 5 pm Tues-Sat, Pacific Time…OR…you can use my secure order form from my Ordering Info page…OR…if you happen to be in my neck of the woods, you can come along to the shop and see everything in real life! (Hours are the same as listed above for phone calls.) I can’t possibly have EVERYTHING from my shop listed up here on my site, as much as I wish it were feasible. If you’re far away and would like additional info on new products (shadecards, etc.), designs, and events in a more detailed (and timely) manner than I’m able to post here, please sign up for my email newsletter, which simply involves a quick email to me with your request. I appreciate your business, and I try very hard to make ordering as easy as possible…let me know how I’m doing! |
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THE WOOLLEN EARTH, PO Box 2530, Vanderhoof BC V0J 3A0 Canada Phone: (250) 690-7777 1-866-690-9665(WOOL) Email: |