Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving weekend. I'm really looking forward to having three days off. I don't have much planned for the weekend but that's okay, more knitting time. I finally finished the alpaca hat for work. It might be a bit on the small side but I can always write a larger size. Chris is taking all the samples to the photographer this weekend. I'll have to get all the patterns out and go through them to make sure there aren't any errors. There's a bit of pressure being a pseudo technical editor but it has to be done. I made the suggestion a while back that after we have something designed for us, we have it test knit by someone else. It's what all designers do to make sure their patterns are understandable and error free. I have test knit for Fiona Ellis for both of her books. I the ladies summer top with the lace border in Inspired Cable Knits and the halter top and pleated sleeve cardigan in Inspired Fair Isle Knits. It helps to have someone that isn't really close to the pattern take a look at it.

I've been working on my Cascade 220 cardigan. I'll keep working on it this weekend. I've been wandering the warehouse looking at bags of yarn trying to decide what my next project will be. I should probably go into my fairly extensive stash but that's not going to happen.

My neighbour's father passed away yesterday at the age of 92. He's been very ill with Alzheimer's for the past several years so it is probably a blessing. Her son is in Egypt having the time of his life. He's been exploring the pyramids this week and next week they're going camping in the desert. The professor in charge of this has invited him and a few others to his home for dinner with some of his friends. I can't tell you who one of the friends is but he's a very famous actor. I can tell you once the TV show airs next year. Derek, being young, hadn't heard of him but when Christine told me it was OMG you're kidding!

Have wonderful Thanksgiving! and Happy Knitting.
Susan

Bronze Medal!

My next door neighbour's oldest son is currently in Beirut participating in the Francophone Games. She just called me to say that he won the bronze medal in the 1500 meters. How fantastic is that??? He may also be running the 5K tomorrow. He comes home on Wednesday.

Her other son Derek (I mentioned him several weeks ago) is going to Egypt. He has to be in Cairo on Monday. He's in England at the moment so he'll be go straight there. He's participating in a reality show on the History network. It's a group of archaeologist and I believe the show is called Chasing Mummies. He doesn't come home until the end of February. What an amazing experience for him. There's never a dull moment around their house that's for sure.

We received another shipment from Peru this afternoon. Each one of those bales holds 90 kilos of yarn. Skippy in the warehouse is going to be a busy boy next week. We're expecting a couple of other shipments next week also.

It's pouring rain outside and I think it's supposed to rain for most of the weekend. Which is a drag because I can't get outside and walk. I think I've got my father convinced to buy a treadmill. He quite enjoys the treadmill when he's at physio. It would be good for him to keep active throughout the winter. My ankle is quite sore today. I wore a shoe with a slightly higher heel yesterday, maybe that's part of the problem. I think the rain isn't helping either.

I bought two pair of shoes after work last week, both fairly flat, black, one is suede, the other leather trimmed with patent. I have the latter on right now and they are very comfortable. I always say, you can't have too many pair of black shoes.

I finished both scarves and Chris is going to have them photographed. We'll have a free pattern on the website in the very near future.

Have a good weekend and Happy Knitting!

Susan

Gnocchi

Gnocchi is a new yarn from Lana Grossa. It looks like a whole lot of Gnocchis strung together. The pompoms are like chenille. I started to make myself a scarf out of the black luxe last Friday night. It looks pretty good if I do say so myself. Then I started another one out of one of multi colours. The black one is 8 stitches, the multi is 6. Here's what they look like.

I'm putting fringe on the black one but think I'll leave the multi as is. I bought a new winter coat last week (to those who know me well, yes I am a coat slut. I love coats.) It is a deep amethyst colour with a black over collar so the colours in this will go very nicely with it.

I've been working on a cardigan for myself using Cascade 220 Heather colour 9336. It's an asymmetrical cardigan, fairly short, with a deep ribbing. I really like the pattern. I think I'll do another one out of our Organic Cloud Cotton.

I've almost finished the baby sweater for Dan's secretary. It's so cute. I made both hat sizes also. I finished the larger one and thought it was too large so I made the smaller one also. It looks more baby head sized. Anyway, I'll give her both. I'm sure the baby will grow into the larger one.

I'm only going for physio once a week now. My range of motion is good as is my gait. I still have some pain on the inside of the joint. I guess it's something I'll just have to live with. I'm wearing shoes today that have elastic across the instep. I can really feel pressure on the right one to the point that it is uncomfortable. Which is a total drag. Two of my favorite pair of shoes have elastic across the instep. Oh well, I'll just have to buy a new pair of shoes (and yes, I am a shoe slut also. My friends at Bell used to call me Imelda).

I still haven't been to check out the new McNally Robinson store here in Toronto. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. I did order a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking from them to be sent to my sister for her 50th birthday. I was very impressed with the service. I received a personal email from their customer service thanking me for my order.

I can't believe my little sister is turning 50 this weekend. 50 isn't so bad, it's kind of liberating. Her husband and daughter are planning a surprise party for her. Don't think she'll be impressed but you never know.

Well, I'd better go. Have a great weekend and Happy Knitting!

Susan

It Bloomed!!!

The night blooming cereus bloomed on Saturday night. We took Christine, Steve and Derek up to the golf club for dinner and got home a little after 9:00. We went into their house and sure enough the two blooms were starting to open. This is what they looked like at 9:15. That's Derek standing behind them. It took just over an hour for them to come into full bloom. The outside is covered with thin pink tendrils. As they opened, you could actually see the tendrils move. Here they are partially open.

And here they are fully opened.The flower only blooms one night. Christine said she was up around 1:30 and it still looked the same but in the morning, this is what it looked like.

The fragrance it emits filled the entire house. It was pretty amazing to watch. I wonder when or if it will bloom again. I'm going to prune mine back on the weekend and maybe start a few cuttings.

The plant growing in our courtyard is a grain of some sort. It's getting bigger and frothier.

I decided to make a baby outfit our of our Cloud Cotton last weekend. I'm almost finished the second sleeve. I'm making the wrap sweater that Lynn Cullen designed for us last year. Last weekend was the fourth anniversary of my brother's death. I don't know why but I just felt like making something for a new life coming into the world. I'm going to give this to Dan's receptionist Lindsay. She's have a little boy in January.

Speaking of Dan, I only saw him once this week. I'm back again on Monday. He says structurally I'm fine, it's the sensitivity on the bone at the joint that he worries about. I have to keep doing my exercises and friction it with my fingers. That hurts so I probably don't use enough pressure. I'll keep walking on the weekend.

I'm debating about going to the KW Knitter's Fair tomorrow. I'll give my friend Susan a call tonight and see if she wants to go.

I'm off to get my hair cut after work. I had an appointment for next Friday but I can't wait that long. My hair is changing as I get older. Now when it gets a little longer, it starts to curl. For someone who has had poker straight hair all her life it's really hard to get used to. Oh well.

Have a good weekend and Happy Knitting!

Susan

It's not corn!

Well, the mystery plant growing in our courtyard is definitely not corn. I don't know if you can tell from the photo but it looks more like a grain of some sort. We'll see how it progresses over the weekend and I'll post another picture next week. The night blooming cereus next door still hasn't bloomed. We're thinking it will be one night over the weekend.

The warehouse has been hopping this week. We had 5 skids come from Lana Grossa and 3 skids from King Cole. We've also had several huge shipments go out. It's pretty crowded back there. This is a small portion of some of the Lana Grossa yarns on the back table in the warehouse. It was twice a high a few days ago.
When I first started working here I found the amount of yarn we have overwhelming. Now I hardly notice. But I do get excited when the new yarns start to arrive.


We had pizza lunch yesterday for the first time since March. Normally we have it once a month when we meet our targets. I'm pretty sure we've been meeting our targets so I don't know what's up with that.

It's Labour Day weekend. I don't have too much planned. We're going out for dinner tomorrow night and I think a friend and I might check out the Don Mills Centre. The weather is supposed to be fantastic so I'll be walking everyday. I'm going to try going a longer distance, maybe over to Birchmount and back. I'm back to walking my 3 km in my pre ankle break time, mostly without any discomfort. I sense my time with Dan is coming to an end.


I'm not sure what I'm going to knit this weekend. I might start a baby sweater out of our Cloud Cotton but I'm not sure. Not like I don't have enough already started.

Have a great weekend and Happy Knitting!
Susan

Corn in the Courtyard?

This is a picture of one of the planters in our courtyard at the front of the house. Notice the strange looking plant growing up to it's right. We think it might be corn. We have a bird feeder directly behind where I'm standing and think that the seeds might have come from it. There are actually two stalks. I tried to take a closer shot so maybe you can see them.

Still with plants, I have a night blooming cereus in the dining room. It came from a cutting off a cutting off a cutting from a plant that was my grandmother's. My aunt still has the original plant. My sister has a plant also. As it's name implies, it blooms only at night. The last time the original plant bloomed was when I was about a year old. Several years ago I gave a cutting to my next door neighbours. Christine called me all excited because they have two blooms growing on theirs. I spoke to my aunt and she said the last time it bloomed, the blooms were about 10" before they opened. They are about 6" right now. It only blooms for one night and the fragrance once the bloom opens is apparently unbelievable and fills the entire house. Christine thinks it might bloom later this week. I'll keep you posted and will take some pictures.

My sister called on Saturday afternoon to tell me the sweater arrived safe and sound and she loves it. Apparently it fits my niece also. I hope they'll share.

I walked both days over the weekend. Sunday morning I did my 3km in the same time I did before I broke my ankle. It is pretty much pain free most of the time except when Dan frictions near the bone bruise and the ligaments. I'm going for physio after work tonight so we'll see what he says. I'm doing better on the wobble board but still don't like it very much.

I've started a sweater for myself out of Cascade 220 Heather. It's a fairly short, asymmetrical cardigan. I'm up to the armhole shaping on the left front. I always start with one of the fronts when I'm doing a cardigan so that if there are any tension issues, I haven't put too much effort into it. I've got to rip out the alpaca had I'm working on. I tried it on our Styrofoam head and it's too tight. Back to the drawing board.

I'd better go. Have a good week.

Happy Knitting!

Susan

It's Finished!

I finished my sister's sweater last week. I'm very pleased with the results. I went up to Mary's Yarns in Unionville to get the buttons. I wanted really fabulous buttons as it is such a simple sweater and I found the perfect ones.

It's been a busy week around here. We've had a couple of major shipments arrive so we've got some extra help in the warehouse. I'm invoicing like crazy. It's sometimes hard for our shipper to keep up.

I've started a new sock (I know I've got at least three others on the go, it's a sickness). It's Lang's Jawoll Aktion Denim. I love the taupe /blue combination. I don't have plans this weekend so I'll work away on it. I'm working on an alpaca hat for work to match a scarf and wrist warmer. It's almost finished.

I went to see Julie and Julia last Saturday. I loved it. Now I want a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I think I'll ask for it for Christmas as it's a little expensive. I might give my sister a copy for her 50th birthday in September. Meryl Streep was fantastic as Julia Child. They showed that Saturday Night Live clip of Dan Ackroyd imitating Julia Child. It was too funny.

We had a terrible storm here last night. North of the city in Vaughn a tornado touched down. Many houses were damaged and 20 will have to be demolished. It was kind of scary. I was at physio (it's on the lower level) and I was surprised at how dark it was when I got out of the elevator. I called back up there after I got home to warn them. They both have long distances to travel and thought they should be forewarned. I think we're supposed to have storms both days on the weekend. Oh well.

Well, I'd better go. Have a great weekend and Happy Knitting!

Susan