Life LackaDaisiCal

Daisy says "Have Fun and Stay Safe!"

I'm knitting the ribbing for my Alcea cardigan, and blog surfing today -- check out Yarn Harlot for the most amazing shawl -- I'm not a lace person, but this is totally gorgeous -- and I love the photo of her walking down the path in the Washington State Park! http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/ Amazing!

I've decided -- the Alcea Pullover will become the Alcea Cardigan. Some subtleties have to be sorted out though..... This is a large 48 stitch repeat -- the 36" pullover is 6 repeats, the 48" pullover is 8 repeats -- this sizing is governed by the large repeat of this design. With an equal number of repeats, your shoulder seams will match exactly -- something I'm very fond of. But, because of the large repeat of this motif, I'm willing to forego the matching shoulder seams for a better fit. I'm thinking 7 repeats is 42", and with a 1.25" cardigan front band, that would make a 43.25" cardigan -- a little snug for me right now, but with some judicious blocking, it will work! So, 7 repeats it is, that makes the body (7 x 48) + 1 = 337 stitches. Why the extra stitch you say -- well, look at the repeat of any motif -- if you started the front of a cardigan with a full repeat, and ended with a full repeat, you'd need stitch 1 of the repeat at th...

Being a home-based mail order retailer has it's advantages. It gives me a great "excuse" to have lots and lots of yarn. The photo I showed you last post is only a small part of my "stock". That's a definite advantage. I love the Alcea Pullover in the new Simply Shetland 3 book -- here's a photo of it. I SHOULD knit this up, as designed, to use as a display sweater for the one and only "live" retail event I do every year -- the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitters' Guild Fair in September. So I should knit this up, as a pullover, to use as a display sweater at the Fair Sept 2007 right? The problem is, I LOVE THIS DESIGN, and would get much more practical wear out of it if it were a cardigan. So, do I knit it as a cardigan for me, use it in the display, and explain to everyone that the design as written is a pullover, but you can easily make it a cardigan the way I did......or knit it as a pullover? I have been trying my long double-pointed needles. I...

LES Update -- it's been two weeks now, and I am still amazed that I can see without my pop-bottle bottom glasses! It seems like a miracle. Both my eyes are "set" for distance -- so I still need to use reading glasses -- for reading and for computer work. While I was still wearing my contacts, I had started to suffer this age-related phenomenon, and had .5 readers made to wear with my contacts -- I'm wearing them right now for computer work. The .5 readers aren't strong enough for actual reading, so I'm using DH's old 1.25 readers for that. I'm told that this too will fluctuate, so don't rush out and buy expensive readers until things settle down. My .5 reader frames are the ones I want to use as my "official" readers in the future.....so I'm holding onto them and will have them modified as required whenever. Also, I didn't realize that night-time driving would be an issue -- because of the "halos" that appear around hea...

The "Traditionalknitting" Yahoo group is hosting a Gansey Workshop by Elizabeth Lovick of Orkney. (Go to yahoogroups.com and search for traditionalknitting.) I downloaded the pattern for two pillow covers last night, and started -- this is what I've done so far -- I'm using the Jamieson's Aran yarn (100% Shetland) on 4 mm needles. Looks good -- but I think I goofed in that when I cast on, I didn't do the "knit one row" back to "finish" the cast on -- so my bottom will not match the sides -- not to worry -- I'll do the top the same, and it will become a "design feature". My pillow will be larger than the 12" as designed -- when I've finished, I'll block and press and stand back 6' to see if I like how the pattern shows up at this tension. I'm using my long dp needles and knitting belt -- I really like how this works and will be knitting my next fair isle using these traditional tools. I just have to decide...

Yes, I can.....and to celebrate, we (Hubby, Daisy and I) decided to go North to Gravenhurst for a trip on the Steamship Segwun . The R.M.S. Segwun was originally used as a mail boat, and it ferried passengers, freight and the mail to all of the Muskoka resorts that weren't serviced by the railway. It was lovingly restored by steam enthusiasts in the 70's and in 1974, began it's life as a heritage steam cruise ship. Here's Hubby posing (wearing Oslo) before we boarded for our Thanksgiving cruise. (Wondering where Daisy is? Well, while we were on the cruise, she was at the Muskoka Day Spa for Dogs in Bracebridge!) The Wenonah II was built following the style of the old days, but with all modern conveniences (like air conditioning and an elevator) and joined the fleet in 2002. Today, we were on the Segwun, and the two ships were both out on the water at the same time. It's amazing the narrows that they squeezed through! The leaves have turned and I think are past their...

I've worn glasses since Grade 3, and "hard" contacts since I was 18. When I quit working full time at 48, I'd already worn my contacts for 30 years. I continued to wear them up until early this year -- so that's 35 years -- but I'd started not wearing them every day......and the last time I wore them was to dinner with friends in February. Then I put them away - because I wasn't wearing them every day, they were uncomfortable, and I'd had enough! At my annual eye examination, I asked my Dr. about laser eye surgery. Years ago I'd asked about it, and he wasn't enthusiastic at the time -- it was "new", I got on well with my gas permeable contacts, etc. Wait and see how it goes (the technology). So, this year, when I mentioned laser eye surgery, he was very supportive-- the technology had been around long enough, he was convinced, look here, Tiger Woods has had it done -- so if you're going to do it -- these are the people to see! So,...