Life LackaDaisiCal

This past weekend was the 2nd Annual Fall Docknits Retreat Everything about this weekend is fabulous!  A wonderful knitting shop in a unique lakeside community, with a terrific staff who teach classes and hold workshops on all sorts of fibre topics...then add an enthusiastic group of knitters! When I was asked if I could do a workshop for the 2014 Retreat, how could I resist? My family traditionally vacationed each fall in the Port Elgin/Southampton area because my Dad loved to fish there in the Saugeen River....so while I hadn't been here in years....it had a nigh nostalgia rating with me! The subject of the workshop was "Colour Play in Stranded Knitting". We were going to take inspiration from art work from the Southampton Art Gallery, or a photograph brought to class by the knitter, pick shades, and using the Kaffe Fassett "Magic Ball" method, play with colour while knitting a motif that I had designed especially for this weekend. Yarn Dominance in ...

Faraway Seashore A light and frothy scarf knit in alternating sections of Stocking and Reverse Stocking Stitch......inspired by the waves while on vacation at the English seaside. Scarf size:  approximately 200cm/80in in length, the "body" is approx 30cm/6inches wide (lightly stretched) and the Kidsilk Haze ruffled edge is 8cm/1.75inches Gauge: 15 sts to 10 cm Needles:  4.5mm, 100cm circular needle, or the size you need to achieve gauge Yarns: Yarn A: Rowan Finest, 2 balls shade Cool (067) Yarn B: Rowan Kidsilk Haze Stripe, shade Frost (203) (I used a half a ball leftover from stash) Using Yarn A, CO 300 sts Although there is no right or wrong side on this scarf...it is important that you identify the "right" side to make sense of the stocking stitch and reverse stocking stitch sections. Stocking Stitch (SS) - the all knit side is the right side Reverse Stocking Stitch (RSS) - the all purl side is the right side ...

Faraway Seashore inspired by the English seaside, completed here in Ontario... using  +RowanYarns  "Rowan Finest" and "Kidsilk Haze Stripe" See this blog post for the Faraway Seashore Scarf pattern! Knit in Rowan's Pure Wool Worsted super wash yarn.... Download this FREE collection "Canuck Knitters Love their Tea" from the Knitrowan web site here Knit with just one skeins of +RowanYarns   Fine Art Aran, Download this FREE cowl pattern from the KnitRowan web site here   Knit with just one skeins of  +RowanYarns   Fine Art Aran, Download this FREE cowl pattern from the KnitRowan web site here Knit with just one skeins of  +RowanYarns   Fine Art Aran, Download this FREE cowl pattern from the KnitRowan web site here Chunky Alpaca Cowl Knit in Rowan Chunky Alpaca I wrote up how I did it and here it is for you to download! download now The Eshaness Cardi  which is...

Well, I stuck to my plan of NO MORE YARN! I am so fortunate to have not one, but TWO local yarn stores to supply my fibre needs.  My really close LYS Main St. Yarns , and my nice drive to Ancaster local Rowan stockist The Needle Emporium ! These two LYS's provide me with lots of yarn appreciation time.  MSY wasn't at the Fair....but Julie from The Needle Emporium had a booth at the KW Fair and she was there with lots and lots of Mrs. Crosby yarn.  This yarn is seriously gorgeous and I have had to "step away from the yarn" more than once.  Julie did a blog post about the Fair and you should go visit and read her post! Just because I wasn't buying....didn't mean I couldn't ooh and ahhh! laughing! I'd like to use this blog post to introduce you to a brand new Canadian indie dyer! my iPhone photos do NOT do this yarn justice... my knit bud was fascinated... Here's Darlene and the creator of these fabulous shades! Carla is wearing ...

True to my word, I didn't buy any yarn at the annual Kitchener-Waterloo Guild Fair...but I did snap up a few irresistible goodies! Look at these buttons!  Such an industrial feel - the finish is much darker than in this photograph! AND, they are about 2" across! I have NO project in mind...but I am thinking... There is no name on the receipt and I forgot to get a card.....drats! A draw-string project bag! I loved the fabric! There is a pocket inside (not a very big pocket) that you can fold the whole thing up in on itself...not sure why I'd do that....I want to USE THIS! :) Look at the detail....a piece of felt to attach the little loop thingie.....there is no corresponding button anywhere... so I am not sure what this is for...any ideas? This bag and a lot of other styles are created by Alison Ruth Designs Then I saw this booth! Look at those yarn bowls! At one point I had 3 of them in a row....trying to decide... this was the one I chose....

I was NOT going to go to the Fair this year...but a "are you going?" "we are on our way" e-mail, combined with a dull and overcast day prompted me to hop in the car and head West on the 401! Spontaneous means you just never know what will happen...you haven't done any research...you didn't plan...you just go. My only thought was...NO MORE YARN! Honestly, my allocated yarn storage area is full and I really need to clear out.  It is ALL lovely yarn, but I have to be realistic...more about this later After parking, texting my friends to say "I have arrived...where are you?", we met up and immediately went for a coffee.  They had already toured one of the two large show halls and were ready for refreshments. I had to contain myself for a bit :).   (Last year all vendors were in one hall and there was a bit of trouble with the size of the hall, the number of enthusiastic knitters, and a Fire Marshall that just didn't understand that knitters w...

OMG!   +RowanYarns  is doing it again!  This time with KAFFE!!!!  Rowan has just announced a new Afghan KAL - this time it is designed by Kaffe Fasset!  Go to Rowan's Facebook page  to read all about it! You know I am a HUGE fan of KAFFE..... Kaffe is celebrating 50 years in the world of Fibre Arts....and how fitting that he has designed the next Rowan Yarns Knit-A-Long Afghan! The Martin Storey afghan was so much fun and Hubby and I regularly tussle over who is going to wrap up with it while watching our nightly episode of Masterpiece Mystery, Inspector Morse, Lewis or some other such British TV! Then there is the added complication of two adorable Westies who want, no DEMAND, their personal afghan time with us....so yes, I tried to resist....but RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! There is a colour way for all!!!! There are 4 colour ways, an afghan and two pillow options for the KAL!  Here is a link to take you to the materials list on t...