Freshisle Fibers

One More Thing. No, Two More Things

We interrupt this blog break to bring you two announcements! 

1.  Would you like to enter a contest and win some yarn?  Silly question.  Visit the Green on the Rock blog for some highly entertaining reading, ideas for being environmentally friendly, AND a chance to win some yarn.  My yarn!

2.  Our local CBC Radio runs a short Entrepreneur of the Week segment on Thursday mornings and tomorrow morning - drum roll - ta-da - I'm on !!!  Believe it or not.

You can listen to it live through streaming radio - here. Select Sudbury.  It's on at 8:15 a.m.

And, please dear Lord, let me sound halfway decent.

On the Run

It's been a busy week and it's not about to get any less busy anytime soon.  The blog is going on the back burners for a bit.

My father had his kidney surgery on Thursday and everything went fairly well.  He's home for the weekend, but we return next week.  The hospital is approximately a two and half hour drive and our recent snowy weather has not made the trip any easier.

As well, we're headed into report card season again!  No time.

I'll be back!

True Love

You know it's true love when ...

your Valentine's Day present isn't flowers or chocolates or a card.

It's a knitting blocking board.

I've been looking at blocking boards.  Expensive blocking boards.  My enormous piece of styrofoam was just too big to manage and I needed dear husband's help every time to use it.

 

These are ideal.  Interlocking Comfort Mats from our local Home Hardware.  Each mat is 24 inches square and I have two packages - 8 mats in total.  They are light, easy to tuck away for storage, and will make a perfect blocking board.

I have the sweetest, most thoughtful husband!

My teeny, tiny little lace projects in progress look like they need some attention so that I can truly give these a test run!

I was also treated to a wonderful dinner out and I had way too much wine!  A perfect Valentine's Day.

Cuffs

I have been knitting cuffs this week.  And frogging cuffs.  I think I'm on the fourth attempt.

Frustration.

The colours were wrong, the gauge was wrong, the needle size was wrong, the pattern was wrong .....

Perhaps I just wasn't supposed to be knitting mittens this week!

This is the start of a mitten that so far seems to be working.  It's my own Mixed Breed single ply and the start of a Ravenclaw Illusion mitten.  I hope!

The blue is acid dyed, but the bronze is naturally dyed and was achieved with red geranium flowers with an alum mordant.  I wasn't sure about these colours together, but now that I'm seeing them knit together, I think they will work nicely.

Our weather turned milder this week.  It's a little messy with rain and the snow melting, but I'll still take these warmer temperatures any day over the cold.  There's noticeably more light in the mornings and that always improves my spirits.  I'm eagerly awaiting spring!

Today was an especially long day awaiting the outcome of our provincial teacher negotiations.  A framework was accepted so now it's onto local negotiations.  It's a stressful time no matter what your opinion.

More Other People's Knitting

I don't know where this week went.  It was once again consumed by school, school, and more school.  These are peak learning and teaching times so my focus has been where it should be - I guess!

My own knitting of mittens is making such little progress that I'll share more of other people's knitting instead.

Last year a special cousin knit an amazing vest with my Mixed Breed single ply yarn.  This year she did it again.

This time it's a stunning sweater with the Suffolk yarn.

 

It's is truly gorgeous and once again, I am so in awe of her knitting skills.

They chose the Thulian/Icelandic Pink colour and now that's it's completed, I can reveal my true thoughts!  I thought they were crazy.  I thought it was going to be glaringly pink, just way too pink.  But, it's not!  It's soft and muted and perfect.  I love it!  A masterpiece.

The weekend ahead holds a little more school - marking and starting to think about report cards again.  Hopefully I can find a bit of time for my own knitting.  And dyeing.  And listing some more yarns in the shop - tomorrow!!

Socks or Slippers

Dear baby brother asked for socks with some sort of sole on them.  These are my attempt to satisfy that request.

The socks were knit with the no longer available Lindenhof Mill's handpainted sock yarn - 50% mohair, 50% wool on 3mm needles, 60 stitches, and a basic toe-up sock pattern.  They're lovely and cozy all by themselves.  I hesitated to do the sole because I was afraid I would ruin the socks.

So ... I didn't.

My wonderful and talented father did.

 

He did an amazing job!  So amazing that he too wants a pair!

I ordered more slipper soles from Patternworks and now I have the job of knitting some more socks!