Cornwall Yarn Shop

Olympic Knitting - DNF

Well the flame was extinguished and I did not finish! (OK Claire – you win).  I was hoping to at least finish all the knitting, but I only finished one band ! As we used to say when I was a little girl, close only counts in horseshoes and that is not an Olympic Event!   I’m not the fastest knitter (as my students know, I love to admire my work as I knit), I’m easily distracted (at least I figured out the hat pattern),  a few of life’s daily activities got in the way (just 30 inches of snow) and maybe sometimes I “bite off more than I can chew”.  But it was fun to see if I could finish and I think I could have if only ………….  For now I’ll have to go into training .

Notes:  The project was Verde from The Mirasol Collection – The Little Book of Nuna Cardigans – book 10 by Jane Ellison.   Nuna is a blend of 40% wool, 40% silk & 20% bamboo

Jean got her power back at 4 pm & mine was back at 4:30.  I think this is the longest I’ve ever been without electricity – basically since Wed AM with about a 4 hour return that evening until today, Sunday.  The silence was wonderful – but it is nice to be connected again.  Thanks for all your comments.  We need a celebration this next week.  hmmmmmmmmmmm

It’s Sunday and I’m sitting at the shop – both John ( my husband) &  I are sitting at computers catching up on work.  It seems good not to be shoveling snow.  We still don’t have power at home, but that will soon be resolved as the town is full of trucks from Michigan !  I thought the storm would have been a great time to get a lot of Olympic knitting done – but shoveling and tree removal takes a  lot of time and energy.  My sweater back and fronts are blocked.   I’ve been listening to Andre Agassi on my Ipod while knitting the sleeves.  So hopefully I’ll do some sewing and pick up the bands tonight – but I’m down to the wire and I may not finish.  I haven’t even been able to watch the Olympics !!

Everyone here is safe and healthy – I’ve seen Jean (who doesn’t have power yet, either) and Meghan.  Can’t wait to see you this week !!  We’ll be revising that class schedule again.

Saturday at the traffic circle

Sunday at the shop

One of the reasons we don't have power at home

Well – I have put aside both of my long term projects to work on the sweater that Martha convinced me to make for the Olympics.  I love the sweater – The Verde Sweater from the Mirasol Collection out of Nuna – a blend of merino wool , silk & bamboo – and as you can imagine it soft with the most beautiful sheen.  Back is done,  1 & 1/2 from and the sleeves have been started, barely.  Do you think I’ll make it ?????

This is where I left the Harlequin Coat – in progress – one sleeve done and the other started.  I’m using Plymouth’s Worsted Merino Superwash – and I love knitting with it.  As soon as the Olympics are over and I get back to my regular sleeping habits, I will finish this project !

Meghan loves to knit in the round and loves color.  She has become quite a whiz at steeking and  will show you how this weekend, Saturday Feb. 27 at 1 pm in her steeking class.  Click on the link below to watch Meghan cutting open her latest sweater – a beautiful yoked sweater made with Plymouth Galway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te2CGbApCAI

Meghan cut the steek during a Wed night sit & stitch – hence all the background chatter !!

Again I can’t believe how fast time passes – It’s been soooo long since I’ve posted anything.  I’ve been thinking about next year’s classes and have come to the conclusion that 2010 will be the year of color.  While thinking about color I have started 2 projects.  The first, Lucy Neatby’s Mi’kmaq Cardigan which has been on my list for can it be 2 years??  .

The above views are of the back – public side and inside. 

I’m using Mission Falls 1824 cotton.  This is such a fun project – but will probably take at least a year.  This is an example of the kind of color techniques we will be expliring all year – stripes, intarsia & stranding –  but with much smaller, more manageable projects !

My second project is from my new favorite book, Swing, Swagger & Drape, by Jane Slicer-Smith.  This book has so many great projects that I’m thinking of using it as a “textbook” for several upcoming classes.

  This is the beginning of my Harlequin Coat.  Here I’m using Plymouth Yarn Select Worsted Merino Superwash.  Again, another project that will take some time ….. but lot’s of fun !

I definitely have some catching up to do.  It always seems the the Annual Hudson River Yarn Cruise occupies so much of my thoughts.  We had a wonderful time and pictures will be posted soon – but it is now time to get on with other things !!

First – Judith Durant’s bead workshop was wonderful.  She was a delight and, smart woman that she is, had us learn the harder beading techniques first.  Some pictures of our workshop as Judith walked around helping each of us.  Of course, a great big thank you to St John’s Episcopal Church for welcoming the workshop.

We had a few things to puzzle out !!

I’ll plan to start a knitting with beads group soon – but Laura just couldn’t wait.  She not only finished her bag, but also showed us her scarf project during breakfast at the Dragon’s Den Deli !!

 The most urgent of the many projects I have to finish is the baby blanket for a friend.  I’m knitting it with Louisa Harding’s Kashmir DK – it feels so great.  Well, the friends are Red Sox fans – imagine that !! So I tried to use the appropriate colors – but I just can’t resist a pinstripe or two.  Below is a picture from a couple of days ago.

Lastly Jana - a most accomplished knitter - shared one of her newest projects – Shaun the Sheep of Wallace & Gromit fame ! 

Most knitters and crocheters – actually most fiber people, have more than one project going on at one time.  The new stitcher tries to finish one project at a time, but as they stretch their skills, they find the need for the thinking & the non-thinking project.  This is the season that I find most difficult.  I have projects to finish (2 sweaters to be exact) a scarf & hat pattern to write up, class outlines to finish AND then the fall yarns start arriving.  So of course who could resist the Mini Mochi – I have to start a hat – and finally the Ballet is in from Fiesta  – I have to start the scarf (it will make a great class project), the Silky Alpaca Lace has been sitting on the lamp table waiting for the smoke ring, I have yet to knit with the Vintage Wool (I love stroking it ,though) – JEAN !!! help.  The 9 inch circular needles are definitely a curiosity – so what better to do than start a pair of Sockin’ Sox – Have to restart the Baby Blanket -(friend’s baby due in October) .  This scenario goes on and on, because I know Paul will be pulling up today or tomorrow with a shipment from Euro Yarns and I can’t wait to get my hands on Willow Tweed…….

Olmue – one of my favorite yarns – crochets up with such great drape & feel.Liz’s shawl is absolutely gorgeous !

  Olmue (85% Cotton & 15% Viscose – 399 yds) is beautiful knit or crocheted alone, but also makes a great carry along yarn -  Pam combined Olmue with Lava from Punta Yarns for a great Garden Shawl.

Pam also made this cute Little Undershirt for her new grandchild – from the Fall Issue of Interweave Knits -

She used Plymouth Jeannee Worsted in 2 colors:  8 & 104 (Look at those toes !!!!)

I accidentally erased a post – so I want to put this link back in -

If you did not see 20/20 on Friday July 17 you may see this clip about how knitting saved this woman’s life – a fascinating story http://abcnews.go.com/2020/