It's like I'm knitting with a strand of heaven...

Seriously, I get this qiviut thing now. It's lighter than air, it's unbelievably soft. I mean, I've been practically sleeping with it under my pillow at night, like a yarn wubbie but actually knitting with it... awesome! So thanks to the tips, I figured out my mystery stitch, it was also in the book... doh! Lace tends to defeat me a bit... I start off OK and fall rapidly into confusion... but this seems to be a relatively straightforward pattern, easy to follow and understand. I will not tempt fate by saying it's going well but so far... it's not going badly.

I am working regularly on Mara, my Noro Silk Garden Socks and Rooibos. It would be nice to have some finished objects to show... may be if I just stuck with one of them.

Simba is cracking me up! He's such a funny cat. Today he hopped up on the table and I was very stern with him... NO SIMBA! So he crouched down and hid behind the vase of tulips on the table... of course he's such a huge cat it just looked ridiculous.

Oh Simba...

He already thinks he owns the joint! I don't know how anyone could have abandoned this cat once yet alone twice. He was abandoned and rescued from a shelter once, then abandoned a second time in a basement suite. Now he is my foster cat and I already love him! He is very personable, friendly, chatty, curious still a little iffy about Ginger but he's definitely coming around. He is every inch the gentleman, patiently letting the boy and I brush him. Yep, he's a keeper. Now I just need to load up on lint rollers.

So I got through my stash on the weekend. Everything is priced and sorted. There are one or two items that may still go into the blue bags but for the most part I'm ready. People are PMing me on Ravelry if anything catches their eye. There is a fair bit for sale that never got put into my stash on Ravelry so I may add that in too as I have time. I'm trying so hard to de-clutter. All the stuff is getting to me.

I did start something new... when I bought my qiviut/merino/silk in Banff at the amazing 30% off it was with a specific project in mind. The Prairie Rose Lace Shawl from the Knitter's Book of Wool. I'm still working on finishing other projects but I really want to attempt to make this. I will not speak of how it's going as I do not wish to anger the knitting Gods. but I am temporarily stuck. What the heck is a Sk2p?

An Undertaking...

If ever there was one. I am trying to clean up my stash, pare it down to what I really love, get rid of what I don't. As I go, I am sorting everything into sealed zip-locks, labeling it and storing it in large clear storage bags. See the big blue bag, that's all being destashed, by the time I'm done, there should be two blue bags full. Most I am hoping to take to the guild garage sale to sell, It's also on my trade/sell page in Ravelry. I've never done this before so I'm not entirely sure about pricing, I know what each thing is worth retail... it doesn't seem fair to mark full price but I'm not giving it away either, I've made up lots that I'm not breaking up. I'm trying to be fair. We'll see... any hints, comments, personal stories of de-stashing trauma etc are welcome!

I worked on Mara and Roibos last week, Mara is painfully slow now, one row is somewhere 800+ stitches of 2x2 ribbing but it's also almost finished.

Also, we have a new addition in our home... Simba! We are his forever foster home. Simba is 15-years-old, he was abandoned in a basement suite by his former owner. No one is going to take on a 15-year-old cat, he wouldn't stand a chance at the humane society. The rescue agency asked me to be his foster owner, they can't keep him in the shelter because of his age, he would have a high chance of developing breathing problems. They'll help out with basic vet bills, I just have to provide a comfortable home for the old boy. Ginger is none too pleased, Simba is none too pleased either, he hasn't touched his food. They need time. For now, Simba is living in the bathroom. The door is open but there is a barricade to keep Ginger out.

The gods want you to go to Banff...

and they want you to buy Qiviuk while you're there.

I decided, in the absence of family or anyone to cook for, that a road trip was called for. I packed my swimsuit, a book and some knitting and headed for Banff.

People from all over the world go to Banff to look at the scenery and breath in the mountain air, it truly is spectacular.



or they go to have tea at the Banff Springs Hotel... a fairy tale castle if ever there was one.


or they go to have a swim in the upper hot springs, which are incredibly hot and work wonders on sore muscles.

I did all those things. But Banff has something special, something you don't find every day, something for knitters... At the Banff Springs Hotel and on Banff Avenue you will find Jacques Cartier, home of Qiviuk.

Evidently the knitting Gods were watching over me today because there was a one day sale... 30% off Everything in the store... today only. So I indulged, just a little, I bought enough Qiviut, Merino Silk Blend to make a shawl. Ever since I bought "The Knitter's Book of Wool" I've been wanting to make the Prairie Rose Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clark.

With this, I can make it in the luxury yarn it calls for.

HAPPY EASTER!

I don't need no stinkin easter bonnet...

Seriously. So what do you do when you have three days off for Easter, absolutely no family, and no one to cook for? Do you hit the open road? may be... Do you hit the bottle? Hopefully not... Do you buy yourself some yummy easter treats and flowers? Definitely!!
I picked up these lovely tulips
and a delectable array of Macarons: lemon poppy seed, lavender, Turkish delight, vanilla bean, pistachio, cherry blossom...mmmm at the Farmer's Market. On Sunday, I might take a run out to Banff. I've always wanted to do tea at the Banff Springs. Or I may just hang out around town. Happy Easter.

Beyond all reason...

OK so I said I wasn't buying more yarn. I DO NOT need more, I can't possibly knit fast enough to justify it. But I am in some clubs and occasionally I see something I just HAVE to have.

I had to have some Sweet Georgia Silk Merino Aran in the spicy cayenne colourway, had to. I'm thinking 198 Yds of Heaven...

I had to have some sport weight yarn. I knit loose and to knit with fingering weight for socks, I end up on some mighty small needles. I saw the new colourways of Lorna's Laces Shepard Sport and picked just 2...
Verve...
and Calumet... total opposites but I love them! Plus... I had a coupon...

On the club front, my most recent additions were the Dashing Dachs sport in Alice from first Alice in Wonderland Kit and
Zen Yarn Garden Bling Yarn in Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz club.

I am sailing along on my Rooibos Vest, did I mention I love the pattern? And so close to being done Mara... if I do it again it's on bigger needles with bigger yarn!!

I am planning a destash too. Next month is the Guild's annual Garage Sale. If I can put together a bag of stash that just isn't working for me... there's lots of acrylic blends adn things that are good for charity knitting in there and a few very nice WWIT yarns that just need a better, more loving home than I can provide.

I've been reading "The Happiness Project" and it talks about clearing clutter. Clean surfaces definitely make me happier. I've been working away on my house while the boy is away, which begs the question, "does paper breed in the dark?" I ask this because I swear even though I'm pretty diligent about recycling and I have a no junk mail/flier sticker on my mail box, the paper just piles up! I've put together three bags of cloths for the community center's clothing exchange (I just give them cloths I don't take any away).

The one bit of clutter I am going to be adding is a Cat. I have decided to adopt an older cat. He's 15, his name is Simba and as soon as he's mine there will be pictures...