I'm waving at you!

When I've been especially quiet in this space, I think it's just assumed I'm buried in yarn. And to be truthful, that's what's going on :)

I can not believe that November is already upon us! October saw just shy of 70 FO's just for work knitting! Though it's not my record, it's still definitely a busy month! I also had some customs, and a sample go on the needles as well...

And if that weren't enough to take on, I ended up deciding to do a Market! Owen's school is putting on it's first annual Holiday Market, and I'm doing a booth! Owen will be helping me, of course. He is beyond excited as he'll be finger knitting, and selling his necklaces. :) I'm so proud of him! There will be another post about this market soon enough. xo

Please believe me, I think of spending more time in this space often. But as most of you are also crafters, I'm sure you understand the chaos of this season of ours. Holiday knitting is upon us!

I think also that this year has been harder for me to post more frequently as my husband has been away since the summer. He's been gone on course, and we won't see him home until just before Christmas. It makes for busy, and long days for me.

I also have a few selfish knits on the needles as well! Sadly socktober only gave me 1 sock. Not even a pair! haha But hopefully soon I'll see more socks in my sock drawer.

Tell me, what holiday knits do you have planned? Will you treat yourself and make sure you have a new handknit to wear? I'd love to hear from you! xo

A little of what I've been up to..

Hellooooo!!!

How are you? It feels as though I've been away forever, and I suppose in a sense, I have.... Where on earth has November gone? It has been a crazy few weeks... And there's more craziness to follow.

The Owl Designer Fair is just under 2 weeks away now. Last week was full of filling custom orders, and now with work knitting, and market knitting, I feel slightly more sane. haha... 

Of course, we had to do this over the weekend.....

Normally we wait until the beginning of December to decorate, but our weekends are already filling up, and so we figured we might as well tackle it over our long weekend. (Owen had a PD day on Friday.) 

So now it's feeling very Christmas-sy here and it's getting me more and more excited for the Owl Designer Fair! 

If you are in the area, I'd love for you to come and say hi! 

Soon, I'll give you a sneak peek of the goods I'll be offering at the fair. :) 

Have you decorated yet? Hope you are also surrounded in yarn!

xo

now available in Spanish :)

Although I know that for some of us, it's hard to admit that the countdown until Christmas has begun, it has... 

Many of us are busy with holiday market prep, and beginning our adventurous handmade gifts for the holidays! kudos to those of you who can manage to pump out gifts for everyone! 

I know that we're always looking for quick gift ideas, and I wanted to take the time to remind you of two of my free patterns! One is the ever popular mug hug. These are perfect stocking stuffers, or a quick added gift for your child's teacher.

Add a starbucks gift card, and a few chocolates (or a bottle of wine) and you're set! ;)

 I get so excited to see all of your versions of the mug hug, and there are many!!

The other pattern is my Jardain coasters! These are crochet, but I promise you, they're an easy peasy pattern! 

I am so excited to let you know that the Jardain pattern is now available in Spanish! Find the link here.

Here are the quick links to the patterns :)

Mug Hugs | Jardain Coasters

I have been busy clicking away, and watching my product grow for the market, and I have to say I'm getting pretty excited!! I promise to have a little update on the new items added soon!

What quick holiday knits (or crochet patterns) do you have in your bag of tricks? Come share! xo

I've got a market!

There is a reason for the quiet here, I promise... October is usually when my busy season really ramps up, and I've been very busy stocking for my one and only winter market!!

That's right! I'll be back at the owl designer fair this year! And I couldn't be more excited!! I absolutely LOVE this event! Everyone kept me very busy last year, I even had customers buying straight off my needles! I am really hoping to have some extra stock on hand this year.

Here's a sneak peek at a few of the items you'll find at my booth this year :)

There was such a fantastic response from the newborn hats, so you can be sure there will be heaps this year! And perhaps a few of the styles in larger sizes as well!

 These mittens are the warmest, most squishy mittens! They were super popular, and I'm happy to be bringing them back!

The ever popular katniss cowl! There are limited quantities of these, so you'll have to be hurry to snag your own! 

If you are in the area at all, please do come by and say hi! I'll be downstairs this year! And of course, I promise, I'll have some yummy treats too... xoxo

I hope you can come!! I've made a facebook event as well... And I'll be posting some pictures there as more items are added to the inventory!

xoxo

hey hey!

I'm back!! Did you miss me?

Our little anniversary getaway was so so wonderful! Really, just what we needed. Both Les and I felt really relaxed afterwards. It was just amazing to be together and not have to be anywhere else.. so SO lovely..

'course, the view was just breathtaking... and that is always a bonus! We could have watched the ocean for hours.... (I think we did). At any rate, I feel pretty certain that this needs to happen more than once every 10 years. ;)

And now it's back to reality. Which isn't so bad :) I've got a fast approaching market, which I'll share with you this week, and Les is already off to sea until Friday. (but home only for the weekend).

So I feel ready to tackle this busy month, and my knitting needles will be clicking away furiously! (for real, I just made a pot of coffee, and it's 8pm!)

Tell me, are you preparing for any holiday markets? What do you have on your needles? I am already looking forward to casting on a selfish knit this winter! xo

knitting plans...

helloo! how is it already thursday?! can you tell me that? crazy how fast the weeks are flying by. 

soooo remember this?

i just finished up my third custom order of them! that's a lot of knitting guys. :) i can't wait to deliver it!! also on my plate is still my regular "work knitting" and i have a new project i'm about to embark on. i'm excited to share it with you! i sitll have a few custom orders on the go.... and even though it's not even summer yet, i'm beginning to plan my winter market stock knitting. 

so yes, i still do custom orders...though the production time-frame will be increasing. these knits really are worth waiting for though. ;) xo

that's probably the one thing about knitting that's important to remember.... it's a time-consuming craft.. no matter how speedy of a knitter you are... you always have to plan a little farther in advance.... this way, hopefully... i can have another f.o for me soon! and of course gift knitting.... babies are being born and my mom has been waiting patiently (like 2 years patiently) for a blanket. eeks! i HAVE to get on that!!

tell me, what's on your needles? any long term knitterly plans? are you already scheduling market knitting?(or am i the only one this early in the year...?) come chat! it's a lovely day... and i've got yummy coffee... xo

still knitting...

that. was by FAR the most fun i've had at a market! the owl designer fair was amazing! i barely had time to look around the marketplace to see the other vendors, but i'm so glad i made sure to check them out. such amazing talent!
i am blown away by the calibre of this market. from what i could tell, everyone had such an amazing time! and i was so pleased with the new look of my booth. i was very glad to have chosen to have gone with a 4' table rather than a 6'. it really created a cozy little "nook". :)

huge thanks to my dear friend quiltedontherock for snapping this pic

i'll be starting the restocking of my booth in the new year already, in preparation for next year's market. i definitely want to be ready! for those of you who inquired about custom orders, i can definitely work in creating for you in the new year.  because ohmygoodnes, is it really only about 2 weeks until Christmas? yikes. i'm pretty sure my little man has requested socks... i know he wants to pick the yarn, so it won't be a big surprise for him, but it will make him happy whenever he sees me working on them :)
i'm testing a fantastic little pattern for them. i'm so excited! and i can't wait to share it with you.

and so there is no rest for the knitter this time of year... i'm still having to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to accommodate the special knits this year. but it will all be worth it.

do you have a favourite holiday market? how is your gift knitting coming along? come chat! i've missed you all so much! xo

Victoria's finest holiday market!

It's already December, and I bet we're all in a panic. It's just the standard of being for a knitter this time of the year, I think. ha. And I am certainly no exception.

The owl designer fair is happening this coming Friday 6-10pm and Saturday 10-6pm! I am most excited for this market!

This fair has been dubbed Victoria's most creative holiday fair. All items are handmade or upcycled by local artists and designers. Live music, workshops, and unique gifts make this show a must for anyone looking for some style in the Christmas shopping.

Over 30 carefully selected vendors will be there with the most stunning booths! This year, there will even be workshops added! Check out the vendor list here.

The ambiance will be beautiful, and I promise you this will be an amazing kick off to your holiday season!

The snow will probably be falling, the lights twinkling, the company laughing... you don't want to miss this! I'm excited to be adding new products to the booth, which I know will be hot tickets! Make sure you come on by before they sell out! I promise to tease you more on instagram, and facebook this week.

what markets will you be attending this year? is your tree up? come chat! xo

basketcase!

what? did I really just go almost a whole week without posting anything?!?! where on earth has the time gone?

granted, I was feeling under the weather. but still... I didn't realize it had been so long! anyhoo, I hope this makes up for it. ;)
even though I've been keeping very busy with work knitting and market prep I decided I needed some good old selfish knitting. it's such a rare thing for me, and boy did it get me excited!!

I bought a skein of plucky traveler aran yarn in the honey wilkes colourway... and it's soooo squishy! and it's also the perfect match for the basketcase mitts, I believe. I am such a fan of amy miller's patterns. this one is no exception. I adore it! and the cabling on this mitt makes me feel oh so clever!

I stayed up way too late last night finishing up the first mitt because I needed the needles for work knitting today. ha. that's incentive! oh but I love this project! and i'm excited to have something new for me! I can't wait to show you when they're all done!!

here's hoping we'll see more selfish knits in the very near future. :)
what's on your needles today?

queue exploding

I have just favourited and queued almost all of the patterns in Brooklyn tweed's wool people vol.6 issue. check out the look book here. and be warned, you'll be itching to cast on before you're done browsing the look book.

link

and now your queue has grown as well....and I sooo wish I had a bazillion more hours in the day... and a woodstove to curl up and knit in front of...

link

I am supposed to be super focused right now.!!! I have the owl designer market next month, (which desperately needs my knitterly attention) and let's not forget about Christmas!!! gack!

so today i'm going to have a freak out. what about you? xo

market season begins!

and just like that, we are at the start of a new month already! we seem to barely get back on our feet before the bombardment of holiday knitting hits us hard... but i'm ok with that. though holiday knitting has been on my mind since ummm last Christmas it's a given i'll be uber busy. but this weekend I want to take some time to really organize my stash... and figure out my "knitting calendar".
this isn't really any small feat though. my stash has grown substantially since vogue knitting live back in the spring. for real. I brought back a lovely haul from that event, and I've since gone to Virginia, had a few knit picks orders, the plucky yarn keeps coming, and there's been a few extras as well. oh yah, and you got a hint from the other day of knit city.

the hardest thing of all of this is finding time to knit with my own yarns. I've mentioned many times in the past that i'm actually a product knitter. yep, i'm one of the very lucky and few ones out there that is making a living from knitting.... and let me tell you, on top of that I've been agreeing to test knits, a wholesale order, and planning markets. i'm crazy. (but knitters generally are) ;) I do realize I can't do heaps of winter markets though. I love the market atmosphere... even the insane prep period. I really do love it. but with my other obligations, and desire to actually knit for my family and if ever at all possible for myself I've decided to really limit my winter markets.

and if you're in the area, you'll want to go to this one. i'm so excited to announce that i'll be a vendor at the owl designer fair again this year! I absolutely adored this market last year. it was my busiest event, and so much fun!! so mark your calenders.. Dec 6 & Dec 7 at the fernwood community center. you can be sure there will be lots more info on that throughout the month.

I plan on doing something a little different with my booth this year, and i'm excited about it! I can't wait to show you all!!
and so this month is already full and exciting. I love this time of the year!


how is your November looking? do you have any upcoming winter markets? come chat. xo

breathe...

right now, i'm cozied up with coffee, and eva cassidy singing in my ear.... i'm pretty excited today because knit city is just 2 days away!! I've been very busy tying up loose ends in preparing for the weekend getaway. and oh i'm so looking forward to it!!

so many exciting things! if you haven't already seen or heard, a few books will be making their debut at this event! you can bet i'll be snagging copies of both Cascadia and Journey. i'm so very happy that the sample I knit for Cascadia made the front cover! you can bet you'll see the sample at knit city.
I am also so incredibly proud of jane and Shannon for pulling off a beautiful new book in record timing! journey is a beautiful book, much like island. the photos are stunning, and something you'll love to have on display. the patterns all look amazing too! I had the opportunity to test one of the patterns. but you know i'll be eventually knitting them all. xoxo

of course I had mentioned that I needed to search out my queue to determine my yarn purchases... i'm feeling pretty overwhelmed with the size of my queue right now. hahaah. it seems to be largely sweaters and shawls. hmmmm that might not help the budget. haha.

I am also beyond excited to attend the yarn harlot's speed knitting class. i'm sure i'll be learning so many new techniques!

most of all though, I am just really excited to surround myself with amazing knitters, to meet bloggers and ravelry friends for the first time in person, to knit, enjoy lovely coffees, and all of that yarny goodness... you know what i'm talking about. oxxoo

another fab fibrations!

oh my goodness! fibrations was such a blast yet again!

there were so many fantastic vendors, and the feeling of giddiness was huge. haha my face still hurts from smiling. :) I shared a booth with Melissa of misocraftyknits this year. it was her first market, and she did so well! everyone loved her bags! guys, she had star trek project bags! trust me, they flew off the shelves in about the first 10 minutes of the event! something to definitely look out for at knit city!

 

I was able to wander around in the last 20 min or so of the event, and managed to snag a few goodies.
caterpillargreen yarns actually debuted their business at this event! I am so excited to see more of their work! I made sure to scoop up a skein of self striping called concrete and tulips. (there was another one of a kind I kept staring at... such a pretty yellow... I can't believe I left that behind!)

and of course I've been wanting to try morgan's yarns for a while now too! and these two skeins just wouldn't let me leave them there. honest. yarn talks to me sometimes. hahah. so vibrant! can't wait to see what this will become! the colourways her are goldenrod and brecknock sock. weee!! should they be a shawl? or stripey socks?? hmmmm

of course, this year I forgot to take very many photos. my hubby snapped a few after set up and then I basically forgot about the camera. sigh. so hopefully we'll see some awesome recaps of fibrations floating around the internet the next few days.

i'm already looking forward to next year's event! did you come to fibrations this year? what did you go home with? come share! xo

final prep!

Well we're into the final stages of prepping for fibrations. this weekend is going to be fun! Markets, for me, are always a blast... I like the crazy prep, the nervousness, the rushing around... I don't know why, but I do. The weather looks lovely for Sunday though! And you can bet I'll be ready to see all you fiber-loving folks!

There is something kind of magical about fibrations. Being an outdoor market is definitely part of it. If you're in the area, I highly suggest you come on by to check it out! Admission is free, and the toonie raffle is amazing! The prizes to be won are better than ever! Vendors have stepped it up a notch, and the items being offered for the raffle are enough to make anyone giggle with glee! I know I have my eye on many items! Come browse, bring a blanket.. knit in the sun,.. enjoy some of the food vendors, and shop! Sounds like a perfect weekend to me!
Here are the details again on the event!

I can't wait to see you!

have a fantastic weekend! full of sun, yarn, friends, good coffee, and heaps of smiles. xo

fibrations!

after having the better part of 2 weeks off (really?!?) I think it's time I get back to business here, hey? now this is a bit of a reality check! I really did have such a blast on holidays. and seeing family again was amazing. I certainly hope it won't be another 2.5 years before everyone meets up again that's for sure. but of course, it makes these visits that much more special. I do have lots to share with you on the trip, and I still have heaps of photos to go through... so please bear with me while I get all of that organized...

in the meantime, it's really high time I told you about the event i'm vending at this upcoming weekend! whaaa?! yes that's right. haha i'm so sneaky.

i'm excited to be a vendor at fibrations again this year! I had such a blast last year! honestly, most of us were high on yarn fumes. it was amazing. and I sure am excited to be a part of it again this year!

for those of you who are just hearing about this event right now, fibrations is really an incredible, and fun event! it celebrates everything fibre - related. and it's oh so fun! it's not just for knitters and crocheters, (but there are heaps of us gathering there, just to be warned) but for spinners and weavers too! really anyone who just loves pretty fibery things! :)

also, there's an awesome toonie raffle that you have to be apart of! the prizes are fantastic! everyone has really been stepping it up. all of the vendors donate a beautiful item (or two or three and up!) towards the toonie raffle, and  you have a chance to win these amazing products! honestly, i'm drooling over them!

would you like to see what you could win from nook?

how about an uber squishy cowl? perfect for fall and winter and those biting winds that we get on the west coast. yes I know it's still august, but luck favours the prepared... ;) also, most of us are probably already starting to think about holiday gifting, this can be a head start on yours, or even just something for you :) xo because before you know it, you'll be buried in yarn in getting ready for the holidays. ... just sayin' ;)

all of the money from the toonie raffle goes towards this awesome event, and we want to keep it going, because really... it's awesome! and we fiber-enthusiasts unite!

so tell me, what are you up to this sunday? from say... 10-4pm? wanna come visit? it would be the best time to get inspired for your fall crafting... and get stocked up! also, i'd love it if you came to say hi! i'll be sharing a booth with the fabulous Melissa of misocraftyknits. squeeee! also, admission is free! so really, you should come ;) xo

want to find out more about this event and see the complete list of vendors? check here.  I can tell you, there are going to be a lot of fabulous vendors there! I can't wait!!!

are you getting a head start on your fall crafting? wanting to grab another fiber festival this summer?? I sure hope to see you there! I promise you'll have fun. xo

summer planning!!

monday already? this weekend definitely went by quickly. but it was a fantastic weekend! heaps of outdoor time, my hubby came home, and we had a grand father's day! (of course he was spoiled) ;) owen made daddy a book. it's one of the arts and crafts he tends to actually sit down and follow through with. haha. he draws all of the pictures and then tells me exactly what to write. easy peasy, but the outcome is so darling. and definitely a treasure to hang on to :) how did you celebrate your weekend?
though i wish i had gotten more selfish knitting done, i was pretty productive. our first vacation this summer begins next week so i have to make sure i'm all caught up with work stuff.... though i'm happy to say i've made some great progress on a little something i'll be sharing with you hopefully before too long!

as for today, it's time to get back into the swing of things. beginning of a new week, and basically the beginning of summer here... it's always tricky coming up with a new "routine" but i think this summer will definitely be a fun one for us! (we have 2 trips planned!!! but more on that later)....

Source: inspireddecorating.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

i have heaps of knitting planned (of course) as i'm hoping to partake in a winter market or two... (sooooo crazy that i'm thinking that far ahead... eeks!)

how about you? how was your weekend? any exciting things planned for this week? are you feeling organized and ready for your summer routine? come chat! coffee's on and  my needles are clicking away! xoxo

weekend celebration

it's friday! can i get a woop woop hurrah!!!!??
it's an incredibly wet and grey and windy morning here, but no matter.. because since it's technically the beginning of the weekend, we can watch a few movies and knit away, no? :)

and since my post yesterday that included the adorable crochet bunting, i've had buntings on my brain ever since. of course i have... and look what i just spotted this morning?

Source: ravelry.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

how cute are these?!?! this pattern is called farm stand flags and is by sarah young. see the rav link here. the one pictured is a knit variation of it, but guess what, she's got crochet instructions too!! wahoo! so we're all happy, really.  i just think buntings are such a great way to celebrate anything really.weddings, birthdays, change of seasons, and even just decorating! yeah, i love me some colourful bunting...

this weekend i'm actually planning on going to knit night! i can't tell you how happy and excited that makes me! i love my knit night girls, and it's been far too long since i've been able to attend one... so there will be much chatting, coffee, giggles, and knitting away.

of course, i'm also teaching both tonight and on sunday.. so we'll be having a very very full weekend stuffed with knitting :) sunday's class is all about cowls! if you're in the area and want to knit one, come on by for a class! you get your choice of 3 of jane richmond's cowls offered at the cloth castle. it's gonna be fun!

tell me, what are you up to this weekend? are you doing anything special with this last weekend in february? i'd love to hear about it! happy weekend, friends! wishing you a lovely one full of yarn, good coffee and tea, yummy treats, giggles, and snuggles with your loved ones. xoxo

...busted!

i was reminded that i seem to have left you all in the dark about the february fox fair! how horrible of me!!! and for that i'm so sorry :) i had also fully intended to blog about it on the weekend, a little surprise post -what have you - but clearly the weekend happened so fast, and i didn't get the post up.

i'll tell you about it now though.
it was so much fun! there were so many fantastic vendors there!!! and to be grouped in with these particular vendors was such an honor!

it was a bustling place, and i was so happy to meet many readers! honestly, i can't say how giddy it makes me feel to finally "meet" several readers face to face!

sadly, i didn't have my camera with me, as the charger had not yet been found at that point (it's found now though) ... however kate of scientific culture wrote up a lovely post about the fair! and i was completely excited to see that my table was one she spoke of in the post! thank you, kate!!

how was your weekend? what did you get up to doing? our little family took advantage of the beautiful sunny weather, and went for a hike. it was so fun, and incredibly needed. it's amazing what a little fresh air does the the body.

but now it's back to the grind... what are you up to today? xo

fox!

will you be there?! 

today is the final day to prep before the fair tomorrow... and as usual, i'm nervous.. and up extra early.. ha. the plus side, is that i've already done the dishes, made coffee, made my hubby his lunch and sent him with breakky off to work... aaaand it's barely after 7am.

i'll have lots of goodies for you! and i'm so looking forward to seeing you! there will be some fantastic vendors at this market... trust me, you're not going to want to miss this!



 i'll see you! at the fernwood community centre. tomorrow from 10-4. xo

today....

today i am knitting, and crocheting, and surrounding myself in yarn... and hopefully getting some organizing done on the computer...
can someone tell me why there aren't more than 48hrs in a day? because i could use that today :)

Source: dailydoseofstuf.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

but i'm happy. blissfully so! because what knitter wouldn't be happy to be surrounded by beautiful yarn, and a day ahead of them to knit? (granted my day will also include manovering around a floor full of toys, and battle set ups of lego and army men)

Source: meinlilapark.blogspot.ch via Rebecca on Pinterest

i sure am...and while i'm working away on market knitting, and other secret knitting... i'm already dreaming of warmer weather knits... like this one:

Source: quinceandco.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

and this one:

Source: quinceandco.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

 these are both patterns from quince & co... and i'm in love with them.

.... what are you up to today? xo