boo!

happy hallowe'en!
I can NOT believe that October is over already! and i'm starting to stress over holiday knitting! crazy.

but today i'm spooking it up... sort of.. ha. my little man as 2 costumes this year! one for school and one for trick-or-treating .

I bet he'll have fun today. and i'm excited to see what candy he gets. hahahah

happy hallowe'en everyone! xo

teaser.

I've missed you! our family has caught a nasty cold, and we're trying desperately to get better... I know I owe you a post about knit city... and I promise it's coming soon... but in the meantime, here's a teaser of my haul. I promise in the upcoming post i'll be specific on what everything is and who's booth I got it from <3 I can't keep you in the dark forever though!! so here's a little look see ...

...and there are project bags to boot!!! (I just couldn't fit it all in the photo) ...now I have to get back to work... play catch up... and drink tea. xoxo

what are you up to today? all ready for hallowe'en? xo

promise kept.

I have to get serious today about my queue. it's 10 pages long!!! i'm talking about my ravelry queue, of course... talk about yikes! but I do think I need a bit of a game plan when it comes to yarn shopping this weekend... at least half of a plan. and then i'll probably go a little nuts as well. hha...

so while i'm spending a big chunk of my day perusing patterns, organizing my list of what to bring... here's my promised proof that I've been busy knitting away...
do you recognize these?

yes, they are my boot cuffs!! and there are a lot of them here! I think it entitles me to some selfish knitting this weekend ;)

now to take a deep breath and dive into that queue :) what have you been working on lately? i'd love to hear about it! 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

coffee buzzzzzz

good morning!
ok I admit it, i'm already on something like my third or fourth cup of coffee... haha i'm sure i'll need a nap later ;)
but at least for now I can be productive! right?
anyhoo, how can it be nearing the end of October already?! how did THAT happen? honestly! I've been meaning to blog a little more often, but as you knitters and yarnies know, 'tis the yarn season... and it's a busy one! I do have something to show you soon. before the end of the week, promises... to prove that I've been a busy and productive girl ;)

and last night, as I was up waaayyy too late, I got looking at yarn online... haha. I didn't make a purchase, yet.... but you know the thing that keeps me in check is the shipping costs. it bothers me that it's always so expensive to ship to Canada but then maybe I should be grateful, or I probably would have made a few purchases. ha.

and I realized also just how many amazing shops there are out there! so i'm wondering, for those of you who shop your yarns online... any faves out there? i'd love to hear about them! xoxo

what are you  up to today? i'm trying to tie up loose ends before having a fantastic getaway to Vancouver for the weekend! xo

happy

It's Friday already?! honestly, this month seems to be flying by faster than last month, if that's even possible... and I wish it would slow down already, because October is one of my most favourite months!!!
I bet most knitters think that... but I like it for other reasons too. It's my birthday a week from Monday, and I couldn't be happier as I'll be spending next weekend at knit city! Surrounded by good friends, good food, and amazing yarn! yes.

So this weekend, my plan is to go through my queue... because I'll need some sort of direction with my yarn purchases ;)
Will you be going to knit city this year? Please make sure you say hi to me if you see me! I'll be spending most of my time in the marketplace, save for the speed knitting class on Sunday, with none other than the yarn harlot! squeeeeeeee!!!

Isn't this the prettiest??? I thought so. one of these days I'd love to own it. ;)
and so of course, as with any other day, I have heaps to do. But I'm so grateful that I get to do what I love. my knitting needles will be flying today, and hopefully I'll be choosing a selfish knit to take with me to knit city!

what are you going to be up to this weekend? xo

these boots were made for....

being adorable. ;) bahahah, yeah,  had to go there!
often times when you go to teach something new, you learn something new :) and cute! that's sort of totally what happened with these booties!

I had someone who is learning to crochet, and was determined to make these for her new niece... and boy are they cute! so while I was sorting out the newer to me stitches and techniques, the first of these booties came together pretty quickly!

it's definitely one of those patterns that looks much more difficult than it really is... and the possibilities are endless in terms of "style" go.

here are the deets:
pattern: crocodile stitch booties by: bonita patterns
yarn: worsted odds and ends... mostly are cascade 220 I believe...
hook: 3.5mm (E)

I definitely loved creating these... they are a super fast pattern to hook up, and I totally recommend them! I thought the pattern was fairly well written. there is heaps of info and pictures. I did make sure to mark the beginning of my round with a safety pin.. helpful for me for sure...
a part of me thought I would add decorative buttons to it, and sew some Velcro on the insides.. .though I'm nervous as all get out with my machine... especially when I'm dealing with worsted weight wool... and then I thought I'd hand sew... but clearly I haven't gotten around to it... maybe I'll just leave it for now. I think they're pretty cute as is, no?

now to find a baby to wear them!

do you enjoy a quick satisfying crochet project? any faves? xo

so thankful... xo

though I always try to be mindful of being thankful, this weekend kind of reminds us to take some time to truly think about all of the wonderful things we have to be thankful for.

though I miss my family terribly, and know they are all gathering together for feasting, and birthday celebrations (I can't believe my sweet niece is 8 already!!) I am so thankful for family. for good health, and a beautiful country.

I adore the colours of fall, and the inspiration it brings. I'm so thankful for dear friends, and some are making sure we don't go hungry this thanksgiving!! we've got 2 dinners to go to, and are hosting one more! - owen has done well with the centerpiece, don't you think?

I am so thankful for my sweet husband, and son. life is all the more amazing with them in it. my husband comes home from sea today, and we are excited to spend a long weekend together! lots of feasting, of course, but also playing soccer, catch, lego creations being made, curling up with good books, and movies.... and of course knitting!

I am also so thankful for this space, and the friendships that ravelry and the blogging world have given me!

what are your thanksgiving plans? for those of you celebrating thanksgiving next month, are you planning the menu and times with friends and family already? have you started your fall decorating? xo wishing you all a very happy thanksgiving, and sending you much love. xoxoxo

ontario colours..

this happened.

it's not really my fault.  because that really is the prettiest red. I've never heard of this yarn before. it's zen yarn garden.  this skein is a serenity 20 - 70% superwash merino/20% cashmere/10% nylon  and the colourway is red maple. at 400 yards I'm pretty sure I'll find something absolutely fantastic for this...

I stare at this yarn and I really do see the beautiful red maples of Ontario. (which awesomely enough is where this yarn comes from! ) now I just need my canoe. oh how I love this yarn!

have you knit with zen yarn garden yarn before? i'd love to know of your experiences! xo

test test....50 yards!!!

soo I got to be a part of something pretty awesome!

 these are just some of the many cute critters in Rebecca Danger's new book 50 yards of fun. and believe you me, they are so fun to knit up!
haha the raccoon totally made me smile the most... I dunno, i just think he's uber cute...

and he seems to enjoy hanging out with the slug ;) I think they're best buds...

I had the opportunity to be one of the test knitters for this book, so I can honestly tell you first hand how awesome it is. :)

... because her toys rock. they make the perfect gifts!!  well I think so anyways, because I'd love to get one of these critters in my stocking! xo gack! I can't even pick a favourite, from peter bunyan, to nano ninja, and then I see the little luchador! oh so many!! every Christmas my mom would put a little stuffie at the top of  our stockings... like they were just hanging out waiting for us... and I've continued the tradition with my little man... all of these would be so perfect!

 ... of course, owen has already seen these little dudes and have played with them heaps... so you know.. I'll have to knit more. something he is crazy excited about!

... it's very awesome... and so hard to choose which I'll knit up next!

want to check out the book?

 you can purchase it here and here.
to find out more about Rebecca (best name ever) ...

etsy | ravelry | website

It would also make a fantastic Christmas gift for the knitter in the family! seriously so many fun patterns in here!

all of the patterns are very clear and easy to follow, and with them being toys, gauge isn't crucial, as you pick your yarn and your needles! hurrah! using up your leftover odds and ends with this as an outcome is just fantastic!  I've knit many of Rebecca's patterns, and love them all. they have such personalities!  I can't help but talk to them once they're all assembled, they are so stinking cute. haha.

have you knit from Rebecca Danger's patterns? which are your faves? have you started holiday knitting yet??? come chat! xo

i love fridays

 

who doesn't? haha. and it's a beautiful one at that! it's a perfect crisp, fall morning. the leaves are all turning... and my knitting needles are on turbo drive. (i'm seriously not kidding on that one). also, knit city is exactly 3 weeks away! so you know there's that. :) i'm trying to plan my knitting projects while there. and of course my knit city outfits. bahahaha. I never plan outfits... but when yarny goodness is involved, I want my fave cardi's and accessories with me for sure!

but back to this weekend. here's hoping my dryer finally arrives.. (i'm in desperate need of doing laundry) and some seriously awesome knitting time... owen has his first soccer game! can't wait! and I plan on making a big dent in a wholesale order i'm working on.. (which I promise to tell you more about soon)..  the plan is to do some major catch up and hopefully be able to do some selfish knitting over thanksgiving!

what are your weekend plans?? i'd love to hear about them! xo

times have changed...

is it Thursday already? it's been a bit of a crazy week here.. (which is kind of why I've been I bit mia the past couple of days)... first off... last week my washing machine broke down... boo urns. so les and I went shopping.. (that part is ok). haha and we decided that really all of the appliances are getting old, and we should upgrade... a pretty big decision, I think.. but I am happy we did it! i'm loving my new appliances (really, the things that make me happy seems to have changed over the years lol)... however, we're still waiting on a dryer. ha. apparently it should arrive on Saturday. we didn't get it along with the rest of the appliances on Tuesday because it was severely damaged. someone must have dropped something mighty heavy on it... anyhoo, sat it should arrive... meaning sunday is most certainly a laundry day. which really really needs to happen, as les is going to sea on Monday.
just for the week though. so it's all good, and I should be able to get caught up on knitting.. (at least that's the plan).
yesterday though was a special day for les and I... it was our anniversary! 9 years already! I can't believe how fast the time goes. so of course, appliances (I've heard is actually the gift to give for your 8th) will do just fine :)
we spent the afternoon going grocery shopping and I had a dentist appointment in the morning. hahah certainly not your most romantic of anniversaries... but it was a good one. we cuddled up watching a movie before crashing. it's really the little things...

at any rate. I call myself a very blessed girl. i'm so happy to have this life. to be able to do what I love, and make an income doing it, and still be home for my little man. xoxo.
however today needs to be a massive work knitting day... sadly I don't think i'll be able to finish my robin in time for knit city. but the date hasn't passed yet, so I suppose you never know. having to get up at 5:30 today is nice though. (but you can't quote me on that) as hopefully today i'll get a head start. :) I know this post isn't really showing off anything on the needles or anything... but I wanted to pop in and let you know why I've been so quiet.. :)

what are you up to today? what's on your needles? now where's my coffee? xo