Quick Knits!

Need a couple of quick gifts!

These super quick 'Fabulous Fake Fingerless' mitts, designed by Helen, are just cute as a button.  (We love the buttons!)

It takes just one ball of the Diamond Luxury Collection 'Highland Lux' and at $7.95 a ball a very reasonable gift for almost everyone on your List!

The best part is that the pattern is Free when you purchase the yarn required!  

See You Soon!

Lights!

It was 'The Farmer's' day off on Sunday and just like the last one three weeks ago I found him something to do!  

When Soper Creek Yarn opened 4 years ago, (yes I know) I had literally minutes to decide on a light fixture for the windows.  The guys doing the electrical work had arrived and wanted to do everything right away.  I raced down to the nearest shop that had light fixtures and picked out something.  After they were up I realized they were wrong.  After years of playing around with bulbs and timers the only solution was new fixtures.

The biggest issue is that the fixture has to have a fairly large base to hide the huge hole in the ceiling that used to hold a large pot light fixture. The lights need to highlight the objects in the window and not the ceiling of the window display.   We considered a track system but that meant removing the screen 'The Farmer' installed and I really didn't want to do that.  Saturday night after the Shop closed I went shopping for fixtures and found a very nice simple design that seemed to fit all the requirements.  Then purchased a new timer so that the lights will go off late at night and we won't waste electricity.

The first light went up pretty easily.  The second became this big production as nothing was lining up.  At one point a knitting needle was just the right tool to help things along.  A 2mm needle was too flimsy the 4.5mm was just the right gauge.

Wonder what project I will have lined up for 'The Farmer' on his next day off?

Sweaters 1,2...3?

There have been a few projects in my knitting bag(s).  It was time to round them up and get them done.
Sweater #1: I started sometime in the summer.  A new yarn made it's way into the shop and it soon became a favourite of many customers.  Malabrigo Arroyo is a DK weight superwash, hand dyed, merino (sigh..)! It was a delight to knit, even if I had to use 2 balls at the same time to keep the colours blending well throughout the sweater.  The sweater is a 'Knitting pure and simple' pattern, top down, no seams and custom fit and it does. The clasp is new to the shop from JUL designs.

Sweater # 2:


I began this shortly after  a Baby Boy was born.  The shop is filled with lovely baby samples that could have easily worked as a quick baby gift, but none suited this baby.  I chose another favourite yarn; Liberty wool from Classic Elite.  Washable wool with great long runs of colour.

 I started when we moved The Boy back to school. I didn't like the way the colours were 'pooling'  so it was 'frogged'.  I began again with the same yarn opting to alternate 2 balls to give the sweater a striped effect, again the colours pooled.  The light turquoise and almost mustard colour became too strong for a sweater for a tiny baby.  I frogged again. I was about to give up when 'The Boy' suggested I take out the offending colours.  (I don't like to do that as I think that the designers of the yarn 'know' colours.)

I pulled out all the light turquoise and yellow!  Made a short sleeved version as I was now short of yarn.  I think it is perfect!

Sweater # 3:

Let's just say it needs some work?

Don't forget Santa comes to Bowmanville on Saturday, the Parade starts at 10:30 and finishes at about noon.

See you Soon!

Tired!

It's been a busy weekend for this family.  "The Farmer's" niece was married on Saturday, which meant the girl arrived home on Friday (with 'The BF') and  they were our Family representatives at the Ceremony.  'The Farmer' and I were busy with 'Chores' and The Shop.  The Wedding was lovely and the dinner was a treat!

While we had 'The Girl's' car home it was time to change to winter tires and check the engine for any repairs.

Check out the manicure! 

Usually the engines are bigger and the vehicle colour is green!

After a quick visit she was headed back to work!  

I am taking the day to recover and try to design the Christmas Windows!.

(I did get to the Cenotaph today for the Remembrance day ceremonies, I cried!)

See you Soon.

Progress

We have made some progress this week:

 The loom had been moved into its space, just don't look to the left of the picture, the mattress is leaning on the wall on the other side.  They come to get that on Monday.  The Boy moved some things out to the workshop and the carpet is dry in The Girl's room and everything can go back into place.

Paperwork is up to date! Knitting however is still behind.  I did  finished one cowl and Sweater #1.  I have been working on another little sweater, ripped it back twice and was about to give up, when 'The Boy' suggested I remove the yellow sections from the yarn.  Brilliant!  (The yarn is Liberty Wool, a lovely yarn but the colourway was not working for the pattern. You will understand once the sweater is done.) Just the button bands to finish and that will be sweater #2 done.  Sweater #3 is...well in a bag waiting.

New into the shop this week, sock yarn!  New colours of Supersocke and Jawoll!

Remember Sock yarn isn't always just for socks!

Hope you had a safe and Happy Halloween!

See you Soon!

Distractions:

Life these past few weeks has been a just a little hectic, no great events, just stuff.  The house is in chaos and it all started when we brought home a 45" loom.  Right now it is in the middle of the room we like to call our Sun-room.  It is a lovely spot for it, loads of light and a nice view of the Farm.  The  problem is that it means no one can visit, and the Christmas tree will have to find a new place of honour.  The decision was made and we are moving things out of a very small bedroom/closet and finding new homes for those items; in other rooms, giving them away or throwing them out!  (It's a 30 year old mattress, no one wants it!)  But like everything else it means that while we are at it we may as well, clean out 'The Girl's' closet, steam clean the carpet in her room and make it into the spare bedroom, (That contains all her stuff!)

That's the house, there are Farm accounts to keep up to date and the shop is demanding more attention as knitting season is upon us.  Saturday I had made a plan of attack: 

1. Move the Loom out of the Sun-room

2. Finish one of the three sweaters I have on the go

3. Finish one cowl and start another

 and possibly finish the second Turkish bed sock 

4. Get caught up with the paper work!

  It was all too much.

Then the distraction happened, I had this great idea for a window, or at least part of the window display.  I could make fabric falling leaves.  I went through the scraps I have been accumulating and fused 'Autumnal' colours together and The Farmer and I cut out leaf shapes.  Then I decided they needed  some details embroidered on them, I found the perfect yarn!  We made 50. After hanging them in one window I decided we needed 20 more!  (This pretty much took up 3 evenings, so much for the knitting, cleaning and paperwork!.)

But aren't they pretty, I look forward to using them for many years!

A new Yarn arrived this week, I remember ordering it way back in June!  

October was coined Socktober by some in the knitting world, I missed that memo!

The shop is filled to the brim, and re-orders are pretty much every week or two, if its not in stock we can get it pretty quick, as long as the company has it in stock!

See you Soon.!

Small Business Saturday