Birthday wishes, travels and fun...

It has been a while since I've had the chance to post. Lots has happened since Melissa's guest blog (which was fabulous...music and all). Lets get right to the meat of it.

Yes, I turned 40 this past week. My husband whisked me off to Edmonton where I had the pleasure of perusing River City Yarns. Cynthia, co-owner of the fabulous little shop in the heart of Edmonton, was kind enough to tour me around her wares, allow me to pet the softest cashmere and silk and even wind my purchases. I had to commemorate the event in pictures...

Here we see the entrance to the wonderful world of wool...

Next, after a few hours of perusing and petting, Cynthia is winding my hanks of Trekking Handart and Alpaca sock weight...

This is the ultimate corner of downtown Edmonton for any yarn enthusiast.

Today was back to business with the gals at knitting group. A bit of a surprise was brought to me. I must send much thanks, love and gratitude to the caring nature of the many new freinds I have become to depend upon each and every Sunday. Jan, Gale, Melissa, Mary, Jordan, Leanne, Alison (who was absent today, but will be back soon we hope), Pam and Kristen. I was surprised by a DQ icecream cake (an inspiration of Gale's caring heart), with a knitting sheep on its face, a new stitch dictionary (many thanks to a dear friend Jan) as well as a hank of "ornamental" yarn that, as I was told, just SCREAMED Bonnie on the shelf and begged to be gifted (so Melissa noted...:) ).


New sock knitters are being born each and ever time we meet. Here are samples of Leanne's expert stitching. She is becoming quite a sock maker...

Although these were being worked upon a few weeks, they still deserve mention. Kristin is back to the stuffed animal jag and is stitching up little kritters like crazy.

Jan was kind enough to bring in her electric contraption that she's adapted to splitting cotton. She demonstrated how regular weight handicrafter cotton becomes sock wieght in no time flat. This is pure genius!

We all know that the joy of knitting must be spread (for who can resist the urge to share the disease?) Certainly not Pam, who brought along her gentlemanly friend and began to teach him the tricks and arts of knit and purl. I do hope we see Kevin back again...

Melissa has been hard at it once again. She constructed the child's version of the Mother's Day Sock Pattern with Regia Bamboo sock yarn It is beautiful and Acadia will even wear them as the yarn is softer than the pot scrubber type Patons Kroy.

Just a note of business to finish off for this week:

Our next Knit and Knatter is Saskatoon Knitting Circle on the Move, where we endeavour to spread our love of all things yarn to the more remote areas of Saskatchewan. First up is Outlook, SK at CJs Java Joint (located just behind the BMO). Please let us know, via the yahoo group email listing, if you are interested in coming or need a ride with one of the others. Gale would like to meet any one that is going in her car at the Confederation mall at about noon. You can email her at rai dot cara at gmail dot com to make further arrangements.

Jan is stopping my house at around 1 pm and we shall meet the rest of the gang in outlook around 2pm. I have room for one more body. If you are interested please email me (zink dot bonnie at gmail dot com)

Don't forget to join us next Sunday as well...same time; same place as always.

A new addiction to BEADS!!!

As a number of you know, I recently received my Harmony knitting needles from KnitPicks. I love them and don't think I'll ever knit with anything again. I only found one issue...the beauty of the Harmonies demanded something more than the tired little plastic rings and waste yarn I used to use as stitch markers.

SO, what is a self-respecting crafter to do? Learn a new trick or two and design something deserving. So I did. I have searched catalouges and the internet far and wide to find something pretty. Many of the offerings were so beautiful, but a bit beyond my meagre crafting budget. I thought to myself and pondered about what to do. I said "Self, you can do this on your own!"


I have been busy creating "sets" of knitterly companions and accessories that have become quite popular in my circle. The black and white set is for my sister (a crocheter not in need of stitch markers but appreciative of matching earrings). These little accessories work up so quickly and are such fun. They are practical and beautiful and even serve to satisfy my sense of "instant gratification. What more could one ask for?






Then I designed one for myself in one of my favourite colours, pink. The matching stitch markers are indicative of the upcoming St. Valentine's day celebrations and of one of my beloved causes, breast cancer. The markers adorn my latest project and are serving my needs well.





Then, I met an online friend who wished to trade her KnitPicks Binder for something. I offered up my version of the row counter and stitch markers in her favourite colours - oceanic blues and greens. I surely hope she enjoys them.


Finally, let me say that, although this new addiction to beading is fun and rewarding and challenging, it only has one issue. It is taking time away from my knitterly pursuits! But all is good in my world as it certainly enhances and beautifies the process of knitting. Who could complain about that?

I encourage all of you to head to your local bead store (or dollar store) grab some wire, some pretty trinkets and let your creativity carry you away :)

Travelling SnB

This past weekend marked another successful SnB for the Saskatoon Knitting Circle. Jan and Gale livened up MacKenzie Coles Coffee with their stitching and laughing while other members (like Jeanette and myself) were there in spirit.

My nephew marked another milestone in his life...he turned 18. So Jeanette and I travelled off to Brooks, Alberta to celebrate his coming of age. Yes, we took our stitching with us. I was busy handing out a number of handmade gifts. Michael loved his Saskatchewan Rough Rider inspired afghan. Michael is now a man, but still needs to keep warm and agreed this is the perfect gift.




















Jennifer Kent-Thistle coveted her Hermione inspired winter ensemble and other hand made items came to rest under Shannon's Christmas tree. Jennifer's favourite colour is red, which makes this ensemble perfect for her. She looks just like Hermione in Prisoner of Azkaban!



















On our trip home (a 5 1/2 drive) Jeanette decided to give stitching in the car a try. She chose eyelash yarn and created a simple yet beautiful scarf. By the time we arrived back in Saskatoon, she had completed just beyond the 1/2 way mark. Quite the knitter she is becoming. She has already suffered startitis and Second Mitt Syndrome. She's knitting almost everywhere and every chance she gets. My next mission is to get her hooked on socks. I just may need the Knitting Circle's help with this one as she is not all that keen on starting with the DPNs.





















This past week saw the completion of one more Xmas item. The list is now shortening, much to my relief. This Hermione hat and Fetcher set worked up well with Red Heart Acrylic. Since the recipient is a teen it needs to be washable, so Red Heart in Burgandy is the perfect medium.

I now have another Hermione hat on the needles for myself! Yes, I do knit the occasional item for myself but tend to do it last. With all the chill and snow around these days it is time for me to update my own winter ensemble. I plan to stitch up a pair of mittens to match the hat and am using the Red Heart Aran Fleck yarn (a creamy natural colour blended with flecks of other yarns to mimick the look of real wool - great for an Aran knit sit like the one above).

That's all the updates for this week. On Sunday December 08, 2007 at 2 pm we will all reconvene our group at MacKenzie Coles Coffee here in Saskatoon. I can't wait to catch up with the girls, meet some new members and enjoy the coffee.

SnB - November 18, 2007

Another successful meeting of the needles! We laughed, discussed social issues, drank loads of caffeine (even though one of our members admitted a dislike for coffee...shame on you!) and even got some knitting done!

Gale, our dishcloth diva, had an end pulling session with the latest additions to her cloth collection. She loves the projects due to their ease of construction and portability - they are perfect companions at the movies and if you knit carefully enough no one is disturbed by the clicking heard as she knits them up at marathon speed. In a plethora of colourful creations, these handy little kitchen / bath accessories are sure to please someone. Once the ends were all tucked in nice and tidy-like, Gale turned her attention to this keyhole scarf that she's stitching up for her brother in law. I think we decided that it would benefit from a small fringe to add a bit of interest.

Jan is our regular knitter. She is a whiz at sock knitting, she is expert with hats and she is a joy to our group. Each week Jan has something new and interesting in her knitting bag. This week, Jan excitedly showed off her new yarn aquisition (Patons Decor) and eagerly cast on a shrug to keep herself warm and cozy. Over the past few weeks Jan has not only been to EVERY SnB, she has been creating wonderful creations that are coveting by many a family member.




Some of our regulars opted out of joining us this week (you know who you are!). Many reasons kept them from knitterly pursuits - the weather (yes it snowed and snowed and rained and snowed here in Saskatoon) as winter finally arrived and made the streets a little treacherous; the Grey Cup playoffs - what self respecting Saskatchewanian would miss their home team in the play offs as it only happens every 20 years or so (just kidding...they are a good bunch of young lads who try their best, I'm sure); and other obligations. However, I do have a bit of news to report: Jeanette (my lovely 15 year old) finally completed the first of her "mousy mitten" set (seen here with our family cat Mia). Jeanette was not in attendance today, but she certainly has done a nice job. Her stitches are even and she's already suffering from SMS (Second Mitten Syndrome) and Startitis (she has a number of projects on the go). I'm happy to report that the second mitten is OTN (On The Needles) and the ribbing is nearing completion.

The four of us busily worked on several projects as we laughed and drank coffee. We even had a show and tell. Here you can see both Allison and Jan proudly displaying their handywork. Self striping sock yarn is a god send, as we all agreed.

In keeping with the show and tell theme, I brought along a funky little Monkey back pack. The pattern can be found in the Stitch'n'Bitch book and is a breeze to whip up - especially on the knitting machine. Much to the chagrin of Gale, I do quite a bit of knitting on the machine. Miles and miles of stockinette stitch drives me insane with tediousness. Therefore, I invested in an Incredible Sweater machine years and years ago. I can now make it through sweaters, afghans, simple home dec projects and more in an instant. I often will construct the back and arms of swearters on the machine while accomplishing more intricate lace and cable patterns by hand. The machine is a wonderful invention, even though Gale asserts that is is cheating an just plain wrong. What can one do with those process knitters?

As the afternoon wore on, I received a round of applause for the completion of the Xmas Sweater. In a beautiful aubergine Patons Decor wool blend, the sweater knit up quite quickly. I completed the insertion of a zipper today and Allison was kind enough to model it for me. Thanks, Allison! As some of you know, Allison is our "invisible" member. For weeks, she promised to join us and for weeks the real world kept her from us. We welcomed her to our happy group today and enjoyed her style and watched her accomplish a couple more inches on her sweater (another project from the Stitch'n'Bitch book). Of course, the back (done on the knitting machine) is just miles and miles of *yawn* stockinette stitch. Once you see the front, that's where the magic is. A band of variated cables lies on either side of the zipper and hems the hood to add a bit of beauty and interest to this sweater that, I'm sure, a certain 15 yr old is going to love for a long time to come.

Our next meeting will take place at the regular time and regular place. Here's hoping that our missed members will be there to brag about their projects, update us on their progress and enjoy the company of one another. Our group is growing and includes house wives, accountants, youth workers, writers, and a host of other types. Blossoming friendships and a love of knitting are the threads that bind our group together. We are a diverse group who welcomes any and all interest (IN FACT, the hostess of McKenzie Coles expressed an interest in learning our craft and, when she has a Sunday off, has promised to join us!!!! - Yes, Pinky, this is how we will take over the world and dominate all with our sticks and string)!!!

So come on over and knit a round or two and have a blast!!!!!!!

Next Meeting:

McKenzie Coles Coffee
Gray Avenue and Central Avenue
Not so Sunny Saskatoon, SK
2 pm
November 25, 2007

Sept 16 Knitterly Meet Up

Today's meet up was a great success! Although our numbers were few, we felt the comradeship that stitching in public affords us. We bonded with a new member, accomplished some much needed progress on our projects and infused our systems with caffeinated fuel that allowed our fingers to fly.

Our group has grown. Jan, a knitterly friend, who is well accomplished in many stitching adventures, met with us for the first time. She has known the joy of knitting socks to keep her families tootsies toasty. She has infused many a sweater with love that wraps her receivers in the warmth and joy from her heart. She has crocheted, beaded and quilted many a miracle. Welcome...Jan and we hope to see you back very soon.

As always, onlookers watched us intently and we suspect that we saw a few knitters in hiding as our row counts grew. We were visited by a friend or two who took away amazement at our accomplishment. By the end of our session, we were proud of ourselves. A Rider themed Afghan, warm and cozy socks and baby ensembles adorned our needles as we filled the coffee house with laughter, fun and clicking.

Some of our group were busy living outside of the land of knitting. Teaching, learning and family obligations kept many of you from joining us today. But, and I have it on good authority, that you plan to return. (We haven't scared any of you off yet!). We missed your senses of humour and creative spirits today.

Those of you who missed today...we look forward to getting together with you next week! Don't forget to tell your friends to join us as well (we are not above kidnapping, as Rai is so fond of reminding us). Help our numbers grow, for as a group we will bond over the love of stitching.

Our next meeting is scheduled for:

Sunday September 23, 2007
McKenzie Coles Coffee
Corner of Gray Ave. and Central Ave.
Saskatoon, SK

See you all there!!!!!