Smoochy Mama Monkey !!!

Smoochy Mama Monkey

The world needs more sock monkeys. How can you not laugh and smile when you see a face like this!

Judy has been knitting a sock monkey every year for her grand niece. Last year she knit an adorable baby monkey.

Adorable Baby Monkey

Cutest things ever!!

Judy also made this rag quilt for another wee one. It is beautiful-I love the colours! It is made of flannel so it is super soft and cuddly. Lucky babies!

Judy and Maria knitting up a storm

It is really hard to take pictures at the best of times and it makes it even harder when we are all camera shy. Consequently I have to do some stealth picture taking. Everyone is knitting such interesting and lovely things.

Maria has been knitting lots of lovely infinity scarves. Her teen aged daughter loves them! That is a super bonus in the land of knitty.



She is also currently knitting an adaptation to the honey cowl. She substituted seed stitch for the slip stitch pattern. It made it a lot easier to pick up and knit. She is a very very busy woman. This picture does not do the wool justice as the colours are really vibrant. I do like how garter stitch and seed stitch really allow colours to pop in hand dyes.

Brenda is working on her 6th or 7th infinity scarf.

This one is super soft. She used two yarns together, a grey alpaca and a Madtosh DK. Stunning! Knitting with Madtosh is something else-bit of a slippery slope!

This one was knit with a multi coloured cotton yarn. She will be able to wear this one throughout the year. I have knit a couple of infinity scarves and I am starting to like them more and more. They are very easy to wear and they look great on everybody. You can wear them loosely or more tightly depending on the weather, just wrap them more or less. Scarves are still very much in fashion. Recently I have seen them paired up with spring sweaters, jackets and even tee shirts in the local shops. I think it would be nice to knit one in linen, bamboo or ...silk (!!!) . Cashmere wouldn't be too shabby either!
  I have lots more pictures of knitters and projects to come. It is really a great time of year to knit,. Have a good week and happy knitting friends!  Chris

Kitty Mitts and a Westie

Lots of snow!

I was very fortunate to receive these beautiful mitts for Christmas from my one of my knitty friends.  I love them!! It is so exciting to receive gifts from fellow knitters. There is so much to admire and talk about. I too, love gifting knits to my knitty friends. We are all preaching to the choir-so to speak!

These beautiful mitts are knit using Sisu-a heavy fingering/sport weight yarn in my favourite colours. It was hard to get a good picture outside, but hopefully you can see the kitties on them.

On the palm there are kitty paws and if you look closely there are fish skeletons on the thumb. I love the pattern on the cuff too. They fit perfectly and are so nice and warm. I am so lucky!!

The most incredible part is I also received two other gifts that match perfectly. This was totally coincidental.

Archie and myself on Christmas Day

This is Archie, our daughter's Westie. He sure keeps us all busy. We get to puppy sit a lot!

 He does provide a lot of comic relief around here. Have a good week friends!  Chris

A New Year Begins

Pond in my neighbourhood

 Happy New Year! Another year begins while another ends-it is just a flip of a page in a calendar but we all attach great significance to it. It has been some kind of year here but that's ok-here's to a new year ahead with lots of great and happy things to us all. I am not a big resolution maker-that requires self discipline and mindfulness!! I do aim for more manageable things like take my vitamins more or less regularly, clean up and get rid of (sorry recycle re purpose renew) all those treasures in my house (ongoing resolution-don't laugh!) and generally be a good person, eat properly, go to bed earlier....all the good stuff.

 I do have some projects I finished in the early summer before I had to stop knitting. We are still married and nobody is missing any body parts so I am coping admirably! Maybe this is yet another kind of personal growth issue the ether's have thrown at me but I am finding it really ANNOYING-just sayin'! (but it is really quite minor). Enough of my whining!!! Zip it Chrissie!!

This is the #15 Cabled Lace Shawl in the Spring VK. It is an Iris Schrier pattern featuring Artyarns. Iris is both a phenomenal and prolific designer and wool dyer. I could talk endlessly about her designs and her yarns-oh my!!

I used Artyarns Beaded Silk Light and Artyarns Silk Rhapsody Glitter Light in H3 colourway/ These yarns are pure heaven to knit with.

 The shawl/wrap fits perfectly it doesn't slip off your shoulders and it is so soft and light and just lovely to wear. If you want to treat yourself or for someone special,  this is the ticket! I loved it so much I just had to, really really had to, knit another!!

I knit this one using neutral colours-very elegant. I am a more in your face kinda colour person so this is really a departure for me!! It does go with everything.Very very pretty. This pattern is easy to follow and an enjoyable knit..

 January knitting can be the best, all the giftie stuff is done-or close to it. Now it is time to knit something you really would like to wear or even to do. It is winter, so lots of time to stay warm inside, knit, have a cup of tea and eat some leftover Christmas goodies. Happy knitting in 2013 friends!   Chris