Every spring Mabel Corlett, of the Wool Room in Kingston, holds a one-day 'Spring Tonic' at Brown's Bay in on Wolfe Island. Years ago we noted that 1 day was not nearly long enough to get away, and have been working to expand it ever since. We are currently at a 5-day weekend, and I have heard rumblings about taking the whole week off.

Our contingent this year was slightly reduced, as Snorie was home with her new little boys and Lulu is 2 weeks away from delivering. She didn't see a problem with joining us, but we didn't really feel like polishing up on our midwifing skills. We were joined by Lulu's friend Kim, aka Domiknitrix, who is apparently crazy enough to like spending time with us.

The inn we stay at is a gorgeous little family owned endeavour called Brown's Bay Inn. We generally are there just as they open for the season, if not before. This means we get to spend a lot of time with the staff, and we can also go to breakfast in our jammies. The are a tolerant lot, but when they have other guests, they do frown on that. They were even kind enough to play the final game of round 2 on the dining room stereo for us so we didn't have to rush our meal to get the game in.

I went in to this weekend fully intending on finishing several pairs of socks I have on the go. Two of the pair are Nancy Bush's patterns, and one pair was a plain pair that I started on because I realized I was running low. One of the Nancy Bush socks has to be ripped out and started over, because heaven forbid I do a test swatch! Since I knew that would be no fun, and that there are times when socks just can't be worked on in a crowd (think turning the heel) I also packed some wonderful alpaca for a stole, from Headwater Wool, as well as some Handmaiden Rumple silk for a Bias shawl. The final two items I packed were a Philosopher's Wool kit that I wanted to get started on and a scarf that I am making out of the first yarn I ever purchased. I have managed to turn into a fibre snob, so this pound'o'acrylic will be keeping someone else warm this winter.

On to the pictures - finished objects and all!

Deb, the other blogger/photographer of the group:

She is wearing the Taiga, made from Briggs and Little wool, designed by Mabel for the book Knits from the North Country

The gang:

From left, Paddylou, Snorie (who drove up for the day, leaving her precious boys in the capable hands of her hubby and MIL, Heho and Annie. You may have noticed that Paddylou appears to be wearing Debdeb's Taiga. In fact, Deb never does anything half way, and this sweater was a test swatch, where she learned her tension was a bit to the small side *g*.

Mabel teaching Dom and Deb attached I-cord. You can tell what a good student I am by how closely I'm paying attention while taking these pictures:



Now to some of my knitting.

I started the Headwater Lace Alpaca Stole, here it is as a big lump of lace:


And here it is as a stretched lump of lace, only 5 more feet to go:


I also started my Handmaiden Bias Stole, made with Rumple silk:

(I have since finished this one)

And I managed to get 2 things off the needles! Not quite as impressive as Deb who knit a FairIsle sock in one day, but I'm still happy. My plain socks and the charity scarf. I'm not sure if I'll be able to block the hell out of the acrylic, but I'm sure going to try. Either way it's off to keep someone else warm:

Now we're talking! FO post #1

This one has nothing to do with the knitting weekend, the entry for which I am still working on. This is the sweater I made for my brand new nephew L. I finished it about a month ago, but never posted. The wool is Big Mexico and the pattern is a kids' basic sweater from one of Paton's books. It originally had a froufrou appliqué heart in the middle of the chest, but I like the self-striping wool so much better. I have bright colours and I'm not afraid to put them on your child!



I had to hustle on this one, little dude is growing like a weed. He's just over 2 months now and is at 13lbs2oz; close to double his birth weight. I don't think he's going to make it to wear this in the fall, good thing we're having a cool spring.

I'll get the hang of this yet.

It isn't like I haven't read a million knitting blogs. I do know the drill. Knit like a mad woman, grumble while sewing in ends, (block), take picture, gift recipient with knitted item. So what do I do? I finish Tracey's birthday scarf (wonderful heavy thing made out of Paton's Bella), sew in the ends and give it to her. She was very happy to have it. So much so, that when I asked her later to take a picture, I could hear her flounce away, throwing the end of her scarf over one shoulder, giving me the virtual 'you snooze, you lose'. I will have to stalk her for a gift in action pic.

My stash ate my knitting!

That is the only reasonable explanation for not being able to locate 'bun's' sweater in my craft room. Really, it has nothing to do with it being nicknamed my crap room by my husband. It only looks disorganized. Luckily, even though Stella is in labour as we speak, bun won't be big enough to wear it for a couple of months.

Luckily I was at my favorite LYS Friday afternoon and happened to pick up some Patons Classic Wool to complete the hat and mittens from their new 'Cables' booklet. March's lion-ness is lasting far too long IMHO. The pattern calls for Canadiana, but really, if I'm going to knit, I don't want to be killing those acrylic sheep. So yes I substituted. What's that? Did I swatch? Why yes, in a manner of speaking:



That was the second attempt. The first followed the pattern and was 112 stitches. It only lasted 3 rows. This one was 97 stitches and lasted one pattern repeat. The final is 97 stitches and is just right. I still believe this is less taxing than the math involved with that 4-by-4 square.

I am usually a big fan of minimizing seams. This however is being knit flat because when I first looked at the pattern I noticed a bunch of Sl1Pwyif's and they scared me. I now realize that my fears were unfounded, but I won't be ripping this out again. The trick now is to adjust for the increase in length of the swatch, being a beanie there really is no room for error.

I can't wait to see how this one turns out.

Concentrate!

While I didn't do anything crazy like swear off buying new wool or yarn, I've used that loophole before I do acknowledge that I need to work on not only getting my stash down, but getting some of my work off the needles, and finished. Aside from the small list to the left, which has a sample of the work I have left on the needles, I have quite a few projects that are now off the needles but waiting for ends to be sewn in. The spit-splice is my friend, as there are no jobs I detest more than sewing in ends. Intarsia is not for me, I'm more of a self-striping sort of gal. I have also decreed that manufacturers need to invent spit-splice friendly acrylic. No, I don't make it a habit of working with acrylic, but parents generally appreciate the baby blanket they can just toss in the wash, so Astra is my friend. And on that note, I'm off to knit for the evening.