How Many Hours a Day Can You Knit?

I know how many hours in a day that I knit...I realize it's not normal. Apparently even something that you love shouldn't be that consuming.

What was the longest amount of time that you spent knitting (or doing something else that you love) Let's keep it clean, okay.

I have had marathons that have gone on for days with cat naps while getting ready for a show. It's amazing to be so consumed by something that the building could be collapsing around me and I would not drop my needles. At one knit meetup at a coffee shop, the fire alarm went off, people started leaving in droves. Our entire knit group did not move.

There was some brief discussion about whether or not we should go outside with everyone else, we voted not to. Since it was an actual fire in the building, the barristas asked us to leave, then they left. We take our knitting very seriously.

Now This is Living

Battered larynx aside, Pearl and I had an opportunity to enjoy the best that Whistler had to offer this weekend. Many, many thanks to Janice and Dick for their incredible kindness and hospitality. I can't recall the last time I felt this great (or ate so well). They have an amazing place and made us feel so welcome.

With full bellies and happy hearts, Pearl and I were able to knit until the wee hours.

And what would we both choose to do with no market, no deadlines and a day off......Find an inspirational place to knit.

And have a picnic.....

And then have woodland creatures join you for your picnic....

And then notice the fungus among us.

It was almost too hot in the sun, and too chilly in the shade, but we managed to each complete a project. Pearl wrapped herself up in the picnic blanket...Sun on my face and a sense of accomplishment....Also more nature in a day than I am used to..lovely.

As we were heading out of town, I knew that this was truly the last best day of my season. Pearl noticed that the trees were coloured like a row of stop lights....It's even beautiful leaving town!

The Dangers of the Farmer's Market

This season has been replete with injuries. Stupid things, silly things. I have definitely had my share of scrapes. Yesterday was the truly fun one, as I managed to get a sixty pound tent jammed into my throat. I can't even really explain how it happened, but you have to laugh.

Sorry, maybe later. My throat is a bit sore. This goes well with my mini concussion of a few weeks ago at Trout Lake when I hit myself in the head with 3 grid walls.

KNITTING FOR A LIVING IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DANGEROUS.

I'm just saying.

I have met several members of a funky group of women in Whistler who have a Stitch and Bitch at the Fairmont on Friday nights in the bar. Now that is a knitting group! They have invited me to next weekend's "meeting". Even though I'm not usually in Whistler until Saturday afternoon, I'm thinking I will have to take them up on their offer.

Pretty drinks, gorgeous surroundings, new and fun people to knit with and talk about yarn with....hmmm. Don't think I can say no to that....Now, how to organize it....I will work it out somehow....

In the meantime I will nurse my battered throat, knit a bunch of stuff and think about how much fun I'll have knitting a bunch more stuff with new people.

Pearl and I knit the hell out Whistler this weekend. Again, beautiful surroundings, mountains, lakes and yarn... And we are heading out soon for a knit picnic near the creek...again, rushing water, mountain backdrop... YEAH

More of Hat Mountain

A nice ice pack, a few hours sleep and another day of knitting begins. I took a marathon approach to crochet yesterday and enjoyed the challenge, but a weird thing happened to my shoulder....Has this ever happened to anyone while crocheting. Never happened while knitting, so I do think it is a specific crochet injury.

More of this weeks mountain of stuff.


I am finishing web orders and custom orders today, working on felt, going to look at a studio space and trying to organize and pack for a weekend in Whistler....I'm going with Pearl this weekend instead of John. I'm sure he'll enjoy his weekend off and I'll get a chance to knit in a beautiful home rather than my usual hotel weekends. Maybe the wheel might even fit in the van....?

I know I will not be able to finish everything on the list. I will not kick myself for not getting it done. No one can say that I'm not putting the effort in. I am not a hamster on a wheel. There is progress. As I have less and less room to store what I knit and more and more yarn is turned into finished goods, I can see the progress.

My conclusion for all this "hard" work...I deserve some spinning time! Waiting for the Wensleydale. Rebecca has convinced me that it will be a dream to spin...I believe her, she owned alpacas and llamas. Anyone who has owned such fabulous animals could never tell a fibre lie.

Bring it on.

Gearing Up

This week I started, yes finally a production schedule worthy of the craft gods. Dedicated time for each task. Felt in early morning, kidswear in remainder of morning. Adult stuff in the afternoon and spinning in the evening. Confession ---that schedule actually lasted a full day.

I cannot work and split my days into nice tidy little sections. If kids stuff is rocking my world today, then I have to go with that. I'm not going to stop the train to do a load of dishes or get a manicure. Nope ---just can't do it...I have had to curb my urge to spin, although I will be bringing yarn to my craft shows, it is not the focus, so I really have to hold myself back.

This week is pandering....focus on what I know sells, get as many ranges of size as possible and put them in the inventory bank. The last few weeks will be for what is funky and fun and creative. Got to pay the bills.

Here is the first mountain of hats.....funky, chunky little monkeys that they are...But only the beginning of the pile....

How are my arms holding out...Well, so far, I'm liking my left arm better, my right forearm looks like it belongs to Popeye, but you got to do what you got to do. I'll mix it up with some spinning this weekend and work on wearing out my legs instead!

This season is very exciting...I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to Circle Craft, possible studio space and new designs (again). It's almost more than one girl can take...almost. The fire under my ass is pretty hot, this knit girl factory stops for no one.

The End of Things

Sadly, the Farmer's Market season is coming to an end. At least the outdoor part of it. I hope those of you who enjoyed the markets over the summer will continue to support the Winter Market at Wise Hall as well as local produce at your regular winter outlet. And as the craft show season approaches to get out and support local designers and artisans who would not be able to continue their work without you.

I feel a bit weepy...the summer was wonderful and (mostly) sunny. The customers were quirky and vibrant and engaging. I will still be in the Whistler market until the Thanksgiving. The last weekend is actually the Saturday and Sunday...Now that's a weekend...Rain or shine the Turkey Trot promises to be exciting.

In the meantime, I'm lighting my first fire in the fireplace, welcoming fall and enjoying a pumpkin spice latte (decaf). Bring on Autumn, send the leaves my way. I'm waiting for a huge shipment of fleece that will be spun and knit into wonderful warm things to keep you cozy this fall and winter.

Stay cozy, stay warm.

With God as My Witness, I Will Own a Drum Carder

So I huffed and I puffed and then I PLUCKY FLUFFED.......

This is my second workshop this year and my brain is in overdrive. When I first got into the workshop room I was thrilled to see all the spinning wheels, but more than that...there were two tables covered with fibre....The urge to strip off my clothes and dive in was only outweighed by the possibility of being arrested and missing the workshop.

I buy my fibre dyed in rovings and/or carded and blended for me. It give me a base to work from and has always been good for my creative self....UNTIL I saw this...

I will have one...oh yes, I will, I will brown bag my lunches, cut back on fancy coffees, take in laundry and do whatever it takes to own one, short of stealing it. It freakin changed my life.

It does this......

And turns the puffs and loose mohair and bits of fun stuff and makes this......

At this point I may have actually squealed but due to conversations and so many wheels a' spinnin', I don't think anyone else heard me. This is what I managed to card in class...

I think I also carded in my dreams last night....oh you fibre temptress, you have me in your grip.

I didn't spin as much as I wanted to, but I was only there for one day of the workshop. I managed to spin my licorice allsorts and threw a few skittles into the mix...

I can hardly wait to knit it...It will be my new scarf this year. But without a double the most fun was extra carded mohair mixed with angora for this ball of lovely bunny goodness.


Imagine a cloud, and then imagine something even softer and that's what I spun. This technique is incredible. It's like adding miniature puffs to the wheel only moderately spun...Its almost hollow. The best thing about it is that the whole ball of yarn was probably only an ounce, but let me tell you, it was an OUNCE with BOUNCE.......It was so large I had to finger knit it...

A sliver of the completed FO, now having found itself a lovely home in Australia....Bye little fluffy bunny. I didn't really get a chance to know you, but you will have a good home with an artist who will love you and take care of you!

There was so much more about the class to talk about, but I have to go and fondle some fibre now. I promise to fill in the blanks later. Online to search for my carder now.

Where Do You GET YOUR IDEas?

The most common question I get asked whenever I'm at a show is about inspiration. People really want to understand the thought process or the germ of the idea. The birth of that twisted little thought that made monkey wool or seaweed hats.

My most recent scarf started out quite simply with the neighbourhood tom cat. Here is Sebastian hanging around the back door. He knows there is always extra food (and I think he has a thing with Asia--one of our fur babies). His fur had a super nice shine to it and almost a bit of a halo...

The next thing you know, I am digging in the fleece bins...

The silver, black and grey is a nice carded superwash merino and the white is merino, cashmere and silk. A nice silver thread for plying and this is what I ended up with.

Now, on to the task at hand, the spinning was just for fun, but I actually had a custom order for a black and grey scarf. I wanted something chunky, but light, so I opted to include some Kid Silk Haze in white and black with the hand spun.

Here is the end result.


I was so excited with the free form flow that I carried on to a separate 2nd scarf...That one is mine! Off to my first Weavers and Spinner's Guild meeting. I belong, I belong.

When are Workshops TOO Much Work?

When I am taking it!

I manage to somehow complicate my life at impossible levels. This time I actually feel bad because I took someone else along for the ride. Toni, my apologies...that is 8 hours of your life you will never get back. I am taking a workshop with Lexi of PluckFluff fame. She is innovative in her spinning and has written 2 books on the subject. I thought I might be able to learn something, or two things or even more and signed up for the course. Being a master of scheduling, I will only be able to make it for one of the two days, so Toni is my body double for day two. As such, we decided to get together to do our advance homework for the course.....

We had to make felt nubs. Here is our jumbled pile of fleece.

Now the recommended technique for this is to roll through your hands into a ball and then throw in hot water in the washing machine...Toni had some success, but my little pork sausage fingers were not up to the task so pointy needles were involved...



For a little felt experiment, we didnt' do too badly. Here are my licorice allsorts.


Here are what I can only consider sea eggs....



Now these three things freak me out and look like weird tumors. I'm not quite sure what to do with these. However, I think it's important to show that not everything "works out".


We gave up after this load of felting and decided to practice spinning on the donated box wheel that we were given for the course. We were also very pleased at having fixed it and I was especially thrilled at having successfully navigating a hardware store....no cleaned up pretty Home Hardware, or Canadian Tire, an "actual" hardware store with bins of nails and other sharp things....

Nothing comes that easily. As we spun in reverse to ply, the --please forgive me---forking machine behaved quite badly and literally fell apart....UNACCEPTABLE! And all of this after shortly getting off the phone with Pearl and letting her know that since I was bringing 2 machines that I would be happy to share the wheels with the workshop organizer....

She's steady, she's sturdy, tricky and a she devil, without a doubt. Now thank God for Toni...between the two of us....we made a whole brain, but it took until the end of the day, we spent quite a bit of time trying to build a brake, which would solve our problem of the bobbin flying off.



And then miracle of miracles....



I'd only been staring at it for two days and adjusting it for "aesthetic reasons". What a dumb ass.
Now that we could get on with our lives and to the job of spinning....Here is the grand result of an entire day...



Bad, overspinning....


Getting better. Superwash merino batt entitled "Fall" in wonderful hues of orange, grey and lavender plied with copper metallic thread and beautiful coils. Okay, back in the saddle, mission accomplished and tally hoe....If I spend another day like that, I will truly lose what is left of my mind.

Man's Best Friend

I think Sunday was the best day I had in the Whistler Market. Seriously. The sun was incredible, the breeze was soft and cooling and .......I felt the love. What do I mean?

Yarn love, and the absolute abundance of all things yarny.
John made a new friend.
There was an exciting wardrobe malfunction.
There was knit love.
There were boy cooties and good friends.
I laughed a lot, so much that it hurt my face. Still smarts just a bit.

John found a new friend. They became inseparable. This also became the corner where all bored husbands could sit and join John and keep him company and pet the dog while wives and girlfriends were discussing yarn things.

I was happier with my booth than I have ever been because I removed half of what I would usually display. Simple, clean ---crisp and clean and no caffeine in honour of my 5th day without coffee.

Just a couple of people I want to thank for the day.

Jan, thanks for coming by to visit, even though you weren't feeling well. I am still determined to find that paragliding day before the end of the season...Have needles, will tandem glide. You know you want to see this happen.

Michelle, your enthusiasm for the craft reinvigorated me and made the long drive back to Vancouver tolerable. And then to get home and have an e-mail from you...even better. I think I might have bruised this poor woman's ribs I hugged her so much! Please forgive me for doing this, but since I am still reeling from your kind words, I would like to include a small piece of your note....the flattering piece, of course..

'What sets your work apart from much of what I see at similar venues is the meticulous attention to structure and form. Of course your gift of color and texture only adds to it all.'

Oh, and while we're at it...I'd like a shout out to the Garlic Guy, the Pickle Guys, the Spice Guy, the Banana Fritter Ladies, the Felt Lady , The Bike shop for lending us their dog for the day and everyone that stopped by to say hello.

Now I leave you with a few more pics of the new and improved booth.

**I apologize for my extreme use of the words yarn, and yarnie and all its variations. It is my new favourite thing to say.

***Although I never normally do this, I have to say it....I hated my stay at the Mountainside Lodge, I mean HATED it. There, now I feel better.

Something is Missing From my Garden

Spending my summer surrounded by fresh fruit and veggies has made me want to try something I have always been afraid of. ---Gardening---- even a mini garden. I hate the idea of killing anything, even a plant, but I have had this burning urge.....

So after 6 weeks of babying the soil, here are the results...

On the left is my tomato garden (sans tomatoes) I was originally quite hopeful as the greens just grew and grew, but apparently I am missing the small yellow flowers which indicate the arrival of tomatoes...Julie has confirmed that I have missed my window for tomatoes this year. Argh. On the right, I am vindicated by basil that will soon be ready for picking. Next year I will start earlier. I will not give up.

It's been serious hat time lately, shows are coming up---things are happening. I really need to pick up the pace. I was actually happy today when a custom hat didn't fit just so I could have the extra hat in my inventory.

Well time to get back to work. These hats won't knit themselves...oh and two shows this weekend...

Today's Obsession is brought to you by the Letter "W".

The last few days have been a marathon of knitting to make up for previous slacking off. I am drowning in yarn (what a way to go). Lambwool, silk, alpaca, hand spun ---all have passed through my fingers in the last few days. Here's a peek and what's kept me up all night watching the space channel.

Inspirational buttons, vintage, new, polymer clay from Joan Tayler.

Notice the fine Joan Taylor button...have I told you how much I love her buttons.?
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Temple Hat in lambswool, silk and alpaca.

Since I production knit I am not ashamed to say I need to keep my designs simple, but each design must have it's own "special" something. Something that says "hey that must be a MelonHead hat'. As a result, I rely a lot on colour and textures to make that statement, but my experiment lately has been very much an absence of colour which has ended up creating very interesting architecture in the designs.

I'm still playing catchup, still working on web orders, but the day was so beautiful that I had to photo the cats each enjoying their own patch of sun. Please enjoy self indulgent cat photos.

One cat still AWOL at the time of photos --camera shy, I guess.