Things that make me smile

- Going to bed and finding that my husband has placed a hot water bottle under the covers to keep me warm
- Amy Poehler, in all her awesomeness, being the big sister that we all wish we had growing up
- Beautiful "just because" flowers
- Jordi Savall
- Finishing that sweater, and having it fit exactly the way I wanted (pictures soon)

Have a great start to your week.

Indulgence knitting

 Sorry I've been a bit quiet. I've been under the weather lately, but finding much comfort in some tea and knitting.

More cardigan knitting, but this time for ME! In beautiful, sheepy, wooly Shelter.

:)))

I'm making Stranger, a gorgeous cabled cardigan from Brooklyn Tweed's Wool People 4 collection. It's been a long time since I've been this excited about a project for myself. I've spent so much time these past months knitting samples and items for Gris. It's lovely to indulge a bit.

I'm hoping to get this done for an upcoming trip to NYC. We're going mainly to see this. And also to go to a Dosa warehouse sale. Anyone familiar with my Pinterest account knows that I'm a HUGE fan of this gorgeous clothing company.

I'm also very very much looking forward to a meetup for good food with great friends. I can't wait!

Simple Sample

Meet the Simple Cardigan,  another sample I got to knit for Hannah:

The Simple Cardigan is just that, a lovely staple for your wardrobe. It's another charming mother/daughter design featuring Quince and Co yarn.

Both mama and baby look so lovely in their new cardis, don't you agree? Little Mabel is sporting the Cradle Cardigan, part of a sweet collection of patterns called Mabel's Closet. Hannah has done a great video KAL for the Cradle Cardigan, in case you'd like to make one for your own little trend-setter.

The whole collection is just darling. I tell you, that Mabel sure is one well-dressed babe!

(Again, thanks to Carrie Bostick Hoge for giving me permission to use her great photos, and to Hannah for the opportunity)

Lumen

 Here's another sample that I knit for Brooklyntweed's Wool People 4. It's the beautiful Lumen shawl, designed by Sivia Harding.

It's a relatively quick and simple lace shawl, and I absolutely love how it looks in the dark charcoal Loft!

WP4 is a gorgeous collection. High on my want list is Benedetta, a sweet garter stitch cardi by Carrie Bostick Hoge:

(thanks to Jared Flood for giving me permission to use his lovely photos)

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

I hope that you are all tucked into your homes, with bellies full and hearts even fuller. It's been a wonderful Christmas here. I have been spoiled beyond what I deserve and I am so thankful for it.

I'm pleased to announce the winner of the Knit With Me giveaway. Congratulations to Julie from the lovely blog forestpoppy. Julie, please email me with your coordinates and I'll get that book off to you asap.

Have a merry little Christmas everyone!

Knitting for Knit with me, and a giveaway

One of the best things that's come out of blogging (next to making so many lovely friends) is that it's given me an opportunity to knit for some amazing designers. I was thrilled when Gudrun Johnston of the Shetland Trader hired me to knit two samples for her latest collection of patterns, Knit with Me, recently published by Quince and Co. I've been a fan of Gudrun's for such a long time, and knew that a Quince and Co/Shetland Trader collaboration would result in some gorgeous stuff!

Here are the 2 pieces I knit:

McIntosh is an adorable, wearable cardi in pretty stripes. A great, four-seasons wardrobe staple.

Brock has so many feminine details. I especially love the gently curving hem, the sweet sleeves, and the neat i-cord edgings.

 I knit the adult version shown here.


I think the concept of this collection is so charming, and the designs truly look lovely and suitable on both mothers and daughters. And like all Quince and Co pattern books, it's beautifully styled and photographed.

Gudrun is hosting a knitalong for her book, and I'm trying to decide which sweater I'm going to make for myself. I'm leaning towards the Empire cardi in Chickadee, in the Bird's egg colourway:

Or a wee Soay in that pretty honey colour that Gudrun is sporting. 

I love these mother-daughter shots!

Honestly, I would love to knit and wear the entire collection! And I'm sure you will want to too. Quince and Co has generously donated a copy of Knit with Me to give to one of you. Leave an comment below to win a copy of this fantastic book, and if you have an opinion, let me know which sweater you think I should knit, or which one you would like to make for yourself. You have till Christmas Eve to enter. I'll announce the winner on Christmas day. Good luck!
 

(Thank you to super-talented Carrie Bostick Hoge for giving me permission to use her gorgeous images. Some of these have never been published! And thank you Quince and Co for the book donation and of course Gudrun for giving me the opportunity to work with her.)

Taking a breather

Ouf, what a crazy busy time it's been these past few months! Work has been extremely hectic lately. We're finishing the installation of a new permanent gallery opening at the end of the month. And at home I'm frantically trying to get through a backlog of knitting orders. I've been having a hard time catching my breath lately, and dealing with another bout of eye strain, which has been making it difficult to get things done. I decided it was time to pack up a few essentials last weekend and spent some quiet time at one of my favourite getaways.









It was lovely. I caught up on some sleep, read a little, and got a lot of knitting done with the sound of the wind and the crackling fire as my only soundtrack.



I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked with my camera, but here are a few images from my stay. Just looking at them takes me back to that peaceful and calm place.







Hope you're finding little spaces of peace and calm amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life...

On Dec 2 I head to Toronto to visit some dear friends, and help behind the scenes at a fantastic workshop with Geninne. I took a class with this lovely and talented lady last year, and I recommend it highly! You can read about my experience here. Quick, there may still be a few spots available if you're in the GTO!