Another lovely skein from Sweatermaker. A new fingering weight blend called Sara. I love this one: merino, bamboo, silk and nylon. I think this would make a lovely Strathcona Beanie or Paravel Hat. I've been craving a single skein pattern that I don't have to write first! The recent workload has been... insane? sleepless? frenzied? I need to invent a new word for it. Plus relocating to a new province really doesn't help the zen factor. 

Charles keeps saying I should blog about the mystery project. And I will, soon. Have to gather my thoughts first. 

Yes, more yarn for another project. Isn't this a gorgeous inky colour? The colour of an etching.

SweetGeorgia Superwash Worsted 100% merino in colour Cypress. 

...it might come back to you. As a blanket.

It snowed a gazillion inches last night. Well, at least 6. But the schools are open! Poor boys...

I wanted to share a quick cellphone snapshot. When I was picking up the new yarn for the kits, Judy Maclean showed me some throws, fresh off the loom. Silk, mohair, handspun, beads, boucle, very luscious. This photo does not do it justice. For locals, I think these will be available at the Comox Valley Art Gallery gift shop. 

I know, I know, this is a clichéd post. But as I find myself googling "gift ideas for 9 year old boys" and "gift ideas for middle aged nerds" and "gift ideas for in laws" I have to assume that you're doing the same thing. And, since this is the final week for most shipping, let's get this done. 

Patterns and yarn make a great gift, but can be tricky unless you know the knitter well. Colour, fiber choice, patterns, garment choice, it's all very personal. If you give yarn, try to give something special that is enough to complete a project. If you have a shawl knitter on your list, something like the luxury cashmere/silk kits will make a wonderful gift; it's luxurious and all the recipient has to add is needles. They can cast on right there by the tree. And of course, your local yarn store will have many wonderful options and advice.

I have a new free pattern in the works for a simple infinity scarf. The infinity scarf seems to be de rigueur this season, and so of course tricksy knitters are getting in on the fun. And unlike the store-bought variety, the hand-knit, ribbed, infinity scarf can be grafted rather than clumsily seamed. Knitters for the win!

I take perverse pleasure in the fact that my computer's default dictionary does not recognize swatch as a verb. As in to swatch, swatched, swatching. All underlined in red. I'm a linguistic rebel.

Just a little snapshot today. Trying to carve out a little quality-time this week. Get the laundry put away. Buy food. Having good times with the kids. Looking for a good ginger cookie recipe. The chewy kind, but without chocolate, anyone have a recipe like that? Little C wants to make cookies for the Everybody Deserves A Smile charity drive at school (care packages for the homeless). Charles is in Ottawa, and everyone is counting down to Christmas. So I have 2 lbs of butter and a lot of molasses to kill the time.

 More yarn shots, and a haiku

 We're moving to Ottawa, and while change can be hard it can also be wonderful. Wabi sabi - we're embracing transience and imperfection.

Remember yesterday, when I mentioned the buying of So Much Yarn in Toronto? Well...

I finally got to go to Queen Street West in Toronto (called the fashion district) and check out Americo Original in person. I also had a chance to meet the owner and designer of the yarns, Nicole Sibonney. Friendly, astute, unpretentious, Nicole was a kindred spirit (and a ray of sunshine after days of soul-less hotels and road trip meals).