My New Pattern…

…is almost ready. It is a selbu style mitten featuring whales and hearts. It’s kind of mushy and I love it, I just need to layout the pattern and finish the second mitten. It takes longer than what I had originally thought, and I’m also knitting for a huge sale in mid to late October (I need the money guys, so be patient). This pattern will be for sale, as I think it’s the bee’s knees. It’ll be four dollars, and will have some modifications available that I’m still needing to narrow down.

I realize I haven’t had a whole lot of knitting content recently. I know I’m a knitting blog. It’s just, the parts of my life that aren’t knitting are so interesting right now! I need to share them with you guys because I don’t want there to be a bunch of dark spaces that I touch on that no one knows anything about. But I’m back to knitting and spinning lots and I’ll be sharing all of these things with you shortly.

And tonight, the etsy shop is going up! Hooray! Soon I’ll have hand dyed yarn for sale, patterns for sale and completed knitting projects for sale, and I’ll ship anywhere in North America (excepting my patterns, available for instant download on ravelry).

I have a lot to do, and a lot of exciting things are coming up soon. Hold tight!

My Yesterday

On Tuesdays I have class from 8:30am to 12:30 pm. This leaves me plenty of free time to spend time with my love, get some homework done, work on my etsy shop or other commission knits, and otherwise just have a great time on one of my easier days.

So after I vegged out on the couch after class, I went to go see my love with my socks in tow.

I had the bus to myself, so as I experimented with some camera settings as the bus rolled over our horrendous roads, it seems that I actually got some okay pictures out of the deal! They’re slightly underexposed as I had to sacrifice my shutter speed, but next time I’ll fiddle with my ISO and see if I can get some (even better) photos for you guys.

The downtown in my city is pretty bleak, but a few years ago there was an initiative put in place to update the downtown and there was a bunch of these gardens installed. I love them so much, they really brighten up our streets on dreary days. A lot of our plants are pretty hardy as we’re a fairly northern climate but we love it nonetheless.

To wrap up our lovely day, have a photo from my favourite sushi place downtown! These paper lanterns hang above each table and it’s so beautiful.

Cambrian Life

So. I have been talking a lot about going to school, and I feel like I’m not being totally up front about my situation. I was in university for two years, and there I met my lovely fiancé. Over this past summer, he popped the question and I realized that I would eventually have to live the life I was setting myself up for. Hence the program switch!

So there, I’ve gotten you all caught up. Have some pictures, you lovelies.

These were taken in the courtyard at my school.

Since I take graphic design and I take photography class the whole way through, I could justify a new camera purchase. I love it, and my skills have already improved so much and it’s been only one class!

And now for some of my favourite colour, a frosty blue mintish colour.

Too Cool for School

To be honest, my school is pretty great. It’s beautiful, my program is amazing, and I’m pushed to be creative every day. I am in Graphic Design, and right now I’m brainstorming multiple projects. I can only imagine this will be good for my knitting (especially as we just watched a video on how to hone the creative process) and I’m excited to wow my family with the work that I do in this program. Check out the picture I drew in my class the other day:

I know it’s pretty rudimentary, but being creative all the time (even though I often have to push myself to always be “on”) has really made me less frustrated and I don’t feel as though my creativity is squandered in front of 8 episodes of Parks and Recreation in a row (yeah, I never ever do that). But I believe that creativity spawns more creativity (especially when I have a bunch of unusable ideas that eventually turn into a huge, slightly more usable idea months later when I have no time to execute it), and I feel that constantly pushing myself to be creative can only be a good thing for every single part of my life.

I can also knit in class, you guys. Whether I finish an assignment early or I am watching a short movie, those socks/mittens are out and ready to see the world at any given opportunity, and I’m loving the time I have to put into my knitting.

And spinning. It’s lovely.

Why

I am a knitter.  A very good knitter.  I have been knitting for (almost) 15 years and at the ripe age of 20, I do not hesitate in calling myself a veteran.  However, it is not the time I have spent knitting that makes me skilled in my craft, it is my passion that truly makes me a great knitter.  I’m meticulous, creative, and always looking to build my skills.

I do not feel this way about crochet.

I learned to crochet before I learned to knit (while I may have my differences with the craft, it is a very good beginners fibre craft) and I did not like it.  It must have started when I single crocheted a large chain and my younger sister snipped it in half.  Since then, knitting has been my craft and crochet has remained a distant memory.

It should have stayed that way.

A few weeks ago, at work, I spoke with a friend of mine.  She told me a tale of woe, involving $170 of yarn that went to waste when she realized she 1) hated crochet and 2) couldn’t figure out how to do it.  She has a little girl and she is newly married, and I knew that she couldn’t justify having that much wasted money in her house.  My heart broke for her, her expectations of a lovely blanket shattered by the fickle mistress that is crochet.

Cut to about a week ago, when I was discussing the etsy shop that I am in the process of creating for my yarn and knitting wares.  She asked if I ever knit things on commission, to which I said yes, of course.  She then batted her doe eyes and asked if I would crochet her blanket in exchange for a reasonable sum.

And here I am.  Wondering why, why oh why am I crocheting an entire throw?  Pictures to come when I get home, as I am avoiding the inevitable by working on my “Whale of a Time” mittens.

PS: The throw is lovely.  As it should be, its eating my soul and joy, after all.

Working Away

Today is the day.  The day that I got a consistent internet connection, a good camera, and a legitimate start on the rest of my life.  Finally.

I began the Graphic Design program at the local college, and I feel as though I’m in the right direction.  The things that had stressed me out so much this past week have all come together beautifully and I’m so excited.

Now I can focus on what I love to do.  Knitting.  A post on spinning will come tomorrow.  

A Story of Knitting Gusto

Today, I sit with my fiance in domestic bliss as we watch 30 rock and cook chicken soup.  The maple bacon popcorn we got last night is delicious, as well as the coronation grapes that just came into season.  But the best part is not the food, nor the fact that we have jut started to watch 30 rock.  No, the best part is that it’s 15 degrees outside.

15 degrees.  I’m in Canada, and any Americans that don’t want to do the math should just know that it’s officially fall weather.  Sweater weather.   And to honour that, I am starting on a cowl pattern for the occasion.  Big yarn + various stitch patterns and I’m a happy camper.  Hopefully up soon, I am just waiting on some software before I publish the other one (colorwork mittens!!)

But this means I have a lot on my needles to get to you guys.  I have a set of socks that are almost done and a pattern in my head to give to you, I have a sweater idea swimming around my head (and it’s anxious to get out), I have my mittens and now this cowl!  I’m going as fast as I can, and I know it’s a lot to promise.

But with the clicking of my needles and a steaming cup of tea next to me, I’m not worried.  Progress, my friends, progress.

And Coming Around The Corner

Hey everyone, I’m hitting this blog at 100 km/hr right after a long shift, a night of knitting and an even longer day tomorrow.  Ugh, why… 9 hours on my feet today and 12 hours of running tomorrow is not a fun time.

I am going to go and pay my tuition tomorrow (hopefully) and accomplish lots of what I need to get done (also hopefully).  I am in the process of switching programs and I am running out of time to get a timetable without aggravating my employer, as she needs my availability to schedule me.  

This has left very little time for  knitting, and it seems like I can’t get anything done in the 24 hours I have in a day.  Tomorrow I need to be as efficient as I can possibly be, running like a mad woman trying to get everything in my life sorted out before the long weekend.

Wish me luck.

PS:  You may be wondering where my knitting is in this post.  HA, yeah right.  I have had no time for knitting at all.  I’m sorry, it will soon be remedied.

What to expect from me

Hey Everyone!

I’m in the process of getting a lot going so that I can be a good blogger for my little blog children.  This would mean content, more content, patterns, giveaways for said patterns, more patterns, and an etsy shop!  Wouldn’t that be so fun!

I’m planning on releasing my etsy shop the first week of September, as well as previewing my first pattern in my fall pattern collection next week. So far, my pattern collection includes a pair of socks, a shawl, mittens and  some other stuff under the cut. Then, in October, I will release more patterns to use as last minute Christmas gifts! These patterns will be relatively quick to knit, great for all ages and super cozy, perfect for the holidays.

I am also working on getting a camera and a laptop (as well as my own place with a studio but be patient with me on that) so you can get consistent posts from me.  But this means more commission knits to be able to afford it.  How great is that?  Super great… but I need the knits to start rolling in. I’m also getting married in May, so my financial goals are stretched a little thin.  I have so many hopes for this blog and horizon knits add a yarn dyeing business, but it requires some capital. I promise, our will all come together soon.

Please be patient with me, mum n mom said I’m hilarious so hopefully I can draw you all back with my text posts for now, and some pretty pictures may pop up here and there.