May 5th,

As the sun peaks through the clouds, I’m finding new inspiration. The break in the rain has given me a glimpse into what we come to expect of the Okanagan Valley. The sun is warming my heart and is giving me the energy to do the things I enjoy most.

This has been a week of finishing. As many of you have come to learn, I am really good at finding the inspiration to start projects, but I can sometimes… okay most times, lack the motivation to finish them. I thought the sun shining would once again pull me away from knitting and crocheting and pull me into the garden. But this week, it has encouraged me to sit in the “silence” that is the outdoors, to finish some projects.

I am lucky enough to be expecting a new nephew in August. Even though I’m separated by a whole country, I am just falling in love with all of the baby items I get to create in anticipation of his arrival. I have found a chevron blanket that I “needed” to make. The blues and whites that I chose remind me of the waves in Lake Huron and it takes me home. I chose to make it out of an alpaca blend from Ella Rae called “Cozy Alpaca” and it is exactly that, cozy. The blanket itself may have been a bit of a struggle to finish because of how easily I find myself distracted in new projects. However the end result is one of my favourites

DSC_0800I have also completed a piece from Sylvia McFadden’s “A Stillness of Trees”. She has created a shawl collection out of Custom Woolen Mill’s – Prairie Sea Fusion. Kathleen had made one of the shawls and I just fell in love. I just adore the earthiness of both the yarn and the patterns. It is a very traditional kind of wool but is spun thick and allows for a heavy and warm composition. I have never been one to completely follow a pattern though, and have added an additional set of the pattern to make it even bigger. There was just something grounding about knitting this piece. I have just completed blocking and I’m ready to sit around a campfire, wrapped in its warmth

DSC_0807With the left over yarn, I have chosen to design a pair of mittens. I kept trying to find a mitt pattern that I liked enough to showcase the yarn but found nothing worked quite right. Because the yarn isn’t the softest of yarns, I have chosen to make them big and will end up lining the insides with a fur or flannel to make them perfect for our cold winters. I have a feeling I’ll be making many more for the family in Ontario.

Now that I have completed a few projects, I am starting a Cowichan-style sweater this week. I’m looking forwards to colour-working and hope you all keep on me to “finish”

Happy Knitting,
Gabbie


DSC_0767Congratulations to Carol, Margaret and Bernice on finishing your Fair Isle pillows! They are absolutely wonderful, pieces of art. They have used the traditional Shetland wool to make these beauties. We still have plenty of the Jamieson and Smith yarns in store if you are wanting to try out your own!

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