Beth Went Shopping

This past weekend Estelle hosted an Open House to show case their beautiful yarns. I fell in love with their Sakura Cotton.


    

50% Cotton, 30% Viscose and 20% Silk

200 meters per 100 gm skein 

Recommended needle 5mm, 18 sts per 4 inches


I have just begun a shawl I have been admiring from the most recent issue of Knitty. If you are unfamiliar with Knitty, check it out - hundreds of beautiful FREE patterns and informative articles.
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss15/index.php

The design I have fallen in love with is Nahant.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss15/KSPATTnahant.php



 

Nahant is a rectangular, bias knit lace shawl with a pleasing and simple to knit leaf style lace.
Sakura, with it's subtle gradual colour transition is perfect for this design.

 



Gabriela is doing a simple summer lace shawl class this spring.

Class	Garden View Shawlette   (G) 1 three hour class - $30 plus project supplies
Date & Time	Thursday 1:00-4:00, May 7
Description	The shawl is made up of four basic elements separated by rows of eyelets: an upper border, stockinette body, garter leaf border, and lower slipped stitched border. Knitting starts at left side & by increasing, knitting “straight” and decreasing along the eyelet row between body and garter leaf border, a crescent shape is formed.
Prerequisites	Intermediate

A knitter on Ravelry knit this shawl with Sakura. This design is easily adaptable to a larger size if you want a full shawl rather than just a scarf.

 

If you visit the Estelle website, there are dozens of FREE patterns which includes several for Sakura.

 

http://www.estelleyarns.com/estelle-patterns.php

 

 

 

These fingerless gloves are one of Estelle's FREE patterns and only uses one skein of Sakura.

 

Over the next few days I'll let you know about some of the other wonderful yarns I found.

 

Beth



 

Big Bang Alert!!!!!!

I have been waiting for this soooooo long.  Leonard  and Sheldon's mothers meet for the first time this Thursday April  30th.  If you are a Big Bang fan, you will not want to miss this.
Beth

Arne & Carlos

We are so excited that we have just received the new Arne & Carlos self-patterning yarn collection from Regia. It is amazing. It is a faux Fair Isle with incredible detail.



 

 

 

 

 

I can hardly wait to get it on my needles and watch the magic happen.

Beth

 

 

 

 

 

 



PPPPPPPLEASE tell me these are a joke - Crochet shorts for men

They showed these shorts on Kelly and Michael this morning. I thought it was a joke until I found an Etsy sight selling them.







I am not kidding, check out the Etsy sight and see what these are selling for.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LordvonSchmitt?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Beth

Ever Wondered "Why do I need to block?"



Blocking can take a lot of time, but it is so worth it. Immediately below is an unblocked swatch of Shetland Ruffles, a shawl from one of my favourite designers, Kieran Foley

 

 

 

Witness how blocking opens the lace and accentuates the curves created by the stitch.

 



 



You can see several beautiful samples of Shetland ruffles on Ravelry  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shetland-ruffles

 

 

 

I love Kieran's designs. He frequently uses self-striping yarns, especially Noro and Zauberball. The combination of striping yarns and stitch patterns which curve and undulate are just incredible.

 

He also uses dropped stitches in many of his shawls. I have just finished my first (but definitely not may last) Kieran Foley Project, Shogun.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shogun

 

 

 

 



I enjoyed this project so much. When I first began, I was misreading the pattern and could not figure out what was wrong. I e-mailed a question to Kieran, who by the way, lives in Ireland, and I got an answer back in less than 2 hours. After that it was smooth sailing. I am offering this project as a class in the new Spring Session beginning in April.

 

Class	Shogun   (Beth) Two 2 hour Classes $40 plus supplies
Date & Time	Monday, April 20, 27 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Description	Let me introduce you to Kieran Foley, an Irish designer whose work I admire. Designer Site I am currently knitting his Shogun Shawl and I love it. The pattern is both charted and written – easy to knit whichever style you prefer. With a couple of “keeping track tips”, this project, with chevron patterning and dropped stitches, is not as difficult as it appears. And if you are a colour person, fond of Noro or Zauberball, this design is perfectly suited for self -striping yarns. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shogun
Prerequisites	Intermediate. Good basic knitting skills.
	Treat yourself to a browse through Kieran's designs. http://www.ravelry.com/designers/kieran-foley   and check out his blog and pinterest page which are both linked on the above site.   I can not decide between Echo Beach or Shetland Ruffles to do next.   Beth       

A WARNING ABOUT LILY TOXICITY TO CATS

I am posting a news letter I just received from my vet.

 

A Message from LeGallais Veterinary Hospital -Lily Toxicity

April showers bring May flowers...  Unfortunately for cats, spring also  brings lilies, a fragrant flower popular in gardens and as Easter decorations. Lilies contain toxins that are profoundly toxic to felines. Just a nibble or even a sip from a vase can be enough to cause irreparable kidney damage and even death. Cats may be poisoned by eating any part of the lily flower. This includes the stem, flower, and even the pollen. Cats often brush up against a lily, resulting in pollen collecting on their fur. The cat later ingests the pollen while licking its fur during grooming.                          Signs of lily toxicity include vomiting, lethargy, drooling, and appetite loss. Without prompt treatment, cats will develop kidney failure within 36-72 hours. Initial treatment requires aggressive IV fluid therapy and  gastrointestinal decontamination. If signs are noticed early and decontamination is achieved within 6 hours of ingestion,most cats will not become ill. Treatment delay of more than 18 hours after ingestion almost always results in acute renal failure. Mortality rates range from 50-100% of cats that progress to renal failure.  As Easter approaches , the Staff at LeGallais Veterinary Hospital would like to remind pet owners to keep lilies and other kidney toxic plants out of their home and gardens. For more information on pet toxins please visit the Pet Poison  Helpline at: http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com  From the Staff at LeGallais Veterinary Hospital, we wish you and your family a Happy Easter!

LeGallais Veterinary Hospital

150 Wellington Street East | Aurora, ON L4G 1J1 (905) 713-2366     I know this to be true, having sadly lost a beautiful silly furball named Flip after she ingested a very small amount of lily pollen from a bouquet of cut flowers including lilies. Unfamiliar with this hazard for cats, by the time we realized the problem, it was too late.   Beth