a fine kettle of stitches

Yep, I’m stilll here. It was a very busy summer, and the autumn looks to be just as busy.  So what kept me so busy? Here’s a list.

June:

1. Lace sampler scarf -  I doodled up some lace patterns and wanted to see if the would sork out like I expectec them to. Some did, some didn’t. Lace designing is more than a tad difficult.
2. Seasons of Lace - I spent a fair amount of time looking over patterns and designing my own. I have some nice patterns planned, I just have to find the time to knit them!
3. Custom Patterns - I had some order for rug-hooking patterns come in, all at once it seemed. I got some great ideas for new stock patterns while working on them.
4. Fibre Mill tour - I was in charge of this one.

July:

1. Seasons of Lace: alpaca shawl - one of those patterns I drew up. It’s an experiment in shawl construction and so I picked fairly simple stitch patterns. Only the edging left.
2. Re-organizing the fibre stash and tools - I’m still working on this one, but I got some of the clutter cleared away, worked on better storage and managed to clear off my worktable so I could actually use it!
3. Surviving the heat - I tend to turn into a limp noodle when the heat and humidity are up. I don’t get a lot done then, but I did manage to knit while sitting infront of the fan.

August:

1. Getting Ready for the Atlantic Balloon Fiesta - I’ve been selling my patterns at this show for several years. I had to draw up just about everything this year since most of the patterns I had done ahead of time went to the River Gallery. and I had a couple of new patterns, too. I demo rug-hooking pretty much the whole time I’m there. I always get a chance to look around and come home with a new trinket or two. though
2. Cake, 3 tiers and enough for 200. - My cousins asked me to make a replica of their parent’s wedding cake for their 50th anniversary. I hadn’t made a fancy cake in a while, and I’d never made a tiered one with separator columns. It turned out well, and everybody loved it.
3. Preparing for two mystery shawl knit-alongs - How much time can a person spend on choosing yarn and beads? A lot. I wrote up a couple of lengthy articles on beads for the knitalong groups, but mostly I ogled lace yarn and beads online, and considered lots of options.

September:

1. Balloon Fiesta - It was interesting this year. Not so many vendors, but we had good crowds on Friday and Saturday. Sunday it poured rain something fierce, and I took a nap while my mother tended our shared booth
2. A new year of Thursday night rughooking - This takes a happy little chunk from my week. I get a lot more done, both hooking and knitting, on this night.
3. Moncton Hook-in - This was the first hook-in I went to when I started rughooking, and I make a point of going every year. There’re always people there from all over NB and some from Nova Scotia this year. I get to see what people have done with my patterns, which is always a lot of fun, check out what everybody is working on, do a little shopping and chat with friends I’ve made over the years.
4. clog toe socks - I forgot that I had signed up for the summer of socks (whoops!). I did manage to get a few toe socks done, though. Very quick to knit, they’re just the toe and about half a foot with some ribbing, but they keep my toes nice and warm and dry in my clogs. One chilly day during the recent cold snap I also put them on under a pair of regular socks — warm and toasty, especially on our cool floors.
5. Penny rug patterns - I’ve working on getting these done before Sande of the River Gallery heads up to Ontario to teach some classes in wool applique next week.

And that’s about it. I’ve also been working on a couple of pairs of socks, in those little bits of time when I’m waiting for something else. I’ve been magic-looping one pair, and I’m not hating it as much as I did the first time I tried it. I finally managed to get my website updated a little, but there’s a lot more to do there. And when I asked Sande if she could bring some kits to our hook-in, she suggested I do some up. Oy.

Now I’ve got to get those penny rugs finished, think about hooking kits, get cracking on our hook-in plans, work on those mystery shawls, and get going on a little Christmas knitting. Yes, this fall is going to be very busy.