The pleasure of waiting

While I'm waiting for my package of the TFA's 2012 Year in Color Club, my Andrea's Shawl is progessing well!  It is a pleasure to knit it!  This Malabrigo is wonderful.  The color is Impressionist Sky.  I love blue!

Also, the little markers that I bought last weekend make it even more fun!  Créations Marilou is a very talented lady.  You may visit her website and Etsy!  I believe her boutique is empty at the moment.  I believe she's working on it now.  She also sews the cutest little pouches!  She is very popular in our area ;-)

I now reached the stockinette and decreasing part of the shawlette.  This is going to be perfect for watching tv and for the coming knit nights!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Whatcha favorite posdcast?

Do you have a favorite podcast? 

I found a brand new podcast a few days ago and I'm already addicted to it.  It's called Whatcha Swatchin Podcast.

It's fresh, short (because sometimes you don't have so much time to spend on the internet!) and funny (because some of you - not me - may recognize themselves in what she says!) and Emily is going to start spinning!  I think it is very interesting because this is quite intriguing for me.  I have no idea how it works...   

Oh, and she's also knitting a Rocky Coast Cardigan ;-)

Enough said!  Take a look!

Have a great weekend everyone!

ETA: It was probably too late last night, but I definitely should have mentionned the Knit Girllls.  I have been following them for a while now.  They have FOs, WIPs, spinning, book reviews and contests!  You should definitely check them out too!

The winner

It was so much fun to read your good wishes and answers throughout the week!  Thank you for participating!

There are 20 participants this year:

The winner is villapeikko!

Happy blog anniversary! Many more years to come, filled with beautiful yarn and smooth needles!
1. Worsted weight is my favorite. It knits up quickly but doesn't hurt my hands.
2. Solid mostly, but sometimes a nice semisolid is good also.
3. Blue is my all time favorite, mostly lighter shades or turquoise / petrol.

Congratulations!  Please, send me a message on Ravelry (I'm anyonecanknit!) with the pattern that you choose so that I can gift it to you!  I also have a surprise for you in relation to your answer so if this is ok for you, let me know what is your mailing address too!

For the rest of you, you should visit Suvi Simola websites: 50 villapeikkoa and Hold your needles!  I have been following her beautiful blog and admired her creative and colorful designs for a long time now.  She is also the designer of the Stripped Baby Sweater that I knit for my cousin's son back in 2010.  I know that you will love her patterns!

The dinner isn't ready, I have to go!  Have a good week everyone!

Happy Blogyversary to me and a contest!

My blog is already three years old.  It's not a baby anymore!  I am so glad I have this blog!  I meet some terrific people through this space and this is such a great way to share what we love!  It is also a great source of inspiration and motivation to see what each one of you creates.  It is so special to show to people from everywhere in the world what each one of us create, isn't it?

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you who come here on a regular basis and also to those of you who drop by every now and then!  It means a lot to me and it is truly amazing to get to know you better!  Some of you have become true friends.  I have to say it is unexpected and very touching at once!

All of this to say that...  I think this is going to become a tradition.  On my blogyversary, I like to gift a pattern via Ravelry!  Here are the results of the past two years.

Blogyversary 1: made by Brin dans le vent

 Blogyversary 2: made by Knitting lemonade

Aren't they both gorgeous?  I will have the same contest again this year because, I think it is a lot of fun and I look forward to see what the winner will choose!

The prize will be a pattern given to you through the Ravelry gifting feature. If you win, I will "gift" you the pattern that you will select (up to $7) on Ravelry. Hence, it's a contest for Raverly members (if you're not, you should join now; it's free!) and the pattern has to be available through the Ravelry gifting feature.

To participate, all you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post. The question this year is threefold (after all, this is my third year blogyversary!):  1. What is your favorite weight of yarn?  2. Do you like solid, semi-solid or variagated colors?  3. What is your favorite color?

You have to comment before midnight (EST) Friday night, January 20, 2012 to enter in the contest. There will be one random winner!  I’ll announce the winner before Sunday, January 22, 2012.

Thank you again for visiting!

A new shawl

A new year and a new project.  This is also my only WIP.  It is very satisfying. I guess I'm a moderate knitter.  No stash and always a limited number of projects on the needles.  Also, I don't knit every day.  I suppose this is why the projects I make take a while before they get completed...  This is the second time I knit a shawl.

In a few days, we should receive the first project (out of 6 in 2012) for the Tanis Year in Color 2012 club.  I really wonder what accessory and color it will be!

So, this week I started knitting the Andrea's Shawl.  What you see is the bottom edging in Impressionist Sky Malabrigo Sock.  I'm in love with both the color and touch of this yarn.  I have about one third of it done.  Very nice.  The border will be nice to knit I'm sure too.

This is all for now.  Have a great weekend everyone!

First FO of the year!

I worked almost all day on these beauties.  I meant to finish them earlier.  If it weren't for one of the thumb gusset.  The second mitten thumb gusset was made differently and looked so much better!  I had to make the other one the same.  Can you see it?  Me neither.  It's in the lining. But I know it!  One is allowed to be that crazy on New Year's Day!

I was not sure in the beginning if I liked the color of the lining.  Blue is my favorite color though.  I kind of like the contrast.  This is a very nice blue.

And here is a close up of the pattern.  The mittens were initially chosen for a landscape gardener (I will not tell the story on this blog, but let's say that I would fear for the life of these mittens if I did not keep them)  :-(

Pattern: Douglas mittens by Emily Elizabeth

Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Heathers and Estelle Baby Silk Lace

Needles: US 4 - 3.5 mm and US 2½ - 3.0 mm
Colors: 9410 and 9411 (Cascade) and 10403 (Estelle)

Start to finish: February 2011 - January 2012

For: To be determined!

Notes: No modifications

So, I'm really happy with the process and the final result.  They are a bit too large and manly for me unfortunately...

This also means no other WIPs which is equal to... new beginnings!   Isn't it perfect for the first day of the year?  Happy New Year 2012 to all of you! 

N.B.: I do want to thank you all who come and read my blog.  It means a lot to me!  I read many of your blogs and I really appreciate all the creativity and friendship that knitting brings to my life!