Year of Projects: Week 34 & 35

So I'm a little bit late with my update...like a week late however these have been excellent weeks for me as a knitter. I finally finished the test knit. I'm half way through the mitten KAL, started another project and I discovered a new yarn shop.

Let's start with the yarn shop.  It's called EweKnits, found on Markham St in Toronto just behind Honest Ed's.  It's almost easy to miss but luckily for me, I was given that warning when I was looking up directions and I realized just about every shop around them has been converted from a house and sometimes, it still looks like a house.

Let me just say, I wanted to squish and feel everything in the store!  The plan was just to look around and get a feel as to what it's like there and what the sell.  First thing I noticed when I walked to the building is the class list.  I am very interested in signing up for the sweater class, especially since it's on week day and they don't mind if you come in with yarn from somewhere else (I have a hankering for a sweater knit out of Tanis yarn in the colourway Chris Grey and Tanis is only at 2 shops - Purple Purl and a shop in Montreal - or online).  I also noticed their project bags.  Let me tell you they are beautiful and I would like to buy one...just have to put it on the list and wait.  I can't go completely broke due to knitting and knitting accessories.  What I like about the bags is the story behind them.

While there for browsing I ended up finding the 3rd colour for my Barndom Shawl, which has not been picked up for the past couple of weeks.

Zen Yarn Garden - Squooshy in the Flamenco colourway

It's actually a bit darker in person but I do like it and I think it would be the perfect colour addition to the shawl. I just have to get back to working on it.

I finished the one sock required for the test knit and I love it! The pattern is called  Zig Zag Ripple Socks by Econnerd aka: Karen Buhr.

I'll eventually get to the second sock. I haven't cast it on since I was kind of eager to cast on a trial sock which will be mentioned later.

I'm half way done with the Mitten KAL. I'm doing the Warm Woolen Mittens. They feel so squishy and soft and the colours look great together! Only problem is that I made them exactly to the size in the patterns and while it is wide enough, it's not long enough :( I could have made it longer by repeating a pattern but it would have been too big so I may gift it to someone who's hands and smaller than mine which is hard to do.

I have got a week to start and finish the other hand.

I've mentioned before about a KAL for the Stitch Surfer socks. My impatience reared it's head and I cast it on. I ended up not using any suggestions provided to me and pulled out yarn that I hadn't even photographed.

The top colour/left colour is from Three Ewes in the Cleopatra colourway (which I have never seen anywhere else). The bottom/right colour is from KnitPicks Stroll in the Golden Glow colourway. I am loving these socks as well...seems like I love all the socks I make. I'm actually more than half way done the first foot. It's going to be a mismatched pair with the second sock being in the Cleopatra colour way and the MissBabs Cosmic Handpainted in the Inkwell colourway. It's a left over yarn from my Earth & Sky shawl I made last year.

Quick little snip it in regards to my brothers around Valentine's Day...

I have got some of the coolest brothers in the world and suffice it to say, I'm always proud of them. One brother is actually old enough to have a girlfriend and the responsibilities of having one. He made sure to get my advice as to what exactly to get for his girlfriend for V-Day. He got her a lovely charm bracelet and hid it in my room so she wouldn't see it before it's time. I was told that she loves it!

The middle brother is something else (he's the only one that has any pictures on my blog). He and the youngest had asked me to breed some Pokemon on my game for them. Did it and he forgot his system so the trading couldn't be done. However, he took it upon himself to give some excellent suggestions as to how to improve my game.  I think he may know more about it than me. I think the grasshopper has surpassed his sensei.

The youngest went out of his way to find me this weekend just to give me a big hug and to tell me he missed me.

I wouldn't trade any of them for the world!