Shhhhh....it's a secret

I mailed this about a week ago. She will get it eventually. And just in case she decides that getting up several times a night, with a newborn, doesn't fill up her days and decides that she needs to do a bit of blog reading to occupy all that free time she has, I'll only give you a sneak preview. (Whew...I just realized that last sentence was quite a mouthful. But who cares about your grammar when you can knit beautiful sweaters)





Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

I thought that they would help.

As I'm sure you're all aware of the healing powers of knitting cables. All Hail!!!! to the restorative powers of cables. I figured what better way than to become a Yarn Harlot groupie and knit my way, with the Must Have Cardigan, back to health.

The yarn would have been perfect. It has been in my stash long enough to have aged nicely, just like a fine wine. The yarn actually came from an estate sale about 12 years ago so it's hard to say how long it's actually been stashed for.

Because I wanted this cold to be over and done with quickly, I dove in, head first, into the back. After a few rows I discovered that this yarn was not meant for cables. I can't blame the yarn though. I just can't think clearly with phlegm filled sinuses. I'm heart broken, but resign myself to frogging the little I've knit. After all, what's the point of all those lovely cables if you can't see them!!!!!!



Since I am anxious to use this yarn, I am knitting a plain raglan sweater. Looks like I'll be sick for a while longer.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Lying Swatch

I was so careful. I swatched, I measured, I counted. It was perfect. It was acurate. Well at least, it should have been. Stupid Tank top!

Let's rewind at bit. Remember this knitting commission? It is the last one on the list and I have until the end of Feburary to finished it. Being the project floosy that I am, if I was making it for myself, it would have gone to the deepest, darkest recesses of my project bag long ago. But no...someone actually wants this. She picked the yarn and the colour....and is paying me to knit this.

Here's the problem....Thinking that I'm master of the numbers game, I cast on. I knit, knit and continue to knit. I knit the front of this tank top. I complete the first shoulder strap, duplicating the shaping of the store bought tank exactly. I'm brilliant, I'm a genious, I am a knitting goddess.

I bind off the neck line and head on down to the other strap. I lie my creation down on top of this store bought tank when I realize that I am an idiot.

What I have just about finished knitting, is too large. #$%#^^%&% Swatch. The stupid thing lied to me. It looked me straight in the face and lied to me.

I give up.....grrrr...the ONLY thing that is saving the life of this tank is the fact that it is not mine. The nearly finished front is frogged and I start again. This thing is now being knit in the round and I'm comparing my creation with the original every step of the way.

It's come down to a battle of wills....and I am not about to be beaten by a stupid tank top in the middle of winter. I may lose a few brain cells but I will not be beaten.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Big Wishes in Little Packages

For many years now, I've bought tree ornaments for the kids. Each year I try to get something unique that can be personalized with their name and the year. Earlier this year, I bought the book Charmed Knits and using the pattern for the ornaments, I decided to make the kids their own Weasley sweaters.

The sweaters are great for using up scraps. All you need is 10g of DK (8ply) for the sweater and an arm's length of a contrasting colour for the initial. Because I needed so little yarn , and because I have a lot of scraps each kid was able to pick the colour for their sweater. DH had some wire that I used to make the hanger. What do the kids think of them? They love their sweaters!



I'm sure that you all remember how I use up leftovers of sock yarn with my crazy socks. Here is another way I use up the leftovers.

Please note: This is a pattern for those who already know the basics of sock knitting.


Sock Ornament

Under 5g of sock wool
2.25 or 2.50mm (US 1 or 1 1/2) DPNs

Cast on 24 sts (leave a long tail- this will be what you use to hang the sock on the tree). Divide onto 3 needles and join for working in the round.
Rib for 2 cm (3/4")
Change to stocking stitch and knit until leg is 6 cm (2 1/2")
Using 12 sts make a short row heel. Make sure that the cast on tail falls in the center of the heel. (use the last 6 sts from previous round and the 6 sts from the next)
Knit until foot is 3.5 cm (1 1/5"), then begin toe.
Decrease toe until there are 12 sts left, and finish the toe with the kitchener stitch.


I'm wishing you all the best this Christmas Season. All I ask is that you remember that the best gift of all doesn't cost a cent.

Until Next Time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Last Sunday the Ottawa Valley got dumped on.....by a lot of snow that is. Throughout the area, we got between 37-50 cm. That's 14.8- 20 inches for those of you not metrically inclined. Insane is what I call it. I mean really people....what are we suppose to do with all this snow? Here is view from my back door during the storm. The blurriness, this time, cannot be blamed on my camera or photographic skills. The fuzzy look is from the continual curtain of snow falling.
This is my front deck. It's kinda sad that we haven't removed the snow from the last massive snowstorm we had 2 weeks ago. I've been busy knitting...not sure what DH's excuse is. I decided to stretch my legs and do a bit of shoveling. and discovered at it's highest point, the snow on my deck is up to my mid thigh. And that is just wrong!!!! Very Wrong!!!

The snow is still powdery so I quickly make progress. I got rid of about 1/5 of the snow.....just enough to look impressive but not enough to make DH think that I'll do the whole job myself. So as I am putting in all this effort, working up a sweat, engaging in this backbreaking work...what is my dog doing??????

She is just standing there....watching me. That dog is is a born supervisor, I think that she gets it from the kids.

I've finished the green sweater. I didn't take a picture of it as I couldn't wait to get it out the door. I really need to knit something for me. Wahhhhh, I can't! I've got two more projects that I've been hired to do. Enough of my pity party.....

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Trying desperately to catch up

I read a wide variety of blogs. While I've been largely ignoring my own blog, I have been visiting others and thought that I'd give you an overview of how I spend my time on the Internet. While I visit more blogs than this, it's the best I can do with rambunctious kids in the background.

Mad Mad got off her death bed to let us know about the importance of a Tuna sandwich. She also discovered the whereabouts of the kid we all used to blame stuff on, when we were young. This kid didn't live at our house but always seem to be capable of household destruction. (or at least that's who we blamed) This kid is now all grown up and cleaning Mad Mad's house.

One of Mad's readers had a wardrobe malfunction at the police station. She was trying to get some information for a story.
In a deep husky voice "So Officer, how was your day?"

Georgie was hit but a truck, but fortunately is recovering with the aid of some gorgeous fibre. Tinkingbell gave away Australia. I was hoping to win, but it's probably best that she gave it to someone local. I learnt that Cathy has pain issues. Either that or she is willing to endure anything for the sake of knitting.

Jejune is in the middle of a move, having babies with attitude and is about to become famous. Stay tuned people. As well as Georgie, Kristen and Nancy have been posting some AB FAB recipes. Nancy's house has also been taken over by short winter type people. Mandie has recently been converted to blogism so we'll have to see what happens.

Poor Taph! I fear that she'll never get to wear hand knit socks ever again. I believe it's a family conspiracy and they are plotting against her. This lady also pumps out hats faster than you can say "Store wide sale, all regular priced yarn is 20% off" I am in awe of this woman.

Franklin recently posted a request for a Dolores body double. The poor gal needed a respite from her notoriety by creating a cunning ruse. I entered Isolde as a possible candidate in this contest. I'll let you know if she wins.

Here is how things are going with the commissions. The first is getting near the end. The sleeves are done and both the front an the back are knit up to the armholes. The tank top yarn has been swatched. The last is a Jo Sharp design that a client wants me to finish. She knit up to the armpits and is worried about messing up the top portion.



Lastly, someone recently found my blog by googling "Turkey sex scarf hidden video" Hmmm not sure how I feel about that.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

My Hands for Hire

I'm making good time on Salinas (the green sweater) so I decided to work on another of my commission pieces. I have to turn this..... into this.... There was counting and math involved. There will be swatching and measuring and all that fun stuff. She found the tank top at an ooh lah lah kind of store and has lived in it for the past few years. She wants something to replace it as the top is getting worn.

I received a call from the phone tag client and I met up with her today. The guy who wants the fisherman's sweater will have to wait until the yarn is ordered, comes in, is paid for before I can start.

I'll try to answer a few questions that I've been getting. First of all, there will be a burning of the midnight oil and now when you see me, I will always have needles in my hands. As for the commissions themselves, then tend to fall on my lap. There will be a bag of yarn and pattern waiting for me when I get to work or someone will call (or come in) asking if there is someone who knits for other people. I either get volunteered or offer my services. I have yet to come across a pattern that I really didn't want to knit. If I did, I suppose that I would just ask for an amount so outrageous, the client would say no thanks.

I have yet to come up with a formula for how much to charge. I can only estimate how long it will take me to knit the garment. I know that I'll probably end up with slave wages if an hourly rate is calculated when I'm finished. So far, however, I've been content with what I've gotten when the project was finished. Last year, I knit a Philosopher's sweater for a client. About three weeks after delivering the finished item, I received a call from the client. She had me knit the sweater for her mom and called to thank me once again and to tell me that her mom has worn the sweater and it has received many compliments. Needless to say, that call made my day.

I have encountered three scenarios in knitting for others. 1) I am to knit the item to the measurements found in the pattern, 2) The clients sends me the necessary measurements or 3)The client comes in and I get the necessary numbers.

Hope that answers some questions.
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

When it rains...it pours

I am in the unique position that occasionally people will hire me to knit something for them. I examine the pattern then quote them a price. While I know that I'll never get paid a fair wage for knitting, I try to come up with a price that I can live with. It's a learning process. There have been items I have knit that I would have to charge more for, if I knit them again. There have also been items that I was bang on with my quote.

I haven't had any commissions since last March. That was a lacy baby layette knit with 3 ply on 3 mm needles. It is now 2 1/2 months until Christmas and the requests are starting to pour in. (If I don't have needles permanently attached to my hands, they soon will be)

The first is a sweater from a Rowan book, Vintage Style. I am knitting the sweater in the same colour with the felted tweed. This is nice yarn!!!!! Remember this sweater? It's the one that has been put on hold for Sweater Boy. It is the pattern chosen by a young man who really wants a Fisherman's sweater. He wants it in the best wool possible. Yah gotta love young single guys with money to burn. The third sweater is for a woman I've knit for before. I've left a message and am waiting to hear back from her. We'll probably play phone tag for a while.

The fourth sweater is for a woman that would like a cotton tank top. I was told by not to expect this commission as this lady is on the frugal side and not eager to spend the money.

So that's what I'm up to for the next little while.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Even Jane Ellison Agrees

Jane Ellison came to Ottawa on Sunday Oct. 14th and I was fortunate enough to meet her. I decided to throw caution to the wind (in the case of my budget) and buy some silk garden by Noro (shade 8). The Jane Ellison pattern I chose was one of her men's patterns as I wanted to to make a "boyfriend" type sweater. The sweater is big and loose and very comfy. Not to mention that I received many compliments on the finished product. Even Jane, after looking closely at my shoulders, praised my finishing abilities. (This is me doing the happy dance at a compliment from Jane.)BUT.... guess who the sweater fits perfectly and guess who has a birthday coming up very soon. You guessed it....The Sweater Boy. Hmmmm do I give him the sweater or not?????

Jane came to Wool N' Things that day. She gave a trunk show, there was a workshop on how to make the gloves from her latest book The Mirasol Collection with the free skeins of Hacho yarn everyone received, and we ate. Very friendly and down to earth woman...well after all... she is a knitter.

After telling her about the lost sweater incident, she agrees with every one else. DH shouldn't be getting this sweater. He doesn't deserve it!


Swap Pal...if you are reading this....look away. With no up close photo, my pal can't see the detail so they look like basic stripes. ( a much better photo will follow). Jane totally understood the need for a sock photo for my blog and was willing to help out with sock mojo. She liked the socks! I am beginning to get star struck at this stage, especially when she asks for my blog address.

As soon as I find the needle nose pliers, I'll make the stitch markers and be ready to mail my package and send it off to my swap pal. This is just too fun.

I've been given another knitting commission and have to give a quote on another so I'd better get to work.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic