Yarn diet or yarn allowance, this is my question !

One of the possible resolutions for the New Year is to go on a yarn diet as my stash gained a lot of weight lately.

However I don't like the idea of a diet, yarn or not, it sounds like I'm going to miss out on something, suffer for self imposed reasons. I'll try to come up with a new strategy: the yarn allowance. This sounds much better, yes, now I don't have to exercise self discipline or restraint, I can still buy yarn, no restrictions to begin with, just a budget to follow :)!
The next step is to calculate my weekly/monthly yarn allowance.

Let's see: I go SnB every week, I do a yarn shop tour every month or maybe every second month.That means I need to use my yarn allowance for all of these, including the drinks and snacks at my SnB sessions, books and magazines, and some fleece and roving for spinning.

Is 50 a week too much or too little? Will I be able to afford the luxurious fiber I am dreaming about? I don't know yet but I'll start with this amount and try to keep my yarn hunger satisfied.

Cables and twisted stitches

I did finish the cable sweater - Kirsten Cowan's design from Vogue Winter 2005 - and I loved the picture of it on elann. Knitting cables is fun for me, and the cable yoke turned out pretty good but the twisted stitches were hard. Maybe it's because the way I knit. There must be a different way to twist them without having to fight the yarn or the needles.

The pattern is nice and now I'm trying to finish a matching cabled hat, however that won't happen too soon with all the other projects I have to finish before the end of this year.

The picture does not show it but it's warm and cozy. The more I wear it the more I like it. But if I were to make another one I'll knit it in the round and I'll knit some short rows to shape the back of the neck. Will I knit another one? Maybe. I don't know.

The discipline of blogging

A blog is only good if you keep blogging. I realized this when I noticed my last entry was quite a time ago. It turns out I do not blog often enough to keep up with my knitting life.
Here I have my New Year's resolution: to become a disciplined blogger and blog at least once a week. After all, I started the blog to document my knitting life and it looks like I'm knitting every day but blog just once in a blue moon.
My Christmas knitting was light this time, I did not plan too many projects and I could squeeze in a "Christmas garden".
The little Christmas trees looke fabulous on the mantle but the lightning was not good enough for a picture.
So here it is for me to enjoy:

Christmas Garden
and anohter view

Granny knitting

I knitted the cardigan for my grandaughter and the good thing about knitting for your grandchildren is that they will accept your knitted garments and like them and they'll brag about them.
How can I ask for more?!


I liked it when I finished it, I tried to embelish it - not much, just a little bit and I took some pictures.

I was really proud!

The buttons were sunflowers and a lady bug and a bee will remind her of summer during the cold season.



But the moment when I was really proud to be a knitting grandmother was when I saw her wearing it:

Bad cold and easy knitting

I have a bad cold and I strongly believe I got it by reading yarnharlot's blog. She was able to give us the sock knitting bug via blog, why not the cold bug?
I'm all bundled up, drinking linden tea and choosing something easy to knit - I'm not able to follow any chart or pattern right now. I'm finishing a newborn hat and I hope to feel much better by the time it's done.

Missing out on Rhinebeck

Everybody has a knitting blog and I decided to start mine as soon as I take part to that crucial knitting event that will completely change my (knitting) life. So, I waited. Getting the invitation to join Ravelry was very close to become the starting point but I got so busy checking patterns, groups, uploading projects and taking pictures and there was no time left to start my blog.

This weekend was Rhinebeck weekend. I suddenly realized: all knitters, spinners, weavers I know and bloggers I admire are there. And I am not! This is knitting-life shattering, I'm sobbing and knitting and starting my blog.

For the record: here are some knitting events that were important for me:

• Jane Ellison's workshop at The Yarn Boutique in Toronto - she introduced us to her Mirasol Collection and we had the opportunity to see and touch all knitted garments from her first book. The designs are beautiful and the yarn is fabulous. We also knitted the Carlos Gloves - easy to knit with the luxurious Hacho (100% Merino wool, hand dyed) but some sewing involved.

• Amy Singer - Tuscany Shawl Workshop - at Alterknit Cafe and Yarn Emporium - when I discovered a new side of knitting lace and I struggled through the pattern with my slippery yarn. One day I'll finish it!