Yarnland - neat stuff going on out there

I've been spending a fair bit of time in yarnland. I finished my test knit of my Secret Project I mentioned in February with the lovely Woolen Rabbit Muireann.

The photos will be taken tomorrow & I'm looking forward to it. Meanwhile, thanks to the fantastic Free Pattern Testers group on Ravelry, I was able to get the instructions test knit quickly by 6 different people. It was fabulous!

This inspired me to keep an eye out for new projects looking for test knitters. I recently test knit Buttercup for Gégé à la Gomme, (Geneviève in Québec City). I realize the pictures aren't great, but it's such a nice warm hat because of the slipped stitches & the almost double-layered nature.

See the Flickr pictures, as Blogger seems currently unwilling to upload my photos.

The new design that I've seen recently that I haven't been able to get out of my head is Morgan's Flower Garden by Amy Herzog. I think it would be great on Zoé (and she'd probably wear it if I used pink or purple), but I don't know when I'd make it.

And here are some interesting yarny places you can go this week to win stuff:

• Blonde Chicken Tara is looking for some advice on what colours to dye. Are you familiar with Tara? And her new store A Novel Yarn? And all the crafty classes she's been offering? Very interesting stuff & you can find her on Twitter as @blondechicken.
  
  
• Laura Nelkin is giving away 2 copies of Chrissy Gardiner's Toe-up sock book.
  
  
• Wendyknits is giving away copies of her new toe-up sock book.
  

It's a small world

In the world of my secret project things are rushing along. I'm finalizing the last few things & fixing up the pattern.

I can't believe how easy Ravelry and the Free Pattern Testers group are making my life.

Despite not even being able to share a picture(because I'm looking to submit the project to Knitty) within 24 hours of posting my request for test knitters, I had a group of 6 volunteers living in 4 different countries (and on 3 different continents). How cool is that?

Now the questions, corrections & suggestions are flowing. I'm feeling so lucky that all this technology is connecting people with such a strong interest. It makes the world feel like a smaller, friendlier place.

Oh, and the other cool thing this week is that my Ravelry designer page was made viewable to non-Ravelry users. Now all you relatives that read this blog can see what we're talking about!

Next challenge: the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics, Ravelympics (sorry non-Rav folks) start tonight! Oh, and the Vancouver 2010 Olympics too.

Donation made to MSF!

Thanks to all who bought the Chrysler Crown Shawl pattern in January, I was able to make a $75 donation to Médecins Sans Frontières Canada. Just to be really open & clear about this, here's a shot of part of the receipt:


On the weekend I finished my Miralda shawl. Here's how it looked after blocking:



And once again, it was using lovely alpaca/silk laceweight from Silent Valley Alpaca.

And now I'm on to a secret project, to be revealed later on. What I can tell you is that I'm using this lovely silk/linen blend, Muireann in the lovely "Oh Ruby" colour from The Woolen Rabbit. Oh, and beads are involved. The Muireann is delicious stuff to knit with and I'm making excellent progress given that I only started on Saturday.

Ravelry and Help for Haiti

For the knitters out there who are already Ravelry members, there are a large number of designs (over 40 pages of them now) where the designers have pledged at least a portion of the sale towards help for Haiti. Please visit the list and see if there are any patterns there you've been longing to buy.

I've added the Chrysler Crown Shawl to the list of patterns. 50% of sales for January are going to Doctors Without Borders.

$6 CDN

A few of the participating designs and designers that have me tempted are:

• Ysolda Teague (also here)
  
• Melissa Wehrle (also here)
  
• Calm Waters Cowl by Sara Amoroso
  
• Harlow by Kristen Rengren
  
• Connie Chang Chinchio (also here)
  
• Anne Kuo Lukito (Also here)
  
• Miram Felton (aka MimKnits)
  
• Kristen Hanley Cardozo (also here)
  
• Francie by Rebekkah Kerner
  
• Wooly Wormhead (also here)
  

2010: the year of more knitting

It's probably no surprise that I intend to knit in 2010. And why wouldn't I? 2009 was an awesome knitting year. I wrote two free patterns and then finally invented my own lace knitting pattern: the Chrysler Crown Shawl. I'm thrilled with how it turned out, yet still wondering how I can ever match it.

2009 also ended quite well, knitting-wise.

1) I got Romi's fabulous book as a prize from Peggy for pointing them at my Mirage scarf pattern.


2) I made knitted presents for all Zoé's teachers and had no trouble finishing.

3) I made 2 berets from Peruvia. Once I got started on the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret I couldn't stop! And I gave one to Louise.

4) Louise gave me these (Miss May and Spice Market!!!):


I think she's lost her mind, but it's hard to argue when someone is giving you Wollmeise even if you think they shouldn't.

5) I recently read Connie Chang Chinchio's post about a tubular cast on and had a bit of an a-ha moment where this really made sense and made me think of a bought sweater whose edge I couldn't quite puzzle out. This was it!

Looking forward to an excellent 2010!