News

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of fear, anxiety, research, questions and more fear. A recurring swelling on our 8 year old daughter’s clavicle turned out not to be related to an incident on a trampoline two years ago. After repeated visits to doctors, who assured us first that it was the bone healing from a fracture, then that it was sternoclavicular joint sprain, we saw our doctor again in the middle of a flare up of her pain, just so he knew what was happening and to see if there was a more effective pain medication we could give her. She was having trouble sleeping, not able to participate in gym class and obviously in a great deal of pain. This time the doctor knew there was something wrong and sent us for x-rays again. When we got called to go in the next day, I was a little alarmed that it was so soon, but expected to be told that the x-ray had shown nothing and that they needed to do some other tests or scans. We met at the doctor’s office and were both stunned to be told that the news was not good. There was an abnormal growth on her clavicle and we needed to prepare ourselves for a very challenging few months of trips to Children’s Hospital. The upshot was that the doctor feared it was some kind of bone cancer and that the signs had been missed. He did not think it was infection.

Once the initial shock passed, I started researching infections of the bone, rather than focusing on the worst case scenario. There would be time enough for that later, but I think I needed to fill my head with something other than thoughts of cancer, chemotherapy and radiation. I never for a moment stopped thinking about what was happening, but the intellectual challenge of reading academic medical journals and research papers and learning new terminology helped me handle the situation.  I came across a condition/disorder/disease that seemed to match up well with Philippa’s symptoms. A CT scan and full skeletal bone scan suggested that we were on the right track. The phrase used was ‘clavicular cortical hyperostosis’, which I found in the literature I had been reading. Pip has a ‘mixed sclerotic and lytic expansile lesion with some erosion of the  clavicular head at the sternoclavicular joint’. For whatever reason, new layers of bone are being formed and the bone is expanding.

Yesterday we visited the orthopaedics specialist at Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. Whilst the initial concern was that it could be a malignancy, the specialist confirmed that she has a relatively rare disorder/condition known as Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis. It is also know as Chronic Non-bacterial Osteomyelitis, along with a few other terms.  The doctor admitted that it is rather embarrassing that they know so little about it.

Although biopsies are often done to rule out other issues, the specialist considers them to cause unnecessary suffering without adding to the knowledge about the condition. Unfortunately, the doctors don’t know definitively what causes it, how long it will last, whether it will appear elsewhere, when she will have another flare up or if the bone will fully remodel over time. They don’t know whether it is auto-immune or auto-inflammatory in nature. There is no cure, but she is responding well to the medication and will go for another check-up and more scans in two months. In the meantime, she will resume the activities of any other nine year old.

They do know that it is a self-limiting condition that can have a duration of 2-25 years. Some people will only ever have one bone affected, for others it will appear at multiple sites (multifocal). Philippa’s clavicle is the only bone affected at present. It is a disease of childhood and affects girls far more often than boys. The pain can be severe, but then it subsides for a few weeks before flaring up again.

All through this, Philippa has been her normal, happy, healthy self.  She endured hours of scans without complaint and was very matter-of-fact about spending her birthday making a trip to the hospital. Now that we know it will be a couple of months before her next scans, she is excited to be getting her ears pierced, something she has been looking forward to for years! All things considered, this is the best possible outcome and our minds are much more at ease now that we know more or less what is happening.

If anyone is interested in learning more about it, I will add links to some of the articles.

Business will continue as normal, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss a custom order project bag or handbag. 🙂

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100 Mile Fleece and Fibre Fair

It has been a busy spring chez Pip ‘n’ Milly Creations. Between all the usual family things like school, swimming lessons, gymnastics, gardening, Lego-building, movie-watching, story-reading, bike-riding and more, I’ve continued working on sewing orders, test knitting and doing some of my own knitting. I was also fortunate enough to attend a weekend workshop on Estonian lace knitting with Nancy Bush. What an awesome, inspiring weekend that was! There have been a few birthdays, lots of weeding, tending to chickens and pondering plans for the summer ahead.

The immediate plan is to finish getting ready for the 100 Mile Fleece and Fibre event which takes place on Sunday 26th May at the Bradley Centre, just east of Coombs on beautiful Vancouver Island. I attended last year and was instantly smitten. It was the first event where I really, truly felt at home and that I had found my place. Everyone who attends, from the vendors to the visitors, is passionate about fibre, textiles and handmade. They really ‘get’ what it is all about. It was a fantastic experience to be surrounded by so much energy and enthusiasm.

I will be bringing a selection of my fabulous, unique, one of a kind project bags in small, medium, large and jumbo. Of course, I am always happy to take custom orders for project bags, messenger bags, handbags etc. Gift certificates are also available.

So – you really should plan on coming to the show! Hope to see you there.

DATE: Sunday, May 26, 2013 Hours: Open to public 9:30 am to 3:00 pm

WHERE Bradley Center, 975 Shearme Rd, 1 mile east of Coombs on the Port Alberni Hwy (4A)

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MIWS stash and destash event

The Mid-Island Weavers and Spinners Guild is hosting their biennial sale event tomorrow, March 16th, from 9.30am to 1pm at St Paul’s Anglican Church, 100 Chapel Street, Nanaimo. There will be a variety of vendors selling everything from fleeces, fibre, books, equipment to handmade products such as artisan soap, bags and more.

Pip ‘n’ Milly will be there, with a selection of one of a kind project bags. As most of you know, the majority of my work is made to order, but a couple times a year I attend a show like this. I love the feeling of community – and the opportunity to enhance my own stash!

One of a kind project bags, designed and made by Fiona Ballard of Pip 'n' Milly Creations

One of a kind project bags, designed and made by Fiona Ballard

Hope to see you there!

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Laura Nelkin KAL on Ravelry – with prizes!

Designer Laura Nelkin is hosting a 3-month-long knitalong in her Ravelry group, featuring weekly and monthly prizes for participants. I love Laura’s designs – might have something to do with our mutual fondness for beads! I have donated a one of a kind Pip ‘n’ Milly project bag as the prize for next week. It is the medium size and the winner will be able to choose from the stock I have on hand at that point next week. As many people know, I make the majority of my pieces to order, so I don’t keep a vast inventory. This way everything is fresh and new, even for me!

I may have mentioned before how much I love these project bags. They are unique to Pip ‘n’ Milly and a wonderful addition to any knitter’s collection. Frankly, the work of our hands is too precious to be shoved into a Ziploc bag! The clear vinyl front allows you to see what project is inside and also makes it easy to refer to the pattern. If I have to wait around at any time, I can easily hang the bag on my wrist and continue knitting.

These are the sizes and dimensions available as standard:

The small is approximately 8.5″ wide, 5.5″ tall and 3.5″ deep across the gusset. Small is perfect for hats and socks (especially if you use balls of yarn, as opposed to skeins that you wind). The gusset depth is designed to nicely fit a wound skein. $25Cdn

The medium is 9.5″ wide, 7.25″ tall and 3.5″ deep. This size is incredibly versatile and many people use it as their go-to size for socks, colourwork, shawls, scarves etc. $30Cdn

The large is 13.5″ wide, 9.75″ tall and 3.5″ deep. The large will fit a printed full size pattern or most pattern books, as well as sweater projects, shawls etc. $45Cdn

Special order versions are available on request. Size, features and prices on request.

Med size project bags for Laura Nelkin KAL

Med size project bags for Laura Nelkin KAL

Front view of med size project bags for Laura's Nelkin's KAL

Front view of med size project bags for Laura’s Nelkin’s KAL

 

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Happy Halloween!

Today I am reminded how grateful I am for the fact that the local malls host trick or treating. The weather is absolutely dreadful right now and going door to door would be a wet and miserable experience – for me, if not for the children! So, they set off this morning in their costumes (one made by me, one purchased – moderation in all things, I say!) and will be having a day filled with fun, candy and not much school work. We’ll have a quick run around the mall, admire all the creativity, then head to Grandma’s house, where she will have decorated for our own private party. She loves to put on a spooky spread, dress up and transform the living room. We love her enthusiasm!

Halloween costumes, Professor Trelawney and a vampire

Professor Trelawney and vampire

My favourite part of Halloween is probably carving pumpkins. I wish my artistic abilities were up to the task of freehand-drawing my own designs, but alas, no! I use patterns and a carving kit – much easier and safer than a kitchen knife.

Pumpkins 2012

Pumpkins 2012

Of course, Halloween is not the only thing that has been going on around here. I’ve been working on custom orders for handbags and project bags, and knitting a couple of hats to be sent off to our niece in England. I’ve also just started on a test knit for Lynette Meek, which will become the next knit-along on Ravelry. I always know that I will learn something new from Lynette’s patterns and this is no exception. It is going to be stunning. How can it not be, with camel/silk yarn and shiny beads?! If you are up for a challenge, check out Lynette’s previous KALs – Dark of the Morning and Roses, Roses. Beautiful, beaded lace designs that are seriously impressive.

This is the bag I just finished for a returning customer, a black shoulder bag with a bright and beautiful interior, pockets and a key clip.

Black shoulder bag

Black shoulder bag

Interior of black shoulder bag

interior of black shoulder bag

My project bags continue to be popular and would make a great gift for the knitters in your life. One can never have too many project bags – and I am speaking from experience! I’ve increased the depth of the gusset, so that skeins of yarn, wound into balls, will sit nicely on the bottom of the bag. The smaller gusset is still available for those who tend to buy or use the smaller balls. The two in the photo are special order bags with needle pockets.

Small and large special order project bags

Small and large special order project bags

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Knit City 2012

When I heard that there was going to be a fibre festival in Vancouver, I was pretty excited, as you may imagine. When I found out that Kate Atherley (wisehilda), Kim McBrien (indigodragonfly yarns) and Felicia Lo (SweetGeorgia Yarns) were going to be there as well, I was doubly excited and started planning how I was going to make it happen. Initially, I was going to go over just for the marketplace on the Saturday and head home again. Now, we live on Vancouver Island, a 1.5 hour ferry ride and 45 minute bus ride away from Vancouver. The venue was further away than that, so I/we would probably be on the first ferry in the morning and be heading home on the penultimate ferry. All doable so far. Then I heard about the Kick-off party planned for the Friday night, where vendors, attendees, volunteers would be gathering for some pre-show relaxation and to hear talks by KP Werker and Sylvia Olsen. How could I not go to that?? So then the planning began! We have two young daughters who were delighted with the chance to stay with grandma, and she was happy to have them, even though her best friend in all the world was arriving from England on the Saturday afternoon.

You might begin to understand my excitement about all this when you know that I test knit for Kate and Felicia, communicate with them on Twitter and had never met them in person. I knew they would be really busy during the show itself and this would be a good opportunity to meet them – and ask Kate to sign my copy of her book! I know, I know, it’s all a bit fan-girl!  There was also the fact that I had borrowed Sylvia’s book, Working with Wool, from the library three times in a row and I really wanted to hear her speak. Better yet, if I could get hold of a copy of her book, I had a wonderful Christmas present sorted for my Mum! I was also very keen to meet Kim from indigodragonfly, as I have been coveting her yarns. There were many other people that I wanted to see, but these four were what spurred me on.

To cut a really long story short, my husband and I headed over to Vancouver for the party and to attend the marketplace on the Saturday. I took 4 hours to get from our house to the hotel, where we rested briefly before heading out to Commercial Drive to the venue, which was much larger than I had expected. I was very glad he was with me, as I don’t know Vancouver at all and my days of travelling around a big city are long behind me. Of course, being very keen, we were a bit early, but it turned out I knew one of the volunteers and also got to talk knitting with other people that were there. The talks were excellent, the turnout was fantastic and it was wonderful to be in a room full of people who share my passion for fibre and yarn and making things with it!

The fabulous Amanda and Fiona, the organizers of the show, went above and beyond in helping me get hold of a copy of Working with Wool through Baaad Anna’s, a yarn store in Vancouver. Sylvia signed it for me and I can hardly wait for Christmas now, so I can give it to Mum, who will be as thrilled as I was!

I know I am name dropping, but over the weekend I met Kim McBrien, Felicia Lo, Kate Atherley, Kim Werker, Sylvia Olsen, Amanda and Fiona, Jane Richmond, Shannon Cook from luvinthemommyhood, Trish Moon from Indigo Moon Yarn, Richard and Elizabeth Ashford (!!), Liz Abinante aka Feministy, plus many other warm and wonderful people. I wish we had taken more photos, but I was too excited and taking everything in to really think about that! We even arrived early enough to get the ‘swag bag’ available for the first 50 people through the door! Yes, my husband is truly wonderful for his support and … endurance!

Vancouver fibre festival, marketplace

Knit City Marketplace

Of course, no matter how much yarn I buy, I always wish I had bought just one more! At least one more. Now I think of it, there are at least three more skeins I would have liked to add to the collection. We also saw a wonderful carder and a loom that might eventually become part of the textiles equipment in our home! Here’s a photo of Elizabeth Ashford helping me with a little bit of weaving:

Me with Elizabeth Ashford, weaving on a Knitter's Loom

Me with Elizabeth Ashford, weaving on a Knitter's Loom

Richard and Elizabeth own the company that makes the world-renowned Ashford spinning wheels. I’m the proud owner of an Ashford Traveller, so it was a real delight to meet them both. Richard was demonstrating a wheel that is for spinning very bulky weight yarn and asked if I wanted to try. I normally knit with laceweight, so that is what I spin. Trying to spin bulky is not so easy after months of spinning very fine yarn, but I tried!

Me with Richard Ashford, spinning yarn

Me with Richard Ashford

Me with Richard Ashford, spinning yarn

Me with Richard Ashford

You may notice that I am wearing a particularly lovely shawl. It was the Roses, Roses wrap designed by Lynette Meek and this was its first outing, after being on display at Mad About Ewe. It is a truly beautiful piece and I was really proud to be able to show it off. 🙂

beaded lace shawl

Rose, Roses wrap

All in all, it was a fabulous outing and I’m already looking forward to the next one. I might even take a class next time, but for now, I’m heading to my happy place next to my yarn collection!

 

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Catching up

I would be catching up a little faster, but I accidentally deleted the post I just wrote. Frustrating beyond belief, when I finally get round to writing something! Believe me when I say it was thrilling and entertaining… 🙂

Anyway, the general point was that we spend our lives rushing from one errand or project or appointment to the next and don’t often have – or take – the time to sit back and contemplate all that we have done. Since I injured my back, I am getting a little better at considering things, rather than rushing headlong into whatever idea has popped into my head. This doesn’t always translate into knitting, as I want to knit all the things! It does mean that I don’t do as much gardening as I used to and I don’t automatically move boulders anymore!

My husband spent months researching chickens and chicken coops before he designed and built a beautiful coop and run for our three heritage breed chickens. He (we) did a fantastic job and they have a great home and are happy healthy birds. They are Willow, a Buff Orpington; Leia, our Ameraucana; and Padme, a gloriously glossy Rhode Island Red.

large chicken coop and run

Heritage breed chickens: Ameraucana, Rhode Island Red, Buff Orpington

Our chickens

 

They are reliable layers and we get three different colours of egg from them – and haven’t had to buy eggs from the shop for months. We might have to over the winter, as they will lay less then. Did you know that chickens love grapes and melon?

We had a pretty fabulous, but brief, trip to England earlier this year, but we weren’t able to see all the family, so we’ve kept quiet about it. It was our first trip in 7 years and we needed to spend time with certain people and relax as much as possible. It was an important trip for the girls, as they are both old enough to enjoy and remember it. Here are a couple of my favourite photos.

Annis shawl and coordinating messenger bag

Annis and messenger bag

Lol! How could I not include a photo of the bag I made myself for our trip, along with the shawl I knit to coordinate with the bag! I spent more time considering what knitting I was going to take than I did packing everything else! Whether I would be able to knit on the plan was also an issue – I was able to knit all the way there, but not allowed to carry knitting on the plane for the return journey. The bag is, of course, one I designed myself and the shawl is Annis by Susanna IC, one of my favourite designers. This was the first time I had attempted nupps – tricky at first, considering you have to purl 7 stitches together!

Sheep in field, church in background

Braunston

Braunston Marina

Braunston Marina

me, Pip, Milly and Si

BFFs

Philippa discovered the joy of Beano comics

Philippa and her beloved Beano

Brian loved Beano comics when he was a boy and saved a box-full. The girls both love them and they were a priority when it came time to pack for home. Now we have to find some Beano annuals to add to the collection. They are convinced Santa will be able to find them…

When we got back, I got straight into test knitting for the fabulous Kate Atherley, whose new book will be out sometime this fall – with my name in it!! The girls dismissed it as ‘only a knitting book’, but I’m still pretty excited about it. Some of my knitting has also appeared in Vogue Knitting, which I am completely thrilled about. Imagine how excited I will be if I ever get in it as a designer!

A major project this summer was the knit-along with Lynette Meek. We work really well together – she designs and I do the test knitting and help moderate the group on Ravelry. I am so pleased that she took a leap of faith in trusting my newly fledged skills! This was our second KAL together and we’re going to be working on another one this fall, more lace and beads! This time I will be working with some yarn I have been coveting, Handmaiden’s Marrakesh, a stunning blend of silk and baby camel. The project this summer was called Edging the Pink and I used the beautiful SeaSilk Lace yarn from SweetGeorgia yarns in Vancouver. The project used about 2300 beads and turned out amazing, if I do say so myself! It is currently on display at Mad About Ewe, but I’m borrowing it back to wear to the KnitCity kick-off party this weekend. (Squee!!!!)

Pink wrap, knit in SeaSilk Lace from SweetGeorgia Yarns

Edging the Pink wrap

Edging the Pink wrap, knit in 2 colours of SeaSilk Lace from SweetGeorgia Yarns

Edging the Pink wrap

I also did some sewing this summer, including this gorgeous custom order knitting bag:

Pink and orange batik fabric used for custom order knitting bag with bamboo handles

Knitting bag for L.

Doing this post has made me realize how much has happened over the last few months! It is almost time to make the morning tea, so I’ll leave it there and post a little more later, as I haven’t even reached the jam-making yet!

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The importance of blocking

When I first started knitting last year, I had no clue what blocking was or how to do it. Essentially, blocking means soaking your finished piece, then shaping in out to the proper size, pinning it in place and allowing it to dry. As I mostly knit lace, blocking is crucial in that it opens up the lace patterns to display them to full effect. I might skip blocking for a toque/hat, but never for a shawl or scarf. Here is a quick example, starting with a photo of what the piece looked like as I finished knitting it. This is Abrazo by Susanna IC, a designer of many beautiful lace projects. I knit this for a friend, using a baby alpaca/mulberry silk blend and frosted glass beads.

Abrazo shawl, before blocking

Abrazo shawl, before blocking

I soak my projects in warm water, with a little bit of Eucalan. ‘Soak’ is another no-rinse wool wash that comes highly recommended.

This next photo shows how I blocked it out on foam mats from Costco. I bought this set of mats, as it has 8 mats, rather than the 4 I was using previously. It allows for greater flexibility and having them all the same colour, rather than the multi-coloured set I had before, makes for less distraction if I want to take a picture of my project at this stage.

Abrazo shawl pinned out on foam mats for blocking

Abrazo shawl, blocking

Here is the finished item, ready for the lovely Isabel, who has been so very kind in welcoming me into her home and sharing her fibre-y knowledge.

Beaded Abrazo shawl, finished

Beaded Abrazo shawl, finished

 

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Three cheers

Another year is winding down has wound down and I’ve put all other hand-occupying things aside to try to put together a post to fill in a LONG, quiet period! What to say? Well, I might just work backwards this time and wish you all a belated Merry Christmas AND a Happy New Year! I hope the pressures of the season were light, your joy great and that you were able to spend time with the people you love most.

We had a wonderful, fun and mostly relaxing Christmas. We don’t have an extended family here, just the four of us and my Mum, but my younger brother surprised us all by arriving the week before! He had been travelling in Borneo and it was our great good fortune that he decided to come spend Christmas with us. The girls have been unbelievably excited to have their uncle here, especially one who is so good at playing crazy games, being silly, eating endless fake food etc.

His arrival was particularly good timing, as I had ‘spinal decompression surgery’ on December 21st. The girls had to stay with Mum and my brother while we travelled to the city where the neurosurgery unit is located. Many of you will know that I have been suffering from the effects of a herniated disc for nearly three years. It has been utterly debilitating at times, a little less at others, but unrelenting in all that time. My sewing chair has been a refuge, as it caused less pain than other seats in the house. We finally found a chair I could sit in and I have spent time sitting with the family – or more often than not, laying on the couch, falling asleep! Anyway, to cut a long story short, I had the microdiscectomy surgery on December 21st to remove the herniated material. The operation was a success in terms of alleviating the pressure on the sciatic nerve. Time will tell whether I will regain reflexes or normal skin sensation after years of damage to the nerves. The post-operative pain was immense, but is improving day by day. I think 2012 will be an awesome year! ETA There is still some pain in my backside and hip, particularly at night, but all in all I am feeling much better.

I have continued to design and sew and have participated in select events throughout the year, most notably The Treasure Chest series, run by Kate and Brooke of Hudson & Saige. These local business fairs feature a range of high-quality, locally owned businesses and I’m proud to be a part of their continuing presence in the Nanaimo area. It has been wonderful to meet new people and share the Pip ‘n’ Milly vision. It is pretty exciting that a number of Pip ‘n’ Milly products will have been unwrapped in the last few days!

My personal goal for 2011 was to learn to knit properly. I’ve been able to do very basic knit/purl rectangles since I was a child, but was stumped by the complexity of patterns and the secret language of knitting abbreviations. No longer! I started in February and am genuinely thrilled with how much I have learned. I see no end to this passion, which is a good thing, as I have accumulated a large stash of needles, yarn, fibre, notions and a never-ending list of things I want to make. Knitting is, for now, mostly a selfish pursuit, as I knit for myself. If sewing is time-consuming and labour-intensive, knitting is doubly so. However, I did knit a beautiful pair of socks for my brother for Christmas, to help him cope with the change in temperature from Borneo to the West Coast of Canada. Included in the photos are just a few of the things I had the pleasure of making in 2011.

2012 has been a great year thus far. While I struggle to think of things to write for blog posts, that struggle does not extend to actually making things. I have continued knitting and sewing and have now added spinning to my fibre passions. It is something I have long wanted to do, but I guess the timing wasn’t quite right before. I am now the proud owner of two spinning wheels, which were purchased from long-time spinners who have bought new wheels. I have an Ashford Traveller from New Zealand and a Canadian made Lendrum. No doubt I will be posting about my yarn-making endeavours in the future. However, I would rather be doing it than writing about it, so I’m off to ply some singles now!

Fiona

 

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Slow down!

Time is passing by far too quickly! Slow down, world, I’ve got lots to do! Hard to believe that we are approaching the end of October, Halloween is almost here and that means Christmas can’t be too far behind. I am working on orders, planning some new designs, trying to remember to write lists for everything and getting pushed off my chair by the things the children pile there for repair or alterations! Considering my love of handmade and my ability to put together Halloween costumes, I am a little embarrassed to admit that the girls will both be wearing bought ones this year! They are going as Queen Lucy and High King Peter from The Chronicles of Narnia. I’m not sure how many people will understand that, but the girls do and that’s what matters. (We did try to persuade Milly to be Aslan, but no luck there!)

The weather has become decidedly autumnal – and by that I mean that it is chilly and raining. The upside is that I can definitely justify wearing the results of my knitting challenge – scarves, shawls, hats and gloves. As it is “Socktober”, I really ought to be working on some socks, but I have so many other projects on my needles at the moment that the socks will have to wait. I’m doing another test knit for a designer at the moment (third designer, fourth project), so my own projects are languishing in their respective WIP pouches – which, incidentally, I need to make more of!

This is one of the knitting projects I have completed:

Dolcetto shawl in "Vermillion" by Madeline Tosh

Dolcetto

This is ‘Dolcetto‘, designed by Dani Berg and featured in the Fall issue of Knitcircus magazine. I was fortunate enough to win the pattern collection and started with this beauty. I knit it in Madeline Tosh ‘Toshlight’ in the Vermillion colourway.

I have also knit a couple of purple hats for the Click for Babies Purple Cap Campaign to raise awareness of shaken baby syndrome.

In order to compensate a distraught child after she realized we had sold the play kitchen, I knit this lacy, ruffled scarf with beaded cast off in a really soft, pretty yarn. Did she know about selling the kitchen (two months ago)? Yes. Has she worn the scarf yet? No.

Knitted pink lacy, ruffled scarf with beaded cast off

Ruffle scarf with beaded cast off

I have actually done some sewing, too! Here is a large yoga bag I made for someone who has trouble rolling her mat tightly enough to fit in a regular yoga mat bag.

Yoga mat bag

Yoga mat bag

Black and white messenger bag

Black and white messenger bag

Interior of black and white messenger bag

Interior of black and white messenger bag

These two shots are of a custom order messenger bag. The exterior is plain black, but in a beautiful, soft, yet heavyweight fabric, whilst the interior is in a combination of black and white prints. The lack of vibrant colour is a bit of a departure for me, but I think it is fabulous and the new owner is delighted! The bag has an adjustable strap with the new deluxe hardware, a side release clip closure and padded pockets and a zippered pocket under the flap. The interior features two key clips, a cellphone pocket and expandable pockets for the particular things this lady carries. It also has a water bottle holder and a magazine pocket on the rear of the bag.

I will be participating in the Treasure Chest Christmas Extravaganza at the Costin Hall in Lantzville on Saturday, 3rd December. It will be a fabulous event and we will be partnering with the Child Development Centre in our “Share the Magic” campaign! We will be collecting donations of unwrapped toys, clothes, and other gift donations to share with families of the Child Development Centre. Admission and refreshments are free and there will be a great selection of quality vendors. Mark it on your calendars and come join in the fun!

 

 

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