Holli Yeoh Knits

We found another knitting illustration in a book we borrowed from the library. Since the story has nothing to do with knitting it’s like a little hidden gem to find a bit of knitting hiding between the pages.

I found the book in the fairy tale section of the library and it’s called Three Perfect Peaches. Three brothers take turns  bringing their peaches to an ailing princess in the hopes of curing her and winning her hand in marriage. Along the way they meet an old woman by the side of the road. And she’s knitting in public! She has magical powers and the way the young men treat her influence the magic which she casts over the peaches. It is a fairy tale with a happily ever after ending, however the knitting does not reappear on the later pages.

Although the illustrator, Irene Trivas included separate balls of yarn, each a different colour, I think the knitting looks more like hand-painted. What do you think?

My Tangled Yoke Cardigan is coming along nicely. In fact, it’s almost done. The horizontally running cables were a breeze. Well, except for keeping track of my stitch count and all those repeats over 350+ sts.

My main concern is that the cables seem to pull in a bit and puckering the fabric. I’m going to try swatching the cable section with a larger needle to see if that will help.

My garment labels were ready last week and I just love them! I spent a little extra to have them made with all the colours that are on my business cards. I can’t wait to see them sewn into my samples. (Not excited about doing the sewing though!)

This is the time of year when there are plenty of craft shows to attend. The big one in Vancouver is Circle Craft and two of my friends were selling at the show. Allyson packed up and brought her jewellery all the way from Nova Scotia, where we first met and studied jewellry at art college together. It’s been years since we saw one another.

Carmen of MelonHead KnitWear fame was at the show for the first time and people went crazy for her handknits and crocheted treasures. She has been so busy this craft season that I’ve barely seen her. I have to track her down at the craft shows and farmer’s markets just to touch base. (She’s a captive audience because she can’t leave her booth!) I feel like a stalker. Now that the big one is over, I’m going to try to lure her out for a visit by offering to make her a latte.

I treated myself at the Circle Craft show and bought a porcelain coffee mug from Myriam Bouchard. Lovely work, but no website. You know, I noticed that many (too many) of the exhibitors do not have a web presense. In this day and age, that’s just not a wise business decision.

The following weekend was the first annual One of a Kind show in Vancouver. I had my doubts about it following on the heels of the traditional Circle Craft show and in a stadium (BC Place) to boot. Exhibitors were also not allowed to be in both shows - would there be enough to see? I was very pleasantly surprised. The organizers were able to create a cozy intimate feel and there was a real sense of overall style at the show. Another good friend, Beth was at the show with her lovely quilts, pillows and very sweet bird ornaments, which are the 3-D version of her whimsical embroidered birds.

I love Beth’s work. She’s currently making a quilt for me using Devan’s shirts that he’s outgrown. I saw a sneak peak at the show and it’s wonderful. Beth recently moved to Winnipeg, so attend the show was yet another way for me to keep in touch.

Two out of three of these creative friends live in other provinces and needless to say, I don’t see them very often. So I dedicated the past two weeks of craft shows to going daily to visit with them. I didn’t get much of my own work done, but that’s not important. I was surrounded by creative people showing off their best work.

Thanks to illustrator, Clement Hurd, this little children’s book has a knitting reference in the illustrations. Goodnight Moon is a classic baby/children’s bedtime story and one I read many times to Devan in his early years.

This book doesn’t mention any knitting directly, but the ”quiet old lady who was whispering hush” does have knitting in her lap. Devan and I enjoyed saying goodnight to the knitting along with all the other objects in the child’s room.  Unfortunately it does perpetuate the myth that only grannies knit, but we chose to overlook that point!

I’m clearing out books and toys that Devan has outgrown and selling them at the Family Toy and Clothes Sale this Sunday (Nov. 9, 10-1 pm) at Kitsilano Community Centre. If you’re in the market and in the neighbourhood, I have lots of great books (none with knitting references though - I’m keeping them), clothes and toys.

… I mark stitches! What do you do in a pinch when you need stitch markers and you don’t have them with you? 

I used my wedding and engagement rings! They worked like a charm. I also had added incentive to finish knitting so I could retrieve my rings and get them back on my finger. Now if only that worked with the second sock syndrome.

I love my new business cards. My designer, Denise Tade did a great job and I’ve been having fun handing them to people. Their eyes kind of pop when they see the fun, colourful back.

There has been so much discussion about business names, logos, websites and so forth around here and Devan is soaking it all up like a sponge. He has started designing his own logo for a business he’ll have in the future. We’re not sure yet what his business will entail, but he’s well on his way to establishing a brand!  

This coming weekend I’m teaching four knitting workshops at BC’s Creative Expo at Canada Place in Vancouver. It’s being billed as a consumer education trade show and in addition to classes, seminars and stage shows, there will be a vendor’s mall with 45 exhibitors. Many of the crafts are represented such as scrap booking, quilting, rubber stamping and of course knitting.

On Friday, I’ll be teaching …

… how to knit a lacey beaded scarf with prestrung beads and my favourite, Strategies for Knitting with Self-Patterning Sock Yarns. This class explores stitch patterns that work and those that don’t work with self-patterning yarns as well as the pros and cons of working with them.

On Saturday, I’ll be teaching …

… a cabling class in the morning which is for advanced beginners who would like to know how to cross their stitches. Later in the day I’m teaching the t4echniques for knitting a glove and how to get it to fit. Both thumb gusset and fingers will be addressed and by the end of the class you’ll have the skills you’ll need to make your own glove that fits. The basics for this class are based on my Guess Who? glove pattern. 

For more information on my classes and how to register go to this link.