New Items Are Just Over the Horizon!

WIP: SSP (3.33333/9 complete)

So, a few of the projects I'm working on right now aren't completely under wraps...And that bigger bag is one of them!

I've upsized my medium (sock/small project) wedge bag to become a sweater bag, and the retro Marvel print is the product of this! I will have a lot more prints available with an update planned for the beginning of October (this Marvel one is the prototype, to make sure I had the sizing and such right...which I did, first try and everything - I was quite pleased!). Keep an eye on my Instagram for more prints as they become available - this is also a good location to see works-in-progress and the daily life of Nekozuki Yarns!

In other news, I have become much more active over on Tumblr! I have been on there for awhile, but really only started using it again last week. This is a bit more random than either my Pinterest or Instagram, so you may find that you enjoy it more.

And...Calgary has had it's first snowfall of autumn, which is quite sad. I was hoping for a respite to warmer temperatures this month, and although I see that this weekend is supposed to be nice, the fact that snow is already sticking to rooftops is quite disheartening. But it does mean that I get to stay inside and knit on the SSP without feeling guilty! (And the faster I get the SSP done, the sooner I can get the project bag sewing started and done!)

Fingers crossed that it does warm up a bit! I'm not ready to be done with summer quite yet.

Katie =^..^=

All the Projects Are Under Wraps

WiP: Super Secret Project (that is all)
In the plans: Another super secret project

That's right. Everything I am knitting right now is under wraps, but I still have a few things to chat about.

I'm heading into the busy season, but the good news is that I do have slipper stock that will be heading into the shop by mid-September (I need to seam and wash and photograph them still! haha). I'm also starting into prepping bag stock, because, excellent news, there's going to be a fibre arts show in Calgary on November 8! Details are still getting firmed up, but I wanted to let everyone know.

Watch for previews of the fabrics that will be available at the show, and if I have remainders after, they will be posted between November 9 and November 15 (just in time to get them for Christmas gifts)!

So keep your eyes peeled! Until then, have fun!

Katie =^..^=

And Now, Kind of Back to the Regularly Scheduled Program

WiP: Non-Felted Slippers, super secret project (ssp)
In the Plans: SSPs (yes, plural), and more non-felted slippers

We did it! Dallas and I are married. And here is a picture to prove it:

 

You can just barely see my rings. But they're there! Everything went amazingly well, and it was definitely the best day of my life (so far). It was perfect! I'll share some photos of the decorations/interior after we've shown the photos to our parents. 

For our first honeymoon, we went to Victoria (our second honeymoon is Walt Disney World). We visited three different yarn shops, which was fantastic, and they've now pointed Ogden Point. The most impressive on to me was the thunderbird, which went from the edge to the ocean!

We also went whale watching, where we saw a whole pod of orcas! I have some really cool photos from that as well that I can share as soon as I actually get them off my camera.

I honestly think I might still be a touch burnt out from this whole planning and executing of a wedding, even after a month.

But, that doesn't mean I haven't already planned out stock and done a few fun things.

Like spinning silk hankies! I got these at the Olds Fibre Fest in June 2013 and decided that it was time to finally get them on the wheel. Sooooo much fun, and they are spinning so amazingly. They're indie-dyed by Luscious Luxury (Barbara Robinson) out of Rossland, BC! (It looks like the best way to get your hands on some of her gorgeous hand-dyed yarn will be to contact her via email.) This is her "peacock" set, so I'm going to spin all three colours and then navajo-ply them to get a kind of short-striped gradient. 

And this, my friends, is the start of the crazy Christmas season stocking that I've started. This picture is of one of my own wedge project bags* filled with a pair of slippers that I have already completed! (The picture was taken yesterday (August 18, 2014), and I finished the slippers last night. So, if you see anything you like, let me know! Twitter and Instagram are the best places to get up-to-the minute updates of what I'm doing right now. 

And on that note, I should be more present on the blog here (hopefully) - I'm aiming for one a week right now, so we'll see what happens. hahaha

Have fun!

Katie =^..^=

*This "Kitschy Kats" bag is available here (along with others): Wedge Bags! That bag is currently holding a skein of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick, just to give you an idea of how large it is - it will also work for two-at-a-time (or one-at-a-time) mittens, socks, and etc. I would even say small baby items or small to medium shawls would fit quite nicely.

Hiatus: July 9 to August 5

Hello, lovelies~!

I'm taking an official hiatus from the blog from July 9 to August 5th so that I can focus on the rest of my wedding and fully enjoy my honeymoon!

However, I will have lots of new goodies for you starting this fall, as I expand my product offerings to include more knitted/fulled geeky items!

Hope your have a wonderful month, and I'll talk to you all soon.

Katie =^..^=

Making Things!

WiPs: My Hope; Non-Felted (Chunky) Slippers

I am swamped right now, and probably will be for the next few weeks! (Just over three weeks to the wedding!) So, please enjoy these pictures!

Felted Hair Bows - not quite finished, but I will be adding these to my shop offerings this fall!

These are the table runners that I narrow-hemmed from authentic Indonesian batik. They'll be paired with the Japanese obi I showed you a few weeks ago!

One pair of chunky slippers, coming right up! These will also be in the shop closer to fall (once the wedding madness has died down); these chunky knit slippers make the perfect Christmas gift, and they fit up to a woman's size 10 minimum - they've got enough stretch that they would probably fit up to woman's size 11.

And finally, some knitting for myself - I'm swatching for the Pont Neuf Cardigan by Emily Wessel, although I'm not 100% sure this will end up being that cardigan or the Rapunzel sweater by Anne Podlesak (which was the original plan for this yarn)...So we'll see. I REALLY want the Rapunzel sweater, so I'll probably end up sticking with that original plan.

Anyway! Hope you all have a lovely week, and I hope to be able to update at least for the next two weeks. I will be on hiatus from July 15 to August 5, minimum. But there will be some awesome updates after that!

Have fun!

Katie =^..^=

That Yarn Looked Tamer in the Skein...

WiP: Cozy Calligraphy Cardigan (nearly done - just knitting the buttonhole band); My Hope by Laura Linneman in Zitron Dreiklang (It looked Tamer in the Skein)

This past week and weekend have been so up and down it's been crazy! Between work, and a bridal tea, I had very little time to sit down and knit on anything most days.

However, I made a special point of it on Sunday - I sat around the house (inside and out) and knit on my Calligraphy Cardigan so that I could get the sleeves done (which I did) and start on the button band (which I also did). Reading through Harry Potter has definitely given me something to do while I'm going about mindless stockinette or 2x2 ribbing! haha

< This was Sunday morning as I was starting. 

This is Laura Linneman's My Hope, a pattern that I thought would look really good with this yarn. It is looking fantastic so far (I'm on the next garter stitch section), but the yarn for this shawl, as the title suggests, looked a lot tamer in the skein. I have to decide on beads for this - I'm thinking something that will shine down at the bottom of the cast off, where it's supposed to be beaded. 

These are my first knits from my handspun! I've had this yarn in my stash for about a year and finally decided it was time to use it. The yarn is a bit crunchy, because I over spun/plied in places, and it's a 3-ply, but they'll do for a pair of mittens during the fall when it's not quite full mitten weather yet. I cast on, knit, did a thumb gusset, and it's a picot bind off on both the hand edge and the thumb edge. I love that they don't match, but still have striping (I did do a good job of not muddying the colours, at least)! 

And these are a pair of boot cuffs for a friend that still need a set of buttons on them. This is a trade for the illustration she drew for Dallas and I for our wedding invitations! :) (I'm also knitting her a cabled pair in orange.)

And finally, our guest book! I purchased this from Watermark Bindery on Etsy. It is gorgeous! Diane and Viktor made sure that all my questions and requests were well looked after - this is handbound and signed by Diane, which I think is awesome. And they did an amazing job of incorporating Dallas and my monogram and date into the front of the book. Super happy with it, and I cannot wait to use it at our wedding!

All in all, an all right week - at least I've gotten lots of knitting done, and I'm NEARLY finished the cardigan - I just started the buttonhole band last night, so I should be finished that by the end of the week/this weekend.

Then this coming weekend I can work on that shawl and the table runners. Less than 6 weeks to the wedding! We're right at the place I wanted to be by this point in time, or else I would be panicking.

On that note, who else is doing Stash Dash 2014??

Katie =^..^=

Starting Stash Dash 2014!

WiP: Boot Cuffs for a friend; Calligraphy Cardigan

All right, so here's the plan for the summer!

I am participating in The Knit Girllls Stash Dash 2014 (you require a Ravelry account to access this forum).

What Stash Dash means is that any project from May 23 to August 7 that you bind off is counted as using up "stash."

To be qualified for the prizes in this, you have to bind off a total of 5K of yarn, or 5,468yd.

This includes spinning, knitting, crocheting, etc.

This is what I'm at currently: <a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/counter/wFMv8q2/">
<img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wFMv8q2/counter.png"></a>

So, 915/5468. I'm going to put that ticker at the top of the page, so help cheer me on, please!!

My current plans for the rest of the yardage are:

Another pair of boot cuffs (cabled) (Current carry-around project)
Want to finish: Cozy Calligraphy Cardigan ( Calligraphy Cardigan ) - ~2,016 yd

Want to do:
My Hope - 450 yd
Owls - ~830-850 yd
Pont Neuf - ~2,048 yd

Without boot cuffs = Approx. 6,259yd. Yeah! Let's keep our fingers crossed! I would only really need to do the My Hope and the Pont Neuf to reach my goal. But we'll see. I REALLY want that Owls sweater, especially since I have the perfect yarn AND I knit one for my future niece for Christmas last year...It would be super fast. And considering that we're driving out to Victoria for the get away right after the wedding, Pont Neuf/Owls would be perfect to carry with me!!

I may also be working on another top for Florida, too, though. I just found this one: Feather & Fan Ribbed Tee by Judy Croucher

But the benefit to the other three is that I have the stats for it already...And the Feather & Fan Tee would need new yarn...Although I'm going to put it on my list for my birthday. It might have to wait until after the wedding, though. We'll see. haha

Are any of you participating in Stash Dash?

Please keep your fingers crossed for me that I make it!

Katie =^..^=