Looking Forward to Opening Day in Baseball

Here I am watching Spring Training baseball, while knitting and drinking tea. I am so looking forward to the regular season. A great way to spend the afternoon. Right now it's a nice hot cup of tea but when the weather gets warmer it will be iced tea.

I am knitting a new neckwarmer with the stitch I used for the Beverly hat. I got the idea for a simple slim neckwarmer watching a lady at the bus stop one morning. She was wearing a simple stockinette neckwarmer and thought I could do that.

I caught Balou sleeping enjoying some sun. Love how hers paws are crossed.

This is her annoyed look since the sound of the camera woke her up.

How do you like to spend a lazy afternoon? Do you even have one or is it spent catching up on laundry, cleaning and such househols chores?

Heat Wave Over Montreal

We are having a heat wave this week and the poor cats are just spread out wherever they can find a bit of a breeze.  Oddly enough they don't care much for the breeze coming from my fans!

Every summer when the heat picks up I keep thinking I should buy myself an air conditioner but then I never do. When I moved in over 20 years ago, there was an air conditioner in my living room. Sadly, whenever I turned it on it would blow a fuse. So, I asked my landlord to take it out but he couldn't since they threw away the window contour when they installed the air conditioner. I was stuck with it until the windows were finally changed 4 years ago.

I'm probably still not going to get one this year. Hey, maybe next year!

In spite of the heat wave I have spent most of my time knitting.  I am working on a new infinity scarf and thankfully I let it rest on my kitchen table while I knit. This way I don't have it heating up my body.

I have already finished one in mustard yellow and this is the cranberry red! I find it turned out really nice and so does my Mom! I tried it on and showed her on Skype. But then again don't mother's like everything we do?





Red knit infinity scarf

Taking Control of my Weekends

I hate when it's Monday morning and wonder where the weekend went. All the different errands and things I should have done but didn't. The lazing around when I actually had important things to do : take photos of finished works, finish the last few rows on a project, etc. 

Weekends are meant to be leisurely but I need to get work done for the Knits By Nat shop and the Knits By Nat Designs shop. Patterns are not going to magically write themselves.  Photos of my knit items are not going to be taken by themselves. And if I really mean it when I say I want Knits By Nat to be my main source of income then weekends have to be controlled better.

Actually it's more than "a" project right now that just needs a few rows to be part of the finished pile. I have quite a few projects started at work and needing to be finished like a few Beverly hats, some Stacey hats as well. I have quite a few scarves to finish so they can become Ready to Ship instead of Made to Order in my Etsy shop.

I was up and about early this morning, starting yet another Beverly Hat.  This time I am knitting it in a light grey yarn.  It should be finished later today while I watch some baseball on mlb.tv. 

Soft Grey Beverly Hat

Tomorrow should be the day I take photos of my finished items and add them to the shop.

Do you sometimes feel that weekends just pass you by?  That Mondays get here too quickly?

Early Morning Knitting

I have always loved knitting early in the morning when it's quiet.  I find it just starts a day well, not in the "I've been productive" way.  It's more about doing something relaxing before the workday starts.  Knitting is still a very relaxing pastime for me even though I knit a lot for the shop.

This morning I started knitting the new hat I created last week in taupe heather.  It's what I want to knit on my way to work and I always make sure I'm at the beginning of a project.  You never know when the métro will stop and don't want to run out of knitting project.  It happened once and I'm prepared now!  I also wanted to get past the needle change after the ribbed section so I wouldn't have to carry both needles in my bag.

Taupe heather knit hat

As usual, Balou was right beside me while I knit.  You can see she's on top of the laptop.  Now she's beside the laptop as I write this.  She's been sticking around me so much the last few weeks; it's funny and a pain at times.  When she stretches out and ends up either on top of the laptop or my mouse, a lot of funny things start happening!  Pop-ups!  Windows closing!

Here's what the finished new hat looks like.  This one was knit with burgundy yarn.

 

 

Burgundy knit hat side view

Burgundy knit hat back view

I'm thinking I will have to start giving names to the items I knit.  Calling it the "new hat" won't last long until I have another "new hat" in the works.  How do you go about choosing a name? 

Afghan Stitch Knitting

The last few weeks I have been working on a new cowl using the Scrap-Yarn Afghan Stitch Barbara G Walker has in her knitting book, "A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns".  Below is the stitch pattern. I don't do ssk but prefer to knit 2 together through back loop (k2tog tbl).

Multiple of 12 + 3 Colours A & B.

Cast on with Color A and k one row.

Row 1 (RS): With Color B, k1, ssk, *k9, slip 2, k1, p2sso; rep from *, end k9, k2tog, k1
Row 2: With Color B, p1, k1, *p1, k4, (k1, yo, k1) in next st, k4; rep from *, end p1, k1
Rows 3 and 4: With Color A, Rep Rows 1 and 2 

You just need to carry the yarns up as you knit.  There are many great tutorials on YouTube for this.

As you can see below I'm having fun mixing colours right now!

It is a lovely stitch that could also be used to knit a scarf although the wrong side is not as neat as the right side.  The number of stitches needed totally depends on the yarn you'll be using and how wide you want your scarf or cowl to be.  Knitting a few rows to see how it looks will be the best thing to do.

Some Fun Aspects of Being Bilingual

One of the fun things about being bilingual is how I think in both languages.   Earlier this year I saw an interview with the comedian Sugar Sammy and he mentioned how he thinks in English first and then translates to French. Depending on the subject I think in French and others I think in English.

Take knitting for example.  I taught myself how to knit using French books and one of them had the terms translated in various languages.  I was able to use it to work with English knitting magazines like Vogue Knitting. 

Although I started learning in French I have noticed I work more with the English terms except for counting.  The other day I was knitting the lace slouchy hat and realized I was counting my increases in French.  I thought it was just a one time thing but no; I count my rows and number of stitches in French.

Tha lace slouchy hat I was knitting.

Another funny aspect of being bilingual is when it comes to movies.  Don't tell me the French name of an American movie.  I wouldn't know which one you are talking about.

So, bilingual readers, what are some funny aspects you have from being bilingual?

Lunching with Gardein Beefless Burgers

Today's lunch was a sort of hamburger steak plate that I made using Gardein's beefless burgers.  I added mashed potatoes with some yellow and green beans on the side.  Mashed potatoes and Gardein burgers were topped with brown gravy.

Gardein beefless burgers with gravy

It's the second time I eat these beefless burgers and I liked them better today.  The first time I brought them to work so I ended up spreading some Maple Chipotle marinade on them and microwaing them.  They were okay but something was missing.

This time I sauted them in a pan and added some Montreal Steak spices by Club House.  That's what made them so much greater.  When I used to eat steak I would spice them up with a lot of Montreal Steak spices, I just loved the stuff!

This morning I spent some time knitting a few stitch patterns and I have found one that will be just perfect to knit an infinity scarf.  I just wasn't sure if I should go with the 2 knit stitch edge or a 1 knit stitch edge.  I think I prefer the 1 knit stitch edge.

Infinity scarf stitch pattern

You should be seeing the finished infinity scarf in my shop by next weekend.  I usually knit a lot during the week and do my photo sessions early Saturday and Sunday mornings when the lighting is just right in my living room.  Thank goodness my mannequin is always here and ready!

Preparing for the Christmas in July Sale

As I mentioned earlier I will be participating in the Christmas in July event happening from July 11th to July 26th.  The event actually runs from July 11th to July 21st.  I'm extending it to coincide with what some people in Quebec celebrate; le Noël des campeurs.  It's the campers Christmas!

I have noticed that a lot of my listings expired this week and last week.  I must have listed a lot at the end of March, early April.  So, if you don't see something that used to be there I should eventually list it or drop me a note about it.

To prepare I have been knitting a lot of scarves and decided to get a picture of them all together.  Aren't they just lovely colours?

A whole bunch of cable and lace knit scarves.

Looking at all these scarves it makes me want to see actually how many colours and lengths I have knit this pattern.  I remember knitting a few with fringe as well.  I have started an album on my Facebook Page to document all the scarves.  It could be interesting to see.

Cable and Lace Scarves on my Knits By Nat Facebook Page.

Just a Few Vacation Days Left

I have been on vacation close to 2 weeks, getting 2 extra days off for the St Jean Baptist and Canada Day. I must truthfully say I am enjoying the time away from work.

Last week I spent my time at my parents' in Magog.  My mother picked me up Saturday so I could bring the cats with me.  Lola hates it when I grab her to put her in the carrier but lately she calms down after I put her in.

As usual I had some knitting with me for the 1 1/2 hour car ride and as soon as I took it out my mother tells me to relax.  She doesn't get it that knitting for me is relaxing. Yes, I may knit a lot for Knits By Nat but the actual time doing the knitting is very relaxing.  I ended up knitting 5 hats during the week.  You can see them below; some still have ends to be woven in.

Knit Slouchy Hats.

I had an amazing time celebrating St Jean Baptist at my niece's new house.  I brought my vegan hot dogs, decided to try Unisoya's hot dogs but wasn't so thrilled with them.  I found them slightly too mushy.

I did some shopping with my sister, walking the entire mall from one end to the other and back.  Thank goodness we weren't at Carrefour Laval.  Now that's one crazy mall to walk!

I even went shopping at Costco with my nephew.  Didn't think I would find anything but came back with Gardein burgers, Unisoya tofu (my favorite), hummus, Kalamata olives (I think I'll have enough for a while) and Kikkoman soy sauce.

My Costco stash.

I also found these cute shoes at Addition-Elle, shopping for my mother but found something for moi!  I was thrilled to see they were all man-made materials.  They were on sale and had an extra 50% off.  Aren't they just cute?

Beige sandals.

I still have a couple of days left but they will be spent working on my Knits By Nat shop.  There's the Christmas in July event happening and I want to participate this year.  The other years I have been on vacation during the event with usually no Internet access.  Really looking forward to it this year!

Working the Crown on the Lace Beanie

I really love the lace beanie I started working on last weekend although the crown of the beanie has been bugging me all week.  There's just something about it I wish was different.  Friday I started knitting a beanie with some multicoloured brown yarn and kept thinking about how else I could knit the crown.

I know I didn't want the crown to look like my slouchy hat with distinct lines of decreases but wasn't sure how else I could knit it.  Saturday morning I was up at the crack of dawn and decided to do some knitting instead of just lazing around in bed.  I decided to try something and it has turned out beautifully.  You can see below the new crown of the lace beanie and I just love it.

Brown multicolour lace beanie.

I ended up knitting 2 more beanies over the weekend and absolutely love the way the crown looks.

Rose and multicoloured lace beanie.

I have bought some lovely yarn to knit more of them; it should be arriving this week.  I can't wait for it to come.  Just looking forward to knitting more lace beanies and adding them to the shop.

Lace Beanies

I have been working on these lace beanies lately.  I had to unravel and rework it because it was starting to look more like a slouchy hat than a beanie.  After a few tries I finally got the right amount of stitches and number of rows for the beanie look I wanted.

Isn't the finished one just cute?

Grape and red lace beanie

New Colours for the Lace Scarf

I have been knitting new colours for the lace scarf.  Below is the tangerine colour, so lovely and silky looking which you can't quite see in the photo.

Tangerine lace scarf in progress

I have already added in my Etsy shop the lace scarf in red and off-white.  The red is a really beautiful shade of dark red, no hint of Santa Claus red at all!

Red Lace Scarf

Off-White Lace Scarf

I have more yarn in my stash to knit a few more lace scarves and I am looking forward to knitting these colours, especially the emerald green!  It is such a beautiful green.  The lace stitch is such a simple one ( it's only 4 rows ) I can easily knit it on the métro going to work.

Emerald green, rose and celery green yarn.

The Knitting Pattern Shop is Open!

I have had so many requests for the patterns to my creations, especially the cozies, that I have opened up a knitting pattern shop.  It is called Knits By Nat Designs and right now there's only one pattern in it.  It's the pattern for the Sweet Violets Coffee Cup Cozy.

Sweet Violets Coffee Cup Cozy

Writing patterns is a lot more difficult than I imagined.  I keep wondering if I forgot something or if I'm putting in too much information.  I also intend to have the patterns available in French as well.  Now, I just need to post in my French blog.

This week I have renewed with an oldie but goodie lace creation I knit for my shop a few years back.  It's knit with a Little Arrowhead Lace but I find it makes such a lovely spring scarf.  They should be available in my shop soon.

Little Arrowhead Lace Scarf in the works

Productive Saturday Morning

Yesterday after work a co-worker was asking me if I at least sleep in on weekends and I replied that I don't really.  I love waking up early, knitting in bed for a few hours and then getting up for breakfast.  I usually get up when I start getting really hungry.

This morning I finished knitting two hats; one of them was on hold while I knit the second.  I often do this when I realize I don't have enough rows to knit while going to work; I'll just start something new to knit.  These are multi-coloured versions of  the Lace Striped Slouchy Hat.

Multi-coloured lace striped slouchy vegan hats

I also started working on a new headband, simple garter stitch that will be adorned with vintage or cute buttons. The first one I knit I found a bit too wide, ended up ripping it and now I love the new width.  With all the buttons I have I'm going to need to go button shopping for the navy headband.  I haven't found any in my stash that I find look great on it.

Vegan headbands

I should be taking pictures of the hats and headbands to add them to my shop as quickly as possible.  This is one part of the business that I find more of a chore.  I wish I had an assistant who loves taking pictures and writing listings while I spend my time knitting.

Organizing My Coffee Cup Cozies

I may have finished this One Cup Cozy a Day project last September but I now have a bunch of cozies that were just bundled haphazardly in big plastic bins.  They weren't colour-coordinated at all which made it very hard for me to find the cozy when I sold one.

The article in Ladies' Home Journal's February 2013 issue means I have been getting more sales and looking for the correct cozy has been a pain.  Looking through my stuff I found these shoe-sized plastic bins and seperated them by colour.

Red, Blue and Multicoloured Coffee Cup Cozies

The multicoloured red one in the middle bin is one of the cozies featured in the article.

Pinks, Blue, Lilac and Purple Coffee Cup Cozies

I had to seperate the blues because they didn't all fit in one plastic bin.

Green, Yellow, Orange and Brown Coffee Cup Cozies

This one is a bigger plastic bin since I ran out of the smaller ones and probably would have needed at least 2 more. 

Now, it's certainly going to be a whole lot easier for me to find the cozies when I sell them in my shop.

Cyber Monday Free Shipping in my Etsy shop

I am having a Cyber Monday Sale by giving Free Shipping everywhere for all my items.

One of the new items in my shop are headbands.  I have them in a few colours and they make amazing stocking stuffers.  I'm sure you have a friend out there who's always complaining about freezing ears.

Don't Know How to Knit

Today's video is about people who tell me they don't know how to knit or tried it but can't.  In my roundabout way I just want you to go out, buy yarn and needles and just start knitting.  You can learn from videos on YouTube, using books or attending a class in a yarn shop.

Hope you enjoy the video.

I would love to hear about the yarn you bought and the knitting you have done.  So, please leave a comment below or come on my Facebook page and post a pic of what you've done so far.

Like I said, if you have any questions, ask them!  It will be my pleasure to answer them.

Last Weekend for World Wide Knit in Public Day

It's the last weekend for the World Wide Knit in Public Day.  You can find a local event by going to the website : World Wide Knit in Public Day

There is one happening in NDG Park this Saturday, June 16th at 1 PM.  I don't think I will be going since St.Laurent is having their sidewalk sale and I want to go there instead.  Maybe I could bring some knitting and sit on a bench while there.  I knit in public everyday on my way to work so not participating for me is not that big of a deal.

Have you participated in your local event?  Or do you intend to participate if it is happening this weekend?

Knits By Nat Etsy Shop is Three Years Old!

My shop is three years old today.  To celebrate you can enjoy 30% OFF every item in the shop by using the coupon code : THIRTYOFF.

I also have this video for you, hopefully you will enjoy it.

Simple Way to Store My Felt Flowers

A while back I ordered some non-wool eco friendly felt flowers from this shop on Etsy : ifeltsprightly http://www.etsy.com/shop/ifeltsprightly .  I just love them but still had them in their original plastic bags not knowing what to put them in.


Finally I thought of my button container :

 

So, I found another one and here's how my collection looks :

Now if I could only find something to put these bigger flowers in.  I haven't found a container yet big enough to fit them in.  The divisions are too small.

What are some neat ways you store your craft supplies?