Read the instructions

I was excited to get up and continue knitting my cowl. However, as I was knitting, it just seemed wrong. I know that I hadn't planned to make it and was just using up some knitting worsted that my aunt had hanging around, and when I started, it seemed like such a good idea. But that niggling feeling wouldn't go away. And my aunt kept saying she thought the needles were the wrong size. 

So I went back to read the instructions only because we were going to the NEW yarn shop on Salt Spring Island, and I needed to know how much yarn to buy. Yep - I wanted to make a fancy cowl with fancy yarn. 

Oh dear—I totally misread the instructions because it said to use TWO strands of knitted worsted, not one. Sigh....... That was the first mistake. Then I really looked at the instructions, and OH DEAR — the needle size is 11 or 8 mm. Well, I'm using an 8, which is way too small. Thank goodness it was super easy to pull out the stitches. 

The miread instructions

We decided to go to the yarn shop and see what we could find. The shop is called Salt String Yarn, which is a super clever name! The yarn shop was our last stop on the window shopping trip. 

Before we went to the yarn shop, we visited a couple of other places. I spotted these adorable little sweaters in Moat's Clothing store. 

Adorable sweaters

OH MY GOSH _-- that makes you want to adopt small babies into your family. The sweaters were adorable and came in many sizes, with that little one in front being super tiny!! Now, the sweater wasn't cheap - I think it was over $100, and how long would a little one be able to wear that? But it was sure cute, and we're going to talk about prices in a second. 

There were many beautiful clothes and sweaters, which seemed to be a huge thing this year!!! Of course, I had my camera out and took some pictures! 

While in the main store on the island, I spotted some small pie plates. They were cute, and I was tempted to purchase the tin ones, but I did not. I guess I should have looked in my local stores for small pie plates before purchasing the candle one, but I like the lip or the edge of the one I bought, so I must just keep burning the candle to free the dish. Or I could buy a cheap tin pie plate and transfer the candle, but I first need to find out if I have that Pie Bench pillow pattern. 

Small pie plates

Then we were off to the yarn shop, which we saved for last. That's how it should be - save the best for last. I spotted this on the wall, and that's all I'm going to say about that! 

LOL - we could say the same for fabric! 

Oh my gosh -- the yarns are beautiful. Now I do not need more yarn as I have two tubs of fancy yarn at home. And I have the "professional: needles to go with the yarn. All of that was acquired at Ruti's Needlebed (now retired), the store near me back home. But I'm here, and I didn't have any hand work, so I bought a few skeins of yarn and a few small accessories that were so cute - I couldn't leave them in the store. 

Let's just say that it might have been cheaper to buy that child's sweater for $100 than buy the yarn and accessories to make it! But we are makers, and we need to make stuff!! 

When we got back to the house, I dug out the rest of my aunt's needles, and I did some experimenting. It just wouldn't do to make a swatch. I know - I know --- make a sample block in quilting, make a swatch in knitting. But this is a cowl, so it's not super important if the size is a bit off, but it needed to be larger than what I made the day before. 

I didn't take a picture of the label of this yarn, but it's a Merino wool, and it's as soft as a cloud. It's beautiful. And this is how much I got done last night after dinner. OH -- I found the yarn on the website. 

My new cowl!

I'm on the decrease side now, and I should have no problem finishing that part off while I'm here. But I started knitting with the recommended needle size, and I didn't like the feel. Who am I to say I can determine gauge by the feel or density of the knit? It didn't feel right! So I went down from 8 MM to 6.5 because that's all I had available, and 6.5 is perfect. 

I will need a circular needle to pick up stitches around the neck hole, but I have those at home, so I'll have to wait to do any more. Shoot -- what was I thinking about not bringing any hand work? Oh well, I'll be on the move later today, and I may not have time for handwork, as I'll be back visiting Bear, and he's a handful!! Let's just say that it was nice to have a bit of room in the suitcase to bring home a few skeins of yarn. I am off to a quilt retreat next week, but I might just have to take my knitting instead!!! Oh boy --- 

They had some felting kits, and I thought of some of my friends back home who are learning to needle felt by hand. Some small embroidery kits and lots of yarn. They have classes, and it looks like it'll be a great place to hang out. I hope it succeeds. I loved it when there was a quilting store on the island, but it's long gone. 

But something strange happened at the yarn shop. When I got to the counter to pay, I spotted this flyer. Hmmm -- that name seems familiar. 

A knitting show

Of course, we had to ask for more information, and the owner said, This guy had won an Oscar. WAIT A MINUTE -- we know who this guy is because we've been to his house!!! If you remember, back in July of 2015, my aunt and I went to his house to explore his 200+ quilt collection. He won an Oscar for set decoration in the movie Lincoln. You can read all about our visit to his home in this blog post. 

I didn't remember that he was also a knitter, but apparently, I knew he was a knitter, since I mentioned it in that blog post. 

So Jim still lives on Salt Spring Island and is having a show in one of the art galleries next month. CRAP!!!! I would love to see the show, but I'm not coming back, so I will have to send my aunt on a mission to take some pictures. Now, if I were a wee bit closer to getting the next status level on the airline, I might just wangle that trip, but one more trip to Vancouver wouldn't do anything to advance my status level for the year. I should tell you the story about that another day! 

He will also be teaching a class on some advanced knitting techniques sometime next year. Hmmmm -- -it's only a five-hour flight away!!!! Let's see when it is. I'm now following the yarn shop on IG (Salt String Yarn), and let's hope that I can work something out. Anyone want to join me? It could be fun, and if we were enough, we could coerce Jim into teaching just for us! He really is a talented person. 

Wow -- that was enough excitement for one day, but we also went to a local restaurant for dinner, right beside the ferry dock in Fulford Harbour. Living on Salt Spring is such a different life. There are no Tim's around, there are NO chain stores of any kind. It is not allowed. And I can only imagine how hard it would be for someone like me to come here to live. I'm an outsider, and it would take a lot to break into the island life. 

And the place is a zoo in the summer, but so quiet at this time of year. We did not have a single issue finding a parking spot in Ganges! I wonder if people have trouble finding a place to moor their yachts in the summer? Or boat, if you only have a boat? 

Anyway, it's been a great visit, and I need to get myself moving to finish knitting that cowl - at least the part that I can. 

I haven't been walking much at all, and I'm OK with that. I don't remember the last time I checked how many kilometers I walked in a day. It's been MONTHS!!!! I will need to take control of it when I get home, as I need to adjust some goals for my 2025 Conquer Challenges. I really should be substituting the long walks with stretching anyway, so I'm going to try to work that into my goals for 2026. Less walking, more stretching - don't need to find more time, just substitute one activity for another. 

Have a wonderful day, and if you have a stash of yarn, maybe it's time to dig it out and see what you have. I'm fired up about knitting, and I know it will be a struggle to find time when I get home because there are so many quilting projects to work on. But I'll do what I can. Maybe I'll even spend my evenings with DH in our fancy media chairs while he watches TV. Perhaps I'll become a sports junkie! 

WAIT -- I forgot to mention that someone from our old vet office came by yesterday to pick up the eight quilts. I got a couple of very nice thanks via text from some of the staff members. I don't think they have all been delivered. Those couple of texts made my heart sing and made all the time and effort put into them worth it. Onen came from the vet himself, and that's good enough for me!!!! Anyone who likes pets is a keeper anyway, and most likely quilt-worthy!

OK -- I'm out of here!!!

Have a wonderful day.

Ciao!!!!