From the brilliant mind of our own Jennie Lamond:

Introducing the Three Little Pigs!

If you knit to Jennie’s gauge, one skein of Cascade 220 will give you one pig and one cardigan, and of course you can substitute any worsted weight yarn. If you don’t care about the size of your pig, you can use any kind of yarn you like - this is the beauty of knit toys. They’re availble for download as of yesterday.

These little pigs (informally they’re named Molly, Mary and Jennie) aren’t just the kind of pigs that sit around and eat all day, no no. They’re busy and committed to other pursuits:

We just can’t stop them dancing around the store with Lester, Muswell, Orange and some other friends you’ll meet soon. Here’s one last shot of the girls, gamely modelling for us:

We tried to get them to do the Miley Cyrus shot, but they were afraid of alienating the lucrative bible belt demographic.

This Saturday, May 10 Ariadne and the Lovely Pandora Hobby will be hosting a bilingual Freeform Crochet / Scrumble Open Workshop from 1 - 4pm.

Come on down and learn the concepts behind freeform, scrumble and hyperbolic crochet. Already know how to freeform? Get down to Ariadne and flex your hyperbolic muscles on our couches and enjoy an afternoon of scrumbling beyond the pattern with newbies and pro’s alike.

Check out the class page for more information. See you Saturday!

If you know anything about me, I am not one to happily take classes. Don’t get me wrong - I am all about furthering myself mentally, broadening my intellectual horizons and all that, I just don’t like homework. Ask my family, (they will be visiting in 12 days) I was never a fan.

However, I have recently made an exception. I have decided to go back to school, so to speak. Not so much a class, but a workshop. Jennie Eveleigh Lamond’s Toy Finishing Workshop starting May 17 and continuing May 31.

And yes, my friends, it has homework. But instead of sitting at the kitchen table daydreaming about recess, or completely blowing off studying and heading downtown for a local pint (not so local now), I have already finished my homework for a class that doesn’t actually start for another 2 weeks!

Why wouldn’t I? It’s a chance to learn about how to give my hand knitted doll personality, style and, well, hair! The hair of my choice! Socks, overalls, facial hair maybe, a dress or pinafore perhaps. Who knows. The workshop (I’ll refrain from calling it “class”, in case i feel like skipping out and having a cup of joe instead) is over two sessions, with a two week gap so attendees can finish the basic hair and face portion.

If you decide to sign up you will be able to pick your dolls skin tone and receive the pattern. It takes about 6-8 hours in total to knit, and can easily finished in a weekend. You’ll need some stuffing, but not much. (You will need to bring your own extras for hair, eyes, facial features and clothing. Anything from your stash will work well.)

Meet my class doll. My homework!

Is it a boy or a girl? I don’t really know. Maybe I’ll find out May 17, when we get into it. (MA has deemed it “Gorgo”. I’m not sure how I feel about that.)

Homework in progress…

I would have to say, that my class doll is a little… bigger than the original example provided.

But hey, that’s ok. They’re still friends.

It was another lovely weekend here in Montréal. We saw the first buds come out on the trees on St. Jacques, we had the door open for a comfortable breeze every day and we had a few visitors come in to entertain and delight us!

Two little critters from Scotland decided to pay us a visit a few days ago. They quickly made friends with the locals.

Can you spot them? If not, here they are:

Look closely! Lounging next to Charity, Muswell (in blue, not pink today) and Sally, are none other than the original Elijah and Otto, created by the charming and talented Ysolda Teague.

Here they are, hanging out with Jennies Class doll. (They also became pal’s too)

And here she is, her charming self!

It is always a pleasure to have guests and visitors to our little store. It was a joy for both of us to meet and spend a bit of time with you, Ysolda. If you ever do find yourself in Montréal again - which we hope you do, - our kettle will be on and our couches will be cozy and ready for more knitting, chatting and visiting!

We have also found ourselves becoming quite friendly with our potential new spinning wheel that we have been test driving.

But then we seem to be making more friends with the spinning world either way….

Howdy there.

Finally. Even though there are still piles and piles of snow on peoples front yards, I am happy to say I can now wear my favourite kind of spring footwear.

Last night also showed signs of spring. A few of our knit night members moved outside.

I believe the cat was also interested in what these lovely ladies were doing.

Jessie decided to take a spinning wheel we are test driving outside to see about it’s “all terrain” qualities.

We are also starting to see some spring and summer yarn come in. And there is more on the way, folks, but for right now, a little peak at what we have in store right now:

Be Sweet 100% Bamboo

This lovely lovely yarn is made from 100% Bamboo, and is also Fair Trade. Anti bacterial and socially aware, this DK weight yarn is perfect for summer tanks, tops and baby clothing.

On Your Toes Bamboo Sock Yarn

Just in today, this sock yarn is made from 75% bamboo and 25% nylon. Great for toes that can’t take wool, and also antibacterial, which means less stinky dogs at the end of the day.

Do you have the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome? I know I do:

Note that this sock is only half done. At the time of this photograph, the subject’s mate had been finished for well on 10 months. I know, embarrassing. At least I was only knitting them for myself!

There are definite signs and symptoms of Second Sock Syndrome, as identified by the Merck Manual of Crafting Addiction. Ask yourself, are you:

1. jittery, evasive?
2. snappish when asked questions like: “what ever happened to my birthday gift”?
3. avoiding all talk of your # of works in progress?
4. always buying more dpns, because all sets you possess are “holding” a single sock whose mate will never see the light of day?

If you suffer as I do, I have good news. The fine ladies at Ariadne have seen fit to hold an emergency walk-in clinic of sorts, to cure you of your affliction. It is a class on how to knit two toe-up socks simultaneously on a single circular needle. It is not, unfortunately, covered by our universal health care system, though IMHO it ought be.

Does this sound like complete crazy talk, this knitting-two-socks-at-the-same-time? That’s what I thought. But I’ve been assured it is not only easy but fun by Kate, who will be teaching the class, in both official languages no less.

Wait - does that mean she will be doing FOUR things at the same time? Does she have two brains? How does she do it? Find out for yourself on Sunday, April 20. And the next time you make a silly promise of birthday socks? Never fear. Take this class and you will never have to run shame-faced to the Body Shop at the last minute to buy a lame gift basket again.

NOTE: the socks featured in this diagnosis, err, post, were knitted out of this, using a generic toe-up sock recipe (try this one) and the easiest lace pattern I could find, namely Vine Lace from one of the Barbara Walker books (the blue one I think). And yes, they are finally done. See:

Ok, so this is completely unrelated, but congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks on winning the men’s NCAA Basketball title.

Teleportation to Mass Street for proper celebrations would be in order, but I’ll just settle for looking at the crazy pictures and waving the wheat at the store today.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

So, it looks like Spring has finally decided to check in to the lovely town of Montreal. If one looks hard enough, one can see some… green? on peoples front yards. MAs lilac has buds, even if most of the branches are still under a foot + of snow!

In honour of springs arrival we are having a Super Short Sock Sale!
From now to when the doors shut on April 17 Buy One Ball or Skein of Sock Yarn get the next ball or skein Half Off! (Equal or lesser value, of course). That’s right people. We mean business down here. And to remind you, we made a pretty picture!

The brands include:

Cherry Tree Hill Multi, Solids and Supersock DK
Opal 4 and 6 ply
Arequipa
Austerman Step
SRK On Your Toes
Reynolds Soft Sea Wool
Trekking (new in store!)
Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock

This is an In store sale ONLY. (sorry blog readers from far and away, we’ll hook you up this summer. promise.) So get your butts down to the corner of Laporte and St. Jacques and get ta knitting some summer socks.

So here I am, researching the Victorian New Woman, and what do I come across but something that reads suspiciously like A Tale of Two Cities.

You might remember me posting about that little novel.

Right, so, I’m reading this article from 1896 called “Foibles of the New Woman” by Ella W. Winston. She’s all railing against the idea that women should dare to demand things like equality and the right to vote, and (like all good English bigots) cites many examples of French women behaving badly. Such as the following:

Woman’s record in the first French revolution was one of cruelty and horror. The “Patriot Knitters,” as they were called, could shriek or knit according to the requirements of the case. They could also urge men to deeds of violence; and could themselves do the violent deeds. Carlyle said that these women had exchanged the “distaff for the dagger.” If they had kept the distaff and let the dagger alone France would have lost nothing in the way of political advancement, and might have been spared much of her horrifying history.

Never one to shrink at a challenge, I went and looked up Thomas Carlyle’s The French Revolution. Here’s what he had to say:

In the Jacobin Society, therefore, the decided Patriot complains that here are men who with their private ambitions and animosities, will ruin Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood, all three: they check the spirit of Patriotism, throw stumbling-blocks in its way; and instead of pushing on, all shoulders at the wheel, will stand idle there, spitefully clamouring what foul ruts there are, what rude jolts we give! To which the Jacobin Society answers with angry roar;–with angry shriek, for there are Citoyennes too, thick crowded in the galleries here. Citoyennes who bring their seam with them, or their knitting-needles; and shriek or knit as the case needs; famed Tricoteuses, Patriot Knitters;–Mere Duchesse, or the like Deborah and Mother of the Faubourgs, giving the keynote. It is a changed Jacobin Society; and a still changing. Where Mother Duchess now sits, authentic Duchesses have sat. High-rouged dames went once in jewels and spangles; now, instead of jewels, you may take the knitting-needles and leave the rouge: the rouge will gradually give place to natural brown, clean washed or even unwashed; and Demoiselle Theroigne herself get scandalously fustigated.

Ah ha! We can leave the jewels and rouge at home and take the knitting needles–love it.

(FYI: fustigate means to beat with a club or cudgel, or to criticize harshly)

So you know, Thomas Carlyle was a rather crusty gentleman. Dorothy Parker (nee Rothschild) wrote an epigram for him:

Carlyle combined the lit’ry life
With throwing teacups at his wife
Remarking rather testily
“Oh, stop your dodging, Mrs. C!”

Here’s a picture of Thomas Carlyle:

Does this not look like a man who could use some hand-knit socks . . . even if he didn’t deserve them?

hey all, if you come on down to Ariadne today and wish us a Happy April Fool’s day receive 15% off your purchase (books excluded, unfortunately).

Can’t come in, use the DISCOUNT COUPON

NOFOOLIN

and receive 15% off your purchases on-line!

today only folks! and this ain’t no joke!