A blog message for Anne of SheEweKnits

The following is a message for Ms. Anne Featonby of SheEweKnits, master knitter and proprietor of "SheEweKnits", a webstore selling traditional Shetland yarn based in Milton, Ontario. I wanted to let her know that I finally finished knitting the sweater from the yarn that I bought from her - but alas, her old email address does not work anymore. Luckily she has a blog - I'm leaving a comment for her on her blog so that she can check out the message I have for her here. For our other dear readers: Treat this as a little update on what I've been up to - other than tango!


Dear Anne,

I'm not sure if you remember me, because the last time we spoke was at least 5 years ago - it's Irene from Toronto who was knitting the Alice Starmore "Mary Tudor"!

Well, I FINALLY got it finished just two weeks ago - and guess what, I graduated with an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Toronto just days before finishing the sweater. I'm posting photos of the finished sweater here, so that you wouldn't ever need to wonder "Whatever happened to that Mary Tudor yarn kit that I sold in 2004?" Well, it took me five long years - but both the degree and the sweater are completed! It seemed like yesterday that I was buying the yarn kit from you and telling you that I was going back to school to do my M.A.

Studying for my M.A. part-time while working full-time during the day (I'm not sure if you remember, but I'm also a practicing lawyer) was tough. All the spare time I had in the evenings (and on lunch breaks during work!) would be devoted to studying for my courses. But I guess since I eventually finished the sweater I never really stopped knitting.... I was just knitting really, really, really, excruciatingly, slowly.

Meanwhile we have also been dancing the Argentine Tango a lot during these five years, so much so I've learned Spanish and we've traveled down to Buenos Aires three times already. Man Yung is quite a pro now! We also started writing this blog about all the things we've encountered through Tango - and we've met some truly wonderful people through Tango, and had some amazing (and sometimes absurd) experiences.

I've also picked up the needles again (or perhaps I've never dropped them) and started on a very simple vest for Man Yung. If you can believe it, he complains that all the fancy fair-isles and arans I've made him aren't warm enough, so I'm just knitting with a chunky yarn on a tight gauge to see if this would be better. One day I would like to knit a fisherman's gansey - but who knows, if the courses I'm planning on taking starting September at the U of T School of Continuing Studies are too demanding, it may take me another five years to produce the next sweater!

By the way I looked for your old website and couldn't find it. I found your blog instead and I'm sorry to hear that you are considering shutting SheEweKnits down. Without SheEweKnits it wouldn't have been possible for me to knit some of the most stunning fairisle sweaters ever. No matter what your decision, I just want to say again thank you for all your kind advice and support and the wonderful Shetland yarn and patterns you brought to Canada through your store.

We will continue to follow your blog for your latest news! Please give all our best to your family (and to the ever lovely Daisy), and have a lovely summer,

Irene (and Man Yung)