The tree is up...

I am of two minds at Christmas. I love Christmas, not getting presents but having happy secrets, decorating, lights, music all that good stuff. The general spirit of good will--unless you work retail then it's the general spirit of "I want it and I want it now and while you're at it could you wrap each and every ornament carefully mind you (cause you're obviously too stupid to do it carefully if I don't tell you to) and I don't care if there are 10 people behind me!--and even that only seems to be somehow tolerable, a reflection of how screwed up and sad some people are and how far away they get from the Christmas spirit, I feel sorry for them more than anything. But I digress.

I love the familiness of Christmas. My Mom was a certified Christmas Nut!! And that's my flip side. Christmas is also when I miss my Mom most of all. She MADE Christmas and it's never, ever been the same without her. So when I was decorating the tree with my son, I found myself in tears. Certain music gets to me, little things set me off. I think the word I am looking for is Bittersweet.

I also knit, I felt compelled to start the Simple Knitted Bodice. I've been obsessed with it for a while. So far I am loving the yarn, Lang Silk Dream, in Heather. It's SO soft. I am in Simple Knitted Bodice Love.

Happy Day

Friday, day off, picked up my November Sock Kit at the LYS, sat and knitted for a bit and drank tea with the girls. It's so cold out -19C ALL I want to do is drink hot things, snuggle under blankets and knit. I am proud to say I have resisted the on-line shopping urge that occasionally strikes along with a raging case of cabin fever. I had a raft of yummy sock yarn in my cart and I JUST SAID NO.

After all, I still have to pay for my new Tri-focals (yes you heard me: over $900 of, "Oh boy, you ARE getting old!!").

All Ginger wants to do is snuggle in the furry warmth of her new bed. Look at that face!

Can't really post what I'm working on, but I'm making it with this. Tilli Tomas Ruby Wine. I will say, it's going well so far.

My first attempt at lace went to its intended recipient. A fun, fast and easy project and I would make it again. Slanted Eyelet Scarf in Tilli Tomas Glampyre.

Retreat, retreat...

So I had a weekend away. That might be the biggest understatement I've ever made.

I had a lovely, amazing weekend of knitterly goodness. Starting Thursday night with a class at Make One taught by Annie Modessit. The class was awesome. I am not at the skill level some of my fellow classmates were but I got so much out of it!

I tend to be a reluctant class taker. I've dropped out of classes I paid good money for because there were people who insisted on talking all the time. I can't cope with a lot of noise, if people in the class are talking it's hard. I'm left handed which means spending a lot of time not only learning a technique but having to figure out how to do it in mirror image so when the instructor is saying "now take your right needle..." I am immediately translating "SO that means my left needle and when she's doing this, to get the same thing I need to do that....". Annie was very good about keeping the background chat to a dull roar for which I was profoundly grateful. She runs a tight ship and that's a good thing! There was a lot of information to take away at the end of the night.

Friday, I had the boy's report card interviews. Never fun. He doesn't get his written assignments done, if he does get them done, he never gets them handed in. We heard this in every tone ranging from positivity, hope that a change might be affected to total exasperation. We ended the morning by stopping by his cooking teacher. What a difference. "Your son is so appreciative of food! He is professional and efficient in the kitchen, he looks like a true chef!" I told him that passion and commitment needs to carry over. He has to find something in his other courses to be enthusiastic about.

We barelled home after the interviews, I grabbed my bags and called a cab. That's when the weekend really started. The boy went to his Grandma's, the dog had a sitter (and her new birthday bed) and I hit the road.

We met at the yarn store for a yummy breakfast, hopped on board a luxury tour bus for some quality knitting (or drinking depending) time and headed up to Emerald Lake.

What a fabulous weekend. Lots of amazing food, excellent wine, spectacular scenery, knitting by the fire, hot tubbing, more fantastic food, excellent classes taught by Annie Modessit (an excellent instructor), fresh air, cosy accommodations (every room had it's own fireplace).

I'm not a large group person, there were times when the noise level got to me, but there were lots of corners to go knit quietly and ample time to get away. Much progress was made on Greenjeans and the lace scarf. I spent one afternoon (after a much needed session in the hot tub) curled up by the fire in my room reading. I ate more than I should have, drank just a little bit more than I should have, met nice people, laughed lots, learned lots and just generally had a fabulous break! Something that hasn't happened for me in a long time.

Amy and Sandra did a fantastic job of hosting the weekend. There were nearly 50 women there needing to be kept happy, I don't know how they did it. The staff were awesome, the lodge is spectacular. It was all together amazing.

Official Stalker…

Hello, I'd like to apply to be Stefanie Japel's official stalker, is that position taken yet? I could also be her official stalker's official stalker if that's still open (apologies to Jasper Fforde). Now that I've finished one Stefanie Japel pattern (the mini wrap sweater/boob holder) and purchased the Simple Knitted Bodice pattern and as of today, am the proud owner of her book "Fitted Knits" and even joined the Fitted Knits group on Ravelry, heck even the lace scarf I'm working on is in the colourway "Glampyre" do you think I'm qualified? I want to make everything! SKB, The Elizabeth Bennet Cardigan, The Drop Stitch Lace Tank, The Wrap Around Lace Sweater and of course The Back to School Vest and V-Neck Pullover with Deep Ribbing. All her pattern are just, well they're just kind of sexy. When I realized how many patterns in my queue were from that one book, it only made sense to get it. Now I've got it so I have no excuses.

In other news, I am on the sleeves of Mr. Greenjeans. Yeah! And my lace scarf is back on track now that my beloved Glampyre is no longer a pathetic tangled mess. Double Yeah! One more week and I go on the Emerald Lake Lodge Knitting Retreat (I'm not sure I have enough yeah!s for that one). Really looking forward to the classes being taught by Annie Modesitt both the night before the retreat and at the retreat. How many yeah!'s before they just get annoying?

Well, enough chat, back to stalking SJ!

Stay on target…

My favorite line from the first Star Wars movie is when Han Solo says to Luke Skywalker, "Don't get cocky." My son once asked me, "Why does he say Don't forget the car keys?" So when ever we watch it (Star Wars is a regular feature on movie night in our home) I yell that out and we laugh our heads off. My line of the moment is "Stay on Target..." because I have finished the body of Mr. Greenjeans and am about to start the sleeves. That's lightening fast for me! And yet I am tempted to loose focus and start something else. I bought Stefanie Japel's "Simple Knitted Bodice" and I found gorgeous yarn for it (at the "other" store) and now It's taking all my will not to cast on!

I Picked up some Lang Silk Dream for the main body and Debbie Bliss Pure Silk in a slightly lighter shade for the lace inserts and trim. Don't they look Lurvly?! Of course I would love to have made it in Tilli Thomas Pure and Simple and Rockstar as the pattern recommends but they are a little dear. One skein for a gift scarf, doable, 6 skeins total for a sweater for myself, not so much. I am hoping I have enough to make it slightly longer, more tunic length for over jeans. May be if I don't make the sleeves as long. I'm quite partial to 3/4 length sleeves. I bought every ball of silk dream in the store so I'm hoping there's enough.

Any words of advice on this project? I keep hearing to go down one size. I swatched once already and couldn't get gauge so I need to go down a needle size for sure.

Still loving the alchemy scarf (speaking of fast knits) although my ball of Tilli Thomas got all tangled so now I am taking the time to detangle and rewqind it before continuing on.

And a gratuitous picture of Ginger, I am thinking about buying her her very own faux fur and leather bed (we have them at work believe it or not) just becasue she likes mine so much and it would be funny.

Oh happy day...

A day off after an insane work week. Yeah!! We busted out the Christmas decorations, the store looks spectacular and there was a feeding frenzy on yesterday fur sure.

I am loving the projects I am working on. If you haven't already, I would seriously recommend adding Greenjeans to your queue! It is an awesome pattern. 'Course Amy is a fabulous designer so it stands to reason.

I am also enjoying the slanted eyelet scarf from Alchemy. It's my first lace pattern. It's a quick easy to memorize pattern and progresses nicely. It's perfect for gifts as it only calls for one skein of yarn. I think the trick would be to counter the simplicity of the pattern with a truly fantastic yarn. The Tilli Thomas I'm using IS fantastic. Photographs really don't do justice to how vibrant it is. I am making it for a 19-year-old tiny little miss, a little bit goth, loves purple (happened to mention she wanted to buy a pretty scarf to contrast with her black leather jacket and studs) and she looks amazing in jewel tones so I'm hoping she'll like it.

I'm still working on the boy's sock and sweater but they are slow projects and it's nice to work on things that zip along a little quicker.

Still in a great mood. I usually suffer quite severe SAD and it starts hitting me about now (back before I had responsibilities, I use to quit my job, always in November every year or two). I've been taking Melatonin supplements to help with sleep issues, the boy's paediatrician recommended them for him and I thought I'd try them as well, it seems like they might be making a difference with the SAD.

Squeeeeeeee...

This is how I am feeling right now...

for the past while, I haven't been blogging much, it's 'cause I'm happy. really happy. No special reason, nothing super wonderful has happened. I don't want to think about it too much either... it might wreck the mood.

There are lots of little reasons to be happy, no one big reason. I love my new car. My son isn't having anxiety attacks any more. He has much better teachers this year and school is going well. I'm reading books that make me happy ("Buddha Da" by Ann Donovan and "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert for those who need to know). I bought some lovely, lacy new lingerie and a new pair of flannel PJ's, just for me. I'm knitting projects that are working and that are enjoyable to knit. I am taking a knitting class and going on a wonderful retreat in November, it's an opportunity to learn new things and spend time with lots of fun people. Work is going well, I love it there. I am feeling profoundly grateful for what I have.

I am love, loving Greenjeans, the LL Red Rover is awesome to work with and it fits perfect and is turning out super cute. This picture is a little washed out so you can see the cable pattern, it's fun and not too hard. Did I mention it's fast too?

I splurged on some Tilli Thomas Pure & Simple in Glampyre. I am making a quick slanted eyelet scarf for Angela, a co-worker of mine who is house sitting when I'm on the retreat and is crazy for purple. Great pattern, thanks for the suggestion Aunty Tink!

Finally, here is a picture of my finished mini wrap in Bam Boo. It still needs to be washed and blocked but I'm pretty happy with it.

Ssssh... Busy knitting

No Blogging, lots of knitting.

Thanks for all the responses to my question. I will find a project worthy of the Tuareg, I promise, but in the end, redrover won the day. The LYS people all voted for the red (and they've seen me in red). I swatched both and liked the definition in the cables better for redrover. I am loving the pattern, I highly recommend it and it's a fast knit!

The boys sweater is another matter. Endless stocking stitch.
"Boy, could I run a nice cable down the arm?"
"No."
"Could I put a band of colour around the chest?"
"No."
"How about a little ribbing?"
"No, I just want a plain, green sweater."
Endless stocking stitch.

And the boy socks, portable and always there

Question…

Quick post,

I am not normally this indecisive. I am about to start Mr. Greenjeans and I have 2 gorgeous yarns to choose from. Lorna's Laces Shepard worsted in RedRover and Malabrigo in Tuareg. Greenjeans is another wonderful Amy pattern and lucky me to live so close to Amy's yarn shop. Both are quite different and a lot brighter than the yarn used in the pattern. Which one do you think would look better?

Also never ending boy socks… they never end.

My little secret…

I was being so good, no new yarn acquisitions, working with what I had. Then, oh I don't know... it all just started to get to me you know? I wanted to spend a little money on myself. It's money I really shouldn't have been spending but here's the thing. It was only sock yarn... no biggie... $20 here and $20 there well closer to $60 here and $40 there but who's counting and damn it sock yarn is pretty!! Claudia's, Mama-E's, Cider Moon--Even in it's pre-sock state it's just so darn pretty. And it makes me happy just to hold it.

Should I call Make One and Sweet Sheep and the good ol' Loopy Ewe and tell them, "Please, don't take my money, tell me it's no good, send me packing."

I am trying to save money so I can finish my home renovations, an endless work in progress. SO here is the secret. All you lovely organized folk who lovingly store your yarn in plastic storage bins with lovely lavender sachets so it smells nice. What I do with my stash, is… and some of you may find this disturbing… I use it for insulation. One day, I will have a lovely fireplace with a lovely mantle with window seats on either side that are hinged for storage. What I have had, since my divorce 4 years ago, during a major home renovation (word of advice: hire a contractor) is a lovely gas fireplace with no mantle and a big freaking hole behind it (I also don't have baseboards but we won't even go there). Every year I have intended to finish the renovation, every year something happens (Car payments need I say more). In the winter, the wind whistles through that hole, you can hear it and at -20C oh boy can you feel it. So I fill it up… with wool. One whole blue bag full of sock yarn, another one with two sweater's worth of Misti Alpaca and a third sweater's worth of Malabrigo and a smaller bag full of what ever else I could find to block the hole. It's kind o' pathetic. It's how it is.

Now you know.

More on monogamy… evidently socks don't count…

Oh so close! I am nearly done. An I-cord and some weaving in, a little blocking. I will be much more interesting I promise once this little sweater is out of my system!

Amy was shocked I had no socks on the go so I started these: boy socks other wise known as the socks that will never end. The boy has very wide men's size 10-1/2 feet and he wants socks darn it! I hope he isn't counting on getting them this year. I also LOVE Amy's new pattern in Knitty. I can't wait to try it.

I also caved in to sock yarn temptation. I just happened to be hanging around Make One when the Claudia's Hand Painted came in. The girls got on the phone and in no time it was like a flock of seagulls descending on a pile of garbage. Well not really because Claudia's is nothing like garbage. I'd never witnessed a yarn feeding frenzy before. It's kind of scary. I snagged some lovely Earth Dot at the time as well as a couple of skeins of Make One's own hand dyed (in my ever favourite green) and went back today and picked up the Lemon Ice and a Monster too, PAX will be going to a friend's baby (if I can give him up). Neither of the Claudia's is my typical colour way (that is to say green) but they are both very appealing. I have been trying to be frugal (that's such an ugly word) with my yarn spending but sometimes a girls gotta do…

Also, look what we did on labour day! How very Canadian eh?

And here is a picture of my favourite fuzzy beasts curled up next to a rather ratty looking shin (that is unfortunately attached to my body).

This is what I call representing…

I have sent people to look at this site before but I'm saying one more time, check it out! I appreciate Suzen's work and it seems only fair to pass it along for others to enjoy. Great article about her as well here.

Well I Do Sometimes Feel Cursed…

Thanks to Uberstrickenfrau For putting me on to this one.

You're The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe!

by C.S. Lewis

You were just looking for some decent clothes when everything changed
quite dramatically. For the better or for the worse, it is still hard to tell. Now it
seems like winter will never end and you feel cursed. Soon there will be an epic
struggle between two forces in your life and you are very concerned about a betrayal
that could turn the balance. If this makes it sound like you're re-enacting Christian
theological events, that may or may not be coincidence. When in doubt, put your trust
in zoo animals.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Project Monogamy…

… it sounds every bit as boring as it is. I want to finish what I'm working on! In the interest of doing that, I am not doing anything else. I am still working on the modified Mini Wrap Sweater in Classic Elite leaf Bam Boo. It's a great project but I am not good at only working on one thing at a time. I have many other things I am thinking about: Clapotis (I am going to do it in the gorgeous HandMaiden Two Four Silk I bought in Gibsons instead of the LL Bittersweet I had planned), An Irish Hiking Scarf (I have some Malibrigo in Sealing Wax that would be perfect), even a pair of toe-up socks (lord knows I have enough sock yarn to choose from). But no, I want to wear my mini wrap sweater and therefore I MUST finish it!! My only solace is logging on to Ravelry each day to change the % finished on it. So far, it's fitting well. I am making it slightly longer to compensate for my height.

I am still loving the new car but the car payments are going to cut into my yarn buying. Good thing I have lots of goodies in my stash to keep me busy.

My New Car…

I ended up getting a 2007 Toyota Yaris Sedan in "Nautical Blue". I love that deep metallic blue. I bought it from Adam, the cutest 20-something car salesman in the world, and a decent guy too. I wouldn't hesitate to refer someone to him. He stopped by work yesterday to drop off the remote entry key (the detail guy took it by mistake the night I picked up the car). My young co-workers were drooling. I have a feeling there are going to be a couple of 20-something girls up at the dealership kicking tires. When I was looking at the car and test driving, my son thought he was flirting with me but I told him, "No dear, Adam's just trying to sell me a car and he's doing a really good job." Just in case anyone thinks I've gone off my nut… I did research the car guides etc. before making a final choice, a slave to my hormones…possibly… but I'm not completely insane. The insurance gave me a hefty down payment but with 5 years of car payments to look forward to… it's going to be a damn good car.

Home again, home again jiggity jig…

And as a matter of fact, I did love Blade Runner.

So I went away and now I'm back. Sort of a last minute trip in that I planned it back in April but then the Car got stolen in July and I couldn't go unless I had a car and the insurance didn't come through until the Friday before I left (but it did come through) and I picked the new car up on the Saturday before I left so I wasn't actually sure I was still going until basically 1 day before my holiday started. I went to see my family on the coast. In my brand new car. We drove. Ginger came too. We rode the ferry. We went to the beach a lot. We had camp fires. The boy caught a fish.

He built a beach house with a new friend.

Look! Ginger on the beach note the knitting in the background.

Knitting happened. I made fair progress on my mini sweater.

I went to the Gibson's Landing Fiber Festival (honestly, it wasn't planned it just worked out that way). I loved the exhibitions and looking at some of the woven goods. I got some yarny goodness a one-of-a-kind skein of HandMaiden Two Four Silk, from the Knitopia Wools booth (enough for a small clapotis) and 2 skeins of hand dyed sock yarn in Autumn Harvest from Indigo Moon. There was lots there to see and I hope I get to go again.

I'm glad I went and happy we are home.

You lift me up…

Ok, well may be not you you… although you guys do know how to lift my spirits… I'm talking about my favorite LYS. Yesterday, I wandered in there and the ever lovely Sandra (who had no way of knowing I'd been having a really bad, no good, crying in the rental car kind of day) totally lifted my spirits. Just by being her.

Well, she was just being her (which is uplifting all by itself) but then she told me the new sock club yarn was Jitterbug (oh be still my beating heart). I chose the colour way Copperbeech.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, she told me I had a credit for 2 skeins of Cadenza. I picked Mist. I had no clue I even had the credit. Imagine, 3 skeins of Collinette just fell into my hands, like mana from heaven. Totally made my day.

Plus, after a false start, I am finally moving along on the wrap sweater. Bam Boo takes some getting use to (I frogged it once because of the split stitches) but it's looking good now. I'm loving the pattern enough that I have no desire what so ever to start anything else until it's done!

Also, if all that didn't lift me up… my ridiculously adorable (albeit somewhat squinty eyed) dog ALWAYS makes me smile.

The Ol' Bam Boo

Well, for me it's the new Bam Boo.

I was finally able to get my things and license plate from my car this past Monday. A sorry sight it was. Most of my stuff was still there and a whole ton of stuff that really creeped me out. Cloths, CD's etc. none of it mine. Depressing stuff. To cheer myself up after that little excursion, I'd planned to meet up with Gina at the LYS. It was just what I needed air conditioning someone to talk to and some good yarn therapy.

I came away with this. Six balls of Classic Elite Bam Boo in leaf.

And I'm making this. A little Summer wrap sweater with i-cord ties, Amy's take on the "Boob Holder" from Glampyre. I am having so much fun knitting this. Bam Boo is more difficult to work with than I expected, very splitty, but I love it and the pattern is as cute as can be. I was going to save it for vacation knitting but now I might be able to wear it on vacation instead.

And, I had a pleasant surprise from the insurance adjuster. Oh don't worry… the car is still a total right off… $6000 damage to a car I've had for several years and only paid $8000 for in the first place but they offered me more money than I was expecting for it due to the low kilometers. I should get the cheque towards the end of next week. So now I get to go car shopping. I am bowing to the fact that my best bet is to use the money from insurance as a down payment and accept the reality of car payments. It will allow me to get a slightly newer, safer car.

Go with the 'Fro…

So I picked the boy up from camp after work on Friday. A week of fun in the sun canoeing, swimming, doing archery…I swear he grew while he was gone. His hair grew too. The camp counsellors nicknamed him "Curly 'Fro Man" which I find amusing and a significant improvement over "Gasmask" which was his nickname 2 Summers ago (don't ask). He doesn't seem to mind, he told me, "The girls at camp seemed to really like my hair". It's hard not to smile at it, dark brown and ridiculously curly (I swear he never had hair this curly before) and he has green eyes and tiny freckles and after a week at camp, a killer tan. I missed him.

I had planned a relaxing week of knitting, dropping by the LYS, Raveling and of course working. Well, my two days off were consumed by dealing with the car. Still no news from the insurance company. I was waiting on the loaner for the start of the week so no trip to the LYS. I've done a bit of raveling… a bit of knitting too but the week was over before I knew it.

I finished my jay socks. I cast them off as ankle socks because they were so mismatched. I'll know better for next time.


I wanted to start a clapotis, seduced by the sheer number of them out there. I'm having trouble getting the pattern going but I think it's because I am a combination knitter that my stitches are wonky and I'm just not quite getting it. I am planning to take a series of knit what you want classes in the fall. May be I'll save clapotis for then.

The never ending wrap… well it's still never ending. I am trying to think of it as a value added project. The longer it takes to knit, the greater the entertainment value and lower the cost. Three balls of laceweight silk/mohair and a set of circulars x 4 years or more of knitting entertainment I guess it is good value for the money spent. Shut up out there, it's a positive spin OK! I show people and all they say is, "Well the yarn is really lovely." I know they are thinking, "Is she insane! At the rate she's going she'll be in her grave before she gets through the first ball".

And… did you know… my dog thinks she's a prOn star.