Clapotis

You guys know Clapotis, right?  It was published on Knitty.com in 2004 (I actually remember the first time I saw it - Knitty used to rock my world) and it kind of took the knitting world by storm.

As of this very moment, Clapotis is the most-knitted pattern on Ravelry (ever), with a project count of 19,635.  

In case you weren't sure, let me assure you that that is Crazy Town.

Thing is, I've never felt compelled to knit it.  Wasn't even sure I liked it (which I realize makes me sound more than somewhat delusional, but whatever).

Then I bought this silk yarn from the Mill (aka: my LYS) and I really wasn't sure what to do with it.  I bought it as a gift for someone and then when my trip got cancelled and I was really upset, I decided to make myself something with it, instead ('cause I'm supposed to avoid chocolate and the situation was dire).  I just didn't know what, yet.  I only had the one skein...

So while I was in Ottawa, I visited a neat little shop on Wellington called Wabi Sabi and the lady there was a dear.  She helped me find a coordinating skein of a lovely merino hand-dyed on Salt Spring Island (and I was supposed to visit Salt Spring Island on my trip...oh, the irony) called Kattikloo.

{Canada has a lot of (what the uneducated would call "funny-sounding") Native place names...like Gichigami and Nackawic and Kouchibouguac and Winnipegosis and Kejimkujik and Mactaquac.  These Cree/Ojibwe/Mi'kmaq/etc. names are imbued with ancient history and, at the risk of sounding like a crack-pot, a deep spiritual affinity that I think many Canadians - regardless of their ethnicity - feel towards their country's geography.  These names pay homage to our Native roots and make our country what it is.  All this to say that I'm not sure what "Kattikloo" means, but it sounds Native and if that is the case, I'm sure it was chosen for a very good reason.  I think I'll e-mail the dyer to ask...}

ANYWAY, as I was saying, I bought a coordinating skein of merino and I pored over the pattern possibilities in Ravelry and came up with this:

Um, yeah.  I love it.  Can't wait until Fall (*gasp*!) so I can wear it every day.

Caller Herrin

It's gettin' there.

Things I have learned (the hard way, naturally) about Fair Isle knitting:

1. It must be good and blocked.  After a good soaking.  No cheating allowed.
2. Fair Isle swatches lie.  The little guy at the top of this post is a liar liar pants on fire.  It still worked out, but I've got my eye on him...
3. The end-of-round jog isn't as noticeable as I thought it would be.
4. Surprisingly, I really enjoy it.

Alive and Kicking

Wow, so my last post was on May 17th, eh? 

Yikes.

Well, I'm not going to apologize or feel bad about that, 'cause you know what?  I started this blog for fun and I'll be damned if I'm going to start treating like a chore.

Having said that, I can still fill you in on what has been going on, right?

Work.  Work has been going on.

In October/November of last year, the company I work for (I run a small department that deals with drafting/facilities management of a 65-store retail company) decided to purchase and renovate a 100+ year-old building (former potato warehouse built in a post and beam style) as a new head office.  It is located in the oldest part of the city (on the harbour waterfront) and it is a heritage building.  Yours truly was in charge of the design and drafting, I managed the consultants, I wrote the specifications, I administered the contract, I managed the contractor, I tendered out the furniture contract and I also organized/managed the physical move itself (for 30+ employees).

Phew.  No wonder I wasn't blogging.

Some photos during the last weeks of construction (I don't have any before shots on this computer, but trust me when I say that it was AWFUL - picture cheap wood panelling and glass block and country blue walls with floral wallpaper borders...*shudder*):

So yeah, my spring and summer have been consumed with this massive (my first real honest-to-goodness, start-to-finish) interior design project and subsequent move.  And this is my office, now (fourth image from the top - the one with the birch doors).  It's pretty cool, but I gotta say: I'm so freaking relieved that it's over.

I'm finally starting to reclaim (my mind and) my life.  It's kind of scary to me how easy it is to get wrapped up in these projects - I hate that aspect of my work.  It feels like I gave birth to this stupid building and I really wish there was a way for me to do what I do without feeling so personal about it...  Oh well, that's a discussion for another time, perhaps.

So, what else happened?  Well, my awesome fantastic OMG cross-Canada road trip didn't.  It got cancelled.  Two days before I was scheduled to fly to Ottawa and meet my mom, she had to pull the plug.  It's a long, dramatic, epic tale of woe and I was totally heartbroken so I'm not going to get into it again.  I flew to Ottawa anyway, to visit with my mom (for Canada Day long weekend...*shudder*), and came back a few days later.  She eventually made her way to Winnipeg and just left there last week for Kamloops.  I think she's settled in there, now (note to self: call mother to verify survival of journey).

On the home front, I've been visiting the farmer's market religiously this summer (we have been experiencing a drought, but the farmers are hanging in there) and have made a few new acquaintances that are pretty inspiring.  We are ruminating some ideas for a new project together, which we may execute this fall/winter, so that's exciting.

The Mill has been holding some classes, which I've managed to miss (I was unaware of the first, away on my mini-trip for the second and apparently totally confused for the third), but hope to make the last one - the one on lace knitting.  I already know how to knit lace, but hey, what kind of self-respecting knitter passes up the chance to learn more about knitting?  What kind, I ask you?

And of course, there has been lots of knitting.  I think I can safely say that I have officially evolved into one of THOSE knitters - you know, the ones who knit everyday and see no issue with knitting at parties and barbecues?  Yup, that's me now.

(Photo documentation of said knitting to follow.)