At My Mother's Knee

Dust, begone

2012-02-05T19:29:00.001-04:00

I have two Labrador Retrievers. Who consider it their duty to shed. A duty which they take very seriously. No, really. It's everywhere (even in places I can't mention in polite society).

Something had to be done.

I had an old pair of wool pants that had pretty much kicked the bucket and had been hanging on to them for a while in the hopes that I could salvage some of the fabric.

I cut the legs off (they had worn out in the *ahem* crotch area), and trimmed them into nice, square-angled rectangles. Then I lined them up at the hems and sewed up the sides and at the top.

I topstitched all the way around and then pleated the top (and topstitched the pleats in place) in two spots near the middle. Then I added two narrow straps and velcro:

...and made myself a sewing machine cover.

And then, because my old pincushion died (and more importantly, because sewing with this gray-and-coral combo is a slippery slope - consider yourselves warned), I made myself a new one.

It goes on around the whatchamacallit (the vertical part of the machine - you know what I mean, right?) and the little elastic/toggle combo keeps it snug.

Only, I discovered that I had no batting to stuff it with, so I spent 20 minutes tearing the house apart trying to find something suitable and guess what! Yarn. That's what I used. And guess what! It's the best little pincushion I've ever had. Who knew?

(Sorry for the lack of step-by-step instructions. I didn't think that any of this would actually work, so I neglected to take any photos or even measure anything. Because I'm a bad person. But I'll make it up to - if there's enough interest, I'll do up a pattern for both items, k?)

Baby Gifting Update

2012-01-31T18:47:00.004-04:00

You'll recall that my cousin is having a baby.

I've taken all your suggestions, whittled them down to the achievable (for now) and came up with this package to send her (she's due in March):

1) Bibs (free pattern here):

2) Itty bitty legwarmers (I invented this pattern - I tried to make them funky and gender-neutral-ish, but I only had these colours in my stash):

3) Some little terry cloth rags for stuffing in a diaper bag (just in case, you know)(these were a little freebie - I made them out of the leftover terry from the bibs...even if they never get used, I won't care):

4) Nursing Covers (free pattern here):

Uh, hi. Take a closer look at the gorgeous fabric I found (and I insist that you swoon, 'cause it wasn't cheap):

And I thought I didn't have enough fabric leftover but surprise! I do, so she's getting a market bag made from these two fabrics, too:

(That's my project for this weekend.)

When she pops and we all find out whether it's a boy or a girl (I'm voting for either one, 'cause as long as all its parts are accounted for, I really don't care whether the little one has an innie or an outie), I'm going to plan for a zip-up-in-the-back hoodie (that idea still astounds me!) and a meathead hat and some other fun stuff. Not that I'll be knitting stuff all in pink if it's a girl or anything, but you know what I mean.

Faff

2012-01-29T19:19:00.000-04:00

This is apropos of nothing, but I just had to share it.

I was lurking on YouTube and stumbled upon an animated music video that was kind of cute and touching. Of course, it wasn't so touching that I'd shed a tear, but it was sweet anyway.

I scrolled down to the comments section (I know, I was just asking for trouble) and saw a comment that made me laugh really really hard out loud:

"Damn ninjas chopping onions in my room again."

Classic.

Whoopdee doo

2012-01-28T18:27:00.001-04:00

It's not immediately clear what is going with the weather, but - unrelenting rain, notwithstanding - I'm pretty sure it's winter.

I took all of our usual gear out of storage a couple of months ago (and actually weeded out the duds - and got rid of old handknits)(!). The problem is, we don't have a storage solution for it. I am short, so a high-up shelf is no good. My husband is very tall, so a low-down solution doesn't work.

(He also has what we have dubbed "man eyes" - that's the inability to properly see the contents of the fridge and other hard-to-reach places. It is caused not by the loss of sight, but rather laziness. I have observed that this particular affliction tends to affect men as opposed to women.)

So, what to do? I don't have any room, it can't be low, it can't be high. It has to be close to the door, otherwise it won't get used.

Also, it had to be buildable (we don't have an Ikea - not unless we want to drive 15 hours to the nearest one).

My solution:

That's right: slap up some metal standards and brackets, paint some 1x6 trim and slap them in there. Phew, that's high design, right there.

Lame, I know. But what can I say? It's working.

The Slouchster is Dead, Long Live the Slouchster

2012-01-23T19:32:00.002-04:00

I had to, it got cold. And I felt kinda naked. Ok, not really on the naked part. But hell yeah on the cold part. I even got frost nip on the day these photos were taken. Like, bad. Puffy and itchy and raw and bad. Oops.

Also, gratuitous puppy shots:

Stay warm, folks.

Poetry; is not for me

2012-01-22T11:26:00.002-04:00

I've never really been able to get into poetry. I've got a couple of favourite poems that were studied in school, but for the most part, when you put a poem in front of me, all my brain sees is:

Blah blahbitty blah,
Blahblah blah blahbitty,
Blah blah blah.
O' blah blah blahblahblah,
Blah.

But something happens when you put it to music. My brain explodes when poetry is put to music.

Case in point:

The poetry of Colin's lyrics is beyond what I can handle.

"A panoply of song"

Seriously? A PANOPLY? Wha?

...and "A barony of ivy in the trees, expanding out its empire by degrees"? A BARONY? Holy eff.

I just can't handle it. When I first listened to the album, I thought for sure I had misheard him. But no, dude actually wrote that.

If you like the Avett Brothers or Iron and Wine or The Fleet Foxes or The Deep Dark Woods or any kind of music, really, you must take a listen to this band. If you dare.

Wherein I Make a Strong Case for Blocking

2012-01-20T17:01:00.000-04:00

These are two swatches I've done for the Caller Herrin I'm trying to get underway. The colours are different, as I'm experimenting with several options, but the swatches will still serve my purposes.

One swatch has been wet-blocked. The other has not.

Can you guess which is which?

Also, I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but I'll say it again, anyway: Kate Davies is a genius.

Christmas was awesome

2012-01-17T16:20:00.000-04:00

About a month before Christmas, my husband was out doing...something. I don't know. He was out with friends, I think. Shopping, maybe?

Yes, my husband shops. Willingly.

No, you can't clone him.

Anyway, he was out with friends, shopping (and yes, I'm sure he's straight, by the way) and he stumbled upon a big sale at the Paderno Factory Outlet (Paderno is a local company, dontcha know). A major sale. Like a holy-cow-now-we-can-afford-the-Cuisinart-food-processor-we've-been-talking-about-for-five-years kind of sale.

So he bought me a Cuisinart.

Yikes, sorry for the hair-raising photography. The light is so horrible, these days. I don't have much to work with.

*Officially* it was a Christmas present, but the thing is massive and there was no way he would have been able to hide that thing somewhere in the house (our house is so small that we can't even fit a Christmas tree in it).

I've been inventing excuses for the past 6 weeks to whip it out and play with it. I don't think he understood why I wanted one so badly until he used it, himself. When he saw how fast it chopped his stir fry veggies, all he said was "Duuuuuude." and his eyes just about popped out of his face. Stir fries are a twice-weekly tradition in this gluten-free household, so it was a big deal.

I've been using it for mixing GF dough (pizza, cookie, scone, almond balls, etc) and chopping the aforementioned veggies. What else should I be making with this thing? Ideas? Oh! Homemade mayo? Egads, I can't believe it only occurred to me just now.

Gotta go! That mayo ain't gonna make itself.

(PS: The keyboard for my iMac pooched on me a couple of months ago. The letter K and the comma buttons suddenly decided that they had known enough of the world and offed themselves. Perhaps it was murder-suicide. We'll never know. Anyway, I've been using the frustrating/disgusting/obnoxious keyboard that came with it, five years ago. So he got me a new keyboard. He's a keeper, this husband of mine.)

More elm photos

2012-01-12T16:11:00.001-04:00

People Are Nice

2012-01-11T17:10:00.001-04:00

Something really wonderful happened just before Christmas. I received this message on Ravelry:

Dudes, I just about fell off my chair. Seriously. My jaw hit the tabletop. I kid you not.

Wasn't that nice? I was so touched - especially because I have never met this person. I don't even know her name (no, wait. yes, I do - ok, but I don't know her LAST name.). I don't think she knows my name. Yet, she took the time to hunt through my queue and saw that I had "wishlisted" Caller Herrin. And bought it for a complete stranger. Two days before Christmas.

Also, Wood sent me a beautiful card.

And my good friend from high school sent me one, too.

People are nice.

R.I.P. Slouchster

2012-01-10T13:50:00.001-04:00

At work, I sit in front of a computer most of the day (I draft and design and draw and type). I worship the "undo" icon. Control-Z is my favourite shortcut. If it wasn't there, I'd have pulled all my hair out by now.

Problem is, the habit of using Ctl-Z can lull you into a sense of complacency. Like, it doesn't really matter if I screw up - I can just punch a couple of keys/click on a little swoopy arrow and everything is okie dokie.

And that false sense of security can start to mess with your head.

I present Exhibit A:

My favourite hat ever knitted on this planet in all the world for the history of mankind ever invented.

I love this hat. The yarn is beautiful and soft and smooth and the colour is perfect (an exquisite charcoal grey with little flecks of heather). Most importantly, this yarn was given to me by Wood, when we swapped yarn a couple of Christmases ago. This hat is my security blanket. My binkie, if you will. I sleep in it, sometimes.

Except.

I, in my infinite wisdom, put this hat (which is 100% NON SUPERWASH wool) through the washing machine's regular cycle - not once BUT TWICE - and THEN. AND THEN. I put it through the dryer.

That's right. I can't just screw something up a little bit. I have to go all out.

And the one thing I thought when I pulled all the clothes out of the dryer and found that hat sitting in the bottom of the drum, looking all puny and miniaturized and forlorn was:

CONTROL-ZED!!!!!!! UNDO, DAMMIT, UNDO!!!!!!!!

Wow, I am a slacker.

2012-01-08T13:33:00.002-04:00

So it's been, like, almost two whole months since I last posted here. Jeez.

A LOT has been going on and I'm not even sure where to start...

I've been working overtime
I've been dealing with some ancient history/family crap/childhood drama/etc and it has eaten up a lot of brain power. Not sure if I'll get into it here, but well, you never know. We'll see.
I finally finished the @%$^*& argyle vest. Won't be doing THAT again. Photos coming soon.
A new Gap Factory Outlet opened up (first one in our province), so that means that I can now SHOP FOR CLOTHING!!! So, I went shopping. Twice. (Prior to that, our poshest shopping experience was brought to us by Old Navy. Not exactly my cup of tea, as I am not 12.) Ahhhh, new jeans. That fit. And look good. Bliss.
I cut into some fabric to make some wool trousers for work. I took some photos to ~~continue~~ re-start work on my trouser tutorial. Problem is, it's winter and the availability of good photo-friendly light in these parts is abysmal. I'll keep plugging away at it and will post it here when it's ready.
I finished all the goodies for my ~~pregnant cousin~~ pregnant cousin's baby. So cute. I'll save the photos for another post (you see what I did there? I'm enticing you. )
Oh, and Christmas happened. Right. I got a little spoiled (which I will reveal a little later)(what? you think I'm going to give you all the goods in one fell swoop? do I look crazy to you?)(don't answer that)
And I de-fuzzed all my stuff:

This sweater:

And this sweater:

Netted this:

It was pretty dramatic. I'm not exactly sure what took me so long, but it made all the difference in the world, in regards to how the knits look. Especially the beige - it is a loose-spun 100% undyed wool, whereas the teal is a superwash merino.

I was on Ravelry snooping around in a few forums where people were discussing different types of yarn and I was really surprised to see so many references to pilling. And by "references", I mean "complaints". I don't understand. If you're using merino or other types of soft, non-itchy wool, you should know that the reason they don't itch is that they have a short staple length. Short wools pill. They just do. It's a fact. Get used to it. By a pill shaver for $6 and suck it up, buttercup.

When my hair is short, it flies around and curls and doesn't stay nicely in a ponytail. When it's long, it sits nicely in an ultra-smooth braid. Same thing with yarn. If you want soft and springy and non-itchy, you're going to get pills. If you want sturdy, non-pilly wool that will stay crisp (like you would use for colourwork, for example), it will be itchy (to varying degrees). Can't have your cake and eat it, too. (Disclaimer: I can't/won't promise that this will never change. Technology is a beautiful thing and you just never know what they'll figure out next...)

So don't diss the wool manufacture all over the internet just because you don't understand the inherent properties of wool, ok?

End rant.

Wow, I didn't know that was in there. Funny what happens when you sit down in front of a keyboard.

I have no idea what else I was going to tell you, so I'm going to go and get organized and I'll be back. I'll leave you with a cool photo of the tallest tree in our province (we visited it on Christmas day). It's an elm and it kicks ass.

2011-12-31T14:50:00.001-04:00

Oh dear, I just read on Wikipedia that Eva Zeisel died yesterday. Since design school, I have been in love with her work and find myself a little choked up at the news of her death. Yes, she was 105 years old and yes, she lived a varied and (seemingly) exciting life, but still. One of the world's stars went out yesterday.

Also, yes, I am still alive. I'm *this* close to finishing the argyle vest and only news of this magnitude could tear me away from it. Husband's birthday is imminent and I want to have something to offer as a gift. I shall return with an update shortly.

This gets filed under "You Have GOT To Be Kidding Me"

2011-11-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

I was just browsing a clothing store's website and saw a sweater described as:

"Vintage Grunge"

Put a fork in me, folks, 'cause I'm done.

I just officially turned old.

Recipe Dump

2011-11-11T12:40:00.001-04:00

Going through my recipes and thought I would post the best ones here, in case you'd like to try them out.

Let me know if you have tried them - I'd love to know if you like them!

Here is one that I pulled from Ravelry. I'm part of a group for Celiacs and people with other food intolerances. A wonderful woman who goes by JerseyPeach62 posted a modified version of a peanut butter cookie recipe that she found years ago. I gave it a whirl and made some and yowza, I'm hooked. I usually add a handful of carob chips to it (as the hubby is intolerant to chocolate - I KNOW, it's a sin!) and sometimes even some pecans. You know, just because I can.

I forgot to talk about the magic loop, didn't I?

2011-11-07T20:14:00.000-04:00

...Oh bother.

So much for being organized and all that.

Anyway, what I WAS GOING to say is that magic loop has changed everything for me. No really, it has. I went from ABHORRING knitting-in-the-round on circulars to trying to figure out a way to do EVERYTHING like that.

So how does it work, you ask? Well, I could sit here and a) try to explain it verbally (which would lead to me going cross-eyed) or b) I could just embed some professionally-produced videos for your reference. How 'bout we stick with option b, eh?

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I think it's pretty clear from the video that you can use the magic loop to knit all sorts of objects with a small circumference. You can even knit two things at once (like socks or sleeves):

You can see how this would become addictive, right? Second Sock Syndrome: cured. Forgetting to take notes on modifications for the first mitten when it comes time to knitting the second: not a problem. Wanting to make sure that the sleeves are EXACTLY the same length: done.

Whoever invented this deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, am I right?

And there's a bunch of peeps on Ravelry are participating in a KAL on a cabled hat, so I thought I'd add this one (though it has nothing to do with magic loop):

So what next?

2011-11-06T09:17:00.001-04:00

A week or so ago, Miranda sent me an e-mail, asking for some knitting advice. Her question was about the magic loop (which I'll talk about again in a minute), but it was actually about something else: how to "grow" as a knitter (oh wow, that sounded really cheesy, sorry). And it doesn't only apply to knitters - any hobby or life skill presents this problem.
But really, you know what I mean, right? There are a gadgillion resources out there for beginning knitters. Lots of how-to videos on YouTube, lots of books aimed at helping you master the art of garter stitch, lots of easy projects to test out. So, you watch the videos, read the books, try the garter stitch iPod cases...

Then what? What happens when you've exhausted all of these simple projects? I mean, even if your first project was a sweater, you might still hit that very same wall: where do I go from here?

There is no real definite answer. You are, in a sense, on your own. And so am I.

As I mentioned to Miranda in my reply, I have long since outstripped my mother and grandmother (or any relative, for that matter) in knitting know-how. My obsession with it is a little mystifying to both of them. Slippers and scarves were the projects of choice for them (though Mom did knit Dad a marled grey sweater at one point, and started another - T, do you remember that one? It was navy blue, with a grey, beige, and white yoke sweater...). Neither one has attempted lace or sock knitting. And steeking? Heavens, NO!

So what is a girl (or guy) to do? Well, there are a few things:

Know thyself. If you've knit a few projects, you should be getting a sense of what you like and don't like. Pay attention to this: it's your first clue. Are you intrigued by construction (the "architecture" of knitting)? What about cables and texture - is that your thing? Or are you more of a colour person? These details are going to act as your first set of directions.
Try new things you aren't sure you'll like. HA! I just told you to follow your instincts and now I'm telling you to ignore them and try things you hadn't thought of. Hahahaha! Ain't I funny!?!? No? Oh well. But seriously, if you aren't sure yet what you like, you really ought to try stuff that you have never given serious thought to before. Like lace and sock knitting. Like colour work (just be warned: intarsia is the devil).
Ignore the scare tactics you hear from other knitters. Like "just be warned: intarsia is the devil". Try it for yourself. Then you can be the judge.
Pay attention to people like Elizabeth Zimmermann, Meg Swanson, Sally Melville, Alice Starmore, Kate Davies, Jacqueline Fee, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Jared Flood, Ysolda Teague, Franklin Habit, Debbie New, Adrian Bizilia, SpillyJane and a host of others. These are your teachers-in-hiding. I call them that because they are designers, writers and bloggers, first and foremost. But their work is peppered with a wealth of knowledge that is just waiting for you to snatch up. I'm thinking of one in particular that Stephanie (the Yarn Harlot) wrote, called "Knitting Rules!" in which she lists out page after page of knitting tips and tricks that I have no idea where she found (like, did you know you should always knit your ribbing on smaller needles than those used for the rest of the piece?). My guess is that she has been collecting it by reading the authors I listed above and by asking lots of questions. You will learn a lot if you adopt her approach.
Take notes, take notes, take notes. You're going to start coming across very interesting little tidbits in your reading and you will tell yourself that you don't need to write it down: something THAT amazing is sure to stick in your memory forever! Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but you'd be mistaken there, my friend. So, you remember when I extolled the virtues of the knitting journal? Well, I hate to beat a dead horse, but...
Start thinking about where and when and how you like to knit. Are you a commuter-knitter? What about in front of the TV? At night, as an un-winding activity? Or first thing in the morning, to focus your thoughts? Do you travel a lot for work and need something to take your mind off the monotony of yet another hotel room? Or just whenever you get a moment free of the kids, which you use as an escape-in-the-search-for-sanity (no, I'm not a mother, but I've spent a fair bit of time looking after kids... I know what it's like)? The answers to those questions will give you yet another clue as to what type of knitting you should be trying out. Like, if you're escaping to your basement craft room when the kids are napping so that you can remember how to breathe, might I suggest that you stick to simple knits with little shaping and pattern? Maybe put some soothing music on instead and just let your hands do the work. But, if you're travelling, you're going to want something more involved. A five-hour flight with only a garter-stitch scarf to keep you company is likely only going to emphasize the boredom. So, that's where lace comes in handy. Plus, lace is a great travel-wardrobe accessory. Think about it: it crumples up nicely in a suitcase, it acts as both a scarf and a blanket, AND it can zazz up an evening outfit without even batting an eye.
Maybe try having more than one project on the go. That way, when you find yourself getting bored with something or needing to change your pace, you've got something else to turn to, without having to hunt something down. I've shackled myself monogamously to the intarsia argyle vest for the past few weeks and I'm about to go bat-crap crazy. This is NOT the way to do things, people.
Speaking of beating a dead horse: have you started listening to Kelly Petkun's podcasts, yet? I am not joking: these podcasts have completely changed my perspective on knitting (in a good way). Kelly has done a LOT of the legwork here - all you have to do is listen (and take notes - knittingjournal, knittingjournal, knittingjournal). Plus, it's free. And not that KnitPicks needs any more endorsements from me, but I also encourage you to check out all of their YouTube videos. They are the most professionally-produced that I have found.
Inspiration may be your biggest challenge, going forward. There's a reason Ravelry is so popular: get on there and go fishing for inspiration. Look at stuff that you think you'll never be able to knit and then figure out a way to do it. Everything you need is floating around here somewhere, I promise. You just have to figure out a way to find it and use it.

So anyway, my point is that just because you're having a hard time finding the right resources to get haul yourself into the advanced-intermediate (or even just into the intermediate-beginner) territory, don't lose faith. It's out there: it just isn't as blatantly obvious as the beginner stuff.

I should probably demand a commission

2011-10-26T19:39:00.001-03:00

This week, I got a Ravelry message from Ash, who is a member of our Ravelry group (that's Woodcraft Knitters, which was technically started up by Wood, but which I have highjacked and of which I have anointed myself High Chancellor). It got me wondering: did I ever end up telling you what I think of my new-ish KnitPicks interchangeable needle set (the ones in these photos)?

Well, in case I haven't, here's what I think of them:

I love them.

The end.

What? Oh, you wanted more feedback? OK FINE.

Seriously, they're fantastic. This is why I think so:

You can not - and will not - beat the price.
I am a very loose knitter and I ordered the nickel-plated set (the interchangeables and a slew of the skinnier ones - which can't be manufactured as interchangeables because they're too skinny for the mechanism - in 40" lengths, for magic loop knitting). The nickel-plated is super slippery and excellent for fast knitting. My Lace Addi needle got all tarnishy and ugly after the first project (not that their look affects their performance, but you know what I mean), but my KnitPicks needles are still 100% perfectly beautiful after several projects.
The tips are sharp (thank you, folks at KnitPicks - you angels, you)
The joins are as good as it gets. The looser the knitting, the more invisible they seem. Perfect.
The cables are so bendy and forgiving, it's kind of freaky. Seriously, they are even more forgiving than Addi's and that is saying a LOT.
The tips are feather-weight. Awesome. Just awesome.
I now have a pretty complete set of circulars on hand. I had no idea how liberating that feeling would be until I bought these. I have a complete set of straights and a mostly-complete set of DPN's, but I think circs are more versatile and wow, it makes a big difference having them all within reach.
They fit in a tidy little case (though the case is stiff and awkward and could probably benefit from being made of a different material...except that it is really nice to be able to see through the plastic...oh well, you can't have everything, I guess).
The options for the tips. I mean, how great would it be to have all three types - metal, acrylic and wood? You could experiment with each one when you're trying out a new yarn. Different yarns benefit from being knit on different needles, did you know that? I didn't. But apparently, it's true. You can get better results if you play around with your needle types.
You can buy a little coupling separately that allows you to join cables together and make one super long cable. Afghan knitting, anyone?
Have you ever heard of lifelines, in knitting? Well, they work like this: when you're knitting something that is a little involved, like a lace shawl or a cabled sweater, there is a possibility that you might make a mistake at some point (what?? me, make a mistake??? NEVER!) and you'll have to rip some knitting back. The thought of having to rip back lace is enough to give a person a migraine (I don't recommend it to anyone), so this is what you do: at the end of a round of particularly complex knitting, you will thread a yarn needle with some scrap yarn and feed it through your loops, thus securing them and providing you with a safe harbour in the storm. Well, with the KnitPicks interchangeables, it's even easier to do than that. The tips are tightened onto the cables using a little pin. You twist the tip onto the cable, insert the pin into a small hole near the needle's socket, and you use the pin as leverage to really torque the needle and cable together. Here's the secret: that little pin hole is the PERFECT size for dental floss. You thread the dental floss into the hole, tie a little knot to keep it there, knit your next row just like you normally would (with your regular yarn - the floss is just going along for the ride), but when you're done, you snip the knot in the dental floss and leave it in your work. BAM: instant lifeline. Plus, it's minty fresh. And lifelines need not be limited to complex work. They're good for keeping travel knitting safe from tangles. Or just preventing your toddler from setting you back hours and hours and hours in your work by gleefully making away with your needle from your project, which was sitting peacefully on the sofa before you turned your back a moment ago.
They also have these little tags that you can buy separately that are GENIUS! Why, you ask? Well, imagine this totally probable scenario: you start a project like...I don't know...a sweater. Yeah, you're starting a sweater. You're knitting up the body when you realize that you were supposed to start on the sleeves first, for whatever reason. No biggie. You unscrew the needle tips from the cable and use the little purple caps that came with your kit to secure the knitting onto the cable. It will now act as a stitch holder (goodbye scrap yarn method!) and will keep the body safe until you're ready to graft the arms on. Except WAIT. What happens if you start the sleeve and then decide that you have to knit an emergency scarf with that size of needle (what? scarf emergencies happen, yo) and so you abandon the sleeve idea and all of the sudden, you come back to them later and you have no idea what size needles you were using for the sweater (because, though I've told you to, you haven't started a knitting journal yet and you're working blind). SO WHAT THEN? You're up the creek without a paddle, my friend. Unless...

What if you slipped one of these little puppies onto the cable before you capped it at each end when you stopped knitting the sweater body? A built-in method of documenting your needle sizes for on-going projects.

See? Genius, I tell you. Simply genius.

So, do I think you should invest in a set of these? Yes, I do. I DESPISED circular needles for years and I knit almost exclusively on these, now. My knitting-in-the-round has improved tenfold (no more ladders and unevenness). Magic loop is my answer to everything. Two-at-a-time socks are my new modus operandi. Heck, two-at-a-time sleeves are next.

What I would suggest is this: KnitPicks make a set of interchangeables that include a pair of each type of tips (wood, metal and acrylic - I inserted a photo of this set at the top of this post) so you can try them out. I would give that a shot. The Holidays are coming - put them on your list. I really don't think you'll regret it.

Oh, and one more thing: if you haven't been listening to Kelly Petkun's podcasts, you really ought to remedy that. Holy cow, have I learned a lot from this woman. Excellent commuting soundtrack (I even listen to them while I'm doing housework and baking). Just remember to keep a little notebook handy (or maybe your NEW KNITTING JOURNAL, HINT HINT) so that you can take notes. 'Cause I guarantee that you'll want to.

Why learn a lesson the easy way?

2011-10-22T10:26:00.001-03:00

I have learned a very valuable lesson this week:

When you are undertaking a new pattern for the first time, it pays to take the time and re-write the damn thing in your own words.

Particularly if this pattern was written by a designer that is unknown to you. Particularly if this designer seems a little Old School (they did things differently in the Olden Days of knitting... you know, like 10 years ago). Particularly if you're not accustomed to following patterns in the first place and usually prefer to wing it, as Elizabeth Zimmermann-ites such as myself are wont to do.

Now, I already knew this. I preached this. I smirked a little as I witnessed others refusing to do this very thing, thus finding themselves up a creek without a paddle.

Oh, would I could properly convey to you the taste of humble pie, my friends.

When I left you last, I was performing some rather heart-wrenching surgery on my husband's argyle vest. I managed to remain fairly positive throughout the process (you know, once the vile cursing and temper tantrum subsided, that is).

At one point, just as I was ripping back 3 hours worth of work (by the way, it took me 1.5 hours to undo 3 hours of work...that thought gives me heartburn), I thought to myself (cue ominous music) that I really should sneak a lifeline into this thing, JUST IN CASE something went wrong again.

Once I got it all back on track, I squared my shoulders and put my mind to the task of starting the arm shaping over again. I was a little tired, but determined. I took a deep yogic (and very zen, I like to think) breath. But did I remember to put in a lifeline? Nooooooooo, of course not. Did I go back and re-re-re-read the instructions. Well, yes. Naturally.

At least I thought I had.

Are you getting a sense of foreboding, here? A little foreshadowing, perhaps?

Yeah, so, um, well.... I screwed up again. I am halfway between the arm shaping and the shoulder seam on one side of the front and I just realized that I have to rip back to the armhole shaping (a good 4" of work). And not a lifeline in sight.

Now, I am not above ignoring mistakes and making do. I can't stand perfectionism and like to refer to myself as a "good-enough-ist". Mistakes just emphasize our human-ness, I prefer to think. However, this mistake is bad enough that it makes me question whether or not it will dramatically change the way this thing fits. I'm just not sure enough of myself and I want this vest to be something my husband will love and wear forever. If it languishes in a drawer, I'll be extremely frustrated. Especially if it languishes because I was too lazy to rip a mistake out and fix it when I had the chance. Pardon the expression, but that would just chap my ass.

Is it too early in the day for alcohol?

Le soupir

2011-10-19T21:24:00.001-03:00

Have just spent the past hour undoing 2.5" of intarsia work.

No, am not feeling homicidal at all, thanks for asking.

My mantra, currently: I knit because I love to do it, I knit because I love to do it, I knit because I love to do it...

To all of you out there who are just learning to knit and you are saying to yourselves "I can't wait until I am more experienced and stop making mistakes", all I have to say is this: you never stop making mistakes. You just get better at fooling yourself into thinking you aren't making them and, as your knitting speeds up, you just start getting into trouble faster. Thus, a misreading of the effing instructions and a disregard for the need to COUNT MY DAMN STITCHES + three hours of catching up with Grey's Anatomy online = a total mess (as evidenced above).

Am cutting my ends and tossing this entire rat's nest of loose yarn into a ziplock to be untangled (only if absolutely necessary: I may be mental, but I'm not a masochist) later. For now, I have plenty of extra yarn and I'm not afraid to use it. Onwards, friends. This vest ain't gonna knit itself (though I really wish it would).

Can we have a serious discussion about something very dear to my heart?

2011-09-30T20:11:00.001-03:00

So, here's the dealio: vinyl flooring is NOT the same as linoleum.

I know, you're wondering:

a) what the hell I'm talking about
b) why I care
c) why you should care

Well, as an interior designer, I am FED UP with people misappropriating the term "linoleum" and sullying its good name. People, if you are the author of a shelter blog (I'll give you a free pass if you post occasional snippets of your personal diy home projects - you can't be held accountable, I realize that) you have a RESPONSIBILITY to get your shit right.

Vinyl = thin sheet flooring made of plastic (ok, fine, it's made of vinyl... same difference) with a fuzzy backing and that usually has a "printed" pattern on it (like *shudder* faux tile). It is glued down and the seams are left un-welded. Also, it is usually hideously ugly and scars easily if you gouge/rip/cut it.

Linoleum = a substantially-thick sheet flooring that is laid with welded seams and has a beautiful jute (burlap) backing. The colour runs through the product, so if you gouge it, it usually doesn't show. It has speckles and flecks of colour but usually has no "pattern". And, most importantly, it is made of renewable (read: "natural") materials. Like cork, wood flour and LINseed oil. It is biodegradable and has been around since the 1850's. It lasts a long time and is gorgeous. It is manufactured by people like Armstrong and Forbo.

So, stop using the term "linoleum" when you mean "vinyl". Or else I'm going to get royally ticked off.

Pass it on.

Proof of Life

2011-09-29T20:17:00.002-03:00

Been knittin'.

The damn thing is so big that I actually had to use a stepladder to get far enough away from it to fit it in the frame.

Been sewin'.

Making a new pair of twill pants using the same pattern I used for these jeans a million years ago.

Been workin' on a new tutorial... stay tuned.

Baby Stuff

2011-09-26T20:16:00.001-03:00

I mentioned a few posts back that I recently spent some time with my "little" cousin (who is actually 26 and very much a grown up... it's just that I refuse to accept it). She's pregnant for the first time and I don't know if I can express how excited that makes me feel.

See, I don't want kids. I like kids just fine. There a even a few that I love. I spent years babysitting (e.g. the aforementioned cousin) and really enjoyed it, for the most part. I just don't want any of my own. And neither does my stepsister. And my brother is disabled so he won't be having any. And I have another stepsister who lives a continent away and I don't have a relationship with.

So what I'm saying is: I kinda feel like my cousin's baby is going to make me an aunt. You know what I mean? This particular cousin is the closest female to me in age in the family (my step-sisters came after she was born, so they don't count for the purposes of my explanation) and I was absolutely smitten with her when she was born. My uncle and mother get along very well, so we spent a lot of time together when she was little. I see her as a little sister. And I know she sees me as a big sister.

(As a juicy aside: her father - my uncle - had a little fling when he was 18 or so and fathered a daughter that was put up for adoption. None of us knew anything about it and a few years ago, they were put in contact with each other for the first time. How cool is that? Just like that, I got another cousin! Yay! And it means that, out of 5 children, my uncle had 4 daughters. That's crazy town.)

But I digress (REALLY? YOU DON'T SAY!).

So now I need something from you all: ideas for handmade baby gifts.

I have made her some bibs and a few little washcloths. I'm also making her a market bag to use for whatever.

I know those little legwarmers thingies are the best thing evar, so I'm making some of them, too. They're teal and they're going to have lighter teal and mustard stripes. I am so smitten that want to make myself a pair.

So what else? She's due in March, so I gotta get crackin'!

Viewer Discretion is Advised

2011-09-18T19:48:00.001-03:00

The reason for the disclaimer is that I'm finally ready to show what I got for my birthday (back in July...so much for promptness). I hinted at it a few times, but I only wanted to unveil it when it was ready.

So, without further ado, I present to you the newest member of my family:

She's a foam body form made by a company called Uniquely You. I bought it online and the way it works is that you tailor the canvas cover it comes with to fit you EXACTLY (more on that in a minute). Once that's done, you wrestle the canvas cover over the foam form (emphasis on the "wrestle"... I actually have blisters on my knuckles from body slamming this thing into submission this afternoon).

I'm obviously a little shorter than the norm, because you can see the strip of foam poking out the bottom there. Oh well.

And can I just take a moment to marvel at just how curvy I am? I hate photos of myself (I am truly the least photogenic person on the planet) so standing next to this thing is the best sense I've gotten of my body's proportions ever. I have got me some junk in the trunk. Who knew?

Right, so you're dying to ask me if this thing works. Well, so far, I would have to give you a resounding YES. Oh, it gave me some trouble: it was hellish to get the stupid cover right. You can see a whole whack of loose threads poking out there, right? After the ~~fourth~~ ~~fifth~~ third hour of altering, I got lazy and stopped trimming the ends. And holy cow, when the instructions say that the cover has to be SKIN TIGHT, they don't kid. I could barely breathe in it. The current incarnation you see above is actually the second version. I spent a whole day altering the first time around only to discover that it didn't match my measurements when I got it all assembled. My reaction when I discovered that is best kept under wraps. It was not pretty, folks.

But, this weekend I had a bit of a burst of productivity and started to de-stash my fabric/sewing project collection. (I know, crazy!) I have been finding it difficult to get motivated re: sewing, lately. Which is really dumb because it just sits on the edge of my desk all the time - it's not like I need to assemble it every time or anything. Once that sewing machine gets set up, I find it much easier to just keep going. Sigh.

So anyway, once I got this baby set up and measured it again (this time it was spot on, yay!), I took out a few projects that I started last fall (they've been sitting in the drawer languishing for a year OH FOR SHAME!). One is a pair of pants and the other is a button-down shirt. The laziness vis-à-vis the shirt, I can forgive, I guess. (Have you ever figured out how to alter darts on the back of a shirt when you're the one it's being fitted on and you're alone trying to fit it? Yeah, me neither. Yoga will only get you so far: it can't help you grow eyes on the back of your head. Hence why I needed the dress form.) The laziness re: the pants is kind of ridiculous. I mean, a whole 12 months they've been collecting dust? Sheesh. But the shirt got fitted this afternoon and holy crap, it was so EASY! I actually foresee myself making more of them (which I never thought I'd "hear" myself say). Dresses are going to be a breeze (I wish I could accurately convey the excitement I feel at being able to write that... but I can't, so you'll just have to use your imaginations, ok?).

Mwahahahahaha, I am now a sewing force to be reckoned with!

Or whatever.

Light on the photos and light on the content

2011-09-13T20:53:00.001-03:00

It's getting to that time of year. It's not very bright out when I leave in the morning and it's nearly dusk when I get home. We live in the woods, so that translates into some pretty dreary conditions for taking photos. So, you're not getting progress shots until I get some weekend sunshine. And yes, I can finally report that there has been some (meager, but I'm not complaining) progress.

So, what have we been up to this summer? Well, lots of sailing. Lots of farmer's marketing, lots of berry picking, lots of jam-making, lots of yard work. Some renovations, like painting and putting up shelves (totally mind-blowingly fascinating, I know) and drywall patching. So, you know, nothing exciting.

This weekend, we participated in a beach cleanup and I remembered to bring my camera:

It was pretty gross. When I showered afterwards, I found sand in places you should never find sand. Blech.

In other news, a member of my extended family passed away a few weeks ago. She, my aunt, had MS and had been suffering with it for over 25 years, so it wasn't a shock but it happened very suddenly. She was the kind of person who, above everything else, loved a good laugh (at the most inappropriate moments, preferably), so we spent the days before and after her funeral telling funny stories and dirty jokes and doling out vast quantities of hugs. It's always a shame that we're seldom together these days unless there is a funeral to attend, but I must say that it felt really damn good to see my cousins again. It had been 8 years (since my own wedding!) and that's just too long (some of them did some appallingly efficient growing up during that period and my mind is still reeling). So, I am declaring before all (40) of you, that I am hereby going to put $50 from each of our paycheques aside for future family-visiting. No excuses.

I couldn't bring my camera (too bulky, too expensive) with me, so I'm relying on others' photos, but I hope to be back with more shortly...

Yup, still alive

2011-09-12T12:47:00.001-03:00

I know, I'm the most horriblest blogger ever and you've given up on me. Before you walk away for ever though, I ask for one parting favour: go and check out Miranda's bedroom. Go, I swear it's worth it.

We've been going back and forth on it for months and she has decided that, though she isn't 100% done, it's internet-ready. Way to go, girl!

PS: I will be back soon with a full accounting of what they heck I've been up to and why I've been ignoring you. I'll also be begging Chris's forgiveness for not calling her when I was back in my hometown for an unexpected visit last week, though I said I would (I'm SO SORRY Chris, I just ran out of time, dangit!).

Sad Day

2011-08-22T12:48:00.002-03:00

I just read that our beloved Jack Layton, leader of the NDP (New Democratic Party) passed away this morning.

Jack was tireless and passionate. One could argue that he was single-handedly responsible for elevating his Party to the forefront of Canadian politics.

In the words of Wikipedia: "In the May 2, 2011 election, Layton led the NDP to 103 seats, more than double its previous high. This was also enough to make the NDP the Official Opposition in the Commons for the first time ever."

Exactly four weeks ago today, he appeared on TV looking a little worse for wear and announced that he was going to take a leave of absence from the leadership of the party in order to concentrate yet again on a new battle with an unspecified cancer. I think it is fair to say that much of the country collectively gasped in dismay when he broke the news.

He had finally, after decades of dedication and hard work, reached a point where his life's ambition (becoming Prime Minister of Canada) was within his grasp. My heart is completely broken.

Story on the Globe and Mail site.

ETA: Jack's last letter to Canadians.

Fleeting

2011-08-17T19:29:00.002-03:00

On the way home from our latest sailing excursion.

It's habit-forming

2011-08-15T19:09:00.001-03:00

See ya, suckas.

What can I say? Once again, I have no knitting or sewing content for you. We've had such crap weather for MONTHS (we're going to get 20mm of rain between midnight tonight and tomorrow evening, for example) and when the sun pokes out, the LAST thing I want to do is stay indoors, at my sewing table.

But, I did work in the garden for a while last week and have this to show for it:

Apparently, my basil and my black currants are having a disagreement. The basil says my garden sucks and the currant bushes are thumbing their noses at the little punks. So, what do I do with them? Ideas? I found a raspberry/currant jam recipe I might try...

Speaking of raspberries, I found an organic raspberry U-Pick patch a few towns over. Run by a 12-year-old boy named Daniel. It was awesome. We picked and bought 14 kg of them. They filled one of those big ice cream buckets they serve ice cream out of at a Dairy Bar. I could barely pick it up.

So, we've been jammin'.

Also, I invented a drink. It's called I'm-Sick-of-Drinking-Straight-Water-and-Since-I-Can't-Drink-Regular-Fruit-Juice-I'm-Going-to-Juice-Every-Citrus-Fruit-in-the-Fridge-and-Add-Some-Sugar-and-Water-to-it-and-Call-it-a-Cocktail. Deeelish.

Speaking of designing food, I made up a new burger sauce. See, I can't have ketchup or barbecue sauce these days. Which makes burgers a little boring. So, I raided the fridge (you noticing a trend, here?) and blended this together to make Awesome Sauce (that's what I'm calling it):

(Bear with the vague quantities; my husband chucked the piece of paper containing my notes...the infidel.)

1/4 cup of mayo (NOT Miracle Whip)

1 tsp-ish of maple syrup (I have to avoid brown sugar or honey or agave nectar, but you could try those instead)

1 tsp-ish of lime juice

1/4 tsp (MAXIMUM - this stuff is potent) of fish sauce (available at Asian stores in the Thai section)

a sprinkle of good curry powder*

a half sprinkle of chipotle powder

*There is a spice lady at the Farmer's Market in town and she is my idol. She has taught me so much about spices, it's kind of insane. I mentioned that I have not always enjoyed curry powder and she explained that it is because there was too much turmeric in it. The store-bought stuff is commonly made that way, she said. She sold me some stuff that she calls "Citrus Thai Curry" and oh. my. gawd. Swoon. Also, she sells Smoked Applewood Sea Salt. Gah. To die for.

Forgiveness, please?

2011-08-07T13:18:00.001-03:00

I am sorry for so much radio silence here, recently.

It's just that, if given the option between sitting inside in front of the computer, writing blog posts and enjoying one of our increasingly rare SUMMER days by, say, going sailing on a friend's boat, the choice seems simple.

I love freckles, freckles are fun. I love freckles, I wish I had just one...

Result of day out on sailboat:

1. I want to learn how to sail. More than I wanted to before. Which is saying a LOT.

2. My husband wants to learn to sail. Bonus! That means it will be less difficult to justify the cost of lessons and memberships in sailing clubs...

3. I want a sailboat.

4. I have a sunburn on my face. Again. Despite the 30 SPF. What is WRONG with me? I'm a TANNER, for crying out loud. Sunburns just don't happen to me!

5. I really really really want to learn how to sail.

6. I now have only ~~one~~ half of one weekend day to do all the laundry, clean the house, do some painting (no, not the fun artsy kind, the boring wall kind), patch some drywall, cook some stuff, take the dogs for a long walk on the beach, bake some stuff, make a meal plan for the week, vacuum the dust buffaloes that have taken up residence in my kitchen (the space under the stove is a dark and scary place), maybe go out for a bike ride with a friend, do some sewing (?) and write a couple of blog posts so that you don't boycott me.

No worries, right?

Two Questions:

2011-07-31T12:02:00.003-03:00

1. Is there anything worse than a summer cold?

2. Does anyone know if it's possible to overdose on peppermint tea?

Meat and Potatoes

2011-07-25T20:55:00.002-03:00

I live in a place that produces potatoes. Like, lots of them. Like millions of pounds of them every year. They're everywhere I look.

But I've never been a huge fan of potatoes (let's pull a veil over my substance abuse problem, re: fries and potato chips, shall we?). I grew up eating (offensive) boiled potatoes that everyone in the family seemed to find perfectly adequate and I found perfectly disgusting. As my good friend Miranda would say: "Revolting with a capital BARF." And let's not go anywhere near the word "pierogi". Retch. Gag.

Having said all of that, I've decided that getting old has its advantages. Namely, you start to like stuff that used to make you want to hurl. It's like magic.

Enter: Becky's Potato Salad.

This is a grown-up's potato salad. It is refined, it is elegant and, most importantly, it is healthy. It is out-of-this-World-delicious.

So who is Becky? Becky is my veggie pusher. She runs an organic CSA a few towns over (and just bought herself a rundown old farmhouse that she is slowly painting PERIWINKLE BLUE! - refer to Snatch for the appropriate accent to use when saying that out loud) and she provides us with our organic veggies every week. We like Becky. She gives us things like garlic scapes and tat soi and beet greens. Then, because we have no blessed clue what to do with them, she gives us a recipe sheet with ideas.

That's where the potato salad comes from. The sheet of culinary wonders.

Here's what you need:

1-1/2 lbs of new potatoes, cubed (but washed first, of course...silly)
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
2 tbsp minced garlic scapes or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (or just give the pepper mill a good once-over, that's my modus operandi)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 "bunch" washed/dried/torn arugula (not sure what she originally meant by "bunch", but I just toss half the bag in)

Cook the potatoes until tender but still firm (15 mins or so). Drain and cool. Transfer to a big bowl.

Meanwhile, mix the vinegar, garlic (or scapes), salt and pepper in a bowl. Drizzle in the oil, whisking until the mixture thickens (or my personal favourite: stick it all in a mason jar and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE UNTIL YOU CAN'T SHAKE IT NO MO').

Toss the potatoes and the arugula with the vinaigrette (fancy French word alert). Serve at room temperature.

That's it. It sounds like a nothing salad, but holy crap on a cracker, it's good. And just WAIT until you taste the leftovers the next day, after it's had time to marinate in the fridge (if you're like me, you'll want to add a touch more vinegar to it to re-jazzify it). Gah.

As a side note: I have humungous hands. For a girl, I mean. They're big. I call them man-hands. I am relaying this information to you because you need it in order to understand that following:

I have encountered mutant strawberries.

And no, they are not GMO. These babies are organic and local. Like, my-friend-Ruth's-garden-local. Like, down-the-road-5-minutes-local. And when I say organic, I mean organic. Ruth doesn't even like wearing bug spray when she is harvesting edibles, in case it contaminates the food. Guaranteed: they haven't been tampered with. They're just the T. Rex of strawberries. They're... beyond comprehension. But, damn, they're delicious.

And I'm eating them all, MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

In other news, I have no knitting progress for you. I have, however, been doing some sewing. Nothing to show you yet, but I have an impending surprize that will explain all. I gave my wheat-coloured socks to Ruth for her birthday. They fit like a glove. Sigh, I just love it when that happens. Am falling in love with a lot of the new patterns I am finding online. Like this. Or this. Or even this. Can't forget this. Oh. And I bought New England Knits, on sale at Interweave Press (supposedly, it was a "hurt book" so it was marked down to $12, but it's in pristine condition so whatever). Swoon.

Ok, that's it - I'm going to knit upstairs. I'll be back soon, I promise. I feel like I've been neglecting you guys and that just ain't right. Kisses!

Hypothetically Speaking...

2011-07-14T19:17:00.002-03:00

I put this out there to my Ravelry peeps this week, but I'm going to send it out to all of you, also:

If I was to set up a knitting retreat here (will not give out location details right now, but suffice it to say that I am smack-dab in the middle of the Canadian Maritimes) next summer, would any of you like to come? And, more importantly, how much would you be willing to pay?

I am thinking it would last 5 days or so and I could accommodate 6-ish people (most of the cottages out here can hold that many, but we might be able to squeeze more if people were willing to camp out). I would create a "package" price which would include the accommodations, food, transportation to and from the airport, transportation to and from any events/places we would visit during the retreat, possibly some demonstrations by local people (weavers, spinners, knitters, shearers, etc). The only additional cost to you would be the transportation to my location (our local airport takes in flights from many major cities in the eastern half of the continent, so you'll all be able to fly in, if you choose) and any souvenirs you want to purchase while you're here. I am not proposing this as a way to make money for myself - as a recovering student (with the massive loan payments to prove it), I am deeply committed to keeping costs as low as possible for everyone.

So, what do you think? Is this do-able? Is there interest? Am I barking up the wrong tree?

Let me know what you think.

2011-07-12T19:16:00.001-03:00

Sorry I've been away for so long. No really, I feel badly about it. I've just been spending every available moment working on the house, these past few weeks. Because, you see, something amazing happened.

My mother came to visit.

We've lived here for the past five years and she hadn't been able to make the trip until just now (she left for home this morning). It's not that she lives so far away, it's that our family is so spread out and it costs a lot of money/time to see everyone (Canada is big, yo). My disabled brother no longer lives with her - he's in a home just outside of our hometown (2,500 km away from her) - and he understandably gets priority, visit-wise. Still, it was starting to get to me. I hadn't seen her in almost four years.

Anyway, my mom is a professional organizer, so there was no way I was going to subject her to the disheveled state of my home. I spent three weekends straight, painting every room in the house (there aren't really that many, but you try and paint rooms when they're still full of stuff and you'll appreciate why it took me so long). We also cleaned up the yard, did some gardening, cleaned all the windows (!), had the electricians in to start making sense of the rat's nest that is our lighting and a host of other little odd jobs that needed done. All on top of working full time and commuting.

Phew.

I like having a pending visit hanging over my head as motivation, but I must say: I am a bit pooched. Am looking forward to things going back to "normal".

It goes without saying that I haven't gotten much knitting or sewing done lately. The argyle vest is crawling along and I've started another pair of socks to keep my hands busy when they haven't been holding a paint roller. This week, while we were visiting and sitting on the beach (FINALLY - SOME SUMMER WEATHER!!), I managed to get a bit further on the socks. I made much better progress on my sunburn, however.

{Can I just say that all this rainy weather has done some devilish things to the local mosquito population? Holy crap. And the no-see-ums. Oy vey. My mom is a magnet for all flying/biting insects and she was continually ambushed. Thankfully, she brought this totally amazing Benadryl creme that she applied to each bite and it kept the swelling/itching down. If you're one of those lucky people beloved by mosquitoes, you must try it. Awesome sauce.}

Oh, and it was my birthday this past weekend. Only, I kept forgetting. Doh. I ordered myself a birthday treat a few weeks ago, which I will share with you in the next couple of days, when I get it home (it's in town, at the UPS station, and it's being delivered to my office tomorrow) and set up. Hopefully, I will also have a chance to get reorganized in my sewing so that I can put together my next tutorial for you: how to take a simple pattern for pants and make all sorts of different styles out of it.

--

Before I forget, did you see Amanda's post about her garden? Swoon.

Oh, and do you love this as much as I do?

I really wish I had more to tell you

2011-06-20T20:15:00.001-03:00

I've been busy. I know, so have you. I probably feel more than appropriately guilty for the time I have spent away from this space, but you likely haven't even noticed, have you?

Since the last time we spoke, I had a high school friend visit from Manitoba and we spent several days catching up on stuff. It was pretty twilight zoney in a lot of ways. We haven't hung out together in 16 years, but we still think alike and enjoy a lot of the same things (yup, she knits). Strange how that works!

The garden started growing in earnest, while I wasn't looking:

We've also started taking our weekly beach walks (if the weather would co-operate, we could make these walks DAILY, but as it stands, Mother Nature hates us)(stupid 11C forecast tomorrow).

(Entertainment tangent: would you just look at how funny his face is in this photo...kind of like he's just inhaled a bug:)

Oh, and I knit a pair of socks:

I figured that seeing as I'm still WEARING wool socks regularly, I might as well keep right on knitting myself more of them. But seriously, isn't this colour to die for?

The Mill (aka: The Place Where Dreams Come True)

2011-05-26T20:22:00.001-03:00

I made my first trip to the Mill of the season a few weeks ago. The ladies are so busy, it's almost comical. I mentioned last fall that they became an Ashford dealer and holy cow, do I EVER want a spinning wheel. Or two. Maybe three. But not four, 'cause I'm not greedy.

Anyway, once the spinning-wheel-induced haze cleared and I regained consciousness, I had Hazel make me the poochachos a new dog bed:

The dogs love this thing. Django (the little white one), especially. They curl up on it together like little cinnamon buns, side-by-side. A-DOR-ABLE!

It's made from an old DND (military issue) moth-proof wool blanket, sewn into a pillow case and stuffed with wool fleece and tied. She even worked in two handles so that we can hang it up on the wall when it's not in use. How frickin cool is that? $30 well spent, I say. (Yeah, only $30. Crazy.)

Also, I bought some yarn. C'mon, you had to know that was coming, right?

I have no blessed clue what the heck I'm going to do with it, but I'll be damned if I'm letting it out of my sight. This one's for me. A wrap, perhaps? Yet another cowl? Once can never have too many, you know...

While I was there, I spotted something really hilarious. You see, the Mill is on a farm. They have alpacas, sheep, goats (the kids are drop-dead adorable), pigs, chickens, guinea hens, a cow and, of course, farm dogs. The fattest, most in-your-face of these creatures is a massive golden retriever named Nash. Nash is the kind of dog whose love of all things can not be contained in his body. The moment you look him in the eye, he becomes your new best friend and will demonstrate that love by promptly sitting on you.

This blurry photo pretty much sums him up, I think.

Anyway, I guess they gave the Nashster a haircut, 'cause I found this:

I did tell you that they'll spin any type of fibre, right?

The Greenhouse Effect

2011-05-23T20:47:00.001-03:00

Sorry for the cheesy post title. Channeling the Big Bang Theory (which I just discovered {what? I don't own a television, remember? I don't hear about new shows until they aren't new anymore...} and am totally IN LOVE WITH).

But really. I did make a greenhouse this weekend. A mini one. Why? Well, because we are still in the death grip of winter, apparently. And I want to grow stuff, dammit.

So, here's what I did:

I took one of my new 4' x 4' cutie pie little raised beds/boxes...

I got out my tools and supplies, which include:

a roll of 6 mil poly vapour barrier, left over from some home improvement project (those are never-ending around here, so we always have this stuff on hand...it's a curse, really)
18 feet of 3/4" dia. pex piping
6 clippy/clampy things (photo below)
utility scissors (for the vapour barrier)
a hacksaw (for the piping)
a tape measure and marker (for the piping and the vapour barrier)
an electric drill
2 spring clamps

oh, and 2 canine companions for moral support

These are the clampy things (or "attaches de poignées", if you prefer) I found at the hardware store. They're designed to be fastened to the wall and used to hold brooms and mops, etc. They're intended to hold 3/4" to 1-1/4" dia. objects, which is great because I had already determined that 3/4" piping would be my best bet (sturdier than 1/2", but still bendy).

I took the clampy things and screwed them onto the inside face of the frame, at each corner and in the middle of each of the sides, like so:

Using the tape measure and marker, I measured out 3 lengths of pex piping (6' each, obviously) and popped them into the clamps.

{Would you just look at my new little boxwood, all lonely and forlorn...}

I cut a big piece of poly (I think it ended up being 9' x 9', but I can't recall exactly...just drape it over the whole shebang and cut the excess and you'll be fine) and draped it over the frame. At the far end, I gathered all the excess and stapled it into the frame (oops, forgot that in my materials list - a stapler). On the near end, I just gathered it all and clamped it to the frame using the spring clamps. That way, I can open 'er up and water things or peek in and see how all my lovelies (basil, bell peppers and approximately 63 different varieties of lettuce) are doing when the urge arises.

So that's it. I can take everything down and store it over the summer or winter, when I don't need it and whip it all back up when frost threatens. Pretty nifty, eh?

PS: While I was transplanting all the goodies, I found two incubating Junebugs in the new dirt.... shudder shudder shudder... I may or may not have screeched out loud when their little hooky legs got caught on my gardening gloves and wouldn't let go. You'll just never know.

Spring Wardrobe

2011-05-21T20:20:00.001-03:00

It looks as though mother nature may have finally gotten the memo that it's spring (allegedly).

No, those temperatures are not fantastic, but you may have noticed the big yellow spiky circly thing in the middle of those icons, yes? We haven't seen that sparkly doodad in quite a while. I'll take the 10C as a trade for some vitamin D.

As a result of this monumental turn of events, my mind started turning to spring wardrobes and oh-crap-what-am-I-going-to-wear-this-summer? I lost a fair bit of weight last summer/fall (15 lbs, actually) and then gained a bit of it back (that's ok, I knew that would happen when I started to recover from my malady). The result of this seesawing is that I have no idea what fits and what doesn't. Plus, I am due for some new clothes. Some of my summer wardrobe is over 7 years old. Don't get me wrong - I take really good care of my clothing, so it sure doesn't look that old. But, I'm getting tired of it, you know?

So. I went fabric shopping. I spent an OBSCENE amount of money. Money we don't really have. Money that I'm trying REALLY HARD to feel guilty about spending, but to no avail.

Some beautiful poplin in several (this was not all of it) colours, for pants and capris:

Some really gorgeous rayon/cotton knit in a shimmery taupe colour:

I have plans for this knit (the black one on the right):

Image courtesy of Burda

I also got completely blindsided by this fabric:

I know, right? I just about fell to my knees before it in the store. They had to pry the bolt out of my hands to cut the length I needed. It's a beautiful crisp (almost crinkly) batiste and the background colour is the softest lilacy rose colour. You almost can't tell. Gah, I'm so in love.

{Don't worry, I bought lots of discount cotton fabric to make a muslin of this dress before I cut into the batiste. I've learned that lesson well over the years.}

The gorgeous stuff is going to become this (if I have anything to say about it, anyway):

Both images courtesy of Burda

There is just something about the long version, isn't there? I don't have enough fabric for that one, but mine will definitely be longer than the first version. I don't do "above the knee". No way, Jose. No can do. Me and my "athletic" legs are staying firmly under wraps.

Other than that, I bought some very serviceable cotton for the hubbie (shorts) and some new needles and thread (boring but necessary). Plus, I renewed my membership to the special club (woot, an automatic 20% off every fabric purchase, yeeeeehaw). If you're getting into sewing your own clothing and your local store has a rewards program, I strongly recommend that you look into it. It has been very beneficial for me.

I'll touch base again when I've got some of it finished - show and tell time!

Have a great holiday weekend, if you're in Canada!

Testing, testing

2011-05-20T18:30:00.005-03:00

Oooh, boy. I will be so happy if this works.

*Fingers crossed*

Oh. My. Gawd.

Kyla, you are the most amazing girl EVAR! (Well, if someone sends me a crate full of free yarn, THEY will be promoted to the best ever, but until then, you've got the title, sweetie!)

Ahem...not much to see here

2011-05-05T20:19:00.001-03:00

...just some green stuff growing in brand new raised beds

...and some buds (finally!)

...and some chopped/stacked wood

...sadly, not much progress on any knitting. Or sewing. Or cooking. Or building. Just chugging along and trying to get as much work done as possible.

And hey! An electrician is coming on Saturday morning to put in some new lighting and fix the clusterf**k that is our second floor electrical. Yay! We'll actually have a functioning light in the bathroom! Imagine that...

And then, on Saturday afternoon or maybe Sunday - I haven't decided yet - I'm going to the mill to quench my thirst for yarn and also to see if the ladies will help me with my quilt. Squeeee!

Knitterly Faff

2011-04-24T20:31:00.003-03:00

I have finally (fingers crossed for good luck) made some serious headway on my recipe binder. I had to go through and weed some of the recipes out already, to make sure that there aren't any major references to tomatoes, onions, honey, etc (the whole fructose malabsorption and FODMAP-intolerance thing). I have a feeling there will be a rotating series of recipes flowing through it at any given time, but it's been a real godsend, so far.

I also stole/borrowed some ideas left here in the comments and on Rav about getting a binder to store knitting patterns in. Not sure why it took me so long to do that, but there it is. I think it's because when I was growing up, we didn't really get new school supplies. I always seemed to have recycled binders from my mom's office as school notebooks. I feel guilty about buying new notebooks and binders. It seems wasteful, even though I have no source for recycled binders, now.

Is the fact that I feel guilty about that weird? Probably.

Anyway, in doing the Spring Cleaning of my knitting, I found a slew (how many units of something constitutes a slew, btw?) of old patterns I no longer really like, some that I tried and didn't enjoy, some that weren't really patterns, but articles on technique. Everything got filed or recycled. It felt fantastic!

Then I moved on to organizing my Ravelry stuff. Found a bunch of knitting stuff I never told you about or never followed up on. So, here's a little list:

1. Fingerless Mitts for my sister's birthday. I used this pattern. It was wonderful (first time using a picot edge and I must say, it's quite pretty).

2. The yarn I bought from Knit Picks to make into socks for yours truly. It's sport weight, so they'll be a little bulkier, which is fine by me and my slightly-too-big Doc Martens.

3. I don't think I told you, but I've added Caller Herrin to my Rav queue. I can't afford the Alice Starmore yarns that Kate recommends, so I got some from Knit Picks. I tried to match the colours up, but also bought a few extras that seemed as though they might look good. I'm still playing with the combinations, but I'm getting excited. First colour work of this type for me. Eeeek!

4. Can I just tell you how inspiring I find Kate to be? She makes me want to go outside right now, find a mountain, and climb it. Also, I want to steal that camper van of hers and go joyriding. I won't do it because that's just bad karma, but still.

5. At the risk of appearing like a Kate groupie, I also want to point out that her pattern for Deco is ready. As an architecture/design geek, this makes my heart pitter patter. I want to make one out of Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes in "Ash":

swoon

6. Let's just for a moment contemplate that yarn choice. I will need just upwards of 1000 yds to knit that sweater. Each ball contains 137 yards. Let's say I decide to buy 9 balls, which gives me ample overflow in case something goes wrong. Dudes. That's $18 worth of yarn. And the pattern will cost me somewhere in the neighbourhood of $10. $28 for a sweater. A wool sweater. A beautiful, custom-made wool sweater. Knit Picks, I love you.

7. I discovered a few new designers the other day. Can I share them with you?

Rose Beck and her blog

Fallmasche

Olga and her blog

8. Did you see that the spring 2011 Twist Collective is up?

Oh, and I finally saw The King's Speech. Wonderful. I loved just about everybody in that film. Now I'm just impatiently waiting for True Grit to make its way to my local video shop (aka the gas station in our village). I missed out when it was in theatres and I'm getting antsy.

The Argyle Colossus

2011-04-20T20:30:00.002-03:00

I realize that I haven't given a status update on the argyle vest. My avoidance was shame-based. It is woefully under-completed.

Here it is:

And lovingly (whatever) placed over a well-worn and much-appreciated sweater that I've used as a guideline:

I've said it before and I'll say it again: instarsia, me no likey. There are going to be approximately 1 gadgillion ends to weave in when I'm done. I'm debating doing it on an on-going basis, as I progress. Any thoughts, fellow instarsians? Good idea? Asking for trouble?

Also, my lack of progress may be due to some yard work we have undertaken. I've decided that chopping/stacking wood is much more fun to do in the Spring. Therefore, I have declared it a Spring Chore. Amen.

This photo was taken yesterday evening at about 6:00 pm, when I got home. Tonight, it is snowing. Sigh.

And, my garden! It LIVES!

Well, this was all pre-snowstorm, so it is will likely have taken a royal beating. Status report to follow, when weather allows.

Because I spent so much of last summer feeling crappy, I feel as though I lost a year. Do you know what I mean? I spent my weekends crouched in the bathroom (TMI, I know...sorry) and/or in bed, so it's really all just a blur. I remember renovating the bathroom. I remember my friends coming over for a visit. But I don't remember doing any decent gardening. I was eating very little (elimination diets are hell), so I wasn't able to embrace the bounty that is organic gardening 'round these parts.

This summer? This summer will be make-up time. I still don't feel 100%, but I'm starting to learn what works and what doesn't. This winter, I was tested out the wazoo (no seriously, they tested my wazoo) and the conclusion is that there is nothing "structurally" wrong with me. I have no tumours, no cysts, no inflammation, no lesions, nothing. Apart from the potential for endometriosis (which I've always suspected that I have), there is nothing there. So, that's good. But it also sucks. Because the only thing left is IBS. Which, coincidentally, I have dubbed "Irritating Bull Shit". If you have any experience with doctors and digestive ailments, you will understand what I mean. They've latched on to the IBS diagnosis and refuse to let go. If you so much as walk in there and tell them you have a stomach ache, their first and only guess is IBS. At least, that's how it is out here. And treatment? They have none. Live with it, they say. Up yours, I say.

So, I'm working with a naturopath and doing lots of reading. I've discovered that on top of being gluten-intolerant, I am also likely fructose- and FODMAP-intolerant. Good times. Meat and dairy? So far, so good (thank god, because seriously, I don't know if I can handle any more dietary restrictions...Universe, please do not interpret that as a dare, I beg you). But, things are looking up, friends. They are indeed looking up.

That bicycle of mine better get ready, because she and I have a hot date that is going to last 4 months.

YeeeHAW!

Batchin' it

2011-04-13T21:06:00.002-03:00

My hubbie has been busy this week with a rehearsal for a school play (cool, eh?) and a stupid teacher's union meeting, so I've been on my own for supper. Last night I made the most awesome grilled cheese sandwiches with the most awesome gluten-free bread EVER! There was an obscene amount of cheese on them (this loaf of gf bread is miniature, so I made two sandwiches...stop looking at me like that, I'm not THAT greedy!).

{Do you dip your grilled cheese sandwiches in ketchup? Because if not, you should. Ok, now I sound greedy.}

My digestive system revolted today as a result of my over-indulgence (could have been the Thai food I had for lunch, I suppose), so I resolved to eat something a little easier on my system tonight. Not sure if I succeeded, but you guys have to check this out:

Yes, I actually opened the oven door to take a photo of it. You guys, the smells emanating from this appliance were almost enough to make me pass out. I had no idea that basil, mushrooms and cheese could smell that good.

And the taste? I have two thoughts on that:

1. Holy

2. Cow

So, here's what I did: I made up a batch of my tried-and-true gf pizza crust (sorry, it's from a mix that is made locally, so I have no idea how to reproduce it...I know, I'm sorry - I hate it when other people cheat when they post recipes online...someday I'll hack the crust mix and then I'll post my recipe online, I promise). Then, I sauteed some mini portabella mushrooms in a bit of olive oil. I slathered the tiniest hint of tomato sauce onto my crust, plopped the sauteed mushrooms on, took a handful of fresh basil and a handful of fresh arugula (no, not from my garden - are you kidding me? I wish!) and laid them over the top. Then, I sliced up about 4 balls of bocconcini cheese and placed them over the basil and arugula. A sprinkle of sea salt and the whole kit and kaboodle went into the oven for the prescribed 13 minutes.

And then I died and went to heaven.

{Was there too much cheese on it? Will the tomato sauce make me wish I had never been born? Only time will tell... Right at this moment, I say it was all worth it.}

A big fact lecture on organization

2011-04-06T06:00:00.002-03:00

Have I ever told you guys that my mom is a professional organizer? Yup. My mother is that mother. The one who walks around at any given time with 5 lists in her (impeccably organized) purse. The kind of mother who labels all the photos in her photo albums so that she knows when each one was taken. The one who knows where everything in her condo is located. If I call her up and ask her if she knows whether or not she still has that small pink angel tree ornament that my great grandfather gave me for my first Christmas, she can say with 100% certainty that yes, she does still have it - it's in the clear plastic bin in her storage locker that also contains the tree skirt and the manger (which is in its own labelled cardboard box, each piece carefully wrapped in tissue paper), but not the one that has the glass ball ornaments. My mother labels all of her spice jars in her perfect little neat-and-tidy handwriting.

Why yes, it is very annoying, thanks for asking.

Annoying, but handy. Having lived with her for 19 years, I picked up a few things by osmosis. And I'm going to share one of those things with you. You lucky lucky people.

I'm going to show you my knitting journal. Or rather, the notebook that I drag everywhere that contains, among many other things, very important notes on most of the major knitting projects I have ever undertaken. I'm showing you this not because it is a perfect example of how you should document your knitting (the word "perfection" is not a word I use in regards to anything I do...ever - you could say I am an "imperfectionist", in fact). Rather, I am showing this to you in the hopes that it may help you in coming up with your own "perfect" system. Plus, it's kind of like snooping through your host's bookcase when you go over for a dinner party. Please tell me you do that, too. Anyone?

Ok, moving on. Here's where I'm going to start my tour:

This is my painted wooden Ikea drawer organizer. I took photos of townhouses in Montreal (that's "mun-tree-AWL" for all English-speaking folks residing outside Canada, not "MAWN-tree-awl) and used them as inspiration when I painted this in 1999. The top-right drawer contains knitting goodies:

Every single band band (I don't bother keeping multiples) from every major project I've undertaken in the past 4 years is in this box, most with notes scribbled on them, so I can tell what I used them for. The swatches for all those projects can all be found in my yarn stash box, with leftover bits of yarn and such. Except, I've got a couple of swatches here for some reason.

By the way, this is what happens when you own a dog. Dogs do this sort of thing all the time and then poop all over your apartment while you're at work. If you are interested in getting a dog, you must embrace the chaos or else your dog-owning days shall be numbered.

The second and most important stop in my tour is my Moleskine notebook. I don't keep the ball bands in the notebook because there are too many and the spine started getting a little strained when I tried. I used to use a large, hard-covered notebook with blank pages, but it proved to be way too big. So, this is what I use now:

First page: standard body measurements for women. Go here to have your mind blown with information overload.

If you're going to start using a book to jot down your knitting notes (and I strongly recommend that you do, otherwise why would I bother showing you this, duh?), it's really important that your notebook not be too "precious". Honestly, this notebook has been everywhere with me. There are grocery shopping lists in this book. I let my husband doodle in it. I've stapled business cards into it. It's not just my knitting book, it's my pre-iPod Touch junk drawer. That's the only way I can stick to the notebook resolution. I can not carry 3 books around. Geez, I have a hard time remembering to bring this one.

I have designs for magazine racks in here. I have notes from when we were negotiating our mortgage.

There are doodles in here. Design ideas for stuffed animals and toy monsters for a friend's toddler.

Notes from a design conference (totally mindblowingly awesome, btw).

Here's where we get to some actual knitting:

The page on the right contains some ideas for quilt blocks, but the page on the left contains my notes for the ribbing in a baby tunic I designed. I knew I had a certain number of stitches in the yoke and needed to lay out the cables and ribs properly. You see why the grid pages come in handy?

Blog notes alongside notes on the last pair of mitts I knit for my husband. The ball band for the tunic I'm working on right now (it will graduate to the drawer when I'm done that project).

Some cable patterns for my next pullover sweater. These were done while I was sitting in bed with a cold and perusing a stitch dictionary.

VERY GOOD IDEA ALERT: I was contemplating knitting a Hybrid Sweater for my husband and though I have Elizabeth Zimmermann's book (Knitting without Tears), I wanted to walk myself through her pattern and write it out in my own words, using my own gauge. That project was reconsidered, as I came to the conclusion that my husband needs a wool sweater like he needs a hole in the head. Someday, those notes might come in handy, though. You just never know.

Some sketches and notes for an incarnation of a sweater that got frogged about half-way in. Doodles, isn't it a little frightening how similar this sketch looks to your own sketches for Hibernate?

Good thing I dated that page, so I could safely say that I did not copy you. Phew.

So, that's what I have in the notebook. I carry it with me when I'm travelling and it stays in a safe place when I'm home. It has saved me much aggravation and I hope that seeing it will demystify the concept of a knitting journal for those of you who don't have one and help you take the next step.

I want to show you one last thing before we go:

If you're new to knitting and you're taking on a new project that you've never attempted, please do yourself a favour and make a photocopy of it. You're allowed to make a copy for your own use - you will not be infringing copyright, I swear it. Take that photocopy and mark it up. Circle the notes pertaining to the size you are making. Cross out instructions that will not apply to you. Add notes to the margins. Write down what size needles you are using. If you switch needles, note the reason on your pattern. Jot down the recipient's body measurements right there, so you don't have to hunt them down mid-way through the pattern when you get confused about which size you're supposed to be knitting. If you've based the size on measurements taken from an existing garment, write that garment's measurements down. Tuck the pattern into your journal and take it with you. When you're done with it, staple it in.

In short, I write everything down. I make lists. I keep everything together. I don't throw my ball bands or swatches away. Heck, I could take photos of my projects and paste them in, if I were so inclined (that's actually where I use Ravelry instead of my notebook). I could tape or staple a little length of my yarn into my book.

{Just don't do what I tried for years to do: remember all these minute details without notes. I don't think it's possible and you'll just make yourself cry if you attempt it. Better to spend a few $$ and get yourself a cute little notebook instead. You have my permission to go to your local bookstore/stationary and get one tomorrow. When your spouse questions your expenditure, tell him/her to take it up with me. I'll set 'em straight.}

So, what about you? Do you have a craft or knitting journal? Any cool tips for me? Come on, I know you do! Give 'em up!

Go here. Listen to this.

2011-04-04T19:19:00.001-03:00

This is beyond funny.

So is this.

Anyone who is a knitter and has knit for anyone else can relate to this.

Look! It's a post of photos of not-snow!

2011-03-21T20:44:00.001-03:00

I'm not posting these because they are particularly beautiful. Rather, I'm posting them because I have only 5 pitiful rows knitted on my husband's vest. Not very photogenic.

Dudes, there are 322 stitches per round.

Seriously.

This project is epic. I'll be working on it when I'm 75.

...and knit moves on

2011-03-19T19:17:00.001-03:00

I've been busy.

This past week was a milestone. I officially had three works-in-progress going on my needles. That has never happened before. I am one of those ADHD-afflicted knitters. If I let myself get seduced by something new, I will completely forget my name in my quest for adventure. It's pathetic.

So, I usually keep my nose to the grind and crack the whip when I start to feel the wanderlust creep up on me.

But this past week, I threw all my rules out the window.

First, there were Kenny's (never-ending) socks. Fingering weight yarn, I hate you.

Then this is this improvised tunic I'm knitting out of my stash of Lamb's Pride Worsted. I was intending to make something entirely different with it, but the wool is really scratchy, so I had to change tactics and knit something I could wear over a base layer. It is heavily influenced by Cecily's Idlewood, but as I didn't have the right weight of yarn for her pattern, I decided to wing it instead. I'll keep you apprised of my progress.

And then, there was mystery birthday knitting. T, don't look:

It was delicious. Now, it's in the mail. And my fingers are itching to start something new.

NO! Evil thoughts BAD! Must finish endless sock knitting.

Apparently...

2011-03-16T22:14:00.001-03:00

...if you sit still long enough in my house, I will paint you.

So, who's next?

My husband, the nerd

2011-03-14T21:14:00.002-03:00

photo taken in 2006, while we were on vacation

So, picture this: it's 1996. I'm in grade 11. I've just moved to a new high school in mid-term where I know approximately 1-1/2 people (the half-person is because I'm related to a girl in grade 10, but I don't really know her... at least not well enough to talk to her in the hallway in front of all her friends). First day at my new school. First class of the day. Biology. I walk in.

The only seat left is riiiiight in front of the teacher's desk. The Seat of Honour. The one where you go to sit if you're either a Badass (and you're in trouble) or a total Suckup. I'm aiming for Badass, as I sit down (pretending like I intended to sit there all along).

The teacher starts talking and my eyes glaze over (not because I hate science - I'm a total geek - but because the teacher who had been teaching at my old school was awesome and I'd already learned all of this material, studied it and aced the test a month before).

At the end of class, this guy walks past my desk and says hi. To me. The new kid sitting in the dunce chair. Hmmm. Something must be wrong with him, I decide. Doesn't he know the Code?

He's built like a football player, he's got shaggy hair and awful wire-rimmed glasses. He's wearing a light blue button-down oxford shirt and pleated khakis. With an ironed crease down the front, for crying out loud.

And lo and behold, he's wearing the most ginormous pair of white cross-trainers I've ever seen. I didn't even know they made shoes in that size.

Nerd. I take a quick peek to see if he's wearing a pocket protector.

I roll my eyes at him and walk away, praying that he doesn't follow me.

...

Fast forward 15 years. I am perusing a borrowed copy of Men's Knits at home. At first glance, the patterns in the book didn't really grab me, but I was really taken with the photography, so I had signed it out of the library anyway. I was looking them over more thoroughly at home and showed the hubby a few of the items, asking if he thought they were nice. Indeed, he snatched the book out of my hand and started picking out his favourites. Many of them were sweaters, which confused me, because he is a walking furnace and doesn't need sweaters. We bought a few for him at the beginning of the winter and all I heard from him all winter was how hot it was at work and how he'd been tempted to strip down to his undershirt a time or two in order to cool down.

So, why would I knit you a sweater (that was in fact the point of this whole exercise: find a suitable knitty type of garment to make for my beloved... one that he would actually wear, that is), I asked. You'll just take it off the minute you get to work and then you'll leave it lying around (do I know him or what?). Plus, I added, you're not fond of wool and there's no way I'm knitting a size XL sweater in cotton. I'll kill you out of frustration before I get to the second sleeve.

That's when he got to the page with the argyle vest. His breath caught. He got stars in his eyes. He practically swooned.

I saw the naked lust on his face and my mind harked back to that fateful day in October of 1996. Apparently, once a nerd, always a nerd.

I've been training him on how to dress like a normal person for 15 years. He's found and fallen in love with a knitted garment that I can knit him that isn't going to take me a decade to finish. I think I can work with this. So, this is what it's going to look like:

...and this is the yarn:

Now all that's left is for me to knit it. And buy him a matching button-down shirt. And pray that he doesn't find those stupid cross-trainers. Or a pocket protector.

More on that yarn delivery later, but first...

2011-03-09T12:44:00.002-04:00

... I have to share something with you that I recently discovered and am completely enamoured with:

I know I'm a little late to the Iron and Wine party, but I've been listening to my good friend CBC Radio 2 and they've been playing his new song "Tree by the River" and I'm totally in love (don't tell my husband).

Does this video not make you want to take up flamenco dancing? These women are positively stunning.

Also. Get a load of this:

That's Jay Malinowski of Bedouin Soundclash and Beatrice Martin (Coeur de pirate). Swwooooon.

And I've also totally fallen in love with The Decemberists. I'm starting to sound like a hussy, so I'll stop now.

My stash just doubled

2011-03-08T12:16:00.001-04:00

Seriously. I'm at work (this is a surreptitious blog post). I just got my Knit Picks order. I want to jump around and squeeeeee like a little girl but no-one here gets it, so I think I'll refrain.

So, wherever you are, squee for me, ok?

{T: Your birthday knitting was dependent on this stash's arrival, so I'm here to tell you that it ~~may~~ will be late. Again. Sigh.}

Before and After

2011-03-01T19:13:00.003-04:00

Before (Sept. 2010):

After (Feb. 2011):

In the end, I didn't bother stripping the existing paint off. I just scraped the worst of the flakes off (and didn't even do a very good job, at that) and rolled on 4 (!) coats of the most luscious semi-gloss paint I've ever used. I could have gotten away with 3 coats, but it was kind of addictive and looked so much better every time I coated it, that I went the extra mile.

{Trade Secret Time: designer paints are over-rated. Yup, you heard it first here. I've used just about every brand of paint I could get my hands on. The most disappointing results were with our dear friends over at BM and Pratt & Lambert. I thought it was just me, but I've made it a point to grill the painters I come in contact with (and trust me, that's a fair number) because I always get asked if they can simply colour-match the BM colours I've specified and it mystifies me - you know, because BM is supposed to be the crème-de-la-crème of paint, so why would they want to use a different brand? (And no, it's not to save money, because the result has to pass my inspection and if the quality sucks, I'll make them do it over, so skimping would be pointless). The overwhelming response has been that they ask if I'll accept a colour match because they hate working with those brands and that the best paints are...(you ready for this?)...Behr and Beauti-Tone. Behr is available at Home Depot and Beauti-Tone is available at Home Hardware (Canada only?). The theory one painter gave me is that because these hardware stores don't rely on their paint sales to make profits, they can offer better quality paint for the same price as the other guys. In other words, they don't have to make a much money on every gallon because they make their money elsewhere. Hence, they don't stretch their profits by thinning out the paint. It's a theory, and it's not mine, but it got me thinking. And I've tested both of those brands and would choose them hands-down over any of the designer brands any day. Except that their colour selection can bite, so I get them colour matched from swatches I find elsewhere. End rant. Just thought you might like to know.}

And these photos are for M iranda, who mentioned that she covets our second-storey floors. Oh dear, what a frightening prospect.

I give you Exhibit A (aka: The Widowmaker):

Exhibit B (aka: Poo in a Blender):

And I nudged the bed out of the way in order to capture Exhibits C and D (aka: The Hole of Doom and The Gaping Canyon of Death, respectively):

Walking around at our house is somewhat of a health hazard. Until this summer, when we get our act in gear and start showing these floors who's boss. Like I did with that dresser.

I will be back with a real post some time soon, but in the meantime, you have to see this

2011-02-28T21:36:00.001-04:00

Made by Joel

This man is a genius.

Um, hello?

2011-02-21T20:23:00.001-04:00

Yes, please. I'll take two.

Oh and a pair of those on the side, please.

While we're at it, why don't you throw one of these onto the pile?

The Quilting Fairies

2011-02-20T18:30:00.001-04:00

Dudes, I have no idea how it happened.

Or when.

Or who did it (quilting fairies? gnomes? elves?).

But the quilt top is done:

(I know, those two last strips at the head of the bed weren't attached to the rest when I took this photo; I've since sewed the whole thing together, but the light was gone, so this is the photo you're getting. Also, please ignore the deplorably un-finished state of our home. It's a work in progress. Those floors are going to get painted this summer and hopefully, I will get off my arse and put the trim back up around the windows at some point this decade.)

The quilt is made entirely of scraps of fabric from my husband's old button-down work shirts, sheets, remnants from my stash and other little odds and sods. I used a technique called "foundation piecing", which I learned from Denyse Schmidt's book "Quilts". That means that the quilt top is made up of two layers of fabric and has a wonderful, sturdy, weighty feeling to it. I was inspired by our winter landscape:

I recently learned that my local yarn mill actually has a long-arm quilting machine and they've tentatively agreed to quilt this sucker up for me, which means I won't have to spend 40 years trying to get it done with my little machine. I may have to do some sweet-talking to convince Hazel to do it for me, but I'm down wit' dat.

Ok, Wood. You win. I'm keeping it.

Update

2011-02-07T20:32:00.001-04:00

I am happy to report that both of my knitted gifts - the Hemlock for my Memère (that's French-Canadian for Grammy) and the shawl for my Mama - arrived at their destinations in fine form. {Holy cow, can we just take a moment and marvel at the cost of mailing things, these days? Ayoye (more French, for you).} I got some e-mails of both of them yippeeeing and squeeeing. Memère went on and on and on (she's much more easily-impressed than my mother) and she gave me a very fine compliment: she said that she had tried knitting something in a feather-and-fan pattern many moons ago and had found it too intimidating. She said that I could teach her a thing or two about knitting.

This, coming from a woman who birthed nine children, seven of them boys. Nine. By the time she was 33 years old (in 1963). She said I could teach her a thing or two.

I'll give you a moment to think about that.

Have you recovered, yet? Whew.

Anyway, my mother probably loves hers just as much (incidentally, she doesn't know that I made the Hemlock for my grandmother...best not to tell her for now...). It's just that my mother is what you might call a Chinese Mother and does not typically lean in the "gushing praise" direction. She is much more of a "pat on the head and she walks by" person. Or a "Great, you got a 95% on an exam. What happened to that other 5%?" kind of person. Don't get me wrong, I know without a doubt that she loves me. She raised me and my (disabled) brother before getting remarried and after they divorced and she did a totally bang-up awesome kickass job of it. She just doesn't make me feel squishy inside. Well, she has her days, but let's just say that her approval has always felt somewhat inconsistent.

I've always marveled at how my friends' mothers justified all their kids' behaviour and said anything to make them feel better. We never got that at home. God help us if we ever did something at school to warrant a call home. Hooooooweeeeee, that would have been scary. Under no circumstances can I imagine my mother or stepdad arguing our case with the Principal. No siree. A phone call from any person in a position of authority would have been a VIP ticket to Groundedville. Regardless of the details of the phone-call-inducing incident. We all grew up with a very real aversion to getting into trouble. Let's just say that if I got caught by Revenue Canada for not paying my taxes, I would be less afraid of their consequences than of having my mother find out about it.

How did I get on this topic, exactly? Geez, guys. You really shouldn't let me ramble on like that.

Anywho: knitting. I have finished Ruth's socks and have moved on to Kenny's (that's her husband). {Incidentally, Ruth and Kenny both kind of have an elvish look to them. Not a Tolkein elviness. A Keebler elviness. Cute. Totally cute.} Where was I? Oh yeah, their socks. Ruth gave me a couple of existing pairs of wool socks to use as templates and guess what? Their socks were the same size. She wears size 7 or 8 shoes and he most certainly does NOT, but for some reason, their socks are identical. So, I shrugged and said ok whatever and I cast on:

I am ECSTATIC to report that the Magic Loop, two-at-a-time sock method completely OBLITERATES second sock syndrome. Gone. Poof. Just like that. Whoever discovered the process deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. And a box of chocolates.

And I also want to throw out a couple of kudos to some of y'all:

Chris and her Sant'Angelo. Seriously, woman? This is the top of amazing.

Helena and her no-frills, but infinitely covet-able scarf. (Rav link)

Purl and their herringbone cowl. {Can a girl ever have too many neck-warmer-uppers? Is there a certain threshold that one should not cross, if one wishes to avoid becoming a joke?}

Oh, and for reals? This just kills me. And don't get me started on this. Holy crud. {Lori, when the stars in my eyes cleared after setting my eyes on her post, my first thought was ohmygodloriisgoingtoscreamwhensheseesthis.}

And, Miranda? You must also see this. No pressure. But, seriously. How are you going to be able to resist it?

In parting, if any of you have been harbouring suspicions that my knitting needle collection is getting out of hand, I present to you Exhibit A in my defense.

dw

PS: I checked in with Google Analytics to see if you are all still reading or if it's just a few wandering souls and my sister out there, and I am astonished to say that while yes, you are still reading, the truly surprising fact is that Massachusetts has come out of the woodwork and has completely smoked all their opponents. Take THAT, Arizona and Michigan!

Nothing to see here, just a little impromptu knitting tutorial

2011-02-01T21:17:00.001-04:00

Someone on Ravelry needed a little play-by-play on a mini cable maneuver, so that's all this is. Apologies to those who wandered over looking for some decent photos or fancy knitting poetry.

Ok, here goes:

Step 1: place the tip of the right needle like so.

Step 2: slip it into the two stitches like so.

Step 3: wrap the yarn around the right needle like so.

Step 4: pull the new loop towards you, through the two stitches like so. STAY THERE - don't pull everything off the left needle, yet. Just give yourself a little slack in the yarn that's looped around the right needle.

Step 5: leap-frog over the second stitch and go back and slip your right needle into the loop of the first stitch (you'll see that I had to use my left index to keep the "new" stitch in the right place on the right needle while I maneuvered the tip into place).

Step 6: wrap the yarn around the right needle, as before.

Step 7: pull the new yarn loop towards you, through the first stitch.

Step 8: NOW take everything off the left needle and let it sit on the right needle. It will look like a hot mess right now, but will emerge as a crossed-over stitch when you knit up the next few rows/rounds.

Voilà! You're done.

Done and done.

2011-01-30T20:21:00.001-04:00

After about 4 days (and only 2 hours of actual working time), thar she be:

(I just slipped a discarded magazine page in the front sleeve, for the sake of having a yummy picture to look at.) I bought a heavy-duty rubber-edged binder at Staples and a pack of grey cardstock for the pages. A set of colourful dividers and I was off to the races.

These are all recipes that I'd been holding onto for a while and though I haven't made them all, they're the ones I can see myself making. I split them up into sections that made sense to me. I have one for soups, seafood/fish, meat, desserts, and gluteny recipes (just in case anyone asks me for suggestions, I'm keeping my favourites back there for quick reference, even though I can't eat them anymore).

There's a section on vegetarian dishes:

There's even a section for canning/preserve notes:

Let this be a lesson to me - if I buckle down, these little things don't have to take long to get underway. Definitely not as long as I can take procrastinating to avoid doing them.

The nice thing is that this will keep my cookbooks in - if not "pristine" - dignified condition. I am hell on cookbooks. Scratch that. I'm hell on all books. For someone who lives to knit and read, I sure do treat both with a fair bit of disregard.

{My sister once asked me to scan and send her my copy of our mom's bread stuffing recipe (I think?) and she called me afterwards to demand what the hell I had done to the page - she could barely read the writing, for all the oil stains, rips and smudges on it.}

I haven't photocopied my cookbook faves yet, to add to the binder. I am going to do that at work sometime this week. So far, the binder is about 1/3 full. I'm just taping/stapling smaller sheets onto the cardstock and any print outs that I have on decent paper just got hole-punched and crammed in there. I'm also going to start a plastic envelope for potential new recipes at the front of the binder. Once I try them and they pass muster, they'll get upgraded to a permanent position in their respective sections in the binder.

Thank you SO MUCH for your suggestions (and keep 'em coming, of course). It's funny, because I got the suggestion for polenta and had actually just tagged it in Michael's book as something I wanted try. I know I said I've backed off corn - and I have - but I still allow myself to have some once or twice a week. The reason I don't eat a lot is that I find it very hard on my system. I just need to be very aware of my intake. Oh, and someone suggested quinoa pasta - I have tried it and yes, it is good (better than most rice pastas, in fact). I've been gluten-free for four years, and have had a surprising array of options in GF products (surprising, given where I live, I mean). The best gluten-free pasta I've ever had is actually corn pasta (some informal research done among some of my GF peeps netted the same affirmation). Alas, it is still corn and is still something for me to watch out for. Plus, it's GF and if I'm being honest, the taste/texture is still not *quite* the same as wheat pasta, so while it's nice to have in the house, we eat pasta in moderation.

In other totally unrelated news, I have begun The Socks:

Someone asked me what I was holding up in one of my recent posts. That is a set of interchangeable metal "Options" needles, from KnitPicks. You get a clear vinyl case full of metal tips and a set of cables that you screw into the ends of the tips to customize your circular needles. That case I was holding up also contains a series of 40" circulars in all the smaller sizes KnitPicks can't offer in the interchangeables, which I purchased at the same time, knowing I needed to do some sock knitting. I am VERY happy with them and wish I had bought them years ago. I might not have hated circulars so fervently, had I tried these (full review to follow in an upcoming post).

Oh, and I should probably tell you that I watched "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" this weekend. Holy. Cow. In a good way. A very very very good way. (Disclaimer: if you have a weak stomach, I advise viewer discretion. There were a couple of scenes that I found exceedingly difficult to watch.) I'll be renting the second and third films next weekend, so don't tell me what happens!

Food: good. Hunger: bad.

2011-01-26T20:19:00.002-04:00

My last post triggered some questions which I am going to sit down and write about in the next couple of days, but for now, I wanted to put this out there:

I am starting a new side-project. It's not a full-blown project, because I think it's going to be a long-term undertaking and I don't need to feel the guilt that will inevitably follow if I have to put it aside for a while or if I give up on it. This side-project is an inventory/sorting/cataloging of my recipes.

I don't have a lot of recipe books. My kitchen shelf contains a few really really really good ones:

The Best of Chef at Home, by Michael Smith (who, besides being an amazing chef, is also just a really really nice guy)
Dinner Tonight, by Lucy Waverman
Home for Dinner, by Lucy Waverman
Pantry Raid, by Dana McCauley
The Wheat-Free Cook, by Jacqueline Mallorca

But other than that, I am subsisting on a selection of old family recipes (some of which I revamped and posted online - see the sidebar at the right of my blog), gifted recipes from friends, and a really great collection of Inspired magazine, which is a free publication put out by my local supermarket, Sobeys.

Problem is, a lot of the recipes in these books and magazines are really gluten-intensive (in case you didn't know, I have am gluten-intolerant). I get a little discouraged when I'm looking for suppertime inspiration.

So now, I've bitten the bullet. I discarded a couple of cookbooks that didn't pass muster and I'm going through the rest, tagging anything that looks like something I could realistically make for supper (that's my main concern, at the moment). I don't have a concrete plan as of yet, but I think I'm going to get a nice, good-quality, three-ring binder with some plastic sleeves and start clipping the recipes I like and sorting them into categories. The rest of the magazine/calendar/whatever is going in the recycling bin. The interesting cookbook recipes are getting copied out and placed in the binder, so I'm not forced to constantly page through the entire cookbook to find the 5 recipes I can actually make.

There are so many options online, that I don't think I really need to dish out for new books, at the moment. With the exception of Extra-vegan-za, which was recommended to me by a friend, Maureen (who is a recipe developer for Michael Smith and fellow GF-er). A totally vegan diet would be pretty tough for me to follow (a LOT of vegan alternatives are loaded with gluten), but not impossible. She said the book contained some really amazing ideas, so I'm putting it on my wishlist.

So, here's where you come in (I'm serious, I want some feedback or I'm going to start taking names): I want some ideas for suppers/lunches. I need stuff that is quick, nutritious, low-fat, low-sugar, high-protein, as full of whole foods as possible, non-processed and delicious (no, duh). Stuff like taco salad with ground turkey, mango salsa and low-fat cheddar. Baked squash, stuffed with wild rice, pecans and raisins. Chicken pesto with black olives and artichoke hearts. You know, the good stuff.

I eat everything that does not contain gluten (wheat, oats, rye, spelt, kamut, barley all contain gluten), with the exception of cilantro **BAAAAARRRRRFFFF**, brussel sprouts **shudder gag** and bell peppers (bad memories of acid reflux from my gluten days). I am notoriously un-picky (I just asked my husband to list out the food I don't like and he couldn't think of one single thing {ETA: My sister just chimed in and remembered that I detest perogies. I know, I am the only person on the planet who can say that and technically, it's not even an option anymore - what with them being made primarily of wheat dough and all. I strongly suspect that may hatred has to do with the slimy gluten content.}) and will try everything at least once (for instance, I could eat an entire plateful of pan-fried chicken livers, like RIGHT NOW - does that make you want to hurl?). I have eased way off soy, corn, dairy and eggs, but I'm not averse to having them from time to time. I L.O.V.E. ethnic food. LOVE IT.

Ethnic food, a not-quite-sonnet

by dw

India, I love you.

Thailand, I love you.

Morocco, I love you.

Lebanon, I love you.

France, it goes without saying.

Japan, I love you.

Italy, you are dead to me.

Unless you can figure out how to perfectly duplicate your entire cultural menu without using a fleck of flour, of course.

Then, I will love you once more.

Now, wasn't that beautiful? Yes, I thought so, too.

To be clear: I do not need dessert ideas. NO SWEETS FOR ME! I can't eat refined sugar right now (still sick) and the hubbie is allergic to chocolate. I have no idea how all of you foodies can eat so many cupcakes and cake pops and pies and ice cream sandwiches and tarts and chocolate truffles. My idea of dessert is two Medjool dates. Two. Dates. Or maybe a dried fig. And a mouthful of roasted pecans. Maybe twice a week. C'est tout. I would weigh 400 lbs if I ate the desserts I see on some websites (Pioneer Woman and Elana's Pantry, I'm looking at you). Butter and fat are also on the persona non grata list, though my conscience can be convinced to occasionally look the other way... Baked goods are ok, but I have a lot of recipes for those, already. Plus, I'm only allowed to have a small amount of them, anyway.

Oh, and I want to know: do you think my three-ring binder is the way to go? Do you have a better system (keeping in mind that I'm VERY visual and need to see photos with my recipes)? Send me e-mails, not just comments, ok? I want to be able to reply directly. So, you ready to help me? High five? Ready, set, GO!

I am a total geek

2011-01-24T20:34:00.002-04:00

They're heeeeeeeere:

Oooooooh, they're so pretty:

So I celebrated by knitting myself a hat. (And just in time for the -35C weather, too!)

Um, and so, here's the thing. This hat is the reincarnation of my Burberry-Inspired Cowl:

The cowl just wasn't doing it for me. I wasn't wearing it. And the yarn is delicious and it was from Wood, so there was NO WAY I was going to let it collect dust in the winter accessories bin (yes, we have a whole bin - a basket wouldn't even come close to containing it all...it's one of those massive Rubbermaid storage bins). So I frogged it and IT LIVES AGAIN!

So there you have it. I am off to swatch my arse off for my next sweater and make some socks.

GET THIS: since I started knitting in the Continental style, I've reeeeeeeally loosened up. I started knitting Ruth's socks with a 3.25mm circular and it was too loose. Next, I tried a 2.5mm circular and it was too loose. So I went down to a 2.0mm. And guess what? STILL TOO FLIPPIN' LOOSE! Two! Point! Oh! Millimeters! That's like knitting with tooth picks! They don't even make them smaller than that! GAH! So it looks like I'm going to have to a) start knitting socks in sport weight yarn or b) knit all socks in the English style, which is about as tempting to me as the thought of licking my kitchen floor. All. Those. Stitches. And. All. That. Ribbing. And no Continental.

Sigh.

PS: You know, I think it's time for a change, folks. I switched to Apple several years ago because they just work (iMac, I love you). I drive a car that is dependable and fuel-efficient and good quality, because it just makes more sense (though it is not made in North America - GASP). I try to eat organic and local, because it is kinder to the planet and better for my health. I even learned a totally new way of knitting (after 25 years of using the old method) because it was just smarter and more efficient. I am all for tradition and standards and all that, but I think it's time for you crazy Americans to get over your impossible-to-understand-and-full-of-nonsensical-gaps knitting needle sizing conventions and come over to the dark side. The totally logical, totally fool-proof, "it just works", dark, METRIC side.

I mean, you have two versions of size 1 needles and two versions of size 2's. And what's up with having a size 0? How is that even possible? Honestly. That's just silly.

So, apparently, there are other things in life besides knitting.

2011-01-16T19:22:00.001-04:00

I have finished the Hemlock Ring Blanket for my grandma:

This thing took the concept of blocking to a whole new level. I didn't think I would ever get the blocking done. And I know I didn't do a great job with the edges, but I couldn't add any more pins BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY MORE!

The blocking of this wiped me out of straight pins.

And it also represented the last of the w.i.p.'s I had going. I found myself at a loss. What to do? I am waiting for my order of KnitPicks needles to arrive so that I can start Ruth and Kenny's socks and my new pullover. Obviously, they are still in transit.

So, I whined and moped for about 2 minutes and then pulled out the quilt. Yes, that quilt:

For the past day and a half, I have been sewing, listening to podcasts, skulking around on Ravelry and sewing. Which has been a little tricky today, given the shortage of pins around here. I have exactly 2.5 new strips of quilt to show for it, which is a little pitiful. Except that I refuse to do the whole craft-guilt thing.

The fact that it took me a whole day to get all the dishes done and I still haven't lifted a finger to vacuum the place? Yes, that I will allow myself to feel a little guilty about.

Snow Day

2011-01-13T12:47:00.001-04:00

Yo.

Home sick today. We got a mini-snowstorm last night and I didn't sleep well and I'm feeling tired and headachy and whiny and bloated and hormonal and sniffly and achy, so I did everyone a favour and stayed home. I'm going for a nap, but I thought I would show you a couple of photos first. These were taken last weekend, when winter officially started (did I tell you that we didn't get any snow until Christmas Day?):

Ok, so now I'm going to take my chicken-soup-soaked self off to bed and maybe after that I'll have the energy to get some work done. Unlikely, but a girl can hope.

xoxo

Socks and the Magic Loop

2011-01-11T15:00:00.001-04:00

I am not a big fan of sock-knitting.

I know. The HORROR! Saying that to a group of knitters is blasphemy. It's like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Like telling a group of environmentalists that you don't recycle.

Like brushing your teeth at my mother's house with the bathroom door open.

Don't ask.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. Sock knitting. Never been a big fan. It's those skinny little DPN's. It's that never-ending miniature knitting. It's my short attention span, resulting in the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome. It's all of that and it's also that it has never resulted in a pair of socks that didn't felt into oblivion the first time I washed them.

But, my friend Ruth loves wool socks. And she had two balls of sock yarn sitting around and no time to knit.

Enter Christmas and my lack of funds. I offered to knit up the two pairs for her as a gift.

I am now, once again, a sock knitter.

Only this time, I am armed:

My arsenal is also growing to include these. And these.

My recent foray into the world of lace knitting and the discovery of Addi Turbo Lace needles brought to light the fact that my hatred of circular needles was merely a hatred of CHEAP circular needles and that good quality stuff makes all the difference in the world. So I'm taking the plunge. I read the reviews and asked around and decided that KnitPicks have the right balance of price and quality that I need.

So, Ruth gave me a favoured pair of socks from her dresser and her husband's to use as templates and I await my delivery of needles in order to start (that's just a little test swatch sitting there):

More to follow...

Lace. The New Frontier.

2011-01-09T13:05:00.001-04:00

I told you that the first shawl was a gateway project, didn't I?

Well, I wasn't kidding. I started a Hemlock Ring Blanket with the yarn my grandmother gave me last summer:

It looks like a giant jellyfish, doesn't it? The yarn is an acrylic/cotton/linen blend. I hate hate HATE acrylic, but am not one to look gift yarn in the mouth. Besides, I've decided that I'm making it for her anyway. She obviously liked the yarn, as she had bought it to make herself a sweater and gave it all to me when her arthritis got in the way.

I love it and can't wait to start another one (for me, maybe?) in wool. It's so much easier than I thought it would be. Not something I'd give to a beginner, of course. But if you're knitting sweaters, mittens or socks, you're ready for lace, by God.

Open-collar surgery

2011-01-07T16:26:00.002-04:00

I promised that I would show you the process for the surgery I performed on my recently-completed cardigan. The reason for the surgery was that I found the original neckline to be much too small and tight around my neck. It was comical, actually.

The challenge is this: the cardigan was knit from the top-down. It's easy enough to rip out knitting, if you start at the end and backtrack, but it's impossible to go the other way. Meaning, you can't rip out from the beginning {go ahead, we'll wait here for you as you grab an old swatch and try it for yourself...oh good, you're back - I was right, wasn't I?}. And the beginning of this sweater is the collar. So ripping back to the right place for a nicer collar was impossible.

That meant that I had to cut the knitting to the spot at which I wanted to start the collar. With scissors.

Then, I had to pick up the live stitches and start the collar.

In a nutshell (ha, that's laughable...when has a nutshell ever managed to contain me?), here is the step-by-step:

The unsatisfactory collar. The little stitch holders indicate where the buttons will go.

A close-up of the front neckline. You can see that the collar dips down in the front, like all crew-neck necklines. That stitch holder represents where I wanted the new neckline to sit. We (Tora, Chris and I) had established that I would be ok with a boatneck neckline, meaning that it would not dip down in the front. That meant that shaping would not be required - I would be working with a simple straight line of stitches. Thank heaven. I was not going into shaping territory.

I used a super skinny circular needle with a super long cable (this makes it much easier to manipulate the stitches) and started picking up stitches in a straight line around the yoke of the sweater, in line with that stitch holder.

I found it more helpful to flip the sweater to the wrong side - it was easier to see the rows clearly enough to stay in a straight line.

I kept going until I got all the way around, making a few mistakes here and there - no big deal.

Once I had threaded all the stitches onto the needle, out came the scissors. I very carefully snipped one stitch, just above my circular needle.

Peekaboo.

This process of unwinding the yarn took a bit of time, but that circular gave me the confidence that things weren't going to get out of hand - it essentially acted as a stitch holder.

I ran into a few spots where, for some inexplicable reason, there was a snag. The old collar was getting discarded anyway, so I just cut the offending yarn until it came free.

When all was said and done, I ended up with a wider neckline, all nicely placed on a circular needle and ready to be knit back onto my regular circular with new yarn. A few of the stitches were out of line - I had picked up a few wrong stitches, but I just corrected all of that when I knit the first row back onto my regular circular.

Now, this is what the collar looks like:

Questions? You ready to take on open-knit surgery?

And So It Begins

2011-01-06T17:24:00.001-04:00

Now that I'm finished The Epic Cardigan, it's time to think about the next one.

Only, this time, I'm doing some advance planning, armed with some freshly-obtained knowledge.

I referred to several sources for tips on design and fit. I took a photo of myself and used it as a template to draw designs on. I swatched. I think I'm ready to cast on.

Just need some proper circular needles. Oh, the anticipation!

Flutter by

2011-01-04T13:32:00.003-04:00

Just dropping in to say:

Have you seen this?

Yup. That's right.

Me want.

Some more knitting

2011-01-03T13:05:00.001-04:00

In my last post, I alluded to the fact that I had finished some knitting projects. Holy crap, did I ever. Considering that I am not the fastest knitter, that I work 40 hours per week and commute for an additional 7-1/2 and that I spend so much time cooking for myself, I can not get over how much I accomplished when I put my mind to it.

You already saw the shawl:

I don't know if I mentioned this already, but I used this project to teach myself the Continental Method. You can see where I did that - about halfway through this shawl, the knitting gets really crimpy and wonky. That's where I switched to Continental. I did it in the hopes that it would ease some arthritis I can feel starting up in my right hand and yes, it did help a bit. I still have to keep an eye on things (being a designer, I depend on my hands in a major way and don't want to jeopardize that), but the Continental is much faster than throwing and makes purling so much more comfortable. Plus, I find it to be much more comfortable to sit in chairs with arms and other constrained spaces while knitting. If you want to learn more about it, check this little video out:

I also finished THE SWEATER. You remember THE SWEATER? The one I started way back in JANUARY? Of 2010? Geez.

Yikes, excuse the Holiday Hair, will you?

It was a long process and one fraught with challenges and frustrations, but I learned a lot from it. Namely, I need to start thinking about "ease". That is to say, how loose or snug I want to wear things. Technically, the sweater fits. But it's loose and somewhat shapeless. I need things a bit more form-fitting. And I need to start knitting my ribbing up in smaller needles than the rest of the body.

Here is an incomplete synopsis of the process, in case it interests you:

Feb 2: Yoke complete, underarm stitches on stitch holder.

Mar 7: Body complete, including placket and collar.

Mar 14: Realized that the sleeves weren't fitted enough and converted them to 2x1 ribbing. One sleeve complete.

April, May, June, July, August: languish, languish, languish, languish, languish

Sept: Trip to Cape Breton. Both sleeves complete, but body deemed unacceptable. Chris provides a good solution (some 2x1 ribbing at the waistine), necessitating a ripping-out and a re-knitting of the body. Also on the chopping block: placket and collar. Obsession about button choices.

Oct: Open-collar surgery, following solicited advice on the ripping out of said collar and re-knitting. More on the process in an upcoming blog post.

Dec: Got off my proverbial arse and finished the damn thing. New placket, new collar, buttons and button holes. Ends woven, blocked and ready to wear.

Phew.

A New Year, A New Yarn?

2011-01-02T14:59:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I know I haven't called in a while, but I have an excuse. It's.... um... well ok, I have no really good excuse. I was working my tail off on some work-work:

...and of course busting my hump trying to get some Christmassy work done:

(un-blocked lace knitting looks like a pile of noodles)

(ahh, much better)

...which didn't get finished in time to send off, but who cares? It's for my mom and she likes getting things all year-round, so I just sent her a homemade market bag for now. This will get shipped off this week, if I can remember to go to the post office. It's exactly how I hoped it would turn out and is the perfect size for her. I used this pattern (Rav link) and this yarn and found it to be quite easy to follow. If you decide to try it out, let me know because I have a few little tips. It's the perfect gateway project into lace knitting. Good thing? Bad thing? It remains to be seen...

Anyway, I finished A LOT more knitting, but I'm not going to unveil it all right now. I'm going to draw out the pleasure and get more blogging mileage out of it. Not good for you all to get everything you want right away. Ha!

Christmas was pretty quiet around here. We FINALLY got a major project finished (well, truth be told it's only about 90% finished, but I don't care):

You wanna see what the "before" looked like? Ok, brace yourselves. Here it is, on the day we moved in, 4 years ago:

Nasty. Sorry to have done that to you. Hope you don't have too much trouble sleeping tonight.

It was a major undertaking and will likely prove to have been the most difficult portion of our renovations. It's a tiny little room and the only bathroom we have, so it drove us a little crazy. By the end, I was so tired of contemplating it, that I just kind of let it drag on forever. My husband had to step in and take over, after one of my many frustration-induced meltdowns. Not my most shining moment. Although I am proud to say that it is fully functional and I didn't kill anyone. Win, win.

In terms of Christmas gifts, we had dubbed this "Frugalmas", so it was pretty light. Mom sent over some little treasures and treats. The hubbie gave me a box full of wonderful wool socks. I know that sounds pretty paltry, but you have to understand something about me: I DESPISE having cold feet. I sleep with socks on, even in the summertime when the rest of me is broiling. And we just recently discovered that the reason we were freezing in our offices at work was not that the insulation is sub-par, but that the heaters were not working. Winter has not really hit yet (we got our first "real" snow on Christmas Day - pathetic), so it wasn't unbearable. I had adapted to it by wearing 3 layers up top (camisole, long-sleeve T, wool sweater) and wool pants below and wool hiking socks in my Docs. Hence the wool socks for Christmas. Ironically, my coworkers got fed up over the Holidays and went on a reconnaissance in the boiler room, discovering in the process that there was an air-lock in the system and our heaters were not working. Took them 15 minutes to get it fixed and now I'm sweating all day long. Better to peel layers off than have to knock the ice off the toilet bowl every time nature calls like we were going to have to do, I say. Eventually we'll find a nice balance. In the meantime, I have multiple pairs of comfy socks - one for every day of the week.

I gave him several pair of handmade pyjama bottoms (I only make him whine for 3 years before I deliver the goods) and I made him a new pair of spring/fall mittens a few weeks ago:

(no pattern, just improvisation with superwash merino)

It's my husband's birthday this week, so he received some additional funds from his parents with which to spoil himself, so he bought some snow shoes. You know those traditional wooden snow shoes with the teardrop shape and the rawhide laces? Yeah, modern snowshoes don't look anything like those. Hi-tech. What a difference. As a short-legged girl who grew up waddling around on those massive wooden suckers, I have an aversion to snowshoeing. I might be tempted to give his a try, though.

As a little treat, he used some of his leftover funds to buy me some new leather mittens:

They're dressy-ish but tough and functional and are kind of the mitten equivalent to my favourite shoes. Plus, they have an added little bonus:

Sweet! Knitted mittens are all well and good, but there comes a point in the winter where I need something a bit more substantial and have never found a nice pair (I detest gloves) that I can wear with my dressier coat.

I'm still very much enthralled by podcasts and have listened to over 100 of Kelley Petkun's (the owner of KnitPicks) while I've been knitting. She covers many many many topics that I'm not even going to list out here, but one thing she touches on is audiobooks. I've listened to them before, but not since I got my iPod. So, when I received the customary iTunes gift certificate for Christmas, I logged on and bought the trilogy she recommended: "A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman", which is essentially the story of Pride and Prejudice, told from Darcy's perspective. Yes, please. It's awesome. I can't seem to put it down. It's making me want to interject "Indeed!" and "Blast!" into conversations and use words like "feigned", "absurd", "ardent", and "reticence". Not to mention "cravat", "waistcoat", "pelisse" and "frock". Modern English is so boring.

I also bought the latest album from Justin Rutledge, "The Early Widows". Wow. Listen for yourselves. This one's called "Be a Man" and was co-written with Michael Ondaatje. You know, the guy who wrote "The English Patient":

"Somewhere there is salt in the air of a season that touches the hem
of an island so northern
Some air is knitting a day for a woman whose eyes are upon the horizon"

Search and Rescue NOT required

2010-12-05T19:10:00.001-04:00

I'm still alive, friends. Just using up every spare moment to knit and sew up all the gifts I want to send out. My peeps all live really far away, so I have to get that stuff in the mail early to make sure it gets there on time.

I promise I'll be back soon! Stay cool.

In for an penny, in for a pound

2010-10-31T20:26:00.001-03:00

I'm starting to look so much like my mother, it's frightening. I think it's because, as I get older, the 20 years separating us disappear and I start to look more like her younger sister than her daughter.

I made a trip to the Mill yesterday. It was a miserable day (first snow fall in our neck of the woods), but I really wanted to go because it was their last weekend for the season. You see, they usually close down on the weekends all winter, with the exception of a few special events just before Christmas. Except, they let me visit anytime, because I'm cool like that. Seriously, I call ahead to see if someone will be around, and then I just go and hang out. I know. My life is really hard.

ANYWAY, I made several astounding discoveries yesterday:

1. They have a long-arm quilting machine that I never noticed. Oh. My. God. You know what this means, right? I can finish my quilt top and ~~bribe~~ talk Hazel into selling me some wool batting, AND quilting it for me with some simple straight lines. That way, it simplifies the process and I won't be as bitter if when the damn thing gets destroyed by careless humans and/or canines. When I asked her if she'd do it, she kind of said "Hmmm, eeerrrrr, weeeeelll, uuuuhhh, weeeeell, maybe." She'll come around, you'll see. I'll knit her some socks or something. Or I'll volunteer to help them move stuff around. BECAUSE:

2. The lady who was doing their weaving retired and they are selling their (very) large automatic loom. They seem somewhat relieved to be getting rid of it, as it's huge and takes up tons of prime real estate. It's really big. I've seen garden sheds smaller than that beast. ALSO:

3. The extra space they are gaining is going to be used to display SPINNING WHEELS BECAUSE THEY HAVE DECIDED TO BECOME ASHFORD DEALERS!!!!! THEY HAVE A JOY WHEEL IN STOCK!

THAT SOUND YOU ARE HEARING IS ME HYPERVENTILATING!!! AND I'VE ACTUALLY HAD 24 HOURS TO GET USED TO THE IDEA - YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD ME YESTERDAY, WHEN I FOUND OUT!

4. THEY ARE ALSO GOING TO BE OFFERING SPINNING CLASSES!!! GAH.

THERE IS TOO MUCH OXYGEN GOING TO MY BRAIN. LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS IS IMMINENT.

I'm done for. I may as well simply hand my paycheques over to them directly. It's less complicated that way.

A Wonderfully Wonky Switcheroo

2010-10-29T11:28:00.001-03:00

I made mention a little while back about having moved some things around at home. Here's the story:

As you know, we have a really small house. You might also know that it is on the outskirts of a small village in the country (a 45 minute highway-drive from the nearest small city/big town). Because of the rural setting, the availability of cheap (or free!) firewood and the elevated storm activity we see every year (causing numerous and lengthy power outages), we have a small wood stove to supplement our oil-fired (I know, I know, it's awful) furnace.

That wood stove is located in the living room, with good reason. It's central-ish, it's roomy, and it's on the ground level. Except we never use the living room. You see, we don't own a television. And living rooms are primarily tv rooms. We each do lots of other things in our spare time, but they revolve around the use of desks and/or computers. I knit while watching movies on my iMac, I read lots of blogs, I sew, I paint and draw. My husband is a teacher, so a good portion of his evenings and weekends are spent in front of his laptop. Plus, being in such a small house way out in the country, we don't get a lot of visitors and when we do, we all end up hanging out in the eat-in kitchen or outside - if it's nice. The living room contained a never-used sofa and not much else. The dogs commandeered the sofa for their own use and the humans walk through the room on their way upstairs - that's it.

Up until now, my desk area was located in the smaller of the two bedrooms upstairs. The furthest room from the wood stove. Because I spend hour upon hour up there in the winter, I was having to use a plug-in electric heater to keep my fingers from freezing and falling off. The laundry gets done in the basement, so that task was often-forgotten (out of earshot, out of mind) until the end of the weekend approached and we realized that we would have no clean clothing for the week.

Can you see where this is going?

Behold, the new studio (sans iMac, as it was in the shop at the time - she's sitting there all pretty and primped up, now):

All this stuff is quite makeshift of course. The idea was to use up some things we already have for now, in order to keep our budget on track (I didn't pay for any of this stuff - it is all recycled from other projects/rooms). As I go, I will figure out what I need and we'll build new shelving and possibly a new desk when we have a few extra coins.

The entire house is a work-in-progress, as evidenced by the huge gap along the stairs to the basement (currently being closed off by a dresser and a tabletop propped on its edge):

But the best part? This little black box of miracles is right at my back. I officially declare this the Winter of Comfort.

Pretty raw, all in all. But it does the trick.

Kitchener Stitch, Revisited (a.k.a. The Most Rambling Blog Post in History)

2010-10-26T21:26:00.001-03:00

I spent the entire weekend knitting, as I mentioned. And no, I am not mentioning this in order to make you green with jealousy, although if it has that effect, so much the better (HA!). No, I mention this so you'll see the following photo and not think I am the Michael Schumacher of knitting. I think I spent somewhere in the neighbourhood of 18 hours knitting on the cowl. I am not usually this fast, just ask my as-of-yet-unfinished cardigan, which I started approximately 57 years ago.

I was just really inspired by it. The yarn was totally dreamy (thanks Wood!) and I got a little carried away.

Ok, really carried away. Don't freak, but I made several modifications to it:

WHAT!?!? It was begging for more cables, ok?! {Ooh, check out my sexy Crocs in that photo - that is just all kinds of awesome.} I couldn't help myself! Once I had done a few, I just couldn't seem to stop.

IT'S THE YARN'S FAULT, DAMMIT. Don't look at me, dude. I'm not the one steering this boat.

So anyway, as I was saying, I finished it. As a result, I can now show you how to do the grafting part. You'll notice in that photo that I removed the provisional cast-on (sorry, I'm stoopid and didn't take any photos of that part...oops) and placed all the stitches (carefully) onto my second needle. I made sure that the stitches are placed properly and that both needle tips are pointing in the same direction.

Little tangent: It just occurred to me that if you are a beginner, you may not know how your stitches are supposed to be sitting on your needles. When you place your knitting down flat and look at them dead-on (on either the Right Side of the knitting or the Wrong Side - it doesn't matter), the right-hand leg of your stitch should be sitting in FRONT of the needle and the left-hand leg should be BEHIND. Here's a funny photo that will demonstrate the concept for you. You want to make sure that when you take those provisional cast-on stitches back up on your needle, that you keep them sitting properly. End of tangent.

If you still have a lot of yarn left over, you can break it, leaving yourself a 36" tail or so. Thread the yarn tail onto a yarn needle. Fold the cowl in half, so that the Wrong Sides are facing each other and place the needles in your left hand, with your index finger wedged between them, to give you some space to work:

Do you like my vintage flannel? I've had it since I was 14. Don't you go saying anything disparaging about grunge or you and I are gonna have some harsh words. I'm listening to Eddie Vedder as I'm writing this. He's my secret boyfriend. We've been together since 1992. We don't like to tell too many people about it, what with us both being married to other people and him being a dad and all. If you are too young to remember grunge, I weep for you.

Ahem. As I was saying, you hold the needles in your left hand and do the threading with your right hand. There are a few VERY IMPORTANT things to consider BEFORE you start. One: this is not the easiest technique. Please, for the love of all things good and holy, only take this on when you have some quiet alone-time. Don't start if you know you'll be interrupted or if you don't have any patience. Two: keep everything VERY LOOSE. The thing will look like a mess at first. That's ok. You'll go back and tighten it up later.

The first two steps are the set-up steps. Here they are:

Set-up 1: Slip the yarn through the first loop on the front needle, purl-wise. Pull the tail through. Leave the stitch there.

Set-up 2: Slip the yarn through the first stitch on the back needle, knit-wise. Pull the tail through. Leave the stitch there.

Ok, that was easy enough, right?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the next steps are not as easy and are easily messed up.

But here's a trick I discovered during this last foray in kitchener stitch. You will be working 2 stitches on the front needle then you will switch to the back needle and work 2 stitches there. You will alternate back and forth between the two until there are no stitches left to work. Sound ok, so far?

Right. Here's the trick: when you work each needle, the first stitch you work will always get pulled off the needle, while the second of the 2 stitches will remain on the needle. Always. Got it. Pull stitch off, leave stitch on.

That leaves you with only one thing to remember: the direction that you are going to thread into each stitch: knit-wise or purl-wise.

Front needle: knit-wise for the first stitch, purl-wise for the second.
Back needle: purl-wise, then knit-wise.

Here's what it looks like:

Front needle: knit-wise (remove the stitch), purl-wise (leave stitch on)

Back needle: purl-wise (remove stitch), knit-wise (leave stitch on)

So you see, if you can remember that you always need to slip the first stitch off the needle and keep the second stitch, all you need to do is chant to yourself:

Front, knit, purl
Back, purl, knit...
and so on, until it becomes rhythmic, your brain shuts down and your hands take over.

When you get to the last few stitches, this is what you need to do:

Front needle: thread the yarn into the first stitch knit-wise and slip it off...

...thread the yarn into the second stitch purl-wise and leave it on

Back needle: thread the yarn into the first stitch purl-wise and slip it off...

...thread the yarn into the second stitch knit-wise and leave it on

Front needle: thread the yarn into the last stitch knit-wise and slip it off

Back needle (ACK! sorry, no photo): thread the yarn into the last stitch purl-wise and slip it off.

NOW, you can go back to the beginning of your grafting and start tightening it up, one stitch at a time. I stuck my finger in there, just to show you how loose it all was before I started tightening it up:

The idea is that you want to tighten it up *just* enough to make it blend in with your fabric.

Oh, and what does it look like when you get the steps out of sequence?

They look like purl bumps! Not the end of the world, surely. Only, because they were so close to the end of my grafting, I backtracked and fixed them. Had they been near the beginning, I would have shrugged and said fuhgettaboutit!

You're done. You just need to weave your ends in and block it. More on that later.

After all that, don't you think we could use a gratuitous cute puppy shot?

Yeah, I thought so, too.

Also, because you rock, here's a little parting music:

Tumblin' weed

2010-10-24T10:51:00.001-03:00

I am currently enjoying one of the most relaxing and satisfying weekends I have had in a very long time.

{As an aside, I must say that it has become more and more evident to me that I need my weekends to be primarily quiet and solitary. I very much enjoy socializing, but I have to be careful how much I do that. I get a lot of "people time" at work all week and this wonderful and silent 3-day break I'm in the midst in has really recharged my batteries.}

I've been almost constantly signed into Ravelry, exploring in a way I haven't been able to in quite a while. I've watched two movies (have you seen Ondine? I enjoyed it...), finished knitting up my Burberry-inspired cowl (kitchener stitch demo coming soon), started up the wood stove (heaven) and I've eaten lots of soup (and drunk lots of peppermint tea), in the hopes of clearing up my chest congestion.

This morning, I've been poking about on the internet, looking for new blogs. I'm not quite sure where I started, but I ended up all over Creation, reading some mighty interesting things. The web is a curious thing, isn't it? I think I've been to Japan by way of Australia and then over to Scotland and back through the US Pacific Coast, before landing back in my own studio just now.

I'll update my blog list at some point this century, but in the meantime, I thought I might give you some suggestions:

Creative Thursday
Ysolda Teague
Her brother, Struan Teague
Gudrun Johnston (who I was already sporadically watching, but look! she has a new site)

And I'm hoping that you already read BrooklynTweed, but just in case you don't, I wanted to send you over to read this.

Sigh. If only I had an unlimited yarn budget...

Wherein I completely trash my reputation as Tutorial Queen

2010-10-22T18:30:00.001-03:00

We're making some nice progress on the Burberry-Inspired Cowl knit-along over on Ravelry.

I've promised to do a bit of step-by-stepping with photos for those unfamiliar with the ways of the cable. So that's what I've done.

Very badly.

{In my defense, I am home sick trying to fend off a nasty cold that seems to be making the rounds of the office. That means that I'm alone and the whole "tripod/camera-on-a-timer/weird autumn lighting/fuzzy brain" combination is tough to work around.}

Still, I think it gets the point across. I'm not going to bother making it into a pdf and posting it online, I'm just going to lay it all out right here. Apologies to those who are not knitting along with us. Hopefully, you can pick up a trick or two anyway.

Here goes:

First off, it is important to understand that the cable in question is a total of 16 stitches in width. You don't actually see the "boundaries" of this particular cable, because it is knit in stockinette on a stockinette background. Basically, it blends in with the scenery.

Cables can be as wide as you want them (although 8 or 10 stitches is probably about the max), but they are usually split into two portions (I won't say *always* split in two, because you just never know who might have come up with something new while I wasn't looking...). A cable is formed by taking those two portions and crossing them over each other (think of braiding hair, only you're just using 2 hanks to form a twist). Here's how it works:

Step 1: Follow the pattern instructions until you get to the point where the pattern tells you to slip 8 stitches (the first half of the cable) onto the cable needle. (I'm just holding the cable needle in my right hand here, because I wanted you to see what it looks like.)

Step 2: Note: slip your 8 stitches onto your cable needle PURLWISE (meaning, "as if to purl")

Step 3: Gather the cable stitches into the kink on the cable needle and let it hang on either the front OR the back, depending on what the pattern tells you.

Step 4: Ok, this is the trickiest step. And the worst photo, of course. Murphy's Law. What you need to do here is carefully scrunch your knitting a bit, so that you can knit 8 stitches (second half of the cable) from your left-hand needle over to the right-hand needle without dumping your cable stitches off the cable needle. In this photo, you can see I'm just about to start the first one. The cable stitches STAY ON THE CABLE NEEDLE while you are doing this. You'll come back to them in just a minute.

Step 5: Once you have knit your 8 stitches, you are now at the point of needing to knit the 8 cable stitches that have been waiting patiently (we hope) on the cable needle. So, haul your cable needle over to your left hand and just let your regular left-hand needle hang out for a moment. Your knitting will be tight and this will not be the easiest knitting ever, but if you persevere, you will have conquered cables. So, persevere, will you?

{If you find it easier, you can just transfer those 8 cable needle stitches BACK to your left-hand needle and THEN knit them. I just find that to be a waste of energy.}

Step 6: Once all 8 of the cable stitches are knitted off the cable needle, finish your row and sit back to admire your cables.

You're done. You've just graduated to knitting cables. Told you it was easy.

The next few rows are plain and as you're knitting them, the cable will magically seem to emerge. Right now, it doesn't look like much, beyond a fold in the fabric.

Here is a YouTube video that might also help you understand the motions:

...

I just wanted to show this additional shot to demonstrate what I was saying about the first stitch of every row being slipped, instead of worked in knit or purl. I don't know if you can see it, but the edge has a nice, almost "braided" appearance. Here; I've highlighted it below:

When you actually work those first stitches, you don't get this nice chain effect. You get a series of uneven bumps and bobbles, instead. Oogly.

Any questions?

If I show you mine, will you show me yours?

2010-10-20T20:27:00.001-03:00

I'm currently working on a tutorial for provisional cast-ons for our cowl knit-along in Ravelry (go here to check out what's going on and join in, if you'd like). But in the meantime, I thought I would give you another little peek into my world (scary prospect, I know).

As I mentioned on Ravelry, I recently discovered the KnitPicks podcast, by Kelley Petkun and I am very quickly burning through them, as I'm knitting. If you go onto iTunes and search "knitpicks podcast", you will find it. There are 149 episodes (you can see them if you click on "see all") and I've already listened to at least 18 (in 2 days). What can I say? I'm learning a LOT from her.

Anyway, I was listening to her talk about her stash (she's the owner of a knitting catalog company, so you can assume it's probably pretty ample) and I recently read the Harlot's posts about her "stashroom" (for the record, I don't think that's the only stash Stephanie has - that's probably just the largest accumulation at the moment...I'm sure she's got several additional closets full of yarn and works-in-progress). It kind of got my mind reeling about just how much fiber some people have stashed away. Though I totally drool at the idea of entire rooms dedicated to yarn, I can not imagine owning that much unspun fiber and unknit yarn. My house is 864 s.f. (80 m2, so says my iPod Touch). That's slightly larger than a shoebox. Most people's 2-bedroom apartments are bigger than my house.

What I'm saying is that I have a very humble stash. Up until this past weekend, it was all contained in one large Rubbermaid tote (you know, the large blue ones that regularly go on sale at the hardware store or Zeller's and you buy them, knowing you'll need them for something).

When I took over the living room with my craft area, I needed something a little smaller, so that I could tuck it into a corner. What I got was a couple of black plastic bankers boxes (from Staples). They're stackable and attractive, in their own tidy way. Bonus.

So, I took the opportunity to take some photos of the stash, so you could see that you don't need to have rooms full of fiber to be a Serious Knitter:

A bag full of cottony/flaxy/synthetic yarn donated by my grandma, last summer. It's actually quite lovely and I'm thinking I might knit up a lacy lap blanket with it someday. The hemlock blanket, perhaps?

The most luscious aubergine-y superwash (enough for a long sweater). I'm not sure which pattern I want to make with this one. Maybe something Veera-inspired. Or maybe something Cecily Glowik MacDonald-inspired. Ladies, you're killing me.

Next door to the aubergine is another sweater-worth of a beautiful navy/slate blue in the same yarn. I have to take a good look at it and figure out if it will be suitable for a sweater for my husband. Tora inspired this one, with the beautiful sweater for her husband. If I don't have enough, it will become another sweater for me. Blurg, I hate it when that happens.

A pile of leftovers from several projects. They look nice all mixed together, don't they? I'm feeling another freeform blanket/wrap thing coming on...

Two hanks of O-Wool cotton/wool blend (grey) which I don't like and some local sock yarn that I'm not crazy about, either. Lori, you want?

A tiny collection of odds and sods that I keep to use as scrap yarn (for provisional cast-ons, for example).

A sweater's-worth of this delicious chocolate brown Lamb's Pride which was earmarked for a Sunrise Circle Jacket, but now I'm not so sure. I'm letting that one evolve...

Another little pile of odd bits. I keep these around for those times when my husband feels like knitting (he starts little squares of garter stitch and works on them for a few weeks, before casting them aside...at which point, I unravel them, put the needles away and wind the yarn back up until next time).

That's the corner of my new stash box in the photo, see?

And the remnants from my yarn swap with Wood, last Christmas. That charcoal is going to become my cowl for the knit-along. It's not going to knit up to the same gauge as the pattern, but I'm just going to knit more repeats until it's the cowl is the same size as everyone else's.

That's it. That's the almighty stash. Despite the fact that I live a 45 minute drive away from the nearest yarn shop. I don't order yarn online, I don't buy stuff unless I need it (ok "need" is subjective, I will allow) and I don't collect yarn. I don't care how beautiful something is (qiviut, I'm looking at you), if it's financially painful to consider, I don't buy it. I've never spent more than $75 or $80 dollars on a project. Ever. And I don't buy synthetics (anymore).

I just wanted to show you that it's possible. This is the biggest stash I've ever had and to be honest, it feels a bit excessive to me. I need to go on a bit of a stash diet in order to make me feel more comfortable with it.

Having said that, are we still going to the mill on the weekend, Lori? I will have to show some serious self-restraint, but I am strong. I shall conquer the temptation!

Off I go, to work on provisional cast-ons, while sucking back inhuman amounts of peppermint tea and other fluids. Fightin' off a cold, I am.

A Fine Frenzy

2010-10-18T22:53:00.001-03:00

Ok, so can someone tell me what it is about autumn that brainwashes me into thinking that NOTHING is more important than knitting?
NOT that I'm complaining, mind you. I just think it's a little creepy, on Nature's part - the whole mind meld thing.

If I say "out loud" that I am finally {FINALLY} starting to physically feel normal, for the first extended period since May, can I be assured that the Universe is not listening, waiting to prove that I'm so obviously not in charge of me? You hear that, Universe? I swear I'm not thumbing my nose at you!

I bring this up because my new-found comfort allowed me to churn out the bulk of the knitting I still had to do on my cardigan:

Which has led me to ask a question. This is perhaps one better suited to a designer (Tora and Chris, I'm looking at you, here - but anyone is invited to jump in with their two cents' worth):

I find the neckline to be too small. I'd like to create a cowl-y collar, a bit like this. However, I knit this from the top down, with some ribbing in the sleeves. Result: I can not rip back the neckline and pick up the stitches without making a mess of it... or can I? How big do I want to make the neck opening, so that it sits right? I've never knit a cowl neck before, but they usually look great on me, so I'd like to try it. I just don't have a good example at home to measure. Also, do I still want the neck hole to dip down in the front, or can I get away with a boat neck shape, instead?

Would it be easier to {gasp} sew the neck hole with my sewing machine and {gasp gasp} cut the fabric, pick up stitches and proceed up the cowl? Sort of like a steek, I think...

Anyway, if you could help me out, I would really appreciate it.

Next up:

And with this latest venture, I think I can safely say that I have a lot to learn about garment design. That's ok, it's not really something I aspire to. I think it looks really weird laid out flat like this. But, it was fun and a good learning experience. I've got to make some revisions to the pattern but once I do that, I'll publish it in case anyone else is ~~desperate~~ trusting enough to knit it. It's not a difficult pattern and I found that I was able to knit most of it up while watching movies on my iPod Touch. And of course, it may look totally ok when displayed on a little human. We'll have to wait and see, won't we?

Other than that, I spent the weekend puttering around my new "studio" space (photos to come). I went through my needles and updated my Ravelry needle inventory sheet. Did you know this was available? http://www.ravelry.com/tour/knitters-crocheters (check out item #4 in the list for more info - you can find yours under the "My Notebook" tab in the top-left corner of the screen)

What a fantastic idea! You can log on anywhere and find out what you already have at home and avoid buying thirteen 4.5mm dpn's {AHEM, that doesn't sound like ANYONE WE KNOW, does it? *cough cough* Seriously, who DOES that? Geez. Pathetic.}. You can even print it out in a small card format, to carry around in your wallet. I haven't tried that yet, but only because my computer was out of commission and the printer is set up to use on my husband's laptop.

{By the way, my computer is back from the "hospital" and you know that scene in Forrest Gump, when Lieutenant Dan shows up at Forrest's wedding and shows Forrest his new prosthetic legs and Forrest says "Lieutenant Dan, you've got new legs. New legs!!"? That's how I felt about my iMac today, when I booted her up. She's got new legs! Not sure why I felt compelled to share that with you, but there you have it.}

Hey, speaking of Ravelry, have you been reading Wood's blog? {Or maybe I should say Wood's blog being ghost-written by Jim?} Did you see this most delicious little sweater she made for Juniper? Yeah, I know. Totally gorgeous. Seriously. Even the photography is lovely. My point in sending you over there, besides ~~shaming her into~~ encouraging her to blog about her projects more, was to let you know about the group she has set up in Ravelry. I totally snuck in and crashed the party {that's me, getting shitfaced and dancing on the table in the corner} and I must tell you, it's really FUN! People are so enthusiastic to learn how to knit that it is quite contagious. {FYI: you don't have to be a newbie to join - jump on in, the water's fine!} We're going to start up a knit-along of this awesome cowl in a little bit, as soon as I can put together some instructional pages on cabling and provisional cast-ons.

If you'd like to knit (and/or learn) along, we'd be happy to have you!

Why are you here, again? Oh RIGHT. For the KNITTING!

2010-10-13T20:17:00.000-03:00

There has not been as much of it going on as I would like, what with all the renovations (almost done folks, almost done) and the moving around of furniture (photos and details of my new work area to follow). But I have made some progress on my shawl (the one I bought yarn for during Hurricane Earl, remember?):

I'm really loving the texture and the colours. So nice. The pattern I'm using is Shadow Knitting Sock Yarn shawl, by Kimberly Gintar. You can find it on Ravelry and it's really easy - no fancy stuff, nothing complicated to memorize. A pretty nice first-time-knitting-something-lacy project, all in all.

My other knitting project (let us not speak of the unfortunate teal cardigan that is languishing in the project bag, while I shamelessly cheat on it with other, more exciting knitting...) is a little something I'm working on with one of your fellow readers, Laura B. She wanted a little girl's tunic in aran weight yarn. So, she's getting a tunic in an aran weight yarn:

I live to please, people. I live to please.

Free pattern to follow...

Testing testing

2010-10-08T19:41:00.000-03:00

I'm still trying to figure out this Scribd/free file sharing problem I've been having. Can you guys tell me what happens when you click on this link and try to print out the document? I'm concerned about what happens on pages 3, 4 &5, specifically.

I would do it myself, but my printer is not hooked up and I'm on the hubby's laptop (the internet is not hooked up to my own computer).

Thank you - you're all just peachy!

Blatant Consumerisn

2010-09-27T21:16:00.001-03:00

Every fall, one of our local organizations puts on a inter-county garage sale that takes place over 2 days and boasts over 100 different venues and events. It's huge. They print up a booklet that offers descriptions of all the entrants and a map, so you can see them all "at a glance".

That special weekend took place last weekend. I hadn't attended in a couple of years (can't remember why I missed it last year...) and I had only one goal: find a small, solid-wood chest of drawers. This is something I've been pining for since last year and the reason is that I'm getting annoyed with storing my fabric stash in cardboard boxes. I lose things completely and get so overwhelmed by the bits and bobs in there that I avoid sewing. I don't want avoid sewing because of something so fixable, so I've been on the lookout!

This place was neat - their sale was held in a nice courtyard of a motel, along the side of the highway. It was multi-family and well-staffed. We picked up a slew of mint-condition DVD's from a widow who was downsizing. Her husband had been a big movie buff and had a truckload of action movie DVD's (my husband is like-minded).

I spotted this bumper sticker and couldn't resist.

Check out this fully-functioning Japanese washing machine! It's made by Hitachi and my grandmother has one just like it. They were asking $20 for it and though we don't need a washing machine, I was sorely tempted to take it home. These little things are fantastic! And very water/energy-efficient, too!

I bought these adorable little cups for 10 cents each. I tried to find a fourth, but it was not to be.

This little bowl/dish was 10 cents and I just love it. We have a serious serving dish shortage in this house, so I've been on the lookout for that, too.

These insulators were a bit steep, price-wise. However, I couldn't resist. I got the pair for $5 + 2 eggs. Yes, 2 eggs. The sellers were a couple from out-of-town, camping in an RV and they had been trying to buy only 2 eggs from any of the local stores (they didn't want to buy 6 or 12, as the leftovers would have gone to waste). We went and bought a dozen, kept 10 for our own use and gave them 2. Strange, but effective.

This isn't something I bought - it's a piece of green milk glass that my grandmother gave me. She used it for mashed potatoes for YEARS (I don't think I ate mashed potatoes out of any other dish for the first 8 years of my life) and never for anything else, oddly. Last year, she started thinking about moving into the local "seniors' community" where all her chums live and she wanted to downsize her possessions before it comes to that point. She came to visit last summer and brought me this (the only thing I really wanted) and her ENTIRE COLLECTION OF VINTAGE KNITTING NEEDLES (the only other thing I wanted).

See why I love it?

I found and bought this little fan for $2...

...and this one for only $1!

(Yes, do!)

And guess what? They both work perfectly!!!

This one even has some neato swivelly action going on.

Found an awesome wool blanket for $10 (army surplus-style which, in addition to the goose-down duvet and other wool blanket on my bed, keeps me toasty). The vintage sheets in this photo were also a garage sale find ($2).

And yes, I DID find a little chest of drawers. It needs to be stripped and painted white (with these knobs in white and red, methinks). It was $15. Much better than the $200 I was finding in the stores...

Oh, and we found a much more suitably-sized dining set for our kitchen. Picture it painted white, please.

Oh, and as I threatened to do at the beginning of August, I bought myself a Nantucket Bagg for my knitting. So so so SO SO SO glad I did!

...

But, by far, my most important and unexpected purchase was this:

Have you guessed what it is, yet?

Yes, that's right! A beautiful vintage bicycle! I am so over the moon in love with it! It needs some love and I haven't had a chance to roll up my sleeves on it yet, but I will. Oh, will I ever!

She needs some cleaning, new reflectors, a rack and lights, but that's no big deal. The tires are original, as are the seat, the handlebar grips, the paint, the decals, the everything.

And how much do you think I spent on her? $100? $150? Nope.

Yup. It was fate. Thank you, Universe. I love you.

A question of identity

2010-09-25T15:56:00.000-03:00

Folks, I'm getting a little annoyed with Scribd. Unless I'm completely mistaken (it's been known to happen, on occasion), they've made it mandatory to sign up for a (free) account in order to download OR print out the documents posted there. That kinda makes me grumpy.

As a result of this new policy of theirs, I've received several requests in the past week to e-mail the raglan pattern file to people, which I'm happy to do, but which is a bit troublesome when I'm already swamped with work. I really really really REALLY don't want to forget anyone's request and I'm afraid that will happen. Someone even left a note on the raglan's Ravelry page (not a direct message to my inbox) and I just noticed it yesterday - it's been sitting there for a month, while I've been going about my business. I feel quite bad about it.

So, I'm looking into other options. Someday, I'll have my own website and won't have to rely on Blogger or Scribd, but that's not going to happen for a while.

Now, Ravelry allows free uploading/downloading of patterns. But here's the catch: you need to submit a "Designer Name" in order to have the right to do that. As you may have noticed, I am a bit anal about maintaining a bit of anonymity on these here Interwebs. That's because I have a public life and a private life and dog-willing, never the twain shall meet. Right now, the raglan pattern is just attributed to "atmymothersknee" and I am a "volunteer editor". If I want to upload patterns to Ravelry, that has to change. They require "a realistic first and last or first and middle name". But, I am NOT going to submit my real name.

So, here's what I need from you: Make up a name for me, will ya? If I choose the one you create, I'll send you a treat. As the idea just occurred to me, I have no idea what that treat will be, so I'm open to ideas on that, too. {As long as I don't need a second mortgage to afford the shipping, of course.}

Sound like a plan? Make me laugh, folks. Throw some ideas out there and make them count. {Earthenwitch, I'm looking at you - given your imagination, my expectations are high.} I know you can come up with something outstanding.

I'll start things off: Daisy Wilhelmina. Desdemona Whitehall.

Halifax and our dear friend Earl

2010-09-14T12:05:00.001-03:00

I attended a very interesting yoga retreat, last weekend. It was held in Halifax and was held by Ashtanga Halifax, who were hosting Nancy Gilgoff (one of the very first Western women to be taught Ashtanga yoga - and to study with K. Pattabhi Jois). It was quite eye-opening and it has deeply affected how I think of my practice. I haven't had a chance to talk to my own teacher about what I heard and saw, but it was definitely worth every cent I spent on the trip.

Less appreciated was the pounding we received, courtesy of Hurricane Earl. Wow. I thought I knew what a big storm looks like. I mean, I live in one of the most unforgiving places in North America, for Pete's sake. Little did I know. As far as hurricanes go, I guess he was a little tame (and very quick - thanks for small mercies), but it was nerve-wracking nonetheless. I would have preferred to be safe and sound at home at the time but I was still in the city, staying at a hotel. I had had the good sense to pick up some new knitting supplies and yarn the day before, knowing that I might get "stranded" with nothing to do. I went over to The Loop (love it!) on Barrington Street and bought my very first Addi Turbo circular needle.

Why did it take me so long to get one of these?

Why am I still torturing myself with cheap, metal, dime-store circulars? Especially when I hate them so much (yes, it's true - I'm a circular-hater).

This thing is wonderful. This yarn is wonderful. It's Schoppel Wolle's Zauberball sock yarn in some delicious colourway. It looks like a bowl of fieldberries. Yum. It's destined to become a yoga shawl/wrap thingy.

I started fiddling around with it during the storm (one of the networks obliged me by broadcasting Mansfield Park during the storm... almost like they knew I needed something really good to knit to... I am an unabashed Jane Austen lover) and I experimented with the shaping and construction. I finally ripped it back, but I haven't given up. I just didn't have access to my knitting books at the time, but now that I do, I will continue to plug away at it.

I also spent a shameful amount of time that Friday shopping at "Love, Me" (a boutique in Halifax). Wow. Bought myself a new camera strap and managed somehow to resist everything else in the shop. Don't ask me how.

The girl manning the cash suggested I visit another store a few blocks away, called Wildflower. Double wow. I found the most amazing sweater there, that I had to lay it down and sketch out the construction of it, convinced that I could reproduce it (it was factory-made and cost $165+tax...a little out of my price range). Turns out, I don't have to. Blue Moon has a pattern for that exact sweater and as I subscribe to Knitting Daily, I got the notice about it last week (coincidence? I think not!). It was so flattering that I think I may have to splurge and get the pattern and yarn to make it for myself (although I just went to their site to calculate the cost of the yarn and it would be $120 AMERICAN - which with our pathetic exchange rate comes to about $4,000,000 CANADIAN - so nevermind). I think I'll find myself a more "affordable" yarn alternative, yes?

Well, I have a lot more to say, but I also have a "real life" to live and dogs to walk, so I'll leave it at that for now. See you soon, ok?

PS: Is it bad that after my trip to The Loop and a lengthy discussion with the shop owner about spinning that I now want to go the Maritime Spinners Retreat and feel an undeniable and overpowering need for a portable spinning wheel? No, I didn't think so.

Vacation photos, part 4

2010-09-13T08:00:00.000-03:00

(a campsite *right* next to a babbling brook? yes, please.)

(photos taken at Cabot Shores, in Indian Brook, CBI)

Vacation photos, part 3

2010-09-12T20:00:00.000-03:00

(photos taken on the shore in Neil's Harbour, CBI)

Vacation photos, part 2

2010-09-12T14:38:00.000-03:00

(photos taken in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, CBI)