I was having work lunch with a friend (she's actually a sales rep for a very cool carpet company that is near and dear to my heart) this week and telling her about some of the new goings on in my world and she insisted that I update this here blog.

(If you're new to these parts, let me fill you in: I'm really inconsistent vis-a-vis posting regularly and there is no rhyme or reason for what I do.  Hope that's ok with you.)

So, my news is this:

1. My mom, who is now living in BC, is having some trouble getting settled and, while I was hoping to make a trip down there in May (and drift over to Victoria and then Portland, OR afterwards to see Marita and Miranda), it is not certain that she will even still be there in May.  She is considering moving back home (to Manitoba) which actually makes me very happy - I think she will be happier there than on the west coast.  (Note: I love the west coast - I just don't think she is happy, living so far from her family.) So, no trip to BC for me this spring.  We'll have to wait and see...
2. I have decided to take a bit of a break from my day job this summer.  I will only be working 3 days a week at the design/drafting firm I manage and 2 days a week at Belfast Mini Mills.  I start there on May long weekend (May 18th).  I know, right?  It is seriously fabulous.  I can't even think about it too much or I will pee my pants.
3.  The ladies at Belfast have been unofficially organizing a "Fibre Trail" tour for visitors interested in the industry here on the Island.  Many of the current bus tour operators bring their tourists to BMM and it is always a hit, so they have been working together to expand on the theme.  I can't wait to take part.
4. I have started painting again - and not just little watercolour sketches.  Canvas painting with acrylic, which I haven't done seriously in at least 8 or 9 years.  I have really been loving it.  This winter was tough for my family and me and painting has, in the past, been therapeutic for me.  I had been missing it, but just hadn't realized it fully.  This was a great way to get back to my artistic "roots", so to speak.  The pictures below are quite horrible quality, but here's a sampling:

This one and the one below are older - at least 8 years old -  but I was photographing, so I thought I'd just keep going...

And that, as they say, is that.  I'm just plugging away at some small projects, dreaming up some bigger ones, looking forward to this summer and keeping my head down, wishing this winter doesn't let the door hit it in the arse on the way out.

And you?  What are you up to?

The Mane Story: A Hairy Tale (get it?)

I'm sure I've told you that my husband is an environmental activist, yes?  Well, technically, he's a high school math and science teacher, but he's also what I like to (affectionately, most of the time) call an Enviro-Nazi.  One day, he told me about the chemicals in cosmetics and it disturbed me, though, as an educated and discerning consumer, I really should have known better.

On top of that, I have been steadily (and, for the most part, quietly) mounting a rebellion against the commercialization of our society (I won't say that I outright boycotted Christmas this year, but dang, I came close)(I have no problem with the *spirit* of Christmas, but to my disgust, the stupid displays were up in the store windows A WEEK BEFORE HALLOWEEN, this year).  At the risk of sounding like a complete hippy/mountain-top-hermit/recluse/grinch/scrooge, I don't just don't like the fact that I have to pay for so much "stuff" just because everyone else thinks I should.  Cosmetics have always topped my list of "Awww man, do I really have to pay for that?"

So sometime last fall, I decided to phase out the use of shampoo and conditioner here at our house.  My husband shaves his head (so he obviously doesn't need much beyond a gentle soap for his noggin) and I've been growing out my hair for about 18 months, which has changed some of its characteristics and needs.

When it was shorter, I straightened it on a regular basis, because it's a little wild and crazy.  Now that it's longer, it behaves much better and I realize that I miss having long hair (it was down past my waist for most of the first 17 years of my life, until I chopped it all off).

So, how's the no-shampoo campaign going?  Pretty well.  You wanna know how I went about it?  Ok, I'll tell you:

First of all, it's important to know that my hair is very healthy.  I was blessed in that department and I've made it a point to take care of it.  I've never treated it or scorched it.  As a result, it always responds well to change.  Your mileage may vary.

The first step was to start weaning my hair off washings.  When it was short, I had to wash it once a day.  As it started growing out, I was able to bring it down to every two days almost immediately and then slowly worked my way down to once every 4 or 5 days.  At this point, I was still using shampoo and conditioner, but the idea was to see if I could reduce my scalp's dependence on chemicals and make the process more seamless.

In October, I ran out of conditioner so one evening, I looked online and found out that you can use apple cider vinegar as conditioner.  So I tried it and wow, it really works.  The smell can be strong if you're sensitive to fragrances (which I am), but I personally don't find it unpleasant.  I was a little concerned about smelling like fermenting apples at work, though.  That's when I figured I would try something my yoga teacher uses on yoga mats to freshen them up: a spray bottle with a water and essential oil mixture.  Ruth uses red thyme, lemon balm and lavender but they're a little overpowering, so I stuck with lavender and then found a really fabulous cinnamon/cassia oil at my health food store and I've been using that, in combination with ylang ylang and tea tree oils.  Sometimes I use sweet orange oil instead, to jazz things up.  I make up a very small batch at a time (single use, really) so that the oils don't do weird things in the bottle while I have my back turned (I have no proof that they do, but I'm not taking any chances that I'll spray my hair one day and find out the hard way an hour later that something went rancid on me).  Just about 1/4 cup of water with 10 drops of oil or so.  I spray any excess on my sheets and pillow (makes for sweet dreams).

At this point, I hadn't shampooed my hair in a couple of weeks.  And no conditioner for 6 or 8 weeks.

Once I had the shampoo/apple cider vinegar routine down to once per week (beginning of November-ish), I started adding in "shampooings" of baking soda.  This was all trial-and-error, you understand: there were a couple of mornings when it looked downright awful and I just had to cave in and shampoo it.  I realize now that you have to pay more attention to the span between washings than I did.  And I also had to play with the concentrations of ingredients.  But there are no hair-washing police and no-one cares what happens in my shower (I hope).  There are a lot of variables in a person's life that might affect how their skin/hair/teeth respond to the elements and it's ok if things need a helping hand.

Now, I'm at one baking soda/apple cider vinegar washing per week (Saturday morning), with a water rinse every couple of days and a water/oil spray when I feel that it needs a freshening.  But the odd thing is that it doesn't smell.  Of course, I can't smell my own scalp, but my husband is honest to the point of being aggravating, so I trust him to tell me if I start to get gross.  So far, so good.  I haven't so much as touched the shampoo bottle in 6 weeks or so.

And the biggest surprise?  The texture.  I am not sure how to explain it.  It's not greasy, even when I suspect that it is.  I would say that it's more waxy than oily.  It is smooth and heavy and thick, but not limp.  I haven't gotten a trim since sometime last winter, yet I have no split ends.  It is less frizzy than before (oh, I just love that - it feels like I'm sticking it to the conditioner manufacturers of the world).  It has always been open to the suggestion of curl, but now it has reached a whole 'nother level:

I took this photo this morning.  I tip my hat to those who take nice mirror self-portraits.  That shit is HARD.

Those ringlets?  I created those about 3 minutes before I took the photo - just by twirling them around my finger.  Those waves last all day.  I've had a couple of crazy frizzy/dry/wild days, but when they come up (and they come up because it's wintertime and I'm still working out my routine/technique/concentrations of ingredients), I use a teeny little bit of Burt's Bees Hand Salve that we have on hand.  I rub it on my hands and then carefully run my fingers through my hair.  It works like a charm.

Here's the rub: one thing I've had to adapt to is the need to carefully comb/brush my hair and fasten it before bed.  I did that for most of my childhood, so it's not a hardship, but I haven't done it in 16 years (EGADS, has it really been that long?), so I was out of practice.  My hair doesn't have that same slick texture it once had (which is probably why it retains curl so much better) and it tangles a bit more easily.  I want to prevent bed head so that I can avoid washing/rinsing it in the morning.  I don't like going to work with wet hair (and I've never been big on blow drying), so washing it in the morning is not my favourite.  I tie it up, either in french braids or in little buns (the buns have a nicer effect on my waves) and then hit the sheets:

{I haven't figured out a great way to keep this stuff handy in the bathroom.  I use a glass mason jar for the baking soda mix (this is a disaster waiting to happen, I know... when I drop it and cut myself on the shards, you can smugly call me an idiot and I won't protest) and large plastic jug for the vinegar mix.  But that's a little unwieldy and I'm on the lookout for more convenient tools.  If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.}

Anyway, it's been a really interesting experiment and now that this particular ball is rolling, I'm looking at other ways to phase out chemicals in my life.  I still take guilty pleasure in washing my tub with Comet (baking soda wasn't cutting it, sorry), but I have just about every other cleaning product in my sights.  Mwahahahahaha!

It Must Be Something in the Water

I am fully prepared to admit that we Canadians are a strange lot.

I just found this and I've actually decided that it is a fantastic idea.

Awesome stuff

I really hate it how all we seem to hear from people regarding customer service/new products are the horrible customer service and disappointments they've experienced.  I also hate how the details of these experiences are often blown completely out of proportion (I blame Twitter, incidentally).

I wish people would share their positive experiences with as much enthusiasm - why punish the crappy businesses and then ignore the good ones?

So today, I'm going to tell you about some recent acquisitions I've made that I'm very pleased with.  You might not care, but I'm going to do it anyway.  Here we go:

1.  New yoga pants.  I am not one of those creatures who believes that spending $100 on a pair of yoga pants (or jacket/top/whatever) is acceptable.   I have never paid more than $30 for a pair and many of mine have lasted for years and years (and I practice a very physically demanding form of yoga, so that is saying something).  Usually I go to Winners for yoga gear, but I don't like the inconsistency - just when I've found a brand/style that I like, they run out of it.  (Wanna see someone go ballistic in a public place with little or no regard for decency?  Come shopping with me at Winners on a Saturday morning on a day when I need new yoga pants and can't find a pair.)

But Mountain Equipment Co-Op just put out a line of yoga gear and I tried some stuff on while I was in Ottawa (we don't have a store here...*SOB*).  I confirmed my size and ordered a pair of the Messina pants online (yay! on sale!).  They fit perfectly.  So comfy, the fabric is soft and sturdy and the colour is really nice.  I had to hem them because I'm short for my size (large), but that's a pretty common occurrence and it's not their fault that I'm a hobbit. 

So: win.

2.  Still with MEC (a most wonderful chain of stores that I can NOT say enough good things about - if we had one here, it's probably the only place I would shop, I kid you not).  Last winter (the warmest winter I've ever experienced, so my purchase kind of went to waste), I bought a pair of merino leggings.  Black wool leggings.  Yes.  So very yes.  They're thin and comfy and totally non-itchy (and non-stinky: BONUS) and WARM.  I love them (and would love them more if I'd thought to buy them in medium, as the large is a little too large) and am getting at least one more pair.  Perfect under long wool skirts.  Perfect as pyjamas.  Perfect under jeans.

(Wool-sensitive Husband bought the men's long-sleeve undershirt version and loves it.)

Win again.

3.  A buckwheat pillow from Halfmoon Yoga (another great Canadian company). 

I do not sleep easily, friends.  I've battled one form of insomnia or another almost my entire life (there was a lovely bout between the ages of 17 and 24 where sleep came easily and I'm grateful for that, but alas, it waned).  It's frustrating to deal with so I take sleep seriously.  One of my big challenges is finding a good pillow.  Not too big, not too squishy (and for the love of all that is holy, no damn feathers!), but something that will stay put and has neck support.  I don't move very much in my sleep and I tend to remain on one side or the other all night, so it must have substance.

I'd read about buckwheat pillows and I have a zafu, so I had a sense of what it would feel like, but I wasn't 100% sold on the idea.  But I got good and fed up a few months ago and decided to just take the plunge, already.  Now, I don't consider $80 for a pillow reasonable - I was gritting my teeth in protest even as I was clicking on the "Add To Cart" button.  But I was so tired of experimenting with other pillows (thereby wasting money),  I went through with it.

This is the pillow for me. It took about 10 days nights to get used to it (my neck was sore for a few days and my ear hurt a fair bit from sleeping on it - the pillow doesn't have a lot of "give" to it), but once I got accustomed to it, it felt sooooo good.

Win win win.

4.  My Sigg wide mouth water bottle.  I bought this on my trip to Ottawa, not online.   It has a dual cap: one opening big enough to drop in ice cubes and one opening small enough that you can easily control the flow of water you're drinking, so that it doesn't splash you in the face.  Also, easier to clean than the narrow-mouth versions.  Love it.

Mine actually has a different and more ornate orange Indian/paisley pattern on it, but this one is nice, too.

Win x 4.

5.  And last, but not least: my new travel mug. 

I have bought 4 travel mugs in the past 2 years.  Four.  And they all sucked.  Either the caps were gross and uncleanable or the body of the mug itself took on water when it was being washed (which would naturally escape later, when I was trying to drink from it...mmmm old dish water running down my chin...GAG).  This one, bought from www.goneshopping.ca (AWESOME online shop with a fantastic assortment of eco-products - they sent me a lovely personalized e-mail and then a little handwritten note with my shipment, offering me a discount on my next purchase), is a total winner (though the price tag initially took me some time to justify - until I calculated how much I had wasted on the previous 4 mugs).  The cap comes apart for ease of cleaning, the body is fully sealed - so there's no seepage, and it keeps my tea hot (HOT, not just slightly warmish) for literally 7 hours (no joke - if I prepare it at 7:00 am, my tea is still be drinkable at 2:00 pm).

It's shown with the loop cap, but you can buy the "café cap" to go with it - that's the one you need in order to use it as a mug

I bought it on a Thursday, it arrived at my office on Monday morning (Monday!  I live on a little island in the Atlantic - nothing ever ships here in 2 days!) and I used it Tuesday and Wednesday (by which time I was totally smitten, as you can imagine).  Then, on Wednesday night, I flew out to Toronto for business and proceeded to lose this little guy in the taxi from the airport.

I don't really have to tell you how much cursing and screaming (quiet screaming, mostly internal, but very effective) I did the next morning when I went to make a cup of tea in my hotel room and discovered that it was missing, do I?  I got a grip (took me a few hours to calm down, I'm ashamed to say), conjured my inner Gandhi (not an easy feat, I assure you, kind of like horking up a hairball) and told myself that it was ok, some lucky bastard had just unknowingly inherited the best damn travel mug ever made by humankind.  It was just $30.  Let it go.

Right, so the next morning (that's Friday - 8 days after my initial purchase, in case you've lost track), I walked two blocks from the hotel to the Yonge Pharmacy (what a great, old school place that is!), where the interwebs told me I could find more Klean Kanteen stuff.  I couldn't find the insulated ones, so I approached the counter and asked if they had any of them in stock.  They had just received a shipment the day before and had exactly what I was looking for in the back.  So I prepared to lay down (another! ARGH!) $30 for a replacement and while the clerk was ringing me in, I started recounting my tale of woe.  He kind of chuckled (not laughing AT me, I'm sure...) and said "Aw, that sucks.  Well, seeing as you had such a crappy time of it, I'm going to give you 20% off this one."

Yeah, that's right.  Good karma: I has it.  Glad I coughed up that hairball after all.

(And I have been guarding the freaking thing with my life ever since - if anyone so much as looks sideways at my travel mug, they're going to lose an eye.)(If my house was on fire, I'd grab my great-grandmother's knitting needles, my husband, my two dogs and this mug.)

So that's it - those are some of the good things I've recently purchased that I am so very pleased with.  The shops I've linked to are amazing and take customer service very seriously, for which I commend them.  If you have Christmas shopping to do in the next few months, you may want to consider sending some business their way - they deserve it and you won't be disappointed.

(I don't really have to say it, do I?  None of these people have given me a dime - or free product - to give you my recommendations.  I just really like them and wanted to go on the record with my experiences.)

Clapotis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alive and Kicking

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

Yikes.

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

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

Work.  Work has been going on.

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

Phew.  No wonder I wasn't blogging.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Photo documentation of said knitting to follow.)

My, how time flies

Right, so in the time that I've been away, the Blogger interface has completely changed and now I can't find my way around.  Dammit.  Let's see if I can do this without deleting everything...

So.  How ya been?  In the eons since I last posted, a lot of stuff has gone down around these parts.  First, I had another run-in with more crappy health (my IBS again...curses) and then miraculously woke up one day feeling like a million bucks (which is only *slightly* frustrating).

Then, my workload (at my day job) ramped up to 11 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Then, we contacted a contractor about getting all of our windows and exterior cladding replaced on our house, which necessitated some re-negotiation at the bank (we were up for mortgage renewal this year, so we decided to take advantage of the unbelievable interest rates).  So, new windows.  That's awesome.  But a lot of work to coordinate.

And then my computer pooched on me.  It had been on a long and steady decline so this wasn't entirely without warning.  And technically, it still works.  But the screen was crapping out on me (and would have cost $400 to fix) and something wasn't right with it's ability to surf the web without crashing.  Not sure what it was, but with the broken screen, I wasn't going to get too worked up about it.

So out came the credit card and welcome to my new padooder, everyone!

With the change in computer came the realization that my Photoshop software is from the paleolithic era and eventually, that catches up with you.  No more Photoshop for me.  So photos may be a little different around here, but oh well.  I'm not exactly Annie Leibovitz.

My iron died so I couldn't sew for a couple of weeks until I found a decent replacement (I think the problem is actually the hardness of our well water - it clogs up appliances/fixtures).  And then my sewing machine gave up the ghost...almost.  It turns out it was just in desperate need of a cleaning/oiling, so phew.  It's all good as new, now.  My sewing machine service people are some of my favourite people.  Really, they're dolls.

And THEN, I had to spend a weekend transplanting every. single. plant. we own into several new beds we my husband made.  Most of our stuff was all next to the house in planters or beds and because we're having all the shingles, trim and windows stripped, the contractors would have trampled the plants.  So, out they came, shuffle shuffle and back in they went.  All 100+ of them.  Phew.

Knitting update: I haven't made much progress on the Seamless Hybrid.  In fact, no progress.  Stay tuned.  Other than that, I am working on a couple of gifts that I can't show you (exciting, I know) and have yet ANOTHER bébé to knit something for.  He was born a few weeks early (but don't worry - there were no problems, he was just fully cooked and ready to come out of the oven) so I got caught with my proverbial pants down, gift-wise.  Ooops.  Emergency nursing cover, coming right up!

Hey, and get this: the new baby has the same name as my cousin's baby.  How convenient for me!

Anyway, that's all I have for you, at the moment.  It's a beautiful day, so I'm going to see if I can finish the laundry and hang it all on the line to dry.  Then I have to get sewing to catch up on some things I promised people and then I have to do some baking.

Have a great Sunday everyone (and Happy Saint's Mother's Day, if that applies to you)!  Here's a little parting gift for putting up with my pathetic blogging habits.  These little critters belong to some new acquaintances of mine - I'll fill you in on where/how I met them in an upcoming post.

Mama bought herself a new iPod Touch

...'cause the old one completely died today. Anyone who knows me knows that I have trouble living without music and I just couldn't face a future without it.

So what does that mean? Instagram!

Also, as you can see, I got my shipment of KnitPicks yarn, so I think I finally have the right colour combination for my Caller Herrin.

Faff

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.

More elm photos

R.I.P. Slouchster

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Light on the photos and light on the content

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...

Fleeting

On the way home from our latest sailing excursion.

It's habit-forming

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.