random odds and ends

I had promised Tracy that I would show the Shelridge Farms handpainted fingering weight that I picked up during one of my forays to Needles and Knits.

Lovely, n'est-ce pas? Unfortunately, Shelridge, like Koigu uses a numbering system for naming their colourways, so I can't tell you what they are called. I haven't yet decided what they are destined for - maybe socks, maybe mitts, maybe a scarf or small shawl. There are two skeins of each of three colours - The left hand ones are a lovely blue mix with some camel thrown in. The middle ones are black and white, and probably destined for my FIL - he's not one for a lot of colour. The right hand ones are very fresh and springy - a mix of pinks, oranges and yellows. There are any number of women in my life that would love socks or mitts in this.

Next week is Spring Break for my area, and I am taking the week off work. (Our fiscal year ends April 1, and we have a "use it or lose" policy - if I don't take the week's holiday I can't carry it over, hence, I'm taking the week off!) Some of the week will be spent with Son - we are doing some stuff with his cousins, as well as some of his friends, and some of the week, he will be off to the sitters and his friends so I can take a backhoe to our home office/yarn storage room. I'm not sure I am as brave as Steph to post the before pictures, but there is a ton of work that needs doing in there - between my yarn storage needs, Husband has a ton of files that he keeps in there. Plus there are three computers that need homes until we consolidate the info stored on them. Just the way I envisioned a week's holiday... Seriously, it is a good thing - this has been hanging over us for a while, and well, Husband is useless when it comes to organizing a room like this. He will empty the whole thing and try to put it back in an organized way. It never works. So I do it instead, and I feel great once it's done.

Lucky posted pictures of her adorable handmade bears yesterday - go take a look, I'll wait here. Are you back? Are they delicious or what? It made me think of the bears I used to make years ago. Not nearly as nice as hers - I used a pattern (Vogue, I think), and synthetic fur, but still, they are cute. I gave a bunch away to friends - this was a university thing, and I knit sweaters for the bears in the school colours. One I kept, and it sits in my son's room. He wears a sweater I knit for my son when he was about two. As you can see, I come by the name curlerchik honestly - I used to curl a great deal, and I designed this sweater for Son to wear when he came to the club to watch Mom and Dad. I wanted to keep the sweater instead of passing it on as i do most of the outgrown stuff, and the bear seemed like a perfect place for it, although the arms are a little long.

For those not in Canada and watching the Brier right now, or have never seen curling, the patterns top to bottom are the curling rings (or house), brooms, and curling rocks. It was a fun knit and I got a lot of compliments at our curling club whenever he wore it. I also got a lot of requests to knit it for every one else's kid - and we all know how I feel about those requests! Needless to say - this is a one-of-a-kind!
Speaking of the Brier - as much as I'd love to see Glenn Howard win (I've met him, and he's a really nice guy..) how can you not cheer for Team Gushue? Talk about a great team! And they curl well, too...