friends

It's amazing where, and how you find friends. Since the news of the demise of our jobs, I've become quite good friends with people here I probably would not have. Case in point - the Director of Marketing. She and I live in the same town, our boys play basketball and baseball against each otter, but we've always been more like acquaintances than friends. That's changed in the last little while as we've discovered we are so much more alike than we had thought. (We were both a little intimidated by each other for different reasons). We will keep in touch after this job ends, which is great.

Then there's this Internet thing, and blogging, and how friends are made that way. I'm not even sure how Needles and I found each other's blogs - probably through other blogs, or comments or something. She commented on my Punta Yarns shawlette (yes, Needles, I believe it is Marisol - so soft and delicious...) She made reference to Churchmouse Yarns patterns - patterns I had not seen anywhere around here. I checked them out, and mentioned to her that I found a couple of them quite pretty and useful. She offered to send them to me. Not only did the two I really liked, show up, but just look at this:
Needles, I've already started (and just about finished one of the ruffle neck scarves - using some Dream in Colour Smooshy, colour Good Luck Jade. (I can use all the help I can get right now on the job search).
(it's a lot further along now...

(it was foggy at the cottage on Sunday morning!)

And the Filati Book! Very impressive, and I have my eye on a beautiful cabled sweater in there...

It's a beautiful gift and Needles, if you won't let me pay you back, you can be absolutely sure I'm going to pay it forward.

earthquake edit

I should mention - those are not my table and chairs - I only wish I got that much sun in my backyard... This was just a picture that got emailed to me, titled "Picture of the devastation after earthquake in Toronto".

I found it hilarious.

earthquake aftermath

As some of you might know, Southern Ontario and Quebec experienced an earthquake on Wednesday. I felt in in the waiting room of the dentist's office, and it was big news in the Toronto area.

Want to see the extent of the devastation?

Californians, commence hysterical laughter now...

another project cast on

(trying to get a good photo representation of this yarn is killing me!) The top one is closer to real, but it's so much richer than it appears here.

Another 198 yds. of heaven scarf. this is such a great lacy scarf pattern - easy to do, and so pretty. This mohair blend yarn by Punta Yarns, is the wonderfully and thought provoking colourway known as HP71. Really evokes the colours and feel, doesn't it?

I've got someone in mind for this scarf, but I keep falling in love with the colours, so we'll see if it leaves my hands.

the view from there...

the hammock is perfect...

we bought two new kayaks...

(the boys out, me in the hammock - I'd already done an hour in the kayak...)

my husband has claimed it - so he thinks...

But there's going to be negotiation on that...(my foot. Drink and book were nearby - you can see the little table in the shot with my husband - it's brilliant - it spikes into the ground wherever you need it. Now I just need to paint it green to match)

interview outfit

As there is a distinct possibility that I will be interviewing for potential new jobs this summer, some interview clothes seemed like a good idea.

Hence the watercolour print linen to go with the little blue sweater I knit.

(There's some foreshortening here - it's not a mini skirt, rather it hits me right above the knee cap. I seem to have angled these shots badly.) I had originally planned on making a dress, but decided on two pieces for more versatility. Plus, the top is my favourite of the moment pattern for a sleeveless top - it fits well, and looks good. The match to the sweater was just one of those lucky breaks, and I'm really happy with the outcome.

The skirt was from a pattern I drafted using the instructions in the book Sew What? Skirts! Great book - very useful.

The buttons were what I was after when I bought all that other fabric.

although the buttons run all the way up the back, the top still slips on without having to unbutton them. Did I mention this is my favourite pattern right now?

spring = sewing in my life...

Spring and summer always seem to reawaken my sewing mojo.

Last weekend I finished my watercolour linen top and skirt (pictures to come once the weather and lighting co-operate), and while I was buying buttons for the top, 4 lengths of fabric just seemed to magically appear in my basket. Not sure how it happened, but whatever. I've already pre-washed them, so I guess I can't return them!

Combining my love of linen with my insatiable need for border prints - this black linen with 2 shades of turquoise embroidery along one edge. Definitely a skirt, somewhat full, probably with pleats at the waist, or possibly more fitted.

The turquoise cotton is for a simple blouse to go with the linen. (It really is turquoise - look, I'll show you:

(the blue will not photograph as blue up against the black, it seems)

Continuing the linen/embroidery theme, this beige linen with black all over embroidery - not sure what it will be, probably my tried and true sleeveless fitted top pattern.

it's a deeper beige than is showing here...

Last but not least, this white cotton that is over embroidered with black and screen printed with the brown flowers. So pretty, and will also be a simple summer blouse.

I may start cutting things tonight...

I got my camera back...

Unfortunately, I got it back quite late at night (after I was asleep, to be honest), and only had a chance to take a picture of the pink and brown scarf. (There will be no pictures of the giant Mr. Peanut balloon - I had no camera the day it was on the ground - sorry!)

This shawlette/scarf took me almost two balls of Punta yarn - I lost the ball bands, so I can't tell you any more than that. I bought it at Mary's Yarns in Unionville - a lovely little yarn store near my present place of employment.

No pattern - I just started with a few stitches and increased down the middle and at each end on every right side row. I kept the first and last three stitches on each row in garter stitch, and did a few rows of garter at the end to prevent curling.

This is super soft, and will be great for my Mom at Christmas - she loves pink, and has a great brown jacket.

It was great baseball knitting - no pattern, and very little attention needed.

Now I need another easy pattern for those games...

no camera = boring post

My husband borrowed my camera last Friday, and still hasn't returned it (he left it at work).

So I can't show you:

the complete pink and brown shawl/scarf (it's damp and blocking right now)
the completed watercolour print linen top and skirt (decided for separates over a dress - SOOOOO Happy I did so!)
the continuing sleeve of Red Green
the new 198 yards of Heaven scarf I started
The 4 new fabrics I bought when I went to Fabricland to "just get some buttons..."
the GIANT Mr. Peanut Hot Air Balloon (making a return visit to the blog), but this morning, he was huge - he was on the ground around the corner from my office.

I'm hoping to get the camera back tonight!

updates and answers

Yes Nancy, I know linen wrinkles, and I love that about it. There isn't a single thing about linen that I don't love. I always iron it to start, and any wrinkles that occur in daily wear are good for me.

Brenda - I'm hoping that any new job I take will have a similar dress code - especially regarding footwear...

Yes, I'm loving the Red Green Sweater, but I forgot to make the slimmer sleeve profile, I think. It's hard to see while on the needles, but I may have a slightly more "dolman-esque" sleeve than planned. No worries, I think it will still look good.

Job update - we have been given 8 weeks of working notice. So I have a job until July 30th. Possibly longer, as they will need some people until September 30, but we don't know who. Some people will be offered jobs, but we don't know who. (I know it won't be me - what I do is handled in their Indianapolis office). Everyone is on the "polish up the resume and get it out there" cycle. Some of us are tyring to figure out if we can present ourselves as a package deal since we all want to continue working together!
We're doing recon lunches - going out, driving around and taking note of the companies in the area, then coming back and Googling them - we've found a few things that way...
We've also developed a pretty loose relationship with the hours we're here... there's a lot of "coming in later", "leaving early" and "working at home" going on. Like tomorrow - my son has something at school I want to see, so my boss has told me to work at home for the day. No problem - I can do that. And I actually will do some work - my work ethic can't be turned off like that - I have to ensure that everything that I need to do is done - there are people waiting on my results.

stash busting - in two ways...

This was a quick little project I had going on the side (along with Red Green, the pink and brown shawl and some socks - yeah, I have a problem with monogamy...)

I found two balls of Rowan Yorkshire Tween Aran weight when I was tearing apart the stash for the rest of the Rowan Lime Green (still MIA...). I had an idea for a little sweater - short sleeved, and then the body as long as the wool held out. What happened was this: I really like it. I usually don't use aran or heavier yarn, but I like the rustic-ness of this, plus the flecks are very pretty - it really is blue, green and teal, all in one. Stash busting at it's best - there was nothing left over.

The second part of the stash busting was figuring out what to wear with this. I headed to my closet first - a few options, but nothing outstanding, so down to the sewing room, and into the linen stash.

Yup - this watercolour print looks good - lets see it draped on the mannequin:okay, looks good (maybe not in this tent-like look, however! But the colours really work well together.(and have I mentioned my love of linen?)

Now for a pattern - a dress... one that will work with a short sweater - no sleeves, somewhat dressy (may be needed for the interview rounds...)

Perfect!

Red Green Progress

I've been knitting a few different things, one of which is the Red Green Sweater. Not only is this a nice looking sweater, the construction is such that it seems to fly off the needles. I've finished the body, and have started the first sleeve. All the body hems and steeks have been sewn (which does seem to take as long as the knitting...), so once the sleeves are done, the sweater will be as well.

(really crappy picture showing the front neckline. It seems that for the red to protography reasonably well, it can't fill the whole screen - it needs something like the oak table top to tne it down...)

There has been other knitting - I'll get to that in another post.

As far as the job situation - thanks for all the kind words. I'm not that concerned about getting something else - I have a pretty good skill set that transfers well, it's just the whole application - interview process. Then there''s the whole new job thing - meeting new people - figuring out how things function process. Plus, this present job was really one of the best, so it's going to be hard to match. We're hoping to get more information (timelines, etc.) today. So I'm either going to be part of the transition, and be here for a couple of weeks, or I'm out today with a package!

We'll see...

starting the search again...

...for a new job. Not by choice - the company I work for (and absolutely LOVE!) is being bought by a larger company that has no need for most of us. So I'm losing one of the best jobs I've ever had. When you talk about a family friendly place to work - this was it. The hours were perfect, the people were great, and they understood the concept of family first.

Not to mention the casualness of the place - Today I'm wearing denim Bermuda shorts, a linen blouse and my beloved flip flops. I just know that wherever I end up will require real footwear...
Then again, as I mentioned to Lucky, if I found a great job close to home with great hours and people, I'd wear a bloody ball gown to work every day!

So now, during summer, I have to go on the job hunt. We're looking at the trade off of me finding something right away, vs. spending the summer with the boy. Financial needs may take over, but we'll see. I'm still waiting to get the final say at the present job - how long (if at all) they need me during the transition - plus what kind of package there is. It's still up in the air while they iron out the final sale details, but we hope to find out soon.

Knitting is becoming not only my hobby but my stress reducer. I laugh at the people who say "Maybe you can make a living with knitting!" Right. I'm just a knitter. I know lots of people who have taken knitting and it's peripherals and made a living (Stephanie...) but she's a writer among so many other things. I just knit, and no one I know will pay the true worth of a hand knit sweater. If those people were out there, a lot of us would be making a living knitting for them!