curlerchik knits

The finished Sunday Sweater*

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

*name courtesy of Brenda...

Here's the sweater in our office loo. I wore it the other day with grey pinstriped pants and a sleeveless turtleneck. I got a ton of compliments on it, which leads me to believe that maybe I should wear pink more often. I probably won't because it's not among my favourite colours, but it worked well in this case.

I used a bunch of Knit Picks Shine Sport. The exacting measurement "bunch" is courtesy of the fact that there were some already wound balls, and some rewound cakes from a failed sweater attempt earlier. The cotton modal blend was great for running through the machine, and created a nice fabric - very drapey, but with some heft to it. It was weighty enough to hang nicely with just the one button closure. (I actually had one lone pink button in my button stash! This was meant to be.)
I knit the sweater on my LK-150, using schematics from a pattern created in Sweater Wizard. I input the size, the gauge, the style etc. into the software, and it spit out a pattern with schematics. Great for the machine, as it gives row counts as well as measurements. I kit the pieces as is, using waste yarn at the top and bottom. After sewing it together, I picked up the sleeve hems, and around the neckline, using the live stitches were available, or picking up along the side. I debated an attached i-cord edging, but after consultation with Susan, decided on a garter edging. I like it. I know I can knit edgings on the machine, but I hate rehanging stitches, and hand manipulating the needles. The only hand manipulation I do is increasing and decreasing.
It's funny - although this was knit on a machine, and I've got the pieces of another sweater waiting for sewing and edging, and I have many plans for more machine knit sweaters, I don't really think of myself as a machine knitter. Yes, I knit by machine, but I have to say, I get way more enjoyment from knitting by hand. I use the machine when it's a sweater that is in flat pieces, when it's a cotton or cotton blend yarn that hard on the hands to hand knit, or when I really want a sweater quickly. (Because the machine is in the basement, it's also handy for when I want to get away from the men in my family!)

Lookie what I found...

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Two cotton tweed sweaters that have been loved and worn and washed and worn, and then, when they stretched out of shape, relegated to the pile.

As you can see from the top rust coloured one - they are well on their way to becoming yarn again. (Actually, by the time you read this, they are both bags of yarn, rather than knitted sweaters.

These were both knit on the machine years ago, when I first got it. Simple raglan, 3/4 sleeve sweaters, no edging, nothing. It made it very easy to reclaim the yarn. And the nice thing is, the yarn is already washed and softened, and ready to be reknit. (I'm envisioning a colour blocked cardigan - I don't wear knitted pullovers, but I live in cardigans!)

The two colours look great together, so I will block out a pattern with them, and run it through the machine yet again. The Sweater Wizard software will come to the rescue yet again - as much as they say it's for hand knitters - it's a great tool for machine knitters, because it gives actual row count after you input your stitch and row gauge.

Don't think I'm abandoning my hand knitting - far from it. But I'm enjoying the speed of stash reduction, and getting enjoyment out of wearing some favourite yarns sooner rather than later.

what I did last Sunday

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

And I'm not talking about the blocking (I did that last night...) I'm talking about the actual knitting! Yep, I dusted off the ole LK-150 knitting machine, moved it out of the corner of our bedroom, where it has been languishing as a clothes holder, moved it into my nice bright basement, from which I recently removed about a metric tonne of out grown kiddie stuff, inserted a sorely needed new sponge strip, gave it a quick swipe with some mineral oil to get that carriage moving swiftly again...

...worked up a pattern for a raglan cardigan, using my Sweater Wizard software, and voila!

Thanks to Susan's generous donation of a bag of Knit Picks Shine Sport Cotton-Modal blend yarn, and a husband and son who left me alone, I cranked out the pieces of a sweater. (There are actually two sleeves up there - I block them on top of each other, to ensure the same size...)

I still need to sew it together, and pick up all the live stitches (yes, I know I can cast on and bind off on the machine, but I don't like doing that. I'd rather pick up and knit an edging by hand...)
Luckily, I like mattress stitch, and knitting an edging by hand lets me experiment with adding some interest to a very plain, but very useful sweater.
This machine will be seeing a lot of cotton run through it in the near future - I find cotton a bit hard on the hands to knit, so the machine is perfect for that.

still loving the colourwork

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm still loving the colourwork, although in this particular case, I probably should have put more forethought into the pattern.
What I want in the end is a cardigan, with this floral motif running around the shoulders. I want it reasonably close fitting, although it will be used as more of a jacket. I just don't want it big and droopy. I did some math, and even took into account that colourwork draws in quite a bit. It's very (VERY!) snug around the shoulders right now, but cutting the steek should help with that. I would also like to add bands of colour to the front bands, increasing the amount needed on the shoulders.

One thing I need to keep kicking myself in the head about is to go easy on the colour when making charts in Excel. Three colours per row looks great on screen and admittedly looks great in the sweater (I think...), but is a real pain to knit. Can we talk tangles?? But I persevered - it was only about 24 rows, so it wasn't THAT painful...

The colours are a lovely rich mossy olive-y green, a little brighter than appears here, and a rich mustardy yellow and bright orange. (that checkerboard part you see is the steek where I will cut it open.) The neck looks larger here than it actually is, and I have vague thoughts of a turned over collar treatment.

You can tell I've really thought this through, haven't I... It's either going to be stunning or an epic fail.

birds and rodents

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

We have bird feeders in our yard - they are my husband's and we love having all the birds swooping down to the yard off the deck and kitchen.

Our favourite is this 12-perch one - we fill it with Nyger seed, and it is in constant use. There are often at least 12 birds on it, and many more swooping down, pushing off those that have monopolized it.

Though not shown here, we have a cardinal couple that often hang out - the bright red male, and the more brownish toned female, with the bright orange beak. I'll try for a shot of them.

These small songbirds have become so used to us, they don't even move when we open the door or walk by.

However, we also have a circular peanut feeder, because we wanted to attract larger birds like Blue Jays. Unfortunately, what we have attracted are annoying squirrels.

They are rather acrobatic, and can stretch in any number of ways.

We moved it from this "to easy to get to" perch, and hung it off by the basketball net.

Okay, so that didn't work...

But... we are not to be beat by rodents. My son recommended trimming some of the tree branches so he couldn't launch himself at it. That worked for a bit, but then the little beast found that while he couldn't CLIMB down the fishing line it's suspended from, he could SLIDE down (the feeder created enough of a landing area for him. )
As you can see from the above picture, he not only got to it, he taunted us!

We have since moved the stainless steel disc my husband fashioned from one of the feeders to the top of this circle feeder. I haven't seen the resulting squirrel slide, but the peanut level hasn't dropped in two days.
I think we've thwarted him for now...

sock washing day

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

I forgot to show you this with the leopard hat...

it was sock washing day...

leopard hat

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

***for those that were drooling over the caramel-pecan buns yesterday (and drool worthy they are...) the recipe can be found here.
Thank Susan for it - she showed me the way...

I showed a friend at work the tiger striped hat for my nephew (which was LOVED, by the way...) and she went bat-crap crazy for it, except she's more of a leopard girl, as she said. Now, I normally do not knit for co-workers, but A is special - she's that person that without her, this place would fall apart. Seriously. She handles everything. And on top of that, she's that person who is too nice to be true. (And yes, she's pretty as well - I should really hate her...)
So I decided to knit her a leopard hat.

I left it on her desk, and when she came in, she loved it. She asked how much the wool was (I told her), and what about my time? I told her she couldn't afford that, and she got it. She knows it's hand knit, she knows I did her a huge favour by knitting it, and she knew better than to try and offer me money for it. (No one is going to pay $300+ for a hat...) She gave the best possible compliment by putting it on, and showing it off to selected people (those that also know not to ask for one), and NOT showing it to people who would then ask for one for themselves.

For a non knitter, she understand the knitting.

Susan's cinnamon buns!

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Susan sent me her recipe for cinnamon buns, and I was itching to try out the new Kitchen Aid, so...

These are SOOOOOOOOO good. I split the recipe into three, baked one pan off, and froze the other two. (One is a birthday gift for my boss, with cooking instructions), and one is for us.) What I love about these is that they are more of a caramel-pecan bun, which is my all time favourite. Luckily, it's also a fave of my husband and son, otherwise I would have eaten the whole pan, and that would be bad. (but oh so good...)

Hockey Mom MItts

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

My brother's wife is a hockey mom. She has little choice in the matter, with three kids that all play hockey at a high level. (My niece is in the Team Canada system, and played int he women's under 18 World Championships last year - she's over 18 this year.) She's also at Brown University this year, on a hockey scholarship, so my brother and SIL have made the trek to Rhode Island a few times to watch her play. She had Team Canada mittens as well as Brown University mittens, but wanted to support her sons as well. They both play in the Toronto Marlies organization (age appropriate levels, not the actual Toronto Maple Leaf farm team). Although, my 16 year old nephew has been in net for the Leafs during a light practice session. I gather he's pretty good...)

So, to show support for the boys, she requested some Marlies mittens. Since Mittens are so easy, how could I say no? A quick play around in Excel to get the chart right, and Bob's your Uncle! (actually, Bob is my uncle, and he's the coolest guy around. He's having some health issues, so if you have a stray good thought, could you could send it Ottawa way for him? Thanks.)

I used some Norweigan Heilo Wool in the appropriate shades of blue and white, and just noodled the pattern as I went (writing it down, so the second mitt would match!) These do not fit me AT ALL, as my SIL has these tiny bird like hands, but they should be perfect on her.

something for me!

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

I actually finished something for me recently. Actually, this is the time of year when I get a little me-centric with my knitting - the gift stuff is mostly done, so start thinking about ME!

Me knitting is usually sweaters (and there is one in progress - I'm just working out some logistical details on it...) but I started this scarf with someone else in mind, but once it was done, I decided to keep it for myself. It;s the Hitchhiker scarf, and it's one of those rare things - a garter knit scarf with shaping and flair. I can't remember where I first saw it, but I really liked it - enough to buy the pattern. It's straight garter stitch, and once you get the pattern, it's so easy - you don't even need to refer to the pattern. I used two balls of Knit Picks Chroma Worsted, in the Mesa colourway, and while it's not my typical colours, it's really pretty!

And the shape of it means it wraps around the neck quite nicely.

I can see making more of these for the gift box...

asked for knits!

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before how the kids on my husband's side of the family shy away from the hand knits - they'd rather wear a cheaply made acrylic hat with the right "label" than a custom hand knit. Fine. It pains me, but I have given up trying to force feed the hand knits where they are not appreciated.

My brother's kids however, have come into the light. I made my niece a brown silk and mohair hat - nice and slouchy as requested, and brown. (She attends Brown University). She loved it. I seem to have brain-farted as far as getting a picture of it - too bad, because I have to say, it was really quite lovely! I hit all the parameters. Slouchy, but not a beret, no pompom, soft, and a milk chocolate, not dark chocolate colour. I love specifics, I really do.

The two boys were a different story - I hadn't had a chance to talk to them before Christmas, so I came prepared with a pile of patterns, and some wools. We spent a fantastic hour, looking at patterns, and wools, and comparing colours.

One was rather specific - tiger pattern. Could I knit a tiger pattern? So we hit the computer, and I did a quick Ravelry search, and found a tiger chart. He loved it, and then requested BRIGHT orange and black. Again, slightly slouchy, no pompom, not beanie like - a little longer than that, but snug enough to stay on his head.

The other nephew was also specific - blue and white stripes. (He plays hockey in the Toronto Marlies system - Minor Midget AAA) But, while he also wanted slouchy and longer, he definitely wanted a pompom.

So I left Christmas with all these instructions, and by the time we were headed to the cottage, I had materials in hand, (and the tiger hat partially started). The stripey hat was an easy car knit, and by a couple of days in, I had this:

Note - the stripe pattern was not determined until after a couple of rounds of texts back and forth between nephew and myself - I asked if he wanted skinny or wide stripes, he decided random, so I did Fibbonacci striping. We also narrowed down the pompom size via text - not too big or small, sort of medium...

Before we left the cottage, I had two hats, ready for blocking:

Once home, I used some balloons and blocked, and two more Christmas gifts are ready for delivery!

These kids can ask for anything, anytime...

hostess gift

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

My SIL hosted the whole family for Christmas this year (In my husband's family, we rotate each year between three of us - I get it next year). While we don't exchange Christmas gifts among our generation (it's mostly for the kids and the parents), I always like to bring a hostess gift to whoever is feeding us.

Of course, me being me, It's usually something handcrafted (even the bag!) And before anyone starts accusing me of going over the top (which I know I do on occasion...) sewing a bag out of leftover fabric from a recent sewing project took less time than trying to find a box to fit, and wrap it)

This particular SIL (wife of my husband's brother) and I are quite good friends (by choice, not just because we share a family!), and she had been hinting around for a while for a gnome. Her living room is mostly a mustard gold tone, with brown leather furniture, hence the colour choice - she had said she didn't want a particularly Christmassy one, as she planned on having him sitting around all year. Yes, the hints were that specific!

She loved him, and he immediately found a home on a suspiciously empty table (I think she had high hopes this year!) The funniest comment came from my other SIL (husband's younger sister). She hosted everyone last year, and for whatever reason, decided to serve dinner 3 hours earlier than usual, which meant they ate without us. (we were not going to cut short time with my family to accommodate that - especially since no reason for moving up the time was given...) We arrived to find they had all eaten, and were cleaning up, but had left us plates of food - "oh by the way, the microwave isn't working". So we were expected to eat it cold, all the while being rushed so they could open the gifts - "are you done yet - everyone is waiting!". (and this is the same SIL that brought the new boyfriend unexpectedly this year).

Yeah, there are some issues with my husband's sisters - I just try to ignore it.

Anyhoo, when SIL-1 opened the gnome, SIL-2 exclaimed "I love him! Why didn't I get one last year when I hosted?"

Two beats of silence, then I answered. "You didn't host us, remember? You ate without us".

She had the decency to look abashed. SIL-1 hid the giggles (she was appalled at what happened last year, and even sat with us while we scarfed what we could). It was probably the only mar on a great Christmas Day, but as my husband said after - it wasn't really a bad thing - his sister needs that kind of reminder.

Either way, another gnome has found a new home, and it's a happy one. That's the important thing.

Christmas dessert

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

My SIL asked me to bring dessert to Christmas dinner - since she was doing the turkey dinner for 14 (sorry, make that 15 with the unexpected boyfriend...) I was happy to help. I had some sugar cookies, some peppermint bark (thanks for the recipe, Stephanie!), and some fruit, but my favourite part was these Santa Hat Brownies.

(Idea totally stolen from one of Robyn's Monday Link Loves). So easy - I baked a pan of brownies, cut them out with a circle cutter, piped some butter cream icing on top, added a fresh strawberry, and topped the berry with a little pompom of icing. Simple, yet so ridiculously cute! And really well received. I had also sent some to the boy's school for the last day party - again, well received. I can see doing these every year - not only do they look cute, the flavour combination of the fresh strawberry with a touch of chocolate and vanilla icing was delicious!

teacher gift

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

I finished a gift for my son's teacher, just before school ended. Originally, it was just going to be a pair of socks for Mr. L, but it morphed into something for his whole family. He let drop the fact that he and his wife were expecting their second child, and well, I get so little opportunity to knit for babies, I just had to whip something up. So I knit a Baby Surprise Jacket, out of Katia Jamaica in a long dead colourway of blue, turquoise, lime green and white. (The baby is due in June, and this is sized for a few months old, so it should be perfect for the fall.)
But then I realized I couldn't ignore the remaining two family members - that would be kind of rude. (especially his wife - she's the one carrying the baby...) So I dug into the gift box, and found a pair of toddler socks that had never been gifted, and chose a rainbow hued scarf.

It may seem over the top, but this is one great teacher. A terrific role model for my son as well as others int he class - he really puts EFFORT into teaching. We have been extraordinarily fortunate with teachers at my son's school - pretty much all of them have been great - really great. It makes me proud, as a parent, to see the influence they have on my son, and their efforts have definitely helped shape him.
And as many of you know - knitting something is often easier than shopping for something!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T08:44:00.001-05:00

Sorry about that - I seemed to have ignored the blog for a while. Don't take it personally - I ignored a lot of things lately. It just seemed easier to concentrate on family and friends.
So there is a lot to catch up on. I'm going through my camera, and finding pictures of all kinds of things, so I'll be telling you about those things (mostly knitting stuff...)

We had a great Christmas - our family, my family, husband's family. My Mom and my in-laws are terrific, and the fact that they are all in their 80's (or close - my Mom gets there in March), means we are very lucky. My heart goes out to Marie in this respect, who lost her own Mom over the holidays, but if you want to read about how to "truly live before you die", go read. It's inspiring.

There were some interesting parts of Christmas (in this family, there always are...). Like my SIL deciding to introduce her NEW boyfriend to the clan. Unexpectedly. Like, just bringing him to dinner, while my other SIL (who was hosting) and I scrambled to find a spot at the table. Did I mention that my husband's family is large, and there were already 14 of us? Talk about trial by fire! I can't even tell you if he's a nice guy - he was trying too hard to impress. Really, he should have just stayed quietly in the background, but it was entertaining to watch.
And one of the best parts was me opening a huge box from my husband and son and finding the KitchenAid Pro Series I've been lusting after! I have the best guys in my life...

Now, we are at our favourite place in the whole world, spending New Year's with our friends at the cottage.

It's a pretty good way to start a New Year. I'll be back soon with knitting and other stuff.

Merry CHristmas all!

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

For those that celebrate Christmas - I hope you have a wonderful weekend, doing whatever it is you do to celebrate. For those that celebrate other holidays - I hope they are as wonderful as they can be.
If you don't celebrate anything at this time of year, I hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with whatever it is that makes you happy.
I'll be back at some point next week - I'll surface after Christmas to possibly tell the tale of our day - how we combine my family, our friends, and my husband's family. It's always funny... And of course we will be heading to the cottage for New Year's as always - as soon as my husband can get away, or sooner if the boy and I decide we'd rather be there than home, and the hubby can join us later on - I'm off all next week, while he has some work stuff to take care of.

Best to all...

last gift done!

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

I finished My Mom's flamingo last week, and that was pretty much the last of the Christmas knitting (except for the Baby Surprise Jacket).
It's far too cute for it's own good, and I can see my Mom getting a good laugh over it. I know she will take it to Florida with her, and I can even hazard a good guess as to where it will end up in her house down there... The only problem is I can also see some of her friends down there putting in requests for one of their own...

It's a free pattern from Spud and Chloe, and can be found here. THe only changes I made were the yarns (I used some Briggs and Little I had in my stash in the right colours), and because of that, I also increased the size of the needles to match the yarn. (I find it funny that a Florida flamingo is knitted out of a quintessential Canadian Wool.) I also just stuffed the whole thing with fibrefill, rather than the super ball they used. Other than that - pretty much as they made it! If I do it again, I may think about putting pipecleaners in the legs for a little more substance.

Dahlia done!

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

I finished my Dahlia sweater a while ago, and have finally got around to taking some (crappy) pictures. I promise to try and get some modelled shots soon, but I wanted to post this before I forgot.

I love this sweater for a number of reasons. One - it's made of Elsbeth Lavold's Silky Wool, one of my all time favourite yarns to knit with. Love. This. Stuff. Two - it;s red. A great, blue toned red, that looks great on me. Three - the pattern - Dahlia has a wonderful floral lace back insert, and an unique construction. I got slowed down by the endless stockinette for the fronts, but made up my mind to power through it, because I really wanted this sweater to wear on Christmas Day.
The one downside - I wish I had just one more ball of wool - The sleeves are just below the elbow, and while this is okay, I would probably be happier with a few more inches of sleeve length.

Please note that having it draped on the dressmaker's mannequin does not even come close to doing it justice - it looks so much better on. I can wear it either loose and draped down the front, or with a cross over neckline,

anchored with a small pin. Either way looks great, and I can see a lot of use out of this.

Merry Christmas to ME!

quick addition

2011-12-19T12:05:00.001-05:00

So my son's teacher let drop that he and his wife are expecting a baby. (at the end of June - how to take a stressful month for a teacher and send it OVER the top!) Anyway - he's a great guy, and has been absolutely wonderful so far this year with my son (and the whole class).
I had already planned on a pair of hand knit socks for Mr. L, but then thought about the fact he's so excited about this baby, and already has a toddler and (obviously) a wife, and well, because I always go over the top, I dug around my stash of gifts, and found a pair of toddler socks that had never been gifted (I think I knit them for my son years ago, and he outgrew them before I finished them...), and I have a multitude of scarves that could be gifted to his wife, but the baby... Well, I had a week, so...

Yup - a Baby Surprise Jacket.

In a reasonably unisex colourway of Katia Jamaica 100% cotton. The best part of using this yarn? I already have a bunch of mitres squares made from it, and will have enough left over to make a stroller sized blanket to match the sweater! (The blanket will be an end of year gift.)

I should be done the sweater by Wednesday, so I can wrap everything up for the boy to take to school on Friday. I'll try and get a picture of all 4 items before I wrap them.

I knew having a stash of already knitted stuff, and access to "quick-to-make" patterns would come in handy one day...

almost completely hand crafted

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

We had our company holiday dinner this week. We're a small company, and the CEO took all of us to the fabulous little restaurant and we had a great meal, with great people.
Now, my work clothing is usually pretty casual - jeans and sweaters are the norm, but for this, obviously I put out a little extra effort. And the best part?
Pants - hand sewn.
Sweater - hand knit.
Jewellery - hand crafted.

Other than the top and boots, I made it all!
I kind of proud of that. Especially because of all the compliments I received. Most recognized the sweater as hand knit, because most people here know I knit. I did mention I made the jewellery, but not the pants - that seemed a little strange to me...

There are actually 5 bracelets there. I jumped on the trend of loading up the wrist...

Whatever - I was proud of myself.

And sorry for the office bathroom shots, but it was the only way to get a reasonably well lit full length shot. And looking at it - it's not as bad as I expected.

Oh! and I just realized, I'm even wearing hand knit socks! Go Me!

just because

2011-12-13T15:20:00.001-05:00

Because my Mom spends part of the year in Florida, and because she's my Mom, and because I couldn't resist...

I'm knitting my Mom a flamingo for Christmas. Most people have gnomes from me in their house, but for Florida, I think my Mom needs a flamingo.

I knit this much last night, the legs this morning, and I just have the wings and tail left. I'll show the completed bird soon.

And yes, I laugh when I knit this. I mean, c'mon! It's a FLAMINGO!

idea stolen from Knit Tech

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Knit Tech often posts pictures of "down her street". I was driving to work earlier this week, and thought this would be a pretty shot. This isn't really my street, but it's close...

Plus it fills a blog post when I've only got half done sock heels, and ideas of how to finish 5 hats in a blink of an eye (5 hats that haven't been started yet...)

And some replies to the pajama post...
Deirdre wanted to know which pattern I use - pajama pants are so standard, I use whichever one is on sale when I buy them. What I look for is a basic pant - straight legged, elastic waist - match up the waist and inseam to whoever you ware sewing for and off you go. What you want is a pattern that has 2 pieces for the pants - a front and a back. Period. No other extraneous pieces. When you cut - you have two fronts and two backs. Regardless of what the directions say, I do this:
sew inseam seam. press open.
sew crotch seam. press open.
flip around and sew outseams. press seams open.
press hems and sew. Press casing for elastic, sew, leaving opening at back (I also sew a ribbon tag at back to help putting them on...)
Insert elastic, sew ends together (making sure it's not twisted), sew opening closed. Done. I production line this process, so any fabrics that use the same colour thread, all get done at the same time. That's why I can do it so quickly. Also, I don't finish the edges. I don't want a seam with a folded or serged edge, I like the slight ravelling you get - it makes the seams softer, and softness is key with pajamas. Plus it saves time! And if your pjs wear out, well, you get to make more! For my son (who's approximately 5'7" now, I usually buy 2.5 metres - once I prewash it and shrink it if necessary, it's usually enough. For anyone taller, buy a bit more. There's usually enough left over to make a small drawstring bag as well if you want. I find I make a ton of bags with my scraps - great for wrapping!
My local fabric store, Fabricland, has a super selection of flannels and cottons suitable for pajama pants - we have fun with the patterns, since they are PAJAMAS, and really shouldn't be taken seriously. What's the fun in serious pajamas??
Dee - maybe we need to have a pajams sewing meetup-workshop - I know LuckyCanuck wants in on that as well!

And I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who still thinks thank-yous are important. My son still sends out thank you notes. He has to be prodded, and he's not always thrilled about it, but he gets why he has to do it. Funny how surprised many people are in getting them. This year, he will probably be sending emails instead of hand written notes, but that's okay.

pajama-rama

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've spoken of sewing pajama pants before. I'm a well-oiled machine when it comes to making these in bulk. Seriously,. I can make a pair in about an hour - cutting, sewing. elastic inserted, everything. I love them (and would live in them, except my husband takes offense when I try to wear them as clothes outside the house...), and my son loves them. I made a bunch for my nieces and nephews a couple of years back, and heard nothing about them, so I assumed they were not well received. Turns out they are, and the kids were disappointed last year when they didn't get new ones. Too bad. Should have said something to me... As I've said to their mothers - these kids are totally old enough to talk to me direct - even by text or email. (One SIL actually had the gall to say to me her son didn't think I knew how to text! This is the same kid that was all over my Blackberry Torch last year, calling me the "cool aunt" for having the latest technology!)
So I cut them no slack - we have a family list that notes everyone's address, email, cell number etc. There is no excuse for not getting in touch with me. Two of the nephews asked for pants again this year, so two are getting them, along with some other people.

This is the total so far (Not all made this past weekend - some have been done for a while...) 10 pairs:

My son gets the fish and basketball ones:

The two dance patterned one (in their own drawstring bags from the leftover fabric) are for the two girls at the cottage - their parents are great friends of ours, and the girls and our boys are inseperable all the time up there):

The Elvis ones are for my friend Sue - a huge Elvis fan, and fan of pajama pants like I am.

The others will be given to the boys, or kept for future needs. That's a ton of items checked of my to-do list!
If only the knitting would go as quickly...

Canada Post is making my life difficult...

2011-12-06T10:58:00.001-05:00

I ordered some stuff from Knit Picks. (Because, you know, I NEEDED more wool and stuff...) I got a notice from Canada Post that it had entered their system, and was to be delivered on December 2. Perfect! Friday, I'm working at home, so I can get it before the weekend, and start some stuff I think I can finish before Christmas (because, you know, I'm in total denial as to what day it actually is...) The morning of the 2nd, I check Canada Post again, and find out it's now being delayed until Monday December 5th! Because from it's arrival in Mississauga, ON, (about 45km from my house) Canada Post decided to send it to Stoney Creek, ON (about 120km further west), then to MONTREAL, QC (about 560km EAST!!) before sending it back to Mississauga!
Yeah, I'm ticked. On top of all that, it wasn't delivered Monday, even though the Canada Post website said it was in Aurora. (Aurora is not that big a town - if it was there Monday morning, it should have been at my house that day...)
Now it's Tuesday, and I checked the website - it says it has been successfully delivered.
Let's hope so...

the last of the glitzy sewing

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Sewing for myself now takes a back burner. It's December 1st, and Christmas gifts now take precedence, both in sewing and knitting.

But before that happens, I finished one more thing for me.

This jacket was a quick sew, even with princess seams and a waist seam.

I did change the tie - instead of the self ties attached to the front (they were kind of awkward), I simply made a couple of belt loops and used an existing silk scarf I had.

I had the perfect hemp yarn in the perfect colour to make the belt loops.

The fabric is a shot silk/polyester blend - it's actually a bright yellow warp with a black weft yarn, and together the make this greenish tone. It's really pretty, and shines differently when the light hits it at different angles. It's perfect with some wide legged black washed satin pants, and a black silk shell. That should do it for my Christmas party needs.

Mind you, I'd rather be wearing jammie pants, yoga pants or jeans and one of my beloved hoodies. But circumstances dictate that I have to look and act like a grownup a few times during the next month, so I bite the bullet and do it.

a couple of quick gifts

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

My Mom and my MIL are not the easiest people to buy for at Christmas. But this year, not only have we succeeded, we have done so, early!
For my MIL - she wanted a new Tassimo coffee maker. She loves the lattes, and their old one have finally given up the ghost, so when Zellers had a sale a few weeks back, I was there. Score.
My Mom - well, she doesn't want things. She's trying to get rid of things (usually trying to pawn them off on my brother or myself, or when she's being sneaky, on the grandchildren). Either way, she's really getting rid of big things. But she loves musicals (as do I), so she and I will see West Side Story, and the Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts when it comes in May. The bonus is my husband can cross a gift for me off his to-do list for December 24th - he can give me MY ticket. (Yes, he shops on the 24th - in the man-zoo that is the mall...)
But there is still the need for the filler gifts. The little things that are useful, but not thought of. Surprises, so to speak.
Enter the bird pincushion

Far too cute for their own good, and super easy to make, with minimal hand sewing. Wrapped with a package of ball-head pins and some sewing needles, it's a nice addition for both ofthem, since they both sew and do hand work. The birds are weighted with rice at the bottom, and sit nicely.

And yes there are three of them. I had to test it out first, didn't I? The green one is all mine...

I may need a colourwork intervention...

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Meet my next project. really, how do I resist this - Skulls AND flowers...

I even have the wool all ready...

It's a Knit Picks downloadable pattern by the way.

not finished with the colourwork yet...

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Meet alpaca colourwork hat version 2.0

The first one, I cobbled together a pattern, but didn't realize until knitting it, that:

1. It was too short, and

2. the rate of decrease at the top gave it a distinctive conehead look. Not attractive.

So considering these don't take long - (Really, Knit Tech, get your butt into colourwork - it's so easy and so very fast!!) - I knocked up another one, after fiddling with the pattern (making it longer, and changing the rate of decrease.) As I neared the top, I realized I still needed to quicken it up, so I changed the top on the go, and It turned out quite nice.

To block hats, I use a balloon, set upon a cup. Works amazingly well, and shapes the hat perfectly.

Here you can see the difference between prototype version 1.0 and better version 2.0. The first version on the left has a distinctive cone-ish look. The second one on the right is much more rounded.

Plus, this is after blocking. I severly blocked the first one. Before blocking, the only head it would have fit is:

And as much as I like Dan Ackroyd, I'm not mailing him a hat...

This goes in the Giftmas box (a term totally stolen from Carol - thanks Carol!)

more glitzy sewing...

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

While the glitter top was nice, I'm not really a glittery girl. I like a more subtle shine. So this fabric, with it's clear sequins for a tone on tone effect, and more neutral colour is more my style.

A simple knit tee shape really lets the fabric be the star. This top, with some wide legged satin pants is perfect for one dinner we have to attend this season. I know there are more events coming, but I'm trying to avoid thinking about them.
Any time I need to dress is something beyond my usual jeans and hoodies is not something I really look forward to...

wearable muslins

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wearable muslin is a sewing term. A muslin is a sort of "test garment" - one made quite roughly to check fit and suitability of a pattern before using the more expensive fabric. A "wearable" muslin is one from a fabric that, while not necessarily cheap, is one that can be tossed if the pattern doesn't work out.
Now, I've been after some t-shirts for a bit, a t-shirt, but more than just a t-shirt, if you know what I mean. Something for the cottage, but with a little more style than a basic crew neck t-shirt, which by the way, does nothing to make me look good...
I saw this pattern (McCalls 6241) and thought I'd give it a try. It was still pretty basic, but had enough interest to take it beyond a simple tee.
Now, I had some white fabric I wanted to use - plain white, but a cotton/lycra blend with moisture wicking properties. I bought it for the weight - it had a lovely hand and enough weight to know it would hold up. But at $19.00/metre, I wanted to test the pattern first. Hence the wearable muslins. the first one was a serious fabric departure for me. Totally fake fibres, and glitter? Me? But yes, with the Christmas season approaching I needed something with some shine.

Surprisingly, this worked out well. Far better than I ever would have expected. (And since the fabric was only $7.00/metre, if it didn't, no big loss.
But I also wanted to try it in a more natural fabric (you know me and the fake stuff...) so I found this cotton blend knit in my stash and decided to try the longer sleeve version.

Again - nice enough to wear. Some things I noticed - I'm okay with the shoulder pleats, but don't necessarily need them all the time. I love the front neckline drape. The bottom could use a little more width - my tummy doesn't need to be hugged so much with a lighter weight fabric! So I've redrafted it a bit, and will go after the more spendy fabric soon.

Wearable muslins are good.

still loving colourwork...

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have the 4 seasons hat pattern from Tanis Fibre arts. Can I tell you how much I love this pattern? (Other than the corrugated ribbing. While I love the look of corrugated ribbing, I hate doing it. But, because I love the look, I do it. Grudgingly...)

I started this colourwork hat last week sometime, using up the remaining Palette Wool from the kit for my son's hat (the greens I used and the blues that I replaced were perfect for this pattern!)

The bird pattern is so freaking cute!!

It looks done here, but there's still some work to do:

The downfall of colourwork - ends. I know I could carry them up the side, and in some cases I did, but never more than two or three rows - I don't like how it pulls when I do that.

A Sunday morning with coffee, darning needle and scissors:

I forgot to take blocking pictures - blocking is ESSENTIAL for colourwork - it evens out the ripply, bumpy texture and makes everything look the way it's supposed to. I block hats over a balloon. Gives it a nice shape.

I borrowed my son's noggin to show how it fits - it's a slouchy hat, longer than a beanie.

I didn't really show him the hat before I grabbed his head, which was a good thing. Once he saw it, he was horrified. "That's a GIRL's hat, Mom!" Yes dear, but it's not for you, I answered. I just needed a picture.

He was fine with that until he realized something.

"You make hats for OTHER people??"

forgot to show you this

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

The woven scarf for my boss.

I finished it a while ago, gave it a soak, and laid it out to dry. Then I trimmed the fringe, (on my husband's recommendation) and voila! A manly scarf, in the colours he requested, and super soft and comfy. The stripy pattern came out perfectly - highlighting both the red and the white, while being grounded by the black and grey tones.

This is sitting in the gift box, waiting for wrapping. A gift box, which I have to say, is starting to fill up nicely. Now I just have to decide who gets what...

And on a totally off topic - I am SO glad spell check exists! For whatever reason, I could not spell ANYTHING in this post. Really. My fingers totally disconnected from my brain...

Lest we forget

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

at the 11th minute of the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month,

in the year 2011,

I will remember.

And in honor of my Dad, I will probably shed a tear.

(My Dad, on the HMCS Iroquois, off the coast of Korea, circa 1952)

tangled loyalties

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

A little background - I went to McMaster University. (I also attended Ryerson, but I mostly identify with Mac - go Marauders!). My husband is a Queen's boy. (Family history, his father also went to Queen's - quarterback of the football team, 1952). There is a bit of rivalry in the house, more so since the boy has been to Queen's and has decided (at age 12) that he will continue the patriarchal family history and go to Queen's. I'm outnumbered.
I was especially outnumbered last weekend when my in-laws came to dinner, and the two schools were meeting in the semis of the Yates Cup (Ontario University Football Championship). And to top it off, I was knitting this:

yes, that's a hat in the Queen's colours. (I may be a staunch Mac supporter, but a friend's son attends Queen's and requested a hat. He asks, I knit.)

Knitting and being outnumbered mattered little. Mac CRUSHED Queen's 40-13 to go on to the Yates Cup this coming weekend, vs University of Western Ontario. The schools are rated 3 and 4 in Canada, so it should be a great game, but whatever the outcome, it really only matters that Mac beat Queen's.

Now where's my Silver and Maroon wool? I think my son needs a hat in the colours of a winner...

obsession two - done!

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Not only did I get the hat done, the pink cashmere-blend scarf also got off the needles! I love this pattern as much now as when I started, which says something for me. I don't often repeat lace patterns, and certainly not immediately after, but I'm going to use my delicious gifted (from Needles) Alberta alpaca for another one of these scarves.

This luscious pink cashmere blend (also a gift from the lovely Carol) knit up so beautifully, and is so soft and squooshy, I didn't want it to end. I kept knitting as long as I possibly could, and squeezed out an extra repeat of the pattern. And when I say squeezed out, I mean it. This is how much I had left.
Blocking also does wonders for this yarn and pattern.

Before blocking:

A "giant" 29 inches in length...

During:

After:

Almost 59"!

A gain of close to 30 inches! Behold the power of water, pins and foam slabs...

Just lovely. And the perfect Christmas gift for my best friend.

If I give it to her. Pink is not normally a good colour for me, but the feel of this scarf on my neck may make me change my mind! Thanks again Carol!

obsession one - done!

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

The hat for my son is finished! He's happy with it, and I love it. It fits, which is important, and it matches his grey jacket, which doesn't interest him in the least.

It's the Knit Picks Chullo Hat kit, and I switched out the blues for greens. (I didn't actually get to switch the colours, I just bought three shades of green and kept the blues for something else...)
I also charted out my own pattern for the earflaps - the boy wanted skulls, not llamas.

This is a great pattern - you are not limited to a specific colourwork pattern - it gives you options. There are small patterns, and large, and you can pick from an assortment to personalize each hat differently. Additionally, I have enough yarn left from the kit for at least 3-4 more hats, depending on how I distribute the colours. I could do more colourwork, or stripes, or solids... The shape of the hat is the basis. (Although if not doing colourwork, I think I'd reduce the total number of stitches, since it would stretch more. Colourwork tends to hold the size a bit better.)

I get a little obsessed...

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

First it was the Dahlia sweater. then it was the pink lace scarf. Now it's my son's chullo hat. I still love the sweater and the scarf (soooo much....), but right now I'm obsessed with the hat. It's pretty much all I knit on this weekend, and will probably be that way until it's done. Luckily, it's small, and I should have it done soon. Then I'll finish the scarf, then back to the endless rows of stockinette on Dahlia.

Unless of course, somethnig else catches my eye...

Halloween pictures

2011-11-01T11:45:00.001-04:00

The boy's costume started with an idea - he wanted to be Ezio from the Assassin's Creed video game.

So I Googled for some pictures,

went to Fabricland and Dollarama to stock up,

and this was the result.

I'm quite proud of it, and the boy loved it.

We also decorated the deck where we give out the candy - smaller than our usual, but it still did my jailhouse pumpkin - what can I say - I love this idea!

Daylight shots:

Nightime...

It takes us a few hours to get it all set up, but it's worth it for the kids that ooh and ahh! (Especially the little ones! - they get the extra handful of chocolate)

A Halloween change

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today is the first time in 13 Halloween's that my son is not going trick or treating. It was a tough decision for him, but his 5'6" height, deep voice, and the fact that some of his friends are also not going, has made the decision for him.
He still loves the costume I made for him, and it went to school with him for the dance this afternoon.
The nice thing about him not going trick or treating? He can answer the door, and I don't get interrupted as much!
We still decorate the house for it - can't seem to help ourselves, but we have scaled back a touch - no scaffolding this year!!
Pictures to come...

new hat for the boy

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

My son has asked for a new winter hat. His reasoning is that since he got a new jacket this year, shouldn't his hat match? (This from a kid who has shown no other interest in fashion or clothes...)
Who am I to say no... We discussed styles, and it was decided that he really liked the chullo style of last years hat - the ear flaps, the ties, the large size of it. Cool. I just happened to have the Knit Picks catalogue, and they have a great chullo pattern using Palette wool.

One problem - while the greys, black and white are perfect, he's not fond of turquoise - that's really his cousin's "Thing" - Cousin S is a huge fan of turquoise, and wears it all the time. So the turquoise had to go.

Easy fix - just add three more balls of Palette in shades of green - his choice of replacement.

Then there was the small problem of the pattern on the ear flap - the alpaca was not his first choice - could I replace it with a skull?

(Hey, he's a 12 year old boy, skulls are way cooler than alpacas...) Sure! Doodle up something,

knit it up

get the approval from the boy, and start the second ear flap. I'm hoping to have both flaps done before the weekend, so I can get to the hat itself - these flaps are fiddly and annoying with tons of ends hanging - because I had to use all three shades of green on something this small. Next time, maybe one shade of green would suffice...

Oh, and just because it made sense (as far as shipping costs), I threw in a couple of balls of Chroma worsted weight to make another striped scarf a la Noro. Colourway Mesa, and I think it's going to look great.

one word - delicious!

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

This Pink cashmere blend scarf is really becoming one of my favourite knits! The tonal quality of the wool is really being shown to it's absolute best with this pattern, and the resulting fabric is so squooshy and soft - it is just delicious!

It's a good thing pink doesn't suit me so much - it will be really hard to give this up, but at least it's going to a fantastic friend who will love it properly.
I may just have to make this pattern for myself with the alpaca I just got. I tell you, I have the best internet friends!

One thing leads to another

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wonder how I end up doing something, so I traced this particular episode backwards...

I was doing some sewing, and came across this fabric piece. Not a big piece - it's about 20" x 20", and I actually have about 5-6 pieces of knitting related fabric. (I think my Mom bought me these a while back).

So I wanted to do something with it. I was going to make some more drawstring bags (I have a bunch of them for small projects), but thought, a small bag is good for socks, but for something bigger, I want more structure. Then I remembered I had this pattern for an origami lotus bag.

And I liked it. It was simple, but different, and it would use the fabric pieces I had. It would hold more than a sock project. So then I needed a project to put in it.

I had found this scarf pattern, and really loved the simplicity, yet laciness of it. And then I remembered the lovely pink cashmere that Carol had sent me. And I just knew it would work.

And you know what? It works better than I imagined it would. You know when you hit upon that perfect mesh of pattern and wool? Well, this is it. Really. The tonal quality of the wool works perfect with the linear laciness of the pattern (December scarf - a free Ravelry download). The squooshyness of the wool is perfectly enhanced by the yarn overs and k2togethers of the pattern. The patterns uses about 200 yards, and this ball has about 250 yards, so I'll get a few extra repeats in to add to the length.

As much as I want to keep this for myself, I think it is for my best friend, and godmother of my son. We've been friends since we were babies - our parents were friends, and we've been like sisters since then. There's no one who deserves it more.

Oh, and really? This is one of the fastest knits ever! The above was about an hour - it's just speedy! Or maybe I can't put it down because I love the feel of it so much...

But that's pretty much how I came to be knitting a lace scarf, on top of all the other projects I have on the go...

sock cache

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

I've been knitting socks for most of the summer - just as "filler" knitting - while a passenger in a car, waiting in line or watching my son's baseball games - all that time that would otherwise be unused.
Using my favoured afterthought heel method, I've amassed a pile of socks waiting for recipients and heels.

From left to right (underneath):
A grey and blue Mirasol Punta yarn - lovely stuff to work with, really nice. I love how the colours came out. These socks may be for a friend, or for my son.
A pale pastelly grey mix Fleece Artist Sea Cell yarn - soft and squooshy, but a little short on yardage. Probably for my Mom - she prefers her socks on the shorter side, or m u MIL, who is really short, so short socks work for her.
Fame Trend in shade of beige and brown. A nice enough yarn, but it's single spun, so not my favourite. The socks are nice, though - probably for a friend.
Misti Alpaca sock yarn - one of my favourite sock yarns, ever. These are nice and long, and for my FIL - a specific request from him!
In front - the vintage Socks that Rock with contrasting toes, heels and ribbing - these are all mine!

Since I still carpool a couple days a week, and my son is well into basketball, I'm still working on socks, and still dipping into my stash of vintage STR - I'm working on a grey-pinky mix right now, using some leftover grey bamboo sock for some nice squooshy toes and heels.

2 things I love

2011-10-19T09:22:00.000-04:00

Alpaca and colourwork.

Note - this is not the alpaca that Needles sent me - that stuff is being kept for me! This is some other Alpaca I had kicking around the stash. This hat is a Christmas gift for a great friend and cottage neighbour. His wife and daughters are getting something hand knit, so it only seemed fair that he gets something as well.

This particular hat will have a sewn hem (that's the big bit of blue at the bottom). I doodled up a pattern, based on some I saw on line, and I hope it;s going to be long enough (right now it seems to be right on track).
Of course, by doing this, Dahlia, and it's never ending swaths of stockinette has been sort of put on hold. It's still in rotation, but this time of year, knits for myself get put behind those for other people. And I'm good with that.

pajama-rama

2011-10-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

I love making pajama pants. They're easy and fun. I make them for my son, for myself, and for carefully selected friends. (I gave up making them for the nieces and nephews after the less than lukewarm reception hand made gifts get from them).

This is the selection at the moment - cut out and ready for sewing.

Here's some up close shots:

Sewing themes! Obviously for me.

Elvis! For one of my best friends. A huge Elvis fan, and she works at home and is always on the lookout for comfy pajamas. (She does get dressed during the day!)

For the kid - sports themes.

There's also some florals, some stripes and some plaids. I swear, if I could live in pajama pants, I would.

startng the Christmas stuff...

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

I've changed my whole outlook on Christmas lately. Instead of trying to force that hand made stuff on family, and getting shot down all the time, I just don't bother anymore. I keep the effort for those that are appreciative. People like my husband, son, Mom, Father and Mother in Law, and some friends.
My boss is one of those people. He loves the handknit socks I gave him last spring, and even told me as we were carpooling last week, that I "could sit in the back to knit if I wanted to keep his Christmas gift a surprise". We discussed it a bit, and he said socks would be good, or he could use a scarf to go with his black leather jacket. Sold.
Digging around the stash brought me this:

It's some unknown yarn I've had forever, lost the tag on, but always wanted to knit with. It's about a DK weight - heavier than regular sock yarn, but not quite worsted.

I tried a few patterns out - slip stitch patterns, linen stitch, since I find them the best with variegated yarns. However, I got a few inches in, weighed what I knit, and what was left, did a little math to see how long the scarf would be and, well, it won't be long enough. Rip. Try striping it with some Red Cascade (Did I mention my boss requested red?), but the weights were just different enough to make it not quite right. I tried it with some black silk, but the black overpowered the red and grey.

Then while doing laundry, I looked up and saw it. My loom. I could use the Red Cascade as the warp, and the variegated as the weft.

I think it's going to work.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today is our Canadian Thanksgiving. Unlike our American neighbours, our Thanksgiving is on a Monday, giving us a three day weekend. I am, of course, at the cottage, enjoying some spectacular un-autumn like weather. Seriously, we are talking Humidex this weekend, it's been so warm. The kids have been swimming, and we've been relaxing with the neighbours, enjoying a final warm long weekend, before we start enjoying the cooler, snowier long weekends that are to come.
I roasted a huge turkey on Saturday (cottage Thanksgivings take liberties with the actual days) - by cooking the turkey early, we get more opportunity for leftovers - quesadillas, sandwiches, and possibly soup, although it's been a little warm to have a boiling pot on the stove all day!
I hope my Canadian friends are enjoying time with family and friends, and for my American friends, I know you're looking forward to 4 days in November. (actually, I am too! I hope to be in Florida visiting my Mom during that time - I'm good with the double turkey thing...)

Enjoy!

Wow!

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

I did Needles a small favour - I sent her a signed copy of Steph's new book (my LYS had advance copies, and Steph signed them all when she visited). Needles confessed to being a bathroom reader as I am, and well, we have to stick together, so when I offered to send her the book, she jumped at the chance, and we traded - she was going to mail me the money.
Well, she did, but when I got home yesterday and saw this waiting for me, I knew there was more than cash in there.

All I can say is wow! How Needles knew is beyond me - Alpaca is my favourite fibre, I am all about the naturals and home grown, and I'm pretty sure this is from a local (to her) alpaca farm.

I feel incredibly lucky to have friends like this - we've never met, and probably won't - we live 3 provinces apart in Canada (3,317 km, according to Google Maps) and that's a couple of days of travel. But through the Internet and a shared love of knitting and fibre, she got a book signed by an author in Ontario, and I got some of the most delicious and squooshy Alberta alpaca.
And the coolest card ever, by the way.

I definitely got the better part of the deal...

new sweater for me

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

I wanted another cardigan for me. I wear them a lot, so knitting them for me is a no brainer. But this time, I wanted something a little different. Not my basic top down cardigan, something DIFFERENT.
Enter the Dahlia cardigan. It's beautiful, it's different. it's drapey, it had to be mine.
And at the Kitchener Knitters Fair, I found the perfect wool - Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool. I've used it before in my blue cardigan, and I love how it knits up and how it wears and how it feels. The Purple Purl had the perfect colour as well - a rich, ruby red.
Done Deal.

The lace panel on the back knit up in no time, and was fun to knit. I reminded me that I really like knitting lace.
Now I'm in the endless stockinette portion, and it's dragging a bit, but I'm continuing because I love the wool and the sweater.

Red is SO hard to photograph properly. It's not as pinky as it appears above.

It's closer to this shade of red, dark, but still some brightness to it. It also uses an afterthought sleeve, which is kind of funny, since I'm demonstrating afterthought heels (a method that can be used for many uses, not just heels) at our Guild on Tuesday night.

found and fixed

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

A while back, probably about a year ago, I made this little shrug like sweater, using one ball of a chunky Rowan wool I had. It's a beautiful blue, with flecks of green in it, and I just love the colour. I was sure I had bought two balls of the wool, but at the time of construction, I only had the one on hand.

I loved the sweater, but there was a problem. Who needs a short sleeved, cropped sweater made out of CHUNKY WOOL? Right - not many people. So this sat. Then, I found the second ball, and put it in a bag with the sweater and the proper sized needles... and it still sat.
Recently I picked it up, and decided to just do it. I unpicked the sleeve ribbing, and added length to the sleeves first. (Longer sleeves were more important to me that added length).

Much better. I've even worn it already. I know it will get more use this way. Tossing the stash and finding the other ball of wool was a good thing.

Halloween approaches...

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

... and the talk turns to costumes. My son is at that age - he's 12 (a TALL twelve), and is still sort of wanting to go trick or treating. But his age, and especially his height, are against him. The fact that most of his friends are smaller than him is a point in his favour, so they might yet still go out. If not, there might be a large group of them in my house that night...

But... he still wants a costume. And I'm still enough of a sucker that I will indulge him again this year. Last year's Robin Hood was a pretty big hit. And easy, since it was a pattern - I just followed the directions. So when I casually asked what he wanted for this year, I wasn't really prepared for this:

Meet Ezio from the video game Assassin's Creed. (Yes, I let my 12 year old play Mature rated video games. Yes, I'm a horrible mother, but I highly doubt he will grow up to be a serial killer. We monitor and talk about what going on.)
Anyhoo, Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick and Vogue don't make these patterns. So I'm cobbling it together. I have a couple of patterns that will work with some tweaking for the main parts, and the hood and cape. The belt will be interesting to figure out, and I've already told him he can forget the hidden hand knives. I do have some standards!
I hit Fabricland last weekend for the members sale, and haunted the clearout section. I got some great heavy white cotton, some metallic red, and bits and pieces of other stuff to make this work. We can steal from some past costumes and stuff around the house for the belt and such, and I guess my tall black boots will be pulled into use again (if they still fit him!)

I admit, I do like making his costumes, and I get a lot of pleasure from the creation of them. But sometimes, I wish for the easy...

info for Barbie O

2011-09-28T09:31:00.002-04:00

Barbie O. in Montreal wanted to know where I found my serger part. I started with a site called www.smscanada.com (Sewing Machine Canada). I found the part there, but they only deal wholesales, so through them I was directed to http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/, as they had the best price for the particular part I needed.

Hope this helps, Barbie!

for want of a $20 piece...

2011-09-27T07:05:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, I broke my serger. I know, with the amount of sewing I do, you'd think I'd run right out a get it fixed. But I didn't. For one reason or another, I just never got around to it. My sewing machine (which is fairly new), does a pretty good overlock stitch, so I just used that. However, my pet peeve with the sewing machine is the bobbin. I hate winding bobbins - they never hold enough thread for me, and it's a pain to stop what I'm doing to wind a new bobbin. I would rather buy two spools of thread, than wind a bobbin.
But I digress.
After a few years of seeing my shrouded serger just sitting there, I decided to take a look at the problem a little more closely. The piece that broke was the lower looper, and for some reason I thought it was an actual welded part of the whole mechanism. Turns out it's not. It's a small piece that screws onto the assembly. Huh, who knew? So I unscrewed it, and took what was left of it to my computer, and started Googling. I found out a couple of things. You really can find ANYTHING on the Internet, and there are hundred of different lower loopers for sergers!
I started with the easy - I found some sewing supply places near me and emailed them asking if they had the part that would fit my particular serger. Two of them never got back to me (there's some customer service for you!) and the one that did, simply said "we don't have your part. Can I interest you in a new Babylock or Bernina?" Sure! Instead of a part, I'll just get a while new machine. Okay, so the search continues.
I found a great site that actually showed pictures of the parts - very handy, considering my serger is a lesser known make. After scrolling through page after page of lower loopers, I saw it! The part! It had the right curve, the right bend, it all looked right! I looked at the price, and including shipping, it cost me all of $22.46. Really? I waited 3 years to replace a $20 part?
It proves my points. The internet is a wonderful place, and I'm an idiot for waiting so long.
Now I am waiting for the part to arrive from Tennessee. I've been madly cutting into my stash of fabrics that really need proper edge finishing. First up - a pair of evening parts in black vintage satin. Yum. Because a woman that dresses as casually as I do really needs vintage satin evening pants...

Stephanie came to visit!

2011-09-21T13:09:00.002-04:00

Last night, the York Region Knitting Guild was happy to host Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka (for those of you living under a rock) The Yarn Harlot.
Even better, I was happy to host her, Rachel H, and assorted Guild members at my house for dinner. It's the second or third time Steph and Rachel have come by, and I tell ya, they are always welcome in my house! Great company, great food, and a terrifc drive to the meeting!
I had a degree of camnesia, but I did get a few shots...

Stephanie in my bathroom (seriously!) I don't know where you read her books, but that's my favourite place for them. We are a family of bathroom readers - out of camera range is the stack of Archie Comic Digests, and fishing and trivia books. Go ahead and judge us if you like - I make no excuses...

Dinner was a pot luck (thanks to all who brought food - so yummy!!) with lots of laughter and general merriment. (My husband and son were hiding in the living room before they left for dinner away from THE KNITTERS!

The drive to the meeting was fun - since parking at the shop is limited, we decided to carpool. And once Steph, Rachel and I saw Linda's convertible, with the top down, well, that was an easy choice. We stopped short of jumping in, and demurely used the doors, but we were constantly talking about being in a CONVERTIBLE! (typing cannot convey the silly tone of voice we were all using. I think Lindy was regretting having us in her car...) I was in the back and got Steph's hair blowing all over as she was taking her own picture.
We shan't discuss the drive BACK to my house, after the dew fell on the open car, and the sun went down. Fun ride TO the meeting, slightly damp and chilly ride BACK. Thankfully, I only live about 5 minutes from the shop, so it wasn't TOO bad...

Steph read from her new book, then did a Q and A that could have lasted well into the night, had we let it go on, but there was an opportunity for us to get our copies of her new book signed, so we regretfully ended the talk. Oh, did I mention Tove of Needles and Knits got copies of the new book? Before ANYONE else? I don't know what she did to get them (and probably DON'T want to know...) but she did, and Steph graciously signed copies for all. And get this - if you get to Tove's soon - there are still a dozen copies of the book available, and Steph signed them all!

All in all, a great night, and one I wish we could repeat often. Steph and Rachel are truly nice and genuine people. As she appears on her blog - that's what you get. And Rachel - well, I read her Twitter feed, and can identify with her - we're both Moms of similar aged boys, and have parents with similar issues. I really must get down to Lettuce Knit's Knit Night more often. One night is not enough time to spend with these two incredible women.

Best of all, in lieu of a speaker's fee, our Guild gave a donation to MSF in Steph's name. It meant a lot to her, which means it meant a lot to us.

Steph - good luck on the upcoming yarn crawl/book tour. And you are welcome to drop by my place any time.

Kitchener purchases

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

While I did very well with winning prizes on the way to Kitchener, I think I did equally well with my purchases. I was after a cardigan's worth, and some sock yarn.

I succeeded at both.

First up is some Amerigo Cottom Flamme - 100% pima cotton, with a slightly thick and thin consistency, in a wonderful emerald green. It really is emerald, not the teal that it appears here. This is destined for a Featherweight Cardigan - possibly mixed with a slightly lighter, lime-ish green I have in my stash, if I determine I need more length.

Next up is my favourite stuff - Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool. I love this stuff. I made my blue cardigan last year in this, and it wears beautifully, and feels wonderful. The Purple Purl had it on sale, and while I passed it up at this years Knitters Frolic in April, I couldn't walk by it again, so eight skeins of this true red ave come home with me. This will be the Dahlia cardigan from the recent Interweave Knits. It has the wonderful back lace panel, and the drapey front I love so much. (It's already been cast on...)

Then there was the sock yarn. Two from Tanis Fibre Arts - her blue label standard sock yarn in Poppy, and her luscious purple label cashmere blend in Stormy. The Poppy's recipient is undetermined, but the Cashmere Stormy will be for my husband. If he continues to put up with all the wool, he deserves cashmere blend socks. The third skein is from Studioloo - it's their Bootsie merino/nylon blend in the Tartan Tease colourway. I walked by this four times and fondled it, and as I told the guy at the booth - if I pick up something four times, then I need to buy it.

Susan and I both splurged at the glass jewellery booth - this sheepy pendant was too cute to say no to! I did swap out the chain that it came on - as you can see, it sis a little close to the scar, which still gets irritated at times. But the sterling chain has gone to a good home, as part of a jewelry set I made for my niece.

Finally - Another ball of laceweight merino. Not much on it's own, but when added to the laceweight Fleece Artist I bought at the Frolic, it's perfect for another Featherweight, or similar light weight cardigan.

Unfortunately - neither of these pictures really captures the rich forest-y green of these yarns, along with the slight tonal variations of the Fleece Artist.

So all in all - a really good day. More knitting to get to, but then again, that's not a bad thing, is it?

Kitchener Prize Haul!

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned before, for the Kitchener Knitter's Fair, our Guild charters a bus. It means all of us get to knit on the way there and back, we talk (a lot!!) and best of all, we have draw prizes! So many people and yarn stores in York Region contribute to this draw, and we thank them all. This year, I was ridiculously lucky...

I won a fabulous book...

a lizard mitten kit...

a fantastic briefcase sized bag from the Knitting Guilds of Canada...

and best of all...

you won't believe this...

but first I have to thank Unwind Yarn House in Newmarket for donating this incredible prize. It was so spectacular, we kept it separate from the regular draw.

That's right. A full Knit Picks options needle set!

And not just the needle kit - a beautiful fabric storage bag for it! I was truly lucky! Okay, admittedly, I bought a ton of tickets for this draw - I really wanted it.

And all this before we even got to Kitchener! Still to come - what I bought there. Susan and I were both planning on not buying much - maybe a pattern or two. That lasted about a half hour, then we both overbought, and enjoyed it!

getting caught up...

2011-09-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

Before Kitchener, I finished a couple of scarves - Citron and Garden Path Shawlette.

Citron - before blocking

Citron was really a double inspiration from Rue of Tinks and Frogs. Not only did I win the yummy yarn from her (Woolen Rabbit Essence in Oakmoss), When I saw her version of Citron, I knew it would work for this wool!

I had to shorten the final ruffle, as I was running out of wool, but it still works. I gave it a steam block, and love how it looks as a scarf.

It's a good thing I stopped when I did - this is how much wool I had left over. The final bind off was a little touchy towards the end!

The Garden View is a nice, simple scarf for the Christmas gift box.

I used some Elann merino I had lying around, in a deep olive green, and it really blocked out nicely - the yarn overs opened out, and really showed off the leafy shapes.

While it is technically a "shawlette" as shown above, I think it will get worn more like this - wrapped around the neck to keep out the cold.

And another scarf finished (shown previously, but just recently blocked), and how I believe it will be worn - wrapped around and around to keep the neck cozy.

I'm still working on my Kitchener posts - both my prize haul and what I bought!

yummy gift yarn!

2011-09-12T06:20:00.000-04:00

Carol won some yarn from me a while back, and while she requested the Fame Trend, I sent the Palette instead. So to make up for it, I had anothe skein of Fame Trend in blacks and greys that I sent to her. I return, she send this to me

Seriously? A wool cashmere nylon blend that squooshes up so nicely - I love it!
I've never used MamaBlue wool, so I"m really lookiing forward to this - I forsee a little shawlette or something - maybe socks...

Thanks, Carol!

who's going to Kitchener this weekend?

2011-09-08T11:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts - it's not for lack of material, just lack of time. I have scarves and socks and gift wool (mmmmm, yummy, yummy gift wool....) to show you, but no time to upload pictures.

But the important thing is this weekend is the Kitchener Waterloo Knitter's Fair! Knitters take over Bingemans in Kitchener! We revel is wool fumes, and patterns and knitterly stuff!

As usual, I'll be arriving by bus - our Guild charters a bus for the trip there and back - lots of time to knit and chat and compare purchases on the way home! I'll be meeting LuckyCanuck Susan (and hopefully seeing some wedding pics! She has promised me some to share with everyone), and we will be wandering around as we always do. As always, I will have my bright yellow I KNIT messenger bag. And flip flops on my feet, of course. If you see me, stop me! let's chat!

Happy and Sad

2011-09-02T06:51:00.001-04:00

Today marks the figurative end of summer - Sad.
But it's the start of a long weekend! - Happy!
But we're attending my Aunt/Godmother's funeral. - Sad
She's really in a better place though, even it's tough on my Mom and the family. - qualified Happy.
Son finally has a chance to wear the dress pants we bought before he outgrows them - Happy.
School starts next week - Happy! - my son actually likes school and is looking forward to getting caught up with friends and getting back into the swing of things
Less weekends at the cottage - Sad
Better weather for wearing handknits - Happy!
Now that we'll be home more weekends, let the home renovations begin - Happy/Sad
August used to mean the Yarn Harlot's visit - this year it's September! - Really Happy!

found and finished

2011-08-31T09:37:00.000-04:00

Once I finished my Vitamin D cardigan, I needed some small projects to fill in time. I didn't feel like picking up my EZ Green (really white) cardigan, so I dug around my UFO pile and came up with a couple of scarves. Neither of them had much left to do, and both would be great additions to the Christmas "potential gift" box.

This rainbow hued one is a simple K2tog, YO pattern, using FAME TREND sock yarn. It's a single spun yarn, and feels a little scratchy while knitting, but softens up wonderfully with a soak and stretch.

This pale pink one is a pattern I found somewhere on the Internet, and promptly lost, but I had memorized it before losing it. IT uses two different needle sizes, and is basically made by doubling stitches for a stretch, then halving the number of stitches for the smaller garter bands. Very pretty, and an effective pattern.
It's two balls of Drops baby alpaca, and is ridiculously soft. This might be destined for my Mom and her love of all things pink.

While finishing up 2 UFO's feels great, it doesn't even dent the pile in the basket. Sigh. Whatever. I'll get around to them.

But first, there is something else grabbing my attention. Citron. I saw a finished one on Rue's blog, and Rue had just happened to send me a wonderful skein of Woolen Rabbit Essence... so stay tuned...
(By the way, click over to Rue's blog, if only for the cutest baby pictures! Tadpole is already showing a love of yarn and hand knits...))

playoff knitting

2011-08-28T18:47:00.000-04:00

This weekend was spent watching baseball. Peewee baseball, ages 12 and 13. Specifically my son's team. While they won the regular season, the playoffs are basically a separate season, starting from scratch. Round robin format, semis and finals.
I started a new sock for the playoffs (not intentionally, it just happened that way), and here's what I ended up with at the end of it all:

But here's the really important thing from the end of it all:

Hard to see? Let me help you...

Proud parent? You betcha! Especially in the final game, when the Boy's hit brought in the 2 runs that clinched it for us.
Proud of the whole team. This was a great bunch of kids and parents, that really played and celebrated as a team. They made it a great season, and I couldn't be happier for them.
I've been told by the parents and coaches now that next season, I have to continue knitting socks. I'm not allowed to just sit and watch...

actual Miss Manners letter

2011-08-26T06:08:00.000-04:00

Below is a letter and answer that actually appeared on the Miss Manners website. I love her comment about us being armed...
Note that I am one of those people who will knit in movies or at concerts or the like. I use soft wood needles, so they don't click, and always a simple stockinette in the round (sweater body or sock) - no pattern, no turning of the work, nothing that will distract others with unnecessary movement. I don't attend church or any organized religious gathering, so that doesn't apply to me, but I'm thinking that if I did, I would probably knit. I'd have issues worshipping a deity that didn't approve of knitting and multitasking...

DEAR MISS MANNERS:

Over the years I have noticed people knitting in public and have had no particular problem with it. However, I am a bit put off by those who knit in church or at an event such as a recital or concert.

Is it acceptable to knit at a church, synagogue or other religious service? And what about a concert or recital? I recently attended a piano and violin recital in a small venue where someone was knitting in the third row. Surely it was evident to the performers. And if such knitting is not appropriate, how should the knitters be approached, or prevented?

GENTLE READER: Please do not -- repeat, not -- make a hostile approach to knitters. Have you not noticed that they are armed with long, pointy sticks?

Of all the multitaskers who could annoy you, Miss Manners would not have guessed that knitters would top the list. There is a centuries-long history of ladies quietly doing needlework while remaining alert to what was going on around them.

But perhaps your complaint is that they are not quiet. If the clicking of needles is what bothers you, you could appeal to the authorities at church or concert hall that as they ban texting, it is only fair to ban activities that create similar noise. And if they don’t already ban texting, you might start by asking that they do before going after those comparatively unobtrusive knitters.

more cottage knitting

2011-08-24T06:20:00.000-04:00

I decided while at the cottage that I needed to knit lace. Not a lot of lace, just a little wisp of something. I had this wonderful Knit Picks Baby Alpaca that had been sitting in my stash forever, and it really wanted to be knit up.

So I did.

The second shot above gives a pretty good indication of the colour of this "Autumn" colourway. What it doesn't show is the absolute softness and deliciousness of the fibre...

I started this on our vacation, and finished it up when we got home. I soaked it, blocked it, and man o man, does it ever open up and become almost ethereal when blocked!

The pattern is the Holden Shawlette, and while nice, the miles of stockinette will bore you to tears if it was any bigger. The pictures on the pattern didn't really show the edging too well, but I like the fact that the lace bit is not really overly lacy and fussy. This is a nice, light, warm shawlette, and will make a great gift for someone on my list.
I opted to not do the picot bind off - this yarn was so light and the bind off so fiddly (although very pretty!). I went with a crochet loop bind off, and I"m happy with how it turned out.

update on Susan's wedding prep...

2011-08-23T06:20:00.000-04:00

It's only a few days away, and things are pready for the wedding. She's got her dress, she's got the jewellry (which I'm proud to day I had a part in making!), and now she has the crowning glory! I can't believe she kept this from me, but she knit this totally without telling me, in case she didn't get it done! (Like I would have judged her! Well... maybe I would have a bit...) Gaze on this in awe, as I did, then read her own words describing it...

(The below is the exact email Susan sent me with the pictures - reproduced here with her permission).

Behold, the Jared Flood Bridgewater shawl. Surprised?

It’s knit in the white alpaca/silk laceweight I bought back in the spring, thinking I was going to knit that very beautiful shawl. But then we got engaged in March and the wedding date was earlier than I thought it would be – hence, limited shawl knitting time. I started this around early April and didn’t want to let anyone know I was working on it for the wedding, until I knew it was done and it came out right – just in case I ran out of time. This was an easy pattern, but it was still huge in size and time-consuming. I worked on it a lot, most nights, and all that interspersed with the moving and other chores, so I didn’t work on it as steadfastly as I wanted to (should’ve been done earlier!).

I ordered some grey acid dye from KP. Before it was time to dye the shawl, I crocheted a few fast swatches with the yarn. I prepped the dye water accordingly, but added a tiny bit of the grey dye only, not the whole bottle. I wanted this shawl a light grey to match my dress, so I had to be careful. In went the first swatch. The colour was perfect, so I was able to continue, took a deep breath and plunged the whole thing in. I figured if the dye this way didn’t work, I would just go full on and dye it a charcoal grey and I’d still have my lovely shawl to wear – just not at the wedding though, and I have a gorgeous cashmere cardi to wear as back up. But it all worked out beautifully. Blocked like a dream today, all nice and square with my blocking rods kit and here it is, ready to roll out at my wedding. I finished this sucker last night at midnight.

Photographer is going to be instructed to zero in on it, a LOT. (I’ll put it on after the ceremony, for party time). So more professional photos to come for the blog. Hope I don’t snag my bracelets on it! I sacrificed a lot of clay and paper and beading craft time and book reading for almost 5 months. Every time I wanted to do something different I had to remind myself that this could not wait. I’m not gonna knit again for a good while.

I need a break!!

(Back to me now...)
Susan has promised me pictures of the wedding, once she gets them back from her photographer. I would love to see the photographer's face when she insists on closeups of a shawl and a bracelet, and the cake toppers!

"Forget the family shots! Make sure you get the lace edging!"

cottage knitting

2011-08-19T08:09:00.001-04:00

I finished my Silk-Wool cardigan while at the cottage. It's the Vitamin D sweater by Heidi Kirrmaier. I really, really love the sweater. Really. It fits well, looks great, and the yarn has so many colours and slubs in it, it will go with so much of my wardrobe.
This would be considered dressy for me - I don't work in a dressy environment - jeans and shorts are the norm - but every now and then, I need to look business presentable, and this sweater with a pair of black pants and top, or brown, or even green or rust! - looks terrific.
It still needs a bit of block here:

Here you can see a bit of the shaping in the front

A better indication of how the fronts drape

A close up of the short row wedges that create the shape

And a real indication of the actual shape

I've actually worn it already (dressy or not, it looked great with a tank top and Bermuda shorts!), and will get you some modeled shots soon. It's a nice pattern, but one you have to pay attention to, once you get to the sort rows. I don't think I did mine according to the pattern, but as long as each side matches up, I'm happy. Heidi's instructions are a little vague, in my opinion. As much as I liked knitting it, I'd be a little wary recommending her patterns to newbie knitters.

But overall - a win!

re-entry and prizes!

2011-08-16T09:18:00.000-04:00

We're back from vacation, and trying to adjust. The house and yard were showing some serious signs of wear, not to mention my desk when I got back into the office! The past two days were spent digging out, and it finally feels like some semblance of normal has returned. OF course, we're only in town for the week -heading back to the cottage Friday night! We're banking time, since the following week and weekend will be a whirlwind of baseball playoff games. The Boy's team finished first in the regular season, but all that means nothing - it's all about the playoffs, and he plays next Monday-Wednesday-Friday-2 games Saturday and hopefully the finals on Sunday. We may lose a weekend at the cottage, but at least they compress it all in a week, instead of spreading it out.

But enough rambling about my life - I have prizes to send out!

Julia in KW, KnitTech and Carol will each be the recipient of one of these:

**Carol! I need your mailing address!

2 skeins of Knit Picks Memories in the S'mores colourway. This is somewhat vintage Knit Picks, as I don't believe it's available anymore. 100% merino, 220 yds each. Enough for a pair of socks.

1 skein Fame Trend - long colourways of greens and dark greys.75% superwash wool, 25% nylon. 420 metres. Lovely stuff - really softens with a wash. I've made socks with this yarn.

1 skein Palett by Sandnesgarn, in shades of blue and green. 75% superwash wool, 25% nylon, 420 metres. Very similar to the Fame Trend.

I'm going to randomly put them in envelopes and send them out, unless I hear from anyone specifically requesting anything.

And I think I owe Brenda an apology for holding a contest in the summer - I should have known that many people would be away (I myself go away often!). I'll do better next time, Brenda!

One other note - someone commented that Lucky had a funny caption - she did, but she and I trade stuff all the time - it seemed silly to send her a prize, so I took her out of the running.

greetings from cottage country!

2011-08-10T07:56:00.001-04:00

We're halfway into our week up here, and it already feels too short. But I guess that's good - if we didn't love it up here, we'd never want to come here. We've had some sun, some rain and tins of fun. Even rain doesn't slow us down. To be honest, all the rain does is increase my knitting output!
One sock finished, and a sleeve on my wool silk cardigan is done. All that's left is part of another sleeve, and I'll have me a wearable cardigan that I already love.
I've got beads strewn across the table (working on a new design...) books all over the place and a basket of knitting that moves from couch to deck to beach.
I know I've got it pretty good...

But... here's where it gets good for you! Winners! Expecting comments in the prime of summer vacation time was a slightly dumbass thing on my part, but it worked out for three lucky winners:

Carol!
Julia in KW!
Knit Tech!

**edited to fix my email address - sorry!**

I need addresses so I can send stuff out. Email me at sjrichardson10 (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll send out the decals and knitterly goodness. I'll post pictures of what the prizes are when get back home, and have a chance to stash dive for something good.

Back to my loaded coffee out on the deck...

What I've been working on

2011-08-05T06:20:00.000-04:00

We're back in town after a long weekend, but not for long. We head back up this weekend for a full week up at the cottage. I'm working out what knitting to take, and right now the front runners are two cardigans, tons of socks (because I truly believe I can knit 4 pairs of socks and two cardigans in a week...) and maybe that Woolen Rabbit wool and some scarf patterns... (can't be caught short now, can I?)

The silk/wool cardigan is coming along - the short rows make it tough to really get an idea of how far along I am, but I'm pretty far along on the body. (farther than what is shown here). I love this more and more, each time I pick it up, and it will probably be my go-to project on holidays.

I've actually finished this pair of STR socks, except for the heels, but I'm holding on tho that to use them as a demo pair of a live tutorial I'll give my Guild on the afterthought heel.

I've started another pair of socks, using some Misti Alpaca, and have some more vintage STR in the queue. I may post occasionally from the cottage - we do have wifi, but if I ignore you, don't take it personally. Sometimes, it;s hard to look at a computer screen when we're up there. There are so many other distractions...

contest extension!

2011-08-03T14:15:00.000-04:00

if you missed this post you know I am giving away some yarny and decal-y prizes for something funny. I was going to close comments tonight, but I will keep them open until Friday, otherwise KnitTech gets it all!
Just leave a comment on the Simcoe Day post, and I'll draw from there.

Even though I haven't specified the prise (I'm not that organized!) I can promise delicious woolly, possibly silky stuff!

great knitting mail

2011-08-02T06:08:00.002-04:00

Canada Post is still working out a bit of a backlog from the recent postal strike (I'm still getting my People magazines 2 or 3 at a time... Yes, I read People magazine - it's a small vice I have...), but the other day, CP brought me TWO knitting related pieces of mail!
One was some wool I won from Rue of Tinks and Frogs (go check her blog - seriously one of the cutest babies ever, and the Tadpole has a true appreciation for wool, especially the handspun stuff)

This is a skein of Essence by the Woolen Rabbit, in the Oakmoss colourway. Truly beautiful - thanks so much for pulling my name, Rue! I am keeping this for me - I see a great squooshy scarf (probably triangular) for the winter.

Next up - Robyn of Knit and Purl Mama sent me these:

Decals! One of these is going on my car - I just can't decide between Knit Girl and Knitting Nerd - The Nerd kinda resembles me (the glasses...) and I am kinda nerdy about knitting...
The rest will be put aside for giveaways and such.

Thanks Rue and Robyn! These really made my day!

Simcoe Day

2011-08-01T06:08:00.002-04:00

In honour of John Graves Simcoe, Ontario's first Lieutenant Governor, today is a holiday in Ontario. So I am were you would expect me to be on a day such as this - at the cottage.

I could write about John Graves, but instead, I thought I'd show you some random shots of our little bit of paradise...
This is still one of my favourite shots - this was sunset from a year or so ago, and we get this vista a lot. The sun sets over there, and we so often get the pinks and oranges that you see here. This was a remarkably calm evening, and the lake is almost mirror smooth.

Even though it's a fairly busy lake with quite a few cottages, we are still in the wilds, and share the area with wildlife.
This little guy was on the road last Sunday, and just stood there, looking at us. He (she?) was almost posing for us, as we took pictures. We had to actually let the car move a bit to get him to move along and safely off the road, and even then, he just sauntered off to the side, and watched us drive by.

We have tons of dragonflies around our place - a good thing, since their main diet is mosquitos. Most of them are black or blue, but this guy likes to hang out by my Muskoka chair near the lake. I see him pretty much every day I'm there.

The lake is also full of wildlife. The other weekend, this line of Canada Geese made it's way casually across the bay, taking their time. We see geese occasionally, but this year, there is the rather large gaggle hanging about. I'm good with it, except when they decide to walk up our beach. To put it mildly, geese poop. A LOT. We try to gently encourage them to walk around the more uninhabited areas of the bay - let's just say we aren't always wearing footwear, and that's the fastest way to find goose poop.

Our bay is also host to a loon family (real loons, not the people who inhabit some of the cottages...). This year, there are two babies, although they are probably considered teens by now. They still have the fluffy brown feathers of the adolescent, but will start developing the distinctive black and white of the adult loon soon. The parents are very protective of the babies, since they can't yet dive, and one morning, the whole family got in close to the dock, allowing me to take their picture.

But my favourite wildlife are these...

This is my son and one of the neighbours on the Lily Pad. There is nothing like the call of the pre-teen that defines the sounds of the cottage.

So in honour of the holiday, I'm going to have a contest. I have another picture of the loons below.
You know this is Mom Loon, right? You can imagine what she's saying to the young'uns...

Leave me a comment on this post before midnight EST Wednesday, August 3, and the caption that makes me laugh hardest gets a Knit Girl or Knitting Nerd decal. ( see tomorrow's post for what I'm talking about. there may be some other yarny stuff thrown in as well...)

Come on! Make me laugh!

afterthought heel - here it is!

2011-07-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'm pretty comfortable with technology. But I am having the WORST time trying to figure out how to post a PDF! I know about web hosting sites, but I'm not willing to pay for premium memberships, and others that are free, are a bit dodgy. (KnitTech agrees, and she makes her living as a techie, so I LISTEN to her...)

So here's the plan. I will post the whole tutorial here as a post. (Get yourself a drink, and maybe a meal - it's a long one...)

If you think it would be helpful, and want to try it - drop me a note with your email address and I will send you the PDF.

So here goes...

How to go from the sock on the left to the sock on the right – adding a heel where there isn’t one.

First mark where you want the heel. In most cases, this is about 1.5 to 2 inches LESS than the overall length of your foot from back of heel to tip of toe. Mark this length.

NOTE** be careful to mark the bottom of the foot in relation to the toe – you don’t want the heel coming out the side of the sock!

Once you have this marked, you can start picking up the stitches. I make a 64-stitch sock, so the heel will be worked on 32 stitches. I make sure the 32 stitches are centred over the toe. On the row above where you have marked, start picking up stitches. Make sure you are always picking up the same side of the stitch, I.e. the left or right side doesn’t really matter, as long as you are consistent right across.

Here you see the needle in all the stitches above the marker. ( I use a circular needle – I find the flexible cord very helpful in this).

With a second needle, pick up the same stitches in the row BELOW your marker.

Here you see both cables of the two circular needles with the picked up stitches.

Now comes the scary part. Take your scissors, yes SCISSORS, and CUT a stitch in the middle, between the two cables. If you’ve never cut your knitting before, this may freak you out a bit, but trust me, it won’t be that bad. If you’ve steeked before, this is old hat.

The loose thread of yarn now needs to be unraveled to the ends of the picked up stitches

Go slowly, and you will see with zig zag of the line of stitches you are unravelling. (Here shown in the yellow wool). When you get to the end of the picked up stitches, ensure that the loose thread is clear of the stitches on the needles, but don’t go beyond the needles, or you will have loose stitches, which is bad. Stitches on needles – good. Loose stitches – bad.

At each side of the sock, you will have about 2 inches of wool that will get woven in at the end.

Voila! A hole in your sock, anchored by needles, where your heel will go. (you can see the ends here – they will be woven in at the end.

You will notice that the sides seem to be a bit gappy. If you knit the heel on just the 64 stitches you have picked up, you will have huge holes on each side, so…

… I pick up 4 stitches at each side (2 on each end of each needle). This number is not locked in stone – it’s what works for me and my gauge. If you think 6 stiches would work better, go for it. If your gap isn’t that large, and 2 will fill it, go with 2. 4 is what works for me. I would recommend even numbers however – it’s just easier.

At this point, I start knitting the heel. (On this particular pair, the heels are a different wool – green Koigu that matches the multi coloured STR). I start at one side, and knit one row plain all around. When I get back to the beginning, I start my decreases. My basic construction is K1, K2 tog, knit to last three stitches, K2tog tbl, K1. I do this decrease on EVERY OTHER ROW, and knit plain on the other rows. It’s the same way I make my toes, except I increase every other row, since I make my socks toe-up. If you knit socks top down, and make a standard toe, that’s exactly what you are doing here.

This is the first round complete.

A few rounds in. You can see the decreases starting to form the diagonal line that will run from the ankle to the heel.

More decreases, more diagonal.

Looks like a toe, doesn’t it?

But it’s actually a heel!

I continue decreasing every other round until there are 12 stitches left on each needle. (Again – my arbitrary number. 12 is what seems to work to fit the heel of most of my recipients.) It’s also the number of stitches I start toes on, so it’s easier for me to remember.

Now, all that’s left it to Kitchener stitch the opening closed. I have a handy reminder dog tag that Robyn of Knit and Purl Mama sent me. It’s brilliant, and a great memory jog.

More Kitchener stitch. So close to the end…

Finish by sewing in all ends – there will be 4 – the start and finish of the actual heel, and the two from the unraveled line.

A finished heel!

I find this method really handy when you are knitting socks, and you may not have a recipient in mind. You can place the heel wherever you want to. I tend to knit totally plain stockinette socks. I pattern other parts of my knitting – socks are my go to for non-thinking knitting. I can knit and hold conversations, watch my kid’s baseball or basketball games, basically knit anywhere, and not worry about having to frog. Especially since I knit toe-up – I divide the wool into two equal balls, (love my digital scale for doing this) and knit to the end. (Or almost the end. If you are knitting the heels in the same wool, remember to save at least a walnut sized ball of wool to make the heel.

But here’s another trick (sorry, no pictures of this…) If you know who is getting the socks, and you have their foot measurement, you can avoid the two extra ends and the whole cutting your work thing. When you get to the measurement you want, (again, ensuring you are lined up to the toe placement), simply knit the bottom half of the stitches on to waste yarn (a slippery cotton of around the same or smaller gauge works best. So on my 64 stitch sock, I would knit the bottom 32 stitches on waste yarn. Then (and here’s the trick) put those stiches BACK on your left needle, and knit them again, using your sock wool. What you have done is create a provisional cast on and cast off. When it comes time to pick up your stitches, simply pick up above and below the line of waste yarn, and carefully unpick the waste stitches. Same result (you still need to pick up stitches in the corners), but no ends to sew in.

As you can tell, these are not for me. WHich is really too bad, becasue I love the colours. But my husband has claimed them.

Hope this helps. Since I always like having a sock on the go, this is great for me. But I like plain stockinette socks, and for patterns, this may not always work, unless you keep the underside of the sock plain, and know where you want to break for the heel.

Let me know if you use this, and if it works for you

quick question...

2011-07-27T12:38:00.000-04:00

How do I attach a PDF? Or at least make it available to you? I've written up the afterthought heel, but how do I get it to you?
I could attach somewhere in Ravelry I guess, but then I'd actually have to do something in Ravelry other than just look around...

afterthought heel and other stuff

2011-07-26T13:20:00.000-04:00

So I've been trying to write up a post about how to insert an afterthought heel, but I've got 22 pictures detailing the steps, so... give me a couple of days to write it up and save it as a PDF. That's got to be easier than the multiple posts I'd have to write to detail this.
22 pictures makes it seem really complicated, but seriously, it's the easiest thing in the world.

I've also got to write posts about the knitting I've been doing, the new pair of socks waiting for a heel, and the two cardigans, and as well, I've been the lucky recipient of some great knitterly mail lately, so I've got to show you that as well.

Surgery I can deal with. It's this recovery stage that's killing me!

Hi... sorry about that...

2011-07-22T06:51:00.002-04:00

I didn't mean to go away like that. I am feeling very good, and the recovery is going well, but the general anaesthetic really knocked me for a loop. I have spent a fair bit of time on the computer this week - I've been working from home (reduced hours), so any time spent here was basically for work. Add into the mix that I'm still a Mom, and the boy was in basketball camp all week, necessitating rides to and from, well, blogging fell down the list. I can't seem to wrap my head around writing a post - there is the afterthought heel one I'm working on, and showing you what I've been knitting (mostly the silk/wool cardigan that I refuse to call Vitamin D...) I promise they're coming. I just can't promise when. We're heading back to the cottage tonight (I can't wait!), and next week I'm back to the office, so I hope to get some picture posts up soon.

As far as the recovery - things are really going well - the stitches and bandages have been removed, so while I no longer look like a slasher movie survivor, I look like I've taken a pretty good punch to the throat. But even that bruising is slowly fading. I have a follow up appointment next month to go over the pathology, but the biopsy was negative, so we have high hopes for the pathology.

What's funny is all the remedies for scarring I've been given - Bio Oil! Vitamin E Oil! Golden Salve! Everyone is convinced that their remedy is best. I accept them all and tell no one what I'm actually doing. Really? It's my neck, and the surgeon is also a plastic surgeon. It looks pretty good right now.

I'm back.

2011-07-16T17:41:00.000-04:00

Back at it, but really only sort of. I'll be working partial hours, and working from home, but am feeling quite good. Unfortunately, I look like a survivor of a slasher film, and feel like I've been punched in the throat, but it gets better each day. The stitches come out on Tuesday, and we'll see what the doc says from there.
The hospital staff was terrific, and my husband and son have really stepped up.
I'm working on the afterthought heel post, but it is remarkably picture heavy, and since I'm currently at the cottage, it may have to wait until I'm back home - our Internet up here is good but not great.
Thanks for all the wonderful well-wishes - it was much appreciated!

signing off for a while...

2011-07-11T12:19:00.000-04:00

I'm going to take a small break for recovery purposes. I have surgery on my neck on Wednesday, and they have told me to expect a 10 day to 2 week recovery. I will be back before then, but don't expect anything else this week, and next week might be a little spotty. I'm hoping to be able to knit - I have lots of plain stockinette in hand, plus some stuff with minor shaping and such. My husband will be at home during the remainder of the week, and my son (wise man that he is), elected to stay at the cottage this week with his uncle, cousin, grandparents and a bay full of friends. He'll be back on the weekend (if all goes well, we'll actually go to the cottage on Friday for the weekend and bring him back.)
Plus, there is now one of these in the bay - An Aqua Lily Pad.

I'm not sure who had more fun - the kids, or the adults watching them. (we won't talk about the time the adults all tried it out - really not a pretty sight...)
Given the choice,I'd rather be at the cottage, too.
When I come back, I'll have lots to show - the wool-silk cardigan is ready to separate for body and sleeves, the EZ Red Green in Cream is progressing, socks are flying off the needles, and I'll even do a pictorial tutorial of an afterthought heel if anyone is interested.

See you soon...

indecision...

2011-07-07T06:02:00.001-04:00

I couldn't decide which sweater to knit. The EZ Green? The Vitamin D? (Which I'm going to have to rename, since I hate the name Vitamin D...)

So I cast on both.

The EZ green sweater, which I've already made once in Red, and which Brenda brilliantly called the Red Green Sweater. (For reference as to why Canadians get the Red Green reference, go here.) So, in using cream Briggs and Little Sport, I guess this is now the Red Green in Cream, or RGIC sweater.

(Plus, it seemed so patriotic to cast on this sweater on Canada Day using Briggs and Little, a truly wonderful Canadian wool).

I'm at the endless rounds of stockinette stitch now, so it's a good mindless knit - perfect for next week as I come out of general anaesthetic.

But I was still loving the Vitamin D, so I dug around in the stash, picking and rejecting a number of options, before finding this, and seeing the light bulb go off. The gauge matches perfectly, the colour is gorgeous, and it's silk and lambswool! How do I turn that down?

It's knitting up beautifully, but I'm still in the midst of the eyelet increase rows, and there is a ton of attention needed to follow the pattern, so it's for more lucid times, when I have a chance to get a number of rows down at one sitting.

found time

2011-07-05T06:08:00.001-04:00

A pair of almost complete) socks. Knitted completely during time that would otherwise be considered lost. Drive time to and from the cottage, or carpooling to work, baseball games while watching my son play.

All that's left are the heels, and I'll insert those soon. That can't really be done easily in a car, or on a set of bleachers, so I'll have to carve out some home time for that.

Since we are in prime cottage time, I had to start another pair, to fill in all that drive time.

This is some vintage Socks That Rock, colourway Lapis. (and some equally vintage Knit Picks Essential in a perfectly co-ordinating shade of green, for toes, heels and cuffs). This STR was one of the original skeins that Susan bought when STR first arrived at Lettuce Knit, and has been marinating in the stash since then, I unearthed it, found the great green, and started in. This got me to the cottage, and I doubled the knitted length on the way home late Sunday. Late because the weather was so spectacular, we really didn't want to leave, so we put it off as long as possible...

Happy Canada Day!

2011-07-01T06:02:00.002-04:00

I could write a whole post on the reason I love my country, but really, Stephanie does it best, so go there. Each year, she writes a wonderful list of all that's great about Canada. Go read it. And read previous years if you want - they really are quite wonderful.
I will be spending the weekend at my favourite place - our cottage, enjoying family and friends and good Canadian beer.
Hope your Canada Day or Fourth of July is every bit as good!

up next

2011-06-30T06:02:00.001-04:00

Now that the Ottawa cardigan is finished, I'm after a new project. I always have socks on the go, so they don't count, but I like to have a biggish project going as well - a sweater or lace project, usually.
And since I have an issue coming up that will allow me (potentially) some increased knitting time, I want to have a good one.
The issue is some day surgery coming up on July 13 - I have a growth on my thyroid (non-cancerous, I've had the biopsy), but it's big, and it's pressing a bit on the vocal chords, so they want to remove it. It's day surgery, but general anaesthetic, so the recovery will be about a week or so. There will be some working at home during that time, but I can still knit.
Because general anaesthetic and I have a history of not getting along, I think I will put lace on the back burner, and keep it simple. I was going to do a Featherweight cardigan with some fabulous Fleece Artist, but I severely underestimated my needs, and don't have enough of the wool to make it. So while digging in the stash, I found the Briggs and Little I bought for the Elizabeth Zimmerman Green Sweater.

I have already made this in red (and I LOVE it...) but the cream grabbed my attention. Rounds of stockinette? Easily done and hard to screw up. Once I get through the haze of the anaesthetic, there's enough shaping to keep me interested. Plus, it's a great sweater shape. But then I saw this,

Vitamin D by Heidi Kirrmaier

and well, a quick swipe of the credit card later, and perhaps another dig into the stash, and well, now I can't quite decide. I mean, I love the cream Briggs and Little, and I know the Zimmerman sweater is lovely, but really, look at the Vitamin D sweater! All those lovely eyelets as increases! That wonderful drape in the front! And some lovely green kettle dyed wool that would really work well. (Or a black linen rayon blend, maybe.)
I think I may just take both of them up to the cottage this long weekend, and decide then...

done!

2011-06-29T06:08:00.000-04:00

So just before the Canada Day weekend, I finish a wool sweater.

Whatever, it's beautiful and I love it. It will get lots of wear in the fall, which is what the plan was. Since I don't work in a meat locker, a lofty wool single was never going to make an indoor sweater, so this is a coat sweater, perfect for coolish days. It's long enough to cover my butt, and keep me warm, it has pockets just big enough for my keys,

and antler buttons because I love them. Susan was with me when I bought this wool at the Knitters Frolic, and when we saw the buttons, we knew they would be perfect.

Details:
HandMaiden "Ottawa" wool
92% Wool, 8% Viscose
lofty, single spun think and thinnish wool - super nice to work with.

Pattern is my own top down cardigan, with raglan sleeves, made jacket length. There are seed stitch cuffs and hem and front bands, and an applied i-cord finish around all edges. The buttonholes are worked right into the i-cord finish, a la Elizabeth Zimmerman.

It's cozy and soft and warm, and put away for the fall...

so close...

2011-06-28T07:32:00.000-04:00

I'm so close to finishing this sweater. A heavy wool, cozy sweater, just in time for July.

I just need to sew down the i-cord pocket edging, sew up the pockets, sew on the buttons, and give it a steam!

It's my MIL's fault...

2011-06-23T06:08:00.000-04:00

She saw the fabric I used for my niece's Restoration Era dress, found out it was tablecloth material, and slyly hinted around for custom tablecloths for her dining room table.

Specifically, Christmas red. Not burgundy, not muddy red, but a clear, blue-red.

She loved this. Her table is oval, and has two leaves, so there are three sizes of tables, and she uses all of them. She was hoping for oval cloths rather than rectangular, so I measured, cut and hemmed for the largest size, and have enough of the red left to make one for the smallest size table.

Then there was this green... I had to get it for myself - not for a tablecloth, but to recover my dining chairs! I've been meaning to do this forever, and I love this fresh green colour, so I bought it. Well. Then MIL saw the green, and I could see the envy in her eyes (green with envy... get it?) SO I caved, and said I would get her some green for a cloth as well... And she really loved the blue... by the end of the conversation, I believe I have committed to make about 7 tablecloths in varying sizes and colours.

I think for Christmas, I might just hem her the matching napkins...

can't seem to resist the linen...

2011-06-22T06:02:00.004-04:00

Quick note to Brenda - the Ottawa cardigan is so named because the Fleece Artist wool I'm using is actually called Ottawa...

on to the linen...

2 metres of each of these fabrics...

Must... find... time... to... sew...

Ottawa cardigan

2011-06-20T10:22:00.000-04:00

It's further along than this, but I'm working out some details. Just finishing the front bands (attached i-cord? buttons holes?), and then I'll insert the pockets.

I love this, but it's SO the wrong weather to knit with a pile of heavy wool in my lap...

time management

2011-06-14T08:23:00.000-04:00

2 carpool days, a school bus field trip, and one baseball game. Add in the final swimming lesson, and add another inch or so to this...

People who say they can't find the time to do things aren't trying hard enough...

New Socks

2011-06-10T06:08:00.007-04:00

I mentioned that I was on to the next socks after finishing the last brown pair, and here they are. (I have lots of drive time coming up - I need small, portable projects!)

(side note - this is a preset post - I'm actually off on a field trip today with the boy's class to the Air and Space Museum at Downsview Airport, and I'll be knitting these on the trip!)

My husband adores Socks That Rock, and while at the Knitter's Frolic in April, I picked up this multicoloured skein (ballband misplaced, and name totally forgotten...). The only complaint he has about the STR is that the socks are just a touch short. So I found this orphan ball of green tonal Koigu (probably left over from my Mom's flamingo mitts), and it matched really well. Husband was amenable to green toes, heels and cuffs in order to get a longer sock, so off I go.

Toe is done, and now it's straight knitting without shaping, or thinking until I run out of the STR.

Considering the state of my mind right now, I think I can handle that...

Latest sock blanks

2011-06-08T06:08:00.002-04:00

I finally finished the socks I was working on. Most of these socks were knit while a passenger in a car - either to the cottage with my husband driving or to the office while my boss drove.

They are fraternal,

but I was closer to making them identical than I realized. Luckily, this doesn't bother me, but I'm sure my friend Helga is cringing right now...

I haven't put the heels in, and probably won't for a while, at least until I determine who they're for. There is a very good possibility these will hang on until Christmas - perhaps my Father in Law, perhaps a friend.

On to the next ones!

the dress! as far as I can take it...

2011-06-06T09:49:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the silence last week - I was busy with stuff. We trimmed a good 4 feet off the top of our hedges all around the property, and there was a ton of cleanup to do after that - every night, we were out bundling and bagging cedar trimmings!

I was able to take a night and finish the dress for my niece as far as I could take it. I finished the over dress and sleeve edgings. All that was left was the zipper, which I needed her for sizing. We accomplished that last night at a family dinner at my in-laws. I brought the dress down and she tried it on. (By the way, side note to my SIL - telling me your daughter is a size 10? In your dreams!) I'm not blind, and just by eyeballing her, I cut a size sixteen, and STILL had to add some fabric on either side of the zipper! Whatever, It's now done. I sewed the sipper in last night when we got home, and the dress will be delivered to Brampton tonight by my husband (his weekly poker game is at his brother's in Brampton - every Monday night, same group of guys since high school! Seriously!)

Jess now has to do all the finishing. She will sew on the trim all along the front blue edge. She will hem the whole thing. (I cut her some slack and gave her a large roll of Stitch Witchery, so she can IRON the hem). She has to find a petticoat or something to give the skirt some width. She's a little nervous about all this, but as I told her, it's her project, and she has to finish it to put her mark on it.

In any case, I have to say, I am inordinately proud of it. Considering all the shortcuts I took, it really turned out well. I didn't invest a lot of time in it, which was the point - it's not an every day kind of thing - it's going to be worn just a few times, in very specific situations. (A short play at school as part of her exam, and probably a few Halloweens).

That's the point of costumes, I feel. Short periods of wearability = short amount of time worked on it.

more sewing...

2011-05-31T06:08:00.002-04:00

... but not for me.

When you are the only person in the entire extended family that sews, you can expect to get roped into things like this...

My niece (on husband's side of the family) is in the drama program at an arts high school. She was given a project to create a Restoration Era dress. Yes, that's correct. These kids have to MAKE a dress that would have been worn in the 1700's (or thereabouts). This is not a sewing or costuming class, this is for her drama mark. And it has to be done in three weeks. (I've got to believe there are some families freaking out right about now - if you don't know anyone who sews, you got to be up the proverbial creek...)
Anyhoo, I get a phone call on Thursday, begging for help. (She was put up to this by my SIL, but that's a whole other issue we won't get into. I'm all about helping the kids, parents be damned.)
So to make a long story less tedious, my SIL and Niece come out to my place on Saturday and we take a field trip to Fabricland.

Simplicity 4092,

And all the fabrics, threads, trims etc, that we'll need.

Back to my place, and I start laying things out and get the girl cutting. (It's her project!) She cuts out all the pieces, (thankfully, I have extra fabric, as I have to recut some of the smaller bits...)We start putting some things together, and she gets an idea of the construction techniques. I send them off (they live about 45 minutes from us) with all the trim that has to be sewn together (we're layering some ribbons and ruffles). I start the construction, taking MAJOR shortcuts (no facings - narrow hems, no boning, no lining, nothing extraneous!) It pains me from a seamstress point of view, but really, this is for a 16 year old. As much as I'm doing the basic construction for her, no one is expecting boning and lining!

I've got to say, it's looking pretty good so far! There are still the sleeves to add (with a major flounce and lace trim to the cuff...), and the blue overskirt (you really only see the front of the gold skirt.)
The gold underskirt is a separate piece, and as a waistband, I used the blue satin blanket trim we found - it's nice and soft and very wide, so it made a great waistband casing without adding too much bulk - this skirt is about 16 feet around!

You can see where I took shortcuts around the bodice - the blue upper edge is just hemmed, rather than faced, or lined.

But this fabric is perfect for our needs. At it's tablecloth fabric! Who knew? 60 inches wide, damask detailing, heavy weight (good body), and only $5.10 per metre! How cheap is that?
Of course, I was telling this to my MIL, and she hinted around for an actual tablecloth! Heck, why not? They have a huge table, and she likes the look of tablecloths, so I said I pick some up for her next time I was out - I'll customize the cloth to her table, and for less than $30, her 12 foot dining table will have a custom cloth.
But first,I have to return to the Restoration Era, and get this dress done! (At least, as done as I have to get it. Jess will have to sew on the trim, and hem it. Anything done by hand is to be done by her.

She's already planning on wearing it for Halloween this year...

still sewing...

2011-05-26T08:01:00.001-04:00

I love linen in the summer. I know it needs ironing, and as much as I hate ironing, I love linen more, so I do it.
I not only made a couple of tops out of linen, I bought some more fabric.

a beige linen with a black eyelet all over embroidery. This one still needs a hem, but it's a touch snug, so it's on hold for the moment.
Since I love the pattern, I adjusted for sizing around the bust and bicep and came back with this:

Love this. Green linen, gathered neckline, tunic length. Perfect with capris or slim jeans. And the colour perfectly matches a pair of my green flip flops!

So when Fabricland had a sale, I picked up a couple more lengths of linen:

a denim-y blue for Vogue 8500, a cross over front, asymmetrically hemmed tunic

And a grey/green watercolour print for another summer top at some point.

And then, because I couldn't resist it, this orange cotton with a sparkle sewn into it. I've tried to capture the sparkle here with my star filter. Suffice to say, it's very pretty.

There's more sewing in my future, but I need to confirm some stuff this weekend, and then I"ll tell you all about it!

you knew I'd do it!

2011-05-24T06:08:00.001-04:00

(pre felting)

Felted flip flops. You know I'd make some.

They are remarkable fast to knit, and felting takes no time (Cascade 220 felts beautifully).

The fit is almost perfect - the top placement of the thong is a little further down the foot than I would like - easy to fix on the next pair.

And yes, there will be a next pair!

Victoria Day Weekend

2011-05-20T07:45:00.002-04:00

Here in Canada, Victoria Day (the de facto celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday) is a holiday and is the unofficial beginning of summer. It's always the third Monday in May, and since that usually hits around the 24th, the usual name for the long weekend is the "May Two Four". (Beer pun intended).

While Victoria is not my favourite dead queen, (that would be Freddie Mercury) as a cottager, this weekend means fireworks, friends, beer and good food, all at the cottage.

(the view from our deck - yes we know how lucky we are...)

When you're reading this, I'll be running around, making sure I've got everything we need (sunscreen! bug spray - the black flies are nasty!) and waiting for my husband to get home so we can pack the truck and go

See you next week, hopefully with knitting progress.

Ottawa cardigan

2011-05-18T06:20:00.001-04:00

Ottawa is the name of the Fleece Artist wool I got at the recent Knitter's Frolic - the grey/blue/taupey brown blend I wanted for a cardigan.
After the utter fail of the last handpainted cardigan (I ripped it all back, and still have the yarn - I've tried many times to make it work, but Tim Gunn would be disappointed - nothing works...), I've been a little leery of handpaints for cardigans, but this seemed muted enough.
Can I say it?

I. LOVE. THIS.

From a distance, it reads as almost a single colour, but up close, you can see the colour variations.
I put it on a thread and tried it on, and I've got the fit perfect. Now it's straight knitting down to the hem, add some sleeves, then decide on an edge treatment, and if there's enough wool left, make some pockets.

Love it.

unblogged project

2011-05-17T06:20:00.002-04:00

I don't think I've ever blogged this project. It's a hooded vest, a Berrocco pattern - Truman - and I used an Australian Merino that I got on deep sale at the Kitchener Knitters Fair a couple of years ago. It's a pretty plain taupe colour.

Ignore the mess of my sewing room - I'm in the middle of a couple of projects.

I had just enough wool to make the hood - I would have made it deeper if I had more wool...

The front rib pattern is interesting and adds some interest to the front of the vest, but to be honest, I'm a bit meh about this. I may keep it, I may give it away... It looks OK, but not great. Plus, I think I"m realizing that I just don't wear vests much. It's hanging around, while I decide what to do with it.

Boss socks

2011-05-16T06:08:00.001-04:00

A couple of days a week, my boss and I carpool. On the days he drives, I knit. Hey, it's a 30-45 minute drive! that's substantial knitting time!
He gets it, and always asks what I'm working on, and who it's for. I finished up a pair of socks, and to thank him for some flex time off, etc, I decided to give these to him.

He loves them, and is rather incredulous that someone actually hand knits socks. But that hasn't stopped him from hinting for more...

sewing fail

2011-05-10T06:08:00.000-04:00

Looks like an ordinary waistband on some summery pajama pants. But look closer - see how it's stretched out completely?
This is a case where marinating in stash is not a good thing. When I sewed up these pajama pants just before Easter, I dug around in my stash of elastic, and came up with a hank that had obviously been there a while. It went in fine. the pants were great. I took them to the cottage for Easter, and the first night, when I put them on, I thought, hmmm, they're a touch looser than I usually make them. Considering the amount of chocolate I'd been testing, (Can't give the kid untested chocolate, now could we??), I didn't think I'd lost and inch or more around the waist. Whatever, it was late, I was tired, I went to bed. The next morning when I got up, I realized it was not my waist. These pants were falling right off me! The elastic I used has lost all elasticity! My husband thought it was pretty funny, seeing me hitch these babies up all the time!
Luckily, it's an easy fix - new elastic, and they're as good as new. Which is good, becasue this cotton seersucker is incredibly comfortable.
The downside - getting rid of a ton of old hanks of elastic that's no good any more. Good think wool doesn't lose any thing with age...

Susan's wedding - my contribution

2011-05-09T06:08:00.001-04:00

So the saga of Susan's wedding continues. You've seen the cake topper, and today, I get to show my contribution.

Susan's colour scheme is pale grey and vintage pinks, so I made a Swarovski crystal bracelet in those colours (she bought the crystals and had them sent to me - I made the bracelet and gave it to her when we met at the Frolic).

With the extra crystals, I just strung them on some bead elastic, Susan has the finishing glue for it that I don't have, so she gets a couple of extra bracelets to stack with the hex-weave one I made.

The colours aren't really showing here, and I can't retake the pictures, since the bracelets are in the hands of Susan now.

I'm kicking myself that I didn't take shots in the sunlight with my star filter, so you could really see the sparkle. These babies SHINE!

Susan seemed happy, and that's all that matters. She promised pictures of the bracelets all together.