kitchener trip

Whew! Well it was a trip. I met up with the bus at 8:30am on Saturday morning. (Waaayyy too early for me, by the way - I noticed Helga from our Guild came to the show, but much later in the day - smart woman!) Anyhoo, the bus arrived, with the members of the Barrie Guild, and those of us from York Region jumped on, with coffee in hand. Everyone grabbed a seat, and immediately started knitting on something - I was determined to finish the second cotton stripe sock. The drive down was through grey, drizzly weather but the atmosphere on the bus was much lighter - we had draw prizes to give and get! Nancy, her daughter Margaret and I were at the back of the bus, and throughout the draws, we kept commenting on how none of the winning tickets were from the back of the bus. Well! It seems if you comment (jokingly, yet enough times), you actually win! Margaret and I each walked away with $25 gift certificates to Needles and Knits (our fave LYS), and Nancy scored the last two prizes - two skeins of merino sock yarn! (Yes, Nancy drew her own ticket for the last prize - how lucky can one get?)
So we arrived in Kitchener, ready to shop - I met up with LuckyCanuck and TracyKM - friends from the About Knitting Forum, and fellow bloggers. Tracy was accompanied by Megan - cutest baby at the fair! A little 10 month old, quite content to sit in the sling on Mom's hip and look at everything going on. I never would have attempted that with my son when he was small - he'd be screaming after 10 minutes! Way to go, Tracy! They had arrived earlier and already scoped the place out - they led me directly to Pick Up Sticks - an internet business based in Newmarket. Sock Yarn heaven for me. Lovely colourways and delicious merino yarn. I picked up a couple of skeins, and had my eye on some others, filed away for later.



From there, we started back to the beginning and wandered around. It being my first time there, I had fun. I spent a ton, and came home with some great deals. LuckyCanuck and I enabled each other immensely - we both hemmed and hawed over this Atacama alpaca shawl kit at Knitwerx.com - simple pattern, stunning look, delicious alpaca. We both caved and bought - I got this beautiful browns colourway, Lucky got a green, I believe.



I got some great deals at a booth whose name escapes me - too bad, because I will go back there again.
Denim toned hand dyed merino sock yarn - almost 400m in each ball, just $7.00!! Yup! Seven bucks! And I only bought two of the five that were there. Lucky, I'm disappointed you didn't smack me and make me buy them all! Plus, 3 bags of 6 balls of cotton chenille. OK, so I'm not really a chenille fan, but this cotton will be stellar for some face cloths with some hand made soaps at Christmas. Oh yeah, each bag was only $8.75.




What else, what else...
Fleece Artist Silk Kid, on sale:


Some Tibetan Silk in the holy colours of maroon and gold. My sister in law follows the Tibetan holy teachings, and will go ape over a scarf in this - I'm thinking two sided - one side maroon, one side gold. It's not the smoothest of silk, rather rustic, I'd say, but the tag has all the Tibetan info and it's even called "Baby Yeti". She'll enjoy the tags as much as the yarn...



My favourite local(ish) supplier - Wellington Fibres - they raise the mohair goats, and mill the wool themselves. Plus Donna and Lorne are the nicest people on the face of the earth. The blue here is flecked with the pink, so I'm thinking mittens or something...



Hmmm, some linen with a handmade soap - also for washcloths, maybe. Another good deal from the Knitting Nimrod Collective:


More sock yarn - Lindenhof mohair, merino blend. Soft as soft can be, in a very cool colourway of mauves, greys and shots of bright blue.


Good Buy Yarns - you know them - bagged bargain yarns? Buy a bag for a set price? Great deals to be had - people were digging into the bins all day. I thought I had finished shopping when I found these two bags of Dale of Norway Heilo - 10 balls of white, 8 balls of navy, at an icredible price!


A beaded knitting book from Brenda Franklin. I took a beaded knitting class last April at the DKC Knitters Frolic, so this will be great - It gives me all kinds of patterns to use with the skills I acquired, as well as using up the beads I acquired! I've already been leafing through this, marking pages...


Roving - no I'm not taking up spinning - I like making thrummed mittens, and this roving will be great. It's 100% alpaca. Cloud soft doesn't even begin to describe the softness. It's either thrums or some needle felted gnomes for this...


Remember Margaret, the teenage daughter of Nancy, one of my fellow Guild members? Margaret is knitting a blanket and pillows for her bed. Tiny squares, each no more than three inches square. Every single square will be different. Every one. Every. single. square. That's a lot of work, and a lot of single balls of wool. I know I'm going stash diving for her - she can have all my odds and ends. THis is Margaret at the end of the trip. She did good. She also got three squares knitting during the bus trip.


I didn't get a picture of Sue. Sue thought she was done shopping. Elizabeth and I were talking to her and she was showing us a pattern for a sweater that had silk ribbins lacing up the front. She loved it, but didn't know where to find the ribbons. I did. Elizabeth and I grabbed her, dragged her to a booth where I had seen scads of silk streamers, and proceeded to do things ass backwards. We picked the ribbon, then went searching for yarn to match! Which we found(Fleece Artist Country Silk - peacock-ish colours). Sue was thrilled, and I discovered it's as much fun spending other people's money as much as your own!

Then, finally, you know it's a good trip when they start winding the skeins before we leave the parking lot so something ccan be cast on...


So one last thing... knowing me as you do... with all the projects I have on the go, who thinks I started something new? And what do you think it was if I did?
(Yes, I did finish the cotton green and blue striped socks - pictures later.) I won't be posting for a day or so - spending some time at my Mom's. She's having minor surgery today, and my brother is there today - I'll stay over with her tonight and through tomorrow, so I'll be away from a computer for a while...

well, damn!

I had a post all written - it was good, if I do say so myself. It was about Kitchener, and how I've met people in the knit world and had great links to LuckyCanuck, the Kitchener Knitters Fair and the Knitting.About.com forum where I have so many friends. It's gone. I hate that. I have no idea where it went. I ws pretty sure I hit publish post before I went off to have kunch, and now, poof! gone! Damn!
Anyway, I'm going to Kitchener this weekend, and expect to see tons of stuff, buy lots of stuff I probably don't need, but must have anyway, and generally have a good time.
I've also found the pictures that gave me so much grief last week - here's the "pair" of socks that I finished - I really need another pair of these...

I've actually got the second green one done to the second set of stripes - a weekend, and I should be done. THey then go into the box of planned Christmas gifts - hopefully I will be able to find this box at Christmas...
THe second picture is the stitch markers I've discussed, and can be found at Tove's shop, Needles and Knits in Aurora.

That's about all I can remember. I've really got to learn to hit "save as draft" more often...

first day of school

I love this day. Not because the Son goes back to school and I have the house to myself - I'm out of the house before he and his Dad are in the mornings, but because of how much he enjoys going to school. He started Grade 2 today, which is kind of freaking me out - I swear he was an infant just yesterday, but I know this is something all Moms say. We walkd him to school, and waited in the courtyard for the teachers to come and collect their classes. He was off with his buddies, doing what 7 year olds do, while all the parents were chatting, getting caught up on a summer's worth of news, and sipping Tim Horton's coffee. Exclusively. This must say something about us, since there is a Country Style just as close, but every single one of us had Timmies. I can't wait until tonight - picking him up, and hearing all about the first day - who he's sitting with, what the plans are, how nice his teacher is. Of course, we have to stuff all this into a short period of time - tonight is also my Guild meeting, so I'm out tonight, and Dad gets to hear all about the day as well.

I figured out that Blogger was not to blame for my picture uploading woes last week, it was my computer at home that was the culprit. We have three computers there - two desktops and a laptop. Here's how lazy we are - the internet is only hooked up to one of them - the one still being powered by the hamster on a wheel. Gotta do some upgrading. I'd post a picture of the "pair" of socks and the stitch markers, but alas, I don't have that memory card with me. Maybe I can get my act together tomorrow...

This past weekend was a rather wet long weekend. Didn't stop us from going to the cottage mind you. It actually worked in my favour - lots of knitting time when cooped up inside. I started and finished the "they must be Pirates" hat from Hello Yarn. Great pattern - nice shaping, nice pattern. I will make this again, and may adapt the shaping to other colourwork patterns. I made the Hat in Smart yarn - a superwash wool, but then made the lining in red Truffles - a completely NON superwash merino/cashmere blend. But man! Does it ever feel nice against the forehead! THe plan is to give this to our cottage neighbour's 16 year old daughter - skulls are the big accessory in the teen years, I gather. She also does a fair bit of kid-sitting for us as well. But of course, young Son saw it this morning, and decided he would like one as well. Good thing I got enough to make two...



Oh, and a note to the preson who wondered why I never knit socks for my Dad? Although I've known how to knit for decades, I've really only become a Knitter in the past 4 or 5 years. Dad passed away long before I ever knit socks, or anything like that. I like to think he would have liked a pair, and appreciates that I make them for Hubby, Son, FIL, and other special males in my life. I still wish I could have made him a pair, though. I'd knit an intarsia martini glass on the leg for him. But no olive - a twist of lemon. Always a twist.

not my favourite day

11 years ago I said my last goodbye to my Dad. He was my best friend, my "go-to" guy for everything. He was the guy that, along with my Mom, shaped me into the person I am. I've grown some in the last 11 years, and I think he would approve of the path my life has taken. He saw me marry a wonderful guy, but he never got to see my son in person. But my son does carry my Dad's names as his middle names, so hopefully there is more to a name than Shakespeare ever gave credit for.
Every year I still cry. Something different sets me off. Today? watching TV and hearing someone mourning their father's death and ordering a gin martini since it was the dad's favourite cocktail. It was my Dad's drink of choice as well. I'm having one tonight, even though I'm not really a fan. Here's to you James Edward Robson. I regret that I never knit you socks.

If you want to help someone, leave a comment for Jen at JenLa - she's going through a horrible time with her Mom, and could use the support.

and she thought I wouldn't notice!

So last week, I'm reading Stephanie's blog, as I do most days. I read a few dozen blogs, and always seem to add a few new ones as I come across them.
So there I was, checking on the progress of the book and the gansey, and I see them. A ton of stitch markers on the gansey. Stitch markers that I made for her. (I especially like the red ones with the Celtic knot beads.) It's very cool to unexpectedly come across your work in use. Just ask Franklin. He saw me wearing his "Venus de Knitting" shirt on Steph's blog, and he, I quote, "plotzed!" I now know the feeling!
Knowing the history of this gansey (2 years of washing fleece, spinning and plying yarn, and now finally designing and knitting, I feel like a part of an heirloom. "Yup, my markers kept that pattern on track. Those gussets wouldn't have had a chance without the red Celtic knot markers." Cool. When I commented to Stephanie, she wrote back wondering if I would notice!
I've also finished a pair of socks. I like them so much, I think I should make another pair EXACTLY the same...

OK, here is where there should be a picture of one sage green sock with navy stripes on the foot and the leg, and one red and brown striped sock. I said there should be a picture, but Blogger (or this computer) is not being my friend right now, so you'll just have to take my word for it. I've got one green sock and one red/brown sock done. Really.

The green one is the same cotton/elastic stretch yarn from Elann - Esprit - that I've been making the shortie golf socks out of, except, obviously, it's not patterned. I had some navy blue left over from another pair, so I thought I would break up the sage green colour a bit with stripes. I really like the look. These are destined for my son's daycare provider - an amazing woman who loves to walk, so I thought sproingy cotton socks would be perfect. (along with wine. all daycare providers need wine.)
The red/brown stripe is for my nephew. He's 24, a musician/artist/dancer who lives in Montreal and gets hand knit socks every year. (and wine. funny how most people around me like wine.)

Oh, and about the stitch markers - there have been some people asking about them. They are hand made by me, and available at Needles and Knits - 905-713-2066 - 15040 Yonge Street, Aurora, ON L4G 1M4, my LYS, and where my guild meets. Go see Tove, if you're interested. I promise, you'll walk out with way more than just stitch markers...

Yup, there should be a picture here as well of some of my stitch markers. See above rant for the reasons why there isn't.

cranky kid and tired parents

I love my son. Really, I do, more than anything on earth. But since we have returned from holidays? Not so much. He's cranky. Admittedly, he's being woken up at 7am, which is a good 1 1/2 to 2 hours earlier than he was getting up all last week, and yet he's still going to bed at the same time, despite my best efforts of getting him down sooner. I partially blame hubby, who handles much of the bedtime stuff, since I am trying to do the whole, cooking, cleaning, laundry thing at night. Tuesday, at soccer, he lost it, crying when the coach told him to sub out. I hate that. I don't deal well with whining and crying for no reason. He complained that his foot hurt, so coach told him to take a break. As he should have. But child of mine figured he's "NEVER GET TO PLAY EVER AGAIN!!!!" Right. Just sit here for 5 minutes, drink some water, and wait your turn to go back in. But no. He had to keep it up. I know every parent goes through this. I know they do, because I have seen the other parents go through it. But still, when it's your kid, you feel like the worst parent ever. He got over it eventually, but still. Then last night, he tossed the pouting at us. We were playing a game togetehr, and told him - one more game. Which we played. Then we packed it up, because it was time for his shower, bed, etc. He wanted another game. We said no. He dropped to the floor, like he was so hard done by. Hubby had had enough, and the time out commenced, except this was the "talking to time out" ie, Hubby was in the room with him, explaining the whole situation. Much crying, screaming (son's), explaining, waiting (hubby's) later, things were finally resolved. Shower was taken, and son fell asleep, after hugs and tearful apologies. I followed not much later (i'm still trying to get caught up on sleep as well).
I know this will change - he will outgrow the tantrums and such. I figure it will happen right about the time puberty hits and I will have a moody teenager in the house. Ahhhh, I can't wait. And people wonder why we stopped at one child! (Actually, we didn't stop, it's just how things worked out. Two might have been easier, but then again, maybe not. And I'm too old now to find out).

On a random note (carry over from yesterday)...
Is it wrong that I am completely addicted to Rock Star: Supernova, yet have absolutely no interest in Canadian Idol? Admittedly, the rockers on Rock Star are WAAAAYYYYY better singers, but still Tommy Lee does nothing for me (although deep down, that whole bad boy thing is weirdly attractive...), but I do find Gilby Clarke cute. Dave Navarro, bad boy or not, no interest. I have trouble with guys that an apply eyeliner better than I can... Dilana, while easily the best performer there, stepped into it in a big way last night. Not only did she diss the other rockers, she came across as super bitch. The games not over, yet, chickie! You still have 5 singers competing, and they are getting better all the time. (Did Magni ROCK the Jimi Hendrix song last night, or what??)

Randomness

Unabashedly stealing from Mamacate, I've just got some random thoughts today...

Why, since I have never watched "Prison Break" am I having strange dreams about this show? Is it because they are showing commercials for it EVERY 12 SECONDS??? Enough already! I know they're on the run! I know they won't be caught for at least this season. I don't want them intruding on my sleep!

Spinning. I once mentioned to LuckyCanuck that I was thinking of taking up spinning. It seemed like the natural extension of my knitting obsession. I mulled it over - do I buy a spindle, make one, what type of roving to start with, oh wait, I have some Fleece Artist roving in the stash that I use for thrummed mitts... Then another friend, CatBookMom, commented when I started this blog, that she was looking forward to reading about a knitter that knits, and doesn't give it up for spinning. That got me to thinking - I've mentioned before how limited my leisure time is - full time work outside and inside the home - so why would I give up my precious knitting time to spin? It's not like I need the yarn. It's not like I need a another craft to take up space in my house. (Aside from knitting, I have two sewing machines, an extensive collection of cross stitch patterns and supplies, and 3 or 4 quilts in assorted stages of completion) I also love to cook, have been known to make soap and candles, paint (not very well), draw pen and ink (a little better), and will try any crafty thing at least once. Guess what? spinning is not happening. At least not for the foreseeable future. And all those other crafty things? Dust collectors for the moment. Knitting is my main passion after my family, and has been for the past few years. Hopefully, it will be for a few more - I am lovin' it!

Sock burnout. It's not happening yet, but I'm afraid it may happen soon. I hope not. I adore knitting socks. I have 5 pairs on the go at the moment - the rainbow ones, the green regia, Socks that Rock for myself and these two:



These are the two I started last week but forgot to photograph. The red and brown stripe is for my 24 year old nephew, and the green cotton stretch is probably going to my son's sitter. This woman deserves so much for being such a wonderful influence on my son, socks are the least I can do. Most of the socks I knit are for gifts - I'm stockpiling (sockpiling??) for Christmas. I'd really like to NOT burnout on socks until at least January, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

In light of Stephanie's posts regarding Mr., sorry SIR Washie, it got me to thinking about the naming of inanimate objects. I have a close friend whose family has named every car and boat they have owned. Every one. We're talking about 4 or 5 boats and at least a dozen cars since I've known them. (The families have been friends since I was a child). And I don't think this is strange. And yet I don't name my vehicles. My family does however, name the Chistmas turkey. This I do find strange, but we still do it every year. My husband finds it incredibly odd that we refer to the bird as "Phil" or "Herb" each year, but what can I say? As kids my brother and I fought over who got to name the bird. Odd? You betcha. But we still do it.

Why, when I type, do I end up capitalizing the H after every capital T I type? Why can't I just type "The" or "This"? Why do I always type "THe" or "THis"? Why can't I release the shift key quicker? This bugs me (and yes, I did have to go back and correct the h in "This".)

Where did the summer go? I've mentioned before that I get up unreasonably early during the week - like in the 5:30am range. I do this to get some quiet time with the newspaper and coffee before the mayhem that is my household starts. I also use this time to take pictures of my knitting, usually. (Since the blog is still somewhat secret, it's easier than explaining to family why I am taking all these knitting pictures). It's still dark now! I swear it was just yesterday when I could take pictures at 6:00am and not need my flash. Now I have to turn on the outside light just to find my newspaper. And, as a side note? Toronto Star delivery guy? If you're reading this, I have a pretty big porch target - try to hit it once in a while, instead of the garden. thanks.

OK, I've just re-read this post. I'm a little bitchy this morning, aren't I? I'd best go check the coffee. I'm thinking someone brewed decaf - there's a mystery person that does this every now and then here at work. One of these days, we're going to catch them, and beat them with a damp coffee filter. Just sayin'.

And just for fun... (by the way - I rarely if ever wear bright yellow - the rest is pretty close, although, I'm not sure I'm good at lots of things. Jack of all trades, master of none, is closer to the truth)

Your Birthdate: November 23

You're not good at any one thing, and that's the problem. You're good at so much - you never know what to do. Change is in your blood, and you don't stick to much for long. You are destined for a life of travel and fun. Your strength: Your likeability Your weakness: You never feel satisfied Your power color: Bright yellow Your power symbol: Asterisk Your power month: May

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

what I did on my summer vacation

Well, I'm back. And to be honest, I'm not really happy about it. I'd much rather still be at the cottage, sleeping much later than I am, slopping Kahlua into my morning coffee, and generally enjoying the day with my family. This sitting in an office stuff is seriously lame. But I'm only here for this week, then I have another week off (one of those "take it now, or lose it" weeks). Since Hubby is not off, Son and I are going to do the "tourist in Toronto" thing for a few days - The ROM and the CN Tower on one day, and we'll even take the subway as my son really wants to ride a train. (One thing about living in the suburbs - you take your car everywhere). Then there's some minigolf/batting cage stuff to do, and some back to school shopping - and maybe some yarn shopping for me, you never know... Actually, depending on the weather, we may just head up to the cottage later in the week to extend the Labour Day weekend a little.
As far as vacation knitting - I got a fair bit done. Mostly small stuff that would fit in my lap easily and not overheat me, and was easy to cart down to the beach and up to the deck. Also, simple stuff I could drop a moment's notice if someone wanted a game of horseshoes, or a swim, or a boat cruise or a fly... yes, a fly. Our neighbour has a float plane, so we took Son up for a ride - great fun! It's fascinating to see the landscape from that perspective.
Right, back to knitting -


Rainbow striped socks, yarn from my LYS. I have to say, this colourway does NOTHING for me. I think its the expanses of cream between the colours that turns me off. Whatever - these are for a SIL who will love them, so that makes it alright. I'm about an inch away from the heel on the first sock.



Green regia striped socks - yarn from Elann. These I like alot. The colours are strong on their own, but together they are nicely muted, and these will be a perfect Christmas gift for a dear friend who was the best man at our wedding. One sock done, toe of the second done.



Chenille scarf in a feather and fan pattern. I dyed this rayon chenille myself, using RIT dye - I used a grey and brown, and dipped the chenille in for a very short period of time to keep the colours light. I'm very happy with how it turned out. It's a rayon chenille, so the sheen of the rayon comes through and gives the colours a pewter and bronze sheen. Originally, I though of making a rectangular shawl of this, but after starting and ripping and starting and ripping and starting and ripping yet again, I determined that there wouldn't be enough for a shawl, so scarves it is. I have two people in mind for this - a SIL and a dear friend. I'm pretty sure there is enough for two scarves of a decent length.



Icarus returns! I've got 4 repeats done of the ladder like lace pattern. THe pattern calls for 5 repeats before starting the bottom feathery charts, but I may do 6 or even 7 repeats. I certainly have enough of the alpaca, and I like a shawl to have some size to it. Once I get through 5 repeats, I'll stretch it out and decide then.



A log cabin test square. Originally, my thought was to use up all the odd balls of Briggs and Little 2 ply I had lying around (there's alot of it!), and make a blanket of many colours. But after doing this test square, I think I will make the squares out of fewer colours that are more complimentary. I have 4 different shades of green, some reds and blacks, some blues and greys, so I should be able to grab a few colours to make the squares. The entire blanket in multi-colours doesn't do it for me. I am lovin' the whole log cabin pattern though! Thanks Kay and Ann!
There are also two other socks - a red/brown striped one for my nephew for Christmas, and a cotton/elastic one (plain colours this time) that I think I will give my son's daycare provider for Christmas. I just forgot to take pictures of them. Both of them are around the heel of the first sock.
So, a productive week, I think! As much as I love lazy holidays, I do seem to have a need to use my time well. And I consider knitting to be time well spent. I knit while sitting on the beach, while lazing on the deck, having a drink with friends, while watching TV or movies at night.
Now, off to get caught up on other people's blogs! (Oh, and maybe a little work thrown in so I can continue to buy yarn...)

an FO before I go

Yup, I finished the Caribbean Surf golf socks. Can you tell I like making these? Quick, easy, sproingy yarn, cool colours... Gotta get back to Elann and order some more, methinks.

But that will have to wait a week, as we are off tomorrow for a week of beach, water, sun, fun, knitting and eating. I can't wait!
Have fun while I'm gone - I will be totally isolated from most technology (other than the basics - kitchen appliances, phone, tv and satellite dish).There's only so much "roughing it" I will do anymore - I've done my share of camping (bike, winter, tenting and RVing). No internet, no email. What will I complete? What will I start? Will my husband stop rolling his eyes at the amount of yarn and needles I am planning on taking with me?

chicken with it's head cut off

Now, doesn't that bring a lovely picture to mind? I've always wondered why I compare myself to a headless chicken when busy. (Yes, I know where the analogy came from, I just don't think it's all that attractive).
Next week, we are away - a much needed break at the cottage. So this week, I am running around like the proverbial chicken, trying to clean things up at work, get things done at home, gather what we need for the week, and all the other stuff my husband thinks just magically appear when we're ready to leave. I'm really going to have to sit him down one day and explain that "packing/laundry/shopping fairies" don't exist.

We are great believers in the "pack stuff in file boxes" method - they fit in the truck nicely and are much easier to carry. So my dining room is a maze of file boxes at the moment, and every time one of us finds something we want to take, it gets tossed into a box. (it's up to me to organize everything so that more than a pair of shoes and a kite fit into one box). There's already two boxes of yarn and WIPs, and I'm not sure if that's everything I want. Who knows? I may want to pick up my leprechaun shawl again... Or start another Icarus with this stunning silk from Yarns Plus in a "flame" colourway... or there's the chenille I dyed in a bronze/pewter blend that's screaming to be a feather and fan stole... or, well you know how it is.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I got nothing to say. No pictures of FO's. I've started turning the heel of the second Caribbean Surf sock, but really, who needs to see that? I'm hoping that by the time I get back I will have F'ed some O's to show you. Or at least, started a slew of new projects to add to my WIP pile!

the food post...

Back from the long weekend at the (powerless) cottage. Actually, the power did come back on. At 3pm Monday. 15 minutes before we got in the car and left. But that's ok. We had this:

a lovely diesel generator that was the LOUDEST thing I have ever come across. And when you factor in that the neighbours on either side also had one running, let's just say we spent alot of time away from the back of the cottage! But they kept the fridge cold, and the water running and assorted lights on to extend my knitting time.

NOTICE - if you are vegetarian, look away - this won't be pretty...



Hubby likes to tinker, and built this rotisserie a few years ago. A few times a year, we get together with the neighbours and cook something on it - our favourite is this - two boneless prime ribs wrapped and rolled for the spit. Combined with a whack of salads, it made for a tasty dinner on Saturday!

OK vegetarians, you can look again...
Continuing the food theme, there seems to be some requests for the recipe for the vegetarian quesadillas and the salsa I made when Stephanie came to visit. Easy Peasy as they say...

SALSA
tomatoes
green peppers (or red, yellow or any other sweet pepper)
red onion - can use a white sweet onion, but I like the colour of the red one
jalapeno pepper
garlic
fresh lime juice
salt
cilantro
basil
Okay, if you can only follow recipes by knowing EXACTLY how much of each ingredient is needed, stop reading now. I rarely work with set amounts and put things together until they look and taste right.(except for baking. I ALWAYS measure when I bake. Baking is as much chemistry as it is cooking, and the correct ratios are vital.)

I know that's not really helpful, but that's the way I cook. Sorry in advance if this doesn't work for you.
I use a rough dice (1/4 inch dice or thereabouts)for the tomatoes, sweet peppers and onion. The ratio is roughly 3 parts tomato, 2 parts pepper, 2 parts onion. i.e. a little more tomato. Depending on how many people are going to be attacking this, I would start with 2 or 3 good sized tomatoes and work from there. The jalapeno and garlic are finely minced, and the quantity is completely up to you as these are really more of a seasoning than a component. Like it spicy? use 2 or 3 jalapenos (or hot pepper of choice). Prone to heartburn? Use less. Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl. Chop up and add the basil and cilantro to your taste and texture (I prefer a fine chop, some like larger leafy pieces). I use a bit more basil than cilantro, but then again, I'm not fond of cilantro. Go with you taste buds. Squeeze a couple of limes worth of juice (fresh if you can, not those little plastic limes, although in a pinch, I've used them) and give everything a good stir. There will be a fair bit of liquid in the bowl - the lime juice, the tomatoes, etc. Leave this in for now, cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour to blend the flavours. Just before serving, I drain off about 2/3 of the liquid - you want to keep some, otherwise the salsa is too dry.
Lots of words, but very easy to do, and incredibly fresh tasting. No fat, either! THis will taste very different from the very tomatoey-pasty type salsas in a jar, as they are cooked and this one is not.

VEGGIE QUESADILLAS
these can't be simpler... I will list the exact ingredients I used for those that were there, but really, you can put anything in these!
tortillas - your choice of flavour, I usually use the large white flour ones, but have used the whole wheat or the cheese.
portobello mushrooms - thinly sliced
vidalia (or any other sweet) onion - thinly sliced and separated into rounds
green peppers - thinly sliced
fresh baby spinach
shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses (or Jack, or colby or whatever cheese you like)
Herb and Garlic Boursin cheese - this is a crumbly, creamy cheese. You can also use the brand Rondele. I get it at my local grocery store near the deli with the other cheeses.

Start by laying half the tortillas out on your work suface. Generously sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the tortillas. Lay out the slices of portabello mushrooms, followed by the onion rounds and pepper slices. Crumble the boursin evenly over the veggies - it will be sticky and you will get little lumps of it on the tortillas - this is ok, it melts well. cover with the baby spinach leaves, then another generous sprinkle of mozzarella and cheddar, and cover with another tortilla.
These can be cooked on the stove in a non stick pan or on the grill. The grill can get a little messy when turning them. I usually do them in a pan (make sure it's big enough for the tortilla to lay flat), and if I make then ahead and need to warm them up, I'll warm them on the grill. So, place the quesadilla in the pan, medium heat, and let cook until the cheese has started to melt, and the bottom is lightly toasted. Then flip (you may want to use two pairs of tongs, or a wide spatula - you want to keep the fillings inside) and cook the other side, pressing down to bind the veggies to the cheese as it melts, and soften them. Remove to a platter and either keep warm, or reheat if made in advance. When serving, I use a pizza cutter and cut them into sixths or eighths, and serve with salsa and sour cream. These are great either hot or at room temperature.

And yes, there was knitting on the weekend - I finished the FIL socks - going into the Christmas pile:

And one of the Caribbean Surf socks (and toe of the other):

Plus, Icarus and I became reaquainted - two of the five repeats are done, but it still looks like a pile of used blue dental floss, so no pictures.

Like moths to a flame...

Bad drivers seem to be attracted to me. What's up with that? Do I have a bumper sticker on my car that says "Please, cut me off"?? Then there's the jerk this morning - behind me at a green light where I was turning right. I was stopped, since there was a pedestrian crossing the road, and well, I'm not fond of running down pedestrians. The doofus behind me is leaning, LEANING on his horn, shaking his other fist at me! WTF?? Someone needs to reduce their caffeine intake in the morning, I think. I was really ready for him to follow me and start in on me face to face. That would have been fun. But the coward screamed off once I had made my turn, leaving half his tires behind on the road. Nice. Happy Friday to you too, jerk!

But it is Friday, and tonight starts a long weekend here in Ontario. The first Monday of August is Simcoe Day, honouring John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada.
John Graves Simcoe was more than just a colonial governor -- he abolished slavery, created Yonge Street, and even inspired the agricultural fair tradition that would give rise to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Read here if you are interested in more about Mr. Simcoe. Whatever the reason - it's a long weekend for us! That means, heading up to the cottage tonight. Where there will be nine of us. And the neighbours have 12 people up. (We're having a party on Saturday - we've got a huge rolled prime rib to do over open flame on Hubby's rotisserie) Oh yeah, thanks to Wednesday's massive thunderstorms, there is no power. And they don't expect it before Sunday. We are optimistic that it may come back before then, but, probably not. So open flame cooking and lots of ice in the coolers is our future.

Lots of knitting is being planned as well. I'm hoping to finish the FIL socks:

and I've started another golf sock:

Caribbean Surf Colourway - yummy...
Plus, Icarus is calling me. The smoking hot heatwave has abated a bit, so I can pick up alpaca again...
Happy Simcoe Day all!

She came, she talked, we laughed...

...and sweated! Man, was it hot last night! But fun! Stephanie and Susan arrived at my house last night around 5ish, and we proceeded to chat, knit, laugh and eat, slowly being joined by other members of the York Region Knitting Guild executive. We laughed, told stories, laughed some more, ate, drank - I had stocked in a supply of beer for Stephanie since the poor girl had been traveling through the southern States, and while I adore the American people, and count many of them as dear friends, their basic beer leaves something to be desired to Canadian taste buds. Yes, I have enjoyed many an American micro-brew - my husband is in the brewery business, so beer is near and dear to us.

Anyhoo, as I said we sat around (inside - the deck was just too smokin' hot) and had a grand old time. My husband and son stopped by for a nanosecond - Son was way more interested in going out to Chuck E. Cheese (a huge treat!) and husband was feeling a little surrounded, I think. A houseful of knitters can be a touch scary!

Here's Stephanie sitting in my kitchen (can you tell a young child lives here??) She also took pictures of the quintessential Canadian knitters table as she called it - beer, butter tarts, knitting, and a Clifford the Big Red Dog plate. (a relic of a past birthday party. Norma would be proud of my Yankee tendencies to haul out the extra paper plates!)
After the nosh (my veggie quesadillas and homemade salsa seemed to go over well...) we headed off to Needles and Knits in Aurora for her talk.

The girl is funny. I mean, really funny. Very self deprecating, very insightful and a ton of fun to listen to. Unfortunately, the heat was kind of overpowering, and the three fans we had going didn't quite do the job, but everyone survived to head downstairs to have Steph sign books and chat.

Steph with Susan (in black) and Connie - two of our Guild members. Susan missed the meeting the first time Stephanie came, so she was thrilled to be here for this one!

Helga didn't want her picture taken, so here's Steph with Helga's sock!


Here's Stephanie with Boop. Boop, I'm so glad you made it to the talk! Boop came all the way from Fenelon Falls, with her best friend as a surprise for the best friend's birthday. She had RSVP'd too late and we didn't have chairs, but due to some late cancellations, we were able to fit them in. Boop was also recovering from oral surgery and was pretty loaded up with Tylenol Threes. No worries, Boop! You didn't embarass yourself. (She thought the drugs might make her silly. She was silly, but not embarassingly so.)
After the signing (and another nosh at the shop), it was time for some shopping! Tove, the owner of Needles and Knits (I can't believe I didn't get a picture!!) had just returned from a knitting retreat in Iceland. She had brought back some Icelandic lace weight as well as some copies of "prihyrnur og langsjol" (sorry for the lack of Scandinavian letters), otherwise known as "three cornered and long shawls", home of the "Herna Herborgar" shawl. Steph (among others) swooned, and got out the credit card! Stephanie is one of the great yarn enablers of our time - who knew I would go home with new book, and Icelandic laceweight?

I got her back - she got a whack of the Icelandic laceweight, more sock yarn (can't wait to see the Arrrr-gyles!) as well as some manly Canadian sock yarn to send to Franklin. Hi Franklin! I was even wearing my Franklin shirt last night! One of the funniest parts of the evening? Tove (who is Norwegian) trying to get us all to pronounce the names of the Icelandic shawls correctly. It was a bunch of us all sounding like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets.
All in all, a great evening. Stephanie, any time you want to come back (and get more of that SISU wool), you are more than welcome. The fridge is stocked with beer, the quesadillas are ready to go, and the knitters are waiting. Only next time? Let's try for October. or December. or February.
LuckyCanuck - many, many heartfelt thanks for your chauffeuring skills last night. You too, are welcome back anytime you want to make the trek north. Just over a month to Kitchener!

Countdown begins...

Yup, tomorrow Stephanie comes to town! Stalking is over, welcoming starts. Plus the logistics of getting her to town, as well as all the extra people we are expecting. If you are coming - please, PLEASE be prepared - it's supposed to be ridiculously hot, and we meet in the upstairs room of a heritage house, and it will be crowded. Dress appropriately (I'll be the one in denim shorts and a golf shirt!) and bring a bottle of water or something. It will be HOT! Show off your wool handknits, but please, don't wear them!
I have a lot to do before tomorrow, so this will be kept rather short. You can be assured that posts as of Wednesday, will be slightly more interesting!
I'm also hoping the LuckyCanuck allows Steph out of her car - she is threatening to keep her hostage for a while... I know firemen - I'll keep the Jaws of Life on standby...




I did get the Fourth of July socks done, and made some progress on Icarus and some other socks.

Off again

After staying in town last weekend (and having Socks that Rock compared the Phentex - ICK!) we're back to the cottage this weekend. It's shaping up to be a quiet one - just the three of us, plus the in-laws. Even the neighbours won't be around! It will be remarkably strange - we are used to having friends and family around all the time up there. I wonder how we'll occupy ourselves?? Yeah right, like that will be a problem! Swimming, sunning, fishing (for the boys) knitting (for me). It's a rough life, but we put up with it...
Really spoiling ourselves this weekend - I stopped at our butcher and picked up a decadent treat - a beef tenderloin that Hubby will do on the spit - yum! Also, the Ontario sweet corn is starting to show, so we'll have a feed of that along with the beef - double yum!
I hope to show you the completed pair of Fourth of July golf socks after the weekend.
Next week I will have way more interesting stuff - Stephanie is coming on Tuesday, so that should be good blog fodder for a while...

picot edge clarification

A short post to clarify a point when making a picot edge... The picots are created on the "K2tog, yo" row. Then you knit the 7 or so rows for the inside hem. The hem will naturally want to fold at the picot row, and then you sew down the bind off edge.
If you aren't fond of picots (and some people aren't!) you can simply do a purl row all the way around. This too, will create a natural fold line.

Eliza also asked whether or not I switch to a smaller needle when doing the hem stitches, to avoid any flaring of the top.
If I had been able to find my 2mm needles, I probably would have - but since they have gone MIA, I didn't and to be honest, the flaring is not noticeable, so I guess I dodged a bullet there!

I was planning on adding pictures to illustrate what I'm talking about - but of course, my camera is not anywhere near me. And the memory card is full. (I know, I've got to download the pictures from last Christmas - I will, really!) And I can't find my other memory card. Didja ever have one of those days???

I've got to get my camera is shipshape soon - the Harlot is coming next week - like I'm going to let that opportunity pass by without pictures!

Weekend musings...

We had a small family get together this weekend - an Aunt of mine was in town, so my Mom had myself and my brother, our spouses and kids, some cousins and their kids and another aunt and uncle. Basically a gathering of some of my maternal side of the family. No pictures - that would contravene the whole "keeping the blog a secret" thing. Hubby was great about coming - my family can be a little off the wall, and when the Aunt in question keeps referring to him as "what's his name" in phone conversations, I can't blame him. (I guess 14 years of marriage don't count). Actually, it's really his lack of Francophone background that has her peeved. And not just my husband - of her 13 nieces and nephews, only 3 have married Francophones. What really gets her is that all three of her sisters that married (my Mom among them), ALSO married Anglos! Personally, I find this hilarious. She is so concerned about us "diluting" our French heritage (yes, she used this term to me), that she can't see how great these people are. I should also mention the score here - married Franophones? all three divorced. married anglos? 6 - all still married.
The get together was pretty good - thanks to my Mom, who did a wonderful job of keeping everyone fed and happy. She also made sure my aunt had a few sherries before we arrived, so her sharp edges were somewhat blunted. This is a good thing. It was great to connect with some of my cousins again - we don't keep in touch as much as we should, and that's a shame. We made all the promises about rectifying that, so we can only hope that we carry through with it.
I did pull out a sock in progress while I was there - all conversation ceased while everyone stared. Please people! I am quite capable of carrying on a conversation whilst knitting a sock! I had to explain that a few times. Then there was the inevitable question about "how I get the yarn to change colours like that", and having to explain self striping sock yarn. Of course my well-sherried aunt had to comment on how she knits as well, but she wouldn't dream of using wool like I was - "what a waste!" were her words - "no one can tell the difference between wool and "orlon" (as she calls acrylic). She showed me the bootie she was working on - in PHENTEX! and she compared it to the Socks that Rock that I was using. Ack! I didn't even want to TOUCH the phentex, let alone let it anywhere near my beloved STR! For the sake of family unity, I didn't get into it, but REALLY! I'll debate the relative merits of Fleece Artist vs. STR any time, but please don't ask me to compare merino to Phentex. Ever. I've made my share of fun fur scarves - I admit it. But now? Fibre Snob? You betcha!

I've been outed as a stalker!

As posted on Stephanie's blog yesterday, I've arranged to have her back to the York Region Knitting Guild. Back, you say? Well, yes. She was kind enough to visit us last year - we kept it kinda secret so that she wouldn't be inundated with requests. For those wondering how I did it - well, persistence is a word that has been attributed to me - Stalking is another. Assume whatever you want...
Either way, I've got the goofy grin thing going - I've been linked by Stephanie! How cool is that? And she's coming to our Guild! And dinner! (oops! did I mention that? That part stays private. I can imagine knitters checking out restaurants all over Aurora on August 1st, looking for a large group of women, knitting between courses). Please don't try this - you really won't find us...
I'm a little concerned about the number of people coming. The room where we meet can handle a few, but if you are planning on coming, drop Jen an email at ripandjen@look.ca so we can prepare.

I've started another cotton golf sock - the 4th of July colourway.


This colourway is pooling differently than the licorice allsorts socks, where the pink kind of swirled around the sock. This one seems to be keeping the red and the blues separate - I like it so far.

Also, I had a question yesterday about the picot edge I used on my Fleece Artist socks, and how it is done. Since I get so few comments, I figured it would be rude not to answer!
When the sock is as long as I want it to be, I do a row of K2tog, YO, all the way around.
Then I knit a few more rows (the inside of the hem - I usually knit about 7 rows).
Then I bind off - I use a stretchy bind off, and usually go up at least one needle size - i.e. I knit the socks with a 2.25mm and bind off with a 3mm needle. The bind off I use is: K2tog, place this stitch back on the left needle, K2tog, place this stitch back on the left needle, and so on. It makes for a non-binding bind-off. There is also a sewn cast off that Wendy uses, but I have had no problem with the one I use, so I will keep going with it.
Finally, I sew the edge down, LOOSELY. This is the key - it has to be tight enough so the hem lies flat, but loose enough to have some give. It's really a case of trying it yourself and doing what works best for you.
(Is it obvious that I'm not a very good pattern writer?)This is too bad, since there are a lot of pattern ideas swirling around in my head. I'm going to have to do something about that...

FA FO* and AC**

*Fleece Artist Finished Object

I love this yarn. It knits up beautifully, very similar to Socks that Rock. The only issue I have with this is:

see the colour difference? I KNOW it's a handpainted yarn. I expect colour differences. But we're talking about the same skein here, not two different balls. One sock is significantly darker than the other. Significantly. To be honest, I bugs me a bit, but not enough to rip out or do anything else. These are headed to the Christmas box, designated for either my MIL or one of my SIL. It's my usual toe up, short row toe and heel - the only deviation from my regular brainless pattern is the picot edge top, rather than ribbing. I like this top and will use it again.

I think it's very pretty, and surprisingly, the sock doesn't sag. Yet. (I only wore them for as long as it took to take the picture at 6am this morning).
Yes, I am awake at 6am. Against my will and better judgement. I need coffee and newspaper time to myself in the morning, so I force myself to get up at 5:30 to get it before I wake up the boys in my life. By the time hubby is showered and ready for the day, Son is dressed and having breakfast and I am out the door. Hubby handles the morning drop off, I get the Boy in the afternoon - it's a good system.
**This morning it was easier to get out of bed - our AC crapped out last night. And Hubby is leaving this afternoon for a business trip for three days. The good news? I have to leave work early tomorrow to wait for the fix-it guy. The bad news? Yarn money will be spent on fixing my AC. But needs are needs - Icarus is knit in alpaca. Alpaca and heat do not get along. I've got to the point on Icarus where I really don't need the pattern - it is easily memorized.

Hopefully, I'll have cooler news for you tomorrow - i.e. air conditioned news...

Weather and other ramblings

As Lucky Canuck has told you, we've had some interesting weather in the Toronto area lately. Monday evening, it was lovely, if a little hot. I got home from work early enough to walk over to the sitter's to pick up DS, and we had a nice few minutes walking home together as he told me all about his day. I love these times. He's 7, so I have a few more years befor the secretive teenage years start. I'm hoping he stays as open as he is, but I remember myself as a teen, and well, I can only hope. Then again, I'm keeping this blog a secret, so I guess I've never really outgrown it. Doesn't bode well for the boy. Where was I? Oh yeah, weather. So DS and I have a nice dinner out on the deck - Hubby was out. We watch Mythbusters, and he goes to sleep. I'm lying in bed, reading, and all of a sudden, our calm evening turns into wind, rain and lightning from hell. While Lucky lost power for the entire night, we only flickered - long enough to make me run around the house resetting all the clocks. (Why does every appliance I own need a clock?) I ended up sitting on the front porch (protected) watching the lightning show - it was amazing. But I am slightly worried about a couple of trees. We have a huge birch outside out living room and master bedroom windows. Birches are not known for their longevity or their resistance to wind, but so far so good. We also have a sugar maple near the driveway that doesn't seem to be doing so good. Only half of it has leaves, and that can't be a good sign. If it does go, my car will be the victim - the tree is right beside the driveway. I am calling an arborist to come and take a look. I fear they will tell us it has to come down. DId I mention that right below it is my favourite shade garden? Because the tree provides SHADE? Man, I'm going to have to replant...

Knitting? Ummmmm, yeah, I do some of that. No pictures, though. Do you really need to see an extra inch of another sock? Or the first few inches of Icarus? Or 2 inches of a hemp towel? You do? Well, you'll have to wait.

At a loss for words...

For those that know me, being at a loss for words is a rare situation. I can usually find SOMETHING to talk about.
But not today. The knitting is going along - everything is at a different level of completion. I will probably concentrate on the Seashore Fleece Artist socks - I'm about 4 rows away from the picot row, then the turn down part, sewing up and done. There are a couple (well, actually 4) more pairs on the needles that will need some attention. Plus the Icarus shawl and the Mason Dixon hemp teatowel. And the Whisper Scarf. Oh, the the lonely one mitt wonders. And... well, I can tell you about ALL my UFO's now can I? A girl's got to have some secrets...

Hot, hot heat...

Whew! That was one hot weekend! And today is no better - 35C (95F) with a humidex expected around 45C (113F). And here's how silly it is. I'm wearing a sleeveless linen blouse, and because our business owner seems to care nothing for the environment, I need a WOOL SHAWL in order to comfortably sit at my desk and work. At least I dodged the bullet on Friday, and I'm way too busy to get involved in anything today, so I'm hoping to stay invisible.
Enough ranting - on to the knitting! I finished the licorice allsorts socks:

Project specs - toe up - short row toe and heel. Elann Esprit Cotton/Elastic sock yarn. 52 stitches on 3mm needles. Knitted to just above the ankle, 3 rows of 1x1 ribbing. There was enough yarn left of each of the balls to make a calf high sock, easily. This is a much bigger needle than I usually use for socks (usually I use a 2 or 2.25mm), but this sock is much thicker. The elastic makes them very cushy, and I hope will be perfect for my golfer friend and her pink and black golf shoes!

I also started a couple of new things (What? What? You can't be surprised by this. Really now...) I had the hemp with me at the cottage, and started the Mason Dixon chevron tea towel in raspberry for my Mom. My Mom is the queen of all things pink. I also have some of the hemp in a soft seashell pink for her as well. I love this pattern - two rows in and the pattern is memorized - perfect beach knitting! It is looking a little loose, but I am hoping the hemp will bloom a bit, plus, once it softens that should make a difference. I know, I could have swatched and washed the swatch. But what fun is that? (I don't swatch well, if ever. Shoot me now).
I also started the Icarus shawl from the current Interweave Knits. I rarely make anything from this magazine lately, but this shawl is beautiful. My one SIL has been heavily hinting since last Christmas for a blue shawl. I seem to make one shawl for one SIL each year, and this SIL will treat it very well, so it's her turn. I'm loving the pattern, but won't be tempted to keep it, as I am using the same blue alpaca as my Fiddlesticks shawl. Since I already have one, I won't keep it. That is the reason I'm using the alpaca - otherwise, I'd want this for me!! No pictures - I'll try and get some soon, but lace before blocking just looks like used dental floss.
My other SIL gave me a great idea for Christmas gifts - throw cushions. Two of the girls are redecorating, so this might just work. Plus, I can whip them up on the machine when crunch time comes! Stay tuned for more on this...

Hello? Is anybody out there...

Now, I'm really not insecure. Well, maybe a little, but really, I'm pretty happy with my lot in life, and feel good about the contributions I make to life in general. But if you're out there and reading this, could you maybe let me know? A little comment to say hi? I'm not trying to be a comment whore, and I certainly don't want to become Stephanie with 600 comments a day (I'd feel like I'd have to reply to all of them, and then, well, I'd have to either warp the time space continuum, or give up sleeping. Physics was never my strong suit, and sleeping is way too important to me. Unfortunately, I never get enough.

So last night - one of THOSE nights. Son has soccer at 7pm. I race out of work, pick him up, we drop in at the butcher shop (decide to spoil ourselves with fabulous rib steaks and smoked salmon this weekend), get home, make him some dinner, change for soccer, go to soccer, get home around 8:30, leave son with hubby to put to bed, race out to library before it closes (they had Knitting Nature on hold for me - I want to check it out before buying...) off to the grocery store for weekend supplies, race home, start our dinner, while unloading the dishwasher.
Off to a meeting this morning - the same one where I was reamed last week - I am SO NOT looking forward to this. What I am looking forward to is going to the cottage tonight. It is already stinking hot, so I foresee a late night swim once we arrive.
I hope everyone's weekend is stellar. Enjoy...

The girl can't help it, she really can't help it...

Sigh. More shopping. No, not more yarn. These. Franklin cracks me up, and I just love the humour in these shirts. I want to be Dolores in my other life.

Other than that, not much is going on. Knitting away on the licorice allsorts socks - I'm loving the bigger yarn on bigger needles, and the fact that golf socks stop at the ankles. I've got one done and the second is halfway up the foot. I should finish these puppies on the weekend. Yup- back to the cottage for the weekend to escape the forecasted 30C (with a humidex of over 40C) For the non Celcius of the bunch - that's just DAMN HOT. At home we may have air conditioning, but what fun is there in sitting inside your house all weekend with the shades drawn, when we can sit at (or in) the lake? And yes, I know how incredibly lucky we are to have this option. Even with all the work and worry that comes with a cottage, it is a luxury that not many are able to enjoy, and we count out blessings every time we go there.
I'll take a couple of pairs of socks for variety and the brown mohair/silk scarf probably. Maybe the Fiona Ellis tank top if I can find the right needles. Maybe my bag of Briggs and Little worsted for the Mason Dixon log cabin project. The joys of having so many projects on the go - I rarely get bored...

Mmmm, white boxes...

OK, so I'll cop to ordering more Elann yarn. So sue me. (actually, envy me - this is some nice stuff!)

Elann Canapone 100% Hemp. To be honest, at the moment, it feels like the hard twine I use for trussing chickens, but I have been told that it softens incredibly once washed. I am picturing some of the tea towels from Mason Dixon Knitting. And yes, that is the Barbara Walker Second Treasury there - can you believe I didn't own any of her books until this point? I have a ton of books on all kinds of crafts (including those that I have no interest in pursuing). But not a single Barbara Walker. After flipping through this, I'm ready to order the set! I just have to do it in small increments - the credit card is getting a little overworked these days...

For those that were wondering about the other 5 colourways of the Elann Esprit Cotton Elastic sock yarn - here's the first white box that showed up this week:

The blue, white and red is also for my golfing buddy - the rest is not yet designated for anyone. Maybe I'll make some golf socks for moi! If I ever get out on the links again. I've gone from someone who had her clubs in the car from May until October, ready at a moment's notice, to someone whose clubs are still in the basement this year. Sigh. Seven year old son's schedule keeps me busy...

I swear, that's it for the white boxes for a while! Really...

What's a girl to do...

What I am supposed to do when I get home and see that lovely white box sitting on my doorstep? (For those that don't know, Elann ships their stuff in beautiful white boxes)...

If you're me, you dive right in and start ANOTHER sock! Elann's Esprit cotton/elastic blend in the "licorice allsorts" colourway. I bought this stuff (and 5 other colourways, cough, cough) to make golf socks for my friend Sue - an avid golfer and curler and the best friend someone could ask for. Maybe I'll tell her I'm blogging one of these days! She loves black and pink together, so this seemed perfect. The nice thing about this yarn is fewer stitches and bigger needles, so faster progress. Usually I use a 2.25mm and 64 stitches for a sock. These are on 3mm and there are 52 stitches. Doesn't seem like much of a difference, but it is.
I've also got another pair of socks to show (really, I do knit other stuff!) - this was a pair I did using a different kind of dying experiment. I took the yarn and machine knit two "blanks" - simple rectangles of stockinette - takes about 5 minutes on the knitting machine for each, especially since gauge didin't matter. I then laid the rectagles out side by side in a rectangular pyrex dish and put the kool-aid on in strips - blue at the bottom, green in the middle and orange at the top. Cooked the dish to set the dye, let the blanks dry, then wound the yarn - unravelling the blanks and winding into balls. Started knitting at one end, watched the colours change and presto - tri colour socks. The yarn I used was Knitpicks Dye your own, by the way. I'm really happy how they turned out!

Now, before you think I am that exact with my dying to have the colours change at exactly the same spot - no way. There was some cutting of yarn to make sure the colours change at the same spot. I'm not really anal, but this made sense to me.
I've got three more skeins of the Dye Your Own, and a whole package of Wilton Cake Dyes. I'm picturing some spring-y socks in green, yellow, violet, and some more autumn-y ones - tan, blue, orange and yellow. Maybe something kind of Christmassy?

Done!

I actually finished a couple of things this weekend - the suede booties (this was a no-brainer - they only take about an hour each...) and the pink mohair/silk ruffly scarf. I love this Ovation yarn - 75% kid mohair, 25% silk, or as someone near and dear to me described it - goat and worm poop. Yeah. Thanks for that romantic vision of lovely yarn...


the booties are equally sweet.


These are being sent off shortly to B.C. - a co-worker is due this fall. One of the co-workers I like - a rare thing around this job. I'v said it before - I'm really looking forward to getting out of here - If you're so inclined, pray I get a phone call in the next little while...

As per the norm, we were at the cottage on the weekend. This was a much needed weekend, as Friday was horrible - I was made to look like an incompetent by the owner of our company, in front of the entire staff. He just talked over my discussion, asking if I really knew what my job was and how to do it. At that point, I just shut up. It's one thing to defend yourself, it's something completely different when he won't listen. At least 6 people came up to me afterwards, commiserating with me. It seems to be my turn this month. Great. I can't wait until Friday so we can go north again! And in August - we'll take our vacation there. Ah, heaven!

Of course, what would a cottage weekend with kids be without the current trend of a Diet Coke/Mentos geyser? 15 feet of Diet Coke straight up - the result of adding 6 Mentos to a 2 litre bottle. The kids were ecstatic.



The things we do...

Me an' Wendy...

Is it wrong that I am slightly psyched by the fact that Wendy and I are knitting the same colourway of Fleece Artist sock?

(the one on the right - "seashore" colourway)
I think that's pretty cool, but to be honest, if it was Stephanie and I knitting the same thing, well then you'd have to smack me upside the head to knock the goofy grin off my face. (I will admit to some heroine worship here.)

Heading north again tonight - some serious knitting time ahead of me. One of the joys of summer is how late it stays light - we won't start our drive until around 8pm, by the time we get stuff done around the house, and it stays light until around 9:30, so there's a solid hour and a half of sock knitting time - small, mindless, so I can carry on a conversation - perfect! Saturday and Sunday - sittin' by the beach, knitting bag beside me - now that's a good use of time. Then there is the car ride back home - another 2 1/2 hours with the needles. I love the cottage on so many levels...
I should probably have some FO's to show next week - Finished objects - such an alien concept for me. I'd have a contest to see who could guess what I will finish, but considering the readership of this blog, its dead nuts sure LuckyCanuck would win!

Lace WIPS

Lace Wips - if someone googles and spells "whips" wrong, they will be sadly disappointed when they get here!

As much as I knit socks, I also love knitting lace - hence the Fiddlesticks Florence Scarf shown previously. Another Fiddlesticks project on the go is the Whisper Scarf, in cream Zephyr - delicious stuff!

The only change I have made to this project is the smaller-than-recommended needles - they recommend a 4mm or 4.5mm, I am using a 3.25mm. I wanted this to be more of a neck-warming scarf, rather than an open weave shoulder warmer. I do like the fabric as it's coming along.
Then there's this one...

don't get me wrong - I love the Leaf Lace shawl pattern from Fiber Trends, and green is my favourite colour - it's just, well, I should know better than to use varigated wool sometimes. I mean, it has its place, but the place is not this shawl. The yarn itself is quite nice - Knitpicks merino laceweight in the Leprechan colourway, but the varigations are just not doing it for me. I will probably finish this, and overdye it to tone down the colourway - Either that or I frog it and overdye the yarn itself - opinions? Of course I could finish it, and decide it's great as is. Who knows?

As is becoming painfully obvious, I start way more things than I finish. I do actually finish quite a few things - I try to give something hand knitted to everyone at Christmas. Most of the UFOs are things that are destined for me, so they seem to get pushed aside when I decide to make something for someone else. That's ok - I like giving hand knit stuff away, especially to those that appreciate it. Those that don't, well, they don't get much. My brother and SIL are good examples - they each have one pair of handknit socks. They both "couldn't believe I would waste my time - didn't I know you can buy perfectly good socks - probably better quality than these?" Yeah, thanks for that. Off the list. They now get gift certificates at Christmas. Then there's my Mom, MIL and FIL - they care for their hand knits. They wear them, wash them properly and wear them again and again. I love that! My MIL even darns the socks. Wow.
I'm starting to plan my Christmas knitting for this year (I have a BIG extended family and group of friends. I need to start early). Last year, the girls got felted Sophie bags with beaded handles a la Norma, and Elann baby cashmere scarves. The guys got merino neck warmers. Now, before you think I have tons of time, I also have a knitting machine - the neck warmers and scarves were EXTREMELY quick that way. This year, I'm thinking felted slippers for the girls - there are far fewer guys on the list, so socks may do it (gift certificates for the non-sockers). Does anyone have any ideas for a great gift that can be done over and over and won't break my bank?

York Region Knitting Guild

As I mentioned yesterday, I belong to a Knitting Guild, that was to remain nameless unless I got their permission to broadcast it. Well, last night, they agreed to let me talk! (Trust me, it's pretty hard to keep me from talking, but I did not want to say anything unless they agreed.) Privacy being what it is, information will be sufficiently vague in order to protect the innocent. The York Region Knitting Guild encompasses an area north of Toronto, ON - our members come from all over - from Thornhill through to Barrie, and all points in between. We are pretty widespread as far as location, and Aurora is the centralized meeting area - upstairs at Needles and Knits (a FABULOUS yarn store!), the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm. If you're in the area, come join us! We have a very diverse membership, from knitters just learning to people that produce Kaffe Fassetts and Dale of Norways like there's no tomorrow. (I'm in awe most of the time...) Every one is willing to share tips, tricks and techniques, we ooooh and aaaaah over WIP's and FO's, and generally have a great time together. We have wonderful guest speakers (Fiona Ellis, Maureen Mason-Jamieson are two that come to mind), and presentations from yarn producers - Wellington Fibres. All in all, I have been very lucky to find this group and be welcomed by them.

Another project:


I did a kool-aid dying experiment at the Guild a few months back and ended up with some space dyed 1 ply Briggs and Little. Not enough to do much, so I came up with the idea of making the hat brims, then making the hat out of alpaca to be softer against the forehead. I've completed one, a pale pink alpaca with just a regular ribbed brim (not shown), this one is a brim pattern worked laterally - it's a lacy arrow pattern from a stitch dictionary. I will then take the blue alpaca, and pick up around the edge to make the hat. Maybe. I may also make this into an ear warmer band and line it with the alpaca. I tend to design on the fly. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - I'll let you know.

I also picked up some fabulous blue Mandarin Petit cotton last night to make the Fiona Ellis lacy edge cable tank top from her book Inspired Cable Knits. I was leaning to the green, but Elizabeth pushed the blue - smart girl, that Elizabeth...

And in another case of starting something before finishing ANYTHING... Blue Suede Booties! The Ugg Booties from DIYnet. Two pregnancies around me, so these should be fun and fast. Elizabeth to the rescue again - she recommended the Phildar Neige instead of Berroco Plush (which I couldn't find). I already had the blue suede in my stash. (Using stash yarn - what a concept...)

cottage knits

Well, we're back from the glorious north. I know, it was only three days, and we won't be up there for an extended period of time until our holidays in August, but still, three days is three days. Swimming with the kids (son and nephews), getting the garden in shape, re-connecting with the neighbours over drinks, all the stuff cottaging is supposed to be. Oh yeah, great food, and lots of knitting time!


Socks that Rock - Metamorphic colourway. I love this stuff. I am keeping these, even though there were some thinly veiled hints, and one outright request for them! For those interested, I do a toe up, short row toe, short row heel sock. Usually stockinette, usually ribbing around the top, but for women I've been starting to use a picot edge a la Claudia . I really like it. I sometimes branch out into a lace patterned leg. It's not that I don't like variety, it's just that sock knitting is my "go-to" knitting when I don't want to look at charts, count rows, or do anything but knit mindlessly. That's why I love great sock yarn - I let it do the work!


A ruffly (very ruffly!!) scarf in a mohair/silk blend - not Kidsilk haze, but virtually the same - just lower in price. It's produced by S.R. Kertzer, and I can't for the life of me remember the name of this stuff. I've used KSH, and this stuff is absolutely interchangeable. But I get three balls for the price of two KSH! This is my own design, but nothing that hasn't been done by a ton of knitters I'm sure. I cast on a bunch of stitches (about 80), using about a 5mm needle. I knit into the front and back of each stitch, then knit a few rows, then increased in every other stitch and knit a few rows, and did this a few more times. My plan is to have it about 3-4 inches deep from the cast on row to the cast off row. The number of stitches has increased to about a thousand (? - maybe more, I'm not that interested in counting them!)and I am knitting the final 3-4 rows (no increases) with 8mm needles . The plan is that the ruffles will fall about the neck, framing the face of the wearer. Let's hope it works! I should have this done this week - the joys of mindless garter stitch, even if it is in laceweight mohair...

Blogger seems to be limiting my pictures today - not that there was a whole lot else to see...

More tomorrow - I have my knitting Guild meeting tonight - I will ask them how they feel about being out on the 'net - I won't show anyone who doesn't want to be shown, nor will I mention the name of hte Guild unless they agree.
Hopefully they do agree - they're a fabulous bunch, and some of the best knitters I know!