Knit Me to the End of Time

Ode to a Monster

2011-11-30T20:30:00.000-04:00

Everyone needs a favorite monster, right? Well, as far as I can tell, Older Son's favorite monster is none other than Cookie Monster! Despite the fact that we live in a camouflage and ball cap kind of area, my Older Son decided about 3 years ago that he just wasn't a ball cap kind of guy and he has been wearing "beanie" style hats ever since... There have been a few of them. There was the Archery Beanie. Then there was the black beanie with the white skull... Then there were 2 white beanies with black skulls... The second white beanie wasn't all that old when suddenly I realized that I hadn't seen it for a while and Older Son started to ask for a Cookie-esque hat. It was only once I had made the new hat that I was told what had happened to the last hat. He had given it away - to a GIRL!!! I was seriously not impressed.
I was telling the other knitters about this at my last monthly knit night. One of the older and clearly wiser knitters pointed something out to me: that I had been paid quite a compliment! A hand knit hat wouldn't likely be the first choice for a keepsake for most teenage boys. She also very rightly pointed out that the influx of hat requests from his friends is also a compliment. Sometime it is very useful to have a different perspective on things. Thanks, Joan!

My "go to" hat pattern has become this one. I have never made it as written and have never used the original skull, but I have used the basic hat part MANY times.

(Almost) Instant Gratification

2011-11-27T20:30:00.000-04:00

With everything going on at work these days, and sometimes feeling overwhelmed at home, too - it isn't easy being a wife, mother and employee all at the same time - I felt the need to accomplish something recently. Start to finish. Period. Where did I turn? To my knitting, of course! Specifically, a baby sweater. It had no intended recipient, I just needed something that I could start and complete and be satisfied with the product. Isn't it cute???
I took it to my knitting group for "Show'n'Tell" at our last meeting. The next day I received an e-mail from one of our beginner knitters asking if I would sell it. Her great-niece had just had a baby girl. SOLD!!! She was pleased to be able to give a handknit sweater. I was pleased that the sweater had found itself a good home. Handknitting won't make you rich, but if you can cover the cost of your yarn, it is all good.
The yarn is SMC Baby Wool in Light Pink. The pattern is Bolero A. It is a nice washable wool - although dry flat - that is a good price point, with great colours. I really enjoyed knitting this little sweater.

But I Remember Being Pregnant...

2011-11-23T12:16:00.000-04:00

Although I remember being pregnant with Younger Son, based on this photo, it appears that he is the result of cloning. He looks just like Mr. Me!!! (Who you can see in the mirror...)

Something To Look Forward To

2011-11-22T21:06:00.000-04:00

Things have been kind of wearing me down for a while. Anyone who might happen to still bother to read me probably already knows this. I am still looking for a way to find a better balance and perspective in my life. But until I manage that - which after a particularly brutal day at work, seems further away than ever - I'm really trying to enjoy the small things in life. To all the Americans out there, happy Thanksgiving on Thursday. Despite economic woes, us North Americans really are lucky to live where we do. And just because I care so much about the North American economy, Augusta, Maine - look out!!! We are coming Black Friday shopping again. Fifth year. Our lists have gotten shorter as the kids have gotten older, but we enjoy getting away all the same - and maybe more. We may miss Oriental Jade this year, but Olive Garden, we will be there. Now - what should I pack for a knitting project? Perhaps my father-in-laws Christmas socks...?

Parking Lot Rules?

2011-11-12T23:15:00.000-04:00

Having learned to drive as an adult, my experience with driver education isn't really all that old. Despite being in my late(ish) forties, I have only been driving for approximately 15 years. As a rather nervous adult student, I paid very close attention to what they told me... And I honestly don't remember there being a series of "parking lot rules".
Thursday evening after work, I headed over to the grocery store to pick up a few things - actually quite a few things. Living in the country, I am often surprised at how much less expensive it is to buy some things in the city. Every so often, I take advantage of this and drive to work so I can run errands afterwards. I pull into the parking lot and start scanning the lot for a spot to park. I don't mind walking a bit. I don't need to be right at the door. I spotted a couple of spots side by side. I pulled into one of the just as the woman in the facing spot was backing out. I looked quickly and drove through. Imagine my surprise when some "lady" puts down her window and says:
You're not supposed to enter the spot from behind!
My reply: Is that a rule?
Her response: Yes - it is!!!
My reply: Is that written down?
Her response: Seriously!!!
Following which she drove away... Now, if I had seen her waiting for the spot, I wouldn't have pulled through - no big deal. I've had the same thing happen to me many times, and while it can be irksome, I just move along and find another spot. Over the past couple of days, I have been watching people more carefully in parking lots to try to determine whether I was really doing something that just isn't done. Having witnessed many drive throughs, I've got to say that it appears to be common practice. I'm pretty sure that they told me in drivers education that this was perfectly acceptable, and could actually be the safest thing to do, but I am still questioning myself. So - tell me, are there parking lot rules that I just don't know about? Have risked bad parking lot karma? While I know that I don't always succeed, I do at least try to be polite and considerate.
I found the whole thing to be rather shocking and off putting. I consoled myself with the Holiday issue of Vogue Knitting...

Some Days Are Just Better Than Others...

2011-10-31T20:22:00.000-03:00

Hello to anybody out there who might still be watching for updates from me. Okay - so the wheels aren't exactly back on, but some days are better than others.
As an example - this summarizes a recent bad day... Yes, this is my employer. No, I was not one of the people who received "a letter", so I guess that while it was a bad day overall at the office, it was worse for some than it was for me. Yes, I know that in this economy, I should really just be grateful to have a good job. I'm still working on the whole big picture thing...
Now today would not count as being a particularly special or unusual day in any way, shape or form - with one exception. I am back doing what is my "real" job after almost 4 years of assignments. This means that I am back dealing with clients. I had a client visit today. A client I had never met before. Imagine my delight when one of the client staff was wearing a hand knit Viking hat, complete with braids!!! He looked fabulous! It made my day. Engineers are clearly way more fun than their reputation might lead one to believe...

And Then The Wheels Came Off...

2011-05-16T19:57:00.000-03:00

No - not literally, figuratively. I'm pretty sure that part of what put me off course was the Easter Weekend. We had company. That shouldn't have been a big deal, but sometimes when you have your whole family demanding something of you all at the same time, well, it is just overwhelming.
Having grown up in a Presbyterian household, we didn't bother too much with things like Lent, and the whole "fish on Fridays" thing was just an excuse to enjoy some good fish. Or so I thought. Mr. Me grew up Anglican, although his mother was raised Roman Catholic. This may sound stupid, but for me that results in PRESSURE! I have to give up something that I enjoy... I have to follow special rules for meals... This should not have been a big deal, but it was.
And then Younger Son turned 11... First off, how the heck did that happen? Add in a sleepover party with a gang of 10 and 11 year old boys, my mother-in-law, two homemade birthday cakes (one for the party and one for the real birthday), obnoxious and much too forward 10 and 11 year girls calling incessantly on the Sunday morning because they knew that the boys were here for a sleepover, helping my niece move, having to buy all of the Easter Bunny stuff and the birthday presents, and well, I am afraid that I may have temporarily lost my mind!
So - here is a question: I know that I am not the only working Mom/wife out there. Why am I so stressed? Or are the rest of you just better at hiding it? Help! I need some coping tips.

In keeping with my previous theme of Peace and Happiness, I should add something positive shouldn't I? I'm taking a drop spindle class on Sunday morning at Londonwul. I can't wait!

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 16

2011-04-21T19:19:00.000-03:00

I took today as a vacation day. That means that including today, I have 5 days off in a row! Yippee!!! I'm feeling very much the need to recharge a bit. Today was spent doing some housework, some cooking, a little cross stitch and some knitting. All in all, a very peaceful kind of day. I like being at home.
One of Mr. Me's friends has a wife that I have never gotten along with. I could come up with a number of reasons as to why, with me being able to find fault on both sides, but I think that the crux of it is that our life views are very different. She simply must have a large group of people around her at all times and have plans made months in advance. For me, that causes stress. I like nothing more than hanging out at home and puttering around, either alone, with family or with friends. For her, that would be an indicator of failure in her life. For me, the peace of my home is a sign of success.
I should also say that I am happy today because I finally found my camera! Now to get those batteries charged and upload some photos...

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 15

2011-04-21T19:12:00.000-03:00

Yes, I am late yet again... But I went knitting yesterday evening, and didn't make it out at lunchtime to blog either. I spent my lunchtime running errands. My key errand yesterday was picking up outrageous quantities of cat litter... The catboys will only use one kind, and it is both difficult to find and expensive, so for the sake of being able to use a discount coupon worth $20, I bought 90 pounds of cat litter. Given that the roads weren't great yesterday evening for the ride home, I was grateful to have the extra weight in the back of the car since I have already taken off my winter tires.

Yesterday it really was the knitting that brought me happiness, although having dinner with my niece beforehand and bringing her home for approximately 1.5 weeks to stay with us makes me happy, too. You can't choose your family, but I would have chosen my older sister and her family anyways.

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 14

2011-04-19T19:33:00.000-03:00

Do you ever feel like you're stuck in a rut? That would be me these days, which probably at least in part explains why I'm trying to figure out the things that actually bring me little bits of happiness and peace. Many days, it is easier to find the things that have annoyed me or just niggled at me...

It has occurred to me that part of the reason I feel like I am in a rut is that I cannot count! This could be a bad thing for a qualified accountant, no? I did Day 8 twice!!! We are now back on track. Today really is Day 14. If I was superstitious, I could try claiming that it was an effort to avoid Day 13, which was really yesterday, but that would be a lie. I have no issues with numbers. Days of the week? Well that is another story, but considering that I have been finding Mondays and Tuesdays difficult, I may have to revisit my longstanding dislike of Thursday. Maybe Thursday isn't so bad after all and was just misunderstood in my youth?

Today was an odd and solitary day at the office. There were very few people around as the vast majority of the staff on the floor where my office is located were away at a meeting. I live in an odd limbo kind of world anyways. My office is physically located in one city, but I report to a different branch in a different city. Back in the summer following "The Big Un-Invite" (I'll tell the story some other time), I was removed from all e-mail distribution lists that relate to the city where my office physically is... That means that until I found another living and breathing person this morning, I had the odd feeling that maybe I wasn't supposed to be at work today.

While I am not sure that I am the most social person, I do find it disconcerting when no one is around to even say "Hi" to. Tomorrow will be much that same at the office, but considering that it is the third Wednesday of the month, I am happy in anticipation of going knitting tomorrow night. I haven't been able to go in months and I have really very much missed it. We are a very eclectic bunch of ladies, but we always have so much fun. Now - if only the weather forecast was better and I didn't have to be anxious about - wait for it - up to 15 cm (6 inches) of snow and ice pellets... Hey - Winter, you have overstayed your welcome!

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 12

2011-04-18T19:33:00.000-03:00

Quirky things make me happy! Why? Because they often tell an interesting and charming tale of someone else's creativity. Today, I noticed that one of my nieces had posted something on her sister's Facebook wall.

How cool is that? A Knitting Clock! I really hope that they won't mind that I used their photo... Check out the details here.

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 11

2011-04-18T19:27:00.000-03:00

Sunday's blog post is brought you a day late because weekends are too short! If any of the political parties would like to put a four day work week into their platform, it would pretty well guarantee them my vote. I know it isn't going to happen, but just saying...
Like many people, I am a creature of habit. One of my habits on a Sunday afternoon is to take a nap. I missed my nap last weekend and discovered that I really missed it! Yesterday was a very rainy and windy day which meant it was perfect for napping. My Sunday afternoon naps make me happy, and they bring me peace. It is just a little bit of pampering for myself.

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 10

2011-04-16T18:47:00.000-03:00

Saturday is one of the days when Knitting Pattern Central is updated with new patterns. While it always makes me happy to see new knitting patterns, one of the things that I find particularly appealing about this site is the generosity that is inherent in what is shared. Some wonderfully talented and creative people are prepared to grant us access to their wonderful work for free - work which they could easily sell. Knowing that there are people out there who are driven by the joy of sharing their work makes me happy. Although, I can also see the other side of the coin - we all need to make a living and put food on the table - seeing a bit of balance is nice, too. And yes, I will admit it, sometimes having a positive experience with a free pattern makes me much more inclined to pay for a pattern from the same designer.

In Serach of Peace and Happiness - Day 9

2011-04-16T09:10:00.000-03:00

Yes, once again I am a little late... But even though yesterday was Friday, it took until the very end of the day for me to come up with something.
Last night when I got into bed, our newest family member came up to join me. About a month ago, we became the owners of a second cat. I'd post a picture, but my camera is still MIA and the firewalls on my work e-mail won't let me access the photo from the shelter... His name is Caesar. Why? Because Younger Son chose him on March 15th - Beware the ides of March... Yes, a BIG name for a little cat, but he is definitely up for the challenge.
We've had Tiger for about 4.5 years now, and we love him, but he is not a cuddly cat. He doesn't purr or express any sort of affection for his slaves. Caesar is kind of the anti-Tiger... He purrs at the time and will cuddle up with his people just because he likes us!
Last night, lying in bed, with a cat under the covers next to me purring, I could imagine anywhere safer or more peaceful.

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 8

2011-04-15T13:26:00.000-03:00

Yes, I am both a day late and a dollar short... I have nothing for yesterday.
My day started with a drive into the city for what I thought was a breakfast meeting happening yesterday. I had missed it. It was Wednesday. Sigh...
That was followed by another hour and three quarters of driving back in the other direction. I did have good company, since in an effort to be responsible with taxpayer dollars, we carpooled. Unfortunately, my travelling companion has been having a rather tumultuous time these days, so it was a drive filled with laughter like it would normally be. I'm really hoping that everything settles down for her soon.
And then there was all the road kill... Spring brings so many things out of the woods, and I don't know if they are still groggy from the cold, but too many creatures seem to end up dead on the side of the road at this time of year.
My day ended with the drive home, which was another hour and a quarter home. I felt like I spent the whole day sitting down in a moving vehicle. Blech...
I suppose that I should be happy that it stopped raining yesterday around midday and has stayed sunny every since. I'll ignore that it is chilly.

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 8

2011-04-13T21:01:00.000-03:00

One of the interesting things about doing this 30 days of peace and happiness blogging is that I'm starting to make some connections about how I feel about things in relation to my environment. Much like Monday and yesterday, today has been a kind of ho-hum day. If I think about why, I'm suspicious that it may have something to do with our overcast April weather. Perhaps I'm having to acknowledge that the sunshine, warmth and light makes me happy? That could explain why I've been feeling pessimistic, I suppose.
The office that I work in normally doesn't really have any sort of lunch room. Sure, we have a kitchenette with a microwave, a kettle, fridge and dishwasher, but it isn't really somewhere where you can really go and eat. As a result, I often do the very unhealthy thing of eating at my desk. When I blog at lunchtime, I leave the office to access WiFi. I only really "lunch out" a couple of times a month - at most. Today I had lunch with a colleague who I don't normally lunch with. We met to talk about knitting machines. I have two (which I don't use) and she is thinking about getting one. It was fun and interesting conversation. We talked about other things, too, and at the end of it, I felt quite happy. She is always someone whom I have liked and respected, but to have an out of the ordinary conversation with someone about a variety of things - some of which you had no idea you had in common - was a very fun and charming experience! And to think that I would probably tell you that I don't like surprises! Maybe I do?

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 7

2011-04-12T19:21:00.000-03:00

I think that I may have realized why I started this "search" last Wednesday, and not last Monday. I'm realizing that Monday and Tuesday can be kind of steep, and maybe a little hard on the head and the body... Since Mr. Me has business in Halifax this week, I have been driving to work. Driving does not make me happy. I much prefer travelling on my regular commuter bus. Driving results in car maintenance. It doesn't make me happy to pay for car maintenance either. Today's maintenance included 2 new all season tires. At least I'm safe? Or more importantly, my kids are safe when they are in the car with me.
Tonight is the English language debate amongst our "national" leaders and possible contenders for the post of Prime Minister of Canada... Believe it or not, I am planning on watching. I'm not entirely sure what this election is about! As far as I can tell, there aren't any really pressing issues. However, it does make me happy to know that I live in a democracy, where it is my right to have a say in the governance of my country. I may even do my taxes while I watch... Bureaucratic multitasking - here I come!

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 6

2011-04-11T20:23:00.000-03:00

Today is Monday. Monday waited until the end to make me happy... I was really having to think hard on the way home tonight to figure out what had made me happy. Having to get up at 5:15am certainly didn't do it.

Going to the dentist to have my brand new bite plate fitted didn't really make the "happy" list - although I do like going to the dentist and I understand that the bite plate may make me much happier than I could ever imagine in the end. Considering the cost of the thing, I am definitely grateful to have decent dental coverage.

Even purchasing cheap milk was only a "meh" kind of thing today. With two growing boys, dairy is a LARGE portion of my grocery bill. I would much rather pay $6.17 for 4 litres than the usual $7.02 that I usually pay. For any Americans, 4 litres is roughly a gallon, which is why my last stop before the border crossing is usually for 4 gallons of "half price" US milk.

The last thing that I did today was stop and pick up the mail. Today the mail made me very happy, and will likely keep me laughing for a while. I found the Xrisville Road Show hiding in my mail box! Xrisville describes itself as "a humor magazine of no fixed boundaries". Feel free to check them out on YouTube or at their "band camp" site. In many ways, I believe that Xrisville is a peek into the psychedelic and probably mega cool brain of its creator, Christopher (Xris) Bland. We went to high school and college together, but I didn't know him then, although I was certainly familiar with his humour and writing in college. We only met through mutual friends later. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, it makes me smile. Oh - and I got extra copies for sharing!!!

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 5

2011-04-10T20:08:00.000-03:00

Anyone who is a Mom, knows that the laundry is never done. Just when you think that it is, someone decides to actually check under their bed and discovers a massive pile of stinky laundry that they swore wasn't there yesterday. How 5 days worth of clothing magically appears, I don't know. I consider laundry a necessary evil - with one exception. I enjoy ironing! Weird? Maybe... And while ironing doesn't make me happy, it does bring a sense of peace and accomplishment. You start off with the pile (or three) of rumpled things and end up with stacks and hangers of smooth things. Part of the trick is that ironing time is my thinking time. Given the age of our house, there is no true laundry room, or family room, and because of this, iron in my bedroom. There is no television, so I listen to the radio. I know that public radio isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I've got to say, I LURVE ME some CBC Radio One on a Sunday! Interesting topics to challenge my mind - and my family leaves the house looking presentable to boot!
Now - since my home manicure is dry, I think that perhaps it is time to knit, or maybe cross stitch.

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 4

2011-04-09T19:34:00.000-03:00

Today in New Brunswick has been a beautiful spring day. It was warm enough - and sunny enough - for me to hang my laundry on the line to dry and to have a beer outside with Mr. Me. More specifically, a nice bottle of Alexander Keith's IPA... Being able to do either of these activities makes me happy, but doing both on the same day? Priceless! After what seems like an eternity of winter, it is nice that is finally warm enough that the laundry won't freeze solid (nothing like standing up your jeans in the corner) and even though there is still snow on the ground, it is warn enough in the sun to sit outside in just a sweater and be comfortable.
Having grown up in a suburban area, listening to the sounds of nature that spring brings to my dooryard while I consume the above mentioned beer brings me peace. It makes me realize how very lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place, surrounded by nature and lots of space.
On a different, and much sadder note, the passing of Alex LeBlanc has made me appreciate my children - even when they are annoying - just a little bit more. My boys didn't know him, but he lived just one village over and they did have many mutual friends. I can't even imagine the grief that his family must be bearing.

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 3

2011-04-08T16:59:00.002-03:00

The boys received their report cards this week. Today was parent-teacher interviews. The fact that my boys are bright and do well in school makes me happy, but I've got to say that I really don't like parent-teacher interviews for the most part and are detrimental to any feelings of peace that I might have! However, since I needed to be around "the village" this afternoon, it did mean a day working from home. While I wouldn't want to work from home every single day, doing it sometimes - especially on a sunny Friday - does make me happy. The nice warm sunshine is making the buds on the trees and bushes swell, so leaves and flowers cannot be far behind. Knowing that spring is very much here, despite the remaining snow on the ground, also makes me happy. I had the best of intentions of taking and posting pictures of my lilac bushes, which will soon smell lovely, only to discover that my camera has been borrowed and not returned... I have yet to find the culprit - or the camera - so that will have to wait. Happy Friday!

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 2

2011-04-07T12:47:00.003-03:00

One of the benefits of trying to find some small thing that makes me happy everyday, is that I am having to think about what makes me happy and why - and try not to take the small things for granted. Colour makes me happy! Now this shouldn't have been any great revelation, but I realized this morning that I am finding myself smiling everytime I walk by a window with a display spring clothing or other spring goods. I am loving how all of the gorgeous pinks, purples and greens make me feel. They make me feel bright and optimistic. Perhaps the winter blacks, greys and navies need to move to the back of the closet - unless I have a very serious business meeting - for a little while. I am going to have to either start carrying my camera with me, or get better with my web cam, if I am going to keep this up. I would have loved to have posted photos of the windows of some of the local stores made me smile this morning. With the colours in the shops, spring flowers cannot be far behind. Happy spring day!

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 1

2011-04-06T12:54:00.004-03:00

This topic might well need a warning, so here goes: As I have been in the depths of the late winter or early spring doldrums, I have been finding myself seeing the cup as being half empty all of the time. What's worse, most of the time, it looks like someone else has consumed the missing half from my cup! I can tell by their smeared lip prints on my cup... In a little experiment with myself, I am going to try to find the bright side of things for the next 30 days, and post about the little things that DO make me happy in what seems to be an increasingly annoying world. So, here we go... Day 1 - Today I am happy for Fred-ezone wifi access at the public library. I can't get onto a wireless network from my office, so this has meant that I have had to leave my office to blog. Being at the library always makes me happy - although I seem to forget that when I'm not here - but the short walk in the sunshine to be able to come and blog has made me happy, too. What little - perhaps unexpected - thing has made you happy today? And yes, in true half empty fashion, you are allowed to find happiness in others' sometimes deserved misfortune - it's called karma... I'll take it wherever I can find it right now!

Why, Yes - I DO Still Knit!

2011-03-15T21:24:00.004-03:00

Let's not examine how long it has been since I posted any finished objects, 'kay? I really do still knit! Perhaps I should pull out the camera a bit more often, just to prove it.

These socks were given to the recipient today. It was her birthday on Sunday, but since that isn't a work day, I had intended to give them to her yesterday, but that foolish time change thing has my poor little brain more than a little bit muddled.

I present Trish's birthday Jaywalkers! The yarn is Red Heart, Heart and Sole, in Green Envy. I saw the colour, and I just *knew* what it wanted to be.

From Trish's reaction, I believe we have yet another successful sock adoption.

Wool Share

2011-02-09T19:36:00.002-04:00

Do you ever just happen across something that is really interesting or intriguing? Back in December I came across a link somewhere (I don't even remember where) for the Stoddard Family Farm in Little Britain, Ontario - not to be confused with Little Britain (*warning - do not click on the preceding link if you are offended by politically incorrect humour). Considering that Mr. Me and I live on part of the land that was original granted to his family when they came from Donegal, Ireland in 1820, I found the story of the farm quite charming, and in an era when I think most of us are trying to be at least a little bit more responsible with our planet, I really like what they are doing.
I wish I was closer so that I could purchase meat and egg shares - but they would spoil in the shipping. However, one of the many beauties of wool is that it doesn't spoil. Yes, I bought a wool share! My first skein arrived last week. The colourway is called "Fire". I am away on business again and don't have either the yarn or the camera with me, but I will try to post a picture of it later. I'm not a huge fan of orange, but the colour truly does remind me of a campfire - and I love a good campfire... Now - what shall I make?

P.S. Once I sort that out and make it, can you all head over to Facebook and "Like" it for me? There could be another wool share in it for me.

Is It Breeding?

2011-01-17T21:23:00.003-04:00

I only asked for one thing for Christmas this year. I asked for a laptop. I had become very tired of having to fight off the boys (all three of them) for computer time. Mr. Me got me a lovely little pink Sony VAIO. I don't know the model, but it is a very cute little computer so I can take her anywhere - and I love her!
Over the Christmas holidays I decided that I would start to actually catalogue my stash on Ravelry. Even though we all know that sock yarn isn't really stash, I decided that I would start with it anyways... I don't have photos of all of the yarn - since I haven't upgraded to Flickr Pro yet - but spend some time patiently sorting and cataloguing one storage tote of sock yarn.
It was a very interesting experience! I'm not done yet, but have determined that I easily have enough sock yarn for 50 pairs... I could probably have entered the 52 Pair Plunge and new had to buy a skein of yarn. When did I buy it all? I don't even recognize some of it!!! If it wasn't a ludicrous idea, I would suspect some other knitter of storing their yarn in my stash... Some of it is that unfamiliar! Maybe the sock yarn is breeding?

Forgive Me Readers...

2010-12-28T15:43:00.002-04:00

Forgive me readers for I have not blogged. It has been more than 10 months since I have blogged. I have missed it. I have missed the outlet and the interaction that blogging gives me. Much of it has been because of the new position that I accepted last February. It has been very interesting, but also very draining. Truth be told, for many people it would also fall into the category of extremely boring... Not many people are passionate about internal control and the implementation of the Policy on Internal Control.
Aside from work, I have been knitting (but I have not been good about documenting my work), raising the sons, trying to keep the sons and Mr. Me in line and all of the other things that day to day life requires. Tiger? He is still in charge, although I still struggle to do his bidding.
As the current position nears an end, I hope very much to get back into both blogging and blog reading. I've missed you all. I hope that everyone of you has had a satisfying 2010 and that 2011 will bring you all good things - or baring that, opportunities for growth.

Rumours of My Death...

2010-02-19T22:31:00.002-04:00

"Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." - Mark Twain

Although my fellow (and much more famous) Canadian, Gordon Lightfoot, could also be created with the quote given his recent non-death experience!
So, what's my excuse for launching a contest and then falling off the fall of the planet for about 3 weeks? Well, I applied for a different job... I never, ever, in a million years, thought that I would be offered the position! I haven't officially started it yet, but I'm doing double duty these days. What with travelling much more frequently than I have in years, blogging (either reading or writing) has fallen way to the bottom of the "to do" list. Keeping my head from exploding from all of the information that I'm trying to cram into it seems to be my priority right now.
I will say that I was not overwhelmed with entries this time, and yes, I do still have to formally compile them, but I believe that based upon the rules, I have 3 contestants. What does this mean? Everyone will be a winner!!! There is a possible 4th, I believe, who may just get a runner up and thanks for participating prize. Since I was away, I even did a little prize shopping for the winners. I need to take photos of this part of the prizes... And then I need to figure out how to replicate them!
So thanks to those of you who participated, and yes, I do still owe you some answers. I think that I have everyone's e-mail address, so over the next couple of days, prize discussions will be entered into. Stay tuned!

Ask Me a ? - An Answer

2010-01-27T19:42:00.002-04:00

This contest might not be too hard to keep track of if it doesn't pick up significantly! So far, I have 3 questions, which I'm going to try to answer in the same order that they were asked.
Here is Sharon's question: If I were to take a vacation to Halifax - how far are you from there?
Maybe I'll start by telling you a little bit about Sharon - she was a downstream swap partner of mine! I had a great time shopping for her and her 2 beautiful daughters, too. As a single working Mom to 2 growing girls, she hasn't been blogging recently. I miss reading her posts, but completely get that life sometimes gets in the way of doing fun things. Like me, Sharon is Canadian and is a federal civil servant...
So - who's planning a trip to Halifax? Anyone??? When are you coming???
By car, I am approximately 4 hours away from Halifax. That is much shorter than what it was when I first moved to the Maritimes. At that time, it was probably almost double that long. Way back then, the Trans Canada Highway, was a two lane highway through the Maritime provinces. It is now a four lane divided highway the whole way from Fredericton to Halifax.
If you let me know when you're coming, I could even come down to Halifax to meet you. I went to school at Dalhousie University, and still know the city pretty well. We could go to Tangled Skeins - I can't find a website and really hope that they're still around... Catch the ferry across the harbour... Go shopping at The Loop... Wander along the waterfront or up Citadel Hill... Maybe check out Point Pleasant Park? Eventually heading to the Hydrostone Market and LK Yarns and maybe a bite to eat at one of the restaurants?
What's that? You want to come to New Brunswick? Hmmm... That is going to take a little more planning since we want to do fibre stuff, right? I'll get thinking about this and give this question a 2 part answer.

"Ask Me a ?" - The Devil is in the Details

2010-01-25T14:52:00.002-04:00

I'm getting some questions... There seems to be a theme to them: travel!

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about what I had forgotten: the contest closing date and time. Since I like to give people lots of time to think about things, the contest will be open until midnight February 7th, which will give a full 2 weeks. That's midnight Atlantic time... Although if I wake up on the morning of the 8th and find an entry there, I probably won't quibble.

Three - and the "Ask Me a Question" Contest

2010-01-24T10:59:00.004-04:00

Today marks my third blogiversary! I don't seem to blog as much as I used to, but that might have something to do with the fact that I've pretty well given up on swaps. I didn't start blogging so that I could swap, but it just seemed to be part of the natural evolution of my life as a blogger. Don't get me wrong, I have had some great and excellent swapping adventures but I've also had a couple of not so great swapping adventures and it seemed to make me feel insecure. I mean, what if my upstream pal didn't like me and wasn't into it because they were disappointed in having me as their downstream pal? Worse still, what if my downstream pal hated the package that I had prepared when it arrived? And I never ever felt like I had pulled together a great package no matter how much time, effort and - let's face it - money I had invested. Oh - the angst of it all! At least swapping provided lots of inspiration for blog posts?
When I think about why I first started blogging, I think that the reasons that I have continued to blog are pretty well the same. While I like (love?) getting comments from others about either my opinions or my work, I think that I still blog primarily for myself. Perhaps it is a means of validating my own feelings and opinions and means of distancing from whatever I've made so that I can see things in a different light.
I didn't do anything special last year for my second blogiversary, but this year, I think that it is time to have a bit of a celebration again. I think that I feel a contest coming on... Here is what I want you to do for me:

Ask me a question - something you want to know about me or to have my opinion on. Please try to avoid anything that may be controversial since ideally I would like to be able to blog the answers. If it isn't appropriate for blogging, but I'm still inclined to answer, make sure that I have your e-mail. You'll get an entry for your question.

Post about this on your blog, and you've got another entry. Make sure that you let me know that you've done this. For people that come to this via your referral, you're in like Flynn with yet another entry.

I have no idea how many prizes I'm awarding this time, although I know that there will be at least two... I have two extra copies of the first Debbie Bliss magazine that will definitely be up for grabs. Who know what else the stash will cough up!

Winter Wear

2010-01-24T10:36:00.004-04:00

Yup - the thermometer and all the white stuff on the ground confirms that it is indeed WINTER! Now I don't think that I would want to live somewhere where there weren't really four seasons, I do find that Winter always seems to stick around far longer than it really needs too... Mr. Me and Older Son enjoy skiing, but for someone like myself who is perhaps a little accident prone, hurtling down a hill at any sort of speed does not seem like the smartest idea ever. I tried it once. I didn't even make it to the top of the bunny hill... I'm telling you, it just isn't natural!

So - what do I recommend to help oneself get through the long and cold days of Winter? Handknit Winter Woolies, of course! Let's start with my newest hat. I'm calling it my Violet Hat in honour of the colourway of the yarn. It's original name is Asminah's Hat and you can find the pattern here. I'd agree with Kody May that the hat is hard to photograph, but it was a nice fun and easy knit. I did modify the crochet edging a bit. My final round is reverse single crochet, since I like the kind of picot look that it creates. One ball of yarn... Almost nothing left. We'll call that an efficient use of yarn. Right - so that is my head taken care of... Let's move on to the neck. I've talked about it and it has been done for a while, but I've only just gotten around to gets pictures of it - my Flutter Scarf! Malabrigo Lace in Cactus Flower, which I don't see in the colour selection but is a great shade of pink... Yum...

And since I can't leave anything alone it seems and like sparkly stuff, I added some beads to the cast off edges. I love, love, love this scarf. Hope that it looks as good on me as it does on the newel post!

Changes

2010-01-19T21:28:00.005-04:00

Last Thursday Older Son's braces came off.

Before:

After:

Isn't he handsome?

We're All Getting Older...

2010-01-18T20:43:00.004-04:00

Well, this blog turns 3 on the 24th of this month...
And Older Son turns 14 on the 29th of this month...
But they're both still younger than my niece, Princess Knitsalot, who turned 21 on the 14th.

How's that for a hideous picture of me? It is a toss up as to which is more heinous - me or the wallpaper!

The cake was a team effort. Older Son and I made it together. He is in charge of icing and other decorating. He will make someone a good husband someday!

Instant Gratification

2010-01-08T19:53:00.002-04:00

More and more we live in a world of instant gratification. Everyone wants everything now! Whether I like it or not, I find myself sometimes falling into this exact same trap.
Yesterday I received an e-mail from our friends at Knitpicks about their indie down loadable patterns. There are some very tempting patterns over there... Now the pattern part fulfills the need for instant gratification, but would someone please figure out how to download the yarn, too? Otherwise, I'm still going to have to wait for the yarn to arrive... I find that somehow very unfulfilling. I wonder how far away we really are from Star Trek style transporters - that could work, too.
In the interests of trying to curb the trend towards the need for instant gratification, I have decided to allow this post, my 300th to pass as a regular post. I think that I may do something to celebrate my 3rd blogiversary at the end of the month instead.

Oh - and HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2010 be filled with exquisite fibres and items always knit perfectly to "gauge".

Let It Snow!

2009-12-28T15:51:00.002-04:00

This gentleman greeted me in the yarn when I got home from work on Wednesday last week. It was a perfect snowman day last Wednesday... Unfortunately it has stayed warm so Mr. Snowman has deteriorated, but the picture commemorates his brief existence nicely.
Next post marks 300 for me. Perhaps I should do something special?

Have You Ever Got a Whale in the Mail?

2009-12-09T16:50:00.003-04:00

I know that that sounds both unlikely and rather like a possible title for a Dr. Seuss book, but that is exactly what I got in the mail on Monday! Not an Orca like Shamu or a White Sperm Whale like Moby Dick, but a way cute little purple whale swimming in a sea of flowers. He is the sweetest little bag - perfect for knitting notions - from Piddleloop. I won him in Chan's Blessings contest.

(I borrowed the photo from the Piddleloop blog. I hope they don't mind. Their Etsy shop is here...)

Chan is always a good read. Her fur girls are adorable but what I enjoy most is that her life is very real. Perhaps I just have issues, but some overachieving bloggers make me feel (clearly not intentional - like I said, my issues) inadequate. Don't get me wrong - Chan's life is busy - but it is balanced... I like that.

Black Friday Post Mortem

2009-11-30T20:25:00.003-04:00

The Shopper in the Mall

The shopper in the mall at 4am,
The shopper in the mall at 4 am,
Hi, ho the derry-o,
The shopper in the mall at 4 am.

The shopper takes a cart,
The shopper takes a cart,
Hi, ho the derry-o,
The shopper takes a cart.

The cart holds a turqouise hooded sweatshirt,
The cart holds a turqouise hooded sweatshirt,
Hi, ho the derry-o,
The cart holds a turqouise hooded sweatshirt.

The sweatshirt needs 2 Gap t-shirts,
The sweatshirt needs 2 Gap t-shirts,
Hi, ho the derry-o,
The sweatshirt needs 2 Gap t-shirts.

The t-shirts needs jeans,
The t-shirts needs jeans,
Hi, ho the derry-o,
The t-shirts needs jeans.

The jeans need new shoes (and boots!),
The jeans need new shoes (and boots!),
Hi, ho the derry-o,
The jeans need new shoes (and boots!).

The shoes (and boots) need a purse,
The shoes (and boots) need a purse,
Hi, ho the derry-o,
The shoes (and boots) need a purse.

The purse needs a downfilled jacket,
The purse needs a downfilled jacket,
Hi, ho the derry-o,
The purse needs a downfilled jacket.

The wallet stands empty,
The wallet stands empty,
Hi, ho the derry-o,
The wallet stands empty.

And I did some Christmas shopping, too! A good time was had even though no fibre was purchased. Big, big, big fun!!!

(I am working on my laptop in a hotel room and am having trouble adding product links. I'll come back - okay? And maybe some formatting issues, too!)

Black Friday Here I Come!

2009-11-26T13:14:00.001-04:00

The Shopper in the Mall

The shopper in the mall,

The shopper in the mall

Hi, ho the derry-o,

The shopper in the mall.

The shopper takes a cart,

Hi, ho the derry-o,

The shopper takes a cart.

The cart holds a sweater,

Hi, ho the derry-o,

The cart holds a sweater.

The sweater needs a shirt,

Hi, ho the derry-o,

The sweater needs a shirt.

The shirt needs a skirt,

Hi, ho the derry-o,

The shirt needs a skirt.

The skirt needs new shoes,

Hi, ho the derry-o,

The skirt needs new shoes.

The shoes need a purse,

Hi, ho the derry-o,

The shoes need a purse.

The purse needs a coat,

Hi, ho the derry-o,

The purse needs a coat.

The wallet stands empty,

Hi, ho the derry-o,

The wallet stands empty.

Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

2009-11-16T19:19:00.002-04:00

After my Saturday post, I had the very best of intentions of taking some photos and posting them yesterday. However, my gorgeous sunny Saturday had turned into a very wet and rainy Sunday. Outdoor photos were definitely not in the mix and that was what I had had in mind...
It was an excellent day for both knitting and reading! I finished the Flutter Scarf and it is now happily blocking and I knit a swatch for a couple of felted cat beds that I plan on making as Christmas presents for my brother-in-law and his wife. I can hear some of you thinking "Why on earth would she swatch something like that?" Reading the pattern it didn't make sense. Fortunately, knitting it did.
On the reading front, I started the third Chicks With Sticks book, Knitwise. Yes, I've taken to reading "young adult" books. Not all the time, but sometimes... I've also just finished New Moon. While it isn't great literature, it was an enjoyable and distracting read. I'm not sure what it says about me that I keep expecting the vampires to pull out their knitting and work a few rows. (No - I'm not making that up. I kept wondering what they were knitting... Perhaps I require professional help?)
My current reading material may be a backlash kind of reaction to a recent encounter I had at the local Quizno's at lunch one day recently. I usually get take out if I'm buying lunch, but on that particular day, one of our techies was working on my computer so I figured I might as well take my book and eat "out". Being easily bored, I started to read my book while I waited for my order. What was I reading? Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. (The book is much better than the movie.)
The "dude" behind the counter looks at it and asks me "You're reading Trainspotting???!!!"
Thinking it was pretty obvious, my reply was "Yes..."
He made some other comments but the gist of them was he thought that it was really COOL that I was reading Trainspotting.
Then it was my turn to ask a question: "You mean that do didn't expect someone that looks like me to be reading a book like this?"
His reply? A rather embarrassed "Um - yeah...!!!"
I'm still not sure whether I should be insulted or not.

Normal Service

2009-11-14T12:47:00.003-04:00

Attention all blog readers who may have survived my unexplained absence, we will now attempt to resume normal service...
I could try and claim that I had been abducted by aliens or was just recovering from H1N1, but the reality is that nothing in my life seems to be either simple or normal these days. Why? Who the heck knows!
Part of it may be that I'm feeling more than a little disgruntled with humankind in general in most aspects of my life. Ever since I started blogging, I have always posted a Remembrance Day post because I truly think that it is important to acknowledge the sacrifices that have been made, and are being made, to protect our way of life. This year I didn't. I couldn't imagine what was going through the minds of the people who did this the weekend before Remembrance Day. And then to read about thieves stealing poppy money? Too much!
And while I haven't really had H1N1, it hasn't been far from anyone's mind recently it seems. Here in New Brunswick, children under 18 have been identified as a priority group, so both of my boys have had their shots. Younger Son may have to get a second shot, since he is only 9, but at least we've started the process. Do I mind waiting in line to get my kids vaccinated? No. Do I mind waiting to get my shot? No. I am quite certain that there are others far more in need of the vaccine than a 45 year old woman who is in good health. Do I mind people lying so that they can get theirs'? Yes!!! Especially when it means that people who are either more susceptible to infection or more likely to be required to attend to people who are ill don't get their shot.
When I look at this overall, it makes we wonder about the state of our society in general. More and more we seem to be living in a world where individuals seem incapable of feeling and demonstrating compassion, empathy and basic morality. It makes me cranky! And I'm pretty sure that you don't all want to read cranky blog posts all the time. Sometimes - sure - but not all the time.
What's that? Knitting? Yes! I have been knitting. The problem is that I haven't been taking photos... I currently have a February Lady Sweater, a Flutter Scarf and some basic socks actively on the needles. I also have a pile of "to be photographed and blogged about items", too. Maybe I should go and plug in the camera batteries to recharge...
To anyone still out there, thanks for sticking around. I hope that you're all enjoying a lovely weekend!

National Pizza Month

2009-10-19T20:10:00.002-03:00

Some ideas are so good they should just be adopted by all, don't you think? National Pizza Month would have to be one of those. But then my kids would tell you that EVERY month should be International Pizza Month! How did I find out it was National Pizza Month? Have a look here and then you probably want to have a look at this too to really get the skinny on Chan's Big Blessed Bash.
I try very hard not to spoil my boys with material things, but they do get lots of spoiling with love, handknit socks and the like and homemade food. My children have never ever celebrated a birthday with a store bought cake. They will eat store bought cake out of politeness, but they really don't like it... Pizza is in the same category. They will eat takeout pizza or made from a box pizza, but they really much prefer true homemade pizza. I always make homemade pizza for their birthday parties. Considering that Older Son will be 14 on his next birthday, feeding his friends requires a LOT of pizza!
The pizza crust recipe that follows is from Italian Gourmet Cooking by the late Chef Pasquale Carpino. I believe that the book is long out of print, but hopefully having properly given the source of and credit for the recipe, I haven't violated anyone's intellectual property. If you find the book used, you might want to pick it up. I love his recipes!

Pizza -
1 packet dry yeast (this is equal to 1 Tbsp. is you buy your yeast by the jar)
2 cups warm water
4 cups flour
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. oil (I prefer to use olive oil)
1 tsp. salt

Put the yeast in the warm water. Stir until dissolved. Let sit for a few minutes. (I let it sit for about 10 minutes.) Add the eggs, sugar, salt and oil. Whisk until the mixture foams. Add the first 3 cups of flour and stir until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Work in the remaining flour bit by bit with your hands. (Having made this recipe in many different locations, I will say that the amount of flour will vary depending on atmospheric conditions. I have on occasion had to add as much as 6 cups.) Knead the dough until it is smooth and soft, like bread dough. Divide the dough into 4 sections and shape each into a round "patty". Place on a flour surface, cover with a towel and allow to rise for approx. 40 to 60 minutes. Each section makes on approx. 12 - 15 inch pizza.
To make your pizza, place your rolled dough on an oiled pan. Fill your crust with your favourite ingredients. You can bake all four pizzas at once, or - here is the real beauty of this recipe - you can freeze the rest of the dough and use it later! Bake your pizza for 20 minutes at 450 degrees F.

As part of Older Son's "domestication" training, he is able to make this on his own. I plan on turning both of my sons in to reasonable husband material before they leave home...

Cookie Monster

2009-09-29T19:32:00.006-03:00

This Cookie Monster? I love... This Cookie Monster? Not so much...

The sock pictured above is Cookie A's Poppy Sock pattern. I love Cookie A's patterns! But there is something seriously and monstrously wrong with that heel... If my heel actually filled out that sock heel, I seriously doubt that I would ever be able to find shoes to fit! I'm not prepared to say that it is a problem with the pattern. It could easily be operator error - although it looks like a few others are having the same issue after a perusal of Ravelry projects.

I had considered trying to rework the pattern into a top down pattern, but I just couldn't get my head around how to manipulate the stitches to get the same sort of effect. In the end, I decided that I would try putting in a different heel.

Since I was away on business last week, sock number two and I had a very pleasant dinner together. Knitting, a glass of wine and a nice quiet meal - what a lovely treat! (Apologies for the poor photo quality - but you get the idea, right?)

Two Thumbs Up...

2009-09-25T22:50:00.006-03:00

Here are the photos of the aforementioned socks...

What is the rating? Older Son says "Two thumbs UP!"

His brother seems to be less opinionated... Strange that!

Still Oscar...

2009-09-22T20:12:00.002-03:00

Wow! I can't believe that I haven't posted for almost 3 weeks. Maybe it is because I'm still feeling kind of cranky and I don't want my blog to be a continuous stream of rants?
So I had the best of intentions of posting photos of FOs tonight. Finished objects that it, not pics of me telling people to FO consistent with the cranky theme... Although I try to tell them to PFO since you should always mind your manners and say "Please".
Both sons have new socks for back to school. Older Son has a pair of 2 by 2 garter rib socks in a variegated green colourway called Ivy Trail Poems Sock Yarn and Younger Son has a pair of 3 by 1 rib socks in Red Heart Heart and Sole in a colourway called Congo. I rounded up the socks. I rounded up the kids. I took photos. The camera batteries then died... The batteries are in the charger. Photos soon I hope!
Perhaps the fact that the last few months have been exactly like this all the time explains the crankiness in part...???

Call Me Oscar

2009-09-02T16:55:00.000-03:00

I think that I had better start by admitting that today has been a cranky old lady kind of day. I was off on vacation Friday and this past Monday, and then again yesterday because I REALLY was not feeling well. So today I arrive in my office only to discover that while they had changed my work station to a left handed station, as I had requested, they hadn't plugged my phone back in... Where were all the jacks? Yup - behind the furniture. Why wasn't the phone plugged in? Well the jack behind the desk is just a data jack and they weren't sure what I would want to do. Pardon??? I may not always want my phone, but I do need it. The phone guy and the furniture guy will be in tomorrow to resolve this. I spent today having to get up to answer my phone.
I had also asked for an ambidextrous keyboard. I had stated very clearly that I did not want a "true" left keyboard as I can key with either hand and want for my keyboard to be usable by my co-workers, should the need arise. Yes, I do have a new keybaord. It is left handed. Hopefully my enhanced explanation of what I want and why I want it will result in a new keyboard soon. Sigh...
And then there are the issues around some of the summer employees. So what if I am old enough to be their parent? Maybe it is because I am old enough to be their parent that I'm struck by the desire to try to beat some common sense into them. You know, things like work is not the time when you should be texting, IMing, on your cell phone, playing computer solitaire or reading a book amongst countless other things that you shouldn't do. While we're at it, you shouldn't wear torn clothing even if you consider it to be a fashion statement, and while we're pleased that you no longer feel the need to be stick thin, we, your co-workers, do not now and never will feel the need to see your muffin top hanging over your inappropriately low cut pants. Similarly, strapless is not to be considered a truly acceptabe workplace option. You may get away with it with a sweater over top, but let's face it, it is club wear. Period.

Knit Night

2009-08-19T16:38:00.002-03:00

I'm going to Knit Night! Yes, I am very excited by this. I don't make it nearly as often as I wish that I did. Although I hope that that will all change next month. Why? Because if she knows what is good for her (read: dinner somewhere other than the dining hall with someone else paying), I'll have a Knit Night buddy. Yes, Princess Knitsalot is coming east to attend university. Whoo-hoo!!!
Her cousins are also excited by this, although for very different reasons. Younger Son loves that she doesn't talk down to him despite the fact that she is over 11 years older. And they both love that she enjoys playing games with them, has a quirky sense of humour and can talk knowledgeably about cool things like zombies...

Mr. Foster Says...

2009-08-14T18:59:00.004-03:00

Whoa, ba-bee! She is one smoking HOT simian!

Mr. Foster, who now has eyes, but no tail, ears, mouth or nostrils, is gesturing frantically at me to finish him up! He somehow knows that I ordered myself a Carmen Banana kit this morning...

And since I was at Knitpicks anyways, and they're having a book sale until the 17th, I also ordered this and the yarn for this. And some needles. I needed it all, I'm sure. (Trust me, I have had a week and a half and deserved something. Yarn is healthier than many other addictions, right?)

Undercover at Underworld?

2009-08-04T15:57:00.002-03:00

Much to Mr. Me's chagrin, I love all of the Law & Order series and Coronation Street. He is not big on crime shows, and even less of a fan of my favourite British "folk" opera. Last year I realized that Law & Order and Coronation Street had crossed paths in some odd way when it occurred to me that Ken Barlow had an American lovechild...
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Ronnie Brooks must have been working undercover at Underworld, passing himself off as Danny Baldwin! Ronnie Brooks (Law & Order - UK) is a very different character for Bradley Walsh and I think I like him even better as Ronnie than I did as Danny. Excellent watching for a little quality knitting time.

Reflections on Blogging

2009-07-26T15:01:00.004-03:00

Here we are on the 26th of July. It has been 20 days since I last blogged. While I've never seen myself as a daily blogger, this is unusual for me, although I do think that it is a part of a trend in my blogging. Is this part of the natural cycle of blogging or is it something more related to me? I have noted recently that some of the bloggers that I have truly enjoyed reading over the past couple of years have either completely stopped blogging (some deleting their blogs entirely) or have decreased their blogging significantly. Truth be told, I still read others blogs almost daily, although I don't comment as much as I once did. And since I often read them through a reader feed, I'm not even sure if it registers that I do still follow them and read them.

When I look back to my first blogiversary blog post, I think that I still blog for the same reasons that I started to blog. So why do I blog less often? It isn't for lack of things to blog about, but perhaps I feel like what I blog about is more irrelevant now than I once thought? Perhaps it is that I have pretty well given up swapping? I don't know.

I know that it is not from lack of things to blog about. C'mon - Miss Me has an opinion about just about everything! I fully respect your right to have an opinion, but I also expect you to respect my right to have an opinion that differs and to express it. I do still wonder about things. For example: Have you ever looked at looked at the neighbours section of People in Ravelry? Have you ever wondered what the implications of this might be? For me personally, I think that perhaps I need to move... How hard could it be to learn to speak either Estonian or Finnish? And then immigrate and find a job...?

And way back on the 4th of July I turned 45! And I got yarn for my birthday... I haven't even taken photos of it yet, although truth be told, one of the skein is STILL damp from my initial slobbering. It is that pretty.

And we went on "vacation" to Cape Breton again. We went to Louisbourg and I bought fibre related stuff! And I went to Baadeck Yarns and spent a few dollars...

What is the point of all this? I'm missing blogging. I'm mourning the disappearance of some of the bloggers that I regularly read. If anyone out there is still reading - leave me a comment, okay? And if I have every read you with any regularity but might have been quiet recently, rest assured that I AM still reading you! Or better still, if you read me and I don't read you, leave me a comment - I'll come by for a visit!

If I Only Had a Brain...

2009-07-06T20:05:00.004-03:00

I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers

Consultin' with the rain.

And my head I'd be scratchin' while my thoughts were busy hatchin'

If I only had a brain.

(The Wizard of Oz)

Although the Scarecrow did at least have a head even if it was full of straw! Way back in March, I was enticed to place a Knitpicks order with the lure of 40% off sock books... I also thought that I would treat myself to Mr. Foster, but he was sold out. Imagine my delight when I found him back in stock with a bigger wardrobe. (I bought the kit without his dressing gown and PJs, so I may have to buy the separate pattern, too.) He jumped right into my cart without any coaxing at all!
Over the past few weeks I have been working away at him whenever I have a few moments. Tonight he received his heart transplant, but he is still waiting on his head and face... Although the headless zombie monkey had fun "attacking" Older Son... "Mom - you're so weird! But I love you anyways."

20 Years Until Retirement

2009-07-04T11:59:00.003-03:00

As of today, I am officially 20 years from retiremet, unless of course something unforeseen and disasterous happens and I have to work past 65, or something unforeseen and disasterous happens and I don't make it that far... But let's not think about disasters today. Why? Because it is my birthday!
In reality, my birthday celebrations started at work yesterday. Lynn, Sarah and MJ brought me a little birthday treat with my mid-morning coffee. A yummy and fresh Tim Horton's Boston Cream Donut... It was SO GOOD! I think part of what made it so nice was that I didn't expect it, especially since there weren't many people in the office this week following the Wednesday holiday for Canada Day. Thanks again girls!
This morning I was taken out for breakfast by Mr. Me and the sons. We went to a local pancake breakfast in support of Camp Wegesegum, our local camp. I had worked the last pancake breakfast about a month ago, but declined working this one because it was on my birthday. The people working the breakfast had remembered this and brought my pancakes with birthday candles and even sang Happy Birthday to me!
I haven't opened any of my cards or gifts yet, but so far, this birthday is turning out to be great! Definitely much better than last year... I'll have to tell you about that sometime.
Oh - and speaking of birthdays, happy 233rd birthday to the United States and happy 40-something to Lisa! We're all a year older, better and hopefully wiser.

Dear Thursday

2009-06-25T16:44:00.001-03:00

Dear Thursday,
Why do you dislike me so much? I always thought that Monday was supposed to be the mean day, but so often Monday has been much kinder to me than you are.
Today you seem to be particularly irritated by me and true to form, you're making sure that I know about it. It started with that little bump in the driveway this morning... I am glad that the insurance on the corporate credit card is good, but the "Momobile" will likely be let bearing another mark of honour and service. My nerves are worn a little bit thinner, too.
And then there was that whole meeting debacle this morning... I would have been much happier if we had left the meeting last Friday as originally scheduled, but I didn't have the final say. I suppose that I should thank you for not making it a total washout but it didn't help my stress levels at all!
Since they always say that things come in threes, I must admit that I am feeling quite anxious right about now. Whatever I did - I am SORRY. Okay?
Please just let me have a quiet evening and I promise to work on our relationship harder.
Yours truly,
Miss Me

Things That Irritate Me

2009-06-16T19:19:00.002-03:00

I will admit that I'm probably feeling a little crankier than usual. Mr. Me has been very busy recently and it is having a negative impact on my social knitting. I DID NOT get to go to Yarns on York on Saturday to sit outside, enjoy the sunshine and good company and KIP. He had told me that he didn't have to be at his engagement until noon. He left at 9am and re-appeared approximately 13 hours later. No knitting for me.
To make things worse, tomorrow evening is my monthly knit night. Am I going? No! Why? He is in Toronto attending business meetings. He had originally told me that he would be home before suppertime so that I could go, but in reality he doesn't even land until around 8pm. He did have the presence of mind not to tell me this until after he had landed in Toronto, thus short circuiting me having to explain to his boss that he wasn't attending the meetings because he had been garroted with a circular needle. I have no issues with having his own interests or a job, but couldn't he please schedule them around my knitting schedule?
In case you're thinking that it is just my husband that is irritating me, it isn't. What is with that Ford F-150 ad about hauling yarn? I've tried to find the ad online with no luck, but if you haven't seen it, suffice it to say that the tone towards hauling yarn in their truck is disparaging. I had initially figured that it was an misread of a focus group and would soon be pulled, but weeks later it is still on the air! For the sake of Ford, they had better hope that there isn't a strong correlation between contractors and spouses that knit. Just think of all the yarn you could buy with the ~ $25K (or more) that you would spend on a truck... Mmmm.... Heaven!!!

Tommorow's WWKIP Day!

2009-06-12T15:14:00.003-03:00

Tomorrow is WWKIP day! How exciting is that? And I'm pleased to say that there are indeed events going on in New Brunswick showing on the WWKIP site. Although thank you to everyone who let me know about things that I wasn't aware of. If I was in Moncton, I would definitely be going to this event, and of course, if I was in Halifax, I would be going to this one. Based on what they had in the way of prizes last year, I am quite certain that Leslie is not exaggerating the loveliness of the prizes that she and her partner have amassed. And check out their way cool knitting lobster logo. But, since Mr. Me has plans this weekend that (quite thankfully) don't include the kids and I, you may find me closer to home at this event. CanKNITian appeared baffled that I hadn't caught wind of it on Ravelry, but I have a confession to make: I don't spend nearly as much time in my groups as I do elsewhere. I'm usually much to busy Rav-stalking both friends and random others... Yes - I LOVE to oogle others' knitting. Does that make me a voyeur?
Here's hoping that the weather is good for outdoor knitting tomorrow. Maybe this year I'll remember my sunscreen.

WWKIP Day 2009

2009-06-04T19:48:00.003-03:00

I was really interested to see that WWKIP Day this year isn't really a day, but a weekend! Whoo-hoo!!! Very exciting.
Less exciting is the fact that there are no WWKIP Day events listed for New Brunswick. Considering all of the other things that are going on around here that weekend, I don't feel that I could adequately plan an event myself, but I do think that a day of public knitting will be in order. It may be in Fredericton and include a visit to my LYS, or it may just include knitting around my village and scaring the locals. (As if I could...!)
What do you have planned for WWKIP Day?

Negativity

2009-06-03T21:42:00.004-03:00

Have you ever had one of those completely and totally soul sucking days or weeks? Well, I'm there this week. Mr. Me is very busy this week, which is of course, the cosmic cue for absolutely anything and everything that can go wrong to do so. Nothing really major has happened, it is just one of those accumulation things. Top it off with the ever increasing list of things that my family doesn't like and I'm tempted to knit myself a nice wrap around sweater with extra long sleeves that tie in the back. Anyone got a good straight jacket pattern?
Younger Son does not like pasta, orange juice, peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter granola bars, Daily Planet, his brother or anything his brother does like unless it involves the XBox 360...
Older Son does not like any vegetables aside from potatoes and raw carrots, toast, fish, his brother or anything his borther does like unless it involes the XBox 360...
Tiger the Cat doesn't like me, or else he has a really bad way of showing he does. Bites that result in blood is not my idea of love.
Mr. Me doesn't like it when I park beside his car on the lawn so he can back out, or when I park behind his car to keep off the lawn, pineapple, peas, cherries, clutter and so many, many other things that I won't mention for fear of endangering his life.
Me? Right now I'm not liking the XBox 360 much... And I've never liked raw mushrooms, but as the cook, I figure that not having those around is my perogative. I also got completely and totally fedup with comment moderation on Blogger, so I've turned it off.
Oh - but I still LOVE my knitting and think that I should spend some good quality time with some yarn. Happy knitting everyone!

I Know - Let's Form a COMMITTEE!!!

2009-05-13T19:53:00.003-03:00

So it doesn't have quite the same ring a Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland saying "Let's put on a show!", but it does seem to be a refrain that I am hearing more and more. Particularly at work. On Monday I received an e-mail from my boss looking for volunteers to sit on our newly formed "Kitchen Committee". What is the purpose of this committee you ask - why to establish procedures, processes and rules to ensure that kitchen users keep the office suitably clean to satisfy the demands of the "Occupational Health and Safety Committee", of course. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a safe and clean workplace, but the last time I checked, we were all being given credit for being responsible adults. Unfortunately, that seems to be at odds with the behaviour of some of my coworkers who seem unable to discard their former lunches - now science experiments - from the fridges, wipe up a spill or put any form of utensil or crockery in a dishwasher. It makes me wonder what their houses look like.
While lamenting the slovenliness of my office this morning, I came across this article. At least we're not alone... I must admit that part of me hoped that in an odd twist of fate, that the people who had succumbed had been the once owners of the offending food. I wouldn't want innocent bystanders to have suffered. The person enterprising (and brave enough) to clean surely deserves some kind of medal for service above and beyond the call of duty!

Hey - Where'd It Go?

2009-05-09T17:39:00.010-03:00

That would be April that I'm talking about... One post from me in April - an all time low! I'll blame it on fiscal year end and being really busy at work and not wanting to look at a computer when I got home. That might also explain why I haven't been doing much blog reading either. I really hope that I haven't miss any big moments in anyone's lives... Once you add in the new computer, things get pretty busy... Oh - and let's not forget a sleepover birthday party with a gang of 9 (or almost) year old boys. Fun? Wow!!! (Actually, they are all good kids, so I have no complaints. Younger Son's friends go to sleep - unlike Older Son's friends...)
Amongst all of that I have been knitting. Although truth be told, some of these FOs go back to March...
First up - The Carribean Seascape Stole. I'd rotate the pics, but I can't figure out how with the new system.

Then we have the Pink Swallowtail. This was a surprisingly quick knit. It isn't really a shawl, more of a shawlette, but the finished object is exponentially more impressive than the effort required. And it is just one skein! I may have to consider making a few more of these for Christmas gifts.

To keep my toes warm, my Seaweed Socks. Why "seaweed"? The colourway is called "Kelp".

For the hands, a pair of Delicato Gloves. I love these! Our mornings are still quite chilly (I've had to scrape the frost off the car within the last week), so fingerless gloves are my current BFF.

For even chillier days, I have my Anemoi Mittens. I bought the pattern for these about 2 years ago. Why I didn't make them sooner, I will never know. I loved knitting them and can't wait to wear them. They aren't an easy knit, but well worth the effort.

I'll try to get a few more details about the projects up on Ravelry. Think that the time has come for the Flickr upgrade...

Happy knitting everyone!

Rest in Peace Old Computer

2009-04-23T19:07:00.003-03:00

For a while now our old home computer had been feeling "ill". Last Friday night it did the computer equivalent of gasping for breath and whispering in a weak and tragic voice "I just can't go on any longer..." Then it died. It was only 4 years old, but that is about a bazillion in computer years it would seem. The guy at the computer store on Saturday was impressed that it had lasted so long. (Please no comments about the brief mourning period. I know that I'm crass.)
I will miss the old computer. I miss its keyboard already. The new one is flatter and smaller... I miss my bookmarks. We didn't even have time to try and export them anywhere. However, between a "well" computer and the completion of Fiscal Year End 08-09, I hope that I will get to spend a little more time blogging. I've been missing it!
Oh - and for those of you who have asked about details on my pink hoodie, try this Ravelry link. I still can't figure out where I put the pattern book. Somewher safe, I'm sure.

Goodbye March!

2009-03-31T18:55:00.004-03:00

Dear March,

Thanks for coming and spending 31 days again with us this year. Sorry to say it, but this year it felt longer. You started off in that foul temper with snow and I had honestly thought that you would think better of leaving us with more snow, but you have a mind of your own, don't you?

Now the kids didn't mind getting off school at noon yesterday because of your tantrum, but enough already! I would have thought that you might have kept the charm up until the end so that we would look forward to seeing you again next year. And let's face it, you were very, very charming last week.

Remember how warm you were? Last Thursday evening I decided that I had better get my pink wool hoodie all stitched up so that I could wear it Friday. I was afraid that it might be too warm before I had a chance to wear it otherwise. Boy was I wrong! On the plus side, I really like the sweater and I'm glad that I got it done.

If you're lucky - and face it, most years you are - memories of your tantrums will fade over the next 11 months and I'll look forward to seeing you in 334 days.

Much love,

Miss Me

P.S. I'll post some FO details once I can find them... It is Paton's Classic Wool and a Paton's pattern, but that is about all that I can give you right about now.

Score!

2009-03-26T19:29:00.003-03:00

Knitpicks sock books are on sale at 40% off! So what did I do? I got out my VISA card and headed straight over... I order Sock Innovation and Kilt Hose and Knickerbocker Stockings. Seeing those 2 titles together looks strange to even me, but Mr. Me does love his kilt. I thought that I would take the opportunity to order Mr. Foster while I was at it, but alas, he is SOLD OUT!!! (Note to self: Order the next edition quickly.) I consoled myself with some sock yarn instead. Truthfully, I feel a little guilty about the yarn, but considering that it is the first yarn that I have purchased this calendar year, I'm sure that I should be able to find some way to rationalize the purchase...
Like many impulse purchases, this was not without a hiccup. The last time I ordered from Knitpicks, it was Princess Knitsalot's birthday present. To save time and extra shipping costs, I had Knitpicks ship it directly to her. Yup - I forgot to double check the shipping address. I'm going to try and make sure that they send it to me once I get my order confirmation, but I have warned my niece and my sister that it may arrive on their doorstep. I've told them they can look (and even fondle and sniff) but then I'll transfer the money so that they can send it home to me...

Can You Have Too Many?

2009-03-19T19:43:00.003-03:00

Can you have too many pairs of handknit socks? I washed my "delicates" earlier this week. The "delicates" included 16 pairs of handknit socks. 13 of them were mine... 3 pairs were Older Son's socks. One of the pairs in my 13 were knit for me by someone else, but that means a full dozen were handknit socks, handknit for me, handknit by me. And let's be clear on something, I didn't have to wash socks. There were still quite a few pairs in my socks drawers.
This is making me wonder if perhaps I'm selfish with my knitting. Or maybe I'm just discerning about my socks? Yeah - we'll go with that...

The Laws of Cultural Attraction

2009-03-04T21:08:00.004-04:00

I have a question for the rest of you: is it just me? Often as I surf the patterns on Ravelry, I find myself attracted to patterns that I might be able to knit, but only if I was to learn the basic knitting terminology of languages that I do not currently know... I could work through a French pattern without issue... English is no problem - clearly! Spanish I could manage in a pinch... But what I TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY LOVE are patterns in Finnish and German. Do I require professional help? Or just advanced language training?

P.S. If you require proof of my obsession, I do not speak a word of German. I have just joined a German speaking group on Yahoo...!

Spring Potholes

2009-03-03T20:58:00.008-04:00

As anyone who lives in a Northern climate knows, Spring means potholes...! It is the result of the repeated freezing and thawing that our roads must endure. In many respects, it could be considered a rite of passage from the bitter cold, ice and snow of Winter to the heat, humidity and haze of Summer.
In the Fall 2003 edition of Knitters, there was a collection of sweaters that had "road names". I knit "Soft Shoulders". Over the years it has become one of most favourite sweaters. Imagine my dismay when I discovered that much like our seasonal roads, my sweater had developed a "pothole"...!

This clearly was not a "cold patch" kind of job. I had a bit of a time finding the right yarn in the stash for the mending, but since I can't positively identify the "patch" in the after photo, I must have done alright! Either that or it is another example of my less than excellent photographic skills.Like most knitters, I don't really enjoy darning, but I would have missed my beloved sweater too much if I didn't make the effort to fix it.

Groundhog Days Socks

2009-03-02T21:35:00.006-04:00

Back on Groundhog Day, I attended some mandatory work training. For me, mandatory work training often equals KNITTING TIME! I've had them done for a while, but here, 28 days after they were started are my Spring Forward (aka Groundhog Day) Socks. I think that the yarn is an OnLine yarn but I can't find the label right now... The colours of the yarn make me think of Spring flowers like crocus' (what the heck is the plural of "crocus"?) and tulips.
Here in New Brunswick, it is March Break this week but it really isn't looking like Spring outside! The Sons are off in Nova Scotia visiting with MIL. I had originally planned on driving back from taking them down today, but given our lousy weather forecast, I decided to come back yesterday. Since I already had the day booked off as vacation time, I decided to leave it that way. That meant that I got to finish off two knitting projects (currently blockin, photos later) and one sewing project (it's a hat, photos when someone else can take a picture). It also meant that I was home this afternoon and got to listen to The Point on CBC Radio One. One of the items tied in with my post of Friday. Should parents be held responsible for the crimes of their children? The case that raised this particular point involved a 12 year old who was convicted of murder. A very interesting topic indeed!

It Takes A Village to Raise a Child

2009-02-27T15:40:00.003-04:00

I have no idea where the wisdom that it takes a village to raise a child originates, but I am beginning to think that some of our villages aren't holding up their end of the bargain. After the knitting fiasco of last Fall, I had pretty well made up my mind that I wouldn't do the enrichment clusters at the elementary school again. However, when Younger Son was given a project on Community Heroes as a Grade Three Social Studies project, I changed my mind. Why? He chose me as his Community Hero because of the time that I spend at the school with the enrichment clusters and other volunteering. I LOVE my kids! After that compliment, it was kind of hard to say "No" when I was asked again...
I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice and decided that maybe I'd do Sewing this time. We're making handsewn beanbag frogs and it is going much better, thank you very much! One of the kids even finished his frog today, so I'll have to have him do something different with our last session in two weeks. (Truth be told, I sewed on his frog eyes because he wanted to give the frog to his younger sister so I'll probably get him to sew the eyes onto a different frog. Sewing on buttons counts as a life skill so it is something he really should learn.)
One of the things about the sewing is that it is a smaller group, which does make it more manageable. There are supposed to be a total of 4 kids in the group, but I have never had more than 2 at a time. Of the 4, there is one girl and three boys. One of the boys had been in Younger Son's class for a couple of year, but they are no longer in the same grade.
Here is where the village comes in - I know that not everyone is going to agree with my life choices, nor my ideas about parenting and childrearing, but I just don't know what to do with this child! He is very capable of completing the project, but has clearly never had to try to do anything or find his own solutions. I could live with that, but what do you do when you have an 8 year old telling you that all he does at home is play video games because his Mom says that that is his "thing"? Or when he tells you that his favourite television shows are Family Guy and Robot Chicken and that his Mom likes to watch Family Guy with him? Or when he tells you that his parents like to swear a lot? Or when his idea of a relationship follows these steps: meet, have a baby and then fight about who has to take care of the baby? Or that video games are educational because they teach him which words not to say in public? And Mario is his favourite Super Hero...
I'm quite certain that I don't get everything right with my life or my kids, but it strikes me that this poor kid doesn't stand much of a chance. I wish I knew what I could do to make things better for him, but I just don't have a clue.

Da Weather Bomb

2009-02-23T19:30:00.013-04:00

Today in New Brunswick, this was our weather:

At least someone enjoyed it!

So - who wants to come for a visit???

Fifth Photo Meme

2009-02-18T19:50:00.003-04:00

Angie tagged me with this meme the other day.

Here’s how it works:
Find your 5th photo file folder, then the 5th photo in that file folder.
Then pass the meme to 5 people.

Ta-dah!
I don't know whether I technically cheated or not... I went with the folder that was labelled as "005". Mr. Me tends to re-arrange photos and give them numbers that will put them ahead of what "the system" would automatically give to a download. I chose the 5th photo from "005". It was taken last Spring on the day that this was going on. It gives me hope that despite all the snow that is covering the ground these days, Spring WILL come!
Now I'm pretty sure that I've said this before, but I will say it again, I find it difficult to tag people... I think part of it is the implicit fear of rejection. So I don't know that I'm going to officially tag anyone, but I will tell you whose photography I really like and ask them to play along.
1. Nancy - I especially love her Saturday Skies photos.
2. KM - Always lovely photos, although her Friday Flowers make me very jealous this time of year.
3. Chan - Always great pictures and who wouldn't love her models?
4. canKNITian - Who I wish would come out of semi-retirement...
5. Cheryl - I love how she stages her sock photos, which is not an easy task.
Even if they don't want to play, drop by and visit them and check out their photography.

Mama's Gotta Brand New Knitbag

2009-02-15T16:17:00.004-04:00

Please tell me that at least one of you heard this music when you read the title...
Okay, so I didn't exactly need a new knitting bag, but I wanted one and last Tuesday at lunchtime, I needed to get away so I ran away with a co-worker and fellow knitter to Saigon. Well, not really Saigon, but the Saigon Department Store. They have a fabulous selection of hand embroidered bags that are made in Viet Nam. They are surprisingly inexpensive. My bag was $25! I like that it has a strap so that I can carry it over my shoulder and the fact that it has little brass feet so that if I have to put it down, it has something to rest on.
And the flowers make me thing of Spring...!

Next Floor - Socks - Going Up!!!

2009-02-07T11:08:00.007-04:00

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't admit this in public, but I do remember elevators that had the sliding grate doors and an elevator operator that announced the floors. It was many years ago when I was a child at the Eaton's (RIP) in Hamilton, Ontario. They also had wooden escalators... I don't know what happened with the building when Eaton's went under but I certainly hope that they found a good use for it because for me, it was a landmark.

What the heck does that have to do with socks? Nothing. It's just how my mind works. Normally my socks are "going down" (top down), but recently I seem to have been "going up" (toe up) with my socks.

On my left foot we have Azure and on my right foot we have Chartres Chausettes (aka my Stained Glass Socks). They're both toe up patterns. Also both have interesting heel details, but as I had previously mentioned, taking pictures of the backs of one's own heels is challenging!

Details of the yarns and such are all on Ravelry, so I won't bore you with them here. I really enjoyed knitting both patterns and now need to find some new open backed shoes to show off the heels, and did you notice? I made a point of shaving my pasty white legs so I didn't look like a wookiee!

It Followed Me Home

2009-02-01T13:55:00.006-04:00

One morning recently I received an e-mail from my LYS that she had some new yarn. "Excellent" I thought to myself. I can always use an excuse to get away from my desk and go for a bit of a walk at lunchtime... However, it was a busy day in the midst of a busy week so I started to waiver. Did I really have the time? One of my knitterly coworkers was going anyways. I was going to stay and work until I saw her with her coat on. Then I HAD TO go! I didn't buy anything but was I ever glad I went. A sample ball of Rowan Kidsilk Night followed me home! Ice Queen here I come.Thanks, Trish. Just one more reason I LOVE my LYS.

Bad Choices

2009-01-27T15:59:00.002-04:00

In the dead of winter many of us have the desire to get away from it all... Despite my fears of contracting the Norwalk virus, right about now I would give just about anything to find myself boarding a cruise ship - except maybe this one. What were they thinking? The St. Lawrence River in January? Why not just go to Antartica in July?

The Knitted Brain

2009-01-16T13:06:00.002-04:00

My kids like to watch Daily Planet on Discovery Channel. So - last night the boys and I were watching it together. At the very end of the show, right before the last commercial break, there was a reference made to science and knitting. That piqued my interest.
Check this out! Isn't it beautiful? I can't even imagine all of the effort that must have been put into this lovely piece of art. I don't think I'll bother putting that in my knitting queue... I know I'd never get around to knitting it!

Self Portraits

2009-01-13T17:35:00.006-04:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have always found it very difficult to take photos of my finished socks on my own feet. Firstly, there is the whole perspective thing. If you're not careful, you end up with that whole freaky Citizen Kane kind of thing happening with your calves and let's face it, no matter how secure you are with your bdoy image, you don't want your calves to look like they're the trunks of mighty oaks. Secondly, there's that whole forgetting to shave your legs thing, thinking that no one will be able tell in the stitch detail shots only to realize that you are WRONG as soon as you publish the post and look at the photos. I live in a colder climate. No one much sees my bare legs for many,many months each year - so yes, maybe I'm a little lazy about it. Thirdly, since I do not have acrobatic training, shots of any interesting sole or heel details can't realistically be shown on my own feet. I'm too old to learn how to contort myself that way.
Not knitting a whole of hats for myself, I didn't realize that relatively speaking, feet are a piece of cake! Taking a picture of your own head? That is almost impossible! However, I hereby present to you my Little Red Cap. Yes, it is quite abit slouchier than the original, but I like how it looks and it doesn't give me hat head!

A Dog Post

2009-01-08T19:18:00.003-04:00

Tiger is in the cellar hunting right now, so I can do this without fear of my toes being assaulted by a set of very sharp cat teeth. We are a cat's household and I'm sure that he would feel betrayed by a dog post... No - we aren't getting a dog. Tiger would never allow that, and he has Mr. Me's full support. Me - I could be convinced, although I'm still not sure that I could handle housebreaking a puppy.
Right before Christmas a couple I know had to make the decision to help not just one, but both, of their dogs make the journey across the rainbow bridge. It was a very sad time for them. They still had 3 cats, so they weren't left completely without companion animals, but it just wasn't the same without a dog. There seemed to be only one solution to this problem: adopt a new puppy! And look - she has her own puppy blog - how cute is that?
On a more serious note, I didn't realize that many of the shelters in the Southern states have no option but to euthanize many of their animals because there are so many of them. This little girl is lucky enough to get to make the trip north to Canada to be adopted, but for me it helps to bring home the importance of parenting our animals well.
Not quite Dogs on Thursday, but probably the closest I'll ever get!

Facelift

2009-01-07T11:33:00.002-04:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that 2009 will be filled with much joy, well written patterns and luscious yarns and fibres. If anyone out there is still keeping track, you may have noticed that I have been lacking in dedication to my blogging. I thought that maybe a "new look" for the blog might be a bit of a motivator for me. I still have to fiddle around with the colours and such, but it is a start...

What I Got for Christmas

2008-12-28T14:35:00.005-04:00

Santa brought me Opal sock yarn!Mr. Me gave me one skein of Malabrigo Lace Weight in a lovely pink colourway. Cactus Flower...
And a skein of Alpaca with a Twist "Fino". Alpaca and silk... Yum!
And a copy of "Knitting Lingerie Style". All in all - a pretty good Christmas, but it wasn't without a hitch or two. The biggest hitch? No electricity from noon until about 5PM. Made it kind of hard to roast the turkey. We ate a 10PM... But at least we had a turkey, a warm house and we weren't stuck in an airport somewhere trying desperately to get home. How about all of you? How was your Christmas?

A Couple of Finished Objects

2008-12-28T14:24:00.005-04:00

My MIL's Christmas Socks. Arch Shaped Socks knit in DGB Confetti. I continued the ribbing onto the top of the foot. I like how it forms a V-shape. This is the third year that I've given her socks. She really likes receiving them and told me that she thinks she would be disappointed if she didn't get socks... Now that makes this knitter feel good!

My Mermaid Socks. They are knit of Regia Kaffe Fasset yarn. I love how they look!

Where is My Mind?

2008-12-23T11:27:00.002-04:00

In the gutter I think... I've just been searching up the links for my last post. Everytime I tried to type "socks", I ended up with a word that had one s and two c's.

Bus Blogging

2008-12-17T17:06:00.001-04:00

Edit: Links have been added...
I feel like a very bad blogger these days, but I'll swear that someone has shortened my days recently. I could really use a few more hours in each day...
With winter flexing its muscles today, it looks like it might be a longish trip home. Too dark to knit or read and still too wound up from work to sleep makes for an excellent blogging opportunity. It also helps that I remembered to charge this little Blackberry beast last night. I could go for weeks without charging my old cell phone, but this thing needs to be fed regularly!
On the knitting front: I finished the Arch Shaped Socks for my MIL for Christmas. I knit myself a pair of Lucy Neatby's Mermaid Socks for myself. And a new hat, too! Remember the toilet seat cover? The yarn has become my Little Red Cap. I don't think that I would say that it is PERFECT, but I am generally pleased with the results.
On the needles: A pair of Azure socks. And a sweater. And probably a dozen other things that I have currently forgotten about.
On Christmas: See my request for longer days above... Although I need to give a great BIG public Thank You to blogless Kristie in Maine for giving me a hand with a little Christmas magic. Could someone please explain the logic international shipping fees to me? What? No takers??? Probably because there is no logic to it.
The drawback of bus blogging on my Blackberry: No links or pictures. I'll try to remember to come back to it later...

A Letter From Tiger

2008-12-13T10:44:00.002-04:00

Dear Knitters,
As you may have realized, Miss Me has been busy these last few weeks. What with work, Mr. Me travelling, house guests, Christmas shopping, Black Friday shopping and then life in general, she just hasn't had time to do much blogging. Now understand that I don't really care about the blogging bit - it's not usually about me and as a cat and ruler of the Chez Me household, it really should be all about me. She has still been doing some knitting, and I may let her post about it later, but more importantly, she has been keeping me warm and fed, but last night was just about enough to push this poor patient cat over the edge!!!
Without any consultation, my staff allowed 100 people to tour my home. Something about charity.... Strangers!!! Human strangers!!! 100 of them!!! They know that I have stranger and anxiety issues. I had to hiss at them. And try to bite Mr. Me. They sent me to the cellar for the evening, but that was the only plus to it - that's where the hunting is good...
It may take me weeks to get over this. I'm taking to my handknit and felted cat bed in the sun for a nap now.
Much love,
Tiger

P.S. Do the other knitters let their cats play with the yarn? Or is it just my people who are unreasonable???

Stop the World - I Wanna Get Off!!!

2008-12-05T20:58:00.003-04:00

Has it really been almost 2 weeks since my last post? Where has the time gone??? I have been knitting, and do have FOs, but first I need to take pictures...
In the meantime, Iva is having a contest! I'm still thinking about teddy bear names, but pop on over for a visit and make a suggestion. And yes, you know the drill - don't forget to tell her I sent you!

Attack of the Slippery White Stuff

2008-11-23T18:29:00.004-04:00

Princess Knitsalot headed home to Ontario yesterday. She had arrived in rain and left in snow... Yes, we had our first real snowfall of the season yesterday. Why is it that winter always seems to catch Canadians by surprise?
We had a long, slow and slightly scary trip going both to the airport and coming home. I'm not quite sure why, since it had been clearly snowing for quite a while, but there were NO SNOWPLOWS out yesterday afternoon. I did manage to find one on the way home which had the advantage of making the trip less slippery, if not any faster.
My sister had suggested to my niece that winter boots might be a good thing to pack because it was already snowing in Ontario last weekend, but since she knew that we didn't have snow she declined. However, snowboots were a must yesterday. I knew that there was a reason that I hadn't disposed of Old Son's boots from last year yet, I just didn't know what it was. Yes, I sent Princess Knitsalot home wearing her cousin's outgrown snow boots. They were a little big on her but did at least keep her feet warm and dry. Quite the fashion statement, too!

(I would have taken and posted pics of both the boots and the snow, but it appears that Mr. Me has taken the camera travelling with him...)

More Than Just My LYS

2008-11-20T16:43:00.002-04:00

I've had a house guest visiting since last Sunday. My eldest niece has been visiting from Ontario. Much to my delight (and her parents' dismay) she is considering the University of New Brunswick's Faculty of Engineering. She had a campus tour on Tuesday and has been enjoying an otherwise quiet week. On Tuesday morning we dropped the boys off at their respective schools and drove into Fredericton. We parked and walked over to my office building. I explained where the shops were and we agreed to meet 10:40 so I could take her up to the university for her 11:00 tour. So far, so good, right?
Around 10:55 I am starting to feel anxious. At 11:00, I am feeling PANIC!!! I ask a coworker heading to Tim Horton's to check to see if she there... Sometimes family resemblances are a good thing.
11:10 - no, she's not at Tim's. I am pretty sure that despite the fact that my niece is almost 20, my sister is going to KILL ME!!!
My much calmer coworkers and I start to brainstorm about the situation. Could she still be on Ontario time? But if she is, where might she be??? This is where the LYS comes in. My niece is a knitter. We call the LYS and the conversation goes something like this:

LYS - Good morning, Singer Sewing Centre...
Me - Hi - Trish?
LYS - Yes...?
Me - Hi, Trish. It's Miss Me. I have a missing person and she is a knitter... Have you seen a young woman who looks a lot like me wearing a pink jacket this morning? (Note - The spaces and punctuation really ran together into a really long and fast word, but that would make it too hard to read.)
LYS - What colour is her hair?
Me - Blonde and she is wearing glasses.

In the background I hear Trish asking if her customer knows me...

Yes, Princess Knitsalot was still on Ontario time, but the lure of yarn for knitter made her actions somewhat predictable which probably saved me from some nasty fate at the hands of my sister! Sometimes your LYS is more than just a yarn store - it's like a homing beacon for wayward knitters.

(After her campus tour she went back to finish her browsing and buying.)

90 Years - A Day of Remembrance

2008-11-11T09:36:00.002-04:00

Lest we forget.

Ready for Anything

2008-11-11T09:02:00.005-04:00

Firstly, oh thank you great Blogger for FINALLY allowing me to post... I don't know what has been going on, but Blogger hasn't felt like letting me in for a few days.
The rain that started last week continued over the weekend. The weekend included the middle school soccer tournament. Older Son is the co-captain of his school's team. As a good Mom, I went to watch.
We got up early, had our breakfast and packed the car.
Here is what I packed:
2 folding chairs - utility? 75%. Both chairs were used although not all the time.
Golf sized umbrella - utility? 100%. I didn't need it all the time, but I did need it!
Towels - utility? 5%. We didn't use them, but having them was a good safety net.
Blankets - utility? 50%. Only one of the 2 was used. I probably shouldn't have packed a fleece with teddy bears on it for a 12 year old boy... The plain red one was the one that was used.
2 Thermoses of hot chocolate - utility? 60%. One would have done just fine.
Snack - utility? None. We went somewhere to warm up to eat so needn't have bothered packing food.
Knitting - utility? Low. I did frog my Arch-Shaped Socks back to a mistake, but didn't really get much knitting done.
A book to read - utility? Very low. I read one page.
My winter jacket and gloves - utility? Greater than 100%. It was chilly, but the damp made it feel colder.
Sunglasses clip-ons for my glasses - utility? Absolutely positively none! Does this look like I would have possibly needed sunglasses?
We'll consider that a move of eternal optimism... I live in denial sometimes.

Cats and Dogs

2008-11-07T16:22:00.000-04:00

Despite the fact that the calendar says that it is November, Mother Nature seems to think that it is April. Now I don't really mind that it is warmer than usual, but a little less rain wouldn't hurt. It's raining cats and dogs out there! To make matters worse, I had my cute umbrella this morning, and even though I didn't step outside all day, I no longer have my umbrella. I've been on course for 3 days and today we finished early. "Bonus - a half hour of unexpected knitting time!" I thought. Only when I went to wait for my bus in the rain did I realize that I had left my umbrella in the classroom. I rushed back (because if I miss my bus I've got one heck of a problem), but it wasn't there anymore... Here's hoping someone from the office realized it was mine. In the meantime, the bus heater feels much better than normal and hopefully I will be at least a little bit less damp by the time I get home.

Testing... Testing...

2008-11-04T16:54:00.000-04:00

I am trying to blog from my Blackberry. It is too dark to knit or read but this gadget has a backlit screen!

No Luck

2008-11-01T17:58:00.005-03:00

Yesterday the Grim Reapers came a calling. The Grim Reaper on the right is mine. The Grim Reaper on the left is Younger Son's best buddy. While they scored lots of candy and treats, they had no luck in the souls department. Why?

Despite the fact that Older Son is not yet a teenager, he was still a zombie for the day. And you can't steal the souls of the undead...No - I haven't had much time for knitting. I had to make Hallowe'en costumes!

Hat or Toilet Seat Cover

2008-10-22T20:56:00.005-03:00

Like many knitters, I was very excited when the Fall 2008 issue of Knitty came out. So many great patterns! But the one that really spoke to me was Morgan. I love that hat!

Around the same time, my LYS got in some of its fall yarn shipment including some Sirdar Tweedie. Yum! I thought: "What a lovely yarn for my new hat. I know that it is a little bit heavier, but since I want a hat of substance, if I can get gauge I should be fine."

After much swatch I thought that I had achieved success! I started knitting... I knit the folded ridge. I measured. I thought: "I'm a little bit off but it probably the needle pulling it out making it measure bigger than it should be. Besides - it isn't that much bigger." I kept knitting. Before I put on the peak, I realized that much as I loved the pattern and the yarn, my hat was looking unmistakably like a knitted toilet seat cover. In a state of denial, I convinced myself that it would be better once I knit the peak... I wasn't completely wrong. I was much better! But it was still very wrong. Take a good look at it. It will never be seen on my head in this form. I looks like something a pimp would wear. It is going to be frogged and re-knit as a different and more suitable hat. (Yes - I am open to suggestions.)

Lessons learned here? Gauge swatches are mischievous liars and you really can't substitute whatever you want no matter how badly you want it to work.

Christmas Knitting

2008-10-22T20:41:00.004-03:00

Announcing my first finished handknit Christmas gift! Ta-da!!!

Pywacket socks for my SIL. Note the detail of the lace, how it looks like little pawprints. Yes, she is an animal lover. The yarn is the lovely Trekking yarn that I won earlier this year in (Not-so) Cynical Knitting Gal's contest. They were knit on 2.25mm needles, smaller than I would normally use but considering the lace, I needed something a little bit smaller. Since (Not-so) Cynical Knitting Gal is an animal lover, too, I really hope she'll be pleased with the end product. I was going to knit myself some "coffee" socks, but the yarn told me it was wilder and furrier than coffee... Mouthy yarn...

What Was I Thinking?

2008-10-17T22:13:00.002-03:00

This week was a very short week for me. Since Monday was Thanksgiving, it was a holiday and then today I took the day off to teach knitting to some of the kids at the local elementary school. What was I thinking??? Perhaps I wasn't...
Firstly, my hat goes off to any of you out there who are or who have ever been a teacher. After today, I'm pretty sure that you're all very underappreciated.
Now I have kids of my own. Two of them. Boys even! This did not prepare me for what lay in store for me. 11 kids were expected. 12 arrived. No problem - I had prepared an extra bag. 4 boys and 8 girls. Each of them received a bag containing basic knitting instructions, a ball of yarn and a set of needles. I tried to explain to them what was in the bag and why it was there, noting particularly the fact that all the instructions had pictures in case that was easier than reading... Oh - wait - it's so much easier to understand instructions if you actually listen to them! I had not realized previously how very attentive my own children were.
I spent an hour with them and have 4 more sessions with them. The first session went something like this:
Me: "Knitting needles are not weapons. Please do not poke or hit anyone with them. Please do not sword fight with them. If you do this, I will have to take them from you." (Many of them took this as a challenge...) "The first thing that we need to do is learn how to make a slip knot since that is the first step to casting on, which is the start of knitting. Open you booklet to the first page..."
This started a chorus os "I can't do this!" "This is too hard!"
I tried to explain that you should never give up on something before you've even tried it, and that it is okay to make mistakes and to have to try again.
I even had one kid say "My Gran knits and it isn't that hard - you must be doing it wrong." Pardon??? I'm still not sure who should really be more insulted: me or her unknowing Gran!

However, on the bright side, one of the little boys in the group (who happens to be a friend of Younger Son) was very attentive. At the end of the hour, where he had suceeded in starting to cast on his stitches, he asked me if it was okay for him to take his knitting home with him and if it was okay for him to work ahead if he wanted. I could have hugged him! It was just what I needed to hear, rather than the little girl who spent an hour demanding to be allowed to leave for a different group and having been told no, insisting that all my time be spent with her and was baffled when I told her that since I wasn't convinced she was going to come back, that no, she couldn't take it home with her.

Some Clues Are More Co-operative Than Others (aka SOTS iii Progress)

2008-10-14T12:03:00.006-03:00

Clue 7 – Clue 7 insisted on being photographed outside. It wanted some fresh air and to feel the warmth of the sunshine… Result? The detail doesn’t show well at all in either photo.

Clue 8 - Clue 8 was “too tired” to do anything other than lie on the couch… No – my rug isn’t really that much more intense than my furniture. It’s the lighting. And the flash of the camera attracts small impish pajama clad people like Younger Son.

I have started Clue 9, but am only a few rows in. Whether or not this stole gets done on time, who the heck knows! But it will be close.

Reality Check

2008-10-13T12:06:00.003-03:00

Today is Canadian Thanksgiving and as I write this it is just around noon. So far today I have made the dressing for the turkey, stuffed the turkey and put it on to roast, started the turnip puff, made the blueberry crisp for dessert, washed all the pots and pans, turned on the dishwasher and washed and hung out to dry two loads of laundry. The truth is that I am feeling anything but thankful. Resentful and grouchy would be closer to my current state...

However, if I take a step back and look at my life, I really should be more grateful and thankful. I have two wonderful children, who are both bright and healthy. I myself am healthy. My husband is healthy. Both Mr. Me and myself are gainfully employed with jobs that allow us to afford a beautiful home and some perks that we truthfully take for granted. We live in a democratic country that affords us rights, priveleges and freedoms that many can't even dream of. (A special note to my fellow Canadians, don't forget to vote tomorrow. I don't care how you vote so long as you vote your conscience.) So even though I'm going to go and iron now, I really should be more appreciative, although I'd rather be knitting!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Secret of the Stole iii Progress

2008-10-04T14:58:00.005-03:00

One... Two...

Three...

Four...
Five...

Six...

So, I'm still behind, but not nearly as far behind as I was. Technically, since clue 8 only came out yesterday, I'm really only one clue behind right now! I might actually finish this on time... By the way, the further into this pattern I get, the more I love it.

Thank You, Angie!

2008-10-02T19:26:00.005-03:00

I'm a little late in getting to acknowledging this, but I was both honoured and humbled when Angie nominated me for this award. Angie was my downstream swap partner for the Spring Fling Coffee Swap and I had a fabulous time getting to know her a bit via e-mail and her blog. I can't imagine not staying in touch with her on some level. When she talks about her younger son in particular, I often smile as he sounds so similar to my younger boy who happens to be the same age!

Here are the rules that go along with the award:
The Rules:The rules for award acceptance are as follows:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her website/blog.
2. Add a link to the person who gave you this award.
3. Nominate at least 7 other websites/blogs.
4. Provide links of the nominated websites/blogs.
5. Leave a message at each website owner that you´ve nominated.

Now if I'm truthful, the rules are probably part of the reason that I have taken my time in posting about the award.
Firstly, I know that some of the blogs that I would nominate have already been nominated. Secondly, in true Canadian fashion, I have a hard time not acknowledging everyone that I read (we don't want anyone to feel badly about themselves) and that would just take way too long! And finally, in the past I have felt kind of funny when I've either tagged or nominated someone for something and it has gone unacknowledged. Funny that I kind of did the same thing, isn't it? I don't know what other people's motivations might have been, I can only understand my own and believe me when I say that it was all internal weird stuff...

So - I'm going to cheat and not "name names", suffice it to say that if I comment on your blog on any kind of regular or semi-regular basis, you are definitely nominated, but since there are a number of blogs that I just lurk around as well, you're nominated if you read me and I don't know about it! Just leave me a comment, please, so that I can start reading your blogs too!

My Male Models

2008-09-28T13:24:00.008-03:00

First up - let's have a big hand for the return of Fred...!
Today we have Fred wearing my finished (and blocked!) Mystic Light Shawl. Made of 2 skeins of Handmaiden Seasilk, doesn't he look just lovely?

Next, Fred shows off the Goddess Knits Anniversary shawl. Made of Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud in Papaya Heather - a little over 3 skeins was needed - on 3.5 mm needles, it is a lovely circular shawl.

Blocked to approx. 5 feet in diameter, just look at that detail!

Next up, we have Mr. Me modelling his custom knit 4 by 2 rib sweater. Featuring an allover rib pattern, saddle shoulders and a turtle neck, this sweater was knit out of 3 skeins of Cascade Eco Wool. Doesn't he look warm and cozy as he travels up the Saint John River?

Election? What Election?

2008-09-23T19:54:00.002-03:00

Since this blog isn't about politics, I'm not going to espouse any political opinions here, aside from urging all of you who live in democracies to always exercise your democratic right to have a say in your country's future. I don't care how you vote so long as you DO IT!
As I'm sure that most of the world knows, the United States is in the midst of a Presidential Election. Unless you're Canadian, you may not know that we too are in the midst of a general election. This is where the knitting comes in. I've noted that many of the American knitting blogs that I read are very openly proclaiming their support for one candidate or another or making reference to political groups that they belong to on Ravelry.
"Interesting...", I thought, since I'm not seeing the same sort of open political support on Canadian knitting blogs, nor references to political groups on Ravelry. "This requires more investigation", I thought to myself.
So I headed over to Ravelry and did searches on Harper, Dion, Layton and May. There is one group, Canada Indecision 2008. It has 85 members.
Then I did searches on Obama and McCain. The search under Obama yields 8 groups. The largest is Knitters for Barrack Obama with a whopping 3,147 members! McCain yields a similar number of results (with some duplication) and while The McCain Ravelry is significantly smaller than Knitters for Barrack Obama, its 510 members still looks impressive compared to the 85 interested in the Canadian election. Since we don't have a Vice Prime Minister, I won't even go into the groups about the US running mates...
What does this say about us? Are Canadians really that disinterested in our political future? Or are we just more private about it? Or maybe we all decided to follow the advice of Peter MacKay as given to Alexa McDonough: "Stick to your knitting!"

How I Spent the Last Day of Summer

2008-09-21T22:17:00.004-03:00

Aquila has left her Summer anchorage and has made the journey back to the yacht club where she will soon be snuggled in for Winter. Since we have to motor upriver against the current, I did manage a little bit of knitting time...