This is my old blog - I've moved!

My blog has moved

2009-07-16T08:29:00.006-03:00

Hello!

My new blog is at www.doreyr.blogspot.com

See you over there!

New blogger eh?

2006-12-21T18:22:00.000-04:00

Don't mind me; I'm just kicking the tires on the new blogger.

Socks du Cirque knitter down

2006-04-25T16:13:00.000-03:00

I've got the flu. The fever-and-chills-drag-yourself-out-of-bed-long-enough-to-attend-meetings-and-return-important-phone-calls-then-fall-back-into-bed type of flu.

The I-cannot-bear-to-knit-even-in-the-face-of-a-deadline type of flu.

Great. Just great.
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Waaaahhh.....

Sock Deadline Panic

2006-04-22T21:22:00.000-03:00

Oh man, oh man, oh man. Why do I do this to myself? The Cirque du Socks knit along ends at midnight on April 30. That's April 30th, folks, of this year! I have one sock done. The second sock is, well, not done. The toe is finished .... but a toe does not a complete sock make, at least not on a toe up sock :).
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Of course the next three weeks are the busiest of the year at my office, said three weeks including next week, which is all I have to finish the second sock. Sigh.
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I haven't done my tax return yet. I haven't done my husband's tax return yet. (Canadian due April 30)
Sigh.
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I'm off to knit now.
bye

Dorey's Home!!!!!

2006-04-09T15:07:00.000-03:00

My doggie is back home for good! We drove to the breeder's house to pick her up yesterday and met the baby, now named Tulip. ~~~~~ Dorey quickly settled into her old routines. She has slept a lot since coming home and seems to appreciate our quiet house.

It was difficult to get Tulip to stay still for a photo op, so she had to be posed. She is as adorable in real life as she looks here. Apparently Tulip is going to a family in Minnesota. Lucky folks!

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In other news. here is this week's knitting output.

On the far left is the beginning of my gift for Mom for Mother's Day. Bed socks using Debbie Bliss cashmerino (hey, it was in my stash with no plans attached, so why not?). Mom will be warned not to wear them other than when sitting in bed reading the newspaper. in the middle is a broken rib sock in Opal. On the right is my Easter sock, another Cirque du Socks inspired effort using Trekking XXL. I think I've permanently switched to toe up construction. I like the fact that when you're done knitting, you're done the sock! :)
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Here is a closeup of the cashmerino bed sock. This is a Sockbug pattern, the "River Rapids" sock. The mock cable looks way more complicated than it is, which makes it a perfect gift item :)

Yarn Focus Challenge

2006-04-02T07:50:00.000-03:00

My stash is overflowing with lace weight yarn, sock yarn, Knitpicks palette, three aran sweaters worth of wool, and numerous skeins of fabulous handpainted fibre yumminess. Somebody stop me!
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Just in time, somebody is stopping me. Introducing .... the Yarn Focus Challenge! I signed up the instant I saw it. Basically, you are allowed to purchase yarn on one day per month only. That is called the "free day". If you don't use a month's free day (yeah, right) you can roll it over to the next month. Every participant puts a skein of yarn into the pot. At the end of the contest the hostess draws a winner who receives all of the yarn in the pot. I love how subversive that is - if I don't buy yarn I might win a whole lot of yarn. Hee! Go here to check out the rest of the details.
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The photo shows the part of my stash that hangs on the back of a door. Gotta love those shoe organizers!

I started my Yarn Focus challenge on April 1:

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Dorey is still away on maternity leave. I miss her like crazy!!!! Hopefully she can come home in two weeks.
Look at those big brown eyes! Wouldn't you miss her too?

How I ran away to join the Cirque du Socks ...

2006-03-26T09:58:00.000-04:00

So there I was, knitting socks like a maniac, surfing blogland for sock ideas and reaching out to fellow sock maniacs when I stumbled across a Knit Along starting on the first day of spring and ending on the last day of April. There is only one rule,(which isn't really a rule; more like a suggestion; or gentle guidance...) anyway, the idea is to try a technique you haven't tried before. Well, I could get with that really easy, since I've only been knitting socks for a short time. I decided to try the toe-up method and toddled over to sign up. You can still sign up too: Go here for the fun
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Oh, did I mention there are prizes? Yep, and I donated one ... a copy of Lucy Neatby's sock book called "Cool Socks Warm Feet".
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What? You want photo proof of my progress? Well, sure, here ya go. As you can see, I knit socks on two circular needles. I learned the toe up cast on from Cat Bordhi's book pictured here; 'cept I cheated a bit. I just used her Moebius cast on but with the second sock needle as the cable to cast on to, rather than one really long needle. (If you've ever done a Moebius cast on the preceding sentence will make sense to you; otherwise, please just shake your head and carry on).

Things progressed rather nicely on this sock. I used OPAL cotton yarn and US size 0 needles. The pattern is a lacy mock cable and is incredibly easy to memorize. I first found the pattern here, and a second version, called Fruit Loops was found here. I've decided to call mine Lifesavers, cuz thats what it reminds me of - those clear lifesavers we used to eat as kids.

I knit and I knit and I knit until suddenly I was finished with the first sock - and it fits beautifully!

And now I have some gratuitous cuteness for you - a photo of Dorey's daughter having a wee nap. She has not yet been named.

I'm all about socks now ...

2006-03-25T07:34:00.000-04:00

So I learned to knit socks using the 2 circular method on New Years Eve, 2005. This photo shows part of my output so far. Sharp eyed readers will notice that the heels have worn through on one pair. That is the first pair I ever made (yay me!) but I used 100% wool - no nylon. Learned my lesson, now I use sock yarn or will knit heels with nylon carry along thread.

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The socks below are done in Trekking XXL, one of the 100 series colours. The pattern is broken rib. I simply love them.

Tomorrow I'll post about the Cirque du Sock knitalong. For now, I leave you with a photo of Dorey's daughter:

Dorey and baby (... what absence?)

2006-03-14T19:16:00.000-04:00

Let's just pretend that 7 month absence from blogland never happened shall we?
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Without further ado, I give you .... Dorey and her daughter, born Feb 21, 2006. This pic shows Baby at age 5 days.
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Magical Knitting

2005-08-15T22:59:00.000-03:00

Today I signed up for a workshop with Cat Bordhi, then looked for a
yahoo group about her designs. Much to my dismay, there isn't one that
I could find. So, in a fit of madness, I started one myself ... LOL.
If you like her work as found at her site , please come to the Magical Knitting Group and join me in my new
adventure.
Cheers!

Mystery Shawl Clue 1 (twice!)

2005-08-11T13:39:00.000-03:00

You know how sometimes you can't win for trying? Or am I the only one who experiences it? Let me explain.
The Mystery Shawl is underway. I happily knit the first clue, albeit with several visits to the frog pond where there is a virtual picnic going on (waves to other KAL members at the picnic).
I used some Lucy Neatby celestial merino in the Maple Sugar colour. Yummy yarn, yummy colour. This is what it looked like:

The pattern shows up in the photo, but not in real life! The colour variation conflicts with the pattern so they cancel each other out. Unless I plan to wear the shawl over a white shirt, with a spotlight glaring on me at all times, this is not going to work. I fretted for a day, slept on it, then ripped it out. (Yep, you heard me. I ripped 'er).

Back to the drawing board. I had some fabulous local yarn in my stash. It is called Blooming Yarns, hand dyed in Nova Scotia for Tangled Skeins. 2 ply Kid Mohair/Silk, the softest most delicious yarn I've seen/felt yet. I love this stuff! So, here is Clue 1 again, in Blooming Yarns this time:

Note how the pattern does not show up in the photo, nor do the colours which are an amazing blend of pale pinks to dark pinks to to orange and back again. But, in real life, the patterns and colour compliment each other nicely. Honest. You have to believe me.

On to clue 2.

Oh, and clue 3 is due out tomorrow.

Eeek!

Gracie Knitting Bag

2005-08-07T15:36:00.000-03:00

This began life as a hand bag but soon morphed into the more comfortable role of knitting bag. She is made of 100% cotton fabric with a velcro closure and is long enough to hold straight needles. There are 6 pockets inside, and an ingenious sleeve along the bottom to hold an insert of acrylic to make it sturdy. I used a piece of heavy interfacing as the insert. The pattern can be ordered at Lazy Girl Designs or maybe in your local quilt store. The designer, Joan Hawley, has many wonderful bag designs. Gracie is just my current favourite. Video directions for the bag can be seen at QNN, just check the schedule for air time.

My Back Tack Goodies

2005-07-20T21:33:00.000-03:00

Well, wasn't I just spoiled rotten! My Back Tack pal outdid herself, making a fabulous needle case for me and including some HANDMADE NEEDLES!!! Isn't that just awesome! The case also included scissors, a handy ruler, a knitting notebook and the cutest pouch containing stich markers. Then, as if that wasn't enough, she made really pretty earrings (that I was wearing when taking photos so didn't get a pic this time) and the art piece shown in the photo with the needle case.
I'm thrilled to pieces with this. Thank you Back Tack pal!!!

Back Tack Swap

2005-07-02T22:16:00.000-03:00

The Back Tack project involved receiving supplies from a stranger, making a sewing noticn from those supplies and sending the completed item to yet another stranger.

What fun this was!

Here is the collection of supplies sent for me to use.

I made a box, a sewing machine needle case and a knitting needle case (of homemade felt!). My recipient like to knit and sew, and garden, so I tried to cover all three. Those are ladiebugs and doodlebugs crawling up the knitting needle case.

Here the cases are opened up.

The needle case pattern can be found here.

More flared smoke ring info

2005-07-01T08:55:00.000-03:00

Hello again,
Here is the link to the pattern, as promised:
http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/a49.shtm Other smoke ring patterns can be found there too.

I knit mine using Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool. Since I am petite, I reduced the ring by one pattern repeat (ie. I cast on less stitches than called for in the pattern) and I just knit until the length suited me. The Silky Wool goes a long way. I used just one skein! So the project was very economical (a skein of Silk Wool sells for $10 Canadian around here.) The pattern was easy to follow. This was the first ever lace project for me, so I did have to tink back several times. Silky Wool is very forgiving and easy to tink with. It also feels very nice against the skin.

I plan to make many more of these!

Flared Smoke Ring

2005-06-29T21:47:00.000-03:00

Hi everyone, I'm back briefly. The surgery went well and I'm recovered, although all my sight hasn't come back yet. My surgeon tells me I must have patience, that it takes time to heal. I asked him to write me a prescription for patience. He did't find that amusing ...

Thanks to everyone who sent cards and emails of encouragement. I appreciated them muchly!

More regular posting will resume sometime during the long weekend. In the meantime, someone asked me to post a photo of the Flared Smoke Ring, so here it is.
I will dig up the link to the pattern, and also photograph the one I made, and post both here on the weekend. I made one in turquoise Silky Wool, but half the width. I just love it.

Going Silent

2005-05-09T21:07:00.000-03:00

I've been really busy with work, namely - funding proposals, hosting a Luncheon for 200 people, and travelling around the province giving workshops and speeches. Starting this Thursday my schedule showed signs of slowing down, so I could get my life back. But, just when I planned to start blogging more regularly, life threw a curve ball. A few hours ago I found out I have a detached retina, and must have eye surgery tomorrow morning. I'm having laser surgery to fix a tear, plus that procedure where they inject a gas bubble into your eye so it can push the retina back into place. I pleaded to be put to sleep for it so I don't have to watch needles coming towards my eye, and they agreed. Whew! Anyway, I'll be unable to read, knit, sew, etc for about a week, and can't drive for two weeks. Yikes! My back-tack package will be mailed when I'm on my way to the hospital.
I'll be back!

Back Tack!!

2005-04-18T19:13:00.000-03:00

I'm in - are you?
Go here for the fun

Clapotis - the slim version

2005-04-02T06:10:00.000-04:00

The yarn I used is Phoenix soy silk from South West Trading Company in the colour called I Candy. This yarn is fabulous to work with. It is very easy on the hands and the colours are vibrant. It is a ribbon yarn, so when I was using it I felt like I was knitting with shoelaces, but in a good way :) The stitches dropped with ease. My scarf drapes beautifully. I only had two skeins of the Phoenix, so i made Clapotis slimmer than the pattern, but I love it anyway.

Easter Boxes

2005-03-27T21:43:00.000-04:00

I made these boxes to hold the Easter treats for my sister and her family. They were a hit! Fabric boxes are from this book.

Hint: use Fast2Fuse instead of the regular Timtex. This eliminates a step because Fast2Fuse has the fusible webbing on both sides.

Button Bag

2005-03-25T16:51:00.000-04:00

Isn't she cute? This is a free pattern from here , at Mason Dixon knitting.

I used Lamb's Pride by Brown Sheep, the bulky version, DOUBLED. That's right, the yarn is doubled. So, this knits up really, really, quickly into a sturdy bag. I use it to carry my lunch and my knitting to work whenever I don't need to have the corporate briefcase look.

Cute as a button!

Hmmm. Maybe I should go back to school...

2005-03-13T10:26:00.000-04:00

The first few questions are very easy but the last few are very difficult.

You can take the test here

Advanced
You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 93% Advanced, and 61% Expert!

You have an extremely good understanding of beginner, intermediate, and advanced level commonly confused English words, getting at least 75% of each of these three levels' questions correct. This is an exceptional score. Remember, these are commonly confused English words, which means most people don't use them properly. You got an extremely respectable score.

Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!

For the complete Answer Key, visit my blog: http://shortredhead78.blogspot.com/.

'Wool Gathering"

2005-01-30T19:47:00.000-04:00

I'm reading a book by Rose Tremain called "Music & Silence". It is historical fiction set in the court of Denmark in the 1600's. This passage appears on page 10:

Queen Sofie ... loved to be rowed in a little boat to an island "and there sit in the sunshine and indulge in secret in her passion for knitting. This activity had been proscribed throughout the land as tending to induce in women an idle trance of mind, in which their proper thoughts would fly away and be replaced by fancy. Men called this state 'wool gathering'. That the wool itself could be fashioned into useful articles of haberdashery such as stockings or night bonnets made them no less superstitiously afraid of the knitting craze. They believed that any knitted night bonnet might contain among its million stitches the longings of their wives that they could never satisfy and which in consequence would give them nightmares of the darkest kind."

Flowers are forever

2005-01-22T07:39:00.000-04:00

Experimenting with Reverse Bloom wash cloths from the Weekend Knitting book.

The peach and cream flower is made of very inexpensive dishcloth cotton, which I dislike because my fingers hurt while knitting with it. However, the finished product is soft.

The bright pink flower to the left of it is made with Rowan cotton tape. (colour 549) I modified the pattern to make each petal smaller because I was worried about running out of yarn. The flower you see here took exactly one skein of the cotton tape. This was much easier to knit with than the dish cloth cotton and is very soft to use. I got the Rowan on sale, but still it was 6 times more expensive than the dish cloth cotton.

The tiny blue flower WIP is made with a very thin silky cotton by Schoeller Esslinger called "Palma". I bought it for really cheap at a big box craft store (shhhh). I think it is discontinued. The gauge is much smaller, obviously, so the flower will be smaller. This suits me just fine, since the others are a bit big to use as face cloths. The cost of this yarn is between the Rowan and the dish cloth cotton.

The pattern in the book is extremely clear and well written. These flowers are a joy to knit, especially when storm-stayed due to blizzard conditions. In fact, we are under a blizzard warning again today. This will be the 3rd major storm in 8 days. Hmmm, it must be winter :)

"W" stands for "wrong"

2005-01-20T05:46:00.000-04:00

Each mosaic square is a photo of an American service man or woman who has been killed in Iraq, in the war that violates international law. The original mosaic in larger sizes can be found here:

Canadian, eh

2005-01-16T13:50:00.000-04:00

You Know You're From Canada When...

You're not offended by the term, "Homo Milk."

You understand the phrase, "Could you pass me a serviette, I just dropped my poutine, on the chesterfield."

You eat chocolate bars, not candy bars.

You drink pop, not soda.

You know what a Mickey and 2-4 mean.

You don't care about the fuss with Cuba. It's a cheap place to go for your holidays, with good cigars.

You know that a pike is a type of fish, not part of a highway.

You drive on a highway, not a freeway.

You have Canadian Tire money in your kitchen drawers.

You know that Casey and Finnegan were not part of a Celtic musical group.

You get excited whenever an American television show mentions Canada.

You brag to Americans that: Shania Twain, Jim Carrey, Celine Dion and many more are Canadians.

You know that the C.E.O. of American Airlines is a Canadian!

You know what a touque is.

You know that the last letter of the English alphabet is always pronounced "Zed" not "Zee".

You understand the Labatt Blue commercials.

You know how to pronounce and spell "Saskatchewan."

You perk up when you hear the theme song from "Hockey Night in Canada."

You were in grade 12, not the 12th grade.

"Eh?" is a very important part of your vocabulary and more polite than, "Huh?"

Winter. Whenever you want it. And then some.

There's German food, Italian food, Chinese food, Armenian food, American food, but NO Canadian food.

You call a "mouse" a "moose".

You like the Americans a little because they don't want Quebec either.

Contests run by anyone other than the government have "skill-testing questions" that winners must answer correctly before they can claim a prize.

Everything is labelled in English and French.

Milk comes in plastic bags as well as cartons and plastic jugs.

Mountain Dew has no caffeine.

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Canada.

Get Your Own "You Know You're From" Meme Here

More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

Lucky Winner

2005-01-11T21:06:00.000-04:00

There were only three entrants in the yarn draw. I wrote each name on a separate piece of paper fanned them in my hand like cards, then asked my husband to draw one. He made a big production of choosing but finally settled on one and drew the winner. And the yarn goes to ..... Dorothy! Woo Hoo! Congratulations! Please send me your mailing address on the private email so I can pop this in the mail to you, k? Thanks to everyone for playing along.
That's all and Good Night.

Left Overs

2005-01-09T08:15:00.000-04:00

Blue Loretta was made for my mom-in-law for Christmas. By all accounts, she likes it. (We live thousands of miles apart, so I didn't get to see her open it). Anyway, notice the lack of fringe. As a result, I have yarn left over and wish to give it away. Scroll past the photo for details.

The yarn is a boucle, from Bernat, called Illusions: 98% acrylic, 2% polyester. Each skein is 5 oz. or 140 g. The main colour is multiple blues with flecks of green, called "Carnival". The contrast colour is navy blue. Each skein is 195 yards, or 178 meters. Go here for yarn details and a better photo of the colours on the Bernat site

I am giving away 4 full skeins of the multi blue and a half skein of the navy blue. If you want this yarn, just leave me a comment and I'll add you to the draw. Entries will be accepted until midnight EST on Monday, January 10. Winner to be announced sometime Tuesday.

Cheers!

I'm sorry I wished for snow ...

2004-12-27T14:28:00.000-04:00

We had a green Christmas. Actually, it was more like a mud Christmas, with tons of rain. Now, we have snow. It started snowing last night at around 9. It continued to snow until these photos, which were taken at 2 pm. Now it is blowing a gale. Mind you, a blizzard is nothing compared to the devastating earthquake in Asia. I'm not complaining ...

The front yard

My car isn't going anywhere soon.

The back deck in a moment of calm. The snow is knee high, with drifts to my waist.

Belle's sweater

2004-12-27T13:15:00.000-04:00

from Santa's workshop .... made for my 4 year old niece and mailed half way across the country just in time for Christmas. By all reports it fits except for the sleeves, which are too long.

Pattern specs

2004-12-27T13:11:00.000-04:00

Pattern from Knit 'n Style magazine, December 2004, p. 72, called the Ocean Stripe jacket. This photo is a better likeness of the colours.

The Night before Christmas (Lawyer version)

2004-12-24T09:49:00.000-04:00

I didn't write this, but I wish I had. Happy Holidays everyone!

Whereas, on or about the night prior to Christmas, there did occur at a certain improved piece of real property (hereinafter "the House") a general lack of stirring by all creatures therein, including, but not limited to a mouse.

A variety of foot apparel, e.g., stocking, socks, etc., had been affixed by and around the chimney in said House in the hope and/or belief that St. Nick a/k/a/ St. Nicholas a/k/a/ Santa Claus (hereinafter "Claus")would arrive at sometime thereafter.

The minor residents, i.e. the children, of the aforementioned House were located in their individual beds and were engaged in nocturnal hallucinations, i.e. dreams, wherein vision of confectionery treats, including, but not limited to, candies, nuts and/or sugar plums, did dance, cavort and otherwise appear in said dreams.

Whereupon the party of the first part (sometimes hereinafter referred to as ("I"), being the joint-owner in fee simple of the House with the party of the second part (hereinafter "Mamma"), and said Mamma had retired for a sustained period of sleep. At such time, the parties were clad in various forms of headgear, e.g., kerchief and cap.

Suddenly, and without prior notice or warning, there did occur upon the unimproved real property adjacent and appurtenant to said House, i.e., the lawn, a certain disruption of unknown nature, cause and/or circumstance. The party of the first part did immediately rush to a window in the House to investigate the cause of such disturbance.

At that time, the party of the first part did observe, with some degree of wonder and/or disbelief, a miniature sleigh (hereinafter "the Vehicle") being pulled and/or drawn very rapidly through the air by approximately eight (8) reindeer. The driver of the Vehicle appeared to be and in fact was, the previously referenced Claus.

Said Claus was providing specific direction, instruction and guidance to the approximately eight (8) reindeer and specifically identified the animal co-conspirators by name: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen (hereinafter "the Deer"). (Upon information and belief, it is further asserted that an additional co- conspirator named "Rudolph" may have been involved.)

The party of the first part witnessed Claus, the Vehicle and the Deer intentionally and willfully trespass upon the roofs of several residences located adjacent to and in the vicinity of the House, and noted that the Vehicle was heavily laden with packages, toys and other items of unknown origin or nature. Suddenly, without prior invitation or permission, either express or implied, the Vehicle arrived at the House, and Claus entered said House via the chimney.

Said Claus was clad in a red fur suit, which was partially covered with residue from the chimney, and he carried a large sack containing a portion of the aforementioned packages , toys, and other unknown items.
He was smoking what appeared to be tobacco in a small pipe in blatant violation of local ordinances and health regulations.

Claus did not speak, but immediately began to fill the stocking of the minor children, which hung adjacent to the chimney, with toys and other small gifts. (Said items did not, however, constitute "gifts" to said minor pursuant to the applicable provisions of the U.S. Tax Code.)

Upon completion of such task, Claus touched the side of his nose and flew, rose and/or ascended up the chimney of the House to the roof where the Vehicle and Deer waited and/or served as "lookouts." Claus immediately departed for an unknown destination.

However, prior to the departure of the Vehicle, Deer and Claus from said House, the party of the first part did hear Claus state and/or exclaim: "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!" Or words to that effect.

Happy December!

2004-12-01T18:41:00.000-04:00

Happy December!
Originally uploaded by Mrs. R..

Today, Canadian Prime Minister Martin and American President Bush, along with a slew of other politicans and notables came to my neck of the woods - Halifax, Nova Scotia. There were planes and helicopters circling overhead for hours, which was somewhat unsettling. But, the speeches were short, the protestors polite, and everyone has gone home safe and sound. Just the way I like it.

By the way, the photo above is of quilts made by crayon applique. I found these samples on the net, just google "crayon applique" and you'll find lots of lovely examples. Just another quilting technique to add to the tool box ... someday.

Loretta!

2004-11-30T08:38:00.000-04:00

LorrettaDisplay
Originally uploaded by Mrs. R..

Finally, a finished Loretta! Dorey approves. By the way, this is my first post using the Flickr photo sharing.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2004-11-20T10:40:00.000-04:00

So today I turn 29 for the 17th time. Back in the day, I had a very strict upbringing, but birthdays were special. My Mom had a tradition of giving each child breakfast in bed on the actual birthday, school day or not. We got to choose our meal. I invariably chose ham, french fries and chocolate cake with chocolate icing and chocolate fudge on top. Can you imagine having to whip that up on a school morning whilst ensuring the rest of your 6 children got off to school on time? Thanks Mom!
When we turned 14 we got an extra special treat. At breakfast we received a formal invitation from Mom and Dad to dine with them that evening at a "grown up" restaurant. We were expected to deliver an equally formal R.S.V.P to them. (Funnily enough, a box of lovely note cards would be part of the gifts that morning.) That evening the lucky birthday child would dress to the nines and accompany Mom and Dad for an evening alone with them. Those of you who come from large families will recognize the importance of having the parents' full attention. This was our introduction to the world of adults. Thanks Mom! Thanks Dad!

Top Ten Signs

2004-11-13T07:58:00.000-04:00

Here are the top ten signs that my Secret Pal is a totally cool, sweet, caring, generous knitter:
10. She vacations in Prague.
9. She prepares and sends a package to me in the midst of packing for said vacation in Prague, when there is too little time and too much to do.
8. Email greetings are sent to me from internet cafes in Prague.
7. She includes treats for my puppies in the package (Kobie and Dorey say thank you SP).
6. My cats also receive treats in the package, in the form of catnip toys knit by my SP3. She knit for my cats! The dim sum from Knitty How cool is that? (Mickey and Ellie would say thanks too, if they weren't stoned on cat nip).
5. She sends me brain food in the form of a box of Mensa riddles and puzzles. I am slowly working my way through the box. Yes, I have gotten lots and lots right. Honest, I have. O.K., maybe not lots and lots. Maybe just some right so far. But I haven't gone through the whole box yet.
4. Chocolate is a necessity to me. She understands this, and includes chocolate in each package.
3. I am a Harry Potter fan. There are Harry Potter candies in the package.
2. She sends silk yarn. SILK!!! Yummy purple, soft, brushed Tussah silk. Obtained while she was on a trip to San Francisco. You can find it at the Art Fibers store. I love it, just love it.
1. I collect eggs. She makes me a candle in the shape of an egg, in my favourite colours. Hand crafted candle, folks. She rocks!

Here are the goodies.

Silk yarn! Handcrafted candle!

Mickey hugs his toy.

Ellie abandons dignity in favour of getting stoned, er, I mean, playing with catnip toy.

Dorey watches the cats. No photos of puppies enjoying their treats are available because, well, I forgot to take such photos. Erp.

Lest We Forget

2004-11-11T10:47:00.000-04:00

In Flanders' fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe!
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

We have a winner!

2004-11-07T07:44:00.000-04:00

April guessed correctly in the comments ... I am a reverse bloom washcloth. Pattern from Weekend Knitting.

What I like about this project:

the construction is easy even for a beginner like me,
the cloth is a generous size and just the right combination of soft and firm texture.

What I don't like about this project:

the 100% cotton was very hard on the joints so knitting could only be done in short spurts,
the washcloth stretches when wet, and
it takes FOREVER to dry. As in at least 24 hours to air dry.

Would I make another one? Yes, but in a different yarn. I just haven't found the right yarn yet. Any suggestions?

Riddle Me This

2004-10-31T06:11:00.000-04:00

I am a cream and peach variegated colour.
I am knit in cotton.
I have five sections and a middle.
I am made with both straight and circular needles.
What am I?

While you ponder the riddle, here is a photo of the project I use for Comfort Knitting. You know, the project you pick up when you need an easy pattern to work on, and something soft to handle. This yarn has mohair (hmmm soft) and is done entirely in moss stitch. It is destined to be a shawl for my Mom for her birthday. (Relax, the Empress S does not read my blog. She does not even have a computer in her house).

Knitting Is Magic - a Fairy Tale In One Part

2004-10-24T09:34:00.000-03:00

Once upon a time in a land close to here, there lived a beautiful, young, intelligent knitter named Mrs. R. (Hey, its my fairy tale … I can lie if I want to, lie if I want to... you would lie too, if this happened to you!)
Mrs. R's mother, the Empress S., had taught all her sons and daughters to knit when they were children, but Mrs. R. had only learned to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off. K2tog and YO were also mastered, but that is as far as she got.
In August Mrs. R. took up the needles again. Our heroine quickly accumulated a stash and merrily started many, many projects.
With the help of wizards like Lucy Neatby and Sheryl, the owner of Tangled Skeins, along with spells engraved in books like Weekend Knitting, Mrs. R. quickly learned 4 new techniques.
First, the making of icords was revealed. Mrs. R. marveled at how knitting at the opposite end from the yarn supply could result in a tube shape. The fairies themselves must have invented this clever technique.

This is Sophie the Second, modeling her icord handles.

Next, Mrs. R. was introduced to the fabulous art of the Kitchener Stitch. Joining separate ends of knitting without leaving a noticeable join line using just two knitting needles of live stitches held parallel and a darning needle is, quite simply, MAGIC!

The next technique was somewhat intimidating to Mrs. R. Short rows. The concept baffled our heroine, but she needed to make fingerless mitts for when she walks the puppies (er, I mean, when she flys with the Watch Dragons) and the spell in the book called Weekend Knitting used short rows to shape the mitts over the hand. So, the fearless Mrs. R. cast on and, muttering the special 4 letter words (er, I mean, the incantations) she short rowed away. In the end, our heroine had this to say: "SHORT ROWS ROCK!!"

Finally, the spell for fingerless mitts called for a 3 needle bind off. Here, our heroine's nerve failed her. Gremlins whispered in her ear. For this task she had already learned short rows, and how to cast on over a gap in the fabric (for the thumb). Wasn't that enough? Why was she being pushed so hard? What evil lurked here? Angels wafted into earshot and counter-attacked. "To whom can you turn for support and courage?" they asked her. Ah, Earl Gray to the rescue, with a dash of Captain Morgan on the side. Once fortified, Mrs. R. defeated the confidence-destroying gremlins and bound off successfully.
And everyone lived happily ever after.
- The End -

Coming Soon ...

2004-10-23T08:23:00.000-03:00

... photo of a new Sophie bag (it's in the washer being felted right now). A glimpse of how I decided to use that mohair/acrylic blend. Photos of hand warmers a la Weekend Knitting (short rows rock!). A fringed Loretta, whoo hoo!

Tea at the Frog Pond

2004-10-17T08:44:00.000-03:00

My first attempt at knitting socks is turning out to be - shall we say - interesting. Frustrating. Challenging. Fun, even. Sadly, that teeny cuff you see on the left side of the photo must be frogged. Some holes appeared in the rib (no, it isn't meant to be lace!). However, I have mastered the use of 5 needles and can rotate the stitches around at whim, to prevent laddering on the "corners" . So, all in all, a good learning experience. While visiting the frog pond I intend to sip tea from my stash of samples, courtesy of Adagio teas and Lisa Y. (Thanks again Lisa!) So far my favourite is Ceylon Waltz. That pumpkin-hugging puppy is on my calendar for the month of October. Remind you of anyone? No, my Dorey is not the cover girl. (By the way, is it my poor eyesight, or is this photo really blurry? Anyone?)

Slightly overstated

2004-10-14T07:20:00.000-03:00

This quiz is fun, but somehow I skipped the Apprentice stage and zoomed right on up to Guru. Hmmmm. How about you? Try it!

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting
and do it all the time. While finishing a piece
is the plan, you still love the process, and
can't imagine a day going by without giving
some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation
involves leaving ample space for the stash and
supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn
ends and you begin.

What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

The sound of a deadline

2004-10-13T20:19:00.000-03:00

Advent Calendar : deadline fast approaches. I have, in fact, worked on this. Honest! See the proof below. Remember, this is hand pieced. It will be done on time. It will be done on time. (On time means Nov 15). Ah, deadlines. I love deadlines. Especially the sound they make as they fly by.

Stitch Markers! Get yer stitch markers here!

2004-10-12T20:07:00.000-03:00

Have you ever wandered through a dollar store ("Every thing for a Dollar or less") just wastin' time - and hit the jackpot? You know, like finding tea towels that match your kitchen colours exactly, or those plastic lids for opened soup cans ... stuff like that? [Yes, I'm easily amused. Wanna make somethin' of it? Huh? Huh?] ANYWAY, as I was sayin' I was wandering t'other day when the children's hair elastics display caught my eye. Now, normally this wouldn't even register with me, seeing as I have no children. But, the KnitList chatter that day had been all about stitch markers. A KnitLister had mentioned using hair elastics as markers. So, there I was, standing in front of a wall-o-hair-elastics, marvelling at the wealth of stitch markers. The blue binder in the photo is what I bought. It contained those bright cheerful hair elastics and it snaps closed into a neat little package to throw in your knitting basket. All for one dollar !!! (That's 80 cents for you Americans). I added some goodie elastics by hooking them over the binder rings (300 pieces for a dollar, various sizes) and I put my hand crafted beaded markers on the rings too. At the top of the binder you see a stitch holder. Some of the markers are in action, as you can see, on a Sophie bag for moi. I'm using the Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride wool/mohair blend sent by my fabulous Secret Pal (hi SP! waves). This yarn is delicious - nice and soft to work with and knits up quickly. I bet its going to felt well too.

A big spender, I am. So, I splurged for two more stitch marker binders at the dollar store and customized them by adding some lovely beaded stitch markers (purchased, not clumsily hand made by me). These are going out as RAOK's real soon now. Right after I read 130 blogs. See ya on the RAOK ring!

French Market Boo Boo: Sophie to the rescue

2004-10-11T08:34:00.000-03:00

Knit God #1: "That Mrs. R. is spoiled rotten. She gets so many RAOKs, and she just got a new car."
Knit God #2: "Yup, she sure is spoiled."
Knit God #1: "We should do something to rain on her parade."
Knit God #2: "Cool! What did you have in mind?"

Sigh. As you may have read earlier on this blog, I was making the French Market Bag as a gift. To be presented on Sunday afternoon. On Saturday at noon I pulled the FMB out of the washer. It felted beautifully (everything they say about Cascade 220 Quattro is true. I love the stuff.) Sadly, the lovely felting could not compensate for my mistake in placing the handles. So, this mess is what I'm left with.

This is how it is meant to look.

What happened, you ask? Well, I knit the bottom in a rectangle rather than in the round. The pattern gives instructions for both methods. I didn't feel like wrestling with dpns to make the round, so I knit a rectangle and picked up the stitches instead. But, I forgot to mark the corners. When it came time to make the handles, I just willy nilly started binding off, with no regard to where I was in the shape. Hence, the misshapen mess. Ugh.

Remember, at this point it was noon on Saturday and the gift was due on Sunday afternoon. What's a knitter to do? Pout, of course! Once I got that out of my system, I remembered the pattern for the Sophie bag. And, just the day before, I had purchased 2 skeins of Noro Kureyon to make a hat. There was no way around it - the hat had to be sacrificed in favour of the Sophie. I knit practically non-stop from 3 pm Saturday to 1 am Sunday until only the handles remained. Got up at the crack of dawn on Sunday to make the icords, then felted her. She took 3 rounds in the washing machine, and turned out like this:

Not bad, eh? Sophie was delivered, along with the Booga Bag, to a happy pair of princesses (a.k.a. my nieces).

By the way, as I was motoring along on Saturday night, I started to worry about having enough yarn. The stores are not open on Sundays here, so I was genuinely concerned. (Um, to be more accurate, it is fair to say I was "freaking out"). In the end, I did have some yarn left over. How much, you ask? 9 inches of yarn left, to be exact. Whew. That was a close one!

Treats

2004-10-11T07:46:00.002-03:00

My Secret Pal sent me this postcard. Cute, eh? Suits me to a "T". Thanks SP!

Ann sent me a sock themed RAOK. Those charts are really going to come in handy for this newbie sock knitter. The booklet has 4 sock patterns - really cute ones. And the CrazyQuilt note cards are going to come in very handy. Check out the hand-crafted card, with RAOK spelled out in tiles. Awesome. Thanks Ann!

Busy, busy

2004-10-07T13:59:00.000-03:00

Mama's busy again. She got a perfect postcard from her Secret Pal and she got an amazing RAOK from Ann, all about socks. These things made Mama very, very, happy and much less grouchy, so thanks SP3! and thanks Ann! Once Mama finishes buying a new car to replace the "Hunk-a-junk" and gets back to her routine she'll take some photos and blog more about it. In the meantime, here is a file photo of us, doing what we do best. That's Kobie on the left, with her nose stuck in the air, and me (Dorey) on the right, tucked up nice and pretty.

A Dog's Life

2004-10-05T13:06:00.000-03:00

Hiya everybody. I'm Dorey. My mama is too grumpy and busy to blog today so I'm doing it for her. I had a fun morning. Mama left her sewing room door open when she went to work, so Kobie and I got to play in her yarns. We took those boring skeins and made pretty trails all over the living room and hallway. When Mama got home she was very excited and made lots of loud barking noises. Kobie ran and hid behind the couch but I like it when she's noisy! Now I'm rolling around on the couch without a care in the world. Ahhh, a dog's life is good.

Beading Challenged

2004-10-04T22:10:00.000-03:00

Having a bad day: car broke down, I mean really broke down. Have to buy a new one. Don't want to. Decided, on a whim, to make beaded stitch markers. Gathered tools:
1. needle nose pliers - check
2. plenty of pretty baubles - check
3. wire cutters - check
4. memory wire - check
5. hand/eye coordination - .... I said, hand/eye coordination ...???
Nope, not got that. After much swearing, flying beads and puppies cowering in a corner, I have this to show for my labours:

I'm still grumpy.

Rockin' RAOK Ring

2004-10-03T06:46:00.000-03:00

Welcome to all the fiber freaks, er, I mean, fiber addicts, er, fiber fans, who were added to the Fiber RAOK Ring yesterday. Let's have some fun! If you love Crazy Quilting, let me know using the comment section on this post. I might have a little treat to send you. See you in the comments!

Step AWAY from the knitting needles Ma'am!

2004-10-02T16:13:00.000-03:00

Today is supposed to be a quilting day, to make progress on the Advent calendar. So what have I been doing? Knitting of course. Cast on a booga bag with the Lamb's Pride my Secret Pal gave me. Worked a few rows of the French Market Bag. Thought about fringing Loretta. In short, everything but quilting. This is ridiculous!

Look Ma! No pattern!

2004-10-01T19:56:00.000-03:00

The wonderful Jennifer sent me a RAOK that has me bouncing with joy. This yarn is a divine mix of 16% mohair, 72% acrylic and 12% polyester, so it is, you guessed it, machine washable! It feels soft and warm

I really, really like the colour too. It reminds me of a gentle, fluffy cloud springtime sky. I like this so much I dropped everything and started swatching. This would make a yummy shawl. I looked through all my patterns (meaning the one book and three magazines I own) but couldn't find anything calling for this amount of yarn, so I decided, "hey, I'll just make it up as I go along!". So what if I've only been knitting for about 6 weeks. Audacious is my middle name. I cast on 3 stitches, then motored away in st st, increasing around the center stitch on every knit row. So, those of you who are more experienced knitters than I, or just plain smarter than I, have already realized I have a problem on my hands, er, needles.
Here's how it looks in closeup, with the needle stretched straight:

Nice eh? I have a feeling that roll edge is just going to get worse as I go along. Perhaps its time to re-think this.

I've cast on again, on needles two sizes larger, and will alternate increasing in the middle with increasing on the ends and see if that solves my little roll problem. I'll report the results tomorrow. But if any of you would care to take pity on me and provide a solution, I'd be most grateful.

Here a swatch, there a swatch ...

2004-09-29T19:44:00.000-03:00

... everywhere a swatch, swatch. Ole MacDonald had a swatch, e eye, e eye, oh! On the left - Confetti and on the right - Opal. Who's that in the middle, you ask? That, my friends, is Mr. Troll. He is my puppies' fave toy.

Never mind the sock swatches, have you folks read Yarn Harlot today? If not, get thee over to her blog toute suite. Go see the beautiful, stupendous, not-to-be missed thrummed mittens. Go. Now.

Fringeless Loretta

2004-09-28T19:57:00.000-03:00

Here she is, fresh from the needles. Once the fringe is installed, I will model it. Don't hold your breath though. I don't foresee a fringing party any earlier than the weekend. Do you like the v pattern? I'm very pleased with it. Truth be told, I'm astounded at the way something made on a circular needle could turn out v-shaped like that. (Oh stop snickering, I'm just a newbie knitter, after all. Cut me some slack, eh!)

Thank you all for your support and empathy on my encounter with the knit gods. I'm still in hiding from them, so the yarn and needles for the "you know what" shawl are hidden away. For my next trick, I'll swatch some sock yarn. ( ... do you think I'm kidding ....?)

By the way, I've got a shout out for someone.

"Good Morning Dorothy! Nice to see you are up and around. Did you get your blog made last night? Boy that coffee smells good. Enjoy your day!"

The Knit Gods are Angry

2004-09-27T20:50:00.000-03:00

Sigh. The Flower Basket Shawl has been ripped from the needles. I got myself into a real mess, starting with an incorrect number of stitches for the pattern and ending with an even more incorrect number of stitches, a knot and some funky twisted stitches in the middle of a tinked back row. Of course, I was working without a life line (just 3 more rows to finish a pattern repeat, then I was going to put in a life line. Sigh.) Whatever I did to deserve this, I'm sorry.
Will do my time in purgatory by continuing to knit the (seemingly) endless Loretta Lynn poncho or the kindergarten level French Market Bag. When the Gods' attention is diverted I will try the FBS again. As you are my witnesses - that is my solemn vow.

Did you say Advent Calendar? As in Christmas?

2004-09-27T17:48:00.000-03:00

Good Day folks. We are coming to you live from Mrs R.'s quilt studio (oh alright, "quilt studio" may be overstating it. More like her spare bedroom that's being used for quilting and other stuff).

Q. Mrs R, Mrs R, rumour has it that you're working on a small quilt for the local Christmas fundraiser for the IWK Grace Children's Hospital. What can you tell us about this?

A. Ahem, is this my best side (turns head left) or is this (turns head right). Which is better?

Q. Mrs R., this is radio, not T.V.

A. Right, yes, well, ahem.

Q. The quilt, Mrs R.?

A. (Drawing herself up proudly) Yes, I worked on that project this weekend at a Bee meeting. Look at the photo, I have many more finished squares now than the last time we talked.

Q. Um, is that it? Is that all you've done in the last, oh I don't know, call it three weeks. Is that it?

A. (Bristling slightly) Yes, it is HAND PIECED. (so there, muttered under breath). Must not rush a true artiste. I am making progress ...

Q. Well, I suppose. Progress at the speed of chilled molasses, that is.

A. Your point?

Q. Christmas is LESS THAN 3 MONTHS AWAY! By the way, when is this quilt due?

A. Why, is it pregnant? (ha, ha, ha, ha!.. ha, ha....)

Q. (muttering quietly... wait till I get my hands on that assignment editor ... sending me out to this idiot ... oy) Mrs R., what is the deadline for submission?

A. Oh, well, November 15, of course..... Oh dear. I get your point. Must get back to work, thank you so much for coming, good bye now!

FMB and FBS (say what?)

2004-09-26T09:06:00.000-03:00

Here we have the French Market Bag at about 3/4 done. This project is great to take along in the car to knit while a passenger and to work on while chatting on the phone. Yes, I speak on this from personal experience. In case you are wondering, the darker yarn will be used for the handles.

The Flower Basket shawl is coming along nicely. I've finished two more repeats of the lower baskets. No need to post a photo at this point. I'm finding the yarn a bit sticky on the wooden needles, so its slow going. (Do you like the way I lay the blame on the "tool" rather than the operator? Pretty slick eh? That, ladies and germs, is an acquired skill. Tee Hee )

Did I ever tell you I'm fond of acronyms? Does it show?

Back to Regular Programming

2004-09-25T07:38:00.000-03:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your patience. We now return to regularly scheduled programming....

Whew!!! What a week that was. I survived without a meltdown. Big plans for the weekend, to wit, knitting, blogging, yardwork, quilting and sleeping. Can't beat that!

I promised a photo of SP3 goodies. Here you see the Lambs Pride wool/mohair in Chianti, my fave colour of all. How did she know that is my fave colour? Easy, my SP3 has ESP! That is the only reasonable explanation. The package also contained much chocolate goodness, including M&M's and Reisen. Said chocolate was devoured by moi, forthwith upon receipt. (You didn't expect me to save it for the photo op, did you? Get real!)

Last week I also received a wonderful Random Act of Kindness (RAOK) from none other than GinnFizz. Thank you Ma'am! This Confetti sock yarn will be put to good use for me to learn sock construction. Maybe in time for Christmas .... (If any of my family members read this, don't hold your breath. I do not, repeat, do not, plan to knit socks for all of you, or even for any of you. Do not, I repeat, do not, expect socks under your trees.)

You may recall my earlier post about the new LYS, called Tangled Skeins. Here is another photo. I've spent more than my fair share of time browsing through the books and magazines and fondling the yarns there. 'tis a lovely spot.

Mom-in-law, if you're reading this, I'm serious about the socks.

Timing is Everything

2004-09-21T21:52:00.000-03:00

For my Secret Pal, with my sincere thanks:

Ellie

A little background: I'm in SecretPals3. A knitter has been assigned to spoil me with friendly wishes and goodies until December, when his/her identity will be revealed. Meanwhile, I have been assigned a different knitter to spoil at will and try to keep my identity a secret until December. I don't blog about my spoilee, so as not to spoil the surprise.
The person who is spoiling me is very, very good at it! She/he was worried that my parcel hadn't arrived when expected, but it did arrive today, and just at the perfect time. I had a stressful long day, and was an exhausted puppy driving home. Checked the mail and lo and behold, a parcel from my SecretPal. What an instant pick-me-up! So, what was in the parcel, you ask? Not so fast cowboys and cowgirls. I'll tell/show you tomorrow. (Oh the power...) Actually, truth be told, I'm just too darn tired to take photos and load them up tonight.

Grocery Stores can be dangerous

2004-09-20T23:11:00.000-03:00

So there I was, running through the grocery store on a quick errand when I spotted the magazine rack. Veered off to take a look at knitting and quilting mags. Picked this up. Leafed through it ... heart started pounding ... gasps of delight ... there are four, count 'em, four patterns I absolutely must make someday. Plus, two of those Nordic, multi coloured insanely intricate sweaters that only the most accomplished of knitting goddessess (like Yarn Harlot) could even hope to make. Had to buy the magazine. Of course I did. Add grocery store to the list of places to feed my knitting obsession. Dangerous on the wallet though.

Knitless Sunday

2004-09-19T18:24:00.000-03:00

No knitting done today folks. Too busy getting ready for next week, which promises to be the week from H*E*double toothpicks. By the way, I forgot to mention a goody for the quilters among you. My quilt guild (the Mayflower in Nova Scotia) has its own blog now! Really! Yours truly created it, and took a bunch of photos at show and tell last week. Go on over and take a look ... I dare ya! www.MayflowerQuilt.blogspot.com

Repeat After Me

2004-09-18T08:17:00.000-03:00

Upper flower baskets are done! Yippee! Here is the Flower Basket Shawl, using flexi needles. Now all I have to do is 7 repeats of the lower flower baskets. Easy peasy. (Actually, it is easy if I can sit in a quiet corner and follow the chart very, very, very, carefully. O.K., so its not so easy as knitting, say, a booga bag. But oh me oh my, it is going to be nice, don't you think?) I love the colours of this yarn. I even like the way it looks wound into a ball. It's almost too pretty to knit!

Hmm, this photography leaves a lot to be desired. Note to self: next time, center the darn thing!

Flower Basket Shawl - Take Two

2004-09-15T20:01:00.000-03:00

I started this project with some boring pastel blue sock yarn. No wonder it has been languishing, unloved and unknitted. That sock yarn is outta there! Flower basket is going to get the yarn it deserves - Lucy Neatby hand painted Celestial Merino. Isn't it just yummie. Mmm, mmm. I got this idea from http://ginnfizz.blog-city.com/. Thanks!

Sock it to me ...

2004-09-15T19:56:00.000-03:00

Guess who is going to learn how to knit socks? Go on, I'll give you three guesses ... the first two don't count.

Uh Oh

2004-09-12T19:00:00.000-03:00

Remember that I was knitting the French Market Bag in Briggs & Little? Remember that this is a felted bag? Well, guess what! According to my LYS owner, Briggs & Little does not felt. I repeat, Briggs & Little does not felt. eep!
Immediately upon hearing this advice, I stopped knitting with B&L and cast on with Cascade instead. Lesson learned? Swatch, swatch, swatch! Then felt the swatch!

Update: now I've been told that B&L does felt, so I am completely confused (which is easily done, I know). The B&L I'm talking about is 100% wool. It does not say Superwash on the label and does not appear to be treated for washing. The twist of the yarn is very tight. Apparently, the tight twist prevents felting. If any of you can shed light on this mystery I would be very grateful.

Booga, Loretta, and Mickey

2004-09-11T23:23:00.000-03:00

Well, well, well. Say, Mrs. R., isn't this the booga bag you had so much trouble with? Why yes, I believe it is. Look who's laughing now! Booga is quietly blocking, waiting for her I-cord handles to be added so she can have her first outing.

Here is Loretta at about 3/4 finished. It is hard to tell the shape because the stitches are crowded onto 29 inch needles.

Mickey had to inspect Loretta for himself. He is a shy cat, so getting a photo is a rare event.

My Town

2004-09-11T10:49:00.000-03:00

May I present, Halifax, Nova Scotia. The boat is the famous Bluenose. Today is a picture perfect Saturday, just like the one shown here

Tangled Skeins

2004-09-09T21:43:00.000-03:00

Isn't that a lovely sight? It is just one corner full of goodies in the Tangled Skeins, on Portland Street in Dartmouth Nova Scotia. There will be more photos posted in the next few days, as time permits.
Psstt, if any of you have a few hours you don't need, send them my way, o.k.? Thanks!

Loretta and Dorey

2004-09-06T19:43:00.000-03:00

Here is the Loretta Lynn showing the cowl neck and beginning of shoulder shaping.

Duchess Dorey stayed still long enough to get a photo. "Isn't she pretty?", asks the beaming puppy mom.

Weekend Progress Report

2004-09-05T20:31:00.000-03:00

I finished the booga bag! Yay me! When it is felted I will post a photo. Right now it just looks like a big floppy cylinder of st st.

Not one to rest on my needles, I forthwith cast on for the French Market Bag, seen here. Using navy blue and quoddy blue Briggs & Little 100% wool. $8 whole dollars worth of yarn to make such a lovely item. (That's about $5 for you American readers). Yay me!

Making good progress on the Loretta Lynn poncho for the Poncho Along. Will post a photo tomorrow. I had to frog a couple of rows b/c it took me a while to figure out how to "make one" without making a hole at the same time. I have it down pat now, and the v shaping of the poncho is showing beautifully. Ain't it grand when it all works out? Yay me!

I leave you with a photo of one of my lurking works in progress. This is the first sweater I cast on upon my return to knitting. The yarn is cheap 100% acrylic, the magazine is the new "Creative Knitting". It is a very easy pattern, and works up quickly. I have temporarily abandoned it in favour of gift knitting. Yep, the Booga Bag and French Market bags are destined to be gifts.

Poncho Photo

2004-09-03T21:17:00.000-03:00

This is the Loretta Lynn poncho I'm doing for the Poncho Along.

Posted by Hello

Poncho Details

2004-09-03T21:11:00.000-03:00

The Loretta Lynn poncho in this yarn, 75% acrylic and 25% wool. The colours are green, dark brown and variegated. I've got about 4 inches of the cowl done.

Posted by Hello

Project Secret Pal Inquisition

2004-09-03T17:26:00.000-03:00

1.Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
Well, I'll take what I can get, but prefer natural fibers. Mind you, my fave yarn right now is a cheap cotton/acrylic blend (50/50) that is knitting up fabulously. Looking forward to trying the Noro silk garden.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
No spin. No crochet.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
No allergies.

4. How long have you been knitting?
This time, since August 10, 2004. (I'm serious!!!!) Before that I had knit as a child and as a teen, then sporadically until about 12 years ago. I can't believe I gave up knitting for 12 years. What was I thinking?

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Nope, but I'm gonna look into that right soon.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I like vanilla, and any fruity scent.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Hmm, define "sweet tooth". I only like chocolate of any type and anything that resembles shortbread.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I quilt, cross stitch, quilt, sew garments, quilt.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if you want to make her a CD)
My computer, my home stereo system and my portable stereo all play MP3, WAV and anything else that gets thrown at them. (Hubby is a consumer electronic gadget freak extraordinaire, as in, he is not allowed in Future Shop unsupervised.)

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
Purple is my fave, all shades, with reds a close second. My fall/winter wardrobe consists of black pants and black tops, with colourful blazers.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Two dogs, two cats, two finches, and one husband. No children (other than my husband).

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
World peace, or at the very least, increased tolerance of each other.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Still experimenting. Looking forward to trying silk blends, cashmere, or mohair. (I know, I know, I have champagne taste on a beer budget).

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Haven't run across any yet.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Anything.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
So far, the booga bag.

17. What are you knitting right now?
(Deep breath in ) booga bag, Loretta Lynn poncho, Sitcom jacket, Sonnet sweater, Flower Basket Shawl, striped sweater (exhale).

18. What do you think about ponchos? (this is really a curiousity question for us)
I'm riding the trend baby!

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
No preference. I have a pair of flexies, and love them!

20. How did you learn to knit?
Mommie taught me when I was very little/young. She is Dutch and taught me with a Dutch rhyme.

21. How old is your oldest UFO?
No UFO's, just WIP's.

Bonus Question: what is your favourite saying?

I love deadlines - especially the sound they make as they fly by!

A shout out to the quilters

2004-09-02T21:53:00.000-03:00

Sshhh, don't tell the knitters, but there is some quilting going on too. What you see here is the beginnings of a Christmas Advent calendar. I know it does not look like much right now, does it? Well, stay tuned ...
Posted by Hello

I met Lucy Neatby!

2004-09-02T21:32:00.000-03:00

Some weeks ago I phoned up a local knitter to ask about knitting guilds. She told me about KnitCo (the Knitting and Cocoa society). We discovered that we live mere blocks from each other and she offered to travel together to the next meeting. Last night was such a meeting. In the meantime, however, I discovered just who I was chatting with so blithely about KnitCo. It was none other than Lucy Neatby!!! How was I to know that a famous knitwear designer lived up the street from me, and that she would be so wonderfully easy to talk with, and so helpful, and, and, and...

Anyway, we did travel together to the meeting, where I met other knitting enthusiasts and had a lovely time.

Booga Bag Redemption

2004-09-02T21:25:00.000-03:00

Hmm, well that looks better! With the help of two lovely knitters (thanks Susan! thanks Lucy!) I picked up around the rectangle again and happily knit ever after. Turns out that tangled mess was just the way it looks until about three inches of bag body are knitted. So I was on the right track after all, just not smart enough to realize it :)

Posted by Hello

Secret Pals are activated

2004-08-30T23:36:00.000-03:00

Already my Secret Pal 3 has emailed me a warm welcome. (S)he is full of excitement and good cheer, brightening my otherwise stressed out self today. Thanks Secret Pal! I'm going to enjoy the next three months tremendously.
Now, that's it for me today. Must toddle off to bed for my beauty rest, much busyness in store for tomorrow again. No knitting/quilting being done around here right now. Watch me get real cranky real soon if this keeps up!

Flower Basket Shawl Condundrum

2004-08-28T22:29:00.000-03:00

As promised to myself, I cast on the Flower Basket Shawl after chores were done. Wimped out and used the 7 stitch cast on, then ran into a conundrum. When I follow the chart for this pattern, should I read every row in the same direction, or should I read the chart back and forth? And do I start reading in the bottom right corner or the bottom left corner of the chart? Does it even matter? Since every second row is just purled, I suspect it does not matter, but it can't hurt to make sure! Now do you see why I used the easy cast on? I am easily confused!
I left a comment asking this question (the chart one, not the rhetorical one) at the knit along. I'll lurk in the comments over there for a while in case I get a response.
By the way, I've made it to row 6 and had to frog twice. Perserverance is going to be an absolute necessity for this project!
****************
P.S. Someone has finished this already! Go here to view. It is really, really lovely. Congrats!

Booga Schmooga

2004-08-28T13:49:00.000-03:00

Can you say "tangled mess"? I garter stitched my 34 rows, then picked up stitches all around the rectangle and knit (with great difficulty) a row. Bleh. Time to put this away for a bit. After I do some weekly chores I'll be ready to knit again. As a treat/incentive for doing chores, I think I'll cast on the Flower Basket Shawl. Will I be brave and try the crochet cast on, or will I wimp out and just cast on 7 and get ready to motor? Stay tuned .....

Posted by Hello

Booga Bag

2004-08-26T21:58:00.000-03:00

I know, I know. I'm supposed to be working on the Flower Basket Shawl... or the Sitcom jacket, or Sonnet, or the Lorreta Lynn poncho. Instead, I'm three feet into the icord handle for the booga bag. So sue me.
Oh, and I found a new LYS that's about, at the most, 25 blocks from my home. Too cool. Place is called Tangled Skeins. Will post a (glowing) review when I have time to be properly witty about it. Suffice to say that my first visit there made me giddy with joy and resulted in purchase of yarn for said booga bag. The proper Noro Koreyon yarn, not some wussy substitute. I know where my weekly allowance is going for the forseeable future!

Flower Basket Shawl Knit Along!!

2004-08-24T08:20:00.000-03:00

All together now ... lets knit along. My thanks to the reader who alerted me to this knitalong by leaving a comment. I joined immediately because there is safety in numbers!
To join the fun, go here.

Cast On, Change Mind

2004-08-22T21:02:00.000-03:00

Well, I started a sweater today, got about an inch along, then changed my mind and started a different sweater all together. I started to make Sitcom Chic, but I'm struggling with the sizing so will wait until I have a little more experience. I might look for the suggested yarn too, which should help. So, until I find the right yarn, I'm making Sonnet instead, in a very pretty purple acrylic/wool blend. I'll get photos up just as soon as I get my mitts on the family camera.

Sweet (but scary) Shawl

2004-08-21T17:25:00.000-03:00

I am going to make this. Yes, I really am. I have the yarn and everything. Photo of yarn will be posted when I get my camera back from DH. The cast on is a little scary (you start with a crochet hook, ... eep.) I have to work up the courage to begin. Wish me luck!

Posted by Hello

Poncho Pattern

2004-08-20T14:37:00.000-03:00

Hey, I found an easy knitted poncho pattern HERE. The yarn is so cool, apparently it stripes by itself! Of course, I won't find this yarn in NS. I guess I'll make random stripes myself. This is going to be my Poncho Along project.

Why do I quilt?

2004-08-19T17:56:00.000-03:00

Daddy likes his quilt. Need I say more?

Close Up: Liam's Quilt

2004-08-19T17:19:00.000-03:00

Liam's quilt in closeup. The centers are redwork, done in blue. I already knew the baby was a boy, so I felt safe to use blue.

Poncho Along

2004-08-19T08:00:00.000-03:00

Me? Knit a poncho? Never! Well, O.K., but just one ...

Knitting Photos

2004-08-18T17:00:00.000-03:00

What! No photos of knitting finished objects, or even work in progress? Umm, not yet. I just started knitting again a couple of weeks ago, so don't have much to show yet. Soon, though, real soon.

Liam's Quilt

2004-08-18T16:58:00.000-03:00

A baby quilt, made for my nephew Liam. I designed it and used these colours to go with the decor of Liam's parents house. Although untraditional baby colours, I quite liked the finished look.

Daddy's Quilt

2004-08-18T16:55:00.000-03:00

I made this quilt for my Daddy's 80th birthday. The ribbon is a Japanese symbol of best wishes, called a Noshi. The small squares are hand quilted in blue, a traditional Japanese quilting technique. I designed this for Daddy because he likes Japanese art. This is the second quilt I ever made.

Duchess DOREY

2004-08-18T16:53:00.000-03:00

Here is Dorey, my Cavalier King Charles spaniel. She is totally sweet and knows how to use those big brown eyes to get what she wants!

Princess KOBIE

2004-08-18T16:51:00.000-03:00

This is Kobie, my ChiChin puppy. She loves people, and greets everyone with frantic tail wagging. Despite her size, she considers herself the boss of every other dog on the planet. She also has an abundance of personality ... more than some people I know!

Allrighty Then

2004-08-18T15:19:00.000-03:00

Well, this time it worked. Here is the button. Aren't you glad I tried so hard to post it! Now look out for a veritable waterfall of photos. Mwhahaahaaa.

Rocket Science

2004-08-18T14:51:00.000-03:00

Grrr, I'm trying to figure out how to use Hello and Blogger Bot to post the really cool SPIII button here. It isn't rocket science, but gee whiz ... I can't get it to work. Sigh. Soon, real soon.

Secret Pals III

2004-08-18T07:56:00.000-03:00

Whoo Hoo! I made it into Secret Pals III!
Let the shopping, begin .... wait, I have to be assigned a pal first.... hmmm, but one can just look, can't one? Tee Hee

Photos to Follow

2004-08-17T07:27:00.000-03:00

Please bear with me while I iron out the kinks of this blog. Photos of knitting, quilts, puppies and cats are forthcoming ... I promise!

Stitch Witch is born

2004-08-17T04:44:00.000-03:00

Just what the world needs ... another blog. But, this one is different, she says earnestly. This one is about ... wait for it ... knitting and quilting! Yes! Not one, but two of the noble needle arts. Can you stand the excitement?