Creative Spew

I have been planning my back to school week. This coming Tuesday is the day that formal education starts again. I am ready but I am not ready. You know what I mean? No. Well, that's how I feel.

I feel as if I am finally in a creative groove. Actually not a "creative" groove but a producing groove. I have been knitting and sewing. I have been knitting from patterns but I have been sewing curtains from my mind... So, which is more creative? Using patterns or winging it? Alot of the times I just wing my knitting though this summer I have been largely following patterns except for my purses. I came across a sheet about scrumbling and I want to get into that again. I really enjoy it but I find I need to set aside a good chunk of uninterupted time...like a full day. I need a full day or night. Actually if I let my internal clock dictate when I am most productive it would probably be in the wee hours of the morning. My life being as it is I need to be awake all day long so I have to sleep all night. SO ideally I should have a whole night set aside for creativity and the next day for sleeping.

What is creativity anyways? Is it the ability to think of brand new ideas? Is is the ability to use a medium at a high level of excellence? Is it technical ability or ideas?

Are humans just innately creative or is it something that has to be learned? I think that we are all born creative. We make it up from day to day. Then society (parents, teachers, peers) try to qualify it. Like expecting a drawing of a house actually look like a house. When I teach art to my 4 year old I always accept the outcome as fabulous . I find that through the year with me as their teacher they become braver about letting their creativity flow. I only hope that my year or two of influence and acceptance stays somewhere inside them through life and they remain brave about trying new things and about using their creativity. I guess part of why I am a teacher is my love of watching creation in its most elemental state. The creation of an adult. Actually the most creative thing I have ever done in my life is to create 2 lovely, independant, creative children. As they tackle teenagehood I hope they remain open and creative individuals. I hope I can still allow them to be while I am reeling from their separation from me.

Wow this is an extremely meandering post. I guess you could call it a creative brain spew. Now, to make this more interesting for you I include a couple of my more creative knit items.


Knit Sculpture-"Reaching for the Top"



Multi Media - "International Laundry Day"

Echo Lake Far Away in Time

Warning!!! Lots of Pictures!!!!

What a wonderful weekend we had! The family and I headed up Highway #35 to Echo Lake where we visited Jim's cousin's cottage. The view from the cottage was beautiful.





What did we do there? Well, we sat and relaxed. We played Mexican Train Dominos. A first for me and even though I am not a huge game player I really enjoyed the game! Jim even went out and bought a game for the house! The most fun part of the game is making the train sound if you win! WOO! WOO!


Patrick fished. He caught a small mouth bass. So far a cottage record catch!! The race is on guys!! He also went tubing twice. My little water boy!




Rhea snuggled with Kessie and went for one round of tubing, played games and worked on a puzzle.



Can you guess what I did? Three tries.....nope...nope...yes! I knit!
On Friday I bought yarn for Christmas presents.
I bought sock yarn.


I bought yarn for a French Market Bag.



I bought yarn for six Fetching fingerless gloves!


This is what I took up for the weekend. They are a very quick and fun knit. I already have the pattern memorized. I got one pair finished on the weekend and started on a second pair.
This is the pair I finished. .

I started the red pair and finished one glove but realized that I made one error. I purled once when I should have knit. I thought I could live with the error but once the glove was completed I realized that I could not live with it. So , a partial rip out is coming up, then a repair.
I hope everyone else had a good weekend!

Mom's at Work

Kessie doesn't like it when I go to work. She waits and waits. She has a few comfortable couches to sleep on. She has a private kennel to sleep in. She has a Dad who would gladly let her cuddle up with him. But today she chose a spot near the front door on top of a pair of Jim's shoes. The sign was put up weeks ago when she took to sleeping in the basket behind her (now filled with stuff). As soon as the sign was up she decided to sleep somewhere else until today. Should I make a pillow for her or would that make her not want to sleep there anymore? Your guess is as good as mine!

I Dream of Knitting

I often have very vivid, strange dreams. Last night or more correctly early this morning was another to add to my list.

I am driving in a car and not quite sure where I am going. The streets are familiar but I have not been on the streets for a long time. While driving I am also knitting something with chunky, dark smokey blue yarn. I see a McDonalds. I decide to go to the Drive Thru but I pull up way too far from the window. I back up and take another run at the window. There are cars behind me with drivers annoyed at my actions. (The drive through windows are lined up across the driveway kind of like driving through customs) I decide fuck it and throw my ball of yarn at the McD's staff manning the booth. It somehow ends up in the booth getting flushed down the toilet. I drive then park to walk in and place my order. As I am going into the restaurant I realize that my yarn is lodged somewhere so I give it a good hard yank. Over in the booth the order taker sees it come popping up out of the toilet all wet (and thankfully very clean). He follows the yarn back to me to deliver my ball back to me.

I am sitting at a table madly trying to rewind my yarn. I keep coming across tangles and knots. All the customers are in watching what I am doing very closely, amazed that I am doing so well. The young man enters with the ball of yarn. It is a tangled mess. Everyone is sure that there is no way I can rescue and rewind the yarn from the ball. And then....a gasp is heard from all the customers....I have found a way into the tangle! I am going to be able to save it! I am amazing! The whole restaurant erupts into laughter! Everyone is clapping. I am so awesome! They cannot believe I can do it!
Then...I wake up. The alarm has been on for half an hour... Good morning.

Lilac Poncho and Red Room

This is my progress to date on my Rowan Poncho. I still love it. Have reached the boring part though where I decrease every 2 rows for the next 60 or so...But it should grow fast.

This evening I made the closet curtain. Red, eh? Do you notice the upper part of the wall looking a little lighter than the lower portion? I glazed on some gold on the upper wall. A little bit of the Teddy Bear theme is visible here. Winnie the Pooh collectibles on the little shelf.

This is the gold Oriental style bedspread that I found on sale at Walmart for $15 CDN. The red fabric is what the window curtains will be made out of. And the pillow is a bargain ($2 and I had to mend one seam) I found at Homesense last Christmas. Do you notice that if it is not hand made it is a bargain?

Thanks to all who gave me their opinion on the classes I am planning. I do believe that, thanks to your input, I will start with a felted bag. Thanks KT for suggesting the French Market bag from Knitty. I do believe that I will use that pattern since none like that has been done in a class at Myrtle Stn. Wool yet.

Work went well today. I have a small group so they were not very tiring at all. But, my goodness, no one has asked them to speak in indoor voices all summer long and they were all yelling their conversations! I spent a lot of time explaining that we were near each other so yelling was not necessary!

Morning is coming soon though so I must retire for the day. Goodnight,

The Red Room

Yes...the room is red! Really Really Red! My daughter has learned well from me. She is not afraid of colour!
We spent the weekend painting this room and getting red all over ourselves as well. Surprisingly we worked really well together. No Mother /Daughter tiffs. I guess neither one of us had PMS!!! The red is the start of the Asian Teddy Bear Room. Strange combo? Well yes but she collects teddies and she loves all things asian thus the moniker. I will get a picture once it is fully decorated.
Rhea is now at her Grandma's for a couple of days and I am hoping that I won't be too tired after work to do some sewing. I have fabric for the window curtains and the closet curtain.
Knitting....almost very nearly finished the Opal socks. The poncho is at the point where I am shaping to go over the arms and shoulders (the front only). It is looking really good!
I am in the process of of planning a one day knitting workshop to be offered at Myrtle Station Wool. Which class do you think would be more popular....a felted purse or a cable scarf? I was thinking a small felted purse first and the next month maybe the scarf...I know the only thing to do is plan and advertise....take the plunge....I only need 4 to 5 to make my time worth it. My teaching is starting to go in a new direction and I am hoping that it grows into something more!

Knitting and Butterflies

From the Rowan book that I bought several weeks ago I have started knitting the Poncho. I am using the actual Rowan yarn! A rarity for me to use the yarn a pattern calls for! It is silk yarn and I am enjoying knitting it. It is the first time I have actually knit with silk. It seems a little persnickity about tension but I am a fairly even tension knitter so it is not that much of a deal for me. I'd say that I have completed about one half of one side at this point.

I bought this Opal yarn at the Knittery in Whitby when I first discovered the store and I am finally making socks. One down one to go! I like short socks so they are so. I just love the colour!


Jim and I went to Thickson's Woods yesterday and walked among the Monarchs. There were hords of them. They are getting ready to fly across Lake Ontario so they are hanging out for a bit resting and eating.

This Monarch let me get really close to it! I would have liked to get a shot with the wings open but butterflies always rest with their wings shut. Did you know that that is one way to tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly? Butterflies rest with their wings closed. Moths rest with their wings open. (Can you tell I am revving up for teaching again??)

I got a call today....from work....I HAVE TO GO BACK TO IT ON MONDAY!!!! BOO HOO HOO! I am not ready for little children yet! Let me rest!! Please let me be in my quiet house!!! Ok... I am taking deep breaths.....I'll be ok......I can do it....I think...help...whimper...

Thank you Flickr!!

Finally! The beach at Wymbolwood where the kids and I spent our last Sunday. I can't believe that blogger is still giving me so many problems!! Guess I'll be using Flickr more often now!

More pictures later today!

Wednesday Word

Convivial: adj.(L. convivialis<convivium, a feast< convivere, to carouse together<com-,together+vivere, to live)
1. having to do with a feast or festive activity
2. fond of eating, drinking and good company; sociable; jovial - convivialist, n conviviality, n convivially, adv

Error on Page

It keeps coming up "error on page" what am I doing wrong? It did it again. I am trying again!! I am using this waiting time to try out the different fonts WebdingsThat was webdings.. Why do I keep getting error on page? Where else can I go to get pictures to show up?? Tell me Please!! I am about to try again! No luck..no luck.... arg! arg!
Last try my pretties! I am going to have to start relying on well written entries if this keeps up!

Nope no luck!

I have a beautiful lilac silk Rowan poncho that I have started yesterday. It is the first time I am knitting with silk and I must say that I love the feel of it. Very different from wool. Kind of this colour
I started knitting another purse for felting using some left over sock yarn paired with acomplementary turquoise lopi yarn. Sort of this colour.
I am still working on a pair of colourful socks with sock yarn that I have forgotten the name of. Incudes these colours.
Do you think I am taking pictures with to high a resolution?

Ok Ok just one more try.
Ok Ok it's hopeless..... No more for today!

I keep Trying...

OMG....I actually managed to get one picture !!! I am so excited!!

This is Jim on the night of our big retirement party with one of his gifts!

Hopefully another picture sometime today!

Weekend Round Up

Ok I am getting very frustrated!! Blogger is eating my pictures!! I have tried several times and they don't happen!

SO....Here is the weekend round up sans pictures!

Friday.... Jim and I went to the funeral home to give pay our respects to Ian. It was very emotional. His 2 children who are in their early 20's were putting on a brave face. His son was even able to say to us that it was better for his father to not be in pain any more. His wife was holding up well although looked very frail. She too has been fighting her own battle with cancer. The open casket was hard to face. I kept expecting him to open his blue eyes and smile. As hard as an open casket is though it does help with feelings of closure for those left behind.
Saturday....Started with Jim going to the service for Ian. I stayed home because we had a retirement party to put on that evening for Jim. I got all finished cleaning and setting up the backyard. My good friend Louise came and helped out. YEAH! (I miss her again!) Jim and I had discussed the possibility of postponing this party but decided to go ahead with it because I thought it would allow for our friends that knew Ian a time to talk and come to terms. AND..we knew Ian would have wanted us to celebrate our lives. It was a great afternoon and evening. The party started at 3 PM and the last partiers left at midnight!
Sunday....I packed up the children and headed up to the beach on Georgian Bay! Not to Wasaga beach. Further north near Balm beach . What a day! Perfect temperature, perfect sky, perfect company, perfect relaxation! The waves weren't that big so the kids couldn't do any body surfing but the sand bars went out forever! It was the perfect ending to a difficult week.

Calling Durham Region Knitters!

I am interested in going to the Kitchener - Waterloo Knitting Fair on Sept 9th. It would be more fun if I could go with some other knitters! Would anyone like to go with me? OR ...Does anyone already have a group organized to go that I can join?

What? No Knitting?!

I still cannot believe it! I am not supposed to knit for another 7 hours! It is not fair! (Stamping of feet)

Why? You may ask. Well yesterday was the day for my breast's aspiration biopsy. Other than the anticipation not a painful test to have. A little uncomfortable yes but not painful. Once it was all over I was getting the instructions on what activities to avoid for the next 24 hours (no vacuuming, Crap!) and as a joke I asked , "Can I knit?" . I was expecting a laugh (I'm a frustrated comedienne)... Instead I got the very serious response of "NO. Reading is about as physical as you should get!" "WTF?! How can I exist??? ", raced through my brain. But so far I have resisted. Watching TV last night was not as enjoyable without the clicking and clacking of knitting. Being a passenger in the car will be boring without a sock to work on! All in the name of less bruising! I am just vain enough to be able to follow the instructions! On the up side, the dressing that is on my left breat is holding it up ever so pertly! I think I may go and get some surgical bandage for every day use just to lend the girls more support. LOL.

I am choosing to believe that the results of the biopsy will be good news. Yes I'm sure I am fine.

Contemplation

I seem to have been avoiding posting this week. I have been contemplating life and friendships. I have known that I will write about it in some fashion or another. So, I have been avoiding it. The death of a friend on Monday morning is what brought on this mood. This introspection.

Ian was a close friend of my DH and consequently a friend of mine. He had cancer. In the time that he was sick I do not think that I saw him at all. I know that Jim did go to see him a few months ago. But, since I was not as close to him as Jim I didn't. Now I wonder should I have gone? Should I have let him know that he was cared for and would be missed? I think that I should have.

I think that we should all remember to be in touch with those we care about. We should all remember to let our friends know that they are important in our lives. I know, life happens. We get busy raising our families and making ends meet. But we need to make time. We need to reach out especially when a friend is need even if it is just to say thanks or to be a hand holder.

This sad event comes after a happy reunion with a friend on the previous Friday. We were both remarking on the fact that we had let 10 years slide on past before hooking up again. Again life was happening. She was becoming a lawyer and I was raising my kids. Different phases in our lives. I have always been the type of person to let others walk easily out of my life. As I have grown older I am finding that I let go less easily. Having a friend die is hard. Let it be a reminder to cherish and appreciate the people and the times in our lives.

I wish I could write about it more eloquently. I appreciate all of you and thanks for listening.

Goodbye Ian. You will be missed by many.

50 Questions

1. FIRST NAME? Martina
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes. My Father had a foster sister when he was a child named Martina
3. LAST CRY? I don't cry easily. Last time was probably some PMS moment involved with another PMSer at work.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It's a bit erratic...
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Herbed Turkey Breast
6. KIDS? 2! A boy and a girl
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Well, of course! Who else would be my friend??
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? This is it!
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yes. I teach 4 to 6 year olds and it takes them a while to get it. But they do eventually!
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? No
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No.I don't want to die!
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Granola
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Not always. But I almost always wish I did!
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I have a strong personality. I am not a weakling but neither am I physically strong
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Pralines and Cream!!
16. SHOE SIZE? Used to be 5 1/2, now 7 1/2 wide thanks to pregnancy!
17. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I don't give of myself easily to friends.
18. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My kids when they are gone for a while.
19. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? I'd love to know more about all of you!
20. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Bare feet, black shorts.
21. LAST THING YOU ATE? Trail Mix
22. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Computer hum and ceiling fan whir.
23. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? bronze
24. FAVORITE SMELL? Line dried sheets.
25. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My Mom.
26. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Laugh and smile
27. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Probably
28. FAVORITE DRINK? Iced Capuccino
29. FAVORITE SPORT? To watch...My son's Soccer games. To do, swim.
30. EYE COLOR? Hazel.
31. HAT SIZE? No idea.
32. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? . Used to and want to get some again.
33. FAVORITE FOOD? Coconut Shrimp, Spanakopita, mashed potatoes
34. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy endings. Can be a psychological thriller but it's got to turn out good!
35. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED AT THE MOVIE THEATER? Pirates of the Caribean 2
36. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Turquoise
37. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
38. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
39. FAVORITE DESSERT? Creme Carmel
40. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea.
41. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?Again, no idea.
42. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Honeymoon by Patterson
43. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? golden retriever puppies
44. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Canadian Idol
45. FAVORITE SOUNDS? The woods at night when I'm camping, the sound of the ocean. (yah)
46. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Old Rolling Stones tunes.
47. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Munich
48. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? knitting
49. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Montreal, Quebec, Canada
50. Who sent this to you? Charity's Blog

View from the Throne

Ah, yes, I have finished the Bathroom! Now to bore you with gratuitous photos!

The first..

The view from the throne!The second...

The picture that started it all!

The third.....

The view from the throne ...lower down.

The fourth....

If you are a man....
The view from the throne.

The fifth...

The view from the hall.

And now my bathroom tour is over. I will carry on with some knitting news next time!

Flash or No Flash

Last night I put a vase with peacock feather into the green bathroom. This morning I took a picture. One without flash (bit blurry as a result) and one with flash. Neither one of the pictures show just how perfectly one of the greens in the feathers matches the green on the wall but I was amazed at how differently the wall colour turned out in each picture. The true colour is somewhere in between these two colours. The white feather is an ostrich feather.
FUN IDEA: For the Whitby knitters (or anyone else who thinks it would be fun too!) I was looking at the AntiCraft web site and saw a fun idea of knitting Stop Sign pole wraps. Well, I thought that it would be kind of dangerously fun to do some knit graffiti as a renagade knitting group! If we all knit up these pole wraps and then pick a night when we all dress in black and wrap the nearest stop sign pole what would the world think? Would they get taken down? Would the become a trend? Kind of a conceptual particpant art. Whitby Knit Graffiti Renagades unite! Or should I expand it to World Knit Graffiti Renagades? Tell me if you are game. Give me ideas! I'll arrange it from there!

Being Green

My green washroom! Does it look like split pea? 'Cause that is what this colour is called. Looks alot better in real life. Just you guys wait until all the picures go up! It'll be gawgeaous!

Wednesday Word on Thursday!

Blimp: n. (echoic sound caused by thumping the airship bag with a finger: probably coined (1915) byA.D. Cunningham Brit. Naval Air Officer) 1. a small nonrigid or semirigid airship 2.(Blimp, creation of Brit. cartoonist David Low) a pompous, smug, highly conservative person - adj. blimpish

Oh I can't wait until I can say to someone. "You are the most blimpish so and so I have ever met!!" "That yarn is very blimpish, don't you think?"

Pictures anyone?

I was allowed to post pictures this morning! The first...The Canada Goose Vest! Unblocked at this point but looking good! I got the original pattern from a book I got out of the library called Celtic Aran. Then I got sock weight yarn Scheepjes Invicta Extra in colour 1319. I used my Knitware Pattern software to adapt the pattern to the new weight yarn and used the cable from the book. The cable is called Wall Street.



These are the socks I am knitting for my MIL. I am using SISU Fantasy in a colour that is discontinued. Figures. I knit the first sock (the one not on needles) then started the second sock not realizing the discontinued status. So, I unfinished the first sock and knit from it until both socks were the same length. Now I am finishing the second sock in Fortissima Socka colour 1406. It's not a perfect match but it'll do!



Kessie has found a new toy! A rubber band. She sits for hours just chewing on it and pulling at it with her paws. Occasionally it shoots off into the air and she sits there staring at her paws trying to figure out where the heck it went! It's so funny to watch. You can just see her brain whirring!

Jim went out for an early birding expedition yesterday and got this wonderful picture of a Monarch. It must of been hot too!

Heat in the Bathroom

I too am having problems downloading pictures with blogger! I had pictures of socks, a vest, Kessie and her new toy and a monarch butterfly. You will have to use your imagination!

I spent this morning doing the green primer in my bathroom. This evening I painted the first coat of the green semi gloss. That bathroom is soo hot! The room is 5X 6 approx., there is one 60 watt bulb in it and then put me in it working and there is now way that AC cooled that baby down. Of course I am trying to help conserve energy by having my AC at 26 degrees celsius so even though the house is 2o degrees cooler than outside it is not cold.

I want this heat wave to end and I have it pretty good being inside a cooler house. I was warm painting the bathroom but can you imagine the poor souls who have to work outside? Somebody needs to pay them to go home!

I hope pictures will be available tomorrow! Till then my friends!