Friday, February 23, 2007

Winter White Pictures (with some red)

During winter the moisture comes up off Lake Ontario and coats the trees hanging nearby. DH caught this image on one of his birding trips.

I often wish I could truely replicate the various shades of white and grey in a knitting project.





Yesterday morning we had a Thunder snow storm! Yarn Harlot talks about it over on her site and has some of her own pictures. She is right that it was impossible to photograph the largeness and the quantity of flakes descending from the sky. I took a few pictures of the aftermath. The world looked like it was covered in meringue or marshmallows. The strangest thing was the thunder. You just don't expect thunder during winter. Summer, yes. So when I started hearing the rolling booming sounds my first thought was that another train had derailed. (We had a train derrail not too far from us a couple of years ago) DH and I just stood and watched and listened for a few minutes.



Back Yard photos!

Yes that is an old Album used as a squirrel baffle!


Since yesterday morning I have seen so many snowmen! It was the first snowfall sticky and ample enough to indulge in the activity. I even saw a huge snowman built at the gas station today by the car wash!

Talking about gas! Prices continue to inch up in reaction to the Esso refinery fires and I had to put gas in the car! Akk!

Big things about to happen in my life I think. All will be revealed when it happens!

Knitting carries on. I am progressing on the swallowtail shawl.

The trick?

PUT MARKERS WHERE THEY TELL YOU TO!!!

I am really getting into the lace making process now. It is so beautiful.... Pictures soon my lovelies!

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Ottawa Knitting Ice Sculpture


A friend of mine went to Ottawa this weekend for their Winterlude and took this picture.

Isn't it great??

Thursday, February 15, 2007

February Blocks



These are the completed Project Spectrum blocks for February. I like how they look all together.


This is a scrumble bag I did way back last spring. It never felt done to me until today. Last night I took the scissors to it and gave some of the long furry bits a trim. The top picture is without a flash. It shows the colours more as they are. The bottom picture is with a flash. It shows the details of the knitting and beading more clearly.



Twenty minutes to Gray's Anatomy!! Will Meredith find her knight in shining whatever??

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Sewing Day

I spent today sewing.

I made a Valentine lunch bag for the boxed lunch auction we are having tonight at my Sorority meeting. I love making the little Zakka Bags!






Most of the day was spent finishing up the 1st Communion Quilt for my client.

It is done!!!!

Thank goodness because I am working for the next 2 days!

I gave my client a low price because it was for a school and she was paying out of her own pocket. I was expecting her to balk at the price I asked. Instead I was pleasantly surprised! She thought I was way under charging (which I was) and is going to decide on a higher fee to give me. It is nice to deal with someone who knows how much effort goes into making items!


Most of the quilt is hanging down the side of the table. The finished size is probably about 4' X 6'.

Have a good evening!

Monday, February 12, 2007

Kessie is Warm Now


On Friday Kessie got her long overdue haircut. Now she can really feel the cold! The light weight sweater that I was using for her just wasn't cutting it!

Since I just didn't have enough projects on the go (y'all know what I mean, right?) I knit her a much warmer coat in a bulky blue yarn mixed with a fun fur.
Project Spectrum dog coat!


Now she will be toasty warm on our walks!

Do you think I should make her a hat and boots?

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Crafting A.D.D.

I have a very short attention span these days. Everyday I sit down to knit or to sew I am starting something new. Currently I have 7 knitting WIPs and 2 sewing WIPs. That is a total of 9 projects on the go. The Swallowtail SHawl is really what I want to be doing but I feel obligated to finish Rhea's leggings first. Unfortunately the leggings are mind numbing and I need to have a long space of time where I can concentrate on the shawl. So I started up my Project Spectrum project for this month.

Log Cabin squares for a Spectrum blanket.

I decided that along with individual projects in the monthly colours I also want to do one project that encompases all the colours. I have done a log cabin blanket before but with only one large block so this time I am doing small blocks pieced together.

So the poncho, socks, shawl, purses etc.. await my attention...

The reason I do not have a block of time to work on the shawl is that I am completing a felt hanging quilt for a group of childern doing their first communion at a catholic church. The kids did the squares and I have been commissioned to assemble it...I hope to get it done tomorrow.

I have prewashed the flannel for sleep pants for the family. I have fabric sitting aside for a dress, blouse and kitchen accessories for the Sew i Knit KAL.

But now...I have to have lunch and head to work for the afternoon. I promise to buy no more fabric today....

Yeah. Right.



Thursday, February 08, 2007

I am beeootifool!


Like my new Hair do??? I worked really hard to get it this way!!


DH loves it too!

It is handknit from purple Lopi and black eyelash and will eventually be a purse I think...or should I keep it as a wig???

Monday, February 05, 2007

February Projects

A while ago I asked my Mother what she would like to have me knit her. She chose The Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave (fall issue). Since I have been longing to do it I have jumped right into it. First I bought the yarn...


Drops Alpaca 4 ply. This is heavier yarn that the pattern originally calls for so the shawl will be a bit bigger. I looked at some wool lace weight yarn and decided I really wanted the Alpaca since it is so soft. I gave her the yarn and the knitting for her birthday. (Which is today. Happy Birthday Mom.) While I was at her place on Saturday I started it.

At first I could not figure out what part of the shawl I was doing but I eventually realized that I was starting at the center of the neck edge. It says that in the pattern but I just naturally assumed that if I cast on so few stitches it must be the point. I am a shawl novice. Please forgive my ignorance. I hear that most (if not all) lace shawls are knit in this manner. So...I decided that I could do a better job now knowing where in the shawl I was and I frogged. I kept messing up on the count anyways. I have cast on again and finished the first 2 set of repeats. I feel more comfortable knitting the lace design now. I guess I needed a dry run first! I shall keep you all posted on the progress.

I also purchased some more Peer Gynt to do the pictured purse (2nd from left) that is unless I change my mind and do some moebius circles for felting. But...I do need a big felted purse. Hmm...I may need more yarn.

Oh, dear...... Do I really have to go yarn shopping again????

I am Swimming away!

The sleeves are done and the sweater is together.



The boy is wearing it!

His sister thinks it is cooland that he should wear it alot! I hope that is a good sign! I am so glad that it fits him well. Hopefully the potential sleeve stretch will be at the same speed as his arm growth!!

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Ten Things that Begin with "D"

I have seen this meme on a couple of blogs and thought it seemed fun. I asked Dipsy D. to send me a letter last week sometime and now I am finally getting around to doing it. If you would like to participate let me know and I will send you a letter too! The 10 things need to be significant or have impact on your life.

1. Diet.
I have a fairly healthy diet. I manage to eat a good selection of all the food groups but I continue to have an issue with weight control. So I am often considering and then not starting a diet. I am as healthy as a horse but I know that one day my extra pounds are going to affect my general health. The reason that my or a diet continue to be so important in my life has to do with number 2.

2. Dessert!
I love dessert! I love Creme Carmel, Lemon Merigue pie, ice cream, pecan pie, cookies, cinnamon buns , apple crisp etc...etc... I just have a tremendously large sweet tooth. I try to not have most of the afore mentioned desserts in my house so I have self imposed self denial while at home. After a meal I almost always crave something sweet and I would give up my healthy ways to be able to only ever eat dessert!

3. Dabble.
I dabble in many things. I am a master of few things but I know a little about alot of things. I dabble in sewing, baking, belly dancing, tai chi, gardening, painting, ceramics, silk screening, embroidery, felting, housework... I have a dabblers approach to accumulating information too. I read headlines and rarely read the articles in newspapers. I rely on others to tell me the stories. I dabble because I get bored so easily. Knitting is one of the few past times that has never bored me (except when I am on sleeve island!). In some respects I am still a knitting dabbler but I am far mor serious about learning all about it than anything else in my life. I feel as if I even dabbled at University. I did enough to get by but never quite enough to excel.

4. Dogs.
I love dogs. Big ones and small ones. I have been Mom to 3 dogs. My very first dog was a Pomeranian named Merlyn.


He lived to the ripe old age of 17. He came before my husband and was able to accept the inclusion of that man into our lives. My second dog was Nimue, our Golden Retriever.

She passed away almost 2 years ago and I still miss her sweet face. She lived to 14. She was petrified of thunder and fire works and she thought she should be a lap dog. My 3rd and current dog is Kessie.

She is about 16 months old and she is the sweetest little bossy thing ever! She is the first dog that I have had who I can make howl. She likes to bury all her dog biscuits and toys in the couches and potted plants. She gives the most wonderful hugs! I will never be without a dog in my life if I can help it.

5. Dental Floss
My teeth are very close together. I need to floss regularily. I don't always. My favorite type of dental floss is the tape type. The string type cuts my gums.

6. Daughter
I am a daughter and I have one daughter. Raising a daughter is an exercise in self control. I want her to be so much more than I am so I have very high expectations of her at times. I am aware of this so I am try to be open with her about why I act the way I do sometimes. I hope that being honest about this will help her to understand herself better and be more self assured than me. I always wanted a daughter (and of course a son!)(when I do "S" I will include son in it!). I have a great daughter and my life would not be complete without her in it. Since my daughter is my first born her birth caused many changes in my life. Many major changes. Major growing up. Major love.

7.Diamonds.
I have but one diamond ring.

It was built out of my original engagement ring and wedding band and encorporated the original diamond and a series of smaller ones taken from a ring I no longer wore. It is one of a kind and speaks to me of the love of my husband of 22 years who was ok with me having it rebuilt for my 40th birthday.

8. Dancing.
I love to dance. I dabble in belly dancing. I took ballet when I was a girl. My favorite part of Gym class in high school was the folk dancing section. I still remember dancing to Hava Nagilla (sp?). There are times when I just have to crank the music and dance around the living room. I don't dance in public much anymore because I am self conscious about looking like an old fart doing alot of jiggling. I love to watch my daughter dance.

9. Depression.
I suffer from clinical depression. I take Prozac and probably will for the rest of my life. I took steps towards taking control over it after I had 2 children and all I was doing was yelling at them all the time. I don't cry too much when I am depressed I am angry. I attack the world around me. So I am resigned to having to take my little white and green pills for the rest of my life. I have tried to come off them 2 times since I first started taking them but my seretonin levels got all out of whack again. I'd rather be a happy positive person.

10. Degree.
I have my B.A. in Psychology. The things I learned in the study of psychology has stayed with me through out the years. The way of thinking and the knowledge I absorbed has helped me be a better partner, mother and friend. It is the foundation that has allowed me to self improve and assist others in their own self improvement.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

I Want off the Island!

My long drawn out sleeve island is coming to an end soon. I keep getting bored and doing other things but I am bound and determined to get that sleeve done tonight!!!! I am an island and I feel no pain (I wish).

In the meantime I knit a wee little sweater for a baby one of my friends had in December. Do you not all love how quick baby sweaters are? Just yarn from the stash . Something I inherited from someone else because I can stand to see yarn thrown away. No label, chunky wieght, a little bit of fancy yarn in the front for fun. This is also my first project for February colours



Another project I was working on (and working on) was a motorcycle seat cover out of vinyl. It got picked up and I got paid today! It was a learning process and if there is ever a next time there are things that I would do differently. Any how the guy wanted extra padding for a trip out to the eastern provinces this coming summer and he wanted it removable. Done. I am so glad it is.


It kind of looks like a giants shoe doesn't it?