Friday, January 30, 2009

Am I Blue?



You'd be, too.





This is the January Socks that Rock Kit. I am unapologetically showing it to you, I love it that much.




It is just so perfect for me. I love blue, in all it's many shades and I think the beads really show it off well.




This pattern is a labour of love for me. And labour it is. I had to learn how to do a tubular cast on, which is pretty cool and I have no idea how it works. I'm also stuck sliding beads along the yarn as I go, which is a bit of a pain. The beads sit in between the stitches, which means they all had to be strung on the yarn in advance. I thought I'd be smart and put ALL the beads on the yarn instead of just enough for the first sock. Turns out that was a mistake. It means that I have to spend time shuffling the beads along the yarn as I go.




But it's worth it.

Monday, January 26, 2009

A Little Something While You Wait...

I'm in a bit of a pickle these days. My most recent projects are birthday presents for people who likely read (and sometimes write) this blog, therefore everything on my needles is top secret. I haven't been buying any yarn to tell you about as you have already heard.


I did join the Socks that Rock sock club this year, but the January package hasn't arrived, or I'd show it to you. I also ordered some books from Knitpicks as a little birthday gift to myself but Canada Post hasn't brought that either.


So, to distract you from the lack of real knitting content, I present the following completely unrelated items.


1. Please dash on over and let Cdnknitchick know how happy you are that she finally had her second baby, a healthy little girl.


2. Happy Chinese New Years!


3. And Happy Australia Day! (Is that the appropriate greeting for today?)


4. I am expecting a new nephew or neice. Should I knit a BSJ or a Daisy Sweater?


5. Anyone have any good recipes for Mahi Mahi?


6. Dinner is really all about the company, isn't it?

Tune in next time when we hope to have knitting to share.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Oh Dear

I am starting to get back to being myself after the birth of the Second Princess or P2. That means that I'm starting to notice how messy my house is and I now feel the urge to do something about it.

To this end, I decided to organize my stash. I moved the bags that were holding my yarn to the basement and started filling an old cupboard that until recently had served as dresser. Hmph. It turns out that I'll only be knitting from my stash this year. It is both a financial decision and a challenge. Although my family is comfortable and we don't want for much, I still feel that spending lots of money on yarn when I'm not earning anything at the moment would be irresponsible. It's also a bit of a challenge to see if I can survive a year of little yarn shopping. I say little because I don't think it's realistic to cut myself off entirely. There are always sales, right?

And so it has come to my attention that I have a lot of sock yarn in particular. I guess everyone I know is getting socks for Christmas. Sorry to ruin the surprise. Perhaps with this much notice, my loved ones can place an order for the design and color of their choice. I can't guarantee anything and reserve the right to decline your request or veto your choices as I see fit.

Knit on, stash busters, knit on.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Making it my own

This knitting gig has taught me many things - patience being the biggest (and I still have lots to learn in that department). The other thing I'm learning is to trust my instincts, and that's what I did with this little item.

My Greengable hoodie, without the hood.

The more I read about the hood on Ravelry the more I was uncertain if I really wanted one. I wouldn't say I'm the hoodie type anyway. And if I wanted to wear this sweater to work, I likely would not with a hood on it. So I took a leap, and trusted in my abilities and I winged it.

And it turned out great. I'm happy with the neck line and the collar. It feels much more like me.

I'm learning that the pattern is not written in stone, and that I'm a good enough knitter to figure it out myself.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

A Lacy Little Number


Thank you very much for your birthday wishes. It is so sweet that people I've never met in person take time to wish me well.






I had a lovely day with cake and family and friends. I may even knit a little.


Every now and then, I feel the allure of lace. I enoy the challenge of the pattern, the feel of the yarn, and airy lightness of the fabric.




This is the Adamas Shawl which is meant to be worn at my little Princess' Baptism later this month.


It is knit with Seasilk in the Lily Pond colourway. This is a great pattern to use up laceweight yarns as you knit until you think you're almost done, do one more pattern repeat and cast off. I think this shawl will likely be a gift for my baby girl. Maybe she'll wear it to baptise her own baby one day.





Perhaps I'll knit it again. But then, there are so many tempting lace patterns...

Monday, January 12, 2009

5 Things you probably didn't know about J.

I thought this year I'd share a few tidbits about Miss J. today. We can call it J. Trivia.

1. J. is a singer. Not of the singing in the shower or the car variety. She's good. She has even sang in a famous venue in NYC.

2. J. is a dancer. Not of the speaker-dancer-in-a-bar variety either. She's good. She's traveled the world as a dancer.

3. J. is a pianist. Not of the chopsticks variety. She's good. She's even composed some of her own material - yes it's true.

4. J. is an avid baker. Even though she claimed this Christmas she wasn't going to do Christmas baking, I still received some of her wares. Word has it she constructed a pirate ship for her Dude's birthday (just 2 days ago). She's good.

5. J. is a birthday girl today. 29 years young, again. Let us all join in a big round of applause for a year of many accomplishments - knitting and otherwise.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Burn, Baby, Burn



So I've been burning through little projects the last few days. It feels good to finish things, no matter how small they are. It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something while keeping at bay my urge to start a blanket, some cute toys, socks, maybe more lace or a sweater.




Here are a couple of pairs of girlie socks.




They serve the double purpose of increasing my sock tally (anyone up for knitting 24 pairs in 2009, by the way? Leave me a comment.) and using up stash yarn. One pair are for P1 (that's Princess the First) and the other are for her friend who will celebrate her 3rd birthday soon.




I'm also working on the Adamas Shawl in some Seasilk. It's a simple pattern and I like that you can use up any amount of laceweight you have. You simply stop when you run out of yarn. Perfect for using up some of my lingering sock yarn, don't you think?

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Itch is Back

I got it again. That annoying and nagging itch. I was doing soooo well in controlling it. Taking appropriate precautions. Thinking the condition had relapsed.

Then

BAM.

It's back.

Startitis. Back to haunt me again.

I worked through my Christmas list well - got everything done on time. Heck, I even have a couple of extra projects in the gift basket that weren't given away. They're good for next year.

Then Christmas past.

And it started.

Innocently enough, as these things do. I brought out some socks from the retreat and restarted them. Then, I bought a new bright red coat and realized I had absolutely no scarf to wear with it (with all my orange and browns and greens, there was nothing in the red spectrum). Then I decided I needed mitts to go along with the new scarf and the new coat. Then I decided that I should really restart that sweater I had been working on in the fall.

Bam.

It's back. I got 47 things on the needles and they're all calling my name.

And don't forget all those January birthdays.

I'm a few days into the new year and already I'm drowning in projects. I guess there could be worse things.

Now where did I put my hydrocortisone cream?? I need to soothe this itch.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

History

In July of 1999, I started a new job. I was nervous. It was my first job working in a hospital and I didn't want to look dumb. I tried to dress like a smart pharmacist should and packed my lunch.


New jobs are often overwhelming. I spent my first couple of hours getting a tour of the little hospital and then I promptly got lost. I was feeling out of my element and cursing myself for thinking that I could handle this new position when a miracle occurred. It was coffee time. (That isn't the miracle, although some days you'd swear that a strong cup of joe was sent from above.) I was whisked off to the cafeteria by a very tall co-worker. And that's how I met T. She showed me where to get coffee, who was nice, who was likely to show up one day and shoot everyone in a fit of rage. You know, the important stuff. Every day, we found we had more and more in common: a small town upbringing, interesting families, a sense of humor. Eventually, we even took up knitting together and the rest is history.


The reason I'm telling you this (I'm talking to you, T. It just happens that all 3 of our other readers get to see it, too.) is that our friendship is pretty special. As you like to say, I don't have a lot of friends, I just have good friends. Not many people would put their friends picture on a stick and bring it along to a knitting retreat to be photographed by knitting rockstars. Or listen to an exhausted and hormonal mother complain about how hard it is to have a baby and a toddler. And there sure aren't many people who would give away the very first shawl that they themselves designed....


but you did. And every time I wear it, I think of my good friend T. and how much you mean to me. It's like a hug whenever I need it. Thank you. For the shawl and ,more importantly, for everything else.


Now wipe your nose and stop your sniffling. We've gotta get knitting if we're going to knit another 24 pairs of socks this year.