Schmoodle

2008-07-04T20:01:00.002-05:00

Wow... it's been ages since I've even thought about this blog. Since I last posted, I took possession of a house, renovated a house, broke up with the person with whom I bought the house, sold my half of the house to him, played at the Canadian Ultimate Championships, started my MBA part-time, started dating a new guy, started a new job, bought a condo, quit my new job, went to Mexico, went to school full-time, worked part-time, broke up with the new guy, went to Scotland, England and France, found out I'm going to be an aunt and found a great new summer job. I also started writing in hard copy journal and will, someday, post some of my thoughts here.

It's been a year of incredible learning in both my personal and professional life! I've gained a better understanding of who I am and what I want out of life. I would like to try to revive this blog and make it more of a personal journal about my life, my thoughts and hopefully lots of adventures... but right now, I have homework to finish!

2007-02-12T11:12:00.000-05:00

We bought a house! Hurray!

2007-01-29T13:06:00.000-05:00

We're back from our Australian adventure!

We got off to a bit of a slow start when our flight out of Toronto was delayed by two hours. Apparently there was a “Bird Strike” to the tail of the plane on the inbound Toronto flight and Air Canada engineers thought it best we transfer to another plane – at the other end of the terminal!

By the time we reached San Francisco we had missed our connecting flight to Sydney. The next available flight out was 24 hours later… so we spent a bonus day in San Fran.

The best part might have been getting onto a Qantas flight the next day (great food, great service and personal video screens for each passenger). Four movies later, we finally arrived in Sydney. While getting our photo taken in front of the Sydney Opera House, we met a couple from Waubaushene! We travelled 16,000 km to meet someone who lives 50 km from my home town. It’s truly a small world.

In the evening of our first day, we made our way to the Sydney Aquarium. The shark tank was awesome!

The next week was spent touring around the city. We spent a day at Bondi Beach... and then walked along the cliff top path from Bondi to Tamarama... visited the Royal Botanic Gardens... toured Sydney Opera House... and visited Sydney Wildlife World.

Unfortunately, we had a small technical glitch and lost some photos. L We also visited the Powerhouse Museum, China Town, the Rocks, went on a night time cruise of Sydney Harbour, went shopping at Paddington Market, Queen Victoria Building and Pitt Street Mall, met up with Patrick’s friend Marie for dinner and ate meat pies with mushy peas, mashed potatoes and gravy! And Patrick visited ABC.

On Christmas Eve day, we made our way out to the Blue Mountains. Our trip started with a stop at Featherdale Wildlife Park (yes, I’m holding a baby wallaby), followed by a quick stop at the Sydney Olympic Park. Then off to see the Three Sisters, followed by a fairy ride back into Sydney Harbour.

We also spent a busy Christmas day in Sydney. We started off at the cathedral, and then exchanged gifts, followed by a lovely afternoon nap. We made our way to Manly Beach on the ferry, then rushed back to meet Patrick’s parents for dinner at Swissotel.

On Dec 26, we began the long drive from Sydney to Hall’s Gap. Day 1 of the drive was… well… very boring! We spent the night in Albury and then hit the road for the next leg of the trip. We stopped for lunch in Ballarat. Patrick’s parent’s visited a wildlife park, while we explored the Goldfields. After two days of driving, we finally reach our destination – Hall’s Gap. We stayed at a charming hostel called Tim’s Place. The kangaroos come right up to the buildings! (Note: Kangaroos in the wild were still a novelty to us as this point!)

We spent the next day exploring the Grampians. We stopped in at Tower Hill State Game Reserve on route to our evening destination of Warrnambool (We had a fun dinner at a little Mexican place in Warrnambool… we laughed ‘till we cried!!).

From Warrnambool, we set our drive of the Great Ocean Road. It was spectacular! One of our splurges was a helicopter ride over the 12 Apostles (one of the most famous landmarks in Australia). In my opinion, it was money well spent! (We have a DVD from the ride too!)

We arrived in Melbourne on the evening of Dec 28 and made our way to our closet… uhm, I mean hostel. Luckily, we only needed the hostel to sleep! The next morning we went exploring in the city – Melbourne has a couple of free tourist shuttle buses and trams that travel different routes around the city - and picked out the places we wanted to visit.

In the afternoon, we headed off to Philip Island. Our first stop was the Koala Conservation Centre... followed by a trip to the beach in Cowes... then off to the Penguin Parade. This was incredible! These little guys come home from the ocean and make their way to their burrows every night. Thousands of tiny little penguins.

New Years Eve day was spent touring around Melbourne. We spent quite a bit of time shopping (We actually waited outside until the one and only Lululemon in Australia opened!! Stuff actually goes on sale!!) We also visited the famous Queen Victoria Markets then went down to the river to find a nice place for dinner. We met up with Patrick’s parents, enjoyed a nice dinner followed by fireworks.

New Years Day was our last day in Melbourne, and our last day with Patrick’s parents. We went on a lovely cruise of the Yarra River, followed by a tour of the Royal Exhibition Building before making our way to the airport. John and Kathy headed home to Qatar, and Patrick and I hopped on our flight to Cairns.

Lonely Planet said that finding tourist information in Cairns is like finding porn on the Internet. They were right... every second storefront is a travel agent. Once you get past the neon lights, there are a few pretty views... like the surrounding mountains and ocean front lagoon. It was 35 degrees when we arrived… needless to say, we spent a lot of time at the pool and in the lagoon!

We spent two days scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef. It was a little rough on the way out (thank GOD for those little brown paper bags!), but fine once we got into the water. Our instructor, Sven, was awesome! The pictures really don’t capture the full beauty of the reef.

On our last full day in the Cairns area, we went on a day trip to Cape Tribulation, Daintree River and Mossman Gorge. Our tour bus driver, Fin, drove like a BAT OUT OF HELL!! Not such a bad thing, as the roads aren’t quite as curvy as along the Great Ocean Road, and we got to see a lot more than if Fin actually drove the speed limit!! We stopped at the Daintree Wildlife Sanctuary to see the crocs and a ton of LOUD, but very pretty birds. Then it was off to the rainforest and a walk along the Marrdja Boardwalk. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Cape Trib Beach House and walked along Cape Tribulation beach (beach two, I think). Next we headed off on a crocodile and wildlife cruise on the Daintree River. We only saw one little croc… but who would have thought that tree frogs could be so interesting!! We stopped for a quick dip in Mossman Gorge before heading back to Cairns via Port Douglas.

Sadly, we realized that we were nearing the end of our journey when we departed Cairns and headed back to Sydney.

For our last night in Australia, we decided to get a little adventurous and stay in King’s Cross – the red light district! I’m not sure why we don’t have any pictures. What happens in King’s Cross stays... just joking mom!

The next day we set out on a very carefully planned souvenir shopping trip to the QVB. Picked out a couple of great didgeridoos and then headed for the airport. NOTE: In the USA, didgeridoos are considered weapons (!) and need to be in you checked baggage... but that’s a story for another time...

2006-11-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

I have knit one sock, and one sock only in the past month. Other things I have done:

planned my trip to Australia!

studied for the GMAT (Dec 2 is my test date!)

and ...shopped for a house.

2006-09-30T12:38:00.000-05:00

I'm done! And, I'm still in love:

So cute!

2006-09-15T08:16:00.000-05:00

I finally received my marks! 92%, 96%, 96% and 100% for a final mark of 95%! I loved this course - it really helped me decide to apply for Schulich's MBA program instead of the MHA program that I was originally thinking of. Their specializations really fit in with what I want to do - Health Care Management, Public Administration and Strategic Management. Schulich is also fabulously flexible - I can start part-time (so I can keep my GREAT new job) and move to full-time if that becomes the best option. And... part-time students are eligible for the same scholarships as full-time. The only negative (and I it's not a big one) is that I did my MSc at York too. It would be nice to experience a different school, but my only other option would be Rotman and I'm not really interested in their program offerings.

Next challenge - GMAT!

I don't think I could ever do anything else… the thought of being a homemaker horrifies me! lol

Off to yet another wedding this weekend! And then Zodiac the weekend after - Sara my first SP - might be coming up from NY to play. How fun! I suggested we knit socks on the sidelines. Sara thought people might laugh at us... I think she might be right! :-)

2006-09-13T11:11:00.000-05:00

WARNING: This is not going to be a pretty post, but it's the way I feel right now.

Some people just have WAYYYYYY too much time on thier hands! I just received this email from one of the SP organizers:

"Christine,

I’d like to thank you for fulfilling your end of the $$ commitment for the SP exchange. However, I must say that I felt the way you handled this situation was totally inappropriate. I wrote you simply asking for a status report since Sarah hadn’t received the 2nd package you had promised her. Of course the rules need to be followed. If they didn’t need to be, we wouldn’t have to put them in place. You said you were researching a package but you’ve had 3 ½ months to put something together. Sarah shouldn’t have been expected to wait indefinitely for you to fulfill your commitment to her. You said you thought you had told her the package would be late, but Sarah hadn’t heard from you in a month. I had to remind you to post to your blog. When I first took over for Katie I didn’t even think you were still participating since you had only one post for the months of June and July and only 2 for May. Weekly blog posting was mandatory. I had to ask you if you had received the gift your pal sent since it had been 2 weeks since she had sent it and you still hadn’t acknowledge it’s receipt. And I may be totally off base here (although I don’t think I am) but I can’t help but sense a bit of an attitude in the tone of your post. That was not warranted as I was just checking in to see what was going on. I sincerely hope that should you consider participating in future exchanges that you carefully weigh the rules and be sure that you can do what is expected of you before you commit so that all people involved can have a positive experience.

Kerry

http://kerryknitsinslny.blogspot.com/"

Wow.... It's too bad that I don't live in the same perfect world that Kerry lives in. I'm not sure about the rest of the world, but my life generally isn't static. Unfortunately it changed quite a bit between the time I signed up for SP and when SP it ended. I did my best to fulfil my obligations - with the limited time I had this summer, I thought that posting comments on my pal’s blog and sending emails was more important than posting on my own blog. During the last SP my spoiler used to post comments on my blog, which brought such joy to me. I thought my pal would appreciate same.

I do pride myself on finding the best gifts for my family, friends and of course secret pals. I'm sorry if this took too long. I had an egg shipped from Ukraine for my pal in her first package, for pete's sake!!!

I'm also sorry that I don't check my 'secret email' everyday. (Does anyone actually do that????!?!?) Apparently, my spoilee sent me an email on Sept 8 which I did not promptly reply to - sorry, I was at a wedding out of town and my 'secret email' address wasn't top of mind. I'm assuming that my less than prompt reply inspired my spoilee to contact Kerry, who once again sent me a rude and accusatory email.

So let's break down Kerry's comments in her most recent email (rude and accusatory parts are highlighted for reference):

Kerry said, "I had to ask you if you had received the gift your pal sent since it had been 2 weeks since she had sent it and you still hadn’t acknowledge it’s receipt."

Christine's response: Kerry, FYI - it takes a while to send a package across the border from the US to Canada and vice-versa. I posted on my blog AS SOON AS I received my package from my spoiler. Perhaps you should read the post in which I describe the oddities of the Canadian Postal system. By the way, my spoilee received her last gift on Monday and still hasn't acknowledged it or posted a 'Thank you' on her blog. I assume a reprimand is in order?

Kerry said, "You said you thought you had told her the package would be late, but Sarah hadn’t heard from you in a month."

Christine's response: Kerry, another FYI. I sent my spoilee an email on Aug 24 telling her that her package would be late. She also responded on Aug 24. According to my calculations, that's not even close to a month! Get your details correct, my friend!

As I mentioned in my email to you, I had been researching some books for my pal. In her SP questionnaire, she mentioned that she would like a book on natural dyeing, and indigo in particular. I'm not an expert in this area, so I ordered a number of books from the library that are also available to order online. Natural dyeing books aren't available in stores - at least not in Chapters in Toronto. I was waiting for the library books to arrive, so I could review and select the most appropriate one to order. Those library books arrived last night. (FYI - Jenny Dean's The Craft of Natural Dyeing looks quite good!) This package was also to be complimented by some natural yarns in various gauges from Knit Picks. My pal identified that she really likes Knit Picks stuff. I was also looking into finding some indigo, but its apparently quite expensive.

Yes, I agree that Sarah didn't deserve to wait "indefinitely" and she did deserve a better final gift than just kpixie gift certificates. It was well in process and I'm sorry if Sarah felt she had waited too long. I really thought Sarah and I had an understanding that the package was going to be late. To be honest Kerry, your rude emails were REALLY getting under my skin and I didn't want to have to deal with you anymore!!!!

This secret pal experience has truly been a negative one for me as well. That's not to say that my spoiler wasn't awesome and I thought my spoilee was enjoying the experience as well. The problem - I knit to relax. I find it very soothing. I don't find it soothing to receive nagging emails telling me that I'm slagging on my responsibilities. Kerry, perhaps you should revist your email writing style. It's really not polite to 'accuse' without getting the other side of the story.

Kerry, yes you are right. I will reconsider my participation in the next SP. SP has become too big for me. Too big in that it has become necessary to impose too many rules. It’s a sad statement on our society that so many rules need to be imposed on an activity that used to be so much fun. My boss doesn't even micro-manage me like this!

And Kerry, yes your right again. There IS attitude in this post. Quite a lot actually!

Why am I posting this on my blog? Because I'm not going to bother my friends or boyfriend with the ridiculousness of this. I'm venting in my own little piece of the web! Kerry, please stop sending me emails. There was no need for the email you sent, and no need for you to contact me again. I get it, mom. You're disappointed in me.

Wow, I feel soooo much better now!

2006-09-03T13:08:00.000-05:00

I'm in love!

2006-08-29T19:05:00.000-05:00

So... I get home from an average day at work and take Bird for a walk. When I got back I checked my mail to find a FINAL NOTICE from the Post Office. I think it odd that in the book I'm reading, the main character received a FINAL NOTICE and lamented about how you never receive a first notice prior to the final notice... then I think - this must be from my Secret Pal!! What time is it? I have 10 minutes! Go!

I arrive at the post office with 2 minutes to spare and the attendant hands me a HUGE box. Holy Crap! Yes, it's from my secret pal!

I haul the box home to Patrick... who also exclaims, "Holy Crap!" and proceeds to document the opening of the HUGE box.

Slowly....

Wow!

Hand dyed sock yarn:

A closer look:

Closer (this is my favorite part of the giftie... can you tell):

The whole kit and kaboodle:

The very generous HUGE box from Mary-Kay contained:

A very cute knitting card from Studio18
Some beautiful roving from Spunky Eclectic
A spindle
Kool-Aid, some naked wool and the directions to put it all together.
Yarn Harlot's The Secret Life of a Knitter
A Butterfly Loom
A Circular Solution (uhm... don't tell anyone, but I currently store my needles in a plastic bag.)
The aforementioned 2 skeins of sock yarn, hand-dyed by Mary-Kay, herself! I don't think the photo shows how truly beautiful this yarn is.

I absolutely love everything. I can't wait to dive into that blue/green/purple sock yarn. Go check out the super talented, super generous Mary-Kay!

Thanks so much!
~Christine

No....

2006-08-28T09:50:00.000-05:00

...I didn't catch it!

2006-08-21T12:11:00.000-05:00

Patrick treated me to a cooking class a couple of weeks ago. I cooked the steaks. Check out my PERFECT grill marks:

2006-08-18T21:43:00.000-05:00

I got a new job! Yay me!

2006-08-12T18:21:00.000-05:00

Off to Montreal this weekend! We're helping to pack up Patrick's parent's house. They leave for Qatar on August 15.

2006-08-05T14:07:00.000-05:00

Weird... the date stamp on my last post is wrong. It's from Aug 4, 2006.
~C

2006-07-11T11:01:00.000-05:00

Hello!

Back from vacation in beautiful Nova Sotia! This was the view from the cottage:

The Keith's Brewery tour was lots of fun:

And the Keith's was yummy:

As usually happens in the summer, there hasn't been much knitting going on. Lots of Ultimate Frisbee... but not much knitting. I did take some knitting with me - my Lorna's Laces socks - but only finished one more repeat on the leg. Hey... I won't need them for another couple of months! :-)

I still haven't received my Sockapaloooza socks... although my sock saviour has been in contact with me. I'm waiting patiently...

Patrick and I are also doing the MS Bike Tour again at the end of August... click on the logo:

~Christine

2006-06-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

Wow... I can't believe I haven't updated my blog in a month!!

Hello Sock Savior! Thanks for sending an update. I can't wait to see my new socks. And thanks for stepping up and volunteering to make an extra pair. :-)

And HI Sara! I'm still working on my Lorna's Laces socks... slowly but surely! I'm sure I'll finish them by September......

As the weather starts to get nicer, I seem to spend more time outdoors and less time knitting. I'm now playing on three Ultimate Frisbee league teams and a touring team. We're playing in Solstice this coming weekend. No new knitting photos, but there will be lots of fun Ultimate photos....

2006-05-13T21:33:00.000-05:00

My sockapaloooza pal received her socks! They traveled all the way to Spain!

I haven't had very much dedicated knitting time lately. But... I have been getting lots of subway knitting in... which means socks! See:

This pair is the Rock 'n' Ribbed pattern from Knit Socks! in Cascade 220. This is a great little book from my SP7 pal Sara. It has a good variety of patterns and some great general sock instructions. I finally understand the Kitchener Stitch for closing toes! I really liked this pattern - it took me about 4 days per sock. I'll definitely be making more!

I've also finally dug into my Lorna's Laces - also a gift from Sara. I've selected Sock Bug's River Rapids sock pattern. Here's my progress so far:

I'm doing ok with the pattern so far - I have to pay a bit more attention to what I'm doing than I usually like to, but the sock is turning out quite nice so far. And I'm LOVING this yarn! It's so easy to work with and the color is beautiful! Thanks so much Sara!

2006-05-05T14:10:00.000-05:00

Secret Pal 8

I enjoyed SP 7 so much that I've signed up for SP8. Did I mention how incredible Sara was as my spoiler? And it was really fun to spoil Jen.

Here's my answers to the SP8 questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I've recently rediscovered how I much I like Cascade 220. I'm not sure that I really have a favorite fibre. I'm not really into synthetic stuff.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Sadly, an old shoe box!

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for about 3 years. I' an advanced beginner, but often select simple patterns.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes! My Chapter's wish list....

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Vanilla or coffee scents. I don't like anything too 'chemically'.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
YES!!! Chocolate all the way, baybe! Love dark chocolate and nuts... but not hazelnuts.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I do a bit of sewing. I've made a quilt, but it took me THREE years! I don't spin.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I'm not really that into music and I don't really have a favorite band. I don't think my computer plays MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
I really like blues and purples. Pinks are really fun, but don't look that great on me. I'm not really a fan of red.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I've been dating Patrick for just under 2 years. He lives just down the street. I have a three year old Boston Terrier named Bird.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, yes, yes and occasionally.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I've been on a sock kick for awhile. I'm still a beginner, but really enjoy socks.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks and a sweater. Plus I have about 8 other items that IÃ’ve cast on and then promptly neglected.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes! I LOVE handmade gifts! I love to see people's creativity.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
My preference is circ and bamboo with most fibres. But everything has a time and a place.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No and no.

17. How did you learn to knit?
I bought some needles and yarn from Wal-Mart and started playing around. I ended up with an obscure piece of work that was far too short and fat to be a scarf and far too small to be a blanket. My dog uses it in her bed.

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
About 3.5 years.

19. What is your favorite holiday?
I would have to say Christmas. Our entire family (my mom is one of 10 kids) gets together to celebrate every year. It gets a little crazy, but its how I always think of Christmas!

20. Is there anything that you collect?
Not really... Unless yarn counts!

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Handknit Holidays is on my wish list. I don't have any knitting subscriptions.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Not really. I just like to knit simple patterns that I donÃ’t have to pay too much attention to.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes! I wear a women's size 8.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
Just missed it.... April 26

2006-04-26T16:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to me..... Happy Birthday to me..... Happy Birthday, dear me... Happy Birthday to ME!

2006-04-24T19:16:00.000-05:00

Yay!!! I'm done:

And I've started a new project:

I love it so far! The colors are beautiful and it knits up really quickly. I started yesterday and spent a couple of hours knitting in front of the TV. Unfortunately I'll need to take a bit of a break from knitting for a while. One more class to go and then I'm done for the summer!

2006-04-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

Quick photo:

I promise there will new pictures soon - i.e. not Sockapaloooza socks! :-)

2006-04-05T19:47:00.000-05:00

Uhm... so Sara is AWESOME!!!! Look what I picked up today from the post office:

Ok, here's a closer look:

That's two skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport, one skein of HipKnits Silk and the One Skein Wonder pattern, Knit Socks!, a twisty notebook, a little Umbra Bungee thingy and a Toblerone*

Thank you so much Sara! I love everything you've sent me over the past 3 months and you've really helped to make my first secret pal experience an awesome one!!

*Note: The box was ripped open as I walked down the sidewalk, munching on my Toblerone and audibly squealing "Oh my god! This is beautiful!".

I also received a second nice surprise when I arrived home:

I ordered this last week. It's Ella Rae's Designs for Hand Knitting, book one and 6 skeins of Atacama in color 500. I'm making the t-shirt sweater - inspired by Alison. Yay!

2006-04-02T17:17:00.000-05:00

Friday marked the official end of Secret Pal 7 and it was a great deal of fun! Unfortunately, I've been a little delinquent in getting the final package off to my spoilee. But that doesn't mean we still can't have a little bit of fun... so Jen, I'll be sending you an email shortly, letting you know that I'm made this post and revealed myself.... but that's the only clue I'll provide! Let me know if you've found me!

I'm patiently waiting for the final package from my spoiler. S/he has sent some great pressies, and I know that the final package will be just as wonderful. And don't forget the Amazon gift certificate, cute ecards or the nice comments on my blog (by the way, I love comments, so please say HI!)

Only a bit of knitting progress to report. I've cast on for the second sockapaloooza sock, and I've knit about 2 inches. Moving along nicely with a full 4 weeks to go! Today is the last day of my class (I'm taking a break from writing a final paper) so I should have lots more to report next week. And pictures!

2006-03-26T18:50:00.000-05:00

One down, one to go!

Here's a picture of sock number one for the Sockapaloooza sock exchange:

It looks a little wonky in the photo, but trust me it's AAA ok! I really like how the sock turned out. I love the colors and the calf shaping makes for a great fit. It took a lot less yarn that I thought, so I will have some left over to make my own shorter pair.

Unfortunately knitting has taken a back seat to the other activities in my life. I have ONE more week left in one of my courses... and I'm counting down the hours! I'm not taking any courses over the summer, but plan on writing the GMAT and the CAPM - a project management certification. My plan is to apply to a Master's of Health Administration program for Sept 2007. One graduate degree apparently isn't enough!

2006-03-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

I've been incredibly delinquent in bragging about my latest FAB pressie from my SP. Check it out:

I received:

a fantastic Green & Black's Organic Espresso flavored chocolate bar. (yes, that's and empty wrapper in the photo and I highly recommend trying this chocolate!)
2 balls of yummy soft RY Cashsoft Aran
some funky magnets
tasty mad gabs lip lube in spearmint
a totally cute card.

Thanks once again SP!

There hasn't been very much knitting going on here. I've knit a couple more rows of the Baby's Denim Drawstring Pants from LMKG. I really have to hurry up - they baby arrived two weeks early!

2006-03-09T12:34:00.000-05:00

Awwwwwww....

There's nothing like a super-cute baby wearing a handknit to brighten your day!

2006-03-05T13:39:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately I have no knitting updates to report!

It's been busy! I've suddenly realized how far behind I am in my courses - one in particular - the one that doesn't have hard deadlines! Patrick left on Wednesday for 10 days, so I have lots of time to dedicate to reading and catching up! Although not a lot of time to knit his secret birthday socks. Oh well... they can always be secret Easter socks!

No new pictures either - my camera went with Patrick to Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary. Have you noticed that my camera travels a heck of a lot more often than I do?? Since December it has been to several European countries, Cuba and now a trip to western Canada. Geeeesh!

PS. A friend took me to see I Am My Own Wife on Friday. It was FAB! The actor play something like 32 different characters. Fascinating story too.

2006-02-26T10:08:00.000-05:00

Progress!

Let me tell you the struggle I've had getting to this point! The legs were smooth sailing... but when I got to the part where you join the legs and start the body, it all fell to pieces. Has anyone used this pattern? You are instructed to cast on 5 stitches between the legs and then use a circ. When I tried this, the circ was forced into a butterfly shape and I couldn't move the stitches along the needle to knit. The problem is that the new stitches are created on the front and back at the inside of the legs and the legs are, of course, round - does that make sense? After a huge struggle (the pants almost won!), I just went back to 5 dpns until I got far enough up the body. Grrrrrrrr

That's over now and the pants are super-cute!!

2006-02-25T09:47:00.000-05:00

I've strayed slightly from my plan. But I have a good excuse, which makes it ok... right???

I've made some really good progress on my Sockapaloooza socks. See:

Notice the cool calf shaping? I'm using a modified version of the Pippi Longstocking pattern in Stitch 'n Bitch and Knit Picks Sock Garden in Zinnia. I was a little concerned when the yarn arrived - the color is way different from what it appears on the site. It looks deep and rich in the photos on Knit Picks, but it's actually more of a 'primary' color red. But it has knit up quite nice! I like how the yellow winds itself around the sock.

Here's a close up of the stitches:

And now... here's where I've strayed from the plan. I was making the Debbie Bliss' Ribbon-Edged Cardigan for a friend who is due in March. But then I remembered how much she liked the coton sweater that I made for her son - It's sooooo easy to care for etc. So I made a slight change in plans - I'm now making this:

Yes, the Baby's Denim Drawstring Pants from LMKG. I like this pattern so far - I don't have to concentrate too hard!! The yarn is a little stiff, but I trust Joelle Hoverson when she says it will soften up with washing.

Patrick leaves next Wednesday, so I'll be able to get a good start on his birthday socks.

2006-02-19T08:31:00.000-05:00

Having a plan is GOOD!

I finished a couple of inches on the baby cardigan last night. See:

Those are my Valentine's Day flowers in the back. Patrick sent them from Montreal.*

Here's a close up of the stitch pattern:

I'm using Debbie Bliss' Ribbon-Edged Cardigan from Special Knits, but modifying the pattern slightly. I'm knitting the body as one piece, and I think I'll try some raglan sleeves - I have NO idea if this will work!! I'm going to try knitting the sleeves in the round - the first time I made this sweater, the sleeves were a little messy where I joined them.

*I forgot to post a picture of my flowers earlier. After almost 2 years, this is the first time that Patrick has sent me flowers! I'm totally fine with that - we both believe that its more about how you treat the other person on a daily basis, than how you treat them on one day of the year. Anywho... I loved the flowers and they have a great story behind them. A very good friend of mine got married about 3 months after Patrick and I started dating. I debated whether or not to bring him to the wedding, but decided I would. I was in charge of picking up some Gerber daisies for decorations and decorating the restaurant - Patrick agreed to help!! The wedding was happening in a part of town that has a flower shop every third store - with tons of Gerber daisies! Except on the day of the wedding!! Patrick and I must have driven around for 3 hours trying to find 20 red Gerber daisies!! It was the first time we had to do something a little more serious together. We finally found all of the daisies, and needless to say, we didn't kill each other. Gerbers have kind of become our special flower. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

2006-02-18T13:46:00.000-05:00

Thanks SP!

I received a nice surprise in the mail on Wednesday from my SP:

She made me a beautiful lace scarf out of Knit Picks Shimmer. Baby alpaca and silk is very soft and the color is perfect!!

She also included a big hank of Twinkletoes merino sock yarn and a bar of homemade Berries and Twigs soap made by a friend. The sock yarn is a nice combination of blue and purple, although the purple doesn't show up very will in my photo. I love everything! Excellent job! :-)

I seemed to have developed a small case of 'startitis'. I don't usually have this many projects on the go at once:

You can see my second Fleece Artist sock in the bottom right. I also started a pair of socks for my dad - he's very into knitting and always asks what I'm making. I haven't made him anything yet, so I started a pair of socks. I might have to push them back to a father's day pressie! Also shown is a tank from Paton's - it's made from Paton's Fresco - a ribbon-like yarn that has been discontinued. The pattern really caught my eye - so I tracked down some yarn. Well the yarn arrived last night, so I cast on! I'm knitting in the round instead of knitting the back and front separately - we'll see how that goes. Also shown is the beginnings of a baby sweater in a brown Debbie Bliss cashmerino, for a friend's baby due in May. I'm also still working on the scarf to match my rib and cable hat.

I really need a knitting plan! So... here's my ordered list:

Another baby sweater (not the one above) for a friend who is due in March. I think I have enough Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino left over to make a cardigan. I'm going to try knitting in the round.
Patrick's birthday socks.
Sockapaloooza socks - the yarn hasn't arrived yet, so I'm still safe!
Brown baby sweater.

No straying from the plan!!!

Patrick arrived back home from Montreal last night - he surprised me at about 12:30 am!! He was originally supposed to arrive at 8 pm tonight. He brought Bird back this absolutely adorable shirt:

(Notice that she's lying in the middle of a sun spot!) Bird loves her clothes. Her belly is almost naked so she needs to wear a jacket in the winter or she won't go outside. Her new shirt is more for spring - very cute light pink with a green stripe. Yes... she's spoiled!!

2006-02-13T20:55:00.000-05:00

I received a very cute card in the mail today from my secret pal. See:

The inside reads:
May your frogging days be over.
May you never drop a stitch.
May you have your fill of fiber.
May it never make you itch.

Very cute! Thanks SP. :-)

2006-02-12T13:21:00.000-05:00

Hello!

Finally some completed pictures of the first DGB Confetti sock:

As I mentioned before, I'm not crazy about the colors so this little guy might have to wait a while for his mate!

And my lovely toe decreases:

I present my first Fleece Artist sock:

It's short - I knitted 4.5 inches before starting the heel because I was afraid of running out of yarn. Here's a close up of the colors:

Some more lovely toe decreases:

I love this sock! I decided just to go with a plain stockinette stitch to show off the colors. It's so pretty and I've made it a little smaller than my first pair so that it hugs my foot a little more. Although I don't have photographic evidence to prove it, I do not have second sock syndrome - I cast on for the second sock last night.

In other knitting news, I finished the Debbie Bliss baby cardigan, but it was delivered to the tiny recipient before I could snap some photos. It turned out quite nice - I'll have to ask for some photos of baby wearing her new sweater.

Patrick is leaving for Montreal today - he'll be gone for an entire week!! (Yes, that correct, he'll be gone for Valentine's Day!) Of course this means I'll be able to get a bit more knitting done - and I can secretly start knitting his birthday socks. I purchased some Brown Sheep Company Wildfoote in Pine Tree. He was born on St. Patrick's Day (get it... Patrick... born on St. Patrick's Day... yes... too cute!) so I thought green would be appropriate!

Sockapalooza update: I just orders some really great yarn from Knit Picks:
It's Sock Garden in Zinnia. Now for a pattern.... hmmmmmm....

I'm off to play some ultimate Frisbee tonight - I've been subbing with a team occasionally. It's been great to get out and play! It's also a nice break not being captain of this team - I can just show up and play!!

2006-02-02T10:27:00.000-05:00

Happy Groundhog Day!

Wiarton Willie, our local groundhog, didn't see his shadow! That's not all together surprising, as it's been a really warm winter (did I mention I went for a bike ride last weekend?!?)

My secret pal also sent me a cute groundhog day e-card. See:

Thanks SP!

I also received my sockapaloooza match, which means shopping! Her request is pretty simple - colorful, warm and long.

A couple of new FOs to show off - pictures to follow. My camera is just getting back from Cuba. (Yes, somehow my camera travels more than I do!)

2006-01-31T10:08:00.000-05:00

Guess what arrived in the mail today??

I used the Amazon gift certificate from my SP to purchase. And my SP kindly pointed out the book corrections. This is such a beautiful book. Thanks SP!!

Now.. to decide what to make first... I LOVE the leg warmers. I think the man's ribbed sweater would be perfect for Patrick. He's told me not to knit him anything, but he gets really curious when I'm making things... I think he secretly wants a beautiful handknit! Hmmmmm decisions, decisions!!

2006-01-28T12:46:00.000-05:00

Another FO!

It's a rib and cable hat in Cascade 220 Tweed that I purchased on ebay over a year ago. I love the flecks of color! The pattern is a modification of the Man hat from this site. Here's a close up of the detail:

And a really bad picture of me:

I can't decide if it needs a pom pom or not. I've made a pair of wrist warmers to match, using the Voodoo pattern on knitty. I'll post pictures of those later. I still have the majority of a skein left, so I'm experimenting with a ribbed scarf. Hopefully I'll have enough!

I forgot how much I like knitting with 220. I still have two skeins of solid light blue - that I might have to dig into. I also really like the green colors in the Tweed. Maybe another hat??

In other knitting news, I've finished my first Confetti sock. It's mate might not arrive for a while. I'm not crazy about the colors and I want to dig into my Fleece Artist!

It's an absolutely beautiful day out today! We're going for a bike ride later - yes, a bike ride in Toronto in January - it's that nice out!

2006-01-24T12:44:00.000-05:00

I just signed up for Alison's sockapaloooza sock exchange. Woo hoo!

I will have 3 months to knit, so I should be able to complete a decent pair of socks by that time.

Hopefully I can find time to knit up my Fleece Artist socks. Any suggestions on patterns?? I really like Jaywalker, but it might be a little too advanced for me right now.

2006-01-22T14:33:00.000-05:00

OH NO!!

I think I'm in trouble now! I didn't find anything at Romni, so I decided to check out Lettuce Knit. What a great store - they have a fantastic selection of beautiful, high-end yarn. I've never Lorna's Laces up close and in person before today - now I think I'm ruined! I did make a purchase:

It's from a Canadian company called Fleece Artist. I love the colorway - I call it 'Watermelon Yum'. It looks like the mate for sock pair number two will have to wait! Here's a close up:

2006-01-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

Sock pair number two is well underway! I'm almost down to the toe decreases on the first sock:

It's been a pretty busy week, but I have managed to get in some knitting time. I'm currently taking 3 University level courses in addition to working full time and trying to stay in decent shape. Somehow I also manage to spend a good amount of time with Patrick - although he's quite busy as well with the upcoming election (he works in the media). I also had a big presentation this week - this was the largest group I've ever presented to (roughly 150) and included our CEO, the senior management team and all our provincial office staff. Nerve wracking, but I did get lots of compliments after.

This sock is not quite as nice as the first pair I made, but still not bad. You can't really see here, but the join at my heel flap is a little loose. I'm not really too sure what I did wrong. I did take out a sock book from the library, so I'm starting to understand the construction of socks a little better.

This pair is made from DGB Confetti. I purchased it for half price (roughly $2.25 CDN per ball) from my LYS when it was closing. I love the color when it's in 'ball of yarn' shape - I'm not really crazy about it knitted up though. It certainly feels a little softer and not as itchy as the Paton's Kroy, but I'm not sure that I would use either brand again. I'm off to Romni today, so I might go exploring in the sock section.....

I knit most of the foot on Friday night. Patrick hosted a poker game, and yes, instead of playing poker, I sat at the table and knit!! Bird (yes, my dog's name is Bird) seems to approve! And if you look closely, you'll see a hint of sock pair number one on the left side of the photo:

It's true - I do wear my knit socks every day!

2006-01-15T14:36:00.000-05:00

Finally! A couple of pictures..

This is my very first pair of socks...

...and I must say that I'm very pleased with them. I wear them almost every day - more as slippers than as socks. They are almost identical twins. I used Paton's Kroy and a free Paton's pattern. It took me a while to get the hang of using DPNs. I still get a bit of a loose stitch when I change needles, but I'm getting better. I've started a second pair of socks and just bought some scheepjes invicta extra in black and red - it feels soooo much softer than the Kroy.

I've been considering the Lace Leaf Pullover for my next bigger project. It looks so warm and cozy - perfect for the sudden dose of winter we've finally received. Canada has such a wild climate! It was close to 10 degrees on Friday - then Saturday the temperature when well into the negatives! I'm so glad I have my nice warm socks!! :-)

I've also been looking at the Bobbi Bear and the Baby Bobbi Bear pattern - sooooo cute!! My two best friends are pregnant... again, and I think he would make a fantastic keepsake.

2006-01-13T12:05:00.000-05:00

Wow!!

It's only the first official day of Secret Pal 7.... and my secret pal ROCKS!! I just received an Amazon gift certificate that will be put to very good use.

Thanks so much SP!!

2006-01-10T16:11:00.000-05:00

Secret Pal 7 Questionnaire

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?
I'm a bit of a yarn snob - I usually opt for higher quality fibers, particularly when giving a knitted item as a gift. That being said, I do occasionally use craft-store brands.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
No

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I'm ashamed to answer - a plastic bag!

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for about 3 years. I' an advanced beginner, but often select simple patterns

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes! My Chapter's wish list....

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Vanilla or coffee scents. I don't like anything too 'chemically'.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
YES!!! Chocolate all the way, baybe!

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I do a bit of sewing. I've made a quilt, but it took me THREE years!

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I'm not really that into music and I don't really have a favorite band. I don't think my computer plays MP3s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
I really like blues and purples. Pinks are really fun, but don't look that great on me. I'm not really a fan of red.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with a room mate and have part time custody of a 3 year old Boston Terrier (often called Schmoodle). My boyfriend Patrick (also called Schmoodle) lives around the corner.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, yes, yes and occasional.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I've been working with Baby Cashmerino lately and its quite nice!

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Itchy fibres!

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Starting to become obsessed with SOCKS!

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Hmmmm..... socks are fun!

17. What are you knitting right now?
A baby sweater for a friend.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes! I LOVE handmade gifts! I love to see people's creativity.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Circs.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Bamboo with most fibres.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No and no.

22. How did you learn to knit?
I bought some needles and yarn from Wal-Mart and started playing around. I ended up with an obscure piece of work that was far too short and fat to be a scarf and far too small to be a blanket. My dog uses it in her bed.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
About 3 years.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
I'm a fan of the Simpsons and Family Guy. Brian and Stewie both crack me up!

25. What is your favorite holiday?I would have to say Christmas. Our entire family (my mom is one of 10 kids) gets together to celebrate every year. It gets a little crazy, but its how I always think of Christmas!

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Just yarn!

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None.

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
I would like a sock book, but haven't really picked one out yet.

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes! I wear a women's size 8.

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
April 26

2006-01-03T10:05:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Patrick and I had a fantastic Christmas/New Years. We went our separate ways on December 23 – Patrick to Montreal and me to Orillia – to celebrate Christmas day with our families. [My mom came to pick me up, so I was able to finish most of my first sock in the car on the way home.] I’m not quite ready to give up my huge family Christmas day celebration and Patrick’s mom is home from Qatar for just over 2 weeks so he really needed to spend Christmas with his family.

My immediate family celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve as my sister had to work on Christmas day. Some of my aunts, uncles and cousins came over for dinner and to play a bit of poker – yes, nothing says Christmas like walking away with some cash won from your family!

Christmas day was nice. My aunt Deb stayed over night and was so excited to wake up with us on Christmas morning. Our larger family Christmas started in the afternoon – my cousin and his wife hosted. [I had a chance to start my second sock in the morning.] This was the first time that someone from our generation has hosted a larger family event (my mom is one of 10 kids!)

Boxing day was spent in the car travelling to Montreal. When I arrived, we opened gifts and had a very nice salmon dinner. Patrick gave me an absolutely beautiful pair of diamond earrings – pictures will follow. And then we went shopping… oh North Face jacket (ON SALE!), how I love thee!

We met up with some of Patrick’s university friends. I never know how events like this will go as Patrick and his ex have a number of mutual friends, (she and Patrick are still friends as well) which makes me very nervous.

December 29 was another day of driving as we headed back to Orillia so Patrick could visit with my family. My sister and Ivan came over for dinner (chicken this time!).

New Years Eve was quite nice – Patrick, his roommate and I hosted a dinner party for 13. Our friend Miro made a rotisserie TURKEY (it was FANTASTIC) and I broke out the chocolate foundation and about $50 of Lindt chocolate – it was incredible and very much the hit of the party! I'm not sure why this photo is so grainy, but here we are:

On New Years day we attended a going away party for one of Patrick’s co-workers. Somehow I managed to fit some knitting in, and have finished one side and 2/3 of the back of a baby gift sweater. Photos to follow!

2005-12-21T08:33:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by my brand-spanking new blog!! I’m a bit of a seasonal knitter who sometimes likes to shop for yarn more than actually using said yarn. That being said, I do have a couple of projects on the go right now:

1. Christmas Voodoo wrist warmers for my sister and Patrick’s sister.

2. Socks! I’ve always wanted to try socks, but thought they were too difficult. But to my pleasant surprise, they are sooooooooo much FUN! I’m using Paton’s Kroy pattern and Tutti Fruitti.

Pictures of the actual products will follow... my digital camera is currently enjoying a trip to Europe!