Socks and a scarf

I liked the Applelaine's "Army Surplus"so much, that I ordered more yarn and made another pair for my friend's husband for Christmas. Both their Christmas presents are knitted now, and I feel a little less stressed as I cross off the names on my list. Sophie and hubby are modeling the new socks. There's probably enough left to make another small adult pair. After the rush to meet the Christmas deadline is over, I will have to knit a few pairs for myself, as I've noticed a few pairs that look worn out, and almost past the darning stage.

A while back (March I think), I had bought a soy yarn by Patons, called SWS (for soy wool stripes). I was going to knit "My-so-called-scarf" with it, but decided against it last minute (please don't laugh, I tried to figure out the stitch from the pattern for a half hour then gave up), and went for this instead. I really like the stripes effect (the colour is called Natural Navy), and it's soft enough for my sensitive skin hubby. Yup, Christmas gift!

Yes, another pair of socks

So this is what I've been up to recently... Not much knitting, I must admit. One pair of children's socks for my niece Jessica, and yarn winding. All Applelaine. The socks are in "Army Surplus", the first colour of ball is "Purple Haze" and this will knit up a pair of socks for me. Next up is "Garden Party", and then "Winter Dawn" which I used in a previous pair of socks.

Two sad things happened in the past month, which I find hard to post about. My husband's aunt died, and a friend of mine has been diagnosed with stage four cancer... There, I've done it, I've posted about it.

B.W.O

I came across this and I must admit, I like it.

Really, my knitting has suffered since my last post, and I don't have much to post about. I'll be getting back to my knitting this week, and do I ever need to catch up.

I can't believe October is here!

I can't believe October is here! With this beautiful weather, it still feels like August. That would explain why I'm late starting my Christmas knitting. Yes, it is time to knit for Christmas gifts. Just less than three months to go.

Since this warm weather is bound to come to an end (as early as tomorrow), I decided to pick up an almost forgotten project, and complete it: Sophie's blanket. Despite the breaking record heat outside, Sophie insisted on trying it out to "see if it fits". Looks like it's to the queen's satisfaction, and won't be frogged.

I also have been knitting (surprise, surprise) a pair of socks. The yarn used is from Applelaine and the colour is appropriately called blueberry. Ir really reminds me of the different hues of a blueberry. The new socks are modelled by my husband, as the recipient has much larger feet than me.

Sophie's been cheating on me!

You read right, she's been cheating on me. With my own sister! She spent most of the weekend on my sister's lap as soon as the crochet came out. Admittedly, she looks real good in red, and I was only knitting on a pair of socks, so not much to keep her warm. My sister's throw is much bigger, but it's not for Sophie.

In a previous post, I mentionned strarting a sweater for my mom. Here's a picture of the pattern. I've had it for at least six years, if not more. Of course, the original yarn used in the pattern must be discontinued, but I got got a similar gauge with Amazon DK, an oatmeal mercerized cotton.

And it's done

Well after my fifth time frogging the one sock, there it is, the completed pair modeled by my sister. In a previous post, I had mistakenly mentioned the colour as Angels, but it's actually Libertine (quite a difference in terms, sorry if I offended any angels or libertines!).

In other knitterly news, I have started a sweater for my Mom. We were discussing projects we had knitted in the past, and she mentionned that sweater. She remembered it was quite comfortable, but unfortunately it is now a bit too short around the waist area. Luckily, I had some cotton waiting to be knitted into something.

Just frogging....

For some reason, my Sweet Georgia socks are not looking the same. For years now I've been knitting both socks at the same time, just to make sure they're (almost) exactly the same (sizewise, and patternwise). For the fourth time, I've frogged the one sock that had an area where the stripe pattern was breaking and forming a spot instead. I think this time it's looking like stripes, but a bit more diagonal than the other sock. Oh well, at least it's stripes...Grrrrr!

New sock goes to Thousand Islands

I got my repaired camera back on time for our weekend trip to Thousand Island. I have also started a pair of socks, and decided to pull a Yarn Harlot shot. The shot was taken after it got too dark to knit, and when traffic started slowing down. What was supposed to be a three hour drive, took almost an extra hour (and that's with one fifteen minute stop). The yarn is Sweet Georgia, and is called Angels. It was part of my birthday yarnmania purchases.

The town where we stayed in the Thousand Island area is called Gananoque. It's a beautiful town, but it feels empty without a yarn store (or at least not in the main part of the town). We went for a boat tour in one of the big tourist boats the first day, and chartered a small boat the next day. The chartered tour was much more pleasant and Captain Dave, a lifelong resident, had lots of interesting annectdotes about the area. On top of all the expected cottages owned by rich and/or somewhat famous people, Captain Dave added some local history and ecology.

Unfortunately, Sophie didn't come with us, but here's where she would have waited outside when we went for ice cream at Nana Splitz.

This is the cottage I really like, as it reminds me of my grand-parent's house in New-Brunswick. Of course, their house wasn't built on a semi-private island.

Broken camera

I have been without a camera for about a week now. DH took it for a long bike ride, and surprise, when he got to his destination the camera wouldn't turn on. Luckily, it's still on warranty and will either be repaired or replaced.

The day before the infamous ride, I had finished a pair of socks and took some pics. This is now my third pair of socks with Applelaine (this colour is called Winter Dawn), and I just love this yarn. I'm quite happy with the way the colours blend with each other, with no big patches of colours. I don't quite like to have big patches of coulour that move around the foot. I will frog and start all over until I get an acceptable spread of colour.

Until I get a functional camera, here are my latest yarn purchases. Two skeins of Applelaine's Apple Pie Army Surplus, and two skeins of Apple Pie Blueberry.

I've also been knitting a sweater for my Mom, and another pair of socks with Sweet Georgia yarn. Pics at a later time...sigh

Overdue post

Wow, I can't believe that a month has gone by since my last post (if you can call that a post).

My new job is going great, and it's so nice to only do my job (as opposed to do a quarter of everybody else's (sales rep) on top of mine). I now take my full lunch hour, and I'm not eating at my desk and working at the same time either. Amazingly, times goes by quickly and at the end of the day I can say "Great! All my work is done, and everybody is happy". It's so much better than saying "I've gone through half of my workload for today, and tomorrow I can start the day by completing this afternoon's work (providing I don't get a mountain of e-mails during the night)".

As a result of feeling less stressed, I don't feel the burning need to get my needles and knit away some of the frustrations. Instead, I just enjoy the knitting, the feel of the yarn, and the colours. I guess I'm not in "high production" mode, just in a "relax and enjoy" mode.


I've noticed that there are now more and more knitting novels, and knitting mystery books. I actually bought a few, and just finished reading "Knit Two Together". When I bought the book, I didn't realise that it's a Harlequin book. When I later saw the logo, I had a chuckle and decided that a bit of trash reading can't hurt anybody. It wasn't all that badly written, but very predictable....

Libby Cartwright hadn't planned on inheriting a yarn shop from her estranged mother. But that was before she found her favorite childhood stuffed animal amidst the dust and moldering yarn. And before she encountered a motley crew of locals determined to resurrect the store. So what else had Mom been hiding?
Running Metropolitan Knits means Libby still has lots to learn. About knitting. Motherhood (who ever said raising a daughter was easy!).
And even romance. For quiet Hal O''Connell, an unlikely—and unattached—new customer, turns out to be a kindred spirit. As the Grand Reopening approaches, Libby learns to knit two together— in knitting and in life.—

Changes...

Did you notice something different? Let me know what you think...

Proof that there has been some knitting...

Even though I haven't posted much knitted items recently, I have been knitting, just not as much as usual. I find that usually I don't knit as much during the summer, as I get more social for some reason(or maybe people have more parties).

I have completed my friend Nathalie's baby blanket, but forgot to take a picture of it for my blog before giving it to her. I'll take one next time I see her. I still have enough of that yarn to also make a sweater for the baby, along with a hat and booties, and would still have yarn.

I had bought this Apple Laine yarn called "Eye Candy" this spring and finally got around to make a pair of socks. It's a great sock yarn, and I really enjoy knitting it. It has a nice sheen to it, and the sheen stays even after the socks have been washed.

This is another pair that I completed last week. It's from the Knit Picks discontinued "Parade" line (if not discontinued, I didn't find it in the sock yarn section where it used to be). These are way too big on my little feet, but will fit my friend perfectly and keep her arthritic toes warm. I just can't wait to send them to her, as she really appreciates and cherished any handmade gifts that come her way.

Wishing you all a nice week...

Black Creek Pioneer Village

Last week I gave my employer my two weeks' notice. Since I am going to a competitor, I got escorted to the door the next day with my two weeks paid. I fully expected that to happen, and was even dissapointed when it didn't happen on the same day. I'll start my new job this coming Monday, and I'm looking forward to a lighter workload, and more free time for myself (and knitting of course).

Since I had the free time, I spent some time with my nieces. I took them to a farmer's market on Thursday, and Black Creek Pioneer Village on Friday. Everybody's favourite house was of course the house with the craft-related presentations: quilting and knitting (the rug is handmade as well but the hooker wasn't there that day). Of course they had their own sheeps, spun and died their own yarn. In order to fix the died yarn and keep the colours bright, the urine of twelve year old boys and younger was prefered. We were relieved that no sample was available for the presentation.

Yarn drying outside...

Picture perfect.....

Alpaca shearing

The past two weeks have been really busy, and I didn't get a chance to post. Sunday the 10th was just a fantastic day for my husband and I: we went Alpaca shearing. Well the actual shearing was done by a professional (I wouldn't trust my clumsy husband with a sharp razor around those sweet animals), who did a great job shearing and teaching us all sorts of things about the alpacas. He was a very interesting man, who had an interesting life, but managed to keep a certain balance between a career in finances and consulting, and shearing and owning a sheep farm.

The alpacas each have their own character, and each one reacted differently to the shearing process. Some were absolutely petrified and froze, others fought with all they had, others became a nervous wreck and started barfing, as other angrier would start spitting at anybody who dared come close to them. For the nervous, the timid, the angry, there was this wonderful lady that would calm them down, massaging their neck, talking to them and reassuring them, putting a towel over their head so they wouldn't see what was happening and freak out. My husband and I called her "The Alpaca Whisperer".

There were quite a few volunteers (at least five of them teachers), and everybody was full of enthusiasm. There were both knitters (or crocheters) and non-knitters, a weaver, and some alpaca owners. Everybody pitched in and completed the tasks assigned with equal effort and enthusiasm. My husband and I got to clean the alpacas, and we couldn't believe what a messy little alpaca California Girl was (more on that shortly). I also got to sort the fleece (so amazingly soft), trim the hair on their paws and head (some pretty funky but stylish alpacas run around Brantford now), and herd them as well. My husband specialized in leg-holding for a while, after helping me clean California Girl for half an hour. As you can see (click on the pic to enlarge), she had hay, dried grass, and mud all over herself. She must have had quite a party earlier that week. To add to that, after we finished cleaning her, we took a break and had lunch, and came back to .... California Girl rolling in the hay again. What could we do but laugh.

Despite being messy, California Girl's fleece has an amazing texture, and variety of colour. I just can't wait to see the finish product! And speaking of finished product.... here's the CG herself after a little trim. She was actually pretty good on the table for a first timer. She put up a respectable fight (afterall, one must at least pretend not to like it, but it must be quite a relief to get rid of that heavy coat), but then quickly relaxed in the gentle arms of the Alpaca Whisperer.

Tagged

I got tagged by KB, for this one...

Here are the rules:Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1. I had my first Chihuahua when I was fourteen. She was the same colours as Sophie. I called her Ozzy after Ozzy Osbourne (dating myself here). She was a great dog, and I taught her many stupid tricks, like to bark at the moon. She died two days after turning sixteen.


2. I only have one ovary. About eight years ago I had this mysterious pain in my abdomen, and after multiple laparoscopies to remove any possible endometriosis, my gynecologist suggest the removal of the ovary. At that time, I just couldn't cope with the pain, and multiple failed treatments, so I agreed, but unfortunately the pain came back again. One day, I was chatting with a friend on Yahoo, and he said my symptoms sounded a bit like when he had a hernia and I should get checked. That's what the pain was: a hernia in my appendectomy scar!


3. My sister and I are dreaming about having our own sheep farm (or any other animal that produces yarn), or a yarn shop, or both. We've promised each other that if one of us wins big at lottery, that's our first expense. I think that the yarn store is more practical, as we can travel to find new yarn for the business.


4. I absolutely LOVE lilacs. Unfortunately, living in a condo doesn't allow for a backyard where I may plant to my heart's content. However, I have found a dwarf variety of lilac that can grow in pots, and my tree is now blooming for the third year.


5. When I was about eight, our house got hit by lightning. That was a very scary experience for the whole family. To this day, I still hate thunder storms, but I have learned to enjoy their beauty.


6. This is my 105th post, and my bloganniversary was in March but I forgot about it.


7. I shop and knit for Christmas all year long. I try to have my shopping all done by October, because I hate busy malls. I try to knit gifts for as many family and friends as possible, even if it's a quick knit. People usually seem to appreciate the hand-made gifts more, and I like making them feel special.