Dull Knits

Delicious things I have cooked of late that deserve to be written down

2008-12-17T17:51:00.003-05:00

Cream sauce for lunga noodles: with black pepper, tons of paprika, tobasco sauce, garlic and a lick of lemon.

Cream butter with garlic, coriander, thyme, dijon and grated mozzarella. Spread on bread and toasted under the broiler.

Haddock en papillote: thyme, coriander and garlic on the fish, some slices of tomato and steamed carrots (cut slim carrots in half lengthwise, leave on a bit of green).

Roasted carrots - with my current favourite combination of garlic, thyme and coriander, lots of olive oil, roasted until delicious. Served with steamed spinach and some leftover chicken rice from a lebanese place, that I added cumin and tobasco to while heating up.

I have been so impressed with myself lately.

Little yellow hat

2008-10-25T15:37:00.002-04:00

Yay! I finished reknitting this little guy, and he's just the right size. So, now I know that Cascade 220 grows a lot lot when you block it, and also that it smells horribly when wet. Although that may have to do with the yellow dye specifically? It didn't smell at all the second time I blocked it.

Now I will just have to make a pom to put upon it.

"yummo"

2008-10-10T12:57:00.006-04:00

I should be reading for a paper, but I've taken a break to heat up some lunch:

These are leftovers from last night. I had an ambercup squash and cooked it according to the suggestion that was on the little label, so cubed and steamed, and then fried in olive oil until it's nice and brown. I used a spice blend that I got at the grocery store, called Carribbean spice, on it. It's got a lot of things in it, lots of cumin and garlic and oregano and chiles. This tasted so, so good. The squash was awfully hard to cut up and I wondered if it would be worth it, and it definitely was. On the side is just a pile of spinach with some dressing on it. I was actually too lazy to make a real dressing, so I just drizzled some olive oil and rasberry red wine vinegar on it and cracked some pepper over top. The squash is especially nice when a little of the vinegar gets on it. And yes, I'm not going to lie, that is a pillsbury crescent roll on the side of the plate, and it tasted delicious.

Yesterday I made blueberry muffins. It's a basic recipe, with oats and buttermilk too.

I think I'd better go put on some tea, do up the dishes, then grab a muffin and get down to work!

2008-09-18T11:51:00.000-04:00

So it turned out a little big.

yellow hat # 1

2008-09-08T19:50:00.001-04:00

I can't get over how adorable these tiny bamboo needles are!!

2008-09-07T18:06:00.003-04:00

Dear Diary, spent the afternoon taking artistic photos of yarn...

Odd hobby.

So excited with this new yarn! The yellow is a skein of cascade 220 that I'd had around for a while. I picked it up without knowing what I had in mind for it, but I think a hat is in order. The desire to start a hat today led me to the yarn store to get the right size circs, which led me to spy that sock yarn, which is just perfect for the socks I've had in mind. Meanwhile, while the nice yarn store lady was winding those two skeins into balls for me, I spied that beautiful aqua yarn, which is just the colour I had been dreaming of to make a hat out of, before I thought of the yellow. And it was the last skein in that colour! Obvs, I had to have it.

Must go knit now... pictures of f.o.'s hopefully soon to come!

new project - dressing gown

2008-09-02T23:52:00.005-04:00

Dear Reader,

I came perilously close to buying five metres of royal blue silk today, at 40$ a metre. To make a dressing gown (e.g. a glorified house coat). The silk is just so beautiful! Thankfully I came to my senses before purchasing a 200$ house coat, and chose this instead:

It is (blurg) 100% polyester, but it has a nice drape and was only 6$/metre. I am positive that in this whole giant city of Toronto, I can find silk at a better price. So, this will be my practise piece until I do.

Oh, you probably want to see the pattern, huh?

I wanted to sew it all up today, but I got started late and only got part way through the yoke. Then the next thing I knew it was nine p.m., and I have a strict rule about not sewing after nine. It's around that time that I lose the ability to both see properly and think properly, so I know better than to sew.

First day of class tomorrow! But not until noon, so hopefully I'll have a bit of time to sew in the morning.

2008-09-01T18:25:00.003-04:00

Oh bother, I've been spending way too much time on Ravelry and I just want to knit! But naturally, the project I have on the needles isn't good enough for me, oh no, I want to go out and knit something brand new. Visa, I have a feeling you may be getting a work out soon. Starting school now and all, I'm feeling broke, so I think it'll have to be a small project like a hat, either Rose Red or Baroness Beret which I'd really like to make in Noro Cash Iroha in aqua. I think it would look just nice with my black winter coat. Rose Red I would want in that exact scarlet yarn. Or these Anastasia socks, which I am completely in love with.

I've been reading, napping and eating all day. Last night I finished Brideshead Revisited and today am starting Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Now at first glance, it may appear that I am simply doing the rounds of novels recently made into films, but in reality my theme is simply English novels.

Presently I'm scouring the internet, having decided that I need a silk dressing gown, and am searching out either a vintage one or a vintage pattern that looks just like this :

My latest activities

2008-08-27T15:38:00.004-04:00

I have been up to a lot of cooking lately. I finished work a week and a half ago and am just now getting into the swing of being off. Today I made these lemon scones, and earlier this week a plum cake:

This was my dinner last night, a pile of boiled potatoes topped with steamed spinach and a poached egg, topped with more Swiss cheese. Delicious! I got the idea from The New Laurel's Kitchen.

Speaking of which, I do miss the regular Laurel's Kitchen. It is in Montreal somewhere with my friend Lea. Rats!

And somewhere in there I finished those socks for my grandmother:

And tried them on, of course. I have also knitted a ways up the back of my stiped sweater, but have no pictures of it as yet.

Progress report

2008-07-06T19:28:00.001-04:00

Work on my sock continues! I have just turned the heel of the second one. This sock is turning out much better than the first one. I figured out what I was doing wrong with my "YO"s and why the right-hand YO of every pattern I've knit never turns out properly. Well! What a learning experience. I suppose a dilligent crafter would tear out the first sock and do it again properly. What you call thorough, I call crazy. After all, they are just for feet. And an old lady's feet at that, I really doubt she's going to notice the missing holes. Although she might find one foot consistently feels warmer than the other.

I took this photo with my roommate's camera. If I use hers any more often, I'm not going to be able to stand my own anymore. It just doesn't take good photographs, especially of the things I like to take, namely, small objects close up. The clincher was when I set up a shot, and took the exact same photo with my camera and hers. The difference was brutal. I'd better start saving!

Today was a lazy sunday. Dropped some books back at the library, Instead of Education by John Holt and Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander. I had the last one on hold at the library and waited a few months for it, definitely worth the wait. Really hilarious. And Instead of Education was probably my favourite Holt book that I've read so far. He makes so many good points. I don't have any children of my own, but I have seen in the children of a family friend, that as soon as they started going to school, their personalities changed drastically. Do we really want to train ourselves for a life of fear, and competition, and subservience to some self-appointed leaders? The book itself is about schooling, of course, but it applies to most jobs I have known, as well.

Coming up soon

2008-06-27T19:06:00.002-04:00

Today was a long and rotten day, so I am going to list things I really like.

1) This Cascade 220 I got to make a sweater:

I think I chose the wrong shade of blue, so unless I can decide to stick with one of those two, I'll need to go back and exchange it for a slightly lighter, more robin's-eggsy shade.

2) This pattern, which I started in high school out of a scratchy acrylic, and will now re-make out of said Cascade:

3) This adorable little heart-heart shaped plant I got today:

4) Look how his little branches are reaching up to you!

Cute!

5) This adorable book I am reading:

These Gallimard Folio editions, it was only 3.95$ when I was in Victoria and contains a dozen nice little excerpts from litterature on the subject of "Happiness". I also have the one on "Friendship", and would really like the one on food in litterature.

6) A morning coffee from Bulldog:

I was so sad to realise I'd forgotten my camera this morning and couldn't take a picture of the perfect leaf he drew in my cappucino.

Okay, that's all for now!

Sunday Lunch

2008-06-22T19:27:00.005-04:00

This afternoon I wanted to bake a loaf of quickbread, from an old bread cook book I have. The recipe is called Brown Apple bread. It's very simple recipe. No yeast of course, because it's a quick bread. The only really time consuming part was creaming the brown sugar and butter together because I had to use cold butter, and waiting for half a cup of molasses to pour from the carton. Apparently molasses is as slow in June as it is in January! Before I could start cooking, I went to the grocery store for the buttermilk I would need, as well as some other food for the week.

While the bread was baking I fixed a lunch that made me very, very happy:

Pâté on fresh bread, with big chunks of a super-rich double-cream cheese, big pieces of ripe tomato, and salad with blueberries and pear-guava vinaigrette. So satisfying. I shop best when I imagine that I'm either French, or a very healthy hippy as I wander around the store.

The bread took an hour and a half to bake, and then I subjected it to a lengthy photo shoot. The kitchen was no good as the lighting was very blue, so I moved it to my roommate's room where there is a bright, plain corner. After taking the exact same picture of the same object, in the same position, under the same lighting conditions with both our camers, I am convinced of my need for a new one. Mine doesn't let in enough light. Anyway, here is the completed loaf, with a couple of thick slices cut out and a big pad of butter on one of them.

And I did end up unravelling my sock back to the heel flap and making it the proper length, and I'm glad I did. I do want to get these done soon, though, so I know what I'll be working on tonight!

2008-06-22T11:58:00.002-04:00

Oh no! I thought I was doing something wrong with the heel flap on these. I've been reading a KAL on Craftster for these socks, and it turns out my suspicions were right, I did make the heel flap way too short! The pattern is just crazy like that. You can see here how it's all silly looking now:

To ignore it and continue on, or rip back and do things properly? Argh decisions!

Sock in progress, or, Returning to Making Things

2008-06-21T19:37:00.004-04:00

My granny's birthday is coming up in July. Last year I knitted socks for my mother and aunts, and she was very interested in them. She knits, but has never knit socks. I thought she'd like her own pair, and her favourite colour is purple. So here they are in progress:

The pattern is Hedera from Knitty. Hopefully the lace will become clear once they are being worn (does one block socks?) but this is as it looks right now, stretched out over my fingers:

I haven't knit or sewn or done much of anything in the past few months. Often I would be sitting around feeling that my hands really ought to be doing somthing. It's amazing how much better I have felt since starting these socks. I bought the yarn Monday afternoon and started them as soon as I got home. The next day I was already thinking of more projects I ought to start, feeling creative and lively again. I hadn't felt like that in quite some time.

You know I just love Brenda Ueland. And she always says that creativity is like a tap. The more you turn it, the stronger it comes. And it's so true. Just start something and it keeps flowing!

2006-11-30T17:12:00.000-05:00

Would you believe it, I went back to the old template and just changed the colours. It's not perfect, but ok for now. I've been making a lot of socks lately, I'll post a picture when they're all done. I've got five different yarns to knit up.

2006-11-24T14:31:00.000-05:00

New city, new blog look! (I live in Toronto now)

But I don't like this completely... I forget how to change the colours and get rid of that green. And I want the side bar to be farther to the right to give me more space. Hmm...

2006-07-23T20:50:00.000-04:00

This weekend's project was to burn some groovy CDs of Cottage Music for my holidays next week!

Besides painting, of course, which would be finished if I could just get the ladder out of our building's storage room. Unfortunately, it's locked. I think I'll designate the painting of the top edges to my new very tall roommate who's moving in while I'm away.

I also worked some on my Granny Smith sweater. I swear I will finish it. Soon. I promise.

And in less than a week my holidays start! Two beautiful weeks outside of the city. I have been waiting so many long, cold months for this. The first week is at the beach and I expect it to be a great one. Besides swimming and lying on the sand, my mum's (and my) very crafty and inspiring friend is coming along with her sewing machine, so I hope to get some sewing done, as well as knitting, if I can find time this week to pick up yarn for a new, beach-friendly project. (I find kid silk haze just doesn't travel so well for me). Then after that I'll be at my parent's for a week, spending some days in Toronto and convincing my friends to have pool parties.

I can't wait!

Bye-bye orange!

2006-07-21T20:52:00.000-04:00

oh gosh

2006-07-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

So I've been behind. But after colour week I had an idea that interested me. I've noticed that blogs from time to time give themselves themes. I really enjoyed finding the photos for colour week, both looking through my old photos and finding the colours around me. I thought it would be a fun project for myself to do a few of these, with the same colour for each day of the week, but different themes for each week. For example, one week in the kitchen, another in the neighbourhood, etc. I wanted to do it for the month of july, but I have dumbly loaned my camera to someone for the week. So anyway, that's what's upcoming.

Otherwise, I've finally gotten around to really looking at the book "D.I.Y. Design it Yourself", which I've had for a few months. It's fantastic and I've got a lot of projects I want to get started on.

And it's already quarter after eleven! I better run. Back soon with photos!

Friday = Red

2006-06-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

Thursday = Blue

2006-06-15T20:33:00.000-04:00

Wednesday = Black+Grey

2006-06-14T22:05:00.000-04:00

Tuesday = Brown

2006-06-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

Monday = White

2006-06-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

and a fun thing here

2006-06-11T21:54:00.000-04:00

Things I want to start/continue/finish:

-flowered shirt dress
-granny smith sweater
-baby sweater
-quilting
-headband
-repair pants
-more socks!
-scooter skirt
-paint living room
-bedspread

Gosh! Isn't that just the beginning?!

Best day ever!

2006-05-27T21:42:00.000-04:00

(What is this, 3 posts in a row?!)

Well, I didn't get around to baking bread, again. Instead I brought home this beautiful bike! For only twenty dollars. I love it!!! Gosh I love it! I just love bicycling.

This is a list of things I want for my home:

1. Crockpot
2. Plant stand
3. Dog

I really want a dog! More specifically, a greyhound. Or a terrier. But a greyhound I could rescue and they are said to be good for apartments. Gosh! I can't stop thinking about dogs lately, reading about the different breeds and keeping them. I just love dogs. One of the main things I love is sitting down next to them and hugging them. Also walking them. And hopefully how they would keep my cat in line. So hopefully I will be able to bring home a beautiful greyhound one day soon!

The other thing I did today was go to the library ( I am that cool ) But really, the library is SO Interesting! You just never know what you might find. They have gotten a bunch of new knitting books, that's great. I brought home two decorating books to get some ideas before I paint my living room. Besides, I just love decorating books. Besides this, a novel and an interesting John Holt book.

2006-05-26T18:58:00.000-04:00

This is what I did today, brought home nice new plants! Cute, huh? I just love them. I want to get a plant stand for those little ones, and put geraniums in the kitchen window instead. I've been wanting that for quite a while, I think that's lovely.

I also cooked my favourite sweet-and-sour red cabbage with rice. It also did not turn out terribly photogenic. A food stylist, I am not.

I also meant to bake bread but instead I took a nice afternoon nap. Mmm, wonderful!

Yay!

2006-05-25T22:29:00.000-04:00

Finally!

I am a very slow knitter, I admit. But Jaywalker is a great pattern! No wonder everyone has knit it, it's so fun and the outcome is great! The first sock took me forever to cast on, I ripped it out about 5 times trying to decide what to do. I'm glad I decided on this. So anyway, this was, in fact, my April Project Spectum project. Don't ask about May.

More talk tomorrow, I have the day off!

2006-05-22T22:22:00.000-04:00

Gosh! Where have I been?

Well, we've had some excitement here this week : A fire in the apartment above us! Thank God our apartment had very little damage. Just some holes in the ceiling from the water :

The landlord will repaint the walls (although they aren't damaged), which saves me from having to do it myself, which I was planning on! Overall I am so so so thankful the damage wasn't more- from fire and water. Phew!

Craft-wise... well... plugging away on the Granny Smith sweater, but it's slow going.

Lately I've been working on school more. I'm taking German in summer semester. I already studied this in high school, so it's more a review course for me. In September I'll be taking Russian and Hebrew, very excited! Yesterday was the birthday party of the little Russian boy I tutor, it could have been very helpful to speak it already! But, I was told I look like a Russian speaker, not an English speaker, that made me glad. And meanwhile I am still studying Italian, to be prepared for fall...

More knitting news coming soon!

2006-05-07T11:22:00.000-04:00

What an exciting thing!

I got the yarn yesterday for the lovely Granny Smith cardigan. Four balls of Kid Silk Haze, gosh! It's lovely and fun and I'm quite excited for the result! I was tempted by a turquoise shade, my favourite colour for clothes, but I like the green because it reminds me of something Amélie might wear - and somewhere between my second and 33rd watching of «Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulin» I made a personal vow to make Amélie-like clothing choices whenever possible. Besides, May is Green Month!

Today is sunny! Yesterday poured rain, very conducive to knitting. But I was feeling a bit clammed up in the house so when the rain stopped I climbed the mountain and then ran back down. It was the odd type of sky where half is sunny and the other half steel blue and I tried to take some dramatic photographs.

I think my neighbourhood is the most beautiful in the city. The richer you are, the higher up the mountain you can afford to live. I live at the bottom. Just kidding! Well, I really do but it's not a bad thing at all, better, unless you have a family and need a whole house. From the top you can see right to the South Shore.

I didn't do any cooking this weekend, unfortunately. Maybe when I get home from tutoring. I still need groceries. Gosh. Sorry to ramble! I'm just thinking how this weekend flew by! It almost feels wasted, though I did get a lot of knitting and studying done.

Well, I'd better get busy now!

dinner

2006-05-01T09:48:00.000-04:00

I should probably make more of an effort to cook appetizing food.

This is just eggplant and tomatoes and it tastes delicious, but God it looks disgusting.

The Weekly Post

2006-04-30T15:09:00.000-04:00

What's wrong with my Jaywalkers?!

I guess nothing. But they don't seem to have the same nice ridge of stiches as everybody else's.

These socks are good for April Project Spectrum, not so much for April Use What You Have month. I do have a dress in the works that fits both but it got sidetracked since my co-worker was sick this week and I had to do both our jobs - eleven hour days, yuck! So much for my crafty week. But I will be raking in the cash, so who cares, it was actually great!

Have a great week everybody, hopefully I'll be back shortly!

2006-04-22T09:01:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my official last day of this term - exams are done! It's all over! (for three weeks, anyway)

But the end of term is a bit anticlimactic. All this week when I was stuck there at my kitchen table, conjugating verb after verb and writing essays and occasionally pausing to do chores and gaze out the window, I kept waiting for this moment. Now it's arrived, and... ? Now what? I guess the last day is never as thrilling as it was in primary school.

That said, I'm still very excited for a couple of weeks without class, and just as the weather is turning nice. I have some nice plans especially for what I'll do around here:

I'd like to get some geraniums for my kitchen window
Do some painting
Finish up a bunch of sewing that's gotten stymied in the middle

Now I hope I'll keep this in mind and not get bogged down by work - that is to say, my office job.

it became spring!

2006-04-20T15:39:00.000-04:00

I want to go outside SO BADLY.

I have been stuck inside revising for the past three days and this is as close as I can get:

It's torture!

10 lovely things

2006-04-14T15:22:00.000-04:00

Grabbing an idea from Lisa

1. It's Passover! I love Passover. And Passover cooking. It forces you to be creative. And eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Although I mostly end up suriving on apples and tam tam crackers.

2. It's also Easter, we brought home a beautiful lilly, and I have to-day off work!

3. My boss is keeping the clinic open on Monday, the official holiday, and I'll be working, which means I'll be paid double time AND another day's full pay. It will be like earning... well, a lot per hour!

4. Blue skies. Spring in Montreal! I always feel a sense of accomplishment upon making it, sanely, through another winter.

5. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go home for the holiday this year, but... my wonderful mum is taking adantage of the long weekend and finally coming to visit!

6. My Kitten may not we well-behaved but she does take a nice photograph

7. Last week a friend I haven't seen since high school and I finally connected for the first time in years. It was so, so nice to talk again, when I was expecting we'd never hear from each other again.

8. School term is over! except for exams next week, one in-class and one an essay. Summer semester starts in May and I'm excited: German and biomedical ethics. Since I took German in h.s. I'm hoping it will all come back to me for an easy pass. I'm even more excited for fall semester : Hebrew, Italian Advanced Grammar and Composition, and two more very interesting courses.

9. I'm the most excited for summer! and swimming at Oka! and summer clothes! and sunshine! and dancing to rock'n'roll and open windows and geraniums in the kitchen sill!
I just can't get enough of that blue sky

10. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Johanthan Safran Foer. I highly, highly, highly recommend it.

11. Mini-legumes!

Stay tuned for a "use-what-you-have"-themed sewing project.

saturday!

2006-04-08T14:26:00.000-04:00

it looks like spring here, but it's still below zero out. I hold by that bit of green grass, though, and that blue sky, as my proof that spring is not coming, but here!

while we're on a pink kick

2006-03-25T12:49:00.000-05:00

My pinks for project spectrum

2006-03-18T12:19:00.000-05:00

The good news is, I finished the second sock. The bad news is, I figured out why the first one turned out so huge and had to rip it back to the heel. Oh well, live and learn.

Happy Holiday!

2006-03-14T21:26:00.000-05:00

I made some Hamantaschen yesterday for Purim. They are delicious! But the recipe is terrible, oh it's so bad for you. But, it's only once a year. I prefer the jam filling, the chocolate are too sweet. I couldn't find any poppy filling this year either, but the apricot jam is really, really delicious.

The recipe called for four cups of flour but I only had two, so I used matzah meal for the rest, and it worked out very well. They just absorb the liquid and you can't really tell. It's a bit of a stiffer (is that the word?) texture and very nice.

mmm printemps

2006-03-12T08:18:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I caught the bug of spring cleaning!

First I cleaned up my stash a little bit :

I didn't realise I have so many knitting needles hanging around here !

I found this five dollar dress I got at the Le Château Entrepôt :

My intention when I bought it was simply to rock it as a dress, but now I'm wondering if I'll just cut it up for the fabric. What do you think ?

I also tidied my art supplies. I didn't get much farther than that. The trouble here is you start cleaning and you are quite excited but soon your enthusiasm fades - but nevertheless you just keep finding more and more mess! If you are me, at least.

Later I made this for a baby shower, and as well a little bit Project Spectrum :

And it was a beautiful day, the first this year ! I had the windows wide open, it was delightful.

2006-03-11T09:46:00.000-05:00

I spend a lot of time in this corner, knitting, reading, snacking...

Corner, belated.

2006-03-04T22:57:00.000-05:00

Here's a corner, where my bed meets the radiator and above it the window. I have a big thing for white in this room - and I love those sheets! I think they're from the Martha Stewart line. I did try for a Corner on thursday but that tends to be rather a long day around here and I just didn't make it.

Project spectrum has started, how fun! I think I may already have a project for June (blue month):

Painting my living room! Finally this insufferable orange might be gone. Now that I've decided at last on blue, after months of contemplation and searching - I was originally trying to find a rich cream that incorporated gold and rose like you find at the centre of a blush-coloured rose, which is not as easy as it might seem - comes the hard part of choosing just the right shade. Do I want more green, more red, duller, brighter, paler, deeper - gosh! It's a tough one! But really so much fun. What I have in mind is that blue porcelaine with the white overlay - I can't think of the name just now. I think it would be just right.

Happy weekend! On the menu tomorrow : knit, crochet, read the newspaper.

Sunday =

2006-02-26T16:08:00.000-05:00

I love a sunday. In the afternoon, tutoring. Then home for tea with the new Marie Claire and Joni Mitchell. I sent a big package to a friend in Toronto, painted my nails red and in a bit I'll study some Italian.

how to invent patterns

2006-02-25T21:16:00.000-05:00

Thus far only one thing on that grand list has been accopmlished, and that the easiest one - to get a new notebook.

However, this is only because I forgot to add one important thing to it - socks! And you see, a brand-new sock came into the world on thursday eve.

I've started on the second with great enthusiasm but, given my usual goofy manner of knitting, am unsure I'll be able to replicate it exactly. In this case I did some odd things with the toe shaping, and though at first I had categorized it under "minor mistake", I soon realised the truth: what I have, in fact, done is to create a new pattern. Watch:

Although this ankle-length sock may appear unremarkable, unusual decreases at the toe give it a very close fit, with one sock specifically designed for each foot, as well as a jauntily pointed tip. Decreases at the ankle also contribute to its form-fitting appeal.

And that's how it's done!

PS sorry for the poor photo quality - had no patience to wait for daylight.

friday

2006-02-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

Corners of My Home

2006-02-22T23:39:00.000-05:00

This is a littler corner of my living room. There's a nook where the door is to go out onto the fire escape, from which you can see the street, the stairs, the building next door. I just find it so simple and beautiful. I love that little door.

I do not love the walls of this living room. The crazy orange walls are the reason why my old roommate chose this apartment in the first place, but they just don't jive with me. Too dark. Simply too yucky. As well - the same colour as the brick walls you see from every window - why? I was going to repaint over the summer, but as I thought I'd be moving I didn't. Now I'm not so sure and am just about ready to delve back into choosing a colour!

ciao!

2006-02-21T22:20:00.000-05:00

That was short-lived.

Wordpress is mean.

I like my pink and green.

ciao blogger

2006-02-20T22:10:00.000-05:00

I have decided to move my blog. Wordpress has some improvements over blogger.

dullknits.wordpress.com

see y'all over there!

2006-02-12T21:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to Atwater Library.

It's rather a strange, delightful place. It's very old fashioned and very surprising. You really never know what you're going to find. I think I am their youngest patron, I always get looks as I wander about. It's really a beautiful place, with low wooden shelves and a glass-floored mezzanine.

Yesterday I took out a really excellent book by Eleanor Roosevelt (thoughts forthcoming), one on the great achievements of German Jews before the community was entirely killed, and this very nice one:

It has some really great ideas, including a sort of sewing box with five outer panels and five inner. When you remove the lid, the panels fall open and all your little notions are available. I'd like to make one in quite bold, bright, graphic fabrics. Another great project is quilted satin bedroom things, a cushion, bag for your nighty and one for stockings. It's beautiful! Mind, I'd have to entirely change the decoration of my bedroom if I made them, but it would be worth it!

I found this great essay in 52 projects. It's aim is to inspire and it's very successful!

2006-02-11T18:35:00.001-05:00

I have been a very bad blog-haver! After I made that last post my computer was crashed for about a week, and then I was quite busy with work and there was never any daylight. This week I've got exams and the week after that is a school holliday during which I plan to work on my blog and rededicate myself to the creative lifestyle in general. I've been much too distracted by work and have really been neglecting it. In the meanwhile, here are some fascinating progress shots:

The little sock. Progress on this got stymied when my computer died as I was following some instructions on the internet. Now I've got to find the link again. I'm going to give these to my mother for her birthday and as well they will be one of my March projects for Project Spectrum. I am quite excited by this. I haven't had any projects for a while. Besides this, which interests me and which I have started in slightly modified form.

As well there is the steek tank:

I'm very happy with this one. It's going to take more yarn than I'd anticipated since I'm doubling and, as usual, there's my usual bit of fudging the numbers to deal with. I've got to find time to go pick up more yarn. In fact, I need to stop eating so much so that I might have a bit of money for this yarn. I also need:

well, I got the eggs.

That's all the time for today, I'm off to write an essay!

photo photo

2006-01-13T18:06:00.000-05:00

I keep forgetting that now I have a camera and can take photos for neat things like self-portrait tuesday, studio friday and corners-of-my-home thursday! I would really like to do that last one but I am going to have to wait for the weekend (tomorrow!!) to take those photos. As I've mentioned, during the week I am never home during daylight hours!

how delightful!

2006-01-09T22:33:00.000-05:00

I just love knitting socks. I could stay home and knit socks all day. Especially these ones, they're delightful.

I took a photo or two of the ball before I started. For some reason I like to see the colours all layed out versus knitted up.

The yarn, by the way, is Regia 4 fädig Color.

a lovely day

2006-01-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

My original intention was to let these photos speak for themselves, but it's too dark in here and that became impossible.

Yesterday afternoon I went on a little trip to Atwater Market and Mouliné, which is just around the corner. So, in the first one you see a Steek tank and a pair of socks. Then, delicious things from the market. The sweetest, thinnest spears of asparagus. Spiced gouda, Fairmount bagels and cream cheese from la Fromagerie, Pâté foie, arichoke hearts salad and couscous from Au Première Moisson, coffee from les Douceurs... mmm so much delight. I do love food.

When I got home I started knitting.

I have accepted that it's not going to look like anything for quite a while. Actually, I don't think it's ever going to look like anything. The yarn gets gauge but it is not full enough. Well, we'll see.

huh

2006-01-04T18:08:00.000-05:00

You are a Rose:

You are creative, sensual, passionate, and bold.
You pour your heart into everything that you
do. Alluring and gifted with strong sex appeal,
you very easily draw people in with your animal
magnetism.

Symbolsim: The rose has always been a flower
heavily loaded with symbolism. In general it
symbolizes desire, passion, beauty, and
enchantment.

Which Flower are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

2006-01-03T18:58:00.000-05:00

New camera!

Super excitement!

I'd love to show a photo of something new but

a) I haven't really crafted much lately (besides those buillote covers which I just realised I never got a photo of, unfortunately) and

b) it's too dark to photograph anything. How is it possible to keep a blog like this if you are never home during the day ?!

2005-12-30T09:09:00.000-05:00

list for friday

2005-12-16T23:49:00.000-05:00

1. finish shopping
2. call uncle
3. finish embroidering
4. free time.

2005-12-13T20:03:00.000-05:00

I was just going to write about how I wished we would have a Christmas tree here. Then my roommate and I started talking and she suggested we go and get one tomorrow! How exciting. I'm glad she feels festive like me. I have a string of lights and we can get some decos from Zellers. How excellent!

I have not been doing much creative lately, as I've been working working working so much and besides that, exams. But today I finished my last essay, and I won't complain if I start working a few less hours.

Anyway, craft-wise... well, I have some embroidery to finish up. Last night I tried to knit an ear-warmer but I got too distracted thinking about all the ways I could do it that before I knew it it was time for bed. I think I'll just save the yarn, get a bit more, and make a touque. I lost mine and am borrowing one of Tanya's, but it doesn't suit me - it's the type snowboarders wear and white. I think I'll paint a little bit tonight, since I've got some time.

I didn't get around to sending cards this year. I thought December would be my free month but I guess I have been working an awful lot.

Next saturday I've earmarked as my day to go shopping. I just need a few things yet. Though I must be crazy to go out on that day! But when else do I have? Last year I made nearly all my gifts. Oh well, there's always next December!

2005-12-06T22:45:00.000-05:00

The good news, for all you blog lovers out there (and for me, of course!) is that I am definitely getting a camera from my dad. I don't know what kind but he keeps telling me about his many adventures in camera perusal. I'm so excited! ! ! Every day I see so many things I want to photograph. I wish I would have had it in fall too, but winter is also beautiful.

Here is what I am up to lately, without photo documentation.

1. Starting to learn Swedish
2. Studying Italian
3. Writing an essay entitled "Dr Satrelove, or, How I learned to love Existentialism (But not stop worrying)"
4. Reading Chekhov, some more.
5. Embroidering some "buillote" covers with moons and stars for my mother and aunts, as demonstrated in the fall issue of Marie Claire Idées.
6. Thinking about the scarf I will knit soon. I want to make a big, goofy, homemade looking one. Thick yarn, all garter stitch, striped with the ends poking out all over.
7. I want to make a new toque too (lost mine) and some lovikka mittens!
8. Also I have recently read Brenda Ueland's book of essays, "Strength to your Swordarm". I just love her! I need my own copy of "If You Want to Write."

And more more more. There's always so much I want to do! Hopefully after my exams are over, in a few days, I'll finally get to do some painting from ideas that have been floating around in my head.
And get some sewing done!

Oh, and I want to make my blog better! But not pay for it. How to do this?

photos!

2005-12-05T22:00:00.000-05:00

Of my little pink sweater. I hope they will not be too big or too many

The Back

The Front (sorry for the view up my nose, I'm too lazy to crop it just now)

And me looking terribly ridiculous.
As the pattern is called 'Sports Classic Pullover', touted for it's freedom of movement, I really should have posed with a golf club or tennis racket if I wanted to show it in use!

I wear it all the time!

2005-12-03T21:40:00.000-05:00

My computer was broken. I tried to get it fixed. It was gone for six weeks. And now I have a new one! And so much internet to catch up on.

This is what I must do:
1. Write Italian exam
2. Write philosophy exam

When this is done I will be free to

3. Finish the sewing projects in my box, such as that grey skirt, striped t-shirt, charmeuse blouse and blue skirt.
4. Paint big painting of scene in Dorset
5. Paint two other big paintings from thoughts still in my head.

Tonight I must

6. Embroider with silver threads
7. Stop being lazy and call someone and go out

I think studying is written off for tonight. And it's so cold, and the internet has so much to show me. I don't think I'll do much else tonight.

I am very worried. I had a delicious salmon terrine for dinner and left the string from it beside me on the plate. My kitty came to lick the plate, to chew the meat a little bit, and I thought I'd know if she started to nibble the string and take it away from her, like when she chews my knitting. But I was too distracted by the internet and she ate the whole string! I don't think string is good for cats. And it was a long one! Oh dear.

2005-10-20T22:38:00.000-04:00

I switched to a project on 5mm and I feel like I'm knitting with crayons.

Google says...

2005-10-19T10:17:00.000-04:00

Dawn needs a REALITY CHECK
Dawn needs concept artists
Dawn needs to make a decision
Dawn needs a tripod
Dawn needs avatar gear

.

FINISHED!

2005-10-18T23:18:00.000-04:00

Who would have thought it could ever happen! I finished my little pink sweater!

Pictures forthcoming.

2005-10-11T15:47:00.000-04:00

I want this real bad:

2005-09-29T21:58:00.000-04:00

Life changing news!

I've decided that my lifetime desire for art school should be listened to. I'm leaving Concordia after this school year. First I'll do the one year Art Fundamentals programme at Sheridan college in Ontario and then decide where to go from there. I'm EXTREMELY excited to go in a different direction with school but I'll be so sad to leave Montreal. Unfortunately there's just nothing here school-wise that fits with what I want. Also, change is good. It'll be nice to be around my old dear friends and to discover a new city. I'm getting really desperate for a camera now, to record everything I love about this city before I leave. Hopefully I'll be back. Mostly, though, I'm more excited than sad. I'm very happy with the thought of taking my future in my own hands. It's almost a bit odd to imagine that I can have whatever career I want, even in the arts. I've sort of been drifting for awhile here, so it's great to have new goals and a new sense of direction.

In other exciting news, I finished the ribbing on the back of my sweater. The front shouldn't take long, I just need to get down to it.

Also, it snowed today.

2005-09-21T23:27:00.000-04:00

I finally finished knitting the pieces for The Slowest Sweater in the World. Now I just need to add 5" of ribbing to the back and front, and do the finishing. Woot!

I'm getting tagged

2005-09-15T12:49:00.000-04:00

TEN YEARS AGO: I was in grade five. I was in a split class, adored my teacher and had discovered the concept of politics and that it was fun to write. That was a pretty good year, come to think of it.

FIVE YEARS AGO: I was fifteen and odd and a little rebel.

ONE YEAR AGO: I was getting ready to move back to Montreal. According to my lj I had just discovered ebay. I'm in pretty much the same place, sadly.

FIVE SNACKS: Wasa with cheese and tomatoes under the broiler, egg matzah with brown sugar under the broiler, berries, ice cream, Chocolate bars.

FIVE SONGS I KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO: Make that five albums: I can sing all of Abbey Road, Let It Be, Houses of the Holy, The Boy with the Arab Strap and most of the White Album.

FIVE THINGS I WOULD DO WITH $100 MILLION: Set up my mum and dad, pay off my Visa and student loans, and stop ever worrying about money, which is the source of most of my concerns. Oh, and invest.

FIVE PLACES TO RUN AWAY TO: Scotland, the Netherlands, out West, New York, Toronto.

FIVE THINGS I WOULD NEVER WEAR: Ponchos or anything really ill-fitting.

FIVE FAVORITE TV SHOWS: That 70s Show, Seinfeld, The Daily Show, SCTV, Family Guy.

FIVE BIGGEST JOYS: Dancing, going to the cottage, a nice snack, sewing, listening to records.

FAVORITE TOYS: My ipod, sewing machine, laptop, Barbie's Dream House.

I'm on to the neck shaping of that damn sweater. It's the home stretch!

Checking in

2005-09-10T21:43:00.000-04:00

Hello Internet,

Just a quick post to keep on top of things. I still don't have a camera, though I told my woes to my dad and he offered to buy me a new one. SO sweet of him but I don't know... it seems such an extravagance and such a selfish one, that I wouldn't feel right if he did. So we shall see.

At any rate, the sweater is ALMOST done. Just the front sleeve section and finishing (to be honest that does include 5" of ribbing on the front and back) to go. I'm aiming to have it done for the middle of next week. Next I want to start of the Astrodome hat and scarf from the new Knitty, and of course my Charlie Brown sweater. But I need a quick project first, all this small gauge is getting to me.

What else... I have a few sewing projects that need finishing, including my bathing suit & second skirt from that grey-black suiting. Working at the fabric store is torture, there's so much more I'd like to do. The only good thing is that they make actually buying any fabric for yourself into such a hassle, it acts as a restraint.

Tonight I started sketching out a big painting from this photo I took in Dorset.

Well I suppose that's it. I am obscenely tired, as I still have a cold- and would like to get well at some point in the near future- and so it's an early saturday night here at No. 7.

You see I am trying to find a new name for this place. Jo's new apt is referred to as the House of Spontenaiety (too tired to spell, for shame) and when Jen lived here we called it the House of Sloth. With Tanya that clearly no longer applies, so we must find a new one.

PS the bloody cat persists in eating my beautiful plant. And here I'd heard philodendrons were poison to them.

2005-09-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

I took back my lovely camera today. It was just making me feel too guilty.

Yesterday I bought the most beautiful philodendron at Young Florists on Greene. It's huge and so rich and healthy. I tried to get a photo of it but the batteries in the camera were already dead. It's really delicious. I should paint it.

Self-Portrait Tuesday

2005-08-30T14:43:00.000-04:00

I might as well get in on the bandwagon. My pocket. I was just fooling around yesterday and took it. I'm tired today and don't feel like going through the whole process of taking and uploading anything clever. I do like these pants a lot; they're new.

I'm feeling really guilty having spent so much on this camera and might take it back. Triste.

Camera!

2005-08-29T17:31:00.000-04:00

Look! I finally got a camera!

This is the yarn for a Charlie Brown sweater. 97 cents a skein only at Lewiscraft in Ontario and it's a really soft sport weight acrylic.

Then, a little bit of my pink sweater. It doesn't look like much of anything at the moment so I thought I'd just show a corner of it.

And for good measure, a shirt I sewed to wear to work yesterday. The fabric was 2.50$ since it was a piece from the window display. It's cute but I think I'll give it to Jody. It's a bit small in the bust for me. Also, in real life the colours are better. More golden.

These photos are real bad. I'll try harder next time.

it is dull, I warned you!

2005-08-26T22:58:00.000-04:00

Still plugging away on the "sports pullover." I'm a little way up the back but haven't worked on it much since last week. It's so pretty though, I can't wait to wear it. And tomorrow I might have a picture of the famous ohm scarf!

2005-07-29T15:31:00.000-04:00

I finished Gran's scarf in time for her party but I have a full skein of the yarn left over (minus one inch! isn't that always the way) so now I'm using it to start a new sweater, a v-neck pullover from McCalls (1961), knitted in two pieces. It should be nice but I really need to learn to like things that are knitted on something a bit larger than 2 or 3mm needles. I think one little piece of 'instant' gratification would be a nice bit of encouragement for me. I do love the look of fine gauge though, might as well get used to it.

2005-07-09T21:32:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in ages because I haven't knitted a stitch or done much else in ages either. But! Today brings wonderful news.

I went to Mouliné over by Atwater Market for the first time. It's fantastic! All the yarns you ever hear about, Noro, Debbie Bliss, Rowan, GGH, Phildar, etc. I was plotzing, as you can imagine. I really want the spring-summer Rowan. Maybe I'll ask for 40 birthday dollars to get it. What I actually got was... only one skein of yarn and one pair of needles! Such restraint. It's Inca Gold baby alpaca cashmere in a rose-rasberry colour to make Gran this agate and lace scarf for her impending birthday. I'm sure I'll need two skeins but I like to start with one until I'm absolutely sure of what I'm doing and not going to change my mind. I really like how the pattern is working up. I'm knitting at a bit looser gauge then you see here. It looks lovely and the yarn is so soft and such a rich, beautiful colour.

There were so many beautiful things there and I'm just bursting with things to make. I saw some really tempting Debbie Bliss sweater patterns as well as yarns that would be perfect for the bedspread I want to make. I'm also dying to get started on that breakfast flannel quilt I want to make, especially now I've seen the bacon one over at Craftster. I think I still want to make mine with just a big pane of fabric and quilt around all the shapes.

2005-07-02T18:09:00.000-04:00

2005-06-12T22:49:00.000-04:00

Well this was a rather off weekend. Work was relatively good but for the rest I largely moped around feeling sorry for myself and sick with the heat. I must say, I really don't handle it well. I just took a lovely cool bath though and so am feeling much, much better.

So, not only was it way too hot to knit--yecchh, I shudder at the thought of yarn all stuck through my fingers and bits of fluff landing all over my belly-- it was too hot to concentrate on or accomplish much of anything. I did manage to do a few necessary and wonderful things, such as buying a new pair of sandals (on sale), groceries, taking out the garbage and changing the cat litter. Oh, and not only did I buy new shoes, I also remembered to spray them before wearing! Wow, I was on the ball saturday. This composure quickly left me. Now it is sunday night and the kitchen is a disaster, the laundry is undone and I have a mountain of art stuff to do and an italian mid-term on thursday. I can't even remember the last time I studied. I did go to the library today, to avail myself of their air conditioning and managed to get a bit of work done. I think I'll go back tomorrow, after I head back to Brick LaSalle for the third time, to pick up the two legs that did not get packaged with the rest of the chesterfield >( .

Hopefully tomorrow I will spend less time lolling on the couch in a state of undress, sweating and fretting. Laziness is only nice when you can enjoy it without school-guilt -- and that time is coming!