Self-Portrait Tuesday

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

dimanche 12 juin 2005

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!

Colour at last!

I have made a nice new colourful page. The only thing is I can't get the links to stay the right colour. They're supposed to be a pale pinky colour, not that horrid bright blue. Horrid. You can always tell when I've been watching Corrie.

I wonder if these colours counteract the oldladyosity?

I'm feeling a little confused at the moment-- last thing I remember it was daylight out and I was studying Italian, and then all of a sudden, I woke up on the couch! Well, I can't get too upset. How can I not try out a nap on my brand-new couch?! It came! I'm so happy. Everything looks great. Except the walls, of course. Apparently I have turned into an old lady overnight, or so I'm told. This because I want to get rid of the nasty pumpkin-pie orange walls in my living room. As well, I bought brown furniture and apparently this puts me straight into the old woman category. Alas.

Now, onto the good stuff. I trashed that first sweater I was crocheting for Mum (sadly) and started a new one, a plain, funnel-necked shell from the Lion Brand patterns. I'm making it with eyelets instead of plain stockinette. It's fun like that. I'm much farther along on Dad's sweater as well since I worked on it all through training at work. I won't be seeing either of them until July, so I guess there's no big rush.

Oh! I've finally figured out Continental. I had tried it before but was unimpressed. Then Svetlana at work pointed out my 'American' method of knitting. American! No way! So that did it, I had to figure out Continental once and for all. I still haven't quite gotten the promised speed out of it, and I do feel rather as though I'm betraying my knitting forebears and their English manner. I was alright when I referred to it as English. Anyway.

I'm still in the planning mode of what to make Gran for her birthday. Today I had the thought that I will paint her portrait, and as well a watercolour of some flowers or something that she will like. But I need more than that. Hmm.... the thinking cap is on.

I would also like to note that there are Not Enough hours in a day. Working is so time-consuming. I can't remember what time I'm supposed to start tomorrow. As well I need to go shoe shopping in the morning. I tried to go today but it was 4.45 and I decided to run across to the IGA instead and spend those last fifteen minutes getting some delicious supper.

I got a job! Finally! Woot woot woot!

This is appropriate for this blog because.... now I can have money to make things! Nice yarn, here I come. Speaking of, there is a yarn shop on Atwater, near the market, I really want to check out. Maybe if I ever get these three wips already done I will take a trip for some nice yarn and delicious food things and have a weekend of knitting and cooking and eating. Mmmm that thought makes me very, very happy.

Jody got her scarf and she loves it! Loves loves loves even without the backing. She wants to wear it anyway, though I keep pointing out that it curls so much you can't see the Ohm.

Not much knitting has been achieved lately as I have been quite busy with school and otherwise in general. Lots of painting! But not enough time to do as very good of a job as I would like which is a shame. The assignment is a bit dumb anyway. It's not due till friday but I am slow at painting. I like to take my time and let it settle. Maybe once I get it back I'll redo the areas I don't like, but had to do as they are for the purposes of the assignment

I may buy Jody's old digital camera; she's getting a 'new' one from KPM soon.

I am getting new furniture and redecorating my apt. these days. Once school finishes I'm going to paint the living room-- damn it's hard choosing a colour! I was at Canadian Tire yesterday and completely bewildered. Next I want to make a mezuzah and mizrach. Also I want to make a hall table. Just because. I wonder what that involves?

I finished the scarf and it looks wonderful. But! at the last minute I found Jen had taken the iron home, so I couldn't interface it. I tried to put the lining on without ironing the edges under, but it didn't work well, so I just sent it to her with a note that I will finish it when I am in town. I feel like such a jerk! So now there is a positive side to giving it in May, when she won't want to wear it anyway.

I started (restarted) the black sweater from McCalls winter 1957. It's so beautiful. I started it a long time ago but I don't know what happened to it. I can also find only two balls of the wool anymore. It's the finest wool in existence. Literally. I'll update this with more details when I have it at hand.

More little things

Jen tells me her camera is in her room, though I certainly couldn't find it but she is coming down tonight (boo) so maybe she'll dig it out for me. There are so many things I need to take pictures of, nevermind the things I made-- the mountain is so green and the trees are out and the garden beside my building is incredible. The MeanScary lady tends it, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that being mean and scary does not prevent a person from becoming a successful gardener. It's mostly tulips, the usual red and yellow and some fabulous pink ones. There are clusters of these pale pink tulips with all kinds of extra petals and a few darker rosy pink tulips growing next to them-- the combination is so so beautiful. As well some pure white bleeding heart and a really interesting small, bush-like plant with pink flowers.

What else to say... Lisa has some red velcro that she is going to send me for my bag.

I made my practically favourite meal yesterday, braised meat patties with lots of garlic, onion, green pepper and soy sauce. So good, but it certainly does make a lot of vegetable scraps. I need a mulch pile. What's a "crafty" way to deal with that in the middle of the city? Moreover, what would I do with the mulchy dirt once I had it? Add it to my houseplants? Not so much. I'm going to get a philodendron from the florist in Alexis Nihon, though, they have some really nice ones. It'll make a nice compliment to the potato shoots. I almost want to try a fuscia on the fire escape, but I don't think it would be very good there. They are quite tricky. Gran always has them on her patio and when I was little I used to call them dancing ladies and study them for hours. Maybe if I ever have a patio in the 'burbs I'll try them.

One more exciting thing, I was at the dollar store today getting some gluing brushes for school tomorrow, and I finally remembered to buy a blank disc, so tonight I am going to try making a CD! I always forget that I Have The Technology for such things and still haven't gotten around to doing it, but... no more!

The scarf continues. I must finish it this weekend.

Dear Imaginary Readers...

I'm so sorry that I have no pictures. I really do feel badly. I mean, what's the point of one of these things if you've got no pictures?! But I am going to keep writing anyways because that's the kind of person I am...

In other news, I've finished knitting the second ball (of three) of main colour for Jody's Ohm scarf. That means I'm actually a little bit more than half-way done, but it should go quickly from this point. I did most of that sunday and monday nights as the CBC was playing excellent movies. Sunday, the Pianist and monday, Monsoon Wedding. It's a good thing it's just plain stockinette and I can work without looking because the Pianist makes me cry and cry and Monsoon Wedding is just too beautiful and colourful to look away. I did miss my favourite part though, where she is getting mendhi'd. The whole screen seems to be saffron and the music is great in that scene.

I think I might scrap Mum's sweater and make her the Branching Out scarf from that yarn instead. I don't think the sweater, blouse really, is going to work well because it's so stiff from the gauge and I've been having to do all sorts of crazy things to keep the right size. I'm not sure that I can keep up the juggling act of clever little changes all the way through! Plus it is just going much more slowly than I anticipated and I lost my place in the pattern etc etc. It is a lovely top though. I should try again with the proper type of yarn, softer and finer, for sure.

Over and Out,

Buona sera,

etc.

Yay! Finished!

Just thought I'd mention that I finished my sewn bag today. I know that's not knitting but I don't care because it turned out wonderfully. The interfacing was just right, very stiff, and it's the perfect size and is full of pockets. The lining looks great (I don't regret not getting the apple green, though the colour would have been lovely, but it was just too slippery). The trim also worked out very well. I was a bit nervous because Jody and I picked out everything while awesome, but it seems that can work out to the advantage. Anyways, I love it a lot a lot. It's just what I wanted. All I need is a tiny piece of red velcro to close the flap on the mobile pocket. And to close the top of the whole bag, that would be a good thing. Not sure where to find this, though.

Speaking of Jody and knitting, I did two or three rows on her scarf today, which is more than I've done since I went in Ontario last month.

I promise I'm going to meet someone with a digital camera so I can take pictures of these things, very soon. Hey I wonder if Jen left her's here. She very well may have...

First real post

Hey, these blog things are fun! My page looks a little bit boring though, I'll have to spice it up. Since this is my knitting blog, I will start with a list of works in progress. (In the order of starting):

1. Regular sweater for Dad, in maroon and white cotton twisted together. (since November)
2. Yellow crochet blouse for Mum. (since March)
3. Om scarf for Jody's birthday. (only since April!)
4. Grocery bag crocheted of grocery bags. (started this week)
5. Also, wonderful new sewn purse. (started this week)
That's all for now!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I finally got Stitch'n'Bitch yesterday! I'm so happy! I first saw it, I guess last fall, 2oo3 when browsing around Indigo (remember how you used to go there every saturday afternoon, feeling it was a Shabbat-appropriate diversion?) and now after all this time I've got it! I want to make either Under the Hoodie or the sweater with short rows first. Or maybe the cowl neck. It's all pretty great! So anyway I've been a lot of time since then looking at yarns on the net and figuring out where to start. Woot!

Neat!

Post number one. This is to see how it looks. Then I will come back and write a real one.