Tuesday 31 July 2007

This and That...

Well, I did get all my pictures taken like I said I would this past weekend, but when I load then they are the size of the whole page and I need to figure out how to re-size them! This blog is teaching me so much, and the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know! In addition I need to decide where I’m going to keep my photos on-line – flikr.com, photobucket.com, ravelry.com? Decisions, decisions! Any suggestions?

Very little to report in the knitting world as I continue with the Afghans for Afghans squares – counting down, now 13 to go! Still I am pleased with the results, with the exception of two, which I may re-knit to be more in keeping with the majority of the squares. With the big Knit-out a the Experimental Farm http://www.friendsofthefarm.ca/ in Ottawa this coming Sunday (Knit-out info here http://www.ottawaknittingguild.ca/Public/Home.aspx ), I should have it completed sometime over the next two weeks. Thank goodness, as I am now really behind on my fall and Christmas knitting, and no progress has been made on my own WIP’s either!

I am so excited about the Knit-out, I’m planning a picnic basket, some yummy goodies, and a comfy chair, and my blanket knitting of course – I’m hoping to see some Ottawa Knitting Guild members and one or two of the bloggers from http://findingfortygatheringknitting.blogspot.com, and perhaps I’ll be lucky enough to meet other local knitting bloggers too! And just think, sanctioned knitting, with lots of other knitters, all day, in the sun!! How good is that? Yippee!

That’s it for now – I hope to run into you at the Knit-out – please don’t be shy, and introduce yourself. I’d love to meet you!

Knit-on………

kate

Monday 23 July 2007

Short, but sweet!

A short status report, with more lively writings I hope to follow later this week:

- Afghans for Afghans blanket countdown : 16 squares completed (no I didn’t run out of steam, just time) 19 squares left. Piece of cake!!

- Photos for Pattern a Day Calendar completed and pattern proofed, ready for downloading to submission site asap.

- A gorgeous sun-filled weekend was spent with many family members celebrating the G-man’s fathers 75th birthday!

- It is a prolific year for ducks on the St. Lawrence, many clutches of 8,9 and 10 ducklings trailing behind Mama Duck’s were delightfully counted.

- The G-man laments the fact he forgot his fishing rod and several enormous catfish and pickerel got away!

- More Moda Dea Sassy Stripes Sock Yarn was acquired during the drive to the party! Sing it with me now – hallelujah!

Here I will distract you from the pitiful length of this entry with this. Look at the gorgeous colorways I purchased:

Crush


Vintage





That’s it for today. Knit on……..

Kate

Tuesday 17 July 2007

My Craft Room, or How One Room Can Be Such Mess!

My Craft Room has been more of a place of frustration than a place of refuge for me since I acquired it from DD1 more than a year ago when she assumed her own abode. I have worked hard to get all the elements into it that I need when in a creating frenzy, but I seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time sorting, clearing out, and re-arranging, rather than creating in it.

When I took over the caramel-ly, yellow-colored room (DD1 has great color sense), I envisioned sitting in the bright, sunny, west-facing room, happily sewing on the machines or pouring over inspiring books, or sitting and knitting to the soothing sounds of the radio. All the elements are there: a good work chair, good tables, good machines, some storage, although this is always an issue. The only thing lacking is an reading chair, but there is certainly no room for that as the single guest bed has filled any space left. Still the elevated bed has good, if not already overflowing storage capacity, and a large table top placed on the bed top gives me a huge surface to work on when there are no guests around.

So why did I have to spend large amounts of time this past few days de-cluttering once again? At least once a month I have to do this total overhaul. No sooner do I get things cleared ready for action, I turn around and there it is – clutter. I do clear up as I go, even in the midst of most creating frenzies I clean up along the way. I put things away on the shelves and into the bins and cubbies and sort tools and place them back in their homes. I can find most things fairly quickly when needed. But it seems I am constantly doing this. It’s annoying and definitely off-putting when you want to be creative.

Since I can’t believe the source of the problem is me (denial is a wonderful thing!), it must be that the problem lies with storage again – there is never adequate, easily accessible, or visually appealing enough storage. Any crafter will tell you the woes that are storage. The Yarn Harlot http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/ has written a dissertation or two about her creative yarn storage, and Posie Gets Cozy http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/ has documented the most incredible pictures of her craft room transformations.

I wanted a craft room transformation. I want to see all of my wonderful things on display so that when I walk in I can be inspired on the spot. I want to be able to stare at the layers of fabrics until some pleasing combination overwhelms me into action and a new book bag is born. I want to see the fuzzy blend of a wall of yarn turn into a luscious stole.

To that end I decided that I’m going to try to emulate a yarn/craft store set up in miniature and so have added yet another new tall skinny shelving unit crammed into the poor little room! But I have to say, it is working – it is filled to capacity with yarny goodness and I love that I can see quite a bit of what I have out in the open. Now it doesn’t make for a serene image – zen enthusiasts would not approve this visual riot of color. But for me, if I hide it, I lose it or forget about it so it must be visible. For example I have discovered large quantities of acrylic crochet yarn (no shuddering you purists – I like crochet yarns for my rainy day blankets and throws!) hidden in a box that I forgot about. No more. It’s on in the shelving unit, displayed just like a proper yarn store.

And I have changed the work desk layouts to an L-shape – I have lost some desk top but gained some floor space, so the area seems bigger and it is easier to reach the window and I can spin on my chair from my serger to my sewing machine without having to roll across to the other table. I can also reach all my yarn without having to move anything. Very convenient! The expanded floor space is better for setting up my ironing board too. And last night while reading Amy Karol’s new book, Bend the Rules Sewing, http://angrychicken.typepad.com/ I had a “duh” moment – Amy sets up her ironing board at table height next to her sewing machine so she doesn’t have to get up and down while pressing seams or the small pieces that she is working on. She just spins around to the surface she needs to work on! Totally “duh”!

Next I need to work on some more fabric storage and I’m eyeing the closet for a complete overhaul. I don’t need a closet. I need big shelving, like a linen cupboard, so I’ve talked to the G-man about removing the useless closet insert and even maybe the closet doors too, and putting in big wide shelving that can hold my fabric bins. He’s all game if it would remove the bins of fabric from the basement, thereby clearing out more “stuff” out of the way of his on-going basement renovation.

I see a near future weekend project plan in the works!

Knit on………..

kate

Friday 13 July 2007

Lucky Friday the 13th - It’s all in your point of view!



First and fore most , please cross your fingers (and toes) today – the Grand Ma of our clan is getting retro-fitted today for the first of 2 new 21st century hips – an action plan designed to get her dancing in the aisles by Christmas! And since Friday the 13th is her lucky day (she and the Grand Pa got married on Friday the 13th) we have great expectations! Still a little finger crossing never hurts!

So I have this tickerbar on my sidebar, which I am using to count DOWN my completed Afghans for Afghans squares. I thought this was the most logical way to inspire myself – after all from my viewpoint, I only want to know how little left I have to do, and I like seeing the decreasing quantity sliding ever closer to zero!

So I was surprised, and slightly mortified when finding a wonderfully encouraging comment and offer of yarn from AB&AB from
http://findingfortygatheringknitting.blogspot.com/ and venturing over to their blog to see the latest updates, to see my name was mentioned up front and center with an audacious total of 24 squares completed!

Oh dear – I knew I was going to have trouble with that tickerbar! There were only so many choices of set-up and nothing to count knitted squares, so I used a scrapbook layout ticker that counts down to zero (as in the number of items left to do). You see the confusion? AB&AB was counting up!

So I need to stand up and proclaim my real status – that I am not some kind of in-human speed knitter, I’m actually knida slow and plodding - and therefore I have only finished 12 squares as of last night – that leaves 23 to go after I update the drat-ed tickerbar today!

AB&AB – thanks so much for the incredible vote of confidence – have no fear, I’ll have those 24 done soon, I hope in the next two weeks and then the race to the end will commence! There will be a blanket in time for your September shipment!

On a bright note – I dropped by Yarn Forward, Bank, St. Ottawa on my way home yesterday
http://www.yarnforward.com/store.html as AB&AB had suggested, and they were kind enough to give me a bag of Letti Lopi leftovers they had set aside for the Afghans for Afghans project, so I spent the evening happily knitting up from all the new colors.


The one thing I am enjoying thoroughly about this blanket challenge, aside from the fact that I can catch up on all my missed TV episodes, is that I am getting to knit with wools I have never used before. I am so in love with the Letti Lopi colorways that I’m definitely going to use that wool for the French Market bags from Knitty.com that I am planning for my fall knitting. It is easy on the hands and knits up evenly and the colorways no matter how you mix then are stunning! I have already come up with the colorway for my first bag and am working on a second combo.

Just what I need, more knitting projects….

Knit on…
Kate
Ps. The Inspirations Needlecraft Show in Ottawa is October 19 & 20, 2008 at a new location this year. For info go here:
http://www.inspirationsneedlecraft.com/

Thursday 12 July 2007

Small progressions…

The Moda Dea Sassy Stripes socks are coming along slowly, only being knit when travelling back and forth to work. I still enjoy working with the bulkier weigh of this sock yarn very much and colorways are very pleasing to the eye. These will make great cozy Christmas presents!

The Easy Knitted Lace Ruffle Scarf (my own design) the 2nd, is on the last row and then cast off row (no quick process at 1600 stitches per row!). I have written the pattern, and this 2nd scarf was my pattern test check before I submit it to the Pattern-a-Day Calendar folks. I think it’s good. I still have to photograph the scarves to go with the submission. Both the photo and the submission need to be done this weekend no matter what!

The Ruffles and Ridges shawl is still languishing – I want very much to get back on this horse, but I keep committing to other projects, and so there it sadly lies at the feet of my knitting chair. Whining. Thankfully it is too hot to want to wear it, so there is still time to ignore it a bit longer.

Afghans for Afghans blanket – Square 10 c’est finis! Square 11 halfway - I can get 2 squares finished every 3 days. At this rate, if the wool stash gets enhanced in time, I’ll be finished with the squares in 36 days! (Does this seem like a long time to be knitting only squares to you?).

And there you have – my small progressions.

Knit on…Kate

Wednesday 11 July 2007

A picture victory - sort-of….

Well, as you can see we had some pictures in the last entry!! Not yet my own, but at least we’ve worked out some of the laptop bugs, and can now “borrow” some free pictures to spice up my writing space! No longer do I have to just give you the link and let you fend for yourself. Now I can show you just where I’m going and exactly what I’m looking at, and that pleases me to no end!

Soon we will have the laptop memory problem fixed (alas, it is apparently old and grumpy and forgetful and doesn’t enjoy my pictures downloads as much as I do!) and we’ll have some of my own work displayed for you viewing pleasure! In the mean time, please check out the ticker bar on the right hand sidebar – I’m using a scrapbook layout ticker to mark my Afghans for Afghans square countdown – 9 down, 26 to go!!

The Blanket - I’m having real trouble finding the required wool content at reasonable prices, and my own 75%+ wool stash is all but exhausted. I think I have enough for 3 or 4 more squares, and then I don’t know what to I’ll do. I’ll scour the thrift stores again for odd balls, and maybe take a tour of Knit Knackers here in Ottawa http://www.knit-knackers.com/default.htm to see what they have in the way of end of the line wool skeins. Yarn Forward http://yarnforward.com/ca/index.html in Kanata, tells me they are out of low dollar odd ball wool for this project. This is a problem I didn’t anticipate – the high wool content that is required for this blanket is making this a very expensive under-taking and I shouldn’t wonder that others must in the same boat. Still my commitment level remains very high to completing this project.

This weekend was busy with round the house chores and appointments, and some badly needed freshen-the-place-up trim painting got done at DD1’s place too. Sunday was blissfully un-scheduled and we all used the gloomy weather to indulge in some quality down time.

And yesterday I got a new roof. Picture if you will, a small group of people standing way down the street (our house has the highest elevation) staring hard and muttering to one another, “Can you see the pattern? I can’t see the pattern. Is there a pattern? There’s supposed to be a pattern?”. The shingle of choice was listed as Shadow Black, reported to appear slate-like when installed. Uh, ya. OK. Maybe. Looks black to me! Still, the job was done well, sort-of black is good for me, and I am filled with relief that the 19 year old roof is gone and we are one step closer to finishing the major home maintenance that was required when we bought the house 4 years ago. Now, this does mean however, I won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon – crap – there are bills, people, big bills! Puts a serious cramp in my knitting budget for sure!

I picked up the new Fall Knitscene magazine to read while it rained on Sunday afternoon - http://www.knitscene.com/ – oh it’s a good one! I like the feel of this magazine, trendy without being too weird for my age group – I mean I can see my 40-something body in some of these things, and others things to make for the DD’s. Have you seen this?
I. Must. Knit. It. The Mobious Firefly Scarf/Vest is a definite knit for sure! I love, love, love hands- free scarves and shawls.

Knit on…….
kate

Friday 6 July 2007

Got ‘coons?



Wikapedia defines them: A raccoon (or racoon) is any one of three species of nocturnal mammals which constitute the genus Procyon of the Procyonidae family. The most widespread species, the Common Raccoon (P. lotor), is often known simply as the raccoon.

Oh and we got ‘em! Bold as can be, trundling along in the early morning or evening hours, expertly opening the spinning trapdoor mechanism on my neighbor’s compost, digging holes in my nice grass, deftly un-hooking the bungee cord from the garbage can lids and knocking them over for a real feast.

At first we thought we only had a large bachelor ‘coon seen frequently in the evenings throughout the neighbourhood, causing all this mess, but this morning I saw the other half of the crew. And what a sight they were!

As I came down for coffee in the early morning light, the G-man called me to the patio door for a real sight. There was Mum with, count them, five babies in tow, all clucking and chirping and purring that funny purr that they make. They were scattered over the neighbor’s yard, in the tree fort, up the Linden tree, under the cedar hedge, Mum doing her best to ensure that no one got left behind during the foraging.

As much as a menace as I know they can be in the city, the family was hilarious in their antics, babies getting stuck up the tree fort, skittering down the trees, bumping into each other, one always lagging behind and crying for the others to wait. Just like humans!

And DD1 has a new story of arriving at her home in the wee dawn post party hours, to find a large crew of ‘coons sprawled over her neighbor’s patio set, sitting in the chairs, lounging on the table like one of those old fashioned hunting dog paintings by C. M Coolidge (here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs_Playing_Poker ), looking at her as if to say “Hey – how’s it going? Great Morning eh? Com’on over - want some breakfast?” Very funny indeed!

In knitting news, well into Afghans for Afghans square number 6 – all other knitting activity is taking a back seat as I ramp up in to this time sensitive project.!

Knit on………

kate

Wednesday 4 July 2007

It's Good to be Square!

I’m going great gang-busters on the Afghans for Afghans – 5 squares down – 30 to go. I’m going to get a ticker bar going like Wovenflame here http://wovenflame.blogspot.com/ has for tracking her walking miles, and then I’ll track my afghan squares down.

And since I am going to be short of 100% wool content, DD2 and I went wool shopping at Yarn Forward http://yarnforward.com/ca/index.html last Friday. In lieu of DD2 actually knitting a square – yes, I confess to having a muggle or two in the family - her social conscience was boosted and rated highly by her mother with a ball of Lett Lopi http://www.yarnfwd.com/ca/lettlopi.html that was duly purchased to donate to the cause and aid the progression of the squares.

And DD1 has stepped up to the plate and declared her total support and her knitting skills to knit a square or two, or whatever she can get done! What a gal! No muggle there I tell you!

I have yet to spring my project on the Tuesdays Are For Knitting group, but hope to solicit their support and get a few squares from them. They are a great crew and I know they’ll come through for a good cause!

When this is done, I’ll have nary a thread of real wool left in the house (acrylics and blends excepted – ok, that’s a big exception!) – every scarp of real wool is going into this blanket, and I hope to empty many of those little bags of tiny balls of the last few yards of wool, too big to throw out, too small to make even a baby mitten, from ends of other projects that I have sitting around that I just can’t throw out! Lots and lots of blocks, and stripes, and log cabins a la Mason-Dixon Knitting http://www.masondixonknitting.com/. And my goal is too have a little touch of green in each one, the color of nature and beloved color of Islam. It will be quite a sight, and I’m not sure how the finished blanket will look as my sense of color compatibility is known to go completely awry when I’m on a time and materials constraint such as this. Still I will unify it with one color crocheted seaming and edge binding – I was thinking of black, but I just came into a large enough quantity (and free is good!) of a lovely watery blue 75% merino wool mix, which would be more than enough to piece together the blanket, and think perhaps that will work out fine too.

Time to get back to the pointy sticks! Gotta crack out another square!

Knit on…….

kate