Packing………

I’m packing for my extended week away next week (there will likely be no blogging). We will be gone 9 ½ days (thank goodness it’s not 10 days – it would mean more packing). A mixed venue, a few days at the cottage, and a week at the farm for pre-move packing. Packing is a nuisance.

First there is the weather – even the most reliable weather forecasts are a lesson in oxy-moron’s. Reliable and weather do not belong in the same sentence. At this time of the year, you freeze your hinny off every morning and wish your deodorant worked better in the afternoon! Weather means packing extra clothes for all weather types.

And packing means doing every bit of laundry in advance, then trying not to wear anything for a few days before you leave that you might want to pack. This means at times at times before we leave, what I am wearing will almost certainly be of questionable style. And I always have a tendency to over pack, as Murphy’s Law has never failed when it comes to my packing! Therefore 99% of my closet is unavailable at this time just in case I want to bring it with me. That’s gonna be one heavy overnight bag……..

Packing means lists – lists for your kids, lists for the cat sitter, lists of things to take and lists of things to do before, during and after! I am a huge list-maker. Everyday I make a new list. Every day my panic mode gets higher as the list gets longer and the days left before leaving get shorter.

Packing means suddenly finishing everything this week that you were supposed to do this week and next week! Yikes!!!

And then, when we get there, packing up 50 years on the farm – well, I just can’t even think about it……….

In knitting, and therefore more interesting, news, Anita of www.Findingfortygatheringknitting.blogspot.com has let me know that a new knitting campaign has started up for Fall and this time there are two charity choices to pick from (or why choose – do both!). At any rate, Anita and her pal Amy, who will be at Creativ Festival http://www.csnf.com/f07_knittersmarket.html in Toronto in October have done a first rate job of organizing their shipment of knitted goods to Afghanistan, and have decided to follow it up with another call for the cause! Please check their site for more details.

Did you know you can get free admission to Creativ Festival with your donation of a wool sweater or blanket to Anita and Amy’s cause? I’m just saying, free admission people, and free is very, very good.

I leave you with this, in all its finished glory, ready for delivery:

Knit on… I mean pack on….

kate

Little bits and pieces………

It’s been quiet on the blog front. Lots of bloggers taking their annual vacations and I haven’t had too much to say either, for a change!

The Afghans for Afghans blanket has had a short breather, but this past weekend I got it all crocheted together and am left with only the border. It is lovely. I love the colors all mixed together with no plan or pattern. It is almost a shame to give it away. I will take lots of pictures!! Even the G-man made several very complementary remarks, especially about the colors, which pleased me to no end – it’s not often he shows so such interest in what I’m working on!! Here’s a sneak peak for you:

In the mean time Moda Dea Sassy Stripes Swish socks are all but finished, just the toes to go, and I will feel good getting something else off the needles that’s been languishing in the WIP pile. I’m going to pull out the brim of the pink Taos beret and go down a needle size and hope that fixes the problem, otherwise it will be completely re-knit. That will be it for a bit though, since I will be off to help pack up the family farm in preparation for the big move at the end of Sept.

So, that means I’ll have to select some travelling knitting, which means I get to cast on something new! Yippee - finally! Oh course I’ll bring some more Moda Dea sock yarn http://www.modadea.com/sassystripes.htm , maybe the new Vintage colorway - socks are always perfect for travelling knitting. But I can’t bring only one project – there will be some rummaging in the craft room before I go to find one or two more projects!! I have some lovely alpac, which has been allocated for a chullo hat and scarf for DD2 and I think I better get on it. The farmer’s almanac is forecasting a heavy winter for the Eastern seaboard, so I think our winter attire will be pressed into service early this year. And I have some mitts to finish for myself to match my hat and cowl-neck that I made last year. All easy and small stuff to tote along.

The urge to work on a shawl has struck hard but there isn’t one in my WIP pile and the only thing I will cast on for is something I already have yarn for. I’m not going to buy yarn just to travel with (I know, I can hear you saying, “But why?”). Remember- stash reduction – it is my only path to new yarn. I did however mention the fact that we would be near the lovely Headwater Wool in Acton, ON http://www.headwaterwool.com/WebStore/hw_store_index.aspx next week to the G-man without too much protesting, so I may traipse over there for a little look see. Still I am considering the possibility of going to the Creativ Festival, if I haven’t mentioned it already http://www.csnf.com/f07_index.html , in Toronto in October. I’m sure there will be many bargains to be had, and too many temptations to resist, so I must preserve my cash flow for that event.

Oh, the possibilities – I need a few more lazy summer days to dream about them all!

Knit on…..

kate

It’s a conspiracy I tell you!

Last week I told you about Susan of www.thefabricofherreality.com , tripping off to Wool ‘n Things http://www.woolnthings.com/ in Orlean’s, ON with her friend Velda from http://stitchingangel.blogspot.com/2007/08/thud-head-first.html , and how painful it was to even think about it. That they should be surrounded by yarn-y goodness, while I am chained to my desk, with only my sock knitting at arms length beside me for consolation! And then, if you can believe this, Susan’s friend Velda even tried to torment me from the safety of my blog comments!!!! I must keep an eye on that girl!

And sometime ago, with limited foresight to what torment this might bring, I have signed up for every e-mail notice regarding yarn known to mankind. Having them pop up in my in-box is like un-expectedly getting flowers in a busy day – a little moment of happy reprieve in middle of the workday madness. A reason to work if you will, aside from the obvious need to fulfil Maslow’s theory of basic human survival, and I know somewhere on that basic human needs hierarchy, yarn acquisition boldly enters the picture. And therefore I work. And the-mail notices keep coming! It’s torture!

And the Berroco KnitBits newsletter came, with a picture of Jenni:

(FREE pattern instructions)

(I am totally coveting Jenni! It is definitely something all the girls in my family will wear, and looks easy enough to whip-up several. An excellent Christmas gift wouldn’t you say?)

And then the post-man this week brought Mary Maxim for me to finger through the pages. And Friday’s mail brought Elann.com announcing a 50% sale – and they have some Alpaca- Merino mix that is ever so lovely (ahhhhhh, Alpaca - soft, lovely Alpaca!) that would be perfect for Jenni.

And on the way home from the cottage the G-man picked the direct route past Mary’s Craft Supplies where I get my Sassy Stripes sock yarn from – and where he almost had a coronary when I told him to drive on past!!! Remember I have sock yarn from July to use up!

I swear it is all a conspiracy!! Don’t they know I’m on a self-imposed stash-reduction. Don’t they know I have the Afghans for Afghans deadline looming and must finish piecing all those squares together (they did look luscious in all those colors though, didn’t they?). Don’t they know I have no more room in my craft room to store new yarn (I’m knitting as fast as I can!). Don’t they know that I must reduce the stash of fabrics in the basement so the G-man can finish it (unfortunately I can’t knit and sew at the same time L). And surely they must know I’m so dead broke L L L (what else is new?).

It’s not fair (insert a temper tantrum equal to that of a terrible terrific two year old here!)!! I want to play too!! I want to touch all the soft yarns, and look at new fall colors, and stare at knitted items and thumb through pages and pages and pages of patterns and dream of knitting way outside of my abilities. I want to order knits like the Kauni cardigan http://www.ruths.dk/kauni%20regnbue%20engelsk.pdf just like Susan did, in case I need something to aspire to! I want to disappear inside my LYS and not re-appear for hours, and when I do, I’m flush from inhaling yarn fumes with a slightly glazed over look in my eyes, like I just had the greatest romp of my life (whoa - careful, now – this is still a family friendly blog!).

But oh no – I must rummage around in my stash for yet another un-finished project. So still sulking a bit, I pulled out and finished my Patons Wool-Ease Oh La La Parisian Ruffle Scarf. Just a little blocking to be done tonight and it’s ready for gifting! And I whipped off a Taos Beret in matching yarn, but discovered that with the frenzied need to knit something other than squares. I grabbed the wrong sized circular and now the banded ribbing is too big. I’ll have to rip back to the stockinette and pop it back on a smaller circ and knit the ribbing back on upside down. No worries, just a little set back.

Now here’s a question for you - rummaging around, I realized I still have 7-8 balls each in 3 colors of Moda Dea Cache from the last Michael’s clearance sale. What to do with it?? I don’t have enough for the free tunic pattern they show, and I am not sure if I want to do another bag from it. Got any other ideas?? I was wondering about a cowl neck or rolled neck vest? Anybody done something like that with this yarn?? Man, I can’t wait to get on Ravelry – I’d be able to punch in my yarn type and see all the amazing things people have made with this yarn. Ya Ravelry - bring it on baby!!

Knit on…………

Kate

Done, done, and done....

Susan of http://www.thefabricofherreality.blogspot.com/ said she was going to Wool ‘n Things in Orleans, ON. And Precious wants to go too, oh yes we’s do. We’s wants it so bad, we’s hurts, yes we’s do.

But no. She has left me to simmer in my own wildly jealous stew, being completely LYS deprived as the last of the Afghan for Afghan squares crawls, stitch by twisted stitch, off the needles. I am proud of myself for sticking to the project. It was larger than I thought it would be, and I still have to put it together, although I will do crocheted seams for both strength and speed. I don’t mind the making up part – it’s rather peaceful after the frantic pace of churning out these squares one after another. DD1 has offered to assist me in the placing of the squares to maximize the color impact. She has a way with color like nobody’s business, and nothing makes her happier than being surrounded by colourful objects to play with, so I will definitely enjoy having her help me to lay them all out.

Speaking of which, check these babies out:

That'a a whole lotta sqaures baby!!! All 35 of them - done, done, and done!!!

And my mind is skipping ahead to what I will pick up on the needles next – after all the endless garter stitch I wonder if my brain will remember how to do anything else? I think I will grab the Moda Dea socks in progress, waiting only to turn the heels as my first back to reality project. They would be portable too, as we are off to the in-laws for the weekend. And my Oh La La Ruffle Scarf needs only the last cast off row to be done (no easy feat – 1600 stitches!) and that would be quite portable and easy too.

And if I really needed to cast something on, as resistance will only get you so far (as Gollum could well tell you), I could cast on the Taos Beret that I have the yarn ready to match the Ruffle Scarf. Again fast easy and portable. All things designed for a quick finish. Just the ticket to get me ramped back up to pick the 3 tops I have lounging in the WIP pile!

Now I have discovered I really like having a ticker bar on my blog – I find it quite motivating and somehow making me accountable to everyone including myself. The question now is, since I’ve finished counting squares, what will I count next? WIP’s – no, I think that is never ending and someday when I get on Ravelry that will be the place for holding all that info. Perhaps counting completed projects this year, then? I do like to track what I’ve finished. Or I saw a version of number of days without buying yarn (in which I would get to count a lot of this summer since I haven’t bought anything since we went to Mary’s Craft Store in Finch, ON in July. Now that would be a nice boost to my resistance against the endless call of my LYS’s.

Knit on………

kate

Slip sliding away….

Another week has slipped by, as summer days seem to do. How I wish for the long days like when I was young and the 8 weeks of summer stretched endlessly before me and I thought I would die of absolute boredom before it ended. Yeah, I’d like to be bored right now!

But, I have met great Ottawa bloggers – two, in fact! And on top of being great bloggers, they are of course, amazing knitters! I’d like you to meet them, if you haven’t found them already. Here’s Susan of http://www.thefabricofherreality.blogspot.com/ and Joyce of http://knitjo.blogspot.com/ . Absolutely lovely, these two ladies are, and oh so talented. Have you seen Susan’s quilting – amazing! And Joyce works often without patterns she told us – just her stitch pattern book – amazing. I can only wait for the day! We had a wonderful discussion on reading charts, and discovered that a few of us hadn’t used them and were a bit intimidated by it all. I do believe we’ll work on that this fall, and I know I’ll be in good hands with expert knitters around to guide us. Of course you know that means a new project and more yarn to be purchased – can you tell how devastated I am (tee-hee!)?

My Afghan for Afghans Square Slog-a-long is definitely slogging along, just a few more to go. I should have had it done this past weekend, but you know how that goes – best laid plans and all! Still the end is in sight, and I must not let this goal out of my sight for a minute least it slide down that slippery slope into WIP land. Head towards the light, Kate, towards the light!!!

Someone, I can’t remember where, remarked about having too many projects on the go and why it is that as we approach the end of a project that instead of finishing, we put it aside and cast on for another. It was an interesting perspective suggesting that it may have something to do with grieving for the end of a project that may have been with us so long we’ll not know what to do without it when it comes to an end. Certainly it will be a change for me not to pick up a square for take-along knitting as I head out the door, after knitting nothing else but these little woolly patches for the past 7 weeks. Luckily, I have all those WIP’s in the wings ready to be taken back up and gladly finished! And there is certainly no end in sight of wonderful new projects to fill the void!

In other news, DD2 turned 23 this weekend (where does the time go?), and if you will indulge me, I’ll just put on my mom hat and ask all you moms to have a little chat with your children, young or young adult, about the importance of honouring their commitments to others.

DD2’s birthday weekend should have been a fun time as she had planned a get-together with friends at a local dance club. A small group of friends confirmed their attendance, and so dressed up for an evening of dancing she went off to meet them. It’s an hour-long bus ride downtown and an even longer 1.5 hours on the late bus home. Not one of the friends showed up at the club. Not one. Not a phone call. No text message apologies. Nothing. So putting on her brave face, she bus-ed home and crept in to bed without a word. I am heartbroken (for her) as I am sure she must be. And I’m really, really, really angry too!

How could these young adults be so callous, so thoughtless? How could they not care knowing that she would be waiting there for them as planned, and not even make a call to her cell? Why wouldn’t they do at least that? Could they not even fathom what that might feel like, to be left standing there, all alone, and on your birthday too? I can’t imagine it, and it just tears me up. Oh, I know that young people are supposedly so wrapped up in their own little worlds and stuff; that they probably didn’t mean it to happen; we’re so sorry. That’s crap! It’s bad manners plain and simple to make plans and then not go through with them. Our children must be taught to respect and follow through the commitments they make to others. Period. So fellow bloggers – please, please, please don’t let your children do this to their friends – it is never too early or too late to teach your children to respect others and the commitments they make to each other no matter what else may come up. It is very, very important. When these things happen, it hurts really, really hard, at any age.

Now if you’ll excuse me - I must go and hug my DD2 again and remind her that she is very, very, very special, especially to us.

Knit on…

Kate

Lazy hazy summer days………

Lazy hazy summer! When did that happen? Me, I’m too busy to be lazy or hazy!

Check out the Afghans for Afghans ticker - only 5 squares left to go – I should be piecing it together this coming weekend!

The crochet hook is one stand-by and the border yarn is wound and ready go. Can’t wait to see it all complete!

The long weekend was, of course, far too short, and I found myself at the end of it wishing I taken another day off, if only to hang out and knit or sew. But I must say the 2^nd Ottawa Knit-Out at the Central Experimental Farm http://www.friendsofthefarm.ca/ on Sunday was just great, and the weather was perfectly perfect for being outdoors. Naturally, being hopelessly directionally challenged I circled the farm endlessly never realizing that the actual park location was inside the animal farm area itself! Even asking the employees and checking the (very inadequate) Farm Map was a lost cause, as like me they assumed the park was located in the gardens. I can say the gardens were incredibly beautiful! Still, all that driving through the round-a-bout was such wasted knitting time! No worries though, as when I finally discovered the venue, I met several knitters who have kindly invited me to join their knitting hang out on Wednesday’s or Thursday’s at the Bridgehead Coffeehouse in the Glebe. How nice is that – I can get to hang with the cool grrls!

And I photo-ed one of these in the wild (pic to be added later) in all its glory- Yes, it’s the MS3 from http://pinklemontwist.blogspot.com/2007/06/mystery-stole-3-let-madness-begin.html, being worked on by Nancy from http://www.betseydoodle.ca/ . Actually there were several MS3’s in progress at the Knit-out and I was totally awed by the level of knitting skill surrounding me. It was ever so slightly intimidating, although that was my own inadequacies peeking out, certainly not the knitters themselves. As always, knitters are the most sharing of individuals and willingly showed and shared their talents and expertise with anyone with a question.

So I have made a pact with Melissa (sadly blogless, I think) who is also going to try to get to Bridgehead now and again too, that we will learn how to read charts this year! Yikes! What have I gotten myself into now! I have so many projects, I can’t add any more, even for the sake of learning a new skill, until I get some of them out of the way. Fortunately, Melissa was casting on a new tank so this will give a little time to catch up on my WIP’s before I have to make good on my pact! But, my interest has been peaked, and some serious second looks at charted lace stoles and scarves has been happening since Sunday!

In other news, the Grand Ma of our clan is recovering wonderfully from the first of two new hips, and everyone is happy to see her up and about! And the family farm has been sold – oh the memories of growing up there! Makes my heart ache, but it is time, and a new family with children will love it as much as we have. Talk about lazy hazy days – the summers always stretched forever, and I think often of when we could just take off for the day with a sandwich in our pocket, and lie in the tall wild grass and listen to the crickets singing and the bees humming the day away. No worries, no responsibilities, no cares. Bliss – total bliss!

And with that pleasant thought, I’m off to find some lazy and hazy.

Knit on……..

kate