In the presence of greatness….

Now some are die-hard fans, and some are not. And that’s just fine. There’s something for everyone I always say!

I don’t know if I am a die-hard fan, per se, but I do think that hanging out and listening to those extraordinary people who think seriously outside the box (ok – on another plane completely!) will certainly increase the odds that my brain will be stretched severely, and like a rubber band, it will never quite be the same size. And I think that brain stretching is a very good thing!

And so it was that last Tuesday when I went to hear color knitter and quilter extraordinaire, Kaffe Fassett, give his "Kaleidoscope of Colour" lecture. My brain was so stretched that I’m afraid I can’t really tell you what he said exactly. Unfortunately I don’t regurgitate lengthy lectures very well. It is more what I recall feeling and seeing, bits and pieces with blasts of intense color from the slide show images, that still, even a week later, pop in and out of my mind without warning! Ultimately, what I did take away from it all is that there are no absolutely rules to color combining, and that color theory should be damned! DD1, my own resident decorator, would be horrified at his irreverence of color theory usage I’m sure! The other lesson is to become more observant about the colors in our surroundings. Most of what Kaffe does comes from the environments he visits, which he then translates in to the colourful textiles he is known for.

I know that I am not remotely so bold as to use the unbelievable number of colors that Kaffe Fassett does in his garments and quilts, and even in his sitting room at home (there’s a sight for you to take in if you can find a picture of it!)! But I do know that since that lecture my eyes are busily seeking bright and unusual color combinations wherever I look.

Do I want to wear these wild colors combinations – no, not really. His sweater combo’s are a bit too much of an attention getter for even for me! I prefer more gentle mixed hues. But I like to be aware of how color can work un-expectedly together, and even if on a more subtle note, ensure that I do not pass by a combination just because it is outside of my usual color box. It is interesting to note however, that although Kaffe is mostly well known for his bright color work, he has a strong affinity for working in tone on tone, in particular, the greys and neutrals found in stone work, and left to his own devices without heeding any specified customer demands, he will often work in that color palette to exclusion of all others. I feel somewhat vindicated in my feelings for gentler color mixing. Still, I will never look at bright (some would say gaudy!) color mixes quite the same way again.

In an interesting coincidence, I was visiting my Aunt in the Eastern Townships a week earlier and had zipped in to the LYS in Sutton, PQ and snagged two balls of Regia sock yarn, and discovered later that they were part of the new Kaffe Fassett color line. Apparently my feet don’t have the same concerns about wearing a cacophony of riotous color that the rest of me does! See what I mean:

I did have a couple of tangible takeaways

from my wondrous evening of color – signed copies of Fassett's latest book:

And of course, I needed to have Fassett’s famous student, and textile designer in his own right, Brandon Mably’s book, signed of course, which I actually think I may use more for inspiration of actual items to knit, as they are much closer to my own tastes.

So that was the stellar start to my week of fibre-y over-load! Next instalment – Creativ Festival 2009!

Knit on……….

Sock it to me, baby!

Finally a picture – I’m rapidly moving past last weeks sock impairment challenges, and have completed enough pairs for a good photo shoot.

I’ve been eager to eat up some stash sock yarn too, before that Susan and I head off to the Creativ Festival this coming weekend, because of course you know there will be some serious stash shopping taking place, and we’ll be making no apologies for it!!

So there they are all finished, even the toes are made up!

And I’ve already got another easy, peasy, ribbed sock on the go to knit on during the Kaffe Fassett lecture tonight, with some variegated Regia that I’m trying for the first time, something I hope one of the DD’s will like the feel of, so I can move them away from acrylic sock yarn.

As well the ripped out OnLine Clown sock for DD2 is back on the needles and well under way – I have memorized the lace pattern now (after the third sock, that’s not really a surprise!) and moving along easily too.

I realize I’ll have to take some knitting on the train, and had thought to take sock yarn as it is small and I can take two pairs for interest sake. I have a small lace shawl that is almost done I might take too. After all, it is a 5-hour train ride one way! I won’t worry about the return trip home, as I’m sure to have new things purchased at the festival to amuse me, even if it is only more sock yarn!!

And this, to show you too, a wonderful recent addition to my knitting library from my DD2 for my recent birthday!

Knit on......

One step forward, two socks back…

As ye shall knit, so shall ye frog! Rip it! Rip it!

My knitting is stepping out in the wrong direction!!! This past week I finished two socks, the second OnLine Clown sock for DD2 and the first of a pair of blue bed socks for my Aunt.

As I reached the toe of the OnLine sock I had great difficultly with the decreases not equal under sole with the top of toe, and after some serious examination I realized I had cast on an extra set of stitch repeats at the very beginning causing the count to be completely off and the sock to be much wider than its mate. Everything had worked beautifully, heels and gussets adding up nicely with no indication of trouble until I reached the toe. Groannnnn….. the only saving grace is that I am going to enjoy the lace pattern all over again!

I had also thought to do a quick pair of bed socks while travelling to the Eastern Townships in Quebec this weekend. Nothing fancy, easy knitting in the car, but the light worsted blue wool I was using knit up wider than expected and they too were to big and had to be ripped out – all that travel knitting time gone to waste! Shame!

Where is my head I am wondering? I am certainly distracted by all of my family and work obligations these days, but usually knitting stops my head from spinning and helps me to narrow my focus and concentration on just my handiwork, which is generally very restful for my head. But these slip-ups and errors in counting and measuring are down right silly and annoying – I have too many WIP projects to finish to waste time frogging all my hard work!

Knit on....

Dyeing to get coloring!

So last night was the first meeting of the season of the OKG, and what treat we had! The owner of Knit Knackers, one of our LYS’s, gave a very good demonstration (hard to do with 100+ ladies knitting and gabbling!) on how to dye 100 % wool using nothing more than Wilson cake icing dyes, a big pot, some vinegar and some cling wrap!

Very easy to do up in your own kitchen! You can even skip the boiling water stage and use your microwave instead! Who knew?!

My tablemates and I were quite excited by this demo, and when we all expressed similar interests in learning the skill more intimately, we resolved to have our own little dyeing party in one of our own kitchens. So some organizing will need to take place to get wool blanks and the other supplies.

It was really quite amazing to see all the variations that could be created with the same dye colors, depending on the method used in the application. For example, I did not know that the black Wilson dye color separates when added to hot water and if you do not stir it, it will produce beautiful mixes of greens and purples, but not black, that randomly saturates the wools.

There were so many examples of great “home-dyed” yarns that it was hard to contain myself!! I did however go and caress a few skeins to see the colors up close and personal, and later at home, fell asleep dreaming of steaming vats of color and soft woolly kaleidoscopes!

I can tell you, I am very, very, very much looking forward to planning our little “dye-party”!! And yes, Susan – you’ve on the exclusive invitee list – I made sure of that, since I know you’ve been wanting to do this too, for ever so long!!!

Knit on….

I’m thinking the unthinkable……..

I’m going to do it. The unthinkable, that is. I have finally decided after almost a year of agonizing. I’m going to frog it.
There I said it.
Out loud.
And in public.
There is no turning back.
Unless, of course, you know better than me.
I’m open to suggestion.

I have been thinking about the various comments of some of the designers I have had the pleasure of listening to live and in person over the last year, Lucy Neatby and Sally Melville for two, with regard to WIP’s that lounge in our stash. They all agree that rather than let those WIP’s lounge about from indecision, just frog it and move on, or change it into some else completely.

In my heart I know they are right, but honestly it is easier said than done! All that time and effort! Would it be wasted? Would I feel I’ve failed somehow? What if I didn’t have an alternate plan for the yarn – my ever-increasing stash needs no help! At least in the WIP stage I can say it is not technically stash yarn any more!

I have several items sitting there. Most of them I still love, and must continue to work on finishing, especially as they are winter items, and fall is upon us already.

But there is one; one that I love the yarn, and the idea, but I have grown away from the actual design, and my abilities have grown too, and now I would like something slightly different.

I have this in the final stages of completion, with only one shoulder to finish and I still love the color I choose:












But , I’ve changed my mind about the style. I would like something a bit more fitted through the waistline. I was thinking of knitting the ribbing much, much longer, like up to the bottom of my ribcage, then the top portion as shown.

But, here’s the catch – this vest is knitted from the waist ribbing up. I am not sure I can rescue the top and sacrifice the bottom and make new ribbing down?

Any thoughts?? Advice?? Words of wisdom?

Do I just frog it and start over?? Oh, the unthinkable!!!

Knit on…..

Busy, busy, busy.....

The days are flying by, and with just a few days of extreme humidity as the exception, Fall has arrived early and the mornings and nights are quite chilly. Good for sleeping, but makes for a rude awakening!

With the chilly days in mind, a friend asked if this could be made for her tiny little niece, and so I did. And I asked for and hope to receive soon an action shot of the recipient wearing her new poncho. The color is most accurate in this photo, a lovely dark pinkish purple - perfect outdoor wear for a little girl.

I am very pleased with the results as the pattern did not call for a hood, so I had to devise one, and calculate the appropriate size, having never seen the child. Apparently it fit well.

The yarn was new to me, Diamond Tempo Chunky, in colorway 355, a nice acrylic/wool blend, sturdy but not itchy, with good weight and drape, and gently hand washable, a nice feature for working moms.

I enjoyed knitting with this yarn, and have inadvertently ended up picking another 6 skeins of Diamond yarn up at my LYS for my next project (not telling what it is yet since I'm making it up as I go, but I will tell you it involves freeform cabling. Yikes !!!!).

Here - check out that applied i-cord, then picture me frantically doing i-cord in bed at 11:30 at night (I have to get up at 5:30am so be at least a little sympathetic would ya!) while the G-man snores obliviously beside me, so as to have it delivered in time.

I’ve almost finished another pair of OnLine socks, and another baby blanket, ripple crochet in boy-ish stash colors continues to grow too, with rows added daily.

Last week I hung out with the Ottawa Knitters Guild (OKG) at the Museum of Civilization and enjoyed hearing Sally Melville, who has recently moved to Ottawa and now calls this home, speak to the Vogue Knitting Tour group from New York City. I could listen to Sally all day – she really makes me sit up and think when she speaks about “Knitting as a metaphor for life”, which is her favourite subject!

Strangely the Vogue Tour Group did not put on any kind of presentation, either to promote the Knitting tour or Vogue Knitting Magazine in general. We (the many members of the OKG in attendance that evening) thought it very odd and quite disappointing, especially as many members had gone to great lengths to bring and display a large number of garments knitted from Vogue Knitting Magazine patterns over the years. It was generally thought that Vogue had missed a great marketing opportunity with all those Canadian knitters in attendance! We did however have a chance to speak with one of the tour escorts who has a dream job working at Vogue Knitting – lucky gal!

So, now I’m all caught up.

Knit on……..

Finally!

Today we received great news!

The first good news in a long time, and the timing couldn’t have been better, coming just as DD1’s optimism was showing serious signs of cracking from the long strain that she has been under. Today I dare to breathe deeply again. I feel a bit winded, as if I have been running flat out for a long, long time and now I can take a minute to catch my breathe.

There is tangible evidence, X-rays pictures to prove it is truly for real, that DD1 is winning her battle with Hodgkin’s! This week marks the exact halfway point of her chemotherapy program – 8 sessions done and 8 more to go.

At her halfway check-up at the hospital today she received the good news that the brick sized mass in her chest has shrunk smaller than a small egg! Amazing!!

We feel as if we finding our way out from the tall dark forest that we have been lost in for quite a while and finally able to see the sun light at the edge and we are giddy with renewed hope and determination and tears of happiness have been freely flowing throughout the afternoon!!

Knit on……….

Finding rhythm…

I’ve an old rhythm going. I’ve been crocheting again.

It is a blessed relief to return to something my hands know how to do instinctively. Knitting is a challenge I love with a fierce passion these days, but it still is not second nature as yet, and I must constantly focus and watch much of my work as I go. But crocheting, the first skill I learned involving sticks and string as a young women, is something I can do without much thinking.

There is a rhythm to crochet, it is by nature very repetitious act, especially when making blankets and afghan’s, and in those long rows a wonderful zen-like state takes over and before you know it I’m in the zone.

And so it was when I was suddenly presented with several hours of time in the car last Friday without a knitting project suitable for long repetitive rows while gazing out the windows at the scenery. At the last minute, as we loaded the car, I remembered my stash reduction commitment and a few more balls of Red Heart still lounging about, totally suitable for crocheting and equally good for the Ottawa Inuit Community Resource Center baby blankets I have been working on.

I grabbed two skeins and my crochet hook, and as we headed out the driveway I chained the foundation row, and began. I was startled to look down a time later, about a three-quarters of the way to our destination, to see how many rows I had accomplished. Darn near a quarter of the blanket was sitting in my lap! My fingers had worked steadily without thinking leaving my head free to enjoy the sunny countryside unfolding as we drove. It was the same for the drive home a day later.

This is the rhythm I still strive to achieve with my knitting. This total loss of time and effort, and complete feeling of ease and satisfaction that comes when your head no longer needs to engage in the activity of your hands. I know this peace will come with to my knitting in time, after all I have only been knitting a few years, and crocheting for more than 25 now, so it makes sense that I am not yet in the same place with my knitting as I am with crochet.

So every now and then it is a complete and total relief to return to the skill my hands know first without being told what to do.

Knit on…..

BSJ done – like dinner!

It is done and I am very pleased and the recipient seemed delighted to receive it this past Sunday!

Here it is:

The yarn is Vanna White worsted weight, in an acidic green (I have color corrected the photo as closely as I can to match the actual, but still it not quite right) and the contrast is a handsome teal – I was advised that the recipient preferred wash and wear, no hand washing, and so I did just that using 100% acrylic although I think EZ would roll over in her grave if she knew I didn’t use real wool! However, the Vanna White collection has a wonderful color range, and I had a hard time choosing, especially as we don’t know if the baby will be a boy or a girl. Still I think these colors will work for either.

I am starting to get my head around EZ’s way of dictating her patterns, but confess I still relied heavily on this spreadsheet from the boy who knits to keep my counts straight. The matching hat is a simple stockingette stitch round and round, with a contrasting rolled brim. Fairly unisex styling to go with the unisex BSJ.

I’m eyeing the mitred mittens in the Knitting Workshop as my next EZ project. And if you have not read EZ’s “digressions” in Knitting Around, I totally recommend doing so – it is an amazing glimpse into what must have been a truly fascinating and adventurous life of EZ.

Now it’s back to the last of the charity squares to get the knitting madness that surrounds my favourite family room chair, under control! Winter is fast approaching and these desperately need to be knitted up and gone, gone, gone off to the Inuit Community resource Center here in Ottawa!

Knit on….

A quiet moment....

I’m still here. But I’ve not much to say. The days are plodding by, entrapping us in the limbo that falls between normal and surreal.

Work, home, eat, sleep. The same as everyday. Normal.

But surreal and ever present in the house is Hodgkin’s cruel taunt that cancer does not take a vacation. Where summers should be for lounging and rejuvenation, good food and friends, and week long trips to cottage land, these days following chemo, DD1 is now reduced to many little episodes of sleep, sleep, and more sleep, punctuated by un-happy glances into the mirror at her Sigorney Weaver go-army shaved head. There is nothing for a mother to do. Neither hugs nor re-assurances are convincing enough that she is still an incredibly beautiful young woman. She is a study in contrasts, both vunerable and strong in the same moment. If I were a skilled photographer I would try to capture that contrast, but I know I am not and would miss the essence of her beauty.

She and I sat companionably last evening in the chairs on the front porch, talking of how hard this time is and the changes it is bringing about her, the house to ourselves for a change, but enjoying none the less the last of the fleeting sun, she knitting a new baby blanket in lovely ice creamy pastels, and I plugging away at the BSJ. It was that quiet time that I cherish and can never get enough of, where the noise of neighbourhood children begins to quiet, the birds start their evening songs, and I can breathe, somewhat safe with the assurance that we have made it through yet another day.

It already smells like fall in the early mornings, and we have not yet had a summer. Tomorrow we’ll do it all over again.

Knit on.

Hard act to follow…

Everything is going to seem rather mundane around our place for a bit now, after yesterday’s excitement.

Still I have a few more pics, as promised.

DD1 showed off her finished baby hat and booties at last weeks TAFK (Tuesdays Are For Knitting) session, customized of course, in her usual just-the-right-finishing-touch way – see the wee buttons? These are for a little boy who will arrive later this summer, just in time for wool-wearing season! The bootie pattern is from Bernat, and happens to be in the 2009 Knitting Pattern-a-Day calendar, and the hat is the Umbilical Cord hat from the original Snitch and Bitch by Debbie Stoller

I'm still working on the Green OnLine socks, aptly named Clown socks for how the colors seem so garish to me! DD2 has claimed them when the are done.

And a stack ‘o squares, 10 done, for the baby blanket in progress. Knitting loves crochet so the edges are being detailed as you can see. As well I'll use crochet to join them in to a lovely little blanket. several of my TAFK members have also done squares, so I'll have some more joining to do shortly.

I know, I have a short attention span, so yes there are several projects on the go…..

And apologies to this Susan , with whom I am supposed to have a knit-a-long for this item, I have had to start the EZ BSJ ahead of her since I was suddenly presented with a deadline a mere 3 weeks away!! Susan, all I can say is watch your stitch count – I’ve already ripped it out once!!

And brewing in the back of my mind is the fact that here is still time to submit something to the 2010 Knitting Pattern-A-Day calendar, which isn’t due until October 15, 2008, 10:00 pm EST.

Now back to your regularly scheduled knitting. There is nothing more to see here.

Knit on…..

Now that's kinda cool!!!!

Well you have all seen this before, I'm sure. The Knitting Pattern-A-Day Calendar - and that's what it's going to look like for 2009.

How do I know about it beside that fact that it is on Amazon.com? Well I got one. Yes. Delivered. By courier.

I didn't know it was coming. I was annoyed by the silly sticker on my door which arrived during working hours, which of course I would not have arranged. And I didn't remember ordering anything anyway. Which it turns out I didn't.

So how come I have one before it is even released?? Let's think about that. Took me a minute too.

I HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED!!!!!!

Let me tell you there was a few minutes of freaking out around our place this evening!!





And the very gorgeous DD2 is the November 27th calendar girl!!!

Do you remember this picture from a ways back, like over a year ago??











Well later this year you'll find it in here along with the pattern. And look closely - DD2's picture even made the calendar jacket!!









A million thanks to Susan Ripley and the
Knitting Pattern-A-Day team at http://www.knittingpatternaday.com/index.htm for making my day!!

I am so doing my happy dance right now!!


Knit on.....


ps. you should give it a try, there's lots of time. Why? This is why: http://www.knittingpatternaday.com/knittingcrochetcontestrules.htm

I’m sure I’ve been busy ...

I’m sure I’ve been busy doing something, but most weeks I can hardly remember what I’ve done the day before! The days of summer are flying by at an outrageous pace, and what sun we’ve seen seems like a rare bird. Still, it must be sun enough – just look at my begonia gone wild:

We’ve have been busy with household maintenance chores that were not done in the spring as usual. The G-man is still busy finishing the basement; the doors arrived yesterday. It will soon be time for picking the paint color, a job for DD1 as she is an interior decorator by trade, with an amazing eye for color!

And DD1 has not been idle either, despite her bi-weekly torturous chemo regime. I don’t know how she does it, and frequently worry that she is over-doing, but that’s the mother thing to do! She is doing very well in her battle with Hodgkin’s, although the days of recovery from the chemo are stretching longer each time, and are becoming a bit harder to bounce back from. Still she is amazing in her strength to keep on keeping on. Truly I am in awe of this girl of mine!

On her good weeks, between medical appointments, she has gutted the main bathroom and installed new lighting, a gorgeous mirror, new shower curtain and painted. New flooring as been ordered too, and will be installed in due course. I may splurge on new faucets too! I am very excited to see the finished room, as this bathroom has been in quite a state with nothing done to it since we moved in 5 plus years ago, and it was very, very tired indeed and in need a facelift.

I have been painting baseboards and patching in various rooms, a tedious job, but all the daily living has taken its toll and there are too many nicks and scratches to ignore any longer. And lastly the exterior house touch-up painting needs to be done too. Does it ever end?

In knitting activity, there was a full house of Tuesdays Are for Knitting crew in attendance this week, some just there to socialize and of course the hard-core knitters like myself and that Susan who can’t imagine knitching without knitting at the same time! A very good time was had by all! There were the cutest cupcakes for Heather’s birthday, but we gobbled them before I got a picture – yes, they were quite yummy!

The stash busting projects are coming along nicely, and my charity blanket has 9 squares of 12 completed. Knitting loves crochet too, and I have edged the plain squares with more stash yarn for a updated granny effect. . pictures to follow when the lighting is better.

And I was going to report 2 hats and 2 pairs of mitts ready for Anita but DD1 has claimed the darker green variegated set, so I’ll have to whip up another set.

News Flash !!!!!: Don’t forget about the Third Annual Ottawa Knit Out 2008: http://www.agriculture.technomuses.ca/english/activities_events/index.cfm Sunday August 3, 2008, 12 - 4:30pm at the CANADA AGRICULTURE MUSEUM, MEMORY PARK, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, ON – I’ll be there, will you??

Knit on……

Scrap-ghans….

I love the idea of no waste at the end of a project. I thrill at useing up every last piece of string, and cannot tell you how pleased I am when the clipped ends pile at the completion of a project is less than a fistful.

I always wind up the last bits at the end of a project, to the point of ridiculously small balls that seem too small to do anything with. In fact earlier this year, when I emptied my craft room in the frenzy that accompanied DD1’s urgent return home, I purged my stash of precious little balls to the waste bin, not being able to justify the even now limited storage. Of course, as with all things let go in haste, the squirrel in me is severely regretting my hasty purge. Now I need those little balls to add to my mitred squares for the scrap blankets that I am making for Anita:

However, I think It won’t be too much of a problem. I still have a great deal of plastic bins filled with full skeins of stash afghan style yarns. And so, I will just have to get to knitting them up! And you know exactly what will happen as each skein gets knitted up. Yup – those little balls will appear to replenish my collection. Like I said, it will not be much of a problem!

It’s a never-ending cycle. Buy yarn. Knit yarn. Wind little balls. It makes me happy to see those little balls reproduce. And each time I pull out a familiar color I can reminisces about the original project that produced the little ball of color.

What is the fascination with these little balls? Well I just love scrap-ghans! I love the thrifty use of seemingly useless bits and pieces and the wonder at the time it must have taken to piece all these bits together.

Let me show you a prime example of what I’m talking about:

I received two of these gorgeous blankets some 20+ years ago from my ex-mother in law, Betty, for the DD’s beds when they were quite little. The blankets have survived numerous moves and were one of the few important things other than the gorgeous DD’s and my beloved Jack Russell terrier Buttons, salvaged from that first marriage! It was Betty that first put a crochet hook in my hand, and I am forever indebted to her for instilling in me my love of yarn!

The blankets, although slightly worn with time, but holding up extremely well (a credit to their maker who always produced beautiful quality items), are as charming as the day Betty put them on the DD’s beds, and I marvel every time I pull them out at the commitment and foresight it took to produce all those squares. Each blanket has approximately 220+ squares! I remember that at the end of each her project’s, after the last tails was darned in, out would come the crochet hook and the bag of little coloured balls to which she would add the newest ones, and little brightly coloured granny squares would magically appear, bordered by the lovely cream colour.

I never really thought about what they would create, or how they would look when all joined together. But I learned that even the smallest ball of color could add just the right bit of umph! to an otherwise bland square. I certainly had no concept of how many squares would be required, but I surely now understand why this would be the type of blanket produced over a long period of time, since a knitter or crochet-er would have to complete a large number of other items first to generate enough scrap balls of yarn to produce and collect such large numbers of squares.

So I have been making my own squares for a while now too. I have shoe box full so far, but probably not enough for a full Scarp-ghan yet. From half skiens and leftovers. These are solids, destined to be bordered by something, probably black to make them pop. Of course you know I'm keeping the leftovers from these wound up in little balls for, well, you know.

Google key words like scrap blankets or scrap-ghans or scrap knitting or crochet for some more inspiring examples. Go look at Sanna’s recently finished Mother and Daughter patchwork blanket for some wonderful inspiration.

And so with another recession looming on the forefront, climbing gas prices, and my creative spending subsequently being severely curtailed in favor of another commodity that I am very partial to, food, I intend to go back to my roots and that of my grandmothers, and do what women have always done in times of economic lack: use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without! When it comes to yarn, I’ll be using it up alright, every last little bit of string, you can be sure of that!

Knit on…….

Warm fuzzies….

It was just what I needed. A diversion. A reason. A purpose. A cause!

Charity knitting always does that for me. It takes me away from my own trials and tribulations and causes me to stop and count my blessings, however small they may be these days, and become aware that there are always, always, always those who are less blessed and in need.

On that accord my fingers fairly flew yesterday, during coffee breaks, lunch hour, during the commute, and over tea with a friend on the patio. Oh I do love such immediate gratification!

Needed: one teenage hat, please.

Delivered: one teenage hat, thank you.

No. No really. Thank you!

Thank you for asking for one, or several. Really. I enjoy making them. It was fast, and easy, and made me feel good all over to know that it might in some small way brighten someone’s day, and at the very least keep them a wee bit warmer next winter. I consider a privilege to be asked to help, and will do my best to do my bit.

And I hope you won’t mind if I get a warm fuzzie or two along the way. In this big wide world, it is not often that anything we do has such genuine impact on anyone any more.

Why yes – I certainly have started another one already…. I have plans for matching mitts too, of course!

What? Pictures?Oh yes - sorry, hummm.. Where is the damn camera?....

Knit on…….

Clowning around…

So after last week, a little clowning around was required, and I would say this second pair of OnLine lacey socks fits the bill. Or at least the colorway does (my picture taking skills do not do the colors justice - they are truly vibrant and verging on violent!)!!

DD1 and I both found the colors too jarring as they knit up, but DD2 has been quite happy to claim them for as suitable for her personality (we are not sure what that says about her given the aforementioned violent comment....), and so they will be made to fit.

The pattern is a freebie from www.JemsYarn.com called Lace Ribbed socks. I searched for a pattern like this because although I working on improving my lace knitting skills so I can get back to Sanna’s yarn and finishing up the Citrine Socks I have in my WIP pile, I still confess to liking a bit of ribbing to keep socks firmly attached at the ankle. I do hate me a baggy sock!!

I am enjoying the simple lace repeat, it’s about all my poor brain can handle at the moment, although the heel setup was less than stellar, but I muddled through, and the result is satisfactory and I’m clicking my way to the toe. The second one will be just as quick.

Oh yes – the gorgeous orange OnLine Holiday lace socks from last week are done, but I messed up at the toes and the damned Kitchener stitch (I was hurrying to finish!), and so a re-do is an order before I model them for you. But I still love, love, love them!!

And in an effort to right the equalibrium of my world, I have taken on some charity knitting in hope that I can generate some good karma to surround me. Once again I am hooking up to support Anita at www.findingfortygatheringknitting.blogspot.com and help her fulfill her quest to send teenage hats, mitts, sweaters, socks, and baby blankets to the Innu Community in Labrador. I’ve got one hat already half done. Check out Anita’s site if you can help her out too!

Knit on….

Better hand me my raincoat….

My spirit is sagging. Right along with the weather, which continues to rain, intermittently every day, just enough to keep my geraniums from showing their full potential, and more than enough ironically, to dampen my spirits.

It’s been quite a week. Read on, if you dare.

DD1 is trudging down the tough cancer road: it is fraught with roadblocks and wild emotional side roads and it takes everything we have to navigate it some days. But I remain solid that love will get us through it all, but wow, it is really, really, really hard some days!

My still-new-to-me 5-year-old fridge, quit. Just like that. Not worth repairing apparently. After only 5 years. Yup – I’m ticked off! Money for a new one was duly handed over. Ouch.

A long time acquaintance, a person who truly rejoiced at life, and lived it large, fully and passionately, and imbibed everyone he met with his love of living, met with tragedy and died suddenly, leaving behind a large black hole in his huge human circle.

And the one that threw me the most. The one that has left me simply reeling in its wake: dear, dear friends of ours have announced the end of their marriage after 34 years. Knocked the wind right out of me. I totally never saw it coming. I am still shedding tears, selfishly as much for me as for them.

Now please excuse me. I really need to go kick something.

Knit on…