Well now – will you look at that!

Snow. And lots of it too. We don’t do half measures here I tell you! Winter has arrived in her typical over the top style, with a resounding whomp! The drive in to work these last two mornings were less than pleasant, slow as all get out, and in the gloom of early dawn, I couldn’t even enjoy the winter white scenery.

I usually love to look out at the pristine white of the first winter snow. Waking up to the sprinkled trees looking all the world like cake icing, and brightening the landscape from the dreary gloom of the preceding sun-starved fall days. The landscape becomes outlined and the shapes more defined as the colors and fillers disappear under the quieting white blanket. The sounds of the distant traffic muffled, and the whole picture is serene. That is until you step in a puddle of ice-y slush!!

Earlier this week the rumours of all this winter-y stuff spurred me on to finishing small knitting projects strictly warmth related. The mitts for the Innu charity sweater set are finally done, although I fear I’ve missed the deadline, and I may have to mail the set directly to the community organization responsible for distribution.

And I’m still humming and hawing over the accompaniment to the Alpaca hat for DD2 – mitts or scarf? I would prefer to make a quick scarf, but I’m sure there isn’t enough yarn, and so I will consider a quick trip to Hidden Valley Ranch in Osgoode in the near future for more. A sanctioned yarn purchasing trip maybe?

The Paton’s ribbon slippers from the Rowan calendar were started and abandoned after the first one turned out to fit the foot of a giant (yes – I swatched, but it lied!). The slippers will be re-started this weekend with something in a DK weight. It was certainly easy enough, so I still hope to do 2 pairs before Christmas.

But it was a long sad day at work today, the tough winter-y drive in, coupled with the tragic news of a co-worker, has left me drained and stunned. My heart is very heavy and I feel very disillusioned with the world at large today. I’m sluggish and teary-eyed and nothing inspires me. Everything is dull and flat and color, which I normally love, is almost painful to look at, seeming garish and inappropriate with its gaiety. My brain seeks clarity and understanding and I fear there is none to be had. Normally I can bounce back from these jolts with realistic and practical thinking and action, and so I hope that tomorrow, being DD1’s 27th birthday and a Friday, I will get back to my optimistic self over the weekend

So I will clean my craft room to imbibe some small sense of order over things under my jurisdiction, and caress some of my lovely yarns, soaking up the soothing warmth and softness, and wait for my creativity to come bubbling through the mire and heal my hurts.

Leave you with these gorgeous images of the front window display captured at our

local GAP Kids Store

Yes - those are real yarn ornaments - I touched them. It helped.

Knit on…….

MIA – have you seen Sanna's parcel?

My KTW4 pal Sanna in Finland, hasn’t received her parcel yet. I am mortified as I received her wonderful parcel over two weeks ago! And true to my Canadian birthright, I am so sorry right, down to the bottom of my toes.

I don’t get it. When I choose the method of delivery, I was told 12-14 days. Seemed very reasonable. But here we are almost 4 weeks later, and still nothing! And every week I call Canada Post and I get the same answer – they tell me no tracking can commence before the parcel has been MIA for 6 weeks! That’s ridiculous! It will be only a few weeks before Christmas before we know if it is truly lost.

In the meantime, TAFK (Tuesdays Are For Knitting) crew got together last night, and our intrepid newbie out-did herself by soloing out before hand and finding herself some more newbie friendly yarn and cute bamboo needles, and voila!, some seriously good gauge and scarf mileage was achieved! The birth of a real knitter – someone who isn’t afraid to buy more yarn and rip out work that’s not up to snuff - ain’t it grand to see!

Our annual Christmas party plans are in full swing – invitations are done and almost all delivered, and the outdoor Christmas lights are up. Food sourcing is complete, and the new couch has arrived! Looking good!

And I forgot to tell you all about my wonderful Saturday last weekend with the intrepid Heidi Pivnik! How could I forget to tell you, I don’t know!! It hasn’t escaped my mind since, and I frequently think back to some aspect if the class that pops into my head.

Sometimes when things go wrong it turns out to be so very right! Such is the case with my Into The Dye Pot class that was to have been held at Algonquin College a few weeks back. Sadly, although we tried hard, we could not make the facilities co-operate with us; specifically we blew the electrical in 3 classrooms with our die pots and had to call it a day.

In the true spirit of sharing her craft with everyone who was interested, Heidi invited the students for a make-up class at her home studio (sorry no pictures – I was so busy yakking and dyeing, that I forgot to pull out my camera!). Are you kidding me? The chance to get to see an artist’s home studio doesn’t come every day so you better believe I was there!

Heidi has convinced me that home dyeing textiles is easy stuff, although a good eye for color is a bonus. A few simple instructions on how to prepare the different dyes and adding different kinds of mordant (to help the textiles take and hold the dyes) and an electric hot pot and you are in business! We tried several different dye techniques for very different results – dip dyeing, over-dying, casserole dyeing. One of the best things about textile dyeing - there is no right or wrong, and sometimes there can be happy accidents, besides intended results.

It was wonderful to spend the day immersed in discussions of color and fibre and the various hobbies we all do. We even got to take a crack at hooking on Heidi’s rug frame – not as easy as she makes it look, but I enjoyed trying it. I can see why it is very addictive, but I won’t be adding any new hobbies any time soon. Although I had the urge to hook a Mary Poppins “carpet” bag using the rug hooking technique we were shown. Why a “carpet” bag? To hold my knitting of course!

So there you are.

Knit on….

A Short Progress Report ….

MIL Christmas hat and scarf - both done.

DD2 Christmas Alpaca Hat and Scarf or Mitts – hat finished, starting mitts

DD1 & DD2 Christmas Ballet Ribbon Slippers not started.

DD1 scarf to match Taos Beret not started (having trouble getting the yarn in from the USA!)

Not bad for early November don’t you think?

The MIL hat and scarf in Noro Iro is gorgeous, and my knitting is not bad either! They need a bath to soften up, but they will be a super-warm set for winter dog walking down by the cottage on the St. Lawrence. The colors alone would keep you warm!

I was finally able to find a hat pattern in the Knit Simple Holiday Issue, that with some minor adjustment to the stitch count for gauge, seems to suit the lovely Alpaca for DD2’s chullo style hat that she has been patiently waiting for. It is knitting up very nicely, although it is always hard I find, to check for fit until you are well into the project. I have had to pull out the entire hat once already as – Alpaca grows!! Did you know that – I thought I compensated for it, but no, there is at least a 33% growth rate when knitting in garter stitch, so bobbles and all it was ripped out! But worth the effort, as it is perfect now.

I am still debating if I have time (and money!!) for a couple of French Market bags. I would still like to make them, and know they won’t take more than a week of tinking away to get one done. We’ll see how the other projects finish up before we decide.

Well that is all. Told you it would be short………

Knit on…

kate

All’s quiet on the Northern Front………….

Although it is a busy week, it is very quiet around here this week. Everyone has their head down, scurrying around, singularly focused on where they’re going, and what they’re doing. I think it has something to do with the slight panic that the weather left us with this weekend.

Yup – those were snow flurries you saw out the window! Grrr… Not happy! Far too soon for that nonsense, and thankfully they were very short-lived, but none the less they were not a welcome reminder that Fall is rapidly disappearing and that Old Man Winter is knocking at the door. Everyone I’ve spoken to this week was engaged in some sort of frantic winter preparation activity this past weekend. Like some sort of signal light was turned on, and suddenly we are all aware that we need to get off our butts and get ready! And besides, I read that the Yarn Harlot’s annual family furnace wars have started, so I now know winter is really imminent!

Even these guys were flying high and grouping in enormous numbers in the local hay fields, readying for their long flight south:

With the cold chill blowing down my neck, my knitting has taken on an almost frantic pace, which the MIL scarf about 2/3’s finished and I’m hunting for the next few projects. More hats, scarves and mittens are on the list, and magazines are being scoured for little Christmas projects that can be tucked into a present, like the pair of ballet style slippers, (sorry no pic) found in the 2008 Calendar that came with the British Edition of Simply Knitting.

I do have to get going on the long promised and patiently waited for alpaca hat and scarf promised to DD2 from our trip to the Hidden Pasture Ranch in Osgoode, ON It will be the next thing I start for sure. For sure I’ll be glad of the soft warm alpaca fibres in my hands as I knit it up.

The Tuesdays Are For Knitting crew gathers tonight, and I will be making Finnish tea and eating Oatmeal Flakes from Sanna’s wonderful KTS4 parcel! Should be lots of laughs and little knitting as our evenings are apt to go!!!

Knit on…..

Look what the postman brought!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh – do you see what I got in the mail today? It’s from my KTS4 swap pal, Sanna ! She has spoiled me rotten! I am speechless, and trust me that doesn’t happen very often!

Look at the golden yellow sock wool. Produced on an island near Oulu, and obviously not easy to get I’m told, especially not dyed golden yellow I’ll bet, Sanna dug into her stash just for me – was’t that sweet of her? ! Go on…. Admire it, get closer…..
Beautiful colorway isn’t it; reminds me of summer. And interestingly, closer to a worsted weight, than what we would normally use for knitting socks here – my feet are going to be covered in golden toasty goodness this winter! I have just seen a lovely pattern in the new Interweave Holiday Gifts magazine which might be perfect for this wool: Citrine Socklets (scroll down)

And the variegated Easy Wool! The woodsy greens are divine, and I’m so excited my head is fairly spinning with the possibilities! The colors are looking at a marbled image of Google Earth. Sanna tells me that it is suitable for felting, so that will make it even harder to pick from amongst all the ideas floating around. I’m going to have to study the booklet more over a cup of tea!

And yes, there are teas, since that was part of the swap, oodles of different kinds begging to have the kettle put on. And my favourite cookie, oatmeal, or flakes, as Sanna calls them, and special Oulu tar candies (yup - made from tar, the kind you pitch a wooden boat with, not road tar silly! What – you knew that, so it was just me? Oh, how silly of me!), a local treat which I am eager to try! Hey, I wonder who's hand is trying to sneak an early treat?

And can you see the magazine and Easy Yarn booklet behind all this goodness?

This was how I had my coffee this morning, perusing through these beauties! Oh my – you should see the pictures – there are so many patterns in the magazine it’s breath-taking! I think Sanna may have to translate one or two for me. Even without being able to read it, I just love to look at the pictures and play with the wool!

Sanna – thank you again and again! I have loved our swap, and enjoyed our “conversations” and I am excited to know we will continue to “talk” for a long, long, long time to come. I still have a lot to learn about Finns, but I can tell you so far, they are warm and welcoming, thoughtful and genuine, great sense of humour, and wonderfully expressive and creative!!

It’s nice to know you have friends in far away places – makes the world a whole lot smaller!!

Knit on......

kate

Ease on down the road………

I am so far down the road, the stash wagon is but a distant memory! Stash reduction is only a myth, I tell you. An complete impossibility, not attainable - at least not by me!

Saturday was the Ottawa Needlework and Craft Show and we were not disappointed! We took a hands on needle felting demo (my what sharp needles you have, my dear!) and watched a great fashion show by the amazing Linda MacPhee, saw mounds and mounds of wonderful yarns and fabrics and fancies, amazing machines and tools (check out real true left-handed scissors, as my girlfriend did, and solve the mystery of why lefties have such trouble cutting straight lines even when using scissors with converted handles – it’s all about the blade, people!), and talent galore! It was wonderful to be surrounded by it all.

I really enjoyed the needle felting, as did DD1 who pronounced all that vigorous stabbing very therapeutic indeed! I didn’t ask too many questions about why that might be – I might not like the answers!! At any rate I think I will be able to do some needle felting to perk up a felted messenger bag that I made last year, but really haven’t used since it is rather plain and un-inspiring. But now my mind is whirling with possibilities and everywhere I see ideas and inspirations.

I retrospect was prudent in purchases (at least by my standards!), coming home with only some sock yarn for Sanna, my KTS4 pal, and beautiful vintage buttons, a few sewing patterns, some more Mirasol Hacho to finish a scarf to match my gloves, and Briggs and Little Regal in lovely colorway that I just couldn’t resist at $3.00 a skein!

And the Tuesday Are For Knitting crew has expanded with 2 new members, beginner knitters no less, who will make fine addicts by all indications I was told that one stayed up until 3:00am on a work-night working on her scarf because she was so enthralled! Excellent – just what we like to see – totally abandonment of all reason while clutched in the throes of knitting ecstasy! This one shows real promise!

That’s it for now. I have no picture for you, nothing is worthy yet!

Knit on……..

kate

Oh Sanna! Looky looky!!!

Well !! What have we got here? Looks like a parcel all wrapped up and ready to go! Ready Sanna - here it comes all the way to Finland!

No peeking now - you'll spoil the surprise!!!!!!!!

Knit on...
kate