the last of the 2007 FOs

After all the Christmas knitting I did last year (ie: 2006), I decided that for this Christmas, no one was getting anything knitted. With a few small exceptions.

First, there was the Ravelry scarf exchange. It was a swap, not a present, so it didn't count. My downstream exchange pal was Hannah, from Oregon (who is blogless, unfortunately)... I made her these, to go with her black leather jacket:

This is the Knotted Openwork Scarf, from the fine people at the Canadian Knitwear Designers & Artisans website. I added a row of beads at each end, just to make it more fun. Knit in Kidsilk Haze, which I am still not a great fan of, even though I have now ceased to hate it entirely.
These are Mrs. Beeton wristlets, made from red Kidsilk Haze, and brown Debbie Bliss Rialto. Knitting these taught me that I knit inside-out when knitting in the round. Something that isn't really a problem until you have to put one tube inside the other, and then suddenly the wrong tube ends up on the outside! :)

At some point in November, I found out that Owen (Mike's little nephew) had been asking about the giraffe I was going to be bringing back for him from Africa... which is when Gargle came along...

(you remember him, right?)

A few weeks later, after putting my UK stash on ravelry, I decided that maybe one little hat for Felix wouldn't be so bad to knit... especially when it would serve the double purpose of using up some stash that really is really only suited to children:The yarn was Wendy Fusion, in the Saffron colourway. The pattern is just a basic toddler-4 years sized toque, made using Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns.

And finally, I promised Mike that I would finally knit him a sweater this Christmas, although not as part of his Xmas gifts - he had to be involved in the planning, cause otherwise the yarn was going to be used for a sweater for me! This is all I've managed to do so far (a whopping 21cm!)
I've been influenced by Michaela and all the great things she knits from the Elizabeth Zimmermann books. This is going to be a Seamless Hybrid from Knitting Without Tears, with hemline modifications as per Brooklyn Tweed's version. Not the most thrilling knit at the moment, just miles and miles of stockinette in DK weight gray tweed, but at least its quick. The goal is to have this finished before I go back to Newcastle in 6 weeks. hmm...

As I mentioned the other day, y Ravelry Scarf Exchange package arrived in the mail just before Xmas. Here's what was inside:
Chocolate for eating, 2 chocolate-based dessert recipes and the chocolate to go with them, a mini photo/scrapbook, flower embellishments for card-making, vanilla body wash and a scented sachet, fat free white hot chocolate, silvery-gray bamboo yarn and this fun little sheepy photo holder:And of course, a scarf!
Kate, my upstream pal, designed the pattern for this scarf based on a pair of socks she was knitting at the time. It's made with Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in a gray-insh lilac colour. These photos don't really do it justice, but alas, our winter sun is being obscured by a very Newcastle-y rainstorm today. Thanks for the great package and scarf Kate! :)

My AMAZING Secret Pal!

This morning the doorbell rang at 7:30 in the morning - ghastly early for my household, as we all tend to sleep in until the sun is properly up in the sky... Good thing it was the postman at the door, with a parcel just for me!

the parcel was from my secret pal, Sharon! (Hi Sharon! so good to finally find out who you are!). She really spoiled me rotten with this lot of goodies! The theme was "Winter Warmer", so everything had to do with keeping one warm - wintery sweets, hot chocolate, a fun knitting themed coaster to put my mug of hot chocolate on, a magnet, an advent calendar, a chapstick in a cozy, stitch markers, and even an Elizabeth Zimmerman book that I've been wanting!

Here's a close up of some of my favourite bits:

aren't these just the cutest Xmas tree ornaments? We're not going to have a tree in Newcastle, so these are definitely coming home with me for our Ottawa tree!

Sharon made these fetching mitts just for me - extra repeats at the top and bottom to make them longer, and they fit perfectly! They're made with Sublime, so they're super soft too!

I laughed when I saw this chapstick & cozy - Sharon, had you been stalking my ravelry queue, by any chance? I had these on my list, but only just took them off because I decided that my crochet skills aren't good enough to make them... and now I have one anyway! :)

And finally, aren't these just the cutest stitch markers you've ever seen?! Sharon makes these and sells them from her Etsy shop - I had a look at it this morning, and I totally recommend that you check it out - she has some little penguins that are just SO adorable! :)

Sharon, thank you so much! you have been the most amazing secret pal! :)

Secret Pal!

In the midst of all my crazy running around and playing tourist last week, my secret pal sent me not one, but TWO fabulous little parcels!

This was the first one, which arrived just in time for Halloween! (I love Halloween!)
Fun chocolates, a yummy fall-scented candle, very silly Lego erasers (I love these!), and a little sheepy notebook. The chocolate eyeballs and pumpkins are sitting on my desk right now, just begging to be munched up! :)

Then, when I got back on Sunday, this parcel was waiting for me:

Not pictured are a scarf pattern for this lovely malabrigo laceweight, and a sheepy bookmark, which is hiding inside the book. :) The bluey-purple yarn is the malabrigo - it is now officially the softest, squishiest yarn I have! The reddish brown yarn is Cascade 220 Handpaints.. also very squishy, but not quite as soft. I may have to make it into mittens or a hat or something!

Secret Pal, thank you so much! :)

Back to normal - almost!

I got back from my week in Ireland on Wednesday, so things are just starting to get back to normal. Mom is here till Sunday, and then things really will have to be back to normal, since I have loads of things to catch up on after 2 weeks of playing tourist! :)

But for now, I'll focus on the knitting!
While in Ireland, I took advantage of my visit to Galway to check out the little yarn shop housed in the Old Mill... Except now its not so little, and has expanded into its own shop, rather than just one corner of a different shop!
This is just the main corner of Yarn.ie - in the front they have lots of fun little giftie things like cosmetic/accessory bags, kids clothes, and other stuff that I didn't pay too much attention to (we had only 30min left on the parking meter and I was on a mission!)

Last time I was at this shop, they had loads of Kilcarra* Tweed yarn - exactly the same stuff as Debbie Bliss' Donegal Tweed, from the same mill and everything, but sold under a different name, and for less money. Especially this time, since they actually had cones of it for sale!
Like this one! :) 530g of Aran weight for just under 25 Euros! I can't wait to cast on with it!

Unfortunately, this was the only yarn I bought, since the other colours didn't really suit the projects I had in mind. But never fear, the yarny goodness didn't end there - When I got home on Wednesday night, my first SP11 package was sitting here waiting for me!
Very nice Alpapca yarn in two shades of light brown ("beige" is such an awful sounding colour, so not right for this yarn!), yummy white chocolate which I am trying hard to ignore (too many sweets were consumed in Ireland!), and some nice smelling oatmealy soap! Thanks Secret Pal! :)

And now, before I go get some much needed sleep, Frobisher insisted on having his photo in this post... he made a new friend at the Foxford Woolen Mill (which teased me by placing some cones of yarn in the display, but not actually selling it!), and he wanted to show her his new snorkling get-up... if only he would only learn to pay for his own trips to the Seaside, he might actually get to try it out!
*Rumour has it that you can buy this yarn direct from the mill, which is located in Kilcara, Co. Donegal. I didn't think about it till we were already too far South to make the journey, but if anyone has a desire to go exploring, I am now well skilled in the art of driving down Irish country roads at top speeds, in a car with a manual transmission and a very crappy gear box, and all on the wrong side of the road (well, the wrong side for me at least)! :)

SP 11 Questionnaire

This weekend was a long weekend here in Canada, so we (of course!) spent it with family at Mike's uncle's cottage... so much family in fact that Mike and I had to sleep in a tent in the yard! :)

Now that the weekend is over, today is quite fittingly grey and cold-looking (even though its actually 28 degrees), so I don't have to feel bad about staying inside all day working and nursing my very itchy mosquito bitten feet. To distract me from scratching at them (which only makes the bites worse), I'll fill out this SP 11 questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I used to be a huge yarn snob, using only natural fibres, but I think I'm beginning to relent on that - man-made fibres don't have to be cheap and scratchy anymore! :) But still, if its says 100% acrylic, I won't go near it.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
my straights are in a fabric roll that I made a few years back, and my circulars are stored in my stash box.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learned to knit about 6 years ago - my cousin taught me the basics, then I taught myself the rest by way of instruction books and the internet. I'd say I'm an intermediate knitter, mostly because I don't do a lot of pattern design and/or reconstruction. But I'll knit anything, regardless of the difficulty rating.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
yes, its here, but I don't update it very often

5. What's your favourite scent?
vanilla, light flower scents, beeswax if its for candles.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
yes, but I'm really going to try and cut back on junk food this year... Its amazing how much crap I eat when I'm in England!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I don't spin, but I do sew a little, and bake, and make cards when I'm in Ottawa (I don't bring my papercraft supplies to England).

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like all kinds of music, except for rap and country. My computer (and my mobile) can play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I don't like bright reds, or harsh oranges, yellows, or limey greens. I like most other colours.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
This year, I live in England (or will be, as of the end of August), in a flat with a few friends. My fiancé lives in Canada, and I spend as many holidays as possible with him. I don't have any pets.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
yes, yes, yes, no. Does anyone wear ponchos anymore?

12. What is/are your favourite item/s to knit?
I knit a lot of baby things for my friends' kiddies, as well as gifts for my more adult friends & family. I should be knitting more things for myself, but now that fall is coming, I think these will take a back-seat to gift knitting.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Tulip, from Rowan mag 41 (for me), Anna Bell's Cherry (also for me), and I will soon have to cast on a stripey jumper for a friend of mine who's baby is due this fall.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
yes.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
depends on the project... I don't really like plastic needles, although I do own a few pairs.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
yes, both of them

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
4 years or so... its a lap blanket that lives in my Ottawa Stash box, so it doesn't get worked on much. I should take it to Newcastle with me, but it will take up too much precious suitcase space!

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween. Hmm... maybe I'll have a halloween party in Newcastle this year to share the fun with my English friends! :)

19. Is there anything that you collect?
just yarn and knitting related things.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I haven't any subscriptions. There are a few books I'd like to pick up, but nothing really pressing... check my Amazon list for ideas maybe.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
pattern design, so I actually have a hope of selling my knitting one day.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I try very hard to be a sock knitter, but I just can't get into it properly - the last pair of socks I knit took 4 months to complete, and they spent most of that time in the naughty corner. I wear I size 9 us (5.5-6 UK), and my foot is 25cm long, and 22 in circumference.

23. When is your birthday?
June 11th

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Yes! my id is Glenda

Yay for Secret Pals!

my last secret pal package arrived this morning, hand delivered to me at the Centurion knitting group (thanks glitrgirl!). Spoiled again, that's all I can say! :)
My secret pal spoiler was Katherine, from chatiryworld. This time she sent along a fun wooden 'G', travel-size aromatherapy candles, a scented cushion, a very cute little satin pouch which is now destined to become a stitch-marker holder, and of course, fun yarn.

This is hand-spun yarn from The Handspinner having fun, who are located on the Isle of Skye. I really like this yarn - thick and thin, from pink to a fun lilacy colour (this photo makes it look too grey). Now all I have to do is figure out the yardage (or is that meterage, not being American?) so I can decide what to do with this sucker! :)

Thanks Katherine!

SP Surprises

Today's yarn funness is brought to you by my very own Secret Pal! Cool self-striping yarn, fun gift wrap paper, a pretty card, tissues for my sneezes, plaid buttons, and two very fun pins - the apple, and the little cupcake, which is unfortunately lost in the flash (its from cottoncupcakes). Oh, and a pen that matches the tissues, but its hard at work at school marking my place in the book I was reading today, so it couldn't make the photo shoot. :)

Thanks Secret Pal!

and thanks to my mom too, for sending the fun package full of clothes and Canadian chocolate... can't go wrong with yarn and M&Ms on the same day! :)

Knitters Treat Exchange / SP Questions

The other day I was tagged by Ruth for that 8 random things meme. I'll do it, but not yet - I can only think of 3 random things just now....

Instead, I'll show you the fab parcel I got from my Knitter's Treat Exchange pal, Aileen from Knitting neels.
Two skeins of Tivoli aran weight yarn, which is apparently perfect for dyeing and felting, a skein of Fusion, and two skeins of a very squidgy purpley-red (more red in real life, actually) yarn that I think is destined to become a winter scarf or hat because its so soft. Two knitting mags, some tea, hand-made soap, some yummy toffies (these won't last long!), two shrug patterns (one of which was written by Aileen herself, and is available here), and a very fun silk bag that looks like the top of a kimono.

Thanks Aileen, this is a great package!

Now, before I forget, here are the answers to my SP questions:

Assuming that I will be gone for ten days to someplace "foreign" that is known for having great knitting locations:
1) What do you pack to knit?
I would take something small-ish, so it doesn't take up much space in my bag. But I don't think it would be socks because after I finish the pair that have been on my needles for 2 months now, it will be quite a while before I knit any more. (I just can't seem to catch the sock-bug for some reason. Maybe I need to knit more interesting sock patterns). It would likely be a little summery-top of some kind, so I can actually hope to wear it sometime soon.

2) What do you hope to shop for?
Shoes. oh wait, you mean knitting stuff. ;) Um, nice yarns that I can't get at home, yet aren't super expensive. Yarns that call out to me and say "Make me into a ____". that way I don't have to feel guilty about buying yarn for no specific purpose.

3) Where would you go on a "knitting holiday"?
I'd go to Italy (in the warm, yet still off-peak season months!) and buy gorgeous Italian yarns for cheap... my friend Tiffany lived in Florence for several months (on 2 separate occasions, lucky girl!) and came back with loads of super soft yarns which she picked up for almost nothing, compared to what they'd sell for back in the US/Canada. Plus, think of all the great knitting you could do in the piazzas of Rome or in Tuscan villas! :)

Spoiled by SP's!

Last Wednesday I got a notice in the mail saying that I had packages waiting for me at the post office. But I had to leave early Thursday for a conference (just got back last night), so I couldn't get the parcels till today - they were most definitely worth the wait!

First up was the package from my SP10:
Gorgeous "Deep Blue Sea" coloured Organik yarn from The Fibre Company, a beeswax candle, and lavender scented soap apparently made somewhere in Northumbria (there was no company name on it). I love this yarn! Its 70% wool, 15% Baby Alpaca, and 15% Silk... so soft and squishy! And, thanks to the soap that was packaged with it, it smells great too! :) I'm thinking of ordering another skein of this so that I can make a little shrug from it!

Here's a close up so you can appreciate it too:

The second package was from my Swap Pal in Knit the Classics Spring Book Swap. Her name is Hope, but she hasn't sent me her blog address yet - I think I'll have to find her via the KTC pages... anyway, here's what she sent me:
This book, Sorcery and Cecelia, is the first in a series of four - the point of the spring swap was to send your pal the first book of your favourite series. I've flipped through the first few pages of this one, and it looks like it should be pretty fun... now I just have to track down the other 3 books of the series!

Along with the book and bookmark, Hope sent me some fabulous goodies:A pretty card, fun summery sock yarn (Sockotta from Plymouth Yarns), the Spring Vogue Knitting, hand cream, and a pattern for a Koigu shawl.

Thanks so much to Hope and my SP10, I can't wait to start knitting and reading!

SP Questions

Sorry I'm a bit late posting these questions... travelling and all that. I had hoped to be able to email some posts in using Mike's new (eBay) WiFi phone, but it seems that our eBay karma was a little worn out - the phone works, but won't charge its own battery...

but on to the questions:

I learned to knit when I was... um... 21 or 22 - only about 5 years ago. Technically, my cousin Anne taught me to knit - I was living with my friend Tiffany, who was an avid knitter. She inspired me to learn, but it wasn't until that summer that I actually picked up the needles. Tiff had moved back to Portland for the summer (better pay down there, even more so when you add in that exchange rate), so Anne was subletting her room. One night we were having dinner at my Mom's, so we dug out her needles, and Anne showed me what to do (Mom helped too, but she was never a big knitter). Then I got a learn to knit book and just went for it, with Anne or Tiff's help whenever I got stuck... the rest I just picked up along the way.

Winter Scarf Swap Package

About a month and a half ago, I signed up to the winter scarf kit swap through swap-bot. Technically, this swap ended at the end of February, but since when has the international mail service paid attention to such deadlines?!

Today as I was getting ready for school Mr. Postman arrived with my package, sent all the way from my amazing swap pal Sandy, from North Carolina. Check out the amazing parcel she sent me!
The rules of the swap required that we send a hot drink, a mug, a sweet treat, and all the materials needed to make a scarf - yarn, a pattern, and needles. As you can see, Sandy went way beyond with this package! A proper sized mug, two kinds of tea - Red Tea from Stash (aka Rooibos tea) and Holiday Scotch Tea (this sounds really yummy - can't wait to try it), chocolate covered espresso beans, a 5mm circular needle, two hook cable needles, two scarf patterns, and literally scads of yarn! The ivory and black yarn is Alpaca Seta from Skacel, the purple is Bamboo from SWTC, the pink is silk from Alchemy Yarns, and the two reddish ones on the right are a very cool multi-stranded mix of yarns, which unfortunately have no label. (Sandy, if you're reading this, what kind of yarn is it?).

Sandy, thank you so much for this package - its amazing! :)

Knitters Treat Exchange Questionnaire

1. What's your favourite type of yarn?
I like natural fibres, but I'm not entirely opposed to blends of natural and man-made fibres - so long as its not blended with acrylic, and the mix is at least 50% natural fibre.

2. What's your least favourite type of yarn?
I'm not a huge fan of furry yarns, acrylic or otherwise. Mohair is nice, but inevitably drives me mad every time I have to frog it (which is usually a lot, seeing as I tend to only like mohair in lace patterns).

3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop?
Look for yarns I haven't see before, or those that I've drooled over online, but never seen (or touched!) in person. Then I have to start arguing with myself about the fact that I really don't need to buy 1000m of that gorgeously smooshy yarn over in the corner, even if it is in my favourite shade of blue!

4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do?
I do a little bit of card making, although I've left all my supplies back in Canada, so I won't be doing that for a while... I also want to try things like stenciling on clothes, embroidery (I have a "learn-to" kit I haven't used yet), and maybe learn to sew (but I'm nt in a good situation for investing in a machine just now (or fabric, for that matter!), so that will have to wait a few years.

5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to?
none.

6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference:
Knitting / Crochet / Other Craft / Food / Home / Fashion / Celebrity Gossip / Garden
Knitting, Food, Fashion, Home, Other Craft, Crochet, Celebrity Gossip, Garden.

7. What items do you like to knit / crochet?
I have a series of sweaters for myself on the go at the moment (1 finished, 3 more to go!), and I seem to knit a large amount of baby stuff. I also do a lot of gift knitting for my family and friends.

8. Are you allergic to anything?
nothing that applies here.

9. What do you like to* smell of?
(*This is not a typo. The question is: What do you like to smell of)
light fragrances... vanilla is nice, cause it curbs the chocolate cravings (or so I've been told - have yet to notice the difference).

10. What's your favourite way to relax?
sit and knit while watching tv or listening to music or something.

11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first?
umm... the bakery, if I could get a cappuccino there to go with a yummy cake or tart. Otherwise, I'd hit the Italian cafe. and have panna cotta with my coffee.

12. What do you come out with?
nothing... I'd sit inside and eat my cake and coffee! :) Well, maybe I'd come out with some fresh-roasted coffee beans, if they had them.

13. Where do you go next?
To the LYS, to buy some yarn.

14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal?
you can read my SP questionnaire for more ideas if you're stuck, but really I'm pretty easy to please. :)

Secret Pal 10 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

- I prefer natural fibres - i'm a yarn snob, what can i say? :)

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

- A needle case that I made several years ago. But its getting a little full.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

- about 5 years now, all thanks to Miss Tiffany and my cousin Anne... I'd say i'm an intermediate level knitter, but that doesn't stop me from trying more difficult patterns.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

- yes, its here... but please ignore the very expensive things that make me look very greedy... my list doubles as a 'when i am very rich i will get this' list. I also haven't updated it recently... I'll do that in the next few days.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)

- beeswax for candles, lavender or vanilla for bath stuff. Oh, I love that menthol/eucalyptus baby bath stuff too - I got hooked on it one time years ago, when i had a bad chest cold.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

- i love all candies, except for those little black Dutch salty gummy things... (its been years since I had them, don't know why i suddenly thought of those!)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

- I can sew (badly) if I really have to, and I keep meaning to try out my yet untouched embroidery kit. I also do a bit of card making (but all my stuff is back in Ottawa), and I really want to try freezer paper stenciling.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
- I like almost all music, except for rap and punk, and the really obnoxiously loud stuff. my computer is very much overloaded with mp3s, but im always happy to increase my collection! :)

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

- I like blues and non-fuschia pinks and those really buttery yellows. I think I look scary in most reds, so i tend to stay clear of those. Grey seems to have become my new black for the moment, but I think that's just because of all the sunny weather we've been having.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
- I'm currently renting a room in glittrgirl's flat (she makes a great landlord!) in Newcastle. She may own the place, but its really Greebo the cat who runs it! Whenever possible, I live with my fiance back in Ottawa, although that probably won't be happening again soon, unless someone out there knows the secret to Captain Kirk's transporter device!

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

- yes, yes, yes, no. Scarves especially, as I find they keep off the chill in an otherwise drafty office (or lecture hall!).

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

- I like knitting gifts, for some odd reason. almost everything I made last year was for someone else. This year I'm trying to knit more for myself - the current score is tied at one gift, and one gift for me!

13. What are you knitting right now?

- 2 sweaters for myself, and a gift for a certain pregnant friend of mine...

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

- yes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

- I'm kind of up in the air on this. I used to think straight was better, but now I like circulars because they're more portable - and usually make for less seaming, depending on what you're making. Bamboo is better for some fibres, but i can't resist the new fun-coloured aluminum needles that Boye is making, even if they are kind of cheaply made (especially their circulars!)

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

- yes to both

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

- 4 years and counting... its an afghan thats in the bottom of my stash box. Maybe I'll have it finished in time for whenever it is that we buy our first house/flat/place we plan to live in for more than one year.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

- Halloween. I'm already scheming to see if I can be back in Canada for this year's celebrations!

19. Is there anything that you collect?

- not really. craft supplies is the only thing I can think of, but that's not really a collection, its practical! :) it includes stuff like paper punches, embroidery threads, rubber stamps, fun scrapbook page decorations which I use for cards... that sort of thing.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
- I'd like to get Mason-Dixon Knitting, and there are a few baby books I've been eyeing. I frequently buy Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting International, but I don't have any subscriptions. check my amazon list for other books I've been considering.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
- I want to start designing my own knits, probably starting with baby stuff, cause its the easiest.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
- yes, sort of. I wear I size 9 us (39 european), and my foot is 25cm long, and 22 in circumference. I have very long, skinny feet, especially considering I'm only 5 feet tall!

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

- June 11th.

where are you?

I seem to have misplaced an upstream swap partner for the Winter Scarf Swap on swap-bot.... or rather, s/he has misplaced me, and has neglected to contact me. how much does that suck. please contact me swap partner! (as for my downstream partner, Gearncniht, i think I've just about decided on the perfect scarf kit for him!)

not much else to say... photos to come in a day or so when I get an internet connection that stays connected for more than 30 seconds at a time.

ETA: Hooray! my swap pal has found me! :)

My SP and other things...

On Saturday morning, I received my final secret pal package (so loving the Saturday mail delivery thing here!). Isobel, my secret pal, is the greatest - just look at the fabulous package she sent me:
instructions for magic loop knitting, an addi turbo needle that will work just perfectly as a magic loop, and two kinds of sock yarn to use to make the socks... with stitch markers, a calculator, and a measuring tape to help me out with the process.. there were also loads of other goodies: a handmade drawstring bag for carrying around my knitting (its not pictured here cause I'm already using it, but trust me, its the perfect size for 2 skeins and a circular needle) three kinds of chocolate bars (one was fudge... i LOVE fudge!), mints, luxurious l'occitane hand cream and a bath sugar cube, a notebook and pen, and a fun little purse-sized sheepy address book. I was well and truly beyond spoiled in this round. Thank you so much Isobel! (check out her blog here)

Frobisher and I are now well settled into Newcastle again... Frobisher loves Suzanne's yarn stash, but I think we're going to have to keep an eye on him - he's already trying to sneak off with a few of her skeins!

never trust an innocent looking bear!

On Robbie Burns' Day, Suzanne made us Haggis with neeps and taties for dinner, complete with whiskey sauce... yummy! A few nights later, we had the dessert that is supposed to follow the haggis:Its called Cranachan, and its made with scotch-flavoured whip cream, raspberries (we had strawberries instead), toasted oatmeal. this too is super yummy, but how anyone manages to eat this right after the Haggis is beyond me - I had to split this over 2 nights just to get through it!

Before I forget (and because I forgot to take photos of the scarf I just finished) here are some photos from Ottawa that we took a few days before I left:

Here's Mikey hiding out in Owen's little house... and here's Owen and I going sledding in the little bit of snow that actually stuck around in Ottawa...


sure am glad its not that cold in Newcastle!

Xmas knitting - and crafting!

So here's a review of all the fun projects I was working on over the last few months... they were all opened on Xmas day, so now I'm free to show them to you!

First was the ChildHood cardigan that I made for Owen...
this is how it looked sans buttons - I forgot to photograph it after I put them on! but here's a close-up of the acorn buttons I used... (this was in the photo in the preview I gave several weeks ago): The yarn is Mission Hills 1824 Cotton, in goldenrod and chili - very little boy-ish without being blue or green... Thanks to Mike for the colour choice! :)

I then made this scarf for my sister in law, Dominika, using the scarf kit I got from my secret pal 8... The kit contained a starter yarn (a), a middle yarn (b), and 14 other teeny skeins - just enough of each colour to knit two rows... you start by casting on (lengthwise!) with a, then knit all the colours once, then knit a row of b, then work back through all 14 colours in reverse order, ending by casting off with yarn a... oh, and don't forget to leave 12" lengths at each end to make the fringe!


For Mike's sister in law, Tara, I made this hat and key-hole scarf - initially it was just going to be a regular scarf, till I realized that I had way too much yarn for just a scarf... so I stopped knitting the scarf, made the hat, and then frogged the scarf a little so that I could put the key-hole in the right place!
(Gedifra Micro Chic yarn, if you're interested... it is SOOO soft!)


Finally, for Mike's mom, Cindy, I made these convertible mitten-gloves (Garn studio's Drops Alpaca, in colourway 6834m). A couple of years ago Cindy broke her wrist while skating, and ended up borrowing Mike's convertible mitts so that she'd have something big enough to fit over her cast... she liked them so much that this year I decided to make her a pair that fit her without the cast! The pattern for these gloves is a mix of things... I started out knitting a proper pattern from Garn Studio, but then after knitting one glove I realized that it was going to be way too small. So I frogged it, and started a normal glove based on the glove pattern in Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns... about 2 inches into the cuff, I decided to make it a convertible glove, so I dug out the Patons' pattern for convertible mitts that I used when making Mike's gloves about 4 years ago... all I took from there was the placement of the mitt flap, although for these ones I knit both gloves first, and then decided where to pick up the flap by threading a piece of scrap yarn through a line of stitches on the back of the hand... then I had to fudge the reduction numbers, cause the number of stitches I had on the needles didn't match any of the mitten patterns I consulted... oh well, it worked, and the gloves fit. I think that counts as a success! :)

I also finished the other sock for Mike's dad... pics later cause I don't remember where I put my camera...

Oh, and the crafting bit - musn't forget that! All that Xmas card construction inspired me to make some non-specific greeting cards for my mom, as an Xmas present... first I found this little box, and stuck a "V" on the front (for Victoria, my mom):

Then I made up 20 little cards, with matching envelopes.... some for birthdays, some for Thank-yous, and some just for fun:
cool, eh? I think if this PhD thing doesn't work out, I may just make a career out of knitting and crafting instead! Now all I need is a patron, to help fund my creative endeavours... any takers? :)

what i didn't finish in December was a cardigan for Mike's cousin's 4-month old son. So that's first on my list of things to knit this year... and then I need to take yet another stab at the one skein wonder that I got from my very first secret pal... I've knit up this beast several times already, including once this past Christmas Eve, but every time I make it the sleeves come out way too tight! The first time, I blamed it on my too-tight tension, so the second time, I tried it on bigger needles... this time the tension was dead on - stitches and rows (for once!). but still, when finished, my arms felt like they were being squashed! this time, I think I'm going to cast on extra stitches on the arms, and then cast off with a needle that's 3 sizes bigger, instead of just 2!

okay, that's enough for now... must do some amount of work today!

frozen faces

In Ottawa, especially in December, it is not uncommon to come home with a frozen face - your cheeks feel cold and stiff, and its difficult to speak. Today's frozen face, however, is not due to the balmy +1 temperatures outside, but rather to a brief visit to the dentist this morning. If you were lucky enough to be here right now, you would be laughing very hard right now, watching me try to eat soup with only half a working mouth! :)

The lovely beaded snowflake ornaments that are decorating today's post were sent to me by my Secret Pal, as part of the last package. Silly me just forgot to mention them before... (I hung them on our tree right away, so when I went to photograph the package contents, I forgot about them)
Aren't they pretty? I especially like the way the blue translucent beads on this last one one catch the sunlight in the mornings!

I'm still knitting furiously away on the sock... did you ever notice how projects that have deadlines seem to take way longer than other projects? but maybe its just that I'm more aware of the ticking clock at the moment... as I recall, I knit the first part of the first sock while on the train from Toronto back to Ottawa - that's a 41/2 hour trip, and I know I haven't spent that long on this sock yet... ugh. guess its back to knitting for me! (I'm beginning to see where second sock syndrome comes from... I think I'm going to have to teach myself to knit two socks at once!)

In other news, I got a fun Christmas card from Ysolda!
Isn't it fun?! I'm hoping my card reaches her soon too - my cards were a little delayed by recent events, so I think I missed the international mailing dates. Good thing the Christmas spirit lasts longer than just the one day!

but now I need to stop procrastinating and get on with the housekeeping today... Kieron's mom is coming to stay for Xmas, and I need to vacuum the crumbs out of the couch so Kieron can sleep on it for the next week! :)

Secret Pal strikes again!

I received a package from my Secret Pal in the mail last week, but its taken me ages to get myself back on the computer to post about it - I blame all the time I've spent Christmas shopping in the last few days! Anyway, better late than never, right? :)

sorry this photo is so dark - there is so little daylight here some days that I almost feel like I'm back in Newcastle - its super warm out at the moment (especially since 'normal' temperatures for mid-December hover just below freezing!) so all our should-be snow is falling as rain, and making for some very gray days.

Shown here are a notebook, a calendar full of dessert recipes (yum!), some yummy yarn, a yogurt bath pack, two of those fun chemical handwarmers that you boil after each use so you can re-use them, some partial candy canes, and 3 chocolate santas... the parcel also contained some amazing sipping chocolate, several more chocolate santas, and more pieces of candy canes... but some little, um, mouse, got into it and ate them all up. yeah, that's right, a mouse did it, not me. I think I even saw that mouse heating up the milk on the stove so that he and Mike could drink the sipping chocolate the other night! ;)

Thank you secret pal for the parcel - its timing was perfect too - I needed something fun to open after such a long few days last week.... and Mike loves the fact that he gets to help consume all the fun edibles that you included.

In other Secret Pal news, here are my answers to some questions that my SP Hostess sent out, and which my SP passed on to me:

1) What is the oddest gift you have ever received (not asked for)
This one would have to be a glass dish thingie that my brother and his girlfriend (now his wife) gave me several years ago (I do hope they don't read this!)... its white and shaped like an artist's palette, and it came with 5 little round dishes in red, yellow, green, orange, and blue - they sit in these little indentations on the outer edge, as if they were the paint colours on the palette. The dish kind of looks like it could be a serving platter for some sort of tapas that can be served with 5 different dipping sauces. Or maybe its just to sit and look at. Its very pretty, really, but I still don't quite know what to do with this. (any hints as to what this might be for would be greatly appreciated!)

2) What is the oddest gift you ever asked for
I don't know that this is such an odd gift, but the circumstances surrounding it are... when I was a kid, I wanted a pet cat. For a period of about 3 years (maybe more, I'll have to ask my mom), I asked for a cat for my birthday, for Christmas, for easter, and anytime that I gift could be reasonably demanded. but alas, I never did get that cat! (my mom, however, got herself a cat about a month before I moved out of the house for the last time!)

3) What is the oddest gift you ever gave
I suck at this - I'm bad at remembering gifts! When my brother and I were kids (actually, we still do this on occasion) we got into this habit of wrapping tiny little gifts inside huge boxes - like one year, Gavin gave me a CD or something, but wrapped it inside of a dozen or so boxes and layers of wrapping paper, with the final one being a television box (it helped that my parents saved all these boxes, "in case we ever needed to move". Sometimes we'd add stupid layers like one that was solid packing tape, but no scissors were allowed to be used to open it - or if they were, the scissors or knife or fork or other permissible implement would be stuck to the side of one of the boxes. Anyway, one year I decided to inflict this 'hilarious' wrapping system to a friend of mine - but (thanks to Gavin's idea, as I recall) I took the extra step of paper mache-ing the final layer with newspaper and flour & water paste. it didn't dry in time for the party, so my poor friend had to hack through this mushy layer of wet, smelly newspaper to get to her gift! how mean was that! my god, its no wonder I didn't stay friends with that girl!

4) What is the worst gift you ever got
This one wasn't one gift, it was a number of gifts which, when combined, showed me just how picky a person I really was... in my first year of University, I got 3 travel coffee mugs for Christmas - one from each of my closest friends. While I appreciated the thought, I remember being a little pissed off at the fact that the only thing my friends knew about me was that I liked coffee! (I didn't knit back then) In the end, I returned one mug and kept the two others, which ended up being a good thing - one of the mugs soon suffered the demise of being left on the roof of my car as I was squealing off to school one morning - I heard a clunk on my roof, then saw a flash of shattered plastic travel mug as it hit the ground and broke into several pieces on the road.

Okay, so thats enough of the sordid details from my past. I have to go knit a sock now!

Thanks Secret Pal!

Look what my secret pal sent me! yay!

This was such a fun package to open - one big box with everything wrapped up inside in 3 pretty shades of blue tissue paper! Sorry the photo is a little dark - it was so grey and rainy today that I felt like I was back in Newcastle again! Yummy yarn, an Oxfam CD, a notebook, chocolate stirrers and a chocolate bar, cookie cutters, and a fun spotted bag (see here as the backdrop to everything else)!

I love this yarn - its a beautiful mix of golden-yellow, red, and purple - I think its destined to become a big warn scarf very soon - it will go very nicely with my new dark green winter coat! my pal was kind enough to include a latttice scarf pattern, although I think this yarn might also look good as this Woven scarf from the Ella Rae book I bought recently. Guess I'll just have to swatch and see! :)

Thank you thank you secret pal, this was a great package! Such a wonderful surprise to brighten a rainy day!

SP9 Halloween Funness!

Look what arrived in my mailbox today!

A collection of halloween goodies, all being protected by lots of little pumpkin stickers and this scary looking Vampire Sheep! (careful, they Baa-ite!)

inside the parcels were some chocolate pumpkins (who didn't live long enough to make it to the photoshoot - the sheep ate them, i swear!), some very cute spooky hair clips,

and this little bat-kitty...
as you can see, he's taken up residence on the corner of my monitor... he likes the fact that I'm writing about bloodletting - I think its the vampire side of him showing! :)

Thanks SP9! This package is great!