May 2006-July2006
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Lucky Me!
This arrived for me in the mail today!
I won a contest at Jessalu's blog and this was the generous prize package I received. My very first skein of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in a fabulous purple, blue and red colourway - hmmm all the colours of royalty... Some truly yummy treats and a great card with yarn and a kitty in the picture. Thank you Jess - you are too kind!
Seems the Spring pics just don't stop around here - these are from our walk this evening.
Oh, and the Hummingbirds are here!!
I know I am a strange one - I love, love, LOVE the smell of Skunk Cabbage. If I could find away to grow it in my backyard I truly would. Fortunately for me, it grows all over town. Ahhh.
ETA: Ummm yeah. The stripe is GREEN not blue. What am I? colourblind??
And it is also Poetry Thursday so here is one of my favourite poems to share with children. The fun language! Runcible spoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Owl and the Pussy Cat
by Edward Lear
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!"
Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood,
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.
Labels: Contest, Garden, Poetry Thursday, Socks
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The sweetest sound
I just took Kira out and....the frogs are singing!
It is a clear, cool night. Lots of stars in the sky.
And now the frogs are singing.
Magical.
Labels: Garden
Monday, March 26, 2007
I am so excited!
This little blog is very, very close to receiving it's 200th comment!! Let me tell you, I did not expect that to be happening - and certainly not before the end of this month...I thought maybe mid-April. But readership and/or commenting has grown over the last few weeks and the time is now.
The lucky people who leave the 200th, and then the 201st comment, will win some knitting swag!
200th Comment: Oregon Felted Tote pattern and yarn.
201st Comment: Scarf or Sock Kit - pattern, yarn and needles - your choice
And, because I appreciate all the commentors who visit, I will place everyone's name from this month, in a draw for 2 seperate sock yarn or felted bowl projects (winners can choose!) I will even give you a choice of colours.
Here are some of the items you may win:
If you have been reading here for awhile, you know that I refer to myself as a Slow Knitter. Am I? Really? Perhaps I am just a considerate knitter?
This was how we spent much of yesterday - lounging, finishing Season 3 of the Sopranos and trying to get some of my Ravenclaw House Scarf done. I am sure you can imagine how difficult it is to knit with a pup sleeping under your arm! But she was too cozy, not to mention cute, to move. So little progress was made - just a 2nd set of silver stripes.
I did cast with my PS2 dyed sock yarn, you know since there are like 5 days left in the month. :-D
I am going to try Grumperina's Jaywalkers. I know, I am pretty late jumping on that wagon (ummm...2005?) but they look like fun.
I hope to get more done tonight - another cheesy episode of 24 is on and we are going to start Season 4 of Sopranos. (our plan is to catch up before the final season starts April 8th -we're enjoying it - though our language has really taken a dive!)
Good luck everyone! I can't wait to announce some prize winners!!
ETA: 200 and 201 have been written! I will contact the winners shortly. I guess I shouldn't really hold the draw until Sunday morning to be fair to everyone, I did say 'all the commentors this month'. Why must I be so impatient! What do you think?
Ok. All winners will be announced on Sunday, April 1st. -- no mention of Fools --
Labels: Bloggy Stuff, Contest, Movies, Project Spectrum 2, Socks, Stashalong, TV
Friday, March 23, 2007
May I Present...
The Oregon Felted Tote
Pre-felting - for an idea of the size. Look at that bit of wool - that is all that was left after making the 2nd tie!
Drying in the sun (temporarily behind a cloud)
Dried and ties woven in.
I plan on learning needle felting to embellish this bag. Maybe some embroidery and beading as well. It is lacking something.
This is my 1st true felting project. It is such a remarkable thing. To have this huge, floppy bit of knitting become this sturdy, yet malleable, fabric. I would totally do it again. In fact I am making my cousin some felted bowls with the leftover yarn - using a pattern from One Skein. I plan on filling one of them with some of those delectable Mini Eggs...Mmmmmm. I also have a lovely hat pattern I just might try one day soon.
I leave you with a few other pics from our walk last night. Spring-y!!
When these flowers open the Hummingbirds will be here!! That is less than a week away. Glorious Spring!
This is how my baby looks after the rain - she curls up like mad. Doesn't that wool look like it could be spun into something lovely?
You should see her when we get back from our walks. She runs around the house like a crazy thing, with her rear end tucked in, skittering all over the hardwood. It is a total riot. Though I do tend to be easily amused!
Labels: Books, Project Spectrum 2, Stashalong
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Poetry Thursday
a single bamboo shoot
a willow branch
Issa
It may be hard to tell in this picture but it is raining.
Labels: Garden, Poetry Thursday
Monday, March 19, 2007
Progress...of a sort.
Some of you may recall that I signed up for Stashalong on January 1st. Well. It has been nearly 3 months and here is how far I have gotten.
1)Sizzle: DONE - even though it didn't fit : -(
2) Anemoi Mitts: 1 DONE
3) Baby Blanket: No progress
4) Shae's Darling coat: DONE
** 5) My stinkin' Noro hat already - Since the weather has changed I am going to switch this winter project out with 4 dishcloths: 2 DONE
7) Mary Janes: DONE
8) Absorba the Great: DONE
9) The felted Oregon Tote that kickstarted my knitting frenzy 4 (I think) years ago: Felting as I write!! so...DONE
**10) The project that started the Blog: The Ravenclaw Raglan. WILL NOT BE FINISHED - does not even begin to fit so I will choose a different UFO
I am going to switch this out with socks 3 pairs as I have a LOT of sock yarn: 1 out of 6 DONE
(this might seem like an uneven switch - but actually the only thing left to do on the RRaglan was to attach the sleeves and knit the shoulders/neckline - total bummer)
11) Bejewelled: No progress
12) Purple Roving Scarf: DONE
13) Le Slouch: DONE
14) Uniscarfity: DONE
15) Surprise Baby Gift: 1/3 done
I have 1 strike at this time - which is fairly impressive for me!
I think this has been a great excercise in self-restraint for me...but I am not sure if it is something I want to do again!
Next time I am going to choose a method that allows me some free shopping days. This has been much more difficult than I anticipated - but has saved me money!
:-D
As it stands I have: 1 mitt, 1 baby blanket, 2 dishcloths, 6 individual socks, 1 scarf and 1 baby gift to go.
Or: 10 items before I can buy some yarn.
Aaaarrrghhh. Just when I thought I was close to home free!
The socks will be perfect for PS2 since I had decided that I would dye sock yarn in each sections colours. Now I just have to get back into my socks. Shouldn't be too hard.
ETA: Friends of another knitblogger lost their child in an accident last week. If you would like to help make a square for a comfort blanket please visit YarnIt.
Labels: Comfort, KAL, Project Spectrum 2, Socks, Stashalong
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Some Fo's
It certainly took long enough - here is Uniscarfity blocking in the sun. (well, it was in the sun earlier)
After FINALLY finishing the Endless Scarf, I cast on for the new pattern at FunDishCloth KAL.
It was a quick easy pattern - a welcome treat after the tedious boredom of the ES. These were so fast to knit up - one in the morning, one in the afternoon. Excellent knitting for Rome and Season 2 of the Sopranos (finally in @ the library).
The yarn is Peaches & Cream in an unknown colourway (ball band disappeared prior to posting!) that was gifted to me from the author of Unravellings.
This is the first time I have used Peaches & Cream cotton - it seems like a nice thirsty yarn, perfect for a dishcloth. Slowly, slowly there will be no more storebought dishcloths here. Then...the face cloths are next to go!
I saw Zodiac this weekend. It was very long - but maintained the tension and interest throughout. Pretty high praise, since I had already seen the documentary on A&E last year. Robert Downey Jr. does brilliant work - there are quite a few famous to familiar faces in this film. I would recommend the film without a soda! I love Dennis Fincher's films (maybe not Panic Room so much...)
I also got out in the garden to cut back some old growth and dead stalks and check on what is growing. Looks like 2 of the 5 raspberry canes I planted last year have survived the winter. 1 is really thriving. Could have some better fruit this year! Yum.
Up next: The Oregon Tote and Baby Surprise Gift
Thanks for all the congrats for my brother - really we don't know who to be congratulating. His fiance is the best woman - we are all so happy!
Labels: Family, KAL, Movies, Stashalong, TV
Thursday, March 15, 2007
YAY!!!!
Labels: Family
Poetry Thursday Etc.
Tension? What tension? We are the best of friends. We're just waiting to eat.
Mmmmm. My soap arrived in the mail today. It smells so heavenly! It is the Earth Spirit soap from Good Soapworks of Athens. I cannot wait to open this tomorrow morning.
This is what I see while I am blogging. She is always keeping an eye on me!
A special thank you to everyone who stopped by and left a comment on my last post - my blog reached a new milestone: 1st time I've had two digits worth of comments!
___________________________________________________________________
Unlearning
by Yvette F. Hanrath
I had this carefully laid-out plan
That by no small measure should succeed
Tuck you deep into the recesses of my mind
Store you in a shelf in my heart.
Keep the warmth but not the burning passion
Keep the memory without the pain
Keep the melody and not the haunting strains
Then walk, and go on with my journey.
So have I spent my days learning to unlearn
As I keep walking down this road.
But as I pass the fields of corn
I remember the softness of your hair.
I stop at a wooden bridge
Over the sparkling waters of a brook
And I remember
The touching of fluted glass.
The smoke billows from a cabin in the woods
And I remember a fireplace
Two shadows
And a white-colored mountain.
I watch the seasons change
And things green- turn brown
And I remember
A pair of chameleon eyes.
Perched on the slope of a hill
The zephyr softly brushes
Against my skin
And I remember a gentle touch.
The heavens deepen
Into orange and red
A flaming ball of fire
And I remember a passion, strong.
The silver moon rises
Amid a blanket of stars
And I remember two souls touching.
The stars frolic
As they beam their light
And I remember the smiles and a sweet joy.
I gaze at the ocean
These waters that binds us, yet, keep us apart
And my soul cries out for you.
I dance with a man
And follow his steps
But my soul wouldn't dance in the fire.
Will I ever forget
Or will I forever remember
Will I ever be free
From you.
Will I ever unlearn
What my soul wants to keep
Will I ever find
Another you.
Labels: Poetry Thursday
Monday, March 12, 2007
De-nied!
Who knew getting a photo of a child in a handknit would prove as elusive as Big Foot or his ilk? Certainly not me. I had this idea that you would just say, Here put this on and I will take your picture, and all would fall into place.
You would think I would know better, having worked with young children for over 10 yrs. Apparently, despite all evidence to the contary: I am an Optimist!
Model clothes? Nope. "I'm goin' fishin'."
I then thought "Oh, I can be clever-er than that. I'll turn it into a game." And let the subject use the camera...
We got pictures of "sharks & whales 'tackin us" (we're on the boat - didn't you used to play that? I know I did)
Spiderman
Ligons
"Ahh. Let the sibling use the camera..."
Nope. You can see, if you squint just right, Darling on the couch behind us.
The best shot all night was this Self Portrait.
Not to worry. Her Grandma is on the case. She has some serious powers of persuasion. We'll get a picture.
It is kind of fun to see from another perspective here. There were a lot of delted pics - mostly of Kira. A pretty popular subject for more than just me! She eats it up. But let me tell you, she is sleeping hard after this visit!
Have you heard the news?
Eunny Jang is the new editor for Interweave Knits!!!
Her patterns are so inspired and inspiring. Seriously, if you haven't done this yet - you need to go check out her Galleries. Gorgeous knitting.
And if you are an Interweave Knits fan, you might like this KAL.
Labels: KAL
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Another one bites the dust
SQUIRREL!!!!!!!!
Can you see my Muldy up in the right hand corner? That is her newest perch. She looks so snuggly doesn't she?Labels: Garden, Kids, Stashalong
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Darling Details
I thought it was time to show off some of the embroidery added to Darling.
The lovely wooden bead-buttons
A closeup of the back of Uniscarf.
I have completed 72 repeats of the pattern but it still seems short. So the endlessly dull, repetitive knitting continues into the night. Again.
And here is a fun little thing I found. This is a pic of my blog's code in a pictograph (or some such)
I could not work out the html codes so here is a pic of the pic!
Labels: Bloggy Stuff, Stashalong
If I had a Soundtrack to My Life...
Opening Credits - The Flower Duet: Lakme - Delibes
Waking Up - A Day in The Life - Beatles
First Day of School - Inana - The Tea Party
Fight Song - Daughter - Pearl Jam
Breaking Up - That Song - Big Wreck
Happiness - Mia Babino Caro - Puccini
Life's Okay - Today - Smashing Pumpkins
Mental Breakdown - Scentless Apprentice - Nirvana
Driving - This category is way to big! Driving music goes with the mood and location you're heading to - sorry, leaving this one blank.
Flashback - Just Like Starting Over -John Lennon
Getting Back Together - With Or Without You -U2
Wedding Song - Love Song for a Vampire - Annie Lennox
Birth of First Child - Ode to Joy - Beethoven
Final Battle Scene - Jungle Boogie - Kool & The Gang
Death Scene - Blackbird - Beatles
Funeral Song - Piano Concerto in D Minor, K466: 2nd Movement - Mozart
End Credits - Clarinet Concerto in A Major,K622: Adagio - Mozart
As found at zeitgeist
And here I thought I was going to get some sleep before the Madness descended!
Oh, and before File 2 was uploaded!
ETA: Apparently I was accepted as an observer for Sock Madness , not a contestant! Annnnd Round 2 doesn't start until NEXT week. Oops. Looks like I will have a quieter day than expected!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Speaking of Bono...
Step out of the driving rain, maybe
Run from the darkness in the night
Sweet the sin
Bitter taste in my mouth
I see seven towers
But I only see one way out
You got to cry without weeping
Talk without speaking
Scream without raising your voice
You know I took the poison
From the poison stream
Then I floated out of here
She runs through the streets
With eyes painted red
Under black belly of cloud in the rain
In through a doorway she brings me
White gold and pearls stolen from the sea
She is raging
She is raging
And the storm blows up in her eyes
She will...
Suffer the needle chill
She is running to stand
Still.
excerpts from: Running To Stand Still - Joshua Tree
I am still wading through the Participants List for PS2 - I'm at Pa now!
Here are some gems I discovered over the past few days:
If you have not seen this video yet - you have got to go now! I promise you You Will Laugh. And if you don't...well, you must be a crocheter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZcUjYpjKZs
Bella Knitting - Yarn pRon, pets and the cutest Viking Hats you will ever see. oh and a Scavenger Hunt.
Knittymama - The Horror! Preschooler attacks yarn! not for the squeamish
Little Purl of the Orient - Whoa: Crochet, Knitting & Quilting in one blog!
Pikku-Kettu puuhailee - You have to see this gorgeous knitting - blog is in Finnish and English.
On and Off the Needles - Lots of sock knitting here.
Baking Sheet - Can't quite remember how I got here...but Yum.
She Knits Shizknits - Mom isn't the only talented craftster - check out her son's telescope!
Sarah's Journal - Knitting, Music, Photography and the cutest toddler quotes online.
Have fun!
Labels: Contest, Music, Poetry Thursday, Project Spectrum 2
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Surprise!
I received the nicest surprise in the mail today!
What the? I haven't ordered anything for myself...Burlington? Isn't that where...?The lady I was assigned to spoil in SP8
D and I have really become friends and that is the best part of this exchange program! Check out her blog if you haven't been there before - she has the most beautiful family and some adorable doggies. Thank you D!! And what is this? Her boy is knitting?! This is the 2nd post - sounds like a convert to me!
Back to the YarnHarlot...yes sirree, she is coming to the West Coast of Canada. To Victoria in fact! Beautiful town and just so happens to be where my brother and his fabulous girlfriend live. I am so excited - this is how I used to feel when I knew Bono was coming to town (well minus the overpowering physical attraction - no offense YH!) - and Stephanie, that is saying something!
A word to the wise - if you are planning to go you have to sign up for tickets - the admission is free but you need a ticket to get in. If you need more information head here - and it is actually a Fibre Festival! I am dying to get in on one of those spinning lessons - but I am scared too. Every blogger I've read buys a wheel after learning to spin, and this house really doesn't have much more room...
Here is my Uniscarfity in all it's lack of impressive progress - since I am now officially out of the running I can finish at my leisure.
Yep - we had a stunningly nice afternoon here after a rainy morning - ah, but the rain is so good for the garden!
One more sign of Spring - some sort of bee was buzzing about while I was taking pictures! Yes!!
Labels: Family, Garden, Stashalong
Monday, March 05, 2007
Dribs and Drabs
This is a pic that didn't make it into yesterday's post. But I really like it.
This post is going to contain a little of everything - 'signifying nothing'.
1st let me just say what a difficult time I am having with this tragic news-story. When I first saw her missing person's report on Nancy Grace I already knew how this was going to end - that it already had ended. Who didn't know the outcome before we heard the entire report?
It infuriates and sickens me that women are brutally slain by the people they should most be able to trust. There is nothing wrong with divorce. WALK AWAY. Her children were upstairs for goodness sake. It is just dreadful because there is never any punishment that can recover what has been lost. Despicable. Cowardly. Selfish. There isn't even anything more I can say.
Sorry - usually I don't post about things that upset me. But this, this is a big one.
Anywaaaaays.
I am out of the running in the KnitOff. What a relief. I was not making quick progress with this scarf at all. I do think, however, that it will be perfect for my cousin Richard. Just his colours. Here is Kira letting me know how she feels about me spending another afternoon with needles in hand! Edited to preserve her dignity!
I watched the Queen yesterday. I really enjoyed it. Initially I had no interest, but so many people I trust loved it, and Helen Mirren did win an Academy Award...I quite liked it. It is so hard to believe it has nearly been 10 yrs since Diana's death. So sad. I distinctly recall all the negative press directed at the Royal Family. I too thought the Queen should have spoken up sooner, but I really felt for her in this movie. She reminded me of my Nana a little - same generation. I loved her line to Tony Blair about the press turning on him one day. If she really said that, how right she was.
I ordered some soap from here. Go check out the shop - all of the soaps sound delightful. And she is thinking of adding bath salts and teas - if you haven't tried a bath tea, you really must. They are heavenly.
A pic of my loony cousin playing around with my camera....shhhh. She doesn't know about this blog! She hates pictures of herself. I love them.
My Mom and I watched Lifeboat. A Hitchcock Oscar winner. It was so good. Riveting from the outset. I highly recommend it. I grew up on the Hollywood greats and I was sure I would be one of those tough talking ladies who could put everyone in their place, down two fingers of scotch and then apply their lipstick just so. We've come a long way baby! ;-D
I also read a book. I didn't love the book, in fact I had some real problems with some major parts of the storyline, but I did read it in a day and a half. I cannot recall the last time I read a book so voraciously. Apparently I needed the distraction! I have a major craving for Cinammon Rolls too...they are mentioned perhaps more often than vampires in this book. Please do not take offense if you are a fan (I know there are a lot of you) but this book really reminded me of This Book - which was a very painful read for me.
Perhaps it has become clear why I was not a real contender in the Knit Off? It was fun and I will definitely check out the patterns for the next few rounds. Thanks YarnMonkey!
Spring continues to make itself known. On Thursday I saw Robins! Lots of Robins. In the morning the birds are chirping before my alarm clock goes off and...nestled next to our living room window in a sheltered spot we have this:
Flowering Plum! Check out those leaves!!! Let the gardening begin!Just realized that yesterday was my 200th post! How cool is that? Soon I will be announcing a contest for the 500th comment...stay tuned.
Labels: Books, Contest, Etsy, Family, Garden, KAL, Movies
Sunday, March 04, 2007
My Week in Photo's
My bedroom becomes a bit of menagerie by early morning. This cheeky number sleeps up near my face, when he joins us around 4:30 AM. He is a loud purrer who demands to be acknowledged. He, however, hates to be disturbed. 
My brother was here for a 4 day visit. We do not get to see each other as often as either of us would like. He tried his best to make peace with Kira during this visit - she has a deep mistrust of him and the loud noises he makes! I had intended to take pictures at my dear friends Oscar party for this heading but...there just wasn't enough time with all of the eating, gossiping and chatter.
Monday - Random Stranger 
I nearly forgot this one! I was in Vancouver (I stayed over with my family after the Oscars) and my cousin and I were on our way for Viet Namese food. I was trying various pics through my car window, as I was driving. This one worked out well, as the gentleman waiting for his bus was backlit by the blazing lights in the gallery behind him.
Tuesday - My Feet
I'm at work, wearing my slippers. They can be quite a topic of conversation - especially when we read Goodnight Gorilla.
Wednesday - My Lunch
Mmmm. A new discovery. Instant Thai Hot & Sour Soup. Really quite good for instant soup. Not pictured: A blood orange and my dessert - Cinammon Dolce Latte!
Thursday - The Sky
For this late in the year we woke up to snow 3 mornings in a row this week - but no accumlation to speak of. There were a lot of low lying clouds while it snowed on the mountains around us - as seen from our backyard.
Friday - Self-Portrait 
This felt the most difficult part of the assignment - I think this is one of 8 tries!
This one is a bit of a fudge. I didn't leave the house this whole weekend. I do this about once every month and a half. I stay in my jammies and knit, read, surf, blog and bake to my heart's content. It is quite therapeutic. So this is a pic of the last thing I saw as I got into bed. The top quilt is an heirloom made by my Nana from scraps. I have had it since I can remember. It is the warmest thing as it is filled with heavy sheets and not batting. My Nana was famous for using things at hand and not following any proscribed order in her crafting. Sometimes the result was beautiful - such as this treasured quilt.
Thank you Dawbis for hosting this fun photo project!
Grey's Anatomy
Buttons
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
HP and the Philosopher's Stone
