Crafty Bird

knock, knock...

2007-12-31T14:38:00.000-08:00

Whose there?

Kitteh, that's who! Sorry for the extended absence, but my mum forgot how to use this blog thing! My life is sooo boring lately - too much typing and angst, not enough playing, catnip, and napping in the sunshine.

Maybe 2008 will be a bit more inspiring for the crafty bird? There has been knitting, and travel, and the acquisition of a new home. All good. However, overall 2007 wasn't the best on the record. But change is on the wind and the stresses of the past year will soon (soon!) be over. Then...catnip for everyone!

See ya next year folks! I think I'll go scratch the stairs now :)
~Oscar

The egg has hatched

2007-08-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

You know, I just love reading all of the blogs out there. Unfortunately, that can take a lot of time out of my day! Especially bad when I am trying.to.write.my.thesis! Ah well. I have been busy with other things.

As I hinted in my last post, I've been working on a secret project. I've become a first time home owner, with my lovely guy (and Oscar too, of course)! I am so happy to have the opportunity to purchase my own place - especially in Victoria. We are now living in a wonderful 3-bedroom townhouse on a quiet little street close to downtown. There is lots of work to be done, but we are looking forward to making the place our own. Very importantly, I have my own craft room/office! Yah! Finally, place to put all of my various yarn, fabric, paper, and ribbons (and to work in peace and quiet). I have been designing the room in my head, but it will have to wait until later this year to be painted as I just don't have the time right now to tackle such a project. I'm thinking robin's egg blue for the walls ... any suggestions as to what paint/colour I should use? Oh, these look like pretty colours:

Yes, I've finished my scarf from Victorian Lace Today, but haven't had an opportunity to block it out. Actually, I haven't been knitting much at all these past few weeks. My wrists and arms have taken a beating with all of the cleaning (new place), moving, cleaning (old place), typing (thesis), and computer use (that blog reading again) I've been occupying my time with. I am itching to finish my Icarus shawl and start something new though!

Here's a pic of the unblocked VLT scarf - I'll list out the details in a later post once I get a pretty picture.

Victorian Lace in Amsterdam

2007-06-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hi bloggy world! How are ya? Better yet, how am I? Since I read blogs every day, I really feel I know what everyone is up to, but I have to remember that I must post as well! Lots of news to tell...

Ok, well I have been a bit busy traveling. At the beginning of June I went to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for ten days to attend and present at a conference and also for a few days of rest and relaxation. This is my second visit to Amsterdam and I it confirmed that I really love this city.

I even had a chance to meet up with a knit group and meet some bloggers (Sorry, didn't get everyone's name - but if you visit here, please say hi!). How awesome is it that you can travel half way around the world and feel comfortable enough to go socialize and knit with people you have never met before. Knitting rocks.

My special travel project for my trip to Amsterdam was the "scarf with the open and solid diamond lace edging from Weldon's, 1904" (phew); p. 90, Victorian Lace Today.

I didn't really get a lot of knitting done on the trip and I am now a lot farther along than this photo shows. I love how the border is attached on this scarf by knitting the end section and then picking up stitches along the straight side and continuing up the body of the scarf. The middle section is fairly straightforward and knits up quickly. I really am enjoying knitting with the Addi Turbo lace needles as well as the Handmaiden Sea Silk yarn - the colours are so amazing!

A warning about this pattern though: the photos show a scarf with 3 points, however, the pattern instructs to do 4 repeats of the border chart. I actually did the four repeats and found that the scarf would be fairly wide, so frogged back and continued on with 3 points on the edge. I'm glad I made this decision as I wanted more of a long scarf that I can wrap around my neck several times.

In other knitting, I have progressed a bit on my Icarus shawl, but haven't put much time into it lately.

I'm also working on a pair of pink socks in Regia yarn. I'm not one to wear a lot of pink, but I love it when the pink is vibrant and paired with so many other colours. And a bright pair of socks perks me up when all I seem to wear in the Winter are jeans and t-shirts.

My other projects, well, they are collecting dust...

I recently had a chance to see the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-Mcfee, when she was in Victoria during the Victoria Knit Out weekend (June 9th). She was fantastic! Very entertaining and inspiring. I had her sign my copy of her book and got the obligatory nerdy blogger picture. Oh, and I am holding the sock! See it there at the bottom of the pic!

I also had the chance to meet a lovely fellow blogger, Alyson of The YoYo Knits and her husband, Travis. What a nice couple - I felt so bad for them as the weather was not the best while they were here on their honeymoon. What can you say about west coast weather!?

Speaking of the Knit Out...I have a fibre purchase confession! Well, at least one that I am going to tell you about (yes, there have been a few other accidental yarn/fibre purchases lately. Chock it up to stress). I found some beautiful hand-dyed, lace weight silk in a rusty coral colour from Indigo Moon on Gabriola Island:

And some fingering weight merino in pumpkin (yum). As well as a wrap counter hand-turned by Edward Tabachek of Winnipeg, Manitoba (hmm, can't find a web link), in a beautiful Ash wood.

More exciting news (well, for me), but I'll save that for another post ... soon ... I promise!

Take care!

Ravelry!

2007-05-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

I have been hearing about this fantastic new web-database system called Ravelry for a while now - I signed up for a beta account - and guess what! I got one! Soooo excited. This just appeals to the inner (and outer) organizer in me. And, as someone who organizes their closet by colour and sleeve length you know this is perfect for me.

Ravelry is just full of useful ways of cataloguing and organizing your stash, needles, works in progress, knitalongs, potential projects, etc. You can see who is knitting a project, or using a yarn you are interested in...very fun.

Have you heard about it? Go check it out!

Unfortunately, I have to work work work for the next two months and can't dive right in. But I will be taking breaks to work on my Ravelry site-no doubt about it. You can find me under username: Craftybird.

Ciao!

Hedera!

2007-05-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

I really loved making these Hedera socks.... I don't know if it was the easy-to-memorize lace repeat or the beautiful Fleece Artist sock yarn, but I enjoyed every minute of them. The pattern can be found at knitty and is by the wonderful sock designer, Cookie A. I have a few more of her patterns I would like to knit (especially the knee highs - what is it about knee highs? Love them).

I find every time I make a pair of socks I get a little bit better at fitting them to my feet. These were knit from the top down with 2.5 mm addi turbos - magic loop style (my fav). For my size 7 feet, I used 84 grams of the generous 105 gram skein of Fleece Artist. I made sure to add a few pattern repeats to the leg to make them nice and long. As well, I decreased a few extra times on the foot to compensate for my narrow arch.

They are still a bit loose as the yarn stretches a bit with wear, but sometimes I don't want to wear really fitted socks. The heel is a bit high and I would reduce the rows on the heel flap if I were to make these again. Don't they look fabulous in my Dansko's though?

And who is that trying to get in on the picture?

Of course, my most photogenic kitty, Oscar.

Ummm... hi!

2007-04-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, phew, glad I finally started a post! Talk about procrastination to it's extreme! I think my usual school procrastination spilled over into my crafting life, causing me not to post for over two (two!!!) months. The funny thing is all of the guilt that goes into *not* posting - very crazy. Well, I didn't mean to be away for so long and, now I have a few things to post about. Maybe not all at once though! School is crazy busy right now and will be for a few more months, so please excuse my continuted sporadic posts. I am finishing up my semester right now with a paper to write and exams and essays to mark. And I am trying to get a draft of my thesis in to my supervisor. Really, I gotta get this thing done this summer! Wish me good writing vibes and extended periods of intense concentration please...

I have been knitting on a few things over the past few months. I finished my pair of Fetching gloves and have worn them quite a bit during our cool spring days.
Pattern: Fetching from knitty.com
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino - just over 1 ball of the yummy dusty blue
Needles: 4.0mm rosewood dpns
Modifications: I knit a few cable repeats at the knuckles for length. As well (not pictured) I sewed in some elastic thread around the finger opening as the edge was curling back and driving me nuts! Much better with the elastic. Oh, and I accidently left out one knit row between the cable repeats on one glove - very handy for identifying which glove is for what hand.

I'm still working away on the Icarus shawl from Interweave Knits and have started with chart #2. I won't bore you with a picture of the green blob yet. The yarn is Sweet Georgia handdyed lace weight and it is really beautiful.

And Jared...oh Jared. I'm developing a love-hate relationship with you. I.just.can't.get.gauge. My guy will just have to wait until next winter before you are ready for him. For you shall not defeat me! I just need easy knitting right now!

Oh, and I finished my Vogue Embroidered Stockings! Very nice.

And my Hedera socks - also completed and worn quite a few times. Love them.

I shall return ... soon ... with pictures of finished items and those still in the works. Thank you for your patience friends, and your kind comments during my absence. I'm still lurking around your blogs so I really don't feel as if I've been gone at all.

The long-awaited River post

2007-01-26T11:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I think it's about time I posted about the long-finished River Shawl! I really love my finished River and have worn it a number of times. I did manage to finish it for my partner's Christmas party in December, which was my main goal, and have worn it as a scarf on other occassions. The yarn, Kid Silk Haze, is so lovely...not scratchy at all! It is wonderfully warm as well so I'm sure I'll get much use out of this knit!

The pattern is fairly simple, but took me forever to finish (due to many stops and starts on my part). So my start date was sometime in early 2006 and my end date was December 2006. The pattern is from Rowan Magazine no. 38 and was designed by Sharon Miller. I used a little less than 2 balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Black and the shawl was knit on 7mm Aero needles (no I don't mind the cheap plastic needles!).

I did not make the little scrunchy thing, but might in the future with the remaining ks haze.

I just wanted to thank those of you who patiently drop by here looking for a post...so sorry for the long pauses between postings!

The lack of light when I am home has prevented any decent picture of current projects, but I have been working on my Hedera socks (turning the heel on #2); Icarus shawl (slowing plugging along in chart 1); Jarrett sweater (yeah! I started a sleeve to see how the sizing will work out); Fetching gloves (yes, I started another project!). It looks like the forcast this weekend is for sun so I hope to get some fab pics of my knits soon!

I wanted to give a big heartfelt Yeah! to Ellen and Dana and Ruth-anne who have come together to form our own little Victoria knitting group! I just love getting out for an evening to chat and knit with these wonderful women!

And Happy B-day to Kathy -- all the best to you dear!

Take care all!

Resolutions and lists

2007-01-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

I've been reading numerous posts about resolutions for the new year. I too have many goals and wishes and have resolved to start a journal and write some of them down (check). I am hoping that the permanence of ink to paper will solidify some of my thoughts, goals, and decisions so that they seem more feasible and concrete. I think that in defining the goal it will allow me to see how I can manifest it more clearly and allow me to outline the steps necessary to reach the goal. I have many personal life goals, but since this is a crafting blog after all, I'll outline some of my goals in that realm:

1. Knit from my stash. Yes, my stash is busting at the seams. I recently purchased a dresser to hold my growing stash in style and I want to keep all of it in this one dresser. I have yarn for a few sweaters that will give me some much needed room and allow me to really consolidate all of my fibre in one place. I thought about joining Wendy Knits' Knit from your Stash along, but, I really suck at any "alongs" so I will be a virtual participant - less pressure that way!

2. Keep better track of what projects I have on the go - preferably in some form on this blog. I must get one of those project tracker thingies. Here are the projects I have started at the moment:

- Witterings : summer hat pattern by Anna Bell knit with black and white cotton. I started this project in the summer and have promptly shelved it due to non-sunny weather.

- Ene's scarf from Scarf Style in some lovely Fiddlesticks handpainted silk yarn. Love this pattern. Don't love that I made a mistake in the 3rd row. As per usual, I tucked this project away in hopes that it will miraculously fix itself. No such luck so far. I will make this one, but may have to start over (argh - it has a cast on of 375 stitches).

- Norwegian Stockings by Nancy Bush. I must have a pair of these socks...must! I even joined the Stranded Colorwork challenge. Of course, since joining the knitalong I haven't worked on the darn things once (told you I don't do well at these "alongs" things).

- Embroidered Stockings from Fall 2006 Vogue magazine. I have the socks finished, but haven't even attempted any embroidery.

- Hedera socks. Just started these recently and am working my way down to the toe of the first sock. I seem to do pretty well at staving off second sock syndrome, so I have high hopes for this project. Plus their so lovely, and their for me :) Here's a pic to keep you visually entertained:

- Jarrett sweater from Vintage Style. Not ringing any bells? Well that's because I am just swatching for this project. I promised my sweet man a sweater many months ago and this is the one for him. Here's a pic of the swatch on 4mm needles. I also did a swatch with the 4.2mm Denise, but the Rowanspun DK (in colour 737 Rush) begs for metal needles. If this project does look familiar, you probably read Brooklyntweed's blog. Love his projects!

I have a few (*snort*) other projects in the queu; however, since I don't knit full time for a living I think I'll focus on getting some of my current projects completed. By the way, yes I do have knitter's ADD.

3. Spin! I have recently acquired some roving and would like to practice spinning.

4. Keep my crafting / knitting purchases to a minimum (see also #1). Possibly set a monthly budget? Before doing that though, I must go on a buying spree ;) Opps! Already did that.

5. Learn something new. Last Fall I took a lino cutting course and loved it, so this year maybe I'll take another course (painting? bookbinding?)

6. Learn more about fibre. It seems there is a lot to learn about fibre and yarn! I'd love to increase my knowledge in this area.

Well, thanks for hanging in there so far with this wordy post. I'll get to posting pics of River next time around. For now, here's another seed stitch beret I knit for myself.

It's done in the same Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk yarn as the beret I knit in December for my mum. This time around I extended the brim to 5 inches from the cast on edge (the previous one was 3.5 inches) to make a slouchier hat. I used the Debbie Bliss pattern that I received as a gift for participating in her now-defunct club; however, it is very similar to Wendy Bernard's free Le Slouch pattern found on her site (it's on the left sidebar...just scroll down a bit and you'll find it). The five inches made my hat pretty slouchy for my smallish head, but it makes for a hat that is nice and warm - perfect for those blustery winter days here on the Island.
Au revoir!

Happy New Year!

2006-12-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

Ah, the holidays! I have to say I become less excited about Christmas the longer I am on this planet; however, my indifference doesn't really concern me too much. My excitement over the holidays has waxed and waned over the years depending on my personal situation (where I am living, who I am with) and my financial situation. I don't have children, my partner's family is Jewish, and the cult of consumerism that can envelope the holidays is just, well, disheartening to me.

However, I do love the twinkling lights, the friendliness freely given by strangers, and the excitement of gathering with loved ones - that is something worth celebrating all year long. Another favourite is hearing from friends that have been out of touch through correspondence or telephone calls.
And I love to send a few cards out to those I have been remiss in keeping in touch with. Here are some cards I made to send to friends and family - love to make cards!
I also managed to make a few gifts: the green mittens I posted about in early December ;
A dishcloth for my dear friend Carley who is in Turkey at the moment. I love the stitch pattern repeat on this one: *yarn over, knit 2, pass yo over 2 knit stitches* ; I also knit a toque made from Rowan Biggy Print as well as a removable flower pin for my neice-in-law (no photo!) ; and, finally, a beret

made from Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk and knit in seed stitch on 5 mm addi turbos
for my mother ; I liked this one so much, I'm making one for me too! I just made a few, quick knits, but then, this was meant to be a low-stress holiday!

I did recently started a pair of Hedera socks from knitty.com with Fleece Artist sock yarn (from the stash). I am loving the mix of clear blues and soft grey in this yarn. I'm knitting them magic loop style on addi US#1 and I've turned the heel on the first sock (woo hoo!). These puppies are for moi and I am enjoying them very much so far...very nice pattern...easy to memorize...pretty to look at.

I also have a larger finished object to report: River. It turned out beautifully and I was able to wear it to A's company party and a few other times over the holidays. I will take pictures and report properly once I get the software loaded for our long-awaited family present: a digital slr camera! We picked up a Nikon D50, which is being discontinued, at a descent enough price and I am very excited at the prospect of taking some yarntastic pics of my knitting projects (and craft projects too)!

Happy New Year to all. I wish you the very best for 2007! Be happy and be safe.

bejeweled

2006-12-08T22:11:00.000-08:00

If you are in need of a nice lace scarf pattern, and you want to put your money to a good cause, click on over to Lisa Shobhana Mason's blog: my life in stitches. The pattern comes in a pdf form, with a "thank you" from Lisa herself - and it's cheaper than a gingerbread latte!

linocutting 101

2006-12-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

I love to learn new crafty skills and techniques and a few weekends ago I had the pleasure of taking a linocutting class at a local art supply store. It was a great day of learning and creating - just what I needed! The instructor was wonderful giving us the information we needed with enough time to let the new information sink in as we developed a design for our stamp. We created a 2 colour stamp by first drawing a design on the linocut block and carving out the design on the lines. Here's a picture of the block after it was carved.
This first version of the stamp was printed on all of the cards using the lighter colour of ink. I used gold, then mixed in some silver as I went along, and then added a teal (which looks green when mixed with the metallic paint). The print on the left shows the base layer of ink.
The next step is to carve out more of the design on the block - this is the area that will remain the colour of the first block print. For the second printing of the block, I used a dark purple, black, and brown on the different cards. You can see the image with the second layer of ink on the right in the photo above. I really love the results of all of the cards!

I also twisted the stamp 180 for a few of the prints ... I like how these images look so different than the others.

Our instructor advised us to sign the cards as limited edition prints - how fun! I titled my set "Peonies", one of my favourite flowers. I'm going to send a few of these out for Christmas/Hannukah cards and save the rest for special correspondence.

Tonight I had the opportunity to visit with a few knitters at a local coffee shop. I had a great time! So nice to sit, knit, and chat with these two lovely women. I haven't been able to find a local s&b group in town so I really hope that we will be able to meet on a regular basis in the new year and maybe even add a few people.

peace ... courage ... acceptance
::: may all of these be with you

enjoy...
~r

Breaking the Ice

2006-12-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

Hi there! Well, I seem to get in these non-blogging ruts where I know I haven't blogged in forever, but I just can't get a post down... silly me. I have been knitting a bit, crafting a bit, working on the thesis, and also enjoying the socializing that comes with the impending holidays.

Port Hardy, BC

I've been making a few gifts for people so please excuse the vagueness surrounding who the items are intended for - it'll just be a surprise! A few weeks ago during the rainiest, windiest, snowiest day in a long while, I travelled up Vancouver Island for a research workshop. We couldn't make it to our destination that day because of a mud slide blocking the highway, but did manage to arrive the next morning. I wasn't driving so I had plenty of time to work and knit in the back seat. A great distraction from the horrible weather.

RY Cashsoft 4ply Beanie

I was hoping to start on Grumperina's Odessa hat pattern, however, I forgot one set of needles. I improvised and made a simple 3 x 2 rib beanie out of the lovely Rowan RY Cashsoft 4ply I brought with me (knit with 3.25 mm Addi circulars-magic loop).

We've had plenty of snow and cold weather here on the west coast over the past week or so, which is great for staying indoors with a hot cup of tea and some knitting. I completed a fantastically quick pair of mittens from the Fleece Artist "Favourite Soft Mittens" kit.

The mitts are knit with 4.75 mm dpns using one strand of Blue Face Leicester 100% wool and one strand of mohair, both in a deep green/brown colourway. The mohair gives them a lovely fuzziness. I only used 99 grams of the yarn and have about 30 grams of each yarn left over. Maybe I should make a third mitt just in case one gets lost ;-)

I have not been working on my Embroidered Stockings with just the embroidery to finish them. I also have stalled on my Norwegian stockings, but I am hoping that the Stranded Colourwork Knitalong will give me a bit of motivation! I've put the button on the sidebar in case you are interested in participating or just taking a peek at what people are working on.

You may notice the link to "Finished Knits" on the sidebar - the link is to my knits set using Flickr pictobrowser. I think it's an cleaner way to view photos in Flickr as you don't have to go to the Flickr site and then click on the set you want to view. If you want info on how to add it to your blog, just look the bottom right corner on the new page.

Thank you for your comments on the felted slippers - they are keeping A's feet toasty warm.

I hope to be back soon ... in the meantime, be well.

Mickey's feet?

2006-11-14T22:57:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to show the finished result of the felted slippers! They are so cute and look like Mickey Mouse shoes. I don't know if that's the look that A. really wanted, but at least the slippers are warm!

Sorry about the slight blur to the pictures - as other bloggers have mentioned, the lack of sunlight lately does not encourage very good photographs! The bare-bones specs on this project are that I used Fiber Trends Felted Clogs pattern and Patons Classic Wool (held double). They felted up pretty quickly using my generous friend's front-loading washing machine.

Now I'm off to Port Hardy for a few days. Only an 8 hour drive to reach the upper portion (not the top) of Vancouver Island. My I live on a large island! See ya on the weekend!

The Close of Socktoberfest

2006-11-03T11:10:00.001-08:00

Well, Socktoberfest is over and my first year of participation was fun, although not terribly productive. I didn't meet any of my self-imposed goals, but my knitting goals are the least of my worries! I did finish one sock from the Embroidered Stockings and am turning the heel on the second sock...again...I made the foot too big the first time around. I'm not crazy about how the heel is done on this pattern as it's hard to not get holes when picking up stitches.

I did start the Norwegian stockings this Socktober, but didn't make much progress there. However, I did finish my Lara sweater and started working on a hat for a family friend who has cancer (the Shedir had from Knitty). Oh, and I finished my felted slipper class and have two completed, although unfelted, slippers! (Slippers count as socks don't they??) I made the women's medium size from the Fiber Trends Felted Clogs pattern. These are a great project and I will definitely make more before the Holidays.

That's my size 7 shoe beside the unfelted clogs just to give an idea of how large they turn out. I hope to felt them this weekend and will post a pic when they are done.

I received my copy of the Crafter's Companion in the mail and is it ever a fantastic book! I am so glad I pre-ordered a copy. The quality of the book is commendable with lovely paper, wonderful pictures, and inspiring projects. The book provides insight into the creative lives of 17 craft bloggers who each supply a pattern. I would recommend this book whole heartedly - it would made a perfect gift for a craft blogger or for someone looking for some inspiration and a great read.

I recently picked up a copy of Martha Stewart's special Holiday publication - also full of great projects and recipies for the Holidays and beyond.

I want to give a big thanks to Alyson of The YoYo Knits for this wonderful skein of sock yarn! The yarn is handpainted cotton stretch yarn by Greenwood Fiberworks in a lovely teal colour - I love it! I see that Grumperina has made a pair of socks from this yarn and if Grumperina likes it, Crafty Bird likes it too! Make sure you follow the link to Alyson's blog for a pretty extensive list of sock patterns found on the web.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Yarn storage

2006-10-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I saw this lovely dresser on Craigslist and knew it would make the perfect stash storage centre!
It's an old art deco style dresser with lovely bakelite handles.

The finish is a bit mottled, but I like the lines and the size is perfect. I shuffled things around in my section of our study to accommodate the dresser - now the cheapo, unfinished wood bookshelf is hidden in the closet with all of my knitting and crafting books and card-making supplies stored inside.
I love having my stash easily accessible and organized as I am a visual person and need to see what I have. Hopefully having everything right under my nose will prevent any accidental stash enhancements...hopefully.

I've finished one of my Embroidered Stocking socks (not the embroidery) and will start the other this weekend. I haven't actually been knitting much this week as I've had a few books that I've wanted to finish. I haven't mastered the art of knitting while reading yet!

I did want to show you a sweet little pillow that I've had for quite a while. It was made by my mother with some woven cloth she made back in the early eighties probably. I think it's a lovely way to display some of my broaches.
The top two are from my grandmother, the owl I purchased recently, and the horse broach I've had since I was a horse-crazy little girl. I've actually seen the horse broach for sale as a pendant on the web - a sure sign I am getting older when items from my childhood (and teens!) are considered "retro" and funky.

Have a great Friday everyone! Thanks for all of your kind comments on Orangina and Lara - much appreciated!

Lara

2006-10-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

First off, finished project news! Lara is off the needles, blocked, and ready to keep me toasty and warm this winter. Yeh, I know, I live in Victoria, but I really do wear a lot of sweaters here in the winter - it's the damp cold you know.
Sorry about the flash picture...

Specs are as follows:
Pattern: Lara by Debbie Bliss in her Alpaca Silk book
Yarn: Alpaca Silk in the pattern colourway 25010. I used a little over 14 balls for a size medium
Needles: US 9 / 5.2 mm Denise circulars
Gauge: 18 st & 24 rws per 4" after blocking
Started: September 16, 2006
Finished: October 19, 2006
Comments: I liked the unusual construction of this sweater (from cuff to cuff) and it was a fairly easy knit. It went quickly and the yarn is really soft and great to work with. I love the colour, which is hard to represent in the photos posted here - it's an orange/coral blend. The seaming went well, except for one side that I had a little trouble keeping things matched up.

I love my new Lara sweater!

In Socktoberfest news, I am getting to the very top of one of my Embroidered Stockings from Fall 2006 Vogue Knitting. I've had to figure out the leg shaping as I go because of my skinny and high calf muscles. Also, my knitting is now a lot slower since I switched to the larger rosewood dpns. Cascade Fixation yarn demands metal needles! I've also cast on for the Norwegian Stockings using Devon yarn from Elann with both 3.25 mm and 2.75 mm needles. I think the 2.75 mm sock will win the gauge war (skinny calves, remember).

In the spirit of Socktoberfest, I am taking a felted slipper class at the smaller of the local yarn stores here in town. I've never taken a knitting class before so it's fun to learn from a real-live person versus the internet or a book! The slipper pattern is from Fiber Trends and is super quick to knit. I can see quite a few of these slippers completed as gifts.

Orange you lovely!

2006-10-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

So, waaayyy back in early August I showed pictures of the final stages of Orangina. I am happy to present the final version: Orangina, finished, seamed, and blocked:
Pattern: Orangina by Stephani Japel of Glampyre Knits
Yarn: Endless Summer Collection Lara from Elann.com
Needles: 3.25 mm / 60 cm Addi Turbo circulars
Started: Oh, last year sometime
Finished: September 2006
Comments: I liked the pattern, although it took me forever to knit the lace part - including a few needle changes until I found Addi Turbos then it was smooth sailing. The lace repeat is very easy to memorize and this pattern was great as a learning project for me. The yarn was splitty, but I am learning that many cotton yarns are splitty. I do love the colour. The fit is a bit tight in the chest as there is no shaping in this pattern (yah, it's not me-it's the pattern). This would be one thing I might try to change about this pattern now that I have a bit more knitting experience under my belt.

I especially like the way the edge of the neckline looks:
Here's a closeup of the lovely lace design:
Mmmm, orange knitted lace, yummy!

We received some much needed rain here this weekend and I spent quite a bit of time sorting and organizing things at home. I've been moving my stuff around in the study to make room for my new yarn-containment dresser. Yes, a whole dresser uniquely devoted to holding my stash. Well, most of my stash (I do have some overflow, but sock yarn doesn't count right?). I'll try and get a picture of it this week, but right now the study is a bit of a jungle with all the plants etc. from the deck, which is being cleaned and painted.

I have been knitting away on Lara as well and hope to show finished pictures very soon. And sock pictures too!

Have a great Monday!

Gifted goodness and knitting knews

2006-10-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that I haven't been posting very frequently as of late, I have been keeping up on the many blogs I peruse! I have been very fortunate to have received a fantastic blogiversary gift package from the wonderful Norththreads. It was her blogiversary, not mine, and I get the goodies - what a deal! Angie sent me a fabulous box just stuffed with wonderful items. Even Oscar got in on emptying the box!

One of my favourite items is this lovely felt needlecase. I'll have to get some embroidery scissors to keep in it.

And lots of fantastic embroidered linens, fabrics, and redwork, and cross stitch!

Also some lovely yarn, buttons, ribbon, a sweet green ginham apron, some tiny ricrak, ephemera, wall paper, embroidery cotton, picture frame, crocheted dollies, and other goodies. Can you believe all of the goodness in one package? Angie was so generous! She has some wonderful items at her etsy shop as well as at Glitter and Grunge, a fabulous collective of artistic creators (look under Glitter artists for Angela). Go check her out!

I've been knitting as well and have made progress on my Lara sweater as well as my Embroidered knee socks. I'm a bit further along then these pictures reflect and hope to finish up my Lara sweater this week! Lara is a bit challenging to take a photo of as she is one massive piece, but you get the picture. The Alpaca Silk is so lovely to work with and I can't wait to wear this sweater.

I've joined Socktoberfest this month and hope to reach the following goals:

Finish the sock portion of Embroidered Stockings from Vogue knitting. This is my bus knitting project so I should make good progress.
Start and possibly finish one sock of Norwegian Stockings from Nancy Bush's Folk Socks. Love these socks! I have in my hands some Devon yarn from Elann in black, green oasis, and white. These socks will be my first fair isle project and, I suspect, a challenge to complete!

I'm also going to try NOT to start any other sock projects during the month (unless I finish my two knee high pairs - ha!). I have many sock projects I would love to make so we'll see if I keep that little promise to myself.

Now I just need to figure out how to get that Socktoberfest button up on my side bar. Hmmm, I'm not the best at html and all, but did manage to get the Crafter's Companion button up! Woo hoo! (don't laugh!).

I hope everyone had a great weekend and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Lovely Fall knitting

2006-09-24T23:30:00.001-07:00

Lovely fall days really inspire me to want to knit warm, snuggly sweaters. Way back when I first started to acquire a stash - only two short years ago - I purchased the yarn for the Debbie Bliss' Lara sweater in the project colourway (Alpaca Silk in 20510). I did attempt to start the sweater at one point, but it was abandonded for other projects. Lara, you are abandoned no more.
I have just starting the rib collar on this uniquely constructed sweater. It is progressing fairly quickly as it is my main knit when I relax in the evening in front of the tv.
I've also been working on ... a sock! Gotta have a sock to knit on the bus! Unfortunately, this little sock has been started about five times. Yah, I know, it looks easy, but the yarn is that crazy Cascade Fixation - very stretchy. I have managed to find the right stitch count for my foot and also a good tension for the yarn (which resembles an elastic band) and I am on my way now. The pattern is the Embroidered Stockings from the Fall 2006 Vogue Knitting. I'm loving the idea of knee socks right now so hopefully these will knit up quick!

I've been listening to a hilarious new podcast that I thought I would pass along to anyone who hasn't heard of them yet: Lime and Violet. Give them a listen. They're a hoot!

Back on the blog again

2006-09-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

Wow! Where did August go! Such a lovely month full of sunshine, travel, family, and friends - and now it is September. Time to get serious and down to business with school/work. After such a long break from posting on this blog I hardly know where to start.

I managed to drive about 3500 km in August during my trip to Northwestern British Columbia to conduct interviews for my masters thesis. I stopped off in Prince George to visit with my brother and his girlfriend, as well as friends and I also visited with my mum for a few days on the way there and back. The interviews went well - I managed to get 5 interviews. Now I am transcribing, which is pure torture!

My boyfriend and I also took a long weekend trip to Vancouver to visit his family. I gave the Sweeten sweater to his niece and not only did it fit with a little room for growth, but she liked it too! I found some lovely pink hand-dyed silk ribbon to finish the sweater off and I thought it looked lovely against the grey of the Rowan wool.

Pattern: Sweeten from Rowan Babies in 2-3 year size
Yarn: Rowan 4 ply soft in shade 384; 4 balls
Needles: 3.25 mm for body, 2.75 mm for edges
Trim: Hand-dyed silk ribbon
Comments: The pattern worked well as my first sweater. It gave me a feel for how a sweater is knit and constructed. The fit on this sweater is great! I really liked the Rowan 4 ply and the fabric it creates: very fine and perfect for a child's light sweater.

While on my driving trip I finished off sock #1 of the cotton blend socks. Don't worry, I didn't knit while driving (although I really wished it were possible!). I did, however, listen to many podcasts including the wonderful Craft Lit podcast and the reading of Pride and Prejudice. I cast on for sock #2 and almost finished it while in Vancouver. Unfortunately, I came home to realize my gauge was a lot tighter than the first sock! You can see how narrow the sock on the right is compared to the sock on the left.
The gauge issue was the result of using dpns on the first sock and a circular on the second - good to know my gauge is tighter when using circs for socks! So rip-rip-rip it went and I started again with a larger needle. I finished up the second/third sock last weekend and I really like them! I enjoyed knitting these toe-up socks and will definitely use this method again (in fact, I am already!).
Pattern: Widdershins (plain version) from knitty.com with Magic Toe-up caston
Yarn: Marks & Kattens Clown (45% cotton, 40% superwash wool, 15% nylon) in shade 1724; about 1.25 balls
Needles: sock #1: 2.25 mm rosewood dpns (of which two broke!) AND sock #3: 3.0 mm addi circular
Comments: I'm not very happy with my H.A. Kidd Rosewood needles - two broke while knitting these socks. I will save some money and stick with bamboo or metal dpns from now on! These socks were knit for my size 7 feet.

Since I was on a successful sock situation, I dug up a sock languishing in my knitting basket - one that had been abandoned quite a while ago. So I picked it up, finished it off, and immediately cast on for the second. What's the status of the second sock, you ask? Done!
Pattern: Thuja from knitty.com
Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks 4 ply in colour 54043; 1.5 balls
Needles: 2.75 mm aluminum dpns
Comments: This yarn is a bit, um, course, and I'm hoping will withstand wear by A over the winter months.

I'm very happy to have three finished projects for August. I also have Orangina almost complete with just a bit of seaming up to do. I fear that it may be a bit snug around the chest though. If so, I will just knit an insert on each side to give it a bit more width.

I have a few more projects on the go that I will save for another post or two. I really need to fess up as to what I have lurking in my knitting bag, baskets, shelves, closet..... But, now that September is here, I am looking forward to the Fall days as it is my favourite time of year. This past summer was lovely, but a challenging one for me mentally. I've done lots of thinking about life and my direction and focus at this point. This semester is going to involve a lot of work as I attempt to complete my thesis. I just hope my knitting will keep me feeling balanced....

It's nice to be back. Thanks for dropping by!

On the road again

2006-08-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you noticed, but I have been a bit absent. That is because I am on the road and have been since last Saturday. I've been driving around the province (and it's a big one, let me tell you) interviewing women for my thesis project. Here's a picture of some of the places I have been on this journey.
Mountains around Hazelton, BC.
'Ksan village, Hazelton, BC. Go to Flikr for more photos.

I am now visiting with my brother and friends in Prince George and should return to Victoria in a few days. I did bring a few knitting projects so I may have some progress to show when I return home.

Knitting therapy

2006-08-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Life has been a bit stressful on the school/work front so, to sooth my edgy nerves I have been knitting.....
The plain Widdershins sock is coming along nicely. And....
...the ribbing on Orangina is growing daily: 4 inches done, one or two more to go.

I've also compled the neck edging on the Sweeten sweater and am getting better at mattress stitch as I seam up the arms and sides.

Dosha anyone?

2006-08-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Found this quiz through a new-to-me blog, The Natural Bardo:

Your Dosha is Pitta

You have a quick mind, a gift for persuasion, and a sharp sense of humor.
You have both the drive and people skills to be a very successful leader.
Argumentative and a bit stubborn, you have been known to be a little too set in your ways.
But while you may be biased toward your own point of view, you are always honest, fair, and ethical.

With friends: You are outgoing and open to anyone who might want to talk to you

In love: You are picky but passionate

To achieve more balance: Be less judgmental of those around you, and take cool walks in the moonlight.

What's Your Dosha?

I don't really care to do these quizes too much, but I recently picked up a book at the yoga studio that was talking about doshas and what kind of yoga and food to partake in for your dosha. I thought I was pitta from browsing the book - guess I was right!

cuff

2006-08-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Lisa's tower of cuffs, I decided I wanted to try my hand at making one of these fun little projects. So I did.
I had some scrap fabric - perfect for this project - and a bit of green silk that was perfect for visual and textural interest on the top. I just used tiny ricrac for the button loops.

This project is a great way to use a few lovely buttons from the collection. Thanks for the inspiration, Lisa!

Button bracelet

2006-07-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

I received such a wonderful package in the mail yesterday. A beautiful (beautiful!) button bracelet made by Regina at Creative Kismet! And look at the cute pouch and matching card it came with. Love the fabric.
I somehow fanangled my way into receiving this bracelet and haven't taken it off since it arrived. It just goes so perfectly with much of my wardrobe and I love the natural mother-of-pearl shell buttons. Great job, Regina! Thank you so much for your generosity!

knitting news (and a little fabric too)

2006-07-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

Well I promised to post about some finished knitting and so here you have.... yoga socks!

I know, I know, yoga socks don't take very long to knit, but I finished them! They are cute, and warm, and they fit (yes that's my scrawny foot in the pic above). Hopefully they will prevent my arches from cramping during yoga this winter. The yoga socks are knit from a free pattern you can find here and the yarn is some lovely 100% wool sport weight organic rambouillet from Tierra Wools (a small operation in New Mexico). The wool is dyed naturally using Cochineal (yes, bugs) and it is a beautiful deep red. I only used half the skein so I may make some wrist warmers or use the rest of the yarn for a hat.
I've also been doing some dedicated knitting on Orangina as I am determined to wear it this summer. I have finished the second panel and joined in the round for the 3x3 ribbing. The cotton yarn "Lara" Endless Summer Collection from Elann continued to aggrevate me with about 5 knots in one ball. Grrrr. Weaving in ends is not my favourite thing to do and cotton yarn seems a bit tricky. Does anyone have any tips for me? Should I actually tie a knot in the yarn?

I have also made a considerable addition to my fabric stash. Now, I do have quite a bit of fabric, but not much 100% cotton, and most of it is pretty old and usually not what I want to use for projects at this moment. (I know, I'm rationalizing.) I was tipped off about a great sale at Hancock's Fabric in the USA so I hurried on over to their web site and loaded up my in basket. In the end I purchased 1 and 1/2 yard cuts of some great prints for crafting and quilting as well as some larger yardages of two Amy Butler prints that are destined for clothing. I also purchased some sage cotton that I plan on using for a bolster for the back of the couch. Hancock's service was great, their cuts generous, the shipping charge was reasonable, and I didn't get charged any duty!
Oh, almost forgot! More knitting...I wanted to start another pair of socks. I have completed two pairs of socks so far in my short knitting career - both of which were lace patterns, top down, and using magic loop method. This pair is a toe up pattern using the magic cast on from Knitty and knit with dpns one sock at a time. The yarn is from a little shop in Port Alberni. Funny thing, I was driving around Port Alberni last week, just exploring a bit. I parked the car at the quay to have a looky-loo and what is the first shop I see? Yup, a yarn shop [edit: shop is Heartspun and owner is Karen - go see her!]. Fate, I tell ya. So, I picked up some rosewood dpns by H.A. Kidd (show above) and two balls of Marks & Kattens cotton/wool sock yarn in the clown colourway. The yarn feels great and I like the self-patterning yarn for visual entertainment on the plain sock. So far it is going smoothly!

Just to say thank you!

2006-07-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more healing for me than to get out and enjoying the beauty of Mother Earth. Love it. Don't particularly love the lack of a hot shower in the morning, but I can survive without for a few days. I especially like the fact that there are NO BUGS on the West Coast. I don't know what all those bugs are doing hanging around up north, but they are missing a good time down here (don't tell them though, ok?).
The picture above was taken from the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre looking up the beach and the picture on the left below was taken on the path leading from our campsite to the south end of Long Beach. The West Coast of Vancouver Island is beautiful, rugged, unpredictable, and really satisfies with its long sandy beaches and tall, mysterious forests.

I have been delinquent in thanking two wonderful bloggers who have kindly sent me some delightful packages recently. The first is Blair of Wise Craft who, after her first package was lost in the mail, sent me another beautiful piece of fabric. Thank you for being so considerate, Blair!
The other wonderful blogger who I must thank is Sarah from Red Felt Flower who sent me a lovely package - with handwritten card (she has amazing handwriting), an Australian stamp on velum, and sweetly adorned in a pink button and thread! It contained three different and delightful pink ribbons that will be added to my growing ribbon stash. Love ribbon - it is so aesthetically pleasing to place in old mason jars and makes one feel very crafty indeed!
So thank you to three wonderful ladies, Mother Earth, Blair, and Sarah!

Gone camping

2006-07-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you know I won't be around for a few days. I'm off to Long Beach for a few nights of camping where I intend on eating too much, walking a lot, collecting lots of rocks and shells, and getting dirty (no showers). See ya soon!

Kitty!

2006-07-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

What is in this little backpack?
Could it be Ms. Kitty!!
Yes it is! My Wee Wonderfuls kitty made in a white denim and that never-ending flower print. She has blue button eyes with lovely blond eyelashes, sweet ballet slippers tied with bow buttons, and she is holding a lovely flower pin for her new mummy!
Kitty! always reminds me of Monsters Inc. when little Boo spots Sully and cries "kitty!" Well, I hope this little Ms. Kitty doesn't remind anyone of Sully - I think she is pretty cute with her smirky little grin! Perfect for her recipient, my 5-year old God-daughter. And the backpack was made to carry around her Ms. Kitty as she travels on Vancouver Island this weekend and home to Prince George later next week. I made the back straps from grosgrain ribbon and just pinned it at the top so I can adjust it to fit her. I constructed the backpack by sewing together two panels of contrasting fabric: first sewing each panel with two contrasting fabrics right sides together, and then flipping each panel right side out and sewing the two panels together on three sides, leaving the top open. The top 3 inches or so is flipped down and secured with a lovely vintage button and ric-rac loop closure with a little extra pink ribbon detail to girl it up.
Not to leave my sweet God-daughter's brother out of the gift giving when they arrive this week, I have made a book/gameboy/travel bag for him as well and have enclosed a few car-friendly activities.

It is made from baseball denim with red cotton twill lining. The strap is the denim fabric and red grosgrain ribbon for stability. I put a contrasting pocket on the inside and a matching one on the outside, both lined with the alternate fabric. It should be sturdy enough for a 7-year old boy, I hope!

Thanks again to all those who gave me feedback on my MIA swap situation -- it turns out the package was lost in the mail (boo hoo!!). It is just so darn frustrating when that happens! Ah well, it restores my faith in bloggers, but reduces my faith in the postal system. Maybe I'll have better luck next time I participate in a swap.

By the way, I am having such problems with my Mac after the last OSX upgrade. Programs crashing and even my computer needing to be rebooted yesterday. It has been very hard to get a post finished and extremely frustrating to lose work mid-progress. So, I have other things to show you, but must endure the frustrations of technology until the bugs are worked out at Apple.

Hopefully soon I will be able to give an update on my knitting progress because, yes, I have made progress!!!

PS: I noticed that Wee Wonderfuls has a free downloadable pattern for an adorable cardi for your kitty/bunny/bear!! Ok, one last shot of the adorable, Ms. Kitty!

I am accessorized

2006-07-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

First off, I can't wait, I have actually finished my accessory purse based on the Melanie Falick accessory pouch pattern in Handknit Holidays! Here she is in all her burgundy and gold glory.
I sewed a double-sided lining to the interior of the purse so you can see the gold fabric peeking through the yarn over holes from the outside. The gold fabric matches some gold flecks in the tweed. As well, there are a couple of pockets for cell phone, iPod, lip balm, etc.

The handle was a bit tricky to attach as I wanted the purse to open wide enough to see what was in the bottom (yes, I like an organized purse). I attached the tabs a few inches down inside the lining so the top of the bag opens quite wide. I attached only one wooden handle, mainly because those things are just darn expensive I didn't want to buy two. I think I like it with one handle anyways :) I used a thrifted (vintage?) button with an i-cord loop for the closure. I used my new purse when I attended a party on Canada Day and it stayed snug on my shoulder the entire evening. I am pleased! Further specs for this project are: 2.5 balls Karisma Ull-Tweed, 100% wool in colour 04 (burgundy) found on sale at my LYS. Lining is 100% cotton.
We have been having a lot of fun her at chez Crafty Bird. Attended a fantastic party on July 1st that was held in a penthouse suite of a local downtown hotel – we had a wonderful view of the fireworks from a rooftop deck! We also attended Folkfest this past weekend and saw Neko Case perform – she rocks! Great show. Coincidentally, another local blogger had the same idea on Monday.
I managed to bake this weekend and whipped up a batch of Chewy Flapjacks from the recipe posted by Yarnstorm. Now normally I am not much of a day-to-day cook, but I do like to bake once in a while. I just love desert with oatmeal in it – I think it is because I can justify to myself that oatmeal is healthy, therefore the desert is not that bad for me (ha, ha). I know, I am a bit deluded. They were delicious!
Oh, and I finally received my Wee Wonderfuls Kitty, Bunny and Bear pattern book on Tuesday! It looks so cute and I had such a laugh when I read the first two words, “Alrighty then.” It set the mood for the rest of this wonderful little book. Can’t wait to make a little bunny or bear!

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who commented with advice on what to do about my delinquent swap situation. Your support is appreciated and I’ll let you know how it turns out!

Where did that camera go?

2006-06-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hmmm....my dear partner seems to have absconded with the camera once again! And what is a blog post with no pictures? Boring, I say! Unless you divulge deep personal secrets or go on a rant!

Since you aren't getting any of my deep, dark secrets from me today, I might as well have a little rant. So, I have a question for anyone who reads this blog. What is the proper blog etiquette when you join an organized swap, make some lovely things for the three (yes three) recipients you have been assigned, add lots of extras and generally send out a great parcel, and then wait and wait and wait and WAIT and NEVER receive anything in the mail from your swap partner (who is unknown to me). Do I:

suck it up and chalk it up to experience and never join another swap due to my devastating experience on my first swap and my subsequent bitter attitude regarding the unfairness of the world (pout, stamp feet);
give the swap partner the benefit of the doubt that they are deathly ill (possibly a coma?), they have sewn their fingers to their brilliant creation but can't get the blood stains off the item and also have no fingers with which to type me a note, or that the parcel was lost in the mail (an honest possibility); or
file a complaint with the blog swap police so that the irresponsible swap participant is punished accordingly for her/his uncraftbloggerlike conduct (or possibly report the lack of receipt of a swap package to the swap organizer)???

I mean really? My very first swap and I am left high and dry. Plus, Oscar is a little miffed and you know that cats hold a grudge. Despite my slightly exaggerated rant, what is the proper way to deal with delinquent swap partners? What do you think?

Alright, come back later for a post with pictures of a finished project! Yup - I have completed one of the many, many projects I am working on - so happy!!! :)

yarn, yarn, yarn

2006-06-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy and productive week for me! I have successfully defended my thesis proposal and am now ready to proceed with my research, which will keep me very busy this summer and fall. I have also found some time to knit - yah! I have been wanting some blissfully meditative stockinette stitch knitting instead of the lace of Orangina and River, so ...
I have resurrected a project that has been languishing in my knitting basket for quite a while and I must complete it before the recipient grows too large. It is the Sweeten sweater from Rowan Babies in Rowan 4-ply soft. I am working on the last section and then need to seam and knit the band around the neck opening. It is a wrap sweater and I may attach some pink ribbon as a tie and also to pretty it up a bit. I was thinking about why I left this project for so long and I think I just needed to learn a bit more about how garments are constructed before finishing it up. Or it could be my flighty knitting tendencies. Hmmm.
A few weekends ago, A and I explored a new area of town and attended the 2006 Knit Out here in Victoria (well, Esquimalt really). There were a number of vendors and I purchased a few lovely skeins of hand dyed yarn by Hummingbird Fibre Arts in some of my favourite blues and greens. The light green is a silk blend lace weight, the blue is a silk ribbon, and the blue green is a chunky boucle. I sat and knit for a bit, but it was soooo cold! I also purchased some sock yarn, because you can't have enough sock yarn!
And, if you weren't tired of photos of yarn, here is the promised photo of what I smuggled back from the US on my recent trip to Baltimore:
Ahhh, yarn...

Just to prove this is a multi-craft blog, here's a picture of a quick card I made yesterday for a friend.

Have a great friday!

workin it

2006-06-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I missed out on day blue of colour week, but did manage to find a little red lurking in my photo archives.
I actually wore this little number today. It's a one skein wonder by Glampyre made from red/green cotton yarn. Just enough to keep the chill off with this cool weather we are having. It is a sweet little pattern - perfect if you are warming up to knit a whole sweater! (I'm still working on that).

And I thought I would share my work in progress corner. My little desk that used to be for studying/working has recently been transformed in to my crafting/sewing centre (a much better use of space ;). I now study at the dining room table, which has a lot more room to spread out.
I only have about 10+ works in progress on the go: a bag for a dear little boy (the baseball denim fabric), my knit purse (lining needs to be put in and handle attached), blackout lining for the window (hopefully finished before summer is over), and numerous clothes to sew and refashion. I won't even show you my mending pile - scary! You can see I am into the "basket" method of organization. Love baskets. Love organizing!

I hope all of you have a lovely Friday evening and a fabulous weekend too!

Black/grey

2006-06-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

Visited Granville Island in Vancouver recently and took some photos of the sculpture on display. Bill Reid's Dogfish woman - a very strong figure in First Nations culture by the sounds of it!
And, of course, I can't leave Oscar out of Black/Grey day. Here he is lounging on the deck thinking "don't mess with me, lady!"

Brown

2006-06-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm....incense. Japanese incense purchased today and very lovely.
And two china horses that sat on my grandparent's mantle for many years (since the 70s). I have two larger plaster horses (in storage) that are probably from the 50s as well. Needless to say, I was a horse-loving little girl and always admired these as a child. Now they are mine to enjoy. (oh, and most of the walls of our apartment are painted various shades of brown!)

I did not like brown until I was in my 30s - now most of my wardrobe is browns, greens, natural colours. Brown is a very underrated colour in my books!

White...

2006-06-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

I intend to post a few colour pictures this week - inspired by little birds and port2port.

White - I used to have a little bundle of white in my life. My dearly departed doggie, Christie (a West Highland White Terrier). She was a wonderful companion for 11 years and I miss her dearly.

peep!

2006-06-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

Just stopping by to show you NO crafting. That's right! None. I am itching to knit, but have no time. I have a pile of clothes to refashion, but no time. And my purse! I want to finish my purse!

Alright, enough whining. I haven't been crafting or knitting, but I have been traveling! I went to Baltimore, Maryland, for a conference where I presented a paper. I haven't been to the US in quite a while and have never been to the East Coast. The weather was stormy and humid, which I kind of liked as it is very different from what I see here in Victoria. I managed to sneak away from the conference and went to a yarn store at Fells Point: A Good Yarn. Believe it or not, the woman who owns the shop is from Canada (Nova Scotia). I purchased a few skeins of yarn that I haven't had a chance to take a picture of yet so you will have to make do with the storefront.
I managed to knit a bit at night in my hotel room, but didn't venture on the plane with my needles. I am so afraid of them taking my knitting needles away from me!! So little knitting time was had in Baltimore. One day I will be brave enough to knit during the conference...I will!

I found a great little shop in Fells Point where I made a few purchases that I will show later. One of them is a fabulous bag by Lotta Jansdotter (the green one)! Yum!
After I returned to Victoria, and my tailbone recovered somewhat from sitting for three days (make it 5 with traveling), I was home for one day and then off to Vancouver for a quick trip. This was a very nice occasion as I have recently been awarded a scholarship and was attending the celebration event. The organization put me up at the Granville Island Hotel - wonderful location!

Here is the view to the left and right as I sipped on my masala chai and enjoyed the sun at Granville Island. Vancouver is just the best city when the weather is agreeable! I was so glad to have some time to just relax and walk around to see all of the shops.

Well, my bloggy friends, I shall return with photos of yarn and other goodies!

Oh my

2006-05-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well, graduate school really puts a damper on my crafting life sometimes! I've done a little bit of knitting (and unknitting) on Orangina and River (remember River??) depending on my mood and if there is a mistake that needs fixing (where did those two stitches go??).

I did manage to make a little pouch for my dear friend Carley's birthday. She loves goats, so it is a goat pouch! I hand quilted around one of the goats and along a few seam lines; added ribbon trim and a tab; and attached a thrifted orange button; and inserted a turquoise zipper (also thrifted). The inside is lined with a cute kittycat fabric and there is flannel sandwiched between the layers to give it some body. All in all, it turned out well after some challenges with the lining and turning (I always manage to get the wrong side of the fabric showing at least once per project).
I also made her a card and gave her one of the birdy prints from Anna of Twelve22. She loved it. We cried. And now she is on her way to live in Turkey for a year! I will miss her company dearly (miss you Carley!).

I am off for a conference in lovely Baltimore this week - I hope to be back and finishing up some projects soon! Until then, happy crafting and keep smiling :)

Goodies in, goodies out

2006-05-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hello blogging world! I have been an absent blogger. Things have been slow in craftybirdland: my computer has been sick = less blogging. The sunny weather has been distracting as well - I can finally wear summer skirts, my plants are flourishing, and the days are long and very enjoyable.

I do have a few things to chat about though! I have been working on my accessory purse - it is blocked and seamed. I need to sew the lining together and then hand sew it into the knitted purse, and then attach the lovely wooden handle that I purchased. I will post progress photos shortly - the light here is not great in the morning for photos!

Here are a few cards I have made recently and that have now reached their recipients. A card for my dear friend, Carley, who successfully defended her masters thesis. Yah, Carley! The card is made with silver stickers, metallic pens, as well as a metal "journey" tag held down with brads.

I also made a birthday card for A's mother using a fern stamp in two colours of metallic ink (green and copper) as well as a few other stamps. The background is done in my favourite chalk ink in two colours - yellow and green, which is stippled on the card and then stamped over. The chalk ink background gives the card a nice aged feel. Quick and easy cards!

I also received a wonderful package in the mail from Snowbear a.k.a. Crafty Corner. What a sweetie! She had commented about the silver stickers (like the ones used in the card for Carley above) on my blog so I sent her a package with a set as well as a few other stickers. And she thanked me with this lovely package - so nice!

I also received a cute note from my Good Time Animal Swap partner - Stephanie of SumThings - that she received my package and the softies and bed are being enjoyed thoroughly by her three dogs! So nice to hear that she liked everything and that the dogs liked their goodies. She is taking a blogging break right now as her and her husband are adopting a baby from Guatemala - congratulations to Stephanie and her family! Um, I haven't heard a peep from my GTAS swap partner so Oscar cat may be out of luck. Too bad, as this was my first swap. Despite that, I really enjoyed making the goodies and putting the package together for Stephanie.

In other knitting news, I am still plugging away at Orangina. Ok, this is the slowest project ever for me! I have made some progress on the second panel and have completed around 10 inches, but need to get to 15 inches of lace. Then I will attach the front and back and continue with inches and inches of ribbing. It WILL get done in time for me to wear this summer though!

Enjoy the rest of your week folks!

Pouch turned Purse

2006-05-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I got a bit carried away knitting the repeats on my "accessory pouch" from Melanie Falick's Handknit Holidays and it has now turned into a nice sized purse! Really, that's what I intended and I am quite happy with the size at 5 repeats per side. The red is a bit hard to photograph, but you can get the idea from the photo below. I was still having trouble with the pattern and really should have taken the time to chart it out. So, it it done, but not perfect - good enough for a rustic knit purse!

I have left each side on the needles so I can make adjustments after I pick up a set of handles. I am heading downtown this afternoon with my good friend to pick up the handles and some fabric to line the inside. I haven't been yarn/fabric shopping for ages (besides thrift stores) so it should be a fun afternoon!

Buttons and Bags

2006-05-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have been gathering a number of buttons lately on two separate thrifting expeditions. At my first stop I managed to obtain a bag of old and rather plain buttons with some wonderful colourful sets thrown in. I think they make lovely button flowers. The second stop was at the thrift store right next to the grocery store - a very tempting location. There I found two bags that had numerous larger vintage buttons. Score! Here is a shot of most of them, together with three pink buttons already in my collection.

I also have been arranging my half of the study so it is more amenable to crafting and sewing (instead of studying and computer, which I seem to be doing at the dining table lately). I had this little storage shelf - a freebee from Canadian Tire I think - and it makes a perfect button storage and organization centre! I love to organize by colour (you should see my closet) and I have managed to separate all of my buttons into colour categories for each drawer. This system will keep my button collection manageable as the little drawers can only hold so many buttons. I have put one of my thrifted pottery sugar bowls on top (the one that stores my stitch markers) as well as a beautiful card set in a tin that I purchased at a Goth/renaissance/fantasy clothing store in Ottawa (called Trivium). What a store! I really wanted one of the outfits but had to settle for the cards. Sorry for the blurry picture.

My knitting has been, well, scattered and slow in the last few months so I decided last week to start something quick. I had 3 balls of Karisma Ull-Tweed in my stash (use what you have!) so I started the Counterpane Accessories Pouch from Melanie Falick's Handknit Holidays book. My gauge is a bit smaller than the pattern calls for so I did three repeats for one side and then started the other side. I have already finished the three repeats for the second side and think I would like a larger purse (I'm not much of a tiny purse person) so I intend to do five repeats per side and then find a nice set of bamboo or wooden handles to top it off as well as some fabric to line it with.

I had a bit of a problem with the scallop pattern and, after not finding that anyone else on the internet who had any problems, just worked it out on my own. It seemed that one side of Row 4 was missing a yarn over so I added one in to balance the row and adjusted the rest of the pattern because this added an extra stitch to the end of the row. It looks great now and has similar yarn overs on each side!

silkscreening on the fly

2006-04-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I was in full procrastination mode so I attended a free afternoon workshop on silkscreening at the University of Victoria. It was really nice to take the afternoon off and do some craft therapy! The instructor had done a lot of silkscreening and loved to teach how to silkscreen on the fly, using basic materials that are accessible and, most importantly, cheap! She had some frames already constructed from scrap wood to which we tacked down the "screen" which was made from thrifted sheer curtains! The design was constructed by first drawing a picture on paper and then tracing onto the screen. The sections of the screen that you don't want printed were taped off or blocked off with nail polish. You can see the image I chose to print - the tape is gone because you take it off after printing to easily clean up the paint afterwards.

You can use fabric paint to print on to fabric, like t-shirts, or acrylic paint to print onto paper - which is what we did. Here are my lovely silkscreen images printed on computer paper (this was a free workshop after all!). My tweet little birdie and another image that the instructor had prepared using photo emulsion (which process she explained to us).

I really enjoyed the silkscreening on the fly workshop and hope to do some more images, maybe on t-shirts. I also like the idea of using freezer paper to print images on t-shirts and other fabric. You can find instructions for the freezer paper stencil over at Amy's blog, Angrychicken.

I've also been making a few cards lately. So much fun. I have all of my card making supplies spread all over the table making it very accessible, but not great for eating dinners. Here is one card I can show and that I actually remembered to take a photo of (the others still need to reach their recipients!). I used a background stamp of French writing with stippling of chalk inks over the stamp image in order to create the background. The butterfly stamp was used for the main image and a few purple jewel stickers were added for sparkle. I used my pearl paints on the butterfly to make the wings iridescence. The fern stamp was used on the border and envelope.

I have been listening to a couple of different podcasts on my iPod when I take the bus. There are quite a few wonderful podcasts out there for knitting and crafting (and other topics as well). One that I like very much is a new podcast by Irie at Irie Woman's Fascinating Life. She has a great voice and I find her podcasts relaxing with her easy pace and great music. Go check it out!

And one last shout out to all of you who have left comments - Thank you!! It really is wonderful to hear from people that enjoy my blog!

me-me-me-me-meeeeeee (and bonnets!)

2006-04-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged with my very first me-me by Kathy over at WhileTangerineDreams (hi Kathy!)! I visit Kathy's blog daily (as she is very efficient and posts daily) for news on her crafting and other adventures. We started blogging around the same time and it is nice to 'grow' with another blogger.

So, now for the me-me.....

Five minutes to yourself: how would you spend them, ideally?
Sitting on the couch at home with my laptop cruising bloglines looking at all of your fantastic blogs with a good cup of coffee (cream and sugar please) in my hand with a purring kitty on one side and A sitting on the other. Oh, and in my PJs. Here's my spot right next to Oscar's blanket (allergic to cat hair, ya know).
Five bucks to spend right now; how would you spend it?
I would buy a lovely home design magazine full of great photos - I get such enjoyment from magazines. Of course, five dollars rarely buys a whole magazine so I may have to go with a cup of coffee and pan au chocolate (really, I am not copying you Kathy - that is exactly what I had for breakfast yesterday!) from the Italian Bakery just down the street from my home. yum!

Five items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already?
Hmmm...this is tough because I think a lot about decluttering and what I can and cannot get rid of. Really, I could get rid of almost everything and survive, but that emotional attachment to 'things' makes it hard to dispense with my possessions. So, probably most of my plants (inside and out), my bed (4-poster shaker style), my dresser (that I have had since a child), my yarn stash (agggghhh), most of my books (double agggghhh). Whew, that was tough.

Five items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house?
My iron bed I have had since I was a child, which is now used as our couch (see photo above); my childhood and family photographs; Oscar the cat; jewelry passed down from my maternal grandmother; old children's books passed down from my paternal great grandmother.

Five words you love? I'll keep it clean here: quotidien, pensive, concomitant, elucidate, and eh (yah, I use it a lot!).

Thanks, Kathy, for the me-me. I think I will pass it on to the following fantastic bloggers, if they would like to participate!
Blair at Wise Craft
Anna at twelve22
Heather at Orange Blossom Goddess
Cally at Cally Creates
Anna at Amelia Raitte: My Fashionable Life

I mentioned that I was making some children's bonnets from the Kingpod mailorder. Here is a couple of pictures of the finished product. I used some heavy cotton fabric that I have in my stash and different ribbon for each bonnet. I like how the ribbon you use really changes the look of the bonnet from more classic to fun and funky. I love them and think they will look great on their recipients!

Well, it is beautiful and sunny out so I think I will walk a bit on the way to school.

Have a great day everyone!

Neat stuff!

2006-04-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a fabulous four-day long weekend! I managed to get in a couple of refreshing walks on the beach in between rain storms, watched many movies, and ate very well (thanks to my lovely partner, A). Unfortunately, Mr. A had to go to work today, but that gave me a day at home to putter by myself. I managed to reorganize my knitting stash closet and even sorted through some yarn I bought at thrift stores that I intend to re-thrift. Um, I think I have developed into a yarn snob! Anyways, there is plenty of yarn in my stash to keep me busy for the next few years, let alone all the yucky yarn. Making the softies for my GTAS buddy has inspired me to make a few skirts for my wardrobe - all using fabric that I have been hanging on to for years. It's not Amy Butler or from some of the other wonderful fabric artists out there right now, but I can't justify buying more when I already have so much fabric!

Before the weekend arrived I received my Kingpod Mailorder package from Amy in the mail! Yeah! I had been waiting impatiently as I knew others had received their packages already. Unfortunately, the mail seems to take an extra couple of days to get to Vancouver Island. So, I opened it up right away and there are so many goodies inside - very fun! Amy included a bonnet pattern in three sizes. I have cut out a few bonnets in the child size for some dear children in my life and hope to have them finished tonight or tomorrow. What a great package and such a sweet pattern.

I also want to show off a fantastic t-shirt I won as a door prize recently. It is made by a local team, Duncan Cairns and his friend (whose name I do not know). The artwork on the front is by Luke Ramsey, who can create a *mean* looking bunny (at least I think it's a bunny)! Thought it was rather Easterish (is that a word) with the bunny and the sunny yellow t-shirt.

I love the back as well - great attention to detail. The bottom says "you are wearing clothes" and the upper symbol is U R in sign language.

I just love unique local items. Bonnet update shortly...

GTAS goodies are on their way!

2006-04-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long absence from blogging! I have been busy finishing up with the semester and doing a little crafting here and there. As I was away for 3 weekends in March and had an essay to write the first weekend in April, I didn't have much time to get to my GTAS swap so I spent this week finishing up the details and getting my package in the mail to my swap partner. A little late (sorry!), but I hope she and her lovely pets will find it worth the wait. I made two softies and a pillow cover/blanket for my partner and I am pretty happy with how they turned out.
Here is Mr. Ducky - he's a bit of a flowery fellow and enjoys swimming in circles to his right (that would be due to my sewing skills!). Mr. Ducky loves to quack it up as well, especially if you squeeze his head (I put one of those annoying squeakers in there).

This is Mr. Bunny. He's an All American guy who loves fireworks and bar-b-ques. He's a bit of a cheeky bunny and loves to make noise. Mr. Bunny and Mr. Ducky enjoyed hanging out on the pillow cover/blanket made from fleece and denim with a zipper at one end to insert a pillow.
I made these guys from a soft toys book I picked up at a thrift store and I also managed to make these items from items I already had (except for the stuffing). I tried to stick with the "use what you have" theme for April started by Simple Sparrow. You can click on her button for use what you have and it will take you to the Flickr group as well.

I hope Mr. Bunny and Mr. Ducky and the blanket all have a safe and speedy trip to their new home! Bon Voyage!

Oscar Alert!

2006-04-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

Oscar wants you to know that his mummy is buried under with school work right now and will be back soon!

Away...again!

2006-03-30T22:43:00.000-08:00

Yeh! I managed to snag Amy's fabulous Kingpod mailorder #2 - can't wait to make a bonnet or two for the sweet little girls in my life!

I am off to Vancouver for the weekend to visit family (and go to IKEA!). Here is a picture of Oscar doing his kittyoga routine. It sure keeps him limber and very grounded! His mummy loves to do yoga too, but isn't nearly as flexible. Have a great weekend all!

Friends and memories

2006-03-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

I have finally, I repeat, finally finished a little photo album to mail off to a dear friend of mine who has moved in the opposite direction of where I currently live. I have moved a fair bit in my life and the one thing I find difficult is not seeing those friends whom I have moved away from. Some friends are always a part of your life though, even if you don't talk all that often anymore. So, I am putting a little package in the mail today for a friend that I haven't seen in almost a year. I actually started this package well before Christmas and am just now getting it in the mail - so bad! I was a bridesmaid at her wedding, which was so lovely! Here are a few pictures of the simple little album I made that included a section for the bridal shower, the bachelorette, and getting ready for the wedding. Each section had it's own theme. The first used some wonderful origami paper given to me by another crafty friend.
Here is the invitation to the bridal shower, folded and tied with ribbon. I made the invitation and then colour copied the original, which creates a cool 3-D effect. The dragonfly stamp is from the original invitation.
Here is the next title page - simple, but nice:
Here's the last title page - the dress is a stamp first done in green and then overlayed in black, the silver are stickers, and the copper tag, which says "memories", is attached with brads:
Finally, this is the last page that shows a photo of her dress hanging in the hotel room:
Loved her dress - she looked so beautiful! It was a plain strapless dress with beading on the train (as shown) - very lovely - but what made it exquisite was the overdress, almost a jacket, that had long sleeves and and a train and was made of a deep ivory lace, beads, and sequins. It suited my dear friend perfectly. Even the bridesmaids' dresses were nice!

Back from the Nation's Capital

2006-03-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to say I am back from the conference in Ottawa, but have very little to show in the past week. I did cast on for Ene's Scarf from Scarf Style - all 375 stitches! It was to be my traveling knitting for the plane, but I ended up working on the way to Ottawa, and watched the last Harry Potter movie on the way back. The plane was full on both trips as well, so I didn't want to jab somebody with a knitting needle or, more likely, my elbows as I wrestled with the yarn. I am using some lovely Fiddlesticks Knitting Country Silk yarn in the Earth colourway, which I purchased at Handknitting.com a while back. I love the colours in this yarn and the silk gives it a rustic feel and look. I will post a picture when I have actually made some progress.

Other than that, I knit a few rows on Orangina during a bit of the spare time I had at the conference, but didn't have time for much else but catching up on emails and decompressing with a little television. The conference was informative, my presentation went well, and I ate too much as most of the food was provided for the week. We had some fantastic entertainment as well with the headliner being Buffy Sainte-Marie who is a really prolific and talented song writer and musician. We were also entertained with Sierra Noble - wow! At 16, this young woman is professional, eloquent, and very talented. Her live performance was wonderful and she elaborated on how she discovered her passion for the music of her people, the Metis people of Canada, and how the songs she played were taught to her by the elder fiddle players. The music is just a part of Metis fiddle playing, with the story behind the song filling in the context and making each performance very rich and heartfelt. There is really no comparison with live music!

I have company and a bit of catching up to do at school so I hope to be back in a couple of days.

Blogging from Canada's Capital

2006-03-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I am excited to be blogging from Ottawa, Ontario this evening. Yes, I have flown across our country and am currently enjoying the crisp air (compared to Victoria) of Ottawa. It's funny because I always think of Ontario as Eastern Canada when, in reality, it is Central Canada. You can tell I am a Western girl. I am here at a conference (presenting on Wednesday - wish me luck). It was a lovely day today and after I finished with a few things I went for a walk to take a few pictures of the parliament buildings - the official location of our federal parliament.
Here are some other shots - the one on the left of the centre tower, and the one on the right of a newly renovated tower in the back of the building (I think it is the library).

I have been to Ottawa before and peeked at the inside, which is lovely (was closed today). I also remembered that there is a little house in the back that is home to stray cats. So I went to see who was there today.
You can see three of them feeding and the guy in the front was just visiting with some onlookers. There is a iron fence between the people and the kitties so they have their privacy if they need it, but a few had come out to say hello to the people. I continued walking around the back of the parliament buildings and came aross this sweet guy who kept me company for part of my stroll.
Cats are so hard to take photos of, unless they are sleeping. After having a dog for 11 years who was so used to me taking pictures of her, I am not accustomed to these feline creatures who always move just as you take the picture!

Not to leave you without some crafty goodness. Here are some photos of some cards that I made a while back. The first one I made during a card class (using the store's stamps) and I love it so much I can't give it away (selfish, I know!). The big "D" stamp says "discover". And I love stamping part of the envelope so it matches the card.
Here's some cute cards that I made with stamps from my Aunt's collection. She has so many of these adorable mouse stamps. I love the one with the martini glass - and the other with the mouse that looks like a character from the children's book "Where the Wild Things Grow".

Well, I am in Ottawa until Friday so my next post will most likely be on the weekend. Until then!

Fly away birdie!

2006-03-14T20:34:00.000-08:00

I was so happy to receive an airmail package today that had flown all the way from Australia. Inside was the linocut print I ordered from Jackie of Littlest Flower! It is so beautiful and she even provided me with some tape for framing it properly. Now, I just need to get to an IKEA for a frame (or two). Unfortunately, the nearest store is a ferry ride away. But for now I can admire it sans frame!

The photo below is a bit blue - the background paper is white and the ink a bit more turquoise. I love it!

I've been working away on Orangina a bit - not much progress to show.

I will leave you with more gratuitous Oscar shots. Sleeping in the sun - nesting in some shredded paper - and guarding the front door (very sphinx-like).

GTAS!

2006-03-12T11:10:00.000-08:00

I know GTAS sounds like some acronym for a new kind of tax here in BC, but it's not! It is the Good Time Animal Swap, which is now up and running! Yah! My first swap...the pressure...the fun!

This means that my posts will be including more fun pics of Oscar the cat and some info about who this mysterious feline really is. Oscar is a character - first of all, he is desperately attached to his daddy A. You should hear how he chatters when A wakes up in the morning or comes home from work. Of course, he also loves to chatter at the birds and squirrels that frequent the trees just outside our balcony. He will have a full-on conversation with you, tell you about his day, or his opinion about the recent social commentary on the news, or about how much he misses you when you are away.
Most of all, Oscar (like many cats) likes to nap. He has his special blanket on the couch, near the window so he doesn't miss any of the exciting antics of the wildlife outside.

In knitting news, I've been knitting a bit on a project that has been in the works since last summer. I have noticed that I tend to work on a project in spurts, putting it down when I become tired of it, or run into a snag, or want to make an item for someone else. I have recently picked up my Orangina top (pattern by Glampyre) and have hopes that it will be done for me to wear this Spring/Summer.

I love the colour and pattern, but the cotton is a bit hard to knit and I cannot work on it for too long before my wrists start to ache. I have completed one side and am a few inches into the other side - the panels still need to be joined and ribbing knit for the waist.

Oh, and here's a pic of the snow!! Two days in a row we woke up to snow on the ground. It was lovely. Not today, however, it is sunshine and white fluffy clouds.

Winter Wonderland

2006-03-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

Yah, it's Friday! And, it snowed again this morning! Very exciting to see snow in Victoria - especially in March. Craziness.

This week was fun. First of all, it was my birthday and I had a lovely day. It was sunny and I spent the day having lunch with my sweetie and thrifting. I then had my favourite dinner of Thai food. Unfortunately, I had a bit of an allergic reaction that put me out for Wednesday, but all is well now. Here's a photo of the Solstice Cafe where I had lunch and a view from the back window out onto Market Square - I love the colours and the older buildings. This block of Pandora Street is a place where I often frequent - yoga studio MokSana, Solstice Cafe, and two great vintage clothing stores, among other shops.

I think one of the reasons I like my birthday week is because I get lots of happy mail - not bills and junk, but cards that contain best wishes and notes from friends and loved ones. One fun package I received in the mail all the way from England was the bird print from anna of Twelve22! Love it. And her wrapping is so perfect.

Can't wait to frame it and hang it on the wall.

I haven't done much crafting or knitting this week so no photos to share. Actually, my camera battery died this morning so I will have to wait to take photos of the goodies found thrifting this past week.

I'll leave you with a shot of my rocks. I love rocks, much to the chagrin of my partner who helps me carry them home from our excursions. Rocks look fantastic wet and I keep many of my collection in a pond on my deck in the summer. In the winter, however, I put my favourite larger rocks on the balcony railing and let the rain show off their colours. It's a nice visual to look at when everything is grey and gloomy.

Have a great Friday!

Contemplation

2006-03-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

A little bit of housekeeping to start off with - you might notice I have started a Flikr account and have some photos displayed in the sidebar to the left. Go take a peak if you like! I'm also trying to get some links up to blogs and other sites that I visit on a regular basis and that others might find interesting.

The weekend has just flown by - as it usually does. I always plan to get so much done: school work not completed during the week (never is!); craft projects to finish and start; knitting-of course; and socializing with my sweetie and friends.

It's easy to flippantly say that I accomplished little, however, the truth is that I did managed to get some work/reading done, look at my favourite blogs, watch the Oscars with a friend, do the usual chores, and even cook a veggie lasagne! Not too shabby. The lasagne was yummy - email me if you want the recipe-it's a good one. I have to admit that I rarely cook. I am fortunate to have a partner who loves to mess about in the kitchen, even after a long day at work. I do get in the kitchen once in a while and manage to do a fair job. I am especially inspired by Nigella Lawson's cook books and am itching to bake one of her delicious cakes.

Another reason I am itching to bake a cake is because it is my birthday on Tuesday! And, although my sweet does the cooking in our abode, he doesn't make dessert (he is oddly missing his sweet tooth). I think a birthday is a great time to treat oneself. It is also the time of the year when I tend to think about where I am in life - sometimes this is a positive reflection and sometimes it can make me a bit melancholy. True to being a Pisces, I feel as if I am often swimming in two different directions. When my path is laid out in one direction, I fantasize about moving in the other direction. Even if I am feeling a bit down, I always think about how truly blessed I am to have the opportunities I have had. If you would like an inspiring, heart-wrenching, and touching read head on over to Posie gets Cozy - she is an amazing woman!

This past December I was feeling a need to make something whimsical and feminine. I ordered the pattern for the Giselle caplet by French Girl Knits as well as some Rowan Biggy Print in the Dull colourway (now discontinued) (all of which was on sale at the time at Elann.com). It was a very quick knit on size 20mm needles! Here's a few pictures.
I still have to get a ribbon that matches a bit better - possibly a navy or cream velvet ribbon. To be honest, I haven't had the opportunity to wear it out yet. I think it will work for those cooler Westcoast evenings during the Spring and Fall (even the Summer!). If I don't wear it much by the Winter it may get frogged and made in to a vest or long scarf.

I am very excited to say that I have signed up for my very first swap! It is called the Good Time Animal Swap hosted by the fantastic Anna at Twelve22 and will involve a purchased gift and a handmade craft for the pet of my swap partner. I can't wait to get started!

Finally, I want to thank those of you who have stopped by to read my blog and especially those who have taken the time to comment! Thank you!

Things that make you go Ahhhhh

2006-03-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

When I was on my thrifting flurry a few weeks ago, I picked up a lovely necklace made of glass beads - clear with blue in them, and joined with metal pins. I love the clear colour and simple design and think I'll get lots of wear out of it.

And here's a bit of cuteness to look at (ahhhh).

I wanted to post about the first pair of socks I knit, which were a gift for my mum.

Mountain Colors yarn in Alpine colourway
100 g / 350 yards 100% worsted wool
Ripple Socks pattern
2.75mm needles

I really enjoyed learning how to knit socks. The pattern was easy enough and clearly written,and the yarn was wonderfully soft and beautifully dyed. I did find a spot were 2 of the 3 plies were broken, but otherwise I would purchase this yarn again. The colours alone made it wonderful to knit and I loved looking to see what colour would come up next!

Thrifting goodies

2006-03-01T00:19:00.000-08:00

I found a few items during my recent trip to White Rock. If you don't know it, White Rock is a great seaside community with many long-time residents. This means there are wonderful finds to be made in the thrift stores! I managed to pick up some vintage buttons:

And some great napkins!
There are 2 of the one with the dark brown border. I think these would make very mod pillows.

Of course, back at home I have a number of thrift stores to haunt and have found some fantastic books lately. Here are some embroidery and needlepoint books: Crewel Embroidery by Erica Wilson; a Sunset Needlepoint book published in 1977; and Needlework Alphabets and Designs by Dover Publications that has wonderful designs in chart form.
And these:
Patterns for dolls and toys! Oh, and this one by Mildred Graves Ryan published in 1979. It's very comprehensive at 689 pages:
And, of course, a macrame book:
As you can see, I found lots of books! All very reasonably priced. the macrame one has lots of how to pictures and has a pattern for a dress, belts, necklaces, and other macramey goodness. It was published in 1971 and the author/designer is Lynn Paulin.

Book are hard for me to pass up! I can't wait to make some softies and practice some embroidery from these books.

Shawling around

2006-02-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

I have just returned from a lovely visit with my Mum where she celebrated her 60th birthday. My schedule was free last week (no classes) so I took the ferry over to the Mainland for a few days. I had a nice, quiet time with my Mum where we went out for a few meals, window shopped, and watched a lot of home improvement shows on television.

I also gave her the Leaf Lace Shawl I made for her. I think it turned out lovely for my first lace knit shawl! The pattern (if you don't know already) is from Fiber Trends and was a great pattern for a first lace knit project. The other lovely aspect of this pattern is that it is knit from the center back (top) outward, binding off at the outer bottom edge. I used yarn from my stash: the squishable and lush Heirloom Alpaca 8ply in a cherry red colour (shade 905 - discontinued), 5 balls. The shawl was knit on Denise size 10 (5.6mm) started in December and completed in February. I had to eliminate about 2 rows of the final chart so as to not run out of yarn, so the points are not as pointy as they could be. Here is a pre-blocked closeup of the lovely leaves:

And here's a picture of the leaf closeup:

And, finally, the shawl blocking (this gives the best depiction of the colour):

I hope it gives my mum many years of warmth.

I will post a bit later on some thrifting finds I picked up while away!

Trying to catch up!

2006-02-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

I finally have to admit to my self that I have more projects waiting to be knit than I will ever complete in the next year. Between the demands of school and life, there is only so much time in the day for leisurly pursuits.

So this means that my projects tend to be ones that others have long since completed. This is nice in a way as I can see where people had problems with the pattern or yarn selection and adjust my project accordingly.

At this moment I am working on River from Rowan 38. Here's an in-progress shot.

And here's a picture of what usuallly happens when I put any wool product on the floor.

Yes, I have a wool-eating cat. Oscar is lovable, sweet, and a great cat for a dog-lover like myself, but he eats wool! Anything over 50% is fair game: socks, yarn, sweaters, gloves, you name it! Needless to say, I have to be very careful where I leave my projects.

Over the holidays, I finally sat down to try a little spinning. My Mum lent me her Louet spinning wheel and some roving last Fall and I was eager to find some time to give it a whirl. Here is my first ever attempt at spinning:

I then spun up some Fleece Artist roving picked up at my LYS.

Notice the lovely overspun sections and the thick and thin! I decided after these attempts that a lesson should be in my future if I plan on continuing with spinning! I do like it very much and hope to take a lesson if I can find someone locally who teaches.

I did manage to knit up the pink and green yarn into an iPod cozy for my brand new iPod! I love my iPod as I can listen to all of the great knitting podcasts out there. And I love that my iPod cozy is knit from my handspun yarn!

Another shot:

I just cast on 12 stitches and knit garter stitch until I ran out of yarn, sewed up the sides and, voila! iPod cozy! The Fleece Artist yarn is lovely, soft, and the colours are wonderful.

Embossed Leaves

2006-02-16T22:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I have discovered Firefox and it seems to be a bit better than Safari. Thanks to my first all time commenter for the suggestions! It sure is nice to have people comment - I feel like a real blogger!

A little bit about me and my purpose for this blog. I mainly envision this blog as a medium for me to share my knitting accomplishments (and defeats) as well as other crafty stuff I am into. I was tired of lurking at the many knitting and crafting blogs and wanted to have more of a dialogue with other bloggers (and non-bloggers too!).

I have been knitting for one and a half years now. My friend, Karin, taught me the basics while we were on a road trip during the summer of 2004 and the rest I have self-taught through books and the fabulous online resources out there. I actually resisted learning to knit for well over a year as I didn't think I needed another craftism to spend money on and occupy my time. Silly me. I find knitting very meditative and a great complement to my scholastic studies! So, thanks Karin for sharing this fantastic activity with me!

Enough blabber - on to the photos!

Here's a picture of my second pair of socks every knit. My first pair were knit for my Mum for Christmas 2005 - I'll post a picture of them soon.

Here's a picture of them on my feet (foot).

How about a close-up of those fabulous embossed leaves:

Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks from Interweave Knits Winter 2005
Yarn: Koigu Painter's Palette 100% Merino, 2 skeins
Colour: P21733 - Purple variagated
Needle: 2.5 mm
Mods: I didn't do the rib ktbl as it was too challenging with the mini-dowels (aka Addis)
Time: Umm...December to early January.

I realize that this yarn is probably not the best to emphasize the pattern. And that the socks are a bit too big (I know now to knit them with a little negative ease). But I love them anyways! I really enjoy knitting socks as a small project. I knit this pair on one needle (Addi turbos) with Magic Loop method. I liked finishing both socks at the same time, but it makes them less portable as a project.

Alright, enough for now. More knitting and crafting to follow.

Ciao!

Happy Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Although V-day is not my favourite holiday it certainly is one that elicits spreading warm wishes to those close to me. I really value having a supportive partner in my life and we try to celebrate Valentine's every day - resisting the commercial influence that pervades this day.

This cute vintage valentine was found through a link on Bella Dia (at http://belladia.typepad.com/bella_dia/). Hmmm...I will have to learn how to do links...and possibly change my browser as it seems Safari is not supported.

fledgling post

2006-02-13T23:31:00.000-08:00

A quick post for my first on this blog. I am excited to start this public yet personal venue in which to discuss, display, and develop my crafty desires. I've enjoyed lurking around other bloggers' sites for far too long and feel it is time to take the plunge into the blogging universe. Feel free to stop by and say hello!