Quickly

Do you know Rosie says there has never been a publicity photo of her that has not been doctored/airbrushed?

Piss me off.

Still No Camera

"I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters."

Frank Lloyd Wright (1868-1959)


I just know when he made this prophetic comment he was thinking of me. I have not posted as I still cannot find the camera. And I feel my little blurbs are pretty boring without accompanying pictures.

Life of course, has been whacked out crazy here with the start of school. Three kids at 3 different schools is definitely a mother's nightmare and welcome to it. DN2 did make it into the school she was trying to get into so that was wonderful. She is still receiving letters from US universities, the latest from the University of Wisconsin. This cracks me up that these schools are talking to her and she is 14 freakin' years old.

I did go to the Kitchener Waterloo Knitters Fair which was fantastic. The weather was a little a dreary but afterwards we visited Erin and went for Afternoon Tea and shopping. If you have not been there you are missing out. The whole area is alive with art, culture and crafts. You will thank me. Needless to say the cash my husband slipped me the Friday before was a big mistake.

Having teenagers in the house, most of the time is hell on earth, but occasionally having them around to teach you the latest and greatest on the internet can be considered an asset. Especially when it comes to knitting. Please visit Michael Wang's Knitting Show. And be sure to see the closing credits of all involved in the making on this instructional tutorial.

Gotta love YouTube!

There is more going on in my life but I'm trying to pace you.

PS Ever have something so embarassing (notice the word bare-ass in that word?) happen to you, even if it was years ago, stick in your mind? Like the time you left the house with only dark lipLINER on and no lipSTICK? And your neighbour saying "hello" stares at you incredibly and the guy at the cleaners wonders if you maybe pour a little Bailey's on your Cheerios instead of milk?

Waiting with Bated Breath

For all you Grey's Anatomy patients out there.

Click here to watch video.


Thanks to Knitting Nurse.

I really love the song.

Is Lebanon Harper's Katrina?

What is the Canadian government doing to quicken the evacuation of these people? Not enough apparently. My sympathy goes out to these poor people fleeing with fear in their hearts. I know he has detoured to help the process but with so many (50,000+) trying to escape can we not send more rescuers?

DN1 is still in Ireland. She is having the time of her life. She kissed the Blarney Stone. She talks will a distinctive lilt. And best of all? She now says "shite" instead of "shit" and "feck" instead of...well you get the picture. $6000.00 for a linguistics course, definitely worth it!

So it goes without saying I am missing her like crazy. A month is waaaay too long. The children have been told that they cannot leave me again for that long of a period. DN2 has asked how she will go to a US university? I have told her I will live with her on campus. There is parent accomodations at these places right?

I cannot post pictures as DN1 has the camera. I finished DN3's Regia socks. I used this pattern from Spun magazine and they came out fantastic. Try and use your imagination and will post some pics when my camera comes back.

I am also trying out a nice pillow cover from the current issue of Knit Simple Magazine. Not a bad issue and for some reason I am getting them mailed for free. Not that I am looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Cosiness Tea Cosy

I was having a hell of a time finding a simple pattern for a tea cosy that I liked. This seemed to be my best bet. I made it up as I went along. The result is a very cosy cosy (did you like that? You know, the adjective and noun usage? As if my posts aren't difficult enough to comprehend...)

I did contemplate this one but it somehow reminded me of a tagine. I also wasn't really interested in the bells and whistles.

Do you know it only took me two days to make? Sort of an upside down buttonhole bag. The felting went quickly this time, the eggplant shrunk much quicker than the apple. Very mindless knitting indeed. You know how sometimes you need that? I was also thinking this would be a great teacher gift. I'm kinda running out of time though.

Graduation for DN2 is on Thursday. She has a mass in the morning and then the "Clap Out". This is when the whole school comes out of their classrooms and claps and waves "goodbye" to all the grade eights. DN2 just may get emotional. She has had such a wonderful experience at this school and has participated in so many events, I just know she may get a wee bit blubbery. Then at 3:00 she has her hair and nail appointments, then the 6:00 award ceremony and dinner.

And one week after that both DN1 and DN2 leave the same day. DN1 to Ireland and DN2 to Cape Cod.

Speaking of blubbering...

Where I Am Now

Just a quick post before we go to my MIL for lunch. I finished this last night and found it thought provoking and a very interesting look through a window I have never looked through before. If you have not read this I urge you to check it out. And quite a few twists near the end.

On Thursday, I met up with Elizabeth and we did a little shopping at Village Yarns then went for tea at Montgomery's Inn. I only ended up with a pattern for a simple shawl.

Not much else, aren't you sorry you clicked me now?

One Skein Wonder... One Year Later

Not that it took me a year to make. Just that it took me a year to finally decide yes, I do want to make this and I have the perfect yarn for it. What a brilliant project. I ordered the pattern online and was in the throes of blissful knitting ten minutes later. There was one small caveat but I am sure every other knitter out there knew exactly where the sleeve was going. I think I will make many more of these and enjoy it while doing so. Will this become another Buttonhole Bag addiction? We all remember me with that, yes?

I should be doing housework right NOW. Things are looking kinda unkept over here. The children are still sleeping on flannel sheets. Yes, you Toronto readers are gasping. The onset of 40+ celsius temperatures should have motivated me but the list of "to do's" here just seems to overwhelm me.

The laundry is calling me. The dishwasher is calling me. The vacuum is calling me. What's that I hear? Gotta go...One Skein Wonder is calling me. My bad.

The Week of Letters (no knitting content)

The "better get your act together or you can forget the summer in Ireland letter".

and The Good Letter (phenomenal actually).

The week of letters. First I receive the "Letter of Concern" from DN1's school. Your child's average is still respectable but some attention must be paid or she may be at risk of failing. Wonderfreakinful. And I'm spending over 5k to send her to Ireland to go to school for an extra credit. Someone better get their act together but fast.

And the second letter. I honestly needed to sit down for this one. My 13 year old daughter received a letter from YALE UNIVERSITY!!! They have been following her hockey career "with great interest". Apparently, NCAA rules prohibit them from sending recruiting material but they will be contacting her after March 1 of her grade 11 year. They will "be in touch" when rules allow. She has received other letters from American colleges and universities but Yale? I had goose pimples. And the ironic part? Up until last week no high school had accepted her yet because she had applied out of our district. Funny, life.

Clapotis(hit)

And I have the balls to call myself a knitter. I can't even get through the famous "Clapotis". It just ain't happnin'. I've tried to be patient. Did my PMs and the TBLs but I just cannot enjoy it. I've had this going for about 2 months now and NO inclination to pick the damn thing up. None. Usually when I am on a project I can't wait to get back to it. You know, screw dinner, I'm going to spend the afternoon knitting? I know it's eleven o'clock and I gotta get up at 7:00 but I must finish this tonight? So the question is does this go in the pile of the other Useless Unfinished Never Know When I'll Get To It Again Pile? Or do I yank? The yarn is that gorgeous mercenized Greek cotton stuff. I dunno. Help me, I am useless.

Life has been a long list of shopping, church stuff and parties. Shopping because everyone needed new stuff for the Communion and Confirmation. Shopping because Chesty Morgan aka DN2 grew out of the outfit I bought her for the wedding in January and needed a brand new outfit for confirmation. Shopping because grade eight means not only Confirmation but Graduation as well. Church because of C and C and my church believing that the parents of those having confirmation and communion know absolutely nothing about the process and must be at meetings and brunches and retreats to fully understand the process. Isn't that why I had my confirmation and communion? Yes, you are detecting sounds of bitterness. And parties for the above noted religous events. If I do not partake of another crucifix encrusted piece of cake for the rest of my life it will be too soon. (there's Bitter Betty again)

I am losing my knitting mojo. I want to knit, but I don't know what. I have vats of yarn and don't know what to start. When I do start something, I lose interest. Kind of a Fiber ADHD.

Cappy is doing well. Thinks he owns the joint but we're working on that. He managed to tear up a pair of pantyhose, a slipper and an old piece of foil from a chocolate (don't know where that came from) in my bedroom yesterday. All this happened between 10:00 and 10:02 . We seem to be coming to an understanding. He can eat/munch/chew what ever he wants provided I don't see him do it and I don't have to clean it up after it has had the Grand Tour through his digestive system.

Sharing

You know how sometimes you come across a blog that you want to share with everyone? P. T. Barnum said one was born every minute. That's me. A sucker.

I found it while I was here. Scroll down to April 10.

Today's Specials: Cappuccino with Humble Pie

Hello! And Welcome. I am the knitter that refuses to go away. I have been busy but that is no excuse, I know. However, just last weekend we reinstalled the Kodak program for the pictures so that is part of it. We had DN3's First Communion AND a Prospects Camp for DN2 AND a huge trade show for my husband's company that my father was also attending. Why does it always have to happen at the same time?

The prospect camp went really well for my daughter. She was ranked No.3 til Saturday night when her team lost their game. Because of that she did not score anymore but ended up ranking 10th. This is the largest Prospect camp for female hockey players in North America. There were girls from all over Canada and the US. We saw Alaskan plates there. Can you believe driving from Alaska to Toronto? Many American universities were represented there with scouts from Yale and Harvard. She is one of the youngest to play in this camp. As a '92 she was considered almost a baby. Most of these girls are '88's and '89's looking for possible scholarships.

Oh, another little bit of news. We are proud parents of a pound puppy. His name is Cappuccino. He is a Lhasa Apso with a bit of something else thrown in there but what a cutie patootie!!! All the girls are in love and I have another living,breathing body to clean up after. I really wanted a big dog but my oldest wanted something smaller (read tiny). This little guy was just put up for adoption that morning and just had his nuggets removed. But what a face!!! We're calling him Cappy because his colouring is very creamy coffee-like.

I am still knitting socks and am still loving it. I am on my 5th pair. I am using the Regia sock yarn and am quite enjoying it. Haven't broke open the Trekking yet but I'm working as fast as I can!

Peace.

Dreamin' of Summer

Love all of her designs. Go visit Kim at Kim Hargreaves. But I love Elspeth Lavold too. And Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton. Teva Durham is the bomb. Would love to knit the embroidered bag from Louisa Harding's collection. I am a knitting slut. Never faithful to just one.

The Important Thing Is That Everyone's Okay

Yes, we are all fine. Wish I could say as much for the computer, aptly named "Myturn". Myturn has been hospitalized for the past two weeks. He suffered greatly. His sister's fought over him when he was here and when he was in rehab they missed him terribly. Myturn had so many maladies. Much more than a computer his age should. The sisters just would not listen and continually took him to places he was NOT allowed to go. Sometimes they took him to Limewire and once, on a real bender they went to...Kazaa! Well, Myturn is back. Totally rehabed and almost ready to roll. His therapy was not cheap. At one point there was even talk of opening him up. Without insurance, we would have been up to our gigabytes in debt. As it happened he was okay after some specialists worked on him. But it wasn't pretty.

As a result, I have not re-installed my camera stuff or any other extras.

Knitting is going...slow. Still having probs with hubby's sweater and am working on another pair of socks. That's about it. We're pretty busy the next little while with a 65th Birthday in the family, Easter, DN3's communion and DN2's confirmation. So if things are not updated (as if) as much as usual, you'll know why. Heck, there probably wasn't anyone missin' me anyhow ;)

"Crash" goes my life

"Mrs. Jamieson, if your son is a fruitcake, I need to know about it."

Detective Inspector Jack Frost



I just love this quote. So very Jack. This is one of my favourite detective series. As I have said before, the British do the best detective series.

I tried, unsuccessfully to watch "Crash" on Friday night. It was on satellite and I was really absorbed by it til the phone started ringing and the clothes dryer kept beeping then the doorbell rang. I gotta see the last hour of this movie. How thought provoking.

The Soprano's premiere is tonight. Please, if you know me, don't call between 9 and 10 or I may have to kill you.

Elizabeth has politely pointed out that I may have been remiss in my duties as a blogger. It is true. I am a naughty blogger but my life keeps getting in the way. I will try to do better. But I have been busy with these crazy socks.


I must say they turned out beautiful. My husband has cosy feet. Most important in Toronto these days with temperatures in the low to mid TEENS! I told him three weeks ago when I started these things that by the time I finish them it will be 12 degrees. My psychic abilities never fail to astound me.

My cousin was over last night and as we were chatting in the livingroom she glanced over to the corner and exclaimed "Holy Crap you've got a lot of wool!" What she doesn't know is that this is just one of the mounds. There. Are. Others. BTW, I've taught this one how to knit. She has become addicted.



For many years, I have loved British artist Mimi Roberts. Still life is her specialty but I especially love her vegetables. They are stunning. Here is a sample of her work. She does the occasional commission. My birthday is November 1. There's still time.

Off to the land of Bally K

It's official. DN1 is going away to study for one month this summer in Ireland. But does she realize how lucky she is? To be studying at Trinity? The oldest university in Ireland? Founded by Queen Elizabeth the first? I doubt she understands, I just wish it was me. Not that I'm complaining. She's also the type that happens to run into celebrities all the time so I'm sure there will be stories of her meetings with Bono, Cillian Murphy or Liam Neeson. Not that we, as parents, ever live through our children. No way, not me.

Knitting? Why yes I have been knitting. Small scale. And slow. Why slow? Well, I finished the first sock for my husband and thought I would try that 3 needle bind off thing for the toe instead of the kitchener stitch (which I love by the way so what the hell posessed me?). Anyway, it sucked. I could feel that ridge at the toe and I wasn't feelin' the love. So I ripped out. A tad too much but why should I divulge more stupidity to you than I have to? Let's just say I need to do the decreasing again.

Not much more to say than that. I have to go online and figure out the passport application thing for DN1 and DN2. DN2 is going to Cape Cod this summer with her friend so I guess I'll get her one as well. Paper shuffling when I could be knitting. Crap.

PS Mother has me searching for a cardigan pattern for my dad. She purchased the yarn and pattern book a while back and the patterns turned out to be way too small for my father. She has me searching the net for plus size patterns (3X). Do you know how difficult it is to find plus size knitting patterns? Are there no plus sized knitters out there? What's up with that?

Hey, Good Lookin'...

On tonight's menu we have a lovely rigatoni pasta served with homemade italian sausage lovingly made by my MIL and FIL. This will be served with Ace Bakery Artisan Bread and freshly grated romano cheese. These homeade sausages are stored in oil until they are ready to be eaten. The texture becomes harder but the taste intensifies. This is our family's favourite choice for sausage. This little baby would cost you about $20.00 (if not more) if you were to purchase this in a store here. They left for a 2 month vacation to Florida and were concerned about our possible sausage shortage during their absence, hence the hefty supply. I am also lucky enough to enjoy other italian delicacies made by my husband's family. They roast and jar peppers, eggplant, olives (some of which are snuck over from olive trees in Italy) and of course they can their tomatoes every year. This provides me with homeade sauce year round.
Now for a knitting update. I am ecstatic with the yarn I am using for my husband's socks. I purchased it at a yarn store here in the city but it seems to be little known on the internet. It is called Batik by Zwerger Garn (yarn) and I am over the moon with the quality and ease. It is producing the most gorgeous, cosy fabric and I am duly impressed. I am using this pattern and it is looking marvy.

And looky what I have! Trekking XXL and Regia Surf! I cannot contain my excitement. Both were ordered off the internet. The Trekking came from theknitter.com and the Regia came from littleknits.com. Both provided excellent service and I will use them both again (how soon depends on my nimble yet still unexperienced fingers). Will the madness never end?

Confessions

Am I the only one that thinks these guys look like they were separated at birth? The top guy is Rex from Canadian Idol. The bottom guy is, of course, the goaltender, Jose Theodore. Well?

I have a confession. As knitterly as I am, I have a knitting confession. I am afraid to do a sweater for myself. I do not feel confident enough to spend 100 bucks plus for yarn on a project I feel destined to screw up. I am working on a sweater for DH but for myself, nada. I think it is the seaming thing. I. Hate. Seaming. Get the picture? Perhaps I am in need of some kind of Fibre Therapy? Hypnosis?

The Answer to the Cookie Question and More!

Answer:
Both 1 and 3. I smushed two on to the cookie sheets and ate the rest. I am a pig.

I finally finished the Fleece Artist socks. My kitchener stitch is the bomb. How satisfying is it to accomplish a new technique? And do it well? But really, I have tried it so many times and failed. The best instructions for this, ever, are the instructions from that Knit It! magazine. Believe me, I tried a gazillion different sources before this one nailed it for me. (I tried to show you my lurvly kitchener stitch but the picture did not come out very well. Another testament to my amazing photographic skills.)

So I sew in all the ends and show the socks to DN2. She says she loves them and can she have them? I unwillingly give them to her. So, today I want to show you guys the socks, right? Schlep my arse up to the bedrooms and find them stuck in the bottom of the sheets on her bed. Come down to the basement for the camera, no camera. Back up to DN1's bedroom to find camera. Back down to main floor to take pictures. Camera is full of pictures and must first download these total waste of time and battery use. Download pictures, go back upstairs to main floor where light is substantially better to take pictures. Digital photography made easy!

Oh, and for your blogging entertainment, I give you one of those pictures that are a "waste of time and battery use". I guess the idea behind the picture is the comparison between DN1's bra size to DN2's bra size. DN1 is a 34 AA and DN2 is a 36 C. DN1 is the tall, now thin, model-ly type and DN2 is the athletic, hockey playing, sporty type. Life is NOT fair.

In case you didn't notice, I am on a total sock trip. Addiction at its best. My latest obsession? Trekking and Regia Surf. Now to find the cheapest in Canada. Can you not hear the collective sighs of all my friends and relatives? "Holy Crap, she's knittin' socks now. Are none of our digits safe?"

Breathing Fibre

Still sock knitting and luvin' it. I will post a picture of the finished product the moment I am done (and when I can find the cord thingy that hooks the camera up to the cpu). I am also still working on the Meadow Flowers shawl from Knitter's Stash. Oh, and I picked up Sarah Dallas Knitting at the library today. Really lovely stuff.

I also have a question for you. Not sure if it falls into the "ethics" category or perhaps the "morals" category but here it goes. Baking cookies the other day and the 2 cookie sheets are full, baking in the oven. There is enough dough left over for 4 or 5 cookies. What do you do with this dough?

1) Try and fit these four or five cookies on the other sheets, possibly smushing some in the process.

2) Get out a third baking sheet/broiler pan/tin takeaway container and bake them on that using up a huge amout of energy for these 4 or 5 measly little cookies.

3) Eat the freakin' dough and be done with it already.

Can anybody guess what I did?

Knogging

Isn't this what knit blogging should be called? Just a thought.

I am trying to finish the Fleece Artist Basic sock pattern and I am a little confused. Am I the only one that thinks these instructions are, dare I say, ambiguous? I ended up using another pattern for the decreases and it worked out fine, but damn, I had a hard time trying to figure out what they wanted me to do.

Although today is Monday, I feel the need to do a "Tuesday is for Blogging" post. Check out these people that are so much more clever than I will ever be.

Soulemama, even her aspirations are more creative than mine.

Blue Rose Knits with colours I would always choose.

Jane Thornley now has a couple of free patterns.

Feel free to throw in the term "knogging" in your conversation today, my postman loved it. He threw in the word "therapy" but I ignored him.