too much

I have too much stuff - yes me. I have in CA for 2 weeks and I am afraid that I have more than I can fit in the bags I brought, even though I thought ahead and brought and extra one. So when all else fails break our the rubbermaid! It is small enough to take on the plane but sadly not big enough














for all this wool! This is some of my stash form stitches West and a few other stops along the way and there is no way that this is going to fit in the this box. My sister had a good laugh watching me trying to get it all in



















I figure with a little duct tape we should be fine, the lid kinda fits and considering there is a breadmaker, cushions for my dinning room chairs ( they are insanely expensive in Canada) and a few balls of wool stuffed in for good measure.














Okay so what is the wool you ask... there is an abundance from Webs (Valley Yarns Berkshire) to make a fabulous sweater for myself, some Socks that Rock cotton candy (2 skeins) and some amazing silk to make a shawl (2 skeins) from Blue Moon Spinnery















I have also got some more knit picks needles (I'm addicted to my options set and wanted the smaller ones as well) and bug finger puppet pattern book that was on clearance. Along with Knitting Vintage Socks, slipper bottoms from Fiber Trends, mobile knitting bag from Know Knits and last but not least this years sticker from the STR club - my sister joined and is sharing with me because she is fabulous. I know that some Canadians are still waiting for their box so I won't post a picture of what I got just yet but I love the pattern.















There are more pictures and all the lionks to put in but my Internet connection is not very good and I figure I better post this before I lose it all together.

PS I am currently at Lake Tahoe - yes I came to CA and drove 3 hours to get to some snow, seems crazy but my family really wanted to ski and since they had a built in sitter it seemed like a fabulous plan. I'll be back inthe Bay area tomorrow and home in the great white north on Tuesday

Random thoughts

I made it to CA in one piece but it was a long trip. I got stuck in last Saturdays - lets shut down the Chicago airport storm - I made it out through Washington and got the last seat on a plane to SF, it was a long middle of the night flight but I made it.

On Sunday we made the trek (with cute kidlets) to Stitches West - YIPEE! I enhanced my stash with some socks that rock, a sweater kit from Webs and some fantastic silk. There will be pictures as soon as I get that organised.

I have also done a little shopping this week, me and my friend Target hung out as well as a visit to Stash and Article Pract. I was impressed with the vast selection in both stores, however the staff ( one nasty lady in particular) at Article Pract left something to be desired. Why is it that staff insist on shouting at you instead of just pointing out that they would prefer you not look at that particular book collection. I tried to find and email address so I could let the owner of the store know what happened and I how I felt but their website has no email addy. It's sad because I think that a fabulous store like that does not deserve to have a bad rep because it's staff are nasty. I was a little comforted by the fact that there are some other folks in the Bay Area who feel the same way.

okay, enough ranting - I have pics on my camera to post and need to take some of all the new fibre as well as the secret knitting that is not secret anymore. I am knitting a rainbow stripped sweater for my niece, I am on the 2nd sleeve and hopefully will get it finished in the next few days along with the sock that only needs about 10 more rows of ribbing.


PS Louise - got sock yarn, 2 skiens and tell Sarah I got her patterns as well, chocolate to follow soon.

sun...

Well it's not sunny here but I am on my way to some sun this afternoon. I have planned a rather last minute trip to go see my sister in California for 2 weeks. I leave this afternoon. Between now and when I go I have about 50 things to do do and sadly a proper blog post is not on the list anywhere so this will have to do for now.

I worked all week, we painted the office and last night I taught my last knitting class. The purses are not quiet finished but they just need straps and another kind knitter has volunteered to do that with the girls next week. We also pulled a few moms in and I think that they are hooked as well. Not much knitting has been done but there are felted slippers and scarf photos that will be taken as soon as the sun is up here ( I'll post them from CA). I am off to pack and run errands before I go to the airport where my 8 hours of knitting time will commence.

Ice

I was going to go on and on about Winterlude ( as it was something good to write about) but someone beat me to it and rather than say everything she said - you can just go read her post. P and I went and did the touristy thing on Sunday afternoon, we didn't skate but we did enjoy the ice carving. As you can see we have plenty of ice at my house.

Some of it runs the length of my house ( it's hard to see but it is ice on white siding so it was hard to photograph)


Aside from taking pictures of ice I am knitting this, this, a version of this and these and spending the rest of my time thinking about painting rooms in my constantly under reno house and looking for work, something other than supply teaching that is. I am doing that too but not enjoying it and wishing I didn't have to do it at all.

Speaking of things I like to do I have been teaching knitting some kids and their parents at a local bookstore, it's going well. I have also been enjoying some adult knitting company here, here and here, it is not on the website but the next one is the 21st from 7-9ish

nothing to say

It's -39 here with the windchill today, I'd rather be on this beach in South Korea, actually I would rather be on a beach anywhere where the temp. would rise above zero on a daily basis. I don't mind winter but when your damp hair freezes after only 20 seconds outside you know that it is cold.

It's been quiet here in my world lately and thus lack of posts, there is nothing to exciting to say. I am sitting at Bridgehead with this lovely blogger, she's knitting, I'm typing. She is headed to the other side of the world on Sunday and we thought we should see one another before she left. We went here for dinner, it was fabulous.

hmmm what else... there is some secret knitting going on, so I won't say anything about that. I have started a new shawl (specs later) and also have the last few rows on my "berry scarf" in Noro and a sock on the go - along with P's never ending sweater, it will get finished eventually but there is a lot of him and therefore a lot of sweater as well.

I've been teaching more these last few weeks thus have been busy. I still wish that I had something full time but since the chances of getting a classroom in the Ottawa Valley are slim to none I guess I should just be happy that people are calling me to supply teach at all because I know some people who have given up and are working at *Star*bucks.

I made some AMAZING brownies this weekend, you can find the recipe here. If you have a chance look around her blog, her recipes are amazing. We have tried a number of them and are always impressed with the results. The gluten free part is bonus!

See look a whole post and really I haven't said anything at all.

see there are stitches here too

Another Marley hat from Itty Bitty Hats, this time knit in Lang-Tissa for a much smaller head, it’s about to be gifted to a little person who will arrive soon



A bunny to keep the newly mended Norberta company on her trip across the continent, she is a Jane Doe Bunny at the moment but I am sure that situation will change when she arrives at her destination. She is from this Fiber Trends Pattern and knit in Patons classic Merino and some red wool that I had in my stash. Sadly the red did not felt as well as the Patons but these things happen. Her scarf is knit from a little single left over handspun from this project.



A cabled hat that is happily resting on my head at the moment, I am rather in love. I knit it from this pattern and used Stampato – Extra in colour 8007. It too was from my stash but in a panicked moment I bought a second ball thinking that I wouldn’t have enough – I had enough and thus will probably knit another one or something similar. I am all about cables right now.

And another scarf… this one is Noro Silk Garden in a pattern that I made up and will share with the rest of you once it is blocked and I decided that I like it. It reminds me of berries and I owed one persona scarf from Christmas, everyone else got one and she got a candle as I ran out of time!

I got a few knitting books over the holidays and I am rather enthralled with them. I have been all about designing knitwear lately and thus I wanted some stitch pattern books to inspire me. I got Knitting Stitches by Mary Webb, it is one of little thick dictionary like books with good learn to knit instructions and then pages and pages of types of stitches, ribs, lace and cables. It has good charts and pictures and most of the instructions are reasonably clear.

I have another great book that I wanted to tell you all about but I can't find it online and the name of it escapes me at the moment... oh well that one can go in the next post with the spinning from yesterday.

FYI - blogger is pissy today I had this all set up and such and then posted it and now of the pictures came through from Picasa. Sooo I had to do it all again and now the pics aren't all cropped and such becuase my hour of interent time is about to run out... annoying!

alright

My stitches ( noro scarf and shawl) and my girls spent 2 days in the hospital with P and we are all home now. Yipee! P is on the mend, there were a few hours yesterday where we waited to make sure that everything was working as it should and low and behold it does.

I won't even begin to spout about our healthcare system because I think that if I start I might just never be able to stop. I never realised how broken it is until I was on the inside waiting for services.

That be said I am going to enjoy a realxing day at home, because it is COLD outside, (so cold that it makes my eyes water when the wind blows) and take some time to take some knitting photos and put up a real post. Happy Saturday.

News

At approximately 18 hundred hours on Thursday January 11, 2007 Norberta the dragon was viciously attacked by 100 lb doberman cross, Norberta suffered major damage to her mouth, belly and ears. The doberman cross walked away unharmed. Norberta is currently undergoing reconstructive surgery and will be ready to mail soon. There are no photos available at this time due to the graphic nature of the incident.

In other news...

While recently sitting in a hospital waiting room a knitter discovered that she was out of knitting projects, the knitter had not anticipated spending an entire day in the hospital waiting rooms - so she did what any stressed knitter would, she knit 10 rows and then frogged them in order that she might knit them again to keep her hands busy while she waited. The knitter has learned here lesson and will not be caught without an appropriate amount of fiber again - an emergency sock kit has been places in her car in case such an emergency should arise again.

Said knitter has a number of projects on the go including a shawl, a sweater, socks, and a cabled hat. Multiple projects will accompany the knitter to the hospital this coming Thursday when the knitter's husband has surgery ( nothing major but life will be better after). The knitter will return next week with book reviews, photos and progress notes

it happened

I knew this would happen eventually

They managed to get it out of the bedroom before they started unwinding it

and wrapped it through the laundry that was in the basket - I was not impressed

After I got it all wound up Kieran decided that she wanted it back - I think not. Today she broke the full length mirror on my dresser, she is not a popular cat this week

I have been knitting this holiday season. P and I have both been sticking close to home and that means I have had lots of knitting time. Meet Norberta without her wings - (C. does she need wings or will G. like her just the way she is). I knit her in Acrylic something - yes I said acrylic, I liked th colour better and I figured that a one year old wouldn't know the difference.

I bought Itty Bitty Hats on boxing day at Chapters and started knitting. This is the Marley Hat with a few modifications knit it Mission falls 1824 cotton and cotton tots by bernat/patons - someone like that

This P's new scarf - It's from Scarf Style, the pattern name escapes me at the moment but it is by Teva Durham knit with Nashua Creative Focus Chunky in Nickel

Another hat from Itty Bitty Hats - this is a much modified pattern knit with patons Chunky tweed. I changed the decreases to modify the top and

instead of a pom pom I used an i-cord and tassel - but you can't see it

Yesterday's amazing sunset that I just has to share with the world and last but not least

This little tiny guy is a year old today, amazing how time flies.

look at how big he has gotten
Happy Birthday Hatch

Overdue thanks

The Christams Hampers made it out the door, thanks to everyone who contributed to make Christmas a little brighter for 2 families. They really appreciated our help. We'll do it again next year.


Christmas has come and gone in what can only be described as a blur. I cooked and cooked for days, we ate for hours and then it was done. Well that's not true then we opened gifts (mostly scarves and homemade wine) laughed ourselves silly and then it was done, for the Eve portion that is. We spent Christmas day with some friends and then P's son. It was a good 2 days. We are almost recovered, we have cleaned up most of the mess and will be eating leftovers for amny days to come.


I woke up to this on boxing day (the 26th), it was a day late but beautiful none the less. It inspired some good knitting though but I will save that for the next post as I have some new knitting books as well! lucky me.

Scarves anyone? The top one is handspun knit in boxes of 5x5 with a garter edges. The middle on is Lamb's Pride Chunky (unblocked) in my most standard scarf pattern adapted from one I got from Alchemy yarns. The last one is from my fabulous older sister who sent me a care package awhile back - it's fiber content is a mystery but I love it

close ups

I love these colours

and now that this one is blocking it looks much better

This is the last round of scarves, most of which are already wrapped and handed out but maybe I will get some pics of them on the recipients. Left to right - rose pima/tencel (lost the ball bands - nearly 2 balls in that standard pattern i mentioned earlier. Next some Noro silk garden just striped knit/purl but by rows instead of stitches. 3rd mohair blend - it came from my sisters stash and finally Paton Allure just in garter stitch. I am not a huge fan of novelty yarn but a small person likes pink and girly stuff, it fit the bill.

When I haven't been knitting I have been cooking for Christmas eve, I made perogies all day on Friday - some left the house as Christmas gifts and the rest are in the freezer awaiting Sunday evening. There is much cooking to be done, I love the traditions of Ukrainian Christmas Eve but it is a lot of work - we only have 10 or so people coming... not a huge crowd but big enough.

alive

We are both alive, one of us more than the other. P has been sick for a number of weeks and things sort of crashed down around last week when he was admitted to the hospital for 3 days. It was a long week but now he is home, medicated and on the mend. I am thankful that he is ok(now) and he assures me that he will NEVER let himself get that sick again. If he does I may have to kill before he has the chance to die of natural causes.

We had plans to have a fundraising tree cutting event this weekend,
we went ahead with it even though P was under the weather - we doped him and sat him in a chair with some hot apple cider while the rest of us cut trees, drank mulled wine and rememebered that Christmas is not as merry for some people as it is for us. The funds raised will go to make Christams brighter for 2 families here in the Ottawa valley who otherwise might not have anything this holiday season.


I would say based on the number of boots that it was a successful day... and P enjoyed the company after and long and lonely week, this didn't actually capture them all and a few folks had already left.

I have some knitting photos as well, sitting in the hospital provides ample knitting time but Ihave to get the camera, the card reader and the laptop all in the same place to make that work - the laptop and card reader are in the internet cafe with me and the camera is in the car... so no pictures for you. I have beeen on a scarf kick lately and have 4 finished (even blocked) and 2 almost done. Soon, honest and if you haven't seen it yet, go look at the new Knitty - I am in love with this, this and this one too - I was thinking of all the littel people in my world who would like them.

Oh and if you are bored and need a way to waste time go here, careful it is addictive

busy

Tons on the go this week and no time to get near a high speed connection to put some pics up. I have been knitting like a fiend and have a few FO's as well as a number of almost done projects.

Busy is good because it means that there is work - not tons but more than last year at this time.

Until the pics I leave you with this - stolen word for word from MamaCate

So there's this guy who's doing a panel at the MLA, and he's checking to see how a meme or, depending on how you look at it, a chain letter, moves through the blogosphere. We knitters have a rather populous corner of the blogosphere, and one that I think routinely buffaloes those who attempt to study blogs and blogging. Who are all these knitters and what do they want? (Wool.) If blogging is concerned with social change, what the hell are all these people doing talking about yarn? (We'll get back to you when the plans for world domination are available in pdf format.)
Anyway, Jody explains it all in a way that is far more interesting and complete than I have the patience for, but do please play. All you need to do is mention and link to the project, beg ask others to participate, and then ping technocrati. Let's show the MLA a little knitting mojo, eh?

See these boots, think about how high they usually come on ones leg. Can you picture it... good, that's how high the water was in my cellar yesterday. We have had a lot of rain lately and P. had the pump going on Thursday night and we thought that most of the water was gone and we were in the clear. On Friday he asked me to go down and check the door and make sure that everything was ok, I thought he was being a tad over cautious and went about my day. By the time I went to check, the water was up to the top of my boots it many places and there was a few spots that would of gone over the top. I hooked up the pump and called P, it pumped all afternoon and all night - it was a lot of water. Thankfully the furnace was fine, the water reached the furnace but it didn't make it all the way to the motor although it was close.

In other rubber news ( as opposed to fiber news) I played so me amazing games with rubber chickens on Thursday. i know it seems odd but the grade 1's thought it was the greatest. If you have kids and can lay your hands on a few I would suggest you make the investment - use them in any game you would usually use a ball, like hot potato, it will be a huge success

I am making progress on my UFO list. I seamed the sweater last night but I have to adjust the sleeves as they are pulling a bit and I am in the home strech on 2 of the scarves, just another few inches on each.

Have a good weekend I am off to a craft fair while I wait for P to finish his workshop - I have a few Christmas things to get and Sarah has table there, good reasons to go.

In fiber news

I have hit the point of no return... I have 2 many things on the go and am desperate to start some more. Wait - to many for me means that I don't have time to work on them all and therefore some are destined to be UFO's forever - every now and then I abandon something but usually I try to finish stuff even if it is not turning out the way that I want it to.

So on the go
- 3 scarves, one with handspun
- socks
- a sweater
- a bag
and I am desperate to cast on 2 blankets, a shawl and another sweater.

And don't even get me started on the sheep to hats/scarves/shawls (something) that I started awhile ago. I must take pictures as it is going well.

For your entertainment, Kitty antics - it is not captured nearly as well on film but it was hilarious to watch as they repeatedly leapt at the flies and fell off the ironing board



hmm there are flies in the light...

hmm maybe now that my sister is out of the way i can get at those flies

maybe if I'm careful...

I won't fall off like she did

I remembered

Thursday morning -

Got a call to work at 6:30 am
I remembered...
- the garbage had to go out
- the recycling needed to go out
- to put the dogs out
- to have a shower
- to get breakfast
- my knitting
- to get out the door to get to work on time

but I forgot my book and my camera! Who goes to a book signing without a book, so I had her sign my hand instead and have shamelessly stolen pictures from other peoples blogs.


Steph laughed at me, I can't imagine why.

It was a great night and I'm so glad I went. I met lots of great new folks and laughed so hard I cried - it was good.

Louise provided great pre-harlot entertainment

There were bloggers from L to R Lissa, Orris, Me, Nancy, Tara ( in the empty chair) and Heather. Behind us are Kathy, Mairi (she has a blog... somewhere) and Leanne

and lots of other knitters as well including Gillian on the left ( a new knitter who was not scared off by Louise and I) and Suzanne Atkinson - just to mention one pattern of hers.

Steph taking her blurry knitters are here photo

And Mairi, I just had to show the world at large what this fabulous knitter is up to this week. I love Mairi, she knits with us on Wednesdays and teaches classes at Yarn Forward, she is a fabulous fiber person ( a wonderful person, person as well) and the fact that Steph was also awestruck by her latest project made me feel good - I am am not alone in my Mairi awe! Mairi, let me say publicly that I am sorry if I embarrassed you by forcing the scarf out of your bag ( The scarf that she saw in Vogue knitting on Saturday and just went home and started to knit it without buying the magazine) but it really is amazing and the world needs to know.

P.S. C, Steph says thanks for making sure that we knew all knew she was coming here - for the rest of you my sister commented, phoned and emailed just to make sure I knew Steph was headed this way - she's good like that

Me again

Remember this

Well it is becoming a scarf and I am thrilled that the stripes are turning out as well as they are. It was my first attempt at spinning something with the intent of stripes, well the intent of anything actually

However my model is not as excited as I am and decided to leave before I could get a close up

And just in case you live here and aren't in the know, Steph is coming on Thursday, details here

As promised

It's funny, I just realised that I never post recipes even though I am constantly trying out new ones and adjusting others that I liked but didn't love - this is one of those type, I love it now that I have adjusted the proportions.

Indian Chick Peas (or Lentils)

1 19oz/540ml can of chick peas or lentils - rinse them well and then out them back in the can and fill it up with water.
1 large onion finely chopped
4 to 6 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp salt - if you cook with salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cayenne - the more you add the hotter it is.
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp tumeric
2 tsp cumin
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Heat a few tsps of olive oil in the bottom of a heavy frying pan ( I like cast iron as they hold the heat well)
Add the minced garlic and onion, saute for about 10 minutes over medium heat
Add the in all the spices and the lemon juice, saute for another minute or so.
Add the can of chick peas/lentils and allow to boil rapidly for a few minutes to reduce the liquid. Turn to low and simmer for at least 5 minutes, longer if you have time.

Serve over rice or rice noodles. Serves 2 big eaters or 3 smaller eaters.

Notes - Sometimes I double the recipe and add both chick peas and lentils.
- I use canned but you could use dry and add about 1/4 cup of water in place of the water in the can.
- I rinse the can contents well due to the amount of salt that is in the liquid they are canned in.
- This is not a "hot" curry, I can't eat really hot things but it is tasty. P. makes his hotter with pickled mango added on to his plate.

hmmm

I wanted to post some pictures of the kittens but the camera seems to of eaten them. I spent ages looking and now I have to go and make some food... perhaps I will post the mazing chikpea currythat I am going to make, I guess that means I will be back later.