Get 'er done!

I've been pretty slack with everything since my birthday. My knitting has been slow and steady, work has been a bit tedious, and I've spent a lot of time watching episodes of shows I've missed (The Tudors, Dexter and Big Love being a few). Now that American Thanksgiving has come and gone, I've been on a mission to finish all things Christmas as soon as possible. So far, I have finished knitting One person's gift, but I only have two more people to buy gifts for. I think I'm in a good place for a month left to Christmas. So, most of these are WIP pictures. Hopefully that will change!

First, the Christmas presents. I hope none of the recipients glimpse this page, but I think I'm safe!

For my brother, who has wanted a Dr. Who scarf for ages, I have restarted one I began earlier this year. The first attempt was too wide, and wasn't going to be long enough. This one, however, will be monsterous!


The scarf is over a quarter of the way completed, and it already spans my 6' queen sized bed. So, we're looking at a 20' scarf at least! Notice the pink stripe. I'm going to have only one or two more of those, because paired with the other colours, it simply makes the scarf too feminine. I've replaced the pink with a grey-green for the rest of the scarf. My colours are not very accurate, I'm improvising with the huge amount of Patons Shetland Chunky yarn I was given by my aunt last year.

My dad is a huge golfer, he's out on the course almost every day in the summer. He also has everything under the sun golf related, includig books, ornaments, computer games, etc. So, I decided it was time I knit him some golf club covers. They're unique, stylish, and could double a s mittens if he was in a pinch :)



I have another cover finished, made in opposite colours to the tan and teal (teal bottom, tan top), and I'm going to make another in the red and grey, switching the colours again. I wanted a matching set, but I only had enough yarn for two of each colour scheme. I still think it looks great. The pattern is from Creative Knitting (my favorite knitting magazine), and the yarns are Patons Classic Wool in Peacock, Dark Natural Mix, Rich Red and Pearl.

Close ups of the houndstooth pattern (so easy!):



And last, but not least, my scarf for my brother's girlfriend. It's a simple sideways garter stitch scarf, but the yarn is amazing so it looks really nice.


Bad photo...


Close up of the thick and thin quality of the yarn (Bernat MAX in April Wine)


A bit truer colours, but any attempt at accurate colours today was hopeless, it was a very grey day!

That's all for now, I'll post the rest at a later time!

22 Celcius? Seriously?

How am I ever going to get a chance to wear all my toasty knitted stuff when mother nature can't make up her mind? It's as warm as July out there! Oh well, I shouldn't complain, I love warm weather!
So, what have I made lately? Not too much, I'm trucking along on a few lengthy FOs, and some Christmas presents, so nothign really to show for my efforts just yet. But I did finish a couple small projects, which I've been fighting with my camera so I can take pictures of them, but here they are!

First, the easy peasy dishcloth, with the easy peasest pattern.

Yarn is Bernat Handicrafter Cotton in....a pink, orange and yellow colourway? Sorry, don't have the name at the moment.

I'm not a fan of the pooling colours in the middle of the cloth, but it's not a big deal.


I finished off a cute neckwarmer out of the Katia Mexico yarn I've used for my Newfie mitts. It's a simple tube of about 120 stitches, knit in 2x2 ribbing. Much less yarn than a scarf, and it does the same job!


These were more of a repair job. I had to take apart one of these mitts because a mistake I made in the waffle pattern, causing it to be too short. Now they're good as new!

The colours go with my House Unity scarf I made a while back, as well as a green and yellow cabled hat I made to match the scarf as well.


Two weeks ago was Thanksgiving here in Canada. I saw this adorable turkey over at Bittersweet and HAD to make him. While working at Kreative Knits that Saturday (yes, I have the job, I LOVE it, it's wonderful, I knit all day!) so I worked on him at the store. He is almost all single crochet, and he was as easy as (pumpkin) pie!

All of the yarns are acrylics I had lying around.

And last, but not least, we have a tiny ladybug infestation. At least 20 are hanging out in our bedroom window. So pretty, but I worry the cats will eat them.


My birthday is in 2 days! Someone buy me Amigurumi!: Super Happy Crochet Cute! I worship Elizabeth Doherty and her amazing skills!

A chill is in the air!

Remember in my last post that it felt like 39 celcius (102 ferenheit)? Well, on Sunday, it managed to make it to 14 C (57 F), but by the time I got home from work, it was closer to 3C (37F). Brr! Soon there'll be frost and, dare I say it, snow! So, as the weather turns from pleasent to icy, I have been working hard, cranking out fetching beret/tam type hats. But before we get to that, I wanted to show you my first completed "knitting" project. I think I might have been 10 or so when I made it.

This scarf was made on a large spool knitter, using the yarn that came with the loom/spool knitting set I got as a child. I'm assuming it's acrylic, and the colour pattern goes peach, gold, green, white, peach, gold, green. It has been worn for years by my first teddy bear, who is a mere 5 inches tall.

Pretty impressive for a first textile project, I must say, and Teddy's all ready for the fall chill.

I promised some photos of the berets I made, and I will not disappoint. Without further ado, here they are.

Beret #1 (My favorite):

(Note all photos of me wearing the hat suck.)

Specs:
Pattern: Bulky Tam by whatifknits
Needles: US 10.5 circs (I think 24") and DPNS
Yarn: Patons Nuance in Mythic. This yarn is so soft and light, I'm totally in love with it!

Beret #2:



Specs:
Pattern and Needles same as #1
Yarn:Bernat Felting Natural Wool in New Iris
A little thicker, probably better for winter, but still very pretty!

Beret #3:


Specs:
Pattern and Needles same as #1
Yarn: Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair in Glacier Bay
I hated working with this yarn, the mohair went EVERYWHERE, but I love how it looks now.

Beret #4:



Specs:
Pattern and Needles same as #1
Yarn: Patons Divine in Richest Rose
Another Mohairy yarn, but much softer than Moonlight Mohair. Pink is not really my colour, so I might sell/give this one away.

Cold weather does not just call for Hats, I have started making mittens as well. My favorite mitts are ones I saw all through my childhood. I've wanted a pair for years, and now I'm starting on my second pair! They're called Newfoundland mitts, and they're very warm. The honeycomb stitch holds in the heat, and even when made with acrylic yarn, they keep the hands of kids and adults cozy, even when wet!

My pair is very reminisent of spring, so hopefully they'll cheer me up during the gray days of February.

Without the flash, the colours are still bright!

Close up of the pattern, two slipped stitches pull the fabric into the honeycomb shape.
I got the pattern from the Creative Whimsy blog. But the pattern isn't really copyrighted or anything, people have been knitting these for decades! I was obviously inspired by her use of Noro Kureyon, though.

My mitten specs
Needles: US 6 (4mm) DPNS
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool in Too Teal, Katia Mexico in Easter (as you can see, I frogged my scarf I made earlier!)

Well,that's all from me now, bundle up dearies! Snuggle your furry friends!

UPDATE!

I had to write on my hand Update! With three underlines, just so I would remember to do this. My sock pal is anxiously waiting for me to post about the gorgeous socks and other great stuff she sent me, and I have so much to post! Be prepared for a long, detailed blog full of pictures!
Ok...Where to start...
Well, A few weekends ago, I went home to try and sell my knitted scarves, hats and dishcloths at the annual 50 Mile Yard Sale.
I set up my table at my parent's house...

Priced the items according to what I thought they were worth ($10 for a scarf, $10 for 100% wool touques, $2 for a dishcloths)....

And by the end of the day, I sold 1 scarf and 3 dishcloths! Terrible! People are just not looking for quality knitted items at yard sales!

At least I got to see a pretty Monarch butterfly.


A few days later, I got a package in the mail. It was from my sock pal, from Sockapalooza! I told her I liked Dobby socks (ones that didn't match), and that's what she made! They're wonderful, and they fit perfectly! I haven't had to wear them yet, it's been really warm here, in fact, yesterday got up to 31 celsius (88 ferenheit), feeling like 39 celsius (102 ferenheit)!!!! But I love them!

Broadripple sock


And for the other foot....

Monkey!

I love the colours in both pairs. But she didn't stop with the socks, no, this is what she sent along with them!

The rest of the yarn! That's crazy! AND a pretty bag! The outside fabric matches the monkey sock, and the inside fabric matches the Broadripple sock! So awesome!

She also sent me the patterns for the socks she made, and another pattern for an ankle sock, which I couldn't resist making!

(I have such a huge ankle, from multiple sprains that made it swell up to the size of an orange!)
Tada! One Breeze sock down, one to go, which I think I'll make with the orange yarn and the orange stripey yarn for the heel. Yet another pair of Dobby socks!

Close up of the lace pattern

And the gorgeous heel!
She also sent me a wonderful lemon and poppyseed soap, that I use all the time, it smells great! And a sample of wool wash, which I'll be using soon to get all my socks ready for chilly winter nights.
And I took some shots of berets I made, but I think I'll wait for my next post to talk about those.
For now, here's a shot of Carlos on our new bed, which is insanely comfortable!

I've been meaning to do this for a long time...

Each and every one of my new posts here on blogger seems to be some sort of apology or excuse. It takes me weeks, even months, for me to post. Why, you ask? Am I that slow at knitting that I produce only a few FOs a year? No, quite the opposite. I have become a high volume knitter, completing a project almost every day I am at work.
Do I have too much to do? Well, that was the case a couple months ago, when I was preparing for my wedding, and a few months back when I graduated from University of King's College. But other than that, no, I have plenty of time to update. I just don't! Why, because, while I could knit until my hands fall off, I am an extremely lazy person. I am trying desperately to fix that. Every other day I try to get out for a long walk. I am trying to force myself out into the job market and find something that is not necessarily in my desired field of future work (library and archival work, for anyone who has a job needing filled out there!) that pays better and has more hours than my job now, which gives me the flexibility to knit while I'm there but is terrible on the budget. I have, over the past few months, learned what it is like to be rejected for a job. I had, until recently, applied for jobs with multiple openings and minimum wage salaries. But now, I am applying for government granted, single-position postings and higher salaried, bigger responibilities, etc, etc, and you would think a BA would count for something. Unfortunately, all the jobs I have applied for, I have either been turned down or never been responded back to. This has sent me into a spiral of depression, which definately does not help my job hunt.
There is however, a glimmer of hope. My LYS, which I like to think I've been a loyal customer to, is in need of a helping hand. I'm in the process of writing the owner back to accept her offer of working for her when others employees are off. I couldn't be happier!
Now, as to my knitting, I unfortunatly have a camera that is either on the fritz or batteries that need replacing. I had set up a photo of 5 dishcloths, 17 scarves, 4 hats and a calorimetry to be photographed, but I can't get my camera to turn on. These are all meant to be sold at the 50 Mile Yard Sale this weekend, if I can just get a hold of my mother! I plan on making at least 3 more scarves, as this is where my money will be gained (I hope). I'm nervous they won't sell, but I want to get my feet wet in selling my knitted goods, since I will never wear all of my scarves!
Well, I'm going to dig around for some photos to finish off this blog entry, but first, a 3 things meme I got from Mikkers over at Domestitchery

3 things that scare me
-walking alone or waiting for the bus at night
-Big dogs off their leash
-Death in general

3 people who make me laugh
- my husband Greg
- Kat
-Kit (I know, Kit Kat, ha ha ha ha)

3 things I love
- cats
- knitting
- chocolate

3 things I hate
- most people who drive the roads of Halifax
- Homophobes
-People who think they can get away with anything

3 things I don’t understand
- most computer stuff (Greg's the IT major, but even he can't explain it to me!)
- French, even though I spent about 10 years studying it in school
- How Crocs have become so popular

3 things on my desk
- An almost finished "Party" dishcloth from this pattern
- my cell phone
- a stack of nearly obsolete CDs

3 things I’m doing right now
- Worrying about the LYS job (she's not getting back until the 10th!)
- Hoping I can go home for the 50 mile yard sale
- Wondering how I'll make it to the 14th on $9.

3 things I want to do before I die
- Have two children (hopefully little redheaded girls!)
- Have a sucessful career
- See Europe and Asia

3 things I can do
- Procrastinate but still acheive high marks
- Be top producer at work
- Keep calm under enormous pressure

3 things I can’t do
- Keep my apartment clean (yes, me too!)
- Simple math without a piece of paper or calculator
- stop doing my job at work- even though i hate it, I can't goof off or slow my dialing down...it's just not in me to be like the slackers who piss me off!

3 things I think you should listen to
- your parents!
- Mika. His songs are just so upbeat! And I think he's the reincarnated Freddie Mercury.
- Your heart

3 things you should never listen to (but you know you want to)
- Yatta
- Any music by Paris Hilton
- Most "gangsta" rap unless you want to feel degraded ladies!

3 shows I watched as a kid
- Full House
- Blossom
-Ready Or Not

Photos!

My Under the Hoodie is finally finished! Now It needs to get cold enough to wear it!


Ugh, terrible picture... I'm not happy with the length!


Closeup of a beautiful scarf I made that I'll be selling this weekend!


The body of a bag I've made, it needs the straps now and possibly a lining!

Closeup of the yarn, Moda Dea Cache in Wink.

Our wedding!

July 21, 2007


The kiss!


The wedding party. Bottom row: My MIL, Hailey, my cousin and flower Girl, Dad
Middle Row: FIL, Greg, Me, Mom
Back Row(s): Weasel (Greg's uncle), Nic (Greg's friend), Apollo (My brother), my four bridesmaids and friends, Cait, Sara, Karyn and Kat (maid of honour)


One of my favorite phots of Greg and I!


My family


My dress. Alfred Angelo, Ivory and Robin's Egg Blue. My flowers were blue Hydrangea, Ivory roses, and yellow Freesia.

Until my camera comes back to normal, that's all for now!