Is It Just Me...

...or is the latest KnitScene filled with fugly? This normally edgy, attractive publication has put out an issue filled almost entirely with clunky, awkwardly styled, and just plain weird knit things. Even the photography is sub par. What's up with that?

Blocking Meret

Here we have The Daughter's requested slouchy beret, aka Meret, blocking in the recommended manner; on a large dinner plate. I've surrounded it with some other favourite round things. Above is my Kromex brushed aluminum. The canisters were my grandma's and the salt/pepper were purchased for me by my sister at a flea market.

What I love particularly about the hat in this picture, is how the stitches mimic the pattern in my favourite Depression glass piece. That's the Jeanette Company, Windsor Diamond pattern footed dish. At one time, I displayed it with my other pink glass on a shelf. After my move to the apartment I decided to start using my collected pieces rather than just displaying them. Thus, the sugar bowl sits in the bathroom dispensing cotton swabs, the candy dish holds actual candy and this bowl sits on the counter and holds the garlic cloves. I find I'm enjoying my collection so much more this way.

I didn't actually notice the hat's similarity to the dish until I put the knitting up to be blocked on the kitchen counter. Remarkable.

I Know How It Feels

This was me at work yesterday.

Yarn Tourism

OK. Let's forget the horrific holiday homecoming (alliteration!) and concentrate on the important stuff. The Yarn.

After the Romni Boxing Day sale, I swore off yarn purchases. My stash is certainly large enough to last many, many years. However, we all know that yarn purchased while travelling is an exception, so off I went in search of local flavour.
I'd been to Beehive before, the large shop on Douglas Street. It's very nice and has a huge selection, but I was disappointed to find nothing I hadn't seen before. It seems silly to travel to the West coast and buy Fleece Artist. Then I stumbled upon Button and Needlework Boutique on View Street and I hit the jackpot.

What a delight. They define themselves as an embellishment establishment (more alliteration) and there are two walls of gorgeous buttons, but they also have a beautiful knitting section.

Kelly had been raving about Indigo Moon of Gabriola Island BC, and now I know why. I wish my photo better portrayed the depth of colour and luminosity of this green silk. It's 1000 metres of shimmering heaven that will someday become the perfect stole. Until the right pattern presents itself, I think I'll just keep the skein under glass and admire it every day. I also bought a hand dyed sock yarn in shades of taupe and cocoa but so far have been unable to photograph it successfully.

I also picked up two lovely balls of Lanaknits Designs hempwol. Yes I can probably get it here but I fell in love with the heather tones and earthy feel of the stuff. These will likely become mittens. There were some tempting kits that wanted to follow me home as well, but I resisted.
As a bonus, if you look just above the centre of the right skein, you can glimpse one of many lovely holes in my wall.

I'm Definitely Home

See this? It's the harbour in Victoria BC. Note the blue sky? The sun? The general calmness? Don't you wish you were there? Well, I've just returned from 5 glorious days there. Days filled with long drives, good wine, museums and a bit of romance.

Last night I returned home to frigid Toronto to discover an apartment with no heat, burst rad pipes and black water all over the carpets. It was a balmy 53 degrees in my bedroom last night. That's with a space heater running!

It's not all gloom and doom. Our possessions are all fine and I've a wonderful landlord who is on the case. There are huge holes in my drywall but now the heat is partially restored. Still...Damn. Damn.

Well, I Lied

The weekend is over and I did not finish the top. I had a casting off crisis. Why do my picked up finishes on necklines insist on rolling? Hate those rolled edges. Refuse to wear them. So, it's back in the bag for that project.
I finished the mitts instead. Pictures to follow.

UFO Round Up

I've broken my own rule about having no more than three projects on the needles at one time. Here we have two pairs of gloves from Robin's book plus Meret, cast on with Earth Collection Rainshadow. Then I remembered the leaf tank languishing next to the rocking chair. It only needs straps and seaming. Then, there was the recollection of the beaded shrug, shoved in a pique of frustration, into a drawer months ago. That one may be destined for the frog pond.

So, the goal this weekend is to finish the tank. You're my witnesses to this intention. One good movie on TV should be all it takes. I wonder what's on Saturday Night At The Movies?

Isn't this pretty? It's some handspun I bought on Ebay years ago and forgot about. It's slowly becoming Glaistig. I normally don't knit with neutrals, but the multiple, tiny, flecks of colour and great texture are making this yarn a joy to work.

New Year

Well, Michelle posted a serious looking list. Seriously ambitious. I don't think I'm up to that...

I have one resolution. I decided it was best to make only one and that it should be sensible and attainable. I am going to greatly reduce the amount of take-out coffee I drink. This is huge for me as Second Cup is my one remaining luxury in my otherwise frugal existence. It's tasty and I love it. It's also $2 a cup. I'll not eliminate it completely but cut back to twice a week instead of every day. That's the money part of the plan. When I do buy it, I shall remember to bring my travel mug. That's the green part of the plan. Good plan, n'est pas?

Other than that I have intentions. I intend to continue my attempts at keeping open and free and accepting the goodness the universe has to offer. My Freewill Astrology horoscopes for the upcoming year are all about, taking journeys, attracting positive people, and "thinking outside the boxes that all the outside-the-box thinkers customarily think inside". This is a direction in which I was pointing anyway but it's nice to have the reinforcement. Laugh if you like at my belief in this astrology. It was right on the money last year, so I'll stick with it:

"How do you numb your pain, Gemini? In 2008, I suggest that you do that less than you ever have before. Instead, launch a fierce, relentless campaign to heal the pain so that you no longer have to numb it. The astrological omens say that if you establish that as your intention, you will attract into your life the helpers and inspiration you need to make it happen. More than that: You'll be likely to generate the kind of good fortune that will render at least some of the pain obsolete. "

This was written 12 months ago for the upcoming 2008. As someone who spent most of the Christmas season last year either crying or passed out drunk, it spoke to me. Hmm...wonder why? This Christmas night found me alone but sober. I listened to a lovely concert on CBC and read knitting magazines. I drank tea and planned my next project. It was quiet but nice. Better than last year. "I'm better than I was", I tell myself whenever the temptation of self-pity arises. I stayed sober the entire holiday (December 22 and my lost mittens don't count! Too early.) I had brunch with knitters. Twice! The Daughter and I visited my much loved Aunt and Uncle and listened to their hilarious stories. We walked in High Park and talked to the llamas. See? Positive people. Inspiration. Good fortune.
May 2009 bring more of the same. To all of us.