Vanda

Vanda

The Knitter's Design Team

Knitter's Magazine Summer 2008

She's done! Well actually, this was done weeks ago. I was just waiting for a free sunny morning with my photographer, aka The Daughter.

I was initially disappointed with the final shape of the cardigan. It came out wider than I had envisioned and the sleeves are a bit batty. I should have made the armholes a little smaller. However, I showed it to a few other knitters and they gave their stamp of approval. I've worn it many times now and have warmed up to it considerably.

I knit to pattern specs in the medium size. The only modification I made was to make two button holes instead of one. I like the look of the more complete closure. Also, what an opportunity to use twice as many of my beautiful Goodwill vintage buttons.

Note. This is my first successful use of the three needle bind-off. That shoulder seam is true awesome skill.

Artistic Patronage

I rode along Queen Street today to the Queen West Art Crawl. What a splendiferous, sunny day for a bike ride and an art show. Trinity Bellwoods park was alive with colour.

I actually bought a piece. My favourite tent was that of a lovely young woman named Amanda White. She does remarkably complex and fanciful ink drawings. She somehow manages to capture wildness and tenderness at the same time. The image at left is from her business card.
Alas, being an underemployed arts worker myself, I couldn't afford any of the large pieces with which I fell in love. The great irony of The State of The Arts in Canada. I purchased instead, a tiny perfect sketch that is now hanging beside my favourite window where I sit every morning.

Blogging From the Office

It's quiet here today. What a difference from two days ago and the contained mayhem of sold-out U2 concerts.
Two fourteen hour days of running the box office and two very sore legs later, I've had a revelation. I'm really good at what I do. The prep was in place and the staff was cheerful and motivated. We were swamped but never out of control. I'm really proud to be part of this team.

Unfortunately, what I do, has very little market value. I could not do this job full time and support myself and The Daughter. It's such a shame.
The conundrum: how to find work that uses my mad skills, doesn't break my aging body, and pays a decent salary. Hmm...

Do We Love the New Knitty or What?

It's so bright! So clean! I got a happy feeling when the home page popped up on my screen. And yes, it is easier to navigate.
Of course, there are lovely patterns as always. Browsing through got my knitting juices flowing. Can't wait to cast on something new. Now that I'm semi-unemployed, (Did I mention I quit my job? A bold, foolish, glorious and possibly disastrous thing to do!) I'll have a spot of time to rest up and knit. My favourite project in the new issue is Kernal. I've struggled in the past with beads but this scarf has just enough to make it challenging but not overwhelming. Definitely on my To Do list.

I wore these socks to work yesterday and it came to me that I had never blogged them properly. They're the Acorn Lace Socks by Fiber Trends. The yarn is FibraNatura Yummy. While, I'm not the biggest fan of %100 wool for socks, I just love this pot dyed colour. The blue changes up into so many shades of itself that little sparks of happiness were coming out my fingers as I knit. The base colour look white in the photo but is actually a light steely grey, which sets off the blue perfectly. More photos on my Ravelry page.

In other knitting, Rose is coming along and Vanda is done and has been worn already. Photos soon.

Last Summer Weekend

It's ten past noon and The Daughter sleeps on. I'm torn between letting her enjoy this, her second to last sleep-in opportunity, and waking her "for her own good." My enjoyment of the quiet on this beautiful Sunday morning is influencing my decision toward the former choice.

School in two days. I always dislike this time of year. The myth created by marketing people that parents are dancing in the store aisles right now, is just not true. I enjoy the unstructured ease of the summer days. Seeing more of the kid, sitting outside after work, no homework to nag about. Even with working like a maniac these past few months and the lack of a proper vacation, I'm still sad to see summer end. Soon the pressures and rigidity of the school year, combined with shorter, darker, colder days, will make the sunshine and light breezes of this Labour Day Sunday a distant memory.

Two years ago, for Mother's Day, The Daughter gave me two skeins of Diamond Luxor Egyptian cotton in this gorgeous pink. It had been sitting in the stash waiting for a project until my current need for a new cosmetic bag provided the answer. Using a Knitgrrl 2 pattern as a starting point, I knit up this clutch in just a few days. The smooth, shiny pink goes so well with the vintage buttons. Tres chic. Tres girlie.