handmade by jennifer

new blog link

2008-09-29T14:10:00.004-04:00

Ok, here is the information you need:

As of Wednesday, October 1 2008, I will no longer be using Blogger to run my blog. I am switching to Wordpress.

If you:

a) visit me by typing in http://www.jeloca.com/ then you don't need to do anything different. It will automatically send you to the right place.

b) visit me by using any type of feed reader (like Bloglines) then you will need to update your link. Please add the following link: http://jeloca.wordpress.com/ as this will replace the Blogger one.

p.s. Obviously, if it doesn't work for you, please let me know! My email address won't change, and any comments sent to this blog will still get to me.

I can't wait to see you in my new home! All new content (posts, patterns) will be over there, so come on by!

thanks for reading,

Jennifer Lori.
http://www.jeloca.com/

upcoming changes

2008-09-26T10:23:00.002-04:00

I know my posts have been a bit sporadic lately, and there is a good reason for that. I've been working hard behind the scenes setting up a new blog over at Wordpress.

I'm posting this announcement here in advance to inform everyone that my blog address will be changing as of Wednesday, October 1 2008.

What does this mean for you?

If you visit me by entering http://www.jeloca.com into a web browser- this changes NOTHING for you. My new blog will be sent to my actual website, so you can keep visiting me there, and you will see all the fancy new changes.

If you visit me by entering http://www.jeloca.blogspot.com into a web browser OR through Bloglines OR any other feed reader- you will need to update your link. I will make the new address available on September 30th before I go to bed. :)

Why bother making the switch? As of October 1st not only will the blog have moved, but there will be new features available. The look will be cleaner and more organized, and there will also be patterns! Both my free patterns and my sale patterns will be posted.

I hope to see you on the new site, and will post the new address the night before. See you soon!

kat-tun

2008-09-23T07:50:00.006-04:00

You people are good!

I can't believe it was guessed! And by two of you, no less! Good job!

Yes, I actually knit a Japanese "boy band".

During Secret Pal 12, my pal posted the following photo, with the explanation that it was a band she loved and she wished she could go see playing (they were in Japan at the time).

Seeing those cute little cartoony figures reminded me of the Pocket Pal I'd knit for Jakob a loooong time ago (Ravelry link), and I had a brain-wave. I'd knit her her very own boy band!

I used the basic shape of the Pocket Pal design, and changed the colors/clothing to reflect the cartoon figures.

All the KAT-TUN members were knit with scraps of Anchor and DMC embroidery floss, and on size 2.5mm needles.

If I knit more Pocket Pals with floss I would go down to a 2.25mm or even a 2mm needle, as I found them a little loose when stuffing. However, I think my next batch would be with worsted weight yarn, to have larger toys for my kids to play with.

AKANISHI JIN

He was the first one I completed, and I realized belatedly that he should have long sleeves, and not short sleeves, as I accidentally knit.

NAKAMARU YUICHI

You can barely tell, but I actually knit his pants in fair isle to get the plaid effect of the original.

TANAKA KOKI

If I were to change the pattern, I would only work 2 rows of the white shirt, instead of 4. I find it wider than the illustration and it bugs me. You can't see it in this photo, but I actually used silver floss for the chain hanging around his waist.

KAMENASHI KAZUYA

I had fun with this one, although his hair left much to be desired. If you look closely, you can even see the fringe I embroidered below his leather jacket!

TAGUCHI JUNNOSUKE

I should have stuffed this one more, but misjudged how much I would actually need. Luckily he's so busy with his funky jacket and pink waist-scarf, that you can barely tell. UEDA TATSUYA

I struggled with how to include the gauzy over-shirt this guy is wearing, but in the end I decided to omit it. My photo doesn't show it, but I did include the white patches on each shoulder.

Here's the back view of the 6. Please ignore the jog on the black & white striped shirt!

Here's the group shot with all 6 lined up in front of their respective cartoon icons. I am very pleased with how they turned out, but they weren't for me, after all...

Want to know what my secret pal thought? To see her reaction, and the cute box I sent them in, click here.

thisclose

2008-09-22T22:10:00.000-04:00

You people are good! Two letters left...unless you want to make a guess...

so close...

2008-09-22T09:33:00.001-04:00

Another letter on the board!

And the hanged-man gets an arm. :(

So close! Only a few letters left!!!

almost there...

2008-09-21T14:59:00.001-04:00

The board is filling up nicely!

Unfortunately, we are now have a hangman on the noose too. :(

Good luck!

on a roll people...

2008-09-20T17:34:00.000-04:00

So far, so good!

so far so good...

2008-09-20T15:10:00.000-04:00

Keep those guesses coming! So far, no hangman necessary...

and we're on the board!

2008-09-19T10:12:00.003-04:00

Good job KTE! Any other guesses?

let's play hangman

2008-09-19T10:12:00.002-04:00

Remember this?

My secret pal received her package a few days ago, so I can share my secret project with you now.

Anyone up for a game of Hangman? Leave your guesses in the comments, and I'll fill in the answers (or a hangman's body) as they come in.

Good luck!

strangeness

2008-09-15T22:22:00.002-04:00

I tried posting a few times on Saturday and for some reason I could read other Blogger blogs, but not connect to my own. Weird!

I just realized I never showed you the finished BSJ, nor my recent progress on the Pinwheel Blankie (which might actually end up finished this week!). I need to clear some room on my camera's memory card, but check this space for those photos very soon!

thank yous all around

2008-09-11T08:01:00.003-04:00

First of all, a big THANK YOU! to those who left me comments, both here and privately, wishing me a happy birthday. I don't remember if I replied to everyone personally, but I appreciate it all the same.

I spent a quiet birthday at work with Jakob and my dad, then passed the night away in my hairstylist's chair having my highlights redone. Nothing like a good cut and blow-dry to make a woman feel new again!

In the birthday spirit, I wanted to share some gifts I got recently.

Last Sunday Yannick and I did some shopping. We finally spent a store credit we'd amassed when returing some duplicate wedding gifts waaaay back in 2006, and picked up some nice household items. Before returning home Yannick decided to treat me to a little anniversary gift. See, we'd decided that since we have a lot of home renovations to do before the new baby comes, we wouldn't do our usual "go all out" on each other's anniversary/birthday gifts this year. We'd put the money towards our renos and just go out for dinner and a movie for each birthday. Last week I took him to see The Dark Knight on Wednesday and then out for dinner for calmari and fondu (mmm) on Friday.

Well, he decided that a little anniversary gift was in order. We have been following the traditional gift lists and exchanged paper gifts last year for our first anniversary. Anniversary # 2 is...cotton! (How perfect for a knitter?) We went out yarn/pattern shopping, on the provisions that a) the pattern be for me, and b) the yarn have cotton in it, preferably as the main "ingredient".

We found something!
The pattern is Waves of Lace (Rav link) by Ilga Leja, and we bought enough yarn so I can make myself the tank top only. We thought it would be perfect to wear over a black or white tank, and go with either jeans, dressy pants or even (gasp!) a skirt. I always hesitate to buy blue yarn for tops even though I know it will be nice with my eyes, because I always wear blue or black pants and am afraid of looking like a bruise. I was going to choose a dark brown shade instead...however, Yannick convinced me. I really wanted a yarn that would be a bit slinky and dressy, not just a workhorse cotton. This Sirdar Duets yarn (Rav link) was the perfect weight and I think the shiny sections will give the tank just enough "oomph" without being too formal. Plus I can always order more yarn and make the shawl if I want.

On Tuesday night we had the first MKG meeting of the year, and Robyn brought me a gift bag stuffed with tissue paper. Being the anticipation-whore that I am, I insisted on resisting opening it until my actual birthday (Thursday). When I finally did open it, this is what I found:
See a theme? Robyn knows I love ladybugs. :) There is ladybug-dyed sock yarn (of secret source, for now), a ladybug yarn cutter, some ladybug buttons, a pendant needle gauge and some Udderly SMOOth udder cream which matches the ladybug red/black theme (and works really, really well too!). Thanks Robyn!

SP12 QOTW

2008-09-10T09:26:00.003-04:00

Question 12 (a little late):

I'm sure most of us have a proudest moment when it comes to knitting. A project or technique that you've tackled and completed beautifully. What is your proudest knitting moment??

I'm still trying to come up with an answer to this one. There are so many moments I'm proud of with my knitting- my first a-ha! moment learning mattress stitch...Yannick's first pair of socks (also my first)...the first time I realized I could alter a pattern and not need to follow the exact directions (like doing short row shoulders and a 3ndl bo instead of binding off and seaming)...my first official pattern. I think everything that got me to *here* is my proudest moment.

And on the flip side? What is the one thing that you can't get right? What is that one project that you've never been able to complete? Or that you did complete but then hid away instantly because it was too embarrassing?

Honestly? None. I'm not thrilled with my Fair Isle but I know it will get better with practice. That doesn't stop me from using it. I have no hidden projects, and my only ufos are unfinished because of lack of time, not lack of skill or embarassment. I don't think there ARE any knitting skills that one cannot learn...so I have no answer to this part.

package # 2

2008-09-06T09:00:00.003-04:00

I took these photos about 2 weeks ago and feel horrible that I haven't posted them yet. Sorry Secret Pal!

Package #2 from my secret pal had arrived, and I am so happy with it!
There is a cute knitting card, a sheep magnet, a candle (cucumber-melon scent, yum!) and a set of post-its, 'cus you can never have too many! The best part is a skein of Dream in Color Smooshy!

I tried taking the photos in natural light but for some reason they kept coming out blue, whereas the yarn is actual dark green. The label says "Giant Peach" which is clearly wrong, so after browsing DiC's website, I think the actual color is not listed there. It might have to be Good Luck Jade by default, but it's not dark enough. (Unless of course, my memory is failing me, and it actual IS blue, in which case it is probably Midnight Derby). Either way, Yannick is trying to claim it as his, so I might need to eke a pair of socks for both of us out of it!

Thanks Secret Pal!

Because there hasn't been enough lately, here's a photo of Jakob on his Rock 'n Roll trike:

mmmmmmmmmmmmm food

2008-09-05T10:45:00.002-04:00

I swiped this from Laura 'cus it looked like fun:

Bold the one's you've eaten.
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (I ate alligator)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O -Shots
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Now I'm hungry!

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 6

2008-09-04T07:41:00.002-04:00

The finished pillow! Yay!

After finishing the front, I cast on for the back. The back was worked in 2 overlapping sections so that the pillow could come out easily for laundering/changing of the cover. My original intent was to leave it as is, but once seamed, the center of the back kept gaping, so I added a row of buttons. Had I had more time, and a proper plan in place, I might have sewn down a strip of Velcro instead.
When it came time to join the front to the back I had been planning on working icord but since speed was still a factor (I had to mail it to Mary Maxim before the contest deadline) I chose the easiest and fastest way for me- single crochet. For fun I decided to use white around the blue areas, and blue around the white areas.
And there you have it. One completed Hanukah Dreidel Pillow. Not a contest winner, but makes me proud enough to see it come out of my head and land on my couch.

hey look- some of that stuff I've been knitting (and a special day too)

2008-09-03T07:49:00.004-04:00

I finally got around to taking some progress photos last night. It was really late so forgive the flash...but feel free to admire my new couches as the background! :)

This is the progress on the BullsEye Pinwheel Baby Blanket I've been carrying around as my "work anywhere" knitting. It doesn't look like much right now, but will hopefully look good once the bind off frees it from the confines of the circ I'm working on.

I'm at row 38 and have calculated that I want to be at row 47 and either bind off, or work an edging, so the end is in sight!

Also, this weekend Maaike and I started knitting(along) Baby Surprise Jackets. Here's the progress on mine as I went to bed last night.

I am at row 76 of the 114 row pattern.
Here is how it will look when properly folded and seamed. I've decided that I will make the buttonholes on both sides as per the pattern, and will wait until our baby is born to choose buttons. The blue and green is pretty unisex in my opinion, but if we have a girl I think I'd like to put little flowers or something to push it over the girly edge.

I couldn't end today's post without mentioning 2 special things.

2 years ago, today, Yannick and I got married. Happy 2nd anniversary, my love!

And perhaps even more special than that, today also happens to be Yannick's birthday.
(Yes, chosen so he wouldn't forget the date).

Happy birthday sweetheart!

book meme

2008-09-02T14:49:00.003-04:00

I swiped this from Dianne's site, mostly because I want to see how many of these "top 100" books I've actually read.
---

The Big Read is an NEA program designed to encourage community reading initiatives and of their top 100 books, they estimate the average adult has read only six.
*Look at the list and bold those you have read.
*Italicize those you we intend to read.
*Underline the books you LOVE.
Share this list in your blog, too, if you like.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (I've read most, so I'm counting it)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot (rings a bell, but I'm not 100% sure)
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald (half, then I got bored)
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

So I've read 30 out of 100. Hmm...I guess the hundreds of other books I've read don't count? ;)

dumb as a...

2008-08-29T08:02:00.002-04:00

I wish I could say I'd overheard this comment. But nope- this is all me.

I went out for dinner with the moms from Jakob's playgroup. We're trying to do an adults-only thing once a month. Anyways, many of us have wedding anniversaries coming up in September, which led to the topic of how long we've been married/with our significant others.

I mentioned that next week will be both Yannick's birthday and our 2nd wedding anniversary (same day). What did I say next?

"In December it will be ten years we've been together. I know. Ten years! But it feels like a decade!"

Ahem.

Clearly we all know what I'd MEANT to say? I was going for the joke- intending on "...but it feels like a century!". But nope- baby brain kicks in and I'm lucky I can string together a few coherent words without too much drooling.

And I thought I got dumb when pregnant with Jakob! Today I'm 20 weeks pregnant. It can't get worse, right?

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 5

2008-08-28T21:30:00.002-04:00

We're almost there!

The next step was to use more Patons Brilliant, this time in a shiny gold color, to duplicate-stitch the dreidel game letters in the four corners of the pillow.
Another closeup for you!
I know I said this before, but it continued to amaze me how much the finished product looked like my original sketch and computer design. I know it *should* look like what I wanted, but to see such an accurate representation tickled me every time I'd lay them side-by-side.

Almost done now...

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 4

2008-08-27T07:52:00.002-04:00

We're getting there, folks. Won't be long now!

Once the white "ridges" were complete, I did the letters on the dreidel itself.
Another closeup. While the white ridges were done using the same yarn as for the background (Patons Shetland Chunky), the lettering was done using Patons Brilliant, a thinner, stiffer, metallic yarn.
Because this was a contest submission we had to use yarns from the contest sponsors, including Patons, Bernat, Diamond and Kertzer.

I know I'm teasing this out instead of just showing a finished object and being done with it. Sorry to do that, but I can't show you what I'm actually working on as I am busy swatching for a few submissions I'd like to put out.

funny stuff!

2008-08-26T10:41:00.002-04:00

http://notalwaysright.com/

Hilarious tales of when the customer is not always right. If you've ever worked in retail, shopped in retail or interacted with another person, you're sure to find a laugh here!

the interview

2008-08-26T07:43:00.000-04:00

Me: What is your favorite thing about my knitting?
Hubby: Socks.

Me: What is your least favorite thing about my knitting?
Hubby: Clutter.

Me: What is something I have knitted that you recall as being good?
Hubby: Everything you've knitted was "good". I think the Superman Costume was excellent.

Me: Do you think knitters have an expensive hobby?
Hubby: Yes.

Me: Do you have any hobbies?
Hubby: No.

Me: What are your hobbies?
Hubby: -

Me: If we compared money spent on hobbies, who would win?
Hubby: You, clearly.

Me: Has my knitting in public ever embarrassed you?
Hubby: No.

Me: Do you know my favorite kind of yarn?
Hubby: I think all yarns are your favorite.

Me: Can you name another blog?
Hubby: No.

Me: Do you mind that I want to check out yarn stores everywhere we go?
Hubby: Not particularily.

Me: Do you understand the importance of a swatch?
Hubby: Yes.

Me: Do you read my blog?
Hubby: Not very often.

Me: Have you ever left a comment?
Hubby: No.

Me: Do you think the house would be cleaner if I didn't knit?
Hubby: Yes.

Me: Is there anything you would like to add in closing?
Hubby: No.

Added by me: I APOLOGIZE for the utter lameness of this post. I saw the interview on other blogs and really wanted to do it too...my husband is usually remarkably chatty and I thought it might be interesting. I didn't realize he would be giving me one-word answers as if there were a maximum of words allowed per post. Still- I did it, and am posting it regardless.

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 3

2008-08-25T07:41:00.002-04:00

The next step in the pillow's progress was to duplicate-stitch the white ridges on the dreidel's sides.
Here's another close-up.
One thing that kept amazing me is how much the actual pillow cover was resembling the original design. At this point I didn't care if anyone else would like it or even want to knit it...I was just happy with how something was coming out of my head and into reality.

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 2

2008-08-23T09:00:00.002-04:00

The next step for the Hanukah Dreidel Pillow was to do the shading on the dreidel itself. I used a dark orange shade and duplicate-stitched over the gold.
In case you were wondering, I deliberately stuck with a white, blue and gold color theme. The Israeli flag's colors are blue and white, and I felt like the gold was a nice holiday addition. I didn't want to mix in too many other colors.
Here's the closeup at this stage. There were one or two spots where I had to go back over a stitch a second time to get good coverage, but you really can't tell.

More coming soon!

SP12 QOTW

2008-08-23T08:57:00.001-04:00

This week's question of the week is:
"What's the best thing you've ever received in the mail?"

Love letters.

Not knitting-related, sorry!

19 week ultrasound

2008-08-21T16:46:00.003-04:00

As the title so aptly states, I had my 19 week ultrasound today. Everything looks good, and we were able to resist finding out the sex of our new little one. Unfortunately, the baby was being quite unphotogenic (not sonogeic, as the technician put it), and the technician wasn't able to get all the measurements she needed. Fortunately, that means I get to go back in another 4 weeks and have another little peek at the baby!
You can tell the photos came out quite crappy. The green writing you can't read says that you are looking at the baby's profile (head on the left, facing to the right) with the body down below and an arm raised with the hand resting between the nose and eyes.
This is the same angle, but a closer shot at the baby's profile.

And it just wouldn't be fair to give you 2(!) new-to-be baby photos, and not put at least 1 of Jakob, so here is a photo my mom took the same day as the popsicle photos.
It's a little over-exposed, but he's still a cutie to me!

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 1

2008-08-20T19:46:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I received my Hanukah Dreidel Pillow back in the mail. That was the entry I had submitted to the Mary Maxim design contest. Since I didn't win or place, the rights to the pattern stay with me, which means I can share it with you.

I decided to share a bit of my thoughs and my process on this pattern. I had a really hard time with the design. It wasn't coming up with an idea- I knew I was entering the "Knit or Crochet - Holiday Craft" section of the contest. I had a TON of ideas that I really, really liked. The problem? I really, really liked them.

See, I didn't realize until after I'd sent in my entry fee that were I to win or place, Mary Maxim would get the rights to the pattern. That means that if they were honorable, my name would appear somewhere on it as the actual designer...but other than the contest prize, I wouldn't get anything for the pattern, regardless of how popular it might prove to be.

This made designing tough- I wanted to submit something I was proud of, but at the same time I wanted to keep any "really good" ideas to myself, so if I were ever to knit them, I would get to keep the rights to them.

I knew I wanted to design something Hanukah-related. The majority of the holiday crafts in Mary Maxim are Christmas-themed (which may in part explain why I didn't place, lol) and I wanted to do something to help celebrate another religion. In the end I had the idea to work up a pillow cover with a dreidel on it.

My first step was to swatch. The navy yarn is Patons Shetland Chunky. (If you remember this post, you'll remember when I bought all the yarns I had considered using).
Once I had my gauge calculated, I started testing some duplicate stitch and embroidery. I had originally planned on having some lettering on the pillow, and I wasn't sure which method would have provided better results. The yellow yarn used for the embroidery was more Shetland Chunky, and the red one is Patons Brilliant.

The pillow cover was worked in 3 sections (the front, and the 2 back halfs) that were seamed at the end. Here is a photo of the front in progress. The design for the front had a white background with a navy block in each corner.

Once I had my gauge worked out I was able to properly plan the design. I printed off some knitters graph paper to my specific gauge (I like the template here) and started sketching.

I had an outline done by hand then switched to the computer to chart it out in Excel. I didn't care if my Excel chart was to scale, because I already knew that my drawing was to scale. (In other words, if my knitter's graph paper drawing to scale had the corner boxes be 30 sts by 40 rows, then I would color in 30 boxes by 40 boxes in my Excel spreadsheet, etc.)

I didn't want to complicate my life by having too many dangling ends, so I broke the pattern down into sections. The background (white and navy) and the main dreidel color (gold) were knit using intarsia to have one flat background. Everything else in the image would be done in duplicate stitch.

I forgot to take a photo of the original, plain background, but here you can see it after the first round of duplicate stitch. Just like in cross stitch, where you work a section of one color before switching to another, I did my pattern in layers. Also, knowing how duplicate stitch actually builds up the layers of fabric, I worked in order from the most recessed to the most forwards. So my plan was to start with the background shading, then do the dreidel shading, and last do the letters.

In this image you can see my printed Excel chart and the pillow front with the black shading done around the right and lower edges of the dreidel. (In the chart, the completed shadow sections are highighted in pink, but you can barely see it).

Here's a closeup. The duplicate stitch came out pretty even and had good coverage- that was what I was afraid of most, that the gold would show through. (Luckily, in planing ahead, I knew that other than the letters, I was working darker colors over light).
I learned that I like my duplicate stitch better when I work from top to bottom, either in rows or columns. I'm not as crazy about the result when I tested it from bottom to top. I found that working top-down causes the stitches below the ones completed to close up any gaps, whereas when you work bottom-up you need to pierce the center of the stitch you just did then move away, possibly separating the stitch and allowing the base color to show through.

Coming soon - more on the Hanukah Dreidel Pillow...

who you calling a baby? i'm a TODDLER!!

2008-08-15T20:51:00.004-04:00

Jakob's WALKING!!!

He's been doing more and more on his own lately, cutting corners around furniture and choosing to walk the 5 or so steps to the next piece instead of easing his way around holding on. Today at work a family member was playing with him, and he would walk up to 10-12 steps to the next "thing" to grab on to.

Tonight we finished supper early so I took him for a walk. We live about 10 houses from the end of my street and we walked to the end together, Jakob walking and holding on (barely) to one of my fingers. A few times he'd get tired and sit down, but I'd stand him back up, give him my finger to hold, and we'd keep going.

On the way back home I noticed that when I'd stand him up, he seemed to be trying to move away before I had a chance to stand back up and give him my finger. I tried letting go...but I was nervous because it was all sidewalk and lawns- no large objects around for him to walk to and grab on. So he didn't stop! He just kept walking down the street, arms up for balance. I couldn't believe it! He'd make it about the length of 2 properties before stumbling or sitting down, and I'd stand him back up and he'd keep going another 2 or 3 houses.

I kept my camera handy when we got home, and luckily happened to have it on when this happened:

Yay Jakob! Congratulations on another milestone, honey! We're so proud of you!!!

what happens at bubbie's...

2008-08-14T14:12:00.002-04:00

...should stay at Bubbie's. Except that she sent me the incriminating photos- so I will share them with you!

"A popsicle? And you're letting me hold it by myself?!?"

"...mmm..."

Sugar rush!

SP12 QOTW

2008-08-13T10:32:00.003-04:00

Question 10: Here's an odd sort of question...What Olympic event would best describe your knitting/knitting style?

Gack- I don't know all the events! Yannick and I have been watching each evening the last few nights, though, so if I would only be able to pick from the beach volleyball, swimming and gymnastics routines...

If I go over the list of Summer Olympic sports listed on the official website, I guess my knitting style would be "Artistic Gymnastics".

Here's an excerpt of the discipline's origins, from the same website:

"When gymnastics began in ancient Greece more than 2000 years ago, the gymnasium was the centre of cultural activity. Men gathered there not only to practise sport, but to understand art, music and philosophy. The Greeks believed symmetry between the mind and body was possible only when physical exercise was coupled with intellectual activity.

Today, gymnastics is often termed the ultimate combination of sport and art, but the idea is nothing new. Plato, Aristotle and Homer heartily advocated the strengthening qualities of gymnastic activity. It is a philosophy that can be found in much of their work."

A combination of sport and art where physical exercise is coupled with intellectual activity...sounds about right to me!

vowels, please?

2008-08-12T10:13:00.003-04:00

Since I've had so many vowel requests, I figured I'd help you out. Instead of giving you the vowels, though, I've put an underline in the squares where vowels belong. Does this help any?

And since it has been a while, here's a Jakob photo. I'm pretty sure I didn't post this here, but if I did and you've seen it already...well...it's still cute.

Three weeks ago my mom was watching Jakob for the day and she took this photo. Jakob spied the tv's remote on her bed and turned right around to point it at the tv.

On a completely unrelated note, I saw something interesting this morning. I was waiting at a red light on my way to work, and there was a man waiting to cross the road. He was dressed ok; slacks, a t-shirt and a funky hat. What was odd was what he was carrying- no bag or satchel or anything, just a carton of Banana/Strawberry/Orange Oasis juice in one hand, and a 2/6ths completed Rubix cube in the other. (The blue and orange sides where complete). I couldn't help but stare and try and figure out- where was he going? (Or where was he coming from?) I've never seen someone walking around with such disparate objects before!

i will survive from meet the spartans

2008-08-11T10:42:00.003-04:00

I'd like to say I'm linking this so you all get a taste of the funny. But really, it's so I have an easy place where I can watch it again.

Enjoy! Or, as ~~yummy~~ Kevin says, "Woooooo!"

you'd never believe me

2008-08-08T16:14:00.004-04:00

...if I told you what I'm knitting.

Seriously.

You* can guess, if you want. Here's a clue:

Have fun! I'd offer a substantial part of my stash to anyone who guessed correctly...if I thought you had a chance. ;]

*You can guess if you are not Maaike or anyone that Maaike might have told about what I am currently knitting. That means "anonymous" guesses are not allowed!

SP12 QOTW

2008-08-06T14:25:00.002-04:00

This week our question is about your knitting... In many communities, "the fair" is a great place to visit and spend time with your family. It's also where many have entered one product or another (jams, cakes, even knitting)... Have you ever entered your knitting (or anything else) in the fair? Would you ever consider it?

I've never entered anything in a fair, but I did enter a pair of gloves I designed into my local guild's mitten/glove contest. I won for the category of "mittens/gloves knit from an original design" but I think I was the only one who designed my own pattern, so I can't claim I won due to talent alone.

Edited to add:
...for those of you who live in parts of the world w/o fairs...would you ever consider entering your knitting in a competition?

Yes! I wish we had fairs here, I'd love to enter competitions!!

good news

2008-08-06T09:43:00.002-04:00

Again, no photos for you. I'm about 2 inches away from finishing my knitting for Veronik, but can't show you that, then I'm going to work on a little something for my secret pal, so I can't show you that, and finally I'm going to be trying to get a design or two in by Knitty's September 2nd deadline, so I can't show you that. I'll try to fill in the gaps with Jakob photos, but my camera battery is charging, so I can't even upload something now.

Instead you get a baby update.

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear I was in the first trimester. In actuality I'm almost 17 weeks along, but just feeling like I'm in the first.

The vomiting isn't really much better. There was a week where I had 3 random days without, but mostly it varies from 1-6 times/day. I started Diclectin last Wednesday but am not seeing any results from it. My doctor was still on vacation, so I was given the rx by the "on call" doctor when I went in to check my sugars (all good). He said it should take 2-3 days to kick in, but I have friends who said it takes about 2 weeks, so I'm continuing to take it. I'm very doubtful it will work, though, because it seems to really be about stopping nausea, and I don't have any. (I take that back-if I resist throwing up, THEN I feel like $h!t all day, but I don't think that counts). In any case, I see my doctor next Wednesday so I'll be able to tell her if the Diclectin worked after 2 weeks, and maybe she'll have some better ideas. Its getting tough though- we had my cousin's wedding this past Sunday night, and I had to run to the bathroom between every single course at the dinner. On the plus side- because I'm not nauseous, I get to eat. On the down side- most of what I eat comes back up.

And for some reason, I have been EXHAUSTED this past week! I don't know if it is related to the fact that I have less food in me, but it is getting very hard to take. I would have had Veronik's knitting finished last Thursday or Friday, I'm sure, if I hadn't gone to bed as soon as I finished my supper. I couldn't help it- I just couldn't keep my eyes open. Yannick has been a huge help in the mornings; once Jakob wakes up, I go and get him and change his diaper, then bring him to bed, and Yannick plays with him and brings him downstairs for breakfast, then plays with him until I get up. So I've even been getting an extra hour of sleep every morning, and STILL all I want to do all day is nap.

(P.s. to any Montrealers- it's not the weather. I know we've been having tons of rain lately- in fact as I write this it is 9:57 am and pouring and as black as a late afternoon outside. But that's not it. I love rainy days and they energize and recharge me. If anything, bright sunny days make me just want to crawl back into bed in the central air conditioning!)

So all my complaining aside, I really do have good news. A while back I'd done a Triplescreen test. Note- that link isn't really accurate for what they do here, I'll describe what they do here in just a moment. I know I had started to post about it the I think I deleted it, so if this info is duplicate, forgive me. In any case, the Triplescreen is when you are around 12-13 weeks pregnant and go to a private clinic (it's not covered by Medicare here, although it should be!) and do a blood test and ultrasound, then go back about 15 days later and do another blood test. They compile the results of different hormone levels in your blood and your baby's measurements from the ultrasound (especially the nuchal translucency test) and they tell you how your results compare with other women's results.

They do NOT tell you if your child will have Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18 or Spina Bifida. They only tell you what your odds are. For example, when I did the test when I was pregnant with Jakob, they said that when comparing my results with other women's results, it showed that 1 in 27,000 women with my results had a child with Spina Bifida. 1 in 97,000 women with my results had a child with Trisomy 18. When you see numbers like that, you don't need to worry.

However, sometimes they scare you for nothing. The tests have a 10% false-positive rate. Of the 10% who get a false-positive, only 2-3% (approx) will have a child with something wrong.

In Montreal the cut-off for notifying the parents is 270. So if I had a result of 1/271 chance of having a child with one of those 3 illnesses, they wouldn't tell me. If I had a 1/269 chance, they would, and from there I would decide if I wanted to do an amnio to find out for sure.

With Jakob we were told that we had a 1 in 87 chance of having a child with Down Syndrome. With a number that "low", every doctor I spoke with counselled us to have an amnio. Basically, if you're not going to follow through and find out for sure- what's the point in paying to do the Triplescreen in the first place? With Jakob we did the amnio. We were scared out of our wits, because the test itself has 1 in 200 odds of inducing a miscarriage, but we were very lucky and were told that everything with him was alright. We found out that he would be a boy, and that he was healthy, and in the end I didn't end up with any complications from the amnio, and it all worked out.

So fast-forward to this pregnancy, and I have been so scared to find out the results from the test. I don't know why I was so sure that if I had to have an amnio the first time, I'd have to have another one.

Well good news- the doctor called this morning and we don't have to do one! My doctor said our results were "excellent", and she does not see the need to do another amnio.

Whew!

I had so mentally prepared myself for the opposite outcome that it is taking me a little time to adjust and accept it, but beneath my surprise I am so incredibly relieved and we are so happy with this news.

twist and shout

2008-08-04T10:30:00.001-04:00

Or rather, I'm shouting about Twist.

Have you seen this yet? I know, I know, who hasn't, right? Still, I want to do my part to spread the word, so if you haven't gone to take a look, go now!

SP12 QOTW

2008-07-30T15:30:00.002-04:00

Here is question 8! Enjoy!
What is your favorite supper for a hot summer evening? (For added "flavor", post a photo or recipe link)

Well, I don't really have a favorite supper these days- the vomiting has gotten somewhat better; instead of everything I eat, I'm now only doing it anywhere from 1-6 times a day. And I had 3 random days last week where I didn't throw up at all.

Because it is so unpredictable, I don't look at meals anymore as "hmm...what looks good to eat?" Instead I think "what is worth it?" For example, last night Yannick decided he wanted to order supper. A big criteria for choosing a place to order from was the price- I didn't want to order something too expensive and not keep it down.

Plus I'm not a good one to talk about favorite suppers these days anyways, what with all the food aversions. Had you asked me this a few months ago I probably would have answered "ordering St-Hubert BBQ chicken" but now I have ZERO interest in eating chicken.

I have had no problems eating pasta though, so to make up for another crappy answer, let me share my easy rosé sauce recipe:

Cheese Tortellini with Rosé Sauce (really easy "recipe")*

-Put a large pot of water on to boil.

-While you wait, melt about a tablespoon of margerine or butter in a medium pot, then add some chopped onion. I love onions, so I use at least 1 huge onion for a portion of pasta for 2-3 people, more if there is more pasta. I usually chop half, and thinly slice half. I don't know if it tastes different after cooking, but I like the variation.

-Boil a package of fresh or frozen cheese tortellini. This usually takes about 9 minutes.

-Once the pasta is boiling, empty a small (125ml I think) can of Ayers tomato soup into the pot with the onions. Fill the empty can 2/3 of the way with cream, and add that to the pot too. If using milk, you can put a full can.

-Stir the sauce and let it simmer/heat until the cream and soup are well mixed. By this point the pasta should be ready.

-Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce, and serve. In the past I used to season the sauce with all kinds of spices and garlic, but as one of my favorite "comfort" foods, all I would add to this is some salt at the table.

It's plain, but homey, and really good on a cold night. Or any night. And it reheats well too.

*Yes, you're basically mixing store-bought pasta with tomato soup, cream and onions. I never said this was a Cordon-Bleu recipe. It's still really tasty!

it's the jakob show!

2008-07-28T23:49:00.002-04:00

Here's some Jakob for those of you who thought the blog was missing some cuteness of late. I can't show you my recent knitting, so here are some other recent photos...

Check him out in his cut-off tank top! I don't see a baby any more when I look at him, I see a little boy, and it makes me a little sad sometimes. He's already grown up so much...I know he's still young, but he's such a "kid" already.

One afternoon when we were home during his Hand, Foot and Mouth contagious phase, I had to put him in his playpen so I could make a bathroom run. His retaliation was to throw EVERYTHING out. He's tossed toys before, but this was the first time the playpen was literally empty around him. He was so proud of himself that he gave me a huge, toothy grin. (The funny thing is I have a photo somewhere of me around 2 years old making the EXACT same face).

Does this kid look sick to you? :)

He loves zooming around with his walker-toy. I'm too lazy to convert the video for the blog, but if you were watching this live, he is FAST! I know, I know, he could/should be walking already. He WAS walking already. Not just while holding on to stuff, but 2 weeks ago he was actually letting go of the walls or whatever and walking to whatever/whoever he wanted to go to. Then he got sick, and he hasn't wanted to walk since, even though he's better. I don't know if he associated the weak/feverish feeling from being sick with walking, but he won't do it any more. He'll still be up in a second and cruise around holding onto walls or cabinets, but if you try and walk holding his hand, or stand him up to have him walk from one person to another like he used to, he'll plop himself right down. If you try a few times in a row to get him to walk he'll not only resist, but he'll get really upset and start to cry. I'm not worried- we know he *can* walk, he's just choosing *not* to. But still, it's hard for us when we know he was right at the cusp of taking off and running.

He DID accomplish one big milestone while we were home sick, though. He now can eat his meals with a fork and his desserts with a spoon. I need to help him push the fork into his food with enough force to actually spear it, but once the food is stuck on the fork I let go and he brings it right to his mouth without error, and then back to the bowl. The spoon he does great too- although he doesn't really "scoop" the food so much as he lets the yogurt or applesauce *coat* the spoon then he brings it to his mouth. It gets a little messy, but it's been 2 weeks and no food has ended up on the floor or walls! That's good enough for me!

blame Tara

2008-07-24T22:37:00.002-04:00

It's all Tara's fault.

I've been a little knitting restless lately, because I'm knitting for hire but occassionally I get stretches of time where I'm waiting for an instruction so I need something else to work on while I wait. I'm not going to randomly cast on for a sock or something and have ANOTHER unfinished object lying around. I have a few projects I'd like to start, but Maaike and I agreed we'd do mini "KAL"s for them, and so I need to wait for her to be ready, plus since I have Veronik's knitting as a priority, I really need something I can pick up or put down without any guilt that someone is waiting for me to catch up.

Then Tara goes and mentions the Pinwheel Blanket she's been working on. Which reminded me how long I've wanted to knit one. And how I have a perfect excuse. Plus how it is mindless and pretty-much patternless, which means I can pick it up and put it down whenever I want without making notes in a chart, or taking a note of my row count.

So I blame Tara for the fact that I am about to go stash diving for suitable yarn while I await an instruction clarification. I had no intent of casting on anything new, I swear.

It's Tara's fault.

SP12 QOTW

2008-07-23T11:13:00.002-04:00

Time for the next Question of the Week:
We are all creatures of habit and when it comes to sitting down to knit, it's no different…
What is(are) your favorite place(s) to knit?
My favorite place to knit is in front of the TV. Ideally I'll have a stack of VHS tapes of the shows I'd recorded in the last little while, which would give me a few hours of only the shows I want to see. I knit without looking, so I get restless if I have nothing to distract my eyes. Also, this will sound strange because knitting requires varying degrees of concentration depending on the project, but I need the TV (or at least my iPod) to keep my brain occupied while I knit.

What supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting?
Um...light? I have knit in the dark, but it didn't turn out pretty. Seriously, I think the only thing I'd need besides my yarn, needles and pattern, would be my notions caddy. I have a small 2-level makeup bag that holds everything I need in a compact, easily portable little bundle. Everything is in there, from scissors and sewing needles to spare buttons, pens, pencils, a highlighter, measuring tape, needle gauge, stitch markers, a scale, reinforcing thread, elastic thread, waste yarn, stitch holders and more I'm sure I'm forgetting.

Beyond that I just need a comfortable seat, although I have knit while walking many times. I'd love to be able to knit while lying down, but it isn't worth the strain on my arms.

i found it!

2008-07-23T10:37:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to let you know that it was driving me crazy, so I Googled my fingers off and found the creepy diner!

It's the Farmer's Diner, in Quechee, Vermont.

Of course, now I feel bad. I really want to explain that it was "probably" only creepy because it was half deserted and in the pitch-black, early night. And had no cell signal. And locked me out.

I also wanted to mention that both Maaike and I were impressed with the menu; it was full of highlighted items, each one was something that was locally produced or grown. We both had the South of the (Canadian) Border Nachos - hoo boy was the chicken spicy! - but had we more time, or had we been hungrier, there were many area foods that we wanted to try. If you're ever in Quechee, Vermont, I'd recommend to try it out.

But go in the daytime.

webs part deux

2008-07-22T18:36:00.004-04:00

I can't show you my actual knitting, but it hit me the other day that I never finished my WEBS story, and never showed you the new additions to the stash. It's a little late to recap the story, since I don't remember much...but I'll try.

After the Harlot event Maaike and I went back to WEBS to do our shopping. I was so tempted to go utterly crazy- I wanted yarn for so many different projects! But I resisted. With one exception, I made myself promise to only buy sweater-quantities, and only for myself. Before leaving I'd printed out the yardage requirements for a few items in my Ravelry queue, and I was able to get stuff that would actual work, instead of having cool yarn and trying to find a good project for it.
It's about time I show you, no?
First up is some Jaeger Aqua Cotton. It's 100% mercerized cotton in a rich, chocolate-brown color. I bought it to make a silky-look lacy tank top.
This Araucania Nature Wool Chunky is 100% wool. I bought it to make a heavy jacket-esque sweater. The color shift is so subtle but there really is a lot of depth to the color.

This Ironstone New Wool called out to me. I had finished my shopping and was leaving the warehouse when I spotted it- and it made me stop. For 4 years I have had a sketch of a sweater in my head, and this was the exact yarn I'd "made up" for it. I've never seen it before, and I couldn't resist it.
I cheated a little with the Valley Yarns Monterey. I needed something for a scarf project I want to design, and not only was the yardage crazy, I couldn't pass up the colors.
It's a 50% cotton/50% wool with 322 y/skein. !!! If you can't tell how huge that is, here is a normal-sized deck of cards with them, for scale.
This Iceland yarn by Madil is either black or a deep smokey gray. It's 100% machine washable wool, and I think I'd bought it to knit a Rogue. Either Rogue, or another sweater.
Finally, we have some Valley Yarns Shelburne. It's a 45% wool/30% acrylic/25% alpaca bulky yarn. I love the deep coral-red shade, and also plan to use this for a sweater for myself.

With our shopping complete (and wallets lighter!) we decided to start our drive back right away. It was already almost 6pm (I think, this was a few months ago now) and it was a good 5 hour drive if we didn't get lost. I drove and drove and drove, and it was pretty uneventful, until we got hungry and decided to stop for supper.

American highways aren't like Canadian ones. Yes, you have better roads, but we have better rest stops. Maybe it was just our route, but I never saw a single big, lit up rest stop complexe like we have all over here, with at least 2 restaurants, a convenience store and gas station. The few places we did see were few and far between, so when we saw a small sign saying the next one would be the last for a while, we decided to stop.

It was already late, and quite dark out. The exit had us go backwards in a circle for about 3 miles before opening onto what looked like it was probably a large flea market site during the day. At night it was deserted and pitch black, with the exception of a diner at one end of the lot. The part of the diner where patrons sit was shaped, from the outside, like a "traditional" diner, almost like a rounded, silver capsule. It was butted up against a log cabin, so you walk into the cabin's front door and the bar and kitchen of the diner were part of the log cabin, that also had a more formal restaurant within. For the life of me I can't remember the name of the town we were in, but if I saw it I'd know in a second.

In any case, we sat down and were given menus, and I joked to Maaike that the way the "locals" (I assumed they were locals) turned to look at us when we sat down, I felt like we were in a horror movie. One of those Stephen King things where it turns out everyone in the diner is dead and it's their ghosts, or something. We had a good laugh, although it really was creepy, especially since it was so black outside and you could barely see out the windows.

I tried sending a text message to my parents and Yannick to let them know we were stopping, and wouldn't you know it, but there was no cell signal in the diner! I left Maaike at the table and went outside. I had to get about 4 car lengths from the diner before I picked up a signal, so there I was in the dark, in an empty field, holding my phone up to the stars and watching over my shoulder to make sure I could still see Maaike in the window- now I REALLY felt like I was in a horror movie!

Finally my cell told me the text message couldn't go through because there was no digital signal around. I gave up and made my way quickly to the door to get back into the light...

...and the door was locked. The front door to the diner, with Maaike inside, was locked. From where the door was, you can't see the diner area, just the lobby. I was banging and banging, and peering through the small window, seeing NOBODY. I swear I banged on the door for a good 5 minutes, which is a LONG time when you are scared out of your wits in a dark, deserted empty field and separated from the only person you know. In my head the movie camera panned out, so I could see both me, banging on the door futely, and Maaike, being attacked by the zombie ghosts inside.

Finally the busboy came to the door, and in the strangest thing I'd been asked all year, looked at me and asked "were you inside already?" I think I just nodded and ran inside and back to Maaike. (Who was fine and not eaten by zombies).

We ended up having an okay meal, followed by an uneventful drive home. But boy will I never forget that diner!

ugh

2008-07-21T10:16:00.003-04:00

I promise that this blog won't be all-pregancy, all-the-time. But I'm feeling icky so I need to share. I thought "morning sickness" was supposed to be a first trimester thing?!? Ok, so I had some nausea in the first trimester. I thought it was novel, because with Jakob I had a pretty symptom-free pregnancy. So I was like, ok, this is what people feel. I'm queasy, and feel like I'm living on a boat, but it's livable. I didn't need meds, so I was ok. It only started at 6 weeks, and was pretty much gone by 10 or 11 weeks.

But now? Holy cow! The DAY I hit 14 weeks (second trimester) I started throwing up. That's crazy! Friday night- lost supper. Saturday night- lost supper. And ever since yesterday, I have thrown up everything I've put in my mouth. Every meal, every snack, even a cup of coffee or 5 spoonfuls of soup. The craziest part is that I'm not nauseous at all! I don't feel sick, or queasy. Sure, I feel shakey afterwards, and weak, because I'm empty. But I feel like nothing is triggering it, other than the fact that I'm eating. I'm actually getting kinda scared to keep eating, because I don't want to keep throwing up. (Don't worry, I know I need to eat for the baby, and I will. It's just becoming an all-consuming thing now, this whole "am I going to throw up" thing).

Ugh.

In other news, I'm still working on the knitting for Veronik, so I can't show you my current project, but I have some stuff I will be able to share, so when I'm home and have access to my camera, I'll try to post some photos.

SP12 QOTW and first package

2008-07-19T09:43:00.004-04:00

Here is this week's Secret Pal 12 Question of the Week:

Since thinking about holidays/vacations is SO much fun, let's continue with the theme…

Question #6-What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation?
Hey Group!
If you'd like to share a story…Tell us about a time that you packed too much knitting or were stranded without knitting for Question of the Week #6.

Well. I think some of you might already know the answer to the second half of that question (I'm looking at YOU, Maaike), but I'll answer both anyways.

My favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation is socks. I put the yarn and needles into a tiny zippered heavy plastic bag, like a makeup bag or the bag baby shoes come in. I transcribe the pattern into my Palm so it is accessible, and am able to tuck both into any purse necessary. I like to have a more complicated pattern (maybe charts I need to look at, or something I need to pay attention to) for quiet times like relaxing on the beach, and a mindless stockinette or rib for times when I'll have to keep picking it up an putting it back down.

Now then, as for the overpacking or underpacking of yarn. I've never underpacked yarn. But I have overpacked. (Once! Only once!).

I severely misjudged the amount of knitting time I would have on the cruise my family took this past holiday season. What can I say, it was my first trip without my breastfeeding 7.5-month-old, and I thought I'd be knitting to try and ignore how much I'd be missing him, AND because of the novelty of having both hands free AT THE SAME TIME for hours on end.

This is the knitting that actually got done on the 13 day trip. I cast-on and finished Fibonacci Sock #2 (Ravelry project link), I completed 90% of my first Sidewinder Sock, and while waiting in the airport to come home, I cast on for Mona's November Mystery Socks (Barcelona Socks Ravelry link). Why didn't I finish the first Sidewinder before coming home? Who knows. Why didn't I knit in the rest of the airport time and on the plane (4 hours!) coming home? No idea. I might have slept.

As if that much yarn with so little knitting wasn't bad enough, here is more of the yarn I'd brought. Yes, apparently I thought I'd knit 15 socks in 13 days, while 11 of those days were spent on a cruise visiting Cartagena, Ochos Rios, Panama, Limon and somewhere else I forget right now. Plus I took about 9 1-hour computer courses. And we went to the shows every night. Etc... I *did* try to start one of the pairs during a long bus ride at one of the stops, but my gauge was completely off with the needles I had with me, so that got put aside.

But I'm not crazy! These are the 2 balls of yarn I took OUT of my suitcase before closing it- because they would have made it way too much yarn.

Stop laughing.

As a distraction, here is my first Secret Pal 12 package!

Thanks Secret Pal! As you can see, starting from the bottom left, there is some tissues (always handy, especially with a baby), a magnetized notebad (I always have one on my fridge) and a mini notebook with pen, a postcard with sheep on it, a sheep chocolate (which I shared with Yannick) and some LOVELY dyed-in-the-wool mediumweight sock yarn.
These colors are beautiful! Thank you so much Secret Pal!

and then there were 2...so we'll be 4

2008-07-18T09:10:00.004-04:00

I know I said I'd post today with photos of my first Secret Pal package. But that will have to wait until tomorrow, because I have something more important to talk about today. (Sorry Secret Pal!)

I've been working on a big project, something more special than any design or publication, and I feel that it is now time that I can share it with all of you.

Jakob feels like he hasn't had enough face-time on the blog lately, so he wanted to be the one to tell you:

Can you read that? It says "future big brother". Yup, that's right. In January Jakob is going to become a big brother.

Today is the beginning of my 14th week, which means I'm officially in my second trimester.

Everything looks good so far with this baby, and we are very excited to have another addition to our house. Jakob is already practicing being a good big brother- when we tell him to "kiss the baby" he lifts up my shirt and kisses my (growing!) belly. It's really cute! (Although...it probably won't be so cute when he kisses my belly after the baby is born!)

My due date is January 16th, and yes, some cold-weather baby knits have commenced!

another quickie

2008-07-17T18:50:00.002-04:00

Woo hoo... a quickie!

Ok, here's the deal. I have photos of knitting to show you, I have news for you, and I have a package from my Secret Pal to show off. (Thanks Secret Pal! Photos coming soon!) But I've been having very hectic days with Jakob, who is still sick, and we're still keeping him home from work, and he's not napping very well during this transition from sickie to well, so my blogging time has been practically nil during the day. Add to that the fact that I've had some kind of plans every night this week, and that explains my continued absence.

Those plans continue tonight, and I'm late, so I'm going to run. But check this space tomorrow for a post, I promise!

sorry about that!

2008-07-13T10:53:00.003-04:00

I don't know how many of you noticed, but the blog seemed to have disappeared for a few days. (This would only have been apparent for those of you who come here by typing in http://www.jeloca.com/. The direct blogspot link wasn't affected).

Long story short is that I decided to repurchase some web space and host my own files, instead of relying on free online storage solutions that are often more of a headache. In the last few weeks I've tested my own free pattern links and found that they were down about a quarter of the time. I don't know if any of you had tried them and found a broken link, but if you did, I'm really sorry. The link is still the old one, but over the next few days I will be updating it it.

So what was the problem? I pay to have you forwarded here against your knowledge. Sounds sneaky, huh? All that means is that when you type in http://www.jeloca.com/ (short and sweet), my internet people zip you over to http://www.jeloca.blogspot.com/ (longer and easier to mess up). You don't realize it because the address bar stays the same. (Bloglines people aren't affected because the rss feed goes directly to the blogspot address). In any case, in a genius move on my part, I forgot that once my web space went "live" and was linked to my jeloca.com domain name, the new webspace would force itself over the forwarding. Which means that if you came to http://www.jeloca.com/ in the last few days you would have seen a message from my internet provider saying that the website wasn't up yet.

A lot of blather to say that I'd goofed, but I've now fixed it, and I'm quite happy with the results. It's clean, open and easy to read. Like the new look?

In the upcoming days, in addition to the Habs Cloth patterns moving to my own space with (reliable) links, I will also be adding more free patterns. The Vegas Scarf (Knitting Game) pattern will be updated with a new look, and I'll also be adding the Mug Cozy pattern I promised you.

In the meantime, I have been knitting for Veronik but can't show it here.

I've also been taking care of a toddler with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. It sounds worse than it is- anything with "disease" in the name can't help but sound horrible. It really isn't much more than a lingering, misery-inducing fever and achiness with barely-noticable blisters on the hands, feet and in the mouth. The doctor who diagnosed Jakob was calling it the "July Disease" because it is going around like crazy.

The worst parts are that Jakob doesn't want to eat ANYTHING because it hurts in his mouth, and his sleep is really disrupted because he keeps waking up. I'm also trying to limit what he touches because this bug is really contagious. It's not really harmful to adults (so I hear) but it travels fast to other little kids. Aparently he was contagious for a week before the symptoms even came out (yay) and even once he's better (about 7-10 days) the virus can live on countertops and toys and clothing/sheets for up to 2 weeks, and in his stools for up to 3 months. Which means a lot of disinfecting and hand washing. Fun times all around.

SP12 QOTW

2008-07-09T16:53:00.002-04:00

I'm rushing this post because I'm leaving work in 7 minutes and want to take advantage of a few Jakob-free moments at home (he spent the day at my mom's) to tidy up before my Aquafit class, so there are no photos, just a quick answer to the latest Question of the Week:

Boy, time flies. Summer is when many of us head out on vacation/holiday. So, this week's question/s has us wondering:
1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday?
Hmm...I don't know, I don't get to take summer holidays anymore. I think those days ended when I neared the end of school and worked part- or full-time. Another sucky answer, but I really don't have a favorite holiday spot.

2) Where is one place you'd like to go?
I'd love to travel across Canada, preferably by train.

share the love

2008-07-03T14:46:00.002-04:00

I do have some knitting to show you, but I was too lazy busy to download them from my camera so they'll have to wait. In the meantime, I won a contest! The lovely and talented Tara had a contest to celebrate her birthday, and I won. I think this is the first blog-contest I've won since I started mine.

Her kids are sick today, so as a small thank-you for the contest win, I'm asking if you could go over and send her some feel-better love in the comments.

SP12 QOTW

2008-07-03T07:41:00.002-04:00

The "perfect sized" stash was a tough question for many of you to answer. Maybe these stash related questions will be easier:
1) What yarn (that you don't have/haven't used) would make your stash "complete"?
2) What yarn do you never want to be without?

Hmm...these are harder! Let's see...

1) I don't know! There are a ton of yarns I haven't used/don't have...but I can't think of anything I'm lacking. The only way I can answer this is to say I wish I had more sweater-quantities of yarn in my stash. I know it doesn't answer the question exactly, but I honestly can't think of any particular brand/fiber/color/whatever that would be my Jerry Maguire.

2) Sock yarn. It works for socks, for fine projects, for baby clothes, for accessories, lace items...plus you can double it to get a different gauge. Give me a variety of fiber contents and I think I'll be set for almost anything.

introducing...Phlox Socks

2008-07-01T22:44:00.007-04:00

It's July 1st, and with that comes two things...

1) It's Canada Day! (Happy Canada Day)

2) I get to show you the Phlox Socks. So...ta da!

(size small shown above, size x-large shown below)
The Phlox Socks are the pattern I designed for the Robyn's Nest June Sock Club kit. They feature an optional lace cuff, a flower appliqué with a center bead, a short-row heel and ribbing that flows seamlessly into the lace design. (The ribbing is underneath the lace cuff- so you have the pretty outside and the functional inside).

The pattern is written for sizes small through x-large (7.5"-9") but due to the stretchability of lace patterns, fits 8.25"-9.75" and may even fit larger.

The yarn is from Biscotte & Cie (etsy shop here) and is really soft, plus her yardage can't be beat! I knit one x-large sock and one small, and have enough yarn left over to knit a second x-large sock for a complete pair. The colorway is called Alexandrite in the pattern, but that specific color was exclusive to the sock club.

The pattern calls for a 2.5 mm needle, and is written for both dpns and the Magic Loop method, with specific instructions for each methods when necessary.

(optional flower appliqué with center bead)

Again, the pattern will only be available for sale as of October 1st, but if you email me (or send me a message through Ravelry) I'll put you on the mailing list with a reminder in October.

and then there were four...

2008-07-01T10:17:00.002-04:00

Yes folks, another dishcloth has sprung forth from my needles. I feel like all I've done all week is knit ballband dishcloths- you'd almost never have known that I had my mom's retirement dinner on Wednesday, went to the West Island knitting meetup on Thursday, went for dinner with Yannick, Jakob, Maaike and her daughter on Friday...well, you *would* have known about that stuff if I'd posted better over the week. Sorry!

Friday after dinner Maaike and her daughter came over, and once the kids were in bed we popped in Meet the Spartans on DVD and knit and laughed. (Nothing is better than Kevin Sorbo's "whee" after a particularily amusing skipping dance to I Will Survive!) I cast on for this dishcloth and got through about half before going up to bed. Saturday I had off, so I managed to finish the cloth during Jakob's afternoon nap, while we watched Walk Hard. (It was cute, but Meet the Spartans was laugh-out-loud funnier).

Same pattern, same yarns, different color. All the details are already up on Ravelry, but I'll post them here once the full gift basket is complete.
Depending on how much time I have by Saturday, this 4 will be matched with 4 others. If I really run out of time, I'll split these 4 up into the two parts of the gift that I wanted to have dishcloths.
We'd rented 2 more movies when returning the first 2, so Saturday night I got more knitting done during Beowulf. It was much more entertaining than I'd remembered from reading it in university...although I'd read the early English, 11th century (or whatever) version, not a funky modern version with a smoking-hot Grendel's mother and some major storyline changes. It was an odd feeling to keep thinking I was watching an extended cut-scene in a videogame, but it was a good movie, all and all.

I took the time to fix and finish Velvet Oblivion. First I made a small cut and unpicked the joining round of the black Boa border. Once it was detatched I made sure that the mask itself wasn't cupping- it wasn't. It was huge, but relatively flat. Good. Next I picked up over double the amount of stitches I'd picked up the first time. Instead of following the pattern, I picked up stitches as frequently as I could around. I knit 1 extra row with the Boa to add a little extra depth of the border since my mask was so much bigger than the finished size of the actual pattern. Once that was done I bound off with my fingers crossed. It worked- there was no more cupping.
I haven't unpacked my black elastic I'd bought for this project years ago, and wanted to finish the pattern without waiting until the next day to run out to the store. I was afraid to attach a single tie and have the mask gape at the outside of the eyes or down on the cheeks, so I came up with (what I think is) a good idea. I took a really looooong length of yarn and folded it in half. I tied a knot about 7" down from the fold, leaving a skinny loop. I left that loop to be the tie, and sewed each of the other ends in a V shape to one side of the mask. I repeated it on the other side, and when I was done I had a mask that held nicely over the temple and near the cheek, with ties that joined together near the back of the head, with the loop after the knot being the length to tie the bow with. (Clear as mud?) The reason I'd tied the yarn in half before attaching it to the mask, as opposed to just tying lengths to each side, is so there would be no cut end of the yarn exposed that could fray over time. The yarn itself could wear out, but I think it would take longer than a cut end.

SP12 QOTW

2008-06-30T11:58:00.001-04:00

Question of the Week #3
So far we've had a lot of fun with "summer related" questions, now it's time to answer a "knitting related" one.What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?

Oy. I guess the perfect amount of stash is having whatever you need on hand for any spur-of-the-moment, birth-announcement, gift-idea, sweater-quantity project you might decide to do. Realistic, right?

so who did you talk to this week?

2008-06-27T15:38:00.003-04:00

So. Yesterday.

It started innocently enough. Maaike was having a hard time with a pattern she's knitting, and on Tuesday night she'd emailed me to see if I could bring my copy of the pattern to work so we could discuss it via msn/email. She's knitting the Puzzle Pillow Blanket out of Meg Swansen's Handknitting (yes, the Meg Swansen, Elizabeth Zimmermann's daughter), and was stuck when trying to follow on of the directions.

Long story short, the pattern says something to the effect of "start at D, knit across to A, turn and knit back. You are now at A." Well, um...no. No you're not. You're back at D. Maaike was back at D, and when I looked at the pattern I couldn't see any way you would be anywhere but D.

Maaike Googled. I Googled. I checked Schoolhouse Press' errata page. We checked Ravelry. There was no online mention of any problems in the pattern, not even in the blurbs of the 6 other people in Ravelry who had knit/are knitting it.

Finally Maaike sent me an msn message- Maybe I should just email Schoolhouse Press. I hear sometimes Meg herself answers the phone!

I offered to call for her, since I knew that while we were both at work, she was surrounded by bosses and coworkers, and I was surrounded by...Jakob. I didn't think he'd rat me out. Maaike said she'd appreciate it, and since I understood the problem, yes, could I please call for her.

I called.

They have a technical line so I called that and told the girl who answered that I had a problem with one of the patterns. It was easier to say *I* was knitting it and had a problem, rather then to start explaining that I was calling for a friend. She asked which pattern and I told her, and she said "hold on please". The next thing I hear is:

"Schoolhouse Press, this is Meg. How can I help you?"

I think my exact response was "MRPHG- *gulp* (remember to breathe) OH! Hi!"

Once I'd composed myself I explained the problem to her, and after a few minutes of trying to rationalize how it could be *our* mistake, she said, "Oh. Huh. Yes, I see...Hmmm." Yup. It was *their* mistake.

Maaike and I had been expecting that, because we couldn't see how we were wrong, but it was still a surprise. I mean, this pattern book had been originally published in 1995 and has been knit by lys-loads of knitters...how could we have spotted something they didn't?

So Meg saw the error clearly in the printed text, then there was a slight pause and she said to me, "You know what the worst part is? Two days ago we received the 20, 000 copies of the latest printing."

Oy.

I apologized for being the barer of bad news and she laughed, then she asked for my name so she could give me credit for finding the error when she would post the errata. I told her my first name, but told her that I had to be honest, and that it wasn't me who found the error, it was my friend Maaike. I told her how to spell Maaike's name (hey Maaike- I forgot to tell you that she asked if there were supposed to be any little dots or squiggles over any of the letters in your name...I said no...I hope that was right!) and after a few more short exchanges we got off the phone.

I was back on msn with Maaike in a flash- OMG Are you sitting down?

I was laughing and grinning and typed the story relatively error-free, and we were both sending smiley emoticons at each other.

Eventually we calmed down and went about our day, then a little later we started discussing how Maaike could best continue her project, as I'd forgotten to ask Meg for her opinion on what to do to fix the pattern. Obviously there were 2 options- knit one more row or knit one less row, both would end with you back at A where you should be. We were both leaning towards "knit one row less" because it was in garter with aran-weight yarn, and an extra garter ridge could throw things off in the future.

We were actually in the middle of writing an email to sent to Schoolhouse Press, asking for their advice, when my phone rang. I answered the phone in my usual work way, with the name of our store followed by "can I help you?".

Imagine my surprise to hear "Hi Jennifer, this is Meg Swansen."

To my credit, I did NOT drop Jakob, although I'm glad I was sitting down when I'd answered.

Turns out she'd called US back to tell us her opinion on what to do about the error, so that we could continue with the pattern! (We were right- the best thing would be to omit the "turn and work back" direction).

The most amusing part of the conversation was when she said to me how she'd tracked us down...apparently she'd Googled Maaike's name and found her, in fact Meg actually said "I found Maaike Lastname", which is amazing because I'd never told her either of our last names, and I just tried Googling Maaike and didn't see any references to her last name, so I'm not sure how Meg did! In any case, it didn't have contact info, so she said they realized that they could *69 me! (That's when you push *69 after a phone conversation and it tells you the number that just called you). I thought it was hysterical that she tracked us down, and am amazed by the customer service, especially since a) I got to speak to Meg Swansen!!! and b) she wasn't profiting from helping us, because we'd already bought the patterns.

(By the way, Meg is quite lovely and charming to speak to, and sounds much, much younger than I would guess her to be. She laughs easily too, which is a relief when you're calling to tell her that there is a mistake in her pattern!)

Way to go, Schoolhouse Press!

p.s. I just checked, and the errata is up on their website! Click here to see it, with the credit to us and everything!

You rock Meg!

yet more dishcloths

2008-06-26T22:25:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday night I finished the green & white dishcloth.
You can see there is 1 tiny mistake where I forgot to slip the white stitch and accidentally knit it- but I like leaving a mistake in every project (except commissioned ones), so I'm not going to fix it.
The back is pretty, in its own way. I wouldn't knit a sweater like this...but it's not horrible.

The same night I cast on for a pink & white one.
I finished it tonight at the West Island Knits meetup.
I couldn't get any knitting done last night because we had my mom's retirement dinner. It was a lovely night with good food and some really great speeches, but I was zonked by the time I got home, and after chatting with my friend Debbie (who had babysat for us) I just crashed and went right to bed.

I'm going to do one more in orange and white (so they all can clash, lol) then will move on to some other parts of this gift package. Then, if I have time before the party, I will do a few more of these in other colors.

I have a CRAZY story to share, but it is a long post and I'm wiped, so I will head off to bed, and leave you in suspense until tomorrow...

by the way...

2008-06-25T10:40:00.003-04:00

*I* can't show you yet what the Phlox Socks look like, but if you want to click here, you can see Stephanie's lovely pair. Yes, the Yarn Harlot Herself has knit my socks, and made the cutest little modification. Of course, I can't tell you what the modification is until I can tell you some details about the pattern (July 1st), but feel free to go on over and check hers out. You can also see them on Ravelry if you prefer, hers are here, and the pattern's page is here.

---

Now then, this isn't just the Phlox Socks blog, folks. There has been other knitting going on at Casa Del Jennifer. Yet another Ballband Dishcloth has sprung forth from my needles. I don't have the photos with me here at work, but I'll post them here and on Ravelry later tonight, I hope. I've finished the green and white one and have begun a pink and white one.

I'll be leaving work in a little bit to go to Mackenzie's bris, and it will be a nice little diversion from my day (although I'll probably enjoy it a lot more than Mackenzie will!). Jakob will get to see his cousins, and I'll get to have lunch with Yannick for a nice change.

to Anne from the comments

2008-06-25T08:03:00.002-04:00

Hi Anne,

I couldn't email you because your comment wasn't linked to a profile or email address, so I hope you come back to the blog to look for an answer!

Yes, the yarn and pattern for the Phlox Socks are available seperately. In fact, only the 30 people who bought the June kit got them together. From now on the pattern will be available through me (as of October 1st) and the yarn is available through Biscotte & Cie, the hand-dyer who provided it for the pattern. Although it is called Alexandrite in the pattern, she is selling it as African Violet.

http://www.biscotte.etsy.com

I hope you get your hands on some, it is a great yarn!

SP12 QOTW

2008-06-24T09:44:00.002-04:00

This is the Question of the Week for week 2:
As a kid, what did you look forward to most about summer vacation/break/holiday?

I'd have to say that I looked most forwards to not having to be in school and do homework. Freedom, basically.

To those of you who were looking for information on the yaron used for the Phlox socks- I'll be posting that later today (I don't have the link to the handpainter's etsy shop here).

To everyone in Quebec- enjoy the day off!

the good, the bad and the ugly (long)

2008-06-23T23:28:00.007-04:00

Sorry for the radio silence, but I went to Toronto for the weekend and don't like to advertise on the blog that I'm going away. (Although I think I did mention that I was going away...I just didn't want to confirm "I'm leaving NOW").

Do you think it was overly optimistic to have packed this much yarn for one weekend?
Asked me if I used even one-eighth of it. Go on, ask me.

My mom, our cousin Mona, Jakob and I left on Friday morning. I sat in the back with Jakob and finished Eden's Shrug. The photos I'd taken in the car came out awful, so here are some nicer ones that I took the next afternoon at my aunt's place (where we stayed).
The shrug came out really cute! It was such a fast knit, and I love the fabric obtained by using the Cotton Look on slighty larger needles than normal. I was worried it looked HUGE for the 12 month size, but I tried it on Jakob and it was only a little loose, which is perfect. (No photos of my son in a pink bolero, sorry!)

Here's the back view. You can almost tell how light and sheer this is if you look at where the back is lying on the fronts- you can just see through it. It is EXACTLY what I wanted to achieve and I'm really, really happy with how it turned out.

Having finished the shrug and still having about an hour to go in the drive (I didn't knit the whole time- Jakob refused to sleep and I had to keep him distracted) I pulled out the yarn and pattern to knit the Velvet Oblivion (Ravelry link) from Knitty. This was the first project I had ever bought yarn for that became stash, and it has been sitting in my stash since the summer of 2004 when the pattern came out. I'm putting together a gift package for my cousin's fiancé's bridal shower in 2 weeks, and I wanted to include a luxurious face mask. It is a PAIN to knit because I didn't realize my yarn was slightly thicker than the yarn called for in the patter, and the needle size is deliberately smaller to obtain a blackout fabric. Still, I was cruising along when IT happened:

See that missing spot on the upper right? I'd had to force the needle into one of the stitches and didn't realize that I'd actually torn the core thread that holds the chenille yarn together. I didn't realize it until 3 rows later when the ends worked their way free and I suddenly had a hole in the knitting. Had this been almost any other yarn I could have fixed it later, but trying to fix an aran-bulky weight yarn knit with 3.5mm needles in garter stitch with NO stitch definition was not my idea of something to do. I had no choice- I cut the yarn and started over.

At that point we arrived in Toronto. We had just enough time to wait for Mona to get picked up (she was visiting her daughter who recently moved to TO), change and leave for the out-of-towner's dinner. We were supposed to be there for 6:30. We only arrived in Toronto at 7:00. Whoops! Luckily almost everyone was still there when we strolled in around 7:45, and there was still food for us.

Go figure Jakob didn't nap all day, not a single time during the (took us) 7 hour drive. His usual bedtime is 7:15pm. Once we'd got him changed and back into the car to go to the dinner, it was 7:30. We hadn't made it 3 blocks before he fell asleep. The 10 minutes it took us to get to the dinner was enough to recharge his batteries, though, as he fell asleep when I tried to transfer him to the stroller I'd brought, and he kissed, flirted and charmed his way through the rest of the night.

By the time we got back to my aunt's house and were changing into pjs my dad and Yannick arrived. They'd come down together later in the evening so they could get a mostly-full day of work in. I put Jakob to bed then crashed myself.

Saturday we had to rush to get everyone up, dressed and fed so we could be at my cousin's Bar Mitzvah (the reason we'd driven down). We left the house at Jakob's usual morning-nap time, and he fell asleep en route. This time I had more luck and was able to transfer him to the stroller without waking him. He slept through the first hour of the services, and once he woke up Yannick took him into the lobby area to play for the next 2 hours. At that point we were all starving, and they opened up a lunch buffet.

By 1:30 we were on our way back to my aunt's house and it was right in time for Jakob's usual afternoon nap, so the plan was to put him down and I'd knit while my parents went to walk around Yonge street, and Yannick went for a drive to continue listening to the last Harry Potter book on CD. (Don't say anything- I haven't finished it yet!). The plan worked...for everyone but me. Jakob REFUSED to nap. I had decided a few months ago that even if he didn't nap, if we were home or at work and were able to stick to his usual schedule, then 2-4pm he'd be in his crib. It didn't matter if he cried or played, but he was staying in his crib until 4. He cried for about 20 minutes then started playing with his dolls and blanket, and I managed to get some knitting done on the Velvet Oblivion. I was worried that it looked too big, but it was hard to get it stretched out properly on the needles, so I decided to deal with it later. I was right about to join in the fun-fur yarn, when Jakob woke up.

This is the look I got for trying to get his attention away from the remote he was after. I'd rearranged my aunt's couches and ottoman to make a safe play area, and we knit/played until it was time to get ready for the Bar Mitzvah party that evening. (The morning part was the services in synagogue, the night-time part was the big party with a 4-course meal, dj, casino setup, sweet table, etc).

While Yannick got himself ready I got Jakob dressed, then myself. Last-minute I decided that Jakob wasn't fully dressed without a funky hairdo.

You like? ;] We had been joking with the Bar Mitzvah boy's mom (my cousin) about how the invitations said "casually elegant", as a code for "no jeans". We decided that Jakob's faux-hawk would be just the right touch to throw the "casual" into his look.

The night was a big success. Jakob fell asleep on the way to the party but woke up immediately when the car stopped and spent the rest of the night staring after the laser light displays. He was clearly exhausted but didn't make a single fuss, and charmed the waitresses by blowing them kisses all night. He was an absolute angel and we left as soon as we could to bring him home and put him to bed.

On Sunday one of my other cousins was throwing a brunch for our close family, so while everyone else was getting ready, I set up the couch area for Jakob again and finished the Velvet Oblivion face mask.

I'm not considering it a "finished object" yet, though.

Once it was off the needles, it had some serious flaws. Forgetting the fact that it is larger than normal, following the directions for the fun-fur part led to the entire outer edge being pulled in too tight (too few stitches to go around). The result is this- a face mask that looks a lot more like a funky bra. I was going to completely start over, but I think I'll first start by undoing the Boa yarn and redoing it with enough stitches to avoid the cupping. If it looks good, albeit large, I'll keep it as is. If it still ends up crappy then I'll remake it and fudge the numbers to end up with a smaller result.

We went to the brunch where Jakob had a blast with his little cousins, then the three of us went to meet Eden. She was absolutely adorable and it was great to see her parents again. I really don't see them enough since they live so far away.

When we left them it was time to hop on the 401 East and head home. The drive took about 7 hours again, but just as on the drive down, we stopped twice (it's usually about a 5 hour drive). Jakob did sleep for about an hour, but was up and crying the entire last 2 hour stretch of the drive. (Which was actually a good thing, because he was so exhausted that a diaper change and bottle was enough to knock him out once we got home).

In the car I started and finished more of my cousin's bridal shower gift: a ballband dishcloth. (Ravelry link). Yes, the pattern has been published in the Mason/Dixon book, but I used the actual pattern from the Peaches 'n Cream website.

The yarn is Bernat Handicrafter Cotton.
I plan on making a bunch of these in different colors as another part of the gift basket I'm putting together.
Here's the back, for those of you who like that sort of thing.

Today Jakob had his first dentist appointment (all good!) then playgroup, then while he took his afternoon nap I did some much-needed cleaning around the house. Two of my siblings came over to play with him for a bit, then once he was down for the night I parked myself on the couch with Yannick and worked on the next dishcloth.

This is where I stopped for the night. The Sage Green cotton was left over from the dishcloths I'd crocheted for Esther last year(?) and I just finished the ball. I have another ball in my stash with a different dye lot, but I'm really not concerned about a dishcloth being all matchy-matchy.

So that's it. A fun weekend away, although nothing beats coming home and being back in your house, with your schedule and routines. Some knitting was done, some turned out very well and some...let's not speak of it again until we see if it is fixable. And a son who was so perfectly behaved during the entire trip that we are really worried we're in for hell during his teenage years. No kid can be THIS perfect his whole life!

693

2008-06-20T08:43:00.003-04:00

Holy cow. My silly little blog jumped from an average of 30 visitors each day to 740(!!!!!!) yesterday! Of those, 693(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) of you got here by following a link on the Yarn Harlot's website.

Wow. And she didn't even post a photo of the full sock! Y'all came on over based on a teaser!

I'm flattered! I'm also guessing that you're not here for Jakob, or to find out what I'm knitting now. So here is the information you're probably looking for:

"Phlox Socks" is the pattern I designed for the Robyn's Nest June Sock Club Kit. I put a little teaser of my own in the left sidebar over there because I need to give international members a chance to receive their kits before I post the full photo. (Any of you who have received your kits can post photos, by the way. It's only me who needs to wait). :)

I'll be posting photos and full details of the sock here and at the sock's page on Ravelry on July 1st.

The pattern will be available for purchase on October 1st. (Sock club members have a short exclusivity on the pattern).

I hope it will be worth the wait!

---

In other news, I'm still rushing to finish Eden's shrug. I don't have a photo to show you, as my camera is packed. After running around to pack up Jakob's and my stuff last night, I didn't have the energy to sit down and do any more knitting. I have finished the front ribbing and only have the narrower back ribbing and cuffs to do. I'm sure I can finish them and the seaming in the car, if necessary.

As an aside- why is it that for every trip, even day trips, *I* end up running around like a chicken with no head ticking stuff off of lists to make sure I've packed everything for myself and Jakob, food, clothes, toys, etc... while Yannick calmly watches TV or whatever then last minute throws some of his clothes in a bag and calls himself "packed"?

I'm not complaining, really- I'd much rather know that I did the packing so I know everything is there and nothing is missing...but it does irk me a bit when I'm scrambling like mad, staying up really late to get it all done, but meanwhile he goes to bed early.

a week of pink knitting

2008-06-18T23:26:00.003-04:00

I finished the Mary Maxim contest thingie on Sunday afternoon, right in between brunch with Yannick's family and dinner with my family. They should have recieved it already (must go check that online!) and the judging takes place next week, so once I hear back from them I'll post some photos of that project.

Once we'd got home and put Jakob to bed I swatched for Eden's shrug. I swatched the Cottonlook first because I really wanted to use it, and luckily I got gauge easily with the required needles. It's such a completely different fabric than I would have obtained with the Decor- the CL can actually be used on smaller needles so working on a 5mm results in a slightly open fabric that has a lot of drape, but the yarn (which is probably an acrylic/cotton blend) behaves as if it were a cotton/linen blend. In fact, it feels/looks remarkably similar to the Sirroco yarn I'd used for my Shapely Tank a few years ago. In any case, it will be a nice, light garment that will be perfect to wear over a short sleeved or tank topped dress.
So the swatch was done on Sunday, and then I ripped it out and began the shrug itself. The above photo shows my progress when I went to bed Sunday night.
I tried to get a closeup of the knitting but it doesn't do the drape of the fabric justice.
This is where I was as of Monday night. It's a fast knit!

There is no Tuesday night progress photo because I had no Tuesday night. I don't know what came over me, but I was yawning during my whole drive home from work, and once Yannick came home and was able to take over playing with Jakob, I just crashed. I was actually asleep BEFORE 8pm for the first time in...I can't even remember how long.
Here's last night's progress. All that remains to do is to pick up around the neck/back and do a few rows of ribbing, then the same thing on each cuff. I'm hoping to finish it tonight so it will be ready and wrapped before we meet Eden for the first time.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T23:59:00.002-04:00

A big "Happy Father's Day" to all the fathers, grandfathers, foster parents, step-fathers, and any man who makes a positive difference in a child's life. You rock!

In honor of Daddy's Day, I'll share with you some photos of Yannick and Jakob at the park on Saturday evening.

...watching the planes go by. Jakob HAS to stop, stare and usually point EVERY time a plane goes by. He loves them!
...watching a squirrel run up a tree.

...and exploring the "jungle" pathway near our house.

We had a really fun time at the park, and I was so happy to watch them together that I didn't mind pushing the empty stroller around. Honest. ;)

We hit a little milestone last week- Jakob is no longer in his bucket! He's officially tall enough to be out of it, AND is past the weight maximum, so I brought him over to the police station and had a nice officer install his new car seat for me. It's also his first time being forward-facing in the car, and it took him a day or so to get the confused look off of his face.

I knew the Mary Maxim submission would be coming to an end soon (I have to mail it on Monday), so I started pulling out my supplies for the next project. These are my two yarn choices for Eden's shrug:

The first is some pink Cindy Cotton Look that I inherited from my grandmother. I have 2 huge cakes of this stuff, and no ideas for a good project. I thought it would be really sweet for the shrug, and if the gauge works out, this is my first choice.
As a second option, I have more of my seemingly-never-ending supply of dusty rose Patons Decor. I swear this stuff seems to multiply in my stash. I'm sure the gauge will work for this, but it would make a much different garmet, much heavier and "wintery", and I hope I don't have to use it.

I'm sure I have a ton of other options in my stash too, should neither of these work. But I'll be swatching tonight and will have a better idea of what will work later.

no kay eye pee for me

2008-06-14T15:57:00.004-04:00

While much of the knitting community celebrates WWKIP day (World Wide Knit In Public Day), I didn't really get a chance to participate. I would have loved to have been with my fellow guilders at the annual end-of-the-year garden party, and I would also have loved to be with the West Island Knitters over at the food court at Fairview (and not only for the vast array of food- yum!).

But, alas, I had to work today. My only bit of knitting solidarity was to work a few rows at lunch time, while I re-read a Cory Doctorow short story and ate last night's leftover risotto. (Yay for the auto-scroll feature in eReader!). I wasn't about to ask for the day off when I'm going to get a very nice deal over the next two months- the week of the St-Jean Baptiste holiday my store switches from Tues-Sat to Mon-Fri. I have Jakob's playgroup on Monday afternoons. I was heartbroken at the thought of not being able to go for 2 months (I mean Jakob was, yeah, that's it) so we arranged a deal: I will go in from 9-12, give Jakob lunch, then leave for playgroup. My mom, who will have retired by then, will go in from 12-as long as she can stand it and replace me. I can't believe they're letting me do this, so I'm not going to try and pull any "favors" for a while!

Knitting news- I've almost finished the Mary Maxim submission. I have decided against doing a second design- mostly because everything I come up with I like too much to give away. So the one design it is. I'll be losing the $5 entry fee, but saving my sanity. A fair trade! (Nice to know my sanity is only worth $5, but hey).

So I'm already thinking about my next project, which is for baby Eden and needs to be done by next weekend. I went through some of my pattern books and Ravelry, and decided to do the Debbie Bliss Baby Shrug. (Ravelry link here, non Ravelry link here). It's a free pattern, it's really cute and is perfect for layering. I've already added it to my Ravelry notebook here for those who like to follow along.

No matter what I need to finish the Mary Maxim thing by Monday because that is my deadline for mailing it to Ontario on time, so as soon as I finish it I will be swatching for the shrug.

Next time- a post with photos!

SP12 QOTW

2008-06-12T11:26:00.002-04:00

This week's question is:
"What's your favorite summertime beverage?"

Hmmm...I don't drink, so my favorite summertime beverage is probably the same as my favorite any-other-season beverage. I'll go with "water", since I'm trying to drink more of it. My second favorite would be either iced tea or soda, but I'm trying to cut back on caffeine and get somewhat healthier, so water it is!

Still knitting along.

no pressure, really

2008-06-11T16:45:00.005-04:00

I know this is totally inane but I was leaving a comment on a blog I stalk read and this was my "verify that I'm a real human" word. I thought it was too cute! I want to knit a lufbug!

I'm getting close to the 3/4 mark of the first Mary Maxim contest submission, and am starting to think about upcoming deadlines. I think I do this every year- berate myself for imposing them, then impose new ones all over again!

Here's the current plan, posted both to give me a push and to remind me later:

1. Finish Mary Maxim sub # 1

2. Design and knit Mary Maxium sub # 2

3. Go to the post office next Monday (!) and mail subs 1 & 2 to Ontario

4. Spend the week knitting something for my friend Bernie's brand new daughter, as we will be going to Toronto the weekend of the 21st and we will be seeing Bernie and his wife and meeting little Eden for the first time.

5. Knit Mackenzie's birth/bris gift hopefully by his bris

6. Knit my cousin's fiancés bridal shower gift hopefully by her shower in early July

7. Knit Julie & Rich's daughter's birth gift...rediculously late- the baby is already 5 months old!

8. Try to finish the Silk Rumple shawl in time for my cousin's wedding in early August.

9. Knit something for a friend's late September/early October baby

10. Knit something for a friend's November baby

11. Knit Christmas gifts for Yannick's family, maybe early to get them out of the way.

I might need to switch the orders of 7 & 8, if Julie doesn't mind waiting the extra month. At this point I'm going to knit Kayla something sized at least 12/18 months, so it will still fit when she gets it.

Holy crap my year is booked. That's at least 1 project due every month! How did this happen??

I'm going to go wake Jakob up from his nap and go home- it's almost 5pm and I'm going knitting at a pub with the West Island girls tonight! :]

another meme

2008-06-11T10:35:00.002-04:00

I just noticed I was tagged for a meme by Robyn, so here are my answers.

The Rules - Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What I was doing 10 years ago: 1998.

In the summer of 1998 I had, what I like to call, the Armageddon incident. I credit (or blame, depending on the day, lol) the movie Armageddon for me meeting Yannick. Three guy friends and I had gone to get tickets for the early show at the now-gone movie theater in the Zellers complex. The early show was sold out because the movie had *just* opened, and we were only able to get tickets for the late show that started over 2 hours later. Rather than leave, we decided to go to the bar in the same complex and hang out to kill time. As it was still rather early, the only patrons at the bar were the "regulars", a bunch of older guys who wouldn't "fit in" at other bars. We put our loonies down on the pool table to get in on the games, and they put theirs down, and after a few games we were all taking turns playing each other. I was much younger (and thinner) then, and I remember I was wearing a cute *little* tank top and shorts, and I was joking around with the regulars very easily, and the owner of the bar came up and offered me a job working there. I reminded him I'd applied when I was 18 and he wasn't interested then, and said I'd have to think about it because I already had a full-time job working at a retail store.

I did end up taking the job, and the owner taught me how to bartend, and I ended up working there until the following February. I also kept my retail job, and for 2 months I worked 5 days a week 10am-5pm at the store, and 3 nights a week 10pm-3am at the bar. It was loooooong, but I ended up giving up the retail job because the bar was more fun and made me more money.

There was only one guy bartender there, and a bunch of his friends would come and hang out every night. Yannick was one of his friends. We met over the summer...we started hanging out in November...and we started dating on December 1st 1998. The rest, as they say, is history. :)

2. What 5 things are on on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
-buy milk for Jakob before I go home
-go to a local pub for a SnB with the West Island knitters
-get as much knitting done as possible on my Mary Maxim submission
-make sure I get my mom's French Toast Cinnamon Casserole (or something) recipe so I can check what ingredients I'm missing to have everything on hand for this weekend when we do a Father's Day brunch with Yannick's family
-catch up on my Bloglines and maybe add an old project or two to my Ravelry notebook

3. Snacks I enjoy:
Regular flavored chips, Cheesies, almost anything that is fried or cheesy, fresh fruit, and lately anything that is sour.

4. Things I would do if I was a billionaire:
Clear my debts and any debts in my immediate family, give my dad enough to retire (my mom is retiring this year already), take a long trip with my family, buy the first 50 blog readers to respond 2 skeins of yarn of their choice, donate to charity, put money aside for my children's education and savings accounts then sit back, relax, knit and finally have time to work on my designs.

5. Places I have lived:
Montreal, Quebec.

I tag:Tara, Kadi, Dianne, Maaike, JayJay (if you're not too busy), and the blogless Kate to post her answers in the comments.

Secret Pal 12 Questionnaire

2008-06-07T13:29:00.005-04:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like everything. It's more about the color than the feel for me, although I don't like yarns that are very scratchy (like Alafoss Lopi). I can knit with them, but don't want to wear them afterwards. I think acrylic has its place and have a lot of 100% acrylic in my stash, but I use it for specific projects. Same thing with 100% cotton. Also, a touch of mohair or alpaca or other fuzzy stuff is ok for the right project, but not my favorite. Oh- and I HATE yarn that sheds! I love any sock yarn but I've never knit with the 1 skein of Koigu or the 5 skeins of STR that I have. I've never used Dream in Color sock yarn, although I have 3 skeins of Smooshy for a shawl. I love, love, love Fleece Artist and Handmaiden's colors, and their Sea Silk....oh my. I used it for a scarf for my mom and I am so jealous that I gave it to her!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
My straights are still packed but I used to store them in a white vase. My circulars (almost all I use) are stored in a plastic box-style pencil case. My dpns (the other half of what I use most often) are in a large butter cookie tin. My crochet hooks are in a crochet hook roll. All 3 containers (circs, dpns and crochet hooks) are in a clear, thick plastic bag with a snap cover that was the packaging for one of Jakob's gift sets. (Kinda like the bag that linens come in).

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I consider myself advanced. The very few techniques I haven't tried yet (is there anything besides steeking I haven't tried?) are due to lack of time/project, not out of fear or insecurity. I learned how to knit at around 7 or 8 from my paternal grandmother, and I have vague memories of a doll-sized red and white stockinette scarf-in-progress. I picked the needles up again in 1998 with the intent of making a sweater for Yannick for Christmas, but found knitting slow and annoying. I taught myself to crochet instead and spent a few years crocheting clothing and toys and accessories. When I had a gift to make with a fuzzy yarn it was too frustrating to crochet so I decided to knit it. It went a lot better than I'd remembered, and I decided to try another project. When that one was actually fun too I bought all the how-to books I could find and took a class at my LYS. I also joined my local guild and some local knitting groups, and gleaned as much info from everyone as I could.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, in my sidebar over to the left.

5. What's your favorite scent?
Only one? Vanilla. If I can expand a bit...I also like the scent of mint, citrus, cinnamon, baking... The only scents I can't stand are florals. Not in perfume, air fresheners, nothing.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I have a salt tooth! My absolute favorite snacks are chips and popcorn, I LOVE kettle-style chips like Miss Vickies and such, and Ruffles and Pringles. I like things simple- my favorite flavour of chips is "Regular". I also LOVE movie theater popcorn DRIPPING with butter, but not the microwave version. I'd rather pop my own fresh and melt my own butter on it. Mmmm.... I don't like caramel corn but I LOVE kettle corn...something about that slightly sweet taste with salt....

Ok, now I'm hungry!

I will eat candy, but not plain chocolate. I'm not a chocoholic and need there to be nuts or nougat in it to enjoy it. I HATE dried fruits IN food (like cake or chocolates) and I can't stand black licorice.

Lately I have been craving the odd chocolate bar or three, though.

I also tend to gravitate towards stuff that has peanut butter in it. Mmmm....

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Crochet and cross stitch. I can draw and paint and sculpt but I don't do much of it any more. I have never spun anything or even tried but I will be taking a class on a spinning wheel later this summer. I enjoy to sew also, but do most of it by hand.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I listen to everything but my all-time favorite music is 80's. The ballads...the rock songs...you wouldn't believe how often I "rock out" to Bon Jovi in the car! My computer can play MP3s, my car can't, but I have an iPod and/or I can burn music to a CD in another format and play it in the car.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I use them all, I like them all. Blue is my favorite but I hardly buy it 'cus I live in jeans and am always afraid of wearing the wrong blue top. I gravitate towards autumn colors, the browns, the deep greens, the shot of oranges or reds... I love black too, and wear black most often. I'm not afraid of colour though!

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm married to Yannick and have a 1-year-old son, Jakob. We have an 8-year-old cat named Sam.

By the way, let me take this opportunity to make a small note. I've noticed that many people pronounce Yannick's name wrong. Even when I introduce him...they change the pronunciation when saying it back. Let me clarify. His name is Yannick...said like "ya-nick". Even though it is a French name. Even in French the accent is on the "ya" part, it comes out more like "yah-nick". In fact, we met at the bar I used to work at, and it was so loud that for the longest time I thought his name was "Nick" 'cus I only heard the end part over the din. I don't understand why 80% of my family and friends INSIST on calling him "ya-neek". And they say it WITH a Parisian accent, like they are trying to accomodate us. WE don't use an accent! Ok, rant over. :)

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I don't think I've worn a poncho since I was 6. This question hasn't been updated in a few years eh? ;) I wear scarves all Winter and half of Spring. I'm trying to wear more hats. I should wear mittens or gloves but I always forget to bring them with me.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Stuff that can be knit. Anything I can be proud of.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Can I have another sheet of paper? My list of ufos is looooooooooooooooong! But the stuff in the most active rotation right now are the projects I'm trying to design for the Mary Maxim contest, since they have a deadline that is right around the corner.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Sure!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circulars, the longer the better since I magic-loop stuff in the round. Dpns too, for socks. Addi turbos all the way, but bamboo for the appropriate yarns when metal is too slippery.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes to both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
5 years? 4 years? If I don't count a skirt/top combo that I've decided to scrap, my oldest is probably the Enchanted Forest cardigan by DKNY for Vogue Knitting. I've listed it in Ravelry as having been started in March of 2005...so just over 3 years.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Any one that gives me a day off of work!

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Charming Tails figurines. Yarn. Stuff with ladybugs on it.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I've love Barbara Walker's "Knitting from the Top". I don't need more needles. There are a lot of tops at the White Lies Designs site that I love. I have a subscription to Interweave Knits and Cast On (by the Knitting Guild of America).

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Intarsia in the round. I'd like to do a project that needs steeks.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I love to knit socks. My foot is 9.5" around and 9.6" long.

23. When is your birthday?
September 11.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Yup. My ID is jenniferlori .

looooong weekend

2008-06-05T07:27:00.004-04:00

I know, it's almost next weekend. But I finally have a chance to tell you about last weekend, so here goes. Ignore the fact that the date on this post is about 2 days behind the day you're actually reading this, I've been trying to get this post up for a while now.

So, where was I? Oh yeah, last weekend. I worked on Saturday, then spent the night working on the June sock and baking a cake. We were having a birthday party to celebrate Jakob's first birthday with our family, and I wanted to bake a healthy birthday cake to counter all the sweets my mom would be preparing.

I baked the cake Saturday night so it would have time to cool overnight, and Sunday morning when we got back from Jakob's swimming lessons, I iced it:

His party "theme" was Superman, and I really wanted to put a big "S" shield on the cake, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get the white icing tinted a vivid red, blue or yellow. The closest I got was cornflower blue, pepto pink and a pale yellow. So I moved on to option "B":

There's a local kitchen store who will take a photograph and print it (in edible dyes) on a thinner-than-paper sheet of edible icing. In this photo my printout of the image I made on the computer is on the left, and the icing photo is on the right. Not bad eh? It's not as creative as icing it myself, but I'm happy with how it looks, and it only cost $12.95 for the icing sheet. It took 10 minutes of waiting at the store, which makes this a great option for a last-minute event.

And here's how it turned out. The cake was cold from the fridge so the icing sheet didn't melt into it, and I did have to cut away one side to be able to put his "1" candle in, but all in all, I think his first birthday cake came out ok. I would have rather have done some really cool decoration myself, but it didn't work out.

Here he is, about to dig in...

...and enjoying his first slice. He spent a good 15 minutes licking up every drop of icing before working his way to the cake.

Here's a photo of Jakob and me. I think this was the only time I actually got to hold him the entire party- between the family who rarely sees him and the family who always sees him, he was a very "in demand" baby!

A photo of the bubbies... from left: Sean (Robyn's son), Carol (Robyn's and Amy's mom and my aunt), Jakob, my mom, Marlene (our cousin) and Oliver (also our cousin). Carol is my dad's sister, and Marlene is my grandfather's sister's daughter.

(The last 5 photos were stolen with permission from Amy's blog).

On Monday I finished the June socks. It felt good to cross something off my deadline list. I photographed them, finalized the pattern and sent it off to Robyn to include in her kits. So if you've ordered a Robyn's Nest June Sock Club kit, they're gonna be coming soon!

One project down, and on to the next. I'm designing 2 projects for the Mary Maxim 2008 contest. I hadn't realized until after I'd sent in my entry fee that they get the sole distribution and publication rights to any winning patterns. I'm not thrilled about that, but I will be sending something in anyways. The pattern DOES keep my name as designer, and it can't hurt to get my name out there.

Here's my first swatch.

Don't try and read it- that was just some test duplicate stitch to see what worked best. Also, don't try and guess what it is...you won't. Seriously.
This is the wip as of a few days ago. The yarn is Patons Shetland Chunky, in white and navy blue.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite photos lately.

poetry and a meme

2008-05-28T10:03:00.000-04:00

A while ago, Interweave Knits sponsored a poetry contest through their blog, Knitting Daily. Yannick and I had each entered a poem (but I'd written both...shhh!)

Seeing as how we didn't win, or even place, I figured I'd share the poems with you now. The rules were simple- the poem could only use the words found in the Magnetic Poetry Set that Interweave sells.

The grand prize was to have your poem knit into a pair of mittens, and the other prizes were copies of Interweave's knitting books and stuff like that. Anyone else but me think the other prizes were all much better than the grand prize??

Anyways, here are my two poems.
and
If you'd like to see the poems that did win (and deservedly so!), click here.

And now, a meme. Laura tagged me, so I'm playing along.

The rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.

2. Share 5 facts about yourself.

3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names, linking to them.

4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Thing the first: I can scream really, really loud. When I was in the play The Wizard of Oz when I was about 8, I played a munchkin and a flying monkey. When the flying monkeys captured Dorothy and pulled her offstage to take her to the Wicked Witch of the West, I was her stand-in scream because I was the loudest.

Thing the second: I've been in a bunch of plays: The Wizard of Oz (twice), Annie, Grease (twice, I think), The Sound of Music, I Remember Mama, Hair, Bye-Bye Birdie, Senior Square, Anything Goes, and I know I'm forgetting some. These aren't in order. The biggest part I had was in I Remember Mama, I played Dagmar, an 8 year old girl. I was 18 at the time.

Thing the third: The best compliment I ever got after a show was when I was brought out to meet a little girl after a performance of I Remember Mama. They told her "this is her" and she started to cry and said "No! I wanted to meet the girl who was little, like me!".

Thing the fourth: While most smoked herbal cigarettes, some of us smoked real cigarettes on stage during Hair. It was not as exhilarating as I'd thought it would be to blow smoke rings in front of my parents.

Thing the fifth: I miss being in shows and performing in front of a crowd. I've never, ever had stage fright.

I'm not tagging anyone, so yes, I'm breaking that rule. I like playing these things, but not everyone does, so if you want to play, consider yourself tagged.

secret stuff

2008-05-24T09:28:00.002-04:00

Argh. It's tough when there's stuff going on (p.s. I almost typed "it's tuff when there's stuff...") and I can't blog about it.

I've been knitting like mad every night. As I've mentioned previously, I'm designing the sock for Robyn's Robyn's Nest June Sock Club Kit (that's a mouthful!) and seeing as how it's sold out twice, I'm trying very hard to have a sock that people will like.

I've finished designing the sock itself, and am in the process of typing up the pattern. I will then be knitting up a second sock following the pattern only, and choosing a different size than my first sample. This way I'm trying to test-knit my own pattern. The only downside to all this is that I can't show you progress photos or even the yarn itself. But trust me- the yarn is beautiful, and I hope the sock is good too. :)

Once the sock is done I will have to rush like mad to design and knit my Mary Maxim contest submissions, since they have to arrive by mail in Ontario no later than June 20th. In other words, I've got less than 1 month to design them, knit them and mail them off, plus allow time for shipping. But no pressure, right?

Can you believe I'd actually thought I could squeeze 2 dinosaurs into this schedule? *snort*

On a slightly unrelated note- I've just signed up for Secret Pal 12. I haven't done a secret pal exchange since they were at number 6 or so, so I'm looking forwards to this one.

Oh- and Pete Grimaldi of Skin MD Natural wants me to let you all know that the free samples (like the one I reviewed) are still available, so if you have a blog and want some free skincare to try out, head over to their website! (The links are in my last post).

skin md natural

2008-05-21T12:53:00.003-04:00

I don't often use this blog as product placement, but a while ago I was given a sample of a product on the condition that I write a review about it and post it on my blog...so here I go. If you aren't interested in skincare products or if you don't like shameless product placement, then please come back next post. :)

I was sent a 4 ounce bottle and 3 sample packs of the Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion.

Wow. I mean really...wow.

I have very dry skin. We run a dehumidifier at home all year 'round, and I work at a store with a door that opens every 5 minutes, letting the air in, right onto me. Both of these factors resulted in me having hands that were ok, but often cracking around the nail beds or in worst cases, on the knuckles. Even worse than that, my face is really dry. I've had strangers tell me that there was some dry skin on my nose, and that's because they were too polite to mention it was also on my forehead, around my eyebrows and elsewhere.

Regular blog readers will know from my weekly photos that I rarely wear makeup. The only thing I do try to use often is moisturizer. I rush to put it on right when I get out of the shower because my skin is so dry that if I wait too long, forget it- all it will do is leave an oily film on my skin.

That's not the case with this product. Skin MD Natural is the best moisturizer I've come across in a long time. It's billed as a "shielding lotion", which their website describes as a product to "not only add moisture, but to help stop the loss of your own moisture".

I love it. First of all, it takes very little. The 4oz bottle is supposed to last 1-2 months. I can agree, you definitely don't need a lot of this product. A small amount (about the size of a pea) is enough for my face, although I usually cheat and squeeze out a little more, so once my face is done I can rub the rest into my hands.

I haven't noticed any oily feeling or clammy residue. In fact, I've found the opposite. Within a few moments after application, I feel like my face and hands are smooth, dry and silky.

I've tried to figure out how to explain the feeling, and I'm afraid that my explanation will throw some people off, but this is what it reminds me of- do you remember when Garnier Fructis shampoos and conditioners came out? Their big draw was how silky they made your hair. Everyone I know used it, including me, and it was true- your hair felt soft and silky and had a great shine to it. A few months later there was a rumor going around NOT to use Fructis because it was a wax, and it was coating your hair, and THAT'S why your hair was shiny. Now, I don't know if that rumor was true, but that's kind of how I picture this shielding lotion. It makes me feel like my face is protected and anything that comes at it will be up against an invisible barrier.

For example- I put the lotion on my face one night. The next morning I was rushing to pick up Maaike for the Sally Melville workshop, and I banged my hip into the edge of our kitchen counter. Tears had spung to my eyes before I could react a little more calmly, and I remember wiping them away and being stunned- instead of leaving a wet, streaky trail on my face, every place where I'd wiped away my tears my face was dry. The lotion really did provide a layer of protection.

That might not be the best way of explaining it, but don't let that deter you. This really is a great product. For the first time I don't feel like I have to put on a moisturizer every morning. And guaranteed- every time I use it, I catch myself hours later, smoothing my fingers over my skin. I actually made Yannick feel my forehead a few days ago when I couldn't stop rubbing it and remarking upon how soft it was.

I feel like I'm gushing. I hate gushing, it comes across so fake. Hopefully you know me well enough by now to know that I wouldn't say I like something if I didn't. And I like this product.
Ingredients:

The company claims its product is all natural. There is a complete breakdown of all the lotion's ingredients here. Visit that page and you will see why they make the claim of having "the most transparent ingredient disclosure in the industry".

Where to buy:
There is a store locator on their website but I wasn't able to find any stores in Quebec that carry the product.

You can also order directly via their website here.

Pricing:
A 4oz bottle (the size of my sample) is $18 (US, probably), and shipping to the US and Canada is $4.95. Shipping to the rest of the world is $7.95. If you order 3 or more bottles, shipping is free.

There are also discounts for bulk orders, as the product is available by the case at a 15% discount, and also by the gallon in a large pump bottle.

Sample packs (3-5 use sachets the same size as wet-wipes at a restaurant) are $2 shipping for 2 free packets.

NOTE: you can also get the free samples by mailing in a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE).

I have to be honest here. I'm a bargain shopper. A remarkable amount of my wardrobe came from Wal-Mart (I know, don't lecture me), and I practically live in t-shirts from Old Navy's $4 section. I'm also a hoarder. I occassionally buy facial products (masks, toner, astringent, etc) and then try to avoid using them so they last longer. Of course, by the time I decide that my behavior is silly...they've expired.

I can't imagine that happening with my bottle of Skin MD Natural. I truly love this product. I wouldn't buy an $18 bottle of lotion at my local pharmacy. I know myself, and without trying it, there is no way that I would justify the price. But having already tried the product...it's worth it. In fact, I am positive that as soon as my bottle is finished, I will be quickly heading over to the website to order 3 more for myself, and getting free shipping!

Guarantee:
The company guarantees your purchases with a full money-back guarantee, refunding not only your purchase price, but your shipping costs too. Talk about a satisfaction guarantee! Off the top of my head I can't think of other companies who will even refund your shipping costs!

Skin MD Natural's website, for more information.

21st Century Formulations

9663 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste #860

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

310-858-2929

310-858-2992 fax

one year

2008-05-17T09:30:00.003-04:00

According to What to Expect the First Year:
By twelve months, your baby

...should be able to:
-walk holding on to furniture (cruise) CHECK

-use a few gestures to get needs met KINDA

...will probably be able to:

-play patty-cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye CHECK

-drink from a cup independently CHECK

-pick up a tiny object neatly with tips of thumb and forefinger CHECK

-stand alone momentarily KINDA

-say "dada" or "mama" discriminately WELL...he says "mama" now, but not always to me.

-say one word other than "mama" or "dada" CHECK he says "up", "ban" (fan), "baby". But I don't consider any his first real world yet, because I don't know if he knows what they mean. (Except maybe "up". He always says it when he's in his crib or tied into his bucket or chair and wants to get out).

...may possibly be able to:

-"play ball" SOMEWHAT

-stand alone well NO

-use immature jargoning ALL THE TIME

-walk well NO

...may even be able to:

-say three words or more other than "mama" or "dada" SEE ABOVE

-respond to a one-step command without gestures CHECK

One year.

It took about 20 minutes to go from this

to this.

And a few more to get to this.

6 months to get to this.

and another 6 to get to this.

Everything I need to say I've said to him already...he's the best kid I've ever known. He's sweet, he's kind, he's playful, he's funny, he's smart...and we are so lucky that he's ours.

Happy Birthday Jakob.

p.s. Yes this is back-dated...we've had a very busy weekend.

51 weeks

2008-05-12T23:28:00.002-04:00

Before I get too sidetracked, here is last week's photo- Mommy with Jakob at 51 weeks.

We had a great weekend with family, and celebrated Mother's Day by attending an engagement brunch for my cousin and his fiance. We napped, which was wonderful, and in the evening we went to my parents' house for supper. Absolutely no knitting was done on Mother's Day, and it was alright with me. (Did I mention the 2 hour nap?!?)

Today was fun and full and busy. Jakob's playgroup decided to meet at a local park instead of at one of our homes, and I got my sister to come along and hang out with us. Jakob doesn't seem to enjoy the swings as much as he used to, but we had a good time sitting in the shade under a tree with about 10 other moms and kids. I drove my sister to work, then went upstairs in the mall to visit my brother (who would kill me if I was in the mall with Jakob and didn't go visit him. By the time we got home we were right in time to meet Maaike and go to the park with her and her daughter, then I brought Jakob home and gave him supper. He hadn't napped this afternoon so he went to bed a little early and I was able to enjoy a nice supper with Yannick and then some knitting/TV time.

I've got a busy week ahead of me and a lot of rearranging to do at work tomorrow since Yannick moved my entire office area to create a play area for Jakob. Tomorrow is the MKG meeting, Wed I might have supper plans, and Thurs is the West Island Knits meetup and/or the supper plans from Wed if they get pushed off. Friday Yannick and I were thinking about going to the movies, and Saturday...

...Saturday is Jakob's first birthday. I know.

I'm going to bed.

happy mother's day!

2008-05-11T08:51:00.003-04:00

To start this post off, let me wish a huge HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! to all the moms, grandmothers, mothers-to-be, foster mothers, and anyone else who raises, takes care of or in any way helps shape the life of a child. We rock!

Here's Mommy with Jakob at 50 weeks (not this past week's photo, but the one before).

I still haven't uploaded the photos from my camera from last week, and my head is still in a fog. Sorry!

I have been knitting like mad, but can't show any of it. See, I'm designing the sock for Robyn's Robyn's Nest June Sock Club Kit, and while it is going very well, it is a surprise. I still like my original design, but I came to realize that while many people might say "hey- that's cool", very few would actually want to knit it...or at least they'd want to knit it, but it wouldn't be the kind of sock they'd want to wear. So I pored over my design books and was inspired by a little stitch pattern in a book by someone you might have heard of. Barbara Walker? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? I've been crunching more numbers than food this week, but things are starting to take shape, and I'm really pleased with the progress so far.

I can't believe the kit is almost sold out! No pressure, or anything... :)

I do have some knitting that I can share, however.

Here's the finished Marble Cabled Cardigan.

I'm really happy with how it came out. I knit the 1-2 year old size, and since Jakob is slim, I'm sure he'll get to wear it even until next Fall.
Yannick chose the pattern when I told him I wanted to knit something with this particular Marble colorway. He also chose the buttons.
They are adorable, but a little heavy for the light sweater. I might have to change them.

Details: (from memory- so forgive any mistakes) The pattern is a pamphlet designed for the actual yarn. Needles are downstairs but I think I used a 4mm for the body and 3.25 for the ribbing.

Modifications: I reversed the cable on one side of the band so they would mirror each other instead of both leaning in the same direction. I didn't do the hood, and did a simple ribbed collar instead. I did a one-row buttonhole instead of binding off in one row and casting on in the next. I'm pretty sure there was something else I changed but I don't remember now.

Here's a photo I've been wanting to take for almost a year.

Isn't that cute??? I'd taken a photo of Yannick's Mega Sock (Mega Boots Stretch yarn) next to the baby version I made for Jakob, but I always wanted to get a photo of my two boys IN their matching sock. I finally got one, and I LOVE this photo.

I leave you with a question...

My dad is trying to convince me to get these glasses for myself.

What does we thinks?

Does we likes? I really like the sides of the frame, and the side view. I'm scared to commit!
I think they're too wide from my eyeball to my temple, but I do have a large head, and frames that fit nicely around my eye have the frame's temple stretched sideways to go off to my ear.

So? I've taken the lenses out of the frame since these photos were taken, so I can take photos without the glare or designer name on the lenses, if necessary.

getting there...

2008-05-08T22:48:00.002-04:00

I'm working on feeling better, thank you all so much for the well-wishes. Turns out that Jakob and I have been giving each other the same cold, only I haven't treated mine as well as I've treated his, so mine turned into a sinus infection. Blech. I've been sleeping as much as possible, which is why I haven't been posting. I've actually been in bed by 10:30/11 every night- crazy, I know. I also took Tuesday off work and sent Jakob to my sister for the day so I could sleep, which is the reason I think I'm feeling better. It's a viral infection, so I can't really take anything for it. Blargh.

So what do I owe you?

-last week's Thursday photo
-today's Thursday photo
-the rest of the WEBS trip & stash flashing
-a photo of the cutest daddy & baby knits
-talk of what I've been working on

Anything I'm missing?

...help...

2008-05-05T19:54:00.001-04:00

...sinus pressure has taken over my face...my ears tickle...my throat is sore-ish...and I'm bone tired...

...send tea or yarn...

what i did monday and yesterday

2008-04-30T13:36:00.002-04:00

I unpacked the nuts and fruit and chocolates.

Oy. Let's ignore the fact that my cuboards are full and I have no where to store the nuts and fruit and chocolates, ok?
I seamed the Marble cardi. I also ignored the pattern, which wanted me to knit the hood, then pick up and knit the button bands on the two fronts, THEN seam the cardi and sew on the hood. I did a few more mods as well, which I'll detail when the project is finished.
I also managed to knit the two front bands. By the time I went to bed last night I'd picked up and started working the collar (I'm ignoring the hood).

I would have gotten more done, but Jakob has been sick and I only knit when he's sleeping, if I'm not already eating, cleaning, doing laundry or staring at the TV in a dazed stupor. The poor kid started a fever on Friday night, and has been going back and forth from 99.5 to 103.3 ever since. Yesterday's high was 102, today he went from 99.5 when he woke up from his nap to 101.5 2 hours later. I know it's not as high, but his fevers have been higher at night, so we're going back to the doctor to make sure his cold didn't become an ear infection. He's also got a wicked cough and a runny nose, so when he is awake, he's kinda miserable. (His waking up around the clock has led to my dazed stupor). I'm sure the doctor will tell me it's just a cold and to keep him on the tempra, but I'd rather be safe than sorry...especially with a fever that has lasted almost 6 days.

Hopefully by the time I post next I'll have a completed Marble Cabled Cardigan.

You know what I didn't do yesterday or Monday? Photograph my booty. (Uh- yarn or otherwise). I know you wanna see the new stash...but I can't show it to you before I show it to Yannick, and he had bowling last night. Don't worry...you'll get photos soon. I still have to finish the rest of the WEBS trip. I haven't even told you about the diner of freaky thoughts yet!

WEBS

2008-04-28T09:58:00.008-04:00

Oh my. I mean...wow. I don't know where to begin. This weekend was...wow.

Maaike and I left Saturday afternoon. I normally work until 5pm but my dad said I could leave at 4pm, so Maaike got dropped off at the store so we could leave right away, and we were off. We stopped in Burlington for supper, finding the route a nice, easy drive thanks to our maps and Artie (the affectionate name we gave to the GPS unit Maaike had borrowed from a co-worker). Everything was going fine, we passed the US border within 5 minutes of arriving, and kept driving. We didn't think anything was wrong although we both kinda thought it was strange that we were taking the 7, a more residential-type road with a max speed of about 50 miles/hour, instead of a highway. Turns out that Artie thought the 7 was a better route because it was the straightest route to Northampton- as the crow flies. He didn't understand that we wanted to take the highway so we could go faster. So we ignored Artie and Maaike directed me on a route to get back to the 89. It took an extra hour and a very scenic route over and down what I think was called Green Mountain, but eventually we got onto the 89. Artie kept sulking at us. The GPS unit beeps when it is time to get ready to turn or merge or whatever, and if you don't do what it wants then it makes a little "why aren't you listening to me?" noise, and recalculates. Artie REALLY wanted us to take the 7, and we REALLY didn't want to, so Artie sulked and moped nearly the whole way there. From the 89 we took the 91, and by 11pm we had pulled into our hotel's parking lot.

It was great to be out of the car, and after we'd settled in, Maaike pulled out her spindle and got her spin on. I pulled out Jakob's sweater to do a little seaming, but we both quickly realized we were tired, and the adrenaline was wearing off, and we went to bed.

Breakfast was included at the hotel, and in addition to fruit, breads, coffee, etc, they had this wonderful little gadget. I've never seen this before- it's a waffle maker! You put a little cup under the spout of the machine on the right and it gives you a pre-measured (I think) amount of waffle batter. You then take the Waffle-Off spray (um...Pam??) and spray the griddle (left machine). Pour in your batter, flip it, wait 2 minutes, flip it back and you have a huge fluffy waffle freshly made. It was really good!
We went to Target but didn't find much (it looked remarkably like Zellers). Then we came back to the hotel and checked out, and went to WEBS.

WEBS! The rumors are true- it is huge and amazing and wonderful.

I have to preface the rest of this with a little backstory. See, there's this online shop, called Nuts Online. They have a really good selection of snacks, but they don't ship to Canada. Well. I got the bright idea to ask Kathy and Steve Elkins (the owners of WEBS) if I could have an order shipped to their store, and then I would pick it up when we drove down. Surprisingly, they agreed. (I wonder if it was the oddest request they've gotten?) We wanted to take advantage of this and get as many of the snacks we wanted to try, so in the future we could only order what we'd liked, and have it shipped to my grandmother's condo in Florida, so when my mom goes down she could drive it back. I just didn't want anyone else paying duty on a huge initial order. So Maaike, Yannick and I each went through the website and picked what we wanted. I think we ended up with a total of 35 individual 1 lb bags of dried fruit or nut snacks. Poor WEBS! I called them on Thursday to let them know the nuts were coming. (The food, not us). They never called back, so I assumed everything was fine.

Well, we get to WEBS around 11:00. We'd decided that we'd wait in line and have our books signed before the Yarn Harlot event at 2:00, so once the event was over we could come back to the store and shop at our leisure. We got into line for the signing.

This was the line ahead of us. We got in at a good spot.

This was the line behind us. It goes into the warehouse and all the way around.

While we were in line there was a woman going around with a post-it notepad, asking your name and writing it down, and putting it down on your book so it would be easier for Stephanie to sign your book. I over heard her talking to someone and immediately recognized her voice from the Ready-Set-Knit podcast- it was Kathy Elkins! When she came over I told her my name and said "You have nuts for me!" She started laughing. Apparently the nuts were causing some amusement at WEBS. She told me she'd show me where they were later, and said not to be surprised if the story about the nuts ended up in one of her blog posts. Maaike also introduced herself, and Kathy recognized Maaike's name from an email she'd sent saying how we were coming down from Canada.

This was Maaike and myself upon realizing that we were standing in WEBS, waiting to see the Yarn Harlot (again) and having just chatted with a voice we feel we know because we've been listening to her for over a year. It was surreal. (It was also a remarkably good photo for one that was taken by me holding the camera over our heads and saying "smile!").
We had brought offerings for Stephanie. We didn't know if she had received any Montreal dishcloths when she was here in 2006, so I designed a few and we knit them up for her. You've all seen the Habs one already, and the Fleur de Lys one is to represent Quebec. The actual Montreal flag is extremely uncommon and unrecognized as being of Montreal, so instead our Montreal dishcloth has a bagel on it. :) We also brought her a drawing from Maaike's daughter, and 2 Montreal food offerings- a package of squeaky cheese (cheese curds) and a bag of fresh Montreal bagels.

We were really glad we'd brought the food for her, because we really doubt she was able to take a lunch break, so at least she had something there to eat.

Stephanie was gracious and friendly, and shocked the &#$^@ out of me by not only remembering who I was, but by telling ME what my website was. She knew who both of us were, and we were stunned. While we were getting our books signed Kathy came up to the table and let Stephanie know that we were the crazy nut people. Apparently the nuts really were becoming an ongoing joke at WEBS! Stephanie took a photo of us with the dishcloths, and took a photo with us and her travelling sock, and then we let her get on to the next person in line.

To keep up with the surreal-ness of the day, Maaike had a question about a pattern, and who did Kathy direct us to? Pixie!

Those of you who listen to Ready-Set-Knit know who Pixie is, and listening to her talk to Maaike about a pattern was EXACTLY like listening to the second half of their podcast, and I found it hard to not imagine I was actually at home in bed listening to this on my iPod. It was a very strange feeling. It was also really cool that Kathy just breezed us past everyone in the store to the "employees only" area, and ushered us right in to talk to Pixie. Then she took me to another area so I could see where the nuts were.

I forgot to take a photo of the nut boxes, but I can see why they were becoming a punchline. Two boxes each the size of microwave ovens! And heavy! While Maaike and Pixie chatted, Kathy helped me carry the boxes to my car.

We really were there. WEBS!
This is the parking lot area. And what's that down at the end there?

Why it's WEBS- America's Bead Store! We didn't get a chance to go in and check out Kathy and Steve's latest project, but if it's anything like the yarn store, it will be amazing!

We left there and went to a local tavern for lunch. Everything was delicious, and we had a great view of the Calvin theater across the street.

Why look at that...what's going on at the Calvin? Why are there crowds of knitters showing up?
Ahh...THAT'S why. I can only wonder what people driving by thought was going on here! We'd already had people stop at our lunch table and ask us what was going on with the knitting.
We had some great seats in the very first (!) row, and the events began. First Kathy and Steve raffled off some prizes. (We didn't win).
I got my knitting out and settled in. This is a project I designed and work on from time to time. Don't bother trying to guess what it is- you'll never get it. :)
A portion of the proceeds from that day's sales at WEBS were going to be donated to a local midwifery clinic that had been closed and finally reopened, so a woman from there came by to talk to us and thank us.

Finally it was time to begin the real show.
Here we are being photographed for her blog with the travelling sock.
Here we are. You can't even grasp how many people were here. It goes all the way to the back. I think the balcony was full too. I'm horrible at guestimating numbers, but I'd say we were thousands of us. It was crazy. (And sorry to the woman in front whose face I managed to blind with the flash in every crowd photo I tried to take).
Stephanie was a wonderful speaker (again) and was everything you'd expect from reading her blog. We laughed, we felt like a community, and it was wonderful.

We were some of the last to leave the theater because we'd been all the way in the front row. As we made our way to the door we saw a small crowd off to the side. I couldn't see what was going on, but there was a woman giving stuff out. Maaike looks up and says "Hey- I think that's Jess!".

It was. Jess, of Jess and Casey- the owners of Ravelry. Giving out Bob stickers and Ravelry pins.

Surreal.

I can't type any more right now...I've been sitting here since 9:00am and I need breakfast.

And I haven't even gotten to the shopping yet!

thursday stuff

2008-04-25T11:40:00.001-04:00

Before I forget, here's a photo of my little matzoh ball at the first seder, last Saturday night. He enjoyed his first taste of puntzles (the small matzoh meal puffs that you put in soup) and was quite adorable in his "Kosher for Passover" bib!

I didn't realize until too late that the backlight made shadows across his face.

Apparently Yannick doesn't realize that either because this is the photo he took for me yesterday.

It's Mommy with Jakob at 49 weeks.
I love this photo- this is what he does all day long. Whenever he wants a kiss, he reaches up, holds your face, closes his eyes and kisses. It is the sweetest thing ever!

When Yannick got home I left Jakob with him and went for a much-needed hair appointment. Here is the end result:

I still look exactly the same but don't have the 4" roots like I did before. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I tried a new salon because my old one is about 25 minutes away from my house. They also have the same work schedule as me, which means that I have to either convince my colorist to stay late for me one night and tip her really well to thank her, or I have to get up at 6:30am to get dressed and drive there for a 7:15 appointment on a Saturday, so I can have them do my hair and still get myself to work for 10:00am. NOT fun. This new place is open until 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and is literally 5 minutes from my house. Plus the girl (Kristin) who did it is amazing. She did the hair at Robyn's wedding and it was stunning, and she even fixed(ish) the horrible flower-basket nasty hairdo my mom's guy did on me. I will definitely be going back to Kristin.

Ok- so knitting. I have been knitting dishcloths for our WEBS trip this weekend. You've all now seen the Habs one, and I also made a fleur-de-lys one to represent Quebec...and to represent Montreal I made one with...a bagel on it. :)

I worked on Jakob's sweater while at the hairdresser, and am at the shaping decreases on the last sleeve. I've decided not to do the hood as the pattern calls for, but to do a shawl collar instead, so the sweater is almost finished.

I think I have to make myself an official knitting "to do" list so I don't fall behind. That being said, here it is:

1. Finish Jakob's Cabled Cardigan - due end of May/June

2. Knit 1 of the 2 Family Circle dinosaurs for Jakob for his birthday - due end of May/June

3. Knit the other dinosaur for Jakob for Jakob (optional) - due end of May/June

4. Design the June sock club sock for Robyn's Nest's sock club - due end of May/June

4. Design project #1 for Mary Maxim contest - due June

5. Design project #2 for Mary Maxim contest - due June

I think those are the most important things right now.

sally melville workshops

2008-04-25T10:35:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I was privileged to spend the weekend at the Travelodge Hotel with a bunch of knitters and one very famous knitting designer. In honor of her having led the very first Montreal Knitting Guild workshop 10 years ago, (and also because she's just a wonderful teacher), the MKG brought back Sally Melville to run a weekend-long series of workshops.

Sally Melville. Maybe you've heard of her? Author of Styles, The Knit Stitch, The Purl Stitch and Color, not to mention designer of countless patterns in magazines from Interweave to Vogue to...

Yeah. Her.

If you ever get a chance to take a class with Sally, do it! She is the cutest little thing, and tells wonderful stories. She is also a great teacher. Here are my swatches from that weekend:

On Saturday I took 2 workshops- "Rescue Tips and Emergency Techniques" and "Learning to Love Intarsia".

This poor swatch got really put through the wringer! First we had to cut a stitch and unravel back to show how you could cut your knitting to make changes (shorten, lengthen, etc). I wasn't afraid to cut, remember the Superman costume legs? I'd already cut them and lengthened them by an inch, before grafting the feet back on. We also learned how to fix a mistake by duplicate stitching then cutting out the original yarn. In this swatch, the blue stitches in the Fair Isle row were originally black. We duplicated-stitched over them, then cut out the black stitches.
This was our intarsia sampler. She gave us some great techniques for avoiding holes without too much twisting of the yarn.

After the classes Saturday night a bunch of us went out for dinner with Sally. We had a great time and had some yummy (but overpriced) Italian food in Dorval.

On Sunday it was one workshop all day long; I forget the name but it was something about tips and techniques "...for the Self-Taught Knitter".
This was a little stockinette stitch swatch I made to show Angie that knitting wouldn't unravel sideways. She was positive that if you cut your knitting, it will all come undone- this was to show her that even in a plain-old acrylic yarn, the stitches aren't going anywhere. The 1-stitch width you see unravelled above took a LOT of tugging and pulling to get it to "pop out" on its own.
This hideous piece was our increase, decrease and bobble sampler. It also prompted a witty observation- we spend money to go to a workshop, spend all day joyfully knitting away, then come home to our significant others waving this deformed mess at them, proudly exclaiming "look what I did today!!!". No wonder non-knitters don't get it!
This last swatch was for practicing seaming and buttonholes. I think one of the best "a-ha!" moments of the class was her tips on picking up stitches for a neckband. One simple modification to eliminate any gaps- it's genious.

All in all, it was a great weekend spent with some great people. I am thrilled that I was able to meet a knitting legend like Sally, and wish her much success with future books and projects.

go habs go

2008-04-22T23:35:00.012-04:00

Maaike and I are going to see the Yarn Harlot at WEBS this weekend, and decided to keep up the tradition of knitters bringing her washcloths. We worked up some ideas and I quickly designed a cloth for Montreal and a cloth for Quebec. As a final touch, I also came up with a Habs cloth (the Yarn Harlot is from Toronto...and the Habs are doing better than the Maple Leafs this year). These cloths were designed by me with help/inspiration by Maaike.

I was going to wait to knit up a sample in all sizes before publishing, but in the spirit of last night's game 7 win by the Canadians, I'm going to offer a rough cut of the pattern here so you can get your Habs fever on, knitting-style!

Habs Dish/Face/Washcloth - Small Size (shown)

(about 4.5" x 6")

Habs Dish/Face/Washcloth - Medium Size

(just like the small size but with more space around the logo, adding about an inch to all directions)

Habs Dish/Face/Washcloth - Large Size

(bigger than the others and has the words "GO HABS GO" across the top and bottom)

Ravelry link to the patterns

ETA1- I made a slight change to the pattern (added 2 rows in the red section below the C) for all sizes. The new files were uploaded and the links changed at 9:45am EST on April 23 2008. If you downloaded the files before that date please download the latest version. Thank you!

ETA2- I am aware that there was a problem downloading the files earlier. I have fixed this with the hosting people, and there shouldn't be any more problems accessing the patterns. If you have any problems, please email me!

3 generations

2008-04-22T14:17:00.003-04:00

I saw these photos on my cousin Amy's site and couldn't resist stealing them from her.

Three generations are represented here, the fourth one (my generation) is missing 'cus we were the ones taking the photos and trying to get the kids to smile.
From the left-
my mom, my great-aunt Rhoda (Reta's sister), Jakob, my paternal grandmother Reta, Sean (Robyn's son), my aunt Carol (Robyn's and Amy's mom, Reta's daughter and my dad's sister).

The two bubbies with their grandsons- my mom and her sister-in-law.

These photos were from the seder on Sunday night at my aunt's house. There was much food, not much knitting, and some hockey.

'twas the night...

2008-04-19T18:09:00.003-04:00

We're off to the first seder. Happy Passover to everyone who's stuck with eating cardboard for the next 9 days!

I leave you with this photo of some chickens in the spa getting ready for Passover...

(Note: I didn't take this photo, it was sent to me in an email).

eleventy months

2008-04-17T06:59:00.006-04:00

Here's Mommy with Jakob at 48 weeks. We're at work, and this is proof that I do occassionally wear my hair down. (I always regret it. Jakob is FASCINATED by my hair and can't leave it alone when I wear it down. He always stares at me like he's amazed, and can't stop touching and pulling it).

This is the post I have been trying since yesterday morning to post. I guess Blogger's issues with letting me post photos have been resolved, so here it is.

According to What to Expect the First Year:

By eleven months, your baby

...should be able to:

-get into a sitting position from stomach CHECK

-pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger CHECK

-understand "no" (but not always obey it) CHECK

...will probably be able to:

-play patty-check (clap hands) or wave bye-bye CHECK- he's been waving for over a month now, and all of a sudden on Monday he started clapping his hands. All you have to do now is say "clap clap" and he'll clap for you. My little trained seal...

-walk holding on to furniture (cruise) CHECK - his favorite thing to do!

-point or gesture to something to get needs met NOT REALLY - does reaching count?

(I don't know why Yannick always looks like a deer caught in headlights in these photos)

...may possibly be able to:

-pick up a tiny object neatly with tips of thumb and forefinger CHECK - for months now

-stand alone momentarily CHECK - but not of his own will. It scares him.

-say "dada" or "mama" discriminately NOT REALLY - sometimes it sounds like he's trying to say "papa" or "cat", but he's not really calling anything by a name. He says babababa and dadadada and blablabla all the time, but no "mama" or "papa" yet.

-say one word other than "mama" or "dada" NOPE

...may even be able to:

-stand alone well NOPE

-indicate wants in ways other than crying CHECK - among other things, he shakes his hand when he wants his bottle (we sing "shake shake shake, shake your bottle")

-"play ball" (roll a ball back to you) CHECK - we play fetch. He throws it, we chase.

-drink from a cup independently CHECK - he drinks from a cup alone at every meal, and only spills it when he turns it upside down to look at the bottom of the cup.

-use immature jargoning (gibberish that sounds as if baby is talking a made-up foreign language) SOMETIMES - he's definately babbling in a more speech-like way lately

-say three or more words other than "mama" or "dada" NOPE - unlike the girl in our playgroup who is 9 months old and can say "book" and "duck" (with comprehension), Jakob is still wordless.

-respond to a one-step command without gestures ("Give that to me" - without hand out) CHECK - if you ask for a kiss he'll grab your face and kiss you. He'll also clap when you ask him to, or wave hi/bye.

-walk well NOPE

All in all, not bad for 11 months old, I think. I won't go on and on about how big he's getting, and how time flies, because you can imagine it yourself. But I will say that he's absolutely my favorite person in the world right now. Every time he wakes from a nap, while a part of me wants a few extra minutes alone, the rest of me can't wait to run into his room and see him smiling at me. Can't wait to pick him up and get smothered in kisses. Can't wait to see what he'll surprise me with today.

3 of me

2008-04-16T11:12:00.002-04:00

Some of you guessed right! There were 3 of me in the old Zellers photos. I tried to trick you by putting photos that weren't taken the same year, but some of you figured me out anyways. For those who need help:

There were 2 of me in the upper flyer photo.
I was 2 years and 1 month old when this flyer was printed, so I was probably a few months younger when the photos were actually taken.
I see a lot of Jakob in my old baby photos. I have some others packed away somewhere that look exactly like him! He definately has my mouth, that's for sure.
I think he's going to end up with my buck teeth too. :)

There was only one of me in the second flyer:

I'm not sure when this was printed, but I would guess that I was between 4 and 7 years old.
Uhm...so I'm not a natural blonde.

getting close to the big 5-2

2008-04-16T07:30:00.003-04:00

I was going to post these last night, but instead chose to take a really long shower and curl up in front of Big Brother with my knitting. (I know, I should have taken the shower after Big Brother to get rid of the dirty feeling, but I hadn't thought all the way through).

In any case, here's Mommy with Jakob at 47 weeks.
I swear he looks like a teenager sometimes.
It doesnt' help when we dress him like this. Holding him in this vest is like trying to hold a cuddly marshmallow that gives you kisses- it fills up your arms and you can barely hold on...but it's worth it!

red and blue

2008-04-13T21:22:00.000-04:00

Things have been getting done around here, I promise. For some reason, though, every night around 8 or 9 pm I've been getting a headache and all I want to do is go to bed. I haven't gotten as much accomplished as I would have liked, but here is some of what I've been doing:

I was commissioned to do the finishing work on this baby sweater that my mom's manicurist knit. This is the sweater that (did I already blog this?) I had to go help her fix when she realized after finishing the two sleeves that she'd knit the cuffs with the larger needle, instead of the smaller one. So I showed her how to slip the stitches of one row onto a smaller needle and cut and unpick 1 row, then unravel the now-released cuff and reknit the cuff in the opposite direction. Anyways, she didn't feel up to doing the finishing work, so she asked me to do it for her, and handed me the pattern and a bag with the fronts, back and sleeves. I sewed it up for her, and this is the result. It's a really cute sweater, and it just needs a button to be all finished.
I've also been working on Jakob's Cabled Cardigan lately, and to prove it, here are some progress photos. I keep meaning to block the pieces pre-seaming but I was going to do it after the first front and decided to wait until both were done, then I was going to do it after the first sleeve but am now waiting until both are done. Or I might not block it at all, until after the seaming is done. We'll see. This photo shows the back, two fronts and 1 sleeve.

can you find me?

2008-04-12T16:35:00.002-04:00

Remember when I posted Jakob's modelling photo and I told you I used to be in the Zellers flyers myself when I was little? My mom found the photos! I've scanned them for you here - can you find me?

more stash fun!

2008-04-11T22:46:00.000-04:00

This is an old post, I had saved it as a draft on April 3rd while waiting to see if it was ok to post Robyn's April Sock Club kit, and then forgot to publish the post.
Isn't this gorgeous? It's similar to the first sock club yarn but still different, and I really, really LOVE the colors. I also think the sock pattern itself is fabulous. It's so simple, but the effect is really stricking, and I am looking forwards to knitting it.
Here's a closeup of the yarn. Isn't it beautiful?

p.s. It doesn't count as stash purchasing because I told Robyn I wanted to buy it last year.

Other recent stash aquisitions that are not purchases that break my "year of the stash" rule because they are for specific projects:

Black Regia 4ply for Yannick's mom's Christmas socks. She wants the Queen of Cups pattern from Knitty.com (I'm too tired to go look up the exact link right now). I have black sock yarn in my stash but one set is acrylic and I'm not giving her that, and the other is Sisu which I haven't yet washed and I'm afraid to give her something that pills badly. No one is really interested in my knitting and they always hear Yannick rave about his socks and they have admired how well the Regia is after being thrown in the washer and dryer all the time...I'm afraid to switch brands and give them something that doesn't wear well and have them disappointed with how the socks turn out. (I say "them" because I'm also going to knit a plain stockinette pair for Yannick's dad).
This is the Dream in Color Smooshy I picked up from Robyn's shop. I know what you're thinking, but this really isn't a purchase. I fell hard for the shawl pattern "Jeannie" from the Winter Knitty, and had Yannick help me choose a color. I wanted black or red but he chose the color "Into the Mystic" from the Dream in Color website. I didn't think it was what I wanted (I didn't think it went with black as well as it would probably go with denim) so he said that if I knit it and wasn't happy with the final result, he'd pay me back for the yarn. I thought I'd ordered it right away but after the New Year I contacted the company and it turns out I'd never placed the order. Right when I was about to order it Robyn told me she was getting some into her shop, so I ended up ordering it from her. In the end the colorway looks NOTHING like what it does online, but I really love the color it turned out to be! It's going to be one gorgeous shawl.
This is a bunch of Patons yarn that I picked up for my submission to the 2008 Mary Maxim design contest. You have to use yarns from certain brands, so I bought this for my 2 submissions.

Well, that's it. More yarn added to my stash, although no unlawful purchasing has been done. :)

thursday and friday

2008-04-09T23:02:00.003-04:00

You know that ad that seems to run every so often, the one that has the baby in a high chair all covered in spaghetti and spaghetti sauce? The one that makes you wonder how long it took to stage?

For the first time, I believe it wasn't staged. I also don't entirely blame the baby. See this mess?
I did it. It was so horrible, I felt like I was in a sitcom. I was about to put Jakob's supper on the counter to cool but I must have let my hands relax without realizing it, because the next thing I knew the bowl was on the floor and its entire contents were splattered all over the floor, cabinets, counter tops, high chair and even the patio window. Ugh. I think his supper that night was a mix of pasta, chili sauce, brussel sprouts, corn and carrots, but all I can remember is chasing the little pasta balls around the kitchen. Every time I thought I'd found them all...I'd step on another one.

My local library has a section of used books for sale, and I take a look every time I go in. I realized I'd forgotten to post about the different books I'd purchased, so here you go:

This craft book looks very interesting. The whole book is full of full-page color photos, and the crafts will be fun once Jakob is older.
This one looked good too. Did I mention they were $2 each?

The best score, hands-down, was this collection:

I don't remember how many I bought, but they were only $0.25 each, and each issue has knitting patterns, crochet patterns and all kinds of other crafts. How cool!

Finally, here's Mommy with Jakob at 46 weeks.

Look at those teeth! His last top front tooth came in today, so that makes all 4 of his top front teeth, and his center 2 bottom teeth. I was going to leave you with this photo and end this post, but I couldn't resist showing you the next one.
You'd have to know him in person to know what he's doing here. See his little mouth? He blows kisses at you! I took this photo right as he started to pucker up. It's so cute, out of the blue he'll just look at you and start kissing the air. If he's really feeling affectionate, he'll pull you close and give you a kiss right on the cheek or lips.

Coming soon...a recap of Saturday and Sunday with Sally Melville and the latest since the weekend.

And the winner is...

2008-04-03T07:32:00.005-04:00

8 of you entered my little contest, so I went over to a random number generator and asked for 1 interger betweenn 1 and 8.

The result, as you can see here, is....

6!!!

Congratulations (hold on while I go look up who number 6 was) Robyn! You win a $30 gift certificate to your choice of online yarn store. Anything you want from your own shop? LOL

To everyone who didn't win, thank you for playing! I had a fun time coming up with a 7-themed contest, and I hope you enjoyed choosing something for each sin. Please know that everything truly was random and I was just as excited to see who the winner would be as you guys were/are. I hope you feel like I did this fairly, and look forwards to more contests in the future.

more procrastination...

2008-04-03T07:28:00.003-04:00

In keeping with my apparent fondness for throwing in extra projects even when I have deadlines, I present the 2 other projects that made up the 5 that I spent the last week on, instead of the stuff I should have been knitting.

Yannick's cousins welcomed their second child Emily on Monday, and we were supposed to go to the hospital on Wednesday night to meet her. I couldn't show up empty handed, especially after making/bringing something for their first-born (anyone remember Elodie's Sweater and Booties?).

I grabbed some stash yarn and cast on for the Child's Placket Neck Pullover (Ravelry link) Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. I know that when I'd knit it for Jakob, it had only taken me 8 hours, so with 2 evenings ahead of me, I should have been able to finish a sweater for Emily.

I didn't do a gauge swatch because I figured it was for a baby...if it didn't fit her at a year it would fit her at 6 months, or 18 months. Ahem. I *should* have knit a swatch, because after I cast on the number of stitches for the 1 year size and finished the 8 rows of seed stitch border, well, it was big enough to fit me!

That got promptly ripped back. Unfortunately it was now about 9 pm on Monday, leaving me with only another hour or so to knit before bed, and then Tuesday night to make something for Elodie so she wouldn't feel left out. I had to find something quick. I found it in the Blanket Buddy pattern from Lionbrand. It is a pattern that you can either knit or crochet, and after browsing the Ravelry archives for a bit, I decided I liked the crochet version better. Plus, crochet is faster than knitting (although it does take more yarn), so I knew I had a better chance of getting it done on time.

It came out perfect, with one small flaw. It's small. It's supposed to be about 17" long. Mine? Maybe 8". I switched yarns and instead of using a bulky yarn I used a dk-weight yarn. I didn't feel like fussing with the pattern (although it is really easy to make it whatever size you want) so I left it as is.
Here's a bad photo of it with Jakob to give you an idea of it's actual size.

I figure that it's being given to an infant. She's tiny, so her little toy can be tiny. Who knows...maybe she'll end up loving it and it will be the "doodoo" that she carries around until she's 18?

As I mentioned I wanted to give something to Elodie as well so she wouldn't feel jealous of the attention (and gifts) that the new baby was getting.

After some debate between knitting anothe cupcake, another bunny or another swatch bunny, the cupcake won. Both bunnies only take about an hour or two of knitting, but they each have quite a bit of seaming. The cupcake takes under an hour to knit and really only has 4 ends to weave in once you're done.

This time I followed the pattern exactly as written. I won't do that again. There's nothing *wrong* with the pattern, but my (and Yannick's) mental image of a cupcake has some overhang where the top meets the base. We're probably influenced by our love of muffins, and we freely admit that. Regardless...we like my variation on the cupcake better, so when I knit more of these ("when", not "if") I will continue to use my increase/decrease rounds in the icing section.

On Wednesday night we found out that they were leaving the hospital in the morning to go home, so instead of running down there we made plans to go see them and their home this weekend. With my now-free time I sat down to knit and by the time the CSIs in New York had caught Suspect X, I had finished all 4 of my swatches for the Sally Melville workshop this weekend.
Yup, I'll be spending the weekend learning from Mrs. Knit Stitch and Purl Stitch herself. Is it cheesy if I bring my books for her to sign?

8 entries...

2008-04-02T23:15:00.002-04:00

...in my Se7en Deadly Sins of Knitting contest:
Keatyn
Maaike
Caroline
Kadi
Tara
Robyn
Dianne
Criquette snuck in at the almost-last minute.

Keep 'em coming- only 46 minutes to go!

p.s. Just so you know how this will all go down...tomorrow I will give you each a number based on your order in this running tally of entries (Keatyn is #1, Maaike is #2, and so on). I will use a random-number generator to choose the winning number. Easy-peasy.

7 entries...

2008-04-02T13:40:00.003-04:00

...in my Se7en Deadly Sins of Knitting contest:
Keatyn
Maaike
Caroline
Kadi
Tara
Robyn
Dianne
The contest ends at midnight EST tonight! Get your entry in if you want to play!

procrastinating

2008-04-01T19:21:00.005-04:00

Seeing as how I've never met a deadline I didn't like, I've got a lot on my knitting plate right now. That still didn't stop me from throwing some (5!!) new projects into the mix.

Remember those swatches I showed you? They became bunnies!

A friend is in town with her young daughter and I wanted to make her a little something. (I admit to also being influenced by the cuteness of Amy's swatch bunny and wanting to make one myself).

The pink one is for Rebecca.
This wee little bunny is TINY!
All together only an inch and a half long! Yannick thinks an 18 month old might try to swallow the bunny, so I'll tell her mother to put it away until she thinks she's old enough to play with it.

Here's a link to the free pattern.

I really wanted one for myself too, which led to this little guy:

Isn't he precious? I followed the pattern as written for each, but modified the ears so they wouldn't end up too huge. Plus I added a little loop on mine so I can hang it on my keychain.

It will be hard to separate the two- they seem to be getting along quite well!

I don't know why this photo has me thinking of the Cabbage Patch Kids.

So those are 2 of the 5 new projects. This weekend I also worked on a little something for one of the girls in Jakob's playgroup. The first of our kids turned 1, and we had a little party for her on Monday. Everyone had agreed "no gifts" but I couldn't show up empty handed, so I make a quick little cupcake for her. It only took 2 hours to knit, stuff and sew, and I put a bell inside too so that it rattles.

I had wanted to put a "B" on top for Brooklyn, the birthday girl, but after I knit the icord and held it in place, it looked really stupid and bulky (instead of sweet and icing-y like I'd envisioned). Yannick encouraged me to add some sprinkles instead.

The pattern is a free one, from here. I did make a few modifications. Besides not doing the cherry on top, I skipped row 1 and went right into the increase row to avoid the point at the bottom that I saw on some finished ones. I also added an increase row after the first k row of the icing section. I did a *p1, yo, rep from * around" row, and on the following row I purled but every time I got to one of the yarn-overs I purled it through the back loop to close the hole. After purling another row or so I did a *p2tog, repeat from * around" row to get back to the original number of stitches. I wanted the cupcake top to have a puffy look where it joined the cake part. I didn't stuff it exactly right, but it gives a look closer to what I'd wanted.

4 contestants

2008-03-31T00:32:00.001-04:00

...in my Se7en Deadly Sins of Knitting contest:

Keatyn

Maaike

Caroline

Kadi

Only 3 days left to play!

this weekend

2008-03-30T23:47:00.002-04:00

This was a good weekend.

On Saturday there was some of this:

Can you guess what those are? That's a penny in there for scale.

Later that night there was some of this:
We went for dinner with one of the other moms in Jakob's playgroup, and her husband and baby. She is actually married to someone I grew up with so it almost feels like we've been hanging out forever.

Today we had some of this:

My family came over to help Yannick grout the tiles in our den, but of course there were "Jakob breaks" every 10 minutes or so. Luckily the smurf took some naps, or they wouldn't have gotten any work done!

There was also some of this:

My dad brought Jakob a Rubix Cube. He's determined to give Jakob "thinker's" toys to keep his brain working. My dad is also a huge fan of Art Bell, and his latest obsession is the Coral Castle...so I'm just lucky that he didn't show up with a huge box of magnets (not that that won't be cool once Jakob is old enough to not swallow them!).

Finally, there was some of this:

Can you tell what this is? I think I left too many details showing- I don't think it is actually that hard to guess.

Answers tomorrow!

2 contestants so far...

2008-03-30T10:02:00.002-04:00

...in my Se7en Deadly Sins of Knitting contest:

Keatyn

Maaike

Keep 'em coming!

ack!

2008-03-28T13:18:00.002-04:00

Go figure, one of the few times I manage to sneak into Ravelry during the day it goes down for maintenance!

Oh well. I'm slowly working my way through adding my wips and fos to my notebook. Then it will be time to organize my stash. Oh, my stash. :)

Speaking of stash, 3 balls of Dream in Color Smooshy got added to it last night! No, Maaike, this does NOT count as a yarn purchase. The yarn was actually ordered in December, before starting this "year of the stash" nonsense. I'm allowed to pay now for what was previously ordered- Yannick's rule, not mine. :p I bought it from Robyn's shop, and I'll take some photos when I get home.

handmade by jennifer

new blog link

upcoming changes

kat-tun

thisclose

so close...

almost there...

on a roll people...

so far so good...

and we're on the board!

let's play hangman

strangeness

thank yous all around

SP12 QOTW

package # 2

mmmmmmmmmmmmm food

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 6

hey look- some of that stuff I've been knitting (and a special day too)

book meme

dumb as a...

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 5

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 4

funny stuff!

the interview

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 3

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 2

SP12 QOTW

19 week ultrasound

Hanukah Dreidel Pillow, part 1

who you calling a baby? i'm a TODDLER!!

what happens at bubbie's...

SP12 QOTW

vowels, please?

i will survive from meet the spartans

you'd never believe me

SP12 QOTW

good news

twist and shout

SP12 QOTW

it's the jakob show!

blame Tara

SP12 QOTW

i found it!

webs part deux

ugh

SP12 QOTW and first package

and then there were 2...so we'll be 4

another quickie

sorry about that!

SP12 QOTW

share the love

SP12 QOTW

introducing...Phlox Socks

and then there were four...

SP12 QOTW

so who did *you* talk to this week?

yet more dishcloths

by the way...

to Anne from the comments

SP12 QOTW

the good, the bad and the ugly (long)

693

a week of pink knitting

Happy Father's Day!

no kay eye pee for me

SP12 QOTW

no pressure, really

another meme

Secret Pal 12 Questionnaire

looooong weekend

poetry and a meme

secret stuff

skin md natural

one year

51 weeks

happy mother's day!

getting there...

...help...

what i did monday and yesterday

WEBS

so who did you talk to this week?