A Long Yarn...

A Gift and A Goodbye

2012-01-22T20:13:00.002-05:00

I finished this Damson in December as a gift for a friend. This woman is the mother of one of my daughter's best friends. We've known each other since out girls were four years old and in juniour kindergarten. She's a teacher, a dancer, a mother. Our kids have slept at each others homes countless times. They've shared classrooms and milestones. Together our families have shared many meals and celebrated many birthdays, Halloweens and graduations. Who better to knit a gift for? So, when I saw my friend yesterday at our dance class I gave her this gift.

Tomorrow, I will see her again, along with many other parents and children, under much sadder circumstances. One of our own has died. Chris, one of the mothers from that juniour kindergarten class, lost her life last week while driving on an icy dark road in the Western province where she moved two years ago. Tomorrow is her Toronto memorial service. Our children attended a small, closely knit, primary school and though our group has spread somewhat, its members moving on to different high schools, universities and cities, we still consider ourselves to be family. We still keep contact with other. I last spoke to Chris last spring at a school concert she was in town attending. She was happy, enjoying her new city but glad, at the same time, to be visiting old friends. I was looking forward to the next time I might see her but now that next time will never come. It's remarkable how fast a person can just be gone. This is my first experience of such sudden loss. For my daughter and many of the young people, this is their first experience of loss of any kind. I worry about how that will affect them tomorrow.
Much of this weekend has been spent phoning and emailing among ourselves, making sure everyone knows what happened and where to be. So many of us mothers seem to have the same instinct - to gather our babies and partners to us and go support Chris' babies and her husband tomorrow. She was a glorious woman and mother (wise and loving as they wrote in her obit) and they loved her so much At times like this I realize that, no matter how else I define myself as a woman, an artsworker, a ticketing professional or whatever, it is as a mother that I am in my heart's true community.
Tomorrow is going to be a difficult day.

The Big Reveal

2012-01-15T22:24:00.002-05:00

The specifics have been up on Ravelry for a while but here is the blog reveal of The Daughter's Christmas gift cardigan. Yes, I think it looks smashing on her but the real proof of its success is demonstrated by the fact that she wears it all the time. That and the frequent compliments she receives when doing so. I get that knitterly thrill every time I hear that upon being told that her mother made it as a gift, the person often replies,
"She made it?"
Proud I am.

Happy New Year

2012-01-12T23:52:00.002-05:00

Happy 2012 everyone. I realize I haven't yet made a proper new year post. You know. A ringing in of the year in a bloggy fashion?
So what will it bring? I, for one, am certainly ready for the "New" portion of the year. I've been feeling a sameness in my life of late and a desire for new adventures, new people, new learning. At the same time, in my tradition of no resolutions but rather, remembering intentions, I feel a need to get back to some of my old ways. There needs to be more emphasis on gratitude and joy and less worry about simple survival and productivity. My astrology prediction for the upcoming year states "If you look hard and keep an open mind, you will eventually recover lost riches or a disappeared prize in the least likely of places."
I like that. What I may have lost, I haven't got a clue. Some of my spark perhaps? But I do appreciate the reminder to actually look hard. Really see what's around me. Keep my eyes open. That disappeared prize sounds awfully intriguing.

Where's The Doggie?

2012-01-04T22:59:00.000-05:00

Can you see the dog in this?

Greyhound Portrait Dishcloth by Evelyn A. Clark

Boxed

2011-12-30T00:03:00.004-05:00

Yes, the Daughter Christmas cardi fit like a dream and she loves it! Now I just need to get her to stand still long enough in natural light to be photographed. Soon, I hope.

In the meantime, I hope everyone had a peaceful holiday. Christmas day here this year was spent quietly with just the two of us, a vegetarian lasagna, and five hours of Harry Potter. The last two movies were one of the kid's gifts and we watched them back to back. I've seen the darn things three times in the theatre and I still sob like a teenager when Dobby the elf dies. Oops. Did I spoil it? You do know that Dobby dies, don't you?

As is my annual tradition, I did a bit of Boxing Day yarn shopping. Some Berroco Alpaca at Knitomatic, some Cascade 220 Heathers at Romni. I like to spread my financial expenditures around. I bought enough of the Cascade to make this:

It's Agatha by Andi Satterlund. I knit her free pattern Miette last year and loved both the process and the product. A cleverly written pattern that's easy to follow and produces a gorgeous garment? Who could ask for more? I jumped at purchasing this, her next cardigan pattern. I think this gal has the potential to be one of the next big things in sweater design.
So, I've been waiting for the sales to purchase a sweater's worth of yarn. Did I mention that it only takes 5 skeins?

This turquoise is a little brighter than my usual palette but I think it will suit the fifties vintage feel of Agatha beautifully. It will also work well as a spring cardigan and will match many of my dresses. Can't wait to cast on!.

The Home Stretch

2011-12-22T23:49:00.001-05:00

Christmas gift #1 , a Damson for my friend, is pinned out on the dining table drying.
Christmas gift #2 (the above Daughter cardigan) is blocked, seamed, and just needs a collar and the buttons sewn on.
Christmas gift #3, a dish cloth for my sister, is postponed due to the nephew being too ill to receive guests.
So, I'll make it.
The Daughter claims never to read this blog so I have no qualms about posting this partial view picture of her gift. I so look forward to photographing her wearing the darn thing. Oh my goodness! I hope it fits!

Kids These Days

2011-12-18T22:07:00.000-05:00

So, I told The Daughter that I'm thinking of trying online dating in the new year. She offered to take my profile photo.

Tree is Up

2011-12-14T23:57:00.003-05:00

We raised the tree this past Saturday - a few days earlier than usual but The Daughter was returning to her Dad's the next day so it was either Saturday or just two days before Christmas. We chose to buy from one of the local fruit markets that sells trees from their side patio where they sell plants and veggies in the summer. Standing between two rows trying to choose, we suddenly heard a soft "Hello, Hello." It felt briefly like a Christmas miracle with talking trees until we noticed the proprietor emerging from the shadows. He's a small, pleasant, Asian man. Soft spoken and shorter than me, he hoisted our chosen evergreen onto our cart as if was no heavier than a feather.

Arriving home we discovered that the lower trunk of our pretty Christmas tree was misshapen and had a lumpy bit sticking out of one side. No way would it fit into our stand! I made a quick trip down to the Landlord's garage and came back with a saw and a big pair of tree branch pruners. We would not be defeated! I sawed and The Daughter clipped and soon we had a sawdust strewn carpet and a gorgeous upright Christmas tree. Boy did we feel robust and accomplished!
Our tree is beautiful indeed. Every year I say it's better than last year's and every year that's true. However, I'm getting an extra little kick this year from our dining table centre piece. Recently, a neighbour was throwing out some slightly faded vintage ornaments. We pocketed the nicest ones and brought them home. They don't really match our other tree ornaments, being too large and the wrong colours. So, I arranged them in a salad bowl and placed them on the table. Ooo Shiny.

Dreamwood

2011-12-11T21:53:00.000-05:00

In the old, scratched, cheap wood of the typing stand
there is a landscape, veined, which only a child can see
or the child's older self, a woman dreaming when she should be typing
the last report of the day. If this were a map,
she thinks, a map laid down to memorize
because she might be walking it, it shows
ridge upon ridge fading into hazed desert,
here and there a sign of aquifers
and one possible watering-hole. If this were a map
it would be the map of the last age of her life,
not a map of choices but a map of variations
on the one great choice. It would be the map by which
she could see the end of touristic choices,
of distances blued and purpled by romance,
by which she would recognize that poetry
isn't revolution but a way of knowing
why it must come. If this cheap, massproduced
wooden stand from the Brooklyn Union Gas Co.,
massproduced yet durable, being here now,
is what it is yet a dream-map
so obdurate, so plain,
she thinks, the material and the dream can join
and that is the poem and that is the late report.

Adrienne Rich
Time's Power, 1987

Friday Night Knitting

2011-12-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

That's right. It's Friday and I turned down all those fabulous invitations so I could stay home and knit. Sexy and in demand am I. Thank goodness for Drunken Knitting next week so I can have a small social life.
Above is the progress on the entrelac scarf. As a non-Christmas gift, it's been temporarily laid aside so more pressing projects can get completed.

Eastward Ho

2011-11-27T20:16:00.002-05:00

I took the long, long, (for me) streetcar ride east to the The Purple Purl today. I was in search of gifting yarn. A few months back I purchased some lovely Malabrigo Sock in the colour Archangel because it reminde me of a friend and I thought it would make a lovely shawl for her. I soon discovered that I had once again fallen victim to the Siren call of the handpaint. Looks great on the skein, horrible as a shawl. The colour repeats are just too short and the changes too abrupt for this dye lot to look good in any type of side to side knitting. So, I'm doing an entrelac scarf and it looks fine. It just no longer reminds me of my friend. So today I purchased the much more tonal Stonechat colourway. I'm thinking it will be either another Damson or a Shetland Triangle. Whatever I decide, I'd better hurry. Christmas approaches and I haven't even completed The Daughter's cardigan yet!

Problem Solved

2011-11-20T11:03:00.001-05:00

I clipped the Koigu girl from the ad inside and pasted her over the offending cover. She's a lovely girl and the red shawl is much more "holiday." Inside, I pasted pretty pictures from the Anthropologie catalogue over the article. My daughter often accuses me of over reacting, getting too bothered by silly things. This is perhaps one of those cases but I just couldn't let it go. I keep my knitting magazines forever and could not bear the thought of looking at that face every time I pulled this issue off the shelf.

Working Cuts Into My Knitting Time

2011-11-17T22:47:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's been a long absence. I started a new job (finally!) and have been engulfed in all that that entails. There's the new schedule to which I have had to adjust not to mention all the emotional conflict. I've been really struggling with the the dichotomy of being grateful to finally have a job and the disappointment of having had to take work in the same old industry where the hours are crappy, the pay is low, you are always overworked and absolutely everybody craps on you all the time. I'm making less money now than I was making ten years ago and it sure doesn't help when family tries to placate with empty expressions like, "A job's a job", or "Oh well, it's the economy." Anyway, my co-workers are nice and my immediate boss is great. That goes a long way in the adjustment process.

So, basically, I just haven't felt much like blogging. Until today. I picked up the latest Vogue Knitting on my lunch break. Let me start by saying that the patterns in the issue are stellar. A particular favourite is the V for Vintage lace blouse. It's a re-working of a 1965 pattern and I can totally see myself both knitting and wearing this beautiful garment.

However. I cannot let the cover go un-remarked upon. Martha fucking Stewart? On the cover of Vogue Knitting? What the hell is going on? I see from the two page ad inside that she is launching a line of ugly craft yarn with Lion Brand (ugh). Is that any reason for VK to sell it's soul to this corporate meanie? She has nothing to do with either being Vogue or knit fashion. I am so offended by her smirking face that I considered not buying the issue. I may still cut off the cover. I'm definitely removing the article about her. Come on VK! Isn't this your holiday issue? Where's the beautifully styled and photographed unknown model wearing irresistible knitwear? This gal above would have made a great cover.

Sunny Sunday

2011-10-23T18:38:00.000-04:00

After two weeks of clouds and drizzle, we finally had a sunny autumn day. It was the perfect weather for a long walk in the park wearing new woolies. In fact, my walk was very long indeed as I took a wrong turn ending up lost, not for the first time, in the maze of High Park's trails. I came out much further north than intended and had to double back.

These gloves are actually re-purposed socks. The lovely Daughter threw them in the laundry not realizing that this Stoddart Family farm mohair/wool blend is not machine washable. The soles of the socks did not survive. I love this yarn too much to abandon it and there was a bit left. So I salvaged the cuffs and added and inch of ribbing with thumb and improvised index finger openings. Cool, right?

Renovation Sadness

2011-10-19T22:59:00.002-04:00

Today I am sad because I am mourning a building. I went down the fire escape this morning, heading for work and discovered that the lovely red brick garage, beside which I have posed for many a knitting shot, has been destroyed. The landlord has had it stuccoed and it is now a nondescript flat beige. Whatever possessed him? The old brick was not crumbling and insulation is not the issue (it's a garage after all). These are the only good reasons I know of to stucco over brick. The side of the house is stucco so perhaps he wanted it to be matchy-poo.
I don't understand some people's compulsion to replace anything old and that has colour and character with blah, blah, flat and pale. There's an illusion of clean that they see as "better". They pave over grass, lay beige carpet over hardwood and stucco over beautiful brick. And you just know that in a couple of years, this "improvement" is going to look like hell.
My landlord is a lovely man. He's always been kind to me. However, he has dropped the ball in a big way on this one.

For Me?

2011-10-12T09:05:00.002-04:00

The Daughter recently went on a trip with her Dad to Reykjavik, Iceland and because she loves her old mum so much, she brought back yarn. It's 5 skeins of Alafoss Lopi direct from the land of the traditional Icelandic sweater. I just love how the red, purple and teal bits are spun into the beautiful dark blue. This a truly woolly wool. Yet, I find myself pondering what one makes with Lopi besides a traditional Icelandic sweater? A hat, maybe?

Day 7 - Yellow

2011-10-08T17:02:00.001-04:00

Naturally, I couldn't resist this tree on yellow ribbon day.No, it is not an oak but it is spectacular. If, like me, you are old enough to have fond memories of the Tony Orlando & Dawn television show, here is a musical trip down memory lane for you.

Day 6 - Blue

2011-10-07T22:56:00.000-04:00

Blue skies today!

Day 5 - Red

2011-10-07T00:36:00.004-04:00

Red has so many meanings in our culture, It is the colour of royalty, of blood and war and of sex. It is also red heart coloured Love. In the spirit of positivity, it is on the Love that I have decided to focus.

I love my beautiful and sweet calico cats. Every day they bring me joy.

I love that High Park is rehabilitating the marsh lands. Now you can see swans, ducks and several kinds of heron here. Blackbirds are plentiful as well.

I love this approach along the bike path going downtown each morning. When there's a bit of wind, the boats are all swaying attractively.

I love locking my bike (double locking actually) outside my workplace on my favourite rack.

Day 4 - Orange

2011-10-05T22:37:00.000-04:00

Orange like the marigolds I planted in spring alongside the tomatos. They're supposed to keep the bugs away. Well, they didn't work against the slugs but now, in October, when the tomato plants are long gone, these flowers are prettier than ever.

Naturally, being a Torontonian and a Canadian, I can't think of orange without thinking of the NDP and especially of our beloved Jack Layton. Did you know he helped design and implement the use of the now familiar ring and post bike racks?

Day 3 - Green

2011-10-05T21:59:00.000-04:00

Green you say? There lots of green in my hood!

Day 2 - Pink

2011-10-04T08:55:00.000-04:00

"Pink as autumnal blush", said the email.
Alas, it rained and rained on Sunday and I had to take the streetcar to work. Irony.

Ribbons 2011 - Day 1

2011-10-04T08:50:00.001-04:00

Can you believe it's October already? With the first seven days of October comes the Ribbon Project - the interactive art project in which I've participated for the last several years. The email arrives in September and I always say yes. Then, suddenly, October 1st has arrived and I find myself wandering about with a purse full of camera and coloured ribbons.
This year October 1st fell on a Saturday and the organizer, Hannah Godfrey, chose a ribbon colour we've never before used - black. I had a few lengths of black tie-line in the drawer. I carried them with me throughout the day. However, nothing I saw wanted a black marker. What can black ribbon do? Mark a spot of mourning? Tie off cable to a grid in a theatre? These were the only two images that came to me. As I wasn't feeling particularly mournful, and I was no where near a lighting grid, my ribbons remained untied.
And thus was my theme for this year's project born. Using the colour of the ribbon to inspire the marking.

A Hedgehog For Your Thoughts?

2011-09-25T21:56:00.000-04:00

Now that the lovely Meredith has had her baby shower, I can reveal the knitted portion of my gift. It's another Smith by Ysolda, and yes, it is in purple again. This one is smaller than my first as it's knitted in sock yarn. That's the beauty of this toy. The stich count always remains the same. The size is determined by yarn and needle choice. This version is just the right size to be cupped in baby hands.

Hedgie takes a stroll down the street and admires the foliage.

He does his best squash imitation.

The local library offers many fine reading choices for a young hedgehog.

Chillaxin' in the grass.

Little Green Socks

2011-09-14T20:57:00.002-04:00

Just in time for the cooler weather I've finished a a pair of socks. In fact, I'm wearing them right now!
These lace socks are a slightly simplified version of a pattern published in the Vogue Holiday 2009 issue. I just loved this merino/nylon blend from The Black Lamb in Port Hope. I've always wanted to visit the shop in person. Anybody for a road trip?

And...speaking of Little Green...enjoy.

Coloured Water

2011-09-12T11:33:00.001-04:00

The other strange purchase of this year's CNE (Canadian National Exhibition for you non-Ontarians) was a packet of these strange water beads. They come in a tiny envelope, each ball no larger than a seed bead. After being soaked in water they turn into these soft translucent spheres. Completely useless yet oh so lovely. I've no idea how they work and hope they don't give me cancer.

Haven't Done A Silly Test In A Long Time

2011-09-08T23:41:00.005-04:00

You Are Reflective and Thoughtful

You are most comfortable when you are mixing things up a little bit. You like novelty in small doses.

You are drawn to passion and emotion. You see the world as a colorful place.

You seek a bit more depth in your life, but you are slowly changing. You don't like to rush anything.

You believe that if you look closely enough at people, they all have worth.

The Ocean Test

Incremental Knitting Progress

2011-09-01T11:14:00.003-04:00

My knitting has been sporadic and unfocused of late. I cast on the Peacock Stole with yarn and pattern purchased at the most recent Frolic. This is definitely not a TV knit. Charts, charts, charts! Fine lace weight and detailed stitches - the kind of knit you can really sink your teeth into. By my calculation, there are about 800 rows in this stole and, several weeks in, I've completed only seventy-five. It's a good thing I don't have a deadline.

I also completed Gryffindor Scarf Number 2 and it has been gifted to The Daughter's friend. As I mentioned before, working 8 feet of stocking stitch tube is immensely dull and I've vowed to never do another. Naturally, those types of vows crumble easily with pleading looks from young Harry Potter fans. One aspect of the experience I most definitely will not repeat is the use of the superwash version of Cascade 220. Romni was out of regular in the needed colours. I purchased the Superwash thinking only that it was more expensive but would likely knit up the same. Wrong. The yarn feels strangely unpleasant in the hand and blocks differently than the straight wool. The scarf edge doesn't hold as crisply and the surface has a decidedly plastic-like texture, even after soaking. I comfort myself knowing that the care of the scarf will be easier which is a good thing when giving a garment to a non-knitter.

I'm also slogging through a case of second sock syndrome and swatching samples for Daughter Christmas knitting. Focus needed.

Hello Dolly

2011-08-28T16:18:00.000-04:00

OK, it's no secret that I like dolls but I may have gone too far this time. Even the normally tolerant Daughter asked,
"Why did you buy those?", when she spotted them on the credenza.
Well I just couldn't help it! They crack me up. I was at the CNE and there was a whole booth wall of these key chain sized girls on display, all with various dress and hair styles. This was my favourite version so I got one in each colour she came in. They make me laugh every time I look at them and, at $2.00 each, I'd say that's a pretty good deal.

There is also some knitting related doll news. I used up a scrap of Tanis Blue Label the other evening to knit this tube dress from the Sticka Till Barbie website. It took the length of a DVD to make from start to finish. Very cute.

R.I.P. Jack Layton

2011-08-22T12:42:00.001-04:00

"My friends, love is better than anger.
Hope is better than fear.

Optimism is better than despair." - Jack Layton

Night Pool

2011-08-19T23:14:00.000-04:00

Sunset on Thursday

2011-08-19T11:18:00.002-04:00

From Sunnyside Beach, looking West.

An Equine Outing

2011-08-10T12:24:00.001-04:00

This Sunday past we headed toward Guelph for another visit to The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada. It was a perfect summer day for a farm outing. The Daughter and I along with my sister, her son and her partner, enjoyed meeting and petting Katy, Peter, Summer, Poppy, Luna and all the other rescued animals that make their happy home at the sanctuary.

Snuggling Sam

It's a feeding frenzy!

A quiet moment between Donkey & Girl

The Daughter expresses her frustration that her adopted donkey Earl Grey, won't take his nose out of the feed and say hello. He ate for over an hour without a break. As a formerly abused and neglected animal, I'd say it's his right to eat as much as he likes. You go Earl!

What a beautiful place.

This Rose Finally Blooms

2011-08-05T16:30:00.000-04:00

The seemingly simple sweater that took two years, Pullovers are tough, aren't they? Stocking stitch around and around. Gets rather dull. Combine that with a mathematically challenged pattern and awkward construction techniques and the result is this lovely Americo cotton project spending months in a bag under the bedroom chair. It was this close to being complete about 6 months ago when there was a seaming mishap that could only be fixed by ripping and a bit of cutting. Frustration ensued. Back in the bag.
Well, this morning I finally pulled it out, seamed as best I could and wove in all the ends. It doesn't suck. There's still some funky stuff going on under the arm but it will do. Deets on Ravelry.

I do like this weirdly blurry photo. I'm not sure why it turned out like this. A happy accident.

Bogged Down

2011-08-01T23:34:00.000-04:00

Knitting another Harry Potter Gryffindor scarf. This one for The Daughter's BFF.
So. Very. Boring.

Soft Green Lacey Goodness

2011-07-18T22:37:00.001-04:00

I cast on a new pair of socks yesterday and of course, cannot leave a pattern alone. It's the Lace Socks from Holiday 2009 Vogue. The pattern has four separate panels of lace and is quite stunning in the solid yarn pictured in the magazine. The 60 stitches are divided into repeats of 4, 13, the same 4 again and 9. However, that much lace was not doing justice to this tonal dyed merino. It was far too busy. I'm more committed to the yarn than the pattern so I ripped out the 20 rows I had done and simplified the pattern by eliminating the 9 stitch lace panel. I've maintained the seed stitch up the centre where the gusset will eventually split, but have converted the remaining 4 + 4 into stocking stitch. It's made both the yarn and the remaining lace look much better.

Building With Words and Stitches

2011-07-14T22:26:00.001-04:00

New York Times book reviewer David Kalstone, in a 1971 article about Adrienne Rich's The Will to Change, says that:
"These poems would like, however composed they are, to fight off the notion of finish and form, seeing them as the enemies of a candid engaged life."*

Y'all know I love Adrienne Rich and reading this, article I wondered if subconsciously, this might be the reason why. Think about it. Fighting off finish and form in favour of engagement. Process over product - the old knitterly debate. Here are themes over which I constantly obsess, my days filled with the intention to be aware and grounded, to live in the here and now.

If I may be permitted to add another layer to the debate. Kalstone labels Rich's verse here as "unpolished" and "more concerned with a succession of images", while still "exposing the rhythm and feel of hidden experience".
Let's use a knit metaphor. I execute each kfb and ssk (two of my favourite stitches to work) with the pure joy in the motion of working them. In a similar way, the poet chooses each individual word for its singular emotional truth. Yet, as these stitches and words compile, a new whole is eventually completed. The "form", possibly unexpected or unorthodox, is nonetheless "finished" and, I argue, polished and perfect in itself. The process of living with awareness through the individual choices and movements, has created something that is greater than the sum of those individual parts.

*Reading Adrienne Rich: Reviews and Revisions 1951-81
Jane Roberta Cooper ed.
The University of Michigan Press 1984

Too Hot for A Cardigan

2011-07-06T14:36:00.004-04:00

I finished my spring cardigan just in time for the first heat wave of summer! Here I am looking all arty modelling in the yard. Really, I'm just trying not to grimace in the heat. I will be getting immediate use out it however. My Wednesday night class takes place in a room so heavily air conditioned that it's practically Arctic. An excellent cardigan opportunity.

It's lovely isn't it? I'm particularly proud of the fact that I altered this Drops Design pattern so extensively to fit my size and gauge, that it almost feels like an original. Almost. There are more details about that as well as additional photos, on my Ravelry page.

I See You

2011-06-26T09:44:00.001-04:00

She's quite something, this city of ours. These were taken from atop the Art Gallery of Ontario, where I went Friday to see Abstract Expressionist New York for the second time. (Go. Go today! Do not miss this show.) Isn't it remarkable what getting five high floors above an area one walks through frequently can do for one's perspective? After more than 20 years Toronto still has the ability to surprise me.

The view from the bottom.

Vintage Sass

2011-06-19T20:27:00.001-04:00

I really like this little top. It's from the 1942 Complete Guide to Knitting and Crocheting. What I like in particular is the way the cables stop so abruptly and at different heights, creating such visual interest. Also the picot edge on the sleeves is just adorable.
I'm kicking around the idea of giving this pattern a go. My major concern is whether or not I'd get much wear out of it. Cute as they are, short sleeve cardis can be terribly impractical - too hot in summer and not enough coverage in winter. One could make the sleeves long but I feel somehow that would alter too greatly the original intent of the garment. Make it less sassy.
So. Very. Cute.
I've some mulling to do.

New Lace

2011-06-12T20:41:00.000-04:00

What a beautiful pattern by Linda Choo. I had a bit of trouble getting through the border but that's likely due to the fact that I was deadline knitting. This is gift for The Daughter's dance teacher and has to be given tomorrow, before school ends and exams begin. I don't deal well with that kind of pressure, however self-imposed
When asked why I wanted to knit something for the dance teacher, I had three reasons. First, it's been a great year. This spring's showcase was Fantastic. Second, I've seen her wearing this colour before so I already know she likes it. And third? I have to start knitting things for other people. My stash is huge and I really can only wear so many shawls myself.

The Rental Garden

2011-06-08T23:28:00.000-04:00

Slowly over the past three summers, I've been converting my landlord's garden into a slightly more wild, definitely more perennial affair. I buy a bit here, transplant a bit there. He's happy not to have to deal with it. Frankly, judging by the recently observed lack of enthusiasm, I think he and his wife were starting to resent the expense and trouble of planting all those geraniums year after year.

The poppies are almost at the end of their glory. I wish I had photographed them earlier. They don't last long and look like hell when they're done. but their peak is spectacular.
Then there's the ratty little foxglove I bought from the variety store for a dollar. It was droopy and sad all last year in the shade garden... but this year! It's threatening to become the plant that ate Manhattan. It has three flower heads and is huge already. It may need to be transplanted later as it's dwarfing and shading everything around it. It needs to move back about a foot. But not now. First, let's see what it can do.

Reunion

2011-06-03T22:21:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was the 25th reunion of my University musical theatre cabaret group. From all parts of North America, middle aged singers, musicians and comedy writers, along with their families, travelled to descend upon a quiet college town. It was a remarkable gathering in so many ways, the most surprising of which was how comfortable it all was. Everyone was so kind and genuinely happy to be there. Hugs were sincere and the music and laughter was filled with love - to such a degree that the bartender of the evening portion of the festivities told me he hated to see us leave. Highlights for me?

My old house mate and I, who've not seen each other in twenty years, picking up where we left off gabbing away without pause. Even accompanying each other to the ladies room just like the old days.
Visiting two favourite shops and finding them still there, with the same owners!
Seeing all the beautiful children my friends have brought into this world at our afternoon softball game.
A former beau sweetly holding my hand when I needed it. Ya, I'm kind of swooning and regretting letting that one get away.
Sharing toasts and stories to honour departed friends.

Whenever I visit my alma mater, I always take a familiar walk. Call it a roots thing. We begin on the corner in front of the house where I lived for three tumultuous, happy, tragic, crazy years.

Head south for just a few minutes and we're at the building that used to be university/hospital affiliated doctor's offices. My doctor had his office here, an office in which I spent many hours learning the skills needed to get through a day. He was patient and generous. I credit him with my graduating and miss him still.

Further south on the same sidewalk and we arrive at the hospital. Yes, I spent a fair bit of time here as well receiving excellent care. This was before the days when they turfed you out at the earliest opportunity. I spent a good long while resting and healing and looking out that fourth floor window to...

...this part of the lake. Of course it was winter then so it looked a little different. In the summer, I'd walk down here at night and wade when it was too hot to sleep. I stood here last Saturday and felt that no time had passed at all. I'm so vastly different than I was back then yet still so much the same. I return to the water. I live near a different part of that same lake today and walk or ride down there often. It brings me peace.

The Round Toe

2011-05-24T18:41:00.000-04:00

I was reading my 1947 edition of Complete Guide to Modern Knitting and Crocheting in bed the other night. Yes, I read knitting books at bedtime. Don't you? Anyway, I came across the sock section and read with interest the page on The Toe. The book suggests two versions of toe knitting. There's the Flat Toe, which we've all done - decreasing on the sides and Kitchener stitching a flat graft. Also they illustrate the Round Toe - executing a K2tog over even numbers of stitches, depending on how many you have in total. Now, I've done this type of evenly spaced decrease, alternating with straight knit rows, on hats and mitts many times, but it's never occurred to me to try it on a sock.
"Why not?", I said to myself.
I don't know if you can properly see the result on the dark blue yarn, but it creates quite a satisfactory and surprisingly comfortable toe. I just decreased until I had ten or so stitches left and drew the remaining yarn through. The best part? No grafting! I don't think I'll use this method every time but it's certainly nice to have another tool in the bag.

A Sock. Natch.

2011-05-21T14:09:00.001-04:00

There's always a sock on the go isn't there? Once again, I'm using Glenna's 3 x 1 rib pattern. Such a simple, elegant design. Also, I am totally digging working with the Kertzer On Your Toes four ply. I love the way the delicious coloured stripes are irregular and Man! Can this inexpensive yet sturdy yarn hold a rib!

Feathery Cotton

2011-05-19T18:26:00.001-04:00

Don't you just love Feather and Fan? For ages, I've wanted a cardi with a plain bodice and a feather and fan torso. I've been working from a Drops Designs pattern, (#100-29) but only, it turns out, in the most basic of ways. The yarn and needle size I'm using have nothing to do with the gauge as written so major modifications are being made. I'm kind of making it up as I go.

It's hard to believe that my recycled coils are turning into this.

Club Midnight

2011-05-15T23:43:00.004-04:00

Are you the sole owner of a seedy nightclub?

Are you its sole customer, sole bartender,
Sole waiter prowling around the empty tables?

Do you put on wee-hour girlie shows
With dead stars of black-and-white films?

Is your office upstairs over the neon lights,
Or down deep in the dank rat cellar?

Are bearded Russian thinkers your silent partners?
Do you have a doorman by the name of Dostoyevsky?

Is Fu Manchu coming tonight?
Is Miss Emily Dickinson?

Do you happen to have an immortal soul?
Do you have a sneaky suspicion that you have none?

Is that why you throw a white pair of dice,
In the dark, long after the joint closes?

Charles Simic
Walking The Black Cat
Harcourt Brace & Company 1996

Tallness Being Relative

2011-05-10T10:32:00.002-04:00

Finally. It's cycling weather again.

Evergreen

2011-05-06T00:57:00.003-04:00

It was the annual Knitter's Frolic this past Saturday and I was determined not to let dental pain and lingering illness keep me away. It helped to have a travel buddy as well. Lisa and I met up for foamy caffeinated beverages and then took the long loopy transit ride out to the site. I'm so glad I went. How nice to see all those familiar faces and be surrounded with colour. Of course I got no photos - just toted my camera around all day without ever getting it out. Doh!

I did manage to pick up some pretties though am proud to say that I showed admirable restraint. My luxury knit indulgence was two skeins of Fiddlesticks silk/wool in a deep red. That's enough to knit their Peacock Stole. The sample on display just called to me. Funnily, the pattern costs more than one skein of yarn. However, it is beautifully printed with large, colour coded charts and lots of photos.
And of course, there's always one skein of sock yarn. After doing the floor twice, I finally decided on Black Lamb because of their colour choices, their reasonable prices, and the fact that I'm not likely to get to the store in Port Hope. I chose this tonal green, named, appropriately enough, Evergreen. It does remind me of a moist, rich forest, right after a rain. There are dark cool gullies and beautiful bright spots where the sun is bursting through the treetops.

I overdid a bit and was exhausted and in pain when I got home. I treated myself to a dinner of ibuprofen and pureed parsnips. Now, I don't recommend dental crisis to anyone as a weight loss plan but at least it's had one positive effect. On a liquid diet, in two weeks, I've lost all my winter fat. Hey. I'll take it.

On The Bright Side

2011-05-03T09:53:00.001-04:00

At least I still live in a world where I can go down the street to Goodwill and get a hit of Pretty for fifty nine cents. It's going to be a long and difficult four years. I am however, very happy for Elizabeth May. She would approve of my contribution to the Re-use portion of the Three R's.

When You're Sick...

2011-04-24T19:32:00.000-04:00

...knit a shawl.
Here I am, sick as the proverbial dog, modelling the Shetland Triangle Shawl on this Easter Sunday. I'm tempted to call it The 21 Jump Street Shawl because I watched a whole season of that mindless eighties series on DVD this week while sitting on the sofa knitting. I've been absolutely flattened by a nasty virus that has been complicated by a dental emergency. It's been the kind of illness that only bad TV, rhythmic knitting and massive amounts of painkillers can make bearable. (When I say bad TV, I mean So-bad-it's-good).
Anyway, the virus is subsiding and the sun is shining this afternoon. I'm beginning to recover from Stage One of what promises to be a long and expensive dental process. Also, I have a pretty new shawl.
This is the third pattern I've knit by Evelyn A. Clark. It is not an intentional happening. I guess I'm just drawn to her designs.

Sneak Peek

2011-04-23T23:34:00.000-04:00

She's done but I haven't managed a good picture yet.
I only took a quick snap today because I feel crappy. I feel crappy because where once was a tooth in my head, there is now a gaping hole. Getting a bad tooth pulled out, while not as horrible an experience as I feared, still rather sucks. The dentist assures me that by tomorrow, with the help of lots and lots of painkillers and a liquid diet, I should feel much better.

In the meantime, here is the focussed portion of the Shetland Triangle Shawl photo.

Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Twenty-Two

2011-04-21T19:35:00.000-04:00

That's how many Raveller's cast on Jaywalkers before I. Talk about a pattern going viral! I was so in love with the sharp colour change of this Kaffe Fassett Regia, that I knew it would look stunning in chevrons. If you think you recognize this yarn, you're right. Barbie is sporting it as a dress a few posts back.

I've promised myself not to knit any new socks for a while. There are several pairs in the WIP basket awaiting repair. I tend to wear my socks out on the ball of the foot so I just need to cut back to there and reknit the toes to get more life out of them. There's enough leftover yarn to do this in at least two cases.

In other knitting, the Shetland Triangle is very near completion. Pictures soon I hope.

Knitting Spring

2011-04-17T12:06:00.001-04:00

Weather-wise, Saturday in TO was abysmal, filled with constant rain and high winds. It was the kind of day that makes it difficult to get out of pyjamas, much less get any housework accomplished. I can proudly report that I did dress (in sweat pants) but no housework got done. Instead I threw some spring coloured stash yarn on the swift and then cast on - madly willing the season to arrive with my knitting needles.

This is Evelyn Clark's Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style with a rather non-traditional yarn choice. I had purchased this homespun silk slub from an Ebay seller years ago. It's vaguely crunchy, thick & thin and has a slight glow. It's also light as air and is sure to knit up into a barely-there small wrap. I own six single skeins of this silk in six different colours. This Easter lavender (the true colour is less pink than in the photograph) will bring the crocuses and tulips but is probably not enough yardage to finish even the small version of the triangle. So the plan is to knit the border in the cornflower blue. I think it will be very pretty.

Second Stanza

2011-04-13T22:15:00.002-04:00

An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing
For every tatter in its mortal dress,
Nor is there singing school but studying
Monuments of its own magnificence;
And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
To the holy city of Byzantium.

I've continued my reading of this Yeats poem. One article describes it as a metaphorical journey to a land of one vast eternal design in search of a song for the soul, not the body, I like that. I feel the part about the outward tatters too. As my outer self becomes increasingly so, and is thus often ignored and devalued by those around me, my inner self is still quite capable at times of magnificent singing and clapping.

This is why I love the Internet! While searching around for various analyses of the text, I came across this AMAZING online exhibition by The National Library of Ireland.
Poetry. Knitting patterns. The world wide web is a nerdy paradise far beyond the scope of social networking.

Did Yeats Snooze At The Screen?

2011-04-12T01:52:00.016-04:00

Sailing to Byzantium (first stanza)

THAT is no country for old men. The young
In one another's arms, birds in the trees
- Those dying generations - at their song,
The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,
Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long
Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.

William Butler Yeats

I came across this the other day in an old anthology of mine. As if I'm the first person to ever read it!. A revelation. Though, try as I might, I still don't see Javier Bardem of Tommy Lee Jones in these lines. Seriously. I just don't get it. I've been over and over it. Possibly the language is too thick for me and the allusions too specific.

Well I get some of it. Is it possible to sail off from here to mythical Byzantium, home of art and gold, when one is so fastened to a dying animal?

"THAT" which we are leaving, sailing away from. Ireland? Toronto? Geography in general? This mortal coil?

Because I Am Cool

2011-04-06T11:42:00.002-04:00

As if knitting Barbie clothes isn't cool enough, I've also recently finished a Harry Potter Gryffindor scarf. It's actually for The Daughter to wear to the midnight screening of the finale in July and is modelled after the Philosopher's Stone version. Nineteen stripes, eleven fringe per side, stripe width to height ratio equals approx. 3:2.. One must be correct in these things.
My poor kid. "After Harry Potter finishes," she says "my life will have no meaning."

Pattern: Hogwarts Scarf by Lauren Kent
Yarn: Cascade 220, 2 skeins Burgundy, 2 skeins Goldenrod
Needles: 5mm circs

Mad Men Anyone?

2011-04-01T20:14:00.002-04:00

Is it just me or is this curvy dress reminiscent of of Marilyn circa How To Marry A Millionaire?

This was the predicted quick satisfaction. I cast on the little bit of leftover Regia from the latest sock project and then just continued with some generic blue from the stash. The longest process is the finishing - crocheting the edges, weaving in all those tiny ends and sewing the teeny tiny snaps to the placket.
Love the cinched waist line and hip celebrating decreases on the skirt. I just wish I had some cute shoes to complete the look.

The Face, The Hair, The Clothes!

2011-03-29T00:14:00.000-04:00

Because I don't have enough projects on the needles, I cast the centre piece on today. Nothing like vintage fashion doll wear for that quick and easy feeling of success. I've made this before and it's extremely satisfying. My own clothes may be a fright but, darn it!, the Barbies will look smashing.

In Which I Go North

2011-03-23T13:36:00.001-04:00

OK. Enough navel gazing. Let's get back to what's really important - yarn!.
I travelled up to Mary Maxim on Monday. All the way north to Eglington! I had heard they were hiring so I brought my resume and tried to talk with the manager. She was underwhelmed. Oh well. May as well take the opportunity to yarn browse.

I've been knitting socks pretty much non-stop lately and a quick mental stash count resulted in the decision to buy one more sock's worth of yarn. You know, just to stay ahead. I couldn't choose between the MM house brand (gorgeous colour but slightly rough texture) and the Scheepjes Invicta (proven track record, smooth texture and unusual red tone). They were priced so low that naturally, I bought them both.
Later at home, tucking them into the stash, I discovered several projects worth of sock yarn that I had forgotten I owned. Oops. I'll just have to knit faster.

Steeltown

2011-03-21T18:33:00.003-04:00

It is possible to drive past this place to somewhere green. This place where a tired, disappointed man sweats and works and starts talking at age thirty of retirement to Florida at age sixty five. Drive past this place, weekly, pay cheque in hand and return home to the woman who is not a porn star. A woman you frequently scream at and sometimes hit. Give her the pay cheque, the part you haven't drunk at the bar, so she can go buy white fake French Provincial furniture to put in the powder blue living room no one is allowed to enter. Marie Antoinette would love it in here with its crystal chandelier and china dancing ladies. It looks like fake fucking Versailles except no one in this house knows what Versailles is. Who has time to read a damn book when there are so many diapers to change and so much vacuuming to do? When the kitchen curtains and wallpaper have to be changed every two years? Who knows? Maybe looking at that ugly sofa, off of which the plastic never comes, standing in the unused room in the house no one ever visits, makes it easier to bear when getting an elbow to the face. Drive past this place every few months returning to Mother when the shouting gets to be too much, the silent babies bundled into the back seat. She'll accept you and the bundles in the middle of the night and let you stay for a couple of days before sending you back home to lay in the bed you made.
Now drive way past this place, forty years past, on buses and trains and taxis and airplanes. Drive through universities and theatres, hospital wards and cafes. Drive through religious fervour and casual sex, bulimia and bad marriage. Drive until you land in a small space in the middle of an urban landscape, where there is no man, disappointed or otherwise, and barely any pay cheque. There is no plastic on the discounted floor model sofa, only teen aged children who laugh and spill food while playing the music too loud and petting the cats who shed and scratch the carpet. Paper crafts are being made and no one is vacuuming up the bits. A friend stops by to quote Ginsberg. Another emails from the coast to say good night. Look outside the window. There's a great big tree.
And now you can stop driving because you've travelled far enough, for a while at least.
Besides, you don't even own a car.

Knit Night

2011-03-15T11:07:00.000-04:00

Poor Koko was not able to knit last night. A cone gets in a girl's way!

Everything In Its Place

2011-03-10T14:19:00.001-05:00

So, the other day I had to staple some papers. I reached into the desk drawer and the stapler was not there! The stapler is always there because that is where the stapler lives. The few and far between times when a stapler is required are never stressful because I know I can reach into that drawer, without looking and put my hand on a stapler. Not this time. Those that know me know that this is the kind of occurrence that makes me lose my shit. After rummaging around a while I actually had to call The Daughter on her cell and ask if she had used it recently and not put it back. Negative.
I am a person who lives alone part time. There are many problems with this lifestyle, bouts of loneliness being the largest of these. However, one distinct advantage is that I know where everything is. Things have their place. They get used and then put back where they belong. This strikes me as being not only logical, but as the only proper way to go about things.You can see how deviation from this plan would drive a person like me batty, can't you? Note that I lived for twenty years with a man who every time he had to polish his good shoes, (maybe twice a year) he would go buy shoe polish because he couldn't remember where he put the tin the last time he used it. This makes steam come out of my ears! The waste! The inefficiency! Here in my single lady apartment, I have had the same tin of shoe polish for nearly three years. And I know exactly where it is.

So, the other day, being Sunday, I slept in a bit. I was vaguely miffed upon waking to find the apartment dim because The Daughter, who had woken first, had not opened the blinds. The first thing I do every morning (well second after putting on the kettle) is to open all the blinds. Every evening as the light begins to fade, I close them again. Any sane person does this. Who are these people who live all day in low light with drawn blinds?

Hmm... It has recently dawned on me that I may have become set in my ways.

It's kind of funny to list and write about my quirks. Joking aside, I do wonder sometimes if I've become too rigid. I'm not saying that I want someone else in my life right now but if ever I do, will there be room? Will I ever be able to give up any of the control I've gained by creating this uber tidy and organized living space? I lived for so long in chaos, in constant crisis mode. There is so much peace derived from my routines and organization now. I wonder if there is a half way point somewhere and if I'll ever be able, or even desire to find it.

Couldn't Sleep

2011-03-06T23:48:00.000-05:00

So I knit.
Finished the Waving Lace Socks at 1:30 AM today. They're very pretty. I do wonder about the strength of the fabric with all that openwork. Time will tell.

I've made a lot of small things lately. It's time for a bigger challenge. I cast on a cardigan this afternoon.

We Went For A Walk, Just Me and My Sock

2011-03-03T23:38:00.000-05:00

It was a cold one out there today and the park was very gray. Today's extreme cold froze all that standing water of the earlier warm weather and created ice rinks where paths used to be. I actually had to cling to the fence posts on my awkward climb up my usual hill or risk falling, ungracefully, on my ample middle-aged butt. It was kind of fun once I got over worrying who might see me. Anybody else hardy enough to brave today's climate deserves a good laugh.

At the end of the adventure was coffee and knitting time. I got about thirty rows done on my Waving Lace Sock #2. That felt pretty good after so little progress on any recent knitting front.
While I knit and snacked and had a refill on my coffee, I listened to a chapter of Little Women on CraftLit. I've been going back and listening to older episodes of this podcast. Recently I finished A Tale of Two Cities which I had read years ago. Now I'm enjoying having Little Women read aloud to me because I never could get through the darn book reading it the old-fashioned way. No. Having seen three different movie versions of the novel doesn't count. (Does anyone else remember the TV version with Susan Dey as Jo and Meredith Baxter as Meg?)
I admit to skipping over all the personal chatter of the podcast and going straight to the book talk. While I enjoy Heather's book commentary as well as that sent in by her listeners, I often find her personal stories a little annoying. Not sure why. However, I still appreciate the amazing effort and ingenuity of her unique "podcast for crafters who love books."

Unravelling

2011-02-23T00:04:00.001-05:00

Five poofs cotton coils; the result of a morning's work. It's been so long since I unraveled a thrift store sweater that I'd forgotten how therapeutic it can be. Winding the yarn round and round is so calming to my jangled psyche.

Since this photo was taken, this yarn has been washed and triple rinsed. It now droops off various hangers spread throughout my living room. In the future it will be a spring cardigan. For now it's performing the job of humidifying my winter dry apartment.

Sock Yarn Report

2011-02-21T19:10:00.002-05:00

Recently my First Ever Socks fell apart - disintegrating in the ball of the foot. Looking further into this dilemma, I was surprised to realize that these Scheepjes Invicta socks were knit in 2006! That is some serious wearing power. As I have several other pairs, old and new, giving up the ghost right now. I thought it time to take stock of which sock yarns have performed well and which have disappointed. This is where the ball band scrapbook comes in handy.

Socks Going Strong or Just Starting to Wear:
(Three or More Years Old)

Scheepjes Invicta Coloris
DG Confetti
Regia Die Sockenwolle
Opal UNI
Patons Kroy Socks
On Line Supersocke

Middlin' Performance: (Approximate Two Year Life Span)

Elann Esprit
SRK On You Toes Bamboo

Disappointment: Fell Apart In A Year or Less

Fleece Artist %100 Merino
Indigo Moon Merino
Fibranatura Yummy

Now, none of the final category, though beautiful yarns, have any nylon in them. They are all 100% natural fibres. Which just goes to show that, in sock yarn at least, a little acrylic is a good thing.

Funkety Funk

2011-02-12T21:46:00.001-05:00

I was fooling around with my camera settings at Christie Station last night while waiting for the bus. The camera was pointing down toward the gate and trash cans when I accidentally hit the button.

I like it. It reflects my current state - a slightly blurred, weird angled funk. Lines that go nowhere creating a picture of I don't know what. And cold steel gray. Must be February.

Snow Day 2011

2011-02-03T11:56:00.000-05:00

"Hrmf. It doesn't look like that much snow to me," said Lucy from her sun spot.

Roses Are Red Indeed

2011-01-30T19:24:00.002-05:00

So. I had a make up class downtown today. Yes, on Sunday! Because my "instructor" will be away during February and is thus, unable to meet her obligations. So, we all get a double class on a weekend. Hey, it was either that or extend these evening classes well into spring.
Anyway...happy serendipity! I wandered past St Lawrence Market and came upon the Sunday antique vendor market. Which I never do. Because I'm never downtown on a Sunday. There at one of the tables are The Perfect Buttons to finally fix my NaKniSweMo cardigan, Miette. Pretty, pretty, glossy red roses for a 1950's vintage style cardigan. Perfect.

Kaiso Done

2011-01-23T12:34:00.001-05:00

This was a challenging knit but the result is very pretty. It was a definite case of working the yarn being so much more enjoyable than the pattern. Gorgeous colours on a short repeat kept it interesting. They also blend so well together that you don't get those jarring patches so common in some hand paints. These socks feel great too. The Daughter loves them. I can't wait to cast on some Painted Fleece for myself.

I Didn't Used To But Now I Do

2011-01-20T10:25:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, when I feel life spinning slightly out of control, it helps me to remember little things I do that make me feel better than I did before. They are habits I've developed or promises I've made to myself. Mostly they involve giving my daily life a little dignity or tidiness or forward movement or, sometimes, just plain fun.

I make my bed every morning. I've done so for two and a half years now. Every night, sliding into the smoothed sheets under the puffed comforter, I'm glad I made the effort.
I use a saucer with my coffee and tea mugs.
Sometimes, I eat single ingredient dinners because that's all I feel like. Recently, I steamed a cauliflower and ate half of it with butter and salt. Delicious.
I compliment strangers on what they're wearing.
I invite people over or out. Sometimes they come.
I knit a little every day.
I say yes to invitations.

Designing The Interior

2011-01-12T16:19:00.000-05:00

Intense boredom drove me to hastily decide one evening last week that The Daughter's room needed to be painted - NOW. I'm like that with big projects. They languish for months, under consideration, until a sudden burst of energy overtakes me and I dive right in. In this case, I remarkably had all the supplies I needed including the pale yellow paint (left over from a previously discarded design decision) so I just started. It took a day and a half, including the trip to Zellers to buy the pale blue comforter and small desk. The shelves and curtains we already owned.

I'm so pleased with the result. There are no "Before" shots which is probably a good thing. The walls used to be mauve, the duvet, lime green and there were stuffed toys and old junk and out-dated posters everywhere. She complained that it looked like the room of a messy eight year old. Now it's a serene, lady-like, blank slate for her to stamp with her personality. Slowly she is putting belongings on the walls and on the shelves that reflect who she is now. I hope she spends many happy hours in her new space.

Bandaging My Boo Boo

2011-01-07T00:22:00.004-05:00

So I was supposed to go on a date. As my last date was a year and a half ago, this upcoming event was understandably the cause of much delight chez Longyarn. Even the daughter was kind of excited about it. Then he cancelled. No rescheduling. Just silence.
So I did what any knitter woulda. Eat a whole pizza? No. I went to Lettuce and bought yarn. Unnecessary, beautiful and squishy, yarn.
Brand: Malabrigo. Colourway:#850 Archangel.

Stashin for Santa

2011-01-04T00:19:00.000-05:00

I've always thought it bizarre, if not downright kooky the way so many people rush off to shop right after the holidays. Standing in line and spending even more money have never appealed to me a way to spend my festive days.
That being said, I somehow managed to make it to not one, but two Boxing Day yarn sales this year. The annual one day Romni event is as much a social gathering opportunity as it is a sale. I went in the mid-afternoon and chatted with so many lovely knitters, old friends (Hi Lorelei!) and new. I also got the perfect shades of yarn for The Daughter's long awaited Gryffindor scarf.
Yesterday I headed up to Knitomatic. Her sale (25% off all yarn people!) is actually two weeks long so there is much less pressure. I always like to stop in every year. Nobody ever buys me yarn for Christmas, so I traditionally buy a little gift for myself here. Such beautiful stuff Hayley has in right now - a rich and lush palette of wintry fibres. It was difficult to choose just one "gift". So, naturally, I bought two. Then I sat with my coffee and quietly knit with the others for over an hour. What a nice Sunday afternoon.

Left to right: Berroco Ultra Alpaca in a very enticing deep bluish purple. This will be a new hat and mitts for me. The Regia 4-Ply was sought out specifically. The last Knitty Yarn Roundtable had some Regia and I was reminded how much I enjoy knitting with it. I've been meaning to get some ever since. Both of these I purchased at Knitomatic. The gold and burgundy Cascade 220 were found at Romni. An already economical yarn at a 25% discount? Awesome.

A Half Pair

2011-01-02T20:49:00.000-05:00

This is Kaiso from Knitted Socks East and West. I keep returning to this book, drawn by the pretty pictures and eventually I get decent results. However, every single time I knit from these patterns I end up re-doing the math and/or re-centering stitches. The designer's sense of symmetry is almost always off. And her stitch count? Even in the recommended yarn, there is no way I can see 48 stitches making an adult sock. So, as most other knitters according to Ravelry, have done, I cast on sixty. That's a full extra repeat of the 12 stitch pattern. However, now there are an uneven five pattern repeats, ruining the opportunity for symmetry when working the heel flap. See? Frustrating.
Pretty yarn though, right?

Happy New Year

2010-12-30T14:03:00.000-05:00

It's time to just say it. This "holiday season" has sucked big time. Shall I list why? No. That would be dull for you and for me. Suffice it to say that I'll just be glad when the year rolls over and we can forget most of this week ever happened. (There was that one nice family skating party. I'll cling to that memory.)
According to my astrological reading,
"...2011 will be a time when you will generate far more gratification and success than usual..."
I heartily look forward to it!

"My Barbies Are Better Dressed Than I Am."

2010-12-27T10:25:00.000-05:00

That's what the Daughter said when she opened her new collector doll on Christmas morning. I had knit up the little red jacket from another of my old McCall's magazines, modifying a stodgy cardigan into a long flowing silk jacket. It was attached to the box with a pretty red ribbon. Shortly after breakfast, the new doll was outside the box (a great accomplishment as anyone who has ever opened one of those packages knows), wearing her new jacket and on the shelf beside last year's girl. A photo shoot ensued.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-25T20:57:00.000-05:00

The presents were wrapped and under the tree...

The traditional Christmas Eve cabbage rolls were baked...

...and we're ready. Happy Christmas one and all.

Holiday Outfits

2010-12-21T15:32:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Lily, Ruby, Leah and me, the girls are ready in time for their Christmas parties.

What I Want For Christmas

2010-12-21T12:21:00.000-05:00

Santa, please bring me this book.

Purple Feet

2010-12-13T09:03:00.001-05:00

Pattern: Blackrose
Designer: Suzi Anvin
Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock
Modification: Moved the lace pattern two stitches instep-wards so that the first stitch on my needle would not be a ssk.
I have a very visible ladder problem here on the lace edges. It creates a piping effect which makes the lace stand out a tad more. I can live with that but still wish it was not there. It's so frustrating. I pull and tug, yet still...ladders!
Love this yarn! I picked it up last year at the Knitomatic Boxing Week sale having no previous knowledge of the brand. What a great, sturdy and pretty yarn with which to knit lace. It comes in so many colours too. I may just grab some more this year if Haley still carries it.

My Bike Tires Have No Politics

2010-12-09T12:52:00.000-05:00

Winter has arrived. Alas, that means I'll be putting the bike away for now. I don't mind a bit of cold but I don't have an all-weather bike and am sure to slip and break something once there's snow and ice. So for now, I'll have to be a non-riding Left Wing, Bike Riding, Pinko.

Everything Is Possible

2010-12-05T10:53:00.003-05:00

HAMLET

The murmurs ebb; onto the stage I enter.
I am trying, standing in the door,
To discover in the distant echoes
What the coming years may hold in store.

The nocturnal darkness with a thousand
Binoculars is focused onto me.
Take away this cup, O Abba Father,
Everything is possible to Thee.

I am fond of this Thy stubborn project,
And to play my part I am content.
But another drama is in progress,
And, this once, O let me be exempt.

But the plan of action is determined,
And the end irrevocably sealed.
I am alone; all round me drowns in falsehood:
Life is not a walk across a field.

Boris Pasternak 1946
translated by Ann Pasternak Slater

HAMLET

The buzz subsides. I have come on stage.

Leaning in an open door

I try to detect from the echo

What the future has in store.

A thousand opera-glasses level

The dark, point-blank, at me.

Abba, Father, if it be possible

Let this cup pass from me.

I love your preordained design

And am ready to play this role.

But the play being acted is not mine.

For this once let me go.

But the order of the acts is planned.

The end of the road already revealed.

Alone among the Pharisees I stand.

Life is not a stroll across a field.

Boris Pasternak 1946

translated by Jon Stallworthy and Peter France

NaKniSweMo Accomplished

2010-11-30T06:15:00.003-05:00

So, I successfully Knit A Sweater in November! Do I win a prize? No? Well, I do have an awesome sweater, so I guess that will do.
Can I just say that top-down with no seaming worked on 5mm needles makes me a happy girl?

Get On Board The Crazy Train

2010-11-23T23:50:00.004-05:00

Picture this. Four women of a certain age sitting around a dining room table. There are several opened bottles of wine in the center as well as the remnants of a fabulous meal . The liqueur chocolates are now being consumed.

Says Woman #1 (The Hostess) "When I was in the mental hospital in Johannesburg..."
Woman #2 "Wait a minute! You were in a mental hospital? You never told me you're a past psychiatric patient."
Woman #1 "Well, I am."
Woman #2 "So am I."
Woman #3 (Me) "So am I"
Three heads snap toward Woman #4 who smiles and nods, "Um...ya."

Cue the open mouth silence which is quickly followed by the laughter and one giant group High Five.
This is why I love my friends.

Post the Cat

2010-11-23T11:28:00.002-05:00

Sometimes you just need to look at a nice picture of a cat. Here's hoping some of Lucy's serenity rubs off on her human companion.

Look What I Found

2010-11-17T11:33:00.002-05:00

I came across this gem yesterday while browsing my magazine shelf. This Scheepjeswol Winter 1982/83 is the first pattern book I ever bought. I was living in Kingston at the time, attending Queen's University. Scheepjes had a retail store back then, right downtown on Princess Street. I timidly went in one afternoon looking for a pattern to knit myself a sweater in school colours. Gosh I remember pouring over the photos and instructions for hours before finally knitting a pullover using cheap, department store acrylic. Feeling more confident from the experience, I bought two colours of the actual brand name yarn, and knit pattern 894 for the Boyfriend. Wonder if he still has it?

Is it just me or is the styling here still gorgeous today? It's so very wintery. The shapes are a bit boxy but heck, it was the eighties and anyway, boxy isn't always bad. I love the drop shoulders and the earthy textures. In fact, with the currently falling temperatures, cardigan 904 is looking very knittable right about now Check out the half gloves and the stylish flare of thick socks and scarves. And oh how I wish, I wish soft and luscious, thick corduroy pants would come back in style.

The Ribbons of Others

2010-11-12T09:21:00.000-05:00

This years's Ribbon Project has been loaded onto the Flickr page, Sadly, it appears there were fewer participants than past years. However, the photos are stunning and the ribboning is heartfelt. Go check it out.

Furry November Sweater

2010-11-10T16:23:00.000-05:00

My NaKniSweMo sweater is black and I have friendly cats.
The body is done. It's a top down cardigan so the finishing will be minimal. Finishing by the end of this month is a quite reasonable goal. Now, on to the sleeves!

Autumn In The City

2010-10-31T12:04:00.003-04:00

One of the nice things about being an unemployed bum (if I may be permitted to Pollyanna the situation) is that I have the time to really look at the world around me.
It is physically impossible for me to stay in the apartment all day. After the job listings have been checked, resumes sent, homework completed and whatever other tasks I can thinks of have run out, I am driven out the door.
So, I walk. A lot. Walks are free and good for me. At least twice a week, you'll find me trudging through High Park. My lungs fill with good air and my leg muscles engage as I navigate hills. I smile and nod at passers by and remind myself that I am still part of this world. I watch the seasons change.
I particularly enjoy going to Dog Hill to see the dogs play together. They seem to instinctively group by size but once in a while, a little guy will take on a dog four times his size, jumping and running with such joy that one can't help but laugh. The elderly and timid stick closer to their humans but participate by barking and tail wagging. Sometimes one of the dogs will frolic over to say hi to me, but mostly they stick with their own species. And who can blame them?
It was unusually quiet when I visited mid-afternoon Friday. The professional dog walkers had just left and the after work crowd had not yet arrived. The few dogs there were peaceful. I got this photo of two of them enjoying a drink together - was just snapping when the poodle looked up at me. Lovely.

Sockety Socks

2010-10-28T19:13:00.003-04:00

Lisa, Nadia and I had a lovely Sunday venturing to the east end of the city. We shopped the Painted Fleece studio sale and then went for a large, somewhat greasy yet delicious, brunch.
Look at the beautiful sock yarns I acquired. From left to right we have One More, Doris's Sofa and Sangria or as I call them, apricot, blue/gray and purple/mauve. I actually need sock stash enhancement in a big way. Several pairs of socks from my early knitting days have simultaneously fallen apart in the last month. I guess nothing truly does last forever, even beloved socks. I need to get knitting, knitting!
The Daughter has already claimed the mauve and wants it to become Kaiso. The blue/gray told me from the shelf at the sale that it is my future Waving Lace.

I did manage to finish a pair last week. Alas, they are The Daughter's not mine. By her request, it's another pair of Broadripple from Knitty (what a sensible, attractive pattern!) in a shade of pink I can only describe as bubblegum.

The Winner Is...

2010-10-20T21:45:00.000-04:00

Crochet!! And I didn't suck at it either. It's not perfect. I've come to the conclusion that I'll never be a perfect knitter and am OK with that. It is, however, very much improved and as a result, is highly wearable.
Pretty beads. Very pretty yarn. Pretty day.

Ripping Back

2010-10-20T11:21:00.001-04:00

My Annis is finished...sort of. It's cast off and blocked. The Misti Alpaca lace weight yarn is stunning and the beaded edge came out better than I could have hoped for. The cast off edge however, rolls and rolls like a sausage. I'll never be able to wear the darn thing like this.
So. Do I try a row or two of single crochet (at which I suck) to stabilize it? Or perhaps I should rip back and work the last four or five rows in seed stitch or a loose rib? Ideas?

Nupp Solution

2010-10-12T12:36:00.003-04:00

Just say no to nupps. Place beads instead.

Nupps

2010-10-10T10:20:00.000-04:00

May I just say that nupps are stupid? Stupid, stupid nupps.

Thursday Yellow

2010-10-08T00:39:00.000-04:00

How glad I am that the last day of this year's Ribbon Project was such a gloriously sunny one. The walk to the grocery store was stunning with so many beautiful stops along the way. And of course, I have to plug my mayoral choice with a ribbon. Yellow flowers and ribbons for a green Mayor. Go Joey Pants!

Wednesday Green

2010-10-07T12:59:00.000-04:00

I decided to go to knit night at Lettuce yesterday evening. It was already growing quite dark as I walked through Kensington Market so all my photos blurred. The days are so short now.

Purple Tuesday

2010-10-05T23:01:00.000-04:00

I had an interview today downtown in one of the souless high rises of the Financial District. The TTC imploded and I arrived about 10 minutes late. Bad start. The woman had me fill out a form then sat me down at a table and told me, while fingering my resume as if it was dirty, all the reasons I am unsuitable. Five minutes, in and out. For this I pressed my pants and wore the pinchy shoes?
Anyway, I left the area a different way than I arrived and inadvertantly stumbled into this courtyard with some unusual fountains. I've passed the front of this building hundreds of times but had no idea what lay behind.
Thus, my gratitude for this day is that I discovered some new loveliness in this hard, hard city.

Orange Monday

2010-10-05T22:47:00.000-04:00

So, have you ever been sitting working at your favourite coffee shop, with the ear buds in and THE BEST SONG EVER comes on? Don't you just want to get up and dance around the cafe? Why don't we ever do that?