STICKCHICKY

October

2010-10-16T16:26:00.003-04:00

What a great day!

Must be a record or something!

2010-04-14T21:16:00.004-04:00

Today has been a lazy day, I love those days, where nothing much is on the agenda, and I can play it by ear. I didn't mention in my last post that I recently purchased a new camera. It's been great fun learning the ins and outs. Everything in my path is getting documented! Here's a few of my favorite photos of late...(and certainly not because of the quality, just because they are fun!)

I've been sewing more box bags so I have places to carry all of my projects for the Fling. I'm really digging the butterfly one!

Recent shipment of Vesper yarn!

Crazy fun knit night last week where we had a stash trade/sale. ( I was the lucky girl who walked away with the Wollmeise!

And my favorite thing of all...dessert tonight was strawberries and cream. Yumm!

Spring Fling Baby!!

2010-04-13T13:25:00.006-04:00

Well hello there! Funny how a resolve to blog more turns into a month and a half with no post! Anyways, I thought I'd quickly check in to say hi, and express HOW AMAZINGLY EXITED I AM THAT IT'S APRIL AND ALMOST SPRING FLING TIME!!!! Only 9 days and I'm off again on a fantastic yarn adventure! Lots of knitting has been going on (one project that I can't really talk about too much since it's a gift for my Janet at the fling). I'm preparing what will go into the project bags, class supplies for a class with my imaginary knitting boyfriend Jared Flood! Yep that's right..I get to knit with the B r o o k l y n t w e e d!
Further to my last post, I had mentioned a trip to Dominican with my mom, well Dominican Republic turned into Cuba because the company we booked the trip with went belly up three or four days before our trip. We ended up re-booking with another company and going to Cayo Coco Cuba. It was amazing!

The scenery was beautiful.
Oh and one more thing...you have to go watch Laura and Leslie's new knitting video-cast theknitgirllls. They are all kinds of awesome!

Dear Blog

2010-02-17T15:52:00.004-05:00

I think I've missed you! So much has gone on and I think it's time to resurrect you! I've been knitting up a storm as usual, there are so many things to talk about I don't know where to start. Exciting thing the first, I'm headed on a vacation to the Dominican Republic with mom. It's been so long since I've seen the ocean that I almost don't remember the salty taste of the air. I'll be sure to post some pictures once I've returned.
Exciting thing the second, I'm going to the Spring Fling in St. Louis again this year!
This time I even convinced some Sudbury girls to come along. I can't wait. Of course this means that all yarn buying will have to stop between now and then *cough..except for the Vesper Neapolitan that just jumped into my cart today. I couldn't help myself.

To distract you from the above mentioned slip in will power, I'll show you the latest FO off the needles. This is Wendy Johnston's Argus. This was an amazingly quick knit, and my first finished hand spun project. I used all but 1 gram of the sanguine gryphon silk merino hand spun in the post below.

I've also been working on my Olympic Knitting project which is proving to be a real challenge time-wise. I'm knitting Maplewing by Anne Hanson of Knitspot. Very well written pattern, but 600 sts off the go! It took me a good half hour just to cast on. I'm getting closer and closer to the decrease row in Chart A and it cannot come soon enough. Hopefully my 20 min rows will become much quicker.
On top of all that, I'm also test knitting Icing for Sam Roshak of Knitquest. Should be done and photoed tonight. Whew that's allot! So my lovelies, until I post again. (hopefully sooner than later)

Bean Flowers

2009-08-10T16:22:00.003-04:00

Are you there blog? It's me Stickchicky....I'm alive, I swear.
I just discovered a new setting on my camera, and had a little fun playing in the garden this morning...I present Bean Flowers and Watermelon babies. I've alsobeen spinning. There is 560 yards of Sanguine Gryphon Handpainted Merino Silk 4oz, in the More Curvaceous Colorway. I am thrilled with how this turned out
It's been a beautiful (but hot and humid) day, and since it's one of the few we've had this summer, I'm off to run around outside!

Addiction

2009-01-13T11:05:00.004-05:00

Have you tried Box Bags yet??

Sappy post ahead

2008-12-20T00:50:00.003-05:00

I had a deep moment at Walmart of all places today. I was waiting in a line up that I thought would never end, and as I usually do, I was people watching. There was a couple in front of me with a cart full of toilet paper and new pillows gazing at each other lovingly...just happy to be in each other's company. It occurred to me that they had been married for quite some time. They spoke with their eyes and soft gestures to one another. Each knew what the other had to say without speaking. This tall, well dressed gentleman looked at one of the shelves at the cash and noticed the display of chocolate was all in disarray, and started to "face"the shelves, making each little box of chocolate look perfect, stacking them up neatly and dispensing of the empty display boxes so that shoppers didn't have to wade through the mess. Perhaps he was bored, but to me this touched my heart and I'm not sure why it affected me so much. His wife looked at him lovingly and he put his hand on her back and gently rubbed her shoulders. I felt tears welling up when I saw this. I wanted to tap this woman on the shoulder and tell her how very lucky she was to be married to such a man, although I'm sure she already knew this by the look on her face. Such a simple gesture, I thought, and it was quite obvious he has probably never worked at job such as Walmart in his life, but he felt the need to "help out" 30 seconds of his time to arrange that shelf, but probably saved a poor kid from having to wade through the hordes of people that night, to tidy it up at his boss' request. This to me is the spirit of the holidays. Random selfless acts, no matter how small, that add up to make this world a better place.
This man inspired me to want to be a better person. Walk through life and make things better, no matter how small a gesture.

Merlot

2008-12-11T11:44:00.005-05:00

Merlot

This hat was inspired by the dozens of single skeins of Manos del Uruguay I had lying around in my stash.
This hat takes less than 1 skein and fits nicely over the ears so it will actually keep you warm.
Living in Northern Ontario, warmth is a necessity when the temperature drops to -45 c.

Materials:

1 set 5 mm 16" circular needles

1 skein Manos del Uruguay Kettle Dyed Pure wool( 138 yds). I used colour 54.
* this would also work very nicely in Malabrigo, Patons SWS, or Noro Kureyon/silk garden

1 Stitch marker

2 Buttons about 1 inch diameter. I used Mother of pearl shell buttons purchased at Walmart.

* Notes: to (M1) pick up the leg of yarn between sts and knit through the back of the loop

With circular needles, cast on 80 Sts and join to work in the round. Work 8 rows in twisted rib - K2 tbl, P2* to end.

Next round: K8 (m1)* repeat to end of round . 90 sts

Knit 2 rounds plain.

Next round: K9 (m1)* repeat to end of round . 100 sts

Knit 12 rounds.

Next Round: K10 (m1)* repeat to end. 110 sts

Knit 6 rounds plain

Begin Decreases

K10, K2 tog* repeat to last 2 sts K2

Knit 2 rounds

K9 K2tog* to last 2 sts, K2

Knit 6 rounds

K8 K2tog * to last 2 sts, K2

Knit 2 rounds plain

K7 K2 tog* to last 2 sts, K2
Knit 2 rounds plain.
K6 K2tog* to last 2 st K2
Knit 1 row
K5 K2tog* to last 2 sts
Knit 1 row

Continue in this manner, knitting one less stitch between K2tog decreases with 1 plain round between decrease rows until 16 sts remain, cut yarn and thread through remaining sts,
pull tightly and fasten off on the inside of hat.
If you wish you can block the hat into the shape you prefer.
Sew 2 buttons where you like them, and Voila!! a cute slouchy hat in a day.

Hopefully this works out! I've been trying all day to offer up this free pattern, bud Adobe hates me! So Here it is! Enjoy.

It's Been So Long

2008-11-09T01:57:00.001-05:00

There's so much to say, it's been so long. I'm trying to figure out how to write this post and let everyone know about the million ups and downs I've faced over the last few months. I'll be back soon. I just need to sort out my next post.
S

A Day for Soothing Simplicity

2008-06-23T21:49:00.002-04:00

I need something mindless. Something soothing to take my mind off of some bad news I've received today. I'm not sure how to deal, but my knitting has kept me company today. No sock for SOS..just a simple hand spun hat in the round until the edge wears off. Do you ever have a week where you just wish something good would finally happen? Maybe tomorrow...maybe when this hat is off the needles...maybe the sock will feel right for tomorrow. I Hope.

Holy Moly!

2008-06-16T17:09:00.003-04:00

I didn't really believe I had enough yarn to come close to competing in the Summer of Socks 08 most socks challenge...that is until I started pulling it all out to see what I had. The scary part is, there is a huge bin in my chest freezer out in the garage that must have at least 20-30 more skeins in it as well. Did I really buy that much? Wow. At last count, there was enough in that pile to complete at least 30 pairs of socks. That doesn't count what's in the garage. Two of those skeins are also huge mill end skeins from Cherry Tree Hill that have enough for about 3 pairs each.
I do have a plan in the works for this knit a long. I've bought myself a new blue binder, and started collecting all of the sock patterns in it that I plan to knit. I would also like to match the yarn with the pattern, record all the pertinent info such as recipient, size, needles used, and modifications. For this I've included a sheet of graph paper with each pattern to take notes. My goal is to have at least half of the skeins wound and ready to go so I won't waste time doing that chore once the knit a long begins on the 21st.
Maybe I should join the 52 pair plunge as well. I just hope my desire to knit socks all summer doesn't fizzle out or get lured away by some enchanting lace project or a snuggly sweater. Time will tell! At least I know I won't "need" to purchase more sock yarn for the SOS. Yeah right. Who am I kidding?

2008-06-15T20:29:00.003-04:00

I've been super lazy this week. The start of my week saw me working 40 hours in 3 days and that about wiped me out. I'm on a mini holiday as of yesterday though. It may be looking up in the relax and enjoy life department. I had a wonderful time at the relay for life, and managed to raise $300 for cancer research!. The night of the relay it stormed like the heavens were mad. But we walked in the torrential downpour anyways. Walking in the rain without caring how wet you are is quite liberating (until the lightning drives you into a tent with 12 other women).
There are prizes that have been sitting on my computer desk just waiting for me to send out. Ruinwen, and Patricia...they will be on their way to you this week. Thank you ladies. I really appreciate your generosity.
You are each getting one of the handspun skeins of laceweight:

Patricia, you will also receive the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules! book as well as the Silvia sock yarn
Ruinwen, the Socks that Rock yarn and the Squoosh Roving(you do now own a spinning wheel right??) If not I can find you something equally as pretty to knit.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

The Waltz

2008-06-06T09:17:00.005-04:00

Because I love all my readers for stopping in and saying hi from time to time, I thought I'd finally put this pattern to "paper" for you all. It is free, and you are free to use it as you wish, however, it is not to be reproduced online or for commercial purposes without written consent. All photographs are the property of this blog and should not be reproduced without consent.
Have a great weekend everyone..I'll be back tomorrow night to let ya know who has won the goodies! And for those of you who haven't had the chance to donate yet, there's still time, till Midnight tonight!
You can queue up this pattern here

The Waltz

By Sarah Dupuis *Copyright May 2008

I started knitting this one night because I had some beautiful Zephyr Wool Silk in my stash just dying to be knit up. I wanted a light classic scarf that I could wrap around my neck in the spring or fall when it's still a little too chilly to go without.

This lace motif is not to daunting for a beginner, but is involved enough to keep someone a little more "seasoned" interested. The name Waltz kept popping into my head as I knit this because the stockinette portions sort of appeared to be "swirling" back and forth and reminded me of two people dancing.

Materials
Approx 450m lace weight yarn ( I used Zephyr Wool/Silk in the Ruby color-way)

Size 3.75 knitting needles
stitch markers if desired
Lace Chart: repeated 3 times over the row

Legend
* knit on R side purl on W side
/ K2tog (knit two together)
\SSK (slip, slip, knit)
O YO ( yarn over)

Instructions Cast on 48 sts

Set up row: p 3, k12, p3, k12, p3, k12, p3

next row: k3, p12, k3, p12, k3, p12 k3

Begin lace chart which is worked over the 12 sts in between the 4 sets of P3. This is the right side

* note: all wrong side rows are worked as follows k3, p12, k3, p12, k3, p12, k3
Continue as set in pattern for 30 repeats, or until desired length.
Blocking: This pattern benefits greatly from blocking. Soak in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain water and roll scarf in a clean dry towel. Lay flat and pin into shape (blocking wires also work very well to keep the edges straight). Unpin when completely dry.

My creation

2008-06-05T15:10:00.003-04:00

My creation
Originally uploaded by sarah_braund

I've seen this on a few blogs today and thought I'd try it. What fun!

Here's how to do it:

Directions:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?

11. One word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. - (I had to use Vixenpath to get a result.)

A week to shape up

2008-05-30T09:25:00.005-04:00

Only a week to go before I walk/jog/run my little heart out for my favorite charity. I've been working out lots lately trying to keep in top form so I don't hurt myself next weekend. I'm really looking forward to this (so long as mother nature co-operates). If you haven't donated already, there's still time, and I will try to find one or two more great prizes while I'm in Toronto this week .
What? I didn't mention I was going to Toronto? Yep..on Tuesday we will take my baby in for his last pre-op appointment at Sick Kids. I can't wait to have his surgery over and done with.
I'm still trying to figure out what to pack as travel knitting. I'm always over ambitious, and tend to pack every WIP I have, but this time I think I may focus on just one nearly done, or two projects. I really need to clear the decks for some summer knitting.
To distract you from the fact that I have no good knitting photos to show you, I will post this neat little shot of some Fearless Fibers Sock Yarn I wound a while ago. It made a neat little flower shape as I took it off the ball winder and I had to take some pictures. Does this ever happen for you?

*note: when going to the canadian cancer society website to donate to Relay For Life you will need to enter Sudbury Ontario as the city, along with my name Sarah Dupuis.

Another Year Older, and Another Prize

2008-05-13T13:00:00.007-04:00

Yesterday I celebrated another Birthday. I know I don't feel older, but apparently the calendar says so. It was a very nice day, started off with a big sleep ( I came off graveyard shift in the morning) And I woke up to the best family in the world trying their best to make my day special.
Speaking of special, check out this sky I woke up to this morning..the clouds were amazing! All lined up like little soldiers.

Sunday night (well technically Monday morning) I cast on some Birthday socks for me! They are the Froot Loop pattern from Knitty. What a fun knit! I am in love with the yarn..once again Blue Hands Fibers comes through with a squishy smooth yarn that I adore.

I bought this in January or February ( I think I blogged it too,but I'm too lazy to look it up) and it is the perfect match to this pattern. I can't wait to have these babies on my feet. Oh..and I signed up for the Summer of Socks.
I'm going to get my Sock Mojo on this summer..Quick sign-ups are almost closed!

I'm still digging up prizes for the draw..there's still lots of time to get in on the action. If you mention the draw on your blog, I'll throw an extra entry in the pot for you! If you have no clue what I'm talking about please see the post below. This is a really great cause, and I know I can reach my goal! Here's the latest addition to the prize basket:

This is Julia's Yarn Salvia Sock Yarn (2 Hanks) in Color 15. It is a nice blend of rust, oranges and browns. The photo just doesn't do it justice.
Again I want to thank all those who have already donated. Every penny helps. For those of you have already contributed, if you have already mentioned this on your blog you get an extra entry, and if you haven't yet, and do before June 3 I will throw your name in the pot again!
Have a great week .

I was gonna Show You a Disaster But..

2008-05-05T20:12:00.004-04:00

I had planned on discussing my disaster with my newest FO but today I am so elated that I could never ever say anything bad about this....

I started this about 2 weeks ago, and was totally confident the whole way through about my yarn situation...until I reached the last 60 sts of the cast off...but we won't go there. ( Let's just say I love Elann, and how quick they ship stuff)
I am so thrilled with how this turned out. The colours in the photo are not very accurate ( the border is actually dark green, not black.
This blanket will be auctioned off for our local Sports Hall of Fame that my father in law is opening.
Now I'm just trying to dream up another colour scheme. Perhaps one in a solid colour.

Rollin Rollin Rollin

2008-04-30T11:30:00.003-04:00

The donations are starting to roll in, and I'm digging around for some more prizes . I really appreciate all of you who have given, or plan to give. I know times are tough all over, and it warms my heart when fantastic people like all of you are willing to reach a little deeper. I'm very fortunate to "know" all of you.(Even if it is only through e-mail and blogging)
Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou!
Oh ..and I do have some knitting content to blog about( a small disaster actually), but Mr.Man has decided the camera batteries are better used in his TV remote, so I'll have to post later tonight or tomorrow.

Prize Patrol

2008-04-25T16:51:00.003-04:00

I have a couple more prizes to give away for the Relay for life. Trust me..giving these up is Really hard! I hope they find a wonderful home!
First up: Socks that rock lightweight in the Monsoon colorway that I bought at Lettuce Knit in Toronto .
This one is so beautiful..greens, greys, blacks. My kinda colour.

And next up..4 oz of beautiful merino roving hand-dyed by Etsy seller Squoosh(knittinmama)
also stunning, and a dream to spin up!

Happy weekend everyone!

Many Women

2008-04-22T07:17:00.012-04:00

Many women in my life have had to fight long tough battles with cancer. This disease has caused my family such heartache and grief. I hope that one day we can find a cure..and I believe we will.
On June 6 2008 I will be participating in the Relay for Life sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society. While my goal of $500 may seem small, I wanted to set it realistically and adjust it as necessary.
The knitting community has supported so many causes in the past, and I know it feels like someone is always asking for help, but here it is...one more time.
I've given up my yarn budget for 3 months to put towards this relay, and I would be so grateful for even a penny from yours. Help me reach my goal!! (my name is Sarah Dupuis if you are having trouble..and in SUDBURY Ontario (thanks Dee)
I'm going to start posting some prizes which will be raffled off after the relay. If you donate just send me an e-mail letting me know you did so (no need to tell me how much) and I will enter you in the draw. sarahUNDERSCOREbraundATyahooDOTcom. If you would rather pay by paypal, feel free to send it to the e-mail address above.

Winners will be drawn on Saturday June 7 .

The start of the prizes:(there will be more to come)

Prize 1.
2 Skeins of my handspun laceweight singles each about 1000 m . Each winner will receive 1 skein.

Prize 2.
A copy of The Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules!

Anyone know a Podiatrist?

2008-04-03T11:49:00.009-04:00

This post is a little overdue, (and pic heavy)but I wanted to chronicle my adventures in Toronto for
The Yarn Harlot's Inexplicable Sock Scavenger Hunt/Book Launch. I had the most amazing time!
I met so many wonderful people who I would never have had the pleasure to meet if it weren't for this event.
When I started blogging, I never imagined it would open up my world of knitting as it has. I'm very grateful every time I get to meet one of "my people". That was no exception this Tuesday.
Through the magic of Ravelry, I hatched a plan with Gretchen (knitmn on Ravelry) from St.Paul Minnesota to meet up at union station to do the scavenger hunt, maybe do some lunch, and go to see the Harlot speak at her book launch. Two knitters in different countries who have never met, (one blogless...and Gretchen, I know you want to start a blog..just sayin' ) meeting up in a city that neither of them live in. Most people would think this is nuts. I mean the other person could be an axe murderer for all you know. It's insanity. But here's the beauty of the knitting/knit blog community, I never gave it a second thought. Never have I met such wonderful, thoughtful, giving, friendly, compassionate people. Knitters are brave, knitters are up for anything, knitters are good people. Just looking at the staggering amount of money in the sidebar of Stephanie's blog could convince anyone, (muggles included) that knitters are among the best people I know.
My inexplicable day actually started much earlier than 1pm on tuesday(which is when we were meeting).
I hopped on a Greyhound at around 12:45 am on Tuesday morning, full of excitement, but hoping to catch some sleep. I was wearing this...

This was not to be though since it was pouring rain the whole way, and the bus ride was a bit rocky. No matter...I was headed to Toronto for 24 whole hours of un-interrupted fun. I cannot tell you how much getting a day away all by myself is..but I digress...
I arrived in Toronto at 5:30 am, and tried to figure out what I'd do until the late morning. I was to meet up with a couple of girls from Brantford at 11 am as well (Chris and Andrea..I'm so sorry we didn't hook up). So I made the trek to a Tim Horton's to grab some coffee, and a bagel for breakfast.

I decided since it wasn't too busy, that this might be a perfect opportunity for me to get my photo for the scavenger hunt. Let me tell you...this is not as easy as it sounds. The employee was so excited I asked her to hold the sock for a photo, and even began telling me about how she was a new knitter and wishes she could knit socks..when her manager came upfront from the kitchen and glared back at her. I quickly took my sock and headed back to my seat. I didn't want to get the poor girl in trouble, and she did have another customer walking into the store. I waited till it was all clear, then proceeded to the counter again to get my photo. She looked at me and whispered "you need to ask my manager if it's OK, I might get in trouble".
Huh? poor girl was terrified. So being bold..I strolled up to the manager, and explained the hunt to him..even showed him the list, and after about 5 minutes of trying to convince him I wasn't a lunatic, he agreed to the photo..."BUT ONLY IF NOBODY IS IN THE STORE" he said cause you know I might just ruin his image and scare away all the customers. Dude...it's 5:45 in the morning...I don't think you need to worry. Here's the pic.

So, with the first one out of the way I was feeling great. At this point it was still dark outside, and I had like 5 hours to kill, so I decided to go to the Subway and buy my day pass. Then just for kicks I hopped on the train and rode it all the way to the end of the line and back so I could knit on the sock a bit. I got off at union station about 7:30, and decided to shop a little, so I went down to the PATH ( an underground 20 km path that has lots of shops , coffee places, and places to eat).The only things I bought were gel insoles for my shoes, and blister bandages, but more on that later. I scooped up some Jugo juice, and made my way to the Hockey Hall of fame. Had another seat and took this pic:
Once my juice was done, I headed back to Union station to meet Chris and Andrea for 11 am.
Unfortunately, this was never to be...we missed each other some how, and by 12:00 I gave up.
I was so happy when 1 pm rolled around and I actually saw Gretchen! And because I'm such a dork, I didn't get one single photo of her! Let me just say that I totally lucked out getting her as my companion for the day. She rocks. So much so that I think I may become her stalker, and make a trip to Minnesota just so I can hang out with her again. Dudes, she owns a bar. Nuff said.
Oh and apparently we have some weird psychic connection, because we were both wearing our Central Park Hoodies. Total Fluke, although hers is much nicer than mine.
After taking some photos of the socks at Union Station, and with the CN Tower we headed back down to catch a streetcar to Lettuce Knit. Love.That.Place. Here's Megan the owner in all her cutesy pregnanty state. She's adorable, and she sells the best yarn ever. I want to marry her.

There's the hot chocolate we brought her on the counter. They make really yummy smelling organic goat's milk hot chocolate at the place a couple of doors down from her shop. Very cool little cafe. She makes them hand knit mug cosies ( I hope she gets free hot chocolate out of the deal). Guess who else I met there?

Jenna, who writes Girl From Auntie. Swoon. She's all cutsey and pregnanty too. She's holding my monkey sock for the photo of another Toronto Knit blogger. How cool is it that I have her for my photo. I had a little falling down at the store but managed to resist alot of the yarn fumes emanating from the place. After that, we decided we really needed to re-fuel with some lunch and beer, so we headed back down to Queen St, and decided to check out The Horseshoe Tavern
This pic was taken on the way there. I thought it turned out rather nicely so I've included it.
Let's call this one Grafitti Sock

We had intended on having our beer and food there, but we sat down and not a singlw person approached us to see if we needed anything, so we left and headed to the pub down the street. I think it was called The (Raging?)Bull Pub.
I had a descent veggie burger and fries, along with a Molson Canadian beer
(they had no Toronto indies) actually the waitress kind of looked at me funny when I asked her.

It's been a long time since I've had a beer that tasted this good. The wind had started to pick up and it was getting colder so we were parched by the time we got there. At this point I couldn't hide my excruciating pain from Gretchen, and admitted I needed to find some different shoes, or I'd be done for the day. Croc's were the first thing that came to mind, but walking an additional 10 minutes to get them just wasn't an option. So I got Flip flops at Claire's (which were a huge relief) and we walked down to King St to get our Walk of Fame photos.
Here's Margaret Atwood's star. Rachel H actually got Margaret Atwood to hold her sock and took an actual photo of the Lady Herself, which I could never compete with.
Once we were done there, we wandered down to University Ave again and decided it might be time to find coffee/tea and head to the main event, so we caught the train hopped off by the university and walked toward the theatre (we hoped) there was a few moments of uncertainty where we weren't sure we were walking the right direction, but all was well. We arrived at the Theatre, where Chris and Andrea finally tracked me down! Better late than never I suppose. They saved us a couple of seats, and we settled in to knit a bit and watch the show.
Let me just say, Stephanie is frickin' hilarious. I enjoyed every single underpants story. Such a smart cookie she is.
I apologize for the craptastic nature of the photo, but some guy decided that a room full of knitters didn't need the lights on. Once the talk was done, and MSF pins were bought, Gretchen and I decided to find out where on God's green earth the bar was so we wouldn't get lost.
Gretchen hooked us up...Amy (of Knitty) told her we could follow her to the bar. And so we did. We actually sat with Amy and Keri (kiwicanuck) who deigned that fantastic cable/lace/dropped stitch stole for the summer Knitty. More food and drinks were consumed, and there may have been a little yarn enabling discussion in which I may score some Noro sock yarn which I regretted not buying while I was at Lettuce Knit.

This is also a terrible picture, but It's not every day you get to have dinner with the Creator/Editor of your favorite online knitting mag. Amy by the way also has a new book which came out the same day as Stephanie's. I've got this one on the way to my mail box.
By the time I had to leave (to catch my bus back home at 1 am) my poor little feet were feeling like they were going to fall off. It was all I could do not to cry. As I write this, they are still too swollen to fit into my shoes, and the blisters are just...huge, and gross (I'll spare you the pictures I took of that) they were really bad. I wanted to stay longer but my body just couldn't do it. I hugged my new pal and made my way to the curb to hail a cab to the bus station. Man those guys are fast! I had 2 cabs stop at the same time for me with one single wave of the arm.
The whole day was surreal, inexplicable, wonderful, validating. I can't wait to do it again. I hope I get the chance to hang out with all of you again..next time, with better shoes!

2008-03-20T21:35:00.003-04:00

I feel like I've been knitting like a madwoman this week, but making little progress. But I do have one finished sweater to unveil. I've been working on it since about mid February for a co-worker's dad who was just put into assisted living. He's a hearty old Scotsman and I hope he really loves the sweater I "un-vented" for him. Much of the technique was taken from EZ's Knitter's almanac, but I added a few personal touches.

It's modeled by Mr.Man, although he isn't quite as broad in the shoulders as the recipient so It looks a little ill fitting on him.

This was also my first adventure in steeking. I must say I'm enamored with the technique now that I've gotten over the utter sheer terror of cutting through 30 hours of knitting. I tried it on myself and I actually quite liked how the neckline fell on me. I may actually make myself one in the future. The front panels, and entire back are covered in the fish trap aran pattern noted in the almanac in January, and then I added some cables of my own. I did keep track of what I did so if you are interested I could e-mail the "pattern"once I get it typed into proper language instead of a bunch of scribbled charts and notes in my journal. This is sized for a 6 foot 2 190 pound man, but it could be sized down easily.
Now I'm plugging away on the hub's sweater that I began a few weeks ago. Wow..it really seems as though 2008 has become the year of the sweater for me.
I'll leave you with a really cool shot of the CN Tower at night from our trip last week. It was taken by my 7 year old, and he was quite proud of it.

Happy easter to all of you who celebrate.

4 Kids,a luxury hotel and chaos

2008-03-15T14:17:00.004-04:00

OK so I haven't had time to post since I've been back in town. I had to go to work as soon as we got home, but the trip was somewhat successful. We went in hopes of having our consultation with my son's eye surgeon, and having a date set for his surgery, but she felt we should try a couple more things before resorting to surgery. I just hope we can deal with that before he starts school. I was a little disappointed that she didn't book the surgery right away, seeing as how we have to travel 4 hours every time we go see her. But I guess the doctor knows best right? At least I hope she does. Oh and if you were wondering whether or not it's a good idea to take 4 kids to Toronto for a quickie one night trip? Ummm....let's just say there will be babysitters involved next time. Stress times four. What were we thinking?

2008-03-12T09:35:00.000-04:00

iN tORONTO, HAVING A BLAST UPDATE TONIGHT!

Headed for the T Dot

2008-03-06T21:17:00.003-05:00

Well, mother nature has launched a massive viral attack on my body this week, so I've been bed-ridden for a couple of days. I did get a couple of sick days out of the deal though, so there was much bed-knitting going on. We're headed for Toronto next Tuesday for a long awaited appointment at sick kids for my youngest to see an eye specialist. Not such a fun reason to go to the T Dot but, I just might get a Romni and Lettuce Knit visit in before I come home. We plan to pack a few fun activities in for the kids as well. We've got the ROM on Tuesday afternoon, and the CN Tower in the evening. I've done both a few times but the kids have never been, so it should be fun.
I need to be feeling better by the time we leave or they won't let me in the hospital, so here's hoping the drugs put me out of my misery. Back to bed with some tea...night

Silence

2008-02-24T16:32:00.002-05:00

There seems to be a silence amongst my bloglines subscriptions...everyone must be out enjoying the beautiful day(for those of you who are actually having one). Me...I just woke up from a night shift which involved tons of knitting, and watching season 4 of Nip Tuck. What a great show! I watched it the first season it came out, then lost my way for a couple of years. Last year I caught a few episodes, but I wanted to catch up on all of them, so I bought the box set. (I've already watched all the season 5 episodes to date). All I can say is WOW. Those writers know their stuff. I'm at the point with Mr.Man's sweater that he needs to try it on before I continue...the arms should be set aside soon, then it's blissful easy stockinette the rest of the way. Perfect Nip Tuck knitting. I have no new knitting photos, but I do have a sunrise from the windshield of the car last weekend as we were approaching Timmins. It was beautiful even though my camera couldn't quite catch it the way I could see it through the salty dirty windshield.

She Weaves Too!

2008-02-21T14:32:00.006-05:00

I'm in lurve...

This is a really pic heavy post (just so ya know)
I have caught the bug. I finally sat down and figured out how to weave on my little loom I got for Christmas. As many a Canadian crafter know, Lewiscraft went out of business a little while ago, and my sister went to a clearance sale and found me this little loom that the sales woman said had been sitting in their back room for close to 20 years. She got it for 15 bucks! Can't beat that. (I've also had a Bergere loom for over a year now but had no instructions on how to use it). Just a small start, but it's so much fun! I had promised myself I'd learn to weave for quite some time,but I kept putting it aside because there really aren't alot of resources on how to begin weaving online(until now, but I'll get back to that in a minute). So, I just bit the bullet and followed step by step the instructions that came in the box. I think this little project may turn out to be a guitar strap for my wireless Guitar Hero guitar. Something has to be girly and pink in this house filled with boys. I'm finding the rhythm (once I found one) very relaxing. I can't wait to warp up the loom again and try some of my silk/cashmere from colourmart. I do have a couple of tension issues, but I think it will be ok in the end once I wash this baby.
There's also been lots of knitting going on. I'm almost done with the first campfire sock (it's been my bedside table knitting).

And...I cast on yet another sweater. For Mr.Man this time. He wanted a simple mock turtleneck raglan pullover, so that is what he shall get. I cast this on last night, and am about halfway to the dividing for the arm holes. It's going pretty quickly I think seeing as how it's being knit in Elann Alpaca Fina(colour is Tumbleweed) on 3.75 mm needles. I'm just winging this one using the EPS (Elizabeth Zimmermann's percentage system). I am writing down what I'm doing though so once I'm done I can write up a quick and dirty pattern if you'd like.

This sweater is super soft, although I'm a little concerned about the itchiness factor around the neckline.
Oh, and Mr. Greenjeans is getting it's button bands knit right now even though I haven't done the arms yet. It's a little snug right now since I made that stupid mistake with the cabled ribbing, but I think it will block out ok since it's 40% cotton (at least I hope it will). What are your thoughts on colour? I thought I might over dye it since the green was really "green" but after trying it on with my super dark jeans, I started to like it a little. I can't decide. The colour in these shots are actually showing the green much more muted than it actually is. It's truly a bight spring green (picture brand new greeny- yellow grass)

See that bonehead mistake? dumb arse that I am couldn't read the pattern.

So I'd love to hear what you think I should do about the colour. Should it stay or should it go?

* I'm really sorry about the lack of links, but I'll try to link everything up a little later today

Les peaux de lièvres

2008-02-18T05:54:00.005-05:00

This is amazing! Each panel was knitted and then used to create this "music video". What patience that must have taken.

Been knitting lots of Socks

2008-02-14T10:55:00.007-05:00

I'm headed on a road trip for son the second's hockey tournament so I've got some socks on the go to keep me occupied while I cheer him on. I had a total brainstorm while I was trying to figure out how the heck to take some sock pictures outside without totally dunking them in the snow. Did you know that hockey sticks make great holders for sock photos? Neither did I till I slapped the monster sock on it.

These are for Mr.Man who has monster size 12 feet. The yarn is from an indie dyer I have come to love Fearless Fibers ( I am totally into indie sock yarns these days) In the "Smoke" colour way. The man picked it out, and I am in love with this colour. One sock done, the other one is about 3 inches past the heel, so almost done. What's a girl to do when the socks are almost done? Cast on another one of course, but this time for my own little frozen tootsies.
It's been super cold, and snowing like crazy, so the hand knit socks have been in circulation. To top it off we're headed even further north to Timmins, where we can expect temperatures in the vicinity of -35 c all weekend. Frikin' cold. These are Black Bunny Fiber in the Campfire colour way. So smooshy! I love this base yarn. I can't wait to have these babies on my feet
Maybe the whole campfire colour will trick my feet into actually believing they are warm. In -35 I don't think there's anything that can actually really truly keep them warm, but hey, I can look warm right?
Speaking of Timmins, I found out that there is a yarn shop called Knit-Wits about 2 blocks from our hotel. I will definitely check that out when we have some down time. Have any of you been there before? I do know they carry one of my favorite locally spun wools from Belle Valee. I'll be grabbing some of that for sure. I hope all of you have a great weekend. Keep warm.

A Few New things

2008-02-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

A few new knitterly items have made their way to my house this week, and I thought I'd share cause I have a few minutes before the Super bowl festivities start ( Go Patriots). The first is something I picked up at Canadian Tire * for about $19.99 in the bait and tackle section. It shall make my life bliss as I try to figure out the yardage of the hand spun on my bobbins. Every knitter/spinner needs one. It even clips to your belt so you can keep it handy. Who knew fishermen were so smart? I can even use it in the dark. SO COOL. It's made by Rapala and can count up to 1000 feet at a time.

Next up is some beautiful sock yarn I purchased from Blue-Hands Fibers I saw a little ad for them while I was trolling Ravelry, and decided to check her out. Stunning sock yarn, and just a peach to deal with.

Quick go buy her yarn. She's running dangerously low, but is suppposed to get some new stuff in her shop soon. I'm definitely looking forward to more of her yarny goodness. I'm so sorry I couldn't quite capture the true colours of this yarn, but the main colour is a salmony red, with browns and golds and a few spots of old rose pink. I'm so happy this is more of a girly colour, cause then The. Man won't beg me for this pair of socks to be knit for him. That Focaccia bread is destined for my dinner plate wit a little dollop of olive oil drizzled on my plate to dip into. Yumm...... Last but not least, I've gotta send you over to Necia's blog. She was my secret pal for SP7 , and I dyed and spun her some yarn for the exchange. She's

knitting it up into a gawjus (as she would say) Pi shawl in combination with some of her own hand spun. I can't wait to see how it turns out. It's like seeing a baby grow up...every skein of hand spun has it's own story...this story was especially for her, and I'm so pleased to see it become something so beautiful.

* Canadian Tire is a hardware and car servicing( and everything else home improvement or outdoorsey) institution in this country. Don't know what we'd do without them.

Bonehead

2008-01-31T16:45:00.001-05:00

I made a total bonehead move...I was knitting away on the last 2 inches of Mr.Greensleeves body and noticed I had been working the body totally wrong the whole time. I did a cable repeat throughout without the 4 stitch stockinette panels in between. I guess I should have paid attention to the pattern. BONEHEAD. I think I'll block it out tonight and see how it looks and fits. As long as it fits I think I'll just leave it. I'll try to update with some pics tonight before I go to work.
To distract you I'll show you the felted bag I plan to needle felt tonight as well. I just need to find the perfect handles. Oh, and I'm toying with a little blog re-design. I was starting to find the green a little blinding. What do ya think?

Where I'm from

2008-01-30T00:53:00.000-05:00

I was reading Kitkatknit and she mentioned the "famous people" from her area. Here's a huge list from my home town Ottawa, Ontario. Alot of these I knew about, but some I was unaware of
Interestin stuff!
This is a list of notable people from Ottawa, Ontario or who have lived in Ottawa:
Dan Aykroyd, actor, comedian (he went to high school with my dad/ same year)
Paul Anka, singer (is my highschool friend's godfather)
Margaret Atwood, writer
Derek R. Audette, artist, poet, musician
Eva Avila, 4th season Canadian Idol champion
James Baker, former NHLer

Billy Boucher, NHL hockey player
Fred Brathwaite, NHL hockey player
Rod Brind'Amour, NHL hockey player
Tom Cavanagh, actor
Keshia Chante, singer
King Clancy, hockey player, coach and referee
Sarah Chalke, actor

Adrienne Clarkson, former Governor General of Canada
Bruce Cockburn, Singer
Tom Cruise, actor (lived briefly in Ottawa)
Barry and Brian Cullen brothers and former NHLers from Ottawa
Ben Eager, NHL hockey player
Jeremy Gara, drummer for The Arcade Fire

Tom Green, comedian
Lorne Greene, actor
Elisabeth Harvor, novelist
Jessica Holmes, actor, comedian
Peter Jennings, journalist
Yousuf Karsh, portrait photographer

Rich Little, comedian
Steven MacLean, Astronaut
Peter Mansbridge, journalist
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands (sister of the queen)
Massari, R&B artist
Frank McGee, hockey player
Earl McRae, award-winning journalist
Alanis Morissette, singer/songwriter
Sandra Oh, actor
Jesse Palmer, NFL football player
Frank Patrick, hockey player and builder
Matthew Perry, actor
Simon Pulsifer, prolific contributor to Wikipedia

Nancy Greene Raine, olympic skier.
Kelly Rowan, actor.
Marc Savard, NHL hockey player.
Barbara Ann Scott, figure-skating Olympic gold-medalist of the 1940s.
Bruce Stuart, hockey player.
Linda Thom, olympic gold medallist.
Alex Trebek, game show host.
Rick Vaive, NHL hockey player.
Steve Yzerman, NHL hockey player. ( dated his brother in high school, they lives 2 blocks from me growing up)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Ottawa"
Categories: People from Ottawa Lists of Canadian people

Chin up it's almost done...

2008-01-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

Two more days of work then I'll be able to get my crap together and post some proper photos of my finished CPH as well as a few other little things. It's been a crazy but very productive week. Work is throwing me a bunch of new projects, so I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Almost done...i just have to keep that chant in my head.

Ick...snow sucks

2008-01-11T10:06:00.000-05:00

A quickie post cause I'm working a 16 hour day today, but I've found the camera..I've taken a few photos of craptastic quality, but Some photos are better than none right?
I need to pack a few small projects to take along with me today...it's going to be a long one.
We are getting hit with a bunch of snow today too. I really hate driving in it. The commute into town for work should be fun. OK I'll quit whining, and put up a few photos.

First up Central Park hoodie right before I seamed the arms in and seamed up the hood
Next up is the finished Koolhaas hat that is slightly smaller than I'd like but I'm hoping that a good blocking will fix that

And Henry, dear henry...when will you be cast off? Hopefully this week. This one is beautiful but tedious.
Catch you all on the flipside...maybe I will post from work tonight to try and wake myself up.

ETA * I'm still at work and barely awake...I may have had a moment of weakness and cast on a new project. But....I did finish the socks too. Details later.

If Cleanliness is next to Godliness, then where is my frickin' camera?

2008-01-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

I've been finishing FO's like a madwoman the last couple of days. The CPH is done but for a zipper and my Koolhaas hat was cast off last night as well. Henry is 4 rows away from being done. But...I can't find the frickin' camera! it's been missing since New Years Day. That will teach me to organize my stuff...now I can't find anything. So in an attempt to distract you from the lack of FO photos, I'll show you some pretty pictures of Celtic icon blocking. It's already been given to the recipient, and she loved it, but I don't have a modeled shot yet...

I was really happy with the way the whole thing turned out. I even got the zipper in the first try! Thank heavens cause I was on a deadline. The sweater was delivered on Christmas eve at 9:00 pm.

This week I am attempting to clean my knitting slate a little so I can enjoy knitting again. WIP's just seem to make me feel pressured. Maybe if I cast on a little less and finished a little more I wouldn't feel this way.
Up for completion are:
*Henry (no problem)
*EZ's Norwegian mittens
*pair of socks (one is 98% done)
* felted bag that has been languishing a really long time in the basket (like a year and a half)
* a wisp scarf started in October that was going to be a Christmas gift, but never got there

If I can finish all of these things before January ends I'll feel like I have accomplished something

Here's a little pic of the carnage at Christmas . My Dad was having a blast checking out all the toys, and installing batteries.

If all goes well I'll find my camera and have a bunch of FO's to show you all.

A New Year

2008-01-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

Today I have big plans...plans to get organized, plans to eat healthier (I'm going to try vegetarianism) and plans to have an even better family than I do now. I'm sure I won't succeed in everything I try this year, but I'm sure gonna try hard. I'd also like to renew my commitment to blogging. I'd really like to blog at least twice a week. I've had some health issues dealt with, and I've gotten some answers. So, now with the fresh New Year air blown back into me, I'm trying for a fresh start.
I hope all of you out there have a fantastic 2008. I plan to. My motto for this year, "Just let life happen".

I have cast-on-itis

2007-12-03T20:09:00.000-05:00

You would think with Christmas coming, and all I have going on in my life, I would just hurry up and finish what I already have on the needles, but I JUST CANT HELP MYSELF. I've been inundated with fabulous pattern after pattern luring me in this week.
Here we have Henry :

453 stitches off the go man. I'm serious. You screw this up once you have a heck of a lot of ripping back to do (ask me how I know this).
But the pattern? SO MUCH FUN! Great TV knitting once you memorize the pattern. I do need to have the lights on for this one though. Every now and then it's a good idea to stop and check to make sure you haven't buggered up the pattern mid-way through the row.

I also cast on a pair of these:

Mittens from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's almanac. I adore these, and foresee a few pair in my future. These particular ones are going to an 11 year old girl as part of a Christmas charity hamper we are putting together at work for a needy family of 8. This girl is the oldest of 6 children, and I thought she deserved a special treat.
There are also mystery projects going on that I can't post about yet.
I still can't figure out where I caught this damn cast-on-itis.

My Turn

2007-11-26T02:40:00.000-05:00

I am coming out of hiatus for this quick little post to let y'all know I am participating in this "pay it forward" campaign that I stumbled across from Norma's blog, which in turn led me to KT's blog. And voila...the chain of kindness and handmade pressies continues

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days. That is my promise. The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Your turn now!

Oh and in case anyone was wondering, I'm still alive here chez Stickchicky, still dealing with some health issues, but still knitting. Here's proof:

Emerald Sweater(Knitty) made for my girl Annik..a very late birthday gift....

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Mitred Mittens # 1 of 2
My own handspun....

Smocked Baby coat from Debbie Bliss' Simply Baby book made for a co-worker's neice

I've also got the Central Park Hoodie in full swing on the needles (just the arms to finish) and another little coat the same as above in a green color, as well as the Celtic Icon sweater(Fiona Ellis)sweater almost complete.. And of course there is much Christmas knitting going on, but most of it is top secret, so I can't post about it here.

Whew!.. that took a while to put together...till next time folks, I should return to blogging a little more regularily after the holidays (with maybe a little post or two in between). Till next time....

Hiatus

2007-10-19T10:47:00.000-04:00

Even though it seems as if I have already been taking a hiatus, I think I will make this an official hiatus until I can get all of my health issues under control. I love my blog, but it is just one more thing on the list that I want to get done but never seems to happen. Send Healthy good vibes my way...i'll be back soon.

Fell Off The Planet

2007-09-05T09:29:00.000-04:00

I know it seems as though I have just upped and fallen off the planet, but I assure you I haven't..I made promises to post in June that I didn't keep, and for that I'm really sorry. I do love my blog, and enjoy each of the comments left for me with each new post. I have just been having a really hard time with my health lately, and I really needed some TLC from the family. There are some major things going on right now that I'm not quite sure if I should discuss here or not, but in time I will share, lets just say that having people poke big needles in your head is not fun, and I don't want to set off any alarms until I have all of the information I need. My kids are great, my husband is wonderful, and I've been seeing a whole lot more of my mom lately which can never be a bad thing. I have done some knitting, and am working on a new sock pattern which I hope to have ready for the knitting vault soon, maybe I'll even try a Knitty submission who knows. I do have an FO pic for you graciously modeled by my 7 year old since the thing (made for my -1 size sister) wouldn't fit on my big toe:

Ribbed Lace Bolero By Kelly Maher of 10 Feet High
Yarn: 1 Ball Georga Wool( amazing 100% mercerized wool bought at Wal Mart)(about 200 yds)
Size 5 and 6 circular needles
Started Sept 1 , 1:00 am Finished Sept 1, 11 pm

I absolutely LOVED this pattern. It was a super quick knit (maybe 5 hours)
and this new yarn I discovered is TO DIE FOR!
I never thought I'd say this about a yarn purchased at Wal Mart, but I decided to give it a try, and I fell in love. It is super buttery soft, and shiny, and pretty colours, and ,and, a...I cannot explain my love for this yarn. Just try it you'll see.
I want to go and buy out their entire stock of this stuff, cause I can't for the life of me track down where it comes from, other than China, and we all know this would be a losing battle.
On a more serious note, my coffee swap pal still hasn't received her gift from me that was sent the first week of July(also for the second time). What is up with customs? have they gone and lost their minds? To top it off I have no way of finding the status out until it leaves customs. So Pal..if you're out there, I will pack ANOTHER beautiful, inspired, lovely, Canadian flavored coffee/yarny package for you and have it out before the end of the week. I am soo sorry.
On that note, I am off to the doctor's office, then to the LYS to find me some more pretty things to fill the box with. I'll try not to be a stranger.

Fuzzy Head

2007-07-11T05:54:00.000-04:00

I really feel terrible that I haven't blogged for a long time. Once again...work is kicking my butt, and I've been dealing with some pretty major stuff on the health front. I have a huge post in my head, but I don't have access to my photos to back it up, so I'll try to do that tommorow night. I need to show you all the wonderful package my knitter's coffee swap pal sent to me, I need to show a progress photo of my Mystery Stole, a really cool handspun handknit argosy I'm knitting, and so..much..more. There is so much swirling in my brain, that I really do need to sit down and plan up an uber overdue post. I promise, by this weekend. I missed my blog!

Kitty Newsflash!

2007-06-13T22:17:00.000-04:00

Two posts in one day I know, but remember my sad kitty story? Remember how there were three kittens, and the momma came and took one but left the other two? Well disappearing kitten # 3 has returned! And big n' fluffy n' cute as can be. I walked into my garage tonight to grab some ice cream from the freezer, and I heard a kitten crying. Thinking I was losing my mind, I walked out and closed the door. 2 minutes later I went back in and I heard it again! Marc was in the pool with the boys, and I had to wait for him to come back cause I thought it was up in the rafters. We went for a little hunt in the garage to find little plump kitty # 3 under our shelves.
Now here's my dilemma, I really want to take him in, but his momma has obviously been feeding him. I'm sure she's around wondering what I've done with her baby. But, on the flip side, chances are he would just end up being another stray cat in the neighborhood. He needs a home right? What to do? Oh and the contest...I still want to have it, but since I only have three entries I think I'll let it go till the end of the month. That way we can see how the kitten saga will end. Sorry to those of you who have given their suggestions already, there is still one I'm VERY fond of. As it stands now, he's been fed some water, and has a nice warm fleece lined box to sleep in on my front porch. I really kinda hope he's still there in the morning.
Such drama on a Wednesday night!

Can you feel the heat yet?

2007-06-13T15:36:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I noticed the new Knitty before they even sent out the e-mail and I am absolutely casting this on tonight Love. It. Plus it's a little reward for myself since I've lost 8 pounds since my "get fit" plan. I love the shaping at the neck. Now I just need to figure out what I am going to make it out of. I have a cotton nylon blend that will definitely work, but it's off white, and I'm not too sure 8 pounds is enough to pull of white just yet. I also have some sage green in the stash( elann sonata) but I'm not sure about getting gauge with it. I did some stash swimming today, so I'm sure I'll come up with something. Speaking of swimming..it's frickin' hot in these parts, and I think the kids and I are going for a swim really soon.
Note to self: Purchase air conditioning.Fast.

New Knitty!

2007-06-11T15:26:00.000-04:00

New Knitty is up! New Knitty is up! Alhough there are a few things I probably am not crazy about, there are 3 or 4 things I'd love to make right now.I'll come back and talk about what I just casted on this week.. Yay! Summer Knitty

Very Very Sad

2007-06-05T13:55:00.000-04:00

I'm very sad today because I have to tell everyone that both kitties have gone to kitty heaven. I fed and loved and pretended to be mama for them, but they were too little and too weak to fight whatever illness came over them. It breaks my heart, so much so, that we've decided to go to the humane society and adopt another. I had already grown really attached to them, and they had already become part of the family. I am still going to honor my contest though, since I will still need a name for our new Kitty to be. but...I will extend it until Friday because I'd like to go see what beautiful kittens they have at the SPCA. One name in particular has really tickled my fancy, and I actually went so far as to use it on one of the kittens...I'm not telling yet though. There still may be another name I like just as much out there in the brains of you knitters. It's silly I know to be so sad for little kittens that really didn't have alot of chance to begin with since they were abandoned, but I feel like I'm grieving the loss of a long time pet(s). I'll check in if we adopt a new kitten this week!

Useless stuff

2007-05-30T01:20:00.000-04:00

You Are a Ring Finger

You are romantic, expressive, and hopeful. You see the best in everything.You are very artistic, and you see the world as your canvas. You are also drawn to the written word.Inventive and unique, you are often away in your own inner world.
You get along well with: The Pinky
Stay away from: The Index Finger

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatfingerareyouquiz/">What Finger Are You?

Mama and babies are doing fine..

2007-05-27T14:06:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems mama kitty came back and took the thriving kitten of the litter, and abandoned the other two for me to look after. They are precious, and I think have already identified me as mama the food giver. I went to the vet and bought some kitten milk replacement formula for them, and I have been bottle feeding them for the last two days. One eats better than the other, but they are both coming along. I also learned that you have to help them "evacuate" their bladders and intestines manually. FUN STUFF going on here chez Stickchicky. Mr.Man finally caved and said I could keep them if I wanted. YAY! I have really missed having pets since we've been together.(He never once had a pet as a child).

He battled hard on the subject, but eventually the queen of the castle won.

Aren't they just precious?
Now knit blog world, I need some name suggestions! The grey one is male, and the white and grey spotty one is female. Any ideas? Hmmm..lets make this a contest!
I'll pick something lovely out of my ever growing stash and give it to the winner(s) who suggest my favorite names. Just leave me a comment before midnight June 5th, and I'll enter you in the draw!
On another note of pure joy, I have completed Icarus II that I was kniting as a gift for a co-worker getting married this July. She is wearing it with her wedding gown!
It turned out better than I had hoped.

I knit it with some 70% silk/30% cashmere laceweight held double from Colourmart ( a fantastic seller on E-Bay) on 3.75 mm needles. I started in February, and finished last week.
This laceweight was extremely fine so rather than attempt this with thread, I doubled it. It is so soft, and has such a wonderful drape and shine! I am 100% thrilled. Now I need one for me!

He Had a Surprise For Me

2007-05-25T17:22:00.000-04:00

I just got off of a graveyard shift, and my husband woke me up about an hour ago telling me he had a surprise for me in the garage. I sprang out of bed wondering what the heck he was talking about.
"Go look on the couch" he said (yes we have a couch in our insulated heated garage)(tv's too, but that's another story). So...I walked over and looked. Nothing, I couldn't for the life of me see what on God's earth he was talking about. "Look closer" he said. I kept on looking until I peered into the corner of the couch, and this is what I saw:

Look closer........

Three baby kittens! They are the cutest little things I have ever seen! Marc scared away mum, and we are really hoping she will come back. I'm making a very un-educated guess that they are only about a week, maybe two, tops. Their little eyes are still glued shut, and their little mews are barely audible.
I know they really need momma cat right now, but I think she's too scared to come around. So with gloved hands, I carefully put them in a little fleece lined box and put them on the side of the garage in a warm sunny spot. I also put a bowl of food out for the mum so she'll come back. Her babies need some milk..and soon! I am green to all of this. Over my life I have had many, beloved pets (mostly dogs, but also a couple of cats) but they were already weaned from their mothers. So, I'm putting it out into the blogosphere, to see what I should do. Baby formula? we have lots of that...eye droppers? a bowl? I have no idea. Anyone? HELP!!!!
We'll talk about the conversation I had with M.Man about keeping them later...

Work Sucks

2007-05-22T07:34:00.000-04:00

NO TIME TO BLOG. I REALLY HATE THAT. I PROMISE TO BE BACK REALLY SOON.

Too Weird

2007-05-08T20:39:00.000-04:00

I think my computer had a fit last night or something cause I wasn't able to load anything I wanted. Although the header is a little ahem large(and I can't figure out where in the code I can adjust the size) the blog is still intact. I have so many things to talk about but not enough brain scynchonization to write about so I am copping out today. I found this on another blog I read and I thought it was neat:

Mark with bold the things you have ever knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn ( no but I have spun some)
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book(in the works)
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding (doing this right now)
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies...)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on magic loop
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teach a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Pretty scary that I have tackled almost all of these. Who knew?

Does it work?

2007-05-07T23:55:00.000-04:00

This is a test to see if I still have a blog. My computer tells me the web page is invalid???

I really tried

2007-05-04T12:45:00.000-04:00

I have a half descent digital camera..(Fuji Fine Pix e510) and usually I'm able to capture my subject quite nicely, but I've been having a bear of a time getting a good shot of a modeled Gathering Intentions, hence no post about it lately.
Leave it to my 2 year old daughter to get the best shot. I kinda look like a cow in it, but it shows the sweater pretty well. I also have a new (well 40 years old but new to me) dress form for which to size shape and block all of my items. It has been in my garage FOREVER courtesy of my husband's grandmother (who used to own our house) and I just remembered this week that we had it. Yay me!! On other YAY news, I got my hair cut today. I am so pleased with it I cannot tell you. I've finally found a hairdresser that understood what I wanted and did exactly that. I have some before and after shots for you as well.

Here's me this morning before going out for my haircut.....

And Here's me after the cut...quite happy about it!!
I have always liked changing up my hair frequently, but my husband has this strange guy thing about girls with long hair. So, I let it grow...and grow...until I just couldn't take it anymore. Moms of four need quick in the shower out the door hair cuts. I sent The Man to do the groceries while I had my cut done, and when I walked into the store he smiled and said my hair was hot. Hot? I'm not sure he's ever referred to my hair as hot, but I'm guessing it's a good thing.
Let's see...what else is new...Oh yeah I almost forgot to mention that I have started a new blog about my weight loss journey here.
Come on by and visit if you are so inclined. It's still in the very baby stages of a blog, but I thought that rather than bore my knitting content related readers, I would set up shop somewhere else to chronicle my weight loss project.
Happy Friday everyone...get out and enjoy the sun!

Yesterday I cried a little

2007-04-26T08:18:00.000-04:00

I didn't get much knitting done yesterday. Not because I didn't want to, but because I was busy chasing my little man around the house trying to make sure he kept something attached to his face. I didn't think it would affect me as much as it does, but I have to say I cried a little bit. Not because I feel sorry for him, or because I don't like the way he looks, but because he had changed. I would never see his face the same way again..his pudgy cheeked , full on grin, eyes that sparkle when he laughs face. My Kaeleb face. One that no-one in else in world has. But now ...it's different.He got his first glasses this week. At 19 months. And it is probable that he will wear them every waking moment of his life from now on. Maybe I feel guilty ..Man! why can't I stop crying!!! His condition is most likely hereditary. Which means out of my four children, my baby..the one that had to endure so much already in his little life is the unfortunate one, the one that will have to undergo eye surgery down the road, and the one that has to wear glasses for the rest of his life...just like his dad. My husband feels sick about it, and he of all people knows what it's like. He started crying as soon as we left the optometrist. We are both just being big cry-babies right now. Maybe it's just mourning the loss of that baby face we grew so accustomed to. So ... we took pictures... lots and lots of pictures. I won't show them all here, but there are a couple of favorites I can show

That last one was easter weekend, and I love how blue his eyes look . All in all it really isn't such a bad thing because after all he can see better right? I guess that is all that matters.
Hopefully tommorow, some more knitting content. I'm halfway through my "Large Rectangle " stole, and I'm worried about running out of sea silk. Dun Dun DUnnnnn...What will I do then?

So Cool!

2007-04-24T14:27:00.000-04:00

Takin' Care of Business

2007-04-23T11:26:00.000-04:00

I joined the Knitter's Coffee Swap for the first time, and I need to post some answers to questions, so I don't get a box full of chic peas and pepto Red Heart..so here goes

1.Whole Bean Or Ground? I would have to say ground...I wish I had a grinder to grind my own..but I just let Tim Horton's do it for me. More time for knitting that way.

2 Fully Loaded or Decaf? Definitely fully loaded for this gal. All I have to say is 4 kids under 11 and a full time job.....

3.Regular or flavoured? Hmm this one is tougher, cause I love both. My favorite flavored is by far any vanilla variety, I once was gifted a vanilla caramel flavor that was to die for. But for everyday use..I'd say a good strong blend is my mainstay.

4. How do you drink your coffee? This one is easy...Extra Large Triple Triple ( that's for all of you Canadian folks)I don't drink alot of alcohol, or eat a lot of junk, but I do not skimp on my coffee. It's my one treat of the day that I don't compromise on, even if I'm dieting. I find the best cream I can, and a spoon or two of cane sugar, and that's about it. I do lighten up on the sugar when I drink flavored coffees though, cause I find it masks the flavor a little.

5.Favorite Coffee Ever? No favorites here, as long as it contains caffeine I'm in.

6. Are you fussy about your coffee, or will any old bean do? See above..although I would have to amend that to say I don't do well with highly acidic coffees...my body yells at me when I drink them.

7.Favorite Treats to have with your coffee? My favorite coffee treat ..cinnamon crunchy rolls...you know the kind with pastry rolled into little mini crunchy brown sugary, cinnamony heaven. Those are the ones. A good cookie is also a close second.

8.Anything else about your coffee preferences? I think I've about covered it.

9.Yarn/fibre you love? Anything natural, ie wool, cotton, alpaca, silk, llama.

10. Yarn Fibre you hate? I really don't hate any yarn, but I use very little acrylic/synthetic. On the rare occasion I do, it's usually a baby project(with the yarn chosen by someone else)

11.What's on your needles. HA HA! That's a good one, got an hour? There are at least 15-20 of them, but the ones I am working on the most are Icarus II , My stole from Victorian Lace(which I plan to talk about later), and about 4 or 5 pairs of socks. The rest have been sitting and languishing in the pile.

12. Favorite colours? Lately it's been greens(any green but fluorescent) and natural charcoals, greys, creams. I do also have a love affair lately with reds of all kinds.

13. Any Allergies? Only Codeine, and bee stings.

14. Anything you really love, really dislike, or just want to get off your chest?. Ummm... I can't think of anything specific, but if it pops into my brain I'll be sure to let you know!

I'm putting together another post for tonight about what I've been up to, but I've been on the computer for about an hour already, so I'll post more later.

Happy monday!

So Much to say..Too Little Time

2007-04-19T19:20:00.000-04:00

I have had a really hard couple of weeks at work, and to be honest I'm totally drained, but now, I have seven days off, and it feels FANTASTIC! I really have slacked on blogging, but when a million things are pulling you a million directions, some things get left on the side lines. Now that I have some time off, and the weather has finally improved to more spring-like conditions, I finally feel a little rejuvenated. Gathering Intentions is Done(all except for the I cord ties) and it fits pretty well, considering I have a slightly warped notion that a regular large still fits me. It came out just a touch shorter than I had hoped, but I think another wet block may fix that problem. The only modifications I made were the collar( I didn't want it quite as close to my chin as the model) and the sleeve tie has a cable all the way to the cuff cause I really screwed up when I thought it would be a good idea to do both sleeves at once. Reading directions BEFORE you start really is a good plan. Turns out the left sleeve was to have st st for the first cable repeat to make room for the i-cord ties, but dumb- ass me, in a hurry to finish this baby started both sleeves at the same time, and knit them both exactly the same. DUH. I will jimmy something up, and no-one will be the wiser. The shots I took today are not the finest quality, but once I do another blocking, I'll have the man do a photo shoot .
I'll call this one...99% done sweater on a kitchen table

I have also started a new project with my most prized of stash ( 1 skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk).
I just received Victorian Lace Today in the mail this week, and it was just the inspiration I needed to finally cast on with this yarn that I am completely in love with.

The colours are the most beautiful gold, sea foam green, copper, wine, sage all combined in the perfect way . The picture doesn't really do it justice, but it was as close as I could get. It is so soft I would swim in it. Some people have commented that it has a weird smell, but I haven't noticed any odor at all. I won't give away which pattern I'm doing until I decide if it will work or not, but I can say it is destined to become a scarf/wrap for my SIL's wedding next fall. I am standing in her wedding, and her colours will be gold and copper, so I think this will be the perfect fit for my cold shoulders in September. Speaking of this wedding, I have come to the realization that I have just gotten way too fat. So I am challenging myself to lose 25 lbs before September. It's been a while since I've stood in a wedding, and I certainly don't want to be remembered as the "Fat Bridesmaid". I've never been one to really diet, but my plan is to cut out white stuff ( breads flours, pasta sugar) drink tons of water, and get out for some form of exercise each day.
Oh and before I forget, go check out this blog. Some really great Karma going on there, and one of my favorite bloggers is one of the blog moms. Cool chicks I tell ya, Cool chicks.

GRRRRRR

2007-03-27T21:21:00.000-04:00

You never know how much you miss the internet until you don't have it. We were hit by lightning 2 days ago, and I am just finally getting back online. Be back soon!

Winners!

2007-03-23T00:14:00.000-04:00

I know I said I wasn't going to draw until tommorrow morning, but I'm still up, so what the heck right?My trusty Mr.Man got a kick out of being the official number picker for the contest. I am so pleased at the turnout! I hope you all come back and visit every now and then. I got a real kick out of reading all of the comments. Melissa of is the winner of the must be nice cause I bought it twice book, and Karen wins the yarn. This contest stuff is really fun, I think I may have to do it more often. It feels great to give stuff away no? Karen I need your e-mail address so I can send you some stuff! Melissa, I've already sent you an e-mail. Congrats ladies, and knit on!

Ask and Ye shall recieve

2007-03-21T11:39:00.000-04:00

Ok so I guess this is turning out to be a real contest afterall, so I'm adding another prize so I can spread the ~~dumb assedness~~ love around. A big thank you to Chris for mentioning my contest on her blog. Reading all of your comments today is a ball of fun! Keep em coming. The sock yarn is Four Seasons Hot Socks Sockenwolle in colour 287, and the other yarn is a local treasure Manitoulin Yarns Wooly Harvest in some purpely/blues. I'm almost done my Gathering Intentions, so I hope to be able to post a photo by this weekend! Yay!! Have a great Wednesday everyone.

Vacationland

2007-03-19T18:04:00.000-04:00

So, apparently, no one reads this blog, or everybody already has the book I'm giving away, cause only two of you have left comments! Cummon guys! Show me some love....I may even throw in a little something soft and squishy to knit with. Just leave a comment between now and Thursday night at 11 pm EST (cause that is about my bedtime) and I'll do a drawing on Friday. There, now that that is out of the way, I can talk about my wonderful little mini getaway.
First, some yarn *porn*:

The top photo is 2 skeins of Apple Laine Sock yarn in Winter's Dawn colourway; 1 Skein of Misti Alpaca Laceweight
Next up, A new book....Very cute stuff to knit for the guy in your life, and a pair of socks that I knit entirely on my trip (that must have been a record)
And Finally, the Piece de Resistance......A luscious silky skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk, and a sliver of Fleece Artist Silk Merino roving. YUMMMM!!!!!
Does anyone have a fantastic pattern for a single lonely skein of Sea Silk? It has to be special..I really love this stuff, but at $38/100 grams, I'm afraid to knit with it.
Suggestions Please!
Our Trip was great. No traffic on the way there, sunny skies, and about 10 degrees celcius. Perfect!

My mom had home-made meatloaf ready for us when we arrived, and it was sooooo good.
Marc and I managed to get out to the casino, just so we could lose all our money, butwe had a blast anyway. This was our first time out sans enfant since May of last year. We really need to get out more. Being the week of the dumb ass, I forgot to take my camera, so alas, no photos of the festivities. Wednesday, we shopped, and shopped till the kids couldn't take it anymore. Let's just say, thank God for IKEA ball pits. The end result of the little shopping spree, is that I decided my bathroom needed a complete remodeling all based around a really pretty shower curtain I bought. Marc was thrilled.....*not* So, this week is all about the paint, and fixtures, and bathmats to match. It's only a couple of days work, with really big pay off.

As for knitting, as you can see, I managed to knit an entire pair of socks on the trip. Gathering Intentions also saw a little face time, hopefully it will be done by next weekend. Just in time for me to return to work. Wahhhhh!

Since I'm so dumb, I'll have a contest!

2007-03-18T20:56:00.000-04:00

Well not really a contest, but more like a giveaway, cause I have got to be the stupidest Amazon Shopper in the world! I bought myself two of these :

I thought I was being all smart using the one click shopping, until I was sent two invoices for the same book! Anyways, rather than cry about it, I will share the love, so I will randomly choose one person to win this lovely book. All comments left before 11pm EST Thursday March 22 will be entered into the draw.
I've also got lots to tell you about my trip, but I'm painting my bathroom at the moment, and was just stopping for a quick break. More tommorrow!

A Trip!

2007-03-11T12:02:00.000-04:00

I am really exited for the coming week. We are going to Ottawa to visit with my parents, and I can't wait. Real Yarn Shops! With the kids being off for spring break, and me being off on sick leave we thought it would be the perfect time to get away and recharge our batteries. The only dissapointment is that the Rideau Canal closes today. I'm a little bummed about that, since I wanted to bring the kids for a skate, but I guess sinking through the ice really wouldn't be much fun anyway. I did however promise my Josh (my 6 yr old) that we would make a special trip for a Beaver Tail. He had a bite or two as a baby when we lived in Ottawa, but doesn't remember, and he can't wrap his head around how we could possibly eat the tail of a beaver. He'll soon see how one cannot live without this gooey, sugary most wonderful taste of the Capital. I have big plans to surprise Mr.Man with a romantic night to ourselves at a really nice hotel. We really need the break, and since we didn't really celebrate on Valentine's day, I plan to make up for it. Mom is going to babysit ( I hope) and we may even get to sleep in. Can't wait! Cant wait! Can't wait!

I Bet Ya Didn't Know

2007-03-03T20:15:00.000-05:00

I'm not too sure if I've ever mentioned it before or not, but I make wedding cakes. It's just a little something I do on the side for some extra cash. I wish I could do it full time, but I'm not sure my nerves could handle it. Making someone's wedding cake is a very special thing. There are few "traditional" wedding ceremonies left, but cake cutting seems to be one that has stuck. If you screw up someone's wedding cake, you are jeopardizing part of thier "Day". This always haunts me when I'm travelling to the reception site, wondering if my days of baking and preparation will go flying with every bump. Today was no different, and I did have a minor mishap, but all is well now. My centre tier took a little nose-dive into the cake box during travel, but nothing my little kit of icing bags couldn't fix. Here's the cake as it was when I left the hall.....let's hope nobody stuck their thumb in it before the bride arrived. Not a perfect cake by any means, but pretty candlelight and dim lights hide all sins right?

One Word Friday

2007-03-02T08:36:00.000-05:00

One Word for Today

SNOW DAY!!!!

A Very Special Job

2007-03-01T10:07:00.000-05:00

Mr. Man's family is French Canadian, and with that comes a whole slew of traditions I had never heard of. My sister in law is getting married next September, and I have been asked as the "resident knitter" of the family to do a very special job. There is a wedding tradition ( look under Canada scroll down half a page, I'll wait) which involves me knitting the longest ugliest socks I have ever created, for my brother in law. I can't wait !! I figure I'll use up alot of my uber-colorful sock yarn left-overs. I may even add some jingle bells, sequins, beads etc to make things interesting. And I have a year and a half to do them! That should be manageable I hope. In other funny random things, I was reading The Harlot's blog the other day and read about a nasty e-mailer she's been dealing with. I thought it might be funny to show you this list of other "Canadian" words. I'm feeling much better today than I was last time I posted. I'm still really sore in the navel area, but I'm told that is to be expected. No more gall stones though! I'm off to catch a few minutes in my knitting chair. Nothing beats Tim Horton's and sock knitting!

All you need is Yarn

2007-02-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

You know when you are having a miserable week, and you can't quite put your finger on what it is you need to make you feel better, or what the heck that craving is for? I was having a week like that until today. Marc walked on down to the mailbox today and brought me the best pick me up I could have asked for! My Secret Pal totally rocks! Her package could not have come on a better day. What better to fix a craving than sock yarn? Enough for 3 pairs!,Cherry Tree Hill in Indian Summer Colourway, some C*eye*ber fibre and some Canadian Colours Regia, some perfect little dpn's, the cutest keychain Hello Kitty mini scissors (a girl can never have enough scissors) oh wait! that's not all, Some really cool stitch markers (Boye) that you can leave open, or snap closed in a great little case, a tape measure set, row counters, and the best little washcloth I have ever seen. I think It's from Mason Dixon Knitting if I'm not mistaken. I LOVE IT!!! Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Deirdre....you made my whole week.

Ouch!

2007-02-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

So...I'm back from the hospital, in one piece ..well minus a piece, but alive and well none the less. I am in considerable pain, I can't stand up without help, and I can't pick up anything heavier than my coffee cup, but I am happy to say that my gall bladder will no longer cause me anymore agony.
The folks at the hospital were great even though I caused them a little more of a stressful day when I stopped breathing a couple of times, but all is well now. Wanna see some pictures?
If you are a little sensitive to photos with incision content, please avert your eyes, It's really not too bad to look at though considering my bloated belly is the most heinous part..

Those are three of the four cuts they made (the other one is in the belly button)
I'm told I should be back to normal in a week. Let's hope that's the case cause it hurts like hell right now. I have been knitting a bit on some socks, but anything requiring more than plain stockinette will have to wait. The drugs make me really loopy, and totally incapable of following a pattern.
Time for a little lie down I think. Night all.

Needle Love

2007-02-16T12:37:00.000-05:00

I am a happy camper today. I just got my hands on some of these
and I couldn't be more thrilled. Finally after a ton of feedback, Addi has come through BIG TIME!! I only own a few Addi circulars, but they always seem to be the ones I turn to for comfort knitting . You just can't beat em'(while Knitpicks is really close). I do love the knitpicks needles, and have bought 3 or 4 sizes of their options circulars, but I have had 2 cables come apart on me. Addi to the rescue! I now am the proud owner of size 1 addi circulars (2 sets for my 2 socks on 2 circs)with nice pointy tips, and smooth lovely joints Hooray!! I have some FO's to speak of, but no pictures yet. They're just socks anyways, but I have 2 pair done so far, so I can cross them of the list. My Cherry Tree hill anklet socks, and a pair of STR G-rocks socks that weren't even on the list. They match my PJ's for the hospital, so I wanted to motor through them to wear when I'm there. Nurses love to knit, and I know they will appreciate my nice hand knit socks! This is my first time trying STR and I do have to say I'm thrilled about it too. Squishy, sproingy cushy yarn, that is dyed to perfection. I love it almost as much as Cherry Tree Hill (which has now become my mainstay sock yarn). I find The STR slightly thicker than CTH, which makes for a slightly denser fabric on my 2 mm needles, but it isn't quite as silky as CTH. I guess I like a little shine to my sock yarn. I love it anyways, and I'm sure I will buy more. I also bought some STR in the Terra Firma colourway, which is destined to become some socks for The Man. 3 Days and counting till I get this rotten little gall bladder out. Can't wait to be relieved of the agony it's causing me. Since I don't have any FO photos to show you, I'll pull one out of the album that I think is really cool. This is a wall hanging made completely out of silk ribbon, and woven over a mirror. I thought it was fantastic. It is hanging in a ribbon store on Queen St. in Toronto. Fabulous No?

I Hate Hospitals

2007-02-13T11:19:00.000-05:00

Today I return (for the 3rd time) to the hospital for my pre-op tests. Yippee Skippee more poking and proding! The funny thing is, I was a nurse for 6 years, and I now currently work for our national blood service, but I detest having blood removed from my body. I bruise easily, and my arms are always left mangled. The big day for surgery is next Tuesday, so I'm sure there will be much more where that came from. As long as it doesn't hinder my ability to knit I suppose I can survive right? Wish me luck, I'll catch y'all tommorow.

Sad But True

2007-02-07T22:18:00.000-05:00

I haven't been well lately, as some of you who read regularily know, and today I got some disturbing news....apparently, there are gall stones almost the size of golf balls trying to push themselves out of my gall bladder. No wonder I've been in such agony! My doctor phoned me today to confirm what I suspected, and to have me come in tommorow to set a surgery date in the very near future. Fun times!! The plus side to all of this is, I'll be laid up for a while, and I'll be able to start finishing up some of that ginormous list of projects I have on the go. I hope to be bed-ridden for at least a few days, so...Mr.Man has no choice but to let me sit and knit to my little heart's content. Oh...did I also mention that I get 3 weeks off work? No? Well that rocks as well. All of these health issues though have made me wake up and realize I need to take better care of my body. No more sugar filled, high fat foods for me. I plan on making this a good excuse to get off my ass and get healthy. If it wasn't -35 here most of the time I would have started walking some more by now, but It's just too cold. Skin freezes fast around here.
I have managed to knock off a couple of things from my "to knit" list. My Cherry tree hill socks are all but done, just the last inch of cuff on the second one, and I have managed to finish the sleeves of my Gathering Intentions Sweater. Hopefully I can get the front done while I'm in the hospital, so I can have a coming home squishy warm sweater to wear in our outrageous temperatures here. I also want to thank all of you for your suggestions on yarn choices for Cromarty. After reading Wendy's post, I went and ordered the Celtic Collection book right away. Once Gathering Intenetions is finished, she will be my next knit. I'm not usually much of a bandwagon knitter, but as soon as I saw that sweater, I knew it had to be mine! Now if I could just decide what I want to knit it with. I was thinking Elann's Devon yarn, but not sure. Any thoughts? So..I'm of to pop some good drugs so that I can sleep tonight without pain that would want to make you poke your eyes out. Night all.

Getting organized

2007-01-31T00:41:00.000-05:00

I was thinking alot about all of my unfinished projects the other day, and decided it really was getting out of hand. I have resigned myself to the fact that I am a great starter, and not such a great finisher. My list may not be as long as yours, but I think I could give alot of you a run for your money. So..I'm putting it out there, for all to see, so I can keep better track of finishing things, and actually start finishing stuff. I'm designating Tuesdays for UFO's. Here's the list

Pink Butterfly beaded scarf - half done
Pomotamous socks- 1 sock done the other OTN and completed cuff
Gathering Intentions Sweater - Back done, 2 sleeves, half done
Lorna's Laces Jaywalkers - 2 at a time half done
Shell socks from Knitting Vintage Socks- 1 sock done other not even started
Plain Vanilla Socks for Mr.Man -1 sock done, other not started yet
Apple Tree Shawl (my own design) -1/3 done
Icarus II wedding shawl for a co-worker- done 4 repeats of the first chart.
Snowdrop Shawl - need 1 more repeat and a border
Comfy Cardi (my own design)- Back ,1 front and 1 sleeve done
Lizard Ridge blanket- 2 squares done
Cherry Tree Hill socks for me -1 sock 1/3 done
Cotton Cabled Tank from Summer Cast-On 3/4 done

I'm sure there's a few more tucked away in the deep deep crevasse known as the knitting closet, but I can't remember right now.
Now which ones to finish first??

I Shall Oblige

2007-01-28T11:18:00.000-05:00

I have been really remiss in posting some photos of stuff I've been working on, so ..since my secret pal asked so nicely, I'll post a pic or
two. Here are some plain vanilla socks done two at a time on circulars YAY!!! I conquered that one! As well, we have some yummilicious sock yarn aquisitions, Lorna's Laces Sheperd sock in Watercolour, and Fall Leaves(below). I already have the fall leaves on the needles(2 at a time again) but as Jaywalkers . I'm not sure how I'm liking the colour pooling that is going on, but I'll have to see. The last shot is of the back of my Gathering Intenetions sweater by Fiona Ellis. What a great satisfying cable knit. The arems are about 1/3 done as well, but they look just like sleeves, so I didn't take a picture yet. Hopefully the next time I post about this sweater I will be wearing it. As for all of my ailments, it looks like I have Pneumonia. Lovely predicament isn't it? Not much they can do for me except insist t hat I rest alot. Mr. Man has been pretty understanding, and even though he is working full time as well, he is making extra effort to make sure I'm getting enough sleep. I caught a gem I tell ya. So...I'm off to take a little lie down. Happy Sunday everyone.

Well Over Due

2007-01-25T01:20:00.000-05:00

I'm really overdue for a post or ten...sorry to the three regulars I get over here in Stickchicky land. I have so many things to post about, but most require picture which I haven't had the stamina to take lately. Work is kicking my butt....not to mention a house full of sick people. Me being one of them. I've had this nasty little on again off again cold going on since November that I can't seem to shake. There has been knitting though. I did manage to finish a couple of pairs of socks, and am about half-way through my Gathering Intentions sweater. Overnight work certainly does provide for a lot of knitting time, just not so much family time, and daylight hours.
Once spring rolls around I'm sure my sniffly nose tired shell of a body will finally be back to normal. Any good home remedies out there to stave off the cold?. I've tried every drug store concoction known to man, and I just think my body feels like staging a revolt against anything artificial these days. While I've got ya here, go check out my lovely former Secret Pal spoiler Jae's blog. She's knit-a-thoning for a really great cause. Help a girl out wontcha?

Hot Damn! I'm raisin' Knitters!

2007-01-06T18:58:00.000-05:00

There is a joy in my heart this moment, that I'm sure a few of you can relate to. As of 5 minutes ago, my middle baby Josh(6yrs old) became a knitter. I was knitting away on a sweater (more on that later) and he out of the blue said "mom can you show me how to knit?"
This coming from the lips of my Alpha male "I never want to knit" son, who's life revolves around hockey, video games and wrestling acation figures. He had on many occasions let me know in no uncertain terms that boys who knit are wimps, and that the fact that his brother knits was "dumb". He had no interest, despite the fact that I kept reminding him that I would show him how any time he asked. Well tonight, I jumped out of my chair mid row and presented him with some yarn and needles like any good knittin' mom would do, and withing 5 sts, he was whinig for me to just let him do it by himself. We are now12 rows into a garter stitch scarf right now for which I have only had to pick up 2 sts so far. How amazing is that? He learned even faster than my 10 year old ( he is a lefty though). I am such a proud momma. I guess the knitting gene does rub off a little.
Here he is in all of his knitterly glory. Mr. Independant himself.....

Now, as for the sweater I was talking about, I recieved, Inspired Cable Knits by Fiona Ellis from my sister for Christmas, and I have begun a sweater. ....wait for it.....wait.....FOR MYSELF!!
I am so in love with this sweater, it better fit me! I've put on a few pounds since thanksgiving, and it is really ticking me off. Nothing fits anymore. I should join a run along like the 100M before April fools day or something. Then again that would seriously cut in on knitting time.
Sooner or later I'll get my sorry big butt off the knitting chair, just not this week. I'm too into my sweater.

Holy Hoopla!

2006-12-29T13:11:00.000-05:00

Now that the hoopla which is Christmas is done, I thought I'd do a little post in pictures. The kids had a blast this year. It took us about 2 hours to open gifts, but once done we all shared some champagne and OJ to celebrate.
I do also owe some pictures of Secret pal gifts, and a lovely roving pic of some Alpaca spunky eclectic sent to me by my spinning roving swap pal, but that will have to wait until tommorrow.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday full of yarny goodness, and lots of knitting time.
Let the Carnage begin

Sis and the kids

First Gift

All tuckered out with uncle Dave

Wow.

2006-12-13T16:05:00.000-05:00

I mozied on down to my mailbox this aft, after a long sleep (I worked last night) and
found a FABULOUS package there sent from my Secret Pal. She sure is keeping herself a big secret. It was a box full of Lantern Moon goodies. I'll post pics as soon as the rain goes away and I have a little light. Thanks a bunch pal.....you made my whole week.

This is Interesting

2006-12-12T21:37:00.000-05:00

Even though I don't live in the atates, I thought I'd just see out of curiosity how many of "me" there are kickin' around the US. Turns out there's a few.

Interesting....very interesting.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
29
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Looking Up

2006-12-05T17:48:00.000-05:00

After my fiasco of a week last week, things are finally looking up. There are some wonderful people in this world, and for you, I wish to say thank you. There have been several little acts of kindness bestowed upon me in the last couple of days. I have an angel in Nova Scotia, who is sending me a much anticipated scarf for the ISE3 exchange. And my wonderful former Secret Pal spoiler Jae offered to save my sorry butt with some Bernat Softee Chunky. Luckily she didn't have to, since I was able to get my mom to track some down, but just the offer was enough to lift my spirits. That girl is a gem I tell ya. My whining last post wasn't intended to make anyone feel sorry for me, I was just venting some frustration. This week is much better. Sweaters are being knit, and socks are getting their mates. For some reason I feel like I'm accomplishing alot. I have this sudden urge to tie up all of my loose ends before the new year. Very productive thinking gives very productive results I guess.
There was one other incident last week I forgot to tel you all about. It was so shocking at the moment it happened I didn't know what to say. Now it sounds funny, but at the time it was infuriating.
Sunday I decided to cook a nice big roasted chicken , some nice creamy mashed potatoes, grilled veggies, and a scrumptious pumpkin banana torte for supper. It was just starting to smell good, when I opened the oven to baste the chicken,( cause y'all know how nasty dry chicken tastes) and I dipped the baster in the drippings and poured some over the chicken. All of a sudden I herd a big crack then a POP! My glass pyrex baking dish exploded everywhere and shot glass all over the kitchen and everywhere inside the oven. Kaeleb was sitting in his highchair watching it all happen, and was laughing hysterically. Little did he know that it could have turned out much differently had a shard of glass hit him. Not sure what I was thinking, but I immediately pulled out the camera and started taking pictures. I wanted Pyrex to see what their stupid baking dish did to my delicious, well deserved dinner. In the end I got it all cleaned up, and managed to cook the chicken ( well washed and scoured for shards of glass of course) the rest of the time in my little convection oven. Not quite the same, but it still tasted good.
The dessert never got made, (I was exausted at this point) but we had a great meal in the end.
Here's a photo of the chicken in the oven just after it exploded..

Take a chill pill...

2006-11-27T18:34:00.000-05:00

RANT ( If you don't have the patience, wanted knitting content, or just don't care.please scroll down to skip my little PMS induced rant)

This was in my inbox this evening after I returned from the bathroom after having cleaned up vomit from my 2 year old and 6 yr old.

Hi Sarah
"I was going through blogs of my participants, and noticed you only have three entries for November. Pleas remember that one of the rules for this round of Secret Pal is at least 4 entries per month. Let me know if you are having any problems."

It seems I have only posted three times this month, and have been reminded to post a little more here as part of the Secret Pal 9 exchange. I guess life is just crazy, and I haven't really had blogging set too high as a priority. So far this Secret pal exchange has been great for me, save for the constant "reminders" to do this or that from moderators. Because of this, I think that this will be my last Secret pal exchange for a while . I mean, come on... we are all grown- ups here. I post as often as time permits, and to be frank...this is MY journal. I guess I just don't like being told what to do. I suppose I wouldn't have such a problem with all of this if I had been slacking sending surprises, posting thank-you's to my secret pal, and completely ignoring my blog. But as you can see folks, that's not the case. Heck and the month isn't even over. I thought I had three more days to meet the four posts a month quota. When did these Secret Pals become so hard core? Aren't we supposed to be enjoying this? I love spoiling people with little surprises, just because. Don't get me wrong, I also love recieving mail as well. It makes my life better to go to the mail box and find an unexpected parcel waiting. I know some who may read this may be offended but since I'm not one to usually speak up when something is bothering me, and found the need to post this here, it must not be just me who feels this way. Rest assured ...I am not going to flake on my "Secret Pal Responsibility" even though I myself in previous (recent) exchanges have been "flaked on " quite a bit. I just chalk it up to experience, and am thankful I get to meet so many cool people through this forum. Lighten up people...Secret Pal is supposed to be fun.

PS: My spoiler this round is totally cool. I hope she doesn't think this is in any way connected to her.

Rant over, on to knitting content. The two kiddo sweaters I was talking about before are almost done, but I have run into an un-imaginable snag with my little boy one. I RAN OUT OF YARN.
My city is bare. There is not one store around that has it. I don't usually knit with acrylic other than for charity or baby items, but Bernat Softee Chunky matched guage perfectly. There is no more of this color to be had anywhere!. These are Christmas gift commissioned knits people, how could you run out of stock like this at such a time? If anyone out there can point me to an online retailer who can get it to me quick...I'd love to know. The color is Grey Heather and in case your eyes closed when I wrote that it was acrylic, it's Bernat Softee Chunky.
May the Lord be with me.....I need to find this yarn.

One day at a time

2006-11-18T16:42:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been finding myself incredibly stressed out, and not enjoying my knitting so much ( with the exception of my Cherry Tree Hill sock). As I sat at my desk last night at three o'clock in the morning (at work) I started thinking about this. Perhaps it's because I've just gone back to work after a 2 year baby making hiatus, perhaps the lack of sleep I've been getting lately, or maybe even the stress of making a picture perfect Christmas for my 4 kids is it. I'm not too sure. Then It hit me...I'm knitting an awful lot of things for other people (commissioned jobs) and they are all due before Christmas. I've come to the realization that I hate knitting deadlines. I know I have plenty of time to finish the three sweaters (2 kids 1 XL adult), and yet they are the last things on the earth I want to knit. Not the yarn I chose, not the colours I chose, and not even the pattern. (although the kids sweaters are really cute ones from Louisa Harding's Miss Bea's series). On top of all that I have my own holiday gift knitting to finish up. Why do we do these things to ourselves? Forget the fact that I'm trying to finish up writing my own book. I think I need a holiday from knitting...or at least I'll need a really big one once the holidays are over. My problem is I have a hard time saying no to anyone. "Sure that's no problem" is a line heard spewing from my lips all the time. I've decided I'm going to just rip throught the commissioned jobs and then relax. Re-focus on the reasons why I love to knit so much, and stop saying yes to everything and everyone. A girl can only handle so much. I just have to figure out how to say no once in a while. I want to enjoy my kids, and the joy they bring to my life instead of wishing they would just fall asleep already so I can get some work done. They shouldn't have to feel my stress too. Thank God Mr.Man is such a good dad cause I don't know how I'd survive. He gets a really great gift this year. He has yet to bat an eye when I tell him I'm too tired to cook dinner, or could he go buy some more milk since the baby spilled the last of it... men like him are few and far between.

A Post in pics

2006-11-12T19:02:00.000-05:00

Since I'm tight for time tonight I'll show you some FO's and alsoo as promised my wonderful new sock yarn courtesy of my Secret Pal.

Specs: Swallowtail Shall from Fall 2006 Interweave Knits
Knit in Misti Alpaca Laceweight on 3.25 mm needles
Took me about 5 days

Lovely yarn isn't it? Any pattern suggestions?

Luckiest Girl in Town

2006-11-11T20:58:00.000-05:00

My heart skipped a beat a little when I woke up yesterday (after coming off a really long night shift). A package very innocently sat on my kitchen table. Mr. Man was so curious to see what was in it he even woke me a little early! Lovely man . I received the best surprise from my Secret Pal. A 450 yd skein of custom painted SP9 sock yarn in the Waltz colourway, available only to SP9 participants. I LOVE IT. Thanks a bunch pal, you made my day. It's dark here now, so pics will have to wait. I have so many things to show you all.

I've been commissioned to knit a sweater for someone at work, and I have been busy designing and working out all of the kinks . It will be a cabley, moss stitchy cotton pullover. Tommorow I should have enough of it on the needles to do a post worthy photo shoot in some nice natural light (i hope) It's been snowing alot around these parts.

What I did last week

2006-10-28T10:33:00.000-04:00

Although I didn't have the luxury to attend Rhinebeck, I've been away in Toronto for a while, and I had such a blast! There is so much to show you. Most of the photos were taken inside shops along Queen St. West . I've actually arranged them into a fibre-tastic calendar that I hope to make available soon. ( I won't post all of the photos, such as not to spoil the calendar surpise) but I'll give a little sampling. Did I mention we totally ditched the Creativ festival in favor of shopping on Queen ST. W. That's a whole other story.

View from our room

Wall of sock yarn

Wall of silk ribbon

Beads n' Yarn

There is so much to see along Queen St W. That you could spend a whole week and still not see or buy everything you wanted.
I'm soooo Tired. Need to go sleep off the shopping hangover.

Cherry Tree Hill How I love thee

2006-10-27T06:21:00.000-04:00

Dear Cherry Tree hill,
I am so ashamed of myself for not having given in to your pleasures until now. Oh what I was missing. Your bouncy, soft, luscious wool is gliding through my fingers without so much as a tiny little ladder. My #0 Double points are in love. The colours so rich, and perfectly chosen are keeping me entertained for hours upon end.
I promise to keep this new-found love alive for as long as I knit socks.

Sincerely,
Yarn Ho

How amazing is Cherry Tree Hill Yarn? I had no idea! I wish the stuff were more accesible to me in my little town, but for now I must deal with shipping charges and wait time to indulge in this little piece of sock yarn knitting heaven. If this were the last stuff on earth, I'd be a happy girl.

Photos of my lovely sock in progress soon..I promise.

To Weird... As if I look like Frank Lampard

2006-10-15T16:14:00.000-04:00

I didn't think I looked like any of them....

SP9 Questionnaire!

2006-10-04T11:05:00.000-04:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Sock yarn and laceweight are my favorites, I adore knitpicks alpaca cloud...I'm not crazy about
Red Heart Varieties, although they do have a purpose sometimes.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a needle roll for my long straigts, and a clear plastic needle tube for my dpns. CIrculars are all laid out willy nilly in a baby wipe container.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting as long as I can remember. Since I was about 4. I'd consider myself fairly advanced, although there are a few techniques that leave me feeling slightly intermediate.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes I do , but I can't figure out how to link it to my blog.
5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
Berries, vanilla, or spicy scents. I find florals a little strong, unless it's lavender.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I love KIT KAT bars! I also love any kind of milk chocolate, especially with caramel.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I am now officially a spinner. I also Quilt, cross stitch and make beaded jewlery
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I love John Legend, Cold Play, The Stones, INXS, ..heck I have very eclectic taste I love just about all music.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Green! I also love reds, blues, charcoal greys. I hate peach.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
OK here goes, Husband..Son 10..Son 6..Daughter 2..Son 1..and a partridge in a pear tree.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
All of the above minus ponchos. Hasn't the poncho already left the building?
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I adore knitting socks, lace is a close second. I prefer knitting projects with a little substance. I need to think a little to keep my mind in tune.(and keep me awake at work)
13. What are you knitting right now?
2 Shawls, 2 scarves 3 pairs of socks, a hat, and a baby sweater oh yeah and a cardigan which is supposed to be finished by Sunday lol.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Love em.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Love my dpns, but the new Knit Picks needles and I have started an affair. I love these! I'm slowly building a set.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes to the winder and sadly no to the swift. I really have to get one of those. Laceweight is a bear to wind when you use javex jugs as a swift.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Don't even ask...I don't remember anymore.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving, with Christmas as a close second. Can't beat family get togethers.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
I collect elephants, as well a sock yarn. I also love to collect vintage knitting patterns and books.
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 subscribe to Interweave, and I also get Cast-On. I'd love to get my hands on Inspired Cable knits, or Dying to Knit, I am slowly building my knitpicks options collection, but I haven't bought anything over US 5's yet.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Not as much learn , but I'd like to perfect my colourwork techniques.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
You betcha! I am a ladies size 6 1/2

23. When is your birthday? (05/12)

Like a little bee..

2006-09-28T13:16:00.000-04:00

I have been sooooo busy! So busy that I don't even remember what day of the week it is anymore. Working overnights really messes with your body. I am battling the worst cold I've had in ages, I'm sure due to the fact that my immune system is all out of whack since returning to work. I've been working like a madwoman on the book, which looks like it may not come until 2007 now, so I can relax a little bit on that front. I have also been designing new patterns that will be available for sale here. I have a scarf pattern called Flip, that is available now. It is a lace design knit entirely in one piece (no provisional cast-ons or grafting) that still has mirrored ends. To achieve this, I designed it so you could take your chart, and flip it upside down and continue knitting. It was made with baby cashmere yarn, and is sooo soft against the skin. Only $4.00 folks. The Knitting Vault is run by amazing people check them out.
I go back to work tonight after having 7 off, so this will be the roughest one (especially since I'm sick). I'm bringing my sewing machine with me to finish up some boutique items for our huge Quilt show we hold every three years. They need to be put in the boutique by Friday morning. AHHHHH!!! To much to do. Must. Go. Sew.

2006-09-22T15:14:00.000-04:00

The Last Knit

You have to see this...Too Cute!

The new Knitty is up

2006-09-11T12:27:00.000-04:00

And I just can't contain myself. How dare they add 10 new "to-do's" to my ever increasing list. I am in love with this issue. Go check it out here. It's fabulous. In knitting news, I'm such a joiner. I jumped on the Icarus bandwagon and am about half-way done. I had actually already put this on my list of must-do's as soon as I received the issue, but had it on the back burner. Now she's on the needles, and I'm flying through her.
I am going back to work. After much discussion about my liberal yarn buying habits, Mr Man and I decided it would be really nice to have an extra paycheque. The benefits, and pension plan are pretty nice bonuses too. The silver lining in all of this is that I have taken an overnight shift, which will see me sitting behind a desk for 12 hours with nothing else to do but knit. Watch the babies from Knitty Fall fly off the needles now! So, even though I swore I wouldn't go back, this is a pretty nice option. (The shift premiums make it great all by themselves).
So, tonight I begin my overnight adventures. I may even have more time to post to this here little blog thingie now that I will have so much uninterrupted computer time.
Time for bed, 10 pm is coming quick.

A big company producing better products!

2006-08-30T08:23:00.000-04:00

Could it be that Patons is finally coming out with a few more natural fibre products? This makes me happy. I avoid synthetics if I can (unless making charity baby projects) and I love the Patons Classic Merino. Has anyone out there tried the Patons SWS? I live in a fairly small town in Canada, where the best we have going for yarn shopping is Walmart, or Michael's if Patons creates more natural fibre products, I'm sure they will carry them. There shelves are already bursting with all of their acrylics.
In knitting news, I'm busy with a cashmere lace scarf( my design) that I hope will be a good gift for my ISE swap. I've also designed some delicious fair isle mittens, which I will post a free pattern for in the next few days. I'm quite pleased with the pattern.
As usual, I have 2 pairs of socks OTN and I'm finishing up my mystery stole. Just one side of edging to go. Have any of you out there tried KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud? My SP sent me 2 skeins in the tide pool colourway(sorry pal I still need to post pics of your awesome gift) and I think I'm in love. If this were the last yarn on earth, I'd be a happy girl. This stuff is just soooo soft and silky. I casted on the Mystery Shawl 2 with it. (I know that knitalong was last year) I joined, and then flaked on the group cause I was busy giving birth and trying to get through a month of sleepless nights. No excuse I know, but shit happens. So I printed the clues out for a rainy day. I'm not sure I like the needle size I'm using, but time will tell. Off to grab some java and spin some. Have a great Wednesday . Is it just me or does the word Wednesday look weird? Spell checker says it's so, and it's too early to worry. Whatever....

Since I don't have anything on my plate

2006-08-26T16:02:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd join a couple of really fun swaps. One is the Spinning Roving Swap, and the other is the International scarf exchange. I'm a virgin to both of these swaps, so I cannot wait to see how things turn out! I do also have to post about a super fantastic Secret pal package that I recived on Thursday, and once the camera fairies return with my photo taking tool, I'll post pics of the awesome stuff my pal sent me.
First I need to take care of some questionnaire business:
For my spinning swap partner......

How long have you been spinning? hmmm...about 9 months, and I'm totally hooked!

Are you a beginner, novice, or experienced spinner? I'd say beginner/novice.

Do you spin on a spindle or wheel, or both? I first caught the bug with a spindle, but the wheel is my best friend now.

What types and weights of spindles (or what type of spinning wheel(s) ) do you currently own?
I currently own a Louet S15, but I'd love to buy an Ashford Traditional one day when the kids aren't around to break it.

What type of fibers have you spun with before? Alpaca( my fave) Llama, merino, romney, mohair and cashmere.

What fibers do you prefer to spin with? Alpaca is my hands down favorite, but I love good ole wool for alot of things. I'd love to try silk or cotton, although I've heard they are much more difficult to spin.

What fibers do you dislike? Dislike? that's tough since I haven't tried them all yet, but I'd have to say the feeling of cotton might turn me off, I hate picking up cotton balls, it makes my teeth hurt. If spinning cotton is anything like that then I might not like it.

Do you prefer natural colored fibers, or handpainted/dyed fiber? I adore handpainted fibres. I am learning how to dye fibre with natural plants and such though. Tons of fun.

Would you prefer all one type of roving or smaller amounts of different types to sample? I'd prbably prefer one type, so I'd have enough to make into something beautiful.

What are you favorite colors? Green is my favorite, but I love blues, reds , rainbows, purples. Ah heck I don't have a colour I really hate at all.

What colors do you dislike? See above, although peach is one I'm not totally crazy about now that I think about it.

What would you like to do with your handspun yarn, or what do you plan to do with it?
Stare at it day and night, take it to bed with me, ....Knit something silly!

What are your other favorite hobbies? Knitting, quilting, cross stitch, reading, running after my 4 kids.
Do you have any allergies (pet, smoke, food, fiber,etc...)? Nope!

El Cheapo!

2006-07-29T20:08:00.000-04:00

I wanted to post a picture for my fellow Mystery Stolers of my $3.00 Magnetic chart holder.
In my opinion it is better than any you can buy, since I can store my other charts inside the handy pocket of the clipboard. It stands up really nicely too.
A picture is worth a thousand words,

Clipboard $1.00

Sticky Magnet Sheet $1.00

Roll of Craft Magnet ( about 15 ft) $1.00

Really great Chart holder........................PRICELESS!!!

Me a Cookie Monster

2006-07-27T13:12:00.000-04:00

This is so me..I had to put it up here. I loooooove cookies!

You Are Cookie Monster

Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth.
You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around.
You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking
How you life your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Funny...he was always my favorite. I even had a talking cookie monster stuffed toy when I was a kid. You pulled a string and it said Gimme A Big Hug, Me love cookies!.

On the knitting front, I am just finishing up a baby pinwheel blanket today, and I couldn't decide how I wanted to do the cast on. I finally decided on a picot edge, but now I'm not sure I like the way it's curling. Has anyone out there done one of theses blankets with a neat edging? I'd love to hear about it.

Lovin the MS2

2006-07-23T12:47:00.000-04:00

I've actually been cruisin' right along on the Mystery Stole project. I'm done the first half of clue 3 and about 2 rows in on the second half. The last two clues have been nice quick knits with a minimum of frogging thank heavens! Here is the progress so far

The quality of the picture isn't the best, but you get the idea. The dang thing is about 3 1/2 feet long already, so It's hard to get the whole thing in a photo.
In case you were wondering how I have found time to knit this much here's a little clue......

The poor little man just crashes just about anywhere. Especially when it's hot. Gotta love quiet sleepy babies. With sleepy babies comes happy mommy knitting time!

Remember This?

2006-07-16T14:30:00.000-04:00

I posted about my progress on the Mystery Stole 2 and it looked something like this:

Then.... This little tyrant decided to teach herself how to knit. As precious as she is, I could have cried. So now, we have something a little like this:

Which by the way I am much more pleased with anyway. I decided rather than ripping back and trying for 2 hours to find all the YO's and knit 2 tog's etc, that I would start over. I'm using some hand dyed lace weight merino that I did using a few different shades of red. The monitor doesn't do all of the colours justice. I am 5 rows from being done the first half of clue 2. The second half should be done by tommorow I hope so that I can work on some other things this week. I might even turn the blue one into a pillow if I can get the courage up to tink back, and finish the second half.

Moving Right Along

2006-07-12T09:41:00.000-04:00

I'm ~~Working a few rows at a time~~ moving right along with the Mystery Stole project. What was I thinking signing up for this? Not like I don't have a gazillion other things going on right now. But it is a really beautiful project, that is broken up over 6 weeks of clues. I should be able to finish I hope. I'm currently on the second half row 5. I'm using Headwater Wool's Inja (cobweb/laceweight) in ice blue on size 3.5mm needles. Ripping back is really difficult with this wool since it will fuzz up and felt if your hands are sweaty, but it is really beautiful after a good soaking and blocking. The colour in the pick is actually showing the blue to be a little darker. It really is alot lighter icy blue not so much baby blue. I am anxious to get the next clue to see how this will all come together. If you want to sign up, and haven't already the sign ups close friday morning HURRY!!!!

2006-07-09T16:38:00.000-04:00

Help me split the money to help fund "Cathy's Wish" cancer charity. I'll be giving away a prize or two from all the names of those who vote for me! This is a great cause which gives adults a chance to live out a last wish before they leave us due to terminal cancer. Voting is free! Just drop me a comment to let me know you voted for me!

Come help me split the money:
vote for stickchicky!

Houston We have a problem...

2006-07-08T13:43:00.000-04:00

Ummm..............ok for anyone with a weak stomach, please avert your eyes......
This photo is incredibly disturbing, and totally out of control..
I have no idea how it came to be, but even I must confess I have an enormous problem.
I mean, there should be a twelve step program or something for this.

That would be my "in use" stash, or so I like to call it, constantly circulated portion of my stash.
This is the stuff I have just spun, or the beautiful merino I plan to use for a shawl next week, and the half done baby sweater for my sister in law...It's about a tenth of the magazines I have aquired in the last 3 or 4 months. The stuff I've been swatching for new patterns, and a whole lotta sock yarn thrown in for good measure. Not so bad you say? Well there is about 8 times that much in plastic storage bins in the garage, and about another 4 garbage bags worth in my bedroom closet. Keep in mind too, that this is only what you see in this 3 foot high pile, there are 2 boxes underneath full of rovings, cashmere,mohair, silk, alpaca, and a romney fleece. Oh..did I mention that the lovely sunlight pouring in is actually coming from the two little windows in my front door? (we don't use this door unless we need to open it for air but that is besides the point.) The door could not be opened even if we wanted to at the moment. So, in light of my little door opening problem, this weekend will become stash organizing weekend. It's time. We need the air.
Speaking of air, here is my Saturday morning sunrise..... Beautiful no?

Cast-On Rocks

2006-07-03T19:39:00.000-04:00

Despite the fact that I have already got about 15 things on the needles, I just felt
~~I couldn’t live with myself~~ I HAD to cast on this:

Not that I would look anything near as sexy in it as that tiny little model, but it was the first time
I opened a magazine and decided at that moment I had to make this. I love it in a million ways,
And I just happened to have the perfect Berber cotton sitting in my stash waiting to become this slinky little tank. It’s designed by Fiona Ellis(love ,love, love her) and the pattern is extremely well written.
I am very impressed with this issue of Cast -on. There were actually about 3 patterns I am considering. The January issue left me feeling a little meh…..
Way to go Cast-On this issue rocked!

Cool tricks..

2006-06-28T22:33:00.000-04:00

Ok so I was over at Jenla's blog and this really cool site that makes a flower graph using the contents of your blog was there how cool is this? I would actually stitch this on to a piece. Just cause.....It's pretty no? Here's the link if you want to give it a try. Ok ...so after trying to capture the actual picture of it, I find out I am a total moron, and can't actually show you mine, but give it a try, it truly is cool.
In knitting news, I'm working on the second of my pomatomus socks, as well as a pair of plain jane ones for Mr.Man. There are also several baby projects in the works, of which I'll take some picks tommorrow. I'm off to the cottage this weekend for Canada Day. Can't wait! I need some knitting in nature time.