Daughter

For those of you who have them or are one
Daughter, performed by Loudon Wainright III

Happy American Thanksgiving!

I have FOs to give thanks for sadly no photos yet. I have also started monkey socks with the Fleece Artist sock yarn that Fibreholic spoiled me with back in September. It is a treat to knit with it and I am loving the pattern (I think this Monkey Sock craze may really start to catch on.)

I have updated the button file so please, switch it with your old one, it will look prettier against your coloured backgrounds.

Button Up

For Yarnhog
Download the gif file here



I am almost ashamed to admit that I was ripping back a pair of socks I had intended for my mom for Christmas when I read about Suzanne's movement. Realistically they were not likely to be ready in time for Christmas anyway. The button is my first and I forgot to save is as a gif file for you so it will not have those unsightly white corners on your lovely coloured backgrounds.

Update

Thank you to Leslie A Friend to Knit With for her idea for casting on for the Bones backless shrug which was a total aha! I had thought about casting on from the shoulders but the splits for the arm holes had me flummoxed but now that I have had a little more sleep I can see that she is right. I will redraw the pattern, try a fabric version and swatch some choice yarn for it and keep you all posted. Nobody hold their breath mind you but I will try to keep this timely. It would be nice as a Christmas gift if I can get on it.

Thank you for all your support!

I Call It The Bones Backless Shrug

As I watched Bones (on Fox) the other night the lead character, Temperance Brennan, had on the most adorable shrug over a blue silk shirt. I have searched for a photo of it to no avail. To the best of my recollection the illustration above is the closest I could come to re-creating it. I thought, "Maybe I could knit one?" The problem? I am not so good at knitting that I can tackle knitting my version of the shrug without a few tears and maybe some hair pulling. So I am appealing to you if not just for me, but for the sake of my hair. Does anyone out there know of a pattern like this one? Maybe something I could use as a rough guide? I would even accept some advice as to how to cast on for this sucker. I was envisioning having to start working it in two parts casting on the valleys below the armpits, working the armholes sections separately increasing stitches on the right front and left front to achieve the angles I want, working the middle section with increases on the left back and left front eventually adding several stitches to connect the back section across the upper back and neck and then sewing up the to connect the shoulders. My brain has flipped over in my head. Is this even possible? Does it makes sense to anyone else? Maybe I need to start in the round at each sleeve and join it at the neck? I apologize if my thoughts read a little like Latin. Unless you read Latin in which case they read a little like Greek. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

In Remembrance

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

— John McCrae

On August 4, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany. Canada, as a member of the British Empire, was automatically at war, and its citizens from all across the land responded quickly. Within three weeks, 45,000 Canadians had rushed to join up. John McCrae was among them. He was appointed brigade-surgeon to the First Brigade of the Canadian Forces Artillery with the rank of Major and second-in-command.

The day before he wrote his famous poem, one of McCrae's closest friends was killed in the fighting and buried in a makeshift grave with a simple wooden cross. Wild poppies were already beginning to bloom between the crosses marking the many graves. Unable to help his friend or any of the others who had died, John McCrae gave them a voice through his poem. It was the second last poem he was to write.

In Flanders Fields was first published in England's Punch magazine in December, 1915. Within months, this poem came to symbolize the sacrifices of all who were fighting in the First World War. Today, the poem continues to be a part of Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada and other countries.

– taken from the Veterans Affairs Canada Website

Boxing Day

Every day is boxing day around here. I have tackled packing about 12 boxes to date (35 days until the move). Today the kitchen cupboards got a little lighter. I like having my Tupperware cupboard emptied out, that's right Kristin I am operating on a limited Tupperware supply over here (gasp!). By the week's end I hope to have my kitchen down to the bare essentials. Knitting has been slow, I have tried to finish daughter number two's socks but I am stalled at three inches down on the second sock. My first daughter has been wearing the socks I knit for her to bed. This works out well since a) they are warm and b) she refuses to sleep with a blanket. Is this weird? (I say knowing full well that anything a child does is probably not unique but out of sheer frustration I will say it anyway) I have had the thought that because she used a Grobag for three years the shock of not sleeping with it anymore has driven her to this. I am thinking (hoping) that by the time the temperature drops to sixty degrees at night, inside, we will effectively freeze out the no blanket thing. I don't know how she can do it. I can't even get her to wear a sweater.

This weekend I made a little heaven on a plate. If you have never purchased Fine Cooking before and you like cow — as we say to our daughter who is reading Charlotte's Web and is now more aware of where her meat comes from — then I urge you to get the latest issue for the Fennel & Rosemary Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce (there are many great recipes in it in addition to this one).



I have tasted this recipe once before (thank you Mama Mia) and it turned out delicious both times. As an aside we used yogurt instead of creme fresh both times for the sauce with great results. Mashed or roasted potatoes make ideal sides. Yum!

Colour Blind

...Elmira white, white cloud, stone house, old montreal, delaware putty, chestertown bluff, yukon sky, beacon hill damask, lemon grass, muddy york, cedar key, baby fawn, autumn leaf...I am living in a blur of colour at the moment. We are planning on painting nearly every room in the house we are moving into and the task of choosing all these colours is daunting. I have "fallen in love" with over five different shades of taupe and I am starting to wonder if that means something about my personality. Benjamin Moore is my new best friend. He has great taste, but is sure to leach my pocket of all its loose change.

With paint colours being chosen, a mover hired, and carpet cleaner booked our move is starting to feel very real. In the meantime I am busy making costumes for Halloween. Not as much of a challenge this year which should mean no late nights. I am looking forward to seeing my two beans running wild from house to house.

Has anyone else out there been watching Pushing Daisies (I am hooked)? One of the characters, Emerson, has an unexpected love for knitting.



Did you notice the knitted file holder and kleenex cozy in the photograph? I wish I had a better head for quotes but this week he said something to the effect that daddy needed some new yarn. I heard it, it made me chuckle, then I promptly forgot the quote and kept the sentiment.

Now where was I? Oh yeah, thousand islands, seaspray...

Cooked Books

I would like to confess that I have an addiction to cookery books also that I am totally guilty of judging a book by its cover (that's the graphic design nerd in me, some of you might share this compulsion namely). Yesterday I fell in love with Apples For Jam, by Tessa Kiros (jacketed in a matte stock with a varnish over print of some sort of scrolling vine motif—yummy!). It was the title I was first attracted to (she has really great titles for all of her books). I was browsing the recipes at the book store, but ordered it online last night so haven't had the chance to try any of the recipes (though they look very appealing). The whimsical writing is impossible to resist. I am most fond of Tessa's anecdotes about her young daughters and how she wants these recipes to be a fond memory for her kids to enjoy long after she is gone. In it she muses about things like finding apples all over her house with little bites taken out of them (something that happens around here every fall). Also hard to resist is that the chapters are colour coded. For instance the "stripes" chapter includes a recipe for Chocolate Toffee Nut Squares. I will let you know how it turns out. I can't wait till the mail get here!

Snacks anyone?

Pull up a chair and have a bite. Pumpkin bar squares or banana bread? I couldn't resist throwing in the purple cauliflower, purple broccoli and brussel sprouts too. Have a great week-end. P.S. We sold our house! I may actually miss it being so tidy.

*For those of you wanting to try any of these recipes (especially Kaet) I have now included them for you. The spiced pumpkin chocolate-chip squares are from Martha Stewart's Holiday Halloween issue. The banana bread recipe comes from the Bonnie Stern Heart Smart cookbook. I have enjoyed many recipes from it especially the date squares.

Virtual(ly) Knitting

In the midst of buying (and selling) houses I forgot to post about my recent invitation to Ravelry (yet one more computer activity that keeps me from any real knitting). I am there as, LifeWith, me and my five little projects. I am enjoying the ease of finding projects on Ravelry and it got me thinking about a possible new past time—virtual knitting. Virtual knitting will involve finding new projects that I will one day knit. As part of this past time I will also drool over things like Alchemy Fibre Designs, because it is fabulous and who doesn't need another scarf?

Oh and I have begun a work out routine. It is at a local wellness centre that includes three half hours a week of stability ball and weight training, plus one weekly learn and burn session. If you should ever have someone offer you a learn and burn session my suggestion would be to RUN! My learn and burn involves spinning—anyone else had the pleasure?—probably I am a big wimp, but it was HARD people. Not so much the spinning but at certain intervals we have to lift our bottoms off the seat (which is a relief because let me tell you my butt was on fire after) but it totally winded me. I am looking forward to having a lot more endurance for that activity soon. This recent work out routine is part of my endeavour to be fitter at 30 than I was at 20. There is also going to be an Isagenix cleanse ( I am a bit of a skeptic). Anyone familiar with this particular process? Should I run now?

Catch Up

I am finding it hard to keep a blog so I am going to unload all that I have been up to lately in a free flow random thought kind of way because that is how my life rolls

Bought a house; signed a bunch of paperwork; "staged" our house to get it ready for sale; started a fitness program; shuttled the kids to and from various activities; cleaned the house; listed our house for sale; panicked over it selling fast; cleaned the house; nagged the family to keep the house tidy and maintain that un-lived in quality, that "ready-for-you-to-move-right-in-and-call-it-home" look; cleaned the house for pictures; listened to David Suzuki speak (AWESOME, I feel compelled to tell everyone about this!); panicked about the house selling; cleaning the house before sleeping in it and leaving it; feeling not really at home in my own home, which is usually comfortable but never this sterile—it doesn't feel like my house.

So here is where I intend to spend my summers for the next, well many, many years. It will all be worth while.

All Better

My Mac is a happy Mac again after getting a new power source. All is right with the universe again.

Offline

My intentions to catch up with all of you are falling through. My computer is in need of repair and might take a week or more. See you all in a week or so.

Just Blew In

Back from the cottage today. It may take me a while to catch up with all your posts this week (looks like you were all quite busy).

I leave you with an amazing sunset over the lake and the prize package from FibreHolic. Thank you so much Patty—my daughter has officially marked the swirly soap as hers. I love the colour and feel of the yarn, and the bracelet is really cool, and I was especially impressed by the which she made by hand!





I didn't knit a stitch, but I am halfway through Clara Callan by Richard Wright. It was too good to put down.

Oh, I am now an official member of local knitting guild. I attended the first meeting and hope to get to more if they don't coincide with my husbands basketball on Tuesday nights. There are some really experienced knitters so it should prove to be a great place for advice and learning.

90 Degrees in the Shade

I started this post last night. This was how I felt...

It was hot today. It was grumpy, sweaty, stinkin', surrounded by a bubble of hot moisture, hot today. My mood still hasn't improved. I really want to dip into the sweet little sparkling treat I bought...



...but feel too guilty to drink it alone. Plus I didn't drink that much before I was pregnant and now I barely make it through a glass of anything.


Really cheerful, non? I would like to say that I am much better today, but I didn't sleep a wink last night and, well, I am sure you all know how well no sleep goes over when you can't take the next day to nap. Still I am nearly packed for our cottage trip this coming week, (so I will not be blogging or reading your blogs until I get back) and I am very excited to get away and enjoy the outdoors in the comforts of a cushy cottage. The weather is supposed to cool down next week so I went out and bought my oldest a new pair of slippers so my younger daughter could wear the old pair. Have you seen these before?



They are called Padraig's
and they have a super soft sheep skin insole and hand dyed yarn outside. They look really cute on their feet. I wish I had knit them, but sadly I am not that clever. I hope I will have more knitting to report after I return. Until then I hope you all stay well!

Small Change

A powerful thing happened here this weekend. My first born decided she would no longer wear a diaper at night. This came the night before visiting my parent's house and lets just say that my mom was nervous about the idea. I reluctantly put a diaper back on her the first night of our stay. She got up several times before finally falling asleep at ten and when I went to bed at eleven (why do we not have to sense to go to bed earlier?) I debated getting her up to go but decided to let her sleep instead. I had no idea how this strategy would work but wouldn't you know it she got up at three in the morning on her own. My mom got up to assist her and I came along a short while later to get her into bed and was about to put her diaper back on when my mom (who was so proud of her first grandchild) stopped me and said, "any little girl who gets up at three to pee doesn't need to wear a diaper." And with that my little girl, bolstered by her nana's confidence in her, hasn't looked back. It may take me some time to recover from this major milestone. It is like she has shed the last remnants of her babyhood. Needless to say I am very proud but also very emotional about this "small change".

I do have more knitting to report, because I finished a sock for daughter two. My favourite thing about sock knitting is just before the toe is stitched it looks as though a lone sock just magically appeared on the needles. Like Natalie would say, voodoo magic—I like that analogy.

Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Labour Day weekend.

What a pair!

An FO for you! A pair of socks (more or less equal in size). The second was a breeze to finish. It helped that my daughter was excited to have a pair and insisted I keep knitting.

Two size two Addi circular needles
Ocean Wind Knits, super wash merino
Started: Sometime in July finished August 27





As an aside I was doing some research into Cheingora and thought you might all get a kick out of this little feud between dog fur spinners. There are companies out there that will collect and prepare your dog's fur so you can knit with the final product. Seems there are some terms that have been copy written by one company. The battle has been a public one owing to the internet. Aw, technology, the modern day soap opera. Trademark law may never be the same. See Furever Creations for the details.

If We Could Do It All Over Again

That is my mom to the left, my sister to the right. Vic is at the far right. It is my favourite photo taken just after we were married.

We wouldn't change a thing...well maybe just a few minor things. It has been five years today since we made honest people of ourselves. We may splurge on dinner in tonight—I know seems a bit too crazy for you mild mannered folks out there. Maybe we'll even get to turn in early.

Enjoy your weekend and thank you to everyone for their sock love. I have started on the second and am into the miles long stocking stitch portion (five inches with fingering weight yarn and size two needles!) It would be really great to finish it this week-end so here's hoping.

Pick A Pear

Well I didn't actually pick them, I chose them and aren't they gorgeous? I am feeling a pang for the fact that the fruits of summer are winding down. The fruits of my labour however are just getting started. Check out my finished left sock. We love a good sock puppet in our house. It is the left sock because it doesn't have a technically perfect heel but after restarting so many times there was no way I was going to do it again. Now to cast on for the right sock—I am aiming for perfection. Wish me luck! Oh and please excuse the lint on the floor— I'll will try for perfection in house keeping, ah, later...