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2010-12-09

Seems I haven’t only been slacking off in the blog department, but also in updating my Ravelry projects page.  I’m going to try and fill in the year’s worth of work before the end of 2010.

This is the Canadian Flag intarsia quilt block that won me gold at the Knitting Guild’s little Olympic challenge…way back when.
knitolympflag03

Back in March I’d also finished a gift for a friend’s new baby.  My friend Michelle had a daughter after having a son (the same age as Jakob) and I knit a little dress for her.

(pretend I’d rotated the photo)
anoukfo01

Pattern:  Anouk (Ravelry link)

Size:  12m

Yarn:  Cascade 220 (Cream) and unknown burgundy yarn from guild swap

Needles: 4 mm

Notions: buttons…was it 1 or 2?  I don’t remember and didn’t take a clear photo.  Oops!

Dates:  February 25 – March 20 2010

Modifications:  like many others I saw on Ravelry, I modified the tunic to become a dress.  I also omitted the pockets, and added an appliquéd flower.
anoukfo03

The flower used the same needles and yarn, and is from this pattern for Knitted Linen Flowers (Ravelry link)


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2010-12-06

It’s Hanukah and we surprise the boys every morning with a little gift for each of the 8 days.  Just little things like a matchbox-type car or coloring book, and occassionally a chotchka from the dollar store.  This photo was Jakob trying out his new horsie.  (Yes, same clothes as the party yesterday…the outfit did double-duty this weekend).  I have one of him actually facing me but it is really blurry ‘cus it’s mid-jump.

Henri got one too but wasn’t as interested as Jakob. 

I LOVE this face!  I can’t believe he’s going to be 2 in just over a month…I don’t have babies any more, I’ve got big boys and I love them!!  I just can’t stop kissing these kids…I could eat them for supper, they’re so yummy.

I’ve got a bit of a sinus cold and took some Clorisiden (sp?) which makes me sleepy, so I didn’t risk another “knitting while impaired” moment and instead FINALLY got around to putting all my knitting projects into my iphone.  Yes, I only got the iphone 2 months ago, but this project has been delayed for almost 2 years.  I keep my own records similar to Ravelry, and was using a program called MobileDB in my Palm.  When I upgraded my last Palm to the TX it had a different OS and MobileDB just wouldn’t work right for me, no matter what I tried.  I caved and started copying my projects one-by-one into their own Memos, which worked quite well to view and update, save, etc…except I got lazy and stopped adding all the backdated ones.  So I had a small group of  projects from 2004-2007 in my Palm, along with everything from 2008-onwards, but the bulk (over 150 projects) was exported from MobileDB to an Excel worksheet and I was deleting each record as I added it to the Memos.  Then I got the iphone and had to retire my Palm…and now I had records in 3 locations.  Finally now everything is in one spot with 2 backups.

Getting all the projects in order gave me a chance to update my yarn ball too.  Didn’t I mention the yarn ball once?  I keep a few yards from the yarn for every project I knit/crochet and tie it on to this ongoing yarn ball…not sure what I’ll ever do with it, but for now I like having it sitting around.

The needle is for scale.  It’s about 4-5″ high.

Finally, here is the progress so far on the Featherweight Cardigan.  It is fine yarn and will take a while, but I really like the coral color and I think it will make an addition to my wardrobe that I’ll actually wear.


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2010-12-05

It’s always the same…I fantasize about all the stuff I’ll get done on the weekend…the projects finished, the extra time for little luxuries, etc. And then the reality is never the same. This weekend was no different, though I knew going in that it would be a little hectic.

Saturday I had to finish gift shopping for a family Hanukkah/birthday exchange on Sunday. I wrapped gifts while the boys napped then spent way too long (the rest of their nap time) choosing a project to cast on for an event that night. I was going to see a performance of The Nutcracker with Maaike as her daughter was in it, and I pictured a few hours of mindless knitting time. I couldn’t work on my KP project because I need to make notes and see my work, and I’d finished my last stockinette stitch on-the-go sock. I was going to cast on for a sock but I knew I wouldn’t have time to get through the short-row toe before leaving and I wouldn’t be able to pick up the other half of the sts in the dark. In the end I went with the Featherweight Cardigan in some thin crepe-y yarn from stash (photos to come).

I needn’t have bothered- the show was too engrossing to knit beyond the wait at the beginning and intermission. It was the Ballet Ouest performance at Centre Pierre Peladeau and it was wonderful.

Today I finished getting the gifts and diaper bag ready while Yannick took Jakob to swimming. (I had to keep Henri home so we could get a credit for next session…don’t ask). Then we all went to my patent’s house for a LONG game of “guess which present is yours”. We put the boys down for their naps there so it would be easier on us, because the birthday party we had that after noon was closer to my patent’s house and started in the middle of nap time.

We woke the kids early for the party and had fun playing with friends we don’t see very often. Out of everyone there, though, my boys preferred playing with each other and kept calling for one another, which was really cute.

(I don’t know why Jakob was pulling his shirt down).

I think it’s really funny that when Jakob pulled Henri around he needed two hands…

…but Henri pulled Jakob with only one.

I hope you all had a great weekend, and Mazal Tov to my cousin Robyn on getting home with her new baby Quentin!


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2010-12-01

Happy Hanukah (to those that celebrate)!  Today is also my 12 year anniversary with Yannick.  I know I’m not supposed to count it now that we’re married, but we we’ve been together almost 3x as long as we’ve been married so “December 1st” will always be a significant date in my head.

The knitting is coming along, it won’t be long before I have something I can show you (or before I start a new project) 🙂


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2010-11-29

I’m getting so close to the end of these buckets, I can taste it! One more to go and then all my stash (except the “in progress” stuff, and my Rhinebeck purchases) will be in Ravelry. Whew!

It was a very busy weekend…I don’t have photos but Saturday morning we had a playdate with baby G while Maaike was at the Anne Hanson workshop, then we had a lunchtime playdate with my friend J and his daughter B. I got the boys home in time for their nap and spent the “free” time getting ready for that night…’cus if the day wasn’t busy enough, I had AWESOME dinner plans!

Saturday night the Montreal Knitting Guild exec hosted a potluck dinner for Anne Hanson. You can see photos on her blog from the weekend workshop and then the dinner. (You don’t actually see my face, but that’s my black shirt and blue jeans behind the cheese platter, and there’s also a photo of Maaike spinning behind Lisa, holding the dog).  I brought pitas, falafel, hummus, tzatziki, tahini, lettuce, onions and pickled turnips (that there’s actually a photo of on her blog LOL), and a really yummy cabbage salad.  If you imagine that each of us brought 1-2 dishes…there was a LOT of food!  It was a wonderful night of eating, knitting, chatting, eating, dog petting, stash admiring, and more eating. 

Sunday I attended the all-day workshop, taught by Anne, on Sweater Fitness…how to choose the proper size for your measurements (and NOT how to get your sweater to work out à la Olivia Newton John…TARA!)  LOL  It was a great workshop, especially the detail and time that Anne took in going around to give everyone personal help. 

I spent today entering all my sock yarn into Ravelry, and will spend tonight working duplicate stitch, duplicate stitch, and then more duplicate stitch.  🙂

Oh- good news!  I just found out that 2 of my patterns are listed with Patternfish, and they even Tweeted/Facebooked my Screwball Socks pattern!  Slowly making my way out there…

Sorry this post has no photos, so here’s a shot of Henri the other day, looking fly in my sunglasses.


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2010-11-26

5 days?  Sorry about that!  I really have been trying to add my stash into Ravelry almost every free moment I’ve got.  I haven’t had much knitting time this week, and my DVR is filling up too fast with all the shows I haven’t had time to watch.  I’m almost done though…only 3 buckets left to go.  Those of you who are my friends in Ravelry (and if you’re not- feel free to add me!) can see the stash that’s currently in there.  All that’s missing is 2 bins of sock yarn and a bin of unknown fibers.

Henri’s learned a new trick!  Check out my 22-month-old in action:


Have a great weekend!  I know I will…I’m doing a workshop with Anne Hanson on Sunday!  😀


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2010-11-21

I decided to take a weekend break from knitting and do something I should have done a long time ago- finish organizing my stash and get it all into Ravelry.  Most of my yarn was sorted into buckets in my office, but when I had my surgery and couldn’t lift over 10 lbs, every time I wanted to knit something or check something I had to get Yannick to move the buckets for me, and yarn that got taken out never got put back in, and new yarn never got added into the mix.  Projects that were half started were dumped in bags with their yarn, and left overs from finished projects got tossed into other bags.  This resulted in a big pile of plastic bags of yarn in my office, spilling over into every available open area.

I took photos of my stash- it’s a little embarassing, actually.  I always forget how much there is.  I’m hoping that getting everything organized will save me in the long run.  I’d like to be able to know if I have yarn on hand for a project instead of buying needlessly.

I moved the buckets around so I could see exactly what was what.

Ignore the state of the rest of my office…”organizing” it has been on my list of things to do ever since it was built.

This is really starting to look like a lot of yarn…I’m wondering if I should even show the last photo?

Ok, this is IT, I swear.  The only yarn not showing in these photos is yarn that is in project bags and already started.  I’ll add those last- those are in a folding hamper-thingie in our den.

I should say- before this looks overboard- is that a lot of this yarn was from my grandmother’s stash, or handed down to me, etc.  It’s not really as bad as it looks.  Plus, as of this writing, I have added 3 of the buckets’ contents into Ravelry, and two of them have been 100% acrylic (2 buckets’ worth, that is).  To me every yarn type has its place, even acrylic, polyester and the like.

—

Update: I’ve added the contents of “Kits”, “100% Acrylic – Bulky” and “100% Acrylic – Worsted” to Ravelry.  3 down…11 to go…


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My First Costume: SuperHero

Presenting my latest pattern, now available both through Knit Picks or Ravelry.

My First Costume: SuperHero

Some of you may remember the Superman costume I’d knit for Jakob when he was a baby.  This is my update of that pattern.

The pattern is knit toe-up, in (mostly) one piece.  The legs are knit first then joined for the briefs, then the sleeves are knit and finally the body, which is knit in one piece from the yoke up.  I included short-row shaping in the diaper area to give more room and a better fit.

There are photo instructions on how to make the optional cape.

The Power Princess chart is included…

as well as the chart for your little SuperStar.

Not only that, but I provided a blank chart and instructions on how to personalize the pattern, so you can put your own image, your child’s initial or anything you like!  (That’s how I made the original Superman version…I’m just saying…)

I was very lucky to have my friend’s daughter Maya model for me, and her father Avi take the photos.  (If you like his work, he is an amazing Montreal-area photographer.  You can see more of his work on his website).

I hope you like the pattern.  I have been having requests for it ever since Jakob’s version came out, but life got in the way and it wasn’t until now that I was able to get it out into the world.  I would have loved to have had it ready in time for Hallowe’en this year, but at least now it is out there and ready, early enough for next year.  (So you’ve got a whole year to knit!)

Enjoy!


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2010-11-18

The second knitting good news is more of a good surprise for me than for you…but I’ll share anyways- one of my patterns was chosen to be featured in this week’s Knit Picks email newsletter!

If you get the newsletter, my Felted Poker Coasters are the featured knitting gift “for men”.  🙂

If you don’t get the newsletter, you can see it online here.  There are some good gift ideas for holiday/gift knitting.

And my latest pattern is officially live!  I’ll share it tomorrow with full photos, but in the meantime here’s one last teaser/sneak peek for you: