Muddy Paws

I'm Back!

2010-10-22T11:55:00.000-06:00

I have no good excuse for not doing a post in so long except the usual of life getting in the way. Now that the weather is turning, though, I am much more in the mood for knitting and spinning. In the last while I have gotten some beautiful inspiration...

A Forrester dual-whorl spindle.

Wildcraft Garden Flowers

Golding Dragonfly. I am really, really trying to spin a little thicker so that this gorgeous spindle won't be hitting the floor!

Tour de Fleece - Day 1

2010-07-03T20:14:00.000-06:00

I am starting le Tour de Fleece with some mid grey gotland fibre. It is really clean, but Mikki seemed to find it interesting anyway.

I spent most of the day down at my favourite LYS, Golden Willow Natural Fibres, and got quite a bit done. Tomorrow I will ply samples of both a 2 and 3 ply yarn. I also spun a bit of it on my new Forrester spindle. It is easy to spin with its long staple length. It reminds me very much of Wensleydale.

I forced myself to spin the gotland singles thicker than I normally like to spin. I would also like to spin some as a lace weight, but I will really need to free up some bobbins first. So I am also trying to finish up some hand dyed BFL that has been sitting around almost completed for a while now. I got one bobbin finished this morning and am hoping to complete the second this evening.

My First Tour de Fleece

2010-07-02T11:38:00.000-06:00

This year for the first time I am going to participate in the Tour de Fleece as part of Team Golden Willow. Over the years I have accumulated a small pile of approximately 100gr bags of different kinds of fibres.Sharon, the owner of the best LYS, is such an enabler. And she never tries to deny it.

So my goal over the next 20 or so days is to do a fibre study with all the various fibres. It will be an accomplishment to get them all spun and plied since some of them will also need carding and combing. The variety should make it very interesting, though.

Wish me luck!

MORE Wild Weather

2010-06-24T16:26:00.001-06:00

It just won't stop.

Things had finally started to dry and out of the blue we were hit with another storm today. I went into the shower to wash away all the sweat from working out in the garden for 20 minutes and when I got out 10 minutes later the skies had turned dark. After rushing out to go and pick up the kids from school we had to wait another 20 minutes for the hail to stop. A quick trip driving home and the hail started again.

It is still raining too hard for me to go out and check the damage, but Katie felt brave enough to run out in a lull and gather up the hail from the trampoline. She also must have been cold since the temperature dropped over 10 degrees in about as many minutes.

Silly kid. I took the pictures from the relative safety of the house.

Eeek! That lightning was just way too close for comfort when we live in a yard with the highest trees in the neighbourhood. Time to power down the computer.

20 minutes later...
Oh for pity's sake! The rain stops, the sun comes out and then it starts to hail again.

Here Comes the Sun

2010-06-15T10:16:00.002-06:00

It has been a while since my last post, but it has been raining. Raining agian. And then raining some more. When it rains I lose every ounce of ambition. If I had wanted to live in Vancouver I would have moved there. It may get really cold here in the winter, but Regina is pretty much the sunshine capital of Canada. Not this year, though. My bedding plants were rotting and my garden seeds were washing away.

But yesterday the sun shone again! Yipee! my psyche said. I dropped everything, grabbed some yarn, headed out to the deck and cast on a new project.

My housework, which also hasn't been done for weeks, also got dropped. But priorities are priorities.

Earlier in the spring and between bouts of rain dh Dallas and I redid out deck in the back yard. Well, Dallas did most of it, but I supervised really well. And did the staining. It turned out amazing and we have been spending every moment that we have been able to out there. So far that may have only added up to a couple of hours.

We have bird feeders and bird baths all around and we love to sit out there and watch the birds. We try to identify them also, but we are really bad at it. We were able to watch a mother sparrow teach her two little chicks how to fly which was pretty amusing. We also witnessed a family of 5 baby squirrels learn how to run and jump through the trees and roofs. That one would have been very funny if we hadn't known that those same squirrels would be back later to raid all the bird feeders.

I seem to have developed quite a pile of half-completed knitting projects.

There are 3 socks (the grey one for my father-in-law only needs the cuff of the second sock to be finished), one lace scarf and now a beret for Katie. I am pretty sure that there are more kicking around, but they must have gotten put away out of the way. Not to mention that I have about 4 different spinning projects on the go.

I have also finally learned how to spindle spin! I couldn't resist the banded oak bur on sycamore with ash shaft spindle from IST.

It is supposed to rain again tomorrow so enough of this and back to my knitting on the deck. Now if I could just keep the caterpiller poop from landing on my head.

So Now What?

2010-04-28T10:41:00.006-06:00

The short and concise answer is not much.

The question comes after our family has been going through battles with the school and the school board, struggling through an almost year long process of getting a diagnosis and trying to find some help for our son Christopher.

Last week we finally got the official diagnosis - Christopher has autism.

Christopher also has ADHD, which we have known about since he was 3. There is also the very distinct possibility that there are also other issues going on such as Central Auditory Processing Disorder.

Life can be very difficult when you are "different." I was so relieved when the diagnostic process was over because I believed that now we would be able to provide Christopher with some much needed assistance to help him navigate the rocky road that is his life.

Instead I find myself angry and upset. It turns out that we live in what is known to the rest of the autistic community across Canada as "the waste land." There is so little government funding for autism programs in Saskatchewan that the waiting list for services is about 10 years long.

We are luckier than a lot of families. Christopher's autism is relatively mild. My heart bleeds for the families who need intensive therapy if their children are to have any hope of improvement. At least we aren't put into the position of having to remortgage our home, borrowing heavily from anyone we can or even being forced to move to another province where there are better services in place.

There are some changes currently being made to try and address this huge embarrassing deficit. The problem is that a lot of children can't wait. They need help NOW. Waiting for the slow wheels of bureaucracy to turn can mean the difference between a life of total dependancy or a chance at a meaningful life. At the same time, however, the same government is cutting back funding to the school boards for educational assistants.

In Christopher's case little interventions could have the potential to make a big impact on his life. We will just have to get in line and hope. You can only listen to your child cry himself to sleep so often before your heart completely breaks. He knows he is not like the other kids.

If you can, please please make autism a cause you support. In Saskatchewan there is The Autism Resource Centre. There is also The Casey Foundation, which was started by a parent of an autistic child to try and provide financial support for families needing services. The foundation was started in 2005. Casey is still currently only on the waiting list.

The Pioneer Gets a Makeover

2010-04-20T11:33:00.002-06:00

My humble little plain Jane Majacraft Pioneer has received a make-over. From the beginning it has always been in the back of my mind that one day I would do something to fancy her up a bit. It just took me over a year before I finally figured out what exactly to do. In the end I kept it simple and just did a stencil in shades of brown and antique gold and then applied a darker stain.

I am quite pleased with her now and think she looks very pretty.

So she is all finished and put back together now.She still spins like a dream.

Ack!

2010-04-15T14:10:00.000-06:00

So I am happily knitting away on the lace scarf....

And then I see it - a knot!!

I have been hunting around the internet for the last couple of days looking for the best way to deal with it. It is such a tiny little knot that I could be tempted to just ignore it and keep on knitting, but I am paranoid (probably rightly) that at some point in the future it will work its way loose.

Does anyone have any great suggestions on how to proceed? Russian join (and hopefully a lovely link that will give idiot-proof instructions complete with pictures)? A stitch join (I have read of references to this, but still really don't know what it is)?

Any and all help greatfully received.

Forays into Lace Knitting

2010-04-14T09:09:00.005-06:00

As if adding hats and mittens to my repertoire of knitting wasn't exciting enough, I am now also knitting lace.

The jury is still out on if I really enjoy it or not.

The first lace scarf wasn't too bad since it was made from a 50/50 merino-silk that I dyed and spun myself. It came out at about 16 wraps per inch so it wasn't terribly fine. I used Falling Water Lace Scarf pattern. It is very pretty and very soft and I love wearing it. I hate blocking it, however. Unfortunately, learning lace also meant having to learn to block.

After success with the first lace go-round I decided that I would take on some of the buffalo fibre that I have been hoarding for the last 17 months. I dug out the Buffalo Gold Lux, which is 45% Bison, 20% Cashmere, 20% Silk, 15% Tencel, wiped off the drool marks and got to work on Falling Birch Leaves.

This one is much slower going as it is a two-ply true lace weight. The worst part is that when I make a mistake I am finding it almost impossible to fix it without having to unknit back to the point that I went wrong and then re-knit again.

And in totally unrelated knitting news... yesterday it was Christopher's turn to get his blue belt in kempo. He did awesome in his kumite (10 minutes of free sparring with alternating opponents every minute - a LOT harder than it sounds). For both Katie and Christopher it has sunk in that they are only two belts away from their junior black belt.

A Mound of Mittens

2010-03-31T10:37:00.013-06:00

One pair of red and white maple leaf mittens for Katie lead to another pair. And then another pair. And then another pair. Each time I made more modifications until I ended up changing things beyond recognition from the original pattern construction. There are actually a couple of other changes I would still like to make, but I just plain got tired of making mittens.

Katie was very, very pleased with her mittens.

As I looked at all my scribbles (I ended up with about 3 pages of chicken scratch) I figured that I had better write out how I made them with some sort of sense. So my first attempt at creating a pattern was born.

I am more of a "little of this" and a "little of that" sort of knitter and often don't follow any pattern exactly. I cook the same way, which would explain why I don't like to bake. Baked goods don't tend to come out very well when you only use the recipe as a guide. So hopefully I wrote out the pattern correctly. Please feel free to let me know of any errors.

link to Maple Leaf Mittens pattern in .pdf form (this one looks pretty)

P.S.

I am also trying to figure out how to put my pattern in here correctly so bear with me as I experiment.

Cast on 40 sts on size 5 needles.
Gauge 17 st = 3” (just under 6 sts an inch)
24 rows = 3”

CUFF RIBBING – 2 x 2 or 1 x 1
- knit 6 rows red in rib of choice
- 3 rows white
- 3 rows red
- 3 rows white
- 6 rows red
Switch to size 6 needles.
- knit 7 rows st st.

LEFT HAND
- k 16, Inc 1 st in each of next 2 sts, k to end of row.
- knit round
- k 16, Inc 1 st in next st, K2, Inc 1, knit to end of row
- knit round
Continue until 52 sts. End on a st st row.
- k 18 sts, place next 11 sts on holder. Cast on 3 sts, k to end or row.
- k even with 44 sts on needle for about 25 rounds, until length is about 2’’ less than desired finished length.

RIGHT HAND
- k 21, Inc 1 st in each of next 2 sts, k to end of row.
- knit round
- k 21, Inc 1 st in next st, K2, Inc 1, knit to end of row
- knit round
Continue until 52 sts. End on a st st row.
- k23 sts, place next 11 sts on holder. Cast on 3 sts, k to end or row.
- k even with 44 sts on needle for about 25 rounds, until length is about 2” less than desired finished length.

SHAPE TOP OF MITTEN
- k1, s1, k1, PSSO, k16, k2tog, k1….k1, s1, k1, PSSO, k16, k2tog, k1
Or
- s1, k1, PSSO, k18, k2tog…. S1, k1, PSSO, k18, k2tog
Continue until 8 sts remain. Cut and thread yarn through loops and pull tight or graft to finish. Or more stitches left on needles for less pointy tops. Increase knit even for mitten hand accordingly.

THUMB
Attach yarn at top of thumb gusset.
- work in 16 sts – 1 picked up between holder and cast on sts, the 3 cast on sts, 1st picked up between holder and cast on stitches on the other side, and 11 sts from holder
- k even for 16 Rounds
- (k2tog) 8 times: 8 sts remain
- k even one round
- (k2tog) 4 times: 4 sts remain
Cut yarn and thread through loops and pull tight to finish.

FOR MAPLE LEAF MITTENS
- use either duplicate stitch or cross stitch for pattern
- begin pattern 12 sts across from cast on edge towards the thumb for the left mitten, and 14 sts over from cast on edge for right mitten, 11 sts up from rib.
- start decrease 10 rows up from tip of maple leaf for ladies size small.
- I found it easiest to add the maple leaf pattern before the decreases were started for the mitten top.

This pattern is for personal use only: no commercial uses are permitted.

Not to be reprinted without permission.

Creating the Next Generation of Fibre Fanatics

2010-03-29T13:49:00.000-06:00

So Susan and I went back to Katie's youth group for part 2 of the fibre and spinning lessons.

Wouldn't it be great if we could have shown them more than just pictures of how sheep were sheared?

Here Susan is giving a brief demonstration on how wool is combed.

When we gave each of the girls a drop spindle and some pencil roving to spin themselves I unfortunately got too busy helping to take more pictures. Susan, however, has some great pictures and a better blog post about the evening. The girls had a great time with the spindles and a number of them asked where they could get one (no, sorry Walmart doesn't carry them). Wouldn't it have also been great if we could have let the girls keep them?

And just for good measure, here is a picture that I took a couple of weeks ago at my spinning class. Our instructor, Chandra (centre in pic), is doing it as a fibre study and I am learning a TON.

At Least I am Appreciated Some of the Time

2010-03-08T10:12:00.000-06:00

It has only taken me a couple of years, but my knitting is finally starting to branch out from just socks. Good thing. My sock drawer was getting pretty full.

I made a hat for Christopher that he liked so much that he requested mittens made from the same camo yarn. This is the first hat that he has ever had that actually comes home with him from school so I was quick to teach myself how to make the mittens.

He likes them so much that he tries to sleep with them on, but then can't figure out why they are off and lost in the bedding in the morning. I am just thrilled that the kid is actually wearing hats and mitts. Too bad I didn't have them done last January when it was -30 C and he would stuff his hat and mitts into his back pack the moment he was out of the door and on his way to school.

The dogs figure that as soon as anyone sits on the floor that it is an invitation to play so Christopher has a lap full of dogs here.

My sister Susan and I were asked to give a bit of a fibre demo to a youth group that Katie belongs to. So I dyed up a bunch of pencil roving in very bright colours. Every time that I saw it hanging to dry I immediately thought of Bob Marley.

After a brief mini lesson on fibre and knitting we got the girls to each take an end of some roving and twist it so that it would ply back on itself. We started out making friendship bracelets, but the girls enjoyed it so much that they were soon making head bands, necklaces and anklets from it as well.

We are going back in a couple of weeks to teach the girls how to spin on a drop spindle and play a bit with spinning wheels. Susan also has a blog post from this evening with pictures and some more details.

And how to please an 11 year old on his birthday....

video games and Nerf guns.

Happy Birthday, Christopher!

O Canada, Eh?

2010-03-01T15:50:00.001-06:00

After riding a two week wave of euphoria Canada is suffering from a hang over. We are satisfied, sated and filled with national pride. Some of the international media can't figure out why we are behaving so "Un-Canadian".

Uh??

Canadians have always have always been deeply, passionately patriot and proud to be Canadian. It just took the Olympics for us to join together as one voice and tell the world how we feel.

I have been saying it in my own small way for years now.

But I think the organizers of the closing ceremonies must have read my blog entry from the day after the Canada Day post. Flying moose, giant beavers and William Shatner doing "My name is Bill, and I am a Canadian". Our friends south of the 49th parallel may have been scratching their heads, but Canadians were loving it.

THE hot item in Canada lately has been the red Vancouver Olympic mittens.

Katie wants a pair in the worst possible way, but no-way, no-how were we able to find some for her. Aside, that is, from somebody on EBay wanting $250 for a pair. Dallas did manage to order a couple of large pair from the Olympic store online before they completely sold out, but they come up to Katie's little elbows.

So I found a pattern for Maple Leaf Mittens and decided to make her some. The next challenge was trying to find red and white yarn in the right weight. I obviously wasn't the only person trying to knit with national pride in mind. However, after trying to do the intarsia in the round for the 3rd time and having to rip them out I think I will have to go with duplicate stitch.

(And yes, the hockey sticks wrapped with maple leaf tape just happened to be stuck in the snow in the back yard.)

As I was outside taking the pictures I happened to look over to the kids' playhouse which proudly flies the Maple Leaf. Katie must have been thinking about the upcoming Olympics last fall when she wrote with chalk "Welcome everybuddy".

A Valentine's Momcation

2010-02-15T10:59:00.001-06:00

I love my momcations.

My dh Dallas took the kids to visit Grandpa so the dogs and I got to stay at home in a quiet house for a couple of days. Don't get me wrong - I really love Grandpa, too. But I crave the peace (not to mention being able to keep the house clean for more than half an hour) just too much to pass up the opportunity. So I worked on the Etsy shop a bit, spun a bit, knit a bit, watched the Olympics a bit (kd lang singing Hallelujah made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up), but mostly did some fibre dyeing. It is hanging around all over the house right now drying.

I finished plying the superwash merino a little while ago...

I ended up going with a two-ply. It is very much a lace weight and I still don't know what I am going to do with it yet. There is LOTS of it.

I also tried my hand at dyeing and spinning silk for the first time. This is 50/50 merino silk.

It is so soft that it called out to be wrapped around my neck. So I am knitting it up into the Falling Water Lace Scarf by Bonnie Sennott, my first try at lace knitting also.

I Must Have Been a Very Good Girl This Year

2010-01-27T17:08:00.003-06:00

I am only over a month late, but better late than never. Santa was very, very good to me at Christmas.

It seems that I received most of my Christmas presents before the big day - a Bamboo pad that I saw when we were out shopping one day, a set of Hiya Hiya interchangable circulars that dh Dallas purchased for me when we were in my LYS, a new printer when my old one died (I still say that it wasn't a present since having a working printer isn't a luxury, but a necessity for me), a new cordless mouse (ditto about the printer), a subscription to Spin Off which I found out about early since Dallas didn't want the promotional emails going to him so he used my email address, my sister's drum carder that I purchased off her when she bought her new electric one. So when I saw a large, strange-shaped present under the tree with my name on it I had no idea what it could possibly be.

I had a good laugh when I opened it on Christmas morning. It was a bulletin board with pictures of all my presents.

And then out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed something else (I was holding it upside down at that point, afterall)...

Confusion led to realization, realization led to speachlessness, which led to (okay, I admit it) tears.

I never in a million years expected a Majacraft Rose, which is the wheel that I had decided would be my next one when the time was right. It just seemed like a complete indulgence when there are so many other places for the money to go to. Like bills, groceries, the kid's activities... The list goes on and on.

My sister Susan was in on it, of course.

Have I mentioned lately that I am married to the most wonderful man in the world?

And just for good measure, here are the kids emptying out their stockings on Christmas morning.

It's a Marshmallow World

2010-01-25T18:56:00.006-06:00

It's been awhile since my last blog post. My only excuse is that I have been lazy. Winter does that to me.

Old Man Winter really made his presence known in the last few days. We had a 3 day blizzard which by its end dumped more snow in a couple of days than we usually get all January. The only saving grace is that it wasn't especially cold - just lots of snow and lots of wind. Often when we get a blizzard it seems that the wind ends up blowing the snow most of the way to Toronto. This time it stuck around making us housebound since last Friday.

We are a pretty hardy bunch here in Saskatchewan. No matter how bad the conditions are life goes on pretty much like normal, but my dh didn't even try to make it out of out crescent to go to work this morning. For the first time in 10 years the school buses weren't running. Schools were open, though. Good thing we are close enough that we could send the kids off walking with warnings about not going into any snow drifts. They were all set to protest being made to go to school until I pointed out that there wouldn't be very many kids there and therefore it would pretty much be a day of watching movies and playing in the gym.

Our backyard is very sheltered so this is a lot of snow to see back there. We shoveled out a little path for the dogs to get out there.

And in true Saskatchewan-hardy style I eventually shoveled out the deck so that we could bar-be-que for supper.

I actually took these pictures this morning, but I have been fighting to get my computer to recognize my camera all day. It seems Windows 7 doesn't like the Canon software very much.

The Bottomless Pit of Merino

2009-11-23T12:25:00.013-06:00

I suppose that if you have to have a mound of fibre waiting to be spun that never seems to go down in volumn it could be a lot worse things than superwash merino. It seems like I have been spinning this merino forever! I kettle dyed the fibre last summer and I started spinning it about a month ago. I keep thinking that today I will get the singles finished, but when it is time to turn off the lights and go to bed I am perpetually amazed to see that there is sproingy mass of it still in the basket. Hopefully, I will get it finished today.

I forgot (again) to take a picture of the fibre after dyeing so will have to make do with a photo of some it after doing some predrafting. I separated it and predrafted to keep the colours a little more true. It is a mix of deep blues, burgundy-red and deep purple.

I started out with 200 grams of fibre and I have the fine singles on 2 bobbins.

My dilemma now is that I don't have a clue what to do with it. I chain plied a bit of it (bottom with more blue) and did a small amount in a 2-ply (top example). There really isn't a lot of difference in the diameter, but it is still unwashed. The chain ply is also spun a little tighter.

I haven't had the time to do a lot of knitting either, although I did get the Wensleydale I dyed cast on and started. I am finally getting a lot more adventurous with my socks and breaking away from all the stockinette. I have trouble finding a good pattern for my handspun yarns. Anything too lacy or with too much open work doesn't seem right with a 3-ply yarn, especially Wensleydale. This Wensleydale is knitting up quite surprisingly soft, however.

I ended up using the Socks of Kindess recipe and I am very, very pleased with how they are looking so far. I sacrificed a bit of the luster with the Navajo ply, but the colours are knitting up incredibly pretty - subtle enough that the pattern isn't lost, but with enough variation to keep it interesting.

Hallowe'en

2009-11-01T20:12:00.001-06:00

Katie had a great time this Hallowe'en - birthday party on Friday, Hallowe'en party Saturday afternoon, treat or treating Saturday evening. But Sunday - fever of 102.

Playing Catch-Up

2009-10-26T11:04:00.012-06:00

I am taking an intermediate spinning class at my LYS, Golden Willow Natural Fibres, and really enjoying it. I had thrown my older, much more portable camera into my bag of fibre weeks ago, but kept forgetting to take it out when I was at class. Last Thursday I finally remember that I had it and so I took it out to take some pictures and found that the memory card was full. There were pictures on there from over a year ago. Can you tell that I really hate that camera? If someone in the room so much as breathes funny the picture will be out of focus. But I did find a few pictures that weren't too bad.

This one of Christopher, Katie and Dallas is from last July when we were at a Saskatchewan Roughrider football game. Saskatchewan is home to the most fanatic football fans on the planet. The local saying around here is that we bleed green. Life pretty much stops in Regina when the Riders are playing. Even my 94 year old grandmother, when she was still alive, would watch the games. Instead of lullabys we sing the Rider fight song to our babies.

We love our 3-down football.

These next two pictures are from the end of August on the day before school started. It was a very hot day so we said good bye to summer with a bunch of friends at a pool and park. What I wouldn't give for some of that hot weather now.

Christopher has always been my water baby.

And finally the pictures from last weeks spinning class. The topic for the class was spinning cotton. I had a couple of "aha!" moments where all of a sudden the cotton started to spin properly, but they were few and far between. My sister Susan was having better luck with spinning cotton on her wheel with the lace flyer and bobbin attached.
Shannon, on her brand new Babe wheel.
Our class instructor, Deborah, showed us how to use a charka.
From left to right: Carol, Deborah, Shannon and Amy (who was a natural at spinning cotton on a wheel). As you can see, Golden Willow is a wonderful place to just drop by to sit and knit for awhile.

Next Thursday is our last class and hopefully I will remember to not only take my good camera, but also remember to use it.

My Memory is Just Not What it Used to Be

2009-10-03T12:07:00.005-06:00

The other day I pulled out some fibre that I had dyed this summer and found that I didn't have a clue what kind it was. And then I had two skeins that I had spun and couldn't remember which was which. So either my memory has seriously deterioated or I had dyed and spun more than I thought I had. Either way it was time to start organizing a little more.

I am taking an Intermediate Spinning class at my LYS and a couple of weeks ago we covered wraps per inch. So my project yesterday was to get all my spun fibre on bobbins and get some proper records made.

Obviously, the little key chain that the bobbins are on is not going to last very long, but it was interesting for me to see my spinning progression as I have them in the order that I had spun them starting with my very first finished yarn.

Good thing for the blog because otherwise I wouldn't have remembered the order in which I had done them.

The Andalusian socks are coming along nicely. I haven't been rushing to finish them as I am in the process of spinning up some more fibre. When I had first finished the yarn and weighed it I only had 76 grams, which confused the heck out of me. I should have dyed well over 100 grams since I know that is the minimun that I need to finish a pair of socks for myself. I couldn't figure out how I lost so much in the dyeing and spinning process. Well, turns out that I didn't. I just lost it in my mess around my knitting chair.

I've Crossed Over to the Dark Side

2009-09-28T10:33:00.005-06:00

I took advantage of the above average temperatures last week to groom Kai the Brat outdoors. I prefer to dry the dogs outside. If I dry the shelties indoors in my grooming room the forced air dryer that I use will deposit dog hair all over my house no matter how much I try and contain it. One clean, much more naked dog later I took a look around my yard. I am normally very glad to leave the blown out undercoat for the birds and squirrels (it is amazing how much a squirrel can fit into its mouth) and not have to vacuum it up from every corner of the house for the next 2 weeks. This time, however, my reaction was different. All I saw was beautiful, clean, fluffy fibre that was just begging to be combed and spun. So I gathered up as much of it as I could before it got mixed in with leaves and twigs. I got a good 3/4 of a grocery bag full.

I don't have my own combs yet, but I will borrow my sister Susan's. She has spun with her sheltie undercoat and it turns out beautifully. A skein of cormo/sheltie that she entered in the "I Made It On My Schacht" contest is in the finals.

I actually finished a pair of socks. They are made out of Panda Cotton, colourway 2301 Rosewater. I used the Spiral Galaxy pattern from the book Sock a la Carte for the body of them. I think that they are actually prettier in person and even better when they are on. I love the feel of the cotton/bamboo.

More New Spinning Stuff

2009-09-22T11:41:00.007-06:00

This has been the strangest year weatherwise. Winter was brutally cold with no reprieves, spring never wanted to arrive, then summer was cool, but now that fall is here it has been absolutely beautiful. It has actually been very confusing. Cooler weather and threats of frost generally mean that school is starting, it is time to start harvesting all my garden produce, and generally get back into the routine of the school year. With our not just nice, but HOT weather I find myself being taken by surprise when the sun starts to set before 9 PM and the kid's activities are starting up again. I am spending all my time during the day working outside on the patio, trying to squeeze every last drop of summer that I can.

With the earlier sunsets, though, it does mean that I am back inside and in my knitting chair more often. I have decided that I actually like spinning more than knitting, which is starting to cause some problems. My stock piles of hand dyed, hand spun fibre are starting to mount up.

I knit up these socks awhile ago, but over the summer had forgetten about them. They are my second attempt at spinning sock yarn with my hand dyed fibre. They turned out better than the first try in that the finished yarn is slightly finer. They are made from Navajo plied BFL.

The next spun yarn is also BFL. I have discovered that if you add any amount of purple when dyeing, the finished yarn's predominant colour will be purple. Which is just fine if you are trying to create a purple yarn. However, this fibre was supposed to end up more blue with just a touch of pink and purple. The photo actually makes it look more blue than it is. It is a 2-ply light sport weight. So I took another bunch of BFL (there is only a little bit of it in the picture) and dyed it a light ice blue. I am currently spinning it up the same of the other with the intention of knitting something like a hat, scarf or mittens with 2 strands - one of each yarn.

I have started to knit some socks out of the purple/grey (again) BFL. So far, so good. They look like they will be a nice weight. The yarn didn't lend itself to any kind of fancy pattern so I am doing a simple Andalusian stitch just to add a bit more visual interest.

So Much Fibre, Not Enough Bobbins

2009-08-22T08:59:00.040-06:00

Oh, oh! Another new (expensive) thing that I have discovered that I really, really enjoy. My already multi-function grooming/plant room is now also set up for dyeing fibre. And I have been dyeing up a storm!

I absolutely, utterly, completely refuse to even so much as look at carding equipment! I know what happens....

I have had a couple of "mom"cations this summer. DH Dallas and the kids are currently out again at Grandpa's cottage and so I have been free to do what ever I want! And to think that there was a time that I figured that I needed a 3-star hotel and airline tickets to have a good vacation. How things change once you have kids.

So there is dyed fibre all over my house right now. The problem is that I am eager to try them all out and start spinning them, but I have to ration my bobbins. I keep meaning to order more. In the meantime I wander around and pet them all.

I am starting to experiment with different fibres. This was my first try with Wensleydale. I was at my LYS bemoaning the fact that even though I didn't think it was possible for me to spin any finer without my singles disintegrating my finished 3 ply yarn was still coming out a bit heavier than I would like for socks. So Wensleydale was suggested. It has such a long length that it is literally possible to spin strong singles with only 3 strands of fibre. Unfortunately, I ended up felting this fibre a bit when dyeing so I had to rip it apart to draft it. It is still very fine and very strong. I Navaho plied it.

It is really overspun, but I don't mind that for socks. It doesn't have the softness of a lot of other wools, but it should wear like iron! It should end up to be loosely self striping when knit up.

A Blue Faced Leicester dyed with mauve, lilac and grey. I have discovered that anything dyed with purples in it will be dominantly purple. It didn't turn out quite like I expected (I thought the grey would show up more), but still a very pretty heathered yarn. This one is 3-ply fingering weight.

This one I couldn't wait to try spinning it. It is BFL again, spray dyed with pale pastel shades. So far, so good. I am very pleased with what is showing on the bobbin. Now I just have to hope that when it is plied things will still look as pretty.

This is a Corriedale-Rambouillet-Merino roving that I purchased from Wooly Wool of the West on Etsy. It is nice and soft and sproingy and should spin up beautifully. (Mikki had to get her nose in to see what I was doing. The dogs tend to like the sheepy smell of undyed fibre. Not too keen on the vinegar smell after dyeing, though)

Another Wensleydale. This time I didn't felt it! I also didn't get enough contrast between the blues that I would have liked, but it should still be fine. It is hard to go wrong with blue.

BFL again (I keep coming back to it!). It should self stripe nicely if Navaho plied.

And finally.... more good things in the mail. I got these notions from KaratStix on Etsy. Made of bamboo they are very light and should prove to be very handy. The wraps-per-inch tool is hanging on my spinning wheel. The Kitchener stitch tag is sitting next to my knitting chair. And the needle gauge (notice how she includes really small needle sizes) is attached to my knitting bag for when I am on the go.

I also have 3 more big, poofy piles of roving sitting on my kitchen table (all the easier to walk by and pet) still waiting for pictures. And there is a batch of Lincoln I dyed currently being spun also waiting. Not to mention the one finished skein and the dyed pile of roving to be spun with the intent of knitting two strangs together.

Which Ewe Are You?

2009-08-20T07:48:00.003-06:00

I took the Which Ewe Are You? quiz. I'm not so sure that it really matches my personality (especially the hugging part - I'm really not much of a hugger except with the kids), but there are certainly worse wools out there.
" As a fine wool with roots in France and Spain, Rambouillets seem to exude a cosmopolitan air, yet stay grounded and easygoing with others in the flock. With big hearts and a spring in their step, these finewools' lively attitudes make them approachable and always ready with a warm smile and a hug."

The quiz did its job, though, as I eventually looked at the book it was promoting. The Knitter's Book of Wool comes out this October and it looks like it could be one to get

The Summer That Never Was

2009-08-14T10:51:00.006-06:00

It has been way too long since I last did a blog post. Even my husband has been saying "What? No new post yet?" Like he cares about what I am knitting and spinning.

It has just been one of those summers. It started in June (it actually started well before that, but it didn't get incredibly nasty until about the 1st week of June). My son had been having the year from hell in school. In June we found out that it had been even far worse than we knew. So I spent the last 3 weeks of school pretty much living there.

It was at the same time that DH Dallas broke his arm. It was either fall off his bike or get hit by a car so at least he choose the lesser of two evils. "Broke" would be an understatement, though. He took the 2 bones in his lower left arm and made them into 7 pieces. So 3 metal plates, how knows how many screws and 56 stitches later he is sorta starting to heal. He got the cast off a couple of days ago and got some more great news. One of the pieces isn't healing properly and they may have to do a bone graft if it doesn't start to smarten up and start mending itself back together.

His scars, though, are making him the envy of all the neighbourhood kids.

So for a couple of months I didn't really do too much in the way of knitting or spinning. Being emotionally exhausted makes you quite content to just sit there and stare into space. I didn't feel the need to keep my hands busy. And I had even less energy to care enough to take pictures of things and post them.

Slowly I am getting back into routine again. The "Oops" yarn is now knit up into a hat for Katie. I used the One Day Beret recipe. The pattern needed to be very simple since the yarn is so busy and colourful. Katie loves it and has even been wearing it now in the middle of summer. Even though our summer weather this year has been leaving much to be desired it is still much to warm for a wool hat.

On the plus side I should always be able to spot her on a busy playground.

I also finished up the Crusoe socks that I had started sooooo long ago. This yarn was from my very first attempt at dyeing. I believe it started out as a KnitPicks undyed yarn, but it was so long ago that I can't say for sure anymore. I did 2 rows of plain stockinette stitch between the slipped rows instead of the 3 the pattern calls for. I didn't do it on purpose, but it turned out just fine.

Slowly I will caught up with picture taking on my other finished and partly completed projects. Not to mention my blog reading. I have been dyeing up a storm with roving for spinning. I have discovered that I would much rather spin than knit.

The Opps Yarn Turned Out Pretty Good (Even if I Do Say So Myself)

2009-06-02T08:11:00.003-06:00

The very bright roving that Susan dyed (and partly felted) is finally all spun up and ready to knit. It turned out a lot better than I thought it would. I never anticipated that it would end up as even as it did. Maybe it was that magic Elizabeth wheel.The yarn will be for Katie and I gave her the choice between a hat or some mittens since I'm not sure that there will be enough for both. She chose a hat.

I have also been experimenting with dyeing roving. After one small disaster the next couple of tries turned out much better. This lavender and mauve one was supposed to have grey in it, but it just got lost with the purple shades. So I just dyed up some grey separately that I am incorporating into the single plies. This is the roving that I am currently spinning and while I haven't gotten very far on it (it has been too nice outside to be spending time inside spinning) so far I am pleased with the results.

This roving is my latest to be dyed. It turned out to match the image I had in my head fairly closely which, to be honest, surprised me. The blue turned out a little more vibrant than what I was trying achieve, but other than that the very pale pink and lilac came out pretty close to what I wanted. At this point I think each of these dye jobs will be made into a 3 ply sock yarn.

Fibre at the Festival

2009-05-24T08:13:00.007-06:00

Summer has FINALLY decided to grace us with her presence, but she outdid herself with generosity yesterday. It was the perfect day for the Cathedral Village Arts Festival - sunny, 20 degrees Celcius (about 72 F), and just a touch of a breeze. The Arts Festival is an annual week long celebration that happens in the revitalized Cathedral area of Regina which culminates with a street fair where creators of (generally) handmade goods set up booths along the main drag of the area. There is also entertainment, food and lots of buskers.

My favourite LYS, Golden Willow Natural Fibres, is located on this street so they set up a couple of open tents outside the store. In one of the tents Gabriel and Ramone, alpacas belonging to Golden Willow's owners Sharon and Lloyd, posed for pictures and got lots of pets. Here is Katie with them (and our bag of shopping over her shoulder).

In the other tent they were spinning and knitting. And here is Deborah (knitter, spinner, teacher extraordinaire) from Golden Willow at a spinning wheel.

Katie and I just shopped and ate yesterday, but maybe next year we will go and join the ladies. Afterall, Katie now figures that I should give her my Pioneer wheel now that I have the Elizabeth (yes, it is still here) because it is little like her.

For myself I bought a fair trade bag from Cambodia that will go around my neck without hurting my back (too many years of hauling heavy books over one shoulder in university) and is perfect for toting around my knitting.

On a sadder note, my sister Susan suddenly lost one of her shelties on Friday. Harrison was a very sweet dog who loved to sit in the sun and watch the birds.

Elizabeth has Come for a Sleep Over

2009-05-07T09:26:00.007-06:00

My sister Susan has been dithering if she should sell her Ashford Elizabeth spinning wheel. On one hand it is her dream wheel. On the other hand to spin on it causes her a lot of discomfort. She has been trying to convince me to buy it from her, but I have been hesitant for a few reasons. It is a much larger wheel than my little Pioneer and I don't have a lot of room. My husband is already complaining about the ever-growing paraphalia around my knitting chair (I cleaned up for the picture). I really like the castle style wheels (I told Susan that if she ever wanted to sell her new Schacht Matchless I would take it in a minute! That was a resounding no, though). And I really don't trust my destructo kids around such an expensive wheel.

But as you see I did finally break down and bring Elizabeth home for a visit. My sister knows me too well. She knows that once it is here it won't be going anyplace else. I have to be careful about bringing puppies into my house for the same reason.

I think Susan figures that I should buy it just so that she retains visiting privileges.

This morning Katie was telling me that now the Elizabeth is here that I should give her my Pioneer since it is little like her. I told her no, but that her auntie and I were hoping that she would take up the knitting and spinning so that we have someone to leave all our stash and equipment to when we die. Her response was "Yipee!" Ummmm... I hope she isn't hoping for it all any time soon.

BTW - the brightly coloured fibre that I am spinning with here is some superwash that Susan dyed that turned out way too bright. She thought she was safe trying to get some of the colour out of it because it is superwash. Who knew - superwash WILL felt eventually. So I got her rejects since it is a little hard to draft out in places and I will make a hat and mittens for Katie out of it without worrying about it being spun evenly.

Here is my second try at spinning sock yarn from BFL...
The one turned out much nicer than the first try. I got it spun finer with a lot less breakage as I was Navajo plying it. It is knitting up nice and soft. So I think I am ready to start spinning sock yarn from nicer (read more expensive) fibre.

And I know I said I would never knit with Noro again, but it is just such a cool yarn when it is knit up that I couldn't help myself and did another pair of socks from the Kureyon, this time in colourway S182. I still have the finishing to do on one sock, but I dislike doing it perhaps because I actually have to think to Kitchener stitch the toe. I won't be wearing them (I hope!) for awhile yet anyway.

History as it Should Be Taught!

2009-04-22T09:01:00.004-06:00

Considering that Saskatchewan has yielded a rich amount and variety of dinosaur bones and fossils it seems fitting that the show Walking With Dinosaurs came to Regina last week. We dithered a bit about getting tickets, but finally decided that it was too good of an opportunity for the kids to miss.

We went to the show on Monday evening and are we ever glad we did. It was fantastic.

Before the show started we loaded up with drinks and popcorn, but once it started the kids forgot all about eating and drinking (and to be honest, so did Dallas and I) and were completely engrossed in the production. This was a history lesson unlike any we had experienced before!

An Ankylosaurus with its massive armour being introduced by the show's paleontologist host.

Two male Torosaurs battle for dominance of the herd.

Mama T-Rex protecting her baby from a torosaurus and an ankylosaurus. The T-Rex won.
Two Brachiosaurs defend themselves from becoming the dinner of the smaller Allosaurus.

How to Beat the Monday Morning Blahs

2009-04-20T13:14:00.003-06:00

I finally got the second batch of Blue Faced Leicester Navajo plied, washed and skeined. I am thrilled with the result! Now if I could just figure out how to skein neatly. I am eager to cast this on for socks to see if really is as nice as I think it is.
I am not sure which I am more excited about, though - great handspun or new Birks! The mailperson brought these this morning only 2 1/2 weeks after I ordered them from Germany. I really NEEDED some new ones after last spring's episode between my shoes and Kai the brat.

I really have no idea what I am going to wear with the pink ones, but I thought they were just too cute not to buy. One thing is for sure - Kai will not be allowed near them.

I think my husband knows I ordered them. Either way I can already hear him heavy sigh when he gets home from work. Guys just do not get women and shoes. He has a pair of brown shoes and a pair of black shoes and a pair of runners for all the other times. Pink shoes will have him scratching his head.

This is So Much More My Speed

2009-04-05T07:51:00.005-06:00

I spent yesterday in a new way for me. It is a way that I could get used to. Why? Because it is quiet.

Of all the things that having kids entails one of the hardest for me to deal with is the constant noise. And my kids don't whisper. They are usually yelling at each other at the top of their voices. So to be in a school gym full of kids and have it so silent was pure bliss.

Plus I got a lot of knitting done.

I am pretty proud of Christopher. Neither his dad or I play chess, but last fall he taught himself to play with a computer program. He enjoys it so much that a few weeks ago he started playing in a chess club that meets every Sunday at the university. I rather enjoy those afternoons also.

He even entered into a tournament yesterday where the winners in each grade class would be the provincial representatives at the national finals. With his limited experience he was playing against some kids who were very good. He held his own, though, and more importantly he really enjoyed himself.

The tournament organizers were very pleased that they had more girls entered this year than any other year. Somehow I don't think that Katie will ever be one of them, though. She thought it was called chest and the person the won was the one who had the most men left on the field at the end of the game. It is just so not her type of thing.

Coming Out of Hybernation

2009-03-31T11:04:00.007-06:00

It has been almost a month since I last did a blog entry because for the most part it has been a dull, dreary, cold, miserable, depressing March. I could think of a few more adjectives to include, but that should give you the general idea. The temperatures are still below normal and there is more snow on the ground than I would like to see for this time of year. However, there are at least some signs that winter may be finally ready to give up. I think this has been the worst winter that I can remember. It got cold at the beginning of December. It stayed cold. It is still cold.

I hate cold.

I did get a bit of knitting off my needles.

I finished up this pair made from Opal Rodeo 1156.

And here is my first stab at Navajo plying knit up...

I am pretty pleased with how they turned out. I haven't worn them yet since I really wasn't thinking when I cast them on and used 2mm needles. As a result they are very warm. I know I said that it has been cold, but not cold enough to warrant this much warmth on my feet. For the most part the yarn turned out very even, just a little thicker than I would have liked. The BFL that I am currently spinning up I am trying to do just a touch finer. I am not sure that I can spin much thinner and not have it continually shred on me. I am just about finished spinning it so I will know soon enough.

Skating Party

2009-03-03T12:45:00.007-06:00

Yesterday the weather was supposed to start to warm up so we told the kids that we would take them skating at the neighbourhood rink after school. It was fine until I actually got out of the van and into the open wind. Brrrrrrr!! It wasn't nearly as warm as it was supposed to be!

I did don my skates, however, to join the kids for a bit. I spent my time skating down the rink one way with the wind at my back and then going back the other way skating backwards. The wind chill didn't seem to bother the kids too much. I shot the following pictures after I had already given up and crawled into the back of the van and out of the wind.

Our extremely cold winter didn't lend itself to many outdoor activities and we were all out of practice on our skates. Here Katie and Tessa are at least upright even if their ankles are a little wobbly.

Then one went down...
Followed by another...

And then it was all three... Goes to show the high threshold to pain that kids have. They spent more time lying on the ice than on their skates, but they still didn't want to quit.

Enough With the Winter Already!!

2009-03-02T09:08:00.004-06:00

I haven't been posting very much lately. One of the main reasons is because I am just such a boring person that there really hasn't been much exciting in my life. It doesn't help at all, however, that winter just doesn't want to ever go away. And I am not just talking about a little snow and cold temps, but down-right frigid temperatures! We are a pretty hardy bunch up here on the prairies of Canada and long cold winters are just a fact of life. This year, though, is testing the patience of even the most stoic of us. Generally we will get a very cold snap that lasts for a week or two and then we will get a bit of a break and the thermometer will rise a bit until the next Arctic air mass moves in again. Not this year, though. It seems that we have had a deep freeze that started at the beginning of December and hasn't let up yet.

I woke up on Saturday morning on the last day of February to temperatures of -31 with a wind chill of -45 Celcius. That is -49 F for those of you south of the border.

Yes, you read that right.

It is hard to find any energy to venture outdoors and do anything with temperatures like that. So I find myself wandering around the house wishing I was in Florida. Today it is supposed to start a gradual warming. And it is about bloody time!

First Crack at Navajo Plying

2009-02-20T12:36:00.006-06:00

Firstly, thanks to everyone who offered their condolences on the loss of my friend Sue. I think her death really effected me so much partly because it brought home the fragility of life. The other really big reason is that I am very angry at myself (and at Sue, if I am honest) for not making more time for each other and for not taking the opportunity when I had it to tell her how much she meant to me.

I know, I know - there is a reason why they call it the 7 Stages of Grief.

Anyway....
I finally Navajo plied the blue and purple BFL. I cursed and swore quite a bit at the beginning, but eventually got the hang of it. It turned out to be a little thicker than I thought it would,. However it should still be fine for socks. I thought it would bloom more when I washed it, but it stayed pretty much the same size. So it is probably somewhere in between a 4 ply and a 6 ply fingering yarn. I purposely over-spun it a little. It should be fine to knit as it is, though, since it isn't quite as twisty as I thought it would be. I am currently tackling another BFL and spinning the singles a bit finer and tighter. I also got the suggestion from my sister to pre-draft the heck out of it and that also seems to be helping with the breakage.

Now if only I could learn to twist my skeins neat and pretty.

I also got a pair of socks off the needles. This yarn was my birthday yarn from my daughter last March so it is about time I finished it up! It is Opal Uni Cotton 1977.

And I also really need to get myself some sock blockers!

Susan-Ann Moreside - March 8, 1957 - February 15, 2009

2009-02-17T11:43:00.003-06:00

My heart is breaking today. On Sunday we received word that my friend Sue collapsed and died suddenly. Shock set in as well as disbelieve. I couldn't quite comprehend that Sue was gone and kept waiting for someone to tell me that it was all a cruel joke.

Life kept getting in the way and Sue and I hadn't spent as much time together as we should have in the last few years. She was the most caring and compassionate person that I knew. We first met when I was going through a difficult time and it was Sue that brought me back to life. We shared the same birthday and used to joke that we were actually twins. It was just a really loooong labour! She was also the person who first thought that my husband and I would be the perfect couple and was determined to introduce us. At the time neither Dallas and I wanted any part of her match making, but she had the last laugh - Dallas and I were married a year and a half after her concerted effort to bring us together.

Sue was a nurse and I don't think there could have been a better one. She was dedicated and passionate about her career to the benefit of her patients. Our health care system will be a poorer place without her.

She lived life fully and loved freely and deeply, even though it also made her vulnerable to life's harsher hurts. Her generous spirit will never been forgotten by all who knew her.

So each tear I shed represents another little piece of my heart. But I have been truly blessed and my life made richer for her being a part of it.

Good bye, Sue. I will never forget you.

If Someone Would Have Told Me a Spinning Wheel Was So Much Fun I Would Have Gotten One of Them Instead of Kids

2009-02-02T10:26:00.008-06:00

My house is a mess, meals have been hit and miss, the Etsy shop has been sorely neglected and I am waaaay behind on blog reading, but my spinning wheel has been working overtime.

I LOVE spinning!

I completed a hat for Katie out of various shades of pink and white Blue Faced Leicester. I wasn't sure how it would turn out after plying since I was just playing around with the roving. I think it came out rather pretty. I ended up making it a bit too long, but since it is only the second hat I have ever knit I think I will forgive myself. Besides, more wool around the ears when it is -30 Celcius isn't such a bad thing.

Here is what I am currently working on....

It is Blue Faced Leicester again, this time in shades of purples and blues. I am going to try doing Navajo plying on this one so that I don't muddy up the colours.

And I just have to show you this tape measure that I picked up in my favourite LYS store the other day. A little white sheep whose tail pulls out for the tape measure! Just too cute! Too bad my kids also think it really sweet and love to pull its tail.

First Spinning Project Complete!

2009-01-19T08:27:00.002-06:00

My first yarn is all spun, washed and knit up! Into my very first hat, no less! It seems hard to believe, but I have never made a hat before. It was so quick and easy that it certainly won't be my last.
Katie kindly offered to model it for me. When she started to pose, though, I started to worry. My kids are pretty used to me sticking a camera in their face, but I thought I had them trained to ignore me. Katie the Diva is showing her true colours here.

And I Will Love It and Squeeze It and Call It George

2009-01-10T10:55:00.009-06:00

A couple of posts ago I showed you my Christmas knitting haul. And a nice haul it was too, even if I say so myself. There was one more thing to add to the pile, though, and it finally arrived yesterday. I will give you a hint. I went and got this earlier in the week in preparation...Yup, I am now the proud owner of my very own Majacraft Pioneer. So far I am really, really bad at spinning, but I am not too worried. It is the sort of thing that I tend to be pretty good at so I am sure it will come. I can't play soccer, volleyball and I seriously suck at basketball, but I can make things with my hands.
And I doubt I will actually call it George. It seems more feminine to me. Besides, I don't tend to name my stuff. The van is still just called "the van" and the car is still just called "the car." I must have Bugs Bunny on my mind, though, since that line has been going through my head since the wheel arrived.

Then again, there are worse names than George.

Oops! I Did It Again!

2009-01-08T09:01:00.010-06:00

Oh, am I behind on my blog and on reading everyone else's! Over the Christmas holidays all routine was shot to heck. Kids home. Husband home. Slowly things are returning to normal. For the most part I like normal. A need for routine must be the ADD talking.

Waaaay back in November I cursed, swore and loudly proclaimed that I would NEVER knit with Noro Kureyon again. When the socks were finally finished I heaved a great sigh of relief and tried to put the experience behind me.

Then I started wearing them. Everytime I looked down and saw them peaking out from my jeans it gave me a little thrill. They were just so cool! I even forgave the orange.

So what did I do yesterday? See for yourself....

Somehow I just know that I am going to regret this purchase. But the colours were calling to me.

Meanwhile, I have another pair of socks off the needles. These are Online Supersocke Cotton, colourway 946. These are the first pair of socks that I have made using a cotton blend.

The bitterly cold weather that we have had since December is still not letting up very much. It has been slightly warmer, but I am really ready to get a break from it. Between the frigid temps and the short days it is getting to be a bit much. The kids left for school about 8:40 this morning and as I went back into my office and looked out the window the lightening sky it was tinged with lovely shades of blue and pink. It made a nice change from grey, slate and sludge coloured.

Christmas Knitting Haul

2008-12-28T11:39:00.012-06:00

My poor blog has been sadly neglected through December. The run-up to the Big Day with kids seems to speed by so very quickly. Except for those times (of which there are too many) when the kids are bouncing off the ceiling with excitement or sugar. Then I just want to send them to their rooms until after the New Year has come and gone. It didn't helped at all that a very, very, very cold spell settled in and never wanted to leave. When you have to stand at the door while the dogs go out to do their business so that you can quickly open it for them the moment that they are finished it is just too cold for kids to be outside playing.

But somehow we made it through.

First things first - the kids at their Christmas concert...

Here is Katie and her best friend Tessa before heading into the gym. Our school is old and the gym is waaaaay too small for the amount of kids at the school and I wasn't able to get a decent picture of the actual concert. It is so bad that parents play musical chairs during the concert so that everyone can at least see their child perform. We are supposed to have a whole new school built within 3 years since we are designated a growth neighbourhood.

And Christopher.... I wish he really was as angelic as he looks in this picture.

And here is the good stuff! I got lots of great knitting stuff! Dallas took the kids to my favourite yarn store, Golden Willow Natural Fibres, so that they could each pick out a skein of sock yarn. Their choices can be interesting, to say the least! Well, Christopher's can be anyway. Katie picked out the blue Trekking since she knows that my favourite colour is blue. Christopher picked the bright green Opal since green is his favourite colour. At least it isn't acid yellow like his last pick. The drop spindle and Lisa Souza roving were from my sister, Susan. And the Yarn Harlot desk calender and Charlotte Schurch and Beth Parrott Little Box of Socks were from Dallas. I have one more knitting thing from Christmas, but I am going to wait a couple of weeks to show you.

Some "Ooooooohs!" and an "Oops!"

2008-12-03T18:54:00.013-06:00

Working the Agribition with Ron from Buffalo Gold remained fun up until the end. My feet were completely killing me and the pain was starting to radiate up my back, but I still didn't want it to end. I met so many great people. And I would go to work for Ron again in a heart beat.

I also found that I like my kids a whole lot better when I don't see them as much. Funny how that works.

I had my first bison burger courtesy of Ron and we got to introduce him to local favourites like Nanaimo Bars.

My stash has also now moved up in social standing. My poor superwash sock yarns are turning up their noses at their new luxurious neighbours.

This skein is a sportweight 90% bison down, 10% nylon blend. The nylon is really only added because the bison down is very short and the nylon makes it easier to spin. I think I will make it into an everyday scarf for myself since it is machine wash and dryable. Yup, you read that right. Into the dryer it can go. It won't shrink or felt. This is the same yarn that my sister washed and dried after a test dyeing.
The two skeins on the right are the "Lux" yarn which is 45% bison down, 20% cashmere, 20% silk and 15% Tencel. When I get brave enough to try my hand at lace knitting I will do one of them up into a dressy scarf. It is available in the two colours right now, but in January there will be an additional 20 shades.

The socks below are machine knit from the "Lux." They are to die for! So soft that I couldnt quit fondling them all week. These aren't actually available from Buffalo Gold yet as they were a prototype, but somehow they jumped into my bag at the end of the week. Probably because Ron didn't want them with my drool all over them.

But all was not great on the knitting front last week. I am still not sure exactly what I did wrong on the heel of these Crusoe socks, but I think they are going to have to be frogged up to the start of the heel flap. I followed the pattern for the flap...

Rw 1: Slp 1, *k1, wyif, slp 1

Rw 2: Slp 1, p to end

and they "grew" so much width-wise that almost became bubble shaped. I don't THINK I did anything wrong, but obviously I must have.

Other than that I love this pattern for variegated yarns.

100 Things

2008-11-29T22:06:00.001-06:00

This one has been floating around out there in blog land and I thought I would take a stab.

Things I've Done (In Bold)

1. Started my own blog – duh!
2. Slept under the stars – it seems like the sort of thing I should have done, but no particular occasion comes to mind.
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower – every August we head out of town to watch the Persiads
6. Given more than I can afford to charity – this one makes me feel guilty
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain – I’ve been in the mountains. Does that count? Didn’t think so.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped – God, no!
12. Visited Paris – I did London. Close enough?
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train – on my way to Banff to ski
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill – show me a person who hasn’t?? I call them mental health days.
24. Built a snow fort – I live in Canada, after all. Never seen a real live igloo, though.
25. Held a lamb – I have held a chick just today, though. And a few other times as well.
26. Gone skinny dipping – sssshhhhh! Don’t tell my mother!
27. Run a Marathon – this one just makes me snort. Me and marathon so do not go together.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - nothing prettier than seeing them on the prairies
31. Hit a home run - I am athletically disadvantaged
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community – seen lots of Hutterite colonies. Sorta close. Okay, not really.
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied – Hahahahahaha!! My sides hurt now.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing – God, no! I am afraid of going up a ladder!
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David – of course I have! Everyone has! Oh… you mean in person…
41. Sung karaoke – I am embarrassed to admit this.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight - I’ve sat out on a pier by moonlight, though
46. Been transported in an ambulance – okay, so it was my son who was really the one being transported, but as a mother it was REALLY traumatic so it counts
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater – this was a staple growing up and into my teens
55. Been in a movie – I’ve worked on one…
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business –Etsy counts, doesn't it?
58. Taken a martial arts class – I’ve done this many times with my kids
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies – I was never ever a Girl Scout
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason – my husband can be a complete sweetie and does it often
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma – many, many, many times
65. Gone sky diving – the thought of me skydiving is just too ridiculous for words. See rock climbing above.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check – I’m really embarrassed to admit this! All I can say in my defense is that I was basically a stupid kid still and math was never my best subject. Thank God for debit cards and online banking
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy – her name was Pat-a-Burb (guess what that doll did?) and my daughter now has her.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar – yuck! Doesn’t appeal at all.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job – I refuse to answer on the grounds that I may incriminate myself….
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone – only one, but I did it well enough that it required two surgeries and wires and pins.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle – don’t tell my mom again….
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car – and it was totaled 5 days later, but (honest!) it wasn’t my fault
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House – I have done the Canadian equivalent and seen Parliament Hill in Ottawa
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating – ewwwww!
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one – lost enough of them that it should count for two
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake – I have driven by Great Salt Lake….
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Looks like I have to go to Europe to come close to completing the list.
“Hey, Honey!! I really NEED to go on a holiday….”

Bison at Agribition (Or How I Spent My Week and Got My Husband to Do the Cooking)

2008-11-25T19:18:00.003-06:00

I have been having a pretty fun week. Every year in Regina there is a large agricultural fair called the Western Canadian Agribition which attracts visitors from around the world. This year Ron Miskin from Buffalo Gold Premium Fiber came up from Texas with his amazing bison fibres. He needed a bit of help at his booth so asked in the local forum on Ravelry if there would be anyone interested. I had to think about it for all of 5 seconds (ummm.... let's see..... another week working alone in the basement....? or getting out to meet all sorts of new people and fondle yummy fibre?). Yah, I know. Tough choice.

Here is Ron and Merlin59 (aka Melanie) from Ravelry. I think she is having as much fun as I am. Ron is great to work with - interesting, fun, personable and totally committed to producing a superiour product. He travels quite a bit and is often at various fibre festivals. If you ever get a chance to met Ron go seek him out. My sister Susan didn't want to work, but she was VERY interested in playing with the pretty fibre. So she brought one of her little wheels down to the grounds and set it up beside the booth to spin some of the roving. I'm sure she will have more about it on her blog shortly, but when I left for the day she was still attached to the wheel.

This is the fibre that I am completely drooling over. As the sign says it is a bison down, silk, cashmere and tencel blend. There are only two colours available right now, but it will be soon be available in about twenty colours. It is soooo soft with a bit of sheen that makes you want to just roll around in it.

I think I am going to be sad when the week is over and it is back to routine.

I Must Be Getting the Knack of This Whole Sock Business

2008-11-23T14:23:00.001-06:00

I finally started knitting up the yarn that I dyed over at my sister Susan's way back in September. After I did the cuff I continued for a couple of inches in plain stockinette just to see how it would knit up. It wasn't too bad. My personal preference is for a longer colour strand, but for my first stab at dyeing yarn I was pretty pleased with myself. I even contemplated doing the whole sock in stockinette. I ripped back, though, as was my first intention.

So I dug out my one and only stitch dictionary and started leafing through it for some ideas. I came up with a simple knit, knit, wyf slip, slip, and so on and so on. I did this every other row, alternating the slipped stitches between the stockinette rows. I am on 2mm needles and I knit pretty tight.
Meanwhile, I was over on Ravelry the other day looking at suggestions for variegated yarn in the Data Base of Socks forum and I found a pattern that is exactly like what I was doing. It is the Crusoe pattern that was on Knitty. So I am pretty pleased with myself since I could figure out on my own what someone else thought was pattern worthy. I figure I must be getting the hang of this whole knitting thing then!

But I am still enough of a knitting idiot that I need visual aids even on a simple 3 (or 4, I guess) row pattern repeat.

Hopping Off to Drown Myself in That Frog Pond

2008-11-21T17:02:00.000-06:00

So I am finally working (somewhat) happily away on the foot of my Noro socks, thinking that I was now on the home stretch. Until I came to - gasp!- a knot!! It is bad enough that I have a bunch of spit splices already in the socks from where the yarn shredded, but at least the colours work out. But will it from the knot? NOT! The orange is tied to the blue which was the colour right previously.

I THINK that there will be enough yarn if I go up and try and match. If not, then I will have a funny coloured toe in the sock. I actually came to this spot about a week ago, but I was so miffed that I had to put it aside for awhile and hope that it would disappear.
It didn't. Darn.

And to think that I sooooo wanted to get my hands on some of this yarn for the longest time.

Hopping Off to the Frog Pond

2008-11-09T10:58:00.000-06:00

I have been a major idiot. I am still shaking my head on how I could be so stupid to not notice that something was wrong until I was on the home stretch of the second sock.

So I am knitting away on a sock made from Nor Kureyon S102. I had wanted to try the Noro for ages and finally got some. It has had its share of surprises. For starters the orange took me by surprise. It was not evident when I bought the yarn, being hidden away on the inside of the skein. I am not an orange person. I knew it was a rough yarn, but when I started shredding it as I was knitting I was not impressed. At least it is giving me a very good lesson in not knitting so tight. I can only blame being lazy on not doing a proper swatch before hand and having to start over 2 times because the yarn was too thick and was knitting up way too big.

After the rough start I am finally knitting away and got one sock completed except for the finishing. As I was knitting the second sock I knew it was skinnier, but thought it was because I had tried on the first sock repeatedly. But the longer colour parts should have had me stopping to question why that was happening. It wasn't until I was finished the gusset decreases that I actually thought to count how many stitches were on each needle. Duh! Head smack time. I am 4 stitches short on the second sock.

The second sock is now history.

Little Goblins

2008-11-01T14:11:00.003-06:00

Well, another Hallowe'en over with. I actually like Hallowe'en and love to see the little ones all dressed up in their costumes. Its fun to try and guess which neighbourhood kid is which under the makeup and costumes. Unfortunately, it always seems to fall to me to take the kids out treat or treating. How much I like that depends on the weather. Last night was a good one. Not very cold (8 to 10 degrees Celcius or 46 to 50 F, depending which side of the border or ocean you are on), no rain (yea!!), no snow (big yea!!), a little bit of wind but no howling gale.

The kids and I still had to have the big fight about wearing warm clothes under their costumes, though. Of course I won since I have veto power over if we go or not. Here are Christopher and Katie on the front step waiting for some friends to join us. We had to explain to Christopher who Zorro was since he didn't have a clue. And yup, the princess Katie really did request to be a devil. Rather appropriate, I thought.

It looks like we have our own resident ghosts hanging out in our cemetery/flower bed.

The crew ready to hit the streets - two chubby devils, an over-weight Zorro and Dorothy, who could stand to lose a few pounds also.

Also along for the adventure was "Dorothy's" mom, another parent of my vintage. We were telling the kids to yell "Hallowe'en Apples!" at the doors.

"What is a Hallowe'en apple?" Dorothy wanted to know.

I guess they are just children of their times. No one these days would dare to hand out apples any more, while home-made popcorn balls were one of my favourite things to find in my pillow case after trick or treating.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

2008-10-31T14:54:00.001-06:00

We were getting ready for Halloween yesterday. While unpacking a bin of decorations and costumes Dallas put a black cape on his head and turned on a flashlight that makes spooky sounds. Mikki and Kai went into defend mode. They had to bark madly at the scary strange man who had invaded the house. Even after Dallas took off the cape to show them it was him they still had to keep barking. At that point it was just a good excuse to bark.

Have I mentioned that shelties love to bark?

At least it is good to know that scary strange men are still Saskatchewan Roughrider fans.

Another Pair Off the Needles!!

2008-10-30T14:48:00.002-06:00

Way back at the beginning of September I posted to the Socknitters yahoo group that I was finally getting tired of just doing socks in stockinette and was ready to try something with a bit of a pattern. A bit being the operative word. I do most of my knitting in front of the television so it would still need to be simple enough that I could do it without thinking too terribly hard about it. I also wanted a pattern that would break up colour variegation. I got some really good suggestions, but Elizabeth recommended the Bamboo Walking Socks which would fit my requirements exactly.
I finished them last night and am really happy with the results. I did them in Opal Smoke 1653 on 2.5mm needles. I actually goofed up the pattern and didn't realize until the first sock was almost done. I knit mine with 2 rows of stockinette between each row of slipped stitches when the pattern called for 3 rows of stockinette so I made a bit more work for myself.

I still have another 3 pairs of socks on the go right now along with an afghan. The afghan, however, is quickly losing its appeal and has been sitting idle for a while. But I enjoyed doing this pattern so another pair could be cast on in the next couple of days.

Katie's New Socks

2008-10-24T14:56:00.001-06:00

I finished up a pair of socks for Katie the other day. She was sooo excited about them and couldn't wait to wear them to school. She had them on the moment she got out of bed in the morning.

After the schmozzle that is a school day morning around here I picked up the breakfast dishes, feed the dogs and wandered downt he hall to put a couple of things away in Katie's room. And what did I see lying in a heap in the middle of her floor? Her new socks, of course. Turns out that they were "itchy." Just my luck that my daughter inherited her narrow flat feet from me and her Auntie Susan's uber sensitive feet. I made her put them on for the picture, but it looks like I am going to have to give them a serious soak in hair conditioner.

Darn. Knitting socks for Katie is so simple and quick that they are good for a easy sense of accomplishment. They are done in Kroy Socks, 55605 Tutti Frutti Jacquard, by the way.

Puppies, Puppies, Puppies!!

2008-10-15T21:27:00.004-06:00

My sister Susan and I took a drive out to the country today to visit a couple of doggy friends who have litters of puppies right now. I can't think of a better way to spend time than cuddling with lots and lots of puppies!

Below is Susan with a litter of three 3-week old miniature long haired dachshunds. Mama Ten (aka Ch. Torihill's Savvidax Prrfect ML) is watching over her babies while at the same time waiting for her pats and compliments on such a lovely litter. Can't you just smell the puppy breath?!

The dachsies own and love their human, Daphne Bowering of Savvidax Miniature Long Haired Dachshunds. Congrats, Daphne!

Susan and I then went over to see Jean Juno of YBF Goldens. The scene there wasn't nearly as calm as at Daphne's! I would have loved a picture of all the puppies with the top of the gate open, but at 8 weeks old not much was going to hold them back and they were determined to escape their puppy pen.

Get ready to "Awwwww!" Is this little girl cute, or what?

The end.

Green Leaves and Snowmen

2008-10-13T15:01:00.001-06:00

Katie was just out making a snowman with the wet sticky snow. I couldn't help but notice that the majority of the leaves on the trees are still green. Only in Saskatchewan...

Winter (Bah Humbug!) Wonderland

2008-10-13T13:06:00.005-06:00

This week end is Thanksgiving in Canada. And like any long week end the weather was not cooperating. We got our first snow storm yesterday. And did we get dumped on! This is what my back yard looked like this morning...
It has been a very odd year weatherwise. Until today most of my garden and bedding plants were still alive and frost-free. This is almost unheard of in Saskatchewan. I would have had more plants still growing on my patio if I had bothered to water them at the end of August. But at that point I didn't see much reason to water as I figured that they would be dead very shortly.

Here you can see some pink Impatiens peeking out of the snow mound. I brushed off the snow after taking the picture and amazingly I think they are still alive! The snow must have insulated this very tender plant so that it didn't freeze.

If all this snow didn't depress me so much I would have been able to see the beauty of it. But ask me what I think of snow come January. At least now the sun is out and the snow is quickly melting.

When I came inside after digging through the snow to find some carrots in my garden for a pot of soup I am making did it hit me that only in Saskatchewan would my winter boots be sitting next to a pair of sandels.

I finished another pair of socks just in time for the snow. These are Trekking 106. I was completely paranoid while knitting the second sock that I would run out of yarn again like I did on another pair of Trekking socks. I had already completed one sock with exactly the same needle size and stitches cast on before I remembered. But this time I actually had a bit of yarn left over. Go figure.

It's a Rough and Tumble World

2008-10-07T09:07:00.002-06:00

Katie is looking a bit the worse for wear right now. The picture doesn't show it very well, but she is covered in scrapes and bruises. The shiner she is sporting is the icing on the cake. It was actually green all around her eye in the picture. You can't see the bruise on the other side of her face and the gash under her chin. She got one bruise from bo staff night at kempo and the gash on her chin from a fun night at the kempo school called Gladiator Wars. It is hard to imagine that Katie is actually a real girly-girl. She is just a real tough princess. The black eye came courtesy of her father. Dallas had her up on his shoulders while coming out from grocery shopping. I opened the back door of the van to load up and Dallas thought she would duck. She didn't.
Another mom who is a nurse was teasing me that we had better hope that she doesn't do anything else like break her arm that would require a trip to the hospital because we would be flagged for child abuse. Scary thought!

Christopher has managed to keep himself unscathed lately. Here he is getting his green belt. It is always a big deal when the kids earn a new belt colour, the highlight for them being the trip to McDonalds to celebrate. Presenting Christopher is belt is instructor Anna Mravcak who is running the New York City Marathon in a few weeks in support of Team for Kids.
With the cooler weather here I have actually been getting a chance to knit a bit more. No completed projects yet, but I will post pictures of some that are almost done in a few days. I have a pair of socks for myself and one pair for Katie that are just about finished. And I finally started something that isn't socks! Although the afghan is getting old really fast and it may take me a while to get it done. Give me a pair of socks to knit any day!

The Amadeus of Our Generation

2008-09-18T07:35:00.001-06:00

When I was in high school (should I even say when that was??) I went on an Easter break trip to England. As the bus full of kids went down the motorway we saw a bill board advertising an Elton John concert taking place that evening. Eighteen teenagers groaned and complained the rest of the trip that we hadn't known about the concert before hand.

I have never forgotten about that missed opportunity.

So 30 years later (you do the math) I finally got to go to an Elton John concert. We went to the Rolling Stones concert a couple of years back (little ole Regina got 2 - count 'em - 2 shows, the only stop on the tour to get more than one date) and that was fun and all, but it was Elton John that really defined the music for my generation growing up.

We were very lucky to get tickets for the concert (without paying exhorbitant scalper fees). Sir Elton played two shows here also, but tickets were nearly impossible to score. Our seats weren't too bad. We had a clear unblocked view of the stage from fairly close. My pictures are very poor quality since I was afraid of taking my good camera with me. I needn't have worried, though, since no one even asked to look in my purse on the way in. It must be a sign of the general age of the audience when the security was almost non-existant.The concert was amazing! Elton sang and played for nearly 3 hours straight - no opening act, no intermission. There was a camera on the keyboard and watching him play was incredible. This man is simply a musical genius.

Of Potatoes, Socks and Squirrels

2008-09-15T17:55:00.006-06:00

I went out to the garden this morning to dig up some potoatoes for our dinner. The ground was fairly muddy and the potatoes came up covered in gooey muck. So I left them sitting on the ground to dry off in the sun while I ran up to my favourite LYS to look at some Jaquard dyes. As soon as I pulled up in front of the store I had to smack myself on the head since I always forget that they are closed on Mondays. And with gas at $1.45 a litre I was quite ticked at myself for the wasted trip. So now I have pretty much everything I need to dye some yarn except the much-needed dye.

Anyway.... I returned to the garden this afternoon to gather the potatoes. And found little tooth marks on a few of them. Too big for mice, way too small for a dog (and a dog wouldn't be stupid enough to leave any sign of evidence). The only thing I can figure out is that the neighbourhood squirrels had to sample a few to find out that they didn't like raw potatoes.

Oh well, at leasts this kept the squirrels on the ground and off the overhead power lines. It seems this summer they have been frying themselves quite regularly and I am getting tired of losing power everytime they do.

I am actually knitting a sock that isn't stockinette! I knew the time would come when stockinette would start to lose its appeal and I would become ready for more of a challange. Baby steps, though, baby steps. These Bamboo Walking Socks (although, I am doing them in Opal Smoke) fit the bill nicely. It is still a very simple pattern, but creates a nice look the with varigated yarn.

I am still a complete knitting idiot, though, and need a counter to keep track of the 3 row (2 of which are stockinette!) pattern.

I was reading She Knits Socks' blog today and when I read that she was lusting after Opal Petticoat yarn in the 1290 colourway I remembered that I had a pair! These were the second pair of socks that I ever knit. I really love this yarn also. I am a complete sucker for pastels.

Dyeing for Dummies

2008-09-11T19:32:00.003-06:00

I had my first lesson in dyeing yarn yesterday and just as I feared it was pretty fun. So now I suppose I will have to start slowly buying all my own supplies. I really like how the blue skein turned out and am eager to see how it will knit up. The green one is another matter. The colour chart showed the two greens matching far better than they do in real life. I will have to head back over to my sister Susan's and try some overdyeing to see if I can come up with something that tones down the brightness of the bits of leaf green poking through. The picture is actually flattering to it. When it dried it became more pronounced.

I have made a vow that I will not touch my sister's spinning wheel for at least another year. Regardless of the cost, I simply do not have the room for one of my own!

I did finish a pair of socks the other day. Here is Lisa Souza Pink Ribbon.

The mounties would be proud.

2008-08-30T11:48:00.000-06:00

See the fence in front of Mikki? Well, that fence is there to keep the dogs OUT of the sandbox.

Looks like Mikki just figured out that she managed to get herself inside the bars and that I am on the outside. Getting out proved to be more difficult than getting in. Although, notice that the gate is right there on the left. So Miks gave up and settled herself back into the warm sand. For a dog that is always hot I can't figure out the lure of the sun-warmed sand.
I got a really nice message about my blog the other day...

Hi Darcie,

So my boss asked me to do a research project about what makes one blog better than another. I decided to pick a subject that I love, and look at a whole bunch of blogs related to that subject (and I'm getting paid for this?!?!?!), and I have to say, your blog is TERRIFIC. You are absolutely hilarious. I love how you got the cadet to hold your knitting! Hilarious. Your projects are great, and you knit (ehem) the stories of knitting into your everyday life in a great personal and funny way.

My first question was "Where is this job? And how do I get one?" And then I wondered if she realized that there really hasn't been a whole lot of knitting going on lately. But I will take a compliment when I get one. Thanks, Lucy.

So to rectify the situation in a small way here is Best of Opal 6-ply, colourway 1712. While I love these socks I shudder to think about how quickly I will be wearing them again.

A Wildlife Sort of Day

2008-08-29T14:56:00.000-06:00

Considering I am still slaving away cleaning on the inside of the house I have had some wonderful brushes with nature today. It is a lovely day - not too hot and no wind - and I have all the windows open. As I was scrubbing out the bathroom I could hear a bird whose call was completely unfamiliar to me. I glanced out the window and saw a beautiful large blue jay sitting in a tree right outside. We don't see too many of them around here! I ran to get my camera, but obviously the dogs didn't recognize the call either and started to bark at the strange noise. Of course, the jay flew away and I haven't heard him again.

I have a compost in my garden and a couple of sunflowers decided to start to grow in it. The only place I can figure out where the seed came from is from a bird feeder.

While they are pretty on their own I looked closer at the bloom this morning and saw this...

...two big bumblebees and a wasp also enjoying the bloom.

Then as I was sitting on the patio doing a bit of beading I heard the unmistakable whizzing of a hummingbird. He was hovering about a foot away from me! This was the first hummingbird that I have seen this year.

The Semi Annual Purge

2008-08-27T15:03:00.002-06:00

With school starting tomorrow (yipee!!!) I figured that it was time to do my least favourite job of motherdom - the semi-annual cleaning out of too small kid's clothes. I HATE this chore! The only good thing about it is that next door is a family with 2 kids (even more fortunately, one boy and one girl) which means I can fill up garbage bags of too-small clothes, dump them on their back step and then run like hell before they see me and try to give them back.

I tackled Katie's room first since she is the messiest and it always takes me longer in there. I would really like to know how a straight forward organizing of clothes ended up being a complete scrub down and rearrange of everything, including the furniture. I did find $5 (along with 5 chocolate bar wrappers, 2 gummy worms, a crust from a sandwich and and empty Kool Ade packet, which I don't really want to think about why that was there and what happened to the crystals) in the back of Katie's closet which is now mine. I figure that it paid me about .65 cents an hour. And the money was probably mine to start with.

Meanwhile, I am exhausted and Christopher's room hasn't even been looked at. Good thing Pizza Hut is cooking tonight.

The paper tacked on to the small mountain of clothes is note to our neighbour Kari ~~laughing maniacly because I am now done and it is her turn~~ apologizing for dumping this in her yard.

Did I mention that school starts tomorrow??

For the Birds, Part 2

2008-08-25T19:27:00.000-06:00

I was outside taking some row counter pictures when I noticed that my garden was FULL of birds again. The pitfalls of living in a neighbourhood with lots of mature treees, I guess. By the time I walked the few steps to take this picture most of the birds had already flown away, but this bunch sitting on the fence and in the tree didn't seem to mind my being there.
Now if only they would leave my swiss chard alone....

For the Birds

2008-08-17T11:12:00.006-06:00

I got a notice from Etsy that I made a sale yesterday. When I read it I started to laugh. I showed it to my husband and he had a chuckle. My yarnie sister Susan had a giggle when she came over for dinner last evening. And even my brother-in-law saw the humour in it.

Now, normally an Etsy sale does not elicit such a response. But this one was pretty funny. This is what was written on the message from the buyer...

Darcie,
You wouldn't believe it -- but, the damn crows came down onto my deck and stole my creamsicle counter. Hopefully they are finding it useful.
Jenny

I still giggle every time I think about it. I'm really trying to keep the laughs under wraps and see the gravity of the situation from Jenny's point of view. After all, that counter was pretty new and she paid good money for it. And to watch it fly away would be upsetting. But I just can't help myself. I keep getting the mental image of the Windex commercial where the two crows sitting on the overhead lines are playing practical jokes on the guy sleeping on the lawn chair below. Or a mama crow sitting up in her nest happily knitting away with the orange counter that matches her feathers so nicely. It also brings to mind the Yarn Harlot and her adventures with the rat-bastard squirrel.

See how nice the black crow looks with the orange counter?

So sorry, Jenny. I really do feel bad, but the giggles are winning out.

The Mounties Always Gets Their Man - Or Ceremony

2008-08-12T20:59:00.009-06:00

The rain held off today and we were able to make it back out to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police depot for the final sunset ceremony of the season (whoa! how did that happen? and what happened to summer?). It was a cool evening, but thankfully dry. "F" Division is where all RCMP cadets from across Canada are trained.

Katie decided that she wasnt going to be as camera shy this week and posed for a picture with Safety Bear.

These obviously brand-new cadets (notice the hair cuts that look like they just happened this morning) were out and about making nice to the tourists, handing out activity books for the kids and just general crowd control. Er.... well, maybe not so much crowd control since we are Canadian (although there seemed to be a lot of Americans and Japanese in attendance today). Let's just say that they posed for a lot of pictures and asked people very nicely not to walk on the parade grounds.

What slays me about these cadets, though, is why do they need bullet proof vests when they only have rubber guns??

These cadets have been at depot for longer and probably have graduated to real guns. My husband is now officially embarassed by me. He tried to pretend he wasn't with me, but I made sure to say loudly "Honey, could you hold my purse for me while I ask this nice cadet if he would hold my sock?"

Well, okay, I didn't really say that.

I forgot to ask this cadet his name. I think he thought I was some crazy lady, but he did hold my sock for a picture with a smile on his face.

BTW - the sock is Lisa Souza Pink Ribbon. It doesn't really match the red serge.

Will Work For Beverages?

2008-08-10T19:03:00.004-06:00

One morning last week I asked Christopher that if he would take an envelope to the mail box before the 9am pick up I would give him a loonie ($1 in non-Canadianese). He had to think about it for a few minutes, but grudgingly agreed. As he was getting dresses he made me a counter offer - he would do it for iced tea instead.

Who was I to argue? It was 7 in the morning and I certainly didn't want to bike over to the mail box so I didn't stop to inform him that I thought he was making a really bad trade.

I finished another pair of socks! This yarn is Austermann Step #18 Vulkan. I normally don't really like such bold stipes, but I think these ones are pretty cool. It helps that the stripes don't jump from colour to colour, but blend together.

Working with the yarn was another matter, though. I found it to be rather splitty and had to keep one eye on what I was knitting all the time which kind of defeats the purpose of just knitting stockinette. I tried working on them while sitting ring side at a dog show and it was a good thing that my more-knitting-experienced sister was there with me when I realized that I had dropped a stitch about 10 rows back. I knit so tight that I had trouble pulling the stitch back up, but Susan was able to do it.

Kai was determined to "help" me take the picture. He kept sticking his nose between the slats of the lawn chair. But of course I couldn't actually get a picture of him doing that.

RCMP Sunset Retreat Ceremony - Well, Almost...

2008-08-05T20:06:00.002-06:00

This evening we tried to do the local tourist thing and take the kids to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sunset Retreat Ceremony. Regina is the home of the RCMP and all the cadets from across Canada do their training here. Each Tuesday evening for about 6 weeks during the summer they pull out all the pomp and ceremony and recreate the traditional military end of the day ceremony.
The skies were also pulling out all the stops in presenting a spectacular show.
Unfortunately, about 15 minutes into the ceremony the thunder started to rumble and the clouds opened up cancelling the rest of the show. The rain lasted just long enough for the parade square to empty out of people.

On the way back to the car this group of cadets was patiently standing at attention for photographs. Katie suddenly got shy and wouldn't join Christopher for a picture.
There is one more scheduled for next Tuesday. Maybe the weather will cooperate and we will try again.

Wahoo!

2008-07-25T09:38:00.000-06:00

I actually finished a pair of socks! This is the first pair that I have completed since I started the Etsy shop. Way back in April I had 3 pairs of socks on the needles, but never found the time to knit. The irony hasn't escaped me. I have been so busy making knitting notions that my knitting basket has been sitting idle.
So here is Opal Zircus 2003. I actually completed them early last week and they have been sitting waiting for a picture since. There isnt a lot of incentive to do the finishing when it is the middle of summer. As far as I am concerned the best thing about hot weather is that there are less socks in the wash that need matching up before putting away.

I love blues of any shade and I can see these socks fast becoming a favourite.

On the Etsy front I am pretty excited. I finally found an on-line supplier of beads and charms that I like. I have been leery of ordering supplies when I am not able to actually see the product. It is too easy to make very expensive mistakes. But yesterday I placed a "test" order. Well, it turned out to be a rather large "test." Hopefully in a week or so I will be able to list some new counters. I ordered a bunch of knitting and spinning related charms that so many people have been requesting.

2008-07-11T20:39:00.000-06:00

We have been having a couple of days of wild weather. Rain, wind and even a few tornadoes (although, luckily not real near us). As I looked out my office window a few minutes ago to appreciate a few rays of sun poking through the clouds I saw this....

Pictures don't really do justice to these gorgeous double rainbows. They were some of the brightest, most defined rainbows I have ever seen. They faded away a few seconds after I ran outside to take these and now I am watching dark, ominous swirling clouds again.

Kid Bit

2008-07-08T11:27:00.001-06:00

Katie was full of questions the other day...

"Do you love Daddy?"

"I love Daddy very much."

"Do you love me?"

"I love you very much."

"Do you love Christopher?"

"I love Christopher very much."

"Do you love me more than flat screen tv's?"

"You are confusing me with your dad again. Do you think I should trade you for a tv?"

"No, just trade Christopher. Better yet, can I trade him for my cousin Cody?"

Kai's job in the morning is to wake Katie up. He loves his work! He jumps up and roots around, trying to kiss Katie good morning.

July 2 Should Be Called "Laugh at a Canadian" Day

2008-07-02T11:57:00.001-06:00

If you read my Canada Day post yesterday you can tell that I have spent a considerable amount of time pondering the differences between Canadians and Americans. Not differences that are good or bad, mind you. We are very much the same, but there are some subtle things that set us apart.

Then I was reading the Yarn Harlot's annual Canada Day post. A couple of the comments made me think. Would I like it if someone from a different country came up here and started to poke fun about our Prime Minister? Sure!! Come on up! I'll supply the Molsons and we can make fun of our government for hours! That is practically a national past time. Ever seen This Hour Has 22 Minutes on CBC Television? Or Rick Mercer? We delight in skewering out politicians.

I don't respect our Prime Minister simply because of the office he holds. I will respect him once he proves that he is a good and capable leader. And then I will make major fun of him anyway.

Canadian love to laugh at ourselves. Not much is sacred. We have to laugh a lot or our lips will freeze together in the winter. So some of the other things that say that we don't take ourselves very seriously...

Our major currency is called a Loonie.

The beaver is our national symbol. What is more, we LIKE our beaver! It is so easy to make fun of.

Duck Tape was invented here.

In Quebec liquor sales are controlled by a "society."

William Shatner, a man who has developed that art of making fun of himself to a high art form.

The Molson Brewery "I am Canadian" commercials.

My personal favourite - in 1999 when the Northwest Territories was divided into two there was a contest held to name the part that wasn't going to be called Nunavut. "Bob" almost won.

So go on! Give it your best shot! Make fun of a Canadian today! And pass the brewsky while you are at it.

Happy Canada Day!

2008-07-01T17:41:00.000-06:00

One of the things that I really hope to give to my children is a strong sense of national pride. Everyone should be proud of where they come from. Years ago I remember reading an article by Canadian political columnist Allan Fotheringham where he stated in relation to patriotism that Canadians were just like Americans, just not as loud about it (my apologies if it is not quite the correct quote since it was a long time ago and I couldnt find the quote anywhere on line). The statement really resonated with me. So I am trying to teach my children to be loud about it. Just like the tradition of new jammies on Christmas Eve Katie and Christopher always get new Canada t-shirts before Canada Day.

Every year on Canada Day Regina celebrates the holiday with a big party in Wascana Park. We are so fortunate to have this huge park that covers 2300 acres, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America (Central Park in NY covers 834 acres). Even more amazing is that Wascana Lake was entirely man made! It began as a make work project in the 1930's. We are in the middle of the prairies so every tree, bush and little rise of land had be planted or built.The large building is the provincial legislative buildings. Or as Katie used to call it when she was little, Pooh's Castle. The sky is hazy today with smoke from forest fires in northern Saskatchewan.

Here is Katie checking out the totem in the park.

And Christopher and Katie running under the waterfall. I love the look on Katie's face!

The park is also home to the Wascana Waterfowl Park. There are hundreds of majestic Canada Geese in the park year round. They are beautiful to look at, but some people complain loudly about their numbers. You see, they can be rather "messy."

The Office(s) Are Open

2008-06-30T20:36:00.007-06:00

I spend a lot of time (like pretty much all my waking hours it seems) making counters for my Etsy shop. The majority of the time I am down in my work area in the basement. Don't I look official now! Katie was very happy that she was able to reclaim her craft table. So for the last couple of months this has been my habitat.

Complete with my emergency supply of Cherry Twists. That beading is hard work and I have to keep my energy up, ya know!

But summer has FINALLY arrived in Saskatchewan! It took it's sweet old time getting here this year. Perhaps it is because we have such a short warm season that I can't stand being indoors when the weather is hot. So the office had to become transportable. So this is now where I spend my days. I like to call it the outdoor office. The biggest problem is that when I dump my beads (which I do on a frightenly regular basis) they are a lot harder to find.

And lastly, a sock. This one is Trekking 284. I love the tweediness (is that a word?) of this sock and I wear it a lot. Well, not just one sock. I typically wear two socks at a time. Just not on the same foot. Erg... you know what I mean.

But now I have to close up the office for the night since the mosquitos don't abide by the posted hours.

2008-06-24T09:46:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was playday at Christopher and Katie's school. I have volunteered to help every year since Christopher was in kindergarten. Only once have we had rain. It was a beautiful morning yesterday. Finally we are having some weather that is befitting of summer! My job was to wander around taking pictures. Its a good gig. Better than manning the tug-o-war station that I did for the first 3 years. At least I don't come home with my hands rope burned.

Here is Christopher at the bubble station. Obviously, he had already been to face painting! For those of you without boys that is a Pokeball on his face. If you aren't aware what that is, you are probably better off.

And Katie at the egg, ummm.... golf ball and spoon races. We seemed to have a tie dye theme going on there.

Nope, the sock didn't go to playday.

This is Cascade Sassy Stripes 763, knit on 2mm needles. I knit very tight and these socks are actually a bit like cardboard. They softened up a bit, but not like I would have liked them to. What saves them for me is the little bit of mottling in the light blue part.

He's Still a Brat, But at Least He's a Champion Brat

2008-06-15T19:53:00.001-06:00

Here is Kai at the dog show today...He is now know as Canadian Champion WillowGlyn 4 Off the Floor!

Kai earned enough points (with a few extra for insurance) to finish his championship. Thanks to judge Thom Nesbitt for his final points. And a big, huge thanks to Yvonne Halkow of WillowGlyn Shelties for entrusting the brat to me.

Kai celebrated by coming home and unplanting a bunch of my bedding plants that were in pots on my patio.

Ignore the picture of me. My sister and I had an arguement about who is least photogenic. I still say I win. I may look like I am really not having a good time, but I was jumping up and down on the inside.

Katie also did well at junior handling today. She took second in the junior novice class despite being 3 feet shorter than some of her competition.

Grooming Day

2008-06-12T20:46:00.003-06:00

Kai is entered in a dog show this week end here in Regina so today was a serious grooming day. Bath time was earlier in the week, but today was trim and start the poofing time. I took him over to my sister Susan's since she is way better at grooming shelties than I am. Plus it was her birthday so I figured that letting her do the grooming would make a pretty good birthday present. Not sure that she agreed. Anyway, Happy Birthday Susan!

So here is Kai up on the grooming table, partly groomed in preparation for going in the ring tomorrow.

When we were done the sun made a brief appearance between all the rain we have been having. It was good timing for the dogs as they had excess energy to burn off after being cooped up in the house for the last few days. I guess Kai forgave Auntie Susan for the grooming. Notice the swishy tail!
Kai's registered name is WillowGlyn 4 Off the Floor and this is why...

Kai is a brat. His idea of a good time is to harass who ever will let him. Or in the case of Robbie, who isn't afraid of telling him off. Robbie may look fierce with his teeth bared, but he is really having just as good of time as Kai.
Fur already partly flattened by the wet grass, Kai was reluctant to leave his play mates.

I Am Soooo Not Ready for This

2008-06-11T17:15:00.001-06:00

I knew subconsciously that after Katie's bedtime confession last evening that I was in a state of denial. This morning reality hit me hard over the head. There was no denying it any longer - Katie was using her halter top as a bra substitue. She insisted on wearing it under her clothes to school this morning.

After school she brought her friend Stephanie home to play. Katie took off her shirt that she was wearing to school (at least I really hope that she kept her other clothes on at school) and the two of them are colouring together in a My Little Pets oversize pad. I can't be the only one to see the irony here. The halter top was definately a fashion statement as it was windy, pouring rain and blinking cold today.

I am really having a lot of trouble with this whole bra thing. She is seven, for pity sake!

But I can see Katie trying to wear this same halter top every day. She is stubborn if nothing else (and I can think of a whole lot "else"). So I went and got her some "small undershirts."

This is the smallest and least suggestive I could find. She is still going to swim in them.

God help me when this kid gets hormones.

Damn Cut Worms!

2008-06-10T19:47:00.006-06:00

As if my poor garden wasn't in bad enough shape this year with my planting so late, I am now dealing with cut worms. I have dug out a few already and hunted around for a few more, but I can live without a radish or two. But today I found this...

When they start attacking my head lettuce, then I get angry! At least I got that sucker!

My garden really is pathetic this year. Have you ever seen a sorrier tomato?

But if you look reeaaallly closely, you will see that today it had an actual leaf forming! I love Sugary tomatoes. I special ordered the seed back in December and had it started indoors under grow lights at the proper time. And then I got started with all these beads. The seedlings took a back seat I am afraid. I never even noticed that this was the only sugary seed to germinate until it was time to plant it outdoors. So I plunked it in the dirt and hoped for the best. With my luck the cut worms will have got it by tomorrow.

I have a few pairs of socks on the needles right now. This one is Austermann Step, #18 Vulkan. It is sitting on another little sock bag that I got on Etsy from Stuck in Illinois. I thought it would be great for dog shows.

P.S. I was just tucking Katie into bed when I noticed that she had a halter top on under her night gown. Katie loves halter tops probably mostly because I won't let her wear them to school. When I asked her why she just said "Cause I'm a girl." Apparently she told Dallas earlier that it was because she "was a woman - well, not quite." Well, that explains it.

Monday

2008-06-09T21:03:00.001-06:00

I finally crawled out of my space in the basement, plopped down in my knitting chair, did 3/4 of a row of a heel flap while the laptop fired up, and then sat here. And sat there. And sat some more. I did think while I sat, but not about much. Canadian Idol is distracting me.

Wow, she was good...

So since I haven't been doing much of anything lately that is blog-worthy I thought I would steal Kaessa's idea on her blog, My Life Has Gone to the Dogs, and do a Monday Happy List.

So in no particular order here are 5 things that make me happy:

1. Monday Happy Lists
2. Freshly bathed dogs (one dog down, one dog to go)
3. Hot, sunny summer days (come on, God, I am still waiting...)
4. Long summer evenings (16 hours and 20 minutes of day light today)
5. Kraft Dill Pickle Dip and ripple chips

Motherwell Homestead

2008-05-29T16:36:00.003-06:00

Today Christopher's grade 3 class had a field trip to the Motherwell Homestead, a national historic site with Parks Canada. I went along as one of the parent chaperones. Although only its only 1 1/2 hour drive from Regina I had never been there before. It was a fascinating place! William Motherwell was a pioneer farmer, politician and activist. His home and farm have been preserved as it would have been in 1912. Even though the Motherwell family was extremely weathy compared to the majority of homesteaders on the prairie, the kids learnt a lot from their wonderful tour.

The barns even have animals. Here Christopher (in the red and white hat) checks out the new piglets.

The kids got to go on a wagon ride. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for the parents.

As we were waiting for the kids I couldn't resist asking our guide Colin to pose in front of the sheep with my sock. Even though he thought I was nuts he good naturedly agreed!

Just how does one explain the Yarn Harlot to non-knitters?

Picture Perfect!

2008-05-27T19:28:00.000-06:00

I wish I could bottle up smells and post them on my blog. My back yard smells heavenly! We have 2 old and very large ornamental crab apple trees which are in full bloom.

This one is right outside both the back door and patio doors off the family room. As I am working just down the stairs from the open screen door I can smell the blooms.Of course, I am also living on a steady diet of antihistamines and allergy drugs, but it seems a small price to pay for such beauty that lasts such a short time.

Now if I could just get the rest of my yard work done. I still have bedding plants that need to be planted and the yard hasn't had its spring clean.

I've been busy making a few more lanyards for Anne in Nashville, this time for some of the doctors that she works with.

And my sock picture - another Opal (I like Opal, could you guess?), Elemente 1074.

Saturday Tournament

2008-05-24T19:49:00.001-06:00

If someone would have told me before I had children that I would be spending time ringside, cheering on my kids as they were kick boxing I would have told them they were nuts. I'm pretty passive by nature. Fighting was a dirty word to me. It never even crossed my mind that sparring, bouts, hook punch and flying kicks would become part of my everyday vocabulary. I always envisioned my children in dance and piano recitals. But I have become a convert and this is how I spent my Saturday... Yup, at ring side cheering on my kids as they kick boxed. Just one more example of how parenthood will totally change your priorities. That is 9 year old Christopher as he is waiting to start his very first kick boxing match. He lost, by the way. Just too passive by nature also. He is my son, after all.

And here is Katie, trying to stay awake before the early morning bow-in.

The kids were in an in-school tournament and competed in point sparring, weapons matches (another dirty word!), and since they are now old enough and of a high enough belt level, light kick boxing. Katie is actually very much a girly-girl, but still loves kempo. This is the kid that asked for numchuks for her 7th birthday. If they made them in pink she would have been in heaven!

I actually got some knitting done today! The kids had to wait over an hour after the bow-in until their matches started so at least I had the forethought to take along a sock I am knitting.

I finished this sock in the winter. It's Opal Petticoat 1291 and was the 3rd sock I ever finished. I like my socks bright and colourful!

Peace and Quiet At Last!

2008-05-16T17:51:00.007-06:00

Dallas and the kids just went to Grandpa's cottage for the week end. I have so much to do around the house that I stayed home again. At least that is my story, and I am sticking to it! The garden hasn't even been dug, let alone planted. The whole house is a disaster area since I have been so busy with the Etsy shop.

I got a request to make a lanyard yesterday and I had a great time doing it. Bonus that it turned out great!I made it from the tie dye beads that are so popular for the row counters. And I also made a great new on line friend with Anne from Nashville.

This week Katie got her green belt in Kempo. It take approximately 1 year to get a new colour belt and this is the kid's 4th year. Christopher's green belt will be coming up shortly. They are always so proud when they pass the test for a new belt. And so are mom and dad.

The Case of the Chewed Up Birkenstock

2008-05-14T07:57:00.007-06:00

THE EVIDENCE:

THE SUSPECT:

VERDICT: Guilty as charged. The dog spit on the shoe gave him away.

Mondays are So Much Better When the Mailman Brings Knitting Stuff

2008-05-12T13:07:00.000-06:00

I love it when the mailman brings good stuff!

The bag actually came last week. It is the cutest sock knitting bag that looks like sheet music on the outside. The inside is lined with a black fabric with white treble clefs. Cloth bags and I usually don't get along as I get them grubby almost immediately, but I couldn't resist this one. I got it from Stuck in Illinois on Etsy.

The sock yarn came from another Etsian and Ravelry member, Fritzl, or Ruth on Ravelry. I have loved her yarn from the first time I saw it so when I finally had a bit of money in my Paypal account I broke down and got some. I can't wait to start knitting with it!

Good thing I got another pair of socks off my needles this week end so that I can start a new pair. The Opal Zircus in pink is finally done. It took me for ever! Making the row counters for my own Etsy shop has been taking all of my time. I have never worked so hard for so little money. : )

A Trip to the RCMP Museum

2008-05-07T11:49:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Katie's grade 1/2 class visited the new museum at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Depot Division. One of Regina's claims to fame is that it is the home of the RCMP. All the cadets from across Canada come to Regina to train. The kids went through some basic training such as learning how to march and salute. They also got to dress up in a pint sized red serge and get their picture taken.

Back Home

2008-05-05T10:15:00.001-06:00

Well, I missed a few days of the dog show on my blog. Partly because dog shows are really tiring and partly because the power supply for my lap top died while up in Saskatoon. I really didn't have anything to brag about anyway. It was a disappointing week end. Kai the sheltie only needs 3 more points to finish his championship, but we didn't manage to get them this week end. There were a lot of very nice shelties entered. He got some good hard looks, though.

This was Katie's first time in competitive junior handling. Last year being only 6 she was in the pee wee class which is non-competitive. Cute as all get out, though! Katie did really well considering she never had very much practice. Kai works really well for Katie. They make a good team.

Katie was the smallest one in her class. In the competive classes the kids are required to put the dogs that are normally "table dogs" up on the table so the judge can go ever them without having to bend right down to the ground. Being so tiny Katie isn't able to do so, but the judges for juniors are good about helping out and being very encouraging to the kids. You can see Katie barely able to keep her hand on the lead as judge Lori-Ann Fischer checks Kai's bite.

While she didn't place in her class, Katie had a great time and was thrilled with the loonie she won just for competing.

As for me, well, I consoled myself with a trip to a local yarn shop and bought my own consolation prise of a new ball of sock yarn.

Dog Show - Day 0

2008-05-01T23:08:00.002-06:00

Have knitting, will travel.

After years of travelling to dog shows, my sister Susan and I have learned how to pack light.

Kai and Bentley are bathed, brushed and ready to go play showdog. Road trip!

Necessity is the mother of invention. A show lead is holding the light around Susan's neck.

Pooped out and ready for the dog show tomorrow morning.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2008-05-01T09:34:00.012-06:00

So I have been getting lots of people asking me how exactly my row counters work. So I took a picture.In the picture I am doing an Eye of Partridge heel on a pair of socks (Opal Zircus, see previous post). I am using my new Sockknitter's Row Counter and have taken off the excess chain so that I only have the 4 rings needed for the heel. My needle is on the first ring in the chain - so I am starting the first row of the 4 row pattern repeat. I have already completed 3 repeats of the pattern and can tell that by the little beaded circlet on the decade part of the counter being placed below the 3rd larger bead. So basically I have knit 12 rows of my socks - 3 times 4 rows.

Or to put it in the simplest terms - rings on the chain indicate single rows (in the photo my needle is through the first ring so I am on row 1). Each of the larger beads on the bottom part equal either 10 rows or a complete pattern repeat (in the photo I have moved the circlet below the 3rd bead so here I have completed 3 pattern repeats. If I had been using the complete chain with 10 rings then it would mean that I had finished 30 rows).

I would be lost without a counter for heels. I can't for the life of me see the difference between a row of slip, knit, slip and slip, slip, knit, slip.

I'm desperately trying to get packed up and off to a dog show today. But I keep getting distracted. Pack one pair of underwear - read 5 posts on Ravelry. Pack one pair of socks - read the blogs of 3 other people. Find one clean show lead - opps, I walked past my beading and have to string a few. Kai the sheltie almost has his championship so I am hoping that this will be the week end. Next week I should have lots of new pictures of dogs, knitting, and watching the other dogs while knitting.

At one show last summer my sister Susan and I had another person come up to us while we were exercising (a polite way of saying taking them outside so they can do their business) our dogs and tell us that she was never brave enough to knit at a dog show. Hopefully this year we can convert the show dog show world that knitting and showing go wonderfully together.

Katie at a fun match a few months ago winning Best Graduate in Match with a friend's Portuguese Water Dog.

So Young and Yet So Wise

2008-04-30T19:21:00.004-06:00

I got stuck driving the kids to kempo (a form of martial arts) last night, a duty that I have managed to shift to my DH for the last couple of weeks. I don't know what it is about a moving vehicle, but the kids tend to talk non-stop while we are driving. After much giggling from the back seat Katie asked me what "pregnack" was. Her and Christopher obviously thought it was a horribly dirty word. After I assured her that, no, it really was an okay word and all it means is that someone has a baby in her tummy, Katie told me that she wasn't going to ever have kids.

"How come?" I asked.

"Because they will just annoy me. And then I would have to spend all my money on kid's stuff instead of spending it on myself."

She has figured it out already.

A few minutes later a fight ensued about telling me a funny part of a movie that they had seen recently. Katie wanted to tell me while Christopher wanted me to wait and watch the movie. Katie eventually won the arguement when she reminded her brother that I wouldn't remember anyway.

"You're right," he said. "Because she does forget a lot."

When we got to kempo I had to hurry inside so I could write this all down. Because he is right, I do forget a lot.

I blame my kids for that.

And the Winner is...

2008-04-28T08:21:00.005-06:00

Sharon Rose!

Maybe because I am a Canadian I never even made the connection between the yellow ribbons symbolizing the military unable to come home and my row counter. But the more I thought about it, the more poignant it became. Canadian troops are now also heavily involved in armed combat in Afghanistan and are suffering heavy loses. Traditionally the Canadian military has served in peace keeping duties instead of being out on the front line. Now as a nation Canada is feeling the incredible burden that the American people have felt for many years.

So the row counter will be named “Home Front,” for where ever home happens to be.
Sharon Rose also got bonus points for some of her other suggestions. I particularly liked “Orange You Lucky?” and “Teals on My Pillow.”

This wasn’t and easy decision! There were so many cute and original names. 7 year old Katie really liked “Daffodilly Dreams.”

Huge thanks to everyone who left their suggestions! I had a great time going through them all. Watch my Etsy shop for many of the other names.

It's Mr. Nuthatch to You

2008-04-27T08:29:00.008-06:00

It turns out that the little bird building a nest in our almost dead apple tree is a nuthatch. A red-breasted nuthatch to be exact. And it's dad, not mom.

He was working away again yesterday so I grabbed my camera. At first he wasn't too sure about this human standing on a lawn chair so close, but he slowly got used to me. Every once in a while the female would fly in for a few minutes. She never landed on the branch with the soon-to-be nest in it, though. Eventually, the male hopped up on the top of the dead branch to check me out. He seemed to be facinated by the clicking of my camera. Every time I took a photo his little head would cock to the side.

On the needles I have another of the Opal Zircus yarn. This one is 2003. I love watching the Opal self-patterning yarn knit up. And to non-knitters it makes you look so smart. : )

Spring Has to Be Coming, Right?

2008-04-25T16:48:00.003-06:00

I have been hearing that tat-tat-tat of a woodpecker for the last couple of days, but I was never able to spot him. Then today as I was out taking pictures of some counters I finally saw him. He is just waaaay smaller than what I was expecting. For a little bird he is really noisy! So it looks like we will have a nest of baby birds in our backyard soon as this little guy has been very busy hollowing out a tree. Or I guess it should be her instead of him.Does anyone know what kind of bird she is?

Sigh...

2008-04-24T08:50:00.015-06:00

It looks like we are back to the muddy paw prints again today. This is what I woke up to this morning...

Snow in April is just so depressing. Actually, I find snow at anytime to be depressing. I am just not a winter sort of person. So how the heck did I end up living in Canada?? With all the places in the world that my ancestors could have emigrated to, why the heck couldn't they have picked Florida?!

These are the socks that I was working on in our dreary March. I finally finished them up. Or almost anyway. I still have the toe to stitch shut on the second sock. While it is a lovely soft yarn (KnitPicks Pebble, which I don't think is available this year) I was finding the colours of it to be too reminiscent of my back yard. It was just too drab! So I set them aside to do something much more colourful.

And this is what I picked! Opal Zircus in colourway 2000. It doesn't get much cheerier than this! I have no idea what I will wear these socks with, but the yarn was just too cute to resist. The little flecks look like confetti on your sock. I am almost done these, but my knitting is taking a back seat to the row counter production right now. About the most I have gotten knit is a pair of socks that I use for my pictures that I post on Etsy. When I list a new counter I will include a picture of it on a project so people can get a better idea of how it works. I knit one on, and then I knit it off after the picture is taken. So that has been the extent of my knitting in the last while - one row for every row counter listed.

An Addendum for the Contest

2008-04-22T19:47:00.010-06:00

It seems I still have a lot to learn about blogging. Or more specifically, contests on a blog. So here is your new assignment... name this row counter:

The assignment, should you chose to accept it, requires you to name the above row counter that I will then put up on my Etsy site. Bonus points will be given if you can think outside the box and come up with lots of different names for other colours of row counters. Just post your row counter names in the comments section.

The winner will receive a row counter in their choice of colour. You have until Sunday midnight (or Monday morning when I get up - which is early) to get creative. Judging will be completely subjective. Make the names sweet, descriptive or witty - it doesn't matter. I would like to use the names for counters that I make in the future.

If you don't have a link remember to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win!

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T08:53:00.006-06:00

It started like any other school day morning. Christopher woke me up way too early. Katie would only eat a yoghurt tube and cheese string for breakfast. And we had the usually panic about getting all the field trip forms signed and packed properly in the back packs. I laid out their clothes and finally got myself a cup of coffee. Then Katie came out of her room dressed. What? Those aren't the clothes that I left out! I had forgotten that in honour of Earth Day the kids were supposed to wear green or blue so Katie took it upon herself to find a different ensemble to mark the occassion.

My first reaction was to tell her to go back and change immediately into the clothes that I had already picked out. And then I really took another look at her and started to giggle. The birth of a new Earth Mother! I especially like how she picked tights and socks to continue the earth theme!

So nasty mother that I am I grabbed my camera and made her pose outside (which was really mean as it was a very cold -9 celcius out). Then happily sent her off to school.

Help Me Name My Row Counters!

2008-04-21T09:17:00.003-06:00

As I mentioned on Saturday's post I need some help naming my counters. You have until next Sunday to come up with some great ideas for a chance to win a free row counter. I have decided, though, that instead of just me picking a winner that it will be a joint effort between the kids and me.

As an example of my desperate need, I ended up naming two different row counters the same thing on items I listed last night. And I just started this! Can you imagine what it will be like over time? Row Counter #642, Row Counter #643...

So Much For the Peace and Quiet

2008-04-20T17:29:00.003-06:00

Well, they are back.
Ten minutes after they were back I was trying to send Christopher and Katie back to Poppa's. They wouldn't go.
Darn.

She Works Hard For the Money...

2008-04-19T20:05:00.003-06:00

It's only 8:05 pm and I am dead tired. I should be full of energy since I now have had over 24 hours of peace and quiet. Dallas loaded up the kids and took them to his dad's to help him open the cottage which is 2 1/2 hours away. But Etsy is starting to control my life. It has been less than a week since I opened my shop and I am having trouble keeping up. Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining. I never would have thought that my row counters would sell like they have. I finished three more up this morning and the first one sold before I had finished listing the second. The second one sold about 15 minutes later.

But now everything hurts. Sitting on your butt for that long is really a work out!

Etsy also seems to have a mind of it's own. As I was trying to list another counter this evening I kept getting an error message that the title contained illegal characters. Uh? What is all that about? The title was basically the same as all my other listings. Slowly it dawned on me. The illegal character was the name I had chosen - Cherry Pie. I continued on trying different combinations but the same error message kept appearing. In an act of desperation I retyped the exact same thing that I had entered the first time but this time Etsy let me continue on. Did Etsy hear me swearing at them?

So I need some help. I need a stash of creative names for my row counters. It can be something to do with a colour, a charm, or any other thing that is cute and catchy. At the end of the week I will send a row counter to the person who comes up with the one I like the best. So put on your thinking caps and on Sunday, April 27 I will post a winner.

edited on Sunday, April 20 to add:
I have fixed the comments page to allow anyone to post. Never realized that the default was to allow only registered users. Thanks for pointing that out, Elizabeth!

My Life is a Circus – ‘Cause the Phone Told Me So

2008-04-18T21:54:00.004-06:00

Some days you can’t hear yourself think around here. No one knows what a whisper is. Dallas, love of my life that he is, loves sci-fi and shoot-em-up movies. Loud. So I am either hearing guns and car chases or lasers and “Luke, I am your father…” Sometimes even at the same time as he is typically male and can’t keep his finger off the remote control. The kids can’t just fight with each other like normal kids. They have to scream at each other. It usually also involves squeals of pain as they are in this phase where they have to physically hurt each other. At least I hope it’s a phase. And the shelties are… well, shelties like to “talk.” And if there is nothing happening for them to bark at (the squirrel ran through our yard, the mail man delivered a letter, a leaf dropped on a lush lawn three blocks away) they will talk to each other. Just for the shear joy of hearing their own voices.

So I escape downstairs to my beading, hoping that no one will follow me. Naïve, I know. Then the phone rings. The kids still haven’t figured out how to answer a phone, Dallas can’t hear it over the tv, and someone has moved the portable phone so that I have to hunt to find it. Meanwhile, Mikki and Kai think that I am hard of hearing (after all this I will be) and have to tell me that the phone is ringing. But the joke is on me. Dallas has programmed my phone to play circus music.

So it’s official.

Waiting at the gate for a reason to bark.

Blogging on the Brain (or So Little Sleep, Too Much to Blog)

2008-04-17T10:01:00.014-06:00

No one told me how tiring this blogging thing would be. I tossed and turned and turned and tossed for close to a couple of hours after going to bed last night. My mind was whirling about, trying to come up with ideas for what to write about. Let's see... Both the dogs need a bath and their nails done - nope, too boring. The kids are driving me crazy - nope, that's normal for around here. My Impatiens seedlings are over-running the plant/grooming room - again too boring. After all, plants just sit there, don't they? Although it could make a neat picture.

Okay, maybe not. But it took me so long to get that picture in here that it's staying.

And this is what has been keeping me from much needed grooming of the shelties:

My daughter, Katie, is some ticked at me. We recently renovated the basement (okay, so we still haven't done all the finishing and if it goes the way most things do around here it never will be) to make it more kid friendly. At the ages of 9 and 7 my husband and I (the kids, that is. Not my husband and I. We are actually 31 and 29 *wink*) figured that it was time to kick the kids out of the upstairs family room and hide them in the basement. The place in the picture was supposed to be a craft area. Katie LOVED it. She could finally do all her handiwork and not have to worry about me nagging her to get it off the kitchen table. But then I took it over with all my beads. It doesn't help that she would dearly love to get into my stuff. However, she knows better since the penalty would be death. So far it has kept her out. But sometimes I think Katie has a death wish.

This is the latest row marker I have made that will go on Etsy shortly. I'm calling it "An Evening at the Opera." I was going to call it "A Night at the Opera" but then I had this vision of the Marx brothers smacking each other up side the head with my row counters. Hardly the refined image that I had in mind. Or maybe I will call it "Black Tie Affair." Ooooohhhh, elegant and sexy! *insert shameless promotion here* I guess you will have to check it out on Etsy to find out what I will call it.

And to keep the knitting theme... Before buying sock yarn I will often go out hunting on the net to find pictures of yarn I am considering. I like to see what it looks like knitted up. So I guess I can do my small part and post pictures of my finished socks with their brand and colourway. Here is Trekking 159. There is a whole long story about how these socks finally came to be. My sister has it up on her blog, Doglover's Yarn. And no, we do not have any green leaves yet. We dumped the fake tree out in the yard while renovating so that we could at least see a little green.