I knitted a pumpkin patch

Happy week before Halloween!!























Halloween is by far my favourite holiday. I made a decision this year to turn it into more than just the candy giving to kids sort of day. I decided this year to give halloween gifts. These little pumpkins are so crazy easy, and knit up quick. One skein of Cascade 220 made six of these full size, with i think enough left over to do a smaller version (or maybe 2).


Only 5 pumpkins are in this photo, because the first one I already gifted to my mom. She is currently rediscovering her own sort of Halloween. A halloween with out children.

At least I had the good tasting flu.

I have been terrible about updating this, I am sorry, busy life blah blah blah. My bday was great in that it was uneventful and quiet. I was whisked off to Ottawa for work the day after so I never had much time to think about it.


I came back from Ottawa with what I suspect was the hamflu, and have just finally recovered to a point where I'm coherent.

So yesterday as I was home and got a huge spurt of energy around 3pm I decided to block all the FOs I've had lying around. Which means!! Pictures!! (for some reason blogger won't let me add pictures right now so you'll just have to follow the links)



First my favourite, Gail. I know now why it's taken some so long to complete. that pattern is a bit of a mess. But it was worth it. I made it out of Tanis Fingering weight..I love me some Tanis.





Second I sewed the buttons on and blocked my Talia vest. I think I may go with a larger size of button though. I like the ones I have but they aren't doing a good job of being more than decorations.





Third, Fetchings to match my Talia. My sister loves these so they'll be making it into her Christmas gift.



I also found the energy to make pumpkin loaf, which I've been nibbling at for a day now. I have some more pumpkin left over and I'm now trying to decide what to make for my Halloween feast/celebration. Any suggestions would be awesome.

There are impostures in our midst

I have been light on the posting lately, because life is just so busy!

The wind energy conference was a success and a lot of fun, but the Ontario government thought it would be awesome to drop the new regulations and programs for the Green Energy Act the day after the conference. I still haven't recovered.

Anyway the reason I am posting with no new FO's is because I have gotten word that someone has been posting my twitter and blog in tinychat. This person may or may not be pretending to be me, it is not me. At all. I didn't even know what tiny chat was until Friday when a nice person left me a note and after some conversation this came out.

Whoever this person is, I have no idea. I won't lie someone pretending to be me is a bit flattering, especially since I don't even want to be me on some days. If this person reads this, please for the love of everything just be yourself. there is nothing wrong with who you are. anyone who would make you feel like you should pretend to be someone else isn't worth spit, so seriously be yourself.

For casual readers, I do enjoy some of the discourse that's been coming out of this whole thing. What I don't enjoy is the negative comments. I am a huge fan of open dialogue and opposing view points in a mature and rational manner. The sarcasm can be left at the door please. I'm a good person, and anyone who found this place through tinychat, welcome and drop me a line.

To my imposture, please move on. I'm not really someone who is worth being imitated.

I have survived

Well the end of the summer is approaching and my social calendar has kept me busier than I care to discuss. First my vacation!! It was the first real one I've taken in years, I've always been in school or working or both. So this was an amazing time. I sat on the beach, knitted, did some fishing and tore through books at an ungodly rate.

When we arrived it looked like this

by Sunday it looked like this, and stayed this way for the remaining 6 days.

I also found a lovely little store called Log Cabin Yarns in Northbrook. Where I did a great job of enabling my mom to take up sock knitting. I also bought myself some louet gems in carribean blue. We got back last weekend but I still don't feel caught up.

On Saturday my mom and I went to the Kitchener/Waterloo Knitters Fair, and had a blast. I didn't pick up a lot (I even still had cash from my budget left) but my mom who was attending her first fair of this type came out with plenty.

My haul is featured here. Some crochet hooks (at 50 cents a peice hell yes I will buy as many as I can), pattern magnets, some Filatura Di Crosa in black, Kertzer northern sport also in black and a Zauberball which enchants me and I wish I had of bought more of it, if anyone knows where I can buy it in Toronto I'd appreciate the info.

I am in love with the pattern magnets. they read "I'm a yaaaarn pirate". The butternut squash in the background was turned into soup shortly after this picture was taken.

I wish I had of taken a picture of hers. She won a door prize, some mission falls which she has never used before. This created a very urgent need to acquire more, as she'd picked up a pattern book with a sweater in it, she had to get the yarn for that sweater. and she of course had to make sure she got it in the right dye lot...so off we went in search of this dye lot. didn't take long.

As far as FO's go I have been crashing and burning. I have decided that until I get another size one circ I am not going to bother with socks for a while. I have made some progress on my Talia, I just need a shorter needle to do the edging.

I finished my Love Bites scarf just in time for the True Blood season finale. I will admit I did not love the design until I finished it and put it on.

I did a scraps project a few weeks ago that I can now blog about. I present the book jacket! This was for a Yarn and something on the side swap, I improvised the design and construction a bit.

Next week is the annual wind energy conference, which is in Toronto this year, starting next Sunday. I really want to wear my Talia to it provided the weather isn't too warm so I need to pick up a needle for it this week. I also hope to get into the purl to see the lovely ladies soon, I can't believe how crazy my life has kept me.

Life has been a crazy business lately! I am also in the mid summer knitting slump, either that or I've started to despise sock knitting. I consle myself with the knowledge that in 5 glorious days I will be basking on the dock at the cottage just me and my knitting.

Like any good addict I have already started to prepare my knitting for this trip.

With me I am taking the materials to make a Talia Vest, in burgandy. Polly Jean socks, just to see if it really is me becoming bored with my Leyburn socks, or if I have lost my sock knitting mojo. I'm also taking a Gail shawl in Tanis' Royal Flush colourway. This one will be the ultimate test in deception since I am making it as a gift for my sister, who will be sharing my living space next week. If she hates the yarn at least I will know well in advance.

And finally my Love Bites scarf, because I have not been feeling the scarf love and I really would like to get it out of my wip basket. I think it will also make for good car and rest stop knitting since it's on a 16" circular and takes little space.

I have found a local yarn store I can visit, there is no internet or cell service so I won't be able to check rav or the internet if i can't figure something out. Hopefully that won't happen, but if it does I am prepared.

I haven't even figured out what clothes I'm bringing with me yet. I figure as long as I have knitting, and a bathing suit it will be fine. haha.

I got caught up last week making some a little leftovers project for a swap partner (which I will possibly post after she gets it so I don't ruin the surprise!) and some cupcake pin cushions which turned out poorly and will probably be frogged or given to the kids to play with.

Quick update

Hey everyone, just a quick update! I have been off enjoying my summer, and knitting of course. I am working on a bunch of finishing of boring projects I haven't been that interested in. I'm waiting for a stroke of genius or something to hit me so that I can begin my next project, but so far I have nothing.

I will do Saturday Leftovers this weekend if I have the time for it. I have missed two weeks and it makes me a touch sad!

What a week!

Well first off I'd like to wish everyone a happy and safe long weekend! I don't really get a long weekend, but I have Monday at home anyway because I've been sick.

So on Wednesday I started not feeling the greatest. Thinking it was just a migraine I took the day at home to work in the dark. By Thursday it was clear something was seriously wrong. I wandered into work but had to leave because I was so sick. I marched straight to the doctors where I got word that I have a kidney infection (joy of all joys). This diagnosis explains why it was taking far too long for my advil to kill off my fever. I stayed home Friday as sitting straight up for too long puts way too much pressure on that area and it makes me feel worse. I am feeling much better today (after three days of antibiotics I would hope so!) but still pretty swollen and sore.

Suffice to say I have had lots of knitting time this week. That allowed me to finish both of my major lace pieces which I am super excited about! They will both need reblocking since it was really ackward for me to do in this condition but anyway, here they are!

So here is my Juno & Regina wrap

And my Aeolian

I need to get better pictures of this one, since the current ones don't show off the beading work as much as I'd like, perhaps next weekend.

I'd also like to take this time to say that I saw Rancid and Rise Against on Friday night (thank goodness we had seats and not floor or I wouldn't have survived. It was amazing to see Rancid play again. I haven't seen them in 8 or more years.

Saturday Leftovers - Weekend edition

I've been working away on two lace shawls this week. The Juno & Regina mentioned in last weeks post, as well as an Aeolian in mohair with purple beads.

The best part about the Saturday leftovers projects is that they are fast to complete. It's a satisfying feeling to finish something.

This Saturday I tackled my first ever knitted toy and wrap and turns. I saw this Stegosaurus pattern in the Obscurity group on Ravelry and added it to my queue for my nephew.

It was an interesting knit, and took more yarn then I anticipated. It also took more than just Saturday. I finished it this afternoon during the magnificant thunderstorms that keep passing through. I have named him Franklin (as you must name all creatures right?) and took him outside for a photoshoot. I got one picture in before big fat raindrops fell on us.

It was a good one though.

Ladies and Gentleman

Franklin the steggie

The pattern is great to work with, pretty clear, the time consuming part really was all the seaming and attaching of small parts. I was done the body yesterday, but the spikes took me into today.

Saturday Leftovers!

I have proclaimed that on Saturdays as often as possible, I'm going to try to use up some of the leftovers in my stash. I have miscellaneous balls from years ago, I don't even recall what they are anymore (thank goodness I have a ravelry now to help me keep track of these things) because the ball band disappeared long ago.

So this Saturday's Leftovers project was a tea cozy. I have been wanting to make one for a while, but never found one I liked. I found this beautiful tea cozy pattern so I had little excuse. I also had just enough (literally) of this lovely soft wool i bought at the old Lewiscraft in what I think was 2003 for my first major crochet project (an afghan of crochet squares, crocheted straight across).












The button is also a left over! One of those extra buttons which comes with a new pair of pants. I'm not even sure which pair. I have a mint tin which I keep all the extra buttons in, it's getting quite full so it's good to get some use out of all those buttons!

I scored really amazing baseball tickets for tomorrow so I'm taking my niece and nephew to see the Jays game. Which will be great! I of course will take my knitting. I'm currently working away at a Juno & Regina Stole in a beautiful colourway of handpainted misti alpaca. It's so soft, but a bit warm! I hope it's not too hot tomorrow!

here it is, part way done. I've reached the halfway point. the mid section is taking quite a while.

I am on a roll

This week is turning out to be a FO week for sure.

On the heels of my Laminaria, I've also managed to finish off my travelling project.

A ribbed purple shrug out of Mirasol which is soft and bouncy.

I am going to attempt to spend the rest of my July commuting time making crocheted squares for charity, but as I am a total newb at crochet (I've learned it once from my mom and made blankets but never in the round) I expect this will be interesting. I've recruited a coworker to the cause so that means double the squares.

I have found the light at the other end of the tunnel

As mentioned in my previous post, I have been chugging away on my Laminaria for months now.

Well I am thrilled to report that it is finished!!

Here it is!!!


And finally here is a picture of me loving it.

There were times when I never thought this day would come!

I am going banana's!

In March I had this brilliant idea to make my friend (or who I thought was my friend) a shawl as her wedding gift. I am a pretty quick learner when it comes to knitting techniques, but I had only picked up the needles again after a nearly 7 year hiatus. I set a goal that I didn't have to have it done until the summer.


I picked the Laminaria, I was confident I could learn how to do this. And I have. it's been quite the process. I gave myself the time and the mental ability to frog the project as I needed to, to take my time and to not cheat. In making this project I not only have learned more about reading charts then I ever would have before, but I've learned how to fix mistakes with out frogging. I've learned a lot of other really great valuable things.

My journey with what is now titled as the Everlasting Laminaria is nearly over. I am 15 rows away from completion (which is still at least 4 or 5 days at the rate I work, or more if I have to go back a few). There were times where I thought I was going to lose my mind working on this. The sixth repeat of the blossom chart especially was hard on me, as I redid it about 7 times. But I am now on the edging and the finish line is clear, 3 months after I started.


Little did I know when I planned this that my friend would turn out to be the least deserving of such a beautiful project which I poured myself into. I have therefore decided that this, my first huge lace project should stay in a home that appreciates it. Which is mine. I couldn't be happier about this decision.

Also as a treat, I am not just a knitting renewable energy planner...I bake too!