Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts

Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Beekeeper's Quilt



O...M...G! I am SO in love with this quilt! Seriously. I spied this quilt on Ravelry the day the pattern for it came out, and have been thinking/dreaming about it ever since. It's pure love. I SO need to make this. I don't even care that it took the designer (the lovely Stephanie from tiny owl knits) a whole year to make this. I think it is totally worth it. Don't you? I mean, look at it! Gorgeous!!

I know I've always said that I could never do a sock yarn blanket cause it takes too much time, and the thought of hand sewing all those pieces together? Yeah, that alone scares me. Then I started reading the pattern description and such a labour intensive project didn't seem that bad. Or at least this one doesn't seem that bad. Since the honeycombs (or hexipuffs, as they are lovingly called by tiny owl knits fans) are double sided, there's no need for a lining...or, if you're über picky like me there's no ugly backside to worry about. But what about joining the pieces together, you ask? Well there's a guarantee that the process is quick and easy. The pieces are tied together at the corners. No jokes. It sounds like I'm trying to convince myself that I can knit this and shouldn't worry about the time frame and finishings, doesn't it?



It doesn't help that I also have a crap-ton of sock yarn left overs. After all, I am a person that knits about 90% of her projects in fingering yarn. So what better way to use up all those bits and bobs than a sweet ass quilt? The designer had made this in between other projects and had even took a four month hiatus, and still managed to complete this in a reasonable amount of time. I love the portability factor of this project. Seriously, all you need are your needles, a tiny ball or a mini skein of yarn, a crochet hook, and some poly-fil...all in a little pouch. How easy is that to put into your handbag on your way out the door? It makes me heart this even more.



To top it all off, I think each individual honeycomb will feel like a project in of itself. Like baby knits, they are so small and can be an instant gratification thing, especially if you were to use a different yarn/colour than the one just made. I really want to knit one of those cute li'l hexipuffs now, just to see how cute/fast/easy they really are. I'm already envisioning my own basket full of puffs! Although, this might take me longer than a year to do (IF I do end up doing this), since I would like mine to fit our king size bed...that's over 700 puffs!! Eep!

I better think this through...or get started...like, now! In the mean time, last night I finally got around to blocking part of a project that was started at the beginning of the year. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll dry by tonight so that I can start working on it again, and maybe I can block the other half tonight. Hopefully I'll have an FO to show in the next few days.

Totally off topic, I did have a post written up about the long weekend but something weird happened and the internets ate my post!! How frustrating is that?? I was saving my work as I was going along and then when I went to publish the page went crazy and before I knew it, the post was blank. It was no where to be found. Grrrrr... At least I got to spread the word about this fabulous quilt, and entice whoever is reading to knit this with me! Any takers?

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Mystery Colour Combos

MadTosh and WM Pile
Ok, so I tossed the stash a bit earlier this week. I really didn't dig that far into it cause I kinda knew what I was looking for - the Wollmeise and the Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Lite. Just so that this post doesn't become pages long, I'll just talk about the first batch of Wollmeise colour combos that I'm thinking for the Westknits Mystery Shawl KAL.

Some background info before I start throwing colours at you: Mr. West has requested that 3 colours be choosen for this shawl. One of the colours will be the "anchor" colour. As in it is the colour that will "frame" the shawl, and will be the colour used the most. The other 2 colours could be 2 shades of one colour, or they could be the colours that pop out from the anchor. I studied some of the previous Westknits patterns like Daybreak, Creekbed, and Spectra (sorry, this one is a Ravelry link!), to try to get a feel as to how colour could possibly play in this mystery shawl.

When I first started thinking up colour combos the first one that came to me was black, grey, and hot pink...naturally!! That has to be one of my utmost favourite combos ever! A super duper close second would be light pink, dark pink, and chocolate brown. Unfortunately I don't have much for greys, don't have black or even a true chocolate brown in my Wollmeise stash. Although, that could be remedied next week...yes, I was weak in the face of a Wollmeise update and could have possibly purchased a grab bag or two...or three. But hey, who's counting??

*Ahem* Carrying on...I pretty much played around with the semi-solids/tonal skeins that I currently have and was quite surprised as to how many combos I came up with. Some of them are drastically different from the others and from my usual colour palette, and some are a little off from the next combo by a skein that is slightly lighter or darker from another shade. So that's where you, my dear Blog Friend, come in. Help me narrow down the search!! Eeeek!

So here we go...the first colour combo...

#1 - Fuschia, Fliederbusch, Graf Ratz. The Graf Ratz would be my anchor colour, and yes, that is a streak of blue in there amongst the grey. The Fliederbusch is a bright pinky purple. The fuschia was super hard for me to capture properly, especially when placed with the other 2 skeins.
Fuschia - Fliederbusch - Graf Ratz

#2 - Fuschia, Lavendel, Admiral. The Admiral would be my anchor. Yes, not a huge difference than the combo above, but the Admiral makes the other 2 colours really pop, and using a darker purple makes the fuschia even hotter. You can't really tell in this photo, but the Admiral is a really dark navy blue, and this shade of purple is a bit deeper and slightly darker than the one shown in the photo above.
Fuschia - Lavendel - Admiral

#3 - Chim Chim Chimney, Graf Ratz, Fliederbusch. I would be using the Graf Ratz as my anchor.
Chim Chim Chimney - Graf Ratz - Fliederbusch

#4 - Lavendel, Chim Chim Chimney, Admiral. Not too much of a difference than the last combo, the Admiral would be my anchor and the darker purple makes the blue look lighter.
Lavendel - Chim Chim Chimney - Admiral 2

#5 - Taube, Fliederbusch, Himbeere. Jewel tones that make me smile! I have no idea which colour I would make my anchor, and the photo doesn't do it justice but the Himbeere is more of a reddish pink in real life.
Taube - Fliederbusch - Himbeere 2

#6 - Tollkirsche, Campari Piccolo, Golden Pear. This combo is soooo out of my usual colour comfort zone, but would be fabulous for fall, don't you think? The Tollkirsche, which is a dark reddish brown, would be my anchor. Not sure if your monitor will let you see it, but the Golden Pear actually has flecks and some streaks of a subtle orange in it.
Tollkirsche - Campari Piccolo - Golden Pear 2

#7 - Campari Piccolo, Dunkle Kirsche, Tollkirsche. Substituting the Golden Pear with the deep red Dunkle Kirsche. This combo reminds me of an autumn sunset.
Campari Piccolo - Dunkle Kirsche - Tollkirsche 2

#8 - Campari Piccolo, Dunkle Kirsche, Admiral. Not really a favourite now that I'm looking at it for the millionth time but thought I would throw it out there. I don't think I have to, but I'll say it anyways...the Admiral would be the anchor colour.
Campari Piccolo - Dunkle Kirsche - Admiral 2

#9 - Golden Pear, Dunkle Kirsche, Merlot. At first I thought I would use the Merlot as the anchor, but looking at the photo again, I think the GP would be an even better choice. The DK and the Merlot are within the same colour family that it would be better to accent them with the GP than mess with the colour wheel.
Golden Pear - Dunkle Kirsche - Merlot

#10 - Versuchskaninchen, Pistazie, Golden Pear. Actually, now that I'm looking at this photo again, I'm not sure why this is even an option. But it is nice eye candy, no?
Versuch - Pistazie - Golden Pear 2

So what do you guys think? Stick with my usuals and go with something pink? Or live on the wild side and do something completely and totally different from what I'm used to?? I've also considered breaking into my most cherished stash of Limone (a bright yellow) and mixing it with the orange and either the Tollkirsche or Golden Pear. Arg! The possibilities are endless!! How am I going to decide on just one combo??

Who else is doing the Westknits KAL? Have you decided on a trio of colours yet? Do share!

Friday, July 22, 2011

July Obsessions

Obsessed
It's a month of C's! The 5 things that I'm currently obsessed with this month:

1. Capes.
There's a ton of cape action that I've been seeing lately. I like how Vogue Knitting dedicated their early fall issue to knitted cape patterns. The summer issue of Knitscene even has a pattern that I am dying to knit. Question is: can I pull off wearing a cape? Even a small one? Man, I want to make that and wear it so badly!

Knitted Capes

2. Chromeo. Brett introduced me to the Canadian duo years ago and I was all, "they're ok" about it. When I went to the Kootenays my cousin had a playlist that included one of their songs that made my ears perk up a bit. I've heard this song before...but where? When I got back to Victoria I kept hearing snippets of songs that I really liked. All from Brett's playlists. Curious, I checked out what we've been listening to. Yup. Chromeo. Brett only had a few songs but I quickly changed that! And now all the albums are in very high rotation on my iPod. Some songs are even on repeat. You know you've been listening to something too much when you're dancing to the music and it's not even playing!! Oops!

Image via Pitchfork


3. Caprese salads. With a balsamic vinegar reduction drizzled all over it. Pure heaven. I know I've mentioned it a few times on this here blog my love for this salad. Especially when the warmer weather rolls around. Sure enough, when the basil plants started appearing at Thrifty's Brett brought one home and I started chowing down. I seriously think I need to invest in a few more plants though. I'm eating the basil faster than it can grow! This salad always fills me up, and yet keeps me wanting more. Before I know it I've already gone through an entire carton of grape tomatoes and a container of pearl bocconcini...and in one sitting. Yikes!!

Caprese Salad

4. Coffee. More specifically, coffee from Oso Negro. Whenever I go see my family I always have to stock up. And when I say stock up, I mean I'm packing at least 6-7 lbs worth of this black gold into my luggage!! All other coffee beans have nothing on Oso Negro. Mmmm...I think I might go make a cup of it now...it's so freakin' good!!

Oso Negro Coffee

5. Castile Soap. But not just any kind of castile soap. It has to be Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. A cousin of mine had introduced this liquid soap to me ages ago...like, we're talking early 2000 here. Although, back then she had presented it to me as more of a shampoo than a soap that has a million uses. So I tried it on my hair. I didn't care for it. I kept the bottle though and had used it to wash my makeup and hair brushes. Then at the beginning of this year I was talking to the same cousin on the phone who was telling me to try Dr. Bronner's again, but this time not as a shampoo. So I did. I absolutely love it as a body wash AND as a face wash! It make for a fantastic all-purpose travel soap (during my trip it was my body and face wash in the shower, my hand soap when I went anywhere, and I had even used it to quickly hand wash some clothes!), but I also carry a little squeeze bottle of it with me for when I'm out and about cause I find the hand soap that you find in restaurants and public bathrooms to be extremely heavily scented and super drying. Sometimes I even use it to wash my delicates. And shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone, but the Tea Tree Oil version makes for a great household cleaner!

Dr. Bronners

I wasn't sure if I should have added the Westknits Mystery Shawl KAL as one of my July obsessions, then decided not to since I haven't been obsessing about it all month. Just recently. But now you know what I will be obsessing about next month!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Dye Time!

Yarn - Royal 3
Oops! I returned to blogging just to disappear over the weekend! Bad, bad blogger! Well it really wasn't from a lack of trying, that's for sure. The weekend was gorgeous and so a lot of time was spent outside, Brett and the Munchkin participated in the Times Colonist 10k Marathon, and when I wasn't working I was dead tired. Oh, and the best time of the weekend? The yarn dyeing workshop that I took with Ursa from Gaia's Colours! So much fun!

Lately I've been super interested in learning how to dye yarn, especially of the self-striping variety, but don't have the space to do so. That, and I'm sure Brett will go nuts if I take up another hobby! I learned how to do some dyeing in my Textiles Science class in fashion school, but it wasn't extensive enough to really peak my interest. Mind you, back then I wasn't a knitter and the thought of dyeing my own yarn wasn't even a thought.

So when Ursa announced that she was holding another Dye Day you better believe that I jumped at the chance to partake! We got to select amongst her bases which yarns we would like to dye up. I chose 2 sock/fingering weight bases, an MCN blend (merino/cashmere/nylon) and a merino/cashmere/silk blend. I went into the workshop with no idea what I wanted to do colour-wise other than something pink. I didn't even know what dyeing techniques I wanted to try out!

My first attempt, which I lovingly call "Derby":
Yarn - Derby 2

This was the merino/cashmere/silk blend. I was trying to get a few different shades of pink here with a black, so when it knit up there would be varying pinks with a squiggle of black throughout. I had squirt the dyes on the damp yarn for this round and then did the black last as Ursa had suggested. Sadly the different pinks bled into each other a bit and I didn't dilute the lighter pink enough. I also don't think I "cooked" the dyes in long enough (I got really impatient and I think I was the last person to dye up their first skein). You can kinda see 2 of the different pinks in the photo above.

All skeined up:
Yarn - Derby 3

I can't wait to knit this up! Too bad I have a million projects on the go...

Next up is a colourway that I started to call "Royal". Only because I was watching and became obsessed with all the news stories about it, the Royal Wedding.

Yarn - Royal 2

This was actually inspired by Andi, who was inspired by a Wollmeise colourway. This time I put the yarn in a water bath and then had squirt the dye on. I originally had a huge chunk of pink in there but as Ursa had said the turquoise will just take over. Which it did. But I kinda like what I got from the turquoise mixing with the pink. This time I made sure the water was clear before rinsing the yarn. I absolutely love the results!

Yarn - Royal

I think next time (if Ursa does another workshop) I should be more prepared in my colour choices so that I'm not just standing there staring at the jars of dye like a deer in the headlights (then again, it was my first time and I really didn't know what to expect). I think a game plan would be most helpful and I would love to try pre-mixing some of the colours for more customized colours. My goal for this summer is to find some second-hand pots and maybe I can try dyeing up a few skeins while the weather is warm enough to open all the windows and doors and I can dry my yarn outside without worrying that it'll rain!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

MissMatched

Missmatched

Ever since I had bound off the last stitch of my Simply Neopolitan socks I've been itching to cast on for another pair of socks. I have quite a few patterns in my queue and at least 3 patterns on my 12 in 2011 list. I have made it a new goal to always have a pair of socks, a shawl, and a cardigan on the needles at all times. So far I haven't held up that goal since it's been a few weeks since I finished the Neopolitan socks and no new socks have been started up yet!

I've been hemming and hawing over which pattern to do first and then a while ago I was wasting time looking around on Ravelry and I came upon this project page (sorry for the Ravelry link for those who aren't on Ravelry!) that made my heart completely flutter with love. I took note of the pattern (it's a freebie!! Which you can get here), then I discovered the link in the project notes for the littlemissmatched socks site that had inspired the project in the first place. I was in love!

I've always loved crazy socks and never really owned any solid colour socks - other than straight up black for work. Whenever I found a sock print that I loved I would seriously buy several and in every colour that was available. I wouldn't mix them up unless I had either lost the mate or a hole appeared in one while the other sock was perfectly intact. It was only then that I would dare to mix it up and wear mismatching socks. So to find a set of 3 socks that were purposely mismatched?? Brilliant!!

Missmatched 2

I absolutely LOVE it! Unfortunately littlemissmatched doesn't ship to Canada, which is probably a good thing cause I would probably shell out a good chunk of my "I need a new camera fund" buying socks for me. Oh, and another good reason? I wouldn't have anything to knit during breaks from the bigger projects if I already had a sock drawer full of fun socks. I think knitting myself a set of mismatched socks would not only be über fun, but maybe it'll help combat second sock syndrome? Although, I like to knit my socks 2 at a time, but on separate circular needles using the Magic Loop method and not both on 2 circs like how most 2 at a time socks are knit. I'm really hoping there's no such thing as third sock syndrome!

For the curious: yes, I do own 2 pairs of circular needles with a 40" cable (cause that's the length I'm most comfortable with in doing Magic Loop with socks) in all the extra tiny needle sizes (like 2mm all the way up to 3mm). I like to start both socks at the same time, then knit a section on one sock then do the same with the other and then back to the first sock. Like I'll knit the leg cuff ribbing on the first sock and before moving onto the leg I'll knit the cuff on the second sock. Sometimes I'll knit one row on one sock and then alternate with the other. Why do I do this? So that my socks will match up in the end. My Neopolitan socks are uneven in row counts in certain areas but I knew this after I finished the toes on the second sock. I didn't keep good notes while knitting the first sock and since they took forever to knit up I had no idea what I had done to the first while knitting the second. I decided to start knitting both socks at the same time when I made the first Skew. Not only was the pattern written round by round and then you knit the length you needed for the foot (which I didn't want to keep in depth account of), but I knew that I had the attention span of a gnat and had to find a way to avoid getting bored. So there you go, my sock secrets. Shh!!

Missmatched 3

Anyways, I plan on using either this pattern since it's also in my queue and because it's in knee high form, or the same pattern noted above but probably not with the Noro sock yarn since I don't have any in my stash. Especially if I want this to count towards my 12 in 2011. What I do have in my stash though are a few Zauberballs in the rainbow colourway (Frische Fische), which would mesh well with the darker, almost chocolate-y brownish purple Zauberball (Brombeeren) that I also have somewhere in the stash. Just like how this project paired them (again, sorry for the Rav link). As much as I would like to make knee socks, I don't think I would have enough yarn in the darker colour to do 3 socks. I would love to do a set of socks in Knit Picks' newest yarn, Chroma, in either the Regency, Roller Skate, or Pegasus colourways. But alas, I'm trying to knit from stash (even though that hasn't prevented me from purchasing yarn...but that's another post!) and I can't justify making a KP order just for a few balls of yarn to make socks (although, if any you Bitchy Bee members reading this want to do a group order, I'm sooo in! Just sayin'...).

Missmatched 4

Just like the pair that inspired my need to make mismatching socks, I'm hoping to connect the set with not only colour, but by pattern, with is the stripes. To make them mismatching I was planning on knitting the stripes in different widths - a skinny stripe sock, a regular stripe one (whatever "regular" means, that is!), and a big fat stripe one.

Since both patterns are straight up stockinette in the round, this project would be an awesome mindless knit and something that I can tote along to work, shopping, and when the Munchkin needs more attention than usual.

Now if only I can get around to casting these on, and not the million other socks that I want to knit up too...

Friday, October 8, 2010

Poufs

Urchin Pouf

Ever since I had spotted these on a random blog (sorry, I was link happy at the time and completely forgot to take note which blog I was reading!!) sometime over the summer, I've been obsessed. Seriously. Obsessed. I can't stop thinking about them and how I want one! Actually, I would love to have a whole room filled with them.

What are they? They're Urchin Poufs by Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma. She hand knits these eco-friendly chunky poufs that takes around 6 weeks to complete. And that's per pouf! They are sooo simply gorgeous and comfy looking, don't you think?

christine-knits

Here's the designer herself knitting up a pouf. Look at the size of her knitting needles! Look at that huge pile of yarn! Look at how happy she looks knitting up one of these bad boys. When I first started knitting I was all about the chunky knits. The chunkier the better, was my motto. Obviously I have deviated away from that, judging from the current pullover that I have on the needles that is being knit up in tiny sock yarn on equally tiny needles. I'm still all about the chunky knits, but have realized that I can't wear them myself lest I look like a teapot wearing a cozy. I still gravitate towards ultra bulky yarn (I seriously drool over Cascade Magnum!). So check out how Christien winds up her handmade yarn:

Urchin Yarn
Image unknown

Pure craziness, huh? And just to show you how big these Poufs really are, here's the designer sitting on one of her creations:

Sitting Pouf

I can go on and on and on posting photos of her amazing work and process. But I won't. As much as I would love to own an original, I really can't afford to dish out €1600 for one (or €480 for the smallest version!). So I have been searching the Internets (and Ravelry!) for patterns in hopes of making one myself. It won't be the same, but maybe it'll help me get over this obsession. I've found a few promising patterns and have a few yarns in mind that I can try out. I'm dying to cast on for one pronto, but I'm promised myself that I wouldn't start any new projects until I complete a current WIP. But the wheels are turning I tell ya. Turning!!

So stay tuned. There may be posts about poufs on this blog sometime in the (near) future!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

SweetGeorgia!!

SweetGeorgia Collage
Top row, left to right: August Yarn Club colourway, August Yarn Club colourway, Orchid
Middle row, left to right: Tourmaline, Cayenne, Lakeshore Drive, Peashoot
Bottom row, left to right: Maple, Saffron

I have some new yarn to add to the stash - my current obsession, SweetGeorgia Yarns. I discovered this company a while ago when I saw a huge selection of Felicia's Tough Love Sock yarns at Three Bags Full. I've never knit with this yarn before but couldn't resist the gorgeous and very vibrant colours. So I gave in and bought a few skeins of the Boheme colourway cause it contained one of my favourite colour combos: pink and brown. I haven't had the chance to knit with this yarn, mainly cause I would rather pet and admire it than to actually use it for its intended purposes. After checking out the SweetGeorgia website and Ravelry group page, I was wanting more! To make my yarn lust even worse, my friend Natalie showed up at knit night one night in July with this absolutely beautiful yellow yarn. She told me it was the Superwash Worsted in Saffron by SweetGeorgia. Ever since that night I've been seriously lusting after that colourway and have been dying to get my hands on some.

During a trip to Vancouver I made sure to stop by Three Bags Full and snagged a few skeins of Tough Love Sock in English Ivy, which I am currently knitting into a pullover. So far, knitting with this yarn has been quite lovely. It feels fabulous as it runs through my fingers, and as dorky as this sounds, I get all excited whenever I see the shades of green transition from a deep forest to a gorgeous kelly. My excitement usually escalates whenever I'm knitting outside or in brighter light, cause then I can really see, marvel, and appreciate the depths within the yarn. I'm getting a little impatient with myself as to how slow I'm knitting this up cause I really can't wait to wear it. But I have to admit, this project has made me determined to get my hands on even more SweetGeorgia!

Lucky for me, SweetGeorgia is a Vancouver based company that not only sells and offer shipping from their online shop, but they also allow for orders to be picked up at their studio. I hummed and hawed over which colours and yarn weights I wanted before checking out my Ravelry queue so that I can plan projects accordingly. Aside from Saffron (which I wanted to get in every single weight offered!), I really couldn't make up my mind and ended up subscribing to the yarn club. Yeah...I got way off track there! A few days later I finally settled on a few colours and made my order. Before heading to the Okanagan I got to pick up my yarn order and on the way back to the island I managed to convince Brett to make a stop at Three Bags Full (again!), where more SweetGeorgia was acquired.

If you haven't had the opportunity to check out SweetGeorgia, I highly urge you to. If the different bases don't get you hooked, the colours will definitely lure you in. I don't think Felicia has made a colourway that I don't like. I'm just glad that no yarn shop here in Victoria sells SweetGeorgia, or I would definitely be in some major trouble.

Mmm...after proof-reading this post, I've come to the conclusion that I have a problem. At first I thought it was a yarn-hoarding problem, but now I think it's a straight up SweetGeorgia obsession. Anyone with SweetGeorgia want to help me out?

Sunday, May 16, 2010

May Flowers

In my last post I mentioned that I was inspired. What was I inspired to do? I was inspired to make tons and tons of flowers made from yarn! Why? Because early last month the Spring Knit Picks catalog arrived in my mail box:

Which compelled me to dig up my vintage flower looms, grab my stash of left over yarn, and start making flowers galore! I have no idea why I had flower looms amongst my crafting tools (obviously to make flowers with, but why did I need to make flowers??), but I did. I think I bought them a few years ago, probably made a few flowers out of raffia and that weird plastic twine stuff that you can get anywhere in Chinatown, and from there they just sat in a box of full of miscellaneous crafting items. Until now.

The past week I've been a woman obsessed. All I wanted to do was make flowers. And all other crafting endeavors were put on hold. Several times Brett laughed at me and commented quite often how every time he looked over I would be surrounded by little balls of yarn with bright, little flowers every where. I think he's getting a bit sick with this current weird obsession of mine. Especially the part where I shove a freshly off the loom flower in his face and demand that he look at it and coo about how cute and pretty it is. Actually, I know he's sick of that part cause the last few times I showed him a new flower he would barely shift his eyes to even pretend that he looked at it before muttering "mmm hmmm".

Anyways, one of my looms is an old school square Bucilla loom from the 70s. I've rarely, if ever, used it and now I know why. I think it produces a pretty ugmo flower that looks like a mistake. Like it was suppose to be circular but the crafter was being sloppy in how they were winding the yarn.

Sorry for the crappy photo! My camera couldn't pick up the correct color without washing it out

I'm getting pretty fast at making these bad boys. I haven't officially timed myself, but I think it's taking me about 10 minutes to churn one of these out. After producing my 30th (I think?) flower and forcing Brett to look at it, he laughed and asked me what I was going to do with all these flowers.

Oh. I haven't gotten that far yet. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them. Any one have any ideas?

PS: You can check out more of my yarn-y flower goodness here.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Monday, May 10, 2010

Talk Derby To Me

On Saturday night I finally went to an Eves of Destruction bout (they were up against Western Washington State's Taco Kickers. Brett loves that name!). I've been wanting to see the Eves in action ever since I moved to Victoria, but could never make it. Brett had planned a babysitter and bought us tickets, but unfortunately the Munchkin came down with quite the fever and massive rash from what we thought was a side effect of his 18 month immunization shots. Turns out, after Brett and Munchkin spent all yesterday morning waiting in the ER (Brett insisted I stay in bed and sleep as much as I could), that the wee one indeed has measles! The doctor thinks he must have contracted it a week or 2 before he got his measles vaccine, since the virus percolates in the body for at least a week before symptoms appear. My poor baby! But before we knew what was really up with the Munchkin Brett decided it would be a waste to not go to the bout and opted to stay home with the sick kidlet while I went forward with the original plan of seeing the Eves in action. Alone.

I have a thing where I fear going to things and places where I don't know anyone by myself. Yet, I don't mind eating solo at a restaurant. Go figure. Anyways, so I went by myself and I had a blast! Luckily I brought a small knitting project along to keep me occupied while I waited in line to get in (which garnered a lot of weird looks). Although, I did make friends with a first-time derby watcher and a former score whore, who gave me the lowdown as to what happened to Victoria's second derby team (it folded due to lack of interest on the owner's part). And would you believe that I don't have a single article of clothing that is purple?? But that's ok, I'll have more time to get something for the next bout. If not, I did end up purchasing an Eves tee. I kind of feel guilty for cheering on the Eves, since I was (am) a fan of Vancouver's Terminal City Rollergirls.

Warming up

Anyways, going to an Eves' bout was one of my 101 goals, one that I wasn't sure I'd be able to do (since there always seems to be a scheduling conflict and having the wee one around makes it hard to just pick up and go). I'm hoping to be able to make it to more bouts and who knows, maybe Brett will be able to go with me for at least one of them. In the meantime, I look forward to their July 3rd bout and wish I could be in Vancouver this Saturday when they take on The Bad Reputations.

I had brought my camera with me, but didn't take that many photos. I got completely wrapped up in the bout (oh, which the Eves had won, btw...111-39!!) and totally had "cameranesia". I did take a few shots of them warming up and a few at the very start of the bout. But that's it. My camera is getting old so the photos are a bit crap. So on that note, I'll leave you with an action shot:

Happy Monday!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

'lympics 2010 Wrap Up

Image via Canada.com

Both the Olympics and the Ravelympics are over. I have to admit that I'm a bit sad. I had thoroughly enjoyed the 17 days and had never known/seen such national pride. I've never really watched much of the Olympics before, but this time I was glued to the TV and will openly admit that my TV was turned on at 9am to CTV and wasn't turned off 'til around midnight. I was so used to watching the Olympic coverage that on Monday morning I had automatically switched on the TV and was shocked and saddened that CTV was back to its usual programming.

During those 17 days I had also knitted every waking possible moment. I snuck in a few rows or a few stitches here and there while the Munchkin's back was turned or while he was banging away on the pots and pans (his newest favorite activity) with his trusty wooden spoon (his newest can't-live-without toy), and had even turned down sleep in order to knit. Hell, even household chores took a back burner to my knitting. I'm just glad that I have a very supportive and encouraging partner who understands my die hard love of crafting! Unfortunately during the second week my entire household came down with a nasty cold with me getting the worst of it. I was pretty much out for the count for 2 days and could only muster up maybe an hour tops of energy to work on my Ravelympics projects.

Aside from those 2 days, I was a woman possessed. I was so consumed with my knitting that I managed to get 4 FOs completed! Well, 5 if you count the frogging of the long forgotten Baby Surprise Jacket that I had started a year ago which wouldn't even fit the Munchkin anyways if I had gotten around to finishing it. At the last minute (as in right after the closing ceremony!) I decided to enter the Aerial Unwind event that requires you to frog an unloved WIP to reclaim the yarn. I had spotted the BSJ sitting at the bottom of my project basket and knew immediately that I was never going to finish it. Don't get me wrong, I love the pattern and think it's genius but I knew my attempt was a sad one and wasn't what I had envisioned. I plan on trying again in the future, but with different yarn and with better needles.

Anyways, the only times that I didn't do any knitting was during the hockey games. Ok, that's a lie. I did work on my socks and cap during the Canada-Germany and Canada-Russia games after being assured that Canada was going to win those games with huge leads against their opponents. Absolutely NO knitting was accomplished during the gold medal game though. I was way too stressed out and on edge from that nail-biter of a game. I swear, I almost had a few heart attacks during the third period! I definitely burst a few ear drums and threw my hip out from sheer excitement when Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal in OT. Yes, our boys did the nation proud!! Even Brett had shed a few tears!

Image via Times Colonist

When we arrived home after the game Brett took the Munchkin off my hands so that I could graft my socks, tie up the fringe on my woven scarf, and take a few (crappy) photos of the finished products during the closing ceremony. I must say, I really like the apparel that the Canadian athletes wore throughout the Olympics and I had completely fallen in love with Cowichan-inspired sweaters that the athletes sported during the closing ceremony. I had spotted them at The Bay before the Olympics began but couldn't justify the $350 price tag. But now after seeing them in full force on the athletes I'm thinking I need to find a pattern of sorts to knit up my own version!!

Image via Times Colonist

I'll post photos of my Ravelympics projects throughout the week. For now I need to give my hands a little break. I think I made my tendinitis flare up again with my marathon knitting so I'll be nursing my hands and my severe Olympics withdrawal for a while. I'm quite proud of how much I had accomplished in 17 days, and am even prouder of Vancouver and Canada. On that note, I leave you with the wonderful and beautiful image of the Olympic rings on the waterfront in Vancouver.

Image via Canada.com

'Til next time, GO CANADA GO!! :)

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Go Team BitchyBees!!

My fabulous knitting group has decided last minute to team up and join the Ravelympics on Ravelry!! For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a Knitting Olympics that coincides with the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics!

The main rule is to challenge yourself - whether that be to knit your first pair of socks, or if you're a sock knitter than trying to knit a sweater, that kind of challenge. I'm not going to go into massive detail about all the rules, event categories, and such, but I will say that there will be a mass cast-on commencing at 6pm PST on February 12...when the opening ceremonies begin in Vancouver! All projects started during this time must be finished by 11:59pm PST on February 28, which means participants have a little over 2 weeks to either finish as many projects as possible or to get that major challenging one done. Talk about pressure!

I'm thinking of knitting my first ever pair of socks as one of my "events", and possibly entering a bunch of WIPs in the WIPs - Dancing and WIPs - Finishing categories. I noticed that there was a category for weaving (!!) so I'm thinking of entering that as well...depending on what I can conjure up in my stash that I can use, since I've realized the night before the Bees' annual post-Christmas knit night party that all the yarn in my stash has been bought/designated for/to projects that I'm planning on doing (and hopefully get around to doing them this year!). The yarn that I do have that have no specific project in mind for are all acrylics yarns that I had purchased at either Micheals or Walmart or somewhere way back before I started to take my knitting seriously, and I'm not sure if I want to use that. After all, I would like any project I do to end up being worn and/or used. Hmmm...I just might have to make some trips to all my LYS and suss out possibilities before I put myself on a self-imposed yarn shopping ban...

On a completely different subject, my lack of posts this week is due to me dedicating all my time to the munchkin and really getting a glimpse of what single mothers go through while Brett is in Whistler doing Olympic driver training. It's times like these that I really wish I had family who lived in Victoria, or even friends with kids who wouldn't mind looking after another one for an hour or two. Showers are such a luxury when the S.O. is away! Even a simple task like washing dishes can be challenging, since my little one realizes I'm not paying 100% attention on him and insists on trying to get it by any means...usually it's handing me every single toy he owns, which involves me having to take off a rubber glove and placing the toy in a pile on the counter then quickly shove the glove back on and scrub a dish as fast as possible before he arrives at my feet with another toy. I just hope Brett realizes that when he comes back Monday I'll be demanding some alone time!

With that said, I have a few hours before it's my bedtime and I should really get some knitting, sketching, and cutting done. And maybe think up of some Ravelympics project ideas...

'Til next time, Happy Crafting and Happy Weekend!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I Whipped It

Image via Fox

The weekend was overly uneventful. Mainly due to the fact that Brett was out of town and the weather was so crappy that the little one and I didn't want to leave the house. Ok, make that I didn't want to leave the house. The sheer thought of having to push a stroller through torrential rain wasn't very appealing...and the thought of the wee one catching a cold was even more unappealing. So needless to say that by the time Brett came home I had a small bout of cabin fever.

I've been wanting to go see Whip It ever since it came out in the theaters, and most importantly I really wanted to see it on the big screen. I was so itchy to go that I was even willing to go see it solo. And that's what I did. So what did I think of it?

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!

Whip It is officially my new most favorite movie of all time. Yes, that's how much I love it. I'm not going to rave too much about it, or else this post will never end. All I can say is, you must, must, MUST go see this movie! I am truly inspired. So inspired, that I think I'll strap on my skates and go for a quick skate around the parking lot before it starts to fill up for the day. See ya!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

For the love of Karma

I'm still gobsmacked about what arrived in the post for me yesterday.

Here's the dilly:
A few weeks ago I was using the time that I should have spent knitting...or cutting out fabric...surfing etsy, when I found these lovely gocco prints on linen:

I saw the boy version first and thoughts of making baskets like the wee basket that I made for my munchkin, only this time make the baskets for "clean" and "dirty" facecloths. Then I noticed that the same seller had girl prints. I snatched up some of those too. Then I noticed that the seller had a blog and thought I would check it out, since we all know how much of a snowball effect there is when it comes to surfing the 'net and one link leads to another, and another, and another...well, you get the picture.

Jodie's blog, Ric Rac, is a beautiful blog full of fabulous stuffies that she designs and makes. And each stuffie has a sweet story to go with it. The day that I stumbled on her blog she commented that she was notified that she was being featured in a magazine that was not available in her homeland of Australia, and was asking if someone in the US would be so kind to mail her a copy. Which is funny, cause the magazine she was inquiring about, I had actually spotted and leafed through earlier that day (we get pretty much every single American magazine here in Canada)! No one had left a comment yet, and since I had that very issue/magazine in my hands a few hours before reading that post, I thought I would offer my services. I really didn't think much of it, as it was not out of my way, and I completely and totally understand wanting to have a copy of a newspaper/magazine/some form of media that is showcasing your work to add to your portfolio (when I was in Nylon magazine, I bought 3 copies and begged a friend who conveniently worked in the magazine section of Chapters to save me any left overs when they had to take it off the shelves...they throw them out anyways!).

Anyhoo, long story short (or longer, depending on how you look at it), I sent Jodie a copy of the magazine, happy to be able to help out a fellow blogger/crafter/entrepreneur, without expecting anything other than an email to say she got it safe and sound. I had completely forgotten about all this...until yesterday. When I discovered a package in my mailbox. It was from Jodie! I couldn't open it then and there, as I had to get to the bank before they closed and so I stuffed the package into my tote bag and off I went. The wee one has been going through a majorly fussy stage (ok, he has developed quite the temper and
has learned about the art of temper tantrums), so I forgot about the package (due to "Mommy brain") 'til much later when the little terror took a very late nap and I was searching for my pink Sharpie. I was completely astonished as to what that package held for me!

Patterns to make my very own stuffies!

Kits to make these adorable ornaments

A set of notecards that feature her handmade stuffies

Some wonderful trim and a handmade keychain!

I feel real guilty and almost like I shouldn't accept this! This was way too generous of Jodie! All I did was send her a magazine! When she had asked me for my mailing address so that she could send me something in gratitude, I was thinking maybe she was going to send a beautiful handmade card - since a written thank you note/card sent the old school, snail mail way just seems to be a thing of the past. But to be sent all this? W-O-W-O!!

I can't wait to make all these, and am already planning on making a hot pink and black tea set to use as decoration in my sewing closet. I have a few friends that have little girls and think that in a year or so I'll be able to make them their very own fabric tea sets!

I forget the seller's name and etsy shop, but I've been admiring and planning on buying some fabric made by her, and so it was even more of a surprise and major delight to get a spool full of trim made by the exact seller whose work I've been marveling at! I have so many ideas as to what to do with this trim swimming 'round the ol' noggin, but am waiting for the right one to pop up and be worthy of such cuteness.

I also love the other trim that Jodie sent, since I seem to hoard all things measuring tape related. I can honestly say that I own at least 10 measuring tapes (don't ask why) and for some reason whenever I make a trip over to Dressew I always end up with a few more in my basket. Very OCD of me.

Anyways, I'm going to go ooh and ahh over my new goodies again.
I just wanted to share the absolute niceness of a complete stranger, and the wonderful surprise I received for doing a good deed. I guess it really does pay to be nice and help out others, cause one day something wonderful and completely unexpected will happen in return!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...