Jo Knits!

Snowball mittens

Ok, so don't take note of my previous comment about the mittens pattern from Ann Budd's book, The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I actually DO love it, as it meets my gauge. LOL! First pair of mittens I did was a 6st/inch gauge and this time it's 4st/inch. No need for me to change needles or sit and try to figure out the math to change the pattern, it does it all for ME! The book makes it all easy for me to knit whatever I want in the gauge I want it in.

Also, a big heart-felt thank you to those who take the time to leave comments and email me. It is true that I'm blue these days and luckily someone wrote to me this morning and shed some light on my own life for me. How amazing is that? She reads my blog and made me realize so many things in just one email that she took time to write. Thank you!

Just got a little invitation in the mail to a special evening of wine and a variety show. Simply because I volunteer at the kids daycare, I'm on the administration board and we help the daycare to stay 'alive' with fundraiser ideas and what donations we can find. Anyway this is the 1st time I think of going to such a 'soiree', I think it'll be fun and cheap. LOL!

hugs,

Lulu

I started the continental only sampler, makes me practice my new knitting style. I'm eager to pick up speed because I feel like I am knitting soooooo slooooow. Almost gets on my nerves actually! LOL! Though I really want to keep at it as in the long run, I believe it'll be best for me to knit continental. The sampler will look huge becuase I used bigger needles than suggested, what else is new? I can't even follow the simplest of patterns after all.

Bought some Lulu yarn (which is called Pixie yarn in the States by the way). I will be knitting Zoe new mittens for her skating lessons, this Snowball color will match her sweater and skates! LOL! Her Regia mittens aren't keeping her warm enough and by the end of her hour long lesson her hands are cold. I'm hoping this yarn will be like fleece and keep her warmer. I can't say that I'm in love with the mittens pattern I used the 1st time but since it'll follow my gauge it is quite practical! LOL!

The 2nd sock I'm working on is soon to be complete, I'm glad 'cause I am pretty tired of working on it. It gets boring after a while, not because of the design but of the repetition, it's as if I were knitting something new, since I already did knit a sock just like it. Anyway, that will be done soon.

This past weekend wasn't all that fun, more troubles in the household. Maybe it'll get better, maybe not. Right now I don't care and this is why it worries me. Anyway tonight is a big tv night for us, so maybe I'll actually get some knitting done.

hugs,

1st weekend of fall '03

This week's mommies-only crafting class was really nice, not what I was expecting so it was a pleasing surprise. Our teacher had made pumpkin coffee cake for us to taste, YUMMY! She said you can use pumpkin puree in just like you would use applesauce in recipes. In November, I think, we will be 'crafting' a few recipes and I am eager to do them after all. As for the actual class, we start a fake stain glass project and I'm making a little boy and girl duo. I hope they turn out as cute as I expect them to be, they are so cute. LOL! The boy, I had a pattern for but then I designed the girl and was just so proud of what I did. Pics will come when we finish the projects. :)

Zoe just had her 4th skating lesson and I am so proud she is spending less time with her buns on the ice and is having more time to do some actual skating. The teacher she has is great, she's young, energetic and says Zoe is learning at a fast rate, says she's a great little student! Aaaawwww! I couldn't be happier, Zoe is beaming in the pic as it was her 1st lesson wearing the skirt. She was SO looking forward to getting it, so I bought it a week early, yes I was eager to see her wear it too! She's too cute. :) In the past 2 weeks she has learned to skate forward, backward, spin and jump on her skates. She 4 yo and already she knows more than mommy about skating. I sure won't try to jump on my skates, I could just see myself flying through the air and crashing on the ice! LOL!

Here is the true example of co-sleeping, aren't they sweet? Some little toddler insisted in getting in his big sister's bed tonight! They usually nap in the afternoon in my bed and I guess he felt lonely tonight. LOL! I expect one of them to wake up in the night from kicks of the one sibling. ;)

Off to bed, tomorrow I have the morning off, kids will get to play with grandma a few hours. ;)

hugs,
p/s: I'm so sad about what happened on ER and I got to see Gilmore Girls this evening. That was a nice show to wind yarn too. LOL!

sigh.. boring

A little bird oops, knitter told me that the Sweater Workshop is available at a public library, far away from home. So that means that I get to go on a little local road trip! LOL! It's in an area of the city I haven't been at in at least 15 years, it'll be nice to see how the area has changed. My closest libraries are all with mostly french books, I never thought about how Montreal has some english neighborhood and that they would most likely have english knitting books. Hey, what can I say, little things like that make my day.

Other than that, I feel like I'm the most boring blogger these days, alot is happening outside of my little knitting like and I don't feel comfortable saying too much. Here's a hint, I'm the one who slept on the couch last night...

I just subbed to a few yahoo groups about what else!? Knitting and I don't seem to get any emails from them, I was approved on the spot but nothing is coming through to my inbox. Little things like that annoy me.

Now please, someone gets me some coffee!!! LOL!
hugs,

It's all about tv

Knitting and television go hand in hand! I started knitting to have something to do while watching tv. Then once I'm really into a show I either knit really fast or mix up my knitting and have to frog a few rows! LOL! I must confess that I do watch alot of shows, that might be why I knit alot too! ;)

Monday I watched Third Watch (do NOT click if you don't want the 1st show of the season spoiler) and saw the last show from the previous season, I LOVE cliffhanger endings BUT only once I know the show will be back on the next week. It's hard to watch a season end on something and wonder all summer how it will evolve after.

Then there's Paradise Hotel (beware of the music)! LOL! Now that is a show an online friend just had to get me to watch, she said it was great and it truely is entertaining! ;) Great for mindless knitting. Next week is the summer ending of this reality show and we are all eager to see who wins and espcially what in the world are they winning?

Survivor, another new season just started and I got sucked in right from the start. This was the 7th season and we weren't going to watch. It gets old after a while but this time they castaways were sent into the game with only the clothes on their backs. It has potential! ;)

I used to follow ER but haven't in the last seasons, I really miss Doctor Benton. Then there is Luka, whom I liked alot but I just lost interest in the show after a while. I might watch the season's premiere though as it looks pretty interesting and Dr. Luka is kinda cute! ;)

Add in a few french tv shows and that's pretty much our week in tv. almost every show starts as the kids are going to bed so it's not like we sit watching it all day and night! LOL! It does beat knitting in front of the computer though! ;)

Oops, forgot about Gilmore Girls, I don't catch it often, don't even know when it plays but always nice when I stumble upon the show.

hugs, mommy & coffee group today and a 2nd Broadripple sock picture tomorrow! :)

book review

Recently I joined the crafter's choice book club and received a few books for a buck. I ordered the ever so popular Vogue Knitting book which will now be my main reference book for everything. Who knew there were so many ways to knit pockets. LOL! I also got Knitting, the stitch bible, Knitting for baby and the gorgeous Treasury of Rowan knits!

Vogue Knitting, is a well made book, everything you need to know is in there, great to look into when you want to refresh your memory on something or to look up a casting method. ;)

The Knitting Stitch Bible was bundled with a knitting journal, which is cute but I prefer an online knitting journal! ;) The stitch bible is great though, so many stitch patterns to learn and try out. Nice pictures of each and everyone too, I love knitting pictures.

Knitting for baby, this book was ordered when I had just learned I was pregnant, faith has decided that a baby isn't in our near future but I'm still happy I got this book. The patterns are really cute, I like the sweater on the cover enough to make it someday. lol! I prefer a pattern inside the book which has a version for adults and a version for kids, it has a heart on it. Beautiful! :)

A Treasury of Rowan Knits, what a GORGEOUS book, makes a lovely book to leave around and have people pick up just to look through. It has amazing sweater designs that I want to try and knit. This book only could keep me busy for years to come. This is by far the favorite book I ordered! It sure is worth joining a book club to get this one!!! :)

So there it is, my little review of a few books. Now I fell for another book! LOL! I keep on practicing continental knitting and looked through knitting books online. I still have this crazy fear of knitting my 1st sweater, then I spotted the Sweater Workshop by Jacqueline Fee. There is a sampler you can knit which incorporates all the techniques of knitting a sweater into one goofy looking golf club 'thingy'. Well it looks goofy to me! LOL! So anyway, I think that would make a GREAT project to continental knit, don't you think? Of course, I am not able to buy said book right now. :( I've been looking at the pictures of the sampler all day but still I'd need a pattern to knit it. UGH! Bummer they don't have the book at my local book store. I will buy it eventually, all I want is to knit the sampler today! Sampler pictures are here and here. Maybe once I get the book, a few of us could do a knit along? I think the sampler is neat, especially for those learning continental! ;)

hugs,

More on Continental,

Spent most of my knitting time playing with the continental way today. As you might recall, yesterday I was trying the combined knitting and was doing pretty well. That's until I read that I would have to wrap the yarn another way around the needle when knitting in the round. To keep things simple for me, as I know myself and would forget to knit one way flat and then knit another way in the round. I started concentration more on the actual continental style. I was mixing up the purls of both way but finally I'm getting better and quicker! LOL! I did prefer the simpler way of combination at first but continental is growing on me as I keep on knitting that way.

Only bummer is that I have 2 work-in-progress projects that will need to be completed in english style to keep the tension going. Especially for my shawl, I don't want to throw off my gauge too much and ruin it. The sock I wouldn't mind too much but since I had to redo the toes on the 1st sock twice, I don't feel like having to do that again. I don't have much extra yarn to play with in case my continental gauge is looser. All I want is to complete the Broadripple pair as fast as possible so the sock doesn't die into single sock doom. LOL! It was fun to try out Fixation yarn but since I did stop working on it for 6 weeks, my gauge changed and it made it harder to keep constant.

I might try my hand at a top down rolled brim hat though, a way to keep on practicing working with my left hand knitting. Funny how my right hand is always eager to jump in and hold the yarn but it's going well the new way. The reason I want to make a top down hat is, once again, I'm not sure how much yarn would be needed for the hat or how much I have left, so making a top down hat gives me a better chance of finishing it. That or I'll end with a stripe at the brim part! LOL!

A new week starts, hope I get to rest more than last week. I am SO eager for Zoe's skating lessons though, can't wait to see how much more she will improve in her next lessons. There was a significant change from the 1st lesson to the 2nd one. She's loving it and I just love seeing her smile from the ice and waving back to mommy!

Doing the continental

2AM and here I am knitting away in front of my computer screen. Why did I choose this time to learn to knit continental? LOL! Hey, how else is a mom going to spend a saturday night? I should go to sleep though but it was so peaceful and I keep meaning to learn knitting continental, after all I am a leftie in everything else I do. Who ever said it was a faster way to knit, we'll see about that. I am pretty s-l-o-w right now but speed may come sooner or later. It's all so ackward right now.

Usually when I learn something new I'll check out many links and then understand more how a stitch is done. This time it didn't really help as there seems to be many different ways to knit continental. Sure enough the 1st link I found was for combined knitting so I suppose it's a mix of styles. Modeknit has a few drawings to help with a combine way and then Glampyre has pictures for Continental. Scooping and knitting through the back of the loop. ACK! I'm all mixed up already! LOL! Only have 4 rows done, not worthy of a picture tonight, maybe tomorrow if I remember how I knitted this far. ;)

Ok, I'll go to sleep, after all, I already know I'll be treated to pancakes with fresh strawberries in the morning! :)

one down

One sock is done and one is being cast on. I don't think I will make another pair of Broadripple socks, not that I don't like the pattern. It's the Fixation yarn that I haven't enjoyed too much. I do like the idea of how this yarn stretches which is perfect for when making socks for gifts but frankly I don't know anyone I would actually knit socks for. I did like trying out a new stitch pattern but feel the detail would show off better on a one color yarn. I liked the pair Brenda's pink Broadripple though! ;)

This week has passed by too fast, I keep on running after time and it seems like it's slipping away. As if I were running after a train and can't catch up. I'm tired, exhausted, don't have time to rest. Zoe loves her skating lessons and I couldn't be happier.

hugs, kids await for me to go out.

Already friday,

I hate knitting, well only sometimes. LOL! I've been working on the Broadripple and at the toe decrease I ran out of yarn. UGH! So I'll start unknitting a few rows and then hopefully will end up with enough yarn to knit up the toes, I don't feel like ripping, knitting and ripping too many times just to finish this 1st sock. These are little things that make me want to give up on a project, it's nothing major, it just makes me angry at the time I'm waisting over this. I will finish them just 'cause the yarn was expensive to buy. LOL!

Now I feel like knitting a hat. Why, I don't know. LOL! Just one of those things that popped in my head, maybe a fair isle hat, is I have never tried fair isle yet. A hat is small enough to learn this technique and practical for our cold winters. I'm not even sure who I would do the hat for, I just feel like knitting one.

Zoe's 2nd skating lesson is tonight, I noticed a few bruises on her arms today from wednesday's lesson. She is really excited though and the day won't go by fast enough for her. ;)

Yesterday's crafting class was painful, one mom talked about abortion and her views on that, then another talked about her breast reduction she is having in a few months, then I think I insulted the teacher by knitting. Well we were waiting 20 minutes for paint to dry. Oh well, next time I hope will be better or I will stop going to them. These crafting classes are for moms while the kids play under supervision at the daycare. We used to be a dozen moms and had a blast, yesterday we were four, including my mom and I. It was painful for my mom too, so it's not only me. We got home and were exhausted instead of rested from not being with the kids for 3 hours. LOL! We'll see how it goes next week...

hugs,

The day after...

Here's a very bad picture of Zoe's first skating lesson, bad lighting and the fact that she wasn't often actually skating made it hard to get a good picture! LOL! Poor kid will be hurtin' today I am sure. She was SO proud though, I'm happy she likes it, also happy we went and had her take 2 lessons a week. It'll help her, I'm sure! ;) After her lesson we stayed at the rink and saw the teacher's helpers skate, Zoe was really impressed to see them spin and jump. Oh Zoe learned to jump on her skates, gosh! I can't even do that! ;) Of course she had the cutest mittens of the whole kids. teehee! It was a lovely lesson and great for knitting too, a tad cold but knitting kept me moving. Zoe needs to learn to stop waving to mommy and daddy and maybe she'll fall less often. LOL! Last night goes down as one of those VERY proud parent day. :) Five more lessons before she gets her own little skating skirt!!!!

I've been knitting away on my broadripple sock, almost at the toes. Then, the scary part.... starting the second sock. LOL!

hugs,

Broadripple strike 2

This picture is just to impress two people I saw yesterday! LOL! I started the heel just as I left home. See when I started my day, I knew it would be special but I didn't know when it would happen. Finally right at lunch time I hope in the subway and knit until I reach my stop, hop on the bus, oye! will I get off at the right stop? I walk for a short while and sure enough, I'm knocking at someone's door! YAY! Let the fun begin, who knew so many knitting books could fit in such a small bookcase, I got to see every book I ever dreamed of looking through, saw a preview (oops! that's a secret) of a project that will be published in a few months. VERY cute, can't say more. ;)

Oh dear, someone else in now knocking on the door, sweaty palms, words aren't coming out of my mouth. Good thing I'm not the one opening the door. ;) WOW! It's you! Really she is there on the door step smiling back at us, funny how you see someone on their blog and then boom they are there right in front of you. LOL! She looks nice and for the next few hours, we have a tons of laughs, talk about everything concerning knitting, blogs and even rant a tad about patterns. ;) We all got excited talking about the latest issue of Knitty. Then our international guest has to leave, I hope to see her again, she's quite the friendly gal! Later on, I hope back onto the subway and knit for another hour until I reach home.

5 hours without kids, 2 friends and tons of knitting, how better can a day get? Oh yeah, supper was ready for me when I got home, the kids both said they missed me and love me. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Thank you Alison and Véronik for such a lovely day, I will remember it for a long time.

Fall Knitty'03

Have you been to yet? So, what do you think? Oh wait, I'll go read your own blog in just a second make sure to leave me your addy! You can still share your opnion in my comments though, I'm just being silly. LOL!

I clicked through it all in a matter of seconds and then starting the read the editorial (Go Amy!!!), then the articles and finished with the patterns again. My favorite pattern of this whole issue is the family geared one, Accordion. This is the sweater that made the cover of the issue and I really like the one Leigh made for her son. Those are colors I would like to see on Lucas or maybe a beige/cream color with navy stripes would be nice. I'll have to look into yarn substitution though because knitting up this sweater would blow out the bank for a while. I wouldn't dare go look how much yarn is needed for the adult version.

I also like the Hoover blanket, one because it is too cute, two for the history that the pattern has behind it's name and three, the technique of double knitting is new to me! I have the perfect knocked up friend I could make a blanket for too! LOL! Of course it wouldn't be done it time, before she goes into labor but I bet it would still be liked? Right, secret blog reader? teehee! I thought the picture of the blanket done with variegated colors looked so soft and beautiful. I want one too, I bet double knitted means pretty warn too. I love heavy blankets, that's why I love handmade quilts. I just don't see myself knitting a queen size blanket, unless... wait a second didn't I buy a knitting machine? Oh dear, I could put it to use on one rainy fall day maybe.

Then again, here's a little 'issue' I have about knitting and sewing. If you want nice stuff than you gotta pay and I mean expensive. Sure, I have a serger and a million knitting needles but fabric and yarn is expensive. So when people say they knit or sew to save HA! please tell me where they get the yarn and fabric? Oh 'cause yes, you all did get me into knitting with yarns other than 100% acrylics. So basically this is all YOUR fault! Also, why is 100% wool yarn so hard for me to find locally, this is my biggest problem I tell ya. I'd love to find the secret place where they hide it all. It must be somewhere, I just haven't found it yet.

Zoe's mittens are mostly done, just needs ends to be weaved in and holes to be fixed. Then, back to the oh-so-soft and expensive baby alpaca yarn. See I do treat myself once in a while.

hugs,

oye monday

Woke up with a headache which means the day will not be too fun, headaches last me all day. I had Zoe try on her mittens this morning and one is shorter than the other, I will adjust that and then complete the thumbs. They will be done just on time for wednesday's class. :)

Did you hear!? The new fall 1st anniversary Knitty
is coming out tomorrow!!! I sure am eager to see what our friends have designed this time around!

Oh and here's my question of the day. Do you prefer a bar of soap or liquid soap? I always think that a bar of soap cleans more! LOL! I know it's in my mind but liquid soap just falls everywhere and then you spoil half of it. Now here's me going to spam you! HA! Simple because I love the service and the fact that someone takes to time to make soaps by hand for all to enjoy! :) Tami's Soapworks! We have been addicted to her soaps for more than 2 years now, it's just pure pleasure to use and smell. LOL! Be sure to try out Fresh Squeezed and Raspberry Mango Tango. Yummy! They smell good enough to it. LOL!

Have a great day,

markers

We are having a wondreful weekend, the weather outside is hot and sunny and it's a pleasure to be out and about. Yesterday, we went out to buy Zoe's skate blade guard in purple, woohoo. Then, stopped by a yarn store I found some Regia yarn on sale, 3 balls for the price of 2, this is the same yarn I had seen when I was there a few weeks back resisting to buy it. LOL! Yesterday I did not resist, it was the whole reason I was going there, so happy the yarn was still there, I might just knit myself colorful mittens with it 'cause the yarn sure is colorful. LOL!

We walked and walked and went to the bead store. A few months back I went there to buy everything I need to make myself some stitch markers. Sadly enough I lost everything somewhere in this house, 20$ worth of glass beads and findings, I am so sad. We have looked everywhere for them and they are not to be found. Yesterday I only bought the finding needed and made just a few playing around with seed beads. I may make more tonight as they were fun to make, of course I still have hope that some day we will find the 1st beads I had bought for markers.

Zoe's mittens are coming along pretty fast, I am halfway done with the 2nd one. I need to finish the thumb of the 1st pair too. I have a hole on the inside, where the thumb connects to the hand, I hope to make it disappear. It isn't always easy for me to follow patterns, I have so many questions about the tiny details! LOL!

hugs,

Second day on MT!

Ok, I just LOVE my little home, it's all so pretty and I keep coming back to see it again and again. LOL! I can't believe this is my own home that looks so cute.

Today I started on the mittens for Zoe, I found a ball of Regia that was left from knitting socks for Zoe. (Chris, recognize this?) I unwinded the whole ball to find the middle, made a knot and started to wind each half at the same time. Then, I asked my mom for help... (dam, dam, dam) Wanna know how I spent my Sept.11? Spent half the day arranging a colorful mess of yarn all in knots! LOL! My mom laughed so hard, saying "oops, I was just too eager to help I guess". At least it was a beautiful blend of colors mess. I wanted to take a picture of all of this but had both of my hands holding the yarn I had winded up so well until then.

Once I finally got to start the actually knitting part it was going well, or so I thought. First, I started knitting the mitten on the wrong side of my cast on, it doesn't really show but was I going to rip two inches worth of k1, p1 ribbing? I think not. Then I kept on knitting, "wow" I thought to myself, this project is going so fast. OH! Wait just one second, what's that whole? Seems that the increase method I had just learned from the pattern wasn't mastered too well. LOL! Oh dear, quick I'll take a picture to show off that I did indeed knit on my celebration day, then I frogged back to the ribbing. This is what I have to show for it, well at least before frogging half of it.

Now today, I have a full day of freedom. Kids are at their all day of daycare fun. Now I could just go hop in the subway and go to the yarn store, touch every fiber and drool over possible patterns to acquire OR I could quietly stay home and knit all day. Hummm....

I'll let you know what I ended up doing tomorrow!

One last thing, PICTURES! :) I have missed getting to show off those 2 kids of mine.

Happy 1st Knit-versary!

Come on, don't be shy, grab yourself a piece of cake, no dieting in my cyber party!

Welcome to my little home on the web! Finally after using up all sorts of freebie sites, I jumped in both and bought myself a little space, just for *me*.

Be careful where you sit, the fresh coat of paint might not be dry yet. I still need to play around and learn how the place works. At least we are safe with the decoration, my pictures will be safer here. Oh and please leave a message if you can't make it, the answering machine is ready to hear about you all.

I can NOT believe I sat on my computer chair on this exact day last year (ok the computer chair has changed since). I had brought the kids at daycar to have 3 hours to learn how to knit. Went to a yarn and sewing machine store. Bought some expensive Phildar acrylic yarn in minty green and started knitting using my new aluminium 2,5mm straight needles. I was so proud, in the background the TV was talking about 9-11. I was not going to remember this day as a sad one. I had been looking forward to this day for a week now. I am going to be a knitter and knit socks (done!) and sweaters (not yet!).

Little did I know on that day, that a year later I would have new friends, would still be knitting, sharing my love of it to everyone I meet. I have learned so much is such a little time, from blogs, comments, links, email, IM's. It is incredible how lucky I feel to have discovered the secret world of knitting, no it ain't just for your grandma anymore. Oh how I wish my on grandmother could see me now, using circular needles and felting projects, I'd bet she would be proud and the 1st to go online to check out the latest Knitty issue.

I am getting teary eyed just thinking of all the times Theresa, Chris, Cindy, Crystal, Kerstin, Alison, Veronik have emailed me just to see if I was doing well either be about knitting or in my personal life. You truely do bring sunshine in my life everyday. :) Don't feel leftout if your name isn't posted, I could write a mile long list about how you have helped me in a way of the other, be it a comment in my blog that made me see that people really do come and read or pictures on your own blogs that sparked a new projects idea in my head. I am inspired by others each and everyday, thank goodness knitting bloggers are there! ;)

Ok tomorrow, will be a less sappy entry.... or will it be? LOL!

hugs, don't forget to update your links to me, please! :)

09.10

ACK! It's mommy & coffee today and last night I finally got to thinking about what in the world would I be knitting? I need a somewhat mindless knitting project each week because we talk so much I can easily get mixed up in say, my shawl! ;) I finally found my vacation yarn that was hidding ever since we came back. So today I'll be working on the Broadripple socks, I think it's perfect timing too. Someone keeps wanting to learn to knit socks. ;)

Please be sure to check my blog tomorrow, it will be party time to celebrate my 1st anniversary since I thought myself to knit!

hugs, it sure feels like fall around here. :)

09.09

Today is a mixed emotion day for me, dh went to work. Yayaya, everyone needs to work but I truely love it when he is home most of the time. He is my best friend and we have been enjoying our time together so much these past few weeks. It's hard to see him go this morning. Sure enough he will be back for supper, I hope! ;) He will probably make new friends on the 1st day 'cause he is that kind of guy. Oh dear, it'll be a looooong day. ;)

It's official Zoe is now a little figure skating student, lessons start next week. She couldn't be happier, we even got to see some "big" girls skating last night aka 6-7 year olds! LOL! She was beaming and when Zoe beams, mommy is happy. :)

Oh dear, this is a knitting blog, ok back to the main subject then. Yes, I did knit last night and completed the fourth repeat of 5. I couldn't be more pleased with this shawl, it truely is a pleasure to knit. :) As you can see in the picture I just finished my 1st ball and not quite sure what to do now. Should I try the russian join? I have never tried that before. My yarn is a pretty thin 4-ply, I hope it will work.

hugs, the sun is coming out, it will be a great day :)

09.08

Once again a new week begins, can't wait to see what this week will bring to our little family. Tonight we go register Zoe from figure skating YAY! She is really eager, keeps asking everyday if it's time to go yet. Then we need to buy her skates, a sporting goods store right near the rink should sell some.

I want to knit her some warm ultra fuzzy mittens that she could wear at her lessons. I think I'll use two yarns doubled to knit her some, one will be wool (to keep her warm), the other mohair (for the fuzziness). It will be my 1st time knitting mittens, so that should be quite exciting. LOL! I have an order for a hat too, from my 2yo! ;) He saw a hat with cars on it and said "mine, mommy?" Aaaw! He is too sweet, so of course I want to knit him one. Then one my to-do list, I want to felt a bucket-o-chic hat for myself. I just love felting projects! :) Dh is still waiting on his own Fuzzy Feet slippers, oh dear... I think I should get a move on them, one is half done, I don't know why I never finished it.

Now if only the new Knitty issue would come out so I can plan on my first sweater project! LOL! Ok, ok, I'm just eager to see the one year anniversary issue. It's always with great anticipation that I wait for the next issue. :) I like how it doesn't come out at the same time as Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting, it gives us something new to look forward too.

Oh and I need to dig out some of the Regia yarn dh had brough from work one time. I want to start a new pair of socks and torture, I mean, help someone who keeps meaning on learning to knit some. ;)

I haven't knitted much all weekend. Saturday I went shopping downtown and then yesterday we had lunch at the park, the boy and girl scouts made hotdogs and we could buy chips, soft drinks and cookies for really cheap. Then we went to a garage sale, which was alot of fun, dh bought a fax machine cheap, so now he can send his resume from home. I bought a one-thousand piece puzzle and the Lion Kind tape (Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase) ;) Oh and a board game called Option, which we played while the kids napped. All the while, I was super worried for my favorite 'bestest' online buddy but thank goodness she took time to let me know she was ok. Love ya Crystal!!! She is the one who picked up the broken pieces of my heart and soul when I was going through pretty rough times last year. She is the one making me smile every day and SHE is the one who got me into watching Paradise Hotel. Bad girl! LOL! ;) I just hope I can be a fraction of the friend she is to me! :)

Wishing you a great day. Today is crafting day at our house. :)

09.05

Another day and another picture of the shawl! :) Finished the second repeat and took a pic. then knitted more and I am only a few rows away from ending the third reapeat. I LOVE this shawl pattern. :) After 5 repeats the scary part starts, I'll need to pick up along both sides of the shawl. Good thing I practiced picking up stitches while making the four bucket-o-chic hats. LOL! ;)

Wishing you all a great weekend! :)

p/s: Sorry most of my pictures aren't showing, that's what you get for using free hosting. Maybe one day I'll invest in my blog and stop whinning! Maybe not... :P

09.04

The joys felting can bring, I showed off my 2 felted bags yesterday to a few moms and they all thought they looked fabulous. Some were ready to give me orders but I don't do orders. LOL! 100% wool is hard enough to find here and it costs quite alot, also once a felted bag is completed it does cost a little amount, then if 'God forbids' I'd want to make profit. Well they'd think I'm crazy for the cost of the bag. HA! They just need to learn to knit, I've been willing to share my knowledge! :)

Also yesterday I went to a little yarn and sewing store. The sales girl recognized me as one who finds free patterns to knit online! LOL! She was all excited to share that had just bought a computer and I simply said Knitty.com GO there, tonight! :) I talked to her about charity knitting, how the store could provide yarn and then people could bring back little booties, socks, hats that they could donate to a local hospital. She was amazed at all my ideas, thought I was a genius or something. LOL! It made my day! :) Almost a year ago when I first went into that store to be yarn and needles to learn to knit, I had the worst experience ever, the girl made me almost cry by the time I left the store and not even try knitting. I did though and how much I am grateful that I didn't let the evil seller get to me and my new favorite hobby! ;)

Kids are off to daycare, Carl and I, will go for a little quiet pancake breakfast! :)

09.03

Long nap for the kids yesterday made me get quite ahead on my little shawl knitting! :) As you can see the hot pink piece of yarn is my safety line. If anything wrong happens, I can be assured that I won't need to frog 'til the beginning. I inserted the line after taking the picture posted on monday. Now I will move it to where I am at and start the 2nd repeat of 5 I need to do. This is such a pleasure to knit, I am loving following the chart, then again all even rows are being knitted the same too, so that helps. :)

Thank you for all of your ideas and comments about my entry yesterday. I am such a handmade crafts lover it's hard to know people who don't appreciate the time and talent it takes to do thinkgs with our hands. For me, there's nothing better than getting a jar of homemade jam or paintings made from a person just for me. I feel special to receive a gift that someone took time to make just for me or to share their home cooking with me. I LOVE food so if anyone feels like cooking up some little surprises for me, I'll be sure to tell you where I live! LOL! ;)

Today I am off to the mommy & coffee meeting, I hope to not forget the felted Suki and Daypack bags. They have been wanting to see them, they still can't believe how felting happens. I just love ooh'ing and aah'ing them. ;) Imagine their faces the day I'll bring a fair isle project! LOL! They'd simply fall off their chairs. Ok, I'm not actually starting a fair isle anytime soon but the thought is pretty funny. ;)

I ordered a new book online, it's called The Knitter's Handy Book Of Patterns: Basic Designs in Multiple Sizes & Gauges. This is simply to most perfect book out there for me! LOL! How many times have I blogged about not getting gauge. LOL! I am pretty excited about getting this book too, there are pretty simple patterns in them and that's exactly what I want, I want a book of classics. Simple mittens to make, hats for the kids to grow into, the generic sock, all the patterns in one handy place. :)

I've been realizing that my love for knitting isn't going anywhere for the time being so why not splurge and get myself a few books. After all I have spent months knitting with only acrylics, I have saved alot by doing so and now I deserve to have fun with yarn. No worries I won't break the bank buying yarn or run to the LYS and buy everything in site but I have decided that YES it is ok to spend more and get quality! :) What can I say.... spending on knitting still is less than buying for a new baby (still getting over this...) but I'm doing good, I promise. :)

On a little sad note, Audrey has been eliminated from Canadian Idol, she is from Quebec so I was proud of her. She just turned 18yo and has time to perfect her english and then, may the doors open for her. She seems like a very sweet girl and I hope the best of luck to her. I'll miss her though, since I started watching the show only to support her.

hugs, oh and I don't forget to pop over Jo Lives! for pictures of our vacations. :)

09.02

Has anyone thought about Christmas yet? There is a certain person I would like to knit for but she does not appreciate hand made things. Maybe it I had a super fancy tag to sew on the item and get rich by the holidays, she then 'might' like something I make. UGH! It's frustrating because she is somewhat close to our family, we are the same age but live totally different lives. She is nice but it's hard for me to feel comfortable around her, she has money, we don't, I can feel that she looks down on us but still she is nice to come by every once in a while. Anyway, I never know what to get her for Christmas and I want to give her something. Each year she will give something to my mom, dh, each kid and myslef, I really would like to give her something she would appreciate. If only she liked knitting! LOL! She's tried it once ages ago and was knitting too tightly so she gave up, never wants to pick it up again. ;( Maybe I'll knit her a scarf and wrap it with tissue paper in a fancy box. Would she appreciate? Is it worth to buy some niiiiiice yarn for this? I know she won't understand the value of the yarn and the time it will have taken me to knit it. I just really want to knit a gift as I like to knit! LOL!

Last night I frogged a few rows of my shawl and it took all evening to get back to where I was before ripping. Does anyone watch trashy tv Paradise Hotel? OMG! I just love it, mindless knitting garanteed! LOL!

For those who are knitting simple gifts for loved ones, what are you knitting? Hats, scarves, I did say SIMPLE, remember? LOL! Maybe I'll just bring the person to the yarn store with me and have her choose a yarn to make a looooong scarf!? ACK! Why is it so hard to pleease someone?