Christmas knitting...

This blog is going to prove rather boring in the months to come as I've started my Christmas knitting and it seems that the only visitors to this site are those intended recipients of my Christmas knitting. Would seem somewhat futile to post pics of stuff that's supposed to be a surprise. Ah well...no one visits this site anyway.
Until later...

She who knits too much...

...suffers the consequences.

All wrapped up with no place to go.
My wrists hurt...

Nothing in particular...

A finished pair of socks. Started on the May 2-4 road trip. Now done. That is all.

Empty nest syndrome...

Very little of what I make stays here. It's all destined to go out in the world and make homes elsewhere. Once I give it away, that's it, I never see ____________ (insert object here...quilts, socks, sweaters, bootees, hats, scarves) in action. So it's a real treat when someone sends me a pic. highlighting how my blood sweat and tears (lots of tears when it comes to quilting) fits into their life somehow. It's with great pleasure I present to you Don's quilt.

As with most quilting projects, I had grand plans. Birthday, Christmas, housewarming...all major events passed without my finishing this project, so when I finally sent it off, I lamely rolled all events into one. I didn't need to worry, it was well recieved.
Anyhow, thank you to Don for sending along the pic! I hope it continues to keep you cozy through many DVD's for years to come! Can I interest you in some socks this year for Christmas? (expect delivery sometime in February).

Marti Discovers Value Village...

Okay, Value Village rules! At least yesterday it did. First off, I must apologise to Purl. I was only in town a half hour to pick up the dog, as he is staying with us for a few days and it was in the middle of the day and I had to get right back for class last evening. Otherwise, I would've called while I was in town.
But check this @#$% out! Two purchases, both awesome. First up, a bag of 100% virgin wool which included a half done sweater. Bag 'o wool...

Half done sweater...

I'll likely rip out this poor knitter's hard work, but as I am not a middle aged man in the 1960's, I'd like to craft something more my style. The wool is a bit...wooly, but perhaps with a gentle wash once it's finished, it'll perk up a bit.

Second totally awesome find was this...

An itty-bitty baby loom! FOR SIX DOLLARS! I have no idea what something like this might go for new, but it has to be more than six dollars. To give you some perspective on just how freakin' adorable this thing is, allow me to demonstrate...

It's like my eight shaft gave birth. I can't wait to try it out. And it's collapsable too! Everyone in the store was asking me what the heck it was yesterday.

Finally, it occurred to me that Christmas is sooner than you think, so I've already begun...


And just because I can, a gratuitous dog photo, because he's here and he's awesome.

(Unfortunately, his sweater doesn't fit. Waaay too small. I'll have to try again).
Until later...

My favorite model...

Well, wee Nolan has come through for me again. Check this hottie out peeps.

Now, would you mess with this baby?!! Thanks to Nolan's mom for coming up with the skull onesie! HA!

Weekend Knitting...

I'm not sure where this burst of knitting energy came from, but the weekend turned out to be a fairly productive one.
Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Biff is crafting something as well. I cannot discuss the details, for it is super secret, but being able to sit outside and watch him do his thing inspired me to delve into a few projects myself. That, and it's so nice to sit outside and knit.
So here's Biff crafting away (all I'll say is he's woodworking) with me having just cast on a new project.

And this is what it became...

A skull sweater for the dog, most likely a Christmas present. This skull theme has taken on a bit of a life of it's own. But since Maury is about as hard core as any baby, this too is funny to me.
Also, just for my own amusement, I spit this out from my needles...

Inspired by a recent post at the Yarn Harlot, a baby pumpkin hat, sans stem. Sometime this week I'll grab some green or brown yarn and finish 'er up.
And that was the sum total of my weekend. Onto the next project!

The Element of Surprise...

I gotta stop making stuff for people or stop blogging about the stuff I make for people. It makes it very difficult either way. I make stuff, then want to blog about it and then worry whether I am going to ruin the surprise. Well, I guess I just don't care anymore. I have to share.
This here's Skull Bootees. I came up with them by request and I am just thrilled with the result. I mean seriously, skull bootees! Isn't that a bit of an oxymoron?! I made them for one person and then Biff suggested that I make another set for Nolan and his parents (remember? duck feet?). Anyhow, I think they're hilarious. I'm going to adapt the pattern for all kinds of stuff. Just thought I would share with everyone.

Down the Rabbit Hole...

I swore I wasn't going to. For months, I resisted the urge. Darn near a year in fact. But ever since I saw two new Patons pattern books online (Next Steps 2 & 3), I've heard the yarn boutique calling my name. I thought maybe Michaels would bail me out. Perhaps Walmart. There would be no temptation there, just a sea of novelty yarns and horrifying baby acrylics. No such luck. I couldn't find them anywhere. So really, it wasn't my fault. I had to go. If I was serious about making these fantasy sweaters, I had to go. Had to. Go.
Sunday, my first excursion there, the little yarn lady had locked the door two minutes before I arrived. Though disappointed, I was a little relieved. I could resist for another day.
Monday I think they're closed anyway. Tuesday I wasn't feeling well. But then it happened. Wednesday...it rained. Not a heavy downpour, but a light spring drizzle, the kind that makes you happy to be inside, curled up with your knitting. Oh goodness, the urge was strong. Knit. I wanted to knit. Everything I had on the go was crap, absolute crap. I was so sick of department store bargain yarn. It never looked right, it never felt right. I HATED IT!
Before I could really know what was happening, I was in my car barrelling down Riverside Drive, headed for Prattes Knitting Boutique, the one and only yarn shop I've found in this god forsaken city.
It's a small shop with a white exterior, and though I can't really be certain, (it may just be a happy imagining of mine) I believe there is a sheep on the sign. Sheep, namely cartoon sheep, are one of my weakness's. Some people collect Hello Kitty stuff...for me, sheep stuff. Like the Serta sheep. I want one so bad. But I digress...
The interior can't be any bigger than my downstairs living space, if that big. But walking through the door is like stepping through a portal into the Wonderful World of Fibre. Yarn overflowing at every turn, piled (or plied...ha! yarn humour) to the ceiling. I was literally a little dizzy at the sight of it all.
I'm probably what most veteren knitters, or at least Stephanie Pearl McPhee, would call a small k knitter. I've yet to make that journey into spinning and dyeing and carding and stashing and major yarn purchasing that would qualify me as a big K Knitter. But believe me, if I had the funds, I'd already be there. And with every trip to the blessed yarn shop, I feel a little bit closer.
It was early in the day so I was the only one in there, and having found my pattern books right off the bat, I spent the next, oh say, 45 mins. running around touching everything. I'm assuming that this isn't an unusual sight, as the little yarn lady didn't seem to mind. She was busy putting the finishing touches on a beautiful little baby sweater, the kind that made my heart skip a beat.
I admit, I was positively giddy. I was flush with excitement. I saw skeins and hanks and balls of all kinds of exotic fibres, (like actual wool!) and my mind was a buzz with stuff I could make.
When I saw a whole section of wall dedicated just to sock yarn, I nearly fainted. And it had nothing to do with the fact that I hadn't eaten yet that day, I swear. Self striping sock yarn too. My faves. And it now comes in 100g balls. I didn't know that! Of course I didn't know that. My budget only allows me to roam the isles at Zellers, forcing me to compromise my artistic visions (or delusions of grandeur, whatever).
I went there with a budget in mind. I thought, if they don't have the books, then I'll buy something, cuz I'd feel bad leaving such a lovely little store with nothing to show for it. Ten dollars, that sounds reasonable. Well, they had the books. Awesome! And both were only $4.95 a piece. Perfect! But I brought this bootee I'm working on with me, and I'd like them to be a gift, so if I could find some nicer yarn, then the project would turn out better. Ooooo, this one feels nice and soft. Great for baby's delicate skin. $6.99 per ball? I can swing it. No problem. And you know what? Throw in a set of double points too. Make it bamboo. Thirty seven dollars later, I have a tiny bag of five items and I'm on top of the world. I really didn't need those groceries anyway. And just like getting a tattoo, as soon as you leave the shop, you want more. I quite literally raced home so I could cast on as soon as possible.
Now I'm planning all kinds of things I can't afford to make! I'm already calculating how many imaginary sweaters I can complete by Christmas. By my estimations, one a month should be sufficient. Perhaps I could strike up a deal with the yarn lady whereby I could exchange blood for yarn. And that seems entirely reasonable to me.
Here's the real kicker though. Almost a slip of Freudian proportions I believe. When I returned home and nestled on the couch to revisit my purchases, I realized that the double points I bought had a twin set in my needle drawer. What I really needed were size 3mm straight needles, not dp's. Oh goodness. They were pretty expensive too. You know what this means. I have to go back.
My stuff...black and white yarn from aforementioned yarn shop to make bootees. Black and white baby bootees you ask? Oh you'll see!
And the craptastic one pounder I bought and didn't know what to do with...it's on it's way to being an afghan. And look! New books! For sweaters!

Sweet Honey Baby...

No one really visits this blog, do they?

I've been neglecting my crafts of late. So here's a wee bit of an update.

I'm so into these Knitted Babes. Here's Poncho No-Pants, the doll I made for my neice. This is her the day I packaged her up with all of her stuff. What a riot to make all of these little items.

This is my neice playing with all of the stuff that I gave her. It was intended as a birthday present, but her birthday isn't until next month, so this became an Easter present.
Initially, the doll got no love. But the little doll quilt was apparently the shizz. And stuffing all of the little items back into the basket and then dumping it all back on the floor was like the best thing ever. Sweet Honey Baby is just an absolute doll herself and a dream to be around, though the look on her face wouldn't really convey that sentiment. I'm not sure how I captured this worried look, cuz she was so laid back this particular day.
Anyhow, eventually Poncho made it into her field of view and she was promptly whipped around by her hair, which started to come away in little fuzzy clumps because of the nature of the yarn. This didn't gel with Sweet Honey Baby, as she doesn't like dirty hands, funny enough. No whaling or fussing, just a concerned stare at this foreign matter now inhabiting her palms.
Anyhow, this was a fantastic day and I was so glad I got to be there to watch her open up this gift that I worked on for months. I hope Poncho is settled in her new home, and that she still has some hair.
PS: That striped thing in the bottom left hand corner? My knee.


In other doll news, I finished my second challenge outfit for the Knitted Babes blog. The challenge was between my friend Purl (alias used to protect her true identity...craft super hero) and I again. She's now busy conjuring up another challenge for us, this time a different project using different mediums. I'm looking forward to finding out what she comes up with. I'm sure we'll post those challenge results on this here blog.
So those are the craft projects of late...seems with the arrival of summer, my crafting has slowed down considerably. Ah well...more time to tan. And I really don't care how bad it is for me. I'm doing it. I'm Canadian and I'm pasty, because I don't believe in being a fake shade of orange in the middle of January. I'll work on my healthy glow when it's appropriate, dammit.
Until later...

The Girl who Cried Frog...

Okay, this time, the frog is actually dead. Done. Finished. Finito. Buried. In the ground. Biff and I both checked on him and after some prodding and cajolling, we were assured that he was no more. His service was swift, and since Biff thought it quite insensitive of me to photograph the precedings, I will not be posting any. He was buried in an Iburprofen box and there is a small stick cross marking his grave. So for real this time, farewell Froggie.

Not Smart, but Stupid...

I've kind of run out of craft projects at the moment, so my attention is wandering of late and I'm beginning to notice things that really bug the crap out of me. The muggy weather could be a contributing factor.
Last night on my way home from ASL class, I was stopped at a red light, waiting for the oncoming traffic to finish making their advance left turn. I saw something that, if you had been in the car with me at that moment, would've made me go real quiet and just shake my head in pure, unadulterated disgust. A Smart car. Lord knows I hate Smart cars. And if not him, then Biff has sure heard a boat load about it.



This really is the most retarded design concept I've seen in my lifetime. Of all the brilliant minds out there trying desperately to come up with something, ANYTHING which will alleviate our fears over our impending oil shortage and in a nutshell, Armageddon, the end of civilization as we know it, this is the best that they could come up with? This car inspires no confidence in me whatsoever.
I'm willing to concede that perhaps I've got my thinking all screwed up. Maybe you're supposed to have a Smart car purely for commuting back and forth to work if you live in or just outside a city. But other than that, I really don't know what the hell else you can do with it. Where would the groceries go? Luggage? Crap I pick up off the side of the road from time to time? It's a Smurfmobile. I think I'll buy one, paint it bright blue and put a giant white cap on the top. I'd still look less ridiculous than the grown men I've seen driving this thing on the 401. (Can you say death wish? I know that you can).
Which brings me to my other point. I have yet to see these damn things on the highway. One stiff breeze generated by an 18 wheeler flying by at 130 km/h (at the low end of the spectrum) and this thing goes into orbit. I drive a '94 Lebaron convertible and I don't feel all that safe on the 401. I can't imagine how I'd manage in a popcan on wheels. But, if you believe the advertising, then the Smart car should be able to hold it's own.

Oooooooo, look at the Smart car, with the world flying by at breakneck speed. Dude, you are so cool now.

But if the popcan is just too 'soccer mom' for you, then perhaps you would prefer one with the top popped.

I sure hope that's an automatic top. I don't think I could handle that baby if it were manual, despite the fact that I tower over the top of the vehicle by a good foot and a half at least.

Lets face it...we've become, at least in North America, an SUV nation. How can we ever go back? Believe me, I get equally disgusted when I see a Navigator sailing along (usually with a Michigan plate, no offense to my American friends) with one middle aged woman of slight build in the entire vehicle. But are Smart cars really the answer? Do you honestly expect me to go to Costco in this thing? I'd have to have my three gallon ranch dressing and my 100 pack of Tampax sitting in my lap on the ride home. I just don't see it happening.
Don't even get me started on snow. This is Canada after all. Granted, I live in the banana belt of Ontario, so a big dump of snow is a rare occurance anymore, but still, there are days when it's unpleasent to be driving around. Considering that the clearance of the undercarriage of the Smart car is about four inches from what I can glean from the photos, then yeah, I see this being a practical vehicle for the eight months of winter we get.
If the pendulum is beginning to swing back the other way, and small cars are what is in our future, then why don't we kick it old school? Forget the Smart car. I say bring back the Chevette.