Total Score...

My sister was here over the weekend with two of her three teenaged boys and not only was it a really nice visit, but my house is still standing...score number one.

In addition to their visit, my sister brought me some craft odds and sods that she had no use for anymore. She had attempted knitting a number of years ago and finally came to the realization that she is just not going to finish those scarves that she started in the eighties. So I inherited another box full of yarn...score number two.

The greatest treasure in the box of wonders however was this wonderful blast from the past...



This is a quilt in progress that my sister salvaged from the old farmstead after our grandparents passed away. To give a bit of background, my parents are quite a bit older than one would expect for someone my age, therefore making my grandparents that much older as well. My sister (also a wee bit older than I, but we won't go into details there!) and I, sitting at the kitchen table, marvelling over this work of art and craft, suspect that my grandmother started this sometime in the 1930's. It's just a guess, but the vintage fabrics seem to suggest that time period.



I think it is just stunningly beautiful. I don't know if it's simply because of the black and white photos of the era, but when I think of the 20's, 30's and 40's, I just seem to envision a rather dull time. But these fabrics are so bright, vibrant and cheerful, despite the fact that they appear a little washed out in those photos (lots of light in here...not complaining). And still in really good shape. There are enough fans started there for 35 more blocks. And yes, this is all hand stitched. From the piecing to the applique to the blocks...all hand stitched. Huge huge huge score. So I plan to finish it. I don't know what I will do about the pink centres though. There's not enough fabric for that and I want to stay as true to the original intention as possible. I'll likely hand stitch it all as well, which means I have to learn to applique.



Final score came yesterday in the mail. I really don't know how it happened, but I was logged into Ravelry one day and before I knew it, I had ordered a t-shirt and a 3button pack. What I really wanted was the back ladies tee with disagree (1) on it, but they never seem to have any of those in stock. This is the unisex XL, which I figure I can alter if I really need to. It'll probably be a lazing around the house shirt anyway, as I don't anticipate enjoying having to explain what it means if I were to wear it out in public.



These are the buttons...the ID and the other two small ones. I'm going to practice writing my ID before putting it on the button. So, ya know, 'nother score.

Good weekend...today I'm puttering in the craft room. I have to come up with some kind of temporary window coverings for the living room here in the house. It's kind of disconcerting that the neighbours can she eveything that is going on from the ground floor windows.

Until later...

Peer Pressue...

Other knitters I tell ya...they're a persuasive bunch. I've been happily knitting my plain old, cuff down, square heel socks for some time now. I felt no need to do patterned socks. I find sock knitting kind of like cleansing the knitting palette. I'd knit a bigger project and then at the end, be a little brain dead but my hands had extra knitterly energy, so I'd cast on for a sock and just go around and around for a while until a sock emerged.

I still had/have a sock yarn addiction, which I think just comes with the knitting territory. But ever since I became a Knitterpudlian, I've been slowly and subtly indoctrinated into their patterned sock cult, and now find myself cruising Ravelry and queueing (sp??) and favouriting free sock patterns.

Then, before I knew it, I joined the Summer of Socks 2008 sock knit-along. I don't do knit a-longs. I joined the Knitted Babe KAL, which wasn't really an organized KAL, just a place to throw up pictures of my weird knitted dolls. I find knit-alongs too...I don't know what the word for it is...organized maybe. Too many rules most of the time. Who needs that? But the Summer of Socks is perfect for me in that there are absolutely no expectations. The only rules or challenge is to see how many pairs of adult socks you can knit between June 21/08 and Sept. 1/08 I think. So even if I get only one pair done, I'm still participating. But in my somewhat contrary fashion, I will likely opt to only knit kids socks or not even knit socks at all. I thought this was a good motivator to knit up the ridiculous amount of sock yarn that I have acquired over the last couple of weeks.

Oh, and by the way, this is a random, picture less post. I do have a FO that I'd really like to talk about, but alas, I cannot. I finished it Friday at 11:30 pm and I was so stunned that I had finally cast off this behemoth that has been barnacled to me for the last year that all I could do was sit and look at it for a really long while. So I guess I did kind of talk about it there, didn't I? Anyhow, more on that in the future.



Okay fine, a picture. Me and my shadow. One of the few (only?) pictures of us together, as I am usually the photographer. I have to say that not only did the constable do a remarkable job of actually centering us in the frame (not something he's known for) but this is probably one of my favourite pictures. Isn't he fluffy??! And I am so thrilled to have wild daffodils in my yard! They're my faves.

So here's why knitting and more specifically, Ravelry are on my short list for the best things that have ever happened to me.Nova Knitter and I had coffee this morning with Calins, a lovely knitter from Halifax here in Liverpool visiting with family. Ravelry, for those who stop by sans fibre obsession and wonder what the heck it is and why I keep mentioning it, is, to put it quite simply, the absolute best thing in the whole wide world. To elaborate just a smidge, it's an online knitting and crochet community, sort of like the Facebook of the knitting world, only cooler because it's about knitting and not about stalking people you knew in highschool.

At first glance, Ravelry is an endless resource for knitters. Which it is. An unbelievable bottomless pit of helpful and interesting information. The added bonus, so I am quite happy to discover, is that it's a great way to meet new people! This morning's coffee talk revolved around knitting, yarn, dogs, more knitting, knitting techniques and uh...well, knitting. All with someone who I would likely have never met otherwise, all thanks to the wonder that is Ravelry. How cool is that? I've also come in contact with two other knitting RCMP spouses because of this site, which just kinda blows my mind. Who knew? Anyhow, I find it all rather exciting.

Seeing as it's Sunday and I am full sloth mode, I'm gonna call it a post. I have my cabled cardi that I think I can finish today with the help of a movie (of which I bought a boat load at the liquidation sale of our one and only movie shop in town...but really, Legend two disc special addition and almost the entire Kevin Smith library, as well as a whole handfull of others, all for $8.00 a piece...could turn it down) as well as a baby sweater that I am working on.

Happiest of Mothers Day to all moms out there.

Until later...