Going to Hell in a Handbasket

I'm feeling a bit over-whelmed by the Boxing Day shootings here in Toronto on the anniversary of the tsumani with the threat of bird flu looming, etc. etc. etc. And as if living in this insane world wasn't enough, I am trying to ensure that my children can negotiate the dangers and come home every day unharmed. I am thinking that it may be less crazy in Acton, but Toronto is growing and the de-sensitized, vilolence-loving masses are everywhere....I can't believe what some think are appropriate images and messages for young minds - and this coming from a former teen-aged rebel, f- you and the horse you rode in on, who cares what the neighbors think anarchist. I can only hope that my kids rebel and become accountants and not try to sent us to an early grave with lives of crime and aggression.

But at least I can go to Hell in style with my swank felted tote! I love it and I'm so proud that I finally finished something for mysef. I think that I'm going to line it since my needles keep poking out the bottom and the wool fuzz keeps getting all over my other yarns (which doesn't matter most of the time since almost everything is black, but for the things that aren't...)

Started: November 11, 2005

Finished: December 1, 2005

Yarn: Lopi wool, 2 skeins of black and 1/3 skein of blood red

Needles: US 13 circs

Pattern:Hello Yarn's Big Skull Tote

Adaptations: I cast on an extra 10 stitches becase I wanted the bag to be wider and I didn't sew the straps on in the same place because I wanted longer hanles, but now I think that I'll move them into their suggested position since the narrowness makes it hard for the bag to stay on my shoulder when I'm wearing a big coat.

Secret Pal 7 has started YIPPEEE!

I am so excited to be involved in this round.... I can't wait to find out who my secret pal is going to be.

You can sign up here and join in on the fun:

Bright Solstice Blessings

Happy Yule to you all!!!!

We're back and we're brown!

Cuba was beautiful, I love going there so much. The people are lovely and when you are nestled in between the mountains and the sea with fresh pineapple in your hand, how can you beat that?

This was the view from our window...the gorgeous thatched building was the bbq restaurant we ate at when we wanted a change from the non-stop buffet. The mountains wrapped around the entire resort, the ones in the picture were just the point jutting out into the ocean. It was breath-taking! I think that we will go back there again.

The kids had a great time, snorkelling, swimming in the sea and the pool, eating dessert after every meal including breakfast and frolicking in
the Kid's Club. Our only mis-hap was Melia cracking her head on the first morning and having to get 4 stitches. Thank goodness there was an on-site doctor who was very kind and the had a local anesthetic. She still screamed bloody murder and I wonder what the other guests who passed by were thinking. But she was laughing and running around within 5 minutes like nothing had happened. Only the poor thing couldn't get her head wet so had to stay out of the water. But by the end of the week, she was wet and happy as well as getting over her fear of the ocean. We couldn't get our two mermaids out of the sea!

The resort - Brisas Sierra Mar in Santiago de Cuba - was lovely. The food was good, especially in the a la carte restaurants, the ice cream divine! The staff were friendly, the rooms very clean, yes, occasionally we lost power because the generator died and there were no phones in the rooms or internet...but that was a blessing, because then we were really on holiday. The kids loved the Yule tree in the lobby and were impressed with the fine art of Cuban bed origami! They even showed the kids how to make their bedsheets into hearts.

We saw so many beautiful animals, birds, lizards, fish, lobsters, giant crabs and the tiniest hummingbirds in the world...unfortunately, we were so busy enjoying them that we forgot to take pictures!

Well, so much for our sunny vacation in Cuba...now we are in the thick of getting ready for Yule and then packing up our house EEEEKKK! I didn't get as much knitting done as I would like (although I freaked Matt out by bringing my plastic needles on the plane with no difficulty - that goodness since we were delayed coming home by 5 hours!) but I'll post some pics of that tomorrow. Time for bed, it's a big day of cleaning, baking and wrapping tomorrow!

Bon Voyage...

Well...we're off to Cuba, so I won't be posting for awhile. But I promise to be thinking of you all as I bask under the 31 degree sunshine, sipping "Banana Mamas"! I plan on getting a lot of knitting done...and a lot of relaxing. We are planning on going into Santiago de Cuba, which is so beautiful with all the colonial buildings and vintage cars.

It's worth the drive to Acton

Sorry for the lack of posts...I've been going crazy buying a house, getting ready for Yule and preparing for our trip to Cuba on Thursday morning....

Yes, we bought a house today! Isn't it great? OK, so it's not in Toronto...that sucks, but we've got a fireplace, 4 bedrooms and can WALK to school, groceries and the library. SWWEEET!

The only problem is, I'm going to have to learn how to drive so that I can still be part of the world in the "Big Smoke". I promise that we'll have a killer housewarming!

Still no decision!

All this indecision about what job Matt will take and where we will live is starting to make me edgey. I think I need to not worry about it, but how can I plan a move to another city (or maybe not) and do research on at least 2 possiblities (or maybe not) and not feel a little anxious? I am worried about the kids fitting in - heck I'm worried about me! I wonder how many home-birthing, long-term nursing, co-sleeping, tattooing, artists there are outside the GTA? I'm just trying to focus on getting ready for Yule and hopefully distract myself until we are closer to making up our minds.

In the meantime, I've cast on my Dad's cardigan, and the rate I'm going, it'll be ready next year...

Saga of the Sock cont.....

I FINISHED ONE!!!! I was so happy when I cast off, but my bubble burst when Matt told me the foot was too long :( Now, how the heck do I shorten a toe-up sock??????) But regardless, it is a thing of beauty and I've only got half of the other to do. And yes, the toe is done in a different yarn. That was when I thought I didn't have enough to finish so I figured using something similar for parts that wouldn't show...now I have to chop off a good inch and a half anyway.

Get a load of those sexy gams!!! I have a soft spot in my heart for bike courier legs *sigh*

Sandy Claws is coming

Aren't my kids a photogenic lot? Of course after spending 2 hours sitting in the cold holding their front-row spot at the Santa Claus parade, this was the best photo I could capture before my batteries died. But at least the day was beautiful, the kids had a great time and Melia was big enough to understand what the heck was going on. I think she was the only kid who was excited when yet another bagpipe/drumming band was next.

The swelling in my cheeks is going down, but now I've got two massive purple and green bruises on my cheeks. On the transit today, women kept staring and I was wondering if they thought I had gotten beaten up. Maybe I need some concealer....

I'm a bit stuck on what I should cast on next...it's not like I don't have a ton of projects that I should be starting, I just can't seem to commit to one. Maybe it's because I'm not working from a concrete pattern for any of them and don't want to screw up, the only pattern I've got is for my Rogue and it seems silly to start something for myself when I want to make gifts for people for Yule. GRRRR...

A-Roguing we will go....

Well, I've joined my first knit along...with my beautifulRogue hoodie!

I have all the stuff I need (other than time and a undrugged brain) to get started, but my conscience tells me that I should start Yule gifts first...maybe I can get a few stitches in between rows, hmmm...

The cool little felted bag I made for the drop-in centre sold tonight for $40! And I scored a photo shoot with Irving Posluns! Not to mention that my cheeks are definitely SMALLER! Hurray for modern drugs!

Beware the Chipmunk!

Just a short post as I feel like a stoned chipmunk after having all four of my wisdom teeth out today. I've put this off for over a year since I figured with a small baby I couldn't afford any down time. So poor Melia is having her first night away from Mummy....who will it be harder for?

OMG!!! I have to make these!

I was just browsing around looking for a cool knitalong and I stumbled across this adorabletea party! Like Ihave time for more projects!

Hurrah for Daddy Time!!

Matt enjoyed his first full day of down time at home today...I was working like mad for the drop-in's auction, but he hung out at home and puttered around with Melia. I hope that he gets to have the rest he needs before he has to go back to work. We even talking about a holiday, he says Cuba, I say Europe...we'll see where that get us.

We looked at another house yesterday...needed work, but very old, good bones, nice and big, however it was less than 20 yards across the street from a train-yard. NOISY! And this coming from city-folk! So, maybe not. Keep looking....

The kids are enjoying the wonderful autumn weather, I got Melia a tricycle for $5 at the Alpha bizzare and she's been trecking up and down the street - loving it! I'm waiting for the wind to pick up again and maybe we'll take the kite out for a fly!

The Kool-aid yarn turned out so beautiful and we sold every skein (And at $5 each we netted $100!) I was silly and didn't take my camera, ARGH! So, I guess that I'll have to do some more for ME and all the projects I want to do. I even felted a couple of sweaters and made them into bags, very easy and tres chic. Hope they did well at the auction. I need to get started on my projects for Yule...I'm hoping to get some done in time, maybe leave the rest for birthdays.

House hunting (again)

Well, we just got back from house hunting south of BARRIE!!!! I fell in love with a crazy old house that used to be a turn of the century brothel (go figure) but I think that it would be too small for us - even though it has a ready built separate studio, shed and play house. Heck, it even has a dungeon, with it's own sump pump! But we haven't decided which job Matt will be taking and we need a house with at least a dining room...but it was SO cute!

On a different note, check out these bunnies performing The Rocky Horror Picture Show!!!
http://www.angryalien.com/

SCARY!

Tomorrow, I'm going into the kids' school and dying TONS of yarn with Kool-aid. Wish me luck, as I hope that they won't be trying to drink the stuff. But think of all the Kool-aid points I'll get...maybe enough to get the Magic Super Sonic Ear!

Hard Day's Night....

Well, today was an up down kind of day. It started out great because Matt took care of the kids so that I could get a few extra minutes of sleep and then I sorted prizes for the child-parent centre's auction - so much fun, kinda like opening tons of boxes at Yule except the stuff isn't mine and I don't have to figure out where to put it. But then I had a row with Finn about his hair and that made us late, and then we had a row with the in-laws, and then we all went for dinner with the Steam Whistle crew. I think that it was so nice that Matt's staff wanted to give him a goodbye dinner to show how much they appreciated working with him. However, I had to play nice with the people who are responsible for his leaving AND chase the kids around the restaurant for 3 hours! *sigh* Hopefully the rest of my evening will be relaxing and stress-free.

As promised, here are the pictures of the kids in their Samhain costumes. Luna was a princess (again), Melia looked so cute in her Dark Faerie costume, and Finn was creature from the BBC documentary, "Future is Wild", basically a tree-swinging squid that will live 200 million years in the future. So cute, but I guess that I'm biased...and yes, that is a Jack Skellington on the front of my 2 year old, she LOVES Nightmare Before Christmas and sings the songs all day. I even made her a Jack cake for her second birthday, despite the original Totoro theme.

I did, however buy a bunch of yarn at Romni yesterday...very dangerous place. Good thing I was mainly looking downstairs in their discontinued area. I got some gorgeous Fleece Artist handpainted Country Wool for $11! I'm going to try and make a quick felted bag for the kid's silent auction at school. As well, I scored 1 ball of Sugar 'n Spice cotton ($1.50), some funky Italian Beaux yarn ($5.50) to make yet another Ruffles scarf as well as some Confetti sock yarn for Finn, black with purple (his and my fave colour). The stash groweth....

The Saga of the Sock!!

OK....so 9 years ago, aflush with love, I bought my honey some beautiful mossy green tweed aran wool, straight from Ireland, to knit him a scarf. I don't even remember the brand, let alone anything else about the yarn, other than the price -$8.50 a skein - OUCH, this from the girl who bought her yarn at Goodwill. So, $30 dollars later, I began my scarf of love...however, after a few rows it became evident that a scarf needn't be 2 feet wide, so not disheartened, I unravelled and began again. This time, after much labour and ruminating about my lover, I discovered that if you try to make a scarf in only stockinette stitch, you end up with a very lovely and warm sausage. So, I unravelled again. I figured the third time was the charm, so I carefull gauged and then researched and began my beautiful moss stitch scarf (apt I figured due to the colour of the now very weakened yarn). I was so happy when it was almost a yard long, I decided to wrap it around my neck and check it out in the mirror. ACKK!! HORRORS!! It was SO itchy! At this point I almost cried.

Well, I put it down for a little while after that (alright, 2 years), until I found a cool pattern to make socks. AHA! I think to myself, my husband (as he had become in the subsequent few years) loves wool socks, that's what I'll make for him! Well, armed with my new dpn I struggle furiously with knitting in the round, only to discover that I have tube that would fit a toddler, not a 6' tall cyclist. *sigh*

Fast forward to 18 months ago....I pick up a different booklet about socks, and guess what?! Socks are easy and fun...who would have thought? Needless to say, this reminds me of the dreaded moss mass in the basement and I go and dig it up. But, do I just knit him some nice simple, top down cute socks??
NOOO...I have to make him KILT HOSE!
But after doing the research (there aren't very many cabled free hose patterns on the web - oh yeah, did I mention that they are cabled and toe up to boot?) I finally started the final project...everything went nicely for a while, I was even clever enough to knit both of them at the same time, since I wanted to be sure that they would end up the same length and I wouldn't run out of yarn when I was halfway up the second sock. Well, it was looking like my 3 skeins weren't going to anywhere near enough and Romni didn't stock that colour anymore :( I resigned myself to making just regular socks ,when one day at the local Value Village (which I hadn't visited in months), I noticed a ball of yarn as the restocking lady passed by with her cart...I snatched it up and lo and behold it was my yarn and it was 69 cents!!!

So...I thought that I would share my progress as I promised Matt that I would have them finished for him for Yule...and you know what? I think that I am going to make it!!!

Happy Samhain!

Hard to believe that another year has come and gone. Everything last night was wonderful, in fact, I think that it was the best in a long while.

We had some friends over for dinner and they brought their baby over to share in the festive fun. Our meal with the ancestors was pretty rudimentary, as the children couldn't grasp the idea of sitting in silence (yeah right) and Matt had to jump up every few minutes to answer the call of trick-or-treaters at the door. But once everyone was dressed and out in the beautiful night air we could begin to enjoy ourselves. This year we tried a different area, instead of sticking to our quiet little street...and we pleasantly surprised at how busy and festive our neighbours a few streets over are. It only took the baby two houses to figure out what was happening and the magically if you said "Trick or Treat" complete strangers put sweeties into your pumpkin. She was so enthused that she tried to enter and raid their houses in case they were hiding better booty inside. The kids looked so cute and we saw so many cool houses and costumes that everyone is hyped for NEXT year! I guess that I'll have to hit the stores tomorrow and stock up on clearace stuff!

I did manage to finish the Dark Faerie costume in time and the baby was willing to wear it (I think I would have been heartbroken if she had refused). I'll post a better picture when I"m not so tired. Matt and I stayed up past 1 am last night doing readings to help us make a decision about what job would be the best for him. We figured a bit of divination when the veil was thin couldn't hurt, and it was nice to spend the time together. Hopefully, it will all become clear soon and we will be confident when we finally decide.

The Dark Faerie is almost done

I've finally gotten most of the baby's costume done. I told the two bigger ones that this year will be the last time we get to decide what she will wear. Next year, she'll be 3 and will definitely have ideas of her own. So they decided she should be a Nightmare Before Christmas fairy (and a touch of goth, thanks to Mummy's gentle prodding). I've got to put together her skirt and adjust the wings she got as a gift for her birthday...she is going to be so cute!

On a sad note, my cousin is headed back to Japan at 7 am. I am so glad that I have finally gotten a chance to get to know some of my Japanese family and that the kids are really excited about the people that they have met. I was so cut off from them for such a long time....We hugged for a long time, and I had a little cry in the car. But at least we can keep in touch and she is planning on coming back to Toronto soon. Yeah!

Samhain is coming, the pumpkin's getting fat

One more day until Samhain...the kids are going wild and I've been preparing for their costumes, pumpkins, our family feast to share with our ancestors and some kid friendly divination...I'm thinking that it will help us make a decision regarding Matt's job situation. Maybe some advice from the other side with shed some light on all the possibilities.

My cousin from Japan is leaving tomorrow morning, so we are going to bid her farewell tonight and give her the cool Ruffles scarf (from Scarf Style) that I finished YESTERDAY. She helped Kool-aid dye the frogged yarn with the kids, so I thought that it would be a nice parting gift.

I've also started another Ruffles scarf, this time for the kids' silent auction. I'm not so crazy about the colour, but different people have said that they like it. I guess I'll do a bit, see how I feel and if I hate it I'll felt a small purse instead.

There are Witches in the air!

Well, we're finally getting things together for Samhain. Can you imagine? Pumpkins for 88 cents! And the neighbours already used my idea of dangling shredded garbage bags from the porch...so I've got to come up with something else. As for the kids, I've got their costumes half made, hopefully they will be done by Monday. Maybe next year I'll knit them haha.

Ooohh...the dangers of yarn shopping...

I went with the kids today to the yarn store and I broke my promise to myself not to buy any more yarn until I had finished some of my UFO's. Haha, very funny, needless to say my will was defeated and I broke down and >HAD< to get myself some cool Paton Kroy sock yarn in "Winter Eclipse", and the Bernat Softee Chunky "Black Berry" for my son's socks and new circs to knit my dad's Yule present. And how could I resist those adorable bats????

I cringe when I see photos of other people's stashes gone wild, but I think that I'm well on my way there! I guess I had better get knitting those presents...Yule is coming on quickly and I just realized that I am no where near ready for Samhain which is HOW MANY DAYS AWAY??? Time to get out the sewing machine!

I have been assimilated!!!!

Ok, so I've finally given in and created a blog. It's not like I can afford the time to be posting, since the 3 kids and loving husband take 27 hours of the day. And what about the knitting? And the sculpting and the stained glass and the gardening and the sewing and the.............

*sigh* See what you have gotten me into?