Secret Pal Package Goodies!

I was having a pretty crappy day, shouting at children, grumping at husbands. But when I got home, there was a fat package waiting for me on the kitchen table. It was from my Secret Pal!!!!! YIPPEE! Fibre goodness!

Inside I found some brandy beans, yum, a peace angel as well as a tiny fireplace cross-stitch kit. Very cute. But the best was the hand painted roving! She had read that I had a spindle, but couldn't draft to save my life...I guess she had faith that I could figure it out, so I had to try. After consulting many Youtube tutorials, and finding out how to pre-draft, behold my first attempts at spinning!

Not too bad, and good thing I like thick-thin yarn (haha). Now, what to make from it??? Oh, and she also included another very funky 3-D card. Love it! Thank you so much!!!!!

Happy Imbolc!

I know that I'm a day late, but the season is still the same. Actually, with the warm temp yesterday, you could almost believe that winter wouldn't last forever.



Today, after school the kids and I are going to make candles and Bridey cakes...just little things, but enough. I wanted to clear off the mantle to make it into an altar, but not yet. *sigh*



I have to frog the sweater I'm making - grrrrr. Stupid provisional cast on!

Beautiful Scavenger Hunt Yarn & Craftster Swap Handspun!

Just wanted to share some of the beautiful yarn that I received in the mail in the last week or two. Firstly, this gorgeousness is from Shelby for the Secret Pal Scavenger Hunt that I won...it is so lovely and soft and made up of all my fave colours! Now to decide what I am going to knit it into?????

These two fantastically beautiful skeins came from Faren in the Craftster Ongoing Wish Swap round 41! There is 600 yards total here! I don't know what I'm going to make - but definitely some colourwork is in order here!

This ball of sweetness is also from a Craftster OWS but from round 42 from Pinup Mummy. I adore thick and thin and colours are fun - the girls have claimed it!

Thank you so much ladies for spoiling me this week...my stash of homespun has increased from zero to heaven in a matter of a few days!!!!

Beautiful, Yummy Yarn @ StashUp

Found this etsy shop through PhatFiber and I thought I would share the yumminess! The colourway of the merino above is called Ex Marinus. Isn't to die for???? This is one of those skeins that you just leave lying in a basket so enjoy the artistry of the handpainting instead of knitting it up...

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5197827

Tiny and Giant Knits

I found these fab images online and wanted to share with any knitting nuts that may be reading this blog. First off, are these tiny sweaters made by crazy lady (in the nicest sense of the word)Althea Crome at http://www.bugknits.com/ ... also check out her gloves! These are made at 1:144 scale!!! That's her finger they are sitting on!!!!!!!!!!

On the opposite side of things, check out this GIANT knitting by Bauke Knottnerus http://baukeknottnerus.nl/...I don't know what he used for the "yarn" but I love it!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2009, as the old year fades away...

It has been a hard yet fruitful one and I hope that the next will be a creative, fulfilling one for one and all!

Enjoy it...

Secret Pal Package!

Wow, now that the holidays are over and life has slowed down a little, I can finally steal a few mintues to post pictures of the fabulous Secret Pal package that I received just before Yule. Check out the fantastically cool box that arrived on my doorstep!

Inside there was this really pretty blue card, very sparkly and cute...too bad my camera couldn't catch the true colour, much more robin's egg blue, less pale grey....

In a moment of serentipity, my pal sent me this thrummed mitten kit - I am in the process of planning my next project and have been googling thrummed mitten patterns for myself. How weird. And on top of that, she even bought the exact yarn called for in the pattern! No guessing, trying to find suitable yarn and needle match-ups...I am sooooo excited! Once I finish a baby gift I'm making, they are going on the needles next!

AND she sent me some gorgeous Malabrigo chunky yarn called "Aquarella Arapey". It is so to die for, the colourway is delish and I adore the thick thin yarn. I am thinking of making a hat for the baby, but I might have to line it in case she complains about the wool....

These stitch markers that she made came in really handy for the above-mentioned baby project, I used them almost the minute they were out of the box (after I photographed them of course). I love the caned glass beads!

And in addition, there were some treats: some Tazo chai tea, a cute mug and teabag plate and a yummy Lindt chocolate bunny, which met a very sad end as you can see...





Oh, poor bunny, life was so short and sweet for you....

And here is the evidence of the culprit who dispatched the chocolate hare....

Thank you so much, my secret pal, it was so much fun opening your gift and I love everything!

SP13 Question #2

1. Are you doing any holiday knitting?

Well, I must admit that I did think about it and I had some wonderful things lined up, but reality struck, and with 4 kids, who was I kidding? So, I've filed the patterns away and will fritter at them during the new year. How about a resolution to make ONE child's sweater next year....

2. Are you done yet?

Don't have to worry about it and liking it that way ;)

The Socks are done - just in time for the cold!

Yeah!!! The 2 year old UFO is finally finished! He even likes them, which is great since he's stuck with them - at least until his feet grow. AND if he doesn't lose one or both, they fit me! Extra bonus. Once I got the hang of it, they went pretty quickly. I still have to find a better stretchy, yet not loose cast on...maybe the next pair I'll try a toe up. I've got some yarn for Luna's jaquard socks, I guess they are next, if only I can remember where I put the skein. Well, she'll have to wait until after Solstice anyway since I'm not going to start anything new (yeah right, we'll believe that when we see it). At least the socks are done in time for the crappy weather. This year it started a bit earlier than usual - I don't remember EVER having real, stick-around-on-the-ground snow for my birthday. I hate winter, but at least it isn't too hot to knit.

I know that Iona looks really unhappy in this photo, she just dropped her lollipop and was screaming to high heaven. I tried to catch her between screams, but I think you can kinda still tell ;)

And I lied, I did start a new project, this Santa hat is on the needles, but Melia needed a hat, and it's Yule, and I thought it would be cute, and Len's Mills had a sale on red yarn, and wouldn't it be REALLY cute if they all had the same hat, and.....Matt is shaking his head. Sorry Matt, I tried, but I am weak...

More art

I finished my Children's Lit course at OCA yesterday. Only 2 more to go until I get my BFA (stands for Big F*** All)!! I had to hand in my final project yesterday...we had to either write a 10 page paper or write a 3 page paper accompanied with an art piece. Guess which one I chose? Here's what I made:

Heroine No Longer

Not bad if I say so myself, esp since i finished it around 6 in the morning. Behind the eyes, the red square is actually an opening that is lit-up. Cool, huh? The teacher wants to buy it...I haven't decided since it has some precious found items (those are blue jay feathers that I found on a walk with Fin), but maybe I can switch them out and let her have it. But I really like it too and I don't have ANY of my artwork.... hmmmmm have to sleep on it (I guess it would depend on how much she is willing to pay for it - oh, the power of the mighty dollar).

Oh, speaking of Fin, I finished his socks!!!! Ends woven in and everything. I'll take a photo tomorrow and put it up - after out trip to Casa Loma that I won from the drop-in centre. Woohoo!

What I am Thankful For

For this round of SP13, the question of the moment is, what am I thankful for? Hmmmm...that's easy! I've got a husband who loves me, 4 fantabulous children, a beautiful old house, cool parents, the means to pursue art as well as silly crafts, my health, the ability to read and to love doing it, good food, clean water and the ability to live in a peaceful, egalitarian country. I could go on, but I've procrastinated from my homework long enough.

Lookie!!!!!

I've been busy at the shop practicing tattooing on this crazy foam stuff. Stevie thinks that my depth is pretty good, and I've ALMOST stopped snagging the needle in the "flesh". haha

Soon I'll graduate to oranges...I can't wait. I mean, it has been 15 years since I took a break from my apprenticeship, so I of all people should be patient. I'm just so excited that it is all finally happening and my $40,000 art college education kinda shows in at least my drawing skills.

I am so nervous about maiming people though, "fortunately" I get to tattoo me first. Please note the quotations. I guess I should start designing something nice.

As for the knitting, I'm weaving in the ends on Fionn's socks...an almost FO!!!!!! YipPEEE!

Right now, just waiting for the paint to dry on some tests I'm running for my thesis sculpture for Children's Lit....yup, watching paint dry, that's me...

Class is almost over!

I can't believe that I've only got one more week left to my Children's Lit class. Of course that means I have to finish my finial project - a heroine shrine. But at least I don't have an exam at the end....this has been the wildest class ever! We've been reading tons of horror novels and watched Carrie as well as Ginger Snaps. It's been a cray ride, but the professor is a blast and I think that I have done well. Let's just hope that I can pull off this sculpture with a thesis that makes sense. Research and all.

I'm going to go upstairs and finish Fionn's socks...can't forget the knitting!

Now it's my turn - *eeek*

It's my birthday again...didn't I just do this? I think that we'll go out for Thai for lunch at the local place, love their food and don't want the only spot of culture in town to go out of business. I'm baking some cupcakes for my SIL's party tonight - chocolate with rolo guts and vanilla with creme filling- YUM!

Check out this hilarious/scary ad I found while researching vintage advertising. And you thought that breast was best! It makes you think how will our culture and society be mocked in the future? OK, maybe it's just me...I love this stuff, and not just because it makes me gasp in horror...

Happy Birthday my snow baby!

Two today! I love you, babbeeee...

I'm so lucky

I can't believe how great my kids are. Ok, so I'm biased, but as I watch them grow I see how wonderful they are, with each other, and the world around them. This week, Iona figured out how and when to say "thank you". "Tee Too", she says, how sweet. I also went to talk to Melia's teacher this morning, and she was telling me how wonderful she is with the smaller children, that her empathy for their position of being smaller than others is probably from being one of the younger kids at home. She is such a darling. I've started getting ready for Yule and it's hard not to spoil them and give them everything that they want...but we have decided to to send money to charities instead of huge gifts - somthing small and share with others. Fionn asked Santa to give a toy to a poor child. It nearly burst our hearts with pride....

WOW, that was spectacularly bad!

That is 3 HOURS of my life I cannot get back. I didn't expect Revenge of the Sith to be so horrible - silly, yes, overwrought, yes, but HORRIBLE???? In the opening sequence, I said to Matt that I hoped the rest of the movie was better, but he warned me that it got worse, much worse. I didn't think it was possible, but his words were slowly (and agonizingly) proved to be true. It had no plot, and seemed to be written by a 13 year old (oh, yeah, Lucas is an overgrown pre-pubescent).

"Oh Anakin, come over to the Dark Side"..."Hokay..." WHAT THE ????

"Oh Ani, hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo..." *retch*

C3P0 - "I feel so helpless" and completely irrelevant.

I think it is safe to say that was probably the biggest cinematic letdown in history. Oh well, back to watching the entire library of Dr. Who. And to top it all off, I was so gobsmacked by it all I couldn't concentrate on knitting, it was like a train wreck.

Socks are almost done!!!

Fin's socks are almost finished! I'm doing an afterthought heel a la Elizabeth Zimmerman since I didn't want a weird jog in the self-striping jaquard pattern.

I'm heading upstairs to watch Star Wars III with Matt (since I haven't had a chance to in however many years its been since it came out). I've heard that it's not so good, but I just need to know how Anakin is sucked over to the Dark Side...It will also make knitting while watching a movie not so difficult since I don't expect it to be gripping drama.

Secret Pal 13 has started!

Wow, I can't believe how many years it has been since I last was involved in a Secret Pal swap (I know that we were still in the old house). I got my partner last night and I am already plotting - to make it more fun, her birthday happens during the round too, so I get to help her celebrate. AND she is inside Canada so I don't have to stress as much about postage - YIPPEE!!!!

Ok, off to stalk - I mean check out -what kind of things she likes.

How about a splash of PINK?!

Ok, the girls convinced me that since I had tried EVERY other colour in my hair except pink, that I had to give fair representation. So to avoid being accused of inequality, here is something that you all would never have thought possible - PINKNESS!!! All over my head!!! And me kinda liking it...

Oh and those damn freckles.....