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.....

Secret Pal 13 Questionaire

OHHH! I haven't been in a Secret Pal swap in years...this is going to be so fun, I can't wait to find out who my parner is.

Here goes for the questionaire:


1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love natural fibres, wool, alpaca, silk, cashmere, soy, bamboo. Anything soft. I'm not too crazy about mohair, ribbon or acrylics ESPECIALLY if it "squeaks", and unfortuneately I am alergic to angora :(


2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a needle roll that I got from another swap, but it doesn't really work for circs.


3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I've been knitting for about 25 years (YIKES!), my mum taught me when I was little, but kinda stopped for a few years until I got pregnant with baby #2. I've been at it, of and on, since - 8 years. I guess that I am at an intermediate skill level.


4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes, at both Amazon,com and Amazon.ca


5. What's your favorite scent?

Oh, I think that depends, I like to wear sandalwood and amber notes, but I also like to have citrus, vanilla, chocolate smells in the house. Oh, but no patcholi - gak!


6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Oh gods yes!!!! I love them all, but lately my jaw has been giving me trouble and I can't chomp into something really hard and brittle :((((


7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I wish that I could spin - I have a spindle but my draft sucks. I do a lot of other creative things. I am a sculptor who works in found materials, I love altered books and assemblage boxes. I am training right now to be a tattoo artist as well, I hope to be actually working on people eventually. LOL. I make stained glass, jewellry, felting, miniature illumination, bookbinding, papercrafts, clothing, costumes, scrapbooking and so many other things. I just like to create cool stuff


8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like old school goth, heavy metal(AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Metallica), Dead can Dance, celtic, folk, Sinead, Sugarcubes and Bjork, - I love women with strong voices (but not so much with the Celine Dions or other balladeers). Industrial and medeival - I know that I am all over the place. And yes I am MP3 compatible.


9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

All my clothes are black and I tend to knit mostly black for myself, but I have been branching out into rich jewel tones, esp handpainted wine reds, crimson, deep purples and cobalt blue. I use really bright colours for my kids - fuschia, apple green, purple, etc... I really dislike pastels, brown, yellow and white doesn't really work with 4 small kids


10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I am married with 4 kids (DS 11, DD 7, DD 5, DD 2) and my son has 2 hermit crabs and we have resident chipmunks that we consider pets.


11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I wear scarves & mitts


12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Hmmmm....I like to knits toys, and kids' clothes, celtic cables


13. What are you knitting right now?

I'm finishing 2 pairs of socks that I promised to people years ago, I think that the kids need new scarves and I'm considering finally casting on my Rogue


14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes I do, as long as they are practical...imagine a house with packrats living in it and that none of us like to tidy. hahaha!


15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I like my circs for socks and sweaters since I hate to seam, but I like to use straights as well, depends on the job. All my needles are metal, but I'd like to try wood.


16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

No :( I wish...


17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Oh dear...


18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?

We celebrate the Winter Solstice (Yule)...and even though it is crazy and it makes my husband grumpy with all the stress, it is my favorite.


19. Is there anything that you collect?

I collect witches, but only if they aren't cutsie or too ugly. I like unusual ones. I also collect old photos (pre-1950), old boxes and any kind of old ephemera for my artwork.


20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I'd like to try some of that new Seacell stuff and I adore Malabrigo ANYTHING. And Hand Maiden and Fleece Artist are lovely. I'd love to get some Japanese tawashi patterns, esp Halloween ones! I don't subscribe to magazines, I find that pretty much all the patterns in them I wouldn't wear.


21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I wish that I could knit continental, then maybe I could finish things in less than 2years haha. And can you believe that I want to learn how to crochet so that I can make amigurumi.


22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes, I like to knit socks, except that I really need to find a good cast on/off for the ribbing. grrrrr....hmmm how do I measue for socks? I'll have to get back to you on that.


23. When is your birthday?

My birthday is November 22! EEKK! Another year older....


24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Yes, but I haven't figured out how to use it yet. I guess I should. My ID is Tsukiko.

I love getting mail!

The Amazon fairy visited this week and lookie what she brought!

"101 Designer One-Skein Wonders: A world of possibilities inspired by just one skein", by Judith Durant. I can't wait to get cracking and use up some of my stash. I've got some delish natural black dehaired baby llama from Americo that is dying to be something!

I finally finished ONE of Fingal's jaquard socks (I've only been working on them for 2 years) and I'm a third into the second. I guess since that the one foot is done, I have to finish the other one quick before his foot grows.

I also, should finish Matt's Kilt Hose. Those have been on the needles even longer, but I've hit a snag with those - I made the foot too long, and unlike the firstborn, Matt's feet aren't going to get any bigger any time soon. AND they are toe-up so I don't even know if I can frog the toe. GRRRRRR! Does anyone remember these?

Nippon Police are my Heros

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

Finally some Nuit Blanche Pics

Sorry that it has taken so long for me to get these pics up...I seem to have misplaced the SD card that the photos I took were on. So thank you to Val for these great shots. The one above is of the tent surrounding "Gate", my piece that was in the baptistry. I was wondering what you would pack to start your spiritual journey. Here is another cool shot -




I also got to recreate my "Descent" piece from my thesis show. This time it was so interesting to watch more than just my professor interact with the work. There were quite a few men that went through my pregnancy sculpture as well as women who had children and didn't (you could tell which were which - "Yup, had that one, oh, that one too...nope...yup" vs "EEWWWW....remind me to not have kids") . I also got to talk to many of the crowd ( I still can't believe that there were literally a thousand people through the show!) and I was flying high on the great reception. I guess that maybe I'll do another show (but how soon....)

Nuit Blanche was a hit!

I just wanted to thank everyone for visiting me at my Nuit Blanche exhibit. I can't believe how many people were there - even the mayor, David Miller and his family came. I'm sorry if I missed anyone, I had to take Iona home at midnight, she was turning into a pumpkin. I'll post some pics, once I find my camera!

Iona is 1!!

It's hard to believe that my "last" baby is one today! I know that past experience has led you all to not believe me when I say I'm done, but I am....seriously!!! And that makes it harder to see her growing up, I've been trying to savour all the moments and she is especially delicious. Happy Birthday, little nacker, mummy loves you!

Potter Puppet Pals

I'm probably really behind on the fad...but for those of you who are as out of touch with pop culture as I am, will probably enjoy this:




The kids have me playing this over and over, they think it is hilarious

"bother"

In the list of books below, bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, put brackets around the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of. (The ones I've left...well, I could take 'em or leave 'em)

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. [Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)]
5. +The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. +The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. +The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. *Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. *A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. [The Stand (Stephen King)]
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. +The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. *The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. +The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. +The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. *Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. *The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. +The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. *The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. *I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. *The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. [Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)]
44. *The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. [She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)]
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. [The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)]
59. +The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. +Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. [Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)]
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. +The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. +Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. +Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On the Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. *Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. *Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. *Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
8. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. *The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. [The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)]
96. The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. *A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Wow, it looks I like I'd better get to the library!

There is knitting happening...

I've been SLOWLY slogging along making Finn his Gryffindor scarf...I think I made it a tiny bit too wide for a kid, and I'm doing it stockinette in the round, so it's taking twice as long. Not to mention that it's tricky to get any of it done with "boo-nibbler" constantly wanting to be the centre of the universe. Imagine the nerve! ;)

No school, it's a snow day

We lived through our first official snow day! School was cancelled and our street was buried under 2 feet of snow for most of the day until the plow finally came by. Poor Matt spend more than and hour snowblowing our and the neighbor's fronts and then got reburied when the plow went by. But it was a lovely quiet Valentine's day. The kids had fun on their surprise day off and we had a nice dinner even though we had to use what was in the house.

We got a cool new furnace today! It's going to heat our attic and basement and we can finally go ahead with finishing both areas. So that means we are a step closer to building our new bedroom and me getting my studio built. YIPPEE for me! I wish that I had more baby-free time so that I could put the rest of the house together, but at least I've got a ton of hired hands descending on us to do a bunch of jobs.

One Handed Art Making

I've been trying to get some things made - thank goodness for Craftster swaps that give me deadlines to work for. This cool altered Altoid tin was for a nice lady in the UK who was a closet goth, I covered the top with purple silk quilted with a spider web and the beaded spider is actually a pin that comes off. I think I like the inside better...

The sides are cool cobalt microbeads and w/a transulcent overlay on the bottom.

I've just finished this piece and I'm planning on making a lot more along this line - it combines collage, altered art and stained glass YIPEE! The back and then the front! "she"

There's a pagan in bushes!

We finally found some other like minded folk out this way (thank goodness for the one other pagan family in town we already knew before the move!)...they are out in Kitchener, but they have an amazing kid group and we are planning on checking out their circles. Their next workshop is on Fairie, but I don't think the kids will sit through any type of "adult" discussion on the subject (although I'm a bit wary of what the adults would be talking about anyway...FLAKE ALERT!). But the kids really enjoyed talking with other pagan kids and they learned a few things and made some candles for Imbolc which made our sabbat celebration more meaningful for them. We've been trying to get back to our spirituality...I'm planning a cool garden with quarter altars, etc. Not the stonehenge I wanted, but someday.....

I've just found this amazing website with the most astounding art!!!! www.michaeldemeng.com I love his use of found objects and the small scale of his work - very intimate. I've been hoping to capture some of that sacred past in my stuff....keep trying. Maybe I need more layers of meaning.