273. My Finished Objects

I went outside today, braved the cold and the scattered showers, and took some photos. Go me, my tripod and a ten second timer. They weren’t the greatest, and I would have taken more, but just when I got the focus right and the placement was good, it began to rain. And it wasn’t just one of those moments when a few spits come down from the sky and then it’s over, no this was a good downpour for about ten minutes. So I had to go inside, and when it was over, the clouds were still too dark to take pictures. I promise I’ll get more pictures soon, once the sun decides to come out. It would be so much easier with someone else to either take the pictures or to be the model, but alas, I don’t feel like getting the guys in the house to model lacey knitwear.

I finished the toque. I love it so much. VIP is amazing (did I mention it’s 80% merino, 20% cashmere?) Like I said, amazing.

-Cheers folks!

272. My Recap

That’s a sweater. Or at least it will be. I cast on the Garter Yoke Cardi from the Fall/Winter 2008 Knit.1, and I love it so far. I’m using 4mm needles, which surprised me because I typically don’t like worsted weight yarns knit on 4mm needles, and yet this I love. It’s all soft and supple, and it seems like it’s going to drape oh so nicely. One thing for sure though, it’s not going as quickly as Smokin’ did. I guess that’s what happens when you knit a sweater out of worsted weight. I am a little frightened because I’ve already gone through a full skein, and I haven’t even separated for the arms yet. I’ve only got five balls, so I might need to either do a bit of colorwork (charted elbows to wrists?), or hope and pray that there is some more of the yarn somewhere.

The mittens turned out beautifully. And, drum roll please, the colors worked out somehow. The thumbs are both the same colors. They are beautiful, fit wonderfully, and now the weather needs to get crisp so I can wear them. I think (if I didn’t already have enough on the needles) I want a pair of fingerless mitts.

Laminaria is DONE. It’s bound off, it’s blocked, and it’s even been worn. I just need to get around to taking some photos. Once the weather gets less wet I’ll go out to the park and take some awesome fall pictures. Maybe even with my mitts. Oh and my toque! I finished that too. I thought it was going to be way too long, but it’s perfect. I’ll get pictures of that too. Eek, looks like I’ve got some photos that need to be taken and no one to take them. Anyone in Ottawa want to go on a photo shoot?

-Cheers folks!

265 to Today… An Explanation

First off. I know. I was doing so well, and then BAM. More than a week of nothing. I’m not going to go back and try to fix this, it’s too far gone. I will let you know that for the past three days I’ve been feeling under the weather, and for the first two days of that, I was sans internet. Normally even when I miss a day or two I’ll take pictures, but the last week I hadn’t. I don’t know what happened really, but there are seldom any photos, so I’ll put them all in the next post.

I’m back though. I am hoping to finish off the year, and I’ll be glad to have it done. I feel that my quality of blogging has gone down hill since I started this project. I’ll try to keep it to weekly next year, and hopefully that will result in better formed blog posts, and more interesting topics.

Can I get a “whoop whoop”?

-cheers folks!

264. My Meditation

I bought new yoga pants today. My old ones were all stretched out, and too big. I always seem to have a problem trying to find pants that are long enough. I know that it’s yoga and it’s not a fashion thing, but they need to be a comfortable length, and sitting right at my ankles is not a good length. I was glad to find a good pair for me. It’s quite the feat to find them, but when I did, happy happy joy joy.

-Cheers folks!

263. My Mitten… Getting Closer

I’m nearly up to the decreases on the hand of the second mitten. It’s really great. I know that it will be a little while before I really need to wear mittens, but like I said, I love them. It seems that the mittens will work out color wise. I don’t know how, but I think they will. The light blue starts half way through the cuff instead of at the second braid, but still the pink at the top is at the same place as on the other mitten. Like I said, I don’t understand it, but I love them.

-Cheers folks!

262. My Supper

I cooked a good dinner again tonight. Beef and Broccoli with rice. It was tasty, a little salty, but still amazing. It took about an hour to prepare and cook, but it was so friggen worth it. I used two portions of meat, and an entire head of broccoli. Let me add up the cost of this meal.

Steak: $3.57

Broccoli: $0.99

Green Onion: $0.69

Ginger: $0.11 (but I used maybe a cents worth)

Soy Sauce: $1.69 (used a tiny bit)

Beef Broth: $1.99 (used maybe an eighth of it)

Corn Starch: $2.49 (just a bit)

Oil: $4.99 (used just a splash)

Rice: $3.99 (used about a tenth of the bag… maybe)

Add up the hard ingredients, it’s about $5.25, add in the other ingredients, it’s maybe $0.75. That’s a super cheap meal, especially since I have an ENTIRE CONTAINER left in the fridge. I love cooking cheap stuff that is tasty.

Kitty has come to love sitting on my lap, and then moving to sit right on my keyboard. It’s so cute, but so annoying. I will still miss kitty.

-Cheers folks!

261. My Toque

I’ve been working on my cabeled toque a fair bit. Well, when I’m not finishing the second cuff of my Latvian styled mittens. I know, eh? It’s insane how quickly they’ve come along. But, this post is for my toque. I’ve got five rows left before I start the decreases, which I am actually stealing from another Raveler who used the cable pattern for a toque herself. I know that’s cheating, but what can I say, I’m lazy.

Note to self though: Don’t listen to QN: Just a Minute (it’s part of the Quirky Quiz on that podcast) while knitting at Second Cup and knitting. It’s very hard to not burst out laughing, and even still, the snickering coming from me in the corner with my white hot chocolate was hilarious. At least it was to me, I’m sure that a bunch of people thought I was crazy. That’s okay. Little do they know that I really am crazy. he he he.

-Cheers folks!

260. My Mitten…So Far

Two days. Two days to get a mitten. I didn’t even ignore everything else, I ate today, I cooked (a lovely meat sauce for the penne I had in the cupboard), I went for groceries. I did stuff. But still, I’ve got a mitten, it’s missing a thumb, but still, a mitten. I really like how it has turned out, and I’ll stay up a little later than usual tonight to finish off the thumb. I’m excited. This is what I needed, a finished object. One of the reasons that I love colorwork is because once I get into it, I get into the “just one more row” mind set. It makes things go very quickly. Can’t wait to have a finished pair of mittens.

-Cheers folks!

259. My Mitten Progress

As I’m writing this, there is a kitten on my lap trying to type mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm see that, that’s kitty..

I cast on the mittens last night, and they’re going so well. I started with a Latvian Braid, which is easier than it looks.  Basically everything is the same, except after the cuff section, I put in another Latvian Braid. I’m up past the thumb gusset now, these things are just speeding along. I think it’s because I really enjoy working on them. I can’t wait to see the finished project, the gradations of the color is coming out nicely. I don’t think that a lot of the colors will come into the mittens, but that’s okay. I can probably get a second pair of something out of the Noro too. Maybe fingerless mittens. Could be fun.

-Cheers folks!

258. My Fall Down

So… yea… oops. As of this exact moment I haven’t cast on the mittens yet, but I’m going to. It’s not the pair I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, I realized that those were only the charts, and at this point for Latvian style mittens, I need a full pattern. But anyway, I re-wound all the yarn I need, finding the spots were the color patterns match up, so that I can have semi-matching mittens. I know that I’m going to be off a bit, that’s just my life, but I’m still excited. Maybe after these mittens I’ll make more with the Noro. It’s been so many other things, I just hope that this works.

-Cheers folks!

257. My Temptation

There is a crisp breeze in the air, and you know what that means? Fall and winter knitting can commence. Toques, mittens, socks, gloves, fingerless mittens, and more mittens. I’m really on a mitten kick right now. I would love to cast on a pair of Latvian inspired mittens. Currently I want a pair of these. The green would be black, and the brown would be my Noro that has been two pairs of half socks, and then frogged. I really want to cast these on, but I will not. I need to finish up some other stuff first. Though, mark this on the calendar, I finished my last block for my Lizard Ridge blanket. It is officially bound off, waiting to be blocked, then there is seaming and figuring out the edge. I know I’ve said it many times before, but I need to figure out what I’ll do for the edge. And I’ll have to get some yarn for it. I don’t think that anything in my stash would work well enough, nor do I believe that I’d have enough of anything to add some semblance of continuity. I’m thinking that I might just do a basic garter stitch edge in Cascade 220, or some other such equal yarn. I’ll figure it out later. I want to finish off something else first before tackling edge. And before casting on the mittens. Oh the pretties… they’re calling to me. I must resist.

-Cheers folks!

256. My Works in Progress

Currently on the needles (newest to oldest):

1. Kiila in Cherry Tree Hill (2.25mm)

2. Bayerische Toque in Lana Gatto VIP (3.5mm)

3. Daybreak in Aracaunia and Yummy Yarns (3.5mm)

4. Laminaria in Malabrigo Lace (3.5mm)

5. Lizard Ridge Block in Noro Kureyon (5.0mm)

 

Currently on the spindle:

1. Lime & Violet in bright pink, and green with black

2. Merino/Silk of unknown origin

 

All of that, and nothing is calling to me. I will not cast on, I will not cast on…

-Cheers folks!

255. My Crazy Feline Friend

Sorry, I didn’t get a photo of the Tech sign before I took it in to the Theatre. I’ll try to remember to get a photo next time I’m in, which wont be at all this week. What ever am I going to do without it?

The kitty has taken a liking to my butterfly chair. She sits in the middle, and leans right over the edge. It’s kind of creepy, but cute none the less. I spent about an hour today trying to keep her off my keyboard, for some reason she loves it. It’s tricky typing when there is a cat on the keyboard, ask me how I know.

-cheers folks!

254. My New Montage

You’ll see the rest of that saying tomorrow. I’m hoping to finish it tonight/tomorrow. I don’t know why, but this evening, right after supper I got the urge to cross stitch, so what did I do? I biked to Wal Mart to get floss and Aida. I then charted out the saying I wanted, and began working. It’s a little tricky seeing as my table lamp seems to have gone on the fritz, and no bulbs are working in it. I guess I have to go buy a new lamp. Yet another reason to get out to Ikea.

-Cheers folks!

253. My Almost New Sock

I think that I have too many projects on the go right now. Nothing seems to be progressing at all. I have done a fair bit on the Cherry Brainless sock, but not nearly as much as I would like. I think I have to start tackling projects one at a time. I need to get something done. Maybe that will bring back the joy I used to find in knitting. Oh well.

-cheers folks!

252. My Daybreak

I’ve been slowly plunking away at my Daybreak shawl. The purl rows kill me, but they’re certainly not as bad as my Laminaria’s purl rows. I’m done 6 of the 18 repeats of the striped section so far. Something tells me this thing is going to be huge. I love it already. The Aracuania is a little pink-er than I thought it would be, but it’s working. And the Yummy Yarns is a little blue-er than I would have liked. But like I said, it’s all working. I can’t wait to have another shawl to wear around. I’m thinking of maybe using some handspun that I have to make a kerchief, but I don’t think I have enough, I’d have to spin up some more of the Newfoundland Alpaca that is so very very dreamy.

-Cheers folks!

251. My Opening Night

I know I’m behind, I’ve been busy and sadly the photography bug seems to have left for a little while. I think I’m getting all my creative juices going at the theatre, and the blog, and even the knitting have sort of fallen by the wayside. It’s sad, but I’m back, hopefully.

Opening night was a hit! Besides the first phone ring not working (leaving the two actors making out on the bed for quite a long time), and one of the videos not starting properly, it was a hit! Everyone in the audience seemed to love it. I wasn’t actually working the opening night, but I sat in the gallery watching the play and I’m pretty sure I heard Martha. Martha is the resident haunt at the theatre. She plays with levels, walks the halls, and apparently (from mine and the lighting designer’s experience on two occasions) plays with the portraits and picture frames in the hall leading up to the gallery and the booth. She’s not been malicious to my knowledge, she just plays with people. Appearing in hallways, walking across the stage, through the back of the house, she just… says hello. Her history fascinates me, and I keep trying to learn more like the false fire alarm that went off for no reason this year on Canada Day, exactly 39 years after the fire that burned the buildings that were there to the ground. I’ll say it again, fascinating.

-Cheers folks!

250. My Ultimate Question

This photo is actually from yesterday. But I didn’t take a single photo while we were at the Aviation Museum, nor any today actually. But the subject still reigns true. While we were walking yesterday (and we did a whole bunch more today too) we went from the Ottawa River pathway to the back of the Parliament Buildings. It was over 250 steps. After about 200 there was this drawn on the steps. I don’t do stairs well, my knees tend not to like me, so I felt the exact same way. My friend was way ahead of me, so he laughed when I stood with my chest heaving trying to get a good photo of the graffiti. I’m not nearly as fit as I would like, cardio wise, nor strength really. I need to get on my bike more, and I wouldn’t mind getting some strength training in either. But I hate gyms. I might have to do something in the winter though. Especially to get the cardio in seeing as I wont be able to go biking. I guess I’ll invest in a pair of skates for when the canal freezes. I can’t wait for that.

-Cheers folks!

249. My Fall Excursion

My friend and I decided (quite randomly) to walk an outrageous amount today. One of the stops was the Rideau Falls, where the Rideau River meets the Ottawa River. I got to play around with the shutter speed on my camera to catch the water as it was falling. One thing I haven’t really played with on my camera is all of the user preferences. I tend to just go Macro, Portrait, Landscape, or Action, I don’t tend to play with the fully adjustable settings. It was good fun. I also played a bit with composition to get some nice portraits of my friend. I’ve got one particularly great photo, only problem is the tree growing out of his head. I did manage to get a bunch of other great ones though, so all was not lost.

-Cheers folks!

248. My Horrible Photo

I’ve got a friend in town for a little while. He took a photo of me while I was sitting on my bed. Great photo quality, horrible subject.

-Cheers folks!

247. My Afternoon in the Park

I went out today to get some mail from my old house. (yay for knitting needles from a Raveler!) I then decided to sit by the Canal for a while and knit. I got right up to the point where I needed to change to the contrast colour for my Daybreak shawl. I then biked over to get some supper. I’ll admit, I got fast food, but it was Wendys. It was tasty, and delicious, and now I want more fries. Damn. I then biked back over to my side of the river, but I still didn’t want to go home quite yet, so I went to Hog’s Back Park. Well, that area. I’m not sure if I really was in Hog’s Back Park where I was, but that was the last sign I saw. As I was sitting there, leaning up against a tree, laptop on my lap reading the pattern and knitting, there were quite a number of the huge black squirrels jumping around. There were also two that kept chasing each other and scaring the bejeepers out of me when they’d make loud noises then clamber down a tree trunk and run around. One of my favourite squirrels was that guy. He didn’t so much walk, scamper, crawl, or whatever it is that squirrels do, he hopped. It was like he had little springs under his feet. I couldn’t help but giggle every time I saw him doing it. Hoppity hoppity hoppity.

-Cheers folks!

246. My Progress

Oops. The Cast On Bug bit me last night. I broke down and started Daybreak. I’m not a fan of actually needing to count, but that’s okay, because I’ve now got into the rhythm, so it’s all good. The Araucania seems a little rough, but I’m certain it will soften up with a wash. I’m nearly done the first section, I’ll probably end up finishing it tonight, and then, of course, I’ll keep going and start with the color section. I can’t wait for another shawl to wear. My circular shawl is a little bulky for the weather we’ve been having. And my Adams shawl (as amazing as it is) gets a little boring after a while. I need to finish off my Laminaria too. And my Lizard Ridge. And the socks. And the toque. Ugh, so many works in progress.

-Cheers folks!

245. My New Best Friend

This is Kitty. It don’t know it’s real name, but it’s adorable. She comes into my room fairly often, I think it’s the smell of the yarn that attracts her. I should also mention, I’m not sure if it’s a she or a he, but I like calling her a she. She runs and plays with anything on the floor, attacking my toes if they’re tapping to a beat. She pretty much is just adorable all the time. I love kittens. she also loves my mirror. I often find her sitting in front of it, then looking behind it, trying to find where the other kitty is. But she never does. Poor thing, she just wants someone to play with. I guess I’ll have to do as a kitty substitute.

-Cheers folks!

244. My Awaiting Yarn

Once again, sorry it’s late, I just got wireless at my new place.

I got a ball winder today, and boy oh boy, I’m ecstatic. All I need now if a swift. I think I might make one later on, not right now though, I’ve got enough on my plate as is. I did manage to wind up two skeins though. Both I need for the Daybreak shawl. I’m trying really really hard to not cast on, but I don’t think I’ll win the fight with the Cast On Bug. the colors are horrible because it’s lit by an incandescent bulb, but it was the best I could do. I’ll try to get better photos later, maybe of a work in progress? Because that cast on bug is biting hard.

-Cheers folks!