Knitting In The North

A Bit of Cheer

I really love swaps.  I don't join in very often (usually because I miss the boat!), but when I do, I'm always so glad.  A new reader of Our Yellow House, when I read her idea for a February Cheer swap, especially one full of handmade/thrifted type goodies, I knew I was in.  Above is the  wonderful basket that arrived from my (blogless) buddy - a knit cloth, a homemade CD of lovely, peaceful piano music, a book to read, lotion & soap to enjoy...  such pampering.  It was lovely, and a great day brightener for a tired, sick mama.

 

This is the package that I sent to my buddy:

 

 

A thrifted book, some yarn in her favourite colours, a packet of soothing teas, and my own little experiment in sewing.  I have put together something like this a few times now, and I've quite enjoyed making these little sets up - a tissue holder, key chain, coffee cup sleeve, and a little bag.  Not everyone, I know, has the same need for things to match as I do, but still - what a nice, organized feeling to open your purse and see these bits!

 

We're all (relatively) healthy now, which is good because I've been working almost non-stop!  I'm starting to feel a bit burnt out, but I've been sneaking in some crafting at every available minute, and look forward to showing you... soon.  Really soon.

 

Overdue Thank You

I am very, very behind in giving a public thank you to the amazing pal I had during the last Secret Pal swap.  The swap started just before I began to get sick, and so I was out of commission for a large part of it.  Even though I wasn't as communicative as usual, my pal still came up trumps.  Here are some of the wonderful goodies she sent me:

Chelle was incredible during this swap, sending me lovely sock yarn, Bare yarn from Knitpicks, plus a whole dye kit so that I can give this new thing a try...  You can see the picture of the stork - that is a Morning Sickness Tea package, full of bags of soothing tea.  So thoughtful, and I am so appreciative.  Thanks again, Chelle!

Secret Goodies

My first package arrived from my Secret Pal today!  It was so nice to drive up to the house, and see a parcel waiting for me!

Inside were all sorts of lovely goodies - Regia 4-ply Color sock yarn, in colourway 5574 (a nice, neutral blend that I think I'll be fighting Brian for!), some chocolate, several bags of great tea, some stitch markers, and a couple of samples of Soak fibre wash. 

The best of all, for me (yes, I am easily amused), was the stitch keeper for my DPNs!  I almost always carry a sock in progress with me as I go about my day, and have been looking for something like this for quite a while.  It is too, too frustrating when I pull my sock out of my purse, and find one of the needles has come out.  This will be most excellent for my about-town knitting (it won't hurt for my around-kids knitting, either, they also think it's great fun to pull out a DPN)!

I really appreciated the little card my Pal included - the quotation on the front says, "Don't count the days, make the days count!"  There have been times I've fallen into that terrible mind-set that being at home with my kids is something to just "get through".  That is not the way I want to live my life, and not the way I want my children to grow up.  I really appreciated the reminder that I can make my days count, even if what I'm doing doesn't look as outwardly important as the life of some of those around me.  I know in my head that raising my babies is the most important thing I can do with my time, but every now and then, a little reminder is a great thing. 

Thank you, Secret Pal, both for the fun stuff, and the good thoughts, too.

Secret Pal Contest

The Secret Pal 11 swap that I'm in right now is running a series of contests - here is my submission for the current one!

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?  My little Susan Bates Knit-Check - it's a needle sizer, stitch gauge checker, and ruler, all in one.  I am constantly pulling it out of my knitting bag.

2.  If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you?  If so, how much and what type of project?   Definitely!  Usually one mindless thing, and one more complicated project.  And some extra yarn.  And a book for inspiration.  And a credit card for stopping at yarn stores for supplies.  And, and, and...

3. Where have you traveled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?  Vancouver Island - it's the combination of the lush woods, the amazing ocean, the majestic mountains, all at once.

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment?  Do you own it? I've been really taken with Elizabeth Zimmerman lately, and I've been longing to get my hands on The Opinionated Knitter, which I don't own, yet.

5. Do you listen to podcasts?  Which is your favorite(s)? Yes, almost every day!  I have lots of favourites, though, it's tricky to try and narrow it down!

6. If you could only knit with 1 color for the rest of your life, what color would that be?  Turquoise, in all it's wonderful and amazing shades.  (Shades don't count, right?  It's all still turquoise, right?)

7. If you were far into a project and then noticed a mistake near the beginning what would you do?  Agonize, throw it across the room, swear and yell and cry a bit!  Then probably rip it out, I couldn't live with it!

8. Where is the most unusual spot you've ever knit?  In the truck, at a red light.  (I know, I know, but the sock was just sitting there on the seat next to me, looking at me!  What was I supposed to do?)

Sockapalooza Goodness!

They're here!  I've been watching so many bloggers receive their amazing Sockapalooza socks, and I admit, I've been a little green with envy.  How fitting, then for these amazing green (and blue) socks to show up in my mailbox!

My (sadly, blogless) swap pal, Adrienne (in England) knit these awesome, comfy socks from Colinette Jitterbug.  They fit perfectly, and the colours are happy and fun, and go great with my jeans.  She included a set of sock stitch markers, and a little postcard.  Thank you so much, Adrienne!  I love them!

My mother in law and I had fun deconstructing the pattern, paying close attention to the heel.  (Mary was just starting the heel flap on her first sock yesterday, so heels are all good.)  It was also very satisfying to show both my in-laws what Welsh sock wool looks like now.  On our visit to my LYS this week, there was a pair of thick woolen socks (knit from Briggs and Little Tuffy, or something like that) on display, and she told me that this is what she expected when she heard I was knitting socks.  What a big difference, eh?

My own knitting has been a bit slow this week.  Between getting things ready for our Great Camping Adventure, spending time with Stuart's family, and just feeling restless and escaping the house every night after the kids were in bed, not much knitting has been done.  Still, I've been slowing progressing up the leg of my Panda Wool socks. I'm using the knee sock pattern from Summer 2007 IK, and am including the M1 increase up the back of the leg.  I'm not sure exactly how tall these will be, though, as I'm just going to keep going until I almost run out of yarn.  (I feel like I've said all this already - are you getting tired of hearing it?) 

Travel knitting has also been on my mind this week.  I plan on taking Brian's orange and blue sweater, and the Panda Wool socks.  I think my knitting bag will also include a ball of Dugly-Uck yarn, just in case.  Although, really, I think perhaps Dave and I should just do a switch - I'm pretty sure my idea of a dugly uck colourway would be right up his alley, and vice versa.  It's amazing to me how knitters can encompass so much variety, both in what we knit, and in what form we knit it in.  Thank goodness, though - like the saying goes, how boring would life be if we all did it the same way!

SP 11 Questionnaire

As the title suggests, here is my questionnaire for Secret Pal 11.  Obviously, if this is "been there, done that", skip on.  We're off to visit Barkerville tomorrow, and I hope to have lots of knitting to show for my time in the truck!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?  I made a pair of socks from Rowan Cashsoft that I love, and I really like Panda Wool; any soft, natural fibres are all good.  I'm not a total yarn snob, there are lots of synthetics that I like, but I hate anything novelty-ish or squeaky.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?  My straights are in a glass jar, my DPNs in a little pitcher, and the circs in a basket.

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 about a year and a half.  I'd call myself an intermediate knitter.

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

5. What's your favorite scent?  The ocean, or the air just after a rainstorm.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?  Chocolate, chocolate, more chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?  I spin, but try to restrict myself to these two hobbies.  There's only so much time, and so much to do!

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 a huge variety of music.  I find music extremely significant, and love stuff with meaningful lyrics.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?  Green, turquoise, blue - anything in that general area is my favourite, but I love most colours.  I'm not a big orange/yellow fan.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?  Married, three kids, one dog.

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

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?  Right now, I'm on a big sock thing. 

13. What are you knitting right now?  Blue Sky Eyelet Cardigan, sweater for my son, two pairs of socks, shawl for my mum.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?  Definitely!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?  I prefer circulars to straights, but use them both.  I'm really into bamboo right now, although it can be tricksy to find up here.

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

17. How old is your oldest UFO?  A year?

18. What is your favorite holiday?  Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect?  Teapots, seashells

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've been longing to try Koigu - it drives me crazy that it's a Canadian yarn and I've never been able to get my hands on it!  I subscribe to Interweave Knits.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?  I have the book Socks Soar on Circular Needles, and I really want to try this one out.  I am longing to try knitting lace, with real lace-weight yarn, but am completely intimidated by it.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?  Yes, I wear a ladies size 8 (North American sizes)

23. When is your birthday?  July

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?  Not yet, but soon!

Toe to Toe

It's been all socks all the time here, and look what I have to show for it!  I finished the Monkey socks; here they are after their bath, drying and almost ready to be packaged up for my Sockapalooza pal.

I read in the description of the Monkey Socks on knitty.com, that the designer felt that this pattern was a monkey on her back, and the only way to get rid of it was to knit it.  I feel like this pattern has been on my back, and I've finally gotten it off!  It is a really nice feeling to have these ones finished, and it also feels great that I can get my Sockapalooza package ready to go out on time.  I used Regia sock yarn for these, and 2.75mm DPNs.

What is the best thing for me to do once I've finished a pair of socks?  Why, cast on for another pair, of course! I'm taking part in an unofficial KAL with RC and Kristy, following Ann Bud's toe-up sock instructions in the most recent Interweave Knits.  It calls for a Middle Eastern cast on, and I fiddled around with it for a bit, but was finally satisfied.  I've just finished the toe increases, and am starting the foot.  I'm knitting these with Panda Wool, and using my new casein DPNs.

I have news!  I've written before about feeling a lack of balance in my life lately...  after a lot of thought, I've decided to change my employment situation.  A woman that I know, who is a teacher, has asked me to take care of her toddler son this fall, and after agreeing to this, I went into the store last week and gave my notice.  Hooray!  I am mostly happy about this - there are people I will miss fiercely, and there are people I will be glad to see the back of.  But I think this is a good move for us all here right now, and I'm excited to see how our family will benefit this fall and winter from my extra time at home.  Stuart & I have talked a lot about this decision, and I am so grateful to have a husband who is supportive, and wants what is best for me and our children, and is such a good provider that I have the freedom to make these changes, and to allow myself a few weeks of grace between these two situations.  (Now, are you thinking what I'm thinking?  Just think of all the extra knitting time I'm going to have!!!)

A Nice Surprise

The other day, I drove up to my house to see a package waiting for me.  I thought.  Hmmm.  I thought some more.  I am expecting something from Knitpicks, but I knew it was too soon for that, so what could it be?  Ah, perhaps a birthday gift for Gwenyth, who is 2 today.  I picked it up; it was for me!  And even more surprising, is was from Kris, my downstream pal from Secret Pal 10!  She sent a lovely card, thanking me for being such a great pal, and calling all this goodness an early birthday present. :0)  Kris, you're amazing, thank you so much for your thoughtfulness! 

You see here all kinds of lovely goodies:  a notebook, a cool knitter's kind of pen, with a built in highlighter, a Lantern Moon keychain with a tiny sweater, the coolest bookmark ever (a reproduction of a real Turkish carpet) and a very nice candle with it's own tiny box of matches.  Also, check out the great dishcloth Kris knitted for me - isn't there something so special about knowing another knitter has spent her precious knitting time on you?  I love it!  I also love the Coolspun Cotton yarn - it's much softer than the worsted cotton I am used to working with, it's almost "too good" to make dishcloths out of! 

The finale, of course, is the perfect, amazing, exciting sock yarn!  Not only is it in my favourite colours, but is from Sweet Georgia Yarns, and is soft and lovely.  Almost too lovely, I'm seriously thinking of just keeping this in a basket beside my bed, so I can look at it and pet it. It's wonderful, and I feel so special and blessed.

I mentioned that Gwenyth is 2 today - I can hardly believe it!  How is it possible that she's grown so quickly, and gone from teeny tiny baby, to this?

I blinked.  I so need to stop doing that. 

A Sneaky Pal

My final package for the Secret Pal 10 swap arrived this week, and was I ever surprised!  My sneaky pal, Susan has been a blog friend and commenter for a while, and I had no idea at all, at all! 

Just look at all the treasures!  Missing from this photo is a pattern book that was wonderful - I forgot to get it out of the book pile by my bed for the photo, but will show you another day.  See the candy, and the scented wax tarts, and the Calorimetry just for me!  It's a nice soft wool, and so pretty.  Now the yarn, the yarn is amazing.  Two huge balls of wool in a DK weight, about 800 meters in total!  I'm thinking a shawl, and am just looking for the right pattern now...  Any suggestions?  I think this would be perfect for wrapping up with this winter, and just the right weight.  Susan, thank you again, you've been so thoughtful, and I really appreciate all the spoiling!

This is, I think, the end of my swapping treasures for a while... I'm part of the Sockapalooza swap which is due to be mailed in August (this is what the Monkey socks are for), and I'm hoping to join up the next round of Secret Pal, but I think that will be it.  I do love the swaps, though!

A Swappin'

Have you heard about Good Yarn Karma?  It's a very cool site, designed for people who are ready to let go of stash yarn, books and accessories, and people who want stash yarn, books and accessories.

Donyale posted a while back, looking for the current copy of Interweave Knits, and offered a copy of the Australian magazine, Yarn, in trade.  I jumped right on that offer, and the promised mag arrived in the mail today!  Very fun, and always a treat to see what's new and exciting on the other side of the world.  Thanks so much, Donyale!  (BTW, you should check out her blog, there is some very funny stuff there, including a wonderful Ode to Clapotis.)

I cast on this morning for a pair of Monkeys, bowing to all of you Monkey-lovers.  So far, I'm still on the ribbing, and I'm not feeling the love yet, but I'm reserving judgement for once I get a bit farther in.  (Which will hopefully be soon, as I have tonight off work - hooray!)