Changes

It's been months since I last posted, and so much has happened. Fall ended in a blur and whirlwind, with a job interview, a job offer and a major life change/move.

I was offered a job at the other end of Canada - near Victoria, British Columbia. My husband and I have been living in Gatineau/Ottawa for nearly 6 years and it meant giving up the friends I made and also my husband's job. We decided it was time, as Ottawa wasn't really the city for us. 

So at the end of October I had my last day at work, and spent the next month with my family, seeing all my friends in Ottawa and then making my way to BC. I decided to drive the trip, as it would probably be one of the few times in my life I would have the chance to do so. My sister-in-law took the train from Winnipeg to join me in Ottawa and we set out. My husband would finish up his work and the packing and join me in BC just in time for Christmas.

I didn't find any yarn along the way, but there was just so much to see I wasn't really looking for any. Probably the first time in years that's happened! My favourite places along the way were Chicago and California.

As for crafting projects, I brought along a few knitting projects to tide me over until February when we would move out of a temporary place and into an apartment.

Victoria has an amazing yarn shop, Beehive Wool Shop, and my old coworkers were kind enough to get me a gift certificate to the shop, so I also bought a few skeins for projects. 

Framed Slouch in Tanis Fiber Arts Orange Label colourway Mosaic

Armour Road Socks in Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label in colourway Thrills

Westknits Mystery KAL in Tanis Fiber Arts Blue and Purple Labels in colourways Truffle, Spice and Autumn Sun (sorry for the blurry)


Rye in Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label colourway Saffron

Ysolde Teague mystery KAL in madelinetosh colourway nebula (I've since frogged this one)

Imagine When in Swans Island colourway Beetroot

Celestarium (still a work in progress) in Cottage Craft Angora Qiviut Queen Yarn colourway McKinley

Glitz at the Ritz in Tanis Fiber Arts Cosmic Label colourway Tartan

Magrathea

I started the shawl Magrathea while in Manitoba for B's sister's wedding. I'm using a local dyer yarn, Yvieknits in colourway Emerald Isle.

Grape Love Study and Another Year In Colour

I've completed my gorgeous Striped Study Shawl! I think these two Malabrigo colours go so well together. One was called Velvet Grapes and the other Light of Love. Thanks to my friend E for getting me the Light of Love!

As for the Year in Colour club, I've joined up again for the 2012 year. I am in love with Tanis Fiber Arts yarn and colours. They are amazing. January's colourway is called Truffle and the pattern was designed by Hannah Fettig and called Flying in Formation. The colour is a blend of purple, green and brown.

The Blueberry in space cowl is on hold... I didn't make it in time to finish with the KAL. I ended up twisting the cowl from the beginning and only noticed about 2 inches into it. I had to rip the entire thing and start anew. I'm back to the same spot, but I decided to start a new wrap for B's and my trip to Mexico at the beginning of April! I'm using my gorgeous madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in colourway Mica, bought over Christmas in Nanaimo. I'm knitting up Hannah Fettig's Panoramic Stole from the fabulous book Coastal Knits.

As for my "no buying yarn" goal for the year, I was able to last 2 months! Yesterday I bought some amazing yarn from Tanis' One of a Kind (OOAK) Etsy shop. More to come when it's been delivered!

Sad news, the LYS Knit-Knackers is moving to Smith Falls at the end of the month. I must go and stock up on some of the amazing sock yarn they have before they go. Their selection is great.

In cross-stitch news, I've been able to work some more on my cross-stitch. It's been years now since I've picked it up. Hopefully if I do a little bit of it each weekend I'll get it done in the next few months.

I haven't done any scrapbooking lately, but I think it has to do with my craft room/office still being so disorganized! It's tough to get things flowing and functional after a move. It's been 9 months, and it's still a work in progress.

A New Year - 2012

I'm back from my trip out West to Vancouver Island, and this year I'm determined to write up my blog some more. I had a fantastic time out West, and was able to see some very beautiful scenery and some amazing yarn.

We visited the amazing Malaspina Galleries on Gabriola Island. These are a sandstone formation created by the erosion of the sandstone. Now that the boring stuff is done with, here's a great picture:


I loved walking along the shoreline, seeing views that you just don't get here. One of my favorite things to do was find rocks. Shells are hard to find, but I did manage to get my hands of some beach glass! My first ever. I also found a fantastic tile piece worn down by the waves.


My Christmas present this year was an amazing Cowichan vest, handspun and knit by Salish Coast knitters from around Duncan. It was knit by Henrietta Charlie from the Tseycum band.


We also did a little pottery shopping and I got these two amazing pieces, one with what the artist calls dimples (the starfish-looking one) and the other which is crystalline glazed work.


My stash has grown by a bit, mostly with madelinetosh. This yarn is not found here in the Ottawa River Valley (as far as I know anyway). And I just love it!

This year's goals will be to:
1) not buy any yarn. This will be a tough one.
2) knit up as much as I can/want from my stash.
3) knit up a number of last year's Tanis Fiber Arts' club patterns.

Right now I have 2 projects on the go, one shawl and one cowl.

The shawl is being knit from Malabrigo Light of Love and Velvet Grapes and is the Striped study shawl pattern. I'm calling it grape love study.



I just started the scarf the other day as a KAL with the Tanis Fiber Arts group on Ravelry. I'm knitting it in Pink Label in Bluberry. The pattern is Objects in Space and I'm calling my project blueberry in space.