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

Farm Basket and Summer Projects

B and I have been getting a farm basket for the summer. So far it's been great. The veggies are healthy looking and abundant. We even got fruit a few times!

We decided to go with La Ferme Rosée in Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, Quebec. The farm is all organic and the pick up is just down the street from us.

Last week's haul was the best yet.

We got: corn, chinese cabbage, eggplant, lettuce, cucumber, green pepper, kohlrabi, tomatoes, green onions, yellow summer squash, carrots, cherry tomatoes, garlic and peas!

On the knitting front, I finished a few projects over the summer including this cute baby sweater. The pattern is Sunnyside by Tanis Lavallée. I like naming my projects based on the colour name and the project name. This yarn didn't have a colour name (just a number) so I've called it camouflage sunnyside. Now all it needs is a baby to wear it. My nephew is too old now. I must befriend a pregnant woman.

Earlier this spring I managed to get my marrakesch socks a pair of socks done. I love the yarn - it's self-striping! My feet are so small, I only used half a ball of the yarn, so I can make a second pair with what's left.

On other craft fronts, I've decided to take up jewellery-making! I'm not sure how successful it will be, but I plan on taking a course at our local bead store to start off. I took some time on the weekend to draft up some designs, and I really enjoyed the creativity which came from it.

SKA September 2010

Finished my first sock for the Sock Knitters Anonymous September 2010 Challenge - Black Tie, Optional by Adrienne Fong. I don't really like the way it turned out, so I will be frogging it soon. I used Patons Kroy and find it's too woolly for the detail of the sock. Here's the sock:

Yarn! Yarn! Yarn!

I'm back from my amazing trip to the Canadian Rockies, and I went a little crazy while in Canmore at the Knit & Caboodle yarn store, and bought a ton of sock yarn!

So it might not be too much to some... but 8 hanks of yarn (5 of them being sock yarn) is quite a lot to me. My favorites are the madelinetosh (DK) and Anzula Squishy. I plan to use the madeleinetosh to make a bulkier pair of socks, and 2 hanks to make the Ocean Waves Scarf with it.

As I was in the car on the way to the airport in Calgary the next day I realized I should have purchased enough to make a matching hat and mittens (I currently have no matching set). So, when I got home I checked where to purchase the yarn and discovered there was a store right in downtown Ottawa - Yarns etc. - so I bought 3 more hanks. The yarn is Manos del Uruguay, so there are no dye lots. The winter gear will be my next project. I have almost completed the baby blanket for my friend. I only have 5 more inches left!! I never realized how long it takes.

On the sock front I have completed 1 sock, which was too big for my foot. I was working with Patons Basic Sock Pattern from their Next Steps Four: Socks and Slippers. I used the smallest dimensions (I have small feet) and they were still too big. So I looked up a bunch of calculators and am trying a second sock. It's looking good so far except for two little holes on either side of my foot where I picked up stitches. I needed to have picked up 1 or 2 more and there would have been no hole!

I'd like to get a book which talks about sizing, because the math is too much for me sometimes. Any suggestions would be great. I thought about Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Sock Book, or Sock Innovation, but the reviews for them were not that great. Also, while Sock Innovation has beautiful patterns, a few reviews mentioned there was no information about sizing. I read a few reviews for the book Sock Club: Join the Knitting Adventure, and it sounds like it might be promising.

Crowsnest Pass

So I'm off to Crowsnest Pass for a wedding this weekend and then off to the Rockies for a week of camping! I am bringing my knitting with me, and I am determined to make a sock that fits me. I completed one, and lo and behold it is way too big (I have super tiny feet). So I am changing my strategy and will knit a pair of sockies as there will be less yarn to unravel if they don't fit! I'm off at 6am tomorrow morning!

Indigo Moon Yarns Sock Club

So I just checked out the website for Indigo Moon Yarns, and discovered that the sock club runs for 3 months throughout the year, so I will definitely be subscribing to the next one! It will be my first sock club. I am also happy because it seems the maker of the yarns is from Gabriola Island, B.C. I am happy to support local Canadian artists.

Day One

So this is the beginning of my blogsphere. Never done it before, not sure what to expect or what to write about. Hoping to share some of my crafting projects, whether they be knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, or scrapbooking... My goal for the year... to learn more about knitting, and knit a lot of socks! I'm currently sock-obsessed. I just only learned about the sock clubs from Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Woolgirl, Fresh from the Cauldron, Indigo Moon and Loopy Ewe. Missed all of them this year! Would have loved to be in the club for Fresh from the Cauldron. This year's theme... Twilight and True Blood!

Will be visiting Calgary, Alberta next month and will be camping in the Rockies. The final days of our trip will take us to Canmore, Alberta, where I will be visiting the shop Knit & Caboodle. I cannot wait to see what they have!