Chez Chelle

Bad But Busy Blogger...

2009-07-31T08:53:00.000-04:00

This summer has gone by in a blur. Despite a city workers strike which cancelled a two week camp experience for both Ellery and Clare, we managed to keep pretty busy.

Canada Day backyard firework display...

The only thing funny about this photo is that DH is a phone-phobe. To catch him multi-tasking with a phone stuck in his ear...well, it must have been a freakin' important phone call. Like 911 important...like answer this skill-testing question and you've won a million dollars important.

Gilly went to summer school again this year and had a great time! Every morning she would wait at the front door and announce "It's a bus!" happily when the bus arrived!

Camp Yamistaspot

Since Ellery and Clare had some time on their hands, and our basement is in need of serious updating...Camp Yamistaspot was born!

Just a bit of drywall, some painted ceiling tiles and walls and cleaning the floor (which because of the instructive nature of Camp Yamistaspot's paint project, took FAR FAR longer than expected...like 10 days...) and we have a basement suitable for a ping pong table! Now I have to convince DH that the traditional gift for 17 years of marriage is a gaming table.

The girls visited the grandparents in Windsor...

On the way back we stopped in to visit the smallest cousin...

and take him a belated birthday present..

This is Rowan Junior's Drew in the 1 - 2 year old size. It's a little jacket knit in Denim and then tossed into the washer to deliberately shrink it. Supposedly, the extra length is calculated into the pattern. I'm too nervous for this type of construction...completing a garment and then rolling the dice as to whether or not it will fit! Not my cup of tea. Thankfully, the jacket did fit and I guess I'm lucky to have learned this lesson about knitting with denim before I tackled that adult-sized Aran.

So, I guess I'm limited to unsized throws, pillows or bags to use up my denim stash??

Oh, here is a little sweater that I made for Clare out of stash...it's another Hey Teach and it's made from Red Heart Cotton Twist.

Ellery turned 12 last month. Here she is modeling the world's most awesome messenger bag and a great deal of 'tude.

And after a very unseasonably wet and cool summer, unbearable heat and humidity has finally found us. Even the squirrels can't escape it.

And finally, quite possibly the loveliest sight of the summer...my garbage perched for pick up after a 6 week strike!

Grade Six Graduation

2009-06-30T13:12:00.003-04:00

That's Ellery, our little graduate modeling the dress and the shrug. The dress was ordered through Nordstroms (Junior dresses...clearance!) and muled here by a friend in California. Cheap and cute...I'm all about that!

The shrug is Stardust from Knitty...with a couple mods to accomodate the yarn that I subbed. I'm not completely thrilled with the results, but I did substitute a yarn that was wildly different from that called for in the pattern. I couldn't fathom wearing a mohair shrug during a humid June, so I used a cotton blend with a bit of shine. Because much of the fit of the shrug is derived from the springiness of the mohair (not so much with the cotton) I knit a larger size from the ribbed band up, to ensure that it was big enough. I think that I would prefer the garment knit as written, with a mohair blend.

Oh, Elle won an award for Language Arts. DH feels this award is a re-framing of the observation "Your Kid Talks the Most"...but hey, a plaque is a plaque!

And finally, Ellery suffering...because "Beauty IS Pain". You can never point out this correlation too early or too often.

MIA again...

2009-06-08T22:01:00.005-04:00

Whoever said that April is the cruelest month, never had kids in elementary school. The hands-down winner for punishment meted out to mommies is June. (ok, December is pretty hectic too, but December is busy for everyone...not just the parents of medium-sized kids.)

Everything happens in June...playdays, birthdays, track and field days, Graduation (from Grade 6 no less), teacher retirements, jamborees, field trips, bbqs...you name it, we've booked it...in June.

A couple quick pics...

The monthly Youth Dance at the community centre usually hosts only students in Grades 5 through Grade 8, but since it's June and the last month of the school year, Grade 4 students were invited to attend.

Here are Clare, Ellery, Celine and Jessica all spiffed up for their big night out. Notice Ellery's mermaid hair...she was exceptionally proud of it.

I can't really criticize about hair styles...here's a photo of me in the 80's. Yeah, that's me as a blond... hey, it was the 80's...I was a hottie by the questionable standards of the day.

Clare and Gillian celebrated their 10th birthdays. Clare invited her besties to watch the new Pixar movie "UP" and then come over and eat pizza and ice cream. (For the record, Clare dislikes cake, mostly because it has icky frosting all over it. If I hadn't been there to witness it, I'd swear she wasn't mine...)

Anyway, here are the girls creating and devouring ice cream sundaes...

It's Clare's first year at her new school and I had worried about her fitting in and finding friends...but it all worked out. Clare's classmates are just lovely girls.

Knitting-wise, June is a complete disaster. I've been working on a shrug for Elle to wear over her dress for the graduation and it's seeming to take forever. Granted, I subbed out a vastly different yarn than the one called for in the pattern, so I am the author of my own misfortune...

I was knitting some peachy-pink Lily Chin Manhattan (bamboo blend) into a Debbie Bliss jacket for a baby girl gift, but I got 3/4 of the way through the project and realized that there was no way that I could consider the results gift-worthy. The yarn has a very interesting texture, but when knitted is not dissimilar to thick terrycloth and it doesn't give teeny tiny garments a pleasant drape.

Thick and thirsty is not something I associate with baby garments unless they are soakers. I frogged the whole thing and gave the yarn to one of my proteges from the Knitting Club. I've no doubt that she will tame the yarn into something gorgeous.

I will knuckle down and finish that shrug. But after that, there isn't much on the needles except a Clare sweater that has been dragging on for months and an experiental Kid Silk Haze/Stainless Steel wool scarf that I've been toying with.

Umm...Wow

2009-05-15T19:59:00.005-04:00

Umm...Wow. Dh's Blackberry reaction to this photo. I have no idea what happened. I was grilling dinner for the girls, went back into the house to set the table and when I popped back out to check on the meat, flames were licking the outside of the bbq from underneath. The dials are melted and I had to turn off the bbq by shutting off the tank.

Well, it's a long weekend in Canada and I'm sure that many enterprising retailers are offering fabulous deals on outdoor kitchens.

Busy, busy, busy...this is a crazy time of the year...the last 6 weeks of school, so I'll try and recap what we've been doing to date!

In less incendiary news, I finished my mother's cardigan in time for her birthday on Saturday. (Happy 80th mom!) It's the Beaded Jacket from Martin Storey's "Classic Knits for Real Women" The patterns are truly classic, but I do find it a bit offputting that "Real Women" sizes (i.e. plus-sizes) begin at a 36 inch bust.

The yarn is RYC Cashsoft Aran and the buttons were saved years ago from a black wool cardigan that my mother bought me for Christmas when I was in college.

I tagged along with Clare's class on a field trip to Medieval Times!

Hey, meat you can eat with your hands...

And falcons, horses and handsome young men in costume...I've had worse field trips!

Ellery and her posse attended a "Youth Dance" at the local community centre. Her she is with Vicky and Celine channelling "Charlie's Angels"

Heading off to the ball, transportation courtesy of Jess' mom:

A quick picture of Ellery holding the banner for her Folk Dancing Team.

And finally a pretty nifty phenomenon that Clare managed to capture on film!

Hopefully an indicator of happy times ahead!

The Last Knitting Class

2009-04-12T23:20:00.005-04:00

It was a few weeks ago, but we've been really bogged down here by nasty flu and tummy bugs, so I'm only getting around to posting now...

My fourth and final lunchtime knitting club at the local school. (Ellery is graduating to junior high next year, so I won't be back next year...sniff)

Apologies in advance for the photos, I finally remembered to bring my camera on a day when knitting club was competing with a final rehearsal for the school play, so we were missing almost half of our members! Also, since the knit club is made up of minors...I've used the "witness protection eyebars" to conceal their identities. :-)

A few highlights and lessons learned from this year's knitting club:

Fresh eyes...fresh perspective. I promised to teach Miss K how to purl stitch "next week" since she had really gotten the hang of her knit stitches. At the next class, Miss K showed me her swatch of stockingette. "Who showed you the purl stitch?" I asked. "I figured it out myself...you just knit backwards" Miss K proudly told me. She hadn't turned her knitting around and purled the stitches, but knit left to right using knit stitches. One's first instinct is to correct the twisted stitches and show Miss K how to do purl stitches "the right way", but you really have to admire the process of deconstructing and reinventing the "backward" knit stitch. Definitely an engineer in the making!

There is always one student who really takes to knitting...

This year it was Miss C. Miss C started with a scarf...which ended up being 18 inches wide and about 6 feet long and was used as a shawl and a sarong. She moved on to skinny scarves, caps and freeform wraps. She is holding her interpretation of the Gingerbread Man from "Kids Knitting" by Melanie Fallick. It's awesome. Miss C taught herself pattern reading, increasing and decreasing from the book, has enviably even tension and is wildly creative...she is awesome.

Knitting isn't just for girls...

Once they get past the temptation to use the knitting needles as weapons (a very brief incident, really...) some of the guys take to knitting too! Manly primary colours and metallic needles are absolute must-haves.

Weaving in ends isn't icky when you're learning a new skill!

Nuff said!

Tangible Proof of Learning a New Skill

Much harder to demonstrate with reading, writing and arithmetic skills, but look at what you see from your first piece of knitting. This is Miss A's first attempt at knitting. Notice at the cast on edge...there are a few missed or loose stitches, but look at how quickly her tension evens out. At the very top of her knitting she was practicing some stockingette and mock cables!

Ok, it's not technically knitting...but finger chains are pretty fun to make

Happy Easter...from the Easter Beagle

2009-04-12T22:47:00.006-04:00

Really an Easter Retriever, but she really is a good sport isn't she?

Ellery and Clare hid eggs for Gillian (and saved a fair number of "samples" for themselves) and the girls outdid themselves creating a bunny cake this morning.

Happy Easter!

World Wide Autism Awareness Day!

2009-04-02T09:40:00.004-04:00

Is today!

So, to celebrate WWAA Day, here's a few pictures of ChezChelle's favorite person with autism...

Gillian rolling out pie crust...

Which requires a completely different skill set than rolling out pizza crust...

The pictures were taken about 4 days apart. Notice the new Rudolph nose in the second picture. Gilly has a nasty, wet cold and is home with me today. We might bake some biscotti this afternoon, just for a change of pace.

Gillian's latest fave thing to do...blowing out candles. She calls candles "Habby Burdays"...get it?

A Sweater he will actually wear...

2009-03-25T18:24:00.002-04:00

Recognize the fetching "Eaton's Catalog Pointing Pose" favoured by male models of the 70's.

It's Elizabeth Morrison's Adirondack Sweater. I made one for DH before and he loved it (ok, he wore it...Dh is rarely inpired to emotion by articles of clothing) but I made a tactical error in using merino wool. It pilled horribly after a few wearings and required constant shaving and grooming to look presentable. This one is made out of a coarser Galway yarn and hopefully it will hold up to more punishment.

Oh, and the work of a very bad retriever...

Divine Intervention...

2009-03-21T11:40:00.007-04:00

Not with the knitting, although I did finish a couple things this week. Above is the Bias Shawl which is Handmaiden's suggested pattern for Silk Rumple (discontinued). It's quick, easy and the beauty of the silk doesn't need any fancier a pattern to glow.

And the Mini-Clapotis from the previous tutorial. Note the teeny amount of yarn leftover after doing the math!

About the Divine Intervention... this past week was spring break for the girls. Thursday, E and C attended a cooking class several miles away and after Gilly and I dropped them off, it seemed silly to drive home so that we could turn around and pick them up a couple hours later. Grocery shopping killed a bit of time and then we hit the mall.

Malls are often not a good place for Gillian. Ours is worse than most because it is undergoing LOUD renovations which greatly stress both Gillian and her service dog. To make matters worse (and I admit to poor planning on my part) not returning home was an impromptu decision on my part, so I hadn't brought Haley in jacket, nor had I fed Gillian breakfast. So, loud mall, hungry autistic child with sound sensitivities, no comfort dog...recipe for disaster?

We started with Mastermind Toys...a very well-stocked toy store. One of Gillian's Xmas toys was defective and I still had a store credit for her there, so we looked for a present for her. Gilly touched nearly everything in the store, but really settled on two things...A Maisy lift the flap book and a Xylophone.

Now any thinking parent would prefer a quiet book to a noisy musical instrument, so let me explain that I had purchased this identical book for Gillian twice already and each time it was "loved to death" through some aggressive "stimming". I figured that two copies was enough and because Gillian was already starting to stim on the store's copy, I took it from Boo and tucked it into my shopping bag so that we could continue shopping.

At checkout, I paid for the xylophone (and piece of candy that Boo selected) and slipped the book back to the clerk to be replaced on the shelf.

Gilly and I went out for lunch, picked up her sisters, returned home, did some cooking and dog walking...played the xylophone...until after dinner when Gilly started asking me for "book" and "maisy book". I told her we didn't have it, she lead me to our shopping bag and looked, she lead me to my purse, back out to the car, flipped the couch cushions??...no book. She had a minor meltdown over that book. She was certain that we had it with us and it was no where to be found. Not a fun evening.

Friday morning Gilly had a doctor's appointment. Dr. L is fabulous with her, patient and gentle, nonetheless, Gillian remembers that their first three visits together involved Hepatitis needles and TB tests. She is usually quite agitated in his office. Not Friday! She behaved at least as well as could be expected and was even fairly compliant with his requests for height, weight, BP and heart rate tests. A rare successful health professional visit!

On the drive home, we passed the other Toronto location of Mastermind Toys. Still giddy from our victorious appointment, I pulled in to the parking lot and Gilly and I located a copy of the Maisy flap book...on sale no less!

There had to be some help from above yesterday!

The Late Winter Sickies have set in...

2009-03-11T11:31:00.003-04:00

Just a few more days until Spring Break, so at least we'll all have a chance to sleep it off soon.

In the meantime, I'm falling asleep in my dinner plate lately, so my usual "knitting after the kids are in bed" is completely out of the question...so no finished objects.

On the other hand, we were craving something sweet after dinner the other night, so the girls and I whipped up a Sugar Pie. (look it up, Sugar Pie is a French-Canadian delicacy which turns sugar, flour, canned milk and lard into dessert) Horrid photography, but I'm impressed that I whipped up a pie crust from scratch in 10 minutes and Ellery managed to cook up the filling during the same time. And, get this...it was delicious...the crust (if I do say so myself) was flaky and perfect.

Mini-clapotis Math Lesson...

2009-02-20T20:18:00.011-05:00

I'm working on another mini-clapotis.

It's a great project for a number of reasons:

- Clapotis is fabulous, but it grows to a cumbersome and non-totable size quickly.

- You need a bit of fashion moxie to pull off a large wrap with aplomb. Frequently, on my "managed to brush my teeth and sort of my hair" carpool mornings, I'm just not up to the task.

- I don't care to knit socks. I've tried, I'm physically able to do it, but I just don't really get the whole sock knitting thing.

- Despite the fact that I don't knit socks, I really like sock yarn. Maggie at Dyed in the Wool Handmade makes some beautiful specimens and I have been known to indulge.

- Mini-Clap makes a great present for teachers, as it doesn't have to be sized and it's a little different from other scarves you see everywhere.

So, the mini-clap, suitable for use as a winter scarf, was born.

Quite simply, you take a skein of sock yarn (or other reasonably fine gauge yarn), needles a pinch larger than called for by the yarn manufacturer and just start knitting the Clapotis pattern.

The only trick to this is figuring out how many stitches you can cast on and have enough yarn to complete the scarf...this is a one skein project after all.

Oh goodie...here comes the math! I love middle school math!

Pay attention knitting club at WRJP...this is an excellent example of how "useless" math can be applied in real life!

First we picture the completed Clapotis as a parallelogram shape. I know, in real life it's a bit curlier and more squint...but stay with me.

Now, in order to create an "around the neck" scarf in a pleasing shape, I figure that the Clapotis should be about four times longer than it is wide, plus the additional length of the head and tail sections. (That's just my preference, you can tinker with this ratio.)

Notice that the head and tail segments are symmetrical, so we can assume that added together they create a fifth complete segment.

Here come the numbers!! Each of the five equal sections will require 20% of the yarn to complete. Because the head and tail sections are roughly equal, they will each require 10% of the yarn.

An electronic scale is really useful for the final part. Weigh the full skein of yarn and jot down its weight. I usually pull out my 10% "head" section and tie a stitch marker to the yarn at that point, then I know that I can knit my set up section and increase section right up until I reach the marker. (You will have to continue up to the 6th row of the increase section of the pattern even if it takes you a bit past your 10% marker.)

Just to be sure, weigh the skein again after you have reached the beginning of your straight section. The difference between your starting weight and your current weight is how much yarn the head section required. REMEMBER this number! You can now knit away at the straight portion of mini-clap until your remaining portion of the skein approaches the "head" section weight. Then, start the decrease section.

Hey look...we used our 2 dimensional geometry, ratios, subtraction and percentages...all for one project!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T22:18:00.004-05:00

Clare made DH and I a set of dolls holding hands as our Valentine's Day present. She may have used an old photo of us as models, both DH and I are considerably greyer now.

We also made oatmeal chocolate chip and oatmeal-cranberry-coconut cookies as a Valentine's Day treat...in addition to the ton of candy the kids brought home from school.

Things have been busy and crazy and not always light and frothy, so even though I've scaled back my knitting projects to just repeats of old favorites (somehow that sounds better than "projects that I've proved I can't screw up"), I still don't have much to show.

In the meantime, a couple gratuitous Haley pics taken by Clare:

Haley had a dog pedicure...aren't her feet cute when they're all smoothly shaped like a bunny's feet?

Notice how Haley's nose pinks up in the winter?

They Thought He was a Goner, but the Cat Came Back...

2009-02-09T15:38:00.003-05:00

Sorry to evoke the memory of Canada's NFB classic when the reality isn't nearly as much fun.

It's back...the Basal Cell Carcinoma. Ick...and it's put me in a right ornery mood. Ornery enough to be nearly unable knit and certainly ornery enough to be displeased with anything I do knit.

So, in the interests of healing my slightly damaged spirit, I frogged a few projects that were annoying me...just because I could. So, no more of this

Or this,

Sorry Smallton, but I promise to make you something really nice once I'm back on my game.

And instead I cast on another Adirondack sweater for DH and another Hey Teach...this time for Clare.

Rote knitting is just about all I can manage right now...but don't worry, once I have more information about what comes next, I'm sure I'll be back in the saddle once more!

Long Time, No Post

2009-01-07T17:52:00.008-05:00

And I have no decent excuse for it, except that I've been busy.

Here's the Reader's Digest version of the last while...

A Turkey De-Boning Party, courtesy of Chef de Maison, Michelle (shown here with BIL Bruce and Elizabeth)

A rather gruesome looking work in progress...

Our usual Christmas morning...

A sweater for my nephew Colin

The Kid's Table...

Some of the adults...

Me in my natural habitat...(in the kitchen with the livestock!)

And way too much of this, I'm seriously considering returning my lovely birthday cashmere sweater and exchanging it for a snow blower!

At least Haley likes it.

Ridiculously Cute Baby...

2008-11-25T08:18:00.008-05:00

Things have been silly busy lately...mostly good stuff!

My nephew was baptized last weekend and I took Ellery and Clare down to visit! Here are a couple snaps at the church.

Unfortunately the weather was hideous and the drive down and back featured whiteouts, snow, sleet and rain at varying times...

Oh, Aunt Sheila took Elle out for an early Christmas present and had Elle's ears pierced...note the purple earrings.

Knitting-wise I did finish a quick skater-boy hat from Son of Stitch N Bitch (it was a bday gift and I forgot to snap a picture before giving it away...)And I don't think I posted a picture of the finished Eloise...

Clare's Field Trip

2008-11-08T21:54:00.005-05:00

Clare's class went to a local park last week as part of their art and science studies. We collected and pressed leaves, made bark shadings with crayons and painted in the style of Emily Carr.

We also discovered that delaying a field trip for a couple of weeks of rainy weather means that the toilet and drinking fountain facilities were closed up for the season, but that is a whole other story...

Meanwhile, Gilly's Speech Therapist, the fabulous "Eesa" (Lisa in Gilly speak) is expecting her second baby next month. This is the Sweethearts blanket from Bev Galekas.

And just cus it's kinda funny...Gilly "reading".

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T21:48:00.004-04:00

Bad mum again...I snapped the photos of the the girls AFTER trick or treating, so they are looking a bit shopworn.

But here they are:

Ellery, as a glamourous movie star...(wearing her great-grandmother's mink)

Gillian, who was far more into snacking than the whole "door-to-door" thing...

And Clare as a slightly smudged alien. (Our neighbour Dave was handing out veggies as treats this year. Good luck sand-blasting the egg yolks off of your stucco.)

Even Haley the Wonderdog suited up for the occasion.

I'm busy with lots of silliness and don't have much time for knitting, which is why my projects keep increasing exponentially. (I actually forgot about a baby present which I need for next Saturday)

Happy Thanksgiving! (Fellow Canucks)

2008-10-09T18:43:00.004-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not much knitting to report. I'm working away at Na Craga and I haven't figured out a pattern for my nephew C yet, so I'm balancing the Aran work with teacher presents (Everlasting Bagstoppers this year). I'm working up more than half a dozen of them, and quite frankly, they are even less interesting to photograph than they are to knit.

So, for some visual interest...some Gilly photos! This is last week's trip to the local pumpkin/pick your own farm. It has a reputation as a touristy clip joint. (Years ago, my husband got suckered into paying $18 for a pumpkin...long story, the kids were toddlers, it had been a long day and the moral is don't buy pumpkins by the pound...but I digress...

Boo is in yellow...

Have I mentioned that Boo's new teacher is awesome...she loves field trips and takes the dd classes everywhere! Gilly has 9 outings in October.

The hayride was such a big hit that the teacher arranged for us to go THREE MORE TIMES!! Woo Hoo! The next day, my eyes were so scratchy and swollen, I looked like a mole rat.

Guess I inherited more of my dad's allergies than I thought.

Anyway in the pumpkin farm's defence, they do run a nice school program...lots of outdoor stuff, they don't sell the kids ANYTHING and give them each a pie pumpkin to take home at the end of the day.

It was a fabulous day!

I hate intarsia

2008-10-01T23:41:00.006-04:00

I hate intarsia, I hate intarsia, I hate intarsia, I hate intarsia...

Which is a shame really, because I found this cute as a button pattern for a dinosaur sweater in a Lucinda Guy pattern book and it would have made a fabulous present for my nephew C.

I've knit the dinosaur a couple times now and it's just not happening. Looks like I'll have to figure out something else...

I have a couple of thoughts...

This is Marie Grace's Orange Twist. Hard to imagine this on a 3.5 year old when it's pictured on a teenager, but I knit it for Clare a couple years ago and it looks nice in a smaller scale. I love the pattern, but in a way it seems a waste to make such a mature sweater for C, when this might be the last year that he is young enough to be dressed in something precious. Little boys develop preferences for "manly" clothing pretty early these days.

This is Sam from Debbie Bliss' Junior Knits. Personally, I love vests and a chunky zipper is pretty easy for this age group to manage, but I worry that C and SIL may not love vests as much as I do.

This is Jack from Rowan Junior. Nice looking sweater, but it does run the risk of being something that is more fun and interesting to knit than it is suitable for the recipient to wear...kwim?

Any thoughts on these sweaters, or perhaps another suggestion all together?

A Math Question...

2008-09-18T15:22:00.004-04:00

Tomatoes (hothouse, on sale at Loblaws this week) - 99 cents per pound.

Tomato plants purchased at garden centre - $7.99

Bamboo tomato plant stakes - $2.99

Veggie-gro fertilizer - $5.99

Months of effort staking, weeding and tying up droopy tomato plants - incalculable

The value of your boss' father who can provide delicious home-grown tomatoes when your efforts produce the feeble, wormy specimen on the left...priceless

Yup, a summer's 4H project for the kids comes to fruition...very meagre fruition. Between the worms, rabbits and generally soggy conditions, our tomato crop was a real bust this year. Fortunately Mr. A took pity on us and gifted us with some pretty healthy looking specimens!

Not much knitting to report, Na Craga and Indigo Ripples are equally slow projects, but for vastly different reasons.

So, in the absence of knitting pics and just because he's so cute...my newest nephew!!

Don't think I posted this...

2008-09-13T19:49:00.005-04:00

It's for Ellery...it's Hey Teach from Summer Knitty

Quick to knit and the lace makes it interesting without being a grind! Great pattern!

I'm picking away at DH's Na Craga and whoopsed on one row of the honeycomb pattern. I picked back 4 rows of just the 16 stitch repeat and corrected the error by reknitting the section with crochet hooks. It probably took more than half an hour, but it saved a couple hours (in a good evening I can manage one eight row repeat of the sweater) Kewl or what?

Other than that, not much to report...I'm using a topical medication for a Basal Cell Carcinoma (that with luck will spare me some icky surgery on my face)...but it has the curious side effect of making me feel quite flu-ish...so I'm even LESS fun to be around than usual!

Born with a horseshoe up my....

2008-09-08T22:29:00.002-04:00

Well, you get the idea. Less than one full week into school and I had an equipment failure this morning. The alarm clock didn't go off! I'm not a morning person and lately I've been a bit under the weather with some flu-like stuff (another post, another time), so by the time my internal clock got around to waking me it was 7:15. That's about 20 minutes before Boo's bus arrives. Panic ensues.

I raced downstairs to find the bus driver's number to cancel our pick up. (Gilly's special ed class draws kids from a large geographic area and not having to come to our house if we aren't ready can save the driver almost a half hour on her morning run!) While I'm flipping through my mom binder searching for Bev's number, the phone rings and it's the bus company. Bev has mechanical trouble (well, her bus does at any rate) and will be at least 45 minutes late.

Saved by the bell...as we will be tomorrow morning. Note the new Manual Backup for the fancy-@ss iPod alarm clock...

Other than that, the kids are settling into their new classrooms. Clare likes riding a bus and loves her new teacher. French is more fun than she thought. Ellery is enjoying her victory lap during her last year at Junior Public School. She and her g/fs are already mentally designing Graduation Dresses...strapless ones at that...(poor DH, he is SO not ready) Gilly is adjusting to the long busride and we are getting good reports back from her teacher.

Knitting-wise, I've finished knitting Eloise and have to seam it. My choices for projects now are:

DH's Na Craga (it's almost cool enough to toss an Aran sweater over my lap during the evening)

Indigo Ripples (a knit skirt is probably a mistake at my age, but what the hey...)

Cassie-inspired Cardigan (I found some Rowan Linen Print on sale and wanted to make this cardigan....except much shorter and no stripes...hence "inspired")

Roadtrip...

2008-08-25T09:27:00.005-04:00

Another quick update...with less than two weeks to go before the beginning of the school year, E, C and I made a quick trip to visit my parents...

Cousin Colin stopped by for a swim. Here, Clare is graciously sharing her childhood pool toy...

On the way home we stopped off at my brother's place to crash the local block party...

and see the baby!! (almost two months old now!)

I've been in a serious knitting funk...very little progress to report, but I did finally manage to finish the Honeycomb that I've been ignoring since last June.

Nice pattern, nice vest, although even with needlefree cabling, a vest full of two stitch cables knit up on 3.25 mm needles is pretty tedious going. I'm using a hanger as a model, but on me the vest just fits.

If I had to do it again, I would consider going up a size (cuz I tend to wear my sweaters sloppy big...) and made it a bit longer. Academic though...the reason I made this vest was because my size required 4 skeins of Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool and that's exactly what I had in my stash. I had less than a ping-pong sized ball of yarn leftover, so I don't think I could have added even another 6 row repeat to the pattern if I wanted to. Oh, another "too-late" revelation...a couple Ravelry knitters are completing Honeycomb in the round. A bit of a timesaver maybe...certainly less seaming??

Speaking of seaming, I'm a good evening's work away from completing Hey Teach in a bright tangerine cotton. I hate seaming and fitting lacy sleeves into a lacy yoke is a bit more finicky than I usually attempt after 10pm.

Next up...Eloise by Jane Ellison to use up some Noro Blossom that I've had in the stash forever!

Quick Update!!

2008-08-06T11:53:00.004-04:00

It's been a busy couple weeks...

First a week at Band Camp for Ellery and Clare (Clare is in the recorder group, Ellery played her clarinet...)

Then my friend Cari and her daughter Devon came up from California to visit with us for a week...

which necessitated trips to Canada's Wonderland and Mamma Mia...

And Ellery's birthday fell in the middle of all of this...note the most treasured of all gifts...Guitar Hero 3

Cari and I drove to Niagara Falls to meet up with Anne and Karen for Karen's birthday dinner...

And the morning after Cari and Dev flew back to California, we headed out to the cottage...

Ellery and Clare with cousins Alexander and Colin

A quick side trip to snuggle my newest nephew...

Then right back to the city for Stitch and Pitch (the Blue Jays won!)

As if anything could top yesterday's cuteness

2008-07-10T16:09:00.002-04:00

Not close, I realize, but look who came to visit us today...

Baby raccoons, sleeping on our back fence! Close enough to pet, but of course we didn't!

Unbearable Cuteness

2008-07-09T15:09:00.001-04:00

My brother and his new pup...

Can't you just taste the new baby smell??

I'm an Auntie !

2008-07-03T20:06:00.005-04:00

DB and SIL had their first baby, a little boy, on Monday! Whoopee!

Baby arrived a week early, which is funny, cuz just the night before he was born I picked up this blanket and completed the last few stitches on the lining. Thanks to Kimberly for the fabulous suggestion to line the blanket with flannel...much cuddlier!

And who doesn't love Snoopy??

B is for...

2008-06-25T22:20:00.004-04:00

A Bevy of Teacher Gifts!!

A couple of Kidsilk Haze cobweb scarves, a knitted bag containing a book, a water bottle sling (with cellphone pocket and keyholder) and a linen knitted pouch purse. Once again, I didn't leave enough time to finish the teacher gifts, so I have severely strained tendons from all of the knitting I've done in the last week. Note to self: linen and mercerized cotton on teeny needles are particularly poor choices for deadline knitting.

Today was the last day of school...only 68 days until the next full school year begins...7 days until Gillian's July school/camp and 10 days until clarinet camp for Ellery and Clare. I've been living at the school for the last couple weeks and have been dreadful about taking pictures, but here are a couple...

Gillian's last day at school...I came to pick her up today (usually she rides the bus home) and the combination of a warm day, year end excitement and mom showing up in the classroom were a bit much. Major meltdown.

Too bad that it came to such an unfortunate end. Gillian found some wonderful teachers and EAs at that school. Next year is a new assignment for Gillian...new program, different demands, more practical life skills instruction and while we are excited, her current school has really been home for 3 years.

Clare also had a "last day". Next year, she is attending an "extended French" program in a different school and will be leaving most of her friends. Here she is performing a duet with David in the year end recital. David is her new beau...she likes him cuz just like her former beau, she can "hit him really hard and he doesn't cry"....I'm so proud.

Clare flubbed a verse...David was not amused. Lucky for him, Clare is more than swinging distance away!

Oh, a quick "way to go" for Olivia. Olivia took a nasty fall yesterday necessitating a cluster of stitches and she still showed up for the recital today! What a trooper!! Good job Olivia!!

Ok, sleepytime now...it's been a long couple weeks and I have a splitting headache. Did I mention that it's less than 10 weeks until school starts?

Playing Hookey

2008-06-16T17:16:00.004-04:00

Ok, bad mum...I pulled E and C out of school yesterday and we sneaked off to the amusement park! It's WAY more fun when there isn't anyone around! We went on the Behemoth (newest, bestest roller coaster in the park) and a couple other major scary rides!

No good deed goes unpunished though...after riding the JetScream (very aptly named) the passenger restraints tightened on a gondola full of passengers and we were trapped for more than 20 minutes. The response by the park employees was disappointing to say the least...no one explained the delay to us, the employees couldn't figure out how the emergency releases worked and when it was all over not even an offer of a cold beverage for the children who were in tears after their ordeal. Bad form Canada's Wonderland...

When we arrived home...Gilly's new summer wardrobe was waiting in the mailbox! (Thanks Julie for sending the fabric!!) If I can remember how to thread my 1949 Singer Sewing Machine, these will be sundresses for Boo!

Oh, check out the results of the hail storm...the shiny object in the middle of the plate is a quarter...not quite of the magnitude of David_Letterman's Canned Hams, but impressive nonetheless.

Happy Birthday Gillian and Clare!

2008-06-10T14:24:00.005-04:00

Clare and Gilly turned 9 on Sunday. More than anything else, Clare wanted a sleepover birthday party. More than anything else, Gillian did NOT want a houseful of screechy little girls disturbing her sleep, so when the respite care had a cancellation on Saturday...a sleepover was born!

Three of Clare's "bestest" friends (and one for Ellery) enjoying pizza, cake and a nauseating assortment of BBQ/Nacho cheese flavor fried snax.

This was the cake...a horrifying "Cotton Candy" ice cream cake provided by Dairy Queen. The purple layer was crunchy...just like granulated sugar! yum...

I mistakenly thought that the term "Sleepover" suggested that at some point during the night the invitees would sleep. I was wrong. Despite the fact that they appear to be lounging in makeshift beds late at night...sleep was HOURS away from coming.

One of Clare's guests brought a party favour...

N was dogsitting Stella (as a pre-requisite to future dog ownership herself) and was tickled when I suggested that instead of choosing between the party and the dog-sitting that she combine the two activities. Look at that little face! Stella is a not-quite one year old Wheaton Terrier and is cute as a button. Haley was definitely feeling displaced!

So, waffles with fruit and whipped cream for breakfast...and we were done for another year!

Weekend Fun...

2008-05-23T15:24:00.006-04:00

First a finished object...it's Elle's mohair cardigan made from the luscious purple mohair that I won on Elizabeth's blog contest last spring!

As you can see, Elle was full of pre-teen 'tude and not in any mood to be photographed.

Clare and Gillian's birthday is a couple of weeks away and with scheduling issues and whatnot Sunday was selected for their lunch with Uncle B and Aunt G birthday outing. My SIL and BIL live in a fabulously urban home downtown and do way cooler stuff than we do, so this weekend is pretty special for the girls. This Sunday's theme was "dining on seafood" and hitting Toronto's Doors Open festival. Tres interesting and of course the girls scored some goodies from Fabricawakuwaku

Aren't they cute?

Frankly, I'm stunned that SIL and BIL got Elle to try an oyster...perhaps my little "Chicken-a-terian" is branching out in her old age. But then again, near famine conditions at camp over the long weekend did force her to consume (drumroll) her first ever hamburger. For Elle, that was a real Fear Factor moment.

The birthday lunch was a kick in the pants to me to start thinking about C and G's birthday gifts and curiously enough, this weekend was the launch date for this:

The Wii Fit! Definitely a good fit giftwise for Clare...but while I was out trying to acquire one, I was met with the same knee-slapping snorts of laughter from salesclerks that greeted me days after our major snowstorm when I tried to locate a snowshovel at Canadian Tire. Most places stopped taking names for restocked items within an hour of the initial lots selling out.

Anyone got a spare Wii Fit??

A Little Late for Mother's Day

2008-05-16T08:51:00.005-04:00

I don't usually post pictures of myself on this blog. This has less to do with perceived issues of internet security than a deeply rooted belief that I photograph badly. But an old friend was housecleaning recently and sent me a photo from his wedding (back in 1992) K and J were married six weeks after DH and I wed and this was a candid shot from the reception. (I will add that the wedding had a "costume" theme and my unusual attire is not attributable to questionable taste on my part.)

Again, technically, not a great picture, but an interesting one. Interesting because anyone who knows my family will look at the photo and say...OMG that's Pierrette. Pierrette is my mother and while for the most part, I don't think that we greatly resemble each other (my mother's family is French Canadian and for the most part dark and petite, while I favour the big-boned ruddiness of my father's Irish relatives)...in that photo, we are dead ringers.

Edited to add the best picture of my mother that I could find...in profile and at a similar age to me in my photo. (That's Uncle B and Aunt D left and centre.)

Oh, and a finished object...another of the mesh shopping bags.

Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-12T10:28:00.004-04:00

It's been a pretty busy week ChezChelle...Ellery's performed her play on Wednesday and Thursday, Clare returned from a 5 day trip to Ottawa with SIL, BIL and Cousin C and Ellery, Clare and I went to Mother/Daughter Camp up near Haliburton.

Here's a snap of Clare in Ottawa with the National Art Gallery behind her.

And a picture of Ellery (still wearing the stage makeup for her role as Collodi Cricket in a production of "No Strings Attached"...sort of a musical Pinocchio)

And here we are on Mother's Day Weekend...big girls first...

And the daughters

The weather was pretty nice on Saturday, so we indulged in some water sports...

And some climbing...

Knitting-wise, I've finished the pieces for Ellery's cardigan and need to block it lightly before seaming it. Pics to follow...

I Missed the Knitter's Frolic...

2008-04-27T17:54:00.003-04:00

...but I had a really, really good excuse! I spent Saturday on a bus with a bunch of ladies from my neighbourhood heading out to Niagara Falls for a winery tour and a quick trip to the Casino. Food, friends, wine and slot machines...it really was an irresistible attraction. Nope, I didn't win anything at the casino...I never win anything at the casino...but it was a lot of fun!

Sorry Maggie for not making it out to the Frolic...I peeked at Rochelle's blog and your booth looked fabulous!

In knitting news, I found a bargain at my local Chapters store this week:

A lovely Debbie Bliss book full of delightful patterns to make for my soon to be niece or nephew. I might wait a bit before picking my next project. DB and SIL are planning to be surprised by the baby's gender and beyond the obligatory baby blanket, it's hard to find truly gender-neutral baby patterns.

Oh, I popped into Creative Yarns in Scarborough (no website to link yet!) and found some rustic wooden buttons for my Central Park Hoodie.

Busy Doing Nothing...

2008-04-15T00:12:00.002-04:00

I haven't done anything even mildly interesting lately...and yet I seem to be busy all the time. The school fundraiser is closing in, generating quite a bit of paperwork and I'm working on a bookkeeping project...the kids are silly busy with play rehearsals, Folk Dancing rehearsals and the regular extra-curricular activities...but all in all, not much to report.

Except that it is finally Spring and warm enough to go outside without down-filled parkas. Gilly headed outside afterschool today and discovered that as well as May flowers, April showers bring...mud. Hey, she's happy. Haley is happy too...Gillian is graciously sharing some peanut butter with her.

In knitting news, I'm testing out borders for the near-completed baby blanket and the Central Park Hoodie is finished except for the selection and sewing of buttons. No photos yet, I was wrangling Boo in the mudfield behind our house while hosing off gardening implements and was in no condition to be photographed this evening.

Besides, I've heard great things about the selection of notions at the Knitter's Frolic the weekend after next and I'm hoping to find the perfect buttons for my CPH. I need more yarn like a hole in the head (see embarassing stash photo below), but buttons are fair game! Besides, the amazingly talented Maggie of Dyed In The Wool Handmade Yarns will be there and I have to check out her fabulous wares!

Not April Fool's Day...but my Stash

2008-03-31T23:23:00.004-04:00

Once again, in all its glory or horror. Click HERE for a larger pic!

I will point out that there are a few more bare spots and less spillage at the bottom of the stairs than in previous years (see Stash Pics on the sidebar), so in absolute terms, the stash is shrinking.

Our claim to fame this year was that the kids and I arranged the yarn for the picture during "Earth Hour", so we worked by the light of candles and crank flashlights only. Definitely not for the feint of heart. Luckily we are an experienced team of yarn wranglers!

Oh, the other thing to notice...DH finally got around to staining the handrail to match the floor (queue sad little "carpet matching the drapes" joke here). Our hallway may finally be finished!

Finally Some Knitting Pics

2008-03-14T21:29:00.004-04:00

All WIP, nothing finished yet, but at least my near three weeks of sickpup tending has given me an opportunity to catalog some progress (if not actually create much progress).

Here is the mosaic baby blanket. It is slow as molasses to knit and at the end of the day, I'm afraid it greatly resembles a really fancy dishtowel. Hopefully some elaborate edging will lessen the kitchen-y appearance!

The Central Park Hoodie...sleeves completed, but not yet attached. I'm down to the edging and seaming, so it's pretty near completion.

And this, the beginnings of the mohair cardigan for Ellery. I think I get bonus points for knitting this under adverse conditions. I cast on for the back ruffle (400+ stitches) in a moving car while DH drove the pups and I for yet another visit to the pediatrician. (I'm so sorry I no longer own stock in pharmaceutical companies...my kids are drinking antibiotics as if they were Kool-Aid) The rest of the ribbing I knit in a movie theatre. C'mon, dark movie theatre, plum coloured mohair ribbing...it's a bit impressive.

About the movie, E and C were feeling better and getting a bit stir-crazy after being cooped up for all of March Break, so I took them (and a couple friends) to see Horton Hears a Who. In fairness, it was more watchable than many of the films that I have taken the girls to over the years, but I always bring my knitting as a precaution.

Gillian is a few days behind her sisters in the microbial attack. She stayed home, watching TV in mum and dad's room with her dog.

FWIW, Back to School Monday is only 59 hours away.

Gratuitous Kidpix only post...

2008-03-08T17:47:00.004-05:00

We have a scanner. Well, we've always had a scanner, but the old scanner was so old that it was only compatible with Windows 95. nuff said...

Anyway, here are the girls' school pictures from this year.

Ellery...for the record, has since trimmed her ends to remove the peroxide from last summer...

Gillian...

and Clare...

And for reference...last year's photos

Gillian

Clare

and Ellery

We Almost Made It...

2008-03-06T17:13:00.004-05:00

Through the winter without major pup illness...

But no...

Gillian was home for two days last week with a mystery something and Clare started complaining that she didn't feel well last Saturday. She has been living on the couch, not eating and barely drinking fluids since then.

Ellery, out of solidarity, left school early yesterday claiming illness. Since Elle has missed Hot Chocolate Day and a School Dance, I'm inclined to believe that she is also genuinely unwell. I am spending my time fluffing pillows and forcing juices down small gullets and not doing much knitting.

Since Clare has been coughing herself silly for 5 days now, I figured it was time to see the pediatrician (antibiotics and cough suppressant were her recommendations) and since we were in the neighbourhood, I stopped by Haley's Knitomatic to pick up some extra yarn for the baby blanket project. Clare, being under the weather and all, scored this:

Which would make a perfect convalescing hobby if only I could help her get started...oh well, I'll figure it out tonight while she is in bed and we'll try again tomorrow!

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to putting all the sickies to bed tonight and sitting down with a cold "adult beverage" and my new fave snack food...

wasabi peas!

Completely delicious...crunchy, salty and a delightful horseradishy-burn that sears your sinuses! Now, if they were only calorie-free they'd be perfect!

Comparative Interior Decorating

2008-02-26T22:18:00.002-05:00

Not too much knitting to report...the baby blanket that I'm working on is slow as molasses in January (smallish needles + mosaic pattern = tedium...quelle surprise)

I've found a couple patterns for Ellery's mohair cardi. Both of these are Sublime patterns:

Little Whisper...

And Angelique...

It's funny, but at Ellery's age, both the largest of the little girl sizes and smallest of the ladies sizes pretty much fit with only minor alterations. Personally, I'm leaning towards the ribbed cardigan, mostly because it breaks my heart to see the gusto with which Ellery knots her wrapped hand-knit sweaters.

In case you were wondering how painting weekend turned out, here are a couple "after" shots of the girls' rooms.

Ellery's room in all of its purple glory (gory?...Ed.) Despite appearances, the room is actually a bit tidier than its usual condition.

Gillian's room in Agent Orange. The large navy rectangle on the wall is a temporary curtain while the orange and white awning stripe curtains sit waiting on my sewing machine. That's Nemo lying across Gillian's pillow...our decorating inspiration.

And finally Clare's room. Interesting contrast in decorating style and relative tidiness to the sisters' rooms. Sort of looks like a room at the Sheraton.

A Tactical Error on My Part...

2008-02-19T19:03:00.002-05:00

In order to give E and C something to do at my parents anniversary party this weekend, I appointed them official photographers with my new camera. Relax, the camera is fine...the pictures are not. I don't have many usable photos from the event, so here is an action shot of the VERY LONG drive down!

Gilly and Haley

Monday was a school holiday, so we stayed home and decorated Easter cookies!

Oh, and a million thanks to Elizabeth...lookie what arrived today! Anyone have a cardigan pattern suitable for an almost 11 year old girl that can be made with 10 skeins of mohair?

Testing, Testing...1, 2, 3 Testing

2008-02-15T21:45:00.004-05:00

I'm testing a new camera. On Wednesday night, I tried to photograph Gillian's Valentine's Day treats for her classmates. Gilly and I baked some fancy cupcakes and decorated them with a selection of candies, then placed them in protective sleeves on pink plates, where we covered them with large sheets of aluminium foil and shaped them into giant Hershey's kisses. We even made little paper tapes for the top with "Happy Valentine's Day, hugs Gilly"...on them. They did turn out pretty cute if I do say so myself.

You will have to take my word on that, because when I tried to photograph the little beauties I discovered that one of my offspring (who shall remain nameless, but is very surprisingly NOT Gillian) killed the digital camera. Normally, I could fathom a life, however meaningless without a digital camera, but it's my parent's 50th Anniversary party this weekend and the ability to snap a few pictures seemed called for.

Anyway, DH and Clare went out this morning and picked out a new digital camera. DH is a camera afficianado and understands phrases like "film speed" and "F-stop", but I wanted a camera that I could toss in my handbag, snap pictures without "fiddling" with anything and not have to specifically include on my homeowner's insurance policy.

Here it is...the PowerShot A570IS. Pretty simple, way more features and much better pictures than the old camera...and it costs about one quarter as much...ouch! Amazing what 7 years does to digital camera techonology!

Very little knitting to report...I finished Clare's multidirectional scarf and am slogging away at the Central Park Hoodie and a Baby Blanket. Both are pretty large projects not suited to lap knitting, so I need to put something more portable on my needles...but not socks...

More pictures after the party...

I Winned

2008-02-08T00:13:00.001-05:00

I was Elizabeth's 100,000th visitor and look at what she is sending me as a reward...

Isn't it lovely...plum coloured mohair! I'm guessing that when it arrives, Ellery will pounce on it, after all purple is HER colour. It might make a nice cardigan to go over dressier outfits...hmmmm

Knitwise, I'm still slogging away at the Noro Kujaku scarf...the end is in sight...

And I did make it out (despite a series of snowstorms that have earned us three "snowdays" in the span of a week) to Knitty's Roundtable Yarn Tastings. It was a great chance to check out the newly opened Purple Purl and sample some yarns that aren't even in stores yet.

Oh, Dh and Boo finished painting Boo's room...Agent Orange

Gilly painted Haley too...

It's bright, but the room is starting to take shape and Gilly seems very pleased with the results. I guess that isn't surprising, Gilly's first love (and first word before language regression) was...

Ojo from Bear in the Big Blue House. Gilly never really had an interest in the show, but she loved Ojo so much and so violently with "love bites" that we went through half a dozen before she reached the age of 4!

Boo and Ojo...just before diagnosis...

And Boo's Ojo chair, modelled by Clare and Mimi the WonderPoodle. It's really a Papasan chair covered in orange fun fur, but it's Gilly's retreat.

Anyway, the orange is in place and Boo likes it an that's really all that matters...

The Course of True Love Hardly Ever Runs Smooth

2008-01-25T18:06:00.000-05:00

Through some unlikely alignment of the planets (namely sleepover birthday parties and Girl Guide camp), two of our three pups were away tonight. Unfortunately, a combination of scheduling problems with the respite provider and a nasty, wet-cough/laryngitis virus decending upon Gillian yesterday forced us to revamp our date night from this...

To this...

Yup, nothing says "I love you" like rolling paint with your hubby!!

The lavender paint, "Posies" is for Ellery's room and was selected to co-ordinate with her Christmas present:

A couple years ago, when we put E and C into separate bedrooms, Ellery moved into the guestroom which had been decorated for, well...grown-up guests. Now, at 10.5 years of age, Ellery was eager for a room that "expressed her personality". My greatest fear is that her newly loud and obnoxious room does just that. Not my choice of palette, but cheery yet assertive colours also speak to my oldest's disposition.

The orange, "Agent Orange" if you ask DH, "Aurora Orange" according to Behr, is for Gillian's room. Against much advice to the contrary, I'm painting Gillian's room bright orange with lots of white trim. It's a very unusual choice for a bedroom, but orange is Gillian's favorite colour and it's the only colour she can reliably identify by name and the only adjective that she will use in conjunction with a noun (usually fish, as in Nemo, but other nouns too!) Anyway, if Gillian finds the colour as hideous as my husband and the nice man at Home Depot who works in the paint department think she will, it just might encourage her to "use her words" to tell us to repaint her digs.

Not too much knitting with all the painting and kid activities, but I did finish a small Clapotis using Maggie's lovely hand-coloured yarn.

So This Is What They Mean By "Tweens"...

2008-01-12T21:39:00.001-05:00

I went out shopping with my oldest this morning. E is 10 years old, needed new "undergarments" and had a gift card for La Senza Girl. This is what we came home with:

LaSenzaGirl's pre-teen bra, available in dozens of colours. It's slightly fancier than what I wore under my wedding dress many years ago. In fairness to E, she did select a couple serviceable sports bras (purple if you can imagine) This bra was for "under her dressy clothes" and it was considerably less "Frederick's of Hollywood" than many of their pre-teen selections.

The same store was clearing out Webkinz at half price, so Cheeky Monkey (renamed Zee-minkey after a favorite scene from a Pink Panther movie) came home with us.

On the way to swimming lessons we needed sustenance. Ellery's selection was a donut with multi-coloured sprinkles (a "Hawaiian donut" depending upon where you hail from) Revolting to anyone over 10, huh?

So, this morning was pretty much an encapsulation of life with a pre-teen daughter. Tarty undies, stuffies and sprinkled donuts...sometimes almost a young woman, sometimes just a teeny little girl.

Last night was E's first "youth dance" at the neighbourhood community centre. It's very tame and well-supervised, but it's still a dance. Ellery went with a gal-pal and had a great time. They primped for an hour (after delivering newspapers) before heading out to the big event which consisted of hanging out in a rec. centre eating chips, drinking soda and DANCING WITH BOYS. My baby actually danced with a couple boys from her class.

I am so not ready for this.

The First FO of 2008...and other tidbits...

2008-01-04T20:09:00.000-05:00

A pretty basic little pullover for Clare. It's made from Lily Chin's Chelsea, an interesting blend of merino, cotton and acrylic that is strangly lofty without being bulky. I rescued 4 balls of each colour from Haley's Last Chance Sale at Knitomatic last season.

Our New Year's Eve celebration involved kids and cupcakes...red velvet cupcakes from the mix purchased at Target. Have you ever seen such a revolting-looking batter. After putting the cupcakes in the oven, Gillian petted her dog before I could wash her hands. Haley looked like she had suffered a traumatic head injury.

And speaking of frightening red velvet creations:

This is my husband's response to the kids' inability to hang on to the TV remotes. He firmly attached all of them to a large block of wood, which he first lovingly covered not with red velvet, but red suede. The photo doesn't do it justice, the bright red suede is quite "eye-catching".

Oh, and one final Christmas present...a Wii! I'd purchased it before Christmas, but it would have so eclipsed any other present from any other relative that it seemed cruel of me to unveil it Christmas morning. Ellery invited her friend over for pizza and Wii this evening. DH and I have lost Friday date night forever.

The Aftermath...and Superdogs!

2007-12-27T23:12:00.000-05:00

Christmas...an orgy of presents and food. My parents arrived on Christmas Eve and my husband's brother and sister arrived Christmas Day (with their respective spouses/offspring/dog) for Christmas dinner...so the event is a busy blur of wrapping paper, gifts, food and drink. Oh and mess. Boxing Day was spent putting the house to rights. If I can find the photos that I took, I'll post something Christmasy this week.

Instead, I'll post about DH's surprise gift...tickets to the Superdogs tonight! Yeah, it's a guilty pleasure. I've been known to drag the pups to the CNE or Royal Agricultural Winter Fair JUST to see the Superdogs. Heck, I think that Clare and I were 2 of maybe 150 paying customers to see Daniel and the Superdogs in a theatre! (see ancient post) March 7, 2005.

Anyway, DH surpised E, C and I at lunch today with tickets to the Superdogs show in Oshawa tonight. Here we are:

Note the blue thing in the foreground? That's the rail...yeah baby...front row seats!!

Clare invited her closest, similary dog-obsessed friend Julia to come with us!

Here are the girls at the "Celebrity Dog Meet and Greet" after the event

Ellery was smitten with a weiner dog...and his 11 year old handler was quite taken with Ellery. (with three daughters this is pretty much gonna be my life for the next decade or so, right?)

Not much knitting to report. I'm a bit ahead on my knit-disabling hand/finger injury this year. A couple years ago I burnt my finger on a baking tray and last year I logged several hours in an ER getting a kitchen knife-related middle finger injury stitched up. This year I figured I'd beat the January rush and injure myself on Christmas Eve. I took Haley out for a walk and managed to slip and fall on some ice. Falling would have been bad enough, but I caught myself with my arm stretched out behind me and now it hurts from my thumb to the nape of neck...with no painless points in between.

When I do rally, I'm a handful of finishing seams and a collar away from a finished object for Clare! Stay tuned!

Yums and Yucks....

2007-12-20T15:40:00.000-05:00

That's what Clare's teacher calls the morning Grade 3 circle time. Each child has an opportunity to share a Yum or a Yuck that has happened in her life with her classmates.

My Yum...

Isn't it, well, Yummy? It's a holiday present from Maggie, a skein of her delectable handdyed mediumweight sock yarn. She picked out the colours and dyed it just for me! How special is that?? It made me all squidgy at SNB on Tuesday. (check out her other fabulous wares at Dyed in the Wool )

It is so lovely that I truly wish I was a more accomplished sock knitter! Look at the beautiful shades of turquoise and teal...reminiscent of...

My Yuck!

Or more appropriately Haley's yuck. At lunchtime today the plumbing under the sink sprung a leak. In order to trace the leak, I quickly cleared out everything in the undersink cabinet with a broom for later disposal. While hiding under the sink with a flashlight, looking for drips, I heard Clare say "Mom, Haley's chewing gum". Not quite. I had a mouse poison cube hidden deep in the back of the trash cabinet just in case the mice managed to get in to the house via the backyard hose connection.

Anyway, mayhem ensued. Calls to the vet, digging through the basement to find the packaging for the poison (I'd only used one cube ages ago and could scarcely remember where I'd hidden the rest.) A drive to the vet's office at speeds slightly exceeding posted limits.

I won't keep you in suspense. Haley is fine. The vet administered an emetic (ick...TMI) and some activated charcoal and sent her home with Vitamin K pills as a precaution, but the truth is she probably ingested a "Less than Lethal" dosage for a mouse...and she does weigh 75 pounds.

Funny isn't it...my first brush with accidental poisoning and I've been a mum for 10 years now.

That's Why I Married Him...

2007-12-18T17:13:00.000-05:00

Because he makes me laugh...

When you've been a couple as long as DH and I have (8 blissful years DH claims...we've been married for 15) it's easy to forget the little charms that attracted you to each other in the first place. Occasionally, when you aren't looking, you catch a glimpse of them out of the corner of your eye.

DH is a notoriously difficult person to shop for. For the most part, he doesn't care much for "things" and cares even less to pay for "things". When asked what he would like for Christmas, DH's stock answers include "lasting peace in the Middle East" or a "really workable strategy for sustainable economic growth in China". In less altruistic moments a "powder blue 1974 Mustang Mach II with white leather interior and Jennifer Connelly in the passenger's seat" also makes the list.

So when DH blurted out of nowhere yesterday, "hey, I know what you and the kids could get me for Christmas...one of those snazzy snowshovels like the neighbours have!", I had a mission.

And mission it was. I hit half a dozen hardware stores and bigbox chain stores (you know who you are) to return home exhausted, humiliated and empty handed. And then I remembered DH's sense of humour. Sending me out 48 hours after the largest snowstorm in a lifetime to acquire a snowshovel...brilliant. I can't accurately describe the looks of delight, barely contained guffaws, tearing eyes and sips of coffee expelled through nostrils, in short, the brief but sweet moments of complete mirth that I provided for overworked, abused and underappreciated retail workers today.

He makes me laugh...or a laughing stock...I forget which.

Anyway, while zipping around looking for snow removal equipment, I did manage to drop off the first 4 of my teacher presents:

Everlasting Bagstoppers packaged with a delightful selection of homemade baked goods and a Tim Horton's card! (For anyone interested: cranberry swirl cake, snickerdoodles, my MILs holiday bars and chocolate espresso cookies!)

Clare posing with teacher gift. Ignore the booze bottle in the background, the kids know its off limits before 5pm.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-12-16T16:22:00.000-05:00

Yup, 43 today...yikes that's old. Fortunately, I was distracted from my depressing enumeration by a fabulous and timely birthday present...ta da!

NOT! Despite the fact that it looked like this outside today:

(Rumoured to be the city's worst snowstorm in 60 years!)

I did not receive a snowblower for my birthday. DH swears WE don't need one. Curiously enough, DH is always at work when the snow falls, so from his perspective, our driveway is remarkably clear of snow all winter without a snowblower. Perhaps he believes it to be the work of elves?

This morning was the children's Christmas Pageant at church, so despite the weather, E, C and I were out and about bright and early. I think that there were more kids in the play than attendees at the service, but they had a blast anyway! Uncle Ross was invited out to see the play and have lunch with us, but the foot of snow kept him home. Oh well, we missed him but ...more cranberry strudel cake and sausage/egg casserole for us!

That's Clare and Ellery on the left side of photo.

And Clare the narrator, up at the lecturn.

Getting Back Up

2007-12-07T12:40:00.000-05:00

Ok...in the last week and a bit, the car has been restored to an operational status again after numerous trips to the local service station, I've wrapped 60+ presents (don't ask...but at least it kept me productive while house-bound), participated in a couple glue-gun/popsicle stick/dried fruit holiday craft afternoons with a Grade 3 class, shuffled kids to the dentist and eye doctor, missed my SNB evening due to family illness and whipped up one pre-holiday finished object as an antidote to Everlasting Bag-pergatory...
Juliet by ZephyrStyle Although in fairness, I should also credit Ravelry, cuz I doubt this pattern would ever have made my radar if I hadn't been trolling through member projects looking for something to do with eight skeins of Goa.

Voila, Ellery's new Juliet Cardigan. It's made from the Goa in my stash and the only pattern modification was to rip out and reknit the lace panel with one fewer repeats to conserve yarn while preserving the proportion of the garment. When I've had a chance to pick out some frogs or buttons, I'll post a picture of Ellery modelling it. Juliet is surprisingly flattering and equally surprisingly loved by my picky oldest dd.

Oh yeah, this knitting from stash thing...great idea in principle, but the heart-stopping nature of finishing a garment with this as leftovers:

is really getting old fast.

Oh yeah, BTW the mystery illness has receded to a merely annoying wet hack, so I'm good to to for this weekend's excitement including a trial overnight stay for Boo at a respite centre (that should be restful for the family...NOT), swimming, Christmas Pageant rehersal and getting a jumpstart on the gross or so of cookies that I need for Tuesday's Cookie Exchange!

Anyone have an absolutely fabulous Christmas Cookie recipe??

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up...

2007-11-26T18:36:00.000-05:00

Just when I thought that because the two days of nasal congestion had dissipated, I was officially on the mend, I was blindsided by some sort of viral nasty. Flu/cold/Ebola...I'm not sure, but it's ugly and it has my name all over it.

Since yesterday I've been barely able to drag myself from school to home and back...knitting is right out of the question...those needles are so heavy and it takes so much effort to focus on those stitches!

In the interest of conserving my strength for important activities, like taking Miss Elle to the dentist for a couple extractions tomorrow...I allowed the pizza place down the street to cater our evening meal. I'm probably not encouraging my kids to be compassionate human beings because equating maternal illness with pizza for dinner instead of broccoli has the effect of pairing my suffering with their delight. Ok, maybe I'm overanalyzing this.

I'm off to lie down again...see you

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2007-11-20T10:34:00.000-05:00

What could be more festive than spending hours waiting to cross the border with thousands of other Canadians in order to purchase holiday tchotchkas from Target?

Yup, that's how I spent my Saturday. On the road at 5:45 am, home before bedtime and significantly poorer for the experience, the neighbourhood mommies and I started holiday shopping this weekend. I can't disclose the wonders that I acquired for fear of my little darlings peeking at the blog, but suffice to say that US department store crap is sufficiently different from Canadian department store crap as to render it "exotic" in the eyes of 8 and 10 year olds.

I did get a bit of knitting done in the car (when it wasn't too dark to see) and I have knocked off yet another Everlasting Bagstopper. I have to cast on for something else, anything else, because my near total devotion to knitting with mercerized cotton over the last few months is giving me nasty tendonitis.

No finished object photos yet, but I can share some of my non-gift TOPS purchases:

No pre-holiday trip to the US would be complete without the acquisition of

French's Fried Onion Rings, perfect for Xmas Green Bean Casserole! and..

For some reason, Red Velvet cake never really gained popularity outside the US, despite its obvious charm.

Ok so I haven't made much of a dent in my gift shopping yet, but at least I have the meal covered!

A Finished Bunny Bag...

2007-11-12T09:06:00.000-05:00

Annypurls Buddy Bag...rabbit-flavour! Pretty cute if I do say so myself.

Lined inside with caterpillar fabric...

It's Monday. That's my hang around the house day...my list for today includes:

raking and bagging yard waste
dragging yard waste and basement mess out to curb for garbage collection
stripping and remaking 4 beds
5 loads of laundry
vacuuming and dusting
collecting kids from school/making lunch/delivering kids back to school
creating school council financial statements
trip to the bank
grocery shopping
book appointment for car heater flush
vacuum car in anticipation of servicing (weather permitting)
wash kitchen floor and front hall

and that's before the kids get home at 3:30...then two sitting of dinner, martial arts, drama practice and homework set in.

About the busyness...when he gets home, DH will wonder aloud what it would be like to stay at home and do "nothing all day"! Oddly enough, I will agree with him in that if asked what I did all day, I will reply "nothing"...

Oh yeah, forgot to mention "losing one of these" on my list

It's been cluttering up our backyard for 7 years now. The girls have outgrown it, but Gillian has a real fascination with water and sand and I've been loathe to part with it up until now. Salvageable stuff tends to disappear from garbage piles the night before the collection, so I'll drag this out to the curb tonight.

Finished Object Alert...

2007-11-06T11:47:00.000-05:00

Another Pinwheel Baby Blanket, this time for a co-worker of DH's who is due later this month. Nothing like cutting it close.

Sturdy, practical yet cuddly soft Bernat Satin in Bahamas. And since I was picking up Bernat Satin anyway...

The beginnings of Annypurls Buddy Bag. They are just too cute and I couldn't resist. This is the partially completed bunny version. That is the bag, the drawstring and so far, a one-eared rabbit!

Teacher gift knitting has taken a backseat for the moment (A's baby being due before Xmas and all), but I did manage to complete one Everlasting Bagstopper. Not bad considering how busy things have been lately with Halloween and the school-wide trip to the Science Centre!

Quick snaps of Halloween (Clare did rally and manage a half day at school and a bit of trick or treating)

Molly Weasley, the Corpse Bride and Hermione Granger...oh and Haley in her skeleton Tshirt and devil horns. Gilly was having none of this picture stuff and contented herself munching on Tootsie Rolls!

Twas' the Night Before Halloween...

2007-10-30T23:49:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm a reasonably competent adult and I can look at a calendar and figure out what day it is...so why does Halloween always bite me on the behind? Sure, I bought the candy a couple weeks ago (dutifully hidden in the basement to prevent "evaporation"), but this costume and decorating stuff always catches me unaware.

Today, in between an appointment at the chiropractor, an "emergency" trip to Old Navy for girls size 10 slim jeans and a quick grocery run, I picked up:

100+ tiny plastic spiders to decorate cupcakes
skeleton gloves to complete C's Corpse Bride costume
broom for E's Hermione Granger costume (100 Halloween coloured cupcake papers
cupcake fixins for 100 cupcakes
buckets of icing sugar and butter for icing
decorative trays for cupcakes
nasty acrylic granny square afghan for my costume...

So, this evening has rolled out thusly:

3:30 G's bus arrives

3:45 mum distracts G from cupcake fixins and offers (snort) healthy snack

4:00 C arrives home looking tired and insisting on lying on the couch

4:15 Pick up E from school play reheasal

4:30 mum decides to roast chicken with two veg for dinner (penance in anticipation of a weekful of candy), tosses fuzzy blanket on couch-bound pup

4:45 chicken in oven, homework completed, forehead temperature check for sick pup

5:00 E's costume arranged for Halloween dress rehearsal at Girl Guides, baste chicken

5:15 frantic search through the house, looking for loonie to make up "cookie money" due this week at Girl Guides, baste chicken, fetch exotic beverages for peaky-looking C on the couch

5:30 decide to "short" the GGs...they are mums, they will understand...forget to baste chicken

5:45 give chicken an extra good basting to make up for missed basting, nuke broccoli and potatoes, whip up noodles for "vegetarian except for chicken nuggets" E.

6:00 feed offspring (except for sleeping pup on the couch) wrap chicken in foil to save for DH, phone DH to ask if he will return home before 10 pm this evening

6:15 E's ride to Girl Guides arrives, E departs WITHOUT cheque for theatre tickets OR cookie money.

6:30 whip up first batch of 20 cupcakes for Halloween festivities tomorrow

6:45 remove 20 cupcakes from oven to cooling rack, whip up second batch of 20 cupcakes, ply C with flat gingerale, wrestle fistful of cupcakes away from G

7:00 start third batch of cupcakes before the oven is ready, prep first batch of icing (white), beg C to accept a bit of Tylenol to make her more comfortable..C refuses

7:15 bake third batch of cupcakes, suggest soothing bath for sick pup, shoo G away from cupcakes

7:30 wash cupcake trays and locate large sturdy box lid for cupcake transportation, line box with foil

7:45 start fourth batch of cupcakes, DH returns home to grab cheque and cookie money before fetching E from Girl Guides, mum seams sleeves on Molly Weasley costume

8:00 remove last batch of cupcakes from oven, toss chicken back in to warm

8:15 E and DH arrive home, G and C demand warm baths, DH pronounces roast chicken "meh" and makes cold sandwich

8:30 G bathed, hair washed, teeth brushed and jammied, C asleep on couch again

8:45 DH asks "whatelse" do we have to eat? E is eager to join the second sitting. Mum ices half of the cupcakes with chocolate icing

9:00 G tucked in bed (early and without a fight, which is concerning), C resists efforts to carry her to bed, mum ices other half of cupcakes with white icing

9:15 mum pipes white circles onto chocolate iced cupcakes and chocolate circles onto white iced cupcakes, C rallies and demands juice

9:30 E and mum drag toothpicks through icing circles to make spider web designs and apply small plastic spiders to tops of cupcakes. DH takes break from watching Top Chef to review home owners policy for liability related to minors ingesting small plastic spiders

9:45 cupcakes decorated and packed for morning, E sent to bed

10:00 C hurls on oriental carpet...

10:15 bathe, jammie and put C to bed

10:30 haul steam cleaner out of basement for quick swipe of carpet...

ok, enough of this...you get the idea

It's silly busy, C is sick for Halloween (and has likely graciously shared her virus with G and I) and we need any positive thoughts you can spare for tomorrow!

Almost there...

2007-10-22T22:37:00.000-04:00

I haven't picked out any buttons yet (so no front shot...), I have many, many ends to weave and a bit of blocking to do, but it's mostly there...Bacardi, or Spumoni.

The colours are fun and I love Barbara Gregory's design, but this sweater was a bit of a slog. I love Super 10 Cotton, but it is truly unforgiving with respect to tension differences.

I think that we just have to spend some time together, but right now, I've looked at enough green and coral for a while.

Still Not the Bacardi...but

2007-10-13T18:55:00.000-04:00

a finished object nonetheless...

Knitty's Everlasting Bagstopper

So, I'm trying to decide which I prefer...the Everlasting Bagstopper, or Jodi's Saturday Market Bag

remember this?

Background...I'm thinking ahead (well, not that far ahead) to the holidays and a reusable shopping bag might make a nice little gift for teachers and EAs, particularly if the girls and I fill them with a sample of our Christmas cookies.

I think that a hybrid of the two bags might work:

- I prefer the Super 10 Cotton to the Allhemp6. Don't get me wrong, the hemp has a very interesting texture and promises to soften up with washing, but it's tough slogging to knit with off the skein. Both fibres are very strong and resist stretching, but cost-wise the hemp is more expensive than the mercerized cotton, particularly because I have so much of the cotton in my stash.

- I like the pocket feature of the Market Bag more than the drawstring cinch of the Everlasting bag. I think that if I used the dimensions of the bottom of the EB, but added a turning row and flap, I could make a pocket bottom and still keep the lip feature along the bottom of the EB.

- I could go either way with the straps. Knitting the garter straps is tedious, but so is perusing fabric stores for moderately priced, sturdy ribbons to co-ordinate with yarn.

- The yarnover pattern of the EB is easier than the SMB. There is no logical reason for this, they are very similar, but for some reason I had much less difficulty sorting out where I was when I picked up my knitting with EB's lace.

So, those are the basic specs of the bags that I'll be knitting up for the holidays...

Diversion over, let's get back to the Bacardi...

Wasting Away Again in Bacardiville

2007-10-10T22:06:00.000-04:00

Between the record temperatures (90 degrees on Thanksgiving Day) which tended to put a damper on my knitting and the fact that I am terrified of the seaming required on the Bacardi, I have very little to show for the last couple weeks.

I have attached one sleeve on the Bacardi sweater. It's fairly tricky to seam it nicely and get the stripes to match up on the sleeve, front and back of the cardigan. I spent one entire evening seaming, ripping, reknitting the sleeve cap and re-seaming the first sleeve.

Since I am easily distracted, I did start Knitty's Everlasting Bagstopper with some Allhemp6. The bag looks great and it is a pretty quick knit, but I'm glad that I'm making a two skein project instead of a full sweater with the hemp. It's pretty hard on the hands. I'm told that it washes brilliantly and softens considerably with each soaking, but that isn't helping me now.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, that's Clare's photo of Ellery and Gillian enjoying the best part of Thanksgiving dinner... Pumpkin pie and Sugar pie. Note the classy whipped cream in a can.

Spumoni!

2007-09-28T17:29:00.000-04:00

Finally, all of the knitting is done. I'm having some concerns about the quality of the raw edges and what they will look like when I pick up the stitches for the edges. So I'm considering neatening the egdes with a crochet hook and then machine stitching the raw edge inside of the seaming stitch allowance. KWIM?

Other than that, I'm nibbling away at C's striped sweater and swatching bits and pieces for Mr. Greenjeans.

Busy...Busy...Busy

2007-09-20T09:26:00.000-04:00

Nothing major, no one died...I just forgot how much "stuff" has to happen once the kids are back in school. Martial arts, Girl Guides (and camping trips), tryouts for the school play, Parent Nights, School Council Nights and a DH working silly hours are simultaneously competing for my attention.

I am knitting a little bit but unfortunately tinking even more. I managed to drop a stitch on the sleeve of my Bacardi and cheerlessly ripped out 15 rows to correct it. Grrr...

The little striped sweater is chugging along and based on knitting the back and one sleeve, I will have enough yarn to finish it...with a collar! Likely it will fit Clare, so I owe Ellery a sweater now.

Perhaps Mr. Greenjeans, Amy Swenson's latest offering on Knitty. I'm sure I have something in stash that would work...

Happy Happy! Joy Joy!...it's the First Day of School!

2007-09-04T18:49:00.000-04:00

The first day of school!

Good news, Ellery and Clare love their new teachers and the note back from Gilly's teacher seems promising.

Bad news, I forgot to recharge the camera battery for first day pictures. (bad mum)

And another important milestone...Haley's third birthday.

The treat with the candle?...fresh liver. The gifts, a stuffy to be torn apart by Haley (hey, it's her only vice) and some dog treats.

Fingers crossed for a good day tomorrow!

Happy Labour Day!

2007-09-02T23:40:00.000-04:00

Things are busy here...time for one last neighbourhood BBQ, bike ride to the beach, swim at a friend's house and everything else that is fun in the summer! Oh and of course, Boo mimicking Ian mowing the lawn!

I've gotten some knitting done. I've finished the left front on Bacardi and have to pick up and knit the right front and back from the armholes. (I guess that makes me almost halfway there?)

I've been chipping away at the Chelsea sweater, although I haven't decided what it should look like. So far, it is straight.

I have eight balls of Lily Chin Chelsea, purchased on sale from Knitomatic. If I can eek out the back using not much more than one ball of each colour, then I should be able to complete the sweater including a polo-type collar.

But tonight, it's the countdown...

Backpacks...packed
Bestest new outfit...selected and accessorized
Bus Schedule (for Boo)...arranged

Less than 14 hours...

Bacardi WIP

2007-08-28T16:17:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted pictures of things still on the needles in a while, so here's Bacardi. Don't know what I've done with the colour settings on the camera, it's really much warmer olive colours with peach and coral accents.

It's slow going so far, because the cardigan is knit in one piece up to the armholes. I'm reasonably happy with the progress so far, but starting to freak out about running out of yarn. For some of the colours, the pattern calls for one skein and I have acquired/retrived from stash ONE skein. Some of this stuff is pretty old and I don't think I could get more if I had to. That seems to be the way my knitting goes, either I'm scrambling to have extra skeins shipped from the far corners of the earth, or I have almost enough left over for a second garment. What am I doing wrong?

Tonight is SNB, so if I manage to get out to it, I'll work on the stockingette Chelsea sweater. It's pretty straightforward, so hopefully I'll have enough completed for a WIP photo of it tomorrow.

6 more days...

Gimmie an "A"

2007-08-25T15:57:00.000-04:00

Yeah Ashna! And of course, Reach for the Rainbow...three for three!

For the third year now, Gillian has attended Aquatics Day Camp with the help of a one-on-one support worker trained by Reach for the Rainbow. Every year I worry and fret about how a stranger will be able to care for Boo and whether or not Boo will be happy...and each year my worries are proved to be groundless.

Ashna was fabulous. She was very attentive to Gillian's needs (and moods) and did a wonderful job of integrating her into activities with the other campers. Gillian was different, but not differentiated...know what I mean?

Anyway, a great big thanks to Ashna and the rest of the staff at Reach for the Rainbow for making Gillian's summer that much brighter! Good luck at university next week!!

Not much knitting to report lately, I've been pretty busy with Back to School preparations, Gillian's camp and end of summer outings.

I have managed to make a false start or two with Bacardi from No Sheep for You, but I think I have my colour scheme down now. Surprisingly, it's mostly green with a bit of peach/coral for an accent. The knitting isn't that tricky, but most of the cardigan is knit in one piece and it does involve managing 6 colours, so it isn't the most portable project.

To fix that, I'm trying to come up with something to do with a few balls of Lily Chin's Chelsea. I have some denim blue and some charcoal, not enough for a sweater from either, but together they might work for a school pullover for Clare. I'm thinking stripes and stockingette...definitely a no-brainer.

Oh, we had an outing to the local mall this week. Here are Ellery and Clare making their best puppy eyes in the hopes of scoring a baby hedgehog.

They are ridiculously cute (the hedgies and the girls), but no dice.

For anyone else counting...9 more days!!

Mimi 1993 - 2007 We'll miss you!

2007-08-18T20:05:00.001-04:00

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Another Meh...

2007-08-14T23:09:00.000-04:00

No fault of the pattern, just a perfect example of how the wrong yarn can wreck a great design. I don't know if I'm sufficiently enamored of the style on me to justify a do-over. That said, I did pop it over a white tank top and wear it out to SNB last night.

In other knitting news, I've started a Bacardi Cardigan (from No Sheep for You) utilizing my Super 10 leftovers! Hopefully, this won't turn into another cautionary tale.

E and C are leaving in the morning for a whirlwind tour of Southwestern Ontario, first to visit the grandparents, then to visit my brother and SIL!

Meh....

2007-08-07T11:07:00.001-04:00

I'm getting close to done with the Josephine Top (finally, I just have to pick up and knit the cap sleeves) and have been trying to get something a bit more portable on my needles. It's late enough in the season that I should be working on autumn stuff, but the thought of a lapful of wool is too icky to bear in this heat, so I noodled around with the Sleeveless Tuxedo Shirt from Interweave Knits.

Behold a test lace panel and a bit of the body of the shirt. It's OK and I do love the colour of the Patons Grace...but I don't love the way it's coming together. Again, it might be wearable, but not something I would love and to get through that much stockingette with mercerized cotton on teeny needles, you really need to feel the love.

So, frog pond...for the Tux...and I'm still looking for some late summer knitting.

Edited to add a snap of my Super 10 Cotton collection...snappy huh?

The Leaf Sweater...at last

2007-08-02T23:51:00.000-04:00

This silly thing has been finished forever...except for the seaming. True to summertime rules, I think that I stitched every seam inside out first before catching my errors.

Not sure what I think of it yet...we're in the midst of a heat emergency and I could only stand to wear it long enough to snap a picture, but strangely, it does resemble the pattern photo...

I used double stranded Yarn Art in Summer rather than the Tahki Classic Cotton (simply cuz I'm cheap and it was in my stash), but the matching colour thing was a complete fluke.

Note to self....hire a better stylist.

Pathetic ...a Balden Retriever

2007-08-01T14:11:00.000-04:00

pa·thet·ic [puh-thet-ik] –adjective

1.	causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable: a pathetic letter; a pathetic sight.

2.	affecting or moving the feelings.

3.	pertaining to or caused by the feelings.

4.	miserably or contemptibly inadequate

After a few days of splashing around in lake water and despite careful rinsing afterwards, Haley developed dermatitis. Until the steroids and antibiotics kick in, to help alleviate the itching (and shedding), she was shaved.

She looks sort of like a shorn sheep...no?

I did make it out to SNB last night after Ellery's present opening and cake cutting. (FWIW, High School Musical 1 and 2 themed items and Nintendo DS lite games are popular amongst the 10 year old set)

The air-conditioning had failed at Starbucks on an evening when the outside temperature was in the humid 30's. Our little group took over a good chunk of the patio, but even though it was cooler outside than inside (I hope the barristas got hazard pay for their shift) it was still too hot to knit. So, I stuck to chatting and admiring the other knitters work.

Besides chatting, I did page through this:

Amy Singer's No Sheep for You

I wasn't expecting to like this book much. I'm partial to wool and its blends because 1) I appreciate the shape holding properties that the memory of wool yarn provides to a garment and 2) most plant based alternatives such as cotton, linen and hemp are all pretty hard on my wrists.

That said, the designs are really lovely with something to appeal to everyone. Amy did a wonderful job of setting her favorite designers to work with a selection of both unique and familiar non-wool yarns.

Isn't this cute...it's Bacardi and it's made from one of my old favorites, Super 10 Mercerized Cotton Yarn The other bonus is that I think that I have enough random balls is mermaidy colours to pull this off from stash! Yet another object for the queue!

Summer Vacation!

2007-07-30T23:52:00.000-04:00

Just got back from a few days at DH's family's cottage. It's a Herculian effort to prep and pack the kids stuff, said kids are indescribably miserable during the 3+ hour drive up to the cottage and there is a lot of work and vigilance required of the parental units while at the cottage...but it's lovely and it feels like a vacation...except that I get to cook and clean. Anyway, here are a couple snaps to prove that we were away!

DH showing Boo how to use the floaty board:

Apres night swim...Ellery sipping milk back at the cottage.

Haley attempting to "rescue" Clare. Pay special attention to Haley in this photo, it's practically the last time that she resembles a Golden Retriever. (Swimming in the lake, even with careful rinsing afterwards, causes Haley to develop "hotspots" and we had to take her to the groomer for a "shave" today to help relieve the itching. Poor Haley, she looks like a cross between a Labrador and a shorn sheep.

So, lots of driving should equal lots of knitting and it did. Unfortunately, lots of knitting does not necessarily equal lots of finished product. I did something knot-headed with the top of the Josephine Top and had to frog the front and part of the back above the empire waistline.

Oh, BTW, guess who turns 10 tomorrow? Sniff....

Week in Review

2007-07-21T10:20:00.000-04:00

Ellery's Rock and Roll Camp...

The premise is simple, give a group of inexperienced 9 - 11 year olds a chance to play an electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and keyboards and to sing the classics (e.g. Led Zeppelin and The Who), set them up with a smoke machine, amplifiers and modest light show and see what happens.

What happens is incredibly loud (if you are a member of the audience), but is a hoot for the participants. Most amazing was the fact that you could almost pick out recognizable tunes at the hour-long Battle of the Bands Friday afternoon. (From a technical standpoint, the trick to one week guitar instruction was to teach each student how to play one note and then have enough guitars that you could arrange them sort of like those handbell-ringers...)

Ellery playing the bass for "The Immigrant Song" (Note the very stylish Rock and Roll pink and purple hair...Ellery dipped the ends of her ponytails in Manic Panic for the occasion!)

Ellery belting out "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "My Generation"

I'm pretty proud of her for that. Although the jury is still out on whether Ellery's vocal abilities favour mine (a croaker) or DH's (very passable baritone), she did volunteer to sing solo in front of a large group of adults and older students. Moxie makes up for a lot!

Clare had a eventful week as well, scoring a highly prized Green Belt at her Martial Arts Camp. (Pictures to follow later...I paid big bucks for the photo disk...darn it, I'm gonna post them!)

Gillian is over her cold and back at school/camp.

Oh and for anyone else who is keeping track of such things....45 days till the start of school.

It's Not the Heat....It's the Stupidity...

2007-07-18T10:07:00.000-04:00

It must be the heat, or maybe giddiness at the prospect of wearing down my unenviable stash, but I was so enraptured with the idea of knitting this lovely Josphine Top from Interweave Knits out of some fabulous Crazy Cotton that I've had on hand for a couple years, that I never stopped to consider...

What is the point of knitting 300 stitch rounds of eyelet pattern in a VARIEGATED yarn?

A complete waste of a lovely pattern and an equally lovely yarn. Let's not even consider how many hours of labour get thrown into the mix. I will continue knitting the top. At this point, it's worth continuing just to find out how it fits.

The leaf sweater is fully blocked and awaiting seaming. Yup, that impasse again. I prefer to seam things during the day with fresh eyes and full sunlight on my side, but homelife hasn't permitted that this week.

Things have been pretty busy ...Ellery is in Rock and Roll camp (don't ask...it's 10 year olds handling electric guitars for the first time), Clare is persuing her green belt at a half day martial arts camp and packing in a few extra swimming lessons and Gilly has been briefly sidelined with a nasty summer cold. Mom's taxi and catering service continues at full speed.

Hopefully a finished object next week...in the meantime I'm slogging away at Josephine and considering my next project. The lovely tuxedo shirt could be made from stash (always a plus), but the Nashua Surplice is fabulous. The real life examples knit by the ladies on Ravelry look great too. It's another plus when design theory, professional models and stylists and the reality of knitting real, wearable garments merge.

Well, off to swimming lessons!

BTW, apologies to the ladies of SNB last night...I'm congenitally unable to pronounce "variegated" without adding an extra syllable...or two. Scusi.

Campanula for the Cure

2007-07-13T10:33:00.000-04:00

Lookie what Ramona's up to!

Ramona (AKA Mezzodiva) over at Sock it to Me! is raising funds for

The Weekend to End Breast Cancer benefiting Princess Margaret Hospital (a 60 km walkathon on Sept 8 - 9, 2007).

Good News for Princess Margaret Hospital and good news for us knitters...Ramona is offering her fabulous Campanula sock pattern as a gift to anyone who sponsors her walk!

Click here to sponsor Ramona!

Groundhog Day! Not

2007-07-08T11:50:00.000-04:00

Last week Gillian started a summer school program offered by our school board. (only mornings and only part of July...she will definitely have some "slack time" this summer). Of course I had reservations about the program and Gillian's participation (would she like it, would the staff be able to accomodate her needs)...but things have been fabulous. The staff is wonderful, caring and friendly and they schedule really fun crafts and summer play for the kids. Gilly will be able to maintain a bit of a routine about going to school, riding a bus, being with kids and adults other than parents and sisters..(cuz with autistic kids, the LAST thing you want to do is futz with a routine that is working for you!) but she is enjoying stimulating and fun activities at the same time!

Oh, the groundhogs...they live at Gilly's summer school. Seriously, the little nutters dug a den on the front lawn of the school, right next to the parking crescent where the school buses load and unload. To call them "tame" would be an understatement.

Chez Chelle, we have been working on spiffing the laundry/mudroom. I'm using the royal "we" here...DH has been doing most of the painting, retiling, closet installing and general heavy lifting. I've been relegated to selecting colours and criticizing workmanship. Haley, as seen above has been trim-painting with her head.

The Leaf Sweater is soaking in preparations for blocking and seaming, so I am left with nothing on the needles right now. It's too hot to think about any sort of Aran, cotton denim or Philosopher's Wool.

For lighter, summer knitting, I'm thinking about the Josephine Top from Interweave Knits

Very cute, and I have some variegated Crazy Cotton in a fabulous taupe/bronze/teal colourway that I'm hoping will work. I'm a bit concerned about using a multi-toned yarn for an eyelet pattern, but the yarn is lovely and I cannot justify buying more mercerized cotton with all that I have in the stash. So, I'm swatching away. As usual, the required 3.75 mm needles are a bit large and using 3.5 mm needles is a bit too small. Anyone got a pair of 3.625 mms in their stash that I can borrow?

I also like this top (Sleeveless Tuxedo Top) from the same issue, but as DH has so heartlessly pointed out, my upper arms may no longer be one of my best features (were they ever?)

I love the bib front detail and I love the Louet Sales Euroflax Linen that it calls for, but I don't have enough of it on hand to whip it up. I might try a swatch using some fine mercerized cotton that I have on hand...batwing upper arms be damned.

Enjoy your weekend!

68 Days Until

2007-06-28T08:49:00.001-04:00

School is back in session.

How sad is that...counting the first day of summer vacation as the 68th day until the first day of the next school year. Obviously I'm a mommy, not a kid.

It's been a busy week or so and thanks to some random wonkiness with my camera, I have NO pictures to document any of it. I'm hoping to beg some photos from other school parents so that I at least have Clare's class play immortalized.

I did finish my teacher knitting...the Binary scarf (presented to Mr. M on a Heat Advisory day...) and a big pile of Mason Dixon Dishcloths, Doily Dishcloths and Linen Dishtowels. Unphotographed of course. My hands are killing me from so much cotton knitting on metal needles.

Last night, as part of a summer vacation celebration, I dug out the leaf drop stitch sweater that I was working on before the teacher-knitting crunch. Sure, it's mostly mercerized cotton, but the looser stitch, double stranding and teeny bit of vicose in the yarn seems to make it much easier on the hands than the kitchen cotton.

Scooting now, I have to finish up some reports related to our school fundraiser and if I hurry I can walk the kids over to the school and let them play in the playground while I "borrow" the school photocopier.

Ta

A Clare Moment...

2007-06-16T21:55:00.001-04:00

Clare was out this afternoon with her dad, kicking the tires on some new "grown-up" bedroom furniture. She has decided that her current set is too juvenile. Their first stop was a local establishment specializing in Canadian-made wooden furniture.

Here's Clare...

And a closeup of the sign on the chair...

Yup....that's Clare.

Arrrrgh....

2007-06-13T23:53:00.000-04:00

Busy, Busy, Busy

It's that time of year again. The final push before summer vacation. The culmination of school fundraisers, Girl Guide trips, final projects, volunteer thank-you teas and field trips. In the midst of it all, I'm trying to complete my teacher gifts...

Last weekend was the Fun Fair (E and C's school fundraiser) and the Strawberry Festival. DH and I volunteer all day at the Fun Fair, so I felt obliged to contribute heavily to the Strawberry Festival Bake Sale. Picture three of these:

and a couple of Banana Breads... and a tray of these...

Did I mention that it was the twins birthday last Friday and both classes required lunch treats?
Thank heavens it wasn't as warm as this week for baking!!

I'm finishing dishclothes and swatching tea towels in my spare time. Pictures to follow...

Fini! Well, mostly...

2007-06-06T15:36:00.000-04:00

This is a mostly finished object. It's Binary from Knitty and of course, my front garden.

I have to block it and finish the ends. It's a bit shorter than the original pattern, and since it's for a male teacher, I'm dithering about adding the fringe. Any opinions on the appropriateness of fringe for a 40-something man?

It took a bit longer to make than I anticipated, but since it is knit as a tube, you really are doing twice as much knitting as with a regular scarf. That, and my two-handed fair-isle technique is a bit rusty!

With respect to the other teacher gifts, I'm digging through stash for bits of kitchen cotton to test out some dishcloths from:

I really like this book! Frankly, the patterns really aren't anything that you couldn't suss out for yourself, but there are a lot of "why didn't I think of that" projects for the home that just seem so appealing when immortalized by Mason Dixon's photographer and stylist. I just wish that some of the yarns that authors like (such as Peaches & Creme and Euroflax) were more easily (ok, inexpensively) available in Canada.

Thanks for All the Great Ideas!

2007-06-01T20:22:00.000-04:00

I've got some work ahead of me, but I love the idea of washcloths, dishcloths and teatowels...(can you guess that my copy of Mason Dixon Knitting just arrived from the library?)

Thanks to everyone who participated. Six of the commenters didn't already have a copy of the current Interweave Knits, so I rolled a die to pick the winner....Knitty Kat! (I've sent you an email requesting your mailing address)

I'm still plugging away at my first teacher gift...and I forgot to charge the batteries in my camera, so no pics yet.

In non-knitting news, picture this on moi... OPI "Cool in the Pool". Very festive and summery and just a bit silly. I love it! Thanks to LadyLungDoc over at Purl This for reminding me of how much I love blue nail polish!

Have a great weekend, here at Chez Chelle we will be swimming, birthday partying, speech therapying etc...

Silly Contest...with a Real Prize!

2007-05-28T09:11:00.000-04:00

Ok, I could've sworn that the LAST issue of Interweave Knits was the LAST issue of my subscription, but given that my real LAST copy arrived in the mail a couple days after I bought one at the newstand, I guess I was mistaken.

So, I have an extra copy of IK Summer 2007 (I'll even pick up mailing costs) for anyone who can give me a great, good, or merely workable answer to the following question:

What can I knit for my kids' teachers? It's that time of year again and I'd like to make small gifts for at least some of them. (FWIW, the girls have two male teachers, a female teacher and two female EAs amongst them)

Quick/clever/fun are all useful criteria.

Oh, I have started a little something for one of the male teachers. It's only about 25% of the way there, so I'll hold off picture posting until I have a bit more to display!

Thanks in advance!

We're Number One..yeah...We're Number One

2007-05-18T22:27:00.001-04:00

Ok, I'm not number one. On a good day, I think I'm closer to number 23 in my life. I'm using the royal 'we' to refer to my daughter Clare. Hey, I'm a mum, I'm allowed some bragging rights!
Today was the local school's track and field meet and my dd Clare won 4, (not two, not three, but four) first place ribbons.

I'm so proud I could burst. Now, appreciate that my girlhood athletic career was at best non-existent and at worst fodder for years of therapy. Clare's prowess is evidence of genes skipping generations (MIL was quite an athlete)...or disputed parentage...(did I mention that MIL was an accomplished amateur athlete?)
Anyway, Clare (our youngest, who has been reassigned the role of oft-neglected middle child by fate) is basking in her triumph...and so I am happy...happy that she is happy...cuz remember, a mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child, and all of my children are in pretty high spirits today!

BTW, older sister Ellery placed third in shotput. Ellery is much more like her mother (looks, temperment, athletic ability) than Clare, so any ribbon is a huge accomplishment. Shotput might be Ellery's forte though. When it comes to our natural abilities, Ellery and I are; to quote my schoolfriend's grandfather when he described how he and his brothers selected wives in the old country... "not much like pretty face, but strong like ox!".

Yup, I shoulda tried shotput.

Oh, Gillian is doing well too. Her recent tantrums at school have subsided and days are once again uneventful, plus today, I made cake! Life is good!

Weekend Snaps!

2007-05-16T09:19:00.000-04:00

Mothers and Daughters Weekend

Not much knitting to report. I'm working on a ribbed, drop-stitch sweater that is boring to knit and shows very little progress. So, weekend pictures instead!

Four other local mommies with daughters invited E, C and I to a weekend of wilderness fun!
After school on Friday, my neighbour and I packed the kids into her minivan and headed out of the city to a distant YMCA camp. It's sort of "camping lite". Cabins, but with water and electricity. Oh and you get to eat in a mess hall, so no cooking! The staff arranged lots of fun activities involving daredevil stunts and embarrassing photo opportunities...here are the highlights:

The teeny little object dangling from a rope is Ellery on the "Giant Swing".

A very happy camper!

Team uniforms ...dorky, but it made it easy to spot each other in the woods!!

Hanging by the lake...

Clare and Natalie made it all the way to the top of the "Dangling Duos" climb in record time. Not surprising to those who know Clare...she is a monkey.

Ellery and Clare on the "Low Ropes"

And mum...No laughing.

So, lots of bugbites and some very tired kiddos at school on Monday, but otherwise a spectacular weekend. Oh, and DH had fixed curry for my Mother's Day meal when we arrived home. What more could you ask for?

A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step

2007-05-14T13:19:00.000-04:00

Pictures of the trip when I get a minute to sort them...

In the meantime, from Stephannie at "And She Knits Too"

Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket (baby)
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental Knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
American/English Knitting (versus Continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic Knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair (unintentionally only)
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

Happy Mother's Day to me...

2007-05-09T23:07:00.000-04:00

Once again, not much knitting, cuz things have been silly busy.

Mother's Day is this weekend and to celebrate, I'm taking two of my three daughters on a "Mother-Daughter" Camping trip up north. I'm not sure what medications I was taking when I agreed to this.

First of all, I'm not a camper. I camped with school trips in high school, pitched tents in the driving rain illuminated only by headlights, built cooking fires from soggy kindling, begged tentmates to accompany me out into the dark, scary woods at midnight when nature called at inopportune moments and did not enjoy it. In university I majored in biology...plants and animals. I believe it was preparing for yet another "data collection" trip , while I was being instructed in how to construct an impromptu igloo using nothing more than my snowshoe, that I first contemplated public accounting. Or maybe it was when I fell through the ice covering the pond whilst collecting "mouse box" data...one or the other...but you get the idea. I'm no nature girl.

Somehow my girls' friends' convinced their mothers to convince me to take them on this "bonding experience".

I've been busy with a zillion other kid-related activities: Church plays, Folk Dancing Jamborees, a myriad of lessons, school fundraisers (including an inhumane amount of paperwork associated with a raffle) and so I haven't had too much time to get stressed about the trip. My fellow travelers have remedied that by providing lists of things that I will absolutely, positively need to have close at hand. Sunhats, sunscreen, sleeping bags, flashlights...I was prepared for that stuff, but the bug spray and mosquito netting kinda knocked me for a loop. Apparently, besides mothers and daughters, there will be other guests at the camp this weekend.

The dreaded Black Fly and
The common mosquito.
So, I'm preparing for a Friday afternoon departure, packing my sun and insect repelling supplies, ensuring that I have dry footwear for three days (cuz of course it's scheduled to rain this weekend), locating maps, flashlights, OTC medications and mommy potables to last the duration of the trip and sewing lead weights into the clothing of my youngest...cuz she's smallish and might otherwise be carried off by the flying insects.

wish us luck.

Oh, FWIW, I will bring my knitting.

Finished Object Alert

2007-04-30T17:17:00.000-04:00

In the midst of everything else, I did manage to squeak out a finished object that also counts as a stash-reduction project.

Behold my neighbour Sheila sporting Vogue Knitting Summer 2007 Eyelet Cardigan from the Paper Chase Series. It's made from KOS a peculiar, slinky terry-like yarn that is very soft...and coincidentally, Sheila's colour!

Knitter's Frolic & Frivolity & Tummy Flu....I know...TMI

2007-04-28T22:18:00.000-04:00

Too much information...

I wish it had been just Knitter's Frolic and Frivolity...

I hadn't planned on getting out to the DKC Knitter's Frolic this year (in fairness, I miss it for one reason or another every year), but despite our super-busy weekend crammed full of swimming lessons, fish painting and martial arts demonstrations, by early afternoon all the other members of my family wanted to do was sit on the couch under blankets and stare feebly at the television.

Ok, if I was a caring mum, I would have taken this as a sign that something bad was going to happen imminently, but since DH was home, I figured that Cinderella had a small window of opportunity to get to the Ball!

Fortunately, I arrived close to the end of the day and only had time for a few purchases. I did manage to run into Rochelle from my SNB as well as Wannietta and the infamous Yarn Harlot.

See, photographic proof...

FWIW, Stephanie and I are WAY HOTTER in person.

I did purchase yarn despite needing it like a hole in the head (see sidebar stash picture), but it was Philosopher's Yarn to knit an Aran sweater for DH that he requested more than a year ago, so it doesn't count as a purchase, right? (YarnDAL rules?)

I also picked up some super-cute kitty buttons that Clare will adore and a computer mouse pad decorated with sheep. (you have to return with something for the kids when you are gone more than a hour on the weekend)

Most importantly, I made it home for the puking. Ellery, my oldest, held off until I got home. Such thoughtfulness! Anyway, it's likely a minor tummy bug, since we are all slightly under the weather, but of course I will watch them all carefully.

Hope you all are having a healthier weekend!

Earth Day

2007-04-21T18:58:00.000-04:00

No knitting, but check out the Earth Day collages that the girls and I made up for the lunchroom at school.

I'm gonna get such a great mark in Grade 4 civics this go round!

A Quick Update...

2007-04-18T11:37:00.000-04:00

Remember this...(Bailey, our backyard neighbour)

Well over the last couple months, she turned into this...

Who, in an effort to get to know Haley...did this...

Good thing I like dogs.

Oh, here is Clare's finished sweater. Lucky thing I snapped this photo. On her second wearing of the sweater, Clare put her elbow down into a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce. (don't ask) I'll let you know how the merino washes up.

I'm tinkering with something from the current issue of Vogue Knitting and will post more when I have something to show!

Veris Horribilis

2007-04-13T15:13:00.000-04:00

Without dragging down the tone of what is supposed to be a frivolous blog about my adventures as a tricoteuse, allow me to reveal that it has been a horrible spring (Veris Horribilis) Chez Chelle. No death or dismemberment, just unceasing waves of small to mid-sized crises affecting me, DH, the kids, the dog, my family and friends...it seems that no one I care about has been spared.

But I am convinced that since today is Friday the 13th and nothing bad has happened so far, that things are finally turning around for us Chez Chelle!

Fortunately, my knitting has for the most part been spared by the plague. Here is Clare's "Theresa" wrap cardigan from Debbie Bliss' Junior Knits

I'm not too keen on the ribbon ties used in the pattern and have to figure out some button alternatives for Clarebear.

This is the Adrienne Vittadini Eyelet Yoke Sweater from Vogue Knitting a couple of seasons ago. I converted the collar into more of a turtleneck than the pattern suggested and am generally pleased with the results except for the nasty tendency of the lower edge to curl. It's been blocked and pressed gently, but it still resists lying flat.

A kind-hearted SNB member suggested that "it really doesn't look like it isn't supposed to look like that"...but then again, she is kind-hearted. Apologies, once again, I'm using the floor as a model. I'm lousy at the mirror/photo thing and haven't yet taught the kids how to take snaps that keep the garment in the frame, while avoiding panoramic views of my nostrils.

Oh yeah and another minor burr under my saddle this week...

This is the before picture. The handle broke off from the lid of my stock pot, which doubles as the cover for my frying pan and deep casserole pan. Ratfeathers.

Here's the funny part. They don't make my style of cookware anymore. Fancy that, discontinued after only 20 years. That's the part I find funny. More than 20 years ago, DH declared his honourable intentions through the gifting of durable housewares. It gets me to pondering...How did so much time pass without me noticing ...and how do I solder a pan lid handle back on to the lid?

The Making of The Stash Picture

2007-04-05T16:07:00.000-04:00

Thanks for all the comments about the Stash on the Stairs Picture. I'm honoured, I think.

Anyway, nothing like this happens in a vacuum, so I would like to thank my technical staff, Clare and Ellery for their invaluable assistance. Gilly, wisely, refused to participate. Haley merely observed.

Jumping the Gun....Just a Little

2007-03-31T14:26:00.000-04:00

Ok, remember this was the year that I was going to get the stash under control. Well, I'll let you draw your own conclusions...

Click HERE for a larger, more horrifying version.

The painters left our house Friday at dinner time and we were expecting company on Saturday, so we had to hustle! I'm amazed that the girls and I managed to set this up, take the photos and put everything back into plastic baggies and appropriate Rubbermaid totes in under 3 hours. Unfortunately, the composition of the photo suffered somewhat because of our haste. I think we did a better job of arranging the yarn by colour and texture last year.

Just for reference, here is last year's photo.

Ok, so the stash doesn't look any smaller, but the transformation to our hallway is pretty dramatic...new stairs, fresh paint...ignore the handrails...they still need to be restained, but hey, it's a start!!

Silly Busy...but not too much knitting

2007-03-30T17:05:00.000-04:00

We're painting...well, actually Prep & Paint Plus is painting, the kids, dog and I are merely observing. Not helping (that's important), just trying to stay out of the way of the horrid, choking dust (stripping and sanding old wallpaper glue) and fresh paint. So far, so good.

Anyway, the painting is done and as soon as I have removed the light patina of white dust from everything, I'll post pictures of my new front hall. In the meantime, here is Clare sporting my Fake Isle Hat. Notice that I completed it just in time for our spring weather!! Hey a Finished Object is a Finished Object.

I got stalled up on the Eyelet Yoke Sweater for about a week, when I ran out of yarn about a third of the way through the collar. The mailman brought the final ball of yarn today, so completion is imminent.

In the meantime, I cast on for this in Clare's size....

Remember a couple years ago when I attempted to knit this from mercerized cotton and couldn't keep the edges from rolling despite NUMEROUS attempts. I figured that a merino might be more forgiving (it isn't) and if not, at least it would block more easily. The lower back edge is curling, but I'm thinking that if the curl won't block out, I might repeat the front edge ruffle on the bottom edge to conceal the curl. The merino I'm using is a variegated blue/multi colour and I think that the subtle pattern on the ruffle will be lost. I'll play around with some swatches, but I think that a plain, but fuller and fluffier ruffle will work with the yarn colour. Fluffy ruffles always work with 7 year olds.

Anyway, the worst part about the construction debris in the hallway is the fact that I haven't been able to take my Flash Your Stash 2007 picture yet. I don't think the stash situation has improved much, but the staircase and hallway look nicer!

Finally, Some In Progress Pictures

2007-03-20T10:28:00.000-04:00

See, I really do knit a bit.

Anyway, I'm really hitting a wall with my knitting lately, so I figured I'd better post some pictures of my WIPs before they all get frogged. Yup, rippit, rippit time....

This is the back and left front panel of Gillian's Toggle Coat. There isn't anything "wrong" with it, I'm just really feeling ambivalent about it. Perhaps the fabric isn't quite right for a toggle coat. I think that I've given it enough of a chance to win me over, and if it hasn't done so yet, it isn't gonna happen. I might try knitting an overgrown cardigan for Ellery or Gillian with the same yarn.

This is the Fake Isle hat from Magknits.
Strangely enough, I like it better in the picture than in person. Something about my wonky camera and piddly-poor photographic skills make the pattern "pop" more in the photo than in real life. Anyway, the curling edge and muddied colours are kinda leaving me cold, but I'm so close to finishing that I might as well complete it rather than frog it.

This is the Eyelet Yoke Sweater from Vogue Knitting Winter 2002. The pattern was written in two sizes, XS/S and M/L...I'm so not XS/S.... Anyway, despite knitting gauge squares, downsizing my needles by 0.5mm as a result and taking careful measurement throughout the knitting process, I'm really worried about the size of the finished garment. I did order an extra ball of Adrienne Vittadini's Trina for this sweater, yet still managed to use it all up, so my fears about sizing may not be baseless. (Can anyone out there confirm this for me....if you downsize your needles to achieve gauge, you should expect to use a bit more yardage when the pattern calls for "knit until sleeve/body reaches 19 inches"...right?)

So, lots of knitting, no finished objects.

Not Much Knitting to Report...

2007-03-06T14:50:00.000-05:00

Freezing cold temperatures, near-snow days, sicky pups, too many extra-curricular kids activities, household projects and fund raisers are all closing in on me right now and I haven't had much time or inclination to knit or blog.

I have been working on the Eyelet Yoke Sweater and have frogged it twice so far.

On an up note, sort of...I hadn't planned buying any yarn for a while, but look...

Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran Yarn...in Machair (a light, piney green) Enough for a very generous sweater for me (or a skimp of one for DH). Absolutely lovely.

It was stolen from Knitomatic. Haley is having a basement-clearing sale of epic proportions, including "buck a ball" finds! I picked up an armload of $1 treasures for the knitting kids and some ridiculously priced pattern books too. Despite the considerable dent I put in her inventory, there is still a huge amount of luscious stuff left!

Other than that, I am laying in crafting supplies and snack foods for the pups who are on Spring Break next week. Wish us luck!

I'm Sure This Would Seem Pretty...

2007-02-22T09:18:00.000-05:00

If it wasn't my "day out".

The kids are in school all day (usually I have a couple of them home at lunch, or pop by the school to help out/supervise at lunchtime) and I figured I'd run some errands.

Looks like I've got some shoveling ahead of me before I get anywhere!

Haley and the girls are thrilled though. The snow is fluffy and perfect for packing, throwing and snowman-making. It's just barely freezing, so if I can clear the bulk of the snow away from the driveway and walk, it should melt a bit this afternoon without icing up.

On the knitting front, Gilly's Toggle Coat continues slowly. It's knit on big enough needles (6.5 mm) so that it knits fairly quickly, but contstantly comparing my progress to the dismembered template sweater and tweaking as I go is tedious.

I've started another project in the meantime. Seriously, I needed something a bit more mindless for TV watching. Heck, with this nasty cold that I'm nursing I'm having trouble memorizing 4 stitch repeats, so simple is good!

Vogue Knitting Winter 2002 featured an Adrienne Vittadini Eyelet Yoke Sweater that I've been tempted by since the magazine came out. I've had the yarn in my stash for almost as long and I finally knit some gauge swatches. Funny, the sweater isn't that tricky, but I've always had an excuse to not start it. (Sorry, can't find a picture of it anywhere and my scanner is FUBAR) Modifications so far (and I am only on the 10th row)...I'm converting the pattern to circulars (avoids a bit of seaming, at least as far up as the raglan seams and it means full rounds of knit stitch rather than purl...good for the brain-weary).

Well, back to the snow in the driveway...

99% Finished Object

2007-02-15T14:56:00.000-05:00

This is the Astra "Elegant Cardigan" in Cranberry. Finished, finally. It wasn't a quick knit but that was exacerbated by the fact that for the last couple weeks I have been knitting with stitches, finger cots and neon-coloured bandages. But, it is finished (except for stitching on the buttons)

Next projects...

I haven't been having much luck with the Fake Isle hat from Magknits The pattern is fine, I'm just not really enjoying knitting it. Maybe it's the thick yarn on short circulars that's doing it?

Gillian's Toggle Coat is progressing slowly. It's a simple knit, but I really have to keep checking my progress against the dismembered sweater that I'm using as a template, so the project isn't conducive to "lap knitting" in front of the television.

So, I'm thinking of starting a gansey from Rowan Denim. I'm leaning toward the simpler ones (simple is relative...I guess "flatter profiled" garments might be a more accurate description) since I'm not certain how flattering thick cables and large bobbles will be on me.

Here are a couple possibilities...

Boatman

Tree of Life

Seahorse

Sunday Best (obviously, much bigger!)

Any thoughts...?

Oh, on the bright side...I missed my Tuesday Knitting Lunch Club at the girls' school a week ago (see pukey pup post)...but guess what? It went on anyway! A couple of the teachers and the school secretary jumped in and took over. Isn't that great! Just a little push and knitting/crocheting has some momentum!

One of the teachers, Mrs. P has suggested these for our first project and the kids love them!

They are "comfort dolls", knitted from scraps as flat rectangles then sewn, stuffed and decorated! They are used to prevent medical and other fragile supplies shipped to Afghanistan and other overseas destinations from becoming damaged during transit. Once the crates arrive and the supplies are unpacked, the dolls are given to local children. Great idea huh?

Still No Knitting

2007-02-09T11:09:00.000-05:00

Ok, during my one day this week when I WASN'T home with pukey kids or pukey myself, I had my stitches removed. The finger is still slightly infected and I'm wearing a slathering of antibiotic ointment and a fingercot... so, not much knitting activity going on here.

Since my doctor's office is right around the corner from Knitomatic , I figured I had to stop by and reward my bravery. (hey, suture removal is traumatic)

I was remarkably restrained (possibly by the looming threat of "Flash Your Stash 2007") and I left only with the current issue of Interweave Knits and possibly a couple skeins of Cascade 220, cuz they were on sale and I can use them for my much anticipated Stash-busting Log Cabin Afghan.

(I usually like IK, but this month they have really redesigned the magazine into a much more "knitter friendly" format featuring multiple, clear photos of the projects, with fewer artsy shadows and cringing, slouching, shoulder-hugging models. It's much easier to tell the design elements of the garments.)

So, I've spent this week patting clammy foreheads and waiting for calls from the school to retrieve sick pups. Oh well, Monday is just around the corner.

Tag...I'm it...

2007-02-04T14:23:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Dulcedosa

Six Weird Things About Me...

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

I did participate in a similar meme a short while ago, so I'm gonna try and come up with six DIFFERENT weird things about me. Friends say this will not be much of a stretch.

1. I consider myself a strict "cat person"...but I love Haley to bits. I think I'd give her one of my kidneys if she needed it.

2. I need to have shoes on in the house. Barefeet, even stocking feet creep me out. Socks are optional, depending on the weather (and the shoes, of course)

3. I don't really remember what my real haircolour is (or was, since it's probably a bit grey now) since it hasn't been that colour for more than 25 years. That smidgen of roots really isn't enough to go by and none of my three girls have a shade of red/blonde/brown that looks familiar.

4. I drink buckets of coffee, but I absolutely CANNOT drink it black. Even nasty canned evaporated milk or skimmed milk powder is better than black coffee.

5. I have a thing for those Rubbermaid containers...you know, the big, plastic tubs. It seems to run in the family (and not in a healthy way) so I force myself not to containerize everything in the house...but the desire is there!

6. I truly believe that our city sanitation workers have a vendetta against me. Regardless of how carefully I separate disposables from recyclables, paper from plastic, compostable from reusable...once a month, for no discernable reason, all or part of my weekly offering is refused. I take it very personally.

Now the fun part...tag...you're it

Rochelle, Kimbelina, Maggie, Lizzie, Ruinwen, and Vie Vaedri!

Knitting-wise, progress on the cardigan is agonizingly slow. I'm done knitting all of the pieces and am left with the finicky picking up of collar stitches and whatnot. The stitches aren't healing very well (try keeping your right hand still and dry with three kids...) and it's slowing me down...grrrrr

Good News/Bad News Monday

2007-01-29T15:28:00.000-05:00

First the good news! My blocking board finally arrived in the mail! I ordered the larger one, which is 51" X 33". Isn't it nice!

Now the bad news...I won't be using it for a while...:-(

Last night, while washing the dishes, I did EXACTLY what my mother told me NEVER to do. I soaked a couple razor-sharp kitchen knives (brand new this Christmas and therefore INSANELY sharp) in the dishwater that I was using. While scrubbing a cookie sheet with a potscrubber, I gave myself a nasty slash to the middle finger of my right hand.

I was doing pretty well containing the bleeding. Ok, It bled like a stuck pig if I did anything more vigorous than lie on my back with my arm held high in the air, but I can work around that. After 4 hours it wasn't clotting, so I zipped off to the ER for a stitch or two...and a tetanus shot. Ick.

On the plus side, it was sort of surreal reading "Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures" by Toronto ER doctor Vincent Lam while hanging around...and around... a Toronto ER. I definitely recommend the book, if not the reading venue.

Surprisingly, while I can't really apply a lot of pressure to the finger, I can sort of knit. This is important chiefly because tomorrow is the kick-off of the Lunchtime Knitting Club at the girls' school. Although, I suppose that having to rely on halting, deliberate motions with needles will make me more empathetic to my students initial efforts.

As a special treat this year, Mrs. M. is not only letting us use her classroom, but will be offering crochet lessons as well!

Ok, I better scoot and cast on 25 stitches on a whole bunch of starter needles...it could take some time since I'm working "lefty".