I haven’t posted in quite some time. I don’t really have much of a reason. I guess I’ve been busy?
Anyway. The holiday knitting has not gone so well, so I must limit my typing time and get back to it. Happy Holidays!
Thank you so much for all the comments about the Tilted Duster! I’m really happy with it although the wool might be a bit too warm for my current climate.
I’m keeping my fingers busy for the next few weeks with some gift knitting. Earlier this fall, I decided the only holiday knitting I would do would be for the babies in my life, namely my nieces and nephew. The projects I’ve decided on are the Santa Cruz Hoodie (from Knit 2 Together) for Jamie (age 1), the Molly bolero (from Junior Knits by Debbie Bliss) for Jessica (age 3), and the Seed Stitch Jacket (from Exercise Before Knitting) for Tomma (who will be 6 months old at Christmas).
Raw materials (& other random supplies) are pictured above. The tan coloured yarn on the needles is the beginnings of Branching Out but that has since been put on the back burner. I’ve set the rather ambitious goal of finishing all three gift projects by December 23rd. I’ve got 3/4s of the Molly bolero done. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some knitting to do.
My first sweater is complete! I finished the last touches on the Tilted Duster last night, repositioning the buttons three times and weaving in all the ends. Hurrah!
It’s not perfect, but it’s handmade and appeared right before my fingertips, so I can let go of my perfectionist leanings and look past the minor flaws (namely, the shotty job I did on seaming the arms).
It was made with Berroco Peruvia, the recommended yarn, and it is from the fall issue of Interweave Knits. I’m writing about it like the people reading this blog aren’t knitters, but let’s be serious. You all know this sweater and you know the pattern was written by the lovely Norah Gaughan.
I had debated using Misson Falls as a substitute yarn, but none of their colours jumped out at me. When Beehive got their shipment of Berroco Peruvia and I saw this greyish brown with tiny flecks of blue, I knew this was the yarn that would make my first sweater.
I found the buttons at Button & Needlework Boutique. The only modifications were adding the third button and making the collar a bit longer than the pattern called for. The third button was intentional, and the longer collar just sort of happened because ribbing is hard to measure. I like the way it turned out.
Overall, I am quite happy with it. It was such a quick knit too; I cast on early to mid-October. A few notes of wisdom for folks who plan to knit this: it is a snug knit, so don’t expect to wear anything but a thin shirt underneath and the collar just appears out of nowhere, so be sure to measure regularly when you’re knitting it. Luckily, I like a big collar but I can see how it would annoy me if I didn’t. Even though I’ve been knitting for five years, I had never attempted a sweater until now. I don’t know what it was because I’ve managed to knit mammoth, never-ending projects comprised of a gagillion stitches before, so it wasn’t the fear of commitment or endurance. Whatever it was, I’m over it and now I’m already seeking out the next sweater I’d like to knit.
(Please excuse the leftover decorations from a surprise party we threw.)
I don’t have a Tilted Duster to show you yet, but it will be finished this weekend. Hurrah! I only have to finish the collar, block and then seam it all together.
In the meantime I wish you a Happy Halloween!
Sometimes I am amazed by how quickly time passes without even really noticing it. Silas and I have been residents of Victoria for a month and a half now but it still only feels like last week that we were driving through the Rockies to get here. September seemed to go by slowly, being without employment and all, but looking back I don’t know where all that time went. I was baking and cooking so much, watching episodes of CSI back to back on cable television (oh the luxury!), and getting quite comfortable as a domestic goddess.
I have since found employment, so my days have seen a significant decrease in leisure activities, but this is probably for the better. I don’t know how many times one can rearrange the art on their walls before it becomes a problem. The job itself is pretty decent. It’s vaguely related to the work experience I’ve had, has a low level of responsibility, and will allow us to eat and pay rent until I find that excellent job out there with my name and qualifications on it. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the routine, the business attire, and the casual Fridays.
We’ve taken to exploring something outdoorsy on the weekends. A couple weekends ago we went to East Sooke and went on a little hike before it started pouring rain. Today, Silas, Joyce, Tomma, and I went to Thetis Lake regional park and hiked a 5km trail. My poor, sleep deprived, trooper of a sister walked it with Tomma on her chest in the Baby Bjorn on some pretty steep inclines. She said it was like being pregnant again. Dear Tomma slept through the whole hike.
It was a beautiful fall morning and we met so many friendly folks and their dogs on the trail.
I’m short.
Fall colour.
I’m plugging away at the Tilted Duster but I had the urge for instant gratification last night, so I cast on Saartje’s Booties. I knit one super quick late last night and finished up the second one today.
This is an excellent pattern I’ve been seeing all over the place and now I know why. I can see myself making many pairs in the future. I used Patons Classic Wool I had leftover from Tomma’s wool soaker. Now her diaper cover will match her feeties.
Here are some photos; I’ll add some text when I’m feeling more inspired. It is far too late to be awake, blogging, and watching reruns of CSI for someone who is catching the 7am ferry tomorrow. I’m off to my folks’ house for the long weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m planning to write a proper post later this evening but first I just had to share this. If you read the Craftzine blog, you’ve already seen it; Joy Kampia’s crocheted hamburger dress on her website. I love textiles as food, especially when they are wearable. She also has an ice cream cone dress!
I’m off to Bitchy Bees right after I take some knitting photos while there’s still some natural light.
Recently:
• applying for jobs;
• searching for a sewing machine on Used Victoria;
• borrowing my sister’s sewing machine in the meantime;
• baking plum cake and pumpkin muffins
• finishing one Charade
• making the Artsy Clutch from Amy Karol’s Bend the Rules Sewing.
Sometimes I can be quite lazy when it comes to digital photography, so I’ll have to show you the Charade FO next time. I didn’t end up buying yarn for the Titled Duster while I was in Vancouver which ended up being quite fortuitous, since I received gift certificates for the Beehive. Also, Sarah sent me some beautiful Louet and Lorna’s Laces which I also forgot to photograph so I’ll have to show you next time.
Here’s to fall knitting!
My knitting on the trip was one Monkey sock and I finished it shortly after we got here. It was made with Sweet Georgia yarn, in Honey Fig which I bought when I was in Halifax this past winter.
Being unemployed and all, I decided to make my own sock blockers out of a plastic place mat from the dollar store. They are multi-functional as they can be used as guides when figuring out all that math that comes with knitting.
Since finishing the log cabin blanket, which Tomma uses nearly every day FYI, I have been casting on new projects like a mad woman. I currently have a wool soaker (also for Tomma), the beginnings of a Charade sock, the second Monkey, and I’ve finally put some time into some projects that were started last fall.
Tomorrow I’m going to Vancouver and will be there until Sunday. I think I’ll buy yarn to knit this sweater that I’ve been drooling over since seeing the preview last month. On Thursday, I will turn the big 2-5, a full quarter century. It seems like the right time to start my first sweater.
Hello! We made it to Victoria in one piece, with only one minor mishap involving our bike rack. Don’t worry, the bikes are still intact, but it was a terrifying few minutes when we looked in the rearview mirrors and saw only one set of tires behind.
For those of you just tuning in, my partner Silas and I just moved from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to Victoria, British Columbia.
We left Saskatoon the evening of Tuesday August 28th after a teary goodbye in front of my old apartment building. Our dear friends Katie, Steph, Lori, and Ferron came to see us off. We were only going to Si’s parents farm that night but it was the beginning of our long epic drive towards the Pacific. Luckily, we were treated to a beautiful late summer sunset, the kind that only a prairie horizon can give you.
It was so perfect and bittersweet. I had tears in my eyes all the way to North Battleford. We made it to the farm, and got an early start the next morning at 6am. After a brief stop in Camrose to say goodbye to Sarah, we were on our way. We took a lot of photos and made a few silly videos on my little Canon.
We drove through Jasper, only stopping for gas, and saw goats and elk frolicking along the side of the highway. Everything through the Rockies was A-OK.
British Columbia welcomed us! We stopped that night in a town called Valemount, about 40 minutes past the BC-Alberta border.
The bike incident happened just outside of Kamloops. We had to pull over rather abruptly on a steep incline and readjusted the bikes. One of the brackets holding my bike frame came loose but luckily the other one held. It was fixed right up with a bit of duct tape and we were back on our way. It was the only thing that caused us anxiety on the trip, which seems pretty good. We couldn’t see out any of our back windows because the car was stuffed to the ceiling with our belongings, but that didn’t prove to be too big of a problem.
We made it to my parents’ house in Vancouver where we were stuffed full of Korean food and enjoyed a nice soak in a hot tub. Then it was off to the ferry the next morning.
And we made it! We stayed with my sister and brother-in-law that night, where finally (finally!) I got to a) meet my newest niece Tomma and b) give the log cabin blanket to her as a belated birthday gift.
I think she likes it.
So we’re here. Silas has started school and I have been enjoying visiting my sister, Dan, and Tomma every day. I am a lady of leisure these days, but the job hunt will start soon. There are more knitterly things I can share with you, but I’ll save that for another post in the very near future.
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