Why I live where I live

I saw this on Krista's blog today and it sounded like fun! It's the weekly Sunday Scribblings Sunday Challenge (plus, I love love love the picture so I had to join in on the fun).

Stephen and I moved into our house in a Montreal suburb the week before we were married. After visiting one too many fixer uppers, we decided to buy a new house. A house that would meet all of our needs and would be built to our specifications. First off, we wanted a house that we both loved where we would want to live for the rest of our lives. Second, it had to be in the boonies as they say, close but not too close to our respective parents. Third, we wanted to live in a community where there would be lots of young families so our (future) kids would have friends to play with and we wanted a quiet street where they could play street hockey. Fourth, it had to be close to the commuter train since we both work in the city. Oh, and I wanted it to be MarthaStewarty (Stephen still doesn't quite know what that means!)

We ended up buying the first house we saw! It was a bit out of our price range, but it by far exceeded our expectations so we took a leap of faith and bought it! We came by every Saturday while it was being built to see what had been added to it since our previous visit. It was so exciting. Sometimes, we couldn't wait until the weekend and would drive up on a Thursday night and peeked through the windows with a flashlight! Our builder was terrific. He built our house with his dad and everything was just right when we moved in. It is our dream house in every way.

Well, maybe except for the doors... The first week we were here Stephen kicked the laundry room door open after we locked ourselves out of it. That one required fixing mouldings, the knob and a paint touch up. Then, after seeing a really cool segment on Canadian House & Home about adding character to your newly built home, I decided to paint all of our upstairs doors black. I hated the result and tried everything to paint them white again but the gods were against it and I couldn't get primer nor paint to stick to them. We decided to change the doors altogether which was a disaster. The hinges didn't line up so we had to chisel out a new location for them on the doors and we did a really poor job hanging them. In fact we still have 4 doors that are unpainted and don't close! Oh, well. At least I can knit, right? Our door troubles were't over yet though.

The front door (which we never really liked anyway) warped from the cold this winter and we had wanted to replace it with one with a window anyway so we picked out a new one before Easter and hired Home Depot to come install it. They came by on Wednesday and got it done in a few hours under Julian's watchful eye.

I really love it. It makes such a wonderful difference, especially on the inside. We no longer have to turn on a light in the entrance in the middle of the day!

All in all, I love our house. I love our town. And I really hope to live here forever!

Why do you live where you live?

Argh!

Okay, so it's been a while since my last post but it's been an especially hectic week. We had our front door changed on Wednesday and then I realised on Thursday that (holy cow) my driving exam was Friday! So I thought it about time to start studying and I realised that I really don't have the capacity to concentrate on a textbook for very long anymore. Too many distractions. Too boring. And I know it won't be the end of the world if I fail. So instead I finished this:


It's the foxy pirate sweater from Phildar knit in Aviso. And the eighth time was the charm on the intarsia medallion. Check it out!


I ended up doing something you are never supposed to do. Are you ready for this? I didn't weave in all those ends. I knotted them instead! Gasp! And I don't feel bad about it. I realised that the reason the tension was always off and uneven the first bajillion times was because I weaved in the ends as I went and it caused the stitches to pull. I tried to knit more loosely to account for the change in tension resulting from the weaving in and that didn't look good either. Then I found a site (thought I don't remember which one) that recommended square knots. Let me tell you, it didn't take long to sell me on the idea. So I knotted all those ends and dabbed the knots with some 'fray away' to make sure there's no way in heck that they'll unravel and ta-da! It's nice even intarsia! Here are some stills.

But then I really had to study. Thankfully, I have the greatest most supportive husband in the world who took the day off on Friday to baby sit while I CRAMMED! My exam was at 2pm and I started studying at 9am. That's probably why I was so nervous going into the exam. I was convinced I would fail. Too many details. The subtleties of the french exam. Multiple choice (the worse kind of test ever). My knees were shaking as I waited in line for my turn. And I really don't know why because there's no big deal. Really. If I failed one of the 3 sections, all I would have to do is go back next week and retake the section of the test that I failed. And I could keep doing this until I passed them all.

So they called my name and I went to my assigned computer terminal to take the test. I took my time. Rereading every word at least 5 times before submitting my answer, held my breath to see if I got it right and I did. Question after question. And I aced it! Took a picture. A vision test. A gazillion pieces of paper to sign and then I got it...my very own learner's permit! I'm so excited about it. Well except that I'm terrified to actually get in the car and drive! Good thing I have 8 months to learn and practice before my road test. So I haven't actually been behind the wheel yet (even though I have a permit to do so, yay!) and am not really looking forward to that part. I don't know if I should go out in a parking lot with Stephen first or if I should wait for the instructor? Well I have lots of time to procrastinate on that one ;0)

When I got home, there was a lovely little UPS package waiting for me on my back porch. It contained this gorgeous bowl:

It was handmade by the uber talented Jennifer of Knit Mama Knit and I was really excited to be her first etsy buyer (click here to check out her shop). I love this bowl! It is more beautiful than a photograph could ever capture and I just love to hold it.

I've been walking around the house with it trying to find it a suitable home. I haven't yet. So it's sitting in my lap holding the yarn, buttons and rick rack for my next project

I just realised last night that there are two yellow and orange Project Spectrum days left (including today) and I still have at least 5 projects in mind for this month. And part of me thinks it's still possible.


The totally deluded part! LOL!!! I can probably finish 2 things if Jujube will let me. Okay, maybe.

Cheers!

Pirate of the kitchen!

First up, the pirate wear! Remember Julian's incorrigible foxy pirate sweater? Yeah, that one! Well it’s been languishing in a time out for a while. I actually went one further and frogged it back all the way before putting it down last time. So all I had to go back to was piles of kinky yarn in various lengths and colours. I didn’t think I’d go back to it, but somehow I found the serenity to do so on the weekend and have knit everything but the back!

I have two fronts, two sleeves and a collar. All that’s left is the back with that cursed intarsia medallion! I wanted to do it today except that it requires the level of concentration that is impossible with Julian around these days. Now that he’s mobile, I just can’t seem to get anything done anymore. It’s even worse now that he started pillaging the kitchen.

Argh!

Warming Grace

I've been on a real bunny kick lately with Easter and all. I even managed to work a bunny into my square for the Warming Grace project. See?

Isn't it cute? It's got a basketweave stitch basket, embroidered flowers and even a bunny finger puppet inside. I had so much fun making it and I hope Grace loves it too ;0) It's going in the mail first thing Monday along with a postcard of Montreal and the other (very boring by comparison) heart square I knit before the inspiration struck.

And now some sad news. My husband's family cat, Shmootz, died very suddenly on Thursday morning. She's the younger of their two cats and just ...died. Stephen's dad was there when it happened. Apparently, she just fell to the ground and died. He figured she must have had some kind of heart attack.

The saddest thing is that Stephen and I can't even remember our last encounter with her. We were there on Monday, but don't remember seeing her. She must have been outside chasing spring bugs. She was a happy content kitty like the best of them and she will be terribly missed.

Go give your pet some extra love in Shmootz' memory.

Go on...

I'd so knit that

So my favourites folder was starting to get ridiculously long. So long that despite organising everything in folders, I still had to scroll down forever to get to the bottom. So I asked myself, self, why don't you just post them all on the blog so that you can easily find them and lead other like-minded knitters to them as well. Good idea, eh?

Oh, and check often if you're looking for cute free patterns. I'll put them here as I find them. I also made that snazzy button on my sidebar so that it will be easily accessible.

Okay, last thing before I hit you with the links, if I've linked to one of your patterns and you would rather I didn't, just drop me a line and I'll remove it. It's just that easy ;0)

Asterisks denote French language patterns.

KNITS FOR WEE ONES
pull, short et chaussettes marin*
raglan baby sweater with collar
seamless yoked baby sweater
cashmerino aran baby raglan
duo short sleeve sweater
daisy hooded cardi
anouk jumper
blu jeans
layette
poppy hat and mary jane socks
miss dashwood hat
lil' devil baby hat
cabled baby hat
pineapple hat
cupcake hat
lady bug hat
baby beret
viking cap
estonian lace baby blanket
wild stripes blanket
baby mittens with lacy cuffs
toddle scarf
soaker
picot edge preemie scoks and bonnet
Christmas tree hat and elfin socks
made with love layette
*new* lacy rib baby socks
baby fixation socks
baby 'ugg' booties
BB ripple socks (scroll down)

KNITS FOR KIDS
roll neck aran
girl's fair isle cardigan
another cute cardi*
blouson et bonnet*
blouson zippe*
very cute cardi*
pull jacquard*
top a bretelle*
pull raye*
top-down mittens for kids
lovikka mittens
toddler socks

KNITS FOR CHICKS
ribbed cardi with patterned cuffs
another fair isle sweater and hat
yoked fair isle sweater
theresa's red sweater
gilet a manche 3/4*
pull ouvert no 867*
pull col danseuse*
fair isle sweater
veste irlandaise*
shrug and tank
cable cardigan
cabled capelet
lacy cardigan
a poncho (gasp)
gilet no. 172*
aran sweater
ribbed shrug
pull evase*
gilet en v*
rosebud
bristow
pull*

KNITS FOR DUDES
ribbed raglan with funnel neck
norwegian half-zip sweater
dropped shoulder fair isle
anniversary sweater
pull en v raglan*
pull zippe*
pull col v*

SOCKS
spring grass and orchid socks
basic sock pattern in 8 sizes
samantha's fixation socks
crooked cable socks
fern leaf lace socks
falling leaves socks
cable sock pattern
river rapids socks
sheri's lace socks
cable twist socks
cable twist socks
mata hari socks
cable kilt socks
hedera socks
thuja socks

ACCESSORIES
good ole cabled scarf
my so-called scarf
mscs alternate
one hour scarf
besotted scarf
cozy lace wrap
wavy scarf
DNA scarf
snowdrift mittens
lovers' mittens
live dangerously - don't swatch hat
fluffy hat with satin bow
esther williams hat
odessa beaded hat
monmouth cap
coif headband
mary jane style slippers
plain jane slippers

WHIMSIES
felted wool and angora bunny
cabled hot water bottle cozy
zinnias flowers to crochet
hand puppet puppies
fisherman stocking
loch ness monster
sock ornament
knitted bunny
ice cream hat
peter rabbit
mr. flurry
dinosaurs
yarn balls
pasha (penguin)
eggs

DISHCLOTHS
modern-ish kitchen towels
lighthouse cloth
sailboat cloth
teacup cloth
apple cloth
love cloth
H cloth

RESOURCES
charity patterns from P2 designs
shawl pattern resources
sock knitter's homepage
knitting pattern central
Bev's country cottage
socknitters patterns
stashbuster ideas
Marnie Maclean (great stuff!)
knit animals
knitlist gifts
faery crafty (a million shawls...well, almost)
magknits
knitty

PERCENT METHOD
top down raglan
set-in sleeve cardigan
set-in sleeve pullover
drop sleeve pullover

chinese button knot

Christmas New Year Birthday Easter Socks!

They're done. They're finally done! One pair of unruly Christmas New Year Birthday Easter socks for my dear sister Helene ;0)

So I'm at my LYS ages ago perusing the new Confetti sock yarn colourways. I decide on some pretty purple and gray yarn and reach in the cubby for 2 balls. I notice that one had lost its ball band and I actually decided to buy it because it was missing a ball band. I thought it would be a good karma thing...other shoppers might not buy the ball without its ball band and the LYS would be stuck with it. I was buying two anyway and the other had a ball band with all the required info. They were obviously from the same shipment. So I purposefully bought the bandless ball out of the goodness of my heart. Big mistake!

These were the socks from hell. They were meant to be a Christmas present for my sister Helene but then this happened...remember?

I was too disgusted to pick them up again in my pre-Christmas rush so I vowed to knit them as a new year's present. But I was still angry at the giant gray stripe so decided to make them a birthday present for my sis (March 31st). I ripped out the crazy ass gray stripe and got going again but the colours never seemed to be in the right sequence.

I tried knitting from the outside and from the inside of the ball and in either case, the stripes didn't match those of the first sock. In fact, the fake fair isle gray part is a much much lighter shade than on the first sock and it only had one darker shade of purple instead of the two purple shades in the first sock. So I tried to use up as much of the leftovers from the first ball but inevitably ran out in the cuff so actually ended up cutting up the yarn at almost every stripe change and fishing through the ball for the right colour. I did this 6 times! Check out all the ends that needed to be weaved in.

This is what the finished product looks like. I'm sure my sister will love them. She's a non-knitter so she probably won't even notice the differences between the two. God love her ;0)

Now I can finally move on to another pair of socks. Oh, one other thing...I don't think I'll be knitting socks on two circs for a long long time to come. I knit these on two aero aluminum circ with awful cords that kept getting tangled in the yarn. Argh! I'm defniately a DPN girl. And I've got two new sets to try out: Addi steels and Brittany birch DPNs. It's a good thing too, if I didn't have brand new needles and tempting sock yarn, I might have been turned off sock knitting for good!

Now I'd better get cracking on those Warming Grace squares, eh! I'd like to get them to Cynthia before the end of the month. I've been checking out everyone elses squares and am really impressed with how much thought and care went into them. Off I go to find neat-o stitch patterns for my contributions. And since the only 100% cotton I have in the stash is yellow, looks like I'll have something done in yellow for Project Spectrum this month too. Oh, how I love a 2 for 1 deal ;0)

Happy knitting!

Cotton anniversary

It was on a rainy morning, two years ago to the day, that Stephen and I got married. I feel so blessed and grateful to know great love. Real love. The kind that makes your heart swell. The kind you think you can't contain. The kind that makes you warm. And fulfilled. And happy. And worthy.



We met in high school (though we both represented our respective elementary schools at 'Mathletics' in grade 6, so we may have met earlier still ;0) and while we were good friends in high school, the sparks didn't fly until college.

We would meet at the bus depot after class and wait for our buses to suburbia together. Then we would miss each others' buses on purpose so we could hang out longer. We did this a couple of times a week for 2 years! Then we finally did something about it and went on a date.

Our first date was to the jazz festival. Stephen worked at a local radio station at the time and had been offered free tickets to the JohnMcLaughlinn quintet and had asked me to join him. I didn't know who JohnMcLaughlinn was (still don't) but was excited to go on a date. I met Stephen at the radio station after his shift, but unfortunately he had to work later to record weather (I think). So I sat on a stool in the control room while he finished up by which time we had missed the show. Stephen thinks that this was when we started dating because at some point, a colleague from the station walked in and asked if I was his girlfriend (awkward, eh?) He asked me if I wanted to and I played along and said sure. He thought this was it. I thought it was a joke.

A few weeks later, we went to the fireworks competition together. In Montreal, they used to close one of the big bridges for the competition so that people could walk up and watch the fireworks from the bridge. It truly was magical. We were standing on the bridge in the dark of night looking up at fireworks which somehow mimicked how we felt inside. Stephen worked up the courage to wrap his arms around my waist. I still get goosebumps when I think of that moment. It really was electric. Later we sat on a park bench watching the crowd go by toward the subway. It was like time stood still for us as we enjoyed the closeness of each other on that bench while hundreds of people rushed by us to go home after the fireworks. It was perfect. I think that's when we started going out together.

So we never really celebrated anniversaries before we got married because we couldn't agree on when it was (we've been together 9 years and married for two of those). But now that our wedding date is etched onto our silverware, we can't argue over it anymore and instead take the time to commemorate time spent together and our great affection for each other which is exactly what we did today. And it was really nice!

Happy anniversary sweets.

Emu ;0)

Happy Easter!

We've been busy bees these past few days gearing up to Easter Sunday. We're having both our families over for lunch after church tomorrow (today) and so like many of you, we've been cleaning and planning and shopping and cooking...well and knitting of course!

I finished Peter Rabbit today and faced my fear of embroidering a friendly face too. Ain't he cute. Julian seemed thrilled for all of 30 seconds then dropped it to the floor and crawled for another toy. Oh, well. Can't win them all. Maybe he'll have more interest in him during mass tomorrow. Afterall, he is holiday appropriate and quiet enough for church ;0)

I used this pattern but made lot of modifications: I made it 25% smaller because I only had 17 yards of the navy yarn left and ran out before getting to the crotch of the pants so I printed out the pattern and basically multiplied every number by 0.75 and rounded up or down for my smaller version and it worked out great. Oh, and because I think it's hilarious, here's a picture of Peter in the making...

I knit the whole thing in the round to avoid seaming which looks so much neater this way than it would have with a seam running down the back. I also changed the ears: I didn't really like how the garter stitch looked so I worked a 10 stitch tube, folded each end lengthwise on itself and tacked it closed about 5 mm in from both the top and bottom to give it that bunny ear shape.

I'm glad I finished it too because the mailman rang on Thursday to drop off this:

How cool is that? It is the Palette sampler from Knit Picks. I ordered it to knit a nativity and advent calendar like these (scroll down and click on each booklet to see a preview of some of the pieces - amazing stuff, eh?). Talk about an early start! I figure, if I don't start now I'll never get it done in time for Christmas (especially since I'm going back to work in July). Plus, this way I can knit the pieces according to the Project Spectrum colour sequence. Ah, multitasking! So the yellow angel is first. Notice I got some orange sock yarn too which I'd also like to start this month but first, I have to finish my sisters' socks first.

And, because no post is complete without one, here's a picture of Julian on the swings yesterday.

We went to visit his cousins G and T and were compelled to go to the park together. The weather is just great these days. We took out our patio swings and barbecue too and are living it up like it's July! It's great! Burgers on the grill anyone?

Cheers!

Big boom!

All your great advice on getting baby to sleep in his own bed was very timely. Yesterday morning, Julian woke up and crawled of Stephen's side of the bed (not 15 minutes after he had left for work). I was still asleep and woke up suddenly by a loud thump and startled cry. My heart stopped. I lept to the other side of the bed and was terrified at what I might see. Luckily, it was just a big bruise on his forehead and a little scrape above his eye. There was no blood. Nothing was broken.

I feel so terrible. I knew it was going to happen and it did. I was surprised at how easily he was consoled. Within a few minutes, it was like nothing had happened. He was crawling around in the living room playing with his new new favourite toy (a brand new Ikea dish brush we got at the store on the weekend) while I watched carefully and made a million calls to my sister, grandpa, and grandma. I called Stephen home from work and Grandma dropped by to take a look at him before going to school (she's a 2nd grade teacher).

The consensus was that he did not show any signs of concussion and that this was one of many booms to come as he grows into toddlerhood and starts to be more mobile. Phew! So now, it's really time for the safety of his own crib so I am really taking all your advice to heart on how to transition. Last night we moved him into his crib once he fell asleep and he slept there until about 1am when we brought him back in our bed to nurse. My husband put large cushions all over the floor around our bed and I actually got up when he did this morning not wanting to chance a repeat. It'll be okay. I think. I hope ;0)

So now, it's time for more knitting don't you think? I found this cutest pattern for a Peter Rabbit knitted toy that I want to knit him for Easter. I have lots of leftover Bernat Satin in the right colours and so I'm off to it. I hope it knits up quickly because I need some knitting encouragement. When we last left off on the knitting I was starting the intarsia medallion on the back of the pirate sweater...well I knit it and ripped it and knit it and ripped it and knit it and ripped it...well you get the idea. The first couple of times the tension was too tight. The 3rd time was a charm. I was nearly done when I realised that I had not done the armhole shaping! Then I couldn't get it to look as good as that third time so I ripped it again and the 5th time the yarn had lost it's twist and looked terrible so I ripped it back all the way and will start again a 7th time with fresh yarn. But first, I need a Peter Rabbit break.

Before I go, I want to give Krista's parenting book blog along another plug. So if you want to read Wayne Dyer's What do you really want for your children? with us and blog about it once a week, go tell Krista ;0)

Happy Wednesday!

Got a sleep solution?

When I got pregnant, I read a lot of books about pregancy, birth and parenting. The Dr. Sears approach of natural childbirth was very appealing to me. I too thought I would want as few interventions as possible and knew for sure that I did not want to labour strapped into a birthing bed. I wanted to try things like a balance ball, massage, a hot tub session or two, walking around, etc (though I kept an open mind about the drugs which worked for me because I ended up getting an epidural at the end...next time I'll probably get it earlier ;0)

Anyhow, I was very lucky because our hospital shared the same philosophy. They have obtained a baby friendly certification from the United Nations for their nursing policies. The nurses were fantastic (everyone was fantastic) and they were an incredible source of knowledge and information and did not let us leave until nursing was well-established and all our questions about parenting were answered.

One of the things they asked us about was our planned sleeping arrangement with baby. We told them we had a nursery with a new crib set up in the bedroom next to ours. They suggested we might consider letting our baby sleep with us in our bed instead as recommended by UNICEF and the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death. We were worried about crushing him but research shows that the risk of rolling over your baby is very slim (unless you smoke, are very tired or under the influence of drugs or alcohol). Turns out that the same sense that keeps you from rolling off your bed at night keeps you from rolling onto your child (isn't nature wonderful?). Anyhow, after reading some of the documentation they provided, we decided to give it a try and I am so glad we did.

Sleeping together has been one of the sweetest part of our last 9 months together -- not to mention that it made nightime feeding sessions so easy that I can honestly say that I was never exhausted as a new nursing mom, not even during the first few weeks! And nothing beats waking up and seeing your smiling baby next to you (or even better, watching your baby wake up in the morning). Daddy likes to have him in bed with us too because it means he gets extra cuddle time with the baby. And our baby is a very secure, good-natured sweet boy who loves to cuddle with mommy or daddy, but who is just as comfortable playing on his own. So no regrets here.

The problem now though is that our 9 month old sleep crawls! Yup, you read that right. As soon as he turns onto his stomach, he instinctively pushes himself up on all fours and starts to crawl...even though he is still asleep! And I am just terrified that he will crawl off the edge (which on our king size bed is pretty high). We tried to put him in his crib the past couple of nights and both times it was really hard and completely unsuccessful.

We've tried putting him there when his eyes start closing by himself, but the minute he realises where he is, he starts to scream and cry and pulls himself up on the bar. We've tried going back in after 5 minutes to comfort him, but he cannot be comforted. He'll only stop crying when we get him out of there (which I know only teaches him that we'll get him if he cries loud and long enough...I watch supernanny!). But I am a loss as to what to try next? Should we let him cry it out? For how long? Is there another way? Have any of you managed the transition successfully? If so, please do tell. I need all the help I can get.

And because we can't think of any other way to get the word around, I too will advertise for Krista's parenting book blog-along every post until we start. If you want to read Wayne Dyer's "What do you really want for your children" book with us and blog about it chapter by chapter once a week, go see Krista to sign up. I think it'll be really worth the exercise. Parenting is something we don't talk about very much. It's almost taboo. Yet, we can gain so much by sharing our experiences and this is why I am really looking forward to seeing how everyone relates to the topics in the book and how that translates to their parenting styles. Hope you'll join us ;0)

Cheers!

Orange!

In the spirit of Project Spectrum, I did find a few new projects with some orange in them ;0) First off, this uber cute pirate coat for Julian. I placed the yarn order with my LYS a while back and it arrived yesterday. You can't see it very well in this photo, but the back has a large intarsia medallion with a picture of a foxy pirate. This will be my first significant intarsia motif and I'm hoping for the best. The pattern is from another Phildar magazine called "Tricotez Calin No. 428" from Spring/Summer 2005.

I started it this morning and compared to the Anniversary Sweater, this one is flying by. After 4 days, here's how much of my husband's sweater I got done (below). Sad, eh? Oh, and what's that in the background? Why it's my driving manual! Yup, that's right, I'm working on my new year's resolution number 4! I registered for a driving class and started the theory on Tuesday. It was actually kind of fun. I was so worried that I would be surrounded by 16 year old boys, but the most amazing thing happened.

While I was finalising my payment for the class at the front desk, I noticed that another lady (about my age) came in behind me and was speaking English with the secretary. Turns out she was a little worried that she wouldn't be able to follow along with the French instructor. So I turned to her said that I was bilingual and would be happy to help translate for her (our instructor doesn't speak English) . She was relieved and thankful and came to sit next to me in the classroom where we started chatting before the class started. Turns out, get this, she lives 2 houses down from me!!! Can you believe it? We are both stay at home moms in our late 20s, English-speaking in this totally French suburb, sans driver's license, living 2 houses away from each other and somehow both worked up the courage to finally sign up this week. I think we'll be very good friends ;0)

In blogging news...

Have you heard of the Warming Grace project? Cynthia is putting together a blanket for little Grace who is bravely going through cancer treatment. I'm going to contribute a couple of 5 inch squares to the project. Check out Cynthia's blog for more details if you want to help too.

I also joined Krista's parenting-book-blog-along (that's not the official name for it...the idea is so fresh I don't think it even has an official name yet!). The idea is to read a parenting book together and share our thoughts and reactions after each chapter. Krista suggested a book by Wayne Dyer which sounds really great. Here are the chapter headings:

• I want my children to value themselves
• I want my children to be risk-takers
• I want my children to be self-reliant
• I want my children to be free from stress and anxiety
• I want my children to have peaceful lives
• I want my children to celebrate their present moments
• I want my children to experience a lifetime of wellness
• I want my children to be creative
• I want my children to fulfill their higher needs and to feel a sense of purpose

I'm in for sure and can't wait to get my hands on this book. Don't you? Go on over to Krista's for more info or if you want in too ;0)

In the meantime, happy knitting!

It's April...

...and you all know what that means - yellow and orange baybee! Yup, this month Project Spectrum drops the red and pink like a bad habit and it's all about sunsets, lemon-meringue pie, Easter peeps and daffodils. Here is my collection of yellow and orange books to start off the month. Who knew we had this many?

I'm excited to see everyone's yellow and orange projects this month. Orange is my favourite colour but it is sadly very unflattering on me (hence the non-existence of orange yarn in my stash). So I'm not sure how much Spectrum knitting I'll be contributing this month, but I'll probably attempt at least one lemon-y desert. Lemon is my favourite anything! I really want to try my hand at a lemon-meringue pie, how delightful! If any of you have the perfect lemon-meringue pie recipe...please, please send it my way!

I also have some pretty yellow and orange fabrics so I might try a simple crib quilt for Julian. But my biggest project this month will be Knitty's Anniversary Sweater for my husband. We celebrate our cotton aniversary (2 years) on April 17th and this sweater is just the thing!

But it won't be yellow and orange (my husband is very conservative with his sweaters...it's actually kind of depressing) so I'm knitting it out of Rowan All Seasons Cotton in the "Dusky" colourway that I got from across the pond (Jannette's Rare Yarns) for, get this, $32 US for a 10 ball bag (I got 2 bags for the sweater which should be plenty)! It's my first cotton knit and now I know what y'all mean about the challenge of cotton. It is very tiring to knit and is slow gowing Check out my progress so far. And that's after 2 days of knitting! Yikes!

Before I go, I really wanted to thank you all so much for the heart-warming response to my stash flash this weekend. I didn't even know this many of you were out there! Truth is, I was trying to make my small-ish stash a little more interesting and have some fun at the same time. I took photography at university for a few years (for fun) and really enjoy setting up photo shoots and so ran with it. Glad you liked it. Your comments made my day ;0)

Cheers!

Stash day!

Today is the 2nd annual Flash your stash day. It's the day the stash comes out of its hiding spots for some time in the spotlight. So here is my stash coming out for some air...

First up, 2 balls of Sock-it-to-me out for a walk.

And a mailbox full of leftover Lett-Lopi from my husband's Hringur sweater and some Christmas mittens. Isn't our mailbox pretty? It was hand painted for us as a wedding present. The bird on the left represents my last name and the birds on the right represent my husband's last name. Notice the five little eggs next to my bird...

Teal, Celadon and Oxford Gray Peruvian Collection Pure Alpaca (from Elann) poking out of our kitchen table drawer.

Heating up some leftovers: Highland Wool (from Elann) leftover from Bristow. Brown Lopi leftover from Hringur grilling together with Brown Cashmerino Astrakhan and Cashmerino Aran leftover from my Olympic cardi. And a Le Creuset full of stewing leftover acrylic.

How 'bout a pink delight for desert! Here are a couple of balls of Phildar Frimas that were to become an Odessa hat, lots of fushia merino I know not what to do with and some other random pink leftovers.

Would you like a glass of blue? Here's a lonely ball of Bernat Satin and tiny balls of leftover blue.

And speaking of blue...here's a sinkful! Stretch Merino, powder blue Volare, lot's of Peruvian Collection Uros Aran to become a Menorah pillow, 2 balls of sock-it-to-me and way too much varigated Plymouth Cottrica (I hate that yarn!).

Rowan All Seasons Cotton throw pillow! I've got 20 balls of the stuff that I bought for a song from Janette's Rare Yarns. It will become a 2nd (cotton) anniversary sweater for my husband. What will I be knitting? Well Knitty's anniversary sweater of course!

Mmmm, candy! Here's a jar of delicious Noro Silver Thaw and random balls of leftover pink and purple projects.

And here's a trunkful of Sirdar Calypso cotton which will become an aran v-neck for Julian. There are 2 balls of Cotton Tots hiding at the back that I hope to use to make chicks!

Live it up yarn. At midnight, you're all going back to the yarn closet ;0)

Well, maybe not all of you...