Training Update

I did some swatching last night....
It's the Capricorn Bulky that I was given a big bag of from a friend at work. 50% acrylic, 50% nylon, and it's fuzzy. My tension was good on the first try (perfect for stitches, but two extra for rows. How can my stitches be the right width, but not the right height? How do I fix that?)

Anyway, I am planning on using it for this:

It's the Eyelet Pullover from Fall 2005 Vogue Knitting.
It's gonna be my knitting olympics challenge! I have officially signed up at the Yarn Harlot's site and for Team Canada at marmalade.ca.

Why will it be a challenge for me?

• keeping track of the lace pattern while enthusiastically cheering on Canadians could get messy
• I've never used a provisional cast-on
• I've never knit with anything so fuzzy
• and I'm sure that getting it to fit will be a challenge!
  

Aah... a finished project

The diaper bag is finished and gifted.... It was fun to do, but by the end was really big, a lot of yarn! They said they loved it though, so that's cool. I just hope it holds up.

I bought some wooden toggles for buttons, and just cut the button holes with scissors, then stitched around them with embroidery thread.


I've got some pics of the inside up. The one big pocket on the inside didn't felt quite as well, so I put a button in there to keep it closed. The little "key" pocket felted so wonky! I guess it has something to do with my cast on row being tighter than the cast off row. I guess it adds character though.

It's a pretty good size. I told her that if it didn't work for her, i could easily use it as a knitting bag!

Knitter Recovers from Drug Scandal in Time for 2006 Olympics

Ok, I'm a joiner. After the mention of an opening ceremonies pub night, I couldn't resist. I have a drinking problem AND a knitting problem.
Kelly set up a Team Canada blog, so check it out.
I'll let you know what event I'm going with tomorrow. Right now I need to sleep.

Felt Me Baby, One More Time

Bad pun, but I couldn't think of anything better.....

Today was felting the diaper bag day. It took four runs through the washing machine. It was certainly an interesting process.
Here is the bag this morning before I left:
Pretty huge. I put four pockets inside it too, making it even bulkier. (Yes, I know I look terrible, I had just gotten out of the shower, and don't have any makeup on, making my skin look incredibly pasty and blotchy)
I was worried about the pockets felting to the bag, so I cut up an old dishcloth and pinned pieces inside. They came out after the first wash, the pins were pulling through, and I was getting little pieces of discloth all over it.

This is a picture of me (still no makeup, but dry hair) working hard on my grad school letter while I felt . NOT! I'm playing Scrabble. Thanks Mom for buying me Scrabble for the computer, I love it! It will really come in handy when I live in my trailer and don't feel like knitting!


These are some baby booties I had knit up when I first got my felting book last year, but I hadn't felted them yet. They only went through 3 times. I love them! They were knit with Paton's Classic Merino, which I really like for felting. They may become the staple baby gift for me to make... but I think they may need to be a bit smaller. I picked up some black ribbon to replace the waste cotton (which is holding the YO holes open during felting).
And here is the diaper bag drying on two boxes. It didn't turn out quite as I had hoped, but still pretty cool. It shrunk quite a bit height wise, but not as much width wise, so it's short and long (kinda like a knitting bag!), and the pockets didn't felt nearly as evenly as the rest of the bag. They might have worked better if I had felted them separately and then sewed the pocket in afterwards. Who knows, and it doesn't really matter now, does it!

After felting, I immediately went shopping for the notions for it. It seems that the intersection of Victoria Park and Eglington is a little bit of a crafter's mecca. Zellers, Walmart, Fabricland, BouClair and Lewiscraft, all within a kilometer or so of each other. I got some wooden toggle buttons for closures, and a couple of options to hold the straps together, but I'll worry about that when it's dry.
I also found the second Sally Melville Book for half price, score! I'm not sure if there are any patterns I particularly like, but it has some great basic instructions and ideas in it, I'm sure I'll refer to it quite a bit.


Today is election day in Canada. I am really quite afraid of what the outcome will be tonight. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are so right wing, it makes me feel sick to my stomach thinking about them in power, which seems to be what the polls are saying. How can anyone vote for a party that supports the war and violence in the middle east, and doesn't think that al humans should have equal rights? Yes, I am aware of the sponsorship scandal the Liberal Party was involved in, but really, don't you think everyone does it, and they just got caught?

Look at the Size of This Thing!

I can't believe how big this thing is! I can't wait to felt it and see how it turns out. I'm doing a big side pocket right now, thinking it will go inside, maybe two smaller pockets for bottles, and definitely a smaller pocket for keys and things.I haven't looked at the letter of intent essay since I sent it off for edits to my editing team, but I'm sure I'll spend Sunday stressing about it again!

Beaches Stitch 'n Bitch

Woo Hoo! I went to a stitch 'n bitch this evening. Finally, I am no longer knitting in isolation, hidden away in my wee little apartment, starting to graft to the couch (ugh, I just had images of the episode of nip/tuck. yuck)
Anyway- all really nice people, it was so cool to see what they're knitting, and the yarns they're using. But now there are so many more projects I want to knit. Argh.
Anyway, almost finished the strap of the behemoth diaper bag. It's really freaking big. Then I'll just knit up some pockets, and felt away.
Sorry, too lazy for pics right now. Maybe tomorrow.

Aah....

Woo Hoo..... with a little motivation from friends on the phone and on-line, I have completed the first draft of my letter for grad school!
So, what next you ask? What exciting things will I do on this fine Sunday evening?
I will drink wine (in a short glass... so I'm less likely to spill)
and continue to knit the yarn sucking "namesake" diaper bag

while I watch 24.

Procrastination

I'm supposed to be working on my "letter of Intent" for my grad school application right now. As you can see, I'm not. I've got myself all worked up over it, and in fact have given myself a bit of an upset stomach. I want to take a nap!
I'm having flash backs to high school. I used to do this all the time. I'm one of those perfectionist procrastinators. If I'm not sure I'm gonna do it perfectly, I avoid it. I think it's one of the reasons I hated high school so much, feeling like this. It's horrible, and I really wish I could get over it.
How am I ever going to do well in this program, if I can't even write this stupid letter! I think I'm gonna go have a little cry now.
No, I am really smart,and I am really good at my job. This program will be lucky to have me, so I am going to whip off this essay, and all will be well.

If it doesn't work out, I think I'll give up on this whole career thing.... buy myself a trailer, get knocked up a few times, and live the high life on welfare...... then I would have more time to knit!

I'm a Bad Poster.

Yeah, I'm not so good at this lately....
But, here I am, after 2 beers,and the words are a-flowing ( I am such a lush, but it is Canadian beer, eh?).

Back to work last week- ugh. I really wasn't looking forward to that. Really, not so bad though. Being back at work reminded me that my application for school is due soon, oh so soon. Did I ever mention that I can be a major procrastinator? Yup, I'm the queen. In university I would do everything (including rearrange my furniture) before sitting down to study or write an essay.
So, I have my two reference letters, and now have to write a "letter of intent". eek. I don't even know where to start. It has to be done and mailed in like 15 days.

Being back at work for a full 40 hours the first week was a little too stressful, so I took Saturday off to help a friend move. I hate moving. In fact, I hate it so much that even I, the Scottish cheap, financially retarded girl hires movers. why don't all my friends?

I've developed an addiction to "Rollergirls". Why don't they have roller derby's here? I would totally try it. Not that I can rollerskate or anything. But I could learn (if I didn't procrastinate about getting going). A friend and I were thinking it would be fun to roller skate on the waterfront trail and knock all the annoying Running Room Run Club people off the trail. There are far too many of them. Go away.

On the fitness front- I started swimming on my lunch hour. There is a pool at the hospital I work at, so we can swim for free. I've been avoiding it for 6 years now, making up excuses, but I got my butt in there last week. I felt like such a lame-o. All these healthy people doing the front crawl for an hour straight, me doing a little front crawl, lots of breast stroke, and lots of breaks. Today was a little better, I at least made sure I did one length crawl, and one length breast stroke. Having a plan helps. Now I just have to start running again....

Considering I spent $200 on new running gear the other day......

AND, yesterday I went to visit Tracey and Rachel. Oh so cute! I didn't want to put the baby down, she was so warm and cuddly!

What about knitting? What the heck do you think I procrastinate with?!
I started the diaper bag (using the messenger bag pattern). I did the bottom with 2 strands, to make it a little thicker, and I started knitting it in the round. I figured that would eliminate seaming, and would help keep the stripes of the Noro lined up, but then realized I was using the herringbone stitch, which has a specific pearl stitch and a specific knit stitch..... after some fiddling around, I figured out a sort of matching stitch from the right side. Thank goodness felting hides boo boos!

Well, I've likely babbled enough, and probably made a bit of a fool of myself.....
Have a great night!

It's a girl!

She had a little girl this morning: Rachel Dianna, 7lbs, 8oz. I drove out to see them this afternoon. Everyone is doing well, and Rachel is soo cute! She has auburnish hair that looks like it's going to be curly.
While I was waiting for the call, I finished the monkey I started eons ago.....

I'm so happy for them, and they're so happy, I really didn't want to leave!

New Year Baby

My best friend is having her baby right now. She went in for a pre-scheduled c-section 39 minutes ago, so there should be a baby any minute now!
I'm so excited, I haven't been able to sleep, and I'm not really functioning very well at the moment. I don't want to do anything in case I miss my phone call! So, I'll sit on the couch in my pyjamas until the phone rings.....

I made these little hats for them. Their house gets really cold in the winter, so they'll need to keep the baby's head warm.
I've also started a scrapbook for her. I just decorated all the pages, and put titles on some of them, so she can just put the pictures in when she gets them. I also did 12 calendar pages so she can write in when everything happens.... like first smile etc.
And, I have 12 balls of Noro Kureyon to make a diaper bag for her. I was planning on adapting the Booga Bag pattern, but after some advice from the knitlist, I've decided to try something different. I'm thinking of adapting the Messenger Bag pattern in Stitch ' n Bitch Nation, making it a little bit bigger and adding lots of pockets.

Back to waiting......