Interesting? Sure. Progress? Ehn...

Go ahead. Ask me why I have pictures of hair stuff (as opposed to knitting stuff...).

1. I have nothing to show that is remotely interesting. Just progress on...stuff. You know. Long suffering WIPs.

I had planned on a showing you something new, but it hasn't arrived yet. (Oh wait, I do have sock stuff...wait for it.)

2. I'm pretty pleased with it.

Well, I actually won this stuff! Cool! I submitted a hair question (duh) to a magazine, and they chose my question as the "Question of the Month". It had something to do with long curly hair in the summer going haywire. And, I won all the stuff they recommended in the answer they provided.

Winning stuff? I could get used to it.

(Pardon the blurry picture.)

And here's another non-knitting related picture. Just to make sure no one mistook it for a snake (gross gross gross), I made sure to include the velcro attachment. Wondering what it is?
It's the lock from my bike. It may have cost close to $50, and it may be a bit heavier than most, but it probably prevented my bike from being stolen this past Saturday. I had stopped into the grocery store, and because the store (for some INSANE reason) got rid of their bike racks, I was forced to lock my bike to a metal bench in the front of the store. The front. In between two entrances. High traffic. At 9:30 in the morning.

I was in the store no more than 15 minutes, and when I came back, this is was what I saw. I'm just glad they didn't manage to cut through the cable. They just managed to dent the lock...
This is similar to the lock I have - http://www.cyclepath.ca/products/item495.htm., one that I will be purchasing again.

*sigh*

And other than that, it's been fairly quiet here.

Mae is just plain pooped after a Sunday watching the "Mad Men" marathon with Mom.

Gandalf is also just plain pooped after a Sunday watching the "Mad Men" marathon with Mom.

Atticus is just plain pooped of the rain on Sunday, and didn't see most of the "Mad Men" marathon. He was hiding from the rain most of the day.

Kind of like when Chris went through her "24" phase.

So, do these look weird? I think I'm going to have to rip them down to the ankle and start over with fewer stitches. It's really looking pretty big already, and the lace will only stretch out further. And I have small feet and bones, so this will sag considerably.

Lately, my sock skills have been less than...well, just less. :D

Oh! And I also wanted to mention!

Thanks to everyone who weighed in on Columbia's dye issue. I think I will leave it as is. Once I have it on outdoors, with a scarf and mitts and other fall/winter stuff, the colour difference will hopefully fade into the background. Anne from She Ewe Knits contacted Jamieson's for me to let them know about the problem, and they will be sending me another skein of the Traditional Aran. Actually, they were going to send me a skein of whatever I wanted, but this fit the bill for me. Good customer service is always a good thing in my books, and I'm pleased at how this turned out. Thanks Anne!

Don't Adjust Your Monitors.

So, there's good news, and not so good news.

Socks!

This is the start of the Summer of Socks '08 pattern, created by Wendy. I'm using some Henry's Attic sock yarn that was dyed 'specially for me by Chris (awww!). Because of the mesh pattern, it kind of looks a bit twisted, but it's such a pretty pattern, and is perfect in pink. What you can't see is the total mess I made of the heel...so it's a good thing no one will see that part. The heel flap is going much better.

Hearts Tunic!

The back, completed. A very simple, and very quick knit. I just love this shade of red, although it doesn't photograph well. Or, it could just be me.

And I have an FO! Wheeeee!


Columbia! All done and blocked. And tried on - no modelled shot as it's a wee bit too warm for that. It fits beautifully, although the sleeves are a bit long (but that's always the case with sleeves...).

I knit it using Jamieson's Aran yarn, 9.5 skeins of Chartreuse, using size 5mm needles. Columbia is from AS' "American Portraits".

However. Here's the bad-ish news:

Don't adjust your monitors! Do you see what I see?? No need to be polite, you can say it.

"Brigitte, what is that off-colour section at the bottom, starting at the hem??"

Why - that would be the one skein that, even though all from the same dye lot - is lighter than every other skein. The only one out of ten.

Yes, I cried. Yes, I swore.

*sigh* I still love it, and am pleased with the way it turned out. Except for that one area that sticks out like a sore thumb... A really bashed up, bruised and mangled thumb.


It will be an outdoor sweater.

"Forget about it! Do the meme instead! While I lie here."

From my lovely friend Carrie K. -

Rules: You must answer the questions using only one word.



1. Where is your cell phone? Um...
2. Your significant other? Um...
3. Your hair? Long
4. Your mother? *sniff*
5. Your father? Absent
6. Your favorite thing? Yarn
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your favorite drink? Mojitos (what?)
9. Your dream/goal? India
10. The room you’re in? Quiet...
11. Your hobby? Knitting (duh...)
12. Your fear? Snakes
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Travelling
14. What you’re not? Itchy
15. Muffins? Gluten-free
16. One of your wish list items? Maid
17. Where you grew up? Ottawa
18. The last thing you did? Sleep
19. What are you wearing? Jammies
20. Favorite gadget? MP3
21. Your pets? Funny
22. Your computer? Black
23. Your mood? Upbeat!
24. Missing someone? Yes
25. Your car? None!
26. Something you’re not wearing? Watch
27. Favorite store? Um...
28. Like someone? Heehee!
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? Morning
31. Last time you cried? ...Columbia...

"Well, if you're really that bummed about Columbia, you could always pass it on to us. You know. To lounge on and stuff. Just sayin'."

Little Gems

Have you seen this little gem? No? Well, do yourself a favor, and have a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vasc8ghyu1g


Because it's one of the funniest things I've seen on TV in a very long time... Even Gandalf perks up whenever he hears the music.


Heh.

"Oh c'mon, that song was so written for me! I mean, look at me...Danger! Danger! "

I got into one of those weird modes last week, and decided that I absolutely had to re-organize my stash... Because. You know. It makes the ridiculous volume of yarn that much more easy to sort through when you get into that must-use-it-now mindset. I have to chuckle though. How is it that I can remember (for the most part) what yarn I have and where it is, but I always loose my pen at work and can't remember where I put my head on any given day?? Anyway, as I was putting things away, I noticed Little Dude Gandalf lounging amongst the Mission Falls.

Sinks. Behind toaster ovens. Under rugs. Knitting bags. It's all fair game to him.

So, I had every intention of posting this past week, but one thing or another got in the way, including a nasty bee sting (I'm not allergic, but I do get a reaction after after being bitten); an allergic reaction to mineral makeup face powder (who knew that one of the ingredients, bismuth oxy-chloride, would actually be pushing chemical particals into my skin...); a surprise party for my boss' upcoming wedding; and so on...

Anyway.

But it didn't stop me from doing this...

You see. Now that Columbia is waiting to be seamed, I decided I needed something relatively simple to work on while "distracted" (watching TV) - enter Hearts Tunic, from Jamieson's Simply Shetland 3 book. I'm knitting it using Jamieson's Heathered Aran in "Lacquer". The colour is actually a deeper red than what appears above. Anne's shade chart is a better representation of the deep red. Now that the bottom trim section is complete, it is moving along quite quickly.

And not to worry!

My other WIPs - Laleli, Delores, Fulmar and Arangenser? They haven't been forgotten - they just require a bit more...attention. Something I don't always have at the end of work day. And if I'm really feeling particularly hazy, then I just work on the straight 12" of stocking stitch required for the body of my Dale - Sapporo 2007.

(Oh, ow! Musn't allow small black cats to jump directly on bee sting while sitting in this chair. Ow ow ow!!)

"...*snore* *snore* mmmpphhhhmmmmffff *snore* *snore*..."

And Atticus would like to thank everyone for his birthday wishes. Also. Now that he's 10, he has earned the right not to have to put up with silly birthday hats.

How Time Flies

It seems like just yesterday.

I was still a natural strawberry blonde *cough cough*. I thought knitting lace was kinda cool. I had no clue what a blog was. Probably because I was still using dial-up. And a Gandalf? What's that?

That's because it was all about this little man.

My Baby Atticus!

(Hey Lorraine, those eyes have NOT changed, have they?!)

Do you think he uh, grew into those ears??!

"Funny, I don't feel old..."

He turned all of 10 years old on Saturday! I look at him now and think - wow, you were once the size your head is now.

He's been my constant companion and best friend since then. A little wild as a kid. And sure he thought his name was "Psycho-stop-it" there for awhile. But a more loyal and loving cat I've never known. He may be grumpy, crotchety and slow sometimes, and he likes for Mae and Gandalf to clean his head just so, but he's kind and tolerant towards them.

We sang him happy birthday, and he whacked at my hand with his paw, and hissed when I tried to do the party hat thing on him. So he got some Creamy Dairy treats and a piece of cheese instead of tuna, seeing how that really doesn't agree with him any longer...


Then the thunder started up again, and he went and hid under a chair. The first time he ever heard thunder, he peed on the rug, so I suppose the chair thing is much better all around.

Na-Nu Na-Nu


Hey! Look at these! My Mork socks are DONE.



Actually, the striping came out somewhat even on both socks. But still nowhere near what the shows up on the picture... But hey. That's what handmade socks are all about - being unique. And boy are these puppies unique...


Next? I'm using some sock yarn dyed for me by Chris last year. It's a yummy mix of pinks and purple - colours up to now sadly missing from sock wardrobe. I'm going to be a bit bold and actually try a pattern this time around - Wendy's Cabletini sock pattern. So these shall be my "Chris-tini socks"...


Hee hee.

Errors in Knitting Judgement


Oh, c'mon! We all have them! And I have a few...um, memorable ones. Chris showed off her "Gimme 5" vest. And really, I have nothing but sympathy for her. I once made a corset style vest from Knitty out of some Big Blue thick/thin yarn from Fleece Artist. Which, on paper should have worked out. But man, was it ever hideous. The yarn was totally wrong for the project... Oh, and the colour? Actually almost the same as the one Chris used on her ill fated vest.


But, the #1 ghastly error in judgement, for which I'm still wondering about myself, is the pink stole I made with 2 strands of this fluffy (albeit really soft) icky pinky pukey fake velour knock off crap that I still to this day cannot believe I thought would look good. Or bought. I can honestly say that the colour did look different in the store (that big, dark dungeon of a store on Queen West here in Toronto...). Which has happened to everyone. What cannot be excused however is the fact that I STILL MADE THE FREAKIN' STOLE. Complete with long, I-cord knitted fringe.


Oh Lord. At some point, one of the cats, probably Mae, mercifully barfed on it, and that was that.

Even if I still had it around, you couldn't pay me enough (well, I could maybe have been bought with a few VY kits...) to post a picture of all it's hideousness. I tip my knitting cap to Chris for having the 'nads to show her error in knitting judgement. Although her guys were all over that thing... But, I'll go halfway, and show you a "partial" picture - here's one of Atticus sleeping on it. And he's sweet enough that it distracts you from what he's sleeping on...




OK. I have to know that there are others out there who have knit equally hideous bright baby pink velour stoles with long scary looking fringe somewhere in there past. Yes. Even Marina.

Consider this a "tagging" to anyone who reads! And if you post the pictures, even better.


Heh.

The Heat Is On

"...stupid storms...making all that stupid loud noise..."



"...*blink blink blink*..."



"...*slurp* *glug glug glug* *slurp*..."

Although we're not quite at the height of summer yet - it feels like we are. I'm OK, but the guys have had better days... Poor Atticus becomes a big puddle of cat-goo when the summer thunder storms roll in. Gandalf becomes confused, and then freaked out when his curiosity gets the better of him and he peeks out the window to see what all of the commotion is about. Mae? She LOVES it. She'll sit by the window, rain could be pouring in and she's not the least bit afraid! She may have hated the old vaccum, but thunder? Lightning? Heavy rain? Bring it on.

My nifty dual window fan is working like a charm... It has one fan suck the stale air out, and another to circulate the air within the apartment. And it does an amazing job of getting rid of the humid air. And it won't be a drain on my electricity bill.

And who knows? I may be able to actually get some heavy duty wool knitting done. Because, let's face it. Cotton? Just doesn't work for me.

I found out the hard way this past week that organic cotton and rain really doesn't make for a winning combination. It was cool enough this past Thursday for me to wear my Gingko Leaf tunic (thanks everyone for the thumbs up on finally finishing it!). However. The rain thing, and being caught in it. Not only did it dry to shape on me - it uh, smelled. Really bad. Not quite wet silk bad. But close. And no. It wasn't me. It was definitely Gingko Leaf. Why didn't I notice the smell when blocking it? Probably because it was outside while drying, and then spent 30 minutes in the dryer. Well. I'll just have to soak it a lot longer when I wash it next, and wait until a sunny, cool day to wear it again.

Needless to say, I've zzz-ed any current cotton or cotton blend WIPs in Ravelry...

In case you thought the funky Mork socks had been abandoned.

Not at all! They match up...somewhat. I would have tried them on, only I, uh, kind of made the cast off edge of the finished sock a wee bit too tight. So, I'll be redoing that. Now that I see them side by side, I like them much more. The colours may be a bit off, but hey! They're handmade socks. They're allowed to be different.

A Hmmmm Question:

If you had a second copy of AS' "Book of Fair Isle Knitting", where would you sell the second copy? eBay? Ravelry?

I've recently come across a second copy of the book, and I'm thinking - this could be lucrative... Should I hold on to it?

Hmmm...

What Does A Gingko Leaf Look Like Anyway?

You may want to sit down for this one. I know I can hardly believe it myself.

Here she is - my Gingko Leaf tunic. Only took me 3 years, but it's done!

DONE!

What - Gingko Leaf Tunic from Fiddlesticks Knitting

Deets - Knit with Ecoknit organic cotton, using 3.5mm needles. It's knit in the round to the underarm, and the sleeves are knit flat.

Now. Don't get me wrong. The pattern is perfect. No errors, no omissions, and everything you could think of is explained to you clearly. The yarn, although splity and "fluffy", does wash beautifully and comes out even softer after a 15 minute run through the dryer. But, let's face it kids. It took me over 3 years to finish this thing - and it has nothing to do with the design or the pattern. The lace work was fine - you can't go wrong with the pattern. I worked on it in spurts. It's just that cotton...and Brigitte...ehn. I'm just not a cotton fan. But I do love this, it really is a beautiful piece and it fits nicely. It will stretch out - after I washed it, it had doubled in length.

Still. I'm wondering why I have nearly 4 skeins left of the Ecoknit...?

Who cares?? IT'S DONE!!!!!!!!!

Look what I received from the Sheriff!

Is that not the cutest little teapot?!! It has a little replica Atticus on the top of the lid. And Lorraine is bound and determined to have me beading. The kit in the back is a little beaded Christmas Santa scene. There were a few other gifties including some yarn and Christmas ornament (Lorraine knows how to spoil her friends!) - and of course some treats for the Little Dudes.

"Auntie Lorraine rocks! She says I'm handsome and her darling and never says I'm chunky."

Atticus obviously loved the treats.

As did Baby Mae. Who actually stuck around for a bit and didn't run and hide the minute her Auntie Lorraine came into the room.

"I may have had to beat back Gandalf for my share, but just try and keep me away from my Creamy Dairy treats."

"What's chunky? Do you mean tubby, Atticus? What? You want me to come down and say that to you? Um...why? Oh... No, I'm good. I'll, uh, stay up here..."

Lorraine also mentioned in her latest post how off the wall the weather has been here... All over the place. It's hard to believe that it's the first of June today! Regardless, it hasn't kept me off my bike.

On my way home from work one day last week, I ran into my neighbour. I hardly recognized him at first - his face was covered in bandages. While riding his bike on a downtown Toronto street (Carlton, in front of the old MLG, for you Torontonians), he hit a pothole and went sailing over the top of his handle bars. As a result - his jaw is wired shut, and will be for 4 - 6 weeks; he had one tooth pulled; a broken nose; 27 stitches from his lip up his cheek and various other scrapes and scratches; and two huge black eyes. Not to mention the road burn and bruises on his legs. The impact cracked his bike helmet.

And he's an experienced rider.

He said he doesn't remember the accident. He does remember getting up off the ground not realizing what had happened, ready to get back on his bike. Bystanders had to restrain him from getting back on his bike until the ambulance arrived. Adrenaline... They kept him overnight at the hospital for observation.

You can never be too careful, regardless of where you're riding. And wear your helmet!

(Ugh, Gandalf is being all goofy and licking the backdoor screen again... ) *sigh*

Have a good - and safe - week everyone!

Dog Days

It was a lovely time in St. Catharines. The wisteria and lilacs were starting to bloom, and everything was green and refreshing. Nice after a long, long winter. And if you needed more proof that warmer weather was close at hand - a little surprise waiting for me on my sister's back deck.

A robin's nest with 4 squawking baby robins! If you look closely, you can see the fuzz on one of their little wee heads.

It's amazing how quickly they grew. In 4 days, the went from fuzzless little rubbery balls, to having wings and feathers, and being able to see their heads from the top of the nest. Mom and Dad birds spent their days catching worms and other...gross...stuff.

Yum.

Finnegan acting shameless. A small dog...a large cat...pretty much the same.

Here's Finnegan sleeping another one off. He's somehow managed to wedge his head under his favourite Sheepie (um, yes, that would be from me. Yes. It's a sheep.).

It may have rained, but that's OK. I had a great time, full of yummy eats and good laughs! It's great to get away and spend time with Finnegan and his Moms. And it's also nice to come home!

"Hey, you're back. Well woop-dee-do."

I was well received, despite the long-ish absence...

And while I was away - a little someone had a birthday!

Look at how tiny he was!

"Happy birthday to me...happy birthday to me...lalalalalalalala...and I look like one too..."

And as far as knitting... I did finish my first Mork sock, and got started on the second one. I also made good progress on my Twice as Nice t-shirt, however I'm growing less and less fond of the colour. Stay tuned for that one...

Finnegan is pooped out after my visit. You know, the life of cat and that of a dog - pretty similar in some ways.

Next post - I'll show off some gifties from Lorraine, as well as my flowers. And hopefully an FO. Hopefully...