Does This Still Count?

On Sautrday I went and bought a flat of strawberries...

I washed and hulled them and put them into the blender...

After the addition of some sugar, some lemon juice and pectin, they magically turned into jam...

The small bottles on the right we used for "jam bombing" around the office, but the big ones, will help to sustain Younger Son through the long, cold, winter months.  Spoiled and fussy child (not really) only really like homemade jam...  10 quarts of strawberries turned into jam.  Here is hoping it meets his needs for the next year!

Mittens: Fun and Functional (aka Finished Objects That I Know I Haven't Posted)

Okay, so I'm being a little tech-stupid today, so I'm going to put all of the text at the end. 
The topic of the day is "Mittens:  Fun and Functional"...  From the top:  Older Son's "Talking Hands" mittens.  The pattern is "Recess for Grownups".  The middle:  Jocelyn's "Hearts Afire" mittens.  The pattern is "Freja".  And at the bottom, we have Emily's "Soaring High" mittens.  The pattern is "A Bird in the Hand Mittens #1".  They are all knit out of Briggs and Little Sport weight yarn - a very serviceable "local" yarn.

Up next:  "Socks:  Because No One Wants Cold Feet".

Happy Victoria Day!

Last minute preparations...

Today here in Canada is Victoria Day.  Today also marks the first day of the official visit of Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duschess of Cornwall, to Canada as part of the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee year.  Given Mr. Me's active involvement with politics, we managed to get an invitation to the event.  So in honor of the event, I will let the photos from the event tell their own story.  I might not always agree with his politics - but I must admit that I DO like some of the perks!

Where the Royals were going to sit...

The Royal arrival.

Inspecting the troops.

The Lieutenant Governor

The Duchess of Cornwall

The drum major.  Gotta love a man in a kilt!

The man who will someday be King.

And see?  I was really there, too - wearing a handknit beaded sweater...!

Ode to a Monster

 Everyone needs a favorite monster, right?  Well, as far as I can tell, Older Son's favorite monster is none other than Cookie Monster!  Despite the fact that we live in a camouflage and ball cap kind of area, my Older Son decided about 3 years ago that he just wasn't a ball cap kind of guy and he has been wearing "beanie" style hats ever since...  There have been a few of them.  There was the Archery Beanie.  Then there was the black beanie with the white skull...  Then there were 2 white beanies with black skulls...  The second white beanie wasn't all that old when suddenly I realized that I hadn't seen it for a while and Older Son started to ask for a Cookie-esque hat.  It was only once I had made the new hat that I was told what had happened to the last hat.  He had given it away - to a GIRL!!!  I was seriously not impressed.
I was telling the other knitters about this at my last monthly knit night.  One of the older and clearly wiser knitters pointed something out to me:  that I had been paid quite a compliment!  A hand knit hat wouldn't likely be the first choice for a keepsake for most teenage boys.  She also very rightly pointed out that the influx of hat requests from his friends is also a compliment.  Sometime it is very useful to have a different perspective on things.  Thanks, Joan!

My "go to" hat pattern has become this one.  I have never made it as written and have never used the original skull, but I have used the basic hat part MANY times.

(Almost) Instant Gratification

With everything going on at work these days, and sometimes feeling overwhelmed at home, too - it isn't easy being a wife, mother and employee all at the same time - I felt the need to accomplish something recently.  Start to finish.  Period.  Where did I turn?  To my knitting, of course!  Specifically, a baby sweater.  It had no intended recipient, I just needed something that I could start and complete and be satisfied with the product.  Isn't it cute???
I took it to my knitting group for "Show'n'Tell" at our last meeting.  The next day I received an e-mail from one of our beginner knitters asking if I would sell it.  Her great-niece had just had a baby girl.  SOLD!!!  She was pleased to be able to give a handknit sweater.  I was pleased that the sweater had found itself a good home.  Handknitting won't make you rich, but if you can cover the cost of your yarn, it is all good. 
The yarn is SMC Baby Wool in Light Pink.  The pattern is Bolero A.  It is a nice washable wool - although dry flat - that is a good price point, with great colours.  I really enjoyed knitting this little sweater.

Why, Yes - I DO Still Knit!

Let's not examine how long it has been since I posted any finished objects, 'kay? I really do still knit! Perhaps I should pull out the camera a bit more often, just to prove it.

These socks were given to the recipient today. It was her birthday on Sunday, but since that isn't a work day, I had intended to give them to her yesterday, but that foolish time change thing has my poor little brain more than a little bit muddled.

I present Trish's birthday Jaywalkers! The yarn is Red Heart, Heart and Sole, in Green Envy. I saw the colour, and I just *knew* what it wanted to be.

From Trish's reaction, I believe we have yet another successful sock adoption.

Winter Wear

Yup - the thermometer and all the white stuff on the ground confirms that it is indeed WINTER! Now I don't think that I would want to live somewhere where there weren't really four seasons, I do find that Winter always seems to stick around far longer than it really needs too... Mr. Me and Older Son enjoy skiing, but for someone like myself who is perhaps a little accident prone, hurtling down a hill at any sort of speed does not seem like the smartest idea ever. I tried it once. I didn't even make it to the top of the bunny hill... I'm telling you, it just isn't natural!

So - what do I recommend to help oneself get through the long and cold days of Winter? Handknit Winter Woolies, of course! Let's start with my newest hat. I'm calling it my Violet Hat in honour of the colourway of the yarn. It's original name is Asminah's Hat and you can find the pattern here. I'd agree with Kody May that the hat is hard to photograph, but it was a nice fun and easy knit. I did modify the crochet edging a bit. My final round is reverse single crochet, since I like the kind of picot look that it creates. One ball of yarn... Almost nothing left. We'll call that an efficient use of yarn. Right - so that is my head taken care of... Let's move on to the neck. I've talked about it and it has been done for a while, but I've only just gotten around to gets pictures of it - my Flutter Scarf! Malabrigo Lace in Cactus Flower, which I don't see in the colour selection but is a great shade of pink... Yum...

And since I can't leave anything alone it seems and like sparkly stuff, I added some beads to the cast off edges. I love, love, love this scarf. Hope that it looks as good on me as it does on the newel post!

Normal Service

Attention all blog readers who may have survived my unexplained absence, we will now attempt to resume normal service...
I could try and claim that I had been abducted by aliens or was just recovering from H1N1, but the reality is that nothing in my life seems to be either simple or normal these days. Why? Who the heck knows!
Part of it may be that I'm feeling more than a little disgruntled with humankind in general in most aspects of my life. Ever since I started blogging, I have always posted a Remembrance Day post because I truly think that it is important to acknowledge the sacrifices that have been made, and are being made, to protect our way of life. This year I didn't. I couldn't imagine what was going through the minds of the people who did this the weekend before Remembrance Day. And then to read about thieves stealing poppy money? Too much!
And while I haven't really had H1N1, it hasn't been far from anyone's mind recently it seems. Here in New Brunswick, children under 18 have been identified as a priority group, so both of my boys have had their shots. Younger Son may have to get a second shot, since he is only 9, but at least we've started the process. Do I mind waiting in line to get my kids vaccinated? No. Do I mind waiting to get my shot? No. I am quite certain that there are others far more in need of the vaccine than a 45 year old woman who is in good health. Do I mind people lying so that they can get theirs'? Yes!!! Especially when it means that people who are either more susceptible to infection or more likely to be required to attend to people who are ill don't get their shot.
When I look at this overall, it makes we wonder about the state of our society in general. More and more we seem to be living in a world where individuals seem incapable of feeling and demonstrating compassion, empathy and basic morality. It makes me cranky! And I'm pretty sure that you don't all want to read cranky blog posts all the time. Sometimes - sure - but not all the time.
What's that? Knitting? Yes! I have been knitting. The problem is that I haven't been taking photos... I currently have a February Lady Sweater, a Flutter Scarf and some basic socks actively on the needles. I also have a pile of "to be photographed and blogged about items", too. Maybe I should go and plug in the camera batteries to recharge...
To anyone still out there, thanks for sticking around. I hope that you're all enjoying a lovely weekend!

Two Thumbs Up...

Here are the photos of the aforementioned socks...

What is the rating? Older Son says "Two thumbs UP!"

His brother seems to be less opinionated... Strange that!

Still Oscar...

Wow! I can't believe that I haven't posted for almost 3 weeks. Maybe it is because I'm still feeling kind of cranky and I don't want my blog to be a continuous stream of rants?
So I had the best of intentions of posting photos of FOs tonight. Finished objects that it, not pics of me telling people to FO consistent with the cranky theme... Although I try to tell them to PFO since you should always mind your manners and say "Please".
Both sons have new socks for back to school. Older Son has a pair of 2 by 2 garter rib socks in a variegated green colourway called Ivy Trail Poems Sock Yarn and Younger Son has a pair of 3 by 1 rib socks in Red Heart Heart and Sole in a colourway called Congo. I rounded up the socks. I rounded up the kids. I took photos. The camera batteries then died... The batteries are in the charger. Photos soon I hope!
Perhaps the fact that the last few months have been exactly like this all the time explains the crankiness in part...???

Hey - Where'd It Go?

That would be April that I'm talking about... One post from me in April - an all time low! I'll blame it on fiscal year end and being really busy at work and not wanting to look at a computer when I got home. That might also explain why I haven't been doing much blog reading either. I really hope that I haven't miss any big moments in anyone's lives... Once you add in the new computer, things get pretty busy... Oh - and let's not forget a sleepover birthday party with a gang of 9 (or almost) year old boys. Fun? Wow!!! (Actually, they are all good kids, so I have no complaints. Younger Son's friends go to sleep - unlike Older Son's friends...)
Amongst all of that I have been knitting. Although truth be told, some of these FOs go back to March...
First up - The Carribean Seascape Stole. I'd rotate the pics, but I can't figure out how with the new system.

Then we have the Pink Swallowtail. This was a surprisingly quick knit. It isn't really a shawl, more of a shawlette, but the finished object is exponentially more impressive than the effort required. And it is just one skein! I may have to consider making a few more of these for Christmas gifts.

To keep my toes warm, my Seaweed Socks. Why "seaweed"? The colourway is called "Kelp".

For the hands, a pair of Delicato Gloves. I love these! Our mornings are still quite chilly (I've had to scrape the frost off the car within the last week), so fingerless gloves are my current BFF.

For even chillier days, I have my Anemoi Mittens. I bought the pattern for these about 2 years ago. Why I didn't make them sooner, I will never know. I loved knitting them and can't wait to wear them. They aren't an easy knit, but well worth the effort.

I'll try to get a few more details about the projects up on Ravelry. Think that the time has come for the Flickr upgrade...

Happy knitting everyone!

Rest in Peace Old Computer

For a while now our old home computer had been feeling "ill". Last Friday night it did the computer equivalent of gasping for breath and whispering in a weak and tragic voice "I just can't go on any longer..." Then it died. It was only 4 years old, but that is about a bazillion in computer years it would seem. The guy at the computer store on Saturday was impressed that it had lasted so long. (Please no comments about the brief mourning period. I know that I'm crass.)
I will miss the old computer. I miss its keyboard already. The new one is flatter and smaller... I miss my bookmarks. We didn't even have time to try and export them anywhere. However, between a "well" computer and the completion of Fiscal Year End 08-09, I hope that I will get to spend a little more time blogging. I've been missing it!
Oh - and for those of you who have asked about details on my pink hoodie, try this Ravelry link. I still can't figure out where I put the pattern book. Somewher safe, I'm sure.

Goodbye March!

Dear March,

Thanks for coming and spending 31 days again with us this year. Sorry to say it, but this year it felt longer. You started off in that foul temper with snow and I had honestly thought that you would think better of leaving us with more snow, but you have a mind of your own, don't you?

Now the kids didn't mind getting off school at noon yesterday because of your tantrum, but enough already! I would have thought that you might have kept the charm up until the end so that we would look forward to seeing you again next year. And let's face it, you were very, very charming last week.

Remember how warm you were? Last Thursday evening I decided that I had better get my pink wool hoodie all stitched up so that I could wear it Friday. I was afraid that it might be too warm before I had a chance to wear it otherwise. Boy was I wrong! On the plus side, I really like the sweater and I'm glad that I got it done.

If you're lucky - and face it, most years you are - memories of your tantrums will fade over the next 11 months and I'll look forward to seeing you in 334 days.

Much love,

Miss Me

P.S. I'll post some FO details once I can find them... It is Paton's Classic Wool and a Paton's pattern, but that is about all that I can give you right about now.

Spring Potholes

As anyone who lives in a Northern climate knows, Spring means potholes...! It is the result of the repeated freezing and thawing that our roads must endure. In many respects, it could be considered a rite of passage from the bitter cold, ice and snow of Winter to the heat, humidity and haze of Summer.
In the Fall 2003 edition of Knitters, there was a collection of sweaters that had "road names". I knit "Soft Shoulders". Over the years it has become one of most favourite sweaters. Imagine my dismay when I discovered that much like our seasonal roads, my sweater had developed a "pothole"...!

This clearly was not a "cold patch" kind of job. I had a bit of a time finding the right yarn in the stash for the mending, but since I can't positively identify the "patch" in the after photo, I must have done alright! Either that or it is another example of my less than excellent photographic skills.Like most knitters, I don't really enjoy darning, but I would have missed my beloved sweater too much if I didn't make the effort to fix it.

Groundhog Days Socks

Back on Groundhog Day, I attended some mandatory work training. For me, mandatory work training often equals KNITTING TIME! I've had them done for a while, but here, 28 days after they were started are my Spring Forward (aka Groundhog Day) Socks. I think that the yarn is an OnLine yarn but I can't find the label right now... The colours of the yarn make me think of Spring flowers like crocus' (what the heck is the plural of "crocus"?) and tulips.
Here in New Brunswick, it is March Break this week but it really isn't looking like Spring outside! The Sons are off in Nova Scotia visiting with MIL. I had originally planned on driving back from taking them down today, but given our lousy weather forecast, I decided to come back yesterday. Since I already had the day booked off as vacation time, I decided to leave it that way. That meant that I got to finish off two knitting projects (currently blockin, photos later) and one sewing project (it's a hat, photos when someone else can take a picture). It also meant that I was home this afternoon and got to listen to The Point on CBC Radio One. One of the items tied in with my post of Friday. Should parents be held responsible for the crimes of their children? The case that raised this particular point involved a 12 year old who was convicted of murder. A very interesting topic indeed!

Next Floor - Socks - Going Up!!!

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't admit this in public, but I do remember elevators that had the sliding grate doors and an elevator operator that announced the floors. It was many years ago when I was a child at the Eaton's (RIP) in Hamilton, Ontario. They also had wooden escalators... I don't know what happened with the building when Eaton's went under but I certainly hope that they found a good use for it because for me, it was a landmark.

What the heck does that have to do with socks? Nothing. It's just how my mind works. Normally my socks are "going down" (top down), but recently I seem to have been "going up" (toe up) with my socks.

On my left foot we have Azure and on my right foot we have Chartres Chausettes (aka my Stained Glass Socks). They're both toe up patterns. Also both have interesting heel details, but as I had previously mentioned, taking pictures of the backs of one's own heels is challenging!

Details of the yarns and such are all on Ravelry, so I won't bore you with them here. I really enjoyed knitting both patterns and now need to find some new open backed shoes to show off the heels, and did you notice? I made a point of shaving my pasty white legs so I didn't look like a wookiee!

Self Portraits

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have always found it very difficult to take photos of my finished socks on my own feet. Firstly, there is the whole perspective thing. If you're not careful, you end up with that whole freaky Citizen Kane kind of thing happening with your calves and let's face it, no matter how secure you are with your bdoy image, you don't want your calves to look like they're the trunks of mighty oaks. Secondly, there's that whole forgetting to shave your legs thing, thinking that no one will be able tell in the stitch detail shots only to realize that you are WRONG as soon as you publish the post and look at the photos. I live in a colder climate. No one much sees my bare legs for many,many months each year - so yes, maybe I'm a little lazy about it. Thirdly, since I do not have acrobatic training, shots of any interesting sole or heel details can't realistically be shown on my own feet. I'm too old to learn how to contort myself that way.
Not knitting a whole of hats for myself, I didn't realize that relatively speaking, feet are a piece of cake! Taking a picture of your own head? That is almost impossible! However, I hereby present to you my Little Red Cap. Yes, it is quite abit slouchier than the original, but I like how it looks and it doesn't give me hat head!