Some treasures passed down with much appreciation.......



A pretty tin which holds some curiosities.










Still curious that Noodles.








Vintage buttons, thimbles, cloth tapes.







Some old spools of thread. I'll never use any of this as I find it too sentimental.







Old flour/seed sacks.





My goal is to make some aprons out of this material. It's original use was a duvet cover that our Great Grandmother had made. It's now thin in some spots, but overall the material is still very useable.




I have always been on the lookout for retro fabric, and this fits the bill very well. I recently found a contest at Tie One On. I don't know if I'll have time to enter, but it's such a cool idea for anyone interested in entering an apron sewing contest.

Picking up where I last left you.......

Unfortunately the hazard of not blogging consistently means this post is going to be a long one....

Before I start with my present day knitting projects I just wanted to post an update on our bathroom renovations downstairs which is the main reason I haven't been around.

Just to back track...the start of demolition going back to January 2008. Yup this has been going on for long time.











Fast forward to the summer and Dale's jackhammering a hole to start re-routeing the plumbing for shower, toilet, and vanity. My contribution was/is as official photographer, digging and hauling of concrete and dirt, and general grunt work/passer of tools to DH who was/is the lead in this excursion.






Again fast forward...pipes are now moved and refilling of the hole.

As time passed over the summer and I neglected to take pictures of the concrete being mixed and poured. We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Drywall is up, and now we're laying infloor heating....................................................>


Over this past week we were laying tiles, and grouting, and sealing.

Still a fair ways to go yet, but now comes the fun stuff with painting and decorating. I'll post as progress is made.


So in the evenings I got on a sock kick.

Favorite Socks 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave. Can't say enough about the really nice sock patterns in this book.

I'm knitting these for a ladies size 10 so I've made increases to the pattern for foot length. What caught my eye when searching patterns was the lace design carried down the back for the heel.

Yarn: Trekking Pro Natura, 75% superwash wool, 25% bamboo. Knitted with 2.5mm dpn's.



After finishing the purple sock I was smitten with another design out of the same above mentioned book.

Undulating Rib Socks, knitted with 2.5mm dpn's. Yarn: Lorna's Laces Hand-dyed yarns. 80% Superwash Wool, 20% Nylon. Color: 403 Tuscany.

I love this pattern, and I'm totally in love with hand-dyed sock yarn. Knitting this went by so fast. The repetitive pattern was interesting enough not to be borrowing. (I just came back to re-read this entry and discovered my spelling error, lol, I meant boring! Not borrowing. What was I thinking? It must've been the caffeine, yeah that's right I'll blame it on the caffeine ;) )

So I was on a roll throwing caution to the wind, and I started on a toes up knitted sock pattern. It's always intriqued me this toe first idea because people were saying it's easier to get the length of the foot right and not run out of wool. I really enjoyed this technique, and I'll be on the look out for more patterns toe first.

I had to do some major increasing on this sock to fit my size 10's. I fell in love making these bobbles, and loved the yarn I used which was a gift from last Christmas.

Pattern: Bacchus Socks, by Alice Bell. From Interweave Knits Fall 2008. Yarn: Knit Picks Essential, Colour: Inca Gold Tweed 65% Superwash wool, 25% Nylon, 10% Donegal. Knitted with 2.00mm dpn's.

Hope everyone is doing well!
Happy knitting!!

A quick post.....

We had a good Christmas, but I have to say I'm glad to see 2008 done with. I've heard several people say the samething. What's up with that? Good Charma or kizmit just wasn't flowing last year.

Anyway over the holidays I kept busy with a couple projects which are now finished.

Cross-Country Chullo, free pattern from knitty.com

Yarn: Patons Decor (Purchased at Michael's)
75% Acrylic
25 Wool
Colours: Pale Sage Green, Rich Grey Heather




It's been so cold I've been thankful I managed to finish this in time to actually use it this winter.

Next project came along while we were in Jasper, Alberta over the holidays. I stopped in at a little yarn store called A Stychen Time, and picked up some Sari-Rainbow Silk from Nepal. 100% silk, 200 gr., 200 yards. I always liked the pattern Morning Surf Scarf, and I thought the silk would work for this pattern.


Morning Surf Scarf
Pattern from Spin-Off Magazine, Summer 2008









Blocking....silk doesn't stretch as much as wool, and this pattern gulped up the 200 yards I had. The finished measurement is 20cm x 158 cm. Or 8in. x 62 1/2in.


Dry cleaning is recommended, but it says on the label you can wash in luke warm water which is what I did with vinegar to set the colour. Whew! What a smell that came off this silk. I used some essential oils to combat the odour, but what seemed to really work is laying Bounce fabric softner sheets underneath the scarf while blocking. All is well now.


Hope all is well with you, and stay warm!

Noodles knows how to stay warm....I can't get her out of the lightbox I use for photography. She feels the heat from the lamps and loves it.

You caught me snoozing.

(Haha Mae :) I'm heading to Michael's this morning. They have a bunch of yarn 70% off sale. DH is still working on our bathroom reno downstairs. I'll post pictures asap of progress there. I'm missing my blogging, and I'll get back at it, but unfortunately I'm being rather lazy. Could it be because of the weather? hmmmm

Welcome to the inside....away from the cold.

I figure I do a fair amount of decorating, but it's gotten to the
point where I'm cutting down as I have to think of where I'm going to store all this stuff after I buy it. Plus cutting back on the decorating helps with the knitting schedule. Click to embiggen any of the following pictures.

The front living room. This year we bought a new Christmas tree. It's artificial pine/spruce slim tree. It's in a smaller box that I can lift myself, and putting it away won't be such a chore.

Close up of the Christmas tree decorations. My DD is a graphic designer and she fell in love with this colour combination....it's sort of a dark plum/brown with coordinating gold ornaments, and tinsel garland.










Looking in the other direction in the living room.

My DD was at a Christmas function a couple years ago and won these wire deer. Something I never would have thought to buy, but I'm sure glad she won them as I really enjoy them.











A little closer look at the guardian of the liquor cabinet.






















Santa Claus.













Off the living room area is the dinette where breakfast, lunch, and supper is served, or to our American friends its dinner, or to the British its tea.













Heading downstairs to the basement is a antique buffet we recently received which promptly got decorated. I think it looks happy.




















The final decoration I usually put up is in the rumpus room downstairs which sits on a mantel above the TV. It's a metal house bought from Costco a couple years ago. It holds three tea lights inside which light it up from the inside. This year I was surprised that Costco wasn't carrying much for different decorations such as this one.



Finally after all this is mostly a knitting blog, and of course I've got a sock in progress. Pattern from Favorite Socks 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave. Page 39 Merino Lace Socks by Anne Woodbury.
Yarn: Trekking Pro Natura.
Made in Germany
100G=420m
75% New Wool
25% Bamboo
Colour: 1515

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Fantastic New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Peace and Love from my house to yours
See you in the New Year!
Charlene

Day 1.....I'm such a joiner........

I saw this.....












on Susan In Stitches blog, and thought it was such a cool idea. You can find the link in my sidebar, or go directly to BooMama's blog.

So today is day 1 for me. I'm starting with the outside of the house which I've been trying to take some nighttime pictures of Christmas lights, but haven't figured out my aperatures/shutter coordinates yet. Bear with me more research is needed.....





The backyard.....
I think it's been almost 15 years I've had these candles and I still like them. I've also had the large red bows for many years and only now thought to put them on the fence and trees. They sat in a box for the last two years because I didn't know where I wanted to put them.












The lights were on and I thought they'd show up more in this picture, but it still needs to be darker outside. I've already filled that bird feeder for the second time in two weeks. The sparrows and chickadees are really chowing down.










This is the front door with a bit of garland and another couple of trees decorated with some red berries on either side of the door.



Front door wreath and bells >












I was inspired by Susan's blog and her talent at taking Christmas pictures of all her animals/pets. I recruited my daughter to help with my Noodles to do some sort of garland arrangement, but there was so much movement by the model, this one turned out kind of blurry.















This was the best one, but as you can see by the placement of the ears she wasn't thinking this was fun.











Yeaaahhhh....this was fun. As you can tell by the tinsel shredded on the floor this wrestling match ended quickly. I had to save the garland.









There has been some knitting going on. Sparse as it is. I've made five of these hotpads in different colours, and given most of them away. I am using them as hotpads, but the pattern is calling it a dishcloth. The pattern is free and was found on Ravelry here. If you're not on Ravelry then it's here. Yarn used: Bernat Handicrafter Holidays, Colour 47706 Mistletoe, 100% Cotton, 100g/3.5oz. Any of the Bernat Handicrafter cotton yarn works great with this pattern. I can make one in about four hours while watching television, and I'm not a fast knitter.

Tomorrow I'll have more pic's of Christmas decorating inside the house.

Happy Thanksgiving to our American Friends!

I have to say it's kind of nice to watch all the Thanksgiving Festivities on TV. It kind of gives me another boost into getting into the spirit of the holidays.

I finished my housecoat that I had blogged about earlier. I added some bling to the cuffs and pockets. From this distance they're hard to see, but they're some square sew on diamond thingy's.



I've been wearing it all week, and I'm so glad because it's been getting colder. If there was any humidity we'd have snow by now, but thank goodness we don't. It makes it feel like a shorter winter the longer we go without the white stuff.









Another one of my wip is a Sirdar pattern of a Bolero sweater for a baby. This is a practice version which is a good thing as I've had to rip half of the back down because I'd made a mistake and didn't realize it until I started blocking it.....
(After thought...I'm using Naturalee by Lily, 100% cotton, 4 ply Sport Weight, Colour #214 Salmon)

I've got another couple projects on the go which I'll blog about later as I haven't gotten enough knitting done to show them.

This is what I feel like when I have to frog a piece of knitting. Noodles hit the nail on the head. Thhhrruuuuuppppppp (Blowing a raspberry)

New Header, New Mugs.......

My daughter informed me yesterday that Starbucks had these really cool mugs with a knitted texture, and my reaction was 'Get'em'. Is this a new product this year? I don't remember seeing them last year, anyways they're really nice. My new blog header was my DH and my breakfast this morning.

I've got a bit of startitis happening with knitting projects right now and on top of it all I got the sewing bug. My latest project waiting for me upstairs......












I recently paid a visit to Fabricland, which is the only material store in Edmonton, and I couldn't stop mushing this embossed Cuddlelucouis fleece. This stuff is so soft and all I could think of is what a nice housecoat this would make. So when I found out that it was 40% off I was sold.

Actually the same day I decided to go to one of my lys (River City Yarns) and use my birthday gift certificate I got in September.


Four balls of Noro Silk Garden as required to make the Noro striped scarf I saw Yarn Harlot posted about here. There was a limited supply of Noro, at River City Yarns, but I'm quite happy with these two colours
#47, and 269.





The rest of the gift certificate went to four skeins of Cascade Yarns The Heathers, 100% Peruvian Highland Merino Wool, Col. No. 4010, 100 gr., 220 yards.

Last but not least another skein of sock yarn by Arequipa. Made by Estelle Yarns. 65% Superwash Wool, 20% Alpaca, 15% Nylon. Col. No. 201. 400 meters/100 grams.

I'm loving these colours. I have no plans for them, but that's most of the fun dreaming about this craft/obsession.

Have a great day!