TGIF and the snow is slowly melting.......

 We managed to get the pond cleaned out before the snow came at the beginning of the week.  My delphiniums are taking a hit, but I'm hoping the cold temperatures won't stunt their growth.

In the meantime I've still got the sewing bug. This material was discounted to something like buy 1 metre get 2 free. So I bought 3 metre's and hoped that would be enough for something. I didn't know what I was going to use it for at that time, but upon looking at the daisy lace pattern on it I loved how it looked as a tablecloth and seat covers.

So I traced the seats of my kitchen chairs and cut out the pattern. Hopefully after I get finished posting this I'll start sewing them up today.

After some fussing and fitting I got the jean jacket finished. Pattern by Burda #7812.

Closeup of the pocket flap lining, and buttons.

 

Noodles investigating what's on the floor? Can I eat it mama?

I've got a really cute video of Noodles eating some leftover rice pudding in a little cup (She LOVES rice pudding), but the video is taking it's sweet ass time loading. I will post it asap when it finishes processing.

Here's the video....She didn't eat the whole thing just what I leave her which is about a teaspoon.  Rice pudding is very sticky.  Have to go clean Noodles whiskers now :)

Have a great weekend everyone,
and Happy Mother's Day to all!!

The rain brought more than we bargained for.......Spring will be here hopefully, again, by the end of this weekend. Anna and Noodles were crying to get outside to chow down on some grass, but they walked away in disgust when I opened the screen door to show them the wonderful whiteness. Now they're trying to sleep away the weather.Well one good thing that comes from this is that our overseeding of the lawn will get a boost from this moisture. Hopefully the farmers are welcoming this. I don't know how this snowfall falls into the management of their fields.

No knitting pic's for today. Still trying to finish ufo's. Hopefully will have something to post soon!

Rainy Wednesday..........

I don't have anything new started with knitting.  Just trying to concentrate on getting wip's finished which isn't easy at this time of year.  I've been purchasing bedding plants here and there as the quality seems to be really good right now.  Later on in June everything seems to be picked over so in the meantime I store them in the garage and pull them out during the day to get some sun.

Today I was scarifying (scarification) the sweet pea seeds, and also the nasturtium seeds.  The sweet pea's I've started in the tray pictured below.  The nasturtium's are soaking in luke warm water and tomorrow I'll plant them in trays as well.  So hopefully in 10 days I'll see some sprouts and in mid June transplant them outside.

 

I just realized that I have finished my Multnomah Shawl.  It's been so cold and rainy here today that I've been wearing it and totally forgot to blog about it.  This shawl was a fast knit, and I loved this yarn Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light.  Pattern:  Multnomah designed by Kate Flagg.  The shawl pin was bought from Twist of Fate out of Kamloops, British Columbia at Fibre Week in Olds, Alberta June 2009.  Hopefully I'll make it there again this year.

Here's hoping you are having better weather than we are....I'm looking forward to some sun after four days of rain.  

Take care and Happy Knitting!

TGIF.......

I have no pictures of knitting or spinning today. Just a few pictures of the work I've been slogging away at outside. Basically spring cleaning the flower garden, and I'm amazed at how it's starting to green up outside with a little bit of rain. Some garden Mum's breaking through the leaves.We have lived in the same neighbourhood for 29 years, and this is the first time I have had a little visitor of the squirrel kind. So Cute!DH and I are heading over to some friends for supper, and DH offered to bring dessert. Something decadent but light was requested so I came up with a recipe out of Company's Coming Christmas Celebrations by Jean Pare.I know it's in a Christmas cook book, but this Snow Angel Trifle translates well for an all year dessert. Snow Angel Trifle
4 cups Milk
2 Boxes of instant white chocolate (or vanilla) pudding powder (4 serving size, each)
17 oz. Commercial angel food cake, torn into 1 inch pieces.
8 0z. Package of cream-filled chocolate mini cookies (oreos), 12 cookies reserved for garnish
3 cups Sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups Frozen whipped topping, thawed

Beat milk and pudding powder on low in medium bowl for about 2 minutes until thickened.
Layer ingredients in large glass serving bowl as follows:
1. 1/2 of cake pieces
2. 1/2 of cookies
3. 1/2 of strawberry slices
4. 2 cups (500 ml) pudding, spread evenly
5. Remaining cake pieces
6. Remaining cookies
7. Remaining strawberry slices
8. Remaining pudding, spread evenly

Spread or pipe whipped topping in decorative pattern on top of pudding. Garnish with reserved cookies. Chill for at least 4 hours to blend flavours. Makes about 12 cups (3 L).

p.s.s.: For my picture above I doubled the amounts for the angel food cake and cookies. It seems like it's a lot, but when spreading the layers it all compacts down. The bakery section at PC Superstore is where I find the already baked angel food cake, and I use the mini oreo's for the chocolate cookies.

The actual picture out of the book just for reference.....Our weekend will be consisting of painting and doing yard work, but I'll get to visit my Monty. Here's a quick snippet. Don't mind the wiggly video, or my pink crocs, or the sounds I make to get Monty's attention. He's full of piss and vinegar Love and Cuddles. :)
Have a great weekend everyone!

Where there once was a wall......Now there's a window.

This is my DS house which we're helping to reno. I have since figured out that between doing renovations at our home (because of a flood) and working on DS house, I much prefer the demolition side of tearing down and throwing out. Finishing work like drywalling, sanding, and trim work is a pain in the backside, and takes long to do.It started out all innocent, 'Oh let's open this up and it'll make it brighter in here!' To then actually stepping back and thinking that this is a support wall so we'll have to do some creative building. Thus an extra wall was built to support the support wall and put in a header before we cut the opening. (The headers not up yet in this picture.)

Renovations continue as well downstairs in DS house so that we can utilize the basement suite, and make it it's own contained space. So a couple walls were put up to close it in. The entry into the suite. (Primed and waiting for molding and baseboards)The kitchen area.

Finally the last wall in the laundry room. Enough about renovations.....there's been some weaving going on at my house.I can't describe how exciting it's finally been to sit down and finally start weaving. I'm using left over yarn from the stash, and if I would have had one straight afternoon I could've had this scarf done. Saturday night I couldn't stop. 10:00pm rolled around and I thought I should really stop, but then it soon turned 11:00pm and I was starting to make mistakes and I decided to quit for the night.

The biggest challenge was warping, and then tieing on, threading it through the heddles, and getting my coordination working with the loom. I was exhausted but just thrilled that I had tackled it along with a couple great books which were a BIG help
Weaving Made Easy by Liz Gipson
Hands On Rigid Heddle Weaving by Betty Linn Davenport

More sock knitting is happening as they're great for packing along.Calloway Sock Pattern by Cookie A. I'm using Knit Picks 2.25mm dpn, Yarn: Briggs & Little Durasport 1 ply in colourway: Smoke. It's a tough little yarn and I'm putting it through it's paces. I like to knit my socks with a tight gauge and this 1 ply seems to be holding up. 80% Pure Wool 20% Nylon.I love this pattern. Diagonal Lace Toe-up Socks. What makes it even more loveable the price is FREE!! From a wonderful designer WendyKnits. You'll find the pattern on her website under Free Patterns with the added bonus of over 40 more free patterns. I'm using Knit Picks Harmony Wood 2.00mm dpn's. Yarn: Regia The Sockwool Jet Set Color. 4 ply.One more shawl that I spied on Smoking Hot Needles. Monika was knitting this up and I had to follow. I'm such a follower of people with great ideas ;)
Pattern: Multnomah designed by Kate Flagg. It is a free pattern you can find on either Ravelry or Hello Knitty. I'm using Knit Picks Harmony Wood Circular needles 3.25mm. Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light. Colourway: 4275

Anyways that's all folks! Time for a nap....

Just a few pictures of our new Grandkitty.......

His name is Montgomery Clift. Monty for short. He's a little older than two months now. My DS found this half pint at the local SPCA, and his life just got a little busier.Monty is an indoor cat, but loves sitting by the front door watching the goings on in the park across the street.

His toys are too many to mention. He has no fear even with this skateboard.

He's a boy's boy. He loves everything that moves and will chase until he plops down exhausted. I didn't know cats love to play tag, but this little fellow loves to run up behind you and tag you in the back of the legs and run past you as if to say, 'Tag, you're it!"A peaceful moment.

It seems the Olympics are still in the news,

......and I was in Vancouver during that time, for a month and a half for personal reasons, and I thought I'd share some pictures of where DD and I ventured.......The crowds of people on Granville.

Looking south on Granville and Robson. More crowds.

The Olympic Flame. This was as close as you could get to it. I took the picture through a chain link fence which went around the perimeter. You could only get in closer if you were a dignitary, athlete, olympic staff, police, or Wayne Gretzky.Downtown Vancouver just before sunset.

Canada Place looking toward North Vancouver. If you look at the upper portion you'll see some lights which is Cypress Mountain where Olympic skiing events were taking place. A Russian Tall Ship at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver.

A visit to Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park. Very colourful.

Vancouver Art Gallery all decked out for the Olympics.

A visit to White Cliff Park in West Vancouver with the most important people in my life.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on Robson in downtown Vancouver. Yumm. Made too many trips here for anything chocolate.

How can a person choose!?

Oh Lord....chocolate.This made me happy just looking at it for about 10 days. As well as my knitting and reading blogs gave me needed distraction while in Vancouver. There was a fair amount of knitting going on...one of the finished projects....The Haruni Shawl designed by Emily Ross. A free pattern on Ravelry.comI used Knit Picks Gloss Lace, 70%Merino, 30% Silk. Colourway
Aegean. I used two strands of lace as I wanted a shawl with a little more weight. So I bumped up my needle size to 4.00mm Addi Turbo Lace circular needles.
I saw this shawl on Smoking Hot Needles and fell in love with the border. It was fun to knit up and it went very fast and has already been mailed out as a gift to a friend.Oh and I can't forget we finally met up with a little chap we had heard so much about and finally got to meet. Introducing Jean-Pierre Manning. (aka Muscles for short).

It's taken me awhile........

But I'm slowly coming back to blog. We've suffered a devastating loss of our dear Nathan on February 13, 2010. He was our daughters fiance, son to Wayne and Kathy, and brother to Caleb. A talented Artist, Designer, and Skateboarder n.matthews.com. He fought with such courage for nine months that it's hard to believe that he succumbed to testicular cancer at the age of 29.

Our daughter and Nathan's family, and extended family will forever feel the loss of Nathan who impacted so many in such a short time. He was an inspiration to all who knew him.

Nathan, words cannot express how much you meant to us, and how much we miss you.

With permission I'm posting my daughters blog entry dated March 3, 2010. (n.lathe.com)

19 days ago, I lost the love of my life. He fought a courageous battle, and most often with a smile on his face and determination that surprised most people. Our statistics were good at the beginning…98% cure rate. Who could argue with that? But they’re just numbers, and not a certainty. There is still that lingering, dark cloud of 2% that leaves you wondering. That 2% that you ignore and think “That won’t be us.” But it happens.

If I could find any reasoning or answer in this, it’s that I hope we’ve learned something. Hopefully Nathan’s fight with cancer will teach the medical community a little bit more about testicular cancer, which will lead to more lives saved.

I really wish he didn’t fall in that 2%. I wish he was still laying in bed next to me. I wish he could’ve held my hand in the rain a couple nights ago. I wish I could hear him tell me he loves me, just ONE MORE TIME. But he can’t…and I’ve accepted that loss, but it certainly doesn’t make it easier.

He was my inspiration. He was my best friend. I love him more than words can even describe. The past two weeks have shown me what real heartbreak is, but the past year has taught me what true love is.

I miss you.