Happiness is a tower of stitch markers. And beautifully multi-coloured.
Edited: hmmm apparently all my photos are currently upside down. Oh well. To be fixed when I have better Internet connection than my phone.
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This is my first attempt to blog from my iphone. Right now I am sitting at the end of a work day with tv and some knitting. It’s getting quite cold and I am hoping to be able finish it to wear this winter.
There should be a matching hat in the future but let’s not get overly ambitious since we are about to under go some serious stress.
Moving!!
Current condo is sold, and hope to be in new place soon. But it will be easily a good 5 to 6 week process.
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Tags: cowl · Knitting · movingNo Comments.
So, after reviewing the yarn in more detail, it didn’t look good that I was going to get a good matching pair out of it no matter what I did. So, in this case, I just kept on going even though I was going to end up with completely different colour sock mates. Hopefully as I wear it, it won’t be so obvious.
Today was the westie walk and of course, there will be photos. However, no idea when I’ll have time to process them properly, so it’ll probably a while before they are made public.
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Tags: Knitting · malabrigo · socks · twisted flowerNo Comments.
Half way through the second sock, I decided to put them side by side. Now, major problem. second sock, looks way different in colour.
I started the second sock from the other end of the yarn because I was trying to avoid the knot in the malabrigo socks (can’t remember if my skein had it) and now, I think I’m going rip the second sock and rewind the yarn, try to find the knot and start knitting it again.
My progress on this sock is stalled. I lost one of my dpns at my in-laws house and who knows when I’ll be going to pick it up. So, for now, I might have time to fix this.
What do you think? will this look too strange if I kept going as it is?
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Tags: cookiea · Knitting · malabrigo · problem · socks · twisted flour4 Comments
Great pattern and a very enjoyable knit so far. I already know I want to knit another pair.
But first, still need to finish the mate to this one. Then, to pick out a better yarn that will show off the pattern even more.
Today, I’m in my second week of a new job. It’s such an adjustment to a new routine. I’m finding it all very challenging to figure out new schedule for hobbies, chores, exercise etc. Hopefully I’ll have a new routine soon. At least my commute to work is relatively easy. Only one connection now instead of two and it does save me a lot of time. Video game playing is taking a hit however.
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I started this vest on a road trip in June 2009. I meant to post a progress photo of it, but then after the trip there was no progress. I attempted to make more progress as part of Vestember KAL on Ravelry back in November but it was a disaster.
I’ve recently started working it again. The front has been finished for a while. The back is finally on the way after starting it twice, and re-knitting the beginning twice more. I’ve never before had some much trouble keeping track of a pattern through shaping as this one. I’m not really sure why this one has been so hard.
So, while bigger sweaters seems daunting to knit in the summer, a vest does seem reasonable.
Big lace project languishes now because it’s now 100% certain that even after skipping a whole repeat, I won’t have enough yarn to finish the pattern. I will now have to find some way to make a modification on the yarn as it is no longer available.
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I was browsing shoes when Flour started pulling aggressively and anxious to go to the back of the store. Turns out, she sees another dog back there! I swear she’s almost five years old. She has seen a mirror before, but this is the first time she’s reacted to the dog on the other side.
Maybe even funnier, when she got up to the mirror, she head-butts the glass, freaks out, jumps back and doesn’t understand what is going on. She still thinks there’s another dog there and starts wagging her tail again. I had to drag her away.
Then on the way out the door, she sees another dog. Yes, you guessed it. Another mirror!
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Remember when I said I wasn’t going to be worried about running out of yarn for a while? Well, that was May and this is now, and the time has come to worry.
I now have a big blob of shawl. I am finishing 2/3 repeats of the second last chart. I definitely won’t have enough yarn to finish this repeat and move to the last chart. So, I’ve decided to jump to the last chart after I finish this repeat. The pattern should be maintained and I will hopefully have enough to finish. If not, I’m going to have to work on finding a nice matching yarn for a contrast finish. We’ll see.
On the other hand, new nail polish matches the yarn so perfectly I had to share.
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Tags: Knitting · Lace · shawlNo Comments.
It’s been a while since I’ve taken some photos of Flour. But this was too strange to pass up. We are having a heatwave in Toronto for the last few days (and rest of the week).
Monday, Flour decided to cuddle on a hot laptop. Why? Who knows! Not that she didn’t have plenty of other spots to sleep on the rest of the couch.
She’s only allowed on the couch when one of us brings her up on it. So, usually she cuddles with us or next to us. This time, she purposely went across the couch to get to the laptop. Odd indeed.
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I love to enter blog contests, but don’t often win. Recently I entered Fat Quarter Shop’s blog contest and won (Seriously, FQS is just about my favorite online fabric store)! The patterns arrived today and am very pleased. It’s always great to win something and to discover some new designers.
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Tags: contest · SewingNo Comments.
The Pleasure of Tiny Things: Nike World Cup 2010!. [via] Ridiculously cool press kits with hand carved crayon carvings in the likeness of football superstars.
I’m so not a sports fan, But like much of the world, Toronto is excited for the world cup.
I’m, however, waiting for E3.
And looking forward to twitter updates (ex. from @hellotnna and others in my tweeter feed) from TNNA.
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Think libraries have a lock on awesome?
Check out spotcoolstuff‘s list of beautiful bookstores.
I’ve been to Shakespeare & Co in Paris and it is a tiny store. But it does have character and history. I’m definitely adding Selexyz Dominicanen and Livraria Lello to my list of places to visit if I’m ever in Maastricht (Netherlands) or Porto (Portugal).
[via STC_Craft's tweet]
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Tags: architecture · bookstores · interior design · Travel1 Comment
Convocation ceremony was today. I had two work shifts, so I didn’t attend. However, I did get photos done to commemorate the occasion.
I’ve got my Master of Information Studies. I am officially a librarian! Pretty excited about it. I’ve finally got my masters. Perhaps, one day, another master or PhD is in the future.
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A nice big yarn-cake of pretty. Wooly Wonka Fibers silk/merino laceweight.
Pattern calls for 1500 yards of yarn. It will probably take me all summer to knit this up.
Seriously, this seems HUGE to me compared to most cakes of yarn that I wind. To be expected, it’ll be a LONG time before I get that will-I-run-out-of-yarn worry.
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Finished these socks last year in first term. It was my ‘reading’ project, for when I want something for my hands while I read hours of papers etc.
After I finished them they were put away and I forgot to show them off. I loved these colours! In fact, so much so, I plan on one day making a fair-isle project in similar colourway. However, I’m most proud of the fact that I was able to match the self strippingstriping to near perfection. I’m not convinced that I could have done any better. (Which as the yarnharlot pointed out, it’s very hard to do with self strippingstriping yarns.)
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One of the benefits of being an ischool student is that the student tech fund and the Inforum buys cool technology like ereaders for students to use. While prior to finishing my course work, I’ve been too busy and distracted to use them, the second I finished my assignments last month, I borrowed the Kindle 2 to try, both the Regular
An e-reader (in particular the Kindle) is one of those thing I’ve been considering getting but couldn’t bring myself to buy one sight unseen. Thank you to the tech fund and the Inforum. I love how we have such great tech to try out and use.1 The kindle was easy to use and while not quite balanced in my hand, I can understanding the weighting since it’s meant to feel the same regardless of orientation of text.
I loved how easy it was to read in the sun, but the black and white and the read only screen was disappointing after getting used to my ipod touch with touch screen and colour. I can’t wait until the technology for colour oil screens are ready for mass consumption.
Reading PDFs were much better in the DX version but was still lacking in text size manipulation. I wanted it to work much like in my computer, where the PDF can be manipulated a little more.
I was impressed over all and I would serious consider getting a Kindle DX if I do another degree again where there is a lot of textbooks to read (that’s available in electronic format) and many papers. However, overall, I was not happy with the drawing speed of each page, the sony ereader was even worst.
My conclusion was that it wasn’t worth it for me to get a kindle after all. Mostly not due to performance issues but financial considerations. I’d like to have it to read novels and business books etc. However, for novels, I read MUCH too fast to be able to afford to buy books, even at $10 a book… Given that I cannot borrow ebooks from libraries for reading on the Kindle, I’m much better off borrowing physical books from the library.
For buying and reading business books (often not available at libraries or they are too slow to get them), analysis of break-even point on the technology investment against cost of books, and again, I’m better off buying the books in terms of a financial consideration. (Laugh if you want, but I can’t help but do a break-even consideration. I guess it must be the engineer in me.)
So, money win out in the end. For me, I’m more likely to get better entertainment value for my money if I buy myself a new game console, PS3, new DS, PSP… you name it, I’m better off buying it.
Still waiting to try out the new Kobo reader now being offered by Chapters before I might dismiss e-readers all together for a while. Of course, there’s the ipad, but no ibook store for Canada.
1I also tried out the sony ereaders, but as it doesn’t support mac, I can write them off completely.
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As always, the DKC Knitter’s Frolic is the highlight of my knitting calendar. This year is no different. I love heading over to the Japaneses cultural centre and walking the booths for gems for hours.
Every year, I go with a number of things to look out for. This time around, I wanted to check out the new yarn from Indigo moon, the new silk from Tanis Fiber arts, and the Van der Rock Yarns. Oh, yes, and of course, I was on the hunt for three patterns. First, Princess Shawl (which I didn’t get to the booth quickly enough to buy, yes, I missed it by one copy which was purchased just as I got there, I watched some lucky lady walk away with the last copy. Bummer for me, great for her! ), and the two new patterns from Glenna C, Neptune High and Royale.
Highest on my list was to head over to Gemini Fibres because this year, after so many many years of checking out their booth, I was going to buy a spindle and wanted to try them out. To be honest, I think this year, I wanted spinning supplies more than yarn stash. I didn’t buy things at every booth I liked, sadly, my budget just wouldn’t allow for it.
The stash from photo in clockwise order from top left: “Brains belong inside your head” in pencil roving, merino silk blend by indigodragonfly, Neptune High, Royale patterns from Tanis booth, Kromski Niddy Noddy from Gemini Fibres, Ashford Merino silk roving in Saffron, Japanese knitting book from Needle Arts Bookshop, Tom Forrester Spindle (33g in hardwood & wild cherry) from Gemini Fibres, new merino silk lace from Indigo moon, and lastly, a merino silk lace by indigodragaonfly in “angst for the memories”.
Yes, there is a theme, I have developed a love for merino silk blends. I believe it developed from knitting with Lorna’s Laces Helen’s Lace Solid for my Berry Blue-tiful Summer Stole (by Joan Schrouder) which I started in 2008 but finished this year. I hope to block it and post about it soon.
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I’m in count down mode for school. 3 more assignments and 1 more week before I’m done! I should be more excited but am still in too much crunch.Blog has been sadly neglected in my rush for school, but it is a holiday, so I’m not doing too much work for another hour or so.
In the meantime, nothing is more fun than sharing new photos of Flour. Here are a few recent shots.
G makes her wear his hat for a few minutes (That day last month when it got really cold again):
Here she is freshly washed and ready for her haircut (March 19):
After he chipperedclippered her for puppy cut (March 20):
A nice nap on the couch (March 31):
It’s rather strange to see the obvious difference between good photos taken by SLR and poor photos taken on P&S. Really want a new P&S camera.
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Tags: Flour2 Comments
Here’s my 2nd attempt at spinning. Took a long time to get the hang of it, but near the end I had better results. The result is so uneven I’m going to ply it with something else.
And here’s the 3rd attempt, which turned out well. much more consistent and ended up with 83 yards of light fingerling weight. sadly, no idea what to do with it but I will likely keep it as a single.
Sadly, given that both are from the bag of roving I won at DKC one meeting at raffle, I have no idea what they are at all and can’t get more. They are not colours I would have got for myself, but maybe one day, a shawl or something will include these finishes.
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I’m horrible at taking photos of her these days. She’s still super cute, but I’m just too busy to do photo taking justice.
But here are a few recent shots of her lounging around
Looking super cute with her tongue sticking out… and looking rather cat like in my opinion:
Full view:
Another new way to sleep on her daybed:
from last year:
and this random funny, one of her favorite locations, on dirty shirts!
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