Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Mini golf and the beach

On the weekend we went to Bird's Point to check out Chili's Crab Shack and have some ice cream and a round of Mini Golf, a first for Mister Man. It wasn't a scored game so I can't tell you who won but every time Mister Man would drop the ball in the hole he certainly let us know that he was the winner and every time the Super Star and her friend got a raging case of the giggles I felt like I was the winner.



The beach behind the mini golf was not bad if you're into the raked over look. It was definitely busy enough and had an old school play structure (like the ones I grew up with made of wood and all the metal poking out) but if you walked to the end you came across a great fire pit. The beach was rougher there and a bit untamed.






I'm so amazed how many great skipping rocks there were at both the lakes we went to and everyone had fun seeing how many jumps they could get. B got super lucky though and found a fossil. We've taken it back home with us where it will live on windowsil until someone takes it for show and tell.


I had all these great plans to knit up a storm on this trip and I didn't. I did knit and got a fair chunk done, but I totally fell short of my goals! Next time I'll make some more realistic ones! I did have a wonderful weekend on the beach (in various spots) and in the sun. I went camera crazy and took over 500 pictures which I've whittled down to just under 300. I saw some odd and pretty things that I'll blog about another day, but my favorite moment by far was sitting on the beach at the campground and listening to the kids play and the waves hit and the wind in the Poplars with the afternoon sun on my face.

I think I caught a little Zen moment. So I wrapped it up and put it in my pocket along with the rocks and shells. That way when I take it out (later, when I really need it) the edges will be a bit dull but that lovely moment will shine just like a piece of beach glass.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Crooked Lake





Our family went on the last camping trip of the season last weekend. School starts for B today and the Super Star goes back next week so we thought we'd squeeze in one more.

Some highlights from the first morning...

minnow hunting from up high
snail shells!
who doesn't love a good playground?
sprinklers!
rock hunting
beach glass
relaxing



We had a lot of fun at this beach the first morning. It was cloudy and threatening rain for much of the day but the water was clear and warm and the kids had fun exploring. I had a great time taking pictures, knitting on my Uke Mochi, and wandering around looking for pretty rocks. Life always seems perfect when you have a pocketful of great beach stones.



Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Old Metal Bridge

Went for a lovely drive with the family today. B had heard about a metal bridge close by in the Qu'Appelle Valley and we loaded everyone into the truck and went to investigate.



Turns out it's very close to where my friend Sheryl lives. Who knew? She's on Ravelry too and makes really wonderful felted bags (among other things).

This was a great place, one of those hidden gems that you know you'll return to again and again. I had fun imagining the history of the bridge and how amazing it must have been back in 1910 to have this come by train all the way from Nova Scotia.


The kids had fun running after butterflies. Must be the season, there were so many! Most were yellow and white but every now then you'd see a little blue one. Wish they'd stay still! There were also the token prairie dragonflies. Huge this year! Thank goodness, otherwise we'd be eaten alive by the mosquitoes after the damp spring we've had.



I love walking down gravel roads. You never know where they will take you, and there always seems to be such promise just around the bend.



The Qu'Appelle river was really nice today. It's running at one of the highest levels anyone can remember this year. Perfect for kayaking. Next year, I promise, you'll have a picture of me paddling down this stretch. I can't wait!


I got a few more things crossed off the never ending to-do list today. I baked a delicious looking (and thankfully tasting) carrot cake from a Jamie Oliver cookbook.


It's made with this Lime Mascarpone Cream Cheese icing that is seriously my new favorite icing for everything that needs icing and most things that don't. It was that good! A nice mix of cheeses and a hint of lime and not too sweet. Delicious! It'll be fun to bring some to work ad see how fast it gets annihilated.

I also finished my Lamb from Susan B. Anderson's book Itty Bitty Toys. I named him Lancelot and am keeping my fingers crossed for my brother and K! I'm ridiculously excited about a new baby in the family!



I've finished a few other things lately and am working on a few more that I'd dearly love to share, but alas, it will have to wait until after Christmas. I am about to cast on tonight for the Super Star's first hand knit by mom sweater. I'm knitting along with Susan B. Anderson and a KAL (knit along) she's doing over on the Spud Says Blog. I'd like to knit it at work so she doesn't know that I'm doing it but you never know with teenage girls, they're wily.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Weekend joys...

I'm a happy girl today. I got a few things crossed off my to-do list and I love that feeling of actually accomplishing something.

I had a message sent to me on Ravelry earlier in the spring requesting kids items for a charity called Project Hope. I was tickled pink about the idea of knitting for Gypsies. I'm sure I have a very romantic notion of them but I can't help loving the idea that somewhere in Romania some little fellow will be wandering around playing in a sweater I knit. So I offered to knit sweaters for 2 four year old boys named Bogden and David.

I've had this sweater pattern in my queue for a long time and love it! It's cute and timeless, and very customizable! I knit 3 Wonderful Wallabies in blue and white, and teal and black. I think they turned out rather well, in fact Mister Man wanted them all! I had to give in and let him keep the smallest one. He was such a good model after all!

finished this morning
destined for Romania

Mister Man's keeper

The summer of the Wallaby is officially over! Hurrah!

Thank goodness summer isn't actually over yet! I'm not ready for another long winter. And in a desperate attempt to laugh in the face Jack Frost, I've planted 2 cherry trees in my yard today. Now some of you may be thinking that I'm a wee bit crazy but I've been told that these cherry trees are special, and will grow and produce lovely little sweet cherries. The variety is called Nanking and I honestly can't say whether I'm more excited about the fruit or the pretty spring flowers!


 Here's to making Nanking Jelly in the coming years! How cool is that?!

Monday, August 16, 2010

A Visit to the Farm

A lovey thing happened yesterday in the life of mister man. He got a visit in at his Great Uncle and Aunt's farm, the perfect place for a 3 year old where he could indulge his every urge to pet farm machinery and animals. He got to wander around in the garden (I liked that part too!) and eat apples and strawberries. I spent a long time admiring this years crop of Holly Hocks...


The weather was the pits this spring and between the rain and camping with the Pathfinders/Rangers I didn't get my garden in. I really wish had made the time. Aunt Eleanor loaded us up with Swiss Chard, beets, cucumbers and peppers. It was so wonderful! She also parted with 2 small cherry trees that I plan to plant next weekend! So lucky!


Mister Man and B

Mister man not only got to pet the tractors, he got to ride around the yard and in a combine too!

Uncle Warren and Mister Man

I'll be going to back to the farm in the next few weeks to pick crabapples. I'm running out of jelly and I think every 2 years would be just about right for putting up some more. This year the trees are loaded and look great! I can't wait!

I love going just as the weather is cooling and the hint of fall is in the air... but right now, I'm not ready for summer to be over!



I still have so much knitting to do! I worked this weekend on my toy  Lamb by Susan B. Anderson. I've got all the lamb bits finished. If I get in an evening of sewing up, he'll be done. I also worked on the last Wallaby. When I finish I'll post about the 3 I completed this summer. And I'm knitting a hat for my LYS, the Golden Willow. It's really simple car knitting. I think I'll be done in the next few days.

After I get those three off the needles I can go back to Uke-Mochi. I hit a knitting snag on Friday and put it down until I have a chance to plot the solution.  I'm also hoping to grope new yarn today (it didn't come in on Friday). I'm so over the top with that stuff!


Happy Monday!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Friday Love

I got a ton of knitting done with my Uke-Mochi last night. The fabric is very soft and the stitch definition is good. I think it will drape well too. The colours are turning out very "sea" like and that should really appeal to the recipient.I get to knit the "fun" stuff today and I'm looking forward to it. I love Fridays!


So I have this great job where I only work Monday thru Thursday, so Fridays always feel like a bonus day for me. I get to spend the whole day with mister man and during the school year I can volunteer at the super star's school (if she wants me, so far she always says yes).

This day is perfect for getting errands and chores out of the way. Like going to the post office. Mister Man loves going to the post office. The post mistress (who wouldn't want that title?) gives out stickers to little people and that makes the post office a must stop today, especially since mister man has caught a summer cold and feels pretty miserable. Poor fella...

I'm excited about going to the post office today too. I've been patiently (trying to be anyway) waiting for this yarn that I ordered last week to come in. I'm just so excited about it! It comes from the Kangaroo Dyer via the Fiber Cooperative (link over on the sidebar). Please check out these links and moan in pure bliss over the lucious yarn and fiber you'll see there! Such a treat at the end of the week! Gail, emailed me when I placed the order and said it should be here by Friday so it's all I can do not to run out the door in my pj's.

photo slurped from the Kangaroo Dyer
See what I mean?!!!

Happy Friday!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Uke-Mochi

Isn't that a great name? It's the name of a yarn I bought a few months ago from Ursa (you should check out her online store, it's a fabulous place to ogle beautiful yarn that she dyes herself in amazing colourways). This yarn is 115 grams, 378 yards of 100% soy fingering and I love it! It's really pretty and not a colour I'd choose for myself.

It sat in my stash for a while waiting for the perfect pattern to come along and I think I found it today. I can't wait to knit up a great gift and give this lovely yarn to someone special for Christmas this year!




Last evening my son was out playing in the back yard and did what every little boy will do given dirt and a hose. He had a great time...



Don't you just love summer?!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Noro Shawlette

I thought I'd show off my Noro Shawlette that I finished blocking last week. I like the way it turned out after all, even though I was nervous about the colour changes.

The author of 3 amazing knitting books, 2 blogs and designer extraordinaire,  Susan B. Anderson, put a link up on her blog not too long ago and this project has been getting a fair bit of traffic over on Ravelry . If you have never heard of Ravelry quick, check it out! It's the reason my knitting has gone from beginner to intermediate in no time (that and knitting nearly everyday). I find so much inspiration there and people who are just as excited about fibre as I am!


So this is the Noro Shawlette. Yarn is Noro Silk Garden Sock # S258. I used 3.5mm needles although gauge probably isn't a huge deal. The pattern I used is called the Simple Yet Effective Shawl by Laura Chau. She designs these really cute patterns and I just love this one. I would knit this again! It was so easy and really, anyone could do it. It was the perfect use for that 1 skein of Noro that Nicole gave me as a gift. Thanks Nicole!


One of the other projects I completed when I was on holidays (well just before actually) was my Hourglass Sweater by Joelle Hoverson. She owns this really cute yarn store in NY that is on my bucket list for sure. I had fun knitting this sweater. I didn't have enough Cascade 220 in the grey heather to make the whole sweater so I added a purple Cascade 220 and went for 4 inch stripes. It turned out okay.


This picture is preblocked, I've since blocked it to get some length. I feel like its too short and I hate wearing something  that I constantly have to tug on to fit right. I haven't worn it yet though because the weather has been too hot. I promise to get some better pictures when I have the chance. You can find this project and all the details on my Ravelry page here.

Currently, I'm working on some Christmas gifts but I can't share them yet. I'm also finishing up my 3rd Wallaby of the summer, I'll tell you all about that next time!

Cheers!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Very first post

So after much thought and some time, I've decided that a blog would be a perfect way to share with my family and friends (and anyone else who cares to read it).

Some of the blogs I admire the most are filled with a mix of family, photos, hobbies, photos, links to cool things, photos, and knitting (which just naturally has spectacular photos). So that will be what this blog is all about.

Please feel free to leave a comment, I love comments!


Some of the very best things that can fill a day happened to me on Saturday. It started with sunshine and coffee and knitting, which in my opinion is pretty close to heaven. It was followed by a great hike to the lake.


This is the Lake of Prairies in Manitoba. We camped along the south side of it at Asessippi Provincial Park. What a great campground, totally spacious, clean and so very pretty. As a bonus, it's only about 4 hours away from home.

Later in the afternoon we went to the local ski hill (Yup an oxymoron if there ever was one! A ski hill in the prairies, but really, it's a very cute hill. Perfect for learners and those who can't get to the big hills in BC). We didn't go to admire the trees and runs in the summer sun though, no, we went to inquire about renting kayaks! I love kayaking! In fact I'm squirreling away money for my very own kayak!


We got two, put Sam with me and off we went down the river. I kind of wish I had some experience on moving water before this, but it was an adventure! Sam and I were pretty nervous at first, but after watching Brent flip (twice! and he got stung by a bee! Poor guy!) we both mellowed, and by then so had the river.

I would do that again in a heartbeat. It was just amazing to challenge ourselves to do something new and to savour the whole experience with Sam and each other. We will absolutely be going back next summer because as great as it was, it was missing something... Beth.

We finished up the day BBQing hamburgers and eating watermelon. I knit by the campfire that night and listened to the birds settle in the trees. It was a great day! 

Little Sheep Virtues

Happy Friday! I'm pretty excited to be sharing this cross stitch project with you all. Pattern: Little Sheep Virtues 1-12 by Litt...