Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Pathfinders and Rangers


For the past 5 years I've been leading a unit (or two) of Girl Guides. I love the camping and crafts and fun that this organization provides. I also get a real kick out of the girls. When I first started, the Superstar was a little Spark and just 6 years old. I've moved up the levels as she has from Sparks to Brownies, and then Guides and now onto Pathfinders. I have to say that I really enjoy these teenagers. They're a funny and silly bunch.

I'm looking forward to adventures and memories. I hope they are too!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

November Book Club - The Girls



I've been a member of a book club for a couple of years now and we have a fun group of ladies. I really enjoy the evenings out. We talk about everything, from work, to kids, to spouses. Sometimes we even talk about the book!

I like reading, I used to read all the time bk (before knitting). I remember a time when I would spend all day on the couch reading. Day after day spent reading. Now I'm lucky if I finish the book in 3 weeks. I've become a lazy reader. Rarely do I slog through a book hoping it will get better. If it doesn't grab me I just put it down. I wonder how many good stories I've missed out on because of this?

I've found that I have a real love/hate relationship with the books in our book club. Some picks are really great. Some are books that I would never have looked at on my own and I'm glad I got to read them. But some! Some are terrible. I've found that many of the books I don't like, are loved by many of the ladies (makes for some great conversation!). Very few get a universal thumbs down.

Unfortunately this month's book, The Girls, was not a gem for me. I had a hard time getting through it. In fact I didn't. And it doesn't help that I have an all consuming knitting hobby. I'm easily distracted. With the holidays right around the corner, and the temperature dipping, I'd almost rather be knitting.

If I were being truly honest with you, I'd admit that I would almost always rather be knitting!

So what have you been reading?

Monday, November 22, 2010

Things to do while waiting...

It was a long tournament on the weekend. I got bored waiting for the next game. I thought the kids would too, but they didn't. In typical kid fashion, they ate, and played, and listened to music, and danced, and ate, and talked, and ate...




Oh, to be a kid again...

Sunday, November 21, 2010

The Balgonie Tourney

The Superstar and her teammates played their last volleyball tournament yesterday. It was a bit bittersweet watching them play, knowing that this year (her first) is already finished. I'm glad they went. They have really improved since they started out a few months ago.

A super big thanks to her coach Miss. Harrison for all her time and effort. She was a positive, you can do it, kind of coach and as a parent it was nice to see her play them all, and cheer for them all, and keep her cool when they were losing. She was really great!



I still have a hard time believing how grown up she looks in these pictures. Amazing!

Well. We didn't have much time to mourn the passing of the volleyball season. The Superstar is at her first basketball practice this morning. Oh help! Here we go again!

Yay Broncs!!!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Susan's Surprise

Hi everyone. I'm so happy to share the great project many of the Itty Bitty Knitters participated in over on the Ravelry forum. I really think knittingknirvana describes it so perfectly in her videocasts. Please check them out. They are worth listening to (in my case a few times over!). Here's the link to Susan's post on Ravelry after she got the blanket and here is the thread where it all happened.

If you aren't a member of Ravelry yet, why not?! If you are non knitting reader, I'm sorry. This post is all about the knitting, and the links are all Ravelry based except for the videocast. That you can check out anytime!

I have lots of knitting to share after the holidays. Unfortunately not much right now. I'm trying to whip up a few of these neckwarmers though. B asked for one for work and since it's now -20 I'm thinking I better knit faster. I also noticed when Mr. Man is on the ice, the back of his neck is exposed and I keep thinking it must get cold, so I'll be making him one soon too.

(not my picture) by tienne

I couldn't help myself and cast on for the Deirdre shawl pattern last week. I'm using Dream in Colour Smooshy in the Ruby River colourway and I love it. It has purple and pink all over the place. I'm not a big fan of how nylon-y this feels knit up on small lace needles, but I'm hoping a good soak will help that. This is a sock yarn after all and I've been spoiled knitting shawls in silk blends lately.


This is the yarn and I did actually wear it out to a breast cancer fundraiser "girls night" back in September. B thought I was a dork, but I got big compliments. It was a fun way to show off pretty yarn, and my neck was really warm! Plus, I just don't own much pink. This shawl will be perfect for next year.

We sure got hit by some serious snow yesterday and last night. We must have 2 feet now and some of the drifts are probably close to 6 feet. Wow! I hope to get some pretty pictures of snow and kids and volleyball (last tournament) this weekend that I can share.

Until then, 
Happy Friday!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Congrats B!!!

As the title says, CONGRATS!

Yay for passing your IP exam and leaving the world of apprenticeship behind.

I'm so excited for you Mr. Journeyman Electrician!

Whoot whoot!!!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Skating, Frost and Flowers

The first of many years of rink life for misterman...


The above sequence is Preschool Skate in a nutshell. Fall down (in misterman's case, giggle a lot), wait for an older girl to notice you, batt your eyelashes, she helps said cute fella up and skates away, meanwhile misterman totters forward a few steps, bails, lands on his butt, laughs hysterically, looks around to see if one of us has seen this hilarious moment, and still giggling, looks around for another older girl. Repeat...

Thank goodness it only last a half an hour! So every Monday and Thursday night from now until March we will be the beaming rink parents of a Preschool Skate Canada Member. Join us if you dare!

In other news, we were visited by ice fog last night. It's a common occurance in the prairies, and it leaves behind the most amazing hoar frost. This is the view out of one of my kitchen windows (forgive the telephone wires).


My poor apple tree got hit too. She looks lovely though!

Inside my house, maybe in response to the onset of winter, my flowering plants are, flowering. My Christmas Cactus is going crazy, covered in lovely hot pink blossoms and my favorite Spiderplant from my girlfriend Bridie is flowering again. I love the blossoms, they are simple and pretty.



And my Lipstick Plant is showing my it's very first flowers! I love the bold red and the hairy tubes!

Happy weekend!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Cotton Wood

I finished this sweater last month and should have hoofed it over to the PFRA for some FO shots under the Cottonwood trees but the snow came rather quickly. I ran out of time. I may still get some nice winter shots if I layer up.

Hmm... I love planning the photo sessions. B thinks I'm crazy. I get really excited taking pictures of my knitting and only somewhat excited about taking pictures of my kids!


These are the amazing Cottonwood Trees (they deserve a capital letter)! The wind knocked one down this spring and it's lying over the slew like a giant bridge. When I first saw the pattern by Cecily Glowik MacDonald I immediately thought of these trees.

Idlewood is a top down raglan sweater with a giant cowl. I was really unsure of that part. It seemed like a lot of knitted fabric at my neck and I thought I looked like a dork, not quite the look I was aiming for. After I had finished the knitting (very quick) and blocking, I tried it on again and you know what? I so wasn't a dork at all! The sweater looks great!



I knit Cottonwood on 6.5mm circular needles (my addi turbos, love addis!). I used 3 skeins of Shepherds Own (even though I bought 7!) in the dark brown. It worked out to about 756 yards according to Raverly and I really did use just about all of those 3 skeins. I didn't make any mods, the pattern is written so well, I didn't have to.

This was a fun sweater to knit and it's a fun sweater to wear. The only complaint I have is the pilling in high stress areas. Because this more of a tunic length, the derriere is getting a bit of friction with sitting and moving and the garter stitch edge is pilling.

The yarn I knit this out of is 100% wool and it will pill and felt together, I should have thought about that a bit more. I don't know if a super wash or merino would hold up any better to be honest and I really like the rustic look the pure wool gives. So I wear this sweater occasionally. 

I'm knitting another sweater by Cecily. The Castle Pullover (in a beautiful green yarn called Marsh) promises to be very wearable and lovely for work. I'll blog about it soon (I'm halfway there).

Happy Friday!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Meet Fancy




You can find my project notes about Fancy here.

Happy Birthday Mom! Wish I could have planted her on your lawn for you!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Happily Ever After

I woke up this morning to this...


We've gotten about 15cms and it's still snowing. I don't mind the snow, I like winter. I get to wear nice hand knitted sweaters and mittens and scarves and toques. I don't like the -5o kind of winter and that is coming. But right now it's nice and warm (just hovering around -1) and the snow is pristine and fluffy.

I'm not really blogging about snow though. I'm blogging about my fingerless mittens I finished this afternoon for the Superstar. The pattern is called Happily Ever After Mitts by Susan B Anderson. Yet another awesome free pattern from my favorite knitting guru. I made these out of some stash yarn that my in laws brought me and that makes me happy. I'm always glad to knit down my stash! The yarn is called Scheepjeswol Voluma and is from the Netherlands. It's a DK weight acrylic/mohair and knits up super well. I'm really pleased with it. In fact I'm casting on for a matching hat right away.




Life is good!

And before you ask, no my living room floor is not dirty (well maybe it is!) those spots are what is left of the carpet underlay that fused itself to my lovely fir floors probably about 40 years ago. I spent an afternoon scrubbing at those spots and nothing. So they are waiting for the moment that we rent an industrial sander and take those old fir floors from blah, to fabulous.

That day is coming...

Here's wishing you a happy snow day!

Monday, November 1, 2010

A Sunday Halloween






We got up to the usual tricks n treats around here yesterday.

Misterman was a very buff spiderman and the Superstar was a Sassy Devil. I have yet to get a decent picture of her wearing that costume. Maybe she'll pose for me later today.

The kids carved 2 very scary pumpkins and we roasted the seeds.

Misterman went to a total of 6 houses and almost filled his little spiderman bucket! Oh to be little and cute! And the Superstar milked this Halloween for all it was worth and got the most candy I have ever seen. It's insane! I'm glad for her though, next year she graduates to handing out treats.

Hope you all had a wonderful day with lots of little ghosts and ghouls knocking on your door.

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...