Contest - with cute kid stories!!!
Angela is having a contest to help her friend Nikki win an illustration contest. Nikki's book is "What's Wrong with Mud?". Are you willing to vote for that book here? If you are, and post a link to spread the word, you can enter in Angela's contest! (Yummy sock yarn and an illustration for a prize!)
(Found on Noricum's blog.)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Stressful eventful.
Grrr... I am very annoyed with Canada Post. I sent out a package (for DishRagTag) a week ago, with their next day priority postage and it STILL hasn't arrived! When I went to try and track down someone, their website is down and is of ne help, and I couldn't get anyone on the phone who could give me a straight answer. All in all, I'm very disappointed. I expected to get good service for the cost, and that just hasn't happened. I will definitely be sending my SP11 package some other way if I can!
I am quite stressed right now. I've been trying to knit MS3 and I need it for the end of September, for my husband's great aunt (who is turning 90) and my knitting time is almost non-existent. It's not the kinf=d of project I can take to knitting meetings so it's a strictly at home when it's quiet and my husband is out project - yep. Non-existent.
My computer is going away today to have it's motherboard replaced. It's about time - it dies every 20 minutes because the fan doesn't work and it overheats. It just seems very scary that I will be without computer for a few days, but we do have two others here.
And we all have colds. Fairly bad ones, because usually they don't get to me this much, Matt and Richard are 'down and out' too.
Cross your fingers for me. It's going to be a trying few days.
I am quite stressed right now. I've been trying to knit MS3 and I need it for the end of September, for my husband's great aunt (who is turning 90) and my knitting time is almost non-existent. It's not the kinf=d of project I can take to knitting meetings so it's a strictly at home when it's quiet and my husband is out project - yep. Non-existent.
My computer is going away today to have it's motherboard replaced. It's about time - it dies every 20 minutes because the fan doesn't work and it overheats. It just seems very scary that I will be without computer for a few days, but we do have two others here.
And we all have colds. Fairly bad ones, because usually they don't get to me this much, Matt and Richard are 'down and out' too.
Cross your fingers for me. It's going to be a trying few days.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Hand-dyed yarn!
I apologise in advance, this post is quite picture-heavy!
I meant to post this a couple weeks ago but never quite got round to it. Just after the beginning of August I did some hand-dyeing with food colouring. I used Club House food colours in red, blue, yellow and green. I did mix some of the colours (yellow and green made a beautiful bright green, which looks like Granny Smith apple skin green). I did a couple small skeins (maybe about 15g) in blue, yellow and green, and then one bigger one with red added.
I'm really pleased with how the dyeing turned out. The first little skein I did was the size of a dinner plate, with one third yellow, one third blue, and one third bright green. I wet the dye in a bowl with some vinegar added to the water, then put it on the plate. I painted the yarn with a paintbrush and drizzled some of the water mixture over it (but just a little). Then I zapped the entire plate for 2 minutes in the microwave, left it for 2, then zapped it for another 2 minutes. Then I rinsed it in really hot water and left it to dry. I started to knit it up and I really like how it looks. I'm thinking of felting it because I like how the colours look.
Need a pic? I actually remembered to take one :)
I also did a full mini-skein of green in water and vinegar (zapped the bowl with water, dye, vinegar and yarn all in there together), and another one in a clear mug with dye, vinegar and water. The second one I just left overnight (I forgot to zap it) and in the morning the dyebath was exhausted and the water was clear.
Here's another pic:
This was the zapped green and the 'clear mug left overnight' green:
And my final effort, with a couple of pics of the process:
And the last one:
I meant to post this a couple weeks ago but never quite got round to it. Just after the beginning of August I did some hand-dyeing with food colouring. I used Club House food colours in red, blue, yellow and green. I did mix some of the colours (yellow and green made a beautiful bright green, which looks like Granny Smith apple skin green). I did a couple small skeins (maybe about 15g) in blue, yellow and green, and then one bigger one with red added.
I'm really pleased with how the dyeing turned out. The first little skein I did was the size of a dinner plate, with one third yellow, one third blue, and one third bright green. I wet the dye in a bowl with some vinegar added to the water, then put it on the plate. I painted the yarn with a paintbrush and drizzled some of the water mixture over it (but just a little). Then I zapped the entire plate for 2 minutes in the microwave, left it for 2, then zapped it for another 2 minutes. Then I rinsed it in really hot water and left it to dry. I started to knit it up and I really like how it looks. I'm thinking of felting it because I like how the colours look.
Need a pic? I actually remembered to take one :)
I also did a full mini-skein of green in water and vinegar (zapped the bowl with water, dye, vinegar and yarn all in there together), and another one in a clear mug with dye, vinegar and water. The second one I just left overnight (I forgot to zap it) and in the morning the dyebath was exhausted and the water was clear.
Here's another pic:
This was the zapped green and the 'clear mug left overnight' green:
And my final effort, with a couple of pics of the process:
And the last one:
Friday, August 17, 2007
Take me out to the ball game...
Wednesday night was the Stitch N Pitch event at the SkyDome (Rogers Centre) in Toronto. A fun time was had by all, and I now almost kind of 'get' baseball. Kind of.
The free yarn was nice, too. My stash addition included a ball of Moda Dea 'Tweedle Dee', and Moda Dea 'Fashionista'. That came from Matt's bag. There was a ball of Bernat 'Disco', but I have issues with eyelash yarn and there was a lady in front of me using blue eyelash, so I passed it over. She got a couple more balls before the game was over.
My bag had a skein of Diamond Yarns 'Luxor', 100% egyptian cotton. There was also a ball of Naturally 'Colorworks', a thick-and-thin yarn in blue, purple and pink. I'll probably buy more of the Colorworks and make a scarf or hat for winter.
And my little guy got to cuddle the Yarn Harlot herself. It's not the most flattering picture of him
but I was pleased :)
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
To my pal of SP11
Dear Secret Pal,
I'm so looking forward to this, my first secret pal swap ever. Please let me know what you need from me to make this easy for you, and feel free to share your experience.
Thank you!!!
And now, the questionnaire... Happy reading!
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love knitting with almost anything, but right now am loving anything with bamboo in it, or soy. I really don't like mohair, I'm an anti-fuzzy yarns person. Not that Rowan something Haze isn't nice, because it is, but I just don't knit with mohair.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?My needles that I use regularly are in a shoebox, in a drawer. The other needles are in a tall vintage cylindrical case, also in a drawer. My circulars are in a decorative round box.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I learned to knit when I was at school when I was 6 or 7, but i didn't realise I remembered until I bought yarn and needles. I asked someone at my LYS to cast on for me, and started knitting while standing at the bus stop. I would consider my skill to be intermediate, purely because I have tried most techniques at least once and have gotten pretty good at this knitting malarkey.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I do not. I should have, but honestly, I'd never finish it. Sometimes I barely remember I have a blog!
5. What's your favorite scent? Not wet wool! Possibly vanilla, definitely food scents (baking cookies, etc).
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Oh boy, probably Lindt chocolates. I was spoiled on British chocolate growing up. I do like Skittles and M&Ms.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I've just started beading and bought myself a drop-spindle kit but don't know how to use it yet.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I generally like everything. I'm really enjoying podcasts at the moment, it's so nice to listen to people talk about knitting as I knit, or when I can't knit. Seems like the world gets a little smaller :) My computer plays CDs, we don't own a stereo and I don't have an MP3 player.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I've just finished playing with a ton of yarn in a yarn store and I love all the heathery and tweedy colours there are, deep reds, dusky pinks, periwinkle blues - lots of natural colours too - I've always loved sage green. I really don't like pink pinks, barbie-girl shades, but matched with the right contrast colour, who knows?
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm married and have a toddler, Richard. He's almost 2. We have no pets but Richard likes walking my yarn around like a dog (I tie a loop in one end and he "holds on tight".)
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Scarves and mittens yes, hats are new to me. I live in Canada so you kind of need them here.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Baby items, because they go so quickly.
13. What are you knitting right now? I just finished the back of a sweater for my little guy, and I'm currently knitting the back of a little vest for a newborn.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes, very much so. Now that I knit, it's so much more personal to receive a handmade gift and I can appreciate the time and thought that went into it.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Addi Turbos! In straights, I definitely prefer bamboo but I find the points are not very pointy. I've been using circulars a lot more but that's because they are Addis and I love them. I don't really like long needles, usually 10" is enough for me, another reason why circulars are heading to the top of my "I like..." list!
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Nope. I used to just knit from the skein, but one ridiculous incident put an end to that! I do plan to get one in September.
17. How old is your oldest UFO? Lol, one day old. Although I do have a couple of projects that got eaten by raccoons while camping a few months ago and I've written them off. They haven't come out of their Ziploc bags since. (I'm scared to look at them again, even though some of the yarn is salvageable.)
18. What is your favorite holiday? One without hubby and little guy, and with lots of fruity wines.
19. Is there anything that you collect? Beads and yarn. I guess maybe colourful needles? I tend to buy only coloured needles (like Boye) and I did buy a ton of pastel coloured circulars at a yard sale.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I generally like all of the baby knitting pattern books. And there's a sweater (or 6) that I'd really like to make in the Classic Elite book, Puddle Jumpers. I don't subscribe to magazines, not that I wouldn't like to, but they always come a few days later than they appear on newstands.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'd love to try entrelac and intarsia. I would love to be able to wear some nice, hand knit by me, latvian mittens come December. And there's that "Lady Eleanor" stole...
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I have knit socks, and I'm approximately 9 inches from heel to toe. Just very slightly larger than a womens medium. I haven't yet knit socks on sock weight yarn, the smallest I've used is sport (Lorna's Laces to be exact). I'm working my way down, Richard and I bought some sock yarn together (he chose it) and I'm planning on making us some socks as soon as my #1 circular is free.
23. When is your birthday? September 29.
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? My ID is "Shelley".
If you've made it this far, you deserve a treat -
I'm so looking forward to this, my first secret pal swap ever. Please let me know what you need from me to make this easy for you, and feel free to share your experience.
Thank you!!!
And now, the questionnaire... Happy reading!
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love knitting with almost anything, but right now am loving anything with bamboo in it, or soy. I really don't like mohair, I'm an anti-fuzzy yarns person. Not that Rowan something Haze isn't nice, because it is, but I just don't knit with mohair.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?My needles that I use regularly are in a shoebox, in a drawer. The other needles are in a tall vintage cylindrical case, also in a drawer. My circulars are in a decorative round box.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I learned to knit when I was at school when I was 6 or 7, but i didn't realise I remembered until I bought yarn and needles. I asked someone at my LYS to cast on for me, and started knitting while standing at the bus stop. I would consider my skill to be intermediate, purely because I have tried most techniques at least once and have gotten pretty good at this knitting malarkey.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I do not. I should have, but honestly, I'd never finish it. Sometimes I barely remember I have a blog!
5. What's your favorite scent? Not wet wool! Possibly vanilla, definitely food scents (baking cookies, etc).
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Oh boy, probably Lindt chocolates. I was spoiled on British chocolate growing up. I do like Skittles and M&Ms.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I've just started beading and bought myself a drop-spindle kit but don't know how to use it yet.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I generally like everything. I'm really enjoying podcasts at the moment, it's so nice to listen to people talk about knitting as I knit, or when I can't knit. Seems like the world gets a little smaller :) My computer plays CDs, we don't own a stereo and I don't have an MP3 player.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I've just finished playing with a ton of yarn in a yarn store and I love all the heathery and tweedy colours there are, deep reds, dusky pinks, periwinkle blues - lots of natural colours too - I've always loved sage green. I really don't like pink pinks, barbie-girl shades, but matched with the right contrast colour, who knows?
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm married and have a toddler, Richard. He's almost 2. We have no pets but Richard likes walking my yarn around like a dog (I tie a loop in one end and he "holds on tight".)
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Scarves and mittens yes, hats are new to me. I live in Canada so you kind of need them here.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Baby items, because they go so quickly.
13. What are you knitting right now? I just finished the back of a sweater for my little guy, and I'm currently knitting the back of a little vest for a newborn.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes, very much so. Now that I knit, it's so much more personal to receive a handmade gift and I can appreciate the time and thought that went into it.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Addi Turbos! In straights, I definitely prefer bamboo but I find the points are not very pointy. I've been using circulars a lot more but that's because they are Addis and I love them. I don't really like long needles, usually 10" is enough for me, another reason why circulars are heading to the top of my "I like..." list!
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Nope. I used to just knit from the skein, but one ridiculous incident put an end to that! I do plan to get one in September.
17. How old is your oldest UFO? Lol, one day old. Although I do have a couple of projects that got eaten by raccoons while camping a few months ago and I've written them off. They haven't come out of their Ziploc bags since. (I'm scared to look at them again, even though some of the yarn is salvageable.)
18. What is your favorite holiday? One without hubby and little guy, and with lots of fruity wines.
19. Is there anything that you collect? Beads and yarn. I guess maybe colourful needles? I tend to buy only coloured needles (like Boye) and I did buy a ton of pastel coloured circulars at a yard sale.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I generally like all of the baby knitting pattern books. And there's a sweater (or 6) that I'd really like to make in the Classic Elite book, Puddle Jumpers. I don't subscribe to magazines, not that I wouldn't like to, but they always come a few days later than they appear on newstands.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'd love to try entrelac and intarsia. I would love to be able to wear some nice, hand knit by me, latvian mittens come December. And there's that "Lady Eleanor" stole...
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I have knit socks, and I'm approximately 9 inches from heel to toe. Just very slightly larger than a womens medium. I haven't yet knit socks on sock weight yarn, the smallest I've used is sport (Lorna's Laces to be exact). I'm working my way down, Richard and I bought some sock yarn together (he chose it) and I'm planning on making us some socks as soon as my #1 circular is free.
23. When is your birthday? September 29.
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? My ID is "Shelley".
If you've made it this far, you deserve a treat -
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