Knitting Inukshuk

Once again... the wip's are flying off the needles... here's what's been happening. Sorry I've been slow to post the progress...

for Helen and Tafari's beautiful little girl... a wee tiny thing.

I loved this yarn! Helen hates pink so I knew I had to find something that was a little different. The colours were perfect... something I could imagine Helen wearing... ruby red, with a thin variegated strand that changed from violet to blue to green to gold. The picture does not do it justice. The pattern is a basic, yoke-down "five-hour baby sweater."

I finished grumperina socks. I can't wait to pass them on to Genevieve. (It's so much fun to knit socks for someone who loves knit socks!!) She sent a postcard from Ireland... and to be honest, my first thought was about how much wool these sheep were representing!! ;)

Now, ladies and gentlemen, what a treat we have for you! Our model for the day will be the lovely Bosco...

I started the meadow flowers shawl... I got itchy fingers and cast on this Tootsie yarn from my stash before I got out to the lys to buy something wonderful and flowy... I don't mind at all though... I'm liking the density of this yarn. It's hard to see the pattern with it being so chunky, but I'm sure that it will block out a bit nicer. To be honest though, I don't mind either way. It's cozy and cuddly. A nice flowy shawl in a beautiful hand painted lace weight will follow without a doubt...

I did manage to pick up some spinning fibres in a colour scheme that's to "dye" for... hardy har har... I think I'm gonna turn it into a pair of slipper-socks for Aunt Pat, seeing as she was really loving the colours... we shall see... I have only spun yarn twice, both times resulting in slubby textured yarn. This time around, I'm being a little more patient and I'm liking how it's turning out. I think it's a wee bit too thick, seeing as I still have to ply it... which is why I think it will be something worsted or sport weight... we shall see. I'm still learning...










(This was just to see if Bosco would actually sit there... and he did! Though the look of "I'm just tolerating this because you give me food" was not lost on me.)

Mum came home from BC with a wonderful surprise... Alpaca from the Farm!!! SQuee!! It's soooo soft... what to make from 100gr??? Although it's enough for socks, I can't get past the fact that I hate (wearing) socks... and even if I knit them out of alpaca, I would barely wear them, and that would be a shame. I I thought it would be great to turn it into something that would be near my face... so I've started the Branching Out scarf. I made this for Annie a few years ago, and I remember wrestling with the pattern. It was my first venture into lace... and I was such a straight'forward knitter up until then. Well, I've had a few more years of experience so I thought I would try it again... it's been a lightbulb experience this time around. I've come to understand how stitches relate to one another, where yo find their homes, and the basic flow of creating movement in a pattern. Before I was muscling my way thru... trying to memorize and decode the chart... this time, I find myself barely looking at it!! Mind you, I've had to frog a few rows, but overall, I'm thrilled to be at a place of understanding. Knitting this lace is intuitive and flowing and some of the most meditative, deep knitting I've ever done. I'm absolutely moved by it and what it represents for me. It's a landmark. It's my inukshuk. It's true, I'm a Knitter (capital K).

A round of applause folks, for our lovely model. (Thanks for being so co-operative Bosco!)

And this is next... this absolutely gorgeous sweater for Mark as a 10th anniversary present... he's going to look completely yummy in it. He's such a good sport too... he's coming to the open house at Spun tonight to make his colour choice. He may not be a knitter, but he's far from a muggle. (And he's just as hunky as the model!)

Drawn Deeper

One year ago my grandmother died suddenly.

My inspiration. My encourager. My teacher.

She had been excited about having another great-grandchild and she wished that this little one would be born on her birthday. To lose her so suddenly and not be able to attend the funeral was extremely difficult for me. I had to hold onto the faith that she had taught me, and sing my way through the hard times, another thing she taught me.

Home by and by, when our journey is o'er

There we shall meet on that bright and happy shore

Safe with my Saviour, in His arms forever more

Glory to God! I'll be home by and by

This was one of her favourite songs to sing, a hymn from the tiny Salvation Army church in Newfoundland that she attended for years and years. I can hear her now, as if I were standing beside her... a strong alto, singing with great conviction. Oh how she longed for heaven, especially after Pop had already gone to be with Jesus! The night before she died, she had a dream that Pop had come to lie beside her in bed, and wrapped his arms around her. The next day, she was wrapped in her Saviour's arms and reunited with her life-long love.

Some days I find myself reaching for the phone because it feels strange to have not talked to her for so long... and then I remember. I think that is part of what has drawn me deeper into knitting... it's my connection to her. It's how I feel close to her.

Represent

Gotta reclaim the good mojo... I'm still recovering from the sock ordeal, so I will go back to Friday and relay the awesome events of YarnHarlot "Represent" Tour...


Travelling to Toronto is always a big deal for me... I grew up in the country... I love the country... I love the wildlife, the grass under my feet, the space... that's not to say that I'm a redneck, but I have saltwater in my veins and a zealous appreciation for Creation (and the Creator). Anyways, Toronto makes me hyperventilate... too many people, pushing and shoving, weird smells... I generally feel like I have to shower when I get home. All that being said, it was quite an adventure trying to get to Indigo for Friday night, navigating the (non-wheelchair friendly) Go train, Union Station, and the subway during rush hour. Ugh... only for the Harlot would I dare such a feat.

The anticipation was killing me and I just about burst as I walked in the door. I couldn't believe how many people were there!!! It was incredible!!! It was wonderful to be part of such a large fellowship of knitters, but I was also really glad for the YarnHarlot. What a victory for her - a great turnout for her hometown. I wanted her to be blessed... and indeed, she was... who could stand in the midst of so many affirming, beautiful knitters and not be??? I know I was! And I was in the peanut gallery!


Her humour was unforgettable! I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! I loved her explanation of CHOKE - Cultural Humilation of Knitters Everywhere... how we struggle against so many stereotypes and judgements. As I was standing close to the store entrance, it was pretty freaky to witness people's reactions as they came in, responding in very a CHOKE-like manner, oblivious that they were the visual aids! It was worth a good snicker amongst those of us stuck on the balcony.


Indigo was completely overwhelmed. YarnHarlot has posted repeatedly how bookstores never believe many people will come. In Toronto, two celebrities from HGTV were presenting the night before and that was supposed to be a big deal... She wanted to see if she could at least beat out those guys. I heard that they ended up with just 30 and she had about 300!!!! Indeed! 300 supporters crammed into every nook and cranny of the store! The staff were scrambling for chairs... velvet rope to section of areas... it was chaos for them! And most of us were snickering on the inside... some on the outside... :) I loved how the staff kept coming over and telling the group of us that we weren't allowed to sit on the stairs... it was a fire hazard. I love it!! Knitters are a fire hazard!! That's amazing.


From my vantage point, this was all I could see between the slats of the railing...

























Nice, eh? Well, I could hear her and that was most important. I took a peak around to try to capture the scope of knitters....



the place was crawling with them! It was filthy with knitters!



While waiting to have our book signed, we noticed Swatchy and had to introduce ourselves. (there's a pic of me and the kids! Jaden is seriously debating taking Swatchy home!) Swatchy is not just unbelievably cute... but Swatchy has a good heart... someone Swatchy loves very much suffers from CFS and so Swatchy goes out into the world, and then carries back the tales of the adventures had. I love that. I mean it... I really love it. Having a hubby with MD has opened my eyes to many things that I have never thought of... such as the sinking pit he feels everytime he is faced with a flight of stairs, little things like having to bend over to pick up a dropped coin or put on shoes... What Swatchy represents - kindness, sharing with one another, carrying one another's burdens - that's pretty cool. And being a cutie doesn't hurt either. ;)


Noricum was Swatchy's chaperon for the night. She's a ray of sunshine. Gotta like anyone who wears a frog shirt. She's holding on to her hat to donate for StreetKnits... part of YarnHarlot's plan in the Represent Tour. Not just show up en force... but make a difference in the process. btw... love noricum's hat... fun pompom action going on there.

Oh... Hannah and I brought hats too, but I forgot to take a picture of them. Rats. You can see them on YarnHarlot's site. One is 4th from the bottom left - a cream colour chunky 2x2 rib, and the other is a little to the right and up from centre - it's pink and fuscia. Ok... I admit... I was using up my stash. The rib hat was intentionally using up some yarn I picked up at a yard sale, started knitting with it, but hated it. However, using 4 strands together gave it this awesome spongy texture. Didn't hurt that it used up 4 of the 10 balls I have! Regardless... May whomever wears these hats know that there is a knitter praying for them, that their hearts would find their true home.

There are many things that I admire about Stephanie, one being she's a doula as well. In chatting with her during the signing, it was so cool to connect with her on that level... show off my homebirthed babies. You know how it is, when you share one thing about yourself and it fills in a lot of blanks. One word speaks volumes. "Doula" is one of those things... it speaks of the joy of (home)birthing, babies, breastfeeding, embracing who we were created to be... tack on being knitters, and the connection is that much cooler.

When it was time for signing, she announced that those "with babies in their bodies, or outside their bodies and with them" could jump the line. That was very cool. And not just because I got to jump the line. ;) When I asked for a photo, she said "Sure! Got your sock?" Out came Grumperina! They look lovely together.



I'm sure I could ramble on about the evening... it was just so incredible. I'm still "full" a week later. But I better call it a night... tomorrow is our Family Vacation Day! Woo Hoo!

Full

HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe how long it's been... I'm so so sorry, my poor neglected blog. Wow... when BoozerBabes asked me to start blogging for her, I loved the idea, but I 've gotta figure out a way to not be so neglectful.... but that's not to say that I haven't been knitting! Woo-hoo!!!

Ok, enough with the chitchat... I just got home from seeing the YarnHarlot... live... in person... travelling sock and all! It was one of the most wonderful nights of my life! Does that seem strange? I don't care if it does... I was overwhelmed completely, and felt this outpouring of joy to be surrounded by so many like-minded people. We arrived later than planned (figuring out TTC when you're non-Torontonian & toting a nursing baby, Hannah, and a slow-walking MD hubby... but that's another story...) and I stood on the balcony with Mr. Babeez while Daddy took Hannah shopping for books. The view was not great... but we could still hear and the vibes were flowing all the way to the balcony. It was soooo cool. There was a prego mama from Kingston sitting on the steps beside me... a couple of young ladies in front of me... a beautiful smiley woman who kept playing peek-a-boo with you-know-who... two Italian mama mia's behind me who asked me why I liked knitting socks, and I got to tell them it was all about my Nan. And you know, I felt so... so... so... full. Does that make sense? My heart was full.

I'll write more about on the weekend, I promise... I just had to put to words this glorious feeling I have inside right now, before the day comes to an end.

I can't wait to show you pictures, and tell you about meeting Swatchy.

:)

Socks x 2

Ok... a few quickies before Jaden wakes up...

Tada! The spring socks (a la Grumperina) are done. Hannah loves them. Nearly destroyed them the first day she wore them... climbing the side of the crib to play with Jaden... The yarn got caught on the bottom latch and pulled about 4 inches out, but it didn't break... so I pulled it back in, bit by bit, evening out the stitches again. Phew!!! She felt so bad.





Little socks for Jaden... twisted cable pattern. Love it. here's a wee photo of one of the tidiest heels I've ever done. Woohoo! (don't know why I don't have a pic of the whole sock... hmm... Note to self: take pic when they come out of the laundry.) Funny thing about the close-up... I see my grandmother's hands. Weird.








Mr. Funny Face and I are having a blast hanging out this week. I think he should be in a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon... you know, it's time for his Dad to take a picture, and every time, Calvin makes a goofy face...















Gotta run! Someone is waking up!!

Sunny days!

All right... I'm a little slow in posting... but man, was it ever nice this weekend! The kids couldn't wait to get outside! Jordan was up and dressed, teeth brushed and everything by the time I emerged for my first cup of tea!

Jordan and Hannah asked to get the car out, and so they took turns pushing each other. Awwww... isn't that nice?!?! Yeah... they took turns ramming each other into the steps - crash up derby style! Bonus points if they managed to make the rider jettison out the side! Sheesh! some people's kids!






















On the knitting front, sock 1 for Hannah is done and I'm one to #2. I must have been completely dazed when I picked up the stitches for the heel, because one side looks horrible and the other side is fabulous... and of course, I didn't notice until I was grafting the toe... that's what happens when you knit while watching tv... you just do row after row... Love the pattern though! Based on Grumperina's sock featured in Interweave Knits, but made for my mini-Grumperina. Based on 48 stitches. Rib 3, then brioche stitch. Also, I'll be finishing Jaden's raglan sleeved sweater tonight. (Impressed yet?) I'm just doing the last couple of rows for the rolled collar and then I'm done! And not a moment too soon... I hate circular needles! Ick! Ick! Ick! I've only had to use them for the collar and it just seems so fiddly... could just be me & my technique... I've never used them before, so I shall suspend my formal judgement for now, but I sure will be glad to be done. I must say - it looks fabulous! The seams are... seamless! hardy harr... I'm tickled at how nicely it has all come together. Just in time for his big 6 months old tomorrow! Gosh... where does the time go????

















Snapped this a couple of days ago... Mr Big Man sitting in mama's bed.

And then there's this... what an angel... I could just stare at that face all day.

Spring

"It tis such a lovely day," said the Sock to no one in particular. It was merely enjoying the beauty of the sunshine reflecting off its glorious colours.

"I do say," said the Sock, "the sky certainly is enjoying my blue. "

"Well, enough of this lounging about... I'm off to see if Spring has sprung." And so the Sock left its comfy place in the sun, and went off in search of Spring.

"Excuse me, my fine fellows, but have you perchance seen Spring?" asked the Sock. There came no reply. "How rude" thought the Sock, and so it continued.

























How will I ever find Spring?" said the Sock, to no one in particular as it continued its sun-filled journey.

It found a Tree, full of buds. The tiny Lilac blooms would not appear for some time, and yet they were there, the waiting of promise of beauty and fragrance yet to come. From this vantage point, the Sock asked again, in the loudest voice its wool would allow - "Has anyone seen Spring?"






















And then, a little voice startled him. "Ahem... I've seen Spring."
































It was a Crocus, opening its petals to the warmth of the Sunshine. It said again, "I've seen Spring."























"You have?!!" replied the Sock, hurrying down from its perch. "Oh you must tell me where you've seen Spring!"




Shyly, the little Crocus replied, "Oh my, Spring is beautiful. Spring is about changes. Spring is about warm colours emerging from the coolness of winter."



"It sounds lovely," said the Sock.



"Yes. You are," said the Crocus.

It finally happened!!

Hello dear little blog,

What joy this morning... I awoke to the sounds of the birdies outside my window, twittering away... the sun barely peaking through the curtains... I felt rested. Sigh.

AHHHHHHHHH!!! It happened! It finally happened!!! Jaden slept through the night! Woohoo!

Is he not the cutest thing in the world??!!
















It's been a whirlwind lately, but here's the breakdown of all the fun:

1/ Went to make myself a cup of tea a few days ago. Jaden was playing happily, and when I looked in on him, here he was.... He had rolled over and was displaying mixed emotions. Part "Wow, look what I just did!" and part: "Oh crap, what did I just do??" Very cute.

2/ Spent a great weekend at the CafazZoo... it was awesome. We celebrated Easter together. We also had a Passover meal... I know, I know... Passover was Tuesday... we're not Jewish... but we were celebrating the fulfillment of Passover - Jesus, the Lamb of God, our Y'shua. It was deep and incredibly meaningful. How amazing that God gave His people a revelation of their Messiah and true Deliverer - a hint of what was to come... not just deliverance from Egypt, from deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. Every minute detail of the Passover has significance and is a foreshadowing of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. How amazing. Baruch ata Adonai!

3/ Annie loves the Boy. We do too. He's probably still recovering from the kids tackling him and using him as their personal jungle gym. He tolerated it well. So we decided: Yup. He'll do.

4/ We celebrated 3 birthdays… Hannah who was proud to turn 5 – which she announced very loudly from the back of the church Sunday morning when the Rev. asked if there were any birthdays… Annie nears her ¼ of a century mark, continuing in maturity as a woman and in the Lord… and then there was Boozer Babes... although she is hardly a babe any longer, crossing the threshold of her Sweet 16.


Boozer Babes gets her first car... Hot Wheels...













Musical-obsessed Boozer Babes flippin out over her Wicked b-day card from N8.















As a family, we gathered around her to pray and bless her. Was there a dry eye in the house? Don’t think so. (Thank you Jesus for waterproof mascara!) (sorry the photo's a bit dark... forgive me, N8)

5/ Hannah asked if she could play with Jaden, and I smiled to myself, thinking how beautiful to see the bond between sister and brother developing. However, when I peaked around the corner, I realized that she wanted to play with him… as if he were her little play thing. Even Bosco got in on the action.
























6/ Knitting news: started a wee raglan sweater in 2-toned blue cotton for Jaden. I have some appointments/events coming up that require me to sit and wait, so I thought I’d set my hands to a project that was fairly straightforward and I could just knit mindlessly. I love it! It’s so fulfilling to be growing as a knitter, to see my skills grow so that I can picture something and then knit it. I’m taking notes, and I’ll post the pattern if it works out! (I should probably stop tooting my own horn just in case this flops!!)


















Note: This post was supposed to go up last night but just as I went to upload it, the server crashed. I could hear the voice from the Starship Enterprise speaking – “Unable to comply…” I lost everything, and I was very very very PO’d. I don’t get to post often enough as it is, and then when I do get to it, it crashes. AWK! So I sat down, ate some chocolate and I felt better. Even today, there are still some issues because my images won't upload. I'll try again later, but here's the post for now. BTW… it seems like the sleeping thru the night (STTN) was a one-time deal… sigh…

This and That

Alrighty... a quick wip! Before I could post about it, it was done! Wow! Sewn up and everything! A quick and simple pair of slippers for Jaden, knit out of frustration that of all the socks and booties that I found... I could only find one of each kind. grrrr!! So here they are... on the loveliest little feet... which belong to the loveliest baby who just passed his 5th month. Wow. And he's still getting cuter by the day.




He's massive. Jordan won our family contest to guess his weight at the last check-up - right on the money with 19lbs 7 oz.

He's my little man.

Whoa. Those feet look big.

Life's been busy, but I'm finally into a rhythm... I love Mum's illustration - it's like learning to juggle with an extra ball added, and it takes a bit of time to figure it out. Well, I feel like I'm finding that place. Here's a few things that have helped:

"Once a Month Cooking"

I spent one day cooking and ended up with 32 meals packed away in our new freezer (thank you Mom!!) So now, everyday, I just pull something out and it's all set to go. I just have to pull together the sides. I now have time for other things, which often includes a fussy baby, right at dinner time. (btw... how is it that babies just seem to know when you're trying to make dinner, and kick the groucho factor up to ten???)

The other thing: 15 minutes a day for me and God. Ok, ok... 15 minutes doesn't seem like much... but I wanted to set my sights on God and being close to Him without interruption or distraction... and around here, 15 minutes is about as much as I can come up with until baby starts sleeping thru the night, Jordan learns how to do long division on his own, and Hannah can manage not to get glue in her hair or playdough on the carpet.

Before I go... this is a little late, but we found a funny little leprechaun hanging around on St Patty's Day and I managed to snap a pic of him before he could scurry away to his pot of gold (which looked strangely like a bowl of scooby snacks.....)

Work-in-Perpetuity

My dear little blog,

Please don't be offended that I haven't added to you in quite some time... it's not that I haven't been thinking of you... I have! Often, in fact! Many a time throughout my day I think of you, ponder quaint messages to share with you, take pictures that I might share with you... but alas, I have neglected you.

Sigh.

But I have good news! Genevieve's socks are finally finished (sort of - I just have to graft the toes... oh tortuous process... oh beautiful result...) Mark was starting to call them a "work in perpetuity" ... but I finished them with a sigh... It has taken me four months to complete what I can usually do in four days. Seeing as knitting is a prayerful act for me, a way of meditating on God's heart for the recipient, I usually finish a project with a sigh... all the more so for Genevieve's Welcome With Love socks... it is the closing of a chapter of a most beautiful phase of my life... the journey of meeting two lovely people - our son and our midwife.

But it is just a chapter that has been finished... many more await...

-32??

Brrrrr.... a frigid -18 out there this morning... feels like -32 with a windchill warning for Halton region. Our cranky furnace is sputtering and wheezing and churning away, but the house still feels like an igloo. There is a reason for igloos being associated with Canada!! Hannah has abandoned her room - the coldest one in the house, and barred her door shut. She's rescued her favourite toys but vows not to return until the climate changes. (Could be a while.) She's sharing with Jordan right now, and the two of them are cuddling up for warmth. It's just like Little House on the Prairie. Way too cute.

I have managed to pull a few projects of the needles:
I've finally turned the heel on Genevieve's second sock. Finally!

Started and finished Jamie's trummed mittens. Poor kid - he suffers terribly from chronically cold hands, so what could be better than a good pair of warm woolies??? I finished them late Saturday night while watching Star Trek Insurrection (my fav ST movie) - good mojo since Jamie is also a Trekkie. Took the picture on the way to church Sunday morning... then the battery died, so no pic with Jamie wearing them. :(










Started thrummed mitts for Chris. Finished one slipper for Jaden.

Jordan has been sporting his Wee Willy Winkle hat a lot - ok... I made it last year, but I'm still proud of it... my first (successful) project with 2 colours and no pattern. Yay me! And of course, I love the fact that Jordan loves it too.














Oh... and we've had another Sammy sighting...









Ok, this sleep-deprived gal needs another cup of tea to ward off the chill while I finish Jaden's slippers... ttfn!

God is a Knitter

Ok... God is a Knitter... with a capital "K"... always knew it, but thought I'd ponder that for a bit...

1. One of my most favourite verses of all is Psalm 139:13-14. I had it posted on the wall while in labour with Jaden... and if this doesn't convince you that God is a Knitter, then nothing will!!

"You created my inmost being;
you KNIT me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well."

Psalm 139:13-14

2. A question... We know that He is our Shepherd (Psalm 23). In fact, Jesus says that he is the good shepherd in John 10"11... how could one spend so much time with sheep and not knit?

3. Although it's not mentioned by name in Scripture, do we not refer to the "Purly Gates?"

4. There are numerous references to God's abilities. In the Message translation, Job 36:26 says "See how great he is—infiKNIT,
greater than anything you could ever imagine or figure out!"

If the Message is a little too funky and modern, how about the King James? Psalm 147:5 says

"Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His understanding is infiKNIT."

I bet He never feels stumped by peculiar pattern instructions.

5. He had a tendancy to use whatever is on hand... no doubt, his stash is pretty incredible. Look what he was able to dig up for Job...

"Did you not... clothe me with skin and flesh
and KNIT me together with bones and sinews?
You gave me life and showed me kindness,
and in your providence watched over my spirit."
Job 10:10-12

6. BTW... He also sews a little:

You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Psalm 139:5

A closing verse, and a slightly more serious note... I love knitting, but Philippians 3:8 sums it all up...

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infiKNIT value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ."

Twins!

Two finished projects! Wow!

Jordan requested two pairs of socks a while ago (I won't mention just how long ago it was!) - one pair for his baby brother that would match his own, and he asked for a pair of red ones. He chose the yarn himself on one of our shopping expeditions. He very kindly asked if I would buy the yarn for him...let's just say, he didn't have to twist my arm! But he did have to be patient in order for me to finish them. I started them while I was still pregnant, they were meant for his birthday present on Nov. 18, and well... they sat there, waiting... staring at me for the longest time. You see, I don't suffer from SSS - Second Sock Syndrome. My personal affliction is IGS - Irritating Grafting Syndrome. I hate grafting toes... even though they look amazing. Well, they're finally finished and I called them "Les canadiens" in honour of Jordan's favourite hockey team.


"Jr. Blue."


Here's the miniture version of his blue self-patterning socks, finished for Jaden.