apologies

Hello, all!

I apologize for my long absence - since my last post, I have moved to the beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, and have been back to Toronto, besides!

I have been crafting, but have neglected to post anything. I am going to try and post all of my knit goods and back date them for your viewing pleasures before I head back to Vancity, where surely my wonderful but busy Masters of Publishing program will suck my life away again.

Cheers, and I hope your Christmases/Chanukahs/Eids/Kwanzaas/Festivuses were excellent, and that your New Year will be too!

a hat for dad (that didn't come from a beer box!)

This year, I decided to give my Dad something handknit for Christmas - he's practically impossible to buy for. Still on a Noro kick from making my chevron mittens, I went for Brooklyn Tweed's Turn a Square hat - a pattern I've always admired.

With good reason - the hat knits up quick and is a pretty safe way to introduce some colour into your knitting (and your overly sartorially cautious aka obtuse giftee AKA my dad). I used a dark brown base colour in dependable Cascade 220 and a blue-red-green-grey Noro Silk Garden.

fish in a pond

With one brief, glorious reprieve in the form of my Noro chevron mittens, these socks took nearly all of my first semester's knitting time in Vancouver.

Cookie A's Pomatomus pattern is lovely and unique and interesting, but Jesus. Twisted rib all through on teeny tiny needles was like ripping teeth out. Now that they're finished, however, I like 'em! I think I have some form of PTSD, where I can't remember how frustrating it is to knit an inch every hour-twohours of work. The end result, these little waves in the beautiful Misti alpaca, was worth it (I guess).

To ease my post-sock pain, I made this little pinch pouch - the pattern is super-easy, quick, and now I won't lose my earrings!

chevron mittens

When the first strains of cool weather hit Vancouver air, I realized with horror that I'd left my handknit mittens in a pink milk crate at my parents' house. Given that I'd sworn never to wear storebought mittens again, I ran out to a west coast knitting store to stock up on something to knit up some new ones, quick.

Enter three bags full, a beautiful wool store close to my new apartment. I bought Noro Kureyon (also a first for me) and set to work.

At the time, I'd just finished the first of two Pomatomous socks, and was suffering serious laceweight + twisted rib + second sock syndrome pains. The speed with which these mittens practically appeared to me, as if in a dream, as if I hadn't been knitting them at all, was wonderful. Elizabeth Zimmermann, your mitred mittens are genius.

The colours of the Noro I chose blended together to look a little like mildew, which gives me some strange pleasure. Also, I love that the mittens don't match, they just go. I will definitely make this pattern again.

le calze scale mobile

...AKA escalator socks.

Those socks, those frigging socks that I have been promising photos of forever - they're done. I can't wait to give them to my nonno! I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine in this gorgeous navy with hot fuchsia fibres wound in (I hope Nonno doesn't notice - but I think it will make him discreetly super-hip). I also love how squishy and stretchy the pattern is.

Check out that texture!

Also, I thought I'd leave you all with an update on one of my gifted crafts. My "haters gonna hate" pillow, which has become a conversation piece over at my recipients' apartment, has finally served its purpose. Check out their dinner guest, passed out, at 10pm.

Judge him if you must. But, as the pillow says...

guest at the demure muse

Hi all!

The lovely and talented Katrina of the demure muse has kindly offered me some post space for today.

Head on over and read some delicious (tested) summer recipes, plus food porn.

[Link!]

fascinating

Hello lovelies!

I am sweltering here in this Toronto heat and looking forward to my move westward more and more. I am still slaving away at those socks for my Nonno (about 85% done now, I'd say) and have still not yet taken a picture of them! There will be one when they're all done, promise.

Today, I took a break from knitting, and a super-break from accounting (blegh!) to make up some fascinators with my mom! Our materials cost about $12 at dollarrama, and with a little glue and swear words, I think we actually managed to make up some mighty fancy headpieces.

A butterfly one, made and modelled by my mom.

A rose-and-feather one - made by me! I look sad, but I'm actually melting.

Also, this isn't technically a craft, but I thought I'd share my most amazing vintage score to date. I just left my old job at a costume place, but not before helping them move locations. They were getting rid of bagfuls of costumes, and I snagged this magnificent hat for $2. It's real beaver fur, so maybe I'm the new Hitler, but I can deal.

I wore it for two minutes for the photo and then threw it off and drank a glass of water. That's summer for you!

pies and pillows

Hi all! It sure has been a long time!

I have been very busy with work and terrible, terrible television shows, but I thought I'd share some things that have been keeping me busy over these past few months. I'll say from the outset now that this post was supposed to be titled "pies, pillows and progress," but that would involve me taking pictures of all of my neglected knitting projects and it's too sunshiny outside to be "staging" my knitting. I promise pictures are on the way.

Disclaimers aside; look at this pie I made!

I used smitten kitchen's pie crust and a recipe (which I have now lost) for the lemon meringue. Though the pie was delicious, I don't miss the recipe - the boiling cornstarch and sugar spat all over the kitchen and myself. Not cool. Nevertheless, I walked around the house with my chest puffed out, chuffed to bits with my pie-making abilities.

I also took a break from knitting a pair of socks for my Nonno (I promise, those pictures are coming!) to embroider a pillowcase for my boyfriend and his roommates, some of the coolest people around. They let me stay in their lovely downtown apartment whenever I have raging suburbanitis (and any other time besides). One of them loves this saying, and what better than to do it up in American Typewriter with a French-knot fill?

My spacing is a little effed up, but I think the overall effect is really cute. The letters feel really curly, even though they look sharp from a distance.

The 'g' is my favourite. French-knot fills take a long time, but for a special gift, it's worth it!

selbusokker

Some progress on my Norweigan stockings! Selbu is truly a knitter's mecca.

brother's chocolate cupcakes

It is my brother and Nonno's Birthdays today - they are exactly 60 years apart. Given they both love chocolate, and I am a sister to one of them, nothing could have been more appropriate than ming's "Sis' Chocolate Cupcakes."

The thick chocolate frosting just begged for a fresh strawberry.

Ming Cupcakes: 6/33

merry craftsmas/crafty new year

With the holiday season officially ended (until my brother's Birthday in two days, anyways), I thought I'd take a second to brag about what a spoiled brat I was this Christmas.

So, so, so excited to get into these gifts in a big way in 2011:

Embroidered Effects, by Jenny Hart. Martina of wollstoneCRAFT gave this book a shining recommendation for its fresh patterns and easy instructions, and I can't wait to get started on some embroidery projects ( like making this illustration into a pillow).

My cousin's girlfriend Laura - of headband fame - gave me a gift certificate to my local yarn store, Mary's Yarns, which I am too thrilled to use. It justifies my ever-growing stash without the added reach-and-grabs into my bank account.

And below, probably one of my all-time favourite Christmas gifts (next to N64, natch): an addi bamboo interchangeable needle set. The packaging is beyond gorgeous and sleek, and the inside is lined with leaf-printed silk. The red card is signed by the person who packed them. This present has solidified my already fervent belief in German engineering.

I already have them slated for a new project: once my Selbu stockings are finished, I will make my first-ever sweater! Exciting times - I will keep you posted!

Until then, best of luck in the new Year, and thank you for reading!