And Now For Something Completely Different

A Hat!!!!

It's a different pattern, though, so that makes it much better - right? It's the kitty hat from Stitch'N Bitch that I mentioned yesterday, minus the ears.

I had a special request for a grey hat so here it is in all its, er, blah glory.

Man, I think even my model is getting tired of them! But I shall trudge on. Why? Because it uses up stash and it helps to fund further stash enhancements. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

In other news, it's report card day today so no students. I'm just sitting around waiting for parents to show up. In between I'm catching up on work.

Tomorrow I'm off to get groceries. Back on Sunday.

Happy weekend knitting, M

Oh, Look. Another Hat. woo.

This is not the original post. It was so bland that I had to delete it because I was boring myself just reading it. So here's the new and improved version.


Look, I have another finished object. It's a hat! Aren't those colours beautiful? The earflaps are done in one of my fav yarns - I have mittens made out of it.

The cool thing is that as soon as I finish one, it flies out of my hands and is quickly replaced by cash. Very good trade.

I have another student knitter pic. Megan finished this scarf a couple of weeks ago now and has moved onto a quilting project. The quilt is for her baby that's due in July. I keep telling her that she needs to knit a blanket, too, but with the warm weather coming and her increasing discomfort, I don't think she's too interested just yet.


Thank goodness I didn't post that original entry. You'd have been asleep by now.

May all your knitting be un-boring, M

Another Weekend, Another Hat

It was actually a slow knitting weekend as I was dealing with floods in the laundry room, more snow on the roof, cleaning the house and rearranging some furniture. So only one hat completed.

Voila!


I have another one half done and it will probably be finished by tonight.

Why so many you ask? Well, I sold the last one to a coworker and then a bunch of other people started asking for them. I have never knit for money before but it's kinda growing on me. Plus with these, I get to use up stash and leftovers. The cash can help to finance other projects. Good deal all around! (Okay, good deal for me!)

Happy weekend knitting, M

An Irish Prayer

May those who love us, love us;
and those who don't love us,
may God turn their hearts;
and if He doesn't turn their hearts,
may he turn their ankles
so we'll know them by their limping.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I canna think of a grander thing to be than an Irish-Canadian girl!

Bless ye! M

A Very Little Knitting

I did manage to get a small amount of knitting done on the weekend. I can't say it was my best but, eh, sometimes life goes that way.

This is a sock out of my own head from Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs and Butterflies in Bittersweet. Yummy-licious colour!


It seems I was in more of a deconstructionist mood as I pulled apart two damaged duvet covers to make an undamaged one and I started eyeing a sweater that could be recycled for socks and mittens and hats and . . .

Happy Tuesday Knitting, M

Out of Control Non-spinning

I realized this weekend that I have had an unreasonable fear of spinning.

I know this sounds odd as I own a spinning wheel and a fair-sized stash of fibre waiting for processing. But the truth is that I have been afraid to spin it up. Why, you may ask. Because I didn't want to wreck it, of course! (Yes, I know it's weird. Just don't laugh in my face, k? Do it behind my back where I can't hear you! :-p)

Yup, brave in the face of rabid dogs, hostile corporate take-overs, and a classroom full of hormonal teenagers (to list a few of my career highlights), I was afraid to spin my own fibre on my own wheel.

This seems so crazy to me because some unseen force has been pulling at me to spin for so long. Then to have a wheel and not use it seemed so , er, . . . odd? wasteful? fruitless? disturbed? (Pick one.) My solution? To try my drop spindle. (Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea!)

So last night at about 10pm I started digging the stuff out of the craft room. (Fibre? Check. Spindle? Check. Helpful illustrated book? Check. Courage? Check.)

Didn't get it figured it out. Can get it to twist but can't seem to get it to wind around the spindle and stay. (Spinning self-esteem? Out the window.)

I woke up this morning with drop spindle dropsy but still having the need to spin. I went back to my fibre, prepared it all for a nice smooth delivery and pulled the wheel into the living room. I set everything in front of my patio doors so I could enjoy the early spring sunshine while I worked. (Gotta make everything as appealing as possible to get over last night's set back.)

This is what I produced.

(Well, I'm impressed!)

I haven't had any lessons yet and I find reading about spinning to be kind of like reaading about classical music without having heard any. It's a viceral thing that needs to be felt and can only be explained after you've experienced it.

I'll keep trying, though, and I'll keep looking to my books and the internet for pointers. I think I'll be fine as I seem to be over the initial fear. How do I know? Because I can't wait to get home and spin some more!

Happy Spring Spinning, M

Heredity

I have been told on occasion that I am stubborn. Over the years I have chalked this up to being a Taurus, to being Irish, to coming from a red-headed family.

I would, however, like to present exhibit A - my mother at about 2 years.

And exhibit B - my gran at about 16 (I think).

Please note the arm position in both photos. Then talk to me about where that stubborn streak comes from.

I rest my case.

TGIF, M

Elixir of Life

And, no, I'm not talking about tea today. It's water, man, water.

I have none.

Why?

Well, it's a long story so I'll get started:

December 20, 2005 I report to the principal and to the maintenance man that I can hear water running somewhere in my house but I cannot find the source. Both come to hear it. Maintenance man takes a look around and cannot find it. Plumber comes and cannot find it. I suggest someone crawl under the house to see if there is a puddle forming somewhere. No one does.

January 5, 2006 I report that there is mold growing in my house because it's so damp in there. Maintenance man tells me that I need to open the windows more. Right, in -28 degrees Celsius.

March 3, 2006 I report to the new principal and the maintenance man that the lino on the floor around my wet wall is saturated and the floor is soft underneath.

March 8, 2006 Maintenance man goes to crawl under the house to see if he can spot a leak and discovers more than 3 feet of water under there. Tells me I won't have water for a "day or two." But the good news is the sound of running water is finally silenced after 3 months.

I never realized how much I used until I didn't have it. It's giving me a new perspective. There are people on this reserve who don't have running water - just a few left from the olds days. I'm thinking I have to go research more water conservation tips. I honestly thought I was good with water but now it's a whole different ball game.

Enjoy your shower today! M

I Have A Problem

When I started teacher's college, I didn't need anything to get through the day at all. I was clean, free of dependency. While studying, though, I had to do something to keep up with the pace. That's when it began.

It seems harmless, I know. I mean, my grandmother indulges in it so how bad could it be? At least that's what I thought at the time. But these things start small, right? Then it gets out of control.

Now it's a daily struggle to keep it under control because, God knows, if I could I would do it every hour on the hour. Maybe in between too! It's bad. It's running me.

At first, I could use this and get by:


But we all know how it goes - the longer you use, the more you need. So I graduated to this:


It didn't end there, though.


I wish I could tell you that was as bad as it got. I don't have a picture of the biggest mug but let's just say it was the size of a kiddie pool. It was one of those 7-11 tubs. I knew I'd hit rock bottom when my tub fell off my desk and broke. I was shattered.

I'm working on it, though. I'm trying to get myself free of my addiction. I've worked my way down to the blue cat mug again. Most days I have just one. I don't take it to work anymore. I don't use in front of my students.

The weekends are the hardest because I have it right there in the kitchen and nobody to remind me that I want to quit. Damn you, Tea!

The scary thing for me is that one kind of addiction can lead to another. I saw this last night as I was wandering around the house trying to get my knitting fix. Nothing was starting right. Nothing already started was calling to me. I kept trying to use that snuggly new Lorna's Laces Shepherd sock yarn. I swear I was nearly shaking from withdrawl.

What's next? I shudder to think! M

Northern Life

In case you didn't really understand how far north I live, I thought I'd show you some of the everyday images of my life.

Here's a common way for students to get to school.


This is one of my students shovelling the snow off my deck - for the 3rd time in two weeks.


Valerie is doing a traditional Native craft with a new twist - beading graduation keepsakes.


Megan is embroidering a block for this year's school community quilt during her lunch break.


Yeah, it's a different life but they're still kids and I'm still their teacher. It's a relationship that holds a lot of meaning for all of us no matter where we live.

Hope you're all staying warm! M

Multiple Post Day

Sorry for the mini-break there. It's been a week! Fighting off a cold (and winning!) while trying to maintain the classroom and plan another ski trip was a bit of a challenge. However, I still managed to get some good knitting time in, especially over the weekend.

Any one of the following could have been a post unto itself and these are just the highlights.

First, I finished the socks. Cool colours!


Then I knit a hat. Very cute!


In Friday's mail I received some yummy-licious yarn from Jacey. I ordered the chocolate and cotton candy and I got a complimentary skein! She's amazing over there! Go check her out!


Friday's mail was so freakin' awesome - not only did I receive Jacey's parcel but I also received this order from Knit Happens. Lorna's Laces sock yarn - yee haw!


Filling out that order was some Addi Turbos (my first) in 2.5mm so I can do some more socks on two circs, and a set of 2.5mm Crystal Palace bamboo dpn's.

I have decided that I love wooden needles. I have a birch set of dpn's in 5.00mm and a straight set in 6.00mm. Light weight, warm, solid - absolutely love them!

Not pictured here is a set of fingerless computer mitts I am knitting for my friend's daughter. I just have to finish up the thumb on number 2 and they'll be ready for shipping.

All in all, a great knitting week! Hope your was too! M

Olympic Gold!