February 2, 2010
It’s that time of the year again.
As the Mist Leaves No Scar
As the mist leaves no scar
On the dark green hill,
So my body leaves no scar
On you, nor ever will.
When wind and hawk encounter,
What remains to keep?
So you and I encounter,
Then turn, then fall to sleep.
As many nights endure
Without a moon or star,
So will we endure
When one is gone and far.
- Leonard Cohen
January 24, 2010
Having a sort of productive day at home today. Laundry, cleaning bird cages, vacuuming, updating Team Canada stuff. Only 19 more days until the mass cast on begins. Very exciting stuff. I also realized today that I have no idea where the two circular needles I need for my project are. I sense some searching in my near future.
In other news, we got a shiny new (to us) little pickup to replace our 1980 Ford F250, aka Biggest Gas Guzzler ever. We bought it from my parents, (thanks mom & dad! We’ll take good care of her!), and changed the title and got insurance yesterday.
Isn’t she cute? What to name her, what to namer her. At first I felt it was a male truck, but now, looking at the picture, I think she’s a girl. Don’t ask. I always anthropomorphize every vehicle we have.
Now we’ll have a white cargo van for hubby’s work, and the wee white pickup for weekends. All that white. Maybe I’ll knit up some seat covers in something a little more lively. Just to give her some zip! LOL.
I also actually finished some stuff recently. Needed something mindless for Christmas visiting knitting. Came up with this:
Cast on the morning December 25th, cast off afternoon December 28th.
Handmaiden Silk/Cashmere and a foolproof easily speasily cowl recipe. You can even do this one when you’re drinking wine. Trust me! Wanna make one? Sure you do!
You’ll need a 5 mm 16 or 24 inch circular needle and about 300 metres of something sinfully soft and drapey. This is Handmaiden 2 ply silk cashmere.
Cast on 130 stitches, in the round
Knit all rows for about 1 inch
Next round – knit 8, k2tog
knit 2 inches even
Next round – knit 7, k2tog
knit 2 inches even
Next round – knit 6, k 2tog
Knit until you are almost out of yarn. Bind off super duper loosey goosey! You do not want this tight. You will have a long tube with one end slightly wider than the other. The wider end goes over your head first. Ta and da! Soft, drapey, silky, gorgeous! Thanks for coming out. 
I also finished my Blue Moon Cast On socks. I did Charlene Schurch’s garter rib socks in Blue Brick Wall in Socks that Rock lightweight.
After two years of collecting, these were my first actual socks knit in Socks that Rock. Nice stuff, very nice stuff. I did the afterthought heel, just for something a little different.
Then I immediately cast on another sock. Also in STR, but in the Oregon Red Clover Honey colourway. It’s a little quite a bit darker and more gold in real life. The day is so grey here it’s just sucking the colour/life out of everything.
That’s about it really. Oh, gotta go. The dryer just ding-donged its little song to tell me it’s finished. Happy Sunday.
January 23, 2010
From Roshan’s blog:
Four places I go regularly: Work, home, library, yarn store. What? You’re surprised?
Four favorite smells: fresh cut grass, cedar, citrus, popcorn, and about a million others. Lots of good smells out there.
Four people I think will respond: Hmmm, maybe yarnpiggy, MrsQuimby, Plae, Damselfly
Four TV shows I watch: Stargate Universe, Bones, Big Bang Theory, Fringe
Okay, what’s your power of four?
January 20, 2010
as husband was thinning the baby tomato plants. Two wee plants in each little pot. As he snipped out one plant from each pot he kept repeating, “There can be only one!” in a rather loud and authoritative voice. Not sure those plants who were thinned enjoyed the performance.
January 13, 2010
I was in Vancouver on Monday and Tuesday taking a course in “Excellence in Customer Service.” Actually, it was more interesting than it sounds. There was role playing! I got to be the angry client. Very fun. I wish I could have recorded it for you.
I took some picis for you. When I got downtown it was still sort of dark.
The port of Vancouver and the Seabus terminal.
The Birk’s clock is back! It’s been installed but isn’t actually telling the time yet. I’m so glad it’s back. So lovely.
And on my break I would cross the street from the school and visit:
Caffe Artigiano. Mmmmmmm. Best coffee ever. It looks a little bit like this:
And it gets created in this lovely machine:
And across from that lovely green machine, another wonderful green machine. A Vespa!
Also, I’d like to draw your attention to the Yarn Harlot’s blog post today. If you can, please help. I know that times are pretty tight just now but there are so many who need so much help right now. Thanks.
January 10, 2010
Spring is just around the corner so hubby decided he should check if his technique for harvesting tomato seeds from our plants of last summer worked. Ta da:
It totally worked. Planted 6 seeds, 100% germination. Aren’t they cute? I’ve been singing to them already. ‘I’m going to eat your little tomatoes when you makes them!’ Hubby says that’s creepy. Creepy or not, that’s what’s going to happen.
I also officially have everything ready for my Ravelympics entry. I’m going to make some lovely lacy mitts designed by the very talented Lynette using Indigo Moon Merino in West Coast Sunset.
I obtained the beads yesterday when I was in Vancouver and strung them all up last night. I am good to go.
In Canada Reads news, I am taking a break from Fall on Your Knees. I moved on to the fifth book, Generation X instead. If I can handle going back to Fall on Your Knees, fine. If not, that’s okay too. I’ve never not read a book because the actions of a character upset me so, but I guess there is a first time for everything.
I read Generation X when it first came out, when I was a much younger human who thought they new everything. Reading it from a distance of almost 20 years is pretty funny. I’m finding it decidedly clever, and that it knows it’s clever. Ah, youth. LOL.
January 7, 2010
I’m knee deep in the Canada Reads 2010 thingy. So far, I’ve loved two and thought the third was you know, okay…but it did have two of the most memorable characters I’ve ever read. Great! Going good. Started book four, FAll on Your Knees. Yeahhhhhhh.
I gotta say, the writing is beautiful. Anne Marie Macdonald is a truly phenomenal writer. Heck, she wrote one of favourite plays. An aside, I’ve always pictured Emma Thompson playing Constance Ledbelly. In a slightly less befuddled version of Sybil Trelawney. Better hair anyway. Perhaps some more stylish frames for her glasses. 
Sorry, off track there again. Anyway, my problem is this. I can quite honestly say that I loathe one of the characters in this book, John Piper. Honestly, if he were real, I would hunt him down. My question is this, for those of you who’ve already read this book, is this awful man in the entire book? If he is, I’m out. I’ll just cut my losses and move on to book five, Generation X. I seriously cannot read too much more of this book if he’s going to be a part of it.
I’m getting too involved, aren’t I?
January 5, 2010
Don’t let hubby play with the camera. Ever.
January 4, 2010
There’s this book that I borrow from the library at least once a year. It’s been out of print for ages and I refused to pay $90.00+ US on Ebay for it. Then, a miracle occurred and it was revised and reissued. Then today, my postal carrier put it on my front porch for me.
Mostly Mittens: Ethnic Knitting Designs from Russia by Charlene Schurch. Happiest Monday so far this year. Granted, it is early going for 2010, but this will be a difficult one to beat. It’s also been published in a large softcover version now, instead of the wee hardback it used to come in. So awesome.
In other book news, my friend Heather has a story in a soon to be released anthology of vampire stories. The book is called Evolve and will be released in March. If you order before March 1, the price is 15% less than post release. Oh, and if you’re feeling very flush, you must check out the deluxe edition that comes with a wee coffin! Cute and creepy, all at once. Like a zombie/cute overload kind of thing.
I’m back to work tomorrow, can’t say I’m happy about that. ‘Cause that would be a lie! Just saying. No long weekends until, April? Oh my. That is a bit of a haul, isn’t it?
