Good Grief Lucy

God Bless the Teachers

2008-05-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

I'm guessing that this will be the first spring of many that my knitting will be monopolized by teacher gifts and I really can't think of more deserving recipients of my hard work. Being the wife of a teacher, I know how difficult their days are and seeing as Stink-butt is part of a class of 4 year olds, I take my hat off to these ladies.

This first one is actually for her Kodaly teacher (for those of you who are wondering, Kodaly is music theory and appreciation for kids) she has also accompanied Stink-butt on a few occasions at violin recitals so we thought that it was only fair to give her something nice in return. This is a pattern called Midwest Moonlight from Interweave Scarf Style. I stash busted some Lorna's Laces DK Swirl in "Ravenswood" (possibly the oldest thing in my stash) for it.

This next one is for the aide in Stink-butt's pre-school class, she's a nice conservative older lady so I thought that a triangular lace scarf in a solid colourway was the way to go. The pattern is from Bad Cat Design called "Hydrangea shawl" but I just did the smaller version in some louet gems "Caribbean". It'll look good underneath the collar of a black jacket.

I came upon this pattern on Knitty recently and thought that it would be a quick, easy knit for a gift. I was right. This is the "Lace Ribbon Scarf" done in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock "Gold Hill" (I think this might be my favourite colourway from Lorna's. I have used it in three different weights now). I hope that Stink-butt's pre-school teacher (who I think has hippie leanings and likes to sing ALL the time) likes it. My kid never stops talking about her and the way she does things (as opposed to the unfun and mean ways that Mommy does things).

On to the socks.

These are shipment #2 of the Rockin' sock club. Everybody who knows me knows I love green so when I saw this "lucky" colourway, I was stoked to try the pattern. Before I say anything else, I want to say I dig the final product. They are cushy and comfy BUT; the pattern is weird. They are knit top down (normal), after knitting the leg you increase for the gusset, then you turn the heel, then you knit the heel flap (WEIRD!) Still, I tried something new and I like the socks.

These are just some ankle socks that I knit it a plain 3x1 rib but I wanted to include a picture to say woohoo!! Lorna's Laces yardage. I had a single skein of this "purple club" colourway and I knit this pair from it. Yes, from ONE skein. I do have small feet but Lorna's does have the best yardage for the quality and price.

This was a Cookie A pattern that I picked up from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. They are called "Sock with No Name" but I think they look like sunbursts in this "Chickabiddy" colourway. More yellow and red socks... why do I keep knitting socks in colours that I have absolutely none of in my wardrobe????

Here is a picture of SB with some artwork that she had done at the zoo. We went for a nice Sunday morning stroll (being as the zoo is just on the other side of the hill) and there is a lady with a tent set up giving demos (turns out she is has won medals internationally for body painting, not just some shmo off the street with some paints and a chair) and she picks the little ham in the front to be a model. People asked us all day long where we had it done and we had to disappoint them and say the lady was gone and she had just used Little Drew Barrymore wanna-be as her model.

These are the hubby's socks. They are a study in the unreliability of dye lots. I purchased 2 skeins of Cherry Tree Hill DK weight sock yarn "Java" (should be enough for 4 regular socks or these "Uptown Boot Socks" I wanted to make for the man from Interweave's 25 Timeless sock patterns) even though the label says the dye lots are the same, you can see that they are OBVIOUSLY not. Good thing the man doesn't care. This would drive me nuts.

May comes in like Lion

2008-05-02T08:03:00.001-07:00

So it snowed in Calgary on May 1st. Yup forget March people, that lion came in March, April and May to us folks on the prairie and I was smart enough to knit this lovely sweater for the husband just in time for the last two weeks (I hope) of bad weather. I am extremely pleased with ow this came out, it fits him perfectly and looks good on him to boot! Most importantly (I guess) he likes it too. For those of you that want to know, it is the Cobblestone pullover from Interweave Fall 07. The yarn is just good old Lamb's Pride worsted "Winter Blue". I went crazy and bought WAY too much yarn so now I have enough for a ladies size sweater in my stash always good to have around.

Now for the socks....

These first ones are yet another Cookie A pattern. Probably one of her most famous (cause it's free on Knitty) called Pomatomus. They're supposed to look like blue fish scales so I knit them in Claudia's hand painted "Ocean Depth" and I think they look fantastic, really stretchy and comfy to boot.

These are the socks I knit for my beloved Calgary Flames for the playoffs. Alas, just like the team, these socks were done by the end of the second period in game 7. Oh well, there's always next year. The pattern is from Fiber Trends called "raindrop lace"and the yarn is called (as you might have guessed) "Flames" by Lorna's Laces Shepherd sock.

We now interrupt this blog post for some gratuitous YARN!!!!

I used my discount coupon the other day when I was feeling particularly low to go on a spending spree at Blue Moon Fiber Arts. This (and three patterns) is what I ended up with. I am pleased to say I have no buyers remorse and I'm particularly in love with the "Seastone" colourway. They are, from left to right: Raven clan "Haida", "Lucy in the Sky", Hard Rock", "Seastone", "Pixie Park" and "Love in Idleness".

Say it with me now, Ahhhhh......

These are, perhaps, the most deceptively easy socks I have even knit. They are Gothic Spire from Cookie A. If you out there are holding on to this pattern at home but thinking they look too complicated (this means you blogless Coreena)I urge you to go ahead and give them a try, the pattern repeats around the leg and the wraps are explained nicely. A solid colour is definitely needed to show the pattern off and I chose Louet Gems in "Cherry Red". I just realized that I have knit a whole lot of red socks lately. Huh, wonder what that means?

Last, these are a pattern from Interweave 25 timeless Socks called "Go with the Flow" that I have seen knit up by my friend Elizaboothy. She liked it enough to knit them twice so I thought I'd give 'em a try. They are stretchy, tall, and pattern simple enough to show off variegated yarn. All good things. These are made using Cherry Tree Hill colourway "Green Mountain Madness".

Phew, that's all for now. See you soon with something other than socks, I'm on a bit of a scarf binge right now and I have four on the needles. Who needs scarves in May you might ask, Calgarians, that's who!

What I did in March

2008-04-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been a long time since my last post but I've got a lot of pictures and finished things to make it worth your while.

This is the Entrelac Scarf from the freckles and purls pattern. I found some Silk garden for a rediculously cheap price on boxing day and it turned into this! I wasn't sure who I was knitting it for but the husband claimed it before it was off the needles.

These are some cardigans for very good friends of ours. The smaller is the rocketry kit from Dream in Colour made for newly arrived Henry Aaron. The larger is also a Dream in Colour pattern for the Tulip Cardigan but made up of scraps left over from my babette blanket (Elann Highland Wool) for big sister Ruby. I know what it was like to be three and have a new baby brother foisted onto you. Be strong Ruby.

These are some beauties done in Art Yarns (blue and brown is my favourite colour combo) the pattern "Cable Rib Socks" is from Interweave 25 timeless sock patterns. They are tall and comfy with rib give.

My two explorers off to find new ways of driving mommy crazy....

Stink-butt got an Easy bake oven for Easter from Nana and Grampa. Her favorite is the yellow cake with the chocolate frosting... really mostly the chocolate frosting.

These are my very first pair of knee length socks. I can't wait to find a short skirt to wear with them now that I have uber skinny legs. I used 3 skeins of Koigu and the pattern (Spiral Boot Socks) is from Interweave Summer '07.

These are some Jaywalkers for Daddy in Socks the Rock lightweight "Farmhouse". Boy, this guy loves yellow and I have to fight him for all my sock yarn with any yellow in it! The art work was done by the petite Picasso who lives with me and is entitled : "Me and Daddy with Ketchup and Mustard on his face" Where do they come up with this stuff?

Last, but certainly not least, these are the first kit from the Rockin' Sock club '08. The pattern is called Serendipity and the colourway is "Dragon Dance". Can I gush about this sock club? Not only is the yarn gorgeous but: 1) because they send the colour it makes me knit outside my colour palette. (Which is mostly green and blue)

2)The patterns they send make me knit outside my comfort zone! These have a star toe AND an wrap and turn heel, neither of which I would have attempted on my own.

Whew! That was a lot! I have to post more often so I don't have so much to show at once....

In Like A Lion

2008-03-04T20:23:00.000-08:00

March is finally here, after an especially long February, but as we all know in Calgary, we may still have another three to four weeks of winter left. I have to be optimistic about spring though, so here's my first lightweight shawl in awhile. This is "Oyster Bay Shawl" from Ocean Wind Knits done in Mama E laceweight merino.

This shawl is so pretty, it's already flown from my house.

Olive green socks for the husband, to wrap his large paddle feet like comfy canvas. They're called "Embossed Leaf Socks" from Interweave Timeless Socks, knit in Koigu.

These are for me. They are the "RPM Socks" from Knitty. The colour is "Pirate's Booty" in Socks That Rock Lightweight. They're cosy and comfy.

Finding Mates On Valetine's Day

2008-02-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

This year, Valentine's found me staring at eight single mismatched socks, and being Valentine's, I felt it only fair to make some mates for these poor lonely souls.

I've had this skein of Socks That Rock "Thistle" for a long time and was looking for a pattern to suit its vibrancy, so I picked up a couple of patterns from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. One called "Central Air Socks" caught my eye. I made them nice and tall (and just barely had enough yarn).

I started off making these "Crusoe Socks" for myself but this pattern from Knitty is more than fishy. After going up a needle size, these socks fit my four year old and were no where near big enough for my miniscule feet. They came out very pretty though and my daughter loves the bright red and purple. I only needed one skein of Koigu for them.

Lastly, I finished these socks just in time to wear them on Valentine's Day. The pattern is "Waving Lace Socks" from Interweave's Favourite Socks Book. The yarn is Lorna's Lace Shepherd Sock "Tickled Pink". Aren't they purdy?

Still Winter In Calgary

2008-02-09T13:10:00.000-08:00

So the groundhog was wrong, what else is new?

Here are some recently completed winter essentials:

The scarf is the "Plum Lotus Scarf" from Bad Kitt Designs, worked up in Schaeffer Anne. It's for my aunt, whose birthday is at the end of February. A nice lightweight scarf for the beginning or end of winter.

The purple and green kind of make the plum lotus look like thistles, but that's okay.

With all the -30 C (plus windchill) weather lately, it's fitting that I finally finished the Socks That Rock toques from Interweave Knits Summer 07. Now my whole family can stay warm.

If I Don't Knit, My Football Teams Lose

2008-01-18T22:21:00.000-08:00

I need to have the Packers and the Patriots in the Super Bowl and the knitting mojo is proven. That means, this Sunday, I'll be glued to my couch, most likely knitting a sock.

The Australian Open tennis is also going, and while Roger Federer doesn't need my help to win, I can't help but knit while watching great tennis.

Thanks to my genius economical yarn usage, I had enough Dream in Colour yarn leftover from the "Tulip" Baby Cardigan Kit to make a snazzy matching toque. Hopefully, this suits baby Cassandra.

The socks (pictured below with my "special" helper and her friend) are Louet Gems, "Violet" knit up in Cooke A's pattern "Mona Sock".

Finished Things

2008-01-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

Interweave Crochet's Babette blanket, not done in Koigu as per the pattern, but in Elann Highland Wool. Possibly the biggest project (queen-sized width by half queen height) I've ever undertaken. I'm quite happy with it.

Anthropologists might see the irony in these Cookie A "Monkey Socks" done in Socks That Rock Lightweight "Lucy" colourweigh. Anybody get it?

Thank-you Aunty Tink for the alternating lace pattern I used for these uber-comfy socks made out of Ocean Wind yarn colourweigh "Thyme".

My daughter likes to rock and roll all day and party every night in her "syncopated cap" from Interweave Knit's Summer'07 made out of Socks That Rock mediumweight Blue Moon Stone and Midsummer Night.

Mountain of Koigu and some Finished Things

2007-10-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

So I went a little bit crazy and bought a bunch of koigu... what the hell, it makes me smile just to look at it and right now, that's worth it.

These are some plain old comfy socks pour moi made out of Opal "Neon".

This is probably the most expensive scarf I have ever made. It started out as a Christmas present but the more I worked on it, the more I knew I could never give it up. Two skeins of Art Yarns Regal silk and two of Alchemy's Haiku in "She threw a brick". Just a simple feather and fan pattern from Interweave's Scarf Style but soooo soft and luxurious. I love's it, it's my precious.

Sick Summer Stuff

2007-10-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

I love Cookie A sock patterns. They satisfies my love for socks and lace at the same time! These are "Thelonious" pattern done up in some fire engine red Schaeffer Anne. I LOVE these!

These are socks for my tiny feet in Opal again but this is the rainbow colourway. The pattern is Grumperina's from Interweave Spring '07.

Some socks for the hubby. He likes the Opal Hundertwasser line of yarn. Fancy, stripey and manly.

This is, by far, the softest thing that I have ever knit. This is the fisherman's net scarf from Arctic Lace done in an 85% Qiviuk (that's the muskox hair stuff) and 15% merino blend. I only bought one ball of this great stuff in Banff but boy I'm saving this wonderfully warm and comfortable scarf for some special time.

Children's Placket neck sweater

2007-10-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

This was for the brother and sister in law's new little boy. It is made out of Colinette Cadenza. I don't remember the colorway but it was a blue with a rainbow varigation.

Way Too Long

2007-10-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, after mucho hints and nudges I am posting again.

For those of you who don't know, I have had a pretty good excuse for the 3 month hiatus sickness will do that.

Still, life goes on and so must the knitting and sports.

KNITTING: Stay tuned for some pictures of stuff I made over the summer.

SPORTS: The baseball playoffs began today, 3 games back to back. That's too much baseball TV in one sitting even for me. I'll get the major highlights from my mom tomorrow. Hockey season has just begun and with the snow I saw in the air in Calgary today it's not so hard to believe. Congrats to Mike Weir for playing some absolutely great golf on the weekend at the presidents cup, you made all Canadian golf fans proud.

Stay tuned for more. I promise it will be soon.

Good news for Britain and Canada

2007-06-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

At Wimbledon today the completion of the delayed match between Moya and Henman lived up to expectation and the two 30 somethings carried themselves to the match of the tournament so far. All of Britain cheered as Brave Tim finally took the match at 13-11 in the fifth. Apart from the sour note of a double fault to end the match, Moya was equally entertaining with his level of play and shot-making abilities. It restores my faith in sport when I see two men (actually MEN not boys) play to their top level while still behaving like gentlemen, giving each other their due.

Also good for me today was the advancement to the second round by Frank Dancevic of Canada. Other than the often overlooked outstanding career of Daniel Nestor (they even named one of the courts after him at the new facilities in York), Canada has had little to cheer about in the world of tennis. Dancevic got in as a lucky loser at the last minute before the tournament began and made a good showing today beating Stefan Koubek 6-2 6-4 6-2 way out on court 8 most likely in front of his coach, two guys and a dog. He'll be on a bigger court next round though as he meets the former top 5 Davide Nalbandian of Argentina. Nalbandian's play has not been stellar of late and this could be Dancevic's chance to take that next step at a grand slam. Good luck Frank.

The Rain, The Golden Boy and Brave Tim

2007-06-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

The Championships of Wimbledon started today and like almost every year. The first day was rainy punctuated with short periods of play. From what the weather people are saying, they are expecting more of the same for tomorrow and I'm wondering if anyone is surprised.

As predictable as the rain, Roger Federer rolled through his first round match beating a Russian who's name I'll only bother to learn to spell or pronounce once he makes the top 20. Roger was sporting some nifty attire, Wimbledon white adorned with little bits of gold (like a gold swoosh on his headband) and he looked the part of a 4 straight champion.

The most exciting match of the day, by far, had to be called for darkness at some time after 9 pm London time. Tim Henman and Carlos Moya, two veteran's who've both seen more than their share of action are dead-locked at 5/5 in the fifth set. With Andy Murray out with a wrist injury Tim is Britain's only real hope this year and at 32 the British press have him downing the Geritol and pushing a walker. Wimbledon has no fifth set tie break so this match just might be enough to get me out of bed at 6 tomorrow morning to try to catch the end. I only wish I could be there sitting on Henman Hill with the rest of the peons.

Swinging Socks for swinging lovers

2007-06-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

I am finishing socks right, left and centre right now. I think this is what's called a "roll" and I am definitely on it.

Here are socks for Daddy in Schaefer Anne in a plain top-down sock. He calls them his "spider-man" socks, I'm not quite sure why but it makes him happy.

Mine are from Interweave's Favorite Socks book, the very first pattern called "Retro Rib". They are knit in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in "Lakeview" colourway. I like them alot as they are ribbed and stay up better than any sock I've knit so far for myself.

Viva los Argentinos!

2007-06-18T18:31:00.001-07:00

Argentina have another sports victory to celebrate as Angel Cabrera held his ground on Sunday to come from behind the leaders and win the US Open. Ending up at +5, Cabrera equalled the mark set at last years US Open at Winged foot by Geoff Ogilvy of Australia. This means back to back years of winners from some place other than the USA. Europe will have to wait another year for a US Open victory as will Mr. Tiger Woods who was unable to make up any ground on the final day and made only one birdie in his last round.

It seems that this years championship was more of the same for the USGA. The course was virtually unplayable with Kate Moss skinny fairways and concrete like greens leading to high scores all around and the champion more of a "survivor" than actual "winner".

Jimmy Chewbacca, Dog or Super Hero?

2007-06-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Another finished project that was a birthday present. My sister-in-law had a birthday this month so I made this kick-butt doggie sweater for her extremely tiny "Chewy". The pattern is from Interweave Knits summer '07. The yarn is double stranded Lamb's Pride worsted. Thanks to the sister-in-law for the great pics.

Endless Alpaca Silk Love

2007-06-15T14:08:00.001-07:00

This is another birthday present for someone very special. This is the rectangle shawl from Blue Sky Patterns made out of the recommended Alpaca silk yarn in blue. It calls for 7 skeins but seeing as the recipient is on the taller side of average I went with 8 and it is generous and mucho luxurious. Hope she likes it.

Golf's US Open

2007-06-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

So today saw the start of golf's 2007 US Open and it was more of the same. Fast greens, narrow fairways and really high scores. With less than a handful of people under par for the first round (which some pundits were saying was "the day to attack the course and post a low score") we are once again looking at a US Open with a potential final score that will be over par. Geoff Ogilvy's victory last year was more survival than winning and if he can hold steady there's no reason not to consider him a favourite.

Another annoyance coming out in this year's Open is the constant hourly reminder of Phil Mickelson's choke on the eighteenth green last year followed inevitably by remarks on the health of his wrist. I now know more about the medical condition of Phil's wrist than about my own body. Please leave it alone and follow some of the interesting new guys on the leader board. I'm leaning towards Faldo's young man, Dougherty. We'll see if he can hold his nerve over the next few days.

Nadal takes 3rd straight French Open

2007-06-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

In 4 sets over the #1 ranked Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal maintained his undefeated streak on the terre batu of Roland Garros. The match was, at times, equally entertaining and disappointing as Federer showed glimpses of brilliance but served poorly and hit a multitude of forehand errors. Nadal, by comparison, was as steady as usual and has never lost at the French Open. That's right. Never. In three tries he's won the whole she-bang and whats more he just turned 21.

Still, the clay season is now over and in 2 weeks we'll be turning our attention to the hallowed fields of Wimbledon. Federer will, I'm sure, take a deep breath and realize that he now has a chance to make some more history of his own and try for a 5th straight major title on the grass.

Just as Nadal is better than even money on the clay, Federer is as close to a sure bet as you can find for the short season on grass.

Granny loves mohair

2007-06-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

So this was, by far, the oldest UFO in my bag of work. It is finally done. It is a crochet granny "square" scarf made of Crystal Palace kid mohair (don't as me about the colourways, I lost the labels a long time ago. The pattern is a free one from Webcrochet designed by Kathy Merrick. It is made up of 69 motifs that are crocheted together one at a time as you go. I think it is beautiful and full of detail but man, it was a lot of work. BTW, if you want to see this one in person, go down to Make 1 Yarn studio in Calgary and take a gander, it'll be living there.

Federer vs. Nadal part deux

2007-06-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

The rematch is on. Tomorrow morning (where I live) it will be the #1 vs. #2 tennis players in the world duking it out for the French Open title. What's on the line? Raphael Nadal is trying to win his third straight French Open and avenge his defeat (and the end of his clay match streak) 2 weeks ago at the hands of none other than his opponent.

On the other side of the net we have Roger (no last name necessary), he's trying to win his second major of the year, win the French Open for the first time finishing the career grand slam, achieve the Roger-slam (hold all 4 major title at once) as well as get half way to the biggest carrot of them all. The Grand Slam: holding all major titles in the SAME year.

My advice, if you are any where near a TV tomorrow, watch this match. It is history unfolding before our eyes.

Heavy Sweater and toque in June?!?

2007-06-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

So SB is modelling a roll-brim toque and matching raglan sweater in Lorna's Laces Swirl Chunky "Pioneer" that had been living blissfully in my stash. This is a present for a special little boy we know who's birthday is just around the corner.

Mama made a brand new bag

2007-06-03T15:56:00.001-07:00

Modeled by the ever-popular stink-butt, here is a finished felted granny square bag designed by Amy Swenson for a Crochet 101 class I just finished teaching. The yarn is Misti Merino and it took one trip in a pillow case in my front-loading washing machine. Stuff felts amazingly well. Stay tuned, Lucy's on a bit of a finishing kick right now.

Yes Virginia, socks DO come in pairs

2007-05-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

I was starting to think that, like Santa, the elusive second sock was non-existent. But to my great surprise and pride, I HAVE finished a pair of Jaywalkers in Lorna's Laces "Tuscany" for a father's day present. Yay me.

Bonjour e Bienvenue a Roland Garros

2007-05-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time of year again when I am longing for the streets of Paris and first-hand tennis action. Not that there was all that much action today anyway, the rain and bad weather continue to plague the French Open resulting in about 12 completed singles matches over the last two days. I know that those who spend thousands of dollars to go to this tournament and those of us who watch at home cannot wait for the French to get their act together and complete the retractable roof that they have been promising. Still, hope springs eternal and we can look forward to a jam-packed schedule for tomorrow.

The Ducks and the Senators, who cares?

2007-05-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

So it will be a southern California team against the newest Canadian team. This is like choosing between liver and chicken feet. I dislike them both immensely. I challenge anyone to find me a likable leader on either of these teams that makes random rabid hockey fans get behind them. Chris Pronger? Daniel Alfredsson? Teamu Selanne? Dany Heatly? Oh yah, Mr. Hockeys, each and every one of them. Jeremy Roenick was the only one to pick these two teams. What does that say? I guess the best that we can hope for is a few well contested games with open-ended play but this too might be a pipe dream. I wish I could say that I won't be watching but who'd believe that?

Presents in the Mail!

2007-05-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

Look at my beautiful Socks that Rock that came today. So pretty.... Two of these are earmarked for another chevron scarf (I think the farmhouse and lemongrass) but the other two are just to beautify my stash until I find the perfect socks to use them for. Couldn't resist the one called LUCY. Go figure. Thanks to Daddy for the great mother's day present.

Federer wins at last

2007-05-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

It happened in Hamburg. Yup, Nadal's multiple streaks come to a grinding halt at the hand on the world's #1 player. Just when you thought Roger was going in the tank for a swim with the likes of Hewitt, Safin and Philipousis he pulls on a victory on the clay against the self-styled "King of Clay". Way to go Rog, who knew that losing early to some unbelievably low ranked players (see old tennis posts) and firing your coach (popularly thought to be an unequalled tennis guru) would be the path to success. Here's hoping you can bring the confidence over to Paris next week.

Seven random things about me

2007-05-20T22:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all of you that tagged me so long ago. There's been a whole host of things keeping me away from both knitting and blogging but we'll leave that for another time.

Here's some random things about me: (Sorry nothing as interesting as being a lingerie model, knittinggrammy)

1) I would love to do sports reporting for a full time career. (I love all sports, not just the ones I blog about here. I mean everything: golf, curling, diving, speedskating, downhill skiing, cricket, field hockey, badminton, EVERYTHING!)

2) I love to cook but hate to bake. Baking is way to precise and I like to experiment when I cook!

3) I love apples but hate apple juice, I love orange juice but hate oranges.

4) I read ALOT. At least a book a week.

5) I'm addicted to bath products, my cupboard under the bathroom sink is full of them.

6) I can't cry at movies, no matter how sad they are. This is made doubley bad because when I hear or see other people crying at movies I can't help myself from laughing. (I almost got lynched when I went to the premiere of the Bjork movie Dancer in the Dark)

7) I eat sour candies when I'm nervous and/or stressed.

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here's my mom in the stylin' cardigan that I made her for Mother's Day. The pattern is from Knitting pure & simple and the yarn is the gorgeous Oban from Curious Creek. I also love the name of this colour "Birches in Norway". Think it turned out pretty well.

So much knitting, so little time

2007-05-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

My First Meme
The instruction part:

Mark with bold the things you have knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitchKnitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarnMittens: Cuff-upMittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KALSweater
Drop stitch patternsKnitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)Twisted stitch patternsKnitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby itemsKnitting with your own hand-spun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knittingDesigning knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patternsPublishing a knitting book
Participate in an exchangeScarfTeaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s hand-spun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
BobblesKnitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
SteeksKnitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitchKnitted flowers
Purses/bagsKnitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmereDarning
Jewelry Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linenKnitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Free-form knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/arm-warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an on-line knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/ponchoKnitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Wow, I'm impressed with how many of these I've actually done! How about you? Put it on your blog and link to me!

My scarf's too Boteh-licious for you babe

2007-05-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

Someone saw my Boteh scarf at the LYS that I work at the other day and couldn't keep their hands off it! Being the wonderful person that I am, I made this one for them (they bought the Lorna's laces shepherd sock in "Black Purl"). I sure hope she likes it.

A Visit from out favourite friend

2007-05-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of SB and (in keeping with the Peanuts theme) Schroeder. He's the son of my very best friend and he and my little one are finally starting to enjoy each other's company. He and his mommy came by for a visit the other day and we couldn't help but take a couple of pics.

Federer out of another clay tournament

2007-05-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

Filippo Volandri. Yup, that's who he lost to today. A wild card from Italy that only the most devoted tennis fan would have heard of. What is the story? Last year he lost on clay but only in the finals and only to Rafael Nadal (I think he lost to Gasquet once too) but not this year. Today it was unforced errors again, not to mention a first serve percentage that was more Dementieva than Federer-like. If he wants the French he better turn up the focus. Right now I'd put my money on the safe bet, Nadal won't get ya much for your investment but at least you probably won't get hosed.

Lleyton Hewitt where have you gone

2007-05-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

Saw a bit of the Rome masters tournament today and yesterday and what struck me most was the extremely early exit of the former #1 from down-under. Lleyton seemed distinctly un-Hewitt like. There were no fits of anger, no fist pumps, no "come on's" he didn't even have that tenacity that made his game so interesting to watch when he was on top.

So what's happened to Lleyton? Has he grown bored with tennis and the grind of the tour now that he has his famous wife and a tiny child? Has he grown tired of losing week after week to the same guys on top who seem to have figured his game out? Or is he simply a casualty of the heavy toll that the ATP takes on a body? Regardless of the reason, it seems obvious that Hewitt must adapt or fade off into obscurity.

And then there was one....

2007-05-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Vancouver lost in five games to the ducks the other night, killing any hope of one of the interesting teams from the west ending up in the finals. This also means that the only Canadian team left in the 2007 playoffs is the Ottawa Senators. Great. One semi-final appearance in the last ten years even though they have been more than competitive in that span of time during the regular season. This team is full of chronic playoff under-achievers. Not to mention some players I just don't have that much regard for at any time such as Dany Heatley, Mike Comrie and Daniel Alfredsson. These just aren't the type of players that I (or their teammates) can rally around.

This begs the question, "Who's left?" Well, from what I've seen to this point, I have to go with the Buffalo Sabres. It would be the feel good sports story of the last couple of years. You know, the stuff they can make those cheezy sports movies from. Down-trodden and shrinking upstate New York city gets an emotional boost from a major sports team win after years of defeats on and off the ice or field (lets not forget all those Bills losses in the 90's). It would be a warm and fuzzy ending.

My Purple People Eater

2007-05-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here's Stink Butt in her brand spankin' new poncho made by yours truly. I picked two really stripy skeins of Sheep One for the body of this to satisfy her need for pink. I'm happy with the result and the purple was a good compromise (I wanted green and she wanted Bubble Gum pink) thanks nice lady from Make 1!

Win or go home for golf

2007-05-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight Vancouver must win against the Ducks or their series and Stanley Cup hopes will be over. That will leave only one Canadian team (Ottawa Senators) in the post-season and they are definitely NOT my favourite. All anyone who pulls for Vancouver can do is hope that a few lucky breaks go their way instead of Anaheim's as that has seemed to be all the difference since game 1. Perhaps the Sedins and company will pull a Rabbit out of their collective hats and push this series back to Vancouver.

Chevron Scarf bandwagon

2007-05-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here is my first combination for a chevron scarf, Truffle and Vancouver Island Colours from Ocean Winds. This hand-dyed sock yarn rocks my world. I was thinking about a Green instead of the blue but when I saw these two colours swatched together it reminded me of this volcanic beach I saw in Hawaii with the really dark multicoloured sand and the water contrasting next to it. That's it, that's as poetic as I get, I'm out. Seriously, I do love the natural look of this combo.

Ottawa versus Brodeur

2007-05-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

So after an extremely controversial game three, the Devils and Senators face off again tonight to see if the Brodeur and his teammates can even up the series. It seems likely that Brodeur will be on his game tonight (he'll be steamin' mad over the non-call on the push that caused the deciding goal in the last game) and not withstanding another oversight by the officials, Ottawa will again have to elevate their game to take stranglehold 3-1 lead on the series going back to New Jersey. Here's hoping the guys in front of Brodeur are just as good as he is bound to be.

The West goes to sleep

2007-04-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

In a thoroughly mediocre game barely able to keep even MY attention, Anaheim topped Vancouver 3-2 bringing them up to 2-1 in the series. Neither team was at their best and if it hadn't been dusk outside my window I would have thought that this was an matinee start. The teams were sluggish and normally fantastically focused Pronger and Luongo both looked like they would rather be in bed, The first goal that was scored on Luongo was completely his fault and the CBC analysts Craig Simpson and Kelly Hrudey both chalk this up to the double overtime finish of game 2. I have to believe that the coaches of both these teams will be unhappy with this excuse and performance. This is the playoffs after all.

The Trouble with Socks

2007-04-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

I think a lot of hardcore knitters have this problem but I think for me it's starting to get out of hand. I have one of all of these socks but no mates. You know what the sick part of this is? I know that I should start making the mates but instead I've already decided to use some Tofutsies to make some Jaywalkers. Oh well, I think I just have to let it go and realize I'll get around to making the mates some day. Until then, bring on the Socks that Rock Yarn and I'll find some new patterns to try!

Vancouver's second chance

2007-04-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight the Canucks face the Ducks in game two of the western semi-final and if Luongo and his mates are less than stellar they will not have the luxury of the lack of rest excuse. One thing is for sure, they will face the same odds as in game 1 with two of their best defencemen (Bieksa and Salo)out and they will have to find a way to keep it even without them. I believe the key for them will be to get an early start and keep pressing Giguere tight into the net.

The Ducks, on the other hand, look fantastic and Andy McDonald is one of my favourites for this year. If the Daily Wenzel had taken him in the pool (as I suggested two weeks before the playoffs started) they would be leading and I wouldn't have to keep saying I told you so.

All in all, we are hoping for a more exciting game tonight and looking forward to 3 and 4 in Vancouver.

2nd Round Starts Tonight!

2007-04-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

With only one day of rest after a brutal series with Dallas, Vancouver faces the Anaheim Ducks tonight to start off the second round of the playoffs. It seems that the Canucks defense are falling like flies so Vancouver will do what they've been doing all year, relying on Roberto Luongo to keep them in it. Also into the lineup comes Rory Fitzpatrick, perhaps this little known blue-liner that toiled for ages in the minors will make fools of us all and prove that he DID deserve those all-star votes. Maggie the Monkey from TSN is picking Vancouver against the odds and my degree in Anthropology means I know one thing: Don't second guess the monkey.

The Mail Carrier brings Yarn!

2007-04-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

Opal sock yarn came in the mail today! These three colours are: Rain forest Peacock, Neon, and Rainbow. I'm using the Rainbow to make "Roza's Socks" from the Spring Interweave Knits...Couldn't help immediately casting this stuff on.

A Disappointing Day in the World of Sports

2007-04-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

The proverbial "other shoe" finally dropped for Calgary last night as the Flames went down to the Red Wings in the 2nd overtime. I generally hate to agree with Kelly Hrudey but he hit it on the nose last night between periods when he said that the Flames were being outplayed and the amazing play of Kiprusoff could only keep them in it for so long. This proved to be exactly the case as the Flames goalie again faced over 50 shots on net. I believe that the better team won in the end and the Flames may be in store for a few changes. If this series proves anything it must show the management that they MUST sign Kiprusoff before the end of his contract next year. They should just let him fill in his own amount on the bottom line.

In other news Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faced off for the final of the Monte Carlo masters series event. In front of the rich and famous of Europe the #1 and #2 took to the court in what most people think is a precursor to the final of Roland Garros in a few weeks time. Unfortunately this match did not live up to the hype and was little more than lacklustre. What was unusual was the fact that the poor play in the match came almost exclusively from Federer's end (double the unforced errors to winners). Those that admire the play of the Swiss tennis Yoda will have to hope that this is merely a warm-up for Roger and that he is saving his best for the slam in France. It seems evident that regardless of the reasons behind his poor play in Monte Carlo, Roger will have to play significantly better than he did in the final even to repeat his final appearance of last year and play perhaps the match of his life to beat Nadal on Clay.

Boteh Scarf

2007-04-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here is the crochet project that brought back the love... The pattern is in the spring edition of Interweave Crochet. The picture in the magazine is only so-so (I think because they use a solid color of Lorna's Lace's Shepherd Sock) I LOVE the way mine turned out using the Tahoe color. I am planning to give this one to a friend of mine that collects interesting scarves but I may have to make one for myself!

Flames last chance

2007-04-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post before I'm off to teach class at Make 1. The Flames have been fined and the back-up goalie has been suspended. It's game time tonight, will all of the antics from the end of yesterday's game be worth it? Tune in to CBC at 7:00 and find out.

The Problem with Tortorella

2007-04-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

The Lightning fell to the Devils 3-0 tonight in a game that was less than stellar by all... except perhaps Martin Brodeur being, well, Martin Brodeur. In this New Jersey/Tampa series it seems that the coach of the Lightning is up to his old tricks. My overwhelming feeling from the game was that Tampa Bay had absolutely no energy. Could this be because John Tortorella has played the living daylights out of his star players and the wear and tear is inevitably showing? This coach is known for calling players out that are not performing (see his destruction of the careers of goalies Khabibulin, John Grahame) and tonight was no exception as he sat 2004 Cup clincher Ruslan Fedotenko for the WHOLE game. After the game Tortorella was questioned by the press about his team's performance with his usual aplomb he uttered the belligerent "We know what we did" as a mantra and when asked for clarification he dropped the F-Bomb on National TV. Very nice. Bullying as coaching. Had the Lightning not won the Cup in 2004 would Tortorella still be leading a team at the elite level? I doubt it.

Has my blog turned the tide?

2007-04-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

The Flames win again! It seems that my lack of blog faith in the Flames has helped the team win another victory and level the series with Detroit at 2 all. The Flames played hard at both ends of the ice, finishing checks and driving hard to the net. What remains to be seen is if the Flames can reproduce their results away from the Saddledome and kick the road monkey off their backs. Once again I am obligated to say I don't think they can. (Keep it going Flames!)

Addicted to Lace

2007-04-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my latest project. A stole made of 2 skeins of Schaefer Anne in the Gothic Leaf pattern from Sivia Harding. It really wasn't that hard to make once I got my yarn sorted out (changed my mind about the colour twice)the pattern is very organic and flows nicely once you get the hang of it. This is for my grandmother who is having her 74 birthday on Mother's Day, I sure hope she likes it!

More NHL playoff musings

2007-04-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

It seems that the key to the Calgary Flames success is my blogging about their slim chances! The Flames ended up squeaking out a win last night, taking the series to 2-1 Detroit leading. Due to the aforementioned key to success I am obligated to say that the Flames have no chance tomorrow night and are only prolonging the agony of their eventual defeat. (Go Flames!)

Many of the hockey pundits seem to be mystified by what they are describing as "Martin Brodeur's mediocre play". I'm not sure that I buy into this reasoning for the tight series between the devils and the Lightning. Is it that Brodeur is playing goal at the level of a mere mortal or are the workhorses for Tampa playing some extraordinary offensive hockey? Lecavalier, St.Louis and Richards have found a way to get under Brodeur's skin and the fact that they are playing nearly half and hour a night must have something to do with the number of goals that have gone in the New Jersey net.

Woe is the Flames

2007-04-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

I have given up hope that my hometown team will make any kind of run in the playoffs this year. They are, as I write, trailing in the third period of the third game, down 2 already. It is time to turn our sights to some of the more interesting series like the Predators and San Jose (the body count has been high in that one)and Vancouver Dallas. Luongo and Turco are making that an old time goalie battle that I makes it almost impossible to choose who to cheer for. Regardless, the Flames are headed for the golf course and their coach Jim Playfair will be heading for the unemployment line.

Federer in Monte Carlo

2007-04-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

So Roger played his first match on Clay today in Monte Carlo against a lesser known Italian, Andreas Seppi. I must say that it was a bit of a scratchy match! Roger was making quite a few unforced errors and looked to be a little frustrated more with his own game than anything Seppi could throw at him. He did win in the end however, perhaps this was just a match to get his "clay legs" back under him? He will have to look a lot better if he wants to challenge for the French Open. We will see.

Monte Carlo Tennis Masters

2007-04-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

I did manage to catch an opening round match this afternoon between Marcos Bagdhatis and Max Mirnyi. In more than a mild upset, Marcos went down in straight sets. Yes, that's right the Australian Open finalist from a year ago lost to a man who has not won a singles match at all since THIS years Australian Open. This begs the question what's up with Marcos? Was last year's success a fluke or is he in some kind of sophomore slump? I guess only time and more matches will tell. I am leaning more towards the slump right now. He still has flashes of brilliant shot making out there on the court but the belief that the ball will land in seems to be gone. Me thinks that perhaps it is time for a coaching change...

Recently Finished Projects

2007-04-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

So here are some things that have held my attention long enough to get finished. I've been mostly knitting lately as I spent all of the month of February crocheting for a friend of mine with a book deadline. The hooks needed a break. Although, I have just started a scarf from the Spring Interweave Crochet...

This is a Clapotis (Pattern is free on Knitty.com) made from Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb "Gold Hill". I love this, it looks great draped over all black (little dress or skinny pants and top). This is one of the few things that I have made this year that I have kept for myself.
This is my monster in her Orange Sheep One pullover from Knitting Pure & simple. This one was a big hit with stink butt and Daddy too.

An Inaugural Post

2007-04-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the long awaited site for all of you out there that want to know what I'm knitting at the moment, or what I'm yelling at the TV about. I can't promise to update daily but I will do my best to keep it regular.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have my full profile up as well as some pictures and a link to my flickr site. Also as the NHL playoffs are in full force, there's likely to be some posts coming on the state of hockey and who my picks and hopes are.

If you are breezing by and you have any requests for info or a specific kind of post drop me an e-mail or a post reply and I'd be happy for any input.

I guess that's all for now. Thanks and Happy Reading!

Lucy