UFOs Updated

Well, I've finished those 5 pesky UFOs that just needed a few ends sewn in and blocking. Unfortunately, I didn't include those in my original UFO count; otherwise I'd be done with making a dent in my UFOs and could start something new!
Several of those items were for Street knits or some other such charity. They're sitting in a bag in the office, and will hopefully go out this week.

And now I'm just dying to start into a new scarf (for Knit for the Cure), but I made that pesky promise. Oh dear!! I guess my donation will have to slide this month. I have ideas for embellishing the Cravat with a bit of a lace pattern, to make it a bit more feminine. I mean, it's not like I don't have anything to knit.... Just look at my previous entry.

Ok. That's the update - 5 things finished, that don't go towards my UFO update. On the good side, I'm about 1/5 into the 2nd sock for Sockmania.

UFOs

What would we do without our wonderful friends??

My "Cosmic Sister", Helen, has just been visiting with us for a couple of days, and she couldn't believe the number of UFOs I have. She gave me a really stern talking to and I have promised her that I would catalog them all, and that I would finish 1/3 of them before starting another (What was I thinking?!? That must have been a really weak moment on my part!).

Helen, I've got a question - Does this commitment include Charity knitting? I like to knit a Scarf every month for Knitting for the Cure (and I'm about 3 months behind!).

What follows is a full (I think) catalog of my UFOs, including planned completion dates (or note of hibernation).

Pi R Squared Shawl was started just last Sunday. It's great mindless Garter Stitch, with just a little bit of thinking arond the stitch markers. It is such a beautiful yarn and colour (yarn is Classy by Dream in Colour; colour is called Petal Shower). I need this as a Comfort Shawl for me.

Bottom Line - This is Number One priority for completion.



This is my "Secret of the Stole ii", complete to Clue 3 of 9. And Clue 5 was available yesterday. I've had a really tough, busy week, and didn't think I could handle the demands of this lace (even though it's pretty simple and straight-forward). I will try to catch up on this project during the coming week.

Scheduled finish date - Mid March



This is the Simply Love sock from Sockmania. It's a lonely sock that's missing its mate. Originally I was making these socks for myself for Valentine's Day. But when I tried on the first one, I realized it's too big. In fact, it would probably fit my daughter perfectly!! I really need to finish and blog a sockmania pair (it would be my first in about 4 months!), so I need to keep this active.

Bottom Line - Complete Simply Love sock by February 29.



This is the 1824 (or is it 1842?) Blouson Top from Summer 2007 Interweave Knits. It's been hibernating because there's a lot of calculating and figuring to get the cuff on just right. But it really should come out of hibernation, as I could wear it as soon as the weather warms up a little.

Bottom Line - take out of hibernation; schedule completion for mid April.



Lacy Little Hemp Top from LanaKnits would be ideal for Summer Wear, and has been hibernating for several months.

Bottom Line - Take out of hibernation; scheduled completion - mid May



Jaywalker Socks (by Grumerpina) from Magknits. This is sock 1 of 2, and may be too small for me - there's not much lateral stretch to them - but I could complete them as a gift (maybe for Mom's birthday?). This is a relatively mindless sock that is good for travelling around.

Bottom Line - Completion by June?



Cosy Lace Shawl (pattern by Dorothy Siemens of Fiddlesticks) is semi-mindless knitting. The pattern is pretty simple, with easy repeats. This one will probably stay active, to work on in between other projects.

Scheduled Completion - Unknown; but it's not hibernating.



Shedir hat is something I pick up from time to time. I'm enjoying making it, but other projects have precedence due to various commitments. I use this as a portable filler that takes a bit of brain work, but not too much. As complicated as it looks, the pattern repeats are pretty easy.

Bottom Line - Shedir is semi-hibernating..



The Sacha Socks (from Berroco) were originally supposed to be for Julie for her Birthday (over a month ago). But I really don't like the way the pattern is written - You knit the sole of the slipper side to side from heel to toe, then knit the top of the foot (over the toes), then down each side of the foot. This means there's a tonne of sewing to do!!! I think it would make much more sense to make these toe-up. Except that I'm 3/4 of the way finished, and don't want to have to re-do all of that.

Bottom Line - Sacha Slippers are Hibernating.



Natural Aran Pullover from Ram Wools - for Me!

If I were to work on this diligently (in between clues for the Secret Shawl) I don't think I could complete this in time to wear it this winter.

Bottom Line - Going into Hibernation

I feel I need to note that this list does not include the 5 projects that need some small amount of finishing - ends sewn in, blocking, final end trimming. I'll get that done before the end of this month.



So here's my commitmentto each and everyone out there who may read this - I will complete (including sewing in ends and blocking) at least 3 projects before casting on another.

Signed,
Carol

Yarn, Wonderful Yarn

I went to the Dentist this morning for my routine checkup.
And as a few other plans had fallen through, I decided to console myself with a visit to Romni to pick up a small bit of yarn. I even had a shopping list of things I "needed"!

I took the TTC down to Queen & Bathurst, but was too early, so had to treat myself to a coffee (and a Raspberry-White Chocolate Scone! Yum!). Then into Romni just minutes after they opened.

First, pick up a Basket for all my goodies. (Normally, I would try and juggle all my purchases, until somebody forced me into taking a basket.)

Next stop - the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in a pretty dusty rose to make some Fetching gauntlets (knitty.com).

Then walked past the Manos.

What was I thinking?!? Walk past?? Manos???

Some just hopped into my basket.

It will likely become a scarf and possibly mitts or hat for me. My 2 black coats need some dressing up.

Maybe a Cable?

Then over to check out an alternative to Kid Silk Haze for the Ice Queen cowl (knitty again), and found some Colinette in a lovely blue-teal.
I picked up the beads later, at Arton on Queen.








I then asked if they had any Tahki Donegal Tweed, and found the 6 skeins I need for the Peruvian Cap in the Vogue Knitting on the Go Caps & Hats book.









And as I was heading out to the Cashier, I passed by the sock yarn. There on the floor in a basket was some Arequipa (like Dream in Colour Smooshy, but almost half the price!!), which again just hopped into my basket (well, maybe it didn't exactly hop in... more like I crammed it under the basket handle!).
It will become either the Jeanie shawl or Juno Regina, both on knitty.com.





And to top it all off, I found 2 adorable dresses at La Cache for my granddaughter - 75% off! And I met up with my daughter at the Eaton Centre for her lunch break.

As I was walking across Queen towards the Eaton Centre, this tune entered my head ....

Yarn, wonderful Yarn.
What wouldn't I give for
That little bit more.
That's all that I live for.

Just thinking of touching more,
My senses are reeling.
One moment more knowing that
Soft warm feeling.

Oh, Yarn!
Magical Yarn!
Wonderful Yarn!
Marvellous yarn!

What a wonderful day!

What colour am I?

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors. You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius. Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way. While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme. Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Dishrag Tag

This is so much fun!

I've received and re-sent the package for Dishrag Tag.

This is the package I received yesterday. A hand-knit dishrag in wonderful sunny yellow (thank you, Joan!), a Spatter Screen for the Microwave, a scented tea-light, an Aero Caramel bar (I'm looking forward to trying that), a couple of Bernat patterns, and 2 balls of Cotton. Yes, I know you can only see one - that's because the other ball (in red, white and blue) got knit up as another dishrag last night while I was listening to the Yarn Harlot talk up in Aurora. I wasn't as fancy as Joan with a pattern - I just knit the basic corner to corner variety. Today after work, I rushed over to the Post Office and sent the package off to Ruby - next on the list.

I've just checked the team listings, and it looks like we're way behind compared to most of the rest of the teams, and I chalk that up to good old Canada Post. It's costing us 2-3 times what it costs in the US, and appears to be taking longer to travel, too.

This getting presents in the mail when it's not my birthday or Christmas is awesome! Anybody know where I can find more of these "tags" or "swaps"?

Are you a knitter?

You may not be a granny, but you've got the mentality. Hard work and artistic vision lead to your beautiful knitted results.
Take this quiz!








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Walking Weekend Part 2 - Saturday

OK, so I've been a really really bad blogger!

I wrote this back in early July, and delayed posting because of wanting to add Photos. And it's taken until now (September 26!) to actually get the post up, with a few additions to the original.


Last Saturday [July 7] morning, we met up with a friend from Abu Dhabi/Kuwait, who calls Hamilton home. Donna's on her way to Kabul to work, and is back home for leave.

We met Donna at Union Station and TTC'd up to the ROM. I'm one of those who is not at all impressed by the Michael Lee Chin "Barfed Crystal" attached to the ROM. But we've heard so much about how wonderful the light is for exhibits inside, that we decided it was worth checking out. Plus, we had an out-of-town guest, so to the ROM we went. You now enter the ROM through the Crystal - just a big white and grey open space - no atmosphere at all. We did walk down to where the old entrance lobby was - it has so much character and really set the tone that you were in a special place. I hope the have some interesting plans for that space.

That sense of wonder right from the moment you enter the building is lost now, in a sea of grey and white.

We wandered through a number of the exhibits in the main ROM building, but the building, and the exhibits, seem to have lost much of the character and old feeling they had. It just felt sterile to me.

We then decided to go see the inside of the Crystal. That was a challenge all in and of itself - No, you can't access the Crystal directly from this floor, you have to go to that floor, and then around that corner, and around another corner. The main bank of elevators isn't working yet, so you get up in the Crystal via a freight elevator - Lovely!

We finally found a nice open (so far exhibit-less) area and were impressed by all the natural light coming in - what a wonderful exhibit space!

Then we followed the signs to a special exhibit - the History of History - what a joke! It was just a few items with no descriptions. The items themselves are supposed to speak for themselves. Oh, and all the natural light? Most of it had been blocked out by blackout curtains fitted to the windows and skylights and the exhibit was lit by potlights - something about the natural light would damage the artifacts. Well, so much for all that nice bright light and white walls and the whole reason for the Crystal!


OK. Enough of my griping. I didn't like the Crystal when I first saw it a few years ago under construction, and the steel girders looked like a kid's game of Pickup Sticks. And I still don't like it. Inside or out.

After an hour or 2, we'd had enough of the ROM and headed back out into the wonderful Summer Sunshine and west on Bloor towards Spadina and then Bathurst. We stopped in my favourite pub in the area - Dooney's - for lunch. They have the most amazing version of Huevos Rancheros (I think they call it Huevos Dooney's), and some pretty excellent Eggs Florentine. And beer. I think Frank had a Roast Beast sandwich of some sort, and really enjoyed it. (He's not emotional about food as I am, unless he hasn't had any - then he's really emotional: Me Eat Now!)


We wandered over past Honest Ed's, but didn't go in. In hindsight, given the passing of Ed this past week, maybe we should have - it may never be the same again. And over to Markham Street. I was surprised that South of Harbord, Markham becomes a totally residential street, with some quite large homes and huge old trees. South of College, the homes become a bit more modest, but still quite interesting.


This house must be owned by someone with some sort of OCD. I'd love to spend some time talking to the homeowner and finding out all about their collectibles and assorted plants.










And then, just before we got to Queen Street, I saw this absolutely awesome residential street. I had no idea Toronto had such interesting areas. I don't think the photo does it any justice.



And just down the end of the street, around the corner to the left, what did we find, but Kensington Ice Cream! I'd heard about this place, but never knew where to find it. And finally we did!


Wow! Such amazing flavours! Hot Ginger Ice Cream and Rhubarb-Apple. Even "ordinary" chocolate has a twist to it. Yum! I'll be back.


We finished our walk by heading west on Queen Street through a number of Art Galleries and Boutiques, right down to the Gladstone, where we hopped a Streetcar back to Union Station.

All in all, a very good fun (tiring!) day with a special friend.