ONE MORE RANDOM FACT

In 2005, Little House on the Prairie, a mini-series, was being filmed south of Calgary. I knit Laura Ingall's socks for the movie. Six pairs of socks were knit in five weeks. No, I didn't get listed in the credits and I haven't watched the whole show yet.


Today is a Snow Day!

Originally my plans for today included driving out to Crossfield to help D#1 plant flowers and the garden. Oh Darn! I guess I'll have to stay home and knit.

The Baby's blanket is done. The baby can arrive any time now. And as soon as we know if it is a boy or a girl, the sweater knitting can start.
Debbie Bliss pattern, knit in Cascade Pima Tencel

Seven facts about me.

I've been doubly tagged to list seven facts about myself. I'm not sure I can think of seven interesting facts but I have been thinking about it for a day now and the only way to stop the daydreaming is to put some thoughts into actual words.

1. I put salt on watermelon. Weird? yes, but ever since I've been a child that's the way it tastes best. My preferred way of eating that same salted watermelon is with a knife and fork. Both of these idiosyncrasies were taught to me by my Grandfather. (no-one said the seven facts had to be earth shattering or even interesting!)
2. I'm competitive. The easiest way to convince me to start a new project is to say "let's race!"
3. I've been entering projects in the Stampede since 1988 and have several ribbons awarded for both needlework and knitting. It's that old competitive streak again. My goal is to win the Gina Brown award.
4. I used to be a co-owner of a needlework store. The day I regained my sanity and decided to sell my share in the store was both one of the happiest days and saddest days I remember.
5. I'm lucky to have survived my childhood. When I was six, my brother and I were playing with candles in the hay loft. Of course, we started a fire. My older brother left me to put it out while he ran to get help. My grandfather who came to help never did tell my parents. I had to 'fess up the next spring when my Mom found some burnt doll clothes.
6. I am a Y&R addict. I will rearrange my day so I can be home knitting in my favorite chair when Victor and Nickie make their daily appearance.
7. I read when I'm away from home - holidays on the beach, weekend retreats or camping. I pack lots of books and tune out everything else. When I'm at home, the TV is on and I'm knitting.

As I look through the blogs, I realise that most of the blogs authors have already listed their seven facts. Feel free to play along without being tagged.

A LIFETIME OF KNITTING

I came across this on a couple of other blogs and thought it looked interesting. It made me realise how many things I have done already and how many more I have yet to try. There are also alot of techniques that do not interest me at all. Knitting with dog fur? No Thank you!!

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 stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own hand-spun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Participate in an exchange
Scarf
Teaching 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
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Knitted flowers
Purses/bags
Knitting 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 cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting 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/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

What have you learned to do that has marked a definite change in your knitting life? To be patient and wait for the yarn to let you know what it wants to be. This is why I have a yarn stash. It hasn't "spoken" to me yet.

HURRAY FOR RETREATS!!!!

I should be packing my bags because I am heading out on a retreat this weekend with my friends from the Calgary Guild of Needle and Fibre Arts. I am looking forward to a weekend filled with knitting, stitching, eating, drinking wine and lots of laughter. We head out twice a year to North Bow Lodge to enjoy the scenery, the company and to have some uninterrupted knitting time.

Before I head out this afternoon, I will be making a stop at the Book Store. One of the things that I enjoy most about retreats and camping is getting away from the TV and losing myself in a good book. (Yes, I realise that I could turn the TV off when I'm at home, but I don't.) My problem is, I don't know which book to read next. On my last trip out of town I read three books. Two were excellent. One was marginally better than reading the security card on the airplane - I should have known to avoid the Harlequin romance but read it because it was set in a knitting store - silly me! And one that I gave up on after the first one hundred pages. I detest books in which half the story line is a repeat of what happened in previous books. I don't care about the personal disagreements that the pathologist had with the detective in the last book. Tell me who was the victim and find the criminal in this book.

As I was describing the books to D#1, I found myself comparing them to my all time favorite book, and realised that it has become our standard for all other books. I'm looking for another book to read and hesitate to start another one because I want it to be a good read. Any suggestions?

All time favorite book - "A Fine Balance" - Rohinton Minstry
Also good is "Family Matters"
Last Weeks Excellent books were "Kite Runner" - Khaled Hasseni and "Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Kidd