My new project

This is a sweater from the new "More Big Girl Knits" book- I just LOVE it!!!!! The designer is Tara Jon Manning, and it is just a wonderful design. The yarn called for (Crystal Palace Creme) I did not have access to, so I went into Wool Tyme (here in Kingston) and found what will probably be my new base yarn (to me, a base yarn is one that I use to design with-my other one is Fleece Artist Silk Stream-it always looks great). Anyhow, this one is Stahl Ole. 51%Pima cotton and 49% fine merino. It actually reminds me a bit of Rowan Wool Cotton (another fave) but without the price tag (this is very reasonable). Ole has similar yardage to the Wool Cotton (difference of a metre I think) I can't seem to find it on the net- but trust me- a really wonderful yarn. It would work for kids' clothes, as well as adults. The colour I bought is a rich magenta pink- with a touch of purple in it instead of the "too bright" tone it sometimes gets. Anne had a pink (like a bright one) and a purple in stock. It has a really nice "hand" to it.

Anyhow, the deal with the sweater is that you knit the band sideways, then pick up stitches on either long side to knit the top (bodice) and the bottom (skirt). Since I am bigger on top, I am knitting the larger size for the top (I just knit the smaller size for the band, picked up the stitches for the smaller size for the top, then increased in the bustline area, with a few more centre back, to make up the stitch count for the next larger size). And then the skirt part will be the smaller size, not adaptations- except maybe length. We'll see.

Off to the Quilt Show with Mom- Ta!

Just in......

Anne Woodall, over at Wool Tyme in Kingston, has just confirmed that the Harlot will be here, in Kingston, on June 4th at the local Chapters. Anybody care to join me in a Harlot sighting??? What will I wear? What will I knit????????

Joseph and Beast, and another Beast (Bear)

Ahhhhhh! Victoria Day Weekend! This is when you are supposed to put in your new plants, and do the yard work and go to all the yard sales (maybe have one of your own). That would suppose it would be warm enough, and dry enough, to do all of those things. This morning, when I got up, it was only 6 degrees Celsius!!(That would be about 42 degrees Fahrenheit for the non metric). And rainy. In fact, it has been rainy all weekend. So I have used this opportunity to do, well, very little. AHHHH! I do love a holiday!
Om Friday night, the whole family went out to the local production of "Beauty and the Beast". It was put on by the Kinsmen, in the newly renovated Grand Theatre. I had a BLAST!
Which brings us to another theatrical extravaganza..............
Last week, the Grades 4 to 8 students at our school just put on a performance of "Joseph and the Technicoloured Dream Coat". It was pretty awesome. This is the backdrop I came up with. Initially, the director wanted something all beige and cream coloured sand. I talked her out of it when I asked her if the pale students in the mostly white costumes would show up against that backdrop. So I got my way, pink sky and all! To put on a spring show was an awful lot of work, and I am getting very worried about the math part of the EQAO testing for my Grade 6s (I teach a split 6/7). So, for the rest of the month, I am going to teach mostly math and language to them, and then after the test, I will teach the social studies and science. I just hope it all works out!!!!!!!!


And Bear is always around to give me a giggle and a good dose of reality. Her he is with his "lips"-basically a set of stuffed lips with teeth and a tongue and a squeaky. He runs around here with it stuck in his mouth, and I know he thinks he is damn cute (which he is) because he goes out of his way to come right up to you and make "huff, huff" sounds (which I think means laughter). Bear is coming along well- in fact, last week he did something he has never ever done before. I was out in the front yard with him, and a friend drove up to the drive and stuck his head out of his car to chat. Bear got in between the car and me, and barked!!!!! He has never EVER protected me before (usually he will bark, but from the relative safety of behind my skirt!) So he is coming along well. He still won't eat if I am in the kitchen (he WILL however, stand there, drooling furiously, but I guess I am his "alpha", since he expects me to go to the food first and then decide to (if?) leave him some.) So I usually have to go to the living room or dining room and sit down for him to start to eat. Hmmmm.
And this is supposed to be a knitting blog, right????? Okay-I have been knitting-but I can't seem to settle down to do one thing, or finish anything. So when I finally do something worthwhile and worth showing-I will let you know. I did get Cat Bordhi's new sock book. Amazing feats of engineering, those socks. And so very, very tempting.............

New Spring Colours

I was cruising around the blogs and found a reference to the new spring colours. A bit of searching and voila! The new colours. Hmmmm. There are three colours I can wear in the lot- the rose, the olive green and the dark slate. That's it.

It's going to be a LOOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGG season.

Good thing I wear what I like, not necessarily what is in style! It is just difficult if I need to go and buy an outfit if the colours are locked in to what is "stylish".

Added later: LISA!!! I am so sorry- I forgot to add your name to the lovely ladies of Montreal!!!!! (serves me right for being interrupted-by my 10 year old- repeatedly-so I lost what I was doing) No excuse though-you are one of the lovelies of the Montreal Guild!!!!

A relationship meme

From Steph, at "A Little Bit of Happy"
Relationship meme
1. Where did you meet? Well, we first met at his sister's wedding, but he was with a , um, person of questionable integrity (okay- tramp. I said it) so I didn't stick around. But then, a year or two later, his parents, who were friends of mine, invited me over to supper, and then got their coats on and left me with him! (he was trampless at that point) 2. How long did you date?Officially? Two weeks before we got engaged. Then engaged for 6 months. Then married.3. How old is he? 46. Yup, younger than me (of course, I am only thirty nineteen, but...) 4. Who eats more? Him. 5. Who said “I love you” first? Simple- he did, but not from my lack of hinting.6. Who is taller? He is 6 foot 2. I am a Shetland pony. 7. Who sings better? Well, I think I do, but he plays a mean guitar! 8. Who is smarter? We both are smart, but in different ways. He builds stuff. Amazing stuff. Like airplanes. That fly with passengers in them. I am NOT kidding. And, he can fix ANYTHING (and I do mean anything- we have never called a repair man since we got married) And I have a head for book stuff. But we are both teachers, so learning is what we do.9.Whose temper is worse? There'd be a tie on that one. 10. Who does the laundry? In order to have regular coloured laundry, and not the pink kind, I am the laundry person. 11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Him. Always has. 12. Who pays the bills? Me! He has to ask if there is enough money in the bank to buy things that are 50 dollars!!!!! (he has NO idea) 13. Who cooks dinner? Me again. However, he does all the BBQ- I get it all ready, mind you, but he cooks it.14. Who drives when you are together? He does, but that way I can knit. I suppose I COULD knit and drive, but I don't think anyone would want to see that. 15. Who is more stubborn? Him. Couldn't be me. Oh no. No way. 16. Who kissed whom first? He kissed me. And then he, well, let's keep that part private!!!!!!!! 17. Who is the first to admit to being wrong? He would NEVER admit he was wrong. Ever. So that falls to me, if I want to keep the peace. 18. Whose parents do you see the most? My mom- she lives about 5 minutes away. His parents are about an hour and a half drive away. 19. Who proposed? He did. after he had cooked a delicious spicy stuffed chicken dinner (his own recipe!!!!!) for a bunch of my friends. He even got down on one knee!!!!!! 20. What’s his best physical attribute? Forearms. Strong, muscular, "working man" forearms. Oooo baby. 21. Who has more friends? Hmm- we both have a lot of acquaintances, but few friends. 22. What are you most proud of him for? For giving me his high school diploma for a wedding present. It took a whole lot of guts to go back to school and get it. 23. Who has more siblings? We're even at two. He has a brother and a sister, I have 2 sisters. But I have 64 first cousins!!!!!!!24. Who wears the pants in the family? We each share a leg. And those pants go on one leg at a time.

So if anyone wants to play tag, please grab this meme- but I send out a specific challenge to Diane at Yarn Tails, and to Bea at Baa Baa Black Sheep, and to Ruth at Knitting on Impulse. It is spill time, ladies.

Oh- and last night, after my husband got the computer repaired (love you, honey), we thought the old girl (the computer! Not me!) needed a little boost for being so good. So we bought her a new 21.7 inch slimline monitor! Hoo hah!

My weekend......

The ladies of Montreal........ (and my mom)

Oh man- what a weekend! It was incredible fun! Hello Shirley, Cathy, Barbie, Barb, Ruby of the Montreal Knitting Guild! In these shots, we are at the Wilton Road Motel, where they have a small, but very efficient, spinning operation (that's Paul, one of the owners, at work). They take mostly local fleeces, and spin them into whatever the owner's specifications, and then they return the farmer's own fleeces back to them. They are very careful about that part-a farmer is proud of his/her own product, and would not be pleased to have another person's wool returned to them. So, there is wool, and alpaca, and chiengora (there was a huge pile of Samoyed fur that had been brushed out of the dogs waiting to be mixed with merino and spun) and angora, as well as sea cell and silk and bamboo. Then we went into the store that they have-great fun!!! (I should have taken a picture of all the things they have!) Tracy, who works at the mill, was a living doll-great tour guide.

Yesterday, we went to a local store, WoolTyme, for coffee and muffins and spending. Later, after lunch, we went on a trip to the Wool Room, owned and operated by Mabel, who has been around the sheepdog trials and the wool business for quite some time (she is doing her retreats again-this time in November)(ugh-report card writing time for me). Then the group went off to other things, and I went off homeward to go and make sure my family recognized me when I came into the house. (They did!)

The ladies were just great- told many stories, listened to others-I certainly had a great time!

Off to grocery shopping, making supper, and then marking papers-(Blech-I'd rather be knitting)

Cheers!

And more updates....

We (mom and I) just spent a lovely evening with 5 members of the Montreal Knitting Guild-ah, who am I kidding- we had an absolute BLAST!And tomorrow, we will be joining them again. First stop, Wool Tyme. Then Mabel's Wool Room. Then a trip to a rabbit place. Then supper. And tomorrow morning- we go to Jan's shop-at the Wilton Road Motel in Odessa-she has a custom spinning mill there. Oh what fun this is all going to be!!!!!!!

While getting ready for the evening, didn't I roar around and trip a bit and slam my poor little toe onto a chair leg??? I think I broke it. It hurts like heck and it has a big patch of blue on it. But what can the doc's do? It's my baby toe, for heaven's sake!!!!

And for fun, go and see what my crazy husband is up to these days.......

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=crazy+old+men+and+a+mini+chopper&search_type

Check out the crazy old men and a mini chopper. Oh my