I Frolic-ed

I swear, I don't know why I carry my camera with me everywhere. Maybe it's the latest accessory and I just don't know it. I come back home - from wherever I've been - and I don't have pictures!! A whole day frolicking at the Knitter's Frolic and I only have these 2 pictures of the ladies in my Finishing class. 20 of them came - can you believe it?
Both classes went very well. I loved it when I made a little funny and people laughed humoured me and smiled a bit. It was great to see people looking puzzled (not the great part yet) while I spoke a series of words, that in some combination may or may not be relevant to the subject or make any sense described a technique, then trying it out (again with the humouring me - "Crazy lady ... 3 needles to cast off? Well I paid for this & I'm here, might as well give it a shot.") (still not the great part) and then seeing the wonder and delight on their faces when the "aha" moment happens. "Wouldja look at that!" "Hunh - it works!" I love it. You're a great crowd - g'night!

I did learn that 1. I need more time to do the Finishing class and 2. Necklines (and picking up in general) needs to be a separate class from Buttonholes. Everyone was very patient while I went around helping one-on-one and I'm glad that most everyone stayed a bit longer so that we could cover the material. I'm looking forward to the next Frolic.

In lieu of pictures I am going to make the following shout-outs:
Joan & Barb of the DKC (and all of the DKC volunteers) did a rockin' job (and when I say job I mean a whole shitload of work with no monetary recompense - but it's all about the glory, right Joan?) of putting this event on.
Cynthia - I don't know ... I'm still quite certain that we've met before. Next time we'll have to make a plan to hang out together for awhile.
Denise - I would love to be a part of The Back to Back Wool Challenge! I have e-mailed Lorraine ... cross my fingers (when I'm not knitting).
Yvette - Thanks Yvette - I'm really glad that it worked. Drop me a comment or e-mail if you have any questions.
Sandra - That big yellow bag was a great badge. It was great to meet you in person and don't forget the mantra - under, over, around (c-clockwise) and back. Blog something!!!
Danny - Thanks for all the deets on The Challenge. It sounds like a blast (and when I say 'blast' I mean have fun but kick ass).
Julie - Doh!! I forgot to ask if the cashmere had come in. Did it?
Marsha, Linda aka "Nemesis", Carolyn - It's a good thing that there are knitting shows so that I can say 'hey' to you all in person!!
Fiona - Thank you for the book! I will be knitting a lot of these in my head until I get RL time to do them.

You know when you give your speech at the Oscars and do your 'thank you's' and as soon as you walk off waving the statue and you realize that you've forgotten several "OMG - how could I have forgotten ...?" people? As soon as I hit 'Publish Post' it's gonna happen to me. So if I've forgotten you remembered you late, please smack me upside the head with a message & I'll remember to remember you.

I only bought an Addi Turbo to replace the one that Cheeky Monkey nearly got strangled with chewed up. Not that I'm counting, but that's one life down. Oh, and 2 skeins of Koigu Kersti - yellow and royal blue. I made an ear-flap hat from a VK and this is the most not-itchy wool I've ever had on my forehead! I want to make another - it's an all-over fairisle pattern - so I needed some different colours. Just mixing up the same colours from the first hat would not be enough - trust me. And step back from my Koigu!

edited to add: I spoke to Lorraine & I am officially a member of the Toronto Spiders - omg!! does that not just beg for a t-shirt?!! - for the International Back to Back Wool Challenge. Lorraine sounds awesome and I can't wait to get together with the rest of the team to strategize. Yeah, I know ... strategize. If winning didn't matter then you wouldn't keep score. Just like when I play cards, I'm all for having fun; I mean, I wouldn't bet the house or both kids on it, and it's not the Ancient West (STNG reference there) where I'd kill over the results, but loving the game doesn't make winning less sweeter. I'm a fun-loving gal who just needs a goal or a deadline to make it interesting.
This link will give you some history. Yeah, I know ... history.

Also, final score: Tim Hortons 23 Wannietta 2

Summing up a Week

Wow - a short work week & a long weekend just flew by!!! I have been a bit lazy about my knitting - enjoying the calm before the hectic deadlines I guess.
I have pretty much finished all of my swatches and notes for my Frolic classes - now I can just focus on not thinking about being nervous. lol

Kyle's sweater is coming along nicely. He has allowed that "it feels nice" followed by the skeptical "it doesn't look very big". I assured him that the whole is more than the sum of its parts, then translated for him. "The pieces always look too small. It will be as big as your white sweatshirt". Indecipherable mumble " 'k".

The force is strong in you my young swatch. You have blocked well. Be mindful of your gauge as we go forth into the shawl.

We seem to have a couple of neighbourhood bunnies. I saw them zip across the road and play tag around my front yard when I came home from doing grocery last Thursday. I dug out my camera (fast like a bunny) and hoped that they wouldn't dart away before I could take a picture. While I didn't get a picture of the two of them together, I was able to get several great pictures. Poor things are a little scrawny - must have been a tough winter - but look at those big brown eyes! I think that I will have to leave out some carrots & celery for them.

Help me Obi Wannietta ...

Help me Obi Wannietta ... you're my only hope!

I will do all that I can. May the Force of Blocking be with you!!



I have also finished the back of Kyle's BS Cotton sweater. This is wonderfully soft cotton - I really hope that it doesn't pill too much.

After a couple days of flurries my little flowers are braving a cool wind to bask in glorious sunshine. I can't wait to see my tulips - I love tulips!!

We also seem to have a skunk or two. Every morning there is evidence of their nightly foraging. I was told that mothballs would keep them away. As you can see in this picture I wasn't stingy. Someone forgot to mention that while they won't dig where the mothballs are, skunks don't mind walking around the mothballs and digging beside them. Since there seems to be no remedy - no I bloody will nottrap them and put them in my van for removal - and I can't spray for the grubs that the little stinkers seem to be so keen on until July!!!, I am taking limited comfort in knowing that my lawn is being aerated (big f'ing chunky aerated) and that there will not be as many grubs hatching (more noxious cocktail for the rest of 'em). Sigh Meanwhile, as I stroll the borders of my land the wind brings with it the tangy scent of naphtaline. Hopefully next weekend will be dry enough to rake and I can get ride of them.

Beavers and other signs of Spring

I have been driving past this stand of trees all year and the last few weeks I noticed this damage. Though I have never seen a real beaver-eaten tree and have have not spotted any of the suspected wildlife on site, I am sure that this a beaver hot-spot!~!
What exactly did you think I meant when I said "beaver"?!? lol

The first crocus in my flower bed!! Isn't it wonderful?





Sunday was gorgeous and Amanda could not be disuaded from wearing as little as possible. But she looks so cute and had so much fun. She also found a way to wear all of her sandals and leave them on the deck! It cooled down quickly by mid-afternoon and when she finally called it a day Kerwyn carried her through the house and deposited her directly into the shower. Then when she was clean and dressed in some longer layers the two of them went out for a bike ride. Needless to say she slept well and doesn't seem to be suffering overly much from the missing hour of sleep.

Thank you all for your encouraging words - they helped.
Kyle is waging a psychological war as only a 14-year old boy can. It involves bald-faced lying almost clever subterfuge, hiding incomplete assignments camoflage drills and mouthing off testing vocabulary limits. I am fighting back with my strengths - nagging, grounding and drinking knitting. But this too shall pass, I just hope that it passes quickly enough for me to convince myself that it didn't really happen.
And speaking of knitting ...

I'm off to a great start on Kyle's Blue Sky Alpaca Cotton sweater. If meters & meters of plain black handknit fabric is not proof that I love that boy ...

I have finished the swatched for my Frolic classes - there's a load off my mind. Now I just have to write out my teaching notes & it's all good!
As my reward for finishing the swatches, I knit this Prism scarf. I made sure that Amanda understood that she was just modelling the scarf, not acquiring it. I felt as if it was going to be too wide if I used the whole skein, but 1/2 the skein wasn't wide enough. What's a knitter to do? Stash dive!!! I added in enough of my own yarns to be able to knit another Prism scarf. A 2fer - cool.