The Tree is Now Decorated!

Hi Megs (and Nathan and Rushka),

The tree is now decorated and the stockings are hung!


Merry Christmas!

Mom (and Dad)

XXXXOOOOOPPPPP

Hands on Crafts

Hi Megs,

Have been busy, busy but have managed to finish some things and also get ready for Christmas. We did get our tree up, have the lights on but that is as far as we have gotten.





















We had a crazy time getting it in and up. It is very big, very fat and very heavy! We had to tie a rope on it an hoist it up!



I have been busy getting stuff done to put in Hands on Crafts. I have sold a lot - my knitting goes out the door faster than I can get it made - which really feels good. We have also more wool in and other supplied for rug hooking. The whole shop has been doing very well. I think people are finally sick of the stuff at Walmart et al. I have also sold bolts of wool, notions, hoops. It is nice.

First I finished this funny little purple silk blend scarf with "silly bits" for fringe- came out really well. It sold the day I brought it in - I didn't even have time to get a picture. I sort of made up the pattern. I had seen the funny things hanging off a scarf (bind offs) so I played around ... Cast on 3, knit across, cast on 17 (I used the "between the stitches method to make it more twisty), cast off 12, knit across, cast on 17 at the other end, cast off 12, knit across, etc. etc. This increases by 5 each time so it goes up in a triangular scarf with little twisty fringes. I think you can use any combination of cast on and offs depending on how long the fringe and how deep you want the triangle scarf to be. I just messed around with it. Sorry I don't have a picture. I am making another one out of a silk yarn.

Then I also finished the gray scarf with the maroon beads. It came out really well but again, I sold it before I even got a tag on it so all I have is a picture of it partially finished. It draped nicely and the beads gave it a nice shape.
I finished the smaller entrelac. Not as wide and not as long. It is really a scarf - not a shawl. I braided the fringe like the other one. It is now "for sale" but it is also expensive because of the time it took and the yarn. Don't know if it will sell as fast but really do think it is nice and was a lot of work! The yarn is the Spirit Freedom wool - so soft - same as the other but in reds, pinks and oranges. Really makes a nice blend.


Then surprise - I finished the Four Panel Jacket that I have been working on forever. It is from a Jamison's book, designed by Carol Lapin. I made it from Jamison's Shetland Wool - chunky in colour Arctic. It is so nice. I put a circle and pin clasp from Fleece Artist on it to close it. Again, this one has a high price so don't know if it will sell. The wool is really high quality I bought directly from Jamison's. It is nice to have it finished. I had to do an i-cord all around the whole piece and sleeves which was really tedious. It looks really nice on - like a swing coat. It fits and looks good on everyone. The hat was made by Doris.


Then - I made this crazy scarf out of the pom pom yarn I bought at Americo in Toronto. It is 100% Marino wool with pom poms sewn in so when you knit it the "balls" just appear at random. I made up a pattern (just a rib with a ruffle ends) on 12.5 needles. It went really fast and the scarf came out very funky. I like it.


The only rug hooking I have done is a Christmas coaster for our Christmas party. We exchange coasters. I got a lovely one and was happy when Shirley Bradshaw (my teacher and friend) got mind. We do this sort of random selection of the gifts so don't know who is going to get what. The first (the holly) is the one I made, the second is the one I picked - made by Odette Rohland. She did a beautiful job on shading the poinsettia.

Now we are settling in for Christmas. You should be receiving some surprises from us. We will miss you but know you will enjoy Paris (Texas) and seeing Nathan's family. Clay is coming on Sunday. We have had awful storms here - but not a lot of snow - just crazy wind, rain, sleet and freezing rain. It has also been very cold - for us.

Here is a picture of your bells from Nana. We put them out tonight - trying to get some decorating done. When we look at them we think of you.


Stay warm,

Love you all,

Mom

It is now November!

Hi Megs

Can't believe it is November already - in fact, November the 16th - half way through. Dad said you called and had a WONDERFUL time in Zanzibar - like who wouldn't. So happy you were able to go - to get away and have a real honeymoon. Makes me so happy. We got your postcard. Beautiful.

I see you are progressing on your Hanami. I am also - but not past the apple blossoms. I thought maybe I would catch up when you were away - but really didn't. I can't believe how busy, busy I am. But - one thing accomplished, Clay now has his US passport. I went to Toronto to visit and we got through the US stuff, visited - I visited yarn shops in Toronto - and then went on to Ottawa for a board meeting of the Forum for Young Canadians (I am the NS Director). Also visited yarn shops in Ottawa. Had a great time.

I do like your socks. I just can't get into socks. Something about making two on anything. I don't have a long attention span.

Now - what have I been knitting and hooking..... Well - crazy stuff. I am working on the restoration of the mat. We had a week long class last week with Germaine James - a really terrific rug hooking teacher from Ontario. She stayed with us so I got the benefit of her knowledge and experience. I am going to do a whole blog posting on this - but for this one, want to catch up.

Mostly I have been doing little stuff for the shop. I finished the mug rugs and made another little hat and mitts set. I also am working on some Christmas tree ornaments - rug hooked - but don't have a picture of them yet.

As to my visit to Toronto - well - can't say I was impressed by the yarn shops - except for one I found by accident - Americo - Wow and wow! What beautiful yarns. They were from South America - many countries and almost all in natural colours. Everything from wools, alpaca, lama, cottons, and angora. I was totally, totally NOT impressed with Romni Wools on Queen Street. The only good thing about visiting there was that they were tearing up the Queen Street line so I had to walk to Spedina and that is how I found Americo. If you go to Romni's website and click "home" you will see what I mean. I total, total mess! Add to this a staff that ranged from "don't care" to outright hostile The only thing good was they have a really large section on books - but not enough for me to ever go back there - ever. They are playing on their reputation. A lot of better places in Toronto. One for SURE is Lettuce Knits in Kensington Market. A tiny place but just terrific. Found it the first day when Clay and I walked down to the Market. He lives very close - a really great location - his apartment is at Collage and Euclid. They had great yarns and really nice people. This was also true of The Knit Cafe (although just getting started and way, way down Queen Street - at least when the trolley isn't running) and KnitoMatic up at St. Clair and Bathurst. They are also small but nice woman there.

As to Ottawa - I went to Yarn Forward. They have expanded into quilting - at their Bank Street Store - which makes it not so friendly. I visited both stores and at both, don't find them all that helpful or willing. I did like The Real Wool Shop in Carleton Place - although Carleton Place has grown all around it with all the usual box stores. It is part of the Ontario wool cooperative. The other one I finally found - after much looking, in an industrial park was Wool-tyme. They had just about everything and very nice. I even ran into an old friend who now works there so that was nice. I did find the prices a little higher than other places I visited but lots of selection and books.

I came with some books and "one-of" balls of yarn. I wanted some samples for Hands on Crafts so we could decide what we wanted to order.

I also went to the RHGNS annual meeting in Debert. It was fun and got to see lots of people. I agreed to be the editor of "The Loop" (RHGNS magazine/newsletter) for another two years. So spent my last two weeks finishing




The Loop to get it off on Monday. This is a really big job and it does cut into my knitting and hooking time.

October and November have just flown by! I thought of you two often on your grand trip to Zanzibar. After October and November - and we had a "tropical storm" blow through, I just want to stay home and relax a little.

I will post again about the mat but wanted to get this one off. I will also send pictures of my Hanami - I am making progress!

Love you both,

Mom

October update

Hi Mom,

Well, it seems that October has been a busy month for both of us! I'm glad to see that the Craft Splash went so well - I know you've worked hard on it. The sign for Tin Pot Textiles looks great, and your hooked creations are beautiful (you know those mug rugs will make great Christmas presents too, right?) And those knitted dolls are so cute! Great-grandmother's dresser looks beautiful as well - you've found the perfect spot for it too. Seems like you have a number of successful projects under your belt so far this fall! Let me know how your hooking restoration project comes along. Atter working at the Conservation Center in Chicago, you know I'm curious to see how this goes!

As for work here in San Francisco, I am really enjoying my new job, even if there is sooooo much that I have to learn - one day I feel like I at least have a handle on everything I need to process, the next I feel overwhlemed again by all there is to know. Hopefully in time it will all start to sink in!

So far I have managed to still get some good knitting time in, even though I am again a 9-5 (or 9-6) girl, mostly because Nathan was out of town for two weeks so I had plenty of opportunity to just relax with the needles. I've managed to keep up with the Hanami knit-along and am now speeding through the final stages- I'm now in the loooong ruffle rows but the end is in sight!

Doesn't she look good so far?

More details on the Hanami site...

I've also managed to finish my Hedera socks, although I haven't had a chance to wear them (even though we are getting our fair share of cold rainy weather). They really aren't as green as they seem in the photo - really they're a bright happy yellow - the perfect thing to perk up the next grey cloudy day!


Really, though, I'm hoping for clear skies and warm weather after the next week, since Nathan and I won't be in San Francisco - we're going to Zanzibar! Finally, only 1 year + 1 1/2 months or so later, we are actually going on what was meant to be our honeymoon trip before moving to San Francisco and Nathan settling into his new job got in the way. I can hardly believe it's real! We leave on Friday (in just over four days!) and will be there for 8 nights (plus 5 days traveling there and back -getting to Africa isn't easy). After leaving Friday and 2 (2!) red-eye flights to get to Dar Es Salaam, we'll take the ferry over to Zanzibar on Sunday to properly begin our holiday.We are going to stay the first night in Stone Town at the historic 236 Harumzi, then 5 nights at the Mbweni Ruins hotel, finishing with two nights secluded on the beach at Matemwe. Then the ferry back, a night in Dar, and back home again. You can see I've already set aside the essentials for the trip:

Magazines, books, travel games, sunscreen, bug spray, eye mask and, of course, yarn!

I couldn't celebrate the upcoming trip without a knitting project in it's honor - what could be better than the Honeymoon Cami from Knitty? I've wanted to make this ever since the pattern was first published in 2004 - I even bought the yarn (Louet Linen) in Sedona on our first trip to check out Amara - but I refused to let myself cast on until I actually knew I was going to get to go on a honeymoon of my own. Once our plans were actually set the needles were flying to get it done on time:


By this afternoon I'm all the way through the body and have finished the right front & back sections. With the left front & back to go, plus the final finishing to get the strap length right, the end is in sight - just in time! I've tweaked the pattern here or there, adding lots of length (both for the extra vertical coverage and to factor for the linen shrinking) and changing the original narrow 3-stitch i-cord straps into flat bands. So far I'm really happy with how it's working up (and how quickly) - hopefully I'll have some great vacation shots of me wearing it to share when we're back! (Oh, and some fashion shots of the Hanami too, 'cause if I can get her finished on time she's joining us on holiday as well!)

Poor Rushka will have to spend the holidays at the vet, a place she hasn't seen much of lately as her sugars are finally stable (yay!) While she's there they are going to run a fructosamine (sp?) test that will show how she is doing over the long term (it's supposed to give an overview of the past month's sugar levels). If she's all clear, the surgery to get the mole off her toe is next - I'm not sure how happy I am about that. Or how happy she'll be once it comes time to go through it!

Waiting for us all when we come home will be the true autumn of San Francisco, which means rain and cozy nights and pumpkins galore. Hopefully we'll be well fortified from our days in the sun....




Until then, I hope you and Dad have a good few weeks (and that the recovery goes quickly from his surgery - its sounds like he is still in a lot of pain. Ouch!). I should have lots of great pictures to share when I'm back....

Megan

Beautiful October

Hi Megs,

Like you, I can't believe it has been a month since I last posted - more than a month, actually. You have so much done! I love the little vest - and cashmere at that! A great use for the yarn. Your Eveleen is really nice. I like the colours and it must look great on you. I have come to the conclusion that I just don't like to make sock. At our last Knitting Guild almost all at the table (8 of us) were knitting socks but me. Maybe it is the little needles in my hands or something. Your Hedera socks - well - you go girl, but don't think this is for me. Not only socks but a lace pattern. They look beautiful.

Your little baby set for Sarah & Sean's baby - really beautiful. I haven't made much progress on my gift to them - may change to another pattern. Not inspiring me. I also made a bib like the one you made from Mason & Dixon knitting. It turned out well. I gave it to Rose for her new granddaughter. Don't have a picture of it.

Loved your pictures of Big Sur. Good for you both - getting away and enjoying your 1 year anniversery. We had our 45th - YIKES! Can't believe we have been married that long. We went to dinner at Charlotte Lane Cafe in Shelburne. Not as far and lovely as Big Sur but the food is the BEST in Nova Scotia. We also went to a Nova Scotia Wine event at Chez Bruno in Yarmouth during the weekend. Bruno's is SECOND in great dining here.

What have I been up to in the last month - A LOT! September and October have been beautiful here. Sunny and warm. Out BEST time of year!

I went down to Cornwallis to the RHGNS Fall Rug School. It was week of hooking, talking and generally having a grand time. I took "Large Shaded Flowers" with Wanetta Evans from Halifax. I worked on a water lily from our pond. Pam MacIsaac Adams drew a pattern on linen based on my picture

Our Class

We got into "the pots" dying using the dip-dyed method. You work large flowers with dip dyed wool - using differed parts of it to get the shading.

This is my "work in progress".

I also had three of my works in the exhibit. My little cottage, my frog purse (it turned out really nicely) and the Place Family Mat - if finished it just in time.

Little Cottage

Frog Purse


Place Family Mat
This is your grandmother's Christmas present

I have also been working on a mat I am restoring for a woman in Yarmouth County. This is the end part of a runner her cousin - who is now dead and they bought her home and found this part of her work. She wants it to be completed. I found wool to match the background and some old Pendelton shirts to do the leaves. I am going to back the whole thing with linen because the old backing is deteriorating. It is going to be an interesting project but it is also going to be a challenge. This is my winter's project.

And speaking of restoration. David MacIsaac finished restoring grandmother 's (Browder-Horne) old marble top dresser. We brought it back from our visit for Anne's wedding. It always was part of our living room when I was growing up. It is made of walnut with a natural marble top. It is very important to me to have it here. It was probably made in the 1880's or so. It really looks nice in the front room next to our and Globe & Wernicke book cases that were Dad's grandmother and grandfather Pearls.

I have been knitting dumb stuff! Hacking around while my big stuff (the shawls including the Hanami stay in the bag on the needles). I found funny people in "The Natural Knitter" that reminded me of the ones I used to make with "spool knitting". Theirs are done with double knitting so I tried a couple using a combination of theirs and mine and they came out really funny. I like them. They are made with left overs from knitting and don't take very long. Don't know what I am going to do with them. I also got some wool and the childs Alligator Scarf from Morehouse Farms. It knitted up really nice - we used it in the window of Hand's on Crafts for the Fall.


















What I have been busy with is our Yarmouth Craft Splash - the week of September 30 to October 6. We had over 65 different events of crafting in Yarmouth and Yarmouth County. This year we included in Acadian Shores - Pubnico, Tusket and Wedgeport. We hope to expand it to the Clare area next year. It was busy - I chaired it but lots of help from others.

Opening Ceremonies at Town Hall - Town Crier "Cried" us in.

Knit-in in Frost Park

John Hood showing tourists how he builds model ships. John and his wife, Nancy also sell the BEST wild flower honey at the market. Amazing stuff!

Barb Jess demonstrating how to dye yarn - we used Briggs and Little sock weight yarn.

Barb and Doris with "work in progress"

Some of the finished yarn. The middle one is "watermelon".

On Saturday we had an open studio tour of crafters in our brochure. I got a new sign for Tin Pot Textiles. I had a few visitors. One was a neighbor who is a knitter and a rug hooker - great to meet her.

Just after the Craft Splash we had our Thanksgiving. We got a great free range turkey from Thousand Hills Farms. Yarmouth now has a farmer's market on Saturday. We have found really nice local vegetables and breads there (and the Hood's wild flower honey). It is now part of our Saturdays. We go to the market at 8, get what we need and two pieces of apple, cherry, rhubarb or prune tart made by a really nice German woman, get tea and coffee at Tim's (good old Tim Hortons), go home and enjoy.

Francis and Michael had a new granddaughter so I made a quick hat and mitts from Mission Falls Wee Nits using Mission Falls 1824. It came our really nice. The hat is their design, the mitts are my design using their motif. The colour is actually more of a coral that the pictures shows. We had dinner with Francis and Michael last night - also with the Butts - a couple from Columbia Missouri who have a summer home here. We went to their family cottage on Cape Forshu and before dinner took a long walk around False Harbour with grand views of the Yarmouth Light - Cape Forshu. No pictures - I forgot my camera. It was just wonderful and the late afternoon was warm and sunny.

Hat and mitts

I also made 8 little "mug rugs" - my designs based on Jacobean flowers and bits and pieces of wool left over from other mats. I have finished these are will sell them at Hand's on Crafts. I have already sold one.


Looking at all this - I guess I have gotten some things done. Amazing when you look back at what you have done in a month.

And - we also put a new roof of the house last week. The old one was beginning to cause leaks when it rained hard and blew a Nor'easter - and almost 25 years old. In this climate - that is OLD. We put on a dark brown steel roof - should last forever - looks really nice and suits the house I think. But it got so loud I had to get out! I took the kayak out one afternoon and took a picture from the lake. At least I was out of the noise. pounding and banging - drove me crazy! They also took down the old chimney. We don't need it with the heat pump.

workers on the roof

Escaping the noise in the kayak

House from the lake.

So - that is my month. Busy. The next month is also busy. Your Dad's surgery (minor), going to Toronto to visit Clay and do the work for his US pass port and hope to meet his new girl friend, board meeting with the Forum for Young Canadians in Ottawa - and visit with my old friends.

Hope your new job is going well and not cutting too much into your knitting time. Give a hug to Nathan, a pat to Rushka. We miss you much - but know you are well and happy and busy, busy.

Love, Mom
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

From here to there

Hi Mom,

You know it's been a long time between posts when even Nathan is asking me when I'm going to blog again! It was only when I started going through all the photos I've taken over the last month that I realized how long it's been. For example, since my last post I've managed to go from the very start of my children's vest for afghans 4 Afghans to it's completion, along with a matching hat!

The vest after the initial cast-on, and again as I was nearing the end of the turtle neck.

Notes:
Pattern: mostly of my own design, modified from the Debbie Bliss pattern Stocking Stitch Sweater in her Easy Knits. As the original was a sweater, I had to change it to a vest, using online patterns as a guide. I also wasn't sure if I would have enough yarn for the pockets, so I added these on after-the-fact instead of working them into the body as with the original. The hat is just my basic hat design. I made the twirls on top by casting on between 12 and 16 stitches, then casting off the next row (I don't know where I read about this, but it worked!)
Yarn: Sam's Hand Knits 100% recycled cashmere (thanks mom!). I was worried I wouldn't have enough for a full sweater with only 6 1.75oz skeins, which is why I made a vest instead of a sweater. In the end I had enough for an extra-long turtleneck, pockets and a hat to match. (Although I used up every last yard in the process!)

I also managed to (finally) complete my lovely Eveleen, which had been my longest running project up to then. It's already been out on more than one occasion - it's perfect for the not-quite-warm, not-quite-cold San Francisco evenings. And it's comfortable too! (I was worried about the wool-for-a-short-sleeved-sweater oddity of it all, but it works).

(Photographic proof at left that I really did baste the pieces together this time before sewing them up - and it fits great!)

Notes:
Pattern: Eveleen from the fall/winter 06 Rowan, unmodified except for the addition of one extra shell repeat in the body for extra length.
Yarn: Knitpicks Palette, as a more affordable substitute for the original Rowan yarns. The yarn was really nice to work with (I would definitely use it again) but what I gained in my back account I lost in sophistication of colors, as these are definitely, um, brighter than the originals. The ribbon is a vintage greenish brown one from The Ribbonerie here in San Francisco. It's not perfect, but it will do until I track down the perfect shade of chocolate velvet.

And finally, not only did I finish Nathan's socks, after redoing the heel 5 times and adding more and more length, (too bad he is photo-shy) I have managed to make some progress with my own Hedera socks, moving from the two ankles to the completion of the sock #1:


The heel is finished on sock #2, so I am ready for the turn on that one. Because the yarn is smooshy, I'm knitting the sole & toe of these socks on 1's while keeping the pattern on 2's to give it a bit more durability. The biggest problem I've had so far is in the toe cap, which I reworked over & over again on sock #1. It is always either too small or too long, or maybe it just doesn't want to look right against the patterning no matter what I do! I've decided to just be satisfied with what I have, consoled by the fact that area will be inside the shoe anyways and promising myself not to look too closely when I wear them.

Hoping it would fit with the pattern, I worked the heel again in the alternating slip stitch that I used for Nathan's socks. Now that it's done, I'm not sure it was the best aesthetically, but it is comfortable. You asked how I did this so here is my technique (worked over an even number of stitches):


Row 1: *sl1, p1* (repeat from * to *)
Row 2: sl1, knit to end
Row 3: *p1, sl1* (repeat from * to *)
Row 2: knit to end


So, basically, it is the same as a standard heel, only I alternate which stitches are slipped on every odd row to create a type of dimpled effect. It makes it a little bit harder to count the rows; I have to remember that every 3 rows actually equals 4 rows knit (so if I count 9, I've actually worked 12). I've also found that because it doesn't pull in as much as the traditional heel I need fewer rows than the pattern may state, so I need to accommodate the gusset accordingly. But in the right situation it can look great and the padding inside feels really nice too.

I've been knitting on Hanami as well, but you'll have to check out the hanami-along to read my post on my progress there!

As a last show-and-tell, here are pics of the baby items I've worked on this summer that I didn't want to post before in case the giftees saw them too early.

Sarah M's baby set for Evan:
Blanket, booties and hat in Dale Baby Ull, from Dale pattern 16411.
(Too much tight knitting on size 1's, even if the end result was really sweet. I'm not sure I'd repeat this experiment)

Dana K's baby goodies for Daniel and Etienne (b. August 27, 2007)
Washcloths and Bibs (the latter from Mason & Dixon Knitting) in Blue Sky organic cotton, variegated white & beige and white & green shades, with an added shell crochet border to the bibs.
Cute, fast & practical. I loved making these!

That's all my knitting for now - I've definitely been busy!

I'll leave you with photos from our first anniversary getaway to Big Sur, about 3 hours south of San Francisco along Highway 1. (If these photos aren't enough, there are more here).

We had a great weekend hiking in Julia Pfeiffer state park among the redwoods,

up to the Valley View lookout among the live oak trees,

and down to Partington Cove to explore the tide pools.

Seaweed and mussel patterns (above); starfish and sea creatures (below)

Saturday evening we went to a concert at the Henry Miller Library under the stars, which was a great cozy affair (if slightly chilly). The next morning we walked along Pfeiffer state beach to relax in the sand before meandering our way home.

Husband of one year walking along the beach.

In all it was a great getaway - and so close! Hopefully we can continue to leave the city more often as we explore our new bay area home and settle into year #2 (no more newlyweds, we're just plain old married folk now!)

Love to you & Dad, and happy birthday too!

Megan