Under the Weather November 23, 2009
Posted by 88stitchesafterhours in Family, Knits.Tags: Brussel sprouts, knitting, vertigo
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I have been ill. Not the dreaded flu, although that’s what I thought it was at first. I am battling vertigo, and I say battling because it has been, and continues to be, a long and tiring process.
For the first time in three years, I had to take a week away from the shop and do nothing but rest. I couldn’t even knit because of the almost constant dizziness and nausea. Imagine, all that free time and not being able to do much of anything except watch bad daytime television and read a little bit here and there.
So there’s no finished projects to share with you right now, although I have been getting back into the groove of things. I still can’t drive until I get the dizzy spells under control. I hate relying on others for help. That said, my family have all been very helpful and supportive. If I have learned anything from this ordeal is that I am not super human and that the world won’t end if I don’t get everything done on my to-do list every single day. Yes, it’s true!
I am very close to finishing up a couple of projects, so there will be photos of those soon. Of course, it is difficult to take clear photos when it’s constantly raining, dark and dreary. Ugh.
For now I will share some photos of the Brussel sprouts we have been growing since summer.
Brussel Sprouts in Summer
I know it is kind of random, but I find it interesting because I had no idea that the sprouts grow on the stalk portion of the plant. Or that they take forever to produce. I was hoping to serve them up for Thanksgiving, but now I think Christmas dinner might be the finish line.
Brussel Sprouts in Fall
Poor plant doesn’t look so healthy anymore. Let’s hope those sprouts taste better than they look!
Stay warm and dry and healthy.
Fall Back November 1, 2009
Posted by 88stitchesafterhours in Family, Knits.Tags: Berroco Yarns, Costumes, Fall, Flash Forward, Halloween, knit hat, knitting, owls baby vest, Ultra Alpaca, Where's Waldo
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The older I get the harder it seems to be for me to adjust to time changes. Is it because age makes us a little more stuck in our ways? I’ve never been a big fan of change anyway. Neither am I a fan of the early onset of Fall and Winter darkness.
However, hibernating indoors most evenings has resulted in more time in front of the television, which has further resulted in knitting progress. I’m addicted to the new TV series Flash Forward. Just when I think I’ve got the plot all figured out…Wham! an unexpected twist changes everything. As much as I dislike real change, fictional suspense is always exciting.
I managed to get a vest knit for Crystal’s wee boy, weeks ahead of his first birthday. I rarely get gift knitting done on time. So this was also a first for me.
Owls Baby Vest
Project Specs
Owls Baby Vest
a lovely free pattern courtesy of
A Caffeinated Yarn’s blog.
Knit with one skein of
Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca
(buckwheat shade)
This week I whipped up a knitted hat for my son in a couple of evenings. He decided to go as Where’s Waldo? to a Halloween costume party. We couldn’t find a red and white striped shirt to complete the costume, so hubby came up with the idea to spray paint red stripes on a white shirt. Voila. A fun and inexpensive Halloween costume.
Where's Waldo?
Wishing you spooktacular evenings of Fall knitting.
Rainy Days and Mondays October 19, 2009
Posted by 88stitchesafterhours in Family, Knits.Tags: 88 Stitches Yarn Shop, baby blanket, crochet, ripples afghan, SandnesGarn Duett
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Monday is usually housework day for me, but this weekend I was able to enjoy three days off in a row for the first time in weeks. I didn’t have to cram laundry, vacuuming, bathroom and floor scrubbing etc. all into one day of drudgery. I was able to pick away at it, which is a very good thing since my back is really sore right now. Must be due to the sudden shift from dry to wet weather here on the west coast.
A little extra time spent indoors means some finishing up of old knitting projects, one of which I can’t share right now because it’s a gift. Once the recipient receives said gift, I will happily share the details and photos.
I’ve also been bitten straight out of nowhere by the crochet bug. I can’t remember the last time I crocheted. I’ve never enjoyed it as much as I do knitting, probably because I am not very good at it.
My maternal grandmother, Elsie Digby, whom we called Grandma Digs, had mad crochet skills. Way back in the seventies, Grandma Digs crocheted me a purple poncho with pompom ties that was the envy of all my girlfriends. The color matched my mustang bike with its sparkly purple banana seat to perfection. I loved it.
Years later, I was gifted one of Grandma’s gorgeous crocheted tablecloths, and every once in a while I unwrap it and take a moment to marvel at its very fine and intricate design. I think of all the hours of work that must have gone into its construction; a true labor of love. I will never allow anyone to put a dish of food or a glass of wine anywhere near it. I know my grandmother would want me to use the tablecloth as it is meant to be used, in the same way that I wore her poncho until I outgrew it. Instead, I choose to treasure her gift, just as I do the memory of my beloved purple poncho.
Grandma Dig's crochet tablecloth
And here is my crochet project in progress, a baby blanket sample for the shop, using new Sandnes Garn Duett, a soft wool/cotton blend. Ripples of cheerful colors to brighten a rainy day.
My crochet ripples baby blanket in progress
I’d forgotten how much faster crochet progresses than knitting.
Hopefully I will have completed photos to share with you soon.
Bittersweet Autumn September 30, 2009
Posted by 88stitchesafterhours in Family, Knits.Tags: apples, Autumn, country living, Fall, Great Adirondack Yarn Company, knitting, shawl
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Autumn is my favorite season. After a hot, muggy summer there is nothing more refreshing to me than the dappled sunshine of a September morning and the first chilly nibbles to the back of the neck . I was one of those kids who used to look forward to returning to school, content to trade in shorts and flip-flops for new jeans, sneakers and notebooks.
My Favorite Apple Tree
I have also discovered, since moving onto acreage a few years ago, the simple pleasure of walking outdoors to pick an apple, shining it on my sleeve, and then taking a huge, satisfying bite. I swear we have the sweetest apples on earth.
Can't you just taste it?
Now that I own a yarn shop, Autumn also means new (and often huge) yarn shipments. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it! Actually we work very hard at ye old yarn shoppe this time of the year. Hence, the lack of blog posts this month. The first sign of a chill in the air and knitters come flocking like sheep for new projects. It is like the start of a new school year, only the supply list consists of wondrous things like cashmere, alpaca, pattern books and shiny new needles.
I find it hard to concentrate on old projects with all the new yarny temptation, but, for the most part, I have been too busy and too tired at the end of the day to knit on much of anything. However, I could not say no to a luscious skein of Great Adirondack Yarn Company’s Sierra, and its 600 yards of yummy 100% alpaca softness in the most amazing hand-dyed colorway called Amazon. It followed me home and I have since been ignoring everything else in my project bag in favor of this cozy Autmun-inspired shawl called Mara….
Autumn shawl in the making.
Autumn is also a bittersweet time for me. I lost my Mom on October the 9th, 1998. It was on a Friday, just like this year. She died suddenly and unexpectedly, and on that day I learned how grief can quite literally sweep your legs right out from under you. I was a young mother myself at the time, and it still saddens me that my Mom, who was also my dearest friend, never got to see my children grow into the lovely young adults they are today. Yet, I do see my Mom in my kids; my son has her smile and cheekiness, and my daughter, her strong will and determined nature.
If she could visit me today, Mom would get a big kick out of the fact that her city girl lives in that country and that I own a yarn shop. And once she was done laughing in delight about the curious changes in my life, she would get to work baking apple pies in my sun-dappled kitchen.
“Change is a measure of time and, in the autumn, time seems speeded up.
What was is not and never again will be; what is is change.”
- Edwin Way Teale
Houseboat Long Weekend September 13, 2009
Posted by 88stitchesafterhours in Family.Tags: British Columbia, Houseboat, Shuswap Lake
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The final long weekend of summer was spent boating with family and friends.
The Wharewaka, our home away from home, soon prompted the catch phrase “where the waka are we?” as we novice sailors attempted to navigate the unpredictable waters of the majestic Shuswap.
Of course, there are no worries allowed on the upper deck bar.
A bar with a view.
Finding a safe, rock-free shoreline to beach the boat for the night is not as easy as it may seem.
A patch of rugged shoreline.
A leisurely morning cup of coffee and interesting conversation shared with friends is best served on a secluded beach.
A very good morning!
There was a day of stormy weather and some rough spots to navigate….
but we worked together as a crew and were finally able to find another safe harbor to weather the storm for the night.
And once again we found our land legs.
A walk on the beach.
I am a true Pisces… deeply inspired by the water to sit and dream.
Whaaat? Another Scarf? August 26, 2009
Posted by 88stitchesafterhours in Knits.Tags: Malabrigo Merino Worsted, Scrunchable Scarf. Feral Knitting
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Yes, it’s true. I am still, inexplicably, locked in scarf knitting mode. (aka sweater-finishing avoidance)
Scrunchable Scarf
This scarf is a belated birthday gift for a special new Mom who also happens to be my co-worker and the future Queen of Crystralia. I hope it keeps Her Highness toasty warm this winter. Melissa claims the stitch pattern and the natural shade of yarn reminds her of thermal underwear. Definitely not the look I was going for…. I mean, who wants to wear thermal underwear around their neck? However, this was knit in delectably soft Mmmmalabrigo, so it’s all about the texture anyway.
Project Specs:
One and a half skeins Malabrigo Merino Worsted
in natural
5mm needle
Summer Weekend Getaway August 23, 2009
Posted by 88stitchesafterhours in Family.Tags: British Columbia, Campbell River, Painter's Lodge, Quadra Island, vacation, Vancouver Island
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“A person should go out on the water on a fine day to a small distance from a beautiful coast, if he would see Nature really smile.” ~ Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare, Guesses at Truth, by Two Brothers, 1827
Painter's Lodge, Campbell River, B.C.
Nothing like calm water on a beautiful day!
Sunset Cruise around the harbor… do we look relaxed or what? Of course, the wine and cheese party helped a wee bit.
What is that strange orange orb on my arm? My guardian angel or a mere reflection of…what?
April Point, Quadra Island
Can you spot the seals?
Time to go home
Endless Sleeves August 16, 2009
Posted by 88stitchesafterhours in Family, Knits.Tags: Garter Yoke Cardigan, knitting, Noro Yarn, Rowan Summer Tweed, scarf, Vogue Knitting, Yarn Candy Sweet Fiber
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I don’t think I have any sort of commitment issues. I have been married (yes, to the same man) for twenty-one years. Twenty years ago, I committed to being the best parent I could be, and so far I’ve managed to co-raise two polite and considerate individuals, neither of whom have ”put out an eye” or called home via a police cruiser.
Thirty-four years ago I proclaimed Linda to be my best friend in the world and haven’t wavered once on that commitment since crazy Mr. Hutton’s seventh grade class. Well, perhaps there were a couple of wavers that rippled between us during the turbulent teen years, mostly in the form of cruel girls disguised as cool friends, but that’s another story for another day.
I think I can safely say that I do not have any sort of commitment phobias. Except for when it comes to my knitting projects.
Why oh why oh why, pray tell, can I not commit to finish knitting the lovely Summer cardigan that has been languishing on the needles since March?
It all started so innocently in the first throes of Spring, when I decided what I needed to knit was the perfect, top-down, garter yoke cardigan to throw over about my shoulders on cool Summer evenings. My love affair with this perfect little cardi intensified when I found the right shade of yarn: loganberry in Rowan Summer Tweed. Ah, just the right amount of silk and cotton in a delightful tweed-like blend. Pure bliss.
I even knit two gauge swatches before I began the sweater because I knew I was committed to this project for the long haul. The first signs of trouble in the relationship began when I couldn’t get gauge on this worsted-weight project with anything but a 3.75 mm needle. Still, I persevered. I knit and I knit and I knit through the yoke increases and the waist-shaping decreases. I even persevered through the achy hand cramps that is the dreaded curse of a loose knitter attempting to form neat and even stitches.
Finally I was able to try on my lovely cardigan and proclaimed it to be the perfect length and the perfect fit. So I happily began the sleeves, pleased with the knowledge that I was pressing closer to the finish line. I would have this cardigan just in time for Summer!
Unfortunately, that’s when it all went wrong. The heat and humidity set in and somehow my relationship with the sleeves began to feel, well, uncomfortable. Predictable. Endless. Bor-ring.
Summer Garter Yoke Cardigan
And so I began to cheat on my lovely purple cardigan…..
First with this.
Sweet Fiber Scarf
Then this.
Noro Mile Scarf
And now this.
Desert Sky Scarf
Dirty, sexy scarves….each and every one of them!
I’m a bad, baaaad knitter.
Heatwave July 27, 2009
Posted by 88stitchesafterhours in Knits.Tags: gardening, heatwave, knitting podcasts, summer, weeds
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Gardening requires lots of water…
most of it in the form of perspiration. ~ Lou Erickson
I love having a lush flower garden. I just don’t enjoy tending to it.
I either have to be in a bad mood to pull weeds or listening to my iPod to distract myself from the task at hand with music or with podcasts. (See the sidebar for my favorite knitting podcasts.)
I especially don’t enjoy gardening when it’s 34 degrees celcius with a relative humidity of 49%. But what else can you do when you work full-time hours and so all the household chores must often get done in a single day?
You take a moment to enjoy your garden at night….when you can’t see the weeds!
Stay cool.
Lamb Fans July 9, 2009
Posted by 88stitchesafterhours in Family, Knits.Tags: 88 Stitches Yarn Shop, Adam Lambert, American Idol, American Idol Live Tour, Criminal Minds, General Motors Place, knitting, reality shows, reality T.V., sock knitting, television
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Okay, I confess. I watched American Idol this season.
I have a take it/leave it relationship with most reality shows. Some are mildly intriguing for the first couple of seasons, but then they start seeming contrived and just more of the same. However, I do enjoy an hour or two of evening knitting in front of the TV with mindless programs that are perfect for when I am involved in an intricate pattern and can only lend half an ear to what’s going on around me.
Now a program like Criminal Minds usually requires my full attention to follow the storyline. (Garcia rocks!) That’s when I pull out some sock knitting or endless garter stitch projects and have at it. I am a fidgety person by nature, aren’t most knitters? People are always telling me that they wish they had time to knit. My response: “Do you watch TV?”
Adam Lambert is the one and only reason I found myself sucked into the Idol vortex this time around. The moment I heard him sing Mad World, I knew I was witnessing the rise of a rock star. His powerful voice instantly jet-propelled me back to my youth, to air-guitar playing and shimmying in tight French jeans to the likes of Queen and Led Zeppelin and Nazareth and, well, pretty much all the great rock groups of the seventies.
My twenty year old daughter Melissa does not share those rock-god memories with me, of course. She grew up in a Spice World of highly produced boy bands and Disney movie soundtracks. Yet, somehow, the two of us found ourselves planted on the sofa almost every week with our knitting projects and a shared fascination for how our favorite Idol intended to Adam-ify the song choice for that week and steal the show. We would patiently knit our way through the other performances until our Idol appeared out of smoke or swaggered his way down a staircase, and the magic began.
I was more disappointed about the show ending and not being able to see Adam perform every week than I was about him not winning the golden prize. Then one slow afternoon at the yarn shop, Melissa and I found ourselves surfing the net for new books and music when we discovered that the American Idol Live Tour was coming to Vancouver in July. Out came the credit card and before we knew it we had tickets and a concert date.
Last night we were transported from the sofa to GM Place. We left our knitting projects at home, but we discussed yarn at length while we waited for the concert to begin. We snickered together each time a photo of Adam came up on the big screen, prompting screams and squeals and wild applause from not only the tween set but from their mothers and, yes, grandmothers too!
“I have been to many concerts in my time,” I informed my daughter, “and I have never screamed for anyone.”
Ha! The moment Adam appeared in the flesh there I was cheering and clapping as loud as any tween or teen….okay, maybe not that high-pitched, but cheering nonetheless. And laughing. And dancing in the aisle. With my daughter. To Adam-ified renditions of classic Zeppelin and Bowie.
Rock on.
Concert Swag and Rock Star Socks in progress
