Cozy Can

Here it is. A shot of my Pop Can Cozy. A few weeks back, during the TTC Knit-A-Long, the Toronto Star's photographer got a kick out of it and snapped a few shots. Here's the one that made it into the paper.

photo by Michael Stuparyk

I made this a few months back from a pattern I found in Knit Grrl. I picked this project in order to learn to use dpn's. The fuzzy stuff keeps the can cold and your hands dry and warm. i joked during the knit-a-long, that i was actually carrying a beer around. sounds like i've given myself a brilliant idea! besides beer, booze and soda pop, it can also slip over a small coffee cup. Fellas seem to be really freaked out by it. I like that! Cheers!

Rockin' Quiz

oh my...I just couldn't resist creating my own quiz!!
silly? yes!
fun? of course!
enjoy!

Do u rock and/or roll?

1. Who is The King?

Don the promoter
Elvis the skater
Elvis the pelvis
Elvis Costello


2. Who's the rockin-est female singer?

Cyndi Lauper
Pat Benatar
Joan Jett
Chrissy Hynde


3. The greatest band of all time is...

The Rolling Stones
The Beatles
The Who
The Monkeys


4. If I could live anywhere, I would live

in a cave
on a beach
in the forest
on a mountain


5. I believe

in peace, love and understanding
the children are the future
I can fly
in Santa Claus

Trapped in Goldielocks Triangle

Will it ever end!!? yes, it is beautiful. yes, it is so soft and cushy. yes, it's knitting up nicely. but, i must admit, the pattern is a bit of a bore. i hope to have it finished by tonight. i need to give it away as a gift tomorrow afternoon and i still need to get the cat hair off of it before wrapping!



I would definitely make another one of these fleece artist shawls, but i think it needs to be done as that other mindless project, while working on a pair of socks as well as a more challenging piece, like the Mimi Verylong that i have in a holding pattern (ha!) and i can't wait to get back to it right quick.

Soul Patrol!!!

Congratulations!


Taylor Hicks

a quick game

the hubs and i went to see the Da Vinci Code last night. we got there early and made sure we grabbed our favorite seats -- way at the back, nice and high above the big heads, bad hats and crazy hairs. with 40 minutes to go before movie start time, i started jonesin' for some knittin'! I promise never to leave the house without it again. what was i thinking!? i must knit everywhere and all of the time. well, except for weddings. the hubs says he draws the line at weddings. but he did remind me that "we can still talk, you know." and talk we did. we even played the dangerous game of what-celeb-would-you-shag. without skipping a beat, "Jon Stewart", i chimed.

and the hubs approved, "he's funny and smart. he seems like a nice guy. and he might even call you the next day". but the hubs, he couldn't think of one for himself. none of the celeb babes seem to turn his crank. i suggested Joan Jett, but he said "she's too old now". and then he pondered on Xtina Aguilera for a few moments but then considered how many STDs would be involved and quickly dumped the idea. well, I guess i'm just celebrity enuf for my man. oh, and 'the code was pretty good. the last supper will never be the same and Mary Magdalene sure was one hot mama.

TTC Knit-A-Long Rocks TO!

surreal. totally. the TTC Knit-A-Long rocked! not only did we bring KIP (knitting in public) to great new heights, we made new friends, freaked out a few strangers, picked up some great stitchin' tips and groovy loot, got our pix in the funny pages and learned that sometimes you just have to let things go....

here's the west team grabbin' a bit of a bite and a sip or two of java,
while slippin in a little stitchin', before heading off to our first shop-stop....

our fearless leader,Viviene at PassionKnits

At PassionKnits not only did they have a wonderful selection, but they greeted us with Timbits! now that's some sweet service! I decided to take it super easy on the pocket book at our first stop and only picked up one little skein of Norwegian Lanett Superwash Merino in charcoal.

and then, just when we thought it was safe to get back on the subway....tragedy struck. we were all on the platform getting off at our next stop when we noticed that Jacquie had dropped her ball of yarn and it was still on the train. the doors began to close,we screamed, i panicked and pulled on the yarn with great hopes that it would gingerly hop over the gap and join us on the other side. no such luck -- we watched (in slow motion) as the yarn fell four feet down on to the tracks below. what was i thinking?! the driver poked his head out of his window and told us that he couldn't pull away unless Jaquie cut the yarn. The yarn was cut, the train chugged away and there we stood, 15 knitters with a few moments of silence for a sad lump of green wool on the grimey subway tracks. We waited for a very special TTC lady to come and save the day, but with so many trains having run over it, the yarn was totalled and it was time to move along.

Jacquie and TTC Lady

Next stop, Knit-O-Matic. Never having been before, I didn't know what to expect. I was not disappointed. I felt as tho i had stepped thru some sort of wacky time/space warp. was i in the east coast? or perhaps texas? maybe even uruguay? yes, i know - very strange. lotsa, lotsa awesome stuff, from floor to ceiling and a pet bird (who i've nick-named Kugo, because i can't remember his real name). Haley was wonderful to us, not only did we get 10% off of everything, but the Japanese Noro was 20% off! yabba dabba i had to dabble. i chose a coupla skiens of the Silk Garden. gorgeous!! but i couldn't stop there...while fondling some sock yarn i spotted some crazy colours on one of the top shelves. The Handgefarbt (Hand Painted) Opal #11 called out and spoke to me (i didn't even know i spoke German!). I just had to have it! i also picked up a little quelque chose for the hubs - some awesome New Zealand possom/merino. who could resist! and then some icing for our cake, a gift from Haley -- a loot bag of Lana Grossa sock yarn! kickin'!

did someone say "sale"

we piled back on the TTC and headed south to Kensington Market to meet up with the other teams and for more shopping, fondling and big boys burritos!

I took a nice break at Lettuce Knit and sat at the picnic table knitting and chatting with team mates. and making new friends...

with Bertie the Knit-A-Long Mascott

and then off to the beaches (or the beach, depending) for the grand finale -- The Naked Sheep. cookies and brownies and cashmere. here i picked up the final piece, Fleece Artist's Goldielocks Shawl (a gift for a very special someone). In all of my excitment and exhaustion i neglected to snap a pic of the closing shop-stop. final destination: home....

the loot

If u haven't been on the TTC knit-a-long, i urge u to hop on board for the fall frenzy! There are a coupla great articles on some super fine knitting, from the toronto sun and the toronto star. nice support. my pop can cozy was a big hit with the star's photographer -- it made it into the paper!

Thanks to Viviene, Beryl, Sophie and Jen and all of the volunteers and shops that took part in this most fabulous knit-crawl-a-palooza!!

a boy and his cake

surprise!! and boy, was he ever! the party went off without a hitch. he didn't have a clue. it was the perfect venue. not only is the karaoke great, but it's also around the corner from our home sweet home. so many wonderful folks came out to celebrate and sing-a-long. he was truly touched! a well deserved roast for an awesome guy.

make a wish!

Ode to My Love

My dearest, one and only true love,
I wish you all the bestestest on this very special day.
where would the world be without you?
without love, without laughter, without song
not only do u make me feel special-er than ever, everyday,
but u spread that incredible energy throughout the land.
if only more humans were as kind, as caring, as generous,
as considerate as you.
your sense of humour is beyond this world,
i'm honoured to speak your language.
if two can live as one, if hearts can beat together,
we are the same drum.
forever and always,
your Love

Happy Birthday!!!

Secret Pal 8 • The Questionnaire

i am so very excited to be a part of SP8!
here are some answers to some very important questions.
let the fun begin!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
• I like just about everything. I’m not too picky. But I really don’t like anything itchy. I haven't tried any Noro yet. cotton is comfy. my absolute fave would probably be… cashmere! And anything from Uruguay.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
• just a plain ol’vinyl bag.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
• I started when I was a wee one, maybe 7 or 8. I’m just starting to read and understand patterns. I would consider myself intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
• no. I must to look into that!

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
• I like minty, tea tree, eucalyptus or spicey stuff. Florals and fruity scents give me headaches. i don't do baths very often, unless it's for medicinal purposes. my skin just doesn't seem to like to stay wet for too long! but i absolutley love candles and insense!

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
• I can never get enough of dark chocolate – the darker, the better! dark chocolate with mint, dark chocolate with almonds, dark chocolate with dark chocolate...

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
• if I’m not knitting, I’m either reading, blogging or playing guitar. Occasionally I’ll mess around with beads (thanks to KO's inspiration).

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
• thanks to the hubs, I just got a brand new iPod Nano for my b-day. Bring on the tunes! I like just about any kind of music, except for swearing rappers screaching metal heads and breathy female vocals – they get on my nerves. I tend to like older music (Elvis, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Los Panchos)

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
• if I could, I’d live in a rainbow. Purple might be my fave. But I also love fall colours and pink with black. I’m not to keen on neon.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
• Ecstaticly married with two gorgeous cats

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
• yes, yes, yes and yes

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
• socks! I also enjoy inventing my own thing. Like taking a pattern and amending it a bit or perhaps mixing two patterns to make it more unique.

13. What are you knitting right now?
• socks and a holder for my new iPod Nano

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
• totally!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
• I enjoy both straight and circular, depends on the project. I really love the feel of bamboo.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
• no. winders rock! but i wouldn't know what do to with a swift.

17. How did you learn to knit?
• my ma

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
• currently i don't have any unfinished objects. well, i did start a pair of socks yesterday, so i guess that could be considered a UFO?

19. What is your favorite holiday?
• does halloween count? Boo!

20. Is there anything that you collect?
• all things Elvis (the king of rock, not the skater)

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
• sock books, bamboo circulars, rio de la plata yarn. I like Knit1, but I don’t have subcriptions to any. i really dig those fleece artist kits.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
• cables, mobius, felting, using circs to make socks

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
• Yes. I’m a ladies shoe size 5 (approx length of barefoot from back of heel to tip of big toe: 8.5)

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
• April 26