Life's a Stitch

I couldn’t resist. OK it was free with a purchase of $75 at the mall where my office is located. I bought Rent tickets for the family and indulged in two of my favourite things – musical theatre and finding a bargain – a new crochet hook holder, he needs a name.

Gracee’s big nose look. Her nose is pinkish-brown in the winter and black in the summer.

I’m knitting the most boring project possible. My daughter’s boyfirend’s mother was visiting and fell in love with one of my felted bags. She asked me if I’d make her one. I offered to take her to my LYS to pick out colours but she insisted on black; pain black, no texture or anything. So, black it is. It’s the perfect project for mindless knitting in front of a video but it’s a slow go. I did the straps on a corking spool for variety. I’d take a picture but it’s not as cute as dog’s noses.

We’re recently back from vacation. I made the mistake of going on the Mind Bender roller coaster at West Edmonton Mall. What was I thinking? My daughter and I went after chickening out twice on previous visits. It was terrifying and murder on the neck. While my daughter screamed in terror, all I could say was “bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.” Insult to injury – the official photo. You see, gravity works, and my cheeks stretched over my eyes just in time for the camera to click. Not a pretty picture, no way am I posting it. Afterwards I found out that three people have died on it and that it has the highest G-force rating of any roller coaster in the world.

Views from along the way – Mount Robson and Lake Louise, both near the British Columbia-Alberta border.

Prior to leaving I mapped out every knitting shop on our route from Vancouver to Edmonton and back. Managed to hit six of them but was disappointed by those that had changed to limited summer hours or were closed for vacation.

I guess the lesson to be learned by these experiences – do your homework first.

Progress on Rippling Waters:

Is it the destination or the journey that’s important? A couple of years ago you could not have convinced me that I could be happy spending as much time producing eight square inches on teensy needles as producing a square foot on size 17’s. Lace knitting has taught me to enjoy the process. You have to take the time to understand the pattern to enjoy it. Hand painted yarn has only added to the pleasure. I love seeing the developing shapes in each colour.

OK, I am as crazy a knitting woman as my son thinks I am. Sweet boy of 14 saw comments on my first day of blogging and said, “How neat, you’re part of a community.” Smart boy, I thought. He proceeded to say “I can imagine all these old ladies sitting in front of their computers.” This from the boy who thoughtfully knitted his own contribution to the Knitter Critter knitalong. No sense arguing with a 14-year-old. Like knitting, I have to remind myself that I can enjoy the process of growing another teen in my house, and not hold my breath waiting for the hopefully successful product.

I’m learning through experience. I really read the warning before I changed my URL, but decided to take the plunge anyway since I was only one day into it. Apologies to those it inconvenienced, particularly those who kindly linked to me. As Thomas says on his blog – Li is a brand new blogger – be kind.

Stash addition: Pretty pretty stuff, Wool in the Woods Shadows. Rayon – very drapey. In fact when taken off the ball winder it melts into a puddle of rayon. Good news is that yarn so fluid unknots easily. I’ll have to be careful because it probably unknits easily, too. Watch out for dropped stitches. Planning on the Making Tracks shawl by Maggie’s Rags

Closing with Grace, the shaggy raggy version.

Thanks for the nice comments, this is fun!

I’m on a trip to blogland, a very beginner. I’ve been inspired by the bloggers I’ve been following – Sandy, Wendy, Uli, Kate, Caryn and more. When I learn to link to your blogs I will. Thank you, any suggestions would be appreciated.

This is a blog about life and its antidote – knitting. It’s my balance to a complicated life of work and family. See my bio for specifics. Now for the good stuff – what’s on the needles.
It’s a Fiddlestick’s Knitting pattern called Rippling Waters Scarf, using size 3 needles and Cherry Tree Hill Possum (yes, its 40% possum fur) laceweight yarn. In other words, knitting thread on toothpicks. I have become addicted to lace knitting after completing a Charlotte’s Web shawl.

Finally, let me introduce you to Ms. Gracee Mae (formally Ms. Amazin’ Grace), my wheaten coloured Scottish Terrier, whose picture is posted above. Gracee is spelled differently by each member of the family. Only in my family…