When I close my eyes I never know what images are going to come to me in my sleep. Last week I dreamt that I was in a large room that reminded me of a warehouse. There were many people seated at long cafeteria type tables, all oblivious to a woman seated at a table in a corner.
That woman was Jejune. She was surrounded by a pile of books and was there for a book signing. I'm sorry to say that she was not busy at all. In fact no one was coming to see her. As a friend, I went over to say hello and chat.
In her last blog post I have learnt that she has sent off a book proposal (and for this I wish her all the luck in the world). I have no idea what it's about, but in my dream she had written a book about socks. Not a design or pattern book, but a book about the subject of socks. At least I found the subject fascinating even if no one else in the dream did.
So Jejune, not that you need any inspiration for your mind is vastly creative, I thought I should post a pix of my latest pair of socks.
This is my first pair using Knit Picks Bare sock yarn that I dyed. I was going to give the socks to the teen (because of the colours) , but I like how they turned out.
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
I mailed this about a week ago. She will get it eventually. And just in case she decides that getting up several times a night, with a newborn, doesn't fill up her days and decides that she needs to do a bit of blog reading to occupy all that free time she has, I'll only give you a sneak preview. (Whew...I just realized that last sentence was quite a mouthful. But who cares about your grammar when you can knit beautiful sweaters)
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
I've been busy with cables for the past little while. I've got a cabled sweater for my niece and the must have cardi, for me, on the go.
Cables, cables and more cables....I adore cables.
But then one day it hit me. I want to knit some lace. And not just any lace. I want to knit lace that is intricate and mind boggling but most importantly....challenging.
I decided to start by finishing this half done scarf from the UFO pile. It is a simple garter stitch lace pattern made with a purple alpaca blend. I now want to bring it up a notch. I've got the book Victorian Lace and I'm going for it.
However, in the mean time, I've got this scarf. 
I won't wear it and I have no idea why I bought this gorgeous ball of fibre in a royal purple colour. I like purple, but have nothing to go with it. So it looks like I'll tuck this number, after it's blocked, into the Christmas gift stash.
Now all I have to do is find a purple lovin', scarf wearin', alpaca adorin' person to give this to. Any suggestions????
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
.........Or the arrival of Cone head. This is Moro, my Great White Pyrenees. She is not happy for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the cone around her head. I doubt that she could care less about the loss of her ovaries and uterus. The cone is to keep her from licking herself and removing the stitches. Doesn't she look PATHETIC? Actually I haven't seen a dog that didn't look depressed while wearing a cone.
I just can't come to terms with the fact that dogs are somewhat vane.
Hmmmm actually she looks kind of stoned in this picture, doesn't she?
Now for the knitting. I really wish that I could show pictures. I really don't have a problem showing off my skill but these are presents for people who read my blog and I want to keep the pressies a surprise. But let's just say that I have 1 1/2 more FO's under my belt at the last count.
I suppose that a 1/2 FO is really more a UFO. However since I am actively working on it, it is a WIP. Really...Honest....I am constantly working on it.......I wouldn't lie about something like this...too much.
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
Drum roll please......
Deluxe Yarns emailed me this morning and asked for my address. They told me to expect my prize in the mail and that the photos of the winning socks were on there blog.
This is me, hyperventalating.
I checked out their blog.
This is me, doing the happy dance and squealing with delight.
My crazy socks came in first place.
So without further ado here is photographic evidence of how truly crazy I really am:
Thanks Mad Mad for the idea. Next time I'll try to outsource the weaving in of the ends but I don't think that I know anyone, besides myself, who is that crazy.
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
I am going to write a book. This book is going to be a big success. Everyone will want me to sign their copy, so I will have to do a book tour.
It will be great. I'll get to travel. I'll give speeches and impress everyone with my amazing wit. I'll get wined and dined, I'll hob nob with the A-crowd, it'll be a blast.
Best of all, I'll show up to these events wearing lovely hand knit cardis like this:
I'd better get to work....but this writing thing will really cut into my knitting time....I knew there was a catch...
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
Last Sunday the Ottawa Valley got dumped on.....by a lot of snow that is. Throughout the area, we got between 37-50 cm. That's 14.8- 20 inches for those of you not metrically inclined. Insane is what I call it. I mean really people....what are we suppose to do with all this snow? Here is view from my back door during the storm. The blurriness, this time, cannot be blamed on my camera or photographic skills. The fuzzy look is from the continual curtain of snow falling.
This is my front deck. It's kinda sad that we haven't removed the snow from the last massive snowstorm we had 2 weeks ago. I've been busy knitting...not sure what DH's excuse is. I decided to stretch my legs and do a bit of shoveling. and discovered at it's highest point, the snow on my deck is up to my mid thigh.
And that is just wrong!!!! Very Wrong!!!
The snow is still powdery so I quickly make progress. I got rid of about 1/5 of the snow.....just enough to look impressive but not enough to make DH think that I'll do the whole job myself. So as I am putting in all this effort, working up a sweat, engaging in this backbreaking work...what is my dog doing??????
She is just standing there....watching me. That dog is is a born supervisor, I think that she gets it from the kids.
I've finished the green sweater. I didn't take a picture of it as I couldn't wait to get it out the door. I really need to knit something for me. Wahhhhh, I can't! I've got two more projects that I've been hired to do. Enough of my pity party.....
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
It was another early Christmas present, but well worth it. Friday night DH took me to see The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Words cannot describe the mind blowing experience of seeing this group in person.
The first half of the show was one of their Christmas stories and the second half was less structured with songs from other albums. I still can't believe that the ticket price was as low as it was. Last year TSO played 2 Canadian dates, this year it is 5. They had not been to Ottawa before and with any luck they'll be back again.
Why did I like the show????
Was it the the hypnotic voice of the narrator???.....Yes
Was it the light show???....Yes
Was it the pyrotechnics???....Yes
Was it the laser light show???...Yes
Was it the songs and the various vocalists???...Yes
Was it the music???...Yes
Was it how they put everything together for a performance that blew my socks off???....YES!!!
DH let it slip that I'll be seeing a couple of their CDs in my stocking this year.
In other news...
I finished The Friday Night Knitting Club by sneaking off every now and then to read a chapter or two before I was discovered missing.
I was able to finished the boy's quilt on time by burning some midnight oil. And yes, it is another double sided quilt.
So now it's back to the grindstone with my knitting needles.
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
I was reading Georgie's blog and she has adopted the No Guilt Stash Manifesto. All I can say is good for her!!!!! Go George!!! Go George!!! Go George!!!
I don't feel in the least bit guilty about my stash, in fact I relish in it. But as I have promised two baby quilts for a charity auction I am feeling in a quilty mood. I'm also feeling a wee bit pressured as the auction date has been moved up to this weekend and I still have one to do. I just hope that my kids weren't planning on any parental time with me this week (or laundry).
Because I like a challenge, (or the fact that I'm slightly insane) I make my quilts (in all sizes) double sided. For example these are both sides of the first quilt which is suitable for a girl. The next one will have a boy's theme and colours.
In response to some emails and comments:
DH is a fair weather BBQer. So any chance of him cooking on the grill in the winter will be impossible. I'd have a better chance of getting him to dust the top of the piano. As for me, it's an unwritten rule in the house about who rules the grill. I can handle it as it just means I plan for many BBQ meals in the Spring to Fall to get out of cooking supper.
The Challenge sweater was delivered last night. The client really liked it and it fit her perfectly.
Seven Things Update
I haven't forgotten or quit but I think that after the holidays, I'll be able to get back into the swing of things.
Last week
IN
an extra water bottle for the bunnies (one just isn't enough for Isolde and the babies)
OUT
12 books (to be sent to soldiers in Afghanistan)
1 roll of door prize tickets (given to my DD cadet unit)
Until next time
Yours in Yarn
The Fibreholic
Or I could title this post...One Down and Two to Go!
Last night I finished The Challenge with a week to spare. Yeah for me! I celebrated last night by working on something non-commission related. It was wonderful. (snicker) Actually what I worked on was a quilt for a charity auction and a pair of socks for my sister for Christmas and these are both deadline pieces. So basically I just traded one kind of commitment stress for another.
The green sweater is well on it's way and the client wants it by Christmas. No problem. The tank top is at the end of the queue.
Blocking is a wonderful thing. Not only does it produce a wow factor with lace, it hides your mistakes and transforms your work into something beautiful. If you are ever wondering if you should block a sweater, look at this.
What a difference...n'est pas????? (note to self....pictures are better when taken in natural light.....but you get the idea)
Now that this sweater is finished, it's back to the grindstone. At least I've got some nice baby alpaca to fondle when the work load gets to me.
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
Jane Ellison came to Ottawa on Sunday Oct. 14th and I was fortunate enough to meet her. I decided to throw caution to the wind (in the case of my budget) and buy some silk garden by Noro (shade 8). The Jane Ellison pattern I chose was one of her men's patterns as I wanted to to make a "boyfriend" type sweater. The sweater is big and loose and very comfy. Not to mention that I received many compliments on the finished product. Even Jane, after looking closely at my shoulders, praised my finishing abilities. (This is me doing the happy dance at a compliment from Jane.)
BUT.... guess who the sweater fits perfectly and guess who has a birthday coming up very soon. You guessed it....The Sweater Boy. Hmmmm do I give him the sweater or not?????
Jane came to Wool N' Things that day. She gave a trunk show, there was a workshop on how to make the gloves from her latest book The Mirasol Collection with the free skeins of Hacho yarn everyone received, and we ate. Very friendly and down to earth woman...well after all... she is a knitter.
After telling her about the lost sweater incident, she agrees with every one else. DH shouldn't be getting this sweater. He doesn't deserve it!
Swap Pal...if you are reading this....look away.
With no up close photo, my pal can't see the detail so they look like basic stripes. ( a much better photo will follow). Jane totally understood the need for a sock photo for my blog and was willing to help out with sock mojo. She liked the socks! I am beginning to get star struck at this stage, especially when she asks for my blog address.
As soon as I find the needle nose pliers, I'll make the stitch markers and be ready to mail my package and send it off to my swap pal. This is just too fun.
I've been given another knitting commission and have to give a quote on another so I'd better get to work.
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
Well I've finally discovered the secret to getting ahead in life. Let me introduce to you Ursula the Ugly foam head. I borrowed her from work to block my hats. Since she has been decorated and no longer displayable, my boss isn't in any hurry to get her back. Plus my 8 year old like to play Zaphod Beeblebrox with her. There is also a night club, here in Ottawa, called Zaphod Beeblebrox, but she's far to young to play that kind of game. 
See the lovely hat she is wearing? I am having a hard time writing up the pattern for that hat. Lesson learnt. Always write down what you are knitting as you knit it...especially explanations for abbreviations you invent along the way.
Seven Things Update
I have not fallen off the bandwagon on this one. So here is what happened last week.
Out
2 bags of kid's clothes that went to charity.....about 28 items in all
A couch was tossed. It was very uncomfortable to sit on and because it was cheaply made, the kids and dog had literally destroyed it over the 10+ years we had it.
In
2 skeins of wool.
Shake-it-All-About
We had been given some bedroom furniture for our youngest which included a computer desk. His room is WAY too small to accommodate the desk so for the longest time it sat in the garage. So here's what we did. In the vacant space formally occupied by the couch we put the desk. I am using the desk as a sewing table which gets rid of the rickety table I was using (when I sewed the table kind of bounced). It also gets rid of the old microwave stand that I kept supplies in, plus frees up room on a shelf in the basement as I am able to put all my supplies and both my serger and sewing machine on or in the desk.
The report for this past week.
Out
2 boxes of kids clothes that went to friends......50+ items at least.
In
15 balls of Noro for my Jane Ellison sweater
1 knitting pattern
2 balls of sock yarn
2 tops
a handful of beads and things for stitch markers for my swap.
So maybe I'm not doing all I could for this, but I am being honest with what I bring in. So all in all I think that I'm doing well for holding myself accountable of what I buy. DH is all for it as we are now starting to see the floor to our closest. That is a good thing.
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
Here he is...scruffy face and all. This friends, is the face of a knitter's husband. When you've bought your second load of wool, while on vacation, this is the kind of guy who tells you to buy a suitcase for your wool purchases. He does this because there is not enough room in luggage you brought. He also knows that with a week still left to go.....you'll be buying more. He also brings you back two canvas totebags, from his stop-over, and tells you that they are for your stash.......Here is a close up the sweater......
I took the picture of DH last night, in the basement....which explains the poor lighting conditions. The close up was taken this morning on my deck in natural light.....In Other NewsI've got to make a quilt for a baby shower....next week. Now I'll bet that you are wondering why I am quilting a baby gift instead of knitting something. You weren't???? Oh.....well......(this is me stammering, wondering what to say) Shhh don't let the yarn stash know....but I also have a fabric stash.I needed to get fabric.....I tried to shop local.....I really did...only to find out that my local fabric shop is closed for holidays. Now if you look at the time that it take me to get anywhere, plus the selection of the fabric when I get there........Sigh... I will confess, I went cross-border shopping. Canada Customs vs US Customs
Going to the states they ask you for photo ID plus many other questions like.... where are you going? what is the purpose of your visit? Are those your kids? Can I see some ID for them....etc...official stuff like that....and he gets out of his booth to do a walk around of the van.Coming back to Canada is another story altogether....What is the citizenship of everyone? How many are there in the vehicle? Are those your kids? Does their father know where they are? How long where you gone? How much did you spend?At this point...I can't believe my ears and I start to fume all the way home about how LAME Canada Customs is. The guy wanted to know if DH knew where we were (a valid question in the case of child custody issues) BUT did not ask for any proof that these kids were actually mine or proof of who I was. Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!With that issue dealt with....I won't tell you where we went as I'll save that for another day. As we drove around town, I noticed many things that I could take the sock to see and photograph. Here's what happened when I mentioned it.ME: Hmmmm next time I'll bring the sock and take a picture of that sign.teenage DD: Oh No Mom! Anything but the sock!!!!Life is good....Until next timeYours in Yarn,The Fibreholic
