Craftier news

After my last post, which was all about the new house, I’m back talking about knitting and other things I do (or try to). 

First, let me show you the new yarn I purchased: 

Messa di Voce, hand-dyed by my friends Elizabeth and Debbie (My knitting idol and friend Elizabeth, whom I keep talking about on this blog, has 2 equally talented sisters, who she works with on all kinds of knitting and crochet projects, including an internet business Elizabeth, Debbie and and Elizabeth's husband started a few years ago). They just published a new collection of patterns worth taking a look at! Meanwhile, I'm telling myself that if that yarn doesn't inspire me to learn how to knit socks, nothing will.

I had to take a short break after a few intensive sessions of baby-knitting (2 2-hour bus trips on the same day...) gave me what I think is a tendinitis (burning sensation from the neck down to the thumb - oh, the pain!). But after a lot of ice, some rest, a little weaving and 15 minutes with my chiropractor, I was able to finish yet another hat I had promised a friend last year. That friend lives in Detroit, and I will see her this weekend, so I had a deadline to respect! (Next time I see her after that will be in July, so she has to get it this weekend if I want her to wear it this year!). 

Yes, another Fisherman's wife beret, once again with Cascade's Lana Grande, but this time in brown.

I’m also quite advanced on my seamless baby cardigan. For once, the mother may receive her present BEFORE the baby comes! Although I’m going to have a lot of extra yarn left, so I’m planning to add little Mary Jane booties to the package, and the last time I knit them, I had to restart the 2^nd one several times before I could just knit it and finish it, because I lost one (LOST one, how can that happen?) and somehow, I kept making mistakes in that tiny thing I had already knit several times without any problem. I hope this time, everything will go smoothly!

It is an easy knit, and I love the way the pattern is written. It is weird to just knit, and not be  preoccupied by mistakes, because they happen less and less often. Now, I stop knitting because I’m tired, not because there is a mistake that I can’t fix and have to take a break from it. 

Although it happened once so far in this project; I never realized that I became an expert at picking a dropped stitch when knitting stockinette, but I have absolutely no clue on how to pick a dropped stitch in garter stitch. What a mess I managed to make! And no video was helpful; as soon as it looked good on one side, it looked bad on the other one. I asked a member of my craft circle to help me, but it is still not perfect. But it’s going to have to go, because I didn’t want to have to wait until I go back to Montreal again to fix something that will be hidden by a button anyway. 

 

And my last news is that I finished the R2DTuque again. But it’s not even worth talking about it, other than to say that sometimes, you should not let your mother jump on your projects before they are even started, if she doesn’t knit with the same tension than you do. My man calls it the Gilligan's hat. The main problem is that the ribs are much more loose than the rest of the tuque, so I would really have to restart it from scratch to give it its right shape. Next winter, maybe.

Life and more happy changes...

I'm happy to work part-time, so I can spend some grey afternoons like the one we have today at home drinking tea, knit, weave and spend time on Facebook, Blogger and Pinterest while listening to music (currently listening to this - fits well with my cocooning mood). I also just received this book from Amazon, so I think I'll have a pretty good time not doing anything I should be doing, such as redoing our budget, planning for home renos, thinking about our move, etc...


Remember, a few weeks ago when I was rambling about having a burnout caused by too much happiness? Well...following that post, I decided to drop my translation class this semester, in order to get more time for myself. I was pretty proud of myself to gain those 2 extra hours, and promised myself I would use them to weave and exercise more. Until we bought a house.

It's ours! (picture from the real estate site)

 Buying a house was in the plans for 2012, so it is not such a big surprise. We (okay, I) had a very well structured plan over 10 months for this acquisition:

1. Make list for everything we have to have, everything we would really like to have, and everything that would be nice to have - Fall 2011 (check)
2. Look at web real estates sites and choose some houses to visit - December 2011 (check)
3. Start looking at mortgages to get pre-approved - January 2012
4. Slowly start visiting houses to see what is available in 3R - January 2012
5. Buy a house at the end of the spring
6. Do renos, if needed, in June. 
7. Move in on July 1st (when our rent is out). 

Everything started very well with the step 1 and 2, but then we fell in love with the 3rd house we visited, so it's all done now. We visited this house on January 15, decided we wanted it, crossed the street to visit another house that was also for sale (it only confirmed we really wanted that one), decided to discuss it calmly over lunch looking at our list (so we would not make any hasty, emotional, decision), and called the agent an hour later to make an official offer the day after. I have to admit that I was secretly hoping for something like that (love at first site), but I was expecting it a little later:-)

One of the reasons why I did not expect love at first site with this house...(picture from the real estate site)

It's a house that was built in 1960 by the late husband of the lady who is now selling it. It was designed to be lived in, which I love. It was also built over a long time, which allowed them to build it well. It has everything that was on our list: 3 rooms, space for my loom, lots of natural light, laundry room, room for a freezer, workshop for my man, entrance hall on the 1st floor (very difficult to find in 3R, all main doors open directly in the living room, which I can't understand in such a cold country), mudroom, space for a garden, storage and a price similar to what we pay in rent.

Finished basement (picture from the real estate site)

On top of that, it has only 1 neighbour (we are next to the parking lot of a small mall, and behind the parking lot of a church, so that means a lot of natural light without too much noise), enough space outside to have not only a garden, but a big one, a few fruits trees (on top of the sugar maple that is already there) and a swing, there is what used to be a hen house and a second shed where they used to organize dances on Saturday nights (really this place was built for me!). There is also a small market at the corner of the street, and it it close to a bigger shopping mall ( I'll be able to go by bike). There is a bus a corner away from the house, and a big bus stop a few blocks away, as well as a big park on the other side of the street. My favourite restaurant in 3r is also a corner away. It is really the best of living in the city with great access to lot of green!

I also love the fact that even if it is clean enough for us to move in as it is, nothing has changed since it was built, so it will need a little TLC, such as replacing the green-and-orange and brown carpet with hard wood floor. I would have felt bad to replace something that would have been installed not long ago.

Future renos!(picture from the real estate site)

Of course, this is a very happy event, and we are both trilled to have found that perfect place. But of course, all changes, even the happiest ones, come with lots of stress. Stress of dealing with the seller, stress of having to find a mortgage very quickly and having to explain our financial situation to a bunch of strangers, stress of having to find a life insurance and having to explain all our medical history to another bunch of strangers. Stress of having to get the house inspected, stress of having to have the house evaluated (not the same thing!), stress of having to answer and making life changing decisions very quickly, stress of seeing new expenses adding up at the speed of the light. 

Anyway, it is done. We are getting the house on May 1st, and we will probably move in a month later, after the floors and windows get changed, and everything gets painted. Now comes the fun part: planning for renos and decoration. And writing to our current landlords to let them know we are not staying another year in this neighbourhood...


Life is good!

Miserable failure

So, I knitted the R2DTuque.

It looked like this: 

Very small, tight and pointy R2Dtuque

The top part got so tight because of how I carried the 2nd colour, it changed the whole shape of the hat. So now it is back looking like this:

I think I'll just do the 2nd row of blue in one colour, and embroider the few grey stitches on top. I just need a few hours of quiet time by myself to figure it out and redo it.

In other news, I did get the chance to go yarn shopping when I went to Montreal last week, and ended with the following:

which, once swatched, look like this:

The red will become peasy, and the purpleish should become this, for another one of my friends who is expecting a healthy little girl!

so exciting! Can't wait to cast on!

Have a good weekend!

End to an hectic week

It's Saturday morning. My man left for Quebec City, where he is taking courses towards a masters' degree early in the morning, so I am by myself for the day.

I woke up, made myself  a big café au lait in my beloved "Gyöngyi Mug", a present I received from  good friends a few years ago, when they lived in Budapest (Gyöngyi is how I'm being called when I travel to Transylvania). I then sat in front of the computer, checked my Facebook, my emails, the blogs I follow, and Pinterest, before starting to knit a little while discovering Red Russian's music. I really like this song. 

On my needles, my man's R2DTuque (tuque is a wool hat in French). I must admit, I was not convinced when he picked that pattern. I'm still not convinced I want to walk around with a grown man wearing this, but I really enjoy knitting it!

It's the first time I  knit following a chart, and it's fun! And easy! (well, assuming I'm doing it right - my mum told me to make sure I carry my yarn, so I figured out a way to do it, but didn't check in the knitting theory to see if it was the right way, as I started knitting in the car on my way back to Montreal last week). These charts open a whole new world of possibilities for me...I'm having so many ideas of what I could do with them..

Other knitting news of the week:
I blocked my wrap at the beginning of the week, and wore it to work on Thursday. I really like it, it is warm, and the final result is pretty much what I had envisioned.

Very bad hair day, sorry!

I also finished another set of cute Mary Jane booties for the new born daughter of one of my man's colleagues. It knitted the 3-6 months, and I find it a little less cute than the newborn size, but at least this time I had time to sew the buttons before giving them away!

I started this post by saying it was the end of a very hectic week. I don't want to say why it was so hectic, because as usual, I'm superstitious and I am worried that I'll jinx this thing if I mention it happens, but I just wanted to end this post by saying that yesterday, the 60 minutes between 2 and 3 were probably the luckiest of my whole life, just because of the number of good news I received within that hour:

1. I received a call from a place where I had applied to my dream job over 2 years ago. The position had been cancelled before they had picked anyone, but they are reopening it now, and asked me if I wanted it. The job is in Ottawa, so I'm not going to take it, but I have to say that it was a solid boost to my ego to receive this call and have a long discussion with the director. 
2. While I was on the phone with this guy, I got another call with wonderful news about that other thing I don't want to jinx. Hurrah! 
3. When I hung up, I checked my emails, and I had received my grade for the advanced English grammar course I took in the fall. 91%, despite not doing the exercices, and passing each of the tests on less than 20 minutes.
4. A few minutes later, I received a call from the organisation our cleaning lady comes from, telling me that she had been fired, and that they would send me someone new next week. The reason why this is a good news is that we hired that cleaning lady a few months ago through a rehabilitation centre which offers training and work experience to people who can't find jobs. She was awful, and I always had to repeat everything to her, and make sure she had done what was asked, and ask her to talk a little less. I didn't dare complaining about her, because she had a baby, and I felt she really needed a job, and I kept telling myself that at least she was doing things I would not have to do later, so it was better than nothing. But that she was fired without me having to complain was a really good news for me! 

We bought some lottery tickets last night, we felt lucky. The draw if tonight, so we don't have the results yet, but I won 2$ with a scratch ticket I bought!

Have a great weekend!

Finishitis crisis

I can't believe it. My Ravelry page has only 2 WIP (work in progress). My man's R2Dtuque, and a hibernating baby blanket which I started over a year ago, but never touched again.

I finished another project this weekend.

Clearly needs to be blocked.

This is the project I brought with me on vacations this summer, it is this pattern, but with a little adjustment in the front. I chose it mainly because it was an easy knit, and because I could use my favourite yarn (berroco vintage). Seriously, this company should sponsor me, I'm doing such a good job at promoting their yarn!

So basically, this sweater was knitted all over Canada and Europe. I started it in the bus from Trois-Rivières to Montréal, and kept knitting a little bit in the plane from Montreal to Budapest (with a short stop in Zurich).  Then, I was able to do most of the back in a long overnight bus trip from Budapest to Parajd, in Transylvania (Romania). I completely finished the back and started the front in a gypsy dance camp in Kommando, Transylvania. My time in Gyimes was spent mostly trying to untangle my yarn, and our overnight train ride from Gyimes to Maramures, which was spent in part trying to explain (in Romanian) what we were doing to people who were sitting with us, and in part knitting the front pieces.
I knitted some more on our back to Montreal, and then worked on the sleeves (boring!) a week later in the plane on my way to Vancouver. I was also planning to knit a bit more in the car on our way to Lilloet, but the landscape was just too stunning to be doing anything else but watch and drool.

After finishing a bunch of things in the past weeks, I went back to this project and was able to finish it without any trouble. The fact that I spent 2 days in Montreal last weekend (2-hour bus ride + a few hours spent with my mother) gave me ample time to finish it. As usual, my mum jumped on my knitting bag as soon as I arrived, and without saying a word, started to knit whatever she found. We went out brunching on Saturday morning for my father's birthday, and while we were finishing our Iranian tea (miam!) I grabbed something I'm knitting for one of my man's colleagues who just had a daughter, and gave my mum this sweater to work on. I felt like a mother who is giving her baby her set of keys, or whatever she finds in her bag to keep her quiet while she talks with other adults...

Next trip to Montreal: January 27, where I will buy a lot of yarn! Thank you for all that gave me comments after my last post, I ended up buying Fuse, Peasy and Folded (I already had Lauriel). It's going to be a busy knitting year! For portable project, I'm planning on learning how to knit socks and slippers, starting with these.

Have a great day! There is a snow storm warning in effect here, too bad I have to go to work this afternoon!

Respecting my resolutions

It had been on my to-do list or my agenda for 20 months!

Entries such as:
- Wednesday: pilates and learning to knit at Elizabeth's
- buy yarn and needle to make sweater
- finish casting on sweater
- ask Elizabeth how to fix mistake on red sweater
- ask Elizabeth how to fix mistake in Swiss fan
- knit an inch of red sweater
- ask Elizabeth how to fix mistake on red sweater
- start sleeves on red sweater
- ask Elizabeth how to fix mistake on red sweater
- Skype knitting session with Elizabeth to fix mistake on red sweater
- red sweater
- ask Elizabeth how to fix mistake on red sweater
- finish red sweater so I can bring on vacation
- red sweater
- finish red sweater's sleeves,
- ask Elizabeth how to fix mistake on red sweater
- knit red sweater and finish collar, 
- and at least 100's more similar entries...

until December 26, 2011: 
- organise skype session with Elizabeth to learn how to graft those last 16 stitches!!!

And it happened 2 days ago:

This is the sweater that started it all.
This is the sweater that finally made me think, after watching my own mother knit for over 36 year, that knitting could be a fun thing to try. This is the sweater that showed me that I am quite stubborn, and that even after 2 years, and several infidelities with other projects, I always go back to finish what I started. That's the sweater that taught me pretty much all I know about knitting, especially how to fix my mistakes, and how to get more and more independent in my learning (but not totally yet...). This is the sweater that helped me start a different relationship with my mum, with whom I now share the same passion (not always fun for my dad, who often has to be the witness of our long discussions...).

After 2 years of intense manipulations...

After having been my go-to project for the past 2 years, I think I will miss knitting it very much. I even started to think that I should maybe knit it again with nicer yarn (I had bought cheap yarn because I didn't know if I would be able to finish it). It would be interesting to see how long it takes me, the 2nd time around. But I think I need to start another big project as soon as possible instead. I'm hesitating in between a few patterns:

- Peasy by Heidi Kirrmaier (sorry, I can only find a Ravelry link)
- Folded byVeera Välimäki
- Lauriel by Ysolda Teagues
-Fall away cardigan, by Heidi Kirrmaier
and my latest favourite, published a few days ago only, but is already all over Pinterest and other blogs, made with my favourite yarn (but it looks very difficult!):
- Fuse, by Veronik Avery

I take suggestions, and I'm open to starting more than one, so I still have something to knit when I'm stuck with mistakes in the other project...

Until I make a decision and get the yarn, I still have my R2Dtuque to finish, and a few more baby projects to get on the way. Another baby was born yesterday, if everything went well, and another one is due in 13 weeks. I love baby projects, they go so fast! Keep having babies, friends! 

New year, new projects

Happy New Year!

I'm not really a Christmas person, so I am happy that the holidays are over, especially that this year they end with a week off from work! (I'm going back only next Monday).

I usually take my yearly resolutions in September, when I am full of energy, rather than in January, but this year, I feel I have to revisit them. The past semester has been difficult, or rather, not fun, and I really feel that the holiday brought an end to these few dark months. Nothing bad happened, I think that all the changes of the past 3 years have finally settled in, and left me exhausted. Can one get burn out from too many good things happening?

Just to summarize:
- Fell in love with a man living 125 km away from my Montreal (huge change after several years of being very happily single and organised)
- 2 years of long-distance relationship (all weekends used to see each other either in Mtl or 3R)
- Changed job 3 times, which included travelling, stress from not knowing if some contracts would be renewed, several applications and cover letters, several interviews and psychometric tests, several rejections, and no chance to rest from one job to another
- Moved from my beloved Montreal to 3R to live with my man (double change!)
- Got sick enough to miss work and get disorganised and worried (being disorganised is a huge stress for me...) twice.
- Got involved in a craft association, which is a lot more work than I expected
- Got several translation contracts on top of day job
- Started an online translation certificate
- etc.


So, this semester, when no big change happened to me, I had the time to digest it all and feel tired. Add to that that fall was dark and rainy. I also went back to Montreal, and for the first time felt that I was not from there anymore, but still without feeling that I am from 3R yet.


I'm not writing all that to complain. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy, and would not change anything to my life, or to anything I've done in those 3 years. My list of things I am grateful for is at least twice as long as this one. But I feel that writing it down is like giving me the authorization to be so tired...
 
 Anyway, all this to say that:
1. My man gave me the perfect present when he brought me to this place for 3 days between Christmas and the New Year. I had told him that I wanted to get out of the house, so I would not see all the cleaning I needed to do, and that I did not want to organise any of it. We went tubing, I had a massage, and that's about it! We spent the remaining of the time in the room watching bad (really bad!) tv, drinking vodka and apple juice, and eating bread and cheese. It was wonderful. 


2. I now need to revisit my yearly resolutions taken in September, to see if any of it is realistic, what I have done so far, and if I need to add something. I'm not going to get into details here ( I feel that if I share resolutions with anyone else but my man, they'll somehow get jinxed, and not happen.). I can only say I'm reasonably happy with myself for what I had decided to do back in September, and I will change a few things to them to make them "SMART" and easier to follow in the new year. 



However, one thing I can share is my craft resolutions!

Here they are:

1. Weave more. We want to move in June at the latest, and I need to empty my loom first. I have a little less than 14 yards to weave.
2. Learn to crochet.
3. Do a hardhanger project.
4. Knit myself another sweater
5. Learn how to knit something new, such as socks, or cables, or fair Isle, etc.
6. Finish my 2011 sewing projects.
7. Finish the R2Dtuque for my man. 


It's a lot, but I think I can do it, especially that I am starting the year with almost all my 2011 knitting projects finished already.

Happy creative new year everyone!