Time For A Bath

Oh, I'd love to take a bath, thank you, but I'm talking about my little fair isle cardigan. Yes, the knitting is done. Against the advice of the ladies down at Fair Isle February I went ahead and seamed the sucker before blocking. I don't have a proper blocking board and for some reason I just felt in my gut that my pieces would fit together better if I seamed first, especially seeing as it wouldn't be hard to match the fair isle stitch for stitch. Anyway, she's seamed, all ends are woven in, and she's ready to go. I tried the sweater on Ruby last night and it barely just fits pre-blocking, so once that crinkly fabric is smoothed out, it should be good well into the spring. Hoorah!

As for my other knitting, I'm feeling pretty productive these days. The Hearts and Stars blanket is chugging along, the crochet afghan continues to grow and I've started a wee Dolly for yet another cousin's baby. I'll do a WIP update on Friday for those of you who are more interested in knitting than random pictures of myself or used crockery.

Self Portrait Challenge: B&W Week #4

What a wonderful weekend we had, doing all sorts of things that are out of our ordinary weekend routine (i.e. housework, trips to Canadian tire, doing anything possible to avoid having to make dinner). We: went to a car show (culture shock!), talked on the phone with a dear friend in Germany (new baby!), ate burgers at a drive-in (and milkshakes!), went skating (well, daddy and daughter, I stayed home and relaxed), watched Marie Antoinette (thumbs down), saw some old friends play music on national TV (SNL!), computer chatted with a dear friend in L.A., had brunch with a dear friend here at home and best of all, went to an Oscar party.

Speaking of Oscars -- they're like Christmas to me, I love them. And while the actual show was pretty blah this year (even the dresses were boring) I had so much fun actually getting to watch them with friends again this year. Ruby attended and made it all the way to the Best Actress award before she pooped out and had to go home (we were taping it at home, so nothing was missed — don't you worry). Best of all, I not only won in my Oscar wager against my Dad, earning me a very fancy dinner out, but I also won the party pool! Hello $35! Thank you to The Departed!

Pyrex It To Me!

I don't know why, but I've had the itch for Pyrex lately. Now, I'm not a huge thrifter. I loooove thrift store finds and I'm always envious when I go into the home of a hard-core thrifter, but I've never had the patience to really really get into it. But, maybe it was my sister-in-law Erin's recent gift of some milk-glass mugs, or perhaps it was our trip to her house when I basked in her own Pyrex shrine (she easily has 100 pieces -- no kidding) that has given me a huge urge to accumulate stuff. Either way, I've been meaning to get out there thrifting and today I finally got around to it and hit gold!


Before we moved, Leena found a couple of awesome Butterfly Gold Pyrex mixing bowls for me, which I love and use daily. Today at the Interfaith I snagged two Butterfly Gold teacups and a oval covered casserole! So matchy! I was really out for some solid refrigerator boxes, but I'm always up for adding to a set.

So, thrifting. I think I'm up for resuming a solid garage sale regimen come spring. Anybody with me?

Self Portrait Challenge: B&W Week #3

Wow, I've been neglecting the old SPC lately. Maybe it's because I've been feeling a little rotten lately, physically speaking and am not feeling like sharing my cold-stricken, norwalk suffering self. Or maybe I'm just not so sure that my loyal readership are that into seeing a picture of me every week. Either way, I decided to go for it this week, but it was hard. Is it just me, or am I starting to look old?

I originally wanted to do this shot early in the morning without make-up, but after the initial few shots, I couldn't bear the bags under my eyes and general puffy lines around my face, so I slapped on some make-up. Maybe it's the dry weather or my ill health (damn those germy little kids!), but I feel like I've aged five years in the last few months. I've always felt fairly young-looking for my age (31 for those of you who are snoopy), but I know it's catching up on me. I spent most of last week with a terrible pain in my leg that I was convinced was a blood clot. A trip to the doctor confirmed it was... varicose veins. That, coupled with a recent trip to a rock club populated by 19-year-olds has made me feel, finally, like I'm an actual grown-up. But, besides that nagging pain in my calf and a few vanity attacks, I don't mind it. Life is good. Now if I could only get rid of those bags under my eyes, I'd be invincible!

Heirloom

Again, I'm posting about things that other people knit. But this one is just too good not to share. Check out this dress -- a beautiful fingerling-weight wool yarn in a pale green (though the colour is more intense in real life than I could capture in a photo) knitted into a gorgeous child's swing dress. The whole thing is in a diamond seed-stitch pattern that is simple, yet really interesting looking. I love this dress, it's so classic but contemporary looking.

Now, would you believe me if I told you that it's almost 60 years old?


This gem of a knit was crafted in about 1949 by Aaron's maternal grandmother for Aaron's mother Leena, who was a toddler. Can you believe it? The family is pretty meticulous in taking care of their treasures, but this thing is in great shape. Plus the design looks like something I'd knit now (though I don't think I'd have the patience to knit a full dress like this out of sock yarn). Leena gave it to me a few weeks ago with the request that I take a few photos of Ruby in it so that she could send them to her mother. We tried to do a photo shoot this morning (the dress fits perfectly), but Ruby protested to much for Aaron to capture a good shot. So, here is the dress, without Ruby. Feel free to bask in its glory.

W.I.P. Friday: Pile O' Fair Isle

Not much to share this week, but since I use this blog as a motivation to get stuff done, I thought I'd post my progress. Because, friends, there has been progress, just nothing that translates into a shiny finished garment. Here's my child's Fair Isle Cardigan basking in the sunshine (the cold weather finally broke -- Ruby and I were running around in jean jackets yesterday). I'm working on the last piece -- sleeve #2. After that, I've got a few more ends to weave in (though I've been a good girl, all the body pieces are woven) and the collar and the finishing on the pocket. Then we'll block 'er and sew her together. I was hoping to finish by the end of February, since I'm participating in the Fair Isle February KAL, but who knows. I've been distracted. Largely by this:


After realizing that I was not in fact doing a double crochet, but some weird half double hybrid, I pulled out my Happy Hooker book and reviewed my technique. Since I'm using a hook that's far too big for most of the leftover yarn in this blanket, a proper double crochet is just too loose for my liking (plus I think crochet is kind of ugly when it's too open), so I switched to a properly done half double crochet. At least I think I'm doing it properly -- I don't really care at this point because I like the way it looks. Anyway, I've got about eight inches done -- only a million more to go. But, I'm guessing my obsession will soon fade, so I'm giving myself until Christmas to get this baby done.

Have a great weekend! It's a long one here and the weather is going to be good. Hooray!

Love And Stuff

Happy V-Day! Like many I have a love/hate relationship with February the 14th -- I love the hearts and lace and flowers and candy, but I hate the disappointment and feeling like I've set myself up for heartache. I tend to make a big deal about things and since I was in junior high school, I've always dreamed of a big frilly heart shaped box full of bon bons. I have a perfect picture of it in my mind. Unfortunately, in all my years of dating, I've never actually dated a mind reader. Fancy that. But I think the man that I've chosen as my permanent Valentine has come as close as any mind reader ever could by treating me with....


Stinky cheese! This morning my sweetest of the sweet presented me with a lovely chocolate heart filled with Bernard Callebaut chocolates plus two blocks of Janice Beaton cheese! For those of you who don't live in Calgary, this is foodie heaven -- Callebaut is a world famous chocolate wizard and Janice Beaton is the queen of snobby cheese. In fact, urban legend has it that the two of them once dated! Can you imagine? Anyway, it takes a special man to give blue cheese as a romantic gift. I couldn't be happier. God only knows what I'd be without you, A.B.


The postman was also kind to me this morning -- look, another card from my Flickr swap, this one from Wendy. Thanks Wendy, this is beyond beautiful and I cherish it.


Finally, my first Superbuzzy order arrived. Two yards of amazing canvas. I especially adore the stacking dolls. I'm almost 100 percent sure these will turn into bags. I feel an addiction coming on.

Committment Phobic

I think I've been pretty good with my knitting lately. Since Ruby was born, I haven't had the time (or money) to piddle around with my projects -- I've been sticking to small items and for the most part, one at a time. But suddenly, with the pressure of holiday knitting long gone, I've become a full-fledged yarn harlot (apologies to Stephanie). Seriously, I'm not going to have another F.O. under my belt by the end of the year at the rate I'm going.

As faithful readers know, I've already got the stupidly fussy Fair Isle Cardigan and the ridiculously huge Hearts And Stars baby blanket on the go. So, what did I do on Saturday night? I took about two minutes to finally teach myself how to properly crochet and I dove in to the vintage stripe blanket as featured over at Bella Dia. I know this thing, if I ever finish it, will look a little off since I'm learning to crochet as I go (and boy, is my first chain ever TIGHT), but I'm addicted to it. I can't stop. Help me.


In happier news, the first card from my Flickr V-Day Postcard Swap finally arrived. Here it is on my fridge (the clown clip is just holding it, not part of the card). I love mail!

Winter White

This is our world this week. Brr.

Granny Sweater

You don't generally see a lot of acrylic blue and pink variegated baby sweaters on the knitting blogs. Most hipster knitters -- and I'll put myself in that category -- won't touch the stuff with a ten foot pole. But somehow, it seems like a right of passage for a little one to receive and cherish a sweater like this knitted by a loving grandmother.

Now, my mother doesn't knit (she crochets and made Ruby a couple of little baby things in the early days) and Aaron's mum tends to use the same kinds of natural fibres that I'm drawn to, so Ruby doesn't have a granny to knit these kinds of sweaters for her. She has three living great-grandmothers, but their fingers are all too arthritis-stricken to knit anymore. But incredibly, she's got two very generous great-great-aunts (that's right, Aaron's great-aunts) who have made her beautiful sweaters. Last year Auntie Kaye crafted Ruby a sweater for her birthday and Aaron's amazing great-aunt Betty sent in this little number for birthday #2.

I love it. It fits perfectly and reminds me that there are generations of women in our family who were crafting long before Lorna's Laces became all the rage. Betty sent the yarn band with the sweater (Aaron threw it out before I could get a picture) and the yarn is a brand from The Bay, who I don't think even make yarn anymore. Thank you Betty, for keeping my little one warm over the winter.

Message In A Bottle

In a bout of creative insanity, I joined a Valentine's Postcard Swap on Flickr. I've been feeling a little intimidated because I'm not really a visual artist -- I'm not even a scrapbooker (and I admit, I despise the fact that "scrapbook" has become a verb -- but I like cutting and pasting things and with my knitting being kind of long-term and boring these days, I felt the need to explore another side of my creativity. Plus, I loooove Valentine's Day and since Aaron isn't the most willing participant, I had to get the lace doilies and hearts out of my system somehow, right?

So, I stuck to a couple of themes: old romance novels and vintage '70s Valentine cards (comb your dollar stores people -- you can still find the punch outs you had as a kid if you're lucky). Since I'm new to this kind of thing, there was a lot of trial and error, but I had a lot of fun.


I still have a couple more to make -- I think they'll be in the same style as the purple tissue paper/old valentine card ones. I mailed my first batch off yesterday -- I can hardly wait to see what comes my way in the following week or so. Hooray for swaps!

Dessert Sunday

Duh. Birthday cake!

Now, originally, dating back to last year, my plan was to make Ruby the same birthday cake every year of her life: my mom's fudge ribbon cake (the ribbon being a layer of cream cheese mixture). But last year's cake was a total bust (flat and flavourless) and it's a lot of work making a less than standard cake when you have a toddler at your feet. So, I turned to Aaron's mum, Leena, who makes one of the most delicious and simple cakes imaginable. Hence, Ruby will get this cake every year of her life from this point on.

I'm not going to give a recipe or spill any Booth secrets: lets just say that the cake is beyond simple (ahem, like, just add eggs and some oil and water simple) and the icing is a very standard recipe with some extra somthin' thrown in (ahem, an egg yolk and more butter than you want to ever think about in your life). I didn't get it totally perfected and as Aaron privately pointed out after the party I could have layered a lot more of the leftover icing between the two cakes, but all in all it was a rousing success. Operation delicious!

So, what did you have for dessert this week?

Dear Ruby

Dear Ruby,

Today is the day before your second birthday. You’re busy playing at your Nana’s house and I’ve been driving around all day running birthday errands with a huge smile on my face, thinking about the year that’s passed and how amazingly you’ve grown. Not physically – you’re still a petite little thing who has trouble keeping her pants from sliding down, but mentally your growth could be measured in miles. Last year I had a beautiful bald little baby who could barely pull herself up on her feed or mutter a coherent “ba!” Today I have a sassy little blonde on my hands, frequently crying “myself, myself!!!” as she stubbornly struggles to put on her own shoes.

Last year when I wrote a similar birthday letter to you, I marveled on two things: how much you constantly surprised me and how much you made me laugh. At the end of year two these two things are still very much true, but I feel like I’ve learned so much more about you. You are less of a mystery (chatterboxes leave little to the imagination), yet you continue to reveal new things every day. Here are some things about you, my Miss, that I know to be true:

1. You are a girly girl. Yes, you love cars and especially airplanes, but you also love your purse, your pink cell phone, dressing up in a tutu and high heel shoes and applying endless coats of lotion to your arms and legs.

2. You love pretending to clean or make soup.

3. You like cake. And pie. And ice cream. And chocolate milk. And pizza.

4. You hate having your hair washed, but love pretending to wash it yourself.

5. You love swimming with your Daddy, even though you are afraid.

6. You love your family. Often in the bathtub you name all of your family members (including pets) and make me draw them on the side of the tub in bath crayon.

7. You are a stubborn (or, if you prefer, assertive) little creature, which simultaneously drives me crazy and makes me proud.

I’ll leave it at a lucky number seven – but there are so many other amazing things that make you you. Our journey so far has been both frustrating and delightful and although I find it so hard to believe that you’re only two, I also can’t imagine what it was ever like without you. I love you forever and more and more each day.

xoxo
Mommy

Dessert Sunday

I'm continuing on with my pledge to do weekly desserts, but man, we've got to start throwing more dinner parties. A full dessert is just too much for our little family -- I don't like feeding Ruby dessert more than once a week (especially since she usually gets a supplemental dessert if we go to the grandparents' house for dinner, which we often do) and Aaron and I really shouldn't be eating the rest of a cake/pie/torte/whatever between the two of us over the course of a week. Last week I made an apple cake (too boring to have pictured) and the guilt was far less because I pawned some off on my parents. This week we had chocolate pie and as absolutely delicious as it is, I'm going to have to toss almost half of it.

So yes, chocolate pie. The picture is a little oozy (and I had to make it in a cake pan because Aaron misplaced my pie plates), but if you like your chocolate this is the ticket. I got the recipe out of a Kraft brochure and since it appeared in an advert, I don't feel like it's a copyright infringement to share it with you. Nothing too fancy, but easy as, er... pie. (apologies).

Chocolate Triple Layer Pie

1 1/4 cups Oreo Baking Crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 squares bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup canned sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chopped toasted peanuts (I used walnuts because it's what I had)
2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. chocolate instant pudding
2 cups thawed Cool Whip

Mix crumbs and butter in a 9 inch pie plate. Press firmly onto bottom and up side of plate to form crust. Mix chocolate and condensed mil until blended. Pour into crust and sprinkle with peanuts.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix and beat with whisk 2 min. Spoon half of it into pie crust. Add half of the Cool Whip to remaining pudding and stir with whisk until well blended. Spread over pudding layer in crust. Top with remaining Cool Whip.

Refrigerate three hours.

So, what did you have for dessert this week. I want to know!

W.I.P. Friday: Loose Ends

Wow, have I ever been talking about food a whole lot in the last few weeks. No, it's not a smokescreen to detract from the fact that there's been little craft talk in these parts over the past few weeks. I have however, been knitting like crazy, but unlike my usual practice, I'm actually working on fairly time intensive projects. The Hearts and Stars baby blanket is still chugging along (I'm almost through two of the five balls of yarn) and here is my progress on the Zoe Mellor Fair Isle Cardigan for Ruby.

Obviously it'll need some good blocking before it starts looking nice and my fair isle skills are rudimentary at best, but I'm excited about and addicted to this project. But for the love of Pete, are there ever a lot of colour changes. Look at the back:


Yikes! I know I should weave in my ends as I go and I'm promising myself that I won't start another piece until I'm done weaving. It looks like the back of my stereo in there. Ugh.

In Praise Of Other Bloggers

Okay, this falls way into the "nobody cares what you had for lunch" category, but look what I had for lunch yesterday! Reading other people's blogs has changed my life immeasurably -- a year ago my crafting was purely knitting based and now I'm sewing and postcard making and embroidering and... well, you know. But I am never so pleased as when my stomach is pleased. What you see above is an apple and Camembert sandwich as suggested by Amy at Angry Chicken and the easiest chick pea salad in the world, as seen over at Orangette. Delicious. I highly recommend both.

And in other news, as many have already noted, the spring Interweave preview is pretty slammin'. I haven't knit anything from Interweave in ages, but I'm definitely going to go for Grumperina's socks and I've also got my eye on the shawlette and one of the cardigans. What I end up getting done remains to be seen, but you never know.

Self Portrait Challenge: Resolutions Week #4

I resolve to use the good cups.

That's right. Why drink out of a cruddy I Heart NY mug when I can be sipping tea out of an antique tea cup that was owned by Aaron's Grandmother? In my books "good cup" can mean a piece of priceless china or a Pyrex mug, either way, I have plenty of trinkets that give me pleasure and I should be putting them to their proper use. If they break, at least they were broken in the name of good tea.



Speaking of which, I briefly mentioned a treasure trove of items that were given to me back in early December, but I've been negligent in posting more. Pictured above is part of a tea set that Aaron's old piano teacher Elinor passed on to us after she moved into a senior's complex and needed to clean out the contents of her house. The set belonged to Elinor's mother and hasn't been used since her death in the early '90s (I know this because of the newspaper it was wrapped in). My goodness, it's a full Royal Albert Blossom Time tea set, complete with 16 cups and saucers, snack plates, the tea pot, a plate for the pot, creamer and sugar, a tray for the cream and sugar and a platter for treats. It's amazing and beautiful. I tend to go for less fussy '60s and '70s era collectibles, but this is a dandy that I will treasure forever. Thank you Elinor!

Postcard From Vancouver

We just got back from a lovely last-minute trip to Vancouver. Aaron wanted to help his sister set up her new computer and catch up with some relatives that we didn't see over the holidays. Also, with Ruby's birthday fast approaching, we figured we better take advantage of one more free flight. So, we got in on Friday and jetted home yesterday.

It was a really nice time. We visited the Vancouver aquarium and saw sea lions and whales; almost made Aaron's grandmother's heart burst at the sight of her great-grandaughter; watched the worst movie ever (Lady In The Water) and two episodes of the worst show ever (House Of Carters); ate lots of amazing food and drank amazing coffee; saw Ruby play with her favourite cousin; visited the White Spot; witnessed the devastation that Stanley Park suffered after the wind storms; walked in the rain; looked at the boats; played with vintage toys; admired Auntie Erin's phenomenal Pyrex collection (sorry, bad lighting, no photos); walked around Commercial drive; laughed with family around the dinner table.

All in all, it was nice to realize that all of our loved ones in Vancouver aren't that far away. And boy, was it nice to get out of town.

Bags Of Bags

Wow, it's already the middle of January and I've been remiss in showing off the rest of the crafty Xmas presents that I received. Today I present to you: the bags! I haven't treated myself to a good bag for ages -- or at least not one that's for the purpose of toting around diapers and diaper related equipment. I was lucky enough to get three bags of varying sizes under the tree, two of which were hand crafted. Hooray.

First up, Aaron commissioned one of his very crafty co-workers to make this messenger bag for me. I guess she even came in with a huge fabric selection and he went for this cool red and brown floral print. I love it because it looks cool and it keeps my hands and arms free for those clingy Ruby moments. The sewing job is totally pro and it's lined with pockets. Aaron's trying to convince her to sell them in stores.



And secondly, a little tweed bag made by Aaron's Great Aunt Kaye. I saw this bag a few months ago at Aaron's mum's house. Leena is part of this group that makes bags that are sold to raise money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, with the money going to help women in Africa who are raising their grandchildren who have been oprhaned by AIDS. Anyway, Kaye, who is a master seamstress and also made my beloved tea cozy as well as a sweater for Ruby, sent a bunch of bags for Leena to donate to the sale. I admired this little number, so Leena bought it for me for Christmas. I think it'll make a cute little summer purse. And by then (fingers crossed) Ruby will be toilet trained, so I won't always have to have diapers in tow. Right?

Self-Portrait Challenge: Resolutions Week #3

I resolve to buy locally more often. I've always tried to support smaller businesses, but I think my craft fixation of recent years has really driven the point home. Of course, I also resolve to make things myself as often as possible (or, at least, as often as it gives me pleasure), but when I don't, isn't it better to buy things that were made by the person I'm buying them from?

So, here I am, enjoying a piece of bread from the Prairie Mill Bread Company, a local bakery that not only bakes its own delicious bread, but also mills its own flour! It's just as easy for me to run down there to buy bread than to buy the cardboard-y stuff down at the Safeway. I think things like this help me appreciate the city a little more. It's no secret that I'm wouldn't be living in Calgary if it weren't for Aaron's job and the proximity to my family -- in general I'm pretty down on the city's general vibe, it's layout and it's growing urban problems. But savouring things like this bread, buying local art, listening to local music, shopping at Make One studios and, I'll admit, drinking Big Rock beer help me realize that there are a lot of people like me around here. And the easiest way to make the city an great place to live is to keep eating their bread.

p.s. Yes, that is a wallpaper border in the background. Yes, we've lived here for seven months. Yes, we're slow on the painting.