Foxy Socks

I've hinted about a Christmas knitting project, which I barely finished before the Christmas Eve deadline, despite starting in November. Well, the were socks for Aaron's mom, Leena, who sometimes reads this blog, so I didn't want to spill any beans. I refuse to knit socks for non-knitters who won't appreciate the work and time that goes into them, and it's also pointless to knit socks for people who knit their own. So, other than for Leena, who is an amazing knitter who hasn't yet delved into the realm of the sock, I don't do a lot of gift socks.


I also don't often repeat sock patterns, but after doing Favourite Socks' Go With The Flow for my Sockapalooza pal, I realized that they're the perfect gift sock. The pattern is easy and can be memorized in about two seconds, and they're so stretchy that they're easy to fit to a foot that is a different size than your own. I won't bore you with any specs, they're just your garden variety Go With The Flows, knit in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Envy colourway. There you go.

So... Christmas. After all that prep and all the anticipation it was... well, a little bit too crazy. We're going to have to change the way we do things -- hitting both grandparents' house for gift opening on the same day does not make for a restful holiday. I've spent most of the last 24 hours throwing up, I'm thinking mostly out of stress and over-eating. Yuck.

Can you believe it's here?

Christmas Eve, how did you get here so fast? We've had a crazy week, so the big day has really crept up on us. Ruby is already full of beans and pregnant old me has already cried twice in the last 24 hours (watching Rudolph with Ruby and watching her help me make my Grandma's famous pistachio pudding pie, which we always eat on Boxing Day).

Today we will spend our time: baking, wrapping presents, napping, crafting and then heading to Aaron's folks for the fun. What you see above is one last little Xmas craft -- the Wee Wonderful Pig On Wheels. Mine isn't nearly as perfect as Hilary's, but it's so imperfect and funny. It's a pig on wheels!

So, if Christmas is your thing, have a good one. If not, enjoy a day when most of the Western world is quiet. xoxo

Hold Me Close, Tiny Crafter

As I struggle to finish a knitting project before Monday (it's in a dead heat race with an Amazon order that I ordered in November -- and shipped Tuesday -- for my biggest holiday stresser), Ruby hit the craft table today. Nothing heavy duty -- I just bought a little ornament kit for us to do together and she loved it. Just some beads strung on wire and twisted into snowflakes for the tree. It was very sweet because she kept looking up at me and saying "Mama, are you proud of me? Are you?" as she skillfully slipped the beads on. What a girl.


And, I thought this deserved a photo. Some friends came by for dinner the other night and arrived with this gingerbread house that their three-year old daughter made with her grandmother. Since we didn't get around to doing anything like this this year, it makes a very welcome addition to our growing pile of holiday treats.

Getting The Point

You know what's hard? Taking a picture of a tall pointy hat atop your own head. Yow.

Anyway, I did have a little non-holiday project before I left for Hawaii. Aaron and some of his friends performed a live version of Harry Nilsson's The Point!, which for those not in the know, is pretty much the greatest kids' record ever (really -- I can't stand Harry Nilsson's other music, but even I love this '70s gem). Aaron politely asked me to make some Point! hats for the band, and I of course, turned to Bend-The-Rules Sewing's elf hat!

Now, I had to wing this to fit some adult sized heads and I also used cruddy acrylic felt (for cost purposes), but apparently the crowd went wild when the band put them on. So yes, The Point. We bought Ruby a copy of the DVD for Christmas and I was planning to make her a proper kids' size hat (in wool felt), but it'll have to wait for her birthday. I'm scaling down this year, to save my sanity.

Mele Kalikimaka

I realize that this photo is as un-Christmasy as it gets, but our little family just returned from a blissful six days on Maui. Aaron surprised me with news of the trip about a month ago. Now, don't be mistaken -- we're not the kind of people who can afford to jet off to tropical locations on a whim. But Aaron's had some good news at work and he figured that this would be our last time to have a really special family time with Ruby before she loses her reign as an only child. Plus I think Aaron wanted to remove me from a little bit of my Christmas craziness (yes, they do have Christmas in Hawaii, but it's pretty easy to ignore it there if you chose to)

Here's what I did on my winter vacation: as little as possible; beach every morning; pool after nap; read some trashy novels*; ate crab cakes and ice cream almost every day (but not together -- I'm pregnant, but not crazy); gave Ruby millions of hugs; got a tiny tan; showed off my baby bump in a bikini; ordered virgin Pina Coladas; watched Roo play her new ukulele; counted all the reasons why my family is the greatest and I love them more than anything.

So, back to cold and back to Christmas. I can't believe how much there is to do... I'm actually scaling back on my original plans, which is something I wouldn't have allowed myself to do if I wasn't still chilled out from the Maui way.

* after spying a recommendation on Angry Chicken, I picked up Plum Sykes' The Debutante Divorcee at the library and devoured it over the course of about a day and a half in Hawaii. I was so surprised by how much I loved it I immediately picked up Sykes' first book Bergdorf Blondes, which isn't nearly as good. I still read it in, like, two days, but I hated the characters. Which I think was kind of the point (satire, you know), but the Debutante Divorcee is much sweeter. If you're looking to kill some time with a silly book, that is.

Cookie Confidential: Success!

Our holiday open house was today and the cookies were a huge success. The lemon sandwich cookies were by far the biggest hit -- I'm so proud! Here's a picture of our table of yummy-ness (I won't show you an after -- with a houseful of adults and kids, it wasn't pretty).

With that stress out of the way, I'm going to take a wee break. See you in about a week.

The Apron That Saved Christmas

This year it isn't Rudolph that is saving my Christmas, it's Amy Karol. Not only has the Angry Chicken posted soooo many great links to gift ideas and books to read and such (I'm beginning to feel like I'm stalking her and trying to steal her life -- sorry Amy! I'm not trying to become your clone, I swear. You just have really good taste), but I hit full-on panic mode this morning when I realized that I was a gift short for Aaron's sister's girlfriend, Erin. This is the first Christmas that Aaron's sister Daniella has spent away from our family (she's hanging with Erin's fam in Vancouver this year -- they thought that if they're starting to alternate that next year when Frank is here would be a good one to spend with us), so it's the first time I've had to send a nice big package thousands of km away. I started wrapping their gifts this morning and realized I was short.

Luckily, the item I was planning for Erin took literally two seconds to make (well, not literally, but you know). I dug into my vintage tea towel stash (which is shrinking rather than growing -- why are these things becoming so hard to find?) and whipped up a tea towel apron, as seen in the crazily popular Bend-The-Rules Sewing. Sewed some ribbon on and poof -- a fun Christmas gift in no time flat. I love these things so much -- so perfect for someone who loves vintage stuff and also loves to cook, which is Erin to a T. Thank you Amy, you rock.

Oh, and the tea towel is a calendar from 1971, obviously some kind of souvenir from Australia. I've had it for a while, but I don't remember exactly where it came from.

p.s. Martha Stewart is also saving Christmas. Is it just me, or is she twice as cool since prison?

Game On

Okay, it's December 3 and I'm starting to go into "Oh my god, I have to get ready for our party/get ready for vacation/finish sending out Xmas cards/finish gift packages that should have been in the mail last week" freak-out mode. Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm starting to feel really, really pregnant? Ack.

On a calmer note, here's a little something that I whipped up last week to send to our little friend Lilly, who was born in August, but didn't get a baby gift, since I was in my early "I'm feeling really really pregnant" stage. This is the Bunny Bug from the Aranzi Aronzo Fun Dolls book. I love this bug so much that I started concocting all sorts of reasons as to why I had to keep him for Ruby/myself -- the main one being that he turned out waaay bigger than I expected and it's going to cost a small fortune to mail him across the country. But, off he will go.


I used a really fuzzy material that was a pain to work with and really messy. I think he's done shedding, but I'm going to recommend that the parents use this to decorate the babe's room rather than let her cuddle it in bed, since I don't want any fuzzy particles going up her nose. Still, I really love this guy and he was super super easy to make. Hooray.

Okay, I've got to go. I think Ruby has dumped every toy she owns in the living room and she's eyeing the Christmas tree.

Ghosts Of Christmas Past

Last year I decided to make a couple of pairs of Sweet Mary Jane slippers, one for myself and one for a gift. The ones for myself worked out okay (and have since worn out), but my crap crochet skills prevented me from giving away the other pair. I was going through an old knitting basket the other day and found the incomplete slippers and realized that I can crochet well enough now to finish them off. So finish them I did.

Not much to tell here, just your garden variety Sweet Mary Janes knit out of some Lamb's Pride Worsted. The only mod is that I didn't do the button, I just sewed the strap on both ends. Viola! Instant present.

Books: Fun Dolls and Cute Dolls

Okay, these are some books to get excited about. I was so happy to see Aranzi Aronzo's Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls books. I love the previously released English versions of the Aranzi Aronzo books, but the projects in them were all "mascot" versions of the characters, which were felt and only inches high. I wanted some real softie action! These books, filled with patterns for doll-sized stuffies, are both awesome. The projects are super super easy, really cute and wonky enough to look good even if you're not a perfect sewer (i.e. me).

The projects in Cute dolls are your standard Aranzi Aronzo cast of characters: bunnies, bears, monkeys, cats and faves like The Bad Guy and The Liar. Fun Dolls is even better, with totally crazy little guys like Silky Kay (pictured on the cover), a sad little donkey, a pig, cars and coffee mugs. Like I said, they're all easy peasey to make and can usually be whipped together with things you have lying around the house: small amounts of fabric, old towels, t-shirts, whatever. Which means you can make gifts that are hand-made and recycled.


I've already tried my hand at a couple projects: (do NOT click this link if you are related to me, I mean it) this guy is a Christmas gift and I'm also almost done a Bunny Bug from the Fun Dolls book (pictures later this week). They're addictive and easy to personalize, so even if you don't follow the pattern to the letter there's a lot of potential in these books. Expect many more projects from these babies in the future.

SPC: Wardrobe Week #4

As indicated by yesterday's freeze-out story, it's finally got cold around here. I hate it, but I'm glad. It was just so creepy to go around the neighbourhood in a jacket (no gloves, no scarf, no hat) and see people's Christmas lights on, even though it hadn't really truly snowed here yet (there was a sprinkling before Halloween, but nothing major). I mean, this is Canada. It's supposed to be cold.

And now, man, is it ever. We had a very dramatic dip over the last couple of days. When I woke up this morning and saw that it had snowed, I thought I'd take a picture of my boots in the snow, maybe with Ruby's little booted feet in there too. But I'm not going out of the house today -- not if I can help it at least. So, here are my sock feet, which hopefully won't see boots or shoes until I venture out tomorrow.

You know, while I'm ashamed that this NaBloPoMo thing (or whatever it's called, I just winged that acronym) has got me writing about the weather, I'm glad I'm back on the SPC train. I kind of stopped taking my own pictures once I started contributing to their blog, but now that I'm not doing that anymore I have more time to snap some shots. Hopefully I'll keep up with it once this crazy November is over. In the meantime, check out more SPC shots here.

Brrrrrr....

I had a post all ready in my head this morning, but soon after Ruby and I returned from the library, I noticed it was pretty cold in our house. So I turned up the heat a notch. After lunch I noticed it was still really cold. And I hadn't heard the furnace go on for some while. Yep, on the first really really cold day of the year (we're talking about -15C), our furnace crapped out. So, after my attempts to restart the electric pilot light, we evacuated and headed to my folks' house. Aaron came home and was able to get it going again and we're nice and toasty, but no real post today. Sorry. Keep warm.

Cookie Confidential... The Final Chapter

Okay, I'm done. I'm done the cookies. I know some of you probably think I'm insane for calling my cookies done a full month before Christmas, but man, am I glad I started a month and a half in advance (and, if you consider that our big cookie event is our Christmas party, which is in two weeks, it's more like a single month in advance). As predicted, I'm now feeling really really really pregnant and the thought of standing in front on a mixer/food processor/floured workspace is enough to make me keel over. My second trimester energy is over and I'm satisfied that I put it to good use. I thawed out a small assortment of cookies to give to Ruby's teacher last week and they all seemed to be in good shape, so I'm confident everything will stay tasty.

The last addition to the great cookie experiment were these chocolate pecan mounds, which I think came from this year's Canadian Living Holiday Celebrations magazine. Now, if you recall (which I doubt anyone does), the very first batch I made this year were similar shortbread, pecan-studded, chocolate snowballs, but these babies are much better. Rather than using cocoa, they're flavoured with a load of melted bittersweet chocolate, making them unbelievably delicious. Put it this way: I ate three of them before sticking them in my jammed freezer.

So, that's it. I might brave some of the candy recipes in my vintage cookbook collections just for fun, but we'll see. I am intrigued by something called Apricot Fancies. Maybe I'll find a burst of energy and try them... or maybe not.

In Praise Of The Post

I have a love/hate relationship with Canada Post: I hate how slow they are and that I'm pretty sure there's no one working my route on Fridays, but I love, love, love getting mail. After we moved to Toronto I decided it would be nice to send paper Christmas cards to people we knew -- mainly so that we could keep in touch with all the people back here in Alberta. In the beginning I bought those super cheap but really kitschy boxed cards from the dollar store (you know, 50 Assorted for $2), but as the years go by, it's been harder to find the overstock designs from the 70s that I tend to favour. So, the cards have got a bit nicer (though not handmade -- I'm not a masochist), I've started including wallet sized portraits of Ruby and the list grows every year.

Here's my stack of finished cards for this year, just waiting to be stamped and stuffed with Ruby's picture (from Wal-Mart, which I loathe to support, but they do offer quite the deal on kiddie photos). The stack on the left are the ones that need addresses tracked down, which is always a pain. Since we've lived in a couple different cities, have a lot of friends that have moved around and have massive families, the cards number at about 100 this year. I love this tradition of sending cards -- I know some people think ecards will do, but I totally disagree. Paper all the way.

And of course, if I get some back in return, I don't mind that at all. Not one bit.

America, You Crack Me Up

As I was lounging and watching Miracle On 34th Street yesterday (it was on in Martha's usual time slot -- which is my pregnancy ritual during Ruby's naptime), I was laughing every time a commercial for one of those goofy "Black Friday" doorbuster sales came on. 4 am? Really? Here our Thanksgiving is in early October, so our Christmas shopping season just slowly drifts in after Halloween. There's no "on your marks, get set" kind of day. In some ways, this fills me with relief, in others, I'm kind of jealous of your opening the floodgates mentality. Either way, Happy Yanksgiving.

(Random picture of Ruby inventing a craft for her Nana's birthday party. It's basically smiley face confetti stuck on the end of birthday sparklers in a bouquet)

MePod

I've finally become a member of the iPod generation. I know this may sound weird, since as some of you may know, that pre-maternal bliss I was a professional music writer, on staff at a music magazine. I still write about music, and even though it's pretty much a barely-paid hobby, it seems ridiculous that I'd wait until late 2007 to start using a MP3 player. But, I'm a Luddite at heart and I don't like giving up my CDs (which, until recently, I'd been getting totally for free). We have been using iTunes on our computer like a jukebox since we shelled all our our CDs and put them in those big binder things about two years ago (a baby proofing necessity), but no iPod for me, who usually prefers to listen to CBC radio during the day anyway.

Aaron got a free iPod Nano as a gift at work the other day and I swiftly claimed it (he already has one of those big fancy iPods with a huge memory, so he didn't need it). I've already fallen in love with using this thing in the car -- I love the concept of the mixed tape and iPod shuffle is the ultimate mixed tape. I do find myself skipping over happy songs and dwelling on the sad, though. I don't know what it is, maybe because I've had relatively little heartbreak in my life thus far (BIG knock on wood), I like hearing other people's pain through song so I have a taste of what it feels like. Sick, I know, but don't deny that you do it too.

Anyway, I usually keep my music life out of this blog, but here are some of the songs that have been affecting me in my car lately. If you want a good pre-Christmas cry, feel free to make a similar playlist of your own:

Belle And Sebastian "The State That I Am In"; Bob Dylan "A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall"; Bright Eyes "The Calendar Hung Itself"; Neutral Milk Hotel "King Of Carrot Flowers"; Johnny Cash "If You Could Read My Mind"; Evan Dando "The Grass Is All Wine Coloured" Damien Rice "The Blower's Daughter"; Elvis Costello "I Want You"; Liz Phair "The Divorce Song"; Neil Diamond "Red Red Wine"; Nick Lowe "Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart"; Bevis Frond "He'd Be A Diamond"; The Zombies "This Will Be Our Year"; R.E.M. "Everybody Hurts"; Ryan Adams "Come Pick Me Up"; Rufus Wainwright "Dinner At Eight"; Simon And Garfunkel "America"; Townes Van Zandt "Poncho And Lefty"; Neko Case "Margaret Vs. Pauline"; Gram Parsons "$1,000 Wedding"; Weakerthans "Left And Leaving"; Stars "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"....

I could go on. Forever. What are some of your favourite heartbreakers?

Books: Toys To Crochet

As you may know, I only really started to teach myself to crochet about a year ago, and much of my inspiration to pick up the craft came from my huge attraction to Amigurumi style crochet toys. I still haven't got much beyond crocheting trims on knit items or my every growing crochet afghan (a perpetual work in progress), so I thought Claire Garland's Toys To Crochet would be a good way to get me into the world of crochet toys. I've had this book for a couple weeks now, though, and I have yet to feel the urge to pick up the hook.

It's not that Garland hasn't done a good job with this book -- it's full of nice pictures (and at least a couple dozen animal, doll and mobile patterns) and the instructions certainly seem clear enough for even a novice like me to follow. I'm just not in love with the patterns. Some of them are just clearly not my personal style -- the bears and dolls are long and lanky rather than the squat characters I tend to favour. Others don't really seem to suit the medium of crochet -- because the stitches are so square and bulky, toys like the lobster, the monkey and even the plush cars don't look very polished... in fact, they're kind of messy looking. Again, not really for me.

With that said, there are a few things -- mostly larger, cleaner looking items -- that I would like to try after Christmas once I have some spare time. The mama pig on the cover is super cute (and very baby appropriate) and there's a horse puppet that I think would be perfect for entertaining a young baby. So, not a total loss, but not the right place to go if you're looking for hipper or quirkier art piece toys.

SPC: Wardrobe Week #3

I'm sorry I'm using Self Portrait Challenge as an excuse to show the state of the bump, but this blogging every day thing was bound to get desperate sooner than later. Anyway, here's another example of my non-maternity maternity wear, another item pulled from the juniors section of H&M.

Speaking of H&M, is it not great? Back when I was a younger woman, I exclusively wore vintage -- I'd regularly go to a rock show or something wearing a '50s cocktail dress. But, as I moved out of the 119 lb weight range and ebay pushed the price of vintage clothes through the roof, I was forced to settle into the weird stuff that ended up on the Gap and Old Navy sale racks (you know, those few items that the designers managed to push through alongside the classic pocket ts and ribbed sweaters, yet, unsurprisingly, few people actually wanted to buy). Once H&M finally came to Canada, though (maybe three or four years ago), I was sold. The Calgary store just opened this summer, blissfully within a year of my arrival here.

Still though, I sometimes feel that at 32 I might not be best suited shopping in the junior trendsetters department. I once ran into another thirty-something friend at a Toronto H&M on what happened to be a holiday or something and I couldn't believe how many teenagers were in the store. My friend looked at me like I was crazy and said "You know, this store is for them, not us, right? I mean, I shop here too, but it's marketed at teeny-boppers."

Ouch. I used to live across the street from a junior high school and I'd cringe whenever I'd walk by with Ruby's stroller and realize that a kid was wearing the same outfit as me. Oh well, if I'm feeling youthful, I should dress the part right. I just am glad they haven't brought Forever 21 to Canada. I wouldn't be able to stop myself.

Check out more SPC here.

Handmade By Other Hands

So, I'm actually feeling pretty confident about my Christmas shopping. Now, in the olden days, I never started shopping until December 1. But, as I grow (larger and older), I've felt the need to start earlier and earlier. The reasons are many. First off, kids want certain things from Santa. These things often sell out of stores fast. You can not explain to a three-year-old that the elves sold out. So, you buy in October if you're reasonably sure the little one isn't going to change his/her mind. Secondly, as extended families grow older, they tend to scatter throughout the world. The post is not a particularly efficient system this time of year. Gifts must be sent at least a month in advance (and that's when you're willing to shell out for airmail. The surface deadline overseas is somewhere in October). And thirdly, I like to give handmade or unique gifts. Which means either making stuff or sniffing through Etsy and the craft fairs like a pig for truffles.

On that note, I don't have a ton of time to make stuff this year, what with our vacation coming up and the creature growing in my belly, so I'm letting others do a lot of the work for me. I've been on Etsy like mad (again, the whole issue of the post comes up) and the craft fairs here all seem to be happening, like, this week. Most of the stuff I've picked up can't be discussed or shown on such a public forum (what's Christmas without secrets?), but aside from Ruby's much coveted Snow White doll, I'm trying to stay away from the whole made-in-China thing. Here's something, I can show you, a super-cute little bunny necklace for Aaron's cousin, from TV Tray Art. Cute, no? There's another big craft fair this week and I'm hoping to pick up some ornaments. Since American Thanksgiving is only days away, I'm ready for the Christmas flood gates to open (as if they haven't already).

Cookie Confidential... Part Three

Oh my, I am exhausted. Between Leena's birthday party yesterday, Aaron's work Christmas Party the night before (yes, in the middle of November it was a fun time, but not very Xmas-y) and more family fun today, I'm ready to keel over. Needless to say, the cookie baking has slowed this week. In fact, it may soon be grinding to a halt -- nine batches in, I barely have any room in my freezer. But, I did manage to do some production since we last spoke cookies.

Earlier this week I did a pan of yummy lemon bars, but did not photograph them, since they just look like some lemon curd on a shortbread crust. You've seen it before. The recipe I used (I think it was from last year's Chatelaine Christmas baking special, I don't remember) called for more lemon juice than I had, but they still turned out to be sour to the point of puckering, which I kind of like. I'm craving sour these days -- so if they're too sour for others, I'll be the crazy pregnant lady scarfing them down.

I also made about 150 of the Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies from the current issue of Chatelaine, which are delicious. Of all the cookies I've made, these are the first ones that I think will become a family gotta-make-em every year classic. They just taste like Christmas. Ginger-y and full of molasses, they have just a few chocolate chips in there for an extra surprise. There are the kind of cookies worthy of leaving out for Santa. Ruby is pleased.