who knew?

Finally I finished a book. Not a book of patterns, not a magazine, but a novel. I have started about three, no four, books over the past few months (Everything is Illuminated, On Beauty, The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters and The Trick is to Keep Breathing) and nothing stuck. I did finish The Actual by Saul Bellow but that's classified as a novella so I didn't feel the same accomplishment. But why am I even talking about this boring fact of finishing a novel? Well, I heard myself telling friends about it all week, and then tonight I looked it up and the first search result was the movie listing at IMDB. So the film will also be titled Revolutionary Road, and the novel is by Richard Yates, about a suburban couple in the 1950's coming to terms with their relationship while raising two children. Funny thing is that I felt like I chose to read the 1950's version of Little Children and IMDB tells me that Kate Winslet is playing the lead character in this film too. Huh. But I'm still staying away from Little Children for the time being.

To keep with the momentum I'm re-reading A Room of One's Own. Ah Virginia Woolf, how I love thee. I don't know if I'll ever get back to any of the other four I started, but at least I broke the reading rut. Finishing my tally for 1001 Books You Must Read may have provided an extra push too - I'll never be Ragdoll, but I hope I can stretch beyond my 64.

Oh, and the flowers (or shall I say cabbage) have no direct meaning - I just like to have flowers out for guests.

big grrr

Sadie has informed me that she isn't a little grrr anymore, but a big grrr. And big grrrs like fairy wings, smoked salmon and capers. They also love to go on road trips to Chicago and stay in motels staying up late with Daddy to watch basketball. Every day with a big grrr brings a new word, new song, new catch phrase (today for instance, it's "I don't think so.") Big grrrs also love to garden with "glubs" on, and fight any polite request to come indoors. Big grrrs rock.

On an unrelated note, a colleague yesterday stated that folks who lean far to the left are often the ones who only have one child. Being 100% sure that I haven't decided where I stand on the second child decision, it was a curious thought. It was only an opinion of course, but still intriguing. All I do know for now is that I'm going to enjoy every little big grrr moment I can. This whole growing up thing happens way too fast.

tulip

Tulip will only garden with her apron on - she's fussy that way.

I have taken giant liberties with the Month of Softies theme. It's "Plant Life" but somehow I couldn't get bunnies out of my mind (thanks to a certain trampy bunny I know). To her credit, Tulip is all about flowers and even though she's pink, I believe she has a genuine green thumb.

These days I'd rather show the seams of my softies because I can get a little stuck in the finishing details and at this point it's simply about making. The less I worry about, the more fun I have. Oddly enough it's the clothing (if my last bunny's stockings count as clothing) that I'm taking the most care with. Phases will be phases I guess.

Note to self: I must get more of that polka dot ribbon.

sahara

First of all - please, please know that I'm not really fond of pictures of myself (and especially POSTING pictures of myself). I do however appreciate when I see finished garments on a real person and not a headless torso. So for this reason I had Jay take a photo for anyone and everyone to see (gulp). Please mind the early morning bedhead.

My Sahara is done, and aside from the wild colour I'm pretty happy with it. The pattern really was easy, and I learned once again to read instructions carefully...I had this puffy sleeve at one point because I didn't realize I was supposed to wrap the next stitch two stitches past the last one. I skim, I admit it. But what I love about knitting is that you can correct your mistakes, plus I no longer fear ripping out nights of work. It's so worth it in the end because you'll have a sweater you will actually wear! (Though I do think the sweater would suit someone with an actual bust better, but I'll wear it nonetheless.)

And on another note, I just loved this wool. It's so soft and not as heavy as other cottons. Sadie and I already walked to Knitomatic today for more: black for Something Red, and purple for Girlfriend's Swing Coat (for a deserving little girl). Suddenly I'm a huge Knit and Tonic fan!

Pattern: Sahara by Wendy Jo Bernard

Wool: Misti Pima Cotton/Silk, 4 skeins

Needles: 4.25 /3.25 circulars, 4.25/3.25 DPNs

Modifications: I did the XS size until the waist and then made more frequent waist increases to end up with a S/M bottom. I didn't do the shirttail hem for no better reason than I thought I would prefer it straight. And I spent forever stitching the collar ribbing to the body. I couldn't get a mattress stitch seam I was happy with so in the end I used a crochet hook and made a really lumpy seam, but it mimics the ribbing and suits me just fine.

tangerine progress

Just before our road trip to Chicago I picked up wool for the short sleeved Sahara sweater. The pattern is from Knit and Tonic (though purchased from StitchDiva), but it was this version that really convinced me to tackle it (could that blue be any more perfect on her?) Anyway, I headed to Knitomatic before we left and stocked up on Misti Pima Cotton/Silk in this wild tangerine colour. I had black in my hands when Haley suggested that summer knitting called for colour, and if I was really unhappy in the end I could always dye it black. Sadie chose the orange over lavender, and Haley approved. I will wait to decide until the end...but I'm such a practical girl at heart that I'm already leaning to the dye job. The pattern has been straightforward and I'm really excited about the collar detail - plus the wool is fantastically soft. It's pretty dreamy to knit with. All I have left are the sleeves!

The one thing that may keep it orange is how well it will go with my recent indulgence - a bag from Orla Kiely. I am a bag person for sure, but not really a purse girl. I ordered it online as a birthday present to myself, so I don't actually know if it will suit my non-purse persona. Oh well, at least it will be awfully cute...I mean, look at that awesome pattern!

Hmm, the older I get, the more girly I become. Funny that.

that bunny's a tramp

Every so often, I just tell myself that I need to make something in less than 24 hours. This weekend was one of those times; armed with the March theme for Month of Softies ("mad as a march hare") and inspired by Lyn at Mollychicken (really, when isn't she inspiring?) I set out to create a bunny for Sadie. I must admit I soon went off the rails, and my bunny became a black-eyed, stitched up hussy who just had to have black stockings. Luckily Sadie got a new bunny from friends today so I think it was all meant to be.

I must tell myself to make something more often - this may have been the most fun I've had in a while. For more doll inspiration, check out these two local artists: Magda Trzaski and Miru's Friends.

lovely in chicago

While in Chicago Jay and I sought out a show called "ImPaired Visions" at the District 13 Gallery. We saw a link on the Daily Candy (thanks Dave!) and thought it sounded like a good stop. When you know nothing about a city it is hard to understand where the good galleries are, and often people have opposing opinions (really, most folks suggested going to the Art Institute, but we wanted to see contemporary work to get an idea of the type of culture Chicago fosters). In total we visited around 10 spaces, but this one was by far our favourite - and luckily our last stop, so we ended on a high note. Youth, playful restraint and solid talent filled the walls. We each were drawn to a piece - but not the same one. Oddly enough, they were by the same artists so we had to take a walk to decide how we would choose. In the end we picked both because we were in Chicago for Jay's art and we liked the idea of showing our support in return.

The top piece was my pick, titled "supper was delicious mommy"; it was a little more feminine and I just adore the script of "lovely" flowing out of the vomiting daughter's mouth. What you can't see in the photo is the clear gloss printed floral pattern that I think was the last layer screened. Jay's piece, "hope", is printed on solid wood and is wonderfully minimal. The artists are two guys from Minneapolis who form the duo Lovely. They had a number of pieces in the exhibit and even designed the show poster (which we also got a copy of - you can see it here), but most of the other artists were from the Chicago area. I did recognize one artist by name - Shawnimal - from the Plush You II show last year. For a very brief moment, this one degree of separation made me feel like a part of this vital culture, but I quickly resumed my "happy to be absorbing" position.

Someday, someday.

michigan thrifting

Sometimes the secret to surviving a long road trip is finding a small town junk shop. We drove to and from Chicago this past week and stopped in Galesburg, Michigan on our way back. Jay has a knack for spotting signs for such obscure places, and with the 25 degree weather we really needed to get out of the car. The shop was a gem; we spent over an hour discovering treasures and if we didn't have to get back to pick up Sadie we would have stayed all afternoon. The doll's highchair is already Sadie's favourite. She has sat every creature in its' steel seat and served them juice. As for me, I simply indulged in little treats: the tiniest pearl buttons, an old baby portrait, a baby's diary from 1905 and a little something I'm going to pass along to a far away and dearly missed friend. The wool is a mismatched element because it is new and hails from Chicago, but it's such a great colour and the shop was so fantastic that I wanted to include it. If you're ever in Chicago, Nina is a shop worth visiting. The Red Balloon was pretty sweet too, but I'll save my Chicago review for next time.

(There is a reason to my separating posts though - up until Galesburg I had mostly been shopping in retail stores as any new city compels me to do. However, it was so refreshing to go thrifting and rediscover items long loved by other people. I have a love/hate relationship with shopping and consumerism - who doesn't? - but it seems I almost forgot who I was until we walked into this shop. It was like breathing fresh air, regardless of dust content.)

finished, part two

I can hardly believe it, but I finished a sweater! A real, adult sized sweater that I can actually wear. This is when knitting is totally cool, and I think Ragdoll would agree. The pattern is my favourite style - raglan sleeves with rolled edges. Already I have more Cascade in the wings (the fuschia/pink blend...why not be more daring?) to make the exact sweater once more. Before that though, I think my little girl should get a sweater of her own, and after this huge endeavour a toddler sized version should take no time!

The details are: Fleece Artist Kidsilk Raglan Pattern, Cascade 220 Heathered (instead of the Kidsilk) on 5mm circular bamboo needles. Only modification was to make the neck longer and narrower so that it was more of a turtleneck style.

finished

Finally, a finished piece. This is my donation to the Muse07 silent art auction (frankly, I need deadlines to get me working). I struggled with knowing when to stop, but now that the binding is sewn and the piece is set in a frame I'm starting to believe that it reached its' proper ending. Jay finds that the piece makes him quite sad; part of me meant that I'm sure, but there is much more behind this story, and I hope the simple choice of materials adds warmth to that emotional expression. I have been working on cross-stitch samplers for a while (with only glimpses left here) so it is really rewarding to add this new element to my staples of embroidery and hand stitching. Actually, this is really the first piece of mine that doesn't rely on photography as the figural element, though that is partly why it felt unfinished for so long. With Sadie in my life and working space at a minimum (both physically and mentally) the intimate and immediate nature of fabric and thread just works best. Hopefully the things I'm trying to say can be captured in such limited materials.

And now to start sleeve number two of my sweater. Knitting class is tomorrow and I really need a respite from thinking. Oh, and if you're in Toronto, Haley is having a big sale this weekend at Knitomatic. Bank account be warned.