At Least My Insides Will Always Be Warm

I recently recieved an email from a friend with the subject line "This is what you look like inside".

Transcending the Material by Ben Cuevas 

Look close.

Look veeery close.



No wonder doctors have a hard time performing x-rays on me.

Details of this piece are posted on the artist's website here.

Plant Life

These are the tulips I picked from my parent's garden.

(Have YOU ever seen spikey tulips?)

These are some trilliums I saw while walking through a park last weekend.

This is the first peony in the garden this season (my absolute favourite garden flower of ALL time).

This is the lilac bush at the side door of the shop that is making my world smell a little more fresh.

And this is my favorite shade of green.



C'est tout.

When All Else Fails- Sew A Bag

Last week I had a day all to myself, where I planned on doing nothing but knitting from dawn until dusk. Before the clock struck noon however, I realized that I had ripped out a pair of mittens, posted 'HELP!' on a knitting forum for not understanding a pattern (which was a result of stupid me not printing out all the pages to my pattern) and bailed on a sweater. Just as I was about to give up all hope, my sister sent me a text message that said 'Have you sewed that bag you bought the materials for yet?'

Brilliant.

I hadn't.

So I did.

Turns out that while my knitting mo-jo was lacking that day, but I was able to sew like a champ. My costume studies instructors would be proud- especially since I was far from a 'sewing champ' in University.

Let's do the same thing here that I do when I knit.

Pattern? Vest Bag from the fine ladies over at Quilt A Bag (if you haven't been yet, you should go)

Fabric? I don't know the name (fabric doesn't come with a 'ball band' oddly enough) but I know that it's from Japan. I seem to have a love for all things Japanese and fibre related (did someone say Noro?)

Needles? Er... the one in my sewing machine.

And lucky for me, the flowers in the garden match my new accessory perfectly.

Lovely.

It's Not Easy Being Green

First off- I cannot believe I am putting this photo on the internet for you to gawk at in disbelief (what WAS she thinking!?!?!?!). I realize what an idiotic picture this is and that it won't make me any friends- I just felt that this picture captured that feeling I get when I finish a sweater better than any other photo ever snapped of me.

How convenient that I actually happen to be wearnig a freshly knit sweater in this shot...

You heard me. Fresh off the needles. Never been worn. Newly knitted.... That's right. A baby sweater (in my size) has been born.

I feel good about this one. I am happy with the fit, happy with the drape, happy with the colour, happy with the subtle sparkle, happy with the overall everything of this sweater. It's exactly what I had hoped for when I cast on.

                                               

Which is actually a little bit shocking since this sweater and I have had our fair share of  ups and downs already. But we've made it. And I'm looking forward to many more days spent together.


                                               

I've talked a bit about this sweater already on this here blog, so I won't wax poetic about it too much now. I have a strong feeling that these stupid pictures of me say more than I could ever say with words.

 Doing this is a lot harder than I remember...

Despite me having very strong feelings towards this sweater however, I understand that not everyone has the same taste as me- and that's ok. This point was made quite clear this evening as my darling cousin and I were out at the park taking photos. As we made our way back to my place, two lovely neighbourhood children who live a few doors away stopped us to say 'hi'. It had been a while since our paths have crossed due to the awfully terrible long winter we've had so we had a little chat that went something like this.

7 year old girl- 'Lynn! I haven't seen you in SOOOOO long! You look SOOOOO different!'
Me- 'Really?!?!?! What's different about me? Perhaps that I cut my hair?'
7 year old girl- 'Noooo... you have cut your hair, but that's not it...'
Me- 'Hm. That's odd. Perhaps I have packed on some winter weight.'
7 year old girl- 'Nope! Not that either...'

7 year old girl's 4 year old brother-'No silly! Lynn looks the exact same! She's just wearing a REALLY weird sweater.'

Sigh...What's there to say?

It's just not easy being green...

Details (I won't tell my 4 year old neighbour that you asked)

Pattern- Berroco Glint Book #306 'Madleen'
Yarn- 8 balls of Berroco Glint in a looooovely shade of green (in case you didn't catch that)
Needles- 4mm for the ribbing, 5mm for the rest

So, despite what the neighbours may think (or in my case, say) , I plan on wearing this sweater again and again and again.

Especially since it matches my very favorite scarf.

Pfft... 4 year olds...

What do they know anyway?

My Weekend In Pictures

This weekend was aboslutely to die for. Beautiful and fresh outside. And all the fresh air made me camera-happy.

So I share with you what I saw.

The shop amaryllis popped three lovely blooms with red centres.

Liberty Wool by Classic Elite arrived in some glorious spring shades.

Purple spikes were popping up out of the earth that looked a little threatening (thumbs up to whomever knows what these will become some day).

The neighbour's llama showed up in my parent's backyard for Mother's Day lunch.

The chickens were a laying.

The cat was a hunting.

The duck was a feeding.

And I was gifted a stunning skein of some lovely blue yarn.

Now, does this shade of blue remind you of anything??

                                      

Oh yes my friends. I now I have a skein of yarn to go with my mug and tea towel.

I'm set.

He Is A Patient Man

It's done. My boyfriend's Christmas gift is done. And it's May, and the flowers are popping, and the tree buds are about to burst... and it's done. The most shocking part of all of this? He's still my boyfriend. (I might have bailed if I had to wait that long for my gift). Especially since... now it's warm outside and he has no use for it, I am keeping it hostage at the shop as a sample. (HA! I just KNOW that I am going to jinx something here. He won't be my boyrfiend for much longer if I don't hand over that Christmas gift!)

I woke the model from his beauty sleep. 

In any case, I am thrilled with this project because of it's simplicity. The man is my life is not into frills and ruffles (how DO we get along, you ask?) but is the most practical and classic kinda guy going. Think button up shirts and sweater vests, with the odd pair of hand knit socks. (Again... how DO we get along? I am wearing DAY GLOW nail polish today! Not classic. Not practical. It's going to cause a traffic accident today. I can feel it.)

So with this project, our personalities were able to meet half way. A practical set of winter accessories for this climate (well, our December climate) with some colour blocking to hold my interest all whilst being knit in the most squishy and soft yarn out there.

The yarn? Filatura Di Crosa Zara. 100% merino.

If everyone in the world was taught to knit on this stuff, we would have a planet full of knitters.

Zara knits up the way I imagine a bag of jet puffed marshmallows would.

The pattern?
Pressed Rib Cap and Muffler by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas.
(We've got this pattern at the shop).

The model?

No. Definitely not my boyfriend. It's my cousin/roomie.

And ladies???

He's looking for looooove.

I hope you're enjoying the Spring bulbs eeeeeeverywhere.

It finally smells like Spring out there.

She's At It Again

I know that many of you will remember this amazing little gift that was sent to my mother from her aunt in North Bay over the holiday season. In fact, I am positive that many of you remember it, because it hangs proudly in the shop. Plus, I have seen some projects made by you, inspired by this.

Well, you know... it's amazing what happens when you make a fuss about something as much as my Grandma did about this here wreath.

Becaaaause... surprise, surprise!!! Dear Grandma opened up her mailbox one day a week or so ago to find THIS lovely wreath rolled up in there for her front door. (She figures that if anyone in her building has the guts to steal this off her front door, it won't take her long to track them down...)

Too cute! Non?

There's not much to say that I didn't say the last time about these. But, I can repeat myeslf for those that don't know.

The yarn? Sock scraps! We are still more than happy to accept sock yarn scraps from those that have no use for them.

The pattern? There isn't one! That Aunt Helen up in North Bay is just too clever. She whips these up all while being... patternless. Can I get an 'Oooooooooooh'???

How can I get on the list to receive one of these puppies? Just email me all of your love and praise of this wreath with your address at the bottom, and you just never know... the 'Miniature Sweater Wreath Fairy' just might leave you a little surprise in your mailbox.

But... don't hold your breath.

May is here.

So enjoy this ridiculously pretty multi-layered amaryllis that I found on my parent's kitchen counter.