Sawkmonkey knits (and spins...)

OMG Birthday!

2012-01-22T20:10:00.000-05:00

Today was my birthday! I had a really nice weekend, with all of my favourite things.

Amazing chocolate cake. OMG so yum.

Mexican food. Thai food. Homemade pizza.

Presents (AN IPAD OMG!)

The Arkells!

Shopping at Mixed Media! (lino blocks. I solemnly swear I'll submit to the Wayzgoose anthology this year.)

Life is good.

Making stuff and doing things

2012-01-08T12:40:00.002-05:00

I've been fairly busy lately, I think?

I've been knitting, as always.

Trying to get into sewing.

Re-learning how to spin.

Etc etc.

First off, a wee hat for a friend's new baby. I've been told it fits well, and looks cute. Yay!

Next, a cowl/loop scarf for me. Knit entirely while I was sick during the holidays. So much love for this, just need it to get cold enough to wear! (just a sneak peek, it's a giant loop)

I'm currently working on a ginormous scarf/shawl/wrap/blanket. I am madly in love.

A very very very long day was spent with a friend, cutting the pieces for a queen-sized quilt top. (do you know how painful that is? I was so sore and creaky, it was almost funny) Before I can start sewing, I need to figure out how I want to arrange 19 (!!!!!!) different prints...

One potential layout here (not going to be my final choice)

Giant mound of pieces (12*19 pieces of print, plus 50ish strips of yellow):

2012 is going to be the best year ever!

2012-01-01T15:51:00.001-05:00

Or it will be if you believe The Sadies! We rang in the new year at the Horseshoe, watching The Sadies. It was great. Possibly my favourite way to start a new year.

I'm not big for resolutions, because really? I won't follow through. I know it! But there are a few things I'd like to try to accomplish (or continue!!!) this year. Nothing big. Laughably small, almost.... Except not.

1. Keep with the running. I'd really like to improve my half-marathon time.
2. Be a bit more organized/tidy/etc. I've got a planner for the first time in 10+ years! (and it's gorgeous!)
3. Try new things/go new places. Instead of whining about how I really want to go to places like Chuck's Burger Bar or Art Crawl or whatever... I'm just going to do it. Why not? (latest crazy idea? hiking the Grand Canyon. Seriously.)
4. Keep with the creative stuff. It's been insane lately (inside my head). So many ideas! So many things I may or may not get around to, but I can't wait to find out what comes next!

Do you have any plans/resolutions/goals for the new year???

Books are good

2011-12-19T16:37:00.000-05:00

I'm home sick today, so why not talk about books? That's what I would have done all day anyways :) (that, or help people use the internet.... the joys of public libraries!)

I've continued with the whole 'keeping track of my books' thing, and I like it. As knitting, running, etc picks up, reading definitely slows down. But that's okay - I read a lot of great books this year anyways. Enough to do a top 10? Maybe... Turns out I made it to 6! 6 favourite books of 2011!

Favourite books of 2011:

1. Name of the Wind

I'm only a geek when it suits me. The rest of the time I'm just .... Someone who enjoys XKCD. But when I saw this author mentioned in Library Journal, I thought it sounded like something I'd enjoy. I was so right. I will buy this book. I don't tend to be a big fan of 'high fantasy'. It's all too long and complex. Wordy might be what I mean. Names that are 30 letters long and all look the same. This isn't like that. This book is awesome. It's written as the main character is narrating the story of his life to a scribe.

2. The Wise Man's Fear
Part two of the Kingkiller Chronicles. Almost as good as the first. I really can't wait to re-read them. I waited and waited and waited for this book. Something like 2 months! (even library staff have to wait!) It was so worth it. It was a bit more work, maybe even a bit of a slog through some of it. But in the meanwhile, I'll be doing the "when's the next book?!?!?" dance. Often.

3. Still Life

When I started my weird mystery kick, people kept recommending Louise Penny. I didn't get around to reading any of her books until this summer. I enjoyed them enough that I read all of them throughout the remainder of the year. Her books take place in Quebec, mostly in a small village called Three Pines. There's a lot of commentary on Franco/Anglo issues, and a lot of uniquely Canadian things. (Hello Double-double, I love you as a culturally identifiable drink. Just ew, I'll take a tea, thanks.) I thought they were really well written, and I enjoyed the humour too.

4. Geek Wisdom

My boss actually told me about this book! She's got a much better grasp of current events/pop culture than I do. I'm not enough of a geek to know all the references in this book. Like I mentioned, I don't read fantasy. I don't watch things like Star Wars. But when I saw a whole page devoted to "The cake is a lie", I won't deny it. I squeeed like a small child. (and I don't even play Portal?!) It was a quick fun read while still being interesting and even a bit thought-provoking.

5. The Sisters Brothers

I'm on the fence about this one. I just finished it a few days ago, and I enjoyed it.... But I'm not sure that I enjoyed it in a '2 major awards' sort of way. There was one chapter that just ruined it for me. I was determined to finish, so I kept on with it... But at that point, I just didn't want to. But I absolutely love the cover, so a big gold star for that! And congrats on the awards. Had that awful chapter been omitted, I would not have disagreed. Maybe I have delicate sensibilities.

6. Started Early, Took My Dog

Not Kate Atkinson's best, I don't think. But even when not her best, still excellent. I adore Kate Atkinson's writing style. Her characters are fantastic, and you're always left guessing. A friend/former colleague described her books as quirky British mysteries, and it's the perfect description. Lots of characters, lots of inter-connected plot, but well done. Very well done.

Craft Diversions, etc

2011-12-18T17:18:00.000-05:00

Before I say too much, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Joyeux Noel, Happy New Years! Just in case I have nothing to say before 2012 rolls around...
So everyone knows I've been running. But what else have I been doing when I'm not training for my 10-mile race?All sorts of things! I printed Christmas cards! I've been knitting! I've been spinning!

Behold!the slightly wobbly type after printing cards and undoing the quoins:
the card:

and a close-up:

Yes, I was feeling minimalist... That's Bernhard Fashion, 18pt. The spacing (that came with it!!) is the wrong size, so I improvised a bit. My paper came from Mixed Media, as always. Is it wrong to say I'm madly in love with my cards? Because I am.In addition to printing, I've been knitting. Lots of fail recently, but my current project is pure win. I'm knitting a Hitchhiker scarf right now, and I love it. It's super easy, perfect for lazy days watching movies and drinking tea.

Annnnnnnnnnd.... Last but not least....... I've been spinning on MY NEW WHEEL! Just one sneak peek until I figure out how to best capture its awesomeness.

Delayed Return.....

2011-11-27T21:17:00.001-05:00

Posting once every 6 weeks is cool, right?I didn't run much after the race - I was sickly, I was sick, I was injured, etc. But I did 12km yesterday, and it was almost glorious. The new running shoes I bought after I got home are even better :)
These are my Saucony ProGrid Guide 4s. I had to get the pink because they were the only colour in wide width. Boo pink, but yay COMFIEST SHOES EVER. I went to a local running store and despite feeling like a total dork, I was basically overjoyed when I left. (thanks awesome running store guy!)Other things I've done since the race? I saw The Sheepdogs again. They played at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. Last week we saw Margaret Atwood speak at Hamilton Public Library. She is hilarious, and it was great. In October, we saw Mumford and Sons (fantastic show, also at Copps!) and Portishead (also fantastic!). I think that's about it.I guess it's worth mentioning that I read The Night Circus, which was good but waaaaay over-hyped, in my humble opinion.

Run run run

2011-10-16T20:47:00.002-04:00

My half-marathon was today! I managed 2:54 chip time, 3:06 gun time. Totally not the best run, but I finished :)

Busy busy

2011-10-11T11:15:00.001-04:00

Thanksgiving was this past weekend. I made 3 kinds of pie! Pumpkin, pecan, (both from the amazing Flour cookbook), and Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie pie. I was blown away by the pecan pie - I've never had homemade before. The pumpkin was fantastic too. The pumpkin chocolate chip cookie pie was a bit too sweet and over the top for me, but delicious nonetheless. All in all, delicious Thanksgiving.In other news, I'm going to need to start car shopping soon. My car is giving up. And as much as I want to drive it forever, I'm a fan of cars that DON'T stall in my driveway regularly.And finally, 5 days until THE BIG RACE. I'm nervous. Eeeep!

I'm not exciting

2011-09-19T17:39:00.001-04:00

Let's see. Last weekend (Sept 10), we went to Supercrawl. It was super awesome, and I plan to attend regularly.This past weekend, we attended a wedding, where I got a worse sunburn than ever in my life! (seriously, it's pain)And then spent the rest of the weekend sick and sniffly. As a result, I skipped my 13 mile (21km) run, but I'll do that this weekend instead.Oh, The Name of the Wind is fantastic, and I highly recommend it to anyone who reads fantasy. The fact that I like it may mean it's not very good high/epic fantasy, but it got good reviews. So there.Other than that, not too much! My race is Oct 16 (nervous nervous aaagh!) and I finished a sweater that looks a little something like this:

Art Crawl etc

2011-08-14T20:18:00.002-04:00

On Friday, I took the very long way home, and stopped by the James St Art Crawl. I missed tonnes of awesome stuff, but saw a few cool things :)

I also managed to stop by the Beehive Craft Fair and Mixed Media (of course). So I'm now the proud owner of a Lamy Safari fountain pen (wishing I'd got the medium nib though), and some Viola yarn.

I then ran 16km on Saturday morning. And my parents came to help me with housestuff (I'm incapable). Turns out we froze all winter long because of a $30 (at most) part that was busted/installed wrong. (previous owners, I love you) I kind of felt like weeping.

Where has July gone?

2011-08-01T19:28:00.004-04:00

My last post was June 5, seriously?

I've been running...... My most recent long run was 9 miles. Not the most fun ever.

In more exciting news, I've also been baking pie. The peach pie is amazing. Amaaaaaazing.

And in other news, a really good band won a pretty cool contest!!!

Here are my pies.
(not-so)Sour cherry pie

And Peach Crumble Pie

Things

2011-06-05T13:18:00.003-04:00

Nothing much going on lately. Still knitting the sweater that will never end.
(Deco, the knitting picture in my last post)

I've been running still. Did 5 miles of intervals (run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute) yesterday. Finished in an unprecedented 59 minutes! I need to do speed work, at some point. Tomorrow I'll do 3 repeats of run 15 minutes, walk 1.

We saw Thor last night. I enjoyed it.

Weird weather

2011-05-30T07:28:00.002-04:00

Super foggy:

Wish I could stay home and knit:

Quilting Insanity

2011-05-26T10:03:00.003-04:00

Long long ago, I made a log cabin quilt. My best friend gave me a crash course in machine/strip piecing, and I ended up with this, after just one week!

I was browsing the Sew Mama Sew giveaways, and came across this awesome blog. I'm now super excited and trying to plot a way to convince Matt that I must take up quilting, ASAP.

I just love the idea of learning how to make a new block each month! How will I fit it in? Not sure. But it definitely seems worth a try!

Stuff and things?

2011-05-23T15:05:00.003-04:00

I've been running. As always. It's starting to get harder. And also warm. Making it extra hard. :(

Went to the big Fluevog sale last weekend, got me some shoes.

Finished knitting something too! A Stripe Study shawl.

Ooops, I disappeared

2011-05-14T21:41:00.002-04:00

While I was gone, I was running, and on holidays... Didn't go anywhere, but I worked the election! Etc.

Today I ran(/walked) 10km! I'm impressed with myself! It went fairly well, but summer will be killer....

And that's about it!

Run run run......

2011-04-03T07:59:00.002-04:00

Still mostly sticking to the plan. Weeks like this week involve some slight modifications, but that's okay :) Following my plan will have me ready for a half-marathon in mid-August, but the race isn't until mid-October. So I think it might even be beneficial to repeat weeks here and there.

Last week, my long "run" was 6 miles, almost 10km! It was nicer than I'd expected. Now I'm back down to shorter distances with longer running intervals. As much as I enjoy winter, I'm very glad that spring is just about here.

So why was this week so busy? Why is next week so busy? Bedouin Soundclash concert (plus hot yoga), Queens of the Stone Age concert (amazing), genealogy seminar, author reading, history fair judging, all on top of my usual stuff.

Running and stuff

2011-03-21T22:34:00.001-04:00

Still on track with the PLAN.

I ran(/walked) 8km on Saturday. That was actually really nice!

And in other big news, I published my first pattern on ravelry.

Lister Block Cowl. That's me and my pattern!!

Running and Baking, oh my

2011-03-12T21:55:00.002-05:00

After weeks of never-ending sickness (or so it seemed), I finally finished a whole week of running training. It ended with 6.5km this morning. It went fairly well. Kind of. But I did it, and that's the important part.

I also decided that I have some crazy new obsession with Sriracha and bought a bottle. And then hours later, baked some Cheddar-Sriracha Bread. It looks pretty good, see?

International Women's Day

2011-03-08T21:13:00.000-05:00

Says it all, doesn't it?
http://shamelessmag.com/blog/2011/03/why-international-womens-day-matters/

It's like summer!

2011-02-18T20:21:00.002-05:00

And I accidentally ran 6km this morning instead of 5! Oh no!

Not much else to say. I took 2 weeks off due to weather, illness, etc and am now very excited to be back to running. I also switched to a new half-marathon training plan, which is more in line with how I'd like to train. So yup.

(also, I got tickets to see Queens of the Stone Age. Wooooooooo!)

Circumstantial laziness?

2011-02-02T15:33:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been almost a week since my last run. That was Thursday morning of last week. A bit slow, a bit of a slog, but nothing too terrible.

Except that I haven't run since. I was feeling tired and sniffly over the weekend, so I thought I should get some rest because this is an inconvenient time to miss work. And then on Monday evening, I had a ticket for an author reading. So that was another run missed....

And now, thanks to Stormageddon 2011, I am stuck at my parents' house, with feet of snow, and no running apparel. I think I'll survive :)

Week 3?

2011-01-27T09:07:00.002-05:00

I managed to run on Monday - I waited until it "warmed up". As it was, I think it was still -12C or so? Better than -22C! But still, a lousy experience.

I ran this morning - it was a balmy -3C! I enjoyed my run, but my pace wasn't fantastic. Just about 5km. The sidewalks are still pretty awful, so I'll pretend that's why I've been so slow :)

Other than that, I've been knitting and stuff. Maybe I'll have some things to share!

Happy Birthday to me?

2011-01-23T10:28:00.003-05:00

I celebrated my birthday yesterday.
And just to prove that I know how to party, I started my day with a 4 mile run.
The only reason I feel it's worth noting, is that it was -15C for most of the day. Other than being so cold, it hurt, it actually went quite well. I maintained a pace of 7.5min/km, which is pretty good. I was sure the cold had slowed me down significantly.

All this cold weather inspired me to head to MEC and upgrade my winter running apparel. I'm now the proud own of capri-length long johns...

Week 2

2011-01-20T09:47:00.002-05:00

So, I haven't been as bloggity as I'd like.

But how much can I actually say about running?

My current training is supposed to be run 3 min, walk 2 min intervals. I was a bit annoyed - surely I'm in better shape than that! But when it's -14C, I do appreciate how doable it is.

So, it's been awfully cold this week, and I cut both of my workouts short by 5 minutes. I still plan to do the entire 4 miles on Saturday (my birthday!).

To compensate for the shortened workout, I've been trying to do things like walk veryvery quickly during the walking part. Or make an effort to do at least 1 minute of each run interval at a harder run. So, my speed on a good day is about 7.5min/km. I hope to improve!

It's been a while....

2011-01-15T09:45:00.002-05:00

And I'm going to attempt to resurrect my blog once more. How are you all doing? Last year was quite a year, wasn't it??

This time, it's to keep track of my running! I'm going to run the Toronto half-marathon this year (7 years after my first attempt....)

I haven't completely committed to a training plan, but I will definitely start off with a run/walk. I've been too random and sporadic with my running to commit to anything else.

So, this morning I got back from the week 1 "long" run, in the "Marathons for Mortals" training plan. It was intervals: I ran 3 minutes, walked 2 minutes, for a total of 5.5km. If I conveniently forget about the snowstorm, it was nice!

Now I'm off to register for the marathon! Nothing like spending money to motivate yourself.

Whoa

2010-08-27T21:30:00.003-04:00

I totally forgot that I changed my blog! I also forgot to tell you that I was going to San Francisco for holidays! Oops. It was fun, I had a great time!

I got some yarn:

My holy grail of knitting books:

AND A UKULELE!

Holy Rollerskates, I own a ukulele!

New House!

2010-07-04T17:18:00.003-04:00

Whoa! So we've been here for a month - is it time to share a few pics? Fresh off the camera, here's our new house!

(these aren't very good. it was too hot to care, honestly. I'm sorry!)

the front of our house - this omits the GIANT TREE.

the living room, where we obviously spend most of our time

various backyard pics - the first shows an area I got nicely cleaned up on Friday - planning to plant some roses there soon.

So, it's been a busy long weekend. I feel like I've been fighting off a sore throat, still am, really! But Canada Day was nice - Matt and Kim visited and we went down to see the Canada Day stuff. On Friday, I was off work, and yeah. Didn't do much. Yesterday was Hamilton! We went to the market and Mixed Media and it was a very good day. I special-ordered paper for my Wayzgoose signature. Because OMG - obsessive compulsive me must get started ASAP. I think it will be good :)

Today we went to the Royal Botanical Gardens for the rose festival, and it was awesome. But soooo hot. I used the bright sunny day as an opportunity to bust out ye olde Holga, so when I get the film back, I will post pics!

After much too long out in the sun, we came home and I made concentrate of black currant juice. It's delicious, and I'm looking forward to many glasses of homemade black currant juice - how sweet is that??? I've almost made two batches of jam: strawberry rhubarb (totally excellent!) and strawberry vanilla (a bit soft). I have big plans for pickles in the distant future, and kimchi in the very near future!

Stuff

2010-05-23T19:04:00.002-04:00

Holy whoa, 8 days till we take possession of our new house!

I've been doing things in the meantime. Packing? No, not so much....

I printed some cards for Patrick and Toni quite a while ago. Here is a picture of it all inked up and ready to print. It was my first time using my Alpha Blox type, and my first time mixing ink. Both worked out well.

And since January, I've been doing this travelling scarf thing. Everyone in the group starts a scarf, then mails it off to be knitted by the other group members.
Here's mine, I love it!

Ack

2010-05-02T22:01:00.004-04:00

I'm starting to feel anxious. Less than a month till the BIG MOVE. I feel a bit queasy.

I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last night. I must admit that I was really surprised by the number of people out to see an 18A subtitled movie. But it was really quite decent. Although I preferred the book, of course. The movie was actually really well done, with such a dense book as the source material.

There was a malfunction so we got free passes to see another movie. It stopped playing for about five minutes, and then picked up where it left off. So, that was awesome. Free movies ftw!

I like food!

2010-04-18T16:24:00.003-04:00

Food is good.

Today I went to a new local restaurant and had a SUPER DELICIOUS meal. (I feel I should clarify that it was a super delicious breakfast) If you're ever in the Greater Hamilton area, go to Memphis Fire BBQ. They were even willing to discuss food options for a vegetarian! I will be taking Matty there asap, and calling ahead (like they suggested!) so that they can surprise me with something veggie. Yum!

I did something stupid

2010-03-20T19:44:00.003-04:00

But I don't care. I bought these shoes for $80. Oops. Savings of $195!

I also went to Mixed Media, which is like my favourite art store ever. (I still feel weird in art stores, but I always find something! Today it was avocado green paper, two shades of brown, and some sort of artist's paint spatula. Which I will use for mixing ink.) Much nicer atmosphere than other art stores? I don't feel like there would be pointing and laughing were I to 'fess up to my artistic ignorance.

We also went to a local seed-sharing thing right nearby, which would have been totally cool and useful had I not purchased an excess of seeds already! I will know for next year.

Before all these other adventures, I also baked a cake for my brother's birthday. Super easy vanilla cake, with super yummy "custard frosting". (frosting sounds so wrooooooong!) Oh man, it was gooooooood.

Things

2010-02-28T19:57:00.002-05:00

I had a nice weekend, how was yours?

Friday was a library SUPER-conference (heh.) which was moderately useful and somewhat interesting. Romeo Dallaire was the keynote speaker, and it was hideously depressing. Interesting, but depressing. I had an interesting lunch incident, wherein the boss from the awful job from a few years ago was a few tables over. (interestly, my lunch company also hates him, for different reasons) He was rude enough to look at our table while holding a menu in front of his face (repeatedly!) to presumably talk about me/us/her over his lunch. NIIIIIICE.

Saturday was mortgage time, and that was all good. (I had an awesome packing-fail, and only brought one shirt, somehow. It says, "Official Cheerleader Bodyguard for the Dallas Cowboys". YES! I borrowed a shirt.) Later in the day I went way up past Bloor and Bathurst to get some vegan Caribbean food for supper. It was awesome.

Today was cooking and hockey and running.

Sugar Crusted Popovers. Delicious.

Hockey, we won! I was running during overtime, and knew we won even before I got home. Out of nowhere, every car in town was leaning on the horn. Wooooo! (and it was a nice run)

Over the past week, I knit a hat. I really like it!

Continental Blue Malabrigo, Jay Street Slouch pattern, awesomely warm and cozy.

Books

2010-02-20T20:49:00.003-05:00

I just thought I'd mention that I just! A short while ago! Finished the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson. Oh man, it is good.

The first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, seems to be the most like other "Scandinavian mysteries". Of course, I'm by no means an expert, but it does seem a bit similar to Henning Mankell, Nesser, and the other author I've read. (see what I mean??? ha!) But it's seriously in-depth, brutal, and fascinating.

The second book is WAY more action. I'm not sure what to compare it to, but it was great. I think I read it in like 5 hours, non-stop. The ending was just awful. Such a cliffhanger, such a terrible terrible thing to do! (especially for us in North America - the last book isn't released here yet, but has been available in Europe for at least a year, I believe...)

And the third book, different again. A bit less action, a bit more spies and legal/procedural wonk. But still, awesome. I will definitely need to re-read these books, maybe after I get myself UK copies of the first two? I want my trilogy to match :)

Anyways, if you can stomach pretty brutal violence, especially against women, these are really great books. But seriously. Brutal. The original title translates to something like "Men Who Hate Women". The second really could have been called "Men Who Hate Women EVEN MORE", but I'm not sure of the real title. And well, the third was a bit different.

A few thoughts

2010-02-19T17:05:00.002-05:00

A few thoughts, while I'm home sick feeling Seriously Icky.

- Does my blog bring anyone else's computer to its knees? Or only mine? Wow, it's not healthy.

- Matt rickrolled me today. As much as someone with Flashblock can be rickrolled by a youtube link. The song still got stuck in my head, regardless. I got rid of it with Nick Cave and Johnny Cash. (and just now, Black Label Society)

- Sometimes I ponder men with long hair. It's not universal, but why do so many guys with long hair have such awesome hair? Dude who started my current ponder: Shaun White, the American snowboarder. My hair should look like that when it's long. Same colour, etc. But it doesn't. Even my younger brother had nicer long hair than I could manage. Not fair.

- I think for Lent, I'm going to give up buying things online. I haven't purchased anything this week, so I'm good.... So far. (all three days! Yes!)

And that's that. I'm going to go lay down again.

I think it's official???

2010-02-07T19:04:00.004-05:00

I think we own a house! But I'm not going to say it's for sure, because our real estate agent sucks at communicating.... But for the most part, we own a house!

To you, Ms. Realtor, I dedicate Communication Breakdown:

Here's our house:

Shiny new kitchen:

(see that? that's cork flooring!)

Living room (complete with CARD CATALOGUE TV STAND!!!!! I want it):

Backyard (we back on to a park!!):

And that's that. The first order of business will be filling in all the holes - they have stuff hung up everywhere! I do not have that type of personality. Second order of business will be painting the living room. In my opinion (but not anyone else's, really...) that colour is ghastly! I think it's worse when you're there, much more yellow.

(these are the important rooms, in my opinion. if you'd like to see more, just say so!)

Some knitting, and a new house!

2010-01-31T20:34:00.002-05:00

I knit the Calm Waters Cowl for a swap I'm doing. I used Berocco Lustra, which I thought I would like, but I actually didn't like at all. The cowl itself is pretty, nonetheless. See?

In other news, we put an offer on a house and have the inspection on Thursday. Other things happened, but that's the important bit. Buying a house is scary.

Oh hi. I knit a sweater

2010-01-24T21:47:00.002-05:00

I knit a Lemongrass bolero recently, using this yarn from Hedgehog Fibres. She does lovely stuff.

So, I'm not completely sold on this pattern. For various reasons, but whatever. The colours are way off, so... Not exactly a true representation of what it looks like, but that is how it fits.

I knit most of it while watching Dr. Who. I like it, the new one. With David Tennant. It's fun to watch :)

Books and stuff

2010-01-11T21:28:00.004-05:00

Well, since there seem to be mystery fans out there in the ether, I'd also recommend Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I really enjoyed this! I'm not sure what I'm more excited about: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag or The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

(and seriously. Why do we get so ripped off in North America? The English translations of Stieg Larsson's books are all available in the UK already... If only I were willing to pay shipping, they could be MINE!)

In other news, I saw Up in the Air yesterday. It was good. Not as um... undepressing as I'd like, but still very good. Jason Bateman (aka Michael Bluth) is so good at being sleazy. And George Clooney is actually very good looking! I never really thought about it until I saw him on theatre screens. Yup.

I'm going crazy!

2010-01-06T21:42:00.002-05:00

Everywhere I look, there books! Seriously. Lists of books, piles of books, catalogues of books, emails to myself, email drafts, scraps of paper... And this is just at home! I feel like a crazy!

Tangentially, Kate Atkinson is incredible, and I highly recommend her Jackson Brodie series of books. Quite incredible. Between her writing, and Stieg Larsson, I've become a mystery reader. Who knew???

Last knit of 09!

2010-01-02T10:50:00.003-05:00

I knit this lovely hat with one skein of the MAGNIFICENT Malabrigo Twist. (looove. true love) Pictures as always, were a challenge.

The first few were very blue-screen-esque. I slightly resemble the squirrel, in Banff?

But we were able to get one or two decent pictures.

2009. It's done, yo

2010-01-01T22:38:00.005-05:00

And lots of things happened.
Notably:
I was offered two jobs, and accepted one.
I got a printing press.
I put down a deposit on a Watson Spinning Wheel
I left North America for the first time
etc etc
(Matt feels I should mention that I read 97 books)

Here's hoping 2010 is just as exciting as 2009. 2010 will be the best year ever!

Well!

2009-12-28T21:52:00.003-05:00

In the past little while, I taught myself (or re-learned...) how to crochet! I'm not proficient by any means, but I successfully followed this pattern and made flowers that looked remarkably like the ones shown! Unfortunately I gave them away before remembering to take a picture.

The person I gave them to just started knitting again! Because, hey hey, I taught her how! She made it through 1/4 of a hat while I was there, and it was looking good!

I'm quite pleased with myself :)

Sick and tired

2009-12-20T20:11:00.003-05:00

Quite literally. Work has been insane - I've been basically doing the work of two people while helping to interview for a new member of staff. She's been found, and I'll be training her. I'm rather stressed out because I'm still having 'issues' with some of my new co-workers. Oh joy.

In other news, I've been knitting and crocheting (!!) and should have two new pieces of headwear to show off, any day now! (but probably not till New Years, when I can get Matt to take pictures and forgo the oh-so-stylish bathroom mirror shot)

Some of my yarny plans for the new year do include Shipwreck (in Wollmeise lace), and Thursday vest in a nice plain grey (cuz deep down, that's how I roll). Other vague plans, but those two are for-sures, for now.

Merry Christmas to all of y'all. Shan't be blogging between then and now!

Such a slacker, yo

2009-12-12T19:28:00.003-05:00

Or, it feels like it... I started blogging specifically to talk about my knitting, but when was the last time I showed some off? Maybe in September, when I knit a shawl for a co-worker in a week?

I think I've knit two more shawls since then, and have started numerous other things.

The most recent, Multnomah, was knit for a swap. It was an easy knit, but boring. I hate garter stitch. Feather and fan is pretty awesome in any form, though.

So, that's that. Any magnificent new patterns to suggest? I like pretty things.

Belated weekend posting

2009-12-09T19:05:00.002-05:00

I forgot to post last week, oh no!

This weekend, however, was a different story. Busy busy busy! On Friday night, we stopped at John Fluevog to leave my wonderful boots for stretching. They never fit quite right in the toes, but now they're great!

Saturday was:
-The OCAD book arts fair (awesome... wish I'd spent a bit more time there).
-The One of a Kind Show with Nikki. (overdone, and very same old. There's a reason that we only got things from new vendors... Next year I think I will go to City of Craft instead)
-Weezer! (popcorn! cushy seats! fun)

Sunday was printing! Just two cards this time around. One for co-workers, and one for my mom. I'll get my cards from the leftovers. (ironically, I'm not much of a cards and letters sort)

The cards for the co-worker were just prints of the three wise penguins. Except not as awesome.
The cards for my mom were more fun, and more of a challenge.
Sadly, the cards I chose are too textured to get a good print. Live and learn, I guess....

However, the handmade paper was 50/50, rather than total fail.
fail:

ABSOLUTE SUCCESS:

The last paper is handmade paper that has onions cooked right in the pulp. It's lovely.

First Adventures in Letterpress [product]

2009-11-23T07:14:00.002-05:00

So, after all that, I ended up with 5 different types of card. Again, WAY too much to do in one day.

There's the penguin card, which I showed yesterday, along with its matching envelope (oooh fancy!):

There's Merry Christmas, and Merry Chrismukkah:

There's the santa card, which is my absolute favourite:

And finally, the weirdness (done in metallic silver ink):

First Adventures in Letterpress [process]

2009-11-22T21:34:00.004-05:00

Which is way more fun than babysitting!

It was a day fraught with peril. Or at very least, forgetfulness and dorkishness. I forgot to bring varsol and rags, so had to buy some. I planned to print cards that said "Merry Christmakwanzakah", but failed to bring a "z". The lower-case m was actually a w. Etc, etc, etc.

Despite my shortcomings, it was a great day! (let me say, 3 colours in one day is waaaaay too much)

So, inking up the press. I decided to start with green, because green is awesome. So, I don't have a handy dandy roller, so those are wee dabs of ink all the way around.

Then you push the handle, like making a print, repeatedly until the ink evenly covers the disc.

Then, after getting your stuff set properly, you can put it into the press and get it inked up. (there are proper words for this. And it should be done before inking, and was!)

Then, once it's snapped in place, you can take a print! (by pushing the handle down. yes!)

So, my first choice was very easy. Just one large image plate. I then decided to move on to Merry Christmas in 40pt Old English, and it took about 45 min to accomplish what you see here (due to lack of materials and expertise... in addition, the upper-case M was damaged, and I had to add packing to make it at all presentable. Geeeez, I will be more careful the next time I borrow type!!!)

Life is good

2009-11-09T11:44:00.003-05:00

I had an awesome weekend. And a generally awesome week. It's been two weeks at my new job, and I'm still adjusting, but I'm happy. It's rare that a job ends up being better than what was agreed to, but that's what happened. I sort of wonder, what have I done to deserve such awesomeness?

I visited my old work on Wednesday before my last yoga class, and oh! It was fun. I miss them all so much. So much fun. We were laughing so much, we were annoying the library patrons. Ha.

So. This weekend. I totally gave in, bit the bullet, whatever... And got a printing press! I'm now the very proud owner of a wee Adana 5x8. It will be wonderful - I can't wait to get started!

I'm also the proud owner of some new boots for work. I've always wanted Fluevogs, and now I have a pair!

Needless to say, it was an expensive weekend. And, I must say - being off on Monday is so wonderful. I'm sitting around in my jamas, drinking tea, not at work. I miss this.

The first week and delicious food

2009-11-01T18:23:00.002-05:00

Well, I made it through my first week! I think things will be good as far as work goes. Socially, I'm not sure. I know one week is nowhere near enough time to know, but... I think any displays of my true sense of humour would cause me to be chased out with torches and pitchforks. This makes me feel concerned. But, all is well!

My mom made me food while I was working today, because she is awesome. I found this recipe on a blog I read regularly, and thought it sounded good. My mom said it was dead easy, and it is like restaurant delicious. A small note, she significantly reduced the onion and curry powder. Unless we actually use highly potent curry, I feel the stated amount would be WAY too much. But I'm already plotting some changes. I think it would be outstanding with some diced pineapple, panfried tofu, and extra veggies. In fact... Yum! Maybe I'll get another bowl :)

First Impressions of my first days

2009-10-27T20:13:00.002-04:00

Well, it's hard to tell how a job will be based on the first two days. I think my overall impression is that my job will be pleasant. Maybe not awesome, maybe not super busy and interesting. But pleasant. The co-workers seem nice, though I'm a terrible judge of character... Not like the co-workers I've left behind, I'm quite sure.

The building itself is lovely, and I am smitten. I now work in a library with comfy leather chairs and a FIREPLACE! For serious. A fireplace.

too many goodbyes

2009-10-25T21:50:00.004-04:00

This was a bit of a melancholy weekend. I had my last day at my old job, and I was mostly okay. I think everyone knew it needed to be light-hearted and easy-going, and so it was. As part of the ongoing joke that I will be an 'important person' at my new job, and possibly have business cards, my department got me some fancy desk supplies and a business card holder. That amused me greatly.

As to the title, too many goodbyes! I know I'll see many of my old co-workers again. I have plans to see the Scott Pilgrim movie next year, plans for knitting lessons, plans for knitting night, ongoing yoga classes, etc. But not quite the same as avoiding work and talking about life and stuff.

But we also said goodbye to Toni and Patrick as they get ready to head to Australia. I'm sure we'll see them again, although it will involve terrifying horrendous awful flights to get there and back. But still. It won't be quite the same. (it will be hot! and in a different time zone! both terrifying concepts)

One weekend, and everything feels different. Do you ever think about how you spend more time with your favourite co-workers than anyone else in your life? I'm realizing just how much. And it makes me sad.

Shopping update

2009-10-19T17:41:00.003-04:00

Well... I'm happy with what I found. It was nice, I had a whole salesperson to myself at Banana Republic. Since I don't feel like taking pics, here is what I got:
This shirt in blue and beige.
This cardigan in the brown.
These pants in the 'taupe', which actually looks kind of grey-ish taupe
These pants in the brown.

Maybe still a bit casual? But definitely a thousand times better than what I have now. And the nice bits I already have go well with what I got. If the wool pants work out, I will get a pin-striped pair as well. They fit really nicely!

To slightly combat my feelings of consumer whoredom, I found a very cool shop in Hamilton: White Elephant: Modern Design & Vintage Boutique. I bought some cards for my impending departure and a piece of art involving highly stacked baked goods. My kind of art, oh yeah! Also went to Mixed Media, but wasn't in such a shopping mood by then. I want a printing press! (their book choices though? total validation of my skills at collection development. ha)

New jobs and knitting, oh boy

2009-10-19T07:14:00.003-04:00

Thank you for your congratulations, and advice! (Batty - thank you for the list. That's exactly what I need when I go shopping!) I'm super excited, but also terrified. I think the biggest scary part is leaving my co-workers. Some of them are just so awesome!

I've been knitting and reading when I haven't been stressing/obsessing over new jobs and well... Things will get finished one day, I'm sure :) Please note that the colours are way off, for everything!

Right now, my priority is a baby sweater. I omitted the sleeves because they fit me up to my elbows. I do not have skinny arms. The intended recipient most certainly does! So now it is a vest, with ruffly arm caps.

There is the test-knitting shawl, and I've totally dropped the ball. I made it through the tricky bits, and got distracted by life. This is Posh Esme, and I'm sad to say that I really don't like it. I've been rather disappointed that Posh seems to be branching out to all the bases that everyone else already has. I like Posh for the luxury, but slightly squeaky superwash merino? Not really what I'm looking for. Some of the new bases are quite nice, but it will be the colours that keep me buying...

This is another shawl in progress, called "Gail aka Nightsongs". It seems to be a pattern with lots of controversy and history, in the online world. I'm using a re-write because the original makes little to no sense to my newbie lace brain. But oh, it is lovely. This is using Wollmeise Sock.

Life and things

2009-10-11T20:34:00.004-04:00

Well, I got the job! I will be starting October 26, and it will be very exciting! I'm seriously giddy, but... I think I need a new work wardrobe.

It was a busy weekend. I went home with Matt to go to Matt and Kim's wedding. It was a nice wedding. I'm glad that they're all over, but it was a nice way to wrap up the year of the weddings.

I slept for 12 hours last night, and I'm still exhausted! Unbelievable.

eeeep!

2009-10-04T21:55:00.001-04:00

I have a meeting or follow-up interview of some sort tomorrow morning before my volunteering.

I'm askeeeeered!

(I will let y'all know what happened tomorrow! And show off some knitting too!)

Well...

2009-09-28T17:05:00.001-04:00

That was an interview. No idea how it went. It's just wait and see time chez Adrienne.

Letterpress and/or Wheee!!kend

2009-09-27T17:16:00.004-04:00

It was a busy weekend. Got in late (but on time), using the new Go service. Finallllly!!!

When I got in, we went over interview stuff for Monday. That was useful! (but eep, the nerves are kicking in!)

Saturday was nice. We went to Kenzo Ramen for lunch with Patrick, and wandered around the Eaton Centre. Eventually they (being Matt and Patrick, of course) left for Matt's bachelor party, and I waited some more for Nikki. Nikki came over, and we ate chips and grilled cheese (on fancy herbes de provence bread, oh la la), and watched Glee. All of it, so far. I like it mostly, I do.

Sunday (today!!) was the letterpress workshop with Tanya of Snap & Tumble. It was tonnes of fun, and I am so in loooove. It seems like the perfect combination of colour and texture and fun. (too bad that presses are so $$$. How many more expensive hobbies can I collect, really?) So I ended up printing three different cards today, none of which I'd planned. (I'd originally thought of "Have a cookie", and "Just wanted to say..." but wow, way too complicated)

So here's what I ended up with. Four types of paper, 3 cards.

swirling snow- all on one type of paper. Heavily textured, very heavyweight paper.

Yarn. I swore up and down that I would NOT make knitting cards. But look. I did. And they're amazing. Wood type ftw! Three types of paper. A very heavyweight weight, and lighter weight grey and cream. (the grey: I'm in love. Canson, you rule)

And the throwaway... But most useful of the bunch. Thanks. To use up my paper. (and funny thing, I love it)

So there you have it. My most excellent letterpress adventure. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. (even though it took a lifetime to get to Scarborough this morning....)

Woah crazy!

2009-09-24T22:21:00.002-04:00

I have a job interview on Monday!
Wish me luck, because I want it!!!!!!!

Thank you :)

Knitting and magazines, oh my

2009-09-20T08:04:00.004-04:00

I've been knitting like a fiend for the past week. Seriously. before work, after work, when I should be sleeping... But I finished the scarf in time. Unfortunately, I finished so close to the required time that all I have is one lousy picture :)

It looks like the crazy knitting might continue - there's a possibility that I'll be selling some knits on consignment where a friend sells her purses. I was super enthusiastic about it, but now... I feel unsure.

And in non-knitting discussion, because my brothers love cars, there are often car magazines randomly strewn throughout the house. I sometimes look at them, because oooh! Pretty Cars! This one specifically had a big article about a rebuilt Nissan Skyline, which is a car I particularly like. Anyways, while flipping through, I came across this ad:

It amused me - the white text is something like 'with all these awesome attributes, how could a ninja not love these tires?' Just a very random ad that I don't quite understand, but found hilarious.

Are woe cakes like sheet cake?

2009-09-14T15:31:00.004-04:00

I'm tired. It was a less busy weekend than normal, but I'm still getting over a cold (the plague? who knows).

So... In my ongoing public transit woes, I have a new and unprecedented tale!!! There was a large park and ride site built over the summer in my town. The lot is all done, but not yet operational, for whatever reason. I called the company to see where the bus would be picking people up in the meanwhile. And while on the phone, watched as the bus pulled up to a strip of grass 5 minutes early to let people out, and then drove off as though being chased by the hounds of hell. Needless to say, I missed my bus.

The rest of the weekend was much nicer. We saw an old colleague of Matt's while at the market, bought all the necessary stuff to make chili, etc etc. I also baked a cake of Chocolatey Deliciousness.

We went to see The Sadies on Saturday, which was probably the worst idea ever. But it was fun nonetheless. (even though my joints were popping and aching, and I felt feverish, etc etc). They played with Greg Keelor - I have to say, my long-ago love of Blue Rodeo is coming back.

When not doing all this stuff, I was knitting for a co-worker who is retiring on Saturday. It's looking good so far, I'm hoping I finish in time! It's about 6 feet long.

Catching up...

2009-09-06T17:36:00.002-04:00

So, as you can tell, it's been a busy week, and last weekend was busy too. I worked this weekend, and sorted out some clothing issues, so nothing interesting there.

Last weekend, I finally made the Reine de Saba cake as shown in Julie and Julia. It turned out really well, and Matt's co-workers were very happy with it. But to be honest, I felt meh about it. It was good, it's true. But it certainly wasn't the best cake I've made. In fact, I'd say that the under-ripe plum cake from a few weeks ago was much better, by far. Changing tastes? Poorly executed cake? A full moon? Who knows? But it's rare that chocolate doesn't win.

Another item of note, I'm terribly happy to say. I recently received the most awesome hat in a swap. I shall share a picture, it's fantastic. Knit in a droolworthy silk/cashmere blend, it's my new favourite. Out of everything! As such, it accompanied me to Nine Inch Nails, and kept my ears cozy warm despite the lakefront chill.

And a wee bit of happy in what's been quite a nice week... I recently applied to a job very local to me, and as fate would have it, was lucky enough to speak to the person doing the hiring (who I do know, just a bit). He said he was hoping I'd apply! And I've been walking on sunshine these past few days.

Until next week... Same bat-time, same bat-channel.

AWWWWWWWESOME

2009-08-31T00:29:00.002-04:00

Lots to say about this weekend, but for now, I'll just say !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We just got back from seeing Nine Inch Nails, and words fail me.

Crazy weather, movies, and cake!

2009-08-23T10:44:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been back to work, and back to being busy. There's been an awful lot of crazy weather lately! Possible tornadoes out near Toronto, and hailstorms here (isolated to our town, I think - it didn't storm at work). Between the heat and the storms, running fell to the side, and I was lucky if I managed to even go for a walk. But maybe the heat is breaking now.

Last night I went to see Julie and Julia, and well... I would have much preferred it if it were all Julia. The food looked rather marvelous, but the movie left me with a desire to read "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", not "Julie and Julia". I'd imagine most people felt the same way.

Today ended up being much more productive than I'd expected. Truthfully, the movie last night left me desperately longing for some wonderful home baking. Storebought, even bakery, just doesn't cut it. So... Holy plum cake, Batman! I've made the recipe before, using the suggested pears (which is just... takes words out of your mouth, and fills it with cake.), but decided to use some red (?) plums I was given. They were not ripe enough, despite being told they were... So it's tart. But oh, so good. Soft and squidgy and warm and juicy, and crispy and buttery and vanilla-flavoured too.
So, the whole cake:

And my (first) piece:

And because it's very important, here is the recipe. Pear tart of awesome. But I will also post it here, in case Chowhound one day disappears.

Posted on Chowhound, by galleygirl, the wonderful pear tart:

Laurie's Pear Tart

3 or 4 ripe juicey pears....
Peel,core and cut into sixths, or eighths

Cream
1 stick butter
3/4 c. sugar
1teasoon vanilla..

Add
2 eggs, one at a time...

Combine
1 c. flour
1 teasoon baking powder
1/2 t. salt...

Add to butter mixture.

Spray an 8" (important) spring form pan with Pam...Spread the batter in it..Now, in a pinwheel pattern, press the slices of pear, peeled side up, into the batter...Cram in as many as you can; since the batter rises and covers the pears, there's no points given for style here(g)...The more pears, the moister the cake will be.

Bake at 350 degrees til a skewer comes out clean, about an hour...If you have any doubts, UNDERBAKE....This is a whole different animal if it dries out...Then it's just a cake; correctly done, you'll love it...It's just one of those recipes that is greater than the sum of it's parts. really.

(FULL disclosure: I overcooked it. The middle is amazing, but the edges are rather overdone.)

More pics and stuff

2009-08-17T07:43:00.003-04:00

More pictures from Toronto. Home doesn't feel as photogenic, and also, it's hot! In the nicest way possible, I was surprised at how nice the pictures of Matt turned out. Those that know us, know that between the two of us, we may be the most unphotogenic people in the world. But every picture I took of Matt was really nice!

The first two, I used the re-touching available in camera. I don't know if it was necessary, but it's certainly very nice and natural looking.

So you see, a very slight difference in skin tone, and... I don't know which is the original. (yay for being useful)
In the next one, I like how it looks like Matt may be waiting to be abducted by aliens. In truth, it was twilight and lovely, so I will clearly need to figure out white balance and stuff.

Some more from Harbourfront:

And.... The heated garage in Patrick and Toni's old building (I think). Long exposure, impatience, night-time.

And in non-photo news, I've signed up for a Letterpress workshop! I'm terribly excited. Snap and Tumble. It's not until Sept 27, so nothing to share for quite a while. But maybe there will be knitting soon.

New Camera, finally!

2009-08-15T23:03:00.002-04:00

I finally decided to buy my new camera. I was a bit undecided because of news about a new Nikon body being released any week now, but ultimately decided that I didn't care very much about the new features, and that I wasn't interested in the higher price.

We went to Downtown Camera first, and received shockingly good help (and a wee discount on my film, cross-processing here I come!). We then went to Henry's outlet store, and then to the real Henry's, where I received pleasant, but not very useful help.

So back home to research, and eventually back to Downtown Camera to buy a Nikon D60!!!!

Here are a few of the pics from the maiden trip!

Life is crazy and I'm so tired

2009-08-13T07:33:00.003-04:00

Sorry I disappeared - it's been all about running in my new (blessedly comfortable) running shoes, and more recently, trying to sleep off yet another cold. I felt so close to being well yesterday, but a poor night of sleep, and I am back to sniffling and aching. Just enough to be annoying, not enough to feel like doing nothing.

So today I'll talk about some books. I placed a hefty order at Microcosm Publishing (where by hefty, I mean 4 books, 2 of which are for me).

First of all, Hot Damn & Hell Yeah: the Dirty South Cookbook.

Oh man, this looks fantastic. It's Southern cooking, veganized. To be honest, if I ever start eating meat again, I might try to hunt down a chicken-fried steak, cuz nom! But there are recipes for chicken-fried tofu, biscuits and gravy, and lots of yummy tex-mex stuff too. So, for $5, I am overjoyed by the deliciousness. (and hey! Vegan red beans and rice! I Loooove red beans and rice!)

Book #2: Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills

This book looks cool so far - I'd love to be more natural with the household and personal stuff I use. But my main issue so far, where does one get all these random herbs? Like comfrey. Or slippery elm. Where do they come from???? Anyways, it seems like it will be a handy little book with lots of cool natural ideas. It's all hand-lettered and very cute (whereas Hell Yeah is all hilarious and full of drawings of skeletons...)

Book #3: The Hunger Games

Seriously excellent book. I was unsure about reading it, even though it was recommended by a colleague with good taste in books. It just sounded so depressing and upsetting, and potentially gory. It's like... Lord of the Flies mixed with Battle Royale, and a bit of dystopian future thrown in for fun. (I've never read Battle Royale. Probably should, but at this point, could my nerves handle it?)
Anyways, this book was excellent, really! Unfortunately, it's part of a trilogy, and the nature of the plot is such that it ends with quite the cliffhanger. But mixed in with all the crushing poverty and desperation to survive were some really nice, touching moments. Really! Seriously, go read it.

Decision made

2009-08-03T18:15:00.004-04:00

I refused the repairs on my camera, and so will be buying a new one. I'm thinking of a Nikon D40, but who knows? I'm not willing to spend much more than the repairs would cost, so that's the limiting factor. And I already have a Nikon lens.

I've been knitting, etc lately. Here is a lump of knitting that will eventually become a pretty, lacey scarf:

I also baked a bit today. I was inspired to seek out a recipe for peanut butter banana chocolate chip muffins. I had one that was most excellent, but the recipe didn't quite live up to what I bought at the health food store.

And I've decided this is my new favourite song: (It's not a safe-for-work song!!)

Customer Service

2009-07-31T19:00:00.003-04:00

It's been busy lately - I'm still struggling to make my schedule work for me. Who would have thought that getting home at 6:30 would be so annoying?

Lately, I've had some wonderful customer service. I bought some (giant, vampire-killing stakes) wooden knitting needles from Brittany to use for a hat, and found out that one of the needles was cracked and very good at snagging yarn. Brittany replaced it, no questions and no hassle!

I bought a copy of the pattern for a Flower Basket >Shawl, and didn't receive part of the pattern. After posting on Ravelry to see what I was missing, the owner of the company emailed me the second half of the pattern that day!

On the not so great side, Nikon got back to me about my D70. Of course, of course, it's not covered by the service advisory. So I am looking at $323.75 to repair parts of my camera which were not damaged when I mailed it to them. I guess I will be buying a new camera body soon. I'm leaning towards a Nikon D40 or D60, only because I already have a nice lens.

So, I've been stressing. What do you do in this situation? Avoid being wasteful, and pay for repairs to a discontinued camera? Sell everything and give up on fancy cameras?

Weekly Update

2009-07-26T14:18:00.003-04:00

Cuz that's all I ever manage to do, it seems.

I went to see Harry Potter last Sunday, and it was meh. Most people I've talked to agree, but generally the internet seems much more favourable. Meh. I'm not sure why I bother - I am so much more of a book person that sometimes it seems like it's just not worth it to watch movie adaptations. Will I see the last two movies in the series? I'm sure I will, although I already have my doubts.

Tour de Fleece? I did pretty well for the first half. Now that it's the last day, well. I spun up about 200 yards of singles. So once the second skein is washed and dried, I'll post a pic.

Been caught knitting!

2009-07-19T09:04:00.003-04:00

So I mentioned how I finished Ishbel a while ago, well now it's all blocked! My pictures, they are terrible, but... They'll do, for now. For perspective, it's a triangle that's about 4' wide, I think, and maybe 18" at the point. Very nicely sized, I think!

Here's a view of part of it.

And here's a closeup on the beads (they are irridescent sky blue, maybe too light!):

I'm very happy with it, and will try to get a nice picture of the whole thing soon!

oh blerg

2009-07-15T18:31:00.001-04:00

c'est tout.

Busy weekend!

2009-07-15T10:34:00.003-04:00

It feels like Friday was soooo long ago! My weekend started with VIA being EARLY! Early!! This is unheard of! Then the concert at Harbourfront which I already mentioned.

Then Michael and Laura's wedding on Saturday, which was very nice. Long though. Before going to the wedding, we went to St Lawrence Market, then home, then out the other way to the Japanese Paper Place, The Knit Cafe, and a stop at Clafouti for some lunchin (nommity nom! My cheese croissant was most excellent!) But yes, the reception was nice, and I got to have veggie lasagna and samosas (odd, but a good thing) And Michael actually played The Final countdown (Gob's music on Arrested Development) as part of the music! Ha!

Sunday was.... Swimming and french toast and chinatown and FRESH SUGARCANE juice!!! It was really interesting, and not at all like the bottled sugarcane juice I've had in the past.

Monday was yoga at the Yoga Sanctuary, and sore feet, and then watching Fanboys at Nikki's. (It was a good movie, but I'm not 'up' enough on Star Wars to get all the jokes, and also: no need for terminal illnesses, really)

Tuesday was.... Being tired and wanting to do nothing. So I knit until lunchtime, then went to The Purple Purl, and found neat new stores one block away. Six Shooter Records, where I easily could have dropped hundreds on cds, vinyl, books, and whatever.... And Eye Spy, having a moving sale, where I... Overdid it. I bought a new camera, the Ikimono, among other things. It shall be fun!

Oh, and wow! NEKO CASE! We went to see Neko Case last night! Through an extreme case of the lazies, we missed the opener, Jason Lytle, but I don't mind terribly. The seats were uncomfortable, and I like my loud in smaller doses. Neko Case is really quite awesome live. And hilarious. She was amused by our nice, tidy, bi-annual garbage strike.

Holy !!!

2009-07-11T09:57:00.002-04:00

Last night, we went to Harbourfront to see a band. I really like seeing bands at Harbourfront, and usually go once or twice each summer. Last summer we saw Final Fantasy and Do Make Say Think, and it was fun! This year was fun too. Nothing like eating spicy corn soup while watching crazy electronic rock.

In other stuff and things, I've been knitting. While I was off sick, I got a bunch of knitting done, and am now the proud owner of a yellow cashmere beaded Ishbel. It still needs to be blocked, and that won't happen until later next week, but it looks nice anyways, see?

Tour de Fleece has been going spinningly. No pictures because, well, it's the same fibre. Nothing new to see. I'll skein it all up at the end, and give a total yardage.

Tour de Fleece??

2009-07-05T18:28:00.002-04:00

I signed up for Tour de Fleece this year! It's a spinning thing that runs the duration of the Tour de France, where you try to spin every day, and meet goals and such.
I'm using a new spindle - my lovely 43g Padauk and Canarywood Dervish! And oh, I love it. I probably say that about every spindle, but hey. It's a dual-whorl, tri-wing spindle - how do you like that?

So, this is what I've accomplished between today and yesterday. A full cop (since I'm lazy - I know I could fit much much more):

And about 90 yards of floofy lovely singles:

My ultimate goal is to spin every day, and to finish the entire amount of blue fluff (about 7oz - I spun a small bit on my wheel, and have ignored the rest ever since). It's all a bit thick'n'thin, but that's okay, it's what I was aiming for!

And the big winner....

2009-07-03T08:24:00.003-04:00

Is Turtle!!! (thanks to random.org's choice of number 11)

Sorry for the delay, I've been under the weather, and well... Two days isn't too long.

Thanks for entering, and thanks for sharing your favourite books and music - lots of stuff for me to check out :)

Camera stuff

2009-06-27T17:38:00.002-04:00

I've been having troubles with my Nikon D70. Whenever I put the memory card in, the camera would be fine to take a picture or two. But then the camera wouldn't recognize the card, and so also wouldn't take pictures. It turns out that there's a service advisory for the D70 dealing with exactly this issue, so I must pack it up and send it away....

Meanwhile, ye olde digitale camera is acting up too! It's been using batteries up instantly! So again, one picture, and fini.

So until one of these problems is resolved, my blog will continue to be a pictureless place. Sorry!

(and not surprisingly, the Holga needs a few tweaks before I start a new roll of film. It is a Chinese toy camera though, so not surprising, perhaps?)

Return of the yoga

2009-06-22T20:18:00.003-04:00

So, it has been about 3 weeks since the last yoga class of the session. In that short time, I've bumped my runs up to ~5km 3 times a week. In this short time, I've also developed some hip pain. Walking is fine, and running is mostly fine, but sitting or putting weight only on my right leg causes it to flare up. (in complete seriousness, I blame our trip to Ireland. the day we returned caused hip pain like I'd never experienced, and it's been showing up a bit every once in a while)

So tonight I went to a new yoga class! And for the first time in three weeks, I can stand on my right leg without any pain. It was an outdoor class, which was a new experience for me. I found it very similar to hot yoga class I took at Christmas, but that was more the class style. (fast, lots of moving. Not as precise as Iyengar)

So, I guess it's just that something we do in the yoga classes stretches my hip in such a way that it feels good! I haven't yet figured it out at home, but I'm not averse to outdoor yoga for the summer. It's much more athletic than I'm used to, so it's a good workout.

And... Don't go to yoga with a ballet/dance teacher. It will make you feel a little bit sad. And even though it's ridiculous, you will think to yourself, why can't I put my leg over my shoulder while in a lunge position?

Yay for yoga!

New hobby FAIL

2009-06-15T18:47:00.003-04:00

Sort of. Did I mention that I bought a Holga camera before our trip? I've always wanted to try medium format, and what better than with a camera that takes 'artistic' pictures solely because of its junkiness? So I shot 2 rolls of film in Ireland, and they are a hot mess. Seriously. Light leaks galore (when the back fell off), and format issues. The roll shot around here is better! Out of 3 rolls, there are 6 that I will share. One because it's amusing, and the rest because I like them. Cost of these 6 pictures? $30 for the camera, $21 for 3 rolls of film, $12 for developing, and $18 for scanning (lousy junky poo scanning). So.. $81 for 6 shots.

Et voila:
Let's start with the bad - but a fun memory! They put a shamrock in your Guinness at the factory, through the magic of beer foam and um... skillz.

The not so bad:

The "HEY! I like these!":

And my favourite:

Happy Anniversary to meeeeeeeeee

2009-06-14T19:43:00.003-04:00

Craziness, this is my 500th post! My first post was waaaaaay back in September 2005!

And, in the spirit of happiness and sharing, I'll be giving away something. What? I don't know - it depends on who wins! A drop-spindle spinning kit? Some yummy Posh Yarn laceweight and a pattern of your choice? Whatever! We can work it out.

All you have to do is leave a comment (with a way to contact you - either email address or Rav id) telling me either your favourite book/author, or favourite music (band, artist, album, whatever!). Both would be fine too! I'll pick a winner on Canada Day (July 1) and it will be fun. Anyone can enter cuz I'm willing to ship anywhere.

YEEEEHAW!

Blog Neglect

2009-06-07T22:07:00.004-04:00

I've been so neglectful of my blog lately. Partly because I never really got back into it after the trip, partly because life is just getting so busy! Because, it's official, I'm working full-time now! (it's only a temp thing, to cover sick leave in the department, but still.)

My knitting has mostly been of the secret or uninteresting type. I will be posting a pattern for a cowl that I knit for a swap quite soon, and am also working on a sweater for a co-worker who is soon to be a dad, and a Featherweight Cardigan (which is progressing as slowly as one would expect!)

I've been reading. Lots and lots. Everything is listed here, and I try to update it as soon as I finish something.

But, this weekend was nice. I baked these thumbprint cookies, but replaced raspberry jam with peach habanero jam! Awesome! They are super good, and I've never made thumbprint cookies before!
Here is what was left (the red are strawberry.. Not as good)

I AM IRON MAN

2009-05-29T20:32:00.003-04:00

Iron Man

Whew!

2009-05-18T14:50:00.004-04:00

It's been a crazy week, maybe. Or maybe not. (at some point, I still want to blog a bit more about Belfast and Derry. I was so struck by how much these cities have gone through. Although I loved Galway and Dublin, I really want, maybe even need, to know more about Northern Ireland.)

I turned down the job. I think if circumstances had been different, I would have been much more positive. But it just wasn't right for now. And in other work news, I'm applying for temp full-time at work. I have the most seniority, so it should work out. But I'll count my chickens later, not just yet.

I've also knit two catnip mice for a co-worker who's off on sick-leave, and I only have one more to knit. She adores her cats, so I think she will like these :)

Holiday: Wedding and London

2009-05-15T09:42:00.002-04:00

(what can I say? I ran out of patience.)

Job update: I've been offered the job, and feel like I will likely turn it down. Eeeep.

So, the wedding was at Narrow Water Castle in Warrenpoint, near Newry. It was a very nice castle (can I say that without sounding totally redonkulous? Really?), and the wedding was very nice as well.

It was at this wedding where I started to think, and confirmed at my cousin's wedding a week later, I do not have the personality for a wedding. My public proclamations of love would be Mallrats-esque - (ie, "What can I say? I love the retard." and fist-bumps all around.) I think that's about as sentimental as I get. Lucky for everyone else that the rest of the world does not feel that way.

Anyways, I had a camera fail - the lighting was dim, and my pictures are terrible. So I will share pictures of the garden and exterior and direct you to Matt or Matty's accounts of the trip for more pictures.

London: We did London in a day. Managed to see Big Ben, London Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Liberty (looooooooove. Love! LOVE!), Harrod's, Victoria and Albert Museum, walked along the Thames for a while, Buckingham Palace, and... Probably more. I dunno. Pictures were hard - the buildings were so big that we couldn't get far enough away to take nice pictures. Heh.

(this is 100% a Matt picture, but I thought it was pretty, even if cemeteries should be left alone)

(the apocalypse is nigh!)

Great day

2009-05-09T19:08:00.002-04:00

Today was an awesome day. I was home for the weekend and not working! Matt was home for Mother's Day, so I stayed home. I went on a small adventure or two with my mom, and found a few cool things.

First off: randomly saw this shop (Mixed Media) as we were looking for parking. Passed it by, then demanded that we turn around and go back. Spent too much on a sweet t-shirt and a book. The book is F. W. Tamblyn's Home Instructor in Penmanship. Using Patrick's grandpa's fountain pen at the wedding brunch totally reminded me how much I've always loved playing with fonts and writing. The thing that totally sold me on this book? There are even pages of instructions for decorative pictures and elements (what is the word? Like fancy horizontal rules, etc) Time to dig out all my old fountain pens!!!! (I think my mom would have twitched if I'd purchased pens and ink as well!) So yes, totally a repeat-visit type store. I wish I went to Hamilton more often, there's so much cool stuff I miss doing there!

Then we went to the newly re-located Farmer's Market and bought some yummy stuff.

Then finally, made our way out of Hamilton, so I could meet with one of the makers of Watson Wheels. Super awesome experience, I paid my deposit on the spot. I haven't decided exactly what I want, but I'm quite sure it's a Marie made of cherry, with the flyer on the right.

Holiday: Galway

2009-05-08T10:31:00.005-04:00

Job update: evidently, I'm on the short-list for hiring. Eeep! Unfortunately, I have no idea what I will do if offered the job.

Galway:
The next 2 days were based in Galway. We stayed at Devondel B&B, which was super awesome. I think Galway may have been my favourite city, but it's hard to say. They all had different personalities.

Some pictures of the river in the city, and a warning that Galway is really where my pictures turned to poo.

On our second day, we went to the Aran Islands, specifically Inishmore, the biggest of the three. We took a ferry which hurt my tummy, and then decided to walk to the fort rather than take a van tour. We didn't have enough time to go up to the fort, but I'm happy we decided to walk. It was so nice!!
(gonna go nuts with pictures at this point. And make a note that there were many altars (shrines?) (crucifixes) set up outside on the island.)

Here's a town, which was closed for a film shoot. We were told the name, but.... Failed to remember. (Leap Year - Google success!)

And what may be my favourite picture from the entire trip, so far (still have 2 rolls of film to develop)

Holiday: Dublin

2009-05-05T17:32:00.004-04:00

So, I think I will talk about my trip one city at a time. I'm still recovering... So tired!

I'll include my job interview in this post. I made it to Richmond Hill, found the library. The interview was fine, but the job sounded meh. They said they would make a decision by sometime early last week, so I'm thinking it's a no for me. Not a problem at the moment.

Dublin
The flight to Philly was scary. The flight to Dublin was long, but okay. While on the bus from the Airport to downtown, I was shocked by the barbed wire. I assumed we must have been driving through terrible neighbourhoods, but no. It's EVERYWHERE.

So day 1 of Dublin, we hit up Trinity College. Obviously I had to see the Long Room and the Book of Kells, so we took a tour and then looked at the book.
Pics of the campus, since no pics of the library.

I think we just walked around a lot after that, and went to a place called Gruel for supper. Toni suggested it, and the guidebook did too. It was fine.

Day 2:

We went to the Guinness storehouse because it seemed like the thing to do. I don't drink, and Matt drinks little, so.... I did try a sip of Guinness though. Blegh, I say.
So, the lighting was awful and the tour was silly. Here are some crazy awesome posters!

So then we went to Avoca Handweavers for lunch and shopping. Lunch was awesome, and shopping was too. Matt bought his mom a scarf and a book, and I got nothing. But the soup was good!

Then we headed to the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle, which was awesome awesome awesome. No need to go to Trinity for the Book of Kells, there are many more examples of awesome illumination here, and from various cultures too. I only looked at the 'Art of the Book' exhibit cuz Matt was busy feeling sick. (We assume Guinness is not meant to be consumed before lunch by those not used to alcohol)

Again, no pictures. So some buildings and stuff!
Where by buildings, I mean one building, and one lawn with snakes laid out in bricks. Awesome!

Then.... We went to St Stephen's Green, and took pictures of flowers and the impending apocalypse. Or maybe just plants and stuff.

Supper was at Wagamama, and then we got ready to leave for Galway the next morning.....

Oh my gosh! I'm back!

2009-05-05T06:24:00.001-04:00

I'll have more to say later. It was a great trip but it's good to be back in Canada.

Guinness is good for you!

2009-04-27T16:50:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure Matt agrees.

(taken at the Gravity Bar in the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin)

Dublin!

2009-04-27T02:13:00.002-04:00

We made it safely to Dublin. The first flight from Toronto to Philadelphia was possibly the worst thing in the world.

But Dublin is a nice city, and I'm sad that we didn't stay longer. We're heading out to Galway today, where we will be internet-less, oh no!

Just a note, Wagamama is super yum, and the Avoca basement is super yum as well. (I seriously regret not buying their chocolate chip cookies.)

2009-04-22T12:37:00.002-04:00

This is it. The day.

Tonight I'm leaving for Toronto. First, to a job interview tomorrow. Then, to an airport on Friday. (Should I be so anxious that I feel sick and teary? Cuz I totally do)

Hasta la vista, baby.

Wow,stuff and things!

2009-04-19T21:27:00.003-04:00

I have a job interview! The day before I leave! Ack!
And lots of stuff going on at my job too!
And we leave on Friday!
And I still need to pack!

And I finished knitting Laminaria!
Wowzers, look at that lace! (my first real lace, even)

A picture from my most recent picture expedition:

And ha! Another finished object post with no useful information! This was knit with Spazspun laceweight (millspun). It's 50% merino, 50% silk, 1200 yards/4oz, but the base was almost certainly not Jaggerspun Zephyr. I knit the small size, with one less repeat of the blossom chart than written (modular lace for the win!), but estimate that I used at least 450 yards.

Wowzers, time flies!

2009-04-10T22:59:00.005-04:00

It is 12 days until we leave for Ireland. I don't think I'm ready, I don't think I can go. I'm afraid of the plane, and eeek. It all seems so complicated.

This weekend I watched Twilight, the movie. Eeek... But yeah, everything we were interested in renting was gone, so we thought it would be fun and corny. But it was kind of just not good. Although, I liked the soundtrack. It was pretty awesome. (guilty confession time: I've been listening to it since Friday. I think Robert Pattinson should consider a career change.) I've also knit a bunch this weekend, and will be knitting for the foreseeable future.

In other news, my lovely Victoria will be heading to a new home tomorrow. I feel conflicted, I've loved spinning stuff, but would be way happier with a different wheel. I know that when I mail it away,there's a possibility that I will just never get around to buying a replacement.
So, bye bye victoria! I hope your new life suits you well!

(also, I saw a movie at Blockbuster called Faith like Potatoes. Wait till no-one's around, and say it out loud. Did you repeat it another 3 or 4 times trying to make sense of it, and trying to make it sound awesome? Cuz I totally did. In the middle of the video store!)

Real Photography Attempt #1

2009-04-05T12:27:00.001-04:00

Since I'm now the happy owner of a Nikon D70, I have to learn how to take pictures again. (it takes pictures of what you see. Craziness)

Attempt #1 had some FAIL. I took a macro shot, and forgot to switch it back. So everything afterwards is a bit funky. Here are my two favourites, the little shoot that ruined it all, and an evergreen that persevered through the failure.

Pay it forward, yo

2009-04-05T08:03:00.003-04:00

I saw this on Batty's blog, and always thought this sounded like fun. So, it basically works like this (see below). Now remember, I have a wide range of interests! So, if you're local (hey Matt or Matt, you could sign up, if you wanted! and would make things for 5 random people too) I might cook, but if you're not, there could be handspun yarn, something knit, crocheted, or sewn, or some random thing that I thought would be fun. Who knows?

The first five (cinq) (cinco) (5) people to respond to this post will get something made by me.
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. (No refunds… no exchanges!!!!)
2. What I create will be just for you, with love from me.
3. It'll be done this year (2009).
4. I will not give you any clue what it's going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. I may even create something totally unbelievable and surprise you!! Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
6. In return, all you need to do is post this text into a note/post of your own and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to it.
7. I'll contact you for your mailing address, so we don't all get spammed. No spam! It'll be fun!

IMPORTANT: This offer is null and void if I do not see you post your own note to pay this forward.

Wowzers

2009-04-03T19:28:00.003-04:00

Someone wants to buy my wheel! I'd all but forgotten about my crazy plan to sell it, but now that someone wants it, well... Why not? I haven't touched it in quite a while. I can get reacquainted with my spindle collection while thinking about my next step. (Majacraft Rose or a Watson wheel??)

So, ta for now, Lovely Victoria.

Amusing!

2009-03-31T21:53:00.002-04:00

Through logical guessing and general knowledge, I got 85% right on this art history quiz. Heh.

What a weekend!

2009-03-30T15:56:00.005-04:00

I had Friday off, which was lovely. Matt and I walked 15km! Seriously. We got chocolate gelato from Soma, which was amazing. And went to see The Watchmen, which was not amazing, but was good. And picked up Matt's Mac....

I also cooked a fair bit this weekend. I made some Peanut butter chocolate chip scones. For my first attempt at scone-making, they turned out really well! Kind of odd, and I think I'd prefer something more traditional, but quite yummy with strawberry jam. I also made some Stir-fried brown rice, which was a bit horrible. Mostly because it had to sit for a while before eating, but also cuz bok choy+green beans= weird fried rice.

I also got a new (to me) camera, so there might be some nicer pictures around here someday! Exciting, but lots to learn. I forgot everything I knew about SLRs...

***WATCHMEN SPOILERS***

So. The Watchmen. I own the book, I love it. The movie was not terrible, truly. I enjoyed it, but shook my fists at the screen repeatedly. A MAJOR plot point was changed, and a smaller plot point changed perception of a major character quite a lot. I didn't see the need for the first (blaming the explosions on Dr. Manhattan rather than aliens... such a small thing, but still. Totally not necessary.) and was really angry by the second. (Rorshach would not beg to die. He didn't in the book, and wouldn't. JUST WOULD NOT! argh.) NOTE: this may be based on my faulty remembering of the book. Any inaccuracies are strictly my own invention.

Today is Ada Lovelace Day

2009-03-24T20:44:00.002-04:00

Ada Lovelace is considered to be the world's first computer programmer. Fascinating when you think about it. She lived from 1815-1852, when women did stuff and things, but quite certainly did not write 'code' for 'analytical engines'. She lived a very interesting life. So, here's to women in technology. I am not one, although I once aspired to be.

A sweater, finally!

2009-03-14T15:06:00.003-04:00

I started this cardigan many months ago. I believe I started it just after I got mono (April 22), but possibly a bit before. Regardless, 11 months! It's been mostly done for a very long time, just waiting for ends to be woven in (many ends!) and buttons to be chosen.

This is the Buttony Cardigan, knit in a thicker yarn to make it fit a larger person (me). My gauge got tighter and tighter as I knit, and I was more and more afraid that it would be too tight, but a nice soak sorted that all out. Stylistically, I decided that I only wanted buttons halfway. (although buttonholes do exist all the way down)

So, here it is! Knit in Noro Taiyo, colour number 4, using 4 skeins. Totally not my usual colours (hello red, pink, and purple! I'm referring to you!) I did do a bit of cutting and rearranging to get the striping to work out, due to knots/breaks/etc. Not obsessive, but definitely picky about it. I think it paid off :)

I'm totally thrilled with it, and am so happy that it's done just at the right time.