Impending doom

You may have gathered, if you've actually been reading my blog (hi Erin!) that I am moving to Canada again.
Yes I am from there, but I have been living in England for about 5 years now, which is a helluva long time! I've been quite stressed about it which is really funny, as it's Home. My real home. I'm even moving into what was my grandma's house where I lived back in university - into the same Room, very much Home if I were to have one! My mom lives there. My cat lives there. My brother lives there. It's sounding a bit small come to think of it.... he he

My concern is that all of my knitting friends live here in England. I will reunite with many many friends back home. That's where most of my "family-friends" are. Not necessarily your parents friends, but those people that you can just be you, say what you want, argue, relax, not talk, and just be happy to be around people. I am very lucky to have several of these people in my life, some here in England but many back in Toronto.

My plan.

Start a knitting group in Toronto. Friends of friends.

And start offering knitting lessons. All over Toronto. To those in need of skills.

Sorted right? :)

Ships Ahoy.

Six or more weeks from today I might see my boxes of stuff again. Might. Hopefully.

They have embarked on a journey that will take them into central London, England and then onto a ship across the ocean to somehow make it into Toronto. Where they will then be sent by courier to my home in the city of Mississauga (essentially one big Toronto suburb, for those who don't know the area).

Inside these boxes are almost all of my knitting books, my straight needles and about half of my yarn collection.

This is a stressful time in my life as you can imagine! To remedy stress one must always take up a new knitting project. I think that's a written rule somewhere...

I have begun a Secret Santa present for my work exchange. I haven't made it very far yet, but I've done a bit on it. I have two weeks to complete them, and the first pair of these didn't take me a week, so I should be okay time wise.

I also have been making a blanket out of my scraps. It's quite fun. If I had known how much fun I would have started it ages ago!!!  I have so many favourite squares already. Not all of them are very square, more rectangles, which is something I need to work on I think!

A little of this, a little of that

I am packing my shipping boxes and found out today that my yarn can in fact go into the shipping boxes. The regulations were warnings for "some countries" but Canada is not one of them. Which is good because most of the stuff I'm packing was actually bought in Canada and brought over last Christmas!

When I first learned to knit I went a bit haywire and bought a ton of stuff. Needles, yarn, and I didn't know what half of the stuff was! Now I barely use straight needles and when I do my housemate always asks me questions with concern in her voice - something clearly is wrong. Why are those needles so straight? But this project, as it will be lengthy and ongoing the straights are good - I won't be desperate to get them for another project.

So I happily sorted my yarns into "Can go into shipping box" which meant if it got lost somewhere at sea as things sent in any sort of postal service have potential to do I might not break down and cry too much, and which "I might use soon (hopeful) or I am saving for a special special project." And here this means a decent amount of tears and regret if they are lost.

In my sorting I found lots of bits. Some big, some small. None full skeins and not even near half in many cases. What do I do with these once so loved, so full of memories of gifts, these finished items.

Something for me, something I can keep. A BLANKET! A random, stripey, patchy blanket! Or at least some squares for one at the moment. I think this will be my "long day, can't think" project. So easy. And something to make me actually make swatches perhaps?

New Design

So, I have this amazing shocking pink wool I bought at Romni in Toronto. If you knit and you want to travel, Romni is a destination to make you chose to visit Toronto. No lie.

I find this pink quite inspiring. Good pinks and good purples are hard to capture in a picture.

So I was making away and today I had a breakthrough. This happens on weekdays when I should be at work but am not. (And not sick, because that is never a recipe for productivity.) So today I had a driving test in the middle of the day and had the day off. I passed!

Then I designed these....

I like them. There are things I would change, but I'll knit the second and perhaps do another pair with changes. 

Maybe I will write these up as a pattern? I'll be umemployed soon so you might get a lot of productivity from me then!!! 

I am my Grandma's granddaughter....

Me and my mom aren't much alike. We look like twins but we're very very different. My mother is the sweetest person, and she takes a lifetime to make any decision. I make my choice and bolt along.

When I was a kid my grandma used to tell me that I was an old lady. Older than her. This was probably true as she was vibrant and lively and ALWAYS on the move. She wasn't the grannies at the park sat on the side lines by any stretch! She was crafty in the old sense. Making things out of nothing, cooking everything from scratch, sewing for fun but making useful things like quilts that were super warm and long long long lasting.

I think me and my grandma were very much alike. Sure she was sewing at 60, and I was doing the same at 16 but personality wise we were very similar. I butt heads with her more than my own mother. 

She was from Glasgow in Scotland and had really just moved to Canada for a holiday, thinking she wasn't going to live long. Then lived to 80! 

But I never got why she'd refuse to do certain things. Like get Canadian citizenship. Instead she'd stand every two or four years to renew her immigration landing card. And she wouldn't get any sort of phone plan on a contract (land line people, she hated cells). She would get an annual bus pass as that's all they would sell the seniors, otherwise I'm sure she would have only gotten monthly. 

I didn't understand this. 

But now I'm packing to move back to Canada myself from Britain and I realise. She was ready to go. At the drop of a hat she could run back to Scotland or wherever the wind took her. She was living life. She wasn't tied down. Yes, she had four children and a stick in the mud husband but despite that she kept her personal freedom. She kept her roots, it kept her as sane as someone self-named Crazy Grandma could be. 

And at 29 I have turned into her. I knit instead of sew, but I'm ready to go. 

But I don't mind. She was awesome. 

Oh my, that's pink

My little cousin keeps bugging me to teach her to knit. We've only sat and tried this twice now. But I do know, that a 4 year old must be quite talented to learn to knit at 4.

A 5 year old, as well, is slightly too young. Perhaps 7 is the best age? I'm not sure, but I think this little one will have quite a penchant for purchasing art supplies - one after my own heart.

So me, very craftily having already bought the wool, say to the little one "How about something pink for Christmas?"

"Oh, yes. Or purple. I like purple."

"How about pink stripes" Me, super crafty right? I have light pink and bright pink, already to go. Plotting and planning in my head.

Cousin: "Yes, purple and pink stripes"What?!

The problem with this kid is that her memory is pretty good. The only time she doesn't seem to remember things is when she doesn't want to. Or if you try to talk to her while there is ANYTHING else going on. But there was nothing.

I hope she likes it. Or forgets what she actually asked for. Perhaps I'm not so crafty.... but she is getting a bloody purple dragon, surely that will cover the whole "Purple" issue?

I hope so!

Own your knits

When I chose a knitting pattern for myself one of the key things needed is you have to really really really want to own/make that item. Watch it come to life, add it to your wardrobe, test your skills... there has to be a drive.

If your knitting project bores you chances are you won't actually want to finish it and it will be one of those things that sit in the bottom of your projects bin/bag/pile.

One of the things I really wanted to own was Cobalt by Kim Hargreaves. I chose burgandy, before the actual autumn fashion lines were out and luckily for me that colour is bang on trend. This of course had nothing to do with my selection and much more to do with the fact I really suit burgandy and couldn't find a cardigan I liked in the shops.

I finished this piece on a train from London to Rugby. Who knew there was an actual place called Rugby! I didn't get to see any of it, but the train got me there. Also, since I finished this on Monday I have worn it three times - today is only Thursday.

Here is my finished piece, worn with the dress that inspired the colour choice and the garment choice.