Welcome back to Canada, Eh?

I now officially live in Canada. My agent at customs was lovely and didn't charge me any tax on the items I was bringing into the country. To be fair, I don't really have much of value aside from my yarn collection and I'm sure no one cares about that in the slightest unless they are crazy knitters like me.

I haven't knit much since I've been back. But I was teaching my step sister the other day. She's progressing well. I think she also wants to learn crochet so I will have to brush up on that! I am heading to my Dads today for Christmas Day celebrations. We usually have Christmas Eve with my moms family, and Day with my Dad.

Last night was really fun seeing everyone. I was so sleepy by 8pm though, with the jet lag so I ended up in bed really early. AND I had a nap before everyone arrived! Now its 6am and I'm wide awake. Not good.

On the first day of Christmas....

I have been a very busy little bee.

My last day of working in England happened today. Tomorrow is one of my most favouritest people's birthdays. We are spending the day in London learning to make Sock Monkeys - hello awesomeness!!

Yesterday was a day spent in London, at Winter Wonderland. I was very good and only bought food and some small things, like a belt that has three owls on it.

I wanted to buy this from Joules, and I still might if they have my size tomorrow!

I finished my dragon FINALLY. 

Christmas Celebrations!

Tonight is my first Christmas party of the season. And, happily, it's my knit group's christmas!

We do a gift exchange where we buy crafty supplies or make something. Last year I got some lovely Rowan Cocoon and a copy of the Bella's Mittens from Ravelry. I gave a handmade hat, and others got things like craft books, home sewn needle holders, all sorts of awesome things!

I cannot wait to see what my lovely ladies have come up with this year!

And to socialise with them and eat a lot of crap (I bought a lot of crap).  I am giving a gift that keeps on giving - my favourite interchangeable needles. Well not mine, but the same as mine. I hope whoever gets them loves them!

Here is a picture of something I made earlier, for another secret santa that we're doing at work. :)

The Pressure Is On - 100 blog posts later....

This is my 100th post.

I feel it should be monumental, profound, you know. all that stuff that my dedicated readers deserve.

Today I did some non-knitterly things - like hiking up a hill in the mud. And buying groceries. And I actually took some pictures!

Here is the hill I walked up. It's called St Martha's Mount in Chilworth, Guildford, Surrey. Veeerrry close to where I live but this was my first time up!

I have also been working on knitting. This is true.

These are my next pattern that I shall be writing up! I didnt like the big "purled" gap between the cable and the stockinette starting in the pink ones, and while I love that twisted knit stitch up the side, I just didn't think it was working right, so I have fixed that in the blues and voila: 

Ive also started working more on my Maxfield. The front panels are single rows, and the sleeves will be double colour rows with 10 rows of navy to separate them. Hurrah. The sleeve stripes are my favourite. 

I also happened to put on facebook about wanting to start a knit group in Toronto and so far I've had a lot of positive response, and as I organised the one here in England, I think I'm more than capable of developing another perhaps! Challenge accepted. 

I also got a funny response to come knit at someone's work. Sounds like it could be interesting, meet some different people, volunteer some time, and while I love me some old ladies and their stories of life I think this won't be seniors but a variety of people from all walks of life. So while I might be unemployed when I get back home, that might not last long and in the meantime I might be able to do some really interesting things! 

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?