I'm into stormy patterns now, apparently - perhaps not surprising given the current weather here. However, this scarf brings me some joy! And Aphrodite likes it as well... despite the grey weather!
The lovely Storm Water scarf! It seems to have taken forever and the early process was ribbit-ridden, but success is now mine!
And check out this amazing Handmaiden Sea Silk...
Specs:
Pattern: Ciobair Fibre Designs (came with the yarn for $2.00 extra)
Yarn: Handmaiden Sea Silk (silk/seaweed fibre), one skein (the scarf used 95 of 100 grams).
Needles: 3.75 mm addis.
Size: 69" long by 10.5" wide
Start date: 21 February 2008, after two prior aborted attempts back in November 2007 and earlier in February.
Finish Date: 12 March 2008.
Notes:
- I knitted this pattern exclusively in public (mostly on my daily commute, but sometimes in staff meetings.
- I had a hard time getting the pattern (through my fault alone, I think). I actually had started it back in November 1007 at a public legal educational conference, but screwed it up and frogged many times and threw it aside in disgust. Then had to frog again earlier in February when I restarted it. However, once I got the pattern it was simple enough to do in transit. So, if you try it, stick it out - it's worth it!!!
- loved, as ever, working with the Sea Silk. Kudos to Handmaiden.
I brought it to the office today for the post-blocking photo. You may recall that pre-blocking the scarf looked like this:
(One of the coworkers thought it was a windsock!)
Well, now it looks like this...
What a difference, eh? It's officially taller than me! The blocking did its usual magic...
Four fabulous patterns by Sivia Harding. However, must finish the SOTSii first... today Clue 9 (the last clue!) will be released. I'm about halfway through Clue 8 at present.
It's a big day for me in a lot of ways...
Why am I dressed as a lawyer today? Well, I may have some good news within the week (and no, I'm not expecting - that would be very bad news - and no, I'm not getting married). All I can say is - please think about me between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. EST...
And, off to Romni at lunch for the PayDay ritual!
Thank goddess it's Friday!
Cheers,
Kristina
14 March 2008
Storm Water Scarf - my travel project
12 March 2008
you can do magic...
you can do magic you can have anything that you desire...
magic, and all you need is some blocking wire...
(apologies to America).
(Where are they now, anyway?!)
Warning: ultra-geeky knitting content ahead, even by my obsessive standards!
I decided to play with my newest toys (the blocking wires that Wannietta forced me to buy the other week) and see if I could reblock my Tuscany to better effect.
(I should clarify something. I may have stated the other day that I had never actually blocked this before. I can't remember - it's all just becoming a blur. Anyway, that is clearly untrue. However, the blocking job would have been cursory at best.)
It grew! It is now four inches wider and three inches deeper than before!
Ah, the lovely silken rolling hills of Toscana! Wish I were there!
(This is a photo of Siena, Italy. Sigh.)
But instead, I'm in Toronto, land of snow, freezing rain and cold. No green to be seen for kilometres... and those well south of the border, I fear. Oh well... I'm trying to make the best of it!
Here's the Tuscany again! Reborn!
(Check out some of my lubbly-jubbly mosaics to the left!!! Specifically, No Mirrors in Mah Hoose! and my mini bird bath. Shameless self-promotion!!! I tell you...But I digress, as ever. Here is a close up (no light in mah hoose today, rather than no mirrors, obviously!)
Oh, the pronunciation of the name of the mirror project is my little tribute to JJ, my favourite Scotsman. The same JJ, by the way, who entertained me greatly with a 1 1/2 hour running monologue last night when we watched Barbara Walter's recent TV special on the British monarchy.
Barbara made the dire mistake of calling the kilted piper who ushers in the Changing of the Guard "Buckingham Palace's version of a factory whistle". This offended both JJ's working class heritage and Scottish heritage, apparently. JJ who, by the way, was conscripted into the Air Force for three years at the Queen's behest - or was it the King at the time? Hmm...), detested every minute of it (this is the guy who spells the word "sir" with the letters C-U-R in his brain, don't forget!) and still resents it some 52 years later. Hmm.)
So, I can hardly wait to see what magic will be wreaked when I block this puppy:
This is my Storm Water scarf which I started back in February. I had the world's worst six hour staff meeting yesterday, but on the bright side it was very productive for this travel project. It will be finished after today's commute and I will block it tonight. Stay tuned...
What will this turn into, I wonder? Something lovely, I think. Ah, Sea Silk!Will it be as lovely as Tuscany, though? Hard to believe!
Well, that's enough for time. Away to work...Happy Wednesday!!!
05 March 2008
when will it end?!?
Well, it's official: I have had it with winter weather.
The weather gods are cruel, I have to tell you. They beckoned to us with halcyon promises of spring on Monday... I went out for a smoke without a jacket, it was so warm!!
But now this:
Snow, ice, freezing rain... and $#*@$&(@*#$&(@#*$ pigeons. Nothing is guaranteed to make heading out to work more daunting than this combination.
Nothing, that is, except this ... the first thing I saw when stepping out the door to go to work.
(Did I ever mention that I took this movie to heart?
Blech.)
Don't eat yellow snow!! (and man, did I ever get an odd look from one of the neighbours who passed me while I was taking this photo!)This was the path out from my building to the main drag:
And when I got to Bathurst Avenue,
(Let me remind you, folks, that's per litre, not per gallon. About the same price as 10 metres of Camelspin - which would come from more or less the same part of the world, no? I should note that I'm geographically challenged. Anyway, I know which I'd rather have! Do you? Three guesses and the first two don't count...
You got it in one!)... and yet another:
And now for a short public legal educational break...Grrr. My mood did not improve by the time I got downtown, either. But, for your information, this is what the CN Tower looks like when it's covered with snow:
Advisory to tenants: Nothing, and I mean nothing, is "free" when it comes to landlords. The TV probably retails for about $250.00 (provided it didn't fall off a truck, that is!) - and the bachelors in this building rent for $900.00/month for 600 square feet. You do the math.
And why the 13-month lease term, you ask? I'm not entirely certain but this has become more common of late. My educated guess is that the landlords are worried that the government will reintroduce rent controls on vacant units - fat chance! - and in that event, a thirteen month lease term will allow them to raise the rent after the permissible 12 month period so that even if the tenant should leave at the end of the lease period, the rent on the vacant unit will be higher. Those landlords... always thinking!!!
And - I noticed a solution to a big mystery that has been plaguing some of us here in Toronto.(Did I post about these mock ads on here or not? I can't find it. My brain has officially frozen. Anyway, these mysterious ads popped up in bus shelters and on transit around Toronto recently:
...and no one knew who was putting them up. So, here's the answer:
Subversive, no? A bid to get parents to stop pushing their kids into uni when maybe they'd be better off at a community college! Huzzah!)Finally, I got to work. But, on the upside, look how much I got done on my travel project!!!
(well, not all that, but she's lookin' good, no?)
And actually, it's about time to stop whining. Shameless plagiarist that I am, I'd like to take a page from Amy's 1. I'm grateful that I remembered to bring my lunch today so that I don't have to trudge out into the blizzard to buy something.
(Leftover lamb curry from Gandhi and naan by the President! Mmm!!)2. I'm grateful that they had chocolate raspberry coffee and butterscotch praline muffins at Fresh and Wild today on my way to work.
3. I'm grateful that I actually have a job to go to, and one that pays quite well and that I actually like most days to boot!
Cheers,
Kristina
PS. Well, I'm not quite done whining yet. Those of you who visit regularly know that I have a little ongoing beef with the news media, especially regarding their increasing tendency toward fearmongering. So, given that JJ will insist on having the evening news on television, I figured I'd start a little daily feature on the blog: Yesterday's Most Ridiculous Attempt to Induce Fear in the General Public. (If anyone has any ideas for a snappier name, please advise).
Today's entry:
We are apparently meant to be afraid that, in ten years' time or so, there will be too many jobs. That's right, folks.
You don't believe me? I couldn't make this stuff up!!!
Aging workforce fuels concern of labour shortage
Updated Tue. Mar. 4 2008 8:26 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The workforce in Canada is aging significantly, prompting concern from analysts about the impending threat of labour shortages across the country....
...Earlier this year, a Conference Board of Canada report warned that 90,000 jobs in the tech industry need to be filled over the next three years.
If not, the economy will take a $10-billion blow, said the report.
Too many jobs?!?!? Last week, we were subjected to a discussion of the increasing unemployment rate!!! When will it end?
Well, I'm back where I started, so it's high time I got off my high horse and signed off.
21 February 2008
mad for lace... or driven mad?!
Very recently, one piece of lace I was working on almost drove me around the bend: the Storm Water scarf. This is the second time I have endeavoured this pattern, and must have ripped it back in its entirety at least 50 times by this point. I managed to get this far the other day:
...and then everything went to hell.
So, just call me: 
(yes, yes, I know - I'm dating myself. This was the first video game I ever played. Coincidence? I think not!)
It's now frogged and GONE (at least it wasn't tossed over the balcony!
I don't understand why I can manage to do this type of lacework (after, mind you, lots of frogging!):
...but just can't seem to get my head around a relatively simple pattern.
So, I decided to throw over the (lovely) Pewter Sea Silk for a while. In its place, I've found a new favourite - Handmaiden Mini-Maiden! (sorry for cheating, sea silk. And with your sister to boot! I have no morals, obviously.
Half silk, half wool, all luxury. If you've ever used Belle Berger du Nord, it's like a laceweight version of that. Swoon.
This is my start on the Swallowtail Shawl
Check out the fancy beads! The colour reminds me of a sunset (or at least my very dim recollection of a sunset...it being February and all).
Mind you, the sun is shining today for once. I think it was also shining yesterday for a while but it was hard to tell as there was a huge fire downtown yesterday, which rendered the sky black and caused fumes in our office building several blocks away. We all went home early as a result and by the time I got home it was overcast again. SIGH.
But today is a new day. This morning before leaving for work, I read a post on frogging by Nautical Knitter on the Secret of the Stole II website. How timely!
She calls it "knitting backwards", which makes it sound far less tedious! I love the following quote in particular:
This post was inspirational enough that I decided to get out my Pewter Sea Silk this morning and start the Storm Water Scarf as a transit project. By the time I got to work, I had finished 20 rows without incident! Please wish me luck.
I am not sure that being proficient at working backwards is something to actually aspire to, but it is a necessary part of knitting and if you do not ever do it, then you are either perfect or not really knitting. Have confidence in the knitting skills you have already mastered, attempt those you feel comfortable with, and every once in a while try something you think might be beyond your skill level with the attitude that working backwards will be part of the whole experience.
(And so, the person who said a year ago "never, ever will I knit lace" is working on three consecutive lace projects. Hmm.)
Happy Thursday...
