The Fish Knits

Following in Grumperina’s footsteps, here we have 10 Knitterly Things you probably didn’t know about me. That is, if I can think of 10…

1. I really enjoy knitting lace shawls, but I find shawls awkward to wear. I have had to tell myself NO to a lot of shawls I see, because chances are I won’t wear it once it’s done.

2. Elizabeth Zimmerman is my hero. I only think you may not know this since I just found her over the summer, while on blog hiatus. It’s not that I didn’t know of her before, it’s just that I had never looked through or read any of her books or patterns, so I didn’t really know what I was missing. Now I know!

3. I don’t tend to be happy with the sweaters I make myself. Of all the sweaters, cardis and tops that I have made for myself, I wear two. Sometimes a third. The rest are all too wide, or short (or both!) or the shaping is inadequate or… some other thing.

4. I plan on RIPing out 2 cardis and 1 top. I will remake the cardis, one using the same pattern just smaller, one with a completely different pattern since cropped, drop shouldered cardis just aren’t flattering to me, and the top (from the Rowan Summer Tweed Collection) will be made into something completely different.

5. I feel that I’m a technically proficient knitter (as in, my technique is good, my fabrics are well knitted) but I have a lot to learn about sizing and ease. A LOT!! See #3!

6. My favourite knitting companions are a bottle of Cabernet-Sauvingnon or Shiraz and a some good TV or a movie.

7. I hoard yarn. Oh wait, you knew that! It’s more that I hoard laceweight that you might find surprising, given #1…

8. So far, my favourite pattern to knit, and to wear is my Rogue sweater. I learned a lot making it and I was careful to make sure the shaping would work for my proportions. It seems odd, but my wide ribcage (and subsequently large bust measurement) make patterns that fit my bust too big everywhere else. Rogue was the first pattern I knitted where I actually *learned* from my past mistakes and went with a number of decreases to make it fit ME! Therefore, I love it. Love. It. Thanks Jenna!

9. I want to design patterns. Not professionaly, by any means, but I would like to knit stuff that I have come up with. I have a “be published in Knitty” ambition, but I think I have a ways to go yet. Despite having an art education I don’t consider myself creative enough. I am going to start with children’s sweaters (they’re smaller) and see how that goes first…

10. A lot of my friends think I’m nuts for the amount that I knit (I usually have my knitting with me, so I even knit in bars when I’m the only one doing it). Having said that, others will admit to knitting but quickly qualify it with “but I’m not nearly as good as you!” which I find tiring. I don’t like being put on a pedestal.

So there! 10 things! What about you?

I spent a great evening tonight at the Ottawa Knitters’ Guild’s inaugural meeting for the year. There was a really large turn out, and lots of knitting was seen and accomplished.

I have been working on a project since Friday, when I decided I needed something special to wear to a friend’s wedding this weekend. I am happy to report that I am now past the halfway point, and having it finished in time for the Big Day is looking more promising that it was on Monday evening (when I spent roughly an hour and a half trying to untangle a mess of ladder yarn… not much fun). Since this is something I am “designing” on the fly, I have run into the odd pitfall. Like tonight. Wanting to avoid the “knit up from both ends and graft in the middle” method of construction, I decided to flip the motif in the middle simply by rearranging the yo’s and K2tog’s/SSK’s. All went well till it came time to close a motif. Hmmm. I’m still working on the best way to do it. I think I have come up with a winner, but I am not convinced it is the *best* way to do it.

Here’s the thing…

I am trying to close a diamond that was formed in the beginning with a double yarn over. What I have left at the top is a pair of stitches which need to be eliminated in order to do a double yarn over in the next row. I think, really, that what I want is some kind of 2 stitch bind off which will neatly take care of itself without slanting one way as a regular bind off would. Any ideas? Su and I came up with a neat idea, but the result was a little too bulky (d’oh!). We thought of crossing one stitch through the other at the top of the diamond, and knitting each together with the adjoining stitch from the opposite side. I must have lost you there… Anyway, as I said it looks too bulky, which is a shame since it did a great job of making a point at the top of the diamond!

I think what I have decided to do is simply knit each top stitch together with the adjoining one on its own side. Less bulky for sure, but still not as elegant as I had hoped for.

So, anyone have any ideas? This is becoming as much of a knitterly challenge as anything, since I really don’t feel like grafting together two pieces with eyelets, knitted in ladder yarn!

Apologies for the lack of pictures. I’ll see if I can get some up tomorrow…

Thanks!

Happy Birthday to Evan and Happy 43rd Anniversary to my parents!

Everyone needs a little kick in the pants from time to time in order to get out from under their rock, and the beginning of my family’s celebratory season seems like as good a kick as any for me to do just that. Warning: this is a hugely photo heavy post!

On the 5th my boy hit the big 3!

Thanks to Carol for snapping a few pics for me!

We had a great little party with a few friends over, we did the make-your-own-pizza thing (which worked quite well with our little guys who are all between the ages of two and a half and four) and as far as I could tell a good time was had by all. Including the mums! Joshua and I went all out this year with the cake. It was 3 layers of double chocolate amazingness with a ton of icing all over and inside it. Since our oven is really just a glorified Easy Bake (really- there are no racks inside. No room! For Christmas last year we had to roast the Turkey on the BBQ!) it took us about 3 hours to make the thing. One layer at a time. Oy! I think Evan was suitably impressed though…

*Warning: Parental gushing to follow…*

Anyone who has met Evan will tell you that he’s quite something as far as 3 year olds go, and I have to agree. I know, I’m supposed to agree, but the little dude makes it pretty easy! He’s very bright and charming, clever and well-spoken. He’ll have to be careful with that last one as he gets older… not many people like to be corrected, but for now he’s cute enough to get away with it.

He has a slap shot to be reconed with, and is a pretty mean soccer player too. Not to mention the rocket arm he has when throwing a football! This last was even endorsed by the Quarterback coaches at Olympia Sport Camp, where I coach Synchro each summer. So even at this early stage, it looks like we’ll be heading off to one kind of sport practices or another as Dude gets a little older. He certainly enjoyed Popsicle Soccer this summer, and hiking in Gatineau Park was fun too.

One of the highlights of the year for me though, was the evening he came to the rock gym with me. He thought it was pretty neat, so…

That’s my boy.

Lucky for me Nursery school has started up again, this year three times per week. I am very happy to report that he LOVES IT! (Side note: My heart goes out to Jillian whose Henry will be at home a little longer. I know how much she must have been looking forward to those mornings, and I also know how much it makes your heart hurt when something happens that puts your kid(s) in potential danger.) Evan’s teachers are very happy to have him back in class this year, as he always makes them smile.

I admit that sometimes it feels like Evan is turning out so well in spite of me rather than because of me (like, for instance now, as he is watching a little tv while I write this…). I guess I’m just a really lucky Mum that he allows me to look so good in public! Thanks, Kiddo, for giving me lots to smile about.

* End parental gushing *

This:

Seems like a lifetime ago…

Incidentally, this photo is one that we have always loved. Evan is all of 12 hours old and it really looks like he’s making eye contact with his dad!

Anyway…….. Back to the post.

On the 7th my parents celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary!

I wish I had a good current photograph of them, but at least I can share a favourite photo of them from the early days of their relationship.

They’re a remarkable couple, who have weathered all kinds of trials and tribulations with grace, not the least of them being generated by yours truly. Hmm. I guess I had better watch out for that small boy of mine, lest the apple not fall far from the tree…!

Last year my parents sold the house I grew up in in the West Island of Montreal (it was the house they brought my brother and me home to from Hospital when we were born), and moved to the outskirts of Perth Ontario. This was, of course, very hard for me (I still can’t believe the new owners have put up that arbour thingy! We *so* would never have done that!) but they have done a great job of making their new house a real home. Of course, the fact that the new place is on a lake and I now have somewhere to keep my canoe and go paddling means that I have forgiven them the move… Being in Perth also means that they’re only 45 minutes away, so they are able to be more involved in Evan’s life, which is great. And Evan sure loves his Nanny and Pappa.

So Happy Anniversary to my parents, Liz and Rob. We’ll crack open a bottle of Redders in your honour, since you’re off for a few weeks and won’t be able to join us. Have a great trip and party hard for UJ’s 70th!!

For all those who may be interested in what I’ve been knitting over the last few months, don’t despair, there’s lots to show and tell. That will have to wait for another day though. And I hope it’ll be in the near future!