Christmas busy

Hi all. Can you believe it's been almost two months to the day since I've posted? I can. A lot happened in there. In fibre talk a LOT of Christmas knitting that I couldn't post, a suit and a pile of little sewing bits. I started a new day job, spent a little short of a week in Ottawa working on another Creepy Puppet Project and started learning to belly dance. No point in getting bored!

So I'm going to back up a bit in blog land and tell one story at a time as not to completely kill those of you with slower download speeds.

Intelligence Quotient is the latest film in the Creepy Puppet Project series. Give it a watch here.



Maybe I'll post some of the pics of the wardrobe in partially done stages later. For now, a belated Merry Christmas!

I did it!

Well, it survived. This is Foliage from Knitty, knitted up in my souvenir yarn from the September cottage sabbatical. I love cottages in the fall, most people have gone home and it's so nice and quiet. This will be nice and cozy for the winter. The yarn is Freedom Spirit from England, 100% wool. It's nice and soft, I thought though after the third frog it was a goner!

Happy Halloween!!

mmmm...

One would think that with days at home, on the couch with a wicked bad cold I would get some knitting done. Well, I have, and I did, then, I did it again. I think I've knitted this hat 3 times at least now. I beginning to wonder if I don't understand the charts.... but, I'm going to try again. One more frog and this poor wool is destined for a felting project - it's not holding up too well. So, back to MST3K and knitting.

Reclamation Process

That all sounds very high and mighty doesn't it? I'm trying to reclaim some yarn from an old cardigan. My Grandmother brought this sweater home from a trip to Scotland and it was quite special to her. I have still been wearing it but it's (or was) full of holes and I know if I don't get one of those old fav but completely disreputable clothing items out of the house I will continue to wear it. So, I pulled it apart. The fronts were steaked unfortunately but the rest gave up quite a bit of quite nice wool. So in for a soak, a stretch and I'll swatch some things up and see if it can become a new vest (as my old one seems to be full of holes! See a theme here at all?!)

Maybe this can be called The Winter Bea Cleans Up Her Look.

Overtime

I stayed up way late - but it's so pretty. Over two yards of hand plaited braid for a belt. Seven strands to represent seven spirals, doubled for thickness. Goodnight!

Finished Object

I wore this last night and got so many compliments. How nice is that?

Finished Object!!

In only 3 1/2 weeks, done! Yay! I hope this will be fun to wear. I'm having to wait to see however as I entered it in the fair this weekend. Soon I will have a fun new sweater.

What's On the Table

Finally, I'm back to the sewing table. It feels good now that things are rolling again. The last couple of weeks I just accepted that all I could do was night shift. My body seems to have accepted the changes, so finishing work has commenced on the suit. Today, one blouse done.

Mystery Stole Three

Despite night shift doldrums I got something done.

Soap box time people!

Put very simply, I make things. I make things with my hands, one at a time and no two things are alike. Labels for what I do and how that defines me vary from seamstress to craftsperson to artist. Making things is as essential to me as breathing, just something I do and have done since I was a child.

The part that gets me is that what I do and how I do it has little or no value in our society. Oh, people will pay lip service, however that comes to a screeching halt when I tell them that making their dream dress will take me a minimum of two weeks full time labour and explain the costs of supporting me for those two weeks.

Those same people who claim to ‘understand’ and ‘respect’ what I do are the first in to the end of season sales at the chain stores, later bragging about their $10 dress. That dress what made by someone, perhaps a minor, working in sub prime conditions for little of no pay in a county with lower ‘standards’. While those of us lucky enough to live in our society with higher standards crash our financial systems because we want more.

As a society we carry more debt that any before us and as much as we all talk about how this is unhealthy, it sure doesn’t seem to be going away. Even when we are paying next to nothing for the ‘stuff’ we buy.

Just for a second imagine that we had to pay for everything we own based on supporting the same standard of living for the ‘makers’ as we want to maintain for ourselves?

It's Raining

I do not have babies, I do not want babies. In fact I tend to avoid babies (nieces excepted of course!), so why the all encompassing fixation on cute baby hats? Come on, tell me this hat doesn't make you smile on even this rainy cool morning! It doesn't even have a future owner yet but I had to make it.

Strechy unnamed cotton from Lettuce Knit in Toronto. They are small skeins but I may be able to get a second baby hat out of what's left.

Psst... Violet. This sure would look good on the Daily Chum next week!

SLACKER! - Or What's on the Table

Yep, it is so summertime. I would rather do just about anything than work! This is what I SHOULD be doing.

This is going to be a fun 1900's suit when it's all done.

I'm baaacccckkkk!!!

Sorry bout the silence there all. Nothing personal. It's summer time so I have been running around lots, soaking up sun and fun and too many fish fries! I also had a couple of weeks of being pretty low energy, I finally have my chiro to thank for a quick diagnosis, I got some antibiotics and I'm almost back to my old self.

So what have I been sewing/knitting? The mystery stole 3 has taken over my world. I stay up late knitting it, drag it around with me. I'm loving the twist of it being assymetrical. I really am enjoying the process. I'm finding however that how I hold my needles doing lace is doing bad things to the tendons in my wrists. Looks like lace knitting cannot become a long term addiction. Oh well, I have lots of addictions already.

I'll leave you with a pic of Trevor, aka a miner in Heist. I haven't gotten any more recent pictures lately. Don't worry, this was dress rehearsal, everyone received a warning about shiney shoes.

What's on the Needles

Ummm.. yeah, I think this is getting out of control. I may have to frog some things.

Mystery Stole 3 - in black alpaca Elann laceweight. I'm loving it, this is the most challenging thing I've ever knit.

Scotch Thistle Stole - in... purple. I'm also loving this, it is a Christmas present I hope.

Hedera - in Seacost Yarns bamboo blend. Very nice. I think this yarn is a bit heavier than that vintage wool I used for my first pair of Hedera, I'm lovin' it.

A scarf in Sock That Rock Firebird. I'm not loving it, I thought it would look like flames but I's just too purply. It's got to go.

A basic ribbed sock in Socks That Rock Silky, Walking on the Wild Tide. These are great, the wool is BEAUTIFUL however this is my cottage knitting so it doesn't get worked on much.

Ummm.. I think there's more but I can't think of it right now. I'm feeling like this is just too much. The scarf however is really the only frog candidate. I need to focus and get things done I guess.

Creepiness!

A couple of weeks ago I did some wardrobe work for a short film a friend was doing. It's done! Check it out.

Blind Rage

The Classic

Arresting drama on stage at Classic



Miners and would-be thieves James Reilly and Patrick Ryan — played by Ken Ashick, left, and Trevor O’Shaughnessy — find themselves facing the Ballentyne brothers, a.k.a. Lee King, at back, and PJ Baskey, in a scene from Heist. The original production, which opens at the Classic Theatre July 26, tells the story of the 1909 silver robbery at the Nova Scotia mine. (Staff photo by Diane Johnston)
by Diane Johnston
Speaker Reporter
COBALT — A century ago, 26 100-pound bars of silver were stolen from Cobalt’s Nova Scotia Mine.
But the great silver robbery of 1909 turned into a bit of a farce and fodder for Heist, the original production that takes centre stage at the Frog’s Breath Summer Theatre Festival at the Classic.
It’s “almost a Robin Hood story,” said director Ada Shearer.
Much of the production is set underground and in the Finn House, a well-known blind pig or speakeasy of the time.
“It’s local history brought to life,” Ms. Shearer said.
But while Heist is primarily a comedy, there will be some serious moments.
That too was part of life in Cobalt’s boom days, said Angela Drainville-Ashick, the show’s producer and the theatre’s general manager.
Labour unrest, workplace dangers, and epidemics were hallmarks of the period.
It’s difficult to tell the story of Cobalt without touching on the tragedies “through which a lot of these people suffered,” she said.
Heist was written and produced in collaboration with the theatre. It features a local cast, all of whom have stage experience.
They include Trevor O’Shaughnessy of Latchford, PJ Baskey of Notre-Dame-du-Nord, and the Tri-Towns’ Ken Ashick, Dan Hackett, Lee King and Alyssa Kostello.
Paul McLaren is the set designer and lead carpenter, while Bea Demarce is costume designer.
This year’s show, mounted with the help of funding from the Frog’s Breath Foundation, is the Classic’s third original summer production.
Heist opens July 26, continuing July 27 and 28 and August 2, 3 and 4.
The play, meanwhile, can be seen as part of tourism packages combining drama with meals, accommodations and passes to explore the Cobalt camp’s heritage attractions.
“People like to do one-stop shopping for their tourism dollar,” Ms. Drainville-Ashick said.
The packages are being offered with financial help from CTV.
“We are experiencing some out-of-town traffic,” she said.
The packages run until August 5.
For more information about the packages or to reserve tickets for Heist, contact the theatre at 679-8080 or check on-line at www.classictheatre.net.

What's on the Dress Form....

It's almost done! I'll post finish pics after the party tomorrow night. I made myself a fairy costume to wear to the Harry Potter book release party tomorrow night. Come on out to Chat Noir Books Friday night at midnight and you can see it in person! I'll be the lady in the wings.

Some Serious Structure

I've been wanting to make a corset for ages. This is going to be the foundation piece for my Harry Potter costume. Fun times.

Does anyone else do this?

So.. if you get bored or frustrated with some aspect of you life, do you take it out on your hair? I do....

As The Tumor Turns: Bettah Off At Last

As The Tumor Turns: Bettah Off At Last

I think all women should read this. I'm saddened by the thought that so many of us will recognize ourselves.

I'm back....

I'm actually putting up this picture, after two days with no shower and rain, and rain! It makes me laugh though....

Hogwarts!

Harry Potter is coming... and some young fan will get to have their picture taken wearing the Haileybury Hammers Quidditch jersey!

On the Way

What's on the needles? Easy DOes It in Yarn Pirate... yummy, though I'm still not digging the striping. I prefer the heathered colours. I do like them none the less!

They Didn't Rock

Recognize this wool, FROGGED! Bummer. They were really uncomfortable. I only wore them a couple of hours and the ridges under my feet was not comfortable. So, I frogged them right away rather than torture myself. The wool is going to go away for a little time out. I love the colours when it's all skeined up like this. I wonder what the medium weight would look like in Hedera?

Socks That Rock

I finally finished my Socks That Rock kit, with mods of course. I don't think anyone is capable of just knitting a pattern are they? The details are: Socks that Rock Medium weight in the Monsoon colourway in the Inside Out pattern. I did not do the cables on the leg (I tried, they were too tight) so the leg is just a rib. Overall, I'm ok with them but not in love. I'm concerned that the rib on the bottom of the foot is going to be too textured. I did arse up the pattern a bit so they really aren't of a gift quality, so, I have some more socks.

Letting go of the kit mentality is hard for me. If the pattern or yarn don't sing my name, or the combination of the two, I need to ditch one or the other and just make what I like. Next time, I think....

What's On the Table

Well.. it's kinda on the table. In fact it's in a basket getting drug all over the house. My first true lace.. I don't want to give details, it's a Christmas present and the name will give it away with BIG FLASHY LIGHTS. I don't know that the giftee reads this, but they may.

Isn't it pretty....

Finished!

The chicken viking hat is done! The drumsticks are almost a complete match. I'm thrilled. It wasn't perfect substitute for yarn but damn close. Cottontots by Berdina. It sure wouldn't stand up to frogging, a good tug snaps it and there was lots of tugging in those little freakin' drunsticks. I would highly recommned this pattern!

By the way, it's visiting the crabapple tree in my back yard. A couple of days after this photo it exploded in bloom. Everytime there was a breeze I felt like I was living in a music video covered in petals. Doesn't get any better than that...

What's On the Table

I have been working very hard the last week or so. This is one of three bridesmaid's dresses that are very close to being done. The flaw in the "Get Them All Done On the Long Weekend" plan was that the prototype dress was never hemmed. Therefore we never saw the hem to see that a blind hem in this satin is impossible. So.... all three dresses are hemless awaiting first a sample from me of one more type of hem and the the bride to choose what she likes.

First I am taking a couple of days "off". Off is qualified as there will probably be at least one day of wardrobe planning for my zombies. Other than that, rest, recreation and wardrobe planning is a holiday in my world.

Happy happy....

ps.. no sign of a mama bird, I may have some orphan eggs on my hands.

Look!

Look at what I noticed today. I will keep an eye on it for sure, it's right beside my door. I wonder if I will disturb them? I suppose the nest has been built and eggs laid before I noticed so the birds must know I'm there!

Look What I Got Done!

Look! I still knit. These are the Rainforest colour way from Lime & Violet.The fabric they knit up is so smooth and soft... and really dense. These babies are gonna last. They are a pretty vanilla sock, I jumped off from Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules basic sock and made them in a 3x1 rib. That's why they took so long. I thought they would be good travel knitting but nope, just kinda boring.

So I started the STR Inside Outside sock next. All the chatter on the blog about fitting problems and cable problems really have me intimidated, so I jumped in. So far they seem big, I will soldier on and if they are quite big the legs will become a rib and I have a great Christmas present ready to go.

And now for the announcements.... this is not a really exciting post but I'm learning something new... links! Let me know if anyone has any problems.

Edited: The links didn't add first time, lets see now.

Mystery Flowes

This is a mystery plant. It was living on the lawn, for I dunno, 10 years, probably more since there was a bed there. Every spring there would be a little orange flower and I would think, "I should move that." Well last year I remembered at the right time and look what I got!

What did I get? Any ideas?

Garden Season

Today I feel like I have really started gardening season. I cleaned out the compost, moved the compost bins to kill a new section of lawn and planted asparagus. This is noteworthy, I have wanted asparagus for a long, long time. In fact so much I have been responsible for two other beds being planted at friend's houses. I now have my own.

While cleaning out the compost I made some discoveries. The bags, labelled compsostable that came as shipping packaging I put in last year are, in fact not even a little bit biogradable. I mean, look at that picture, those are completely functional, usable, albeit dirty plastic bags. After a year of biodegrading! The only other things I had to dig out were the usual assortment of sticks, small logs and corn cobs and of course the wooden spoon that is 2 years in and still completely solid! Nothing like a good compost challenge to keep it interesting.

I'm a geek.

Fibre Content

Ummm... yeah, about that fibre stuff. I do still do it. This is the first stab at a Chicken Viking Hat I did mess up the decrease/texture near the top but decided to leave it because I really don't think I'm going to have two drumsticks, that match, facing in the same direction first time round. We'll see!

As Promised

The pic of me dancing.... I am the one blurrily laughing off to the left. You didn't really think I would publish a picture of me doing anything quite that ridiculous that wasn't blurry did you?

A complete success!

I am home, Grampa has been officially, loudly and racausly declared 90. There's no going back now! I sincerely wish for everyone that you live to 90 and have the both the balls and the means to throw yourself a party. Not just any party though, a party with at least 4 generations present, a live band (with fiddles) and caters (so none of the previously mentions 4 gens have to do the dishes!)

When I am home later I will post some pics that prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt that I cannot square dance - at all. I can however bust a serious groove later to a great band at the bar with my little bro!

Be happy.

What's On the Table

I am so excited. I bought a new camera. WOOT! The first pic ever is of the camera cozy I am making for it.

Also, welcome to a new blog theme, what's on the table. I have a massive sewing table and often friends are over and are intrigued at what's on the table, AKA what am I working on. So now that I am all camera capable I will take the odd photo and show everyone what's happening chez B.

Edited to add finished pic.... The monster head may be a tad high but, that's ok. It makes me smile.

More Socks

What will I do when I run out of a backlog of pics?! Currently on the needles are, plain 3x1 rib socks with L&V Rainforest wool, my STR club socks (though I don't know if I can claim a chain of crochet cast on as on the needles) and a Chicken Viking Hat... which may be turning into a grown up hat. Oh and of course the long neglected Fassette vest, some day I'll get back to that, it's beautiful.

These are Jaywalkers done in Austermann Step, they were for Mom's birthday last week. She says they fit perfectly.

An evening at work...

No one at work can read this... I knit and listened to podcasts ALL night.. the lime and violet rainforest sock is waiting for a kitchenered toe (if I had a needle it would be done.) The one and only advantage to working weekends is how quiet the shifts can be. I think I needed this down time.

Found out last night the funding on the BIG PROJECT is delayed, this removed a whole lot of stress but also was a bit of a let down. So I kinda took the day off fibre wise, surfed some amazing inspirational sites... maybe I'll be back at in with a vengance next week. I really have to find the time to do some stuff from my imagination. Though I spend so much time doing made to order stuff that when I get that all done I'm kinda spent.


me me me.. that's where I've been all day, in my head... that's ok sometimes but wow... I can't do this often, it's not always a happy friendly place in there!

Later!

People say I'm a dreamer....

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

I would say go do this little quiz, it's amazingly spot on. And I know.... I'm not the only one.

These are my Monkey Socks, design by Cookie wool by Apple Laine, Apple Pie called Grape Harvest. The wool is so soft a squooshy, but the socks are a bit small at the top for me. That's ok cuz I think these are going to be gifted although I won't tell who right now!

I'm up to my eyeballs in bridesmaid's dresses. I haven't drafted in ages so this is a challenge. Pics when I finally get that camera.

Swamped

Wow, I started this blog only to get just hammered on too many fronts. I've been fighting some sort of bug, sitting and slacking way too much. Then I got some FABULOUS work news that is just too big and scary to talk about here. When there are contracts and cheques I'll believe it for real. Until then I have to finish all of the jobs I have committed to by then end of April to free up my time. So... sew.. like the wind, no down time is the only way I am going to pull off this work load. Regular job, extra job, prep for dream job and the summer volunteer job... don't forget to squish some neices in there in the middle and finish the kitchen reno.

Some low level cool news includes that I am going to be getting a camera when I deliver and am paid for a small contract next week. Woot!!

A Near Miss

I knit a lot at work between work things. My shifts are all weekend ones, the one advantage to that is that they tend to be a bit quieter.

So last night I'm happily knitting along and I wasn't happy with the turn of my heel on the Feb Pich Up Sticks kit. No biggy, frogged it back and then some work things happened. When I went back to my knitting I realized I had rolled over the now long loose yarn several times with my office chair and broken it! Right at the heel, I didn't want a join there! Well I tried something new, a Russian join and I'm pleased to report I will use it again. It may be a SLIGHT bit thicker but no one will ever notice. There were way bigger slubs all through my yarn last month. YAY for disaster diverted

Job stress

So the time has come I am truly and totally fed up with my crazy, crazy swing shift. I am tired but... change is work and is it less work to maintain the status quo or to change? My life is not so crazy though that I cannot appreciate that I have skills that can be used to make a perfectly normal man look like this. I am da shit.

Ummm.. yeah

You Are Kermit

Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know.You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems.Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green.Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies!

http://www.blogthings.com/themuppetpersonalitytest/">The Muppet Personality Test

A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood

So the talk last night was the degree to which we were going to get slammed by a storm. Seems it's all for naught at there's not sign of it on the horizon of the weather sites. Oh well, I'm still off to do errands which for me, oh small town dweller that I am, involves the best part of a day. Of course factor in a little socializing in there for balance.

The scanner thing isn't really working for me. I'm not really pleased with the scan of my mittens, the Hedera sock isn't all bad but this morning I tried some Jaywalkers. Nope, they don't really fit on the platen, the shaping won't lie flat, over all it turned some nice socks into some nasty looking stuff. So... I hereby declare that I will buy a camera. I'm not going to sit and wait for the cash to fall out of the sky for the ulitmate coolest camera, the little one will do for blog shots and web work for now.

So to keep things interesting, here is a small pic from the hard drive. This dress was destined to be Ms Scarlett although politics rendered it useless. Too bad, it's pretty. It's a pattern of my own and the lovelyest red taffeta.

Have a great day

Socks

These baby blues are my New Year's socks. I flew to Ottawa for New Year's and of course needed something to work on in the plane.

These are Hedera by Cookie via Knitty. The wool is a vintage superwash from the local Sally Ann. There's definitely something to be said for 50 cent wool! I hope that balances out the wool that is a bit more than that.

Overall, a good pattern resulting in a good sock. They fit well and in fact this scan is after quite a few wearings and washing. Good stuff.

Catch Up

I'm going to play some catch up and post projects I've finished up since the New Year.

A dear friend saw thrummed mittens and fell in love, so she picked up supplies. Then of course, she called me, told me about them and said, "I have no idea how to make them but I'm sure you'll figure them out."! Well, we figured them out.

We both worked off to the freebie pattern from Yarn Forward, in Ottawa. I used Patons Classic Wool in Bright Red and hand dyed sliver from Fleece Artist called Wensleydale Teeswater. In retrospect I think the sliver was too smooth and fine, as you can see the mittens already have quite a halo and I'm not sure how the thrums will hold up. They are super soft and cozy though. Also, I'm not sure I'll make many of these, the prepping and inserting thrums sure interfers with the rhythm of knitting and is SLOW.

All in all, a success if I do say so myself.

Diving In

I think everyone starts their blog by saying, well, here goes... or some other inane statement of beginning. I am doing this because I enjoy other people's blogs, I'm interested in tapping into this community and also I'm looking for a venue for showing off my fun projects without subjecting people to them. If you are here, you're interested. That's fabulous. Bear with me through the learning curve, this is going to be fun (I hope!)