Crafting - a new challenge in 2012

** I wrote this post back in September and forgot about it. I think because there was a photo missing. Well, here it is, several months later and I'd like to start blogging again in 2013 - so much going on, so much to process, so much to write about. So, here you go, a post to start off 2013 which was written with good intentions and edited today.**

At some point this spring, one of the members of my knitting group, the much loved Bluenail of Ravelry fame, took it upon herself to start a quilting bee of sorts within our knitting group. What a grand idea, right? Every month one person distributes her fabric and instructions. At the end of the month, we pass in our quilt blocks and move on to the next person. Sewing up the quilt and quilting it will be up to the individual, but a lot of the work is already done!

Now, I have attempted quilting before...

Rather... Let's start that again... I have attempted piecework before.  Many years ago, during a visit to a much loved discount warehouse in Calais, Maine, I purchased fabric and eventually pieced together a quilt top of my own devising. This is pre-internet days, so my technique was, well, poor, but my heart was in it. I made the top and then nothing. Nada. Did nothing else with it. The top taunts me whenever I come across it in my closet. I sometimes think about making it into a quilt, but the fabric is incredibly dated.

Then, after the mogrunt was born, realizing that I had a lot of fabric left over after making his birthday banner, I cut out pieces to make him a zig zag or chevron quilt a la Denyse Schmidt. I started sewing it together but soon realized that things were awry. I eventually used these pieces for my quilting bee month... I'll show a picture below.

While I did do quite a bit of sewing in the lead up to the Mogrunt's birth and afterward, I hadn't again thought about quilting. And then the quilting bug struck Bluenail, and next thing I knew, we were all on board. She's contagious like that.

The first square I made was for Bluenail's daughter's rainbow quilt. Each of us were given a bag of coordinating fabric and everyone got a different colour. My bag was, well, here:

We were given the task of making a 12.5" quilt block of any design. I went for a log cabin style block, charting it out on paper first. I was happy with the result, though after seeing some of the other blocks, felt a little quilt-envy. Nevertheless, I was still pleased with the project and realized that I needed to pay attention to how the fabric was cut as well as the measurements - i.e. centering designs etc. (The picture looks strange because it's actually flipped on the side.)

The next block up was for UberWench and we were to sew her a chevron block based on this pattern

 

It's a little wonky at one end, but I was pretty pleased with the result.  I hope that UberWench liked it as well.  I love the contrast of the skull fabric and the Little Golden Books fabric (my special addition for UberWench's block). I love this pattern so much that I would seriously consider doing it again.

The next block was a simple four patch for Val, which I don't have a photo of for some reason. I had a lot of fun making it. And for some reason, I think I made two - did I Val? I really can't remember.

Next up was a log cabin variation using this pattern. for Cate G. I was intimidated and procrastinated as much as I dared. Finally, I sucked it up and made the block.

 

 

 

Which turned out nicely, I think.  Then I moved on to Ann's block which was fun:

 



 

Then we all moved on to my "block" which was likely a bit of torture for everyone. I asked that they sew strips from those aforementioned triangles, making a zig zag:

This is an example. I haven't yet taken a photo of all the strips together. Here's hoping I get to do that this week some time.

 

 

 After my month was Terra's month. And she gave us her packets and instructed us to do "whatever we wanted" which was kind of neat. I had just completed a 9-block square for another project and liked the simplicity of it.
 

 

So Terra got a cute little square. I took the time to align my quilting square on the fabric before cutting it - having learned the lesson on my very first square (with apologies to Bluenail - I wasn't entirely happy with how one of the strips in her log cabin lined up). Let's ignore the face that the I may have sewed the squares in the wrong orientation when I sewed them together. Of course, having done this, I now want to make a quilt of just squares. My niece is graduating this year and I would like to make her a quilt for her graduation. Of course, that sets a precedent and I'd have to make at least two more, if not four more over the next few years as my two nephews and two other nieces go through school. Yikes.

 

Next up is Nicole's quilt which is in a star theme. I'm looking forward to the challenge!

WWKIP - 16 days later

June 14th dawned bright, sunny and windy enough to make a half knit sock fly like a kite. I gathered up my knitting and ran (literally) down the hill to Tangled Skeins where I dropped off a special shirt for Ms. Extremities:

Nothing says "Lurve" quite like your own Henry shirt. I made two at the same time, so I hope that Ms. Extremities doesn't mind being my "shirt twin".

I then had the pleasure of heading to WWKIP with Mrs. Knit, co-organizer of our WWKIP day. Here she is, smiling despite the anxiety I'm sure she was feeling.  Will people come to the party? What if someone else tries to steal the space in front of the library? What if I can't beat them out of our space with my 10mm needles? - you know, the regular things that event organizers worry about.

All the anxiety melted away when we arrived at the library to find KNITTERS on the lawn. Happy, smiling knitters, who registered for the event and made donations to Bryony House.

There were knitters from far and near:

That's Dolce and Gasman (Ravelry names) - Dolce who is from England, was visiting her brother (Gasman) and stopped by the event.

There were new friends:

Amyjobean and Henry
Note:  I think she may have run off with him to the Wedding Chapel if I someone else hadn't recognized Henry and asked for a picture.  

And old friends:

Mrs. No Sheep and her Girl
Note: Mrs. No Sheep is allergic to Henry's wooly exterior but gamely held him in place with the aid of a jacket.

Mrs. "My Husband Leaves Town and I Buy Houses" aka, Moe
Note: In May 2005 Moe, the wee Miss Mines and I started the KOL group. Three years of KOL! Yay! Three years of knowing Moe! Yay! She's the best stalker ever. *waves to Moe hiding behind hydrangea*

Ms. Wednesday
Note: Ms. Wednesday's adorable boyfriend showed up later to knit on his work socks with us.

Some people met their new BFFs at WWKIP:

Henry: Wanna go trolling for chicks?

Gnome: Aye! But let's leave the trolls at home!

Henry: I'm with ya, buddy, I'm with ya!

There were friends we don't see nearly enough of:

Will you just STOP ripping out your projects, lady?

Everyone's favourite chef-in-training, Jaichan!

And divas with babies who don't like coffeehouses:

The Ninja - shortly before she ran off with my camera.

Here, Henry got a chance to feel Alison's baby kicking.

Awwwwwww...We see the a moment of affection between an experienced knitter with a new knitter in the womb, and a tiny green knitted monster's affinity for them both.


Perhaps the most exciting part of the day was when the yarn started flying, literally:

These little balls of yarn were donated by the Loop and garnered much more excitement than a wedding bouquet toss.

Note: This is the only photo I have of Cali, the other event organizer. If you squint, you can see her on the left, smiling and chucking yarn.

These weren't the only prizes for the day - Tangled Skeins gave a Jo kit for the photo scavenger hunt, there was a Loop bag and LK yarns donated prizes as well. Ilga Leja donated one (or was it two?) of her patterns for prizes.

Speaking of Ilga, here's a photo of her and Henry together:

This photo was taken shortly after they signed a landmark, international agreement to bring peace to the world through yarn and beautiful patterns.

If only, my friends, it could be that easy... Ilga would be the one to lead the charge. And Mrs. Yes, Cali and the rest of the knitters would be there to organize the rest!

Thanks again, ladies. It was a wonderful day. Henry was completely exhausted when we got home and missed his date with Ms. Electron-Knits

KNITTER DOWN! We have a KNITTER DOWN!

I've just been talking with Deb of The Knitting Pharm. She's down, but not out. (Thank goodness)

Please see her blog for more details!

In the Land of the Blind, the One Eyed Man is King

A couple weeks ago, at KOL, Kathryn (blog-free) proudly sat her duck on the table, the duck that has taken her so long to complete.

Henry heard the duck quacking and climbed out of my backpack to survey the scene.

Duck was winking at one of the girls, when Henry walked up and asked, in a low, growly voice I've never heard him use:
"What the h*** do you think you're doing here?"

Shocked, Duck replied that he was just hanging out and didn't want to cause any trouble. Duck started to walk away, when Henry, with a strength I didn't know he had, pushed Duck over, sat on his chest and said, "I don't think so buddy. This is my turf. There will be NO cutesy little ducks comin' 'round here, flirting with my girls."

Henry then slid down and started strangling the Duck.

Duck put up a good fight, managing to wrestle Henry to the table and hold him for a while.

Henry, though, was full of piss and vinegar and the photos I captured of their fight are so graphic, that I couldn't post them here without horrifying all of you (trust me - these photos are bad enough). We tried, in vain, to break up the fight, but the ferocious quacking from Duck and the growling coming from Henry was enough to keep us all away from them. We agreed to let them fight it out.

In then end, Duck admitted defeat after Henry started whipping bamboo DPNS across the room at him.

Thank goodness Duck is stuffed. This could have been really, really messy.

When Henry's freakish adrenalin rush was over, I pulled him off Duck, shook some sense into him and asked,

"What, for the love of all that is holy, was that all about?"

Henry was sobbing at that point and cried, "He has eyes."

Ohfergoodnesssake.

A Shout Out To Out of Town Knitters

'Tis the season for New Brunswick knitters to come to town!

A few weeks ago we had a special visitor at KOL.

Miss Me, with her fabulous smile and even more fabulous knitting skillz, was in town for not one but two Tuesdays of knitting! That bit of colour you see on the back of her chair? That's the most beautiful use of "sale bits" I've ever seen.

Henry really enjoyed Miss Me's WIP. Here, she is trying to pull him off her yarn:

He was stuck on there like a burdock on your favourite wool sweater when your mom told you to stay tidy for dinner at Grandma's!

On Saturday, CanKNITian was in town. We planned to meet at Tangled Skeins. When she got there, Moe was shopping patterns, Alison was knitting,
Mrs. Extremities was working and I was snorfing down chocolate!

Of course, we forgot to take photos until the bitter end. This is the best one of the bunch:

(me, Mrs. Extremities, CanKNITian)

Let's just say that we're not putting Henry in charge of the camera again.

It was really great to see both of these fine ladies. What makes their visits even more fun? I believe they go to the same knitting group in New Brunswick. Sing it with me, "It's a small world...!"

Swapapaloooooooza - the stash

I wrote about the KOL swap being a lot of fun, but forgot to show you the stash that came home with me:



Clockwise from the top:

Orangey handspun from Moe - Um, Moe? What's the fibre content? I've forgotten what you told me.
(I think I freaked her out when I said something about having someone's handspun was akin to a stalker having a swatch of someone's skin... and I just freaked myself out by typing that. Caffeine does weird things to my brain.)

Pinky green stuff - seawool, I believe, from the Geek's stash.

Two skeins of orange and pale yellow - Natural Dye Studios - from The Ninja's stash.

And this stuff:



I can't remember what this is nor from whence it came - could someone please tell me what I've got here? I seem to remember the words "seawool" being hollered, but at that point in the night, things were quite rowdy.

I also salvaged some sturdy workhorse wool (i.e. Briggs&Little as well as Lismore) for my grandmother. I thought she might be able to make mittens from it.

While I was outside taking these photos on the weekend, I also took this photo:



That makes THREE baby caps in as many weeks. I think I may have a problem. I'm addicted to these little caps!

Knitting these caps is like eating a box of chocolates - you can do it easily and without thinking and the next thing you know, you're staring at the box wondering how the heck it happened.

I think I like making these hats because of the fact that they use up those odd bits of yarn left over from knitting socks. I can't bring myself to throw out the yarn, so I've got all the bits and bobs in a ziploc bag, but NOW I've got fewer bobs... and some bits.

KOL's Swap-a-palooooooooza

Last Tuesday night at Knitting Out Loud we held our first ever yarn swap. It was the brainwave of The Ninja who seems to be on some sort of prenatal housecleaning binge.

The Ninja called me one day and said, "What do you think about having a yarn swap at KOL?" To which I replied, "Sure. Sounds good." I didn't realize she meant, "What do you think about having a yarn swap in 4 days?" The woman doesn't mess around. Before I could even take a peek at my stash, she had already made up gift bags which included homemade lavender satchets and stitch markers. I think she must have locked Mr. Munchkin in his room for the weekend. I'm still not sure how she managed to get all of this done. I am in awe of her.

So, the night of the swap was quite fun. Alison has pretty accurately depicted our behaviour here. Here are some photos that tell the rest of the story.

The Ninja brought four blankets and labelled them: Good Stuff, Partials, UFOs and Other (Other being Crap Yarn).

Here's the Good Stuff blanket:

The Ninja and I took turns holding up balls of yarn, telling everyone what the item was and then asking who wanted the item. Here are the KOLers trying their best not to reach across the table and snatch yarn from each others hands. They worked very hard at appearing non-chalant all evening:

Some of the Good Yarn was tossed in the "discard for now" corner as we went through the pile. After the organized "auction", the ladies set upon the "discard" pile like drunken cougars on a hot looking 30-something guy with a full head of hair. It was a sight to behold.

Here we see Deb after she drew a line on the ground with her toe, telling the ladies that if they stepped any closer to the yarn she wanted, she was going to kick their arses into next week:

See how she seems to be smiling? She was baring her teeth. The girls are all standing a healthy distance away from her. Hee hee. (Deb was probably regaling them with a story of her latest sock conquest.)

Henry and the Geek shared a tearful goodbye. The Geek is moving to Toronto. We'll miss her horribly:

This smooch was the most G-rated of the evening. Henry has taken to bed and has been watching Casablanca over and over and over again. It's sick-making.

At the end of the night there was quite a bit of yarn left over. Moe decided to take it all home. She broke down and confessed to us all that she harbours a secret desire to knit with acrylic/mohair blend.

It's shameful, but now that she's out of the acrylic closet, there's no holding her back.

Again, kidding. This is the donation bag. Moe kindly offered to deliver it.

It was a great night. I came home with less than I had taken, which was my goal, and was thrilled to be able to bring some things home for my mitten-knitting grandmother.

Snorgle-icious

I found this Sweet Baby Cap pattern through someone's blog and decided to try it out with some leftover sock yarn in my stash.

It took me one evening to knit it up. I used bigger needles than what the pattern called for (2.75mm and 3.25mm) because that's what I had on hand.

Tonight at KOL I asked Gabe if he minded being my hat model. He's quite secure in his masculinity, so he agreed:

I really can't tell which is cutest, the hat or the baby. Oh, let's face it, the baby is cutest.

Pattern notes: The pattern starts with 7 rows of garter stitch and then there are instructions for the increase/decrease round that give the hat its distinctive shape. The next line states:

Repeat these increases and decreases every other round for 8 (9) 10 more rounds.

While this may seem confusing, if you look closely at the photos on the blog, you can see that there are 8 rows with increases, therefore, to clarify the pattern:

Round 1: Increase decrease pattern
Round 2: Knit

Repeat these two rounds 8 (9) 10 times (making a total of 16 (18) 20 rounds)

I like the hat so much that I want one for myself.

Harlot Hangover in Halifax

I overslept this morning and when I woke up, I was still tired. I'm attributing this to several factors:

1. Yesterday was my first day back at work after vacation
2. Mr. Happy left for NYC yesterday - I didn't sleep well b/c I knew he was on the road.
3. The Yarn Harlot was in town last night.

I don't know if it was the anticipation of the event, or the time I spent laughing my arse off, but I think I have a Harlot Hangover (which, I suspect, is quite different than a regular hangover, though no less fun in the making). The Ninja and I didn't stay out nearly as late as the rest of the KOLers, so I can't imagine how they're feeling today.

We met at Your Father's Moustache for a quick bite and then headed over to The Lord Nelson. Because we are nerds, we were first in line. We may have used the sign as a battering ram (see photos of that action here) .

Once in the room, we quickly claimed the first couple of rows and took a quick photo. Many thanks to Stacey who took this photo for us.

Honestly, everyone, this is the better photo of the two on my camera. Only one person is blinking and Meegie's got that "Someone is gonna get a hurt on real bad!" look on her face. Heh heh. I think there are a couple on Lesley's camera.

From left to right:

Back row: Jennifer D, Juliana, Rhonda, Moe/Terra, Jen K, Julie, Me

Seated: Meghan, Jesslyn, Cate, The Ninja, Alison, Lesley, Baby Gabriel and Henry
On floor: Mary*, Deb B.

Absent: Lots of people! Alumni and current KOLers.

There was some mutual blogging, or facebooking, going on:

I did take a couple photos of the Harlot while she was speaking (rather, making us laugh so hard that I almost had to stop knitting), but you can barely see her head over the podium.

I did attempt to "Kinnear" her while she was getting ready to sign books.

I'm not sure if this photo counts as a Kinnear. Perhaps I should check the criteria for Kinnearing someone. (Do you see her bag? I thought Moe was going to abscond with it.)

Deb cast on as she was walking in the door for the Harlot reading.

When Deb walked out of the room afterwards, the sock was to the ankle. Apparently, an evening with the Harlot is about the length of a child's foot.

We had a grand time waiting to have our books signed, acting silly:

(Movie Starlet or Jen D?)

listening to our yarny consciences:

(which one is the angel? and what is the internet for if not for posting fugly photos of yourself?)

and playing with Gabe:

who promptly fell asleep just before meeting the Harlot:

Henry, on the other hand, was wide awake for his moment with Stephanie. He brought the sock he made, but he was so star struck that I don't think he remember to tell her about it (it's toe-up, made with Opal solid).

When Stephanie pulled out the travelling sock, Henry almost fainted.

Stephanie, the consummate caring knitter, fanned him with her hand (which explains this photo). He kept slumping over, so I had to prop him up against her book in order to get this photo:

He told me later that he was deeply honoured to have held Virginia's hand dyed sock yarn. He had tears in his eyes (trust me on this one, he did) and so did I. The yarn is so pretty. If the way a woman uses colours is even a hint about the kind of person she is, then I have to believe that Virginia was a very beautiful soul indeed.

It was a wonderful night. I think it was just what the Maritime knitters needed. Despite the knowledge that Stephanie can pull knitters out of the woodwork, it was still a pleasant surprise to see that many knitters in one place.

A couple of my favourite lines of the night:

(Paraphrased) - Knitters: a creepy sub-culture

In reference to Elisabeth's boyfriend: "Take his yarn away and then see who's the crazy knitting lady."

*Mary came out to KOL a few times when she lived in Halifax. She was in school at the time, so she was super busy and we didn't see her often. She made the trip from New Brunswick on the bus and got a ride back afterwards with some knitters from NB. That's dedication worthy of a t-shirt and KOL alumni status!

For a Good Time...

Vicki at Knitorious said that in the bathroom at her LYS someone had written

For a good time call 1-877-SOS-KNIT.

I called yesterday afternoon... and spent a great deal of time snickering at my desk. Heh heh... That woman is a genius. A genius, I say!

Who needs the Butterball helpline during the holidays? It's not the turkey I'm worried about at Christmas, it's whether or not I've managed to knit all the gifts. (Besides, I think I might already know the secret of the turkey - It's all in the rub and the basting. Do both liberally.)

I will be asking friends and family alike to call this helpline so that they understand what is going on with me from the beginning of October to December 25 (and perhaps, after that as well).

For more of a good time, please visit our new site for Stitch and Bitch in HRM. (Martha - I've got to talk to you about this! Don't let me forget.)

Moe and I thought it would be a great way to advertise for SnB groups in the area, to organize our gatherings, and perhaps to inform others of exciting things in the yarn world. 'cause we all know that yarn is exciting, right? Right.

Last topic for discussion, does anyone know a good way to cure insomnia? I haven't been able to get to sleep at night lately. I think it is the lack of cycling this last couple of weeks. I've had a few courses to go to and other things going on (like buckets of rain falling from the sky) and today is the first day since, um, last Thursday that I've biked to work. I think I just need to start reading in bed again. That usually helps. Maybe a cup of Chamomile tea.

Uncle K? My bike is still messed up. Do you think if I put the grip shift on 7 and then tightened the cable that I would be doing the right thing? It's very loose, so when I shift it up to 1, it's only moving the chain to the 4th, uh, thingy-dingy. What the heck is that called - a sprocket?

Stitch and Bitch

Well gang, it seems that the SnB idea has caught on. Martha, who works at Tangled Skeins has found that there are many women out there who want a SnB in Dartmouth!!!!!!

The first meeting was last night at Celtic Corner - a downtown pub at the corner of Portland Street and Alderney Drive. I wasn't able to attend, but I have a feeling they had a great turn out.
I may end up Stitching and Bitching two nights a week. Crazy. I feel like we've gone from 0 to 60 in 10 seconds!

Anyhoo, in light of the sudden abundance of SnBs in our fair, uh, cities, I've combed through my overstuffed inbox (I'm suddenly getting more email than the indy-pop star) and have found the tongue-in-cheek manifesto that Morgan, Moe and I were working on a few weeks ago. Please keep in mind that these are very rough and still need to get full committee approval (you know, maybe we should start a committee... nawwwwww):

1. We reserve the right to make fun of fun fur, bastardize Boa and otherwise express acrimony about acrylic and overly frou frou yarns; however, we will always, deep down inside, respect these yarns for what they have taught us about knitting and how they were good to us when we were beginners or when we had no money. We will still occasionally use and enjoy them for their sheer kitschyness, frizziness and washability (for use in children's wearables). - Steph

2. While all yarn stores may not be created equal, we will support them all to the best of our ability (and budget) in the hope that their prosperity will serve to convert the non-knitting masses as they are all beacons of light into the darkness that is the non-knitting world. However, if the LYS owner is bitchy, we will take her/him out back and slap her/him. - Steph

3. We will use our powers for good-perhaps choosing a pet charity - AND evil (okay, maybe that's mainly me...but i hope not.) - Morgan

4. We will encourage each other to seek out new fibers and techniques (fair isle), to boldly knit what no knitter has knit before...(thongs for step mums). - Morgan

5. We will support each others' crafty ventures and boycott anyone who poo-poos them. - Morgan

6. We will give anyone knitting a mancho a pink belly (we'll draw straws to see who gets to do the slappin'). - Terra

That's all we've got so far. Anyone have any suggestions?

C'mon, I know you're out there. Make a suggestion.

I was peeking at my site meter thingy today and I know that there are, on average, about 38 people who hit this site daily (at least, once i've posted). Is that not crazy? Should I be selling something here? Stitch markers? Clean air? Canadian gold coins (heh heh... that's a good way to make more than a buck on a loonie)?

I'm really just wondering who you all are, because, well... Because I'm the blogger, that's why (can you tell I spent a week with the kids?). I'm pretty sure that you can leave a comment even if you don't have a website. Please, feel free to comment and to leave your suggestions for our knitting manifesto. You will receive full credit for any suggestions that make it to the final version of the document, but please be aware that a completed document may never materialize.

Oh and BTW - I'm on for SnB tonight at Uncommon Grounds, 1030 South Park Street. I'll see y'all there around 7:30-ish, k?

In Which I Discover That I May Not Be A Complete Wimp After All

I caved and bought the extra ball of yarn after work today. Since I've been biking to work this week, I had to get from the office to the yarn store in under 1/2 an hour. It's only about 6 km. Not too big a deal. I zipped home, ditched the extra weight of my work stuff, and then rode down the hill. I got there on time, chatted with M, bought the yarn and then proceeded home.

I would like to announce, for posterity, that I rode home, without stopping. For those of you who know where I live, Ahem and who also know where the yarn store is, then you will know that this was no small feat. I rode up PINE STREET WITHOUT STOPPING! Pine Street is the steepest hill in the neighbourhood. Going down it on a bike is a blast - it makes my toes tingle like they do when I'm standing near the edge of a cliff. Riding UP it on your bike? Well, I'm pretty sure that I am invincible at this point. And although I'm sure that one quick trip over the bike path on the bridge will prove me wrong, I am going to enjoy this delusion for a bit.

You may now applaud. (But please, don't look at my arse while I'm riding. I'm far from being Twiggy at this point.)

*Should I mention that I was huffing and puffing so loudly when I got to the top that I was sure someone would call 911 thinking that the Big Bad Wolf or some sort of pervert was outside of their house? Nah...*

Reminder: Halifax Stitch and Bitch is at 7:30pm tomorrow night at Uncommon Grounds - 1030 South Park Street. We changed the time b/c 7pm made it too hard for me to procrastinate between work and knitting.

Anyone who would like to attend and is having a hard time getting there due to the bus routes, etc, please let me know and we will do our best to arrange something. Perhaps we could arrange a "pick up" on Spring Garden Road?

Now, please excuse me. I need to go knit that bolero into submission.

Tap, Tap, Tap, Screeeeee... Is This Thing On?

Alright Haligonians, Dartmouthians, Bedforders (Bedfrodians? Bedfordites?), Sackvillians (Sackvillans, perhaps? Is that kind of talk appropriate here?): Tonight is yet another chance for you to get out for the HRM Stitch and Bitch.

Your invitation:

Who: People with knitting needles and a fibre addiction.

What: HRM Stitch and Bitch

Where: Uncommon Grounds, 1030 South Park Street, yes, that's in Halifax

When: 7pm-ish... so 7:15, 7:30... whatever - until they kick us out at 10pm.

Why: Because you don't need to be afraid anymore. It's okay to knit in public. Come out into the light, yes, you with the Aero needles and the scraps of yarn stuck to your pants. Don't be scared to stand up and say, "I knit and I'm proud!" Say it with me, "I knit and I'm proud! I knit and I'm proud!"

Oh, oh dear. I would say I'm fired up about what happened in Parliament yesterday (yay!).

HRM Stitch and Biotches Night...

Alrighty then, where are all you other Halifax knitters? I know it is summer and you're all out gardening or something, but COME ON PEOPLE! There is such a thing as summer knitting. Geez, It's called cotton! (There's some nice cotton sock yarn and some Rowan 4-ply at Tangled Skeins).

Yank out those knitting needles, pick up some nice summery cotton and get your arses out to the HRM SnB (And for the sake of some Google hits: Halifax Stitch 'n Bitch, Halifax Stitch and Bitch, Dartmouth, whatever). Wednesday nights, 7pm, Uncommon Grounds on South Park street. Again, if this location is highly inconvenient for anyone, we CAN move (except they have a really comfy couch, great oat cakes and darn good Cafe mochas). What's that? Speak up! I can't hear you if you don't comment. Hey, Allison, are you still knitting? Yes, you with the Fizzy Gingerale in your hand... yes, I'm talking to you! This invite applies to you too!

While Moe, Morgan and I do manage to fill a couple of hours with witty banter (we're witty, right ladies?), I'm sure that we could clear some air time for new knitters who want to join the group. I know you're out there. I'll be blogstalking you... All ages and genders are welcome. Seriously. Not kidding about that... well, if you're under the age of majority, we'll have to have a note from your mom, dad or legal guardian, 'cause we aren't cutting back on the cursing. And if you're a guy who knits, we will kick the arse of any uninformed morons who raise their eyebrows at the sight of a man knitting. They'll get a history lesson (everyone, turn to page 12 in your Stitch and Bitch, please) and then an ass whuppin'.

(Great, I told my dad about my blog last week and I just used the phrase "ass whuppin". Hi Dad! Aren't you proud?)

Okay, end membership drive here.

So, did you see that link up there? Moe has gone and got herself a blog. She's come out of the blog-stalking mode. Peter, Paul and Mary, that girl knows her bloggers!!!!!! Anyhoo, please, go check out her blog. I'll be here when you get back. She's got the most adorable dog over 25 pounds EVER (I still love you Minou). Sophie. And Sophie has a dogster site... and did you see Morgan's news? She's got a knitting gig!! Congrats Morgan! Woohoooooo! Small party with Fleetwood Mac soundtrack just for you...

Moving on. While driving home tonight I was thinking about what I want to do with my life. Yup, I'm over 30 and I still don't know! And then I was thinking about the movie High Fidelity and how Rob makes his top 5 list of jobs that he would like to have if education, money and the year weren't factors.

I know that a lot of us have jobs (that thing you do to pay the bills), others among us have careers (the job you have b/c you went to school and trained to do it), but very few of us having callings (the job or career that you enjoy so much that you would do it whether or not you get paid, or the job or career that fits you like a glove). I have no delusions that my job is my calling. Soooooo... here's my list:

1. Photographer for National Geographic, (1940s and 1960s).
2. Interior designer (1920s, 1950s and present)
3. Baker / Pastry chef
4. Author (children's books)
5. Artist / Artisan / Jewellry maker - no, I don't know what medium. Yarn?

Now, I'm not sure that this is my final list... in fact, the list could change tomorrow, but what I'm really curious about is, if you're not currently working at your "calling", what is it that you would like to be doing... oh heck, even if you are working at your "calling", is there something else that could happen that would make it better?

Ang, I think I already know that you're going to say you want to design for Cronenberg...

So, just go ahead and give me the top 5 list anyway. Answer it on your blog if you want, or you can all just leave the answer in my comments. I pass the conch off to all of you, please don't get all "Lord of the Flies" on me.

G'night all!