Just a Quick Post With...

a couple of pictures. Norm and I spent the day running around Kingston doing a thousand and one errands. But we're home now, settled in for the night with the Reba dog (who spent the day with Debi being spoiled rotten it's a surprise she even wanted to come home)!

Here's my latest big bear , named Layla!



She's 13" standing, and made from a light grey synthetic fur that is so soft, she just slides through your fingers. To give her more of an exotic look, I air brushed her seams in the same dark colour as the shadows as I applied to her face. completely hand sewn, of course, and I'm delighted with the way she looks. I think she has a very eastern, exotic look to her!

As promised, I've also been working on a big mohair bear, who will measure around 17".



Her face isn't quite complete. I actually spent all day Monday sculpted her clay eyelids, hand painting them, and then sealing them for protection. There's still quite a lot of scissor sculpting to do down her muzzle and chin, and of course air brushed effects. I love how alive and inquisitive she looks at this stage!

As for knitting, hang on to your hats!




One thrummed sock being readied for a heel turn, let me tell you! (and you know who you are, thanks for the push!)

Of course, Her Majesty isn't going to be left out in the cold (okay, it's pretty damn cold here as it is, let's re-phrase, and say, left in the dark)...



Five repeats done. Count them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 repeats, and probably only six in total!

And now I'm off to work on the new lovely bear with the blue eyes, and perhaps sneak in a little knitting!

May your day be filled with completed errands!

I Woke Up This Morning...

to the sound of pouring rain beating off the roof. I love the sound of rain. For some strange reason I find it very calming and cozy. I laid in bed and watched the sheets of rain on the lake, and the trees blow in the wind. A very wet squirrel would sometimes scamper over the wet tree limbs carrying acorns and nuts. I was warm and cozy under the covers, and very relaxed. And then the Reba dog woke up and I realized that I had to leave my nice and cozy nest and head outside in the rain. The pouring rain. Luckily, we're both waterproof.

Debi (formally know as D. - my walking buddy/girlfriend) decided to wait for the weather to clear to go for our walk. It was nice and mild for a November day and the skies had stopped raining down on us, but the clouds continued to swirl in magnificent colours. It's a good thing I had Debi with me because I probably would have walked into the lake or the woods because I was watching the sky instead of the road. The clouds were every colour clouds could be. White and fluffy, then moving to a grey-blue, and then into a deep dark grey, and then a small spot of blue sky would shine through, and then the clouds would change again. The sky and the clouds put on a lovely afternoon show for us. Two thumbs up!

As for bears, I'm still working away on my big white mohair bear!



I only have his legs attached, and I'm just beginning to work on his head. He's a little un-traditional in terms of proportion with his long skinny legs and slim body, but that's what makes him one of a kind.

This is Norm's latest mini bear named Sprout!



He's just tiny, measuring just over 2". He has such a delightful expression on his face, a big grin, and big, black eyes!

As for gardening, look what I found on Friday!



Hyacinth! And in my favorite colour, purple (the photo looks very blue) . I haven't planted them yet because I want to get some more bulbs, and seeing as I'm going to Kingston on Tuesday, I'm going get more then. They'll be such a treat to look forward to in the Spring.

As for knitting, I was working on Clapotis, and the worst thing happened...I ran out of yarn.



I searched high and low for scraps of yarn, but to no avail. And then I looked in my basket of future knitting projects, and realized how much I love variegated blue combinations.

This is what I found!



Yes, it's my Fleece Artist thrummed mittens kit. I'm making the small size, so I figured I could spare some yardage.

Lookie here...



One finished Clapotis scarf, and the feeling of being in a knitting rut has gone (thanks to all those who gave me that extra push, and you know who you are)! I love Clapotis. The pattern was so well written, and even though I shortened it by a couple of inches, it's wonderful to wear around my neck, and it's even better as a little wrap/shawl. How versatile! I'm thrilled with this project, and would recommend it to all. Official pictures as soon as I have a good hair day (yeah right...by Tuesday, I promise).

I even paid a little attention to my darling, Her Majesty!



Four and a half pattern repeats done. I think I'm going to stop at six repeats, but we'll have to see what the length is like when I get there.

The love is back.

And now I'm off to work on a bear, clean up a little from a wonderful dinner party I had on Saturday night (I have amazing neighbours who are so much fun to spend time with), and hopefully, spend a little time with my thrummed socks before the "snow softly drifts into four foot mounds outside my door"! You're the best Michelle! No need to get out the big guns! And you should see her Clapotis!

May your day be filled with unexpected wonders!

My apologizes...

for my unscheduled absence from the cyber-world. Have you ever turned around and realized that the entire day has disappeared and you have no idea where the hours went?

Norm and I are still getting adjusted to our new schedule, in our new surroundings. The biggest adjustment (and there are many) has been our change from night hawks to, I dare say, morning people. We are, or used to be night people. Our regularly scheduled bedtime was well past midnight, and usually closer to sunrise. Whereas, we now find ourselves winding down after sunset, and by 10 pm, we're both yawning, which makes it difficult to blog at night. I keep thinking I have enough energy to make it past midnight, when in fact, by 10 pm, this Curlie Girl can barely keep her eyes open. Perhaps it's old age, but I'm going to blame it on the fresh air, the lake, and the woods. So, bear with me (no pun intended) while I find a regularly scheduled blog time!

As for bears, here's my latest, named Prince Perrot:



He's 9" standing, and made from a two toned plush, synthetic fur and suede for his paws. The Prince took me many, many days to complete as his robe was quite the challenge. I can't tell you how many times I changed his robe, re-cut it, re-sewed it, and then changed it again!

Norm's been very busy too. Here's his latest named Dex:



How cute is he!

I have also decided to take my bear-making to the next level, and start creating large mohair bears. Large being 15" to 25" range. I've always wanted to make bears this size (and have from time to time), but I felt I needed to take time to develop my skills on smaller creations. I'm really looking forward to the challenge of creating larger bears. So, you may only being seeing one finished bear every week or two for the next little while because I want every aspect of them to be perfect and full of details. I promise to take lots of photos of every stage. I have started a 17" off-white mohair bear that has been hand sewn, and will be stuffed tonight!

As for gardening, aren't these beautiful!



I'm in love! Thanks Dani, for sending me the info and picture! I know it's very late in the season, especially since we received a sprinkling of snow today, but I'm off to Napanee tomorrow, and I'm going to try to find some bulbs there (however, it's a little town, so cross your fingers for me).

As for knitting, I'm stuck!

(1) Stuck on Clapotis!



I only have 42 rows left, and the sad part is that they are decreasing rows. Just one little corner, and there's even the thrill of dropping stitches on both ends. I know, shake your head at me. The shame...

(2) Stuck on the thrummed socks!




The even sadder part is that I SHOULD be highly motivated to finish the sock because I wear the completed one all the time! Yes. I wear the one sock, which equals one warm foot, and one cold one. Shame, shame....

(3) Stuck on Her Majesty!



Stalled. Stuck. Stopped in my tracks.

I even wound a new ball because I'm almost finished the other one.



Shame, shame, shame...

I have hit a wall, on all three projects, all at once. Yikes. This never happens to ME! That's why I always have 2 to 3 projects going at once so if I do stall on one project, I have another to fall back on while I re-group my enthusiasm.

Any suggestions?

Before answering (Dani and Michelle, you enablers, you), I WILL NOT start another project before I finish at least two projects. I am far too anal a knitter to not complete a project!

Now, I WILL commit myself to finishing Clapotis tonight! I WILL do whatever it takes (I may have to resort to a double vodka martini or perhaps coffee with a splash, okay, bucket of Kalhua...there's motivation for you) to finish my beautiful scarf this evening.

So, unless my house burns down (entirely possible if I put another log on the fire after having said martini or spiked coffee) or the pipes freeze (did I mention the slight sprinkling of snow, the temperature dropping below zero, and the fact that I am, yet again, freezing), I will be with you tomorrow with one delightful Clapotis wrapped around my neck (I promise not to swing myself from the rafters with it!)

May your day be full of finished objects!

Happy Thanksgiving to all out American neighbours!

I Have Had the Greatest...

day, but I am far too exhausted to explain. I promise to be back tomorrow morning to tell all. Life is good, filled with new friends and new experiences, and apparently, too much fresh air to warrant enough energy to write!

During My Evening Walk...

with Norm and the Reba dog, we spotted a strange creature moving slowly through the water. The only reason we noticed it was because the water was so still. We followed the little ripples to a small brown head. We walked down to an outcroping of rock, and stood on the shoreline. That's when we noticed the second little head moving out in the lake. Then we saw a very big creature swimming right by us, and that's when we saw the great big oval tail. A beaver! And then, if you can believe this, we saw another beaver swimming towards the others. Four beavers in total. Now, I live on Beaver Lake, (insert laughter), but I never expected to actually see beavers, let along four at once. We even got to see two of them playing together.

As we walked back along the Point (a peninsula that runs down the centre of the lake), it's possible to see both the north and south sides of the lake. On one side we could see the sun setting in bright pinks and oranges, and being reflected in the still water, AND, we could see the moon rising on the south side, with it's white face being reflected back. It stopped us in our tracks...the sun and the moon and the lake and the trees. It was breath taking!

I also went on a very long walk this morning with D., and had a fabulous time walking around the lake! It was quite the walk, and I can feel my legs tightening up as I type. I even got to see the back of my house from across the lake. Well, I think I saw the back of my house because all we could really see was the white boathouse (but I'm not familair enough with the boathouses along the lake to know if that one was mine) and a lot of trees. Quite a lot of trees, but I knew my house was over there somewhere!

Moose asked if I could show some of my bear making tools.

I have quite an assortment of scissors!




I use scissors for every stage of bear making. I use each of them for a different purpose. Some scissors I use for cutting mohair (the tips have to be long and thin in order to get under the fur and cut the backing and not the actual fur), others are better for cutting dense, synthetic fur and thick suede for the paws. I use some to cut thread, and others to sculpt faces. One can never have enough scissors, as far as I'm concerned!

I also use these quite often:



Needle nose pliers. I use them to turn down the cotter pins to hold the joints in place. They are also quite handy when I'm sewing or placing eyes and I can't get a good grip on the needle I'm pulling though the thick layers or faces.

I have some strange tools as well.



The two on the far left are tools that I used to use for paper tole projects. I re-discovered them recently and they are fabulous for turning bear pieces right side out and for helping to pick the fur out of seams. The next two (working left to right) help me stuff the bears. It's a chopstick and a wooden skewer. And you probably recognize the tweezers on the right which help me sculpt faces.

And then, there are...



lots and lots of different needles for sewing. I have really long needles to help me place the eyes and work on noses. I have curved needles to help me close seams after stuffing. There are lots and lots of pins to keep the bear pieces together as I sew. I have needles that carry upholstery thread, thick perle cotton, and regular thread. I have special leather working needles for the suede paws, and other needles that help me hide the end of the threads. I use lots of different needles just to make one bear!

And then, there is...



My wonderful quilt working "thingie" thimble (I can't remember the official name) that I use to sew. It has a piece of metal between the layers that protect my finger from the needles. I use it so much and so often that I now have to paperclip it together to keep it on my finger as it became un-glued a long time ago. Please ignore broken fingernails. It is one of my favorite tools, and rarely comes off my finger.

And just because I couldn't resist, here's my favorite photo of Bloomsbury, of which I used most of the tools above to create him!



That's exactly how I looked when we saw the beavers this evening.

On the knitting front, not much was accomplished as we had guests stay for the week-end (and one hell of a Grey Cup party at our neighbours last night. Side Note: I love my neighbours. Never before have I felt so welcomed and been surrounded by so many fabulous and interesting people. Norm and I can't get over how fortunate we are to be here). As I was saying, not much knitting was done, but I did manage a a little on Clapotis.



I've just begun the decreases, and I'm using my last ball of yarn.

Being able to drop stitches at both ends of the row was worth the wait!



Here's hoping that I have enough yarn to reach the fourth corner!

Sadly, neither St. Brigid nor the second thrummed sock were touched, but they are not forgotten. All will be remedied shortly!

Here's what I'll be working on tonight.



A little bear face (and a little knitting if I don't fall asleep early due to the extra long walk this morning).

I'm off...may your day be full of unexpected pleasures!

I Haven't Dropped off the Face of the World...

I just had guests stay for the week-end! More on that later tonight...see you soon!

It was a day of firsts

...for me yesterday.

The first "first" happened on my morning walk. It finally happened. I saw my first snake. I'm petrified of snakes. And wolves, and bears (in no particular order). Now, because I am afraid of these three species, it always means they come knocking at my door. Seriously. Even when I lived in the city, the park that I used to walk Reba in would always have massive garter snakes sunning themselves in the afternoon summer sun. I am also an avid camper and hiker, and if there's a bear or wolf in the area, it's coming to say hello. The last time we camped Norm, Reba, Teddy (my Mom's dog) and I walked right into one when we were scouting out a campsite.

So, yesterday I was walking along the road, looking at the brilliantly blue sky, and the still lake which was reflecting the few white clouds. I looked ahead, and there it was, in the middle of the road, a big green snake with a yellow strip running down it. I immediately veered to the far side of the road, my hands went flying up in the air, I seem to recall saying "oh, oh, oh, oh", and my walk turned into a run. Then I realized that the snake wasn't coming after me. In fact, it wasn't even moving because it had been run over. Still didn't stop me from running home and cringing about it. I realize a little toughening up on my part may be necessary. I didn't walk this morning. I told myself it was because of the rain, and not the snake, but I'm not really fooling anybody, am I?

The second "first" was my first attempt at gardening. I have never "gardened" before. I do realize that autumn is not the ideal time to begin this adventure, but it's the first time I have had land of my own. I just cleaned up a little. Pulled out the former owners' dead plants, fiddled around with the soil, and tried to make everything look neater. I did check with my Mom, whose is a great gardener, whether any of the plants were the kind that come back every spring (I can never remember if they are called perennials or annuals), and there not. So, I ripped, and pulled and cut, and pulled stakes and wires out of the ground. Made me feel good to fiddle around in the earth I can now call my own, but I really have no idea what I'm doing. I'm having fun, and that's all that matters.

Now, back to bears. Here's Norm's latest creation.



He named him Little Blue, and he's just tiny, 2 1/4" to be exact.

As for knitting, I'm still plugging away on Clapotis. Due to my yarn restraints (not
enough yardage), I have to reduce the main section by 3 repeats, which works out to 9".



I'm just about ready to start the decreases, and the last skein. I'm a little concerned
because it seems a little short for a scarf. Time will tell.

As for my second thrummed sock, I'm a couple of rows short of beginning the heel.



As for the wool roving, Norm had taken off with the last of mine for a bear. How can I say no? Here are my choices for the rest of the sock.



There's a bright blue, a soft purple and a bright purple to choose from. I won't have
matching socks, but you won't be able to tell unless you turn both socks inside out. I may just card them all together and go from there.

Still plugging away on Her Majesty, but my very little knitting time this week has been spent on Clapotis and the thrummed socks.

As for tonight, this is what I will be hand sewing.



A very large and long white mohair bear!

May tomorrow be a day of firsts you!

Well,

...It's way past this girl's bedtime, and she forgot to download pictures, pretend to be witty, and knit her heart out while trying to keep the home fires burning (literally) and learn how to adapt to her new environment. Do you ever wish there was a pill you could swallow that would take you back to a certain time and place? Hello Matrix, in reverse.

This girl can barely keep her eyes open, due to un-paralleled physical activity
today. Get your mind out of the gutters.

All will be explained later today, after a couple of hours sleep, a long walk, and at least two cups, working on a third cup of coffee...

The next post will be entitled "A Day of Firsts"...And now, this girl is off to fall asleep into her knitting on the couch. Not to worry, the couch and the knitting are extremely comfortable.

And lastly, thank you all for your comments. I'm terribly behind in my e-mails, and I do wish to convey my reaction to your thoughtful and sincere comments. I heart you all, and so appreciate you sharing my life on this slab of Canadian Shield...You have no idea how much you all make my day, over and over again!

Good night...May the Northern Lights be putting on a show for you! See you soon...

Wanna See What I Did...

today? And I do apologize for the really bad photos. This change in schedule has left me wondering how to take half decent photos sans daylight.



A nose. Big whoop. This is what I worked on ALL DAY LONG. Are you laughing hysterically? I wish I was. What you are looking at is the fourth attempt at a nose to suit this bear that I made today. I sat at my drafting table, overlooking the lake, and re-did this nose four times before I was happy with it. Do you see the thread sculpted cheeks? Do you see the subtle air-brushing to add expression? No, of course not...because it took so long to do the nose.

Blah. Today, I had a case of the blahs. Blah, blah, blah...might have been better to rip my own nose off.

So, in order to banish the blahs, here's the good parts of today.

Hmmm....




1. Norm's new needle felted bear named Bing. He's just 3" standing, and he's made from natural sheep's wool, and then air-brushed in lovely, deep, rich browns. Norm needle-felted his red tongue. A little dose of sweetness in my day. And look at that perfect nose.

2. It's unusually warm out. Even now, late at night. We let the fire die (could be a mistake). I only have one sweater on, one thrummed sock, and no wrist warmers...because I am warm. Foolish to probably state out loud to the world, but I believe the outside thermometer reads 48. Ohhhhh.

3. I had a lovely walk this morning, and am going out with D. tomorrow morning to walk the road to the south of the lake. There were several moments when the road stretched out in front of me, and I could see both sides of the lake. It was a "pinch me because this is too good to be true" moment (despite the fact I have three ugly blisters on my right heel).

4. The promise of another bear to bring to life...



5. And of course, the promise of Her Majesty to, someday, be done. Someday.




I'm trying not to be blah about her, but I do have to admit that my enthusiasm is waning.

And now, this girl is going to pour herself a glass of wine and cuddle up with my second thrummed sock, because I'm really beginning to feel like a geek extraordinaire wearing just the one.

May your day be without the blahs...

Well, I Must Say That...

life always twists and turns when you least except it, but that's all part of it. I had a wonderful week-end. Norm and I were invited over to a neighbour's house for dinner, and we had a fabulous time. I made a new friend, which thrills me to death. A girl can never have too many girlfriends, and to be honest, I've been a little lonely being so far away from friends and family. Anyways, my new friend, we'll call her D. exercises by walking the "Point" every day. That's how I first met her. She was actually the first person I met here, one morning when I was walking the Reba dog. I asked her if I could accompany her on some of her walks, and she obliged.

Now, I LOVE to exercise. I used to be in the fitness industry, many moons ago. I also used to run a great deal, but I ran with the Reba dog. The vet advised me, at a certain point, that running was too much for the Reba dog, so we started walking. When I say walking, we walked about 8 to 10 kms a day. Then the vet said that was too much, and you can fill in the blanks. Reba and I now go for a leisurely stroll down the point, at her pace. I miss running and walking. But this morning, D. called me up and invited me on a walk. I was thrilled. I quickly ran for my running shoes, and tried to find my exercise clothes (but they are still packed up in a box that's somewhere), and we walked. And walked and talked, and I was renewed and re-energized. I've been fighting off home-sickness since I arrived at this little cottage on the lake and in the woods, and this was exactly what I needed.

We saw ducks and woodpeckers, neighbours and breath-taking views of the lake. We walked and talked 8 kms of road without even realizing it. And the best thing about it...I AM WARM. I have been warm all day because of a half an hour walk along the road. This was when I realized that my schedule was going to change. I'm going to walk along the Point in the morning, and I'm revising my schedule, so you'll hear from me at night. I'm going to go for a walk by myself tomorrow morning, after I take the Reba dog for her stroll, and then D. and I are going to walk together on Wednesday. I didn't realize how much I missed hitting the pavement and exercising until this morning. I am one very contented (and probably very sore) girl.

As for bears, I finished this sweetie, named Pippin this afternoon.



He has a little gold gift box with a big bow that he "almost" fits into, which is just adorable. He's only 3 3/4" tall, and fits into the palm of your hand.

And here's a much bigger bear, named Cameron, who was a commissioned panda bear.



He's made from two different shades of German mohair, stands at 14", and is truly one of my best bears. I just adore him. I spent a great deal of time working on his face. I thread and scissor sculpted his expression, and then added in the slightest bit of hand painting to bring out the details in his face. He wears a red suede collar and two bells attached to suede. I love the changes in colour.

And here's Norm's latest needle felted creation, named Bernard.



Bernard stands at 1 1/4"! He's more of a sculpture than a pose-able bear , but equally adorable. Norm does such a good job with polar bears. Bernard is very funky with the typical smaller upper body and strong lower body.

As for knitting this week-end, I was Clapotis obsessed. This is what she looks like on the needles. Very weird.




I warned you it was a strange photo. I'm 3/4 of the way done. I have to shorten it slightly because I'm yarn "limited". I'm only able to do 9 out of the 12 repeats of Section 3. I've accomplished almost 8 repeats in the above photo.

Here's a close up of the dropped stitches, which are so addictive. Hello Row 8!



That's what I lived for this week-end...dropping that stitch and watching it un-ravel.

I did, of course, pay attention to my thrummed socks.



But I have to admit, most of the attention was paid to the already finished sock, which I slept in last night, and have on as I type. Yes, I realize this qualifies me as the ultimate geek, but my dearies, I'm warm, and I don't give a damn!

And now, this girl is going to pay attention to Her Majesty before she falls asleep. May your day be filled with warmness and a new look on life...

Post is Coming...

as I've decided to change my schedule (and if you know me, you'll understand how gigantic a step that is for this girl). I'll be posting late tonight, and I'll tell you all about it then...

When We First Moved Into Our House...

I spotted this in an electrical outlet.



A nightlight. How do I say this without seeming mean? The previous owners are an older couple, and since it's in the main hallway I assumed it was a guide to the main washroom. I quickly removed the nightlight, mumbling to myself about nightlights and being young.

At about 4:30 am I was woken up by the sound of crashing and banging from the main room. My first thought was that an animal had gotten in. Then I realized that whatever was banging around out there was also swearing. Norm had gotten up to put another log on the fire, and didn't bother to turn on a light. Even though it was a relatively clear night, and that there was a tiny bit of a moon peeking out, it gets really dark here. Dark like molasses. Dark as in you can't see your hand in front of your face dark. Last night was one of those nights and the fire had died down to the point where it was just glowing coals. Needless to say, the dreaded nightlight that reminds me of nursing homes and vulnerability is plugged into the wall. I am humbled before you.

Here's a cheery fellow! I named him Bloomsbury.



Isn't he adorable. I so enjoy open mouthed bears. I can't help smiling when I look at them. Bloomsbury is 11" standing and he's made from dense golden tan German mohair and suede for his paws. The butterflies are made from feathers, wood and wire, and can be placed anywhere on Bloomsbury. He has two fabric leaves attached to his shoulders. I wanted him to look like he's been playing around in the leaves, and discovered two new butterfly friends!

As for knitting, here's one finished thrum sock!



Oh yeah!

And here's what it looks like turned inside out.



Can you tell where I started to work in a different dye lot of roving because some of my roving was made into a bear!

And this is what a certain man decided to do with a certain sock late last night...




Yes, it's a man-eating thrum sock!

As for Clapotis, I was on a mission to drop the first line of stitches.




I just started section three, and my second hank of only four hanks available for this project.

Here's a close-up of the dropped ladder of stitches.




Oh, so pretty! I also snuck in a couple of rows on Her Majesty, but not enough to demand a photo session.

As for me, I'm off to make a trip to the Post office, work on some bears, and knit away! Have a great week-end...may nightlights be your friend!

I'm Bored...

not with bears, but with my knitting. I realized last night that for the amount of time I have spent working on Her Majesty that I would have already had a new sweater to wear. Not to mention the fact that I washed all my winter sweaters yesterday, and am now forced to wear non-knitted clothing while they dry. It feels like it's been forever since I finished a sweater.

So, what did I do to remedy this? Start a small project that I've been itching to get at!

Yes, it's Clapotis! From the Fall 2004 Knitty. I'm not a scarf knitter. Don't like doing them at all. I get bored too easily, but I have a new found appreciation for scarves since I moved to the woods. I'm wearing one right now in fact (non-knitted, blah).

I'm using the Classic Elite Waterspun Week-end that I used for the Great Blue North sweater.



I should have just enough yarn left over to complete it. And yes, I am using yarn as stitch markers (one of my no nos) because the pattern calls for 18, and 18 I don't have. It works. As for the pattern, kudos to Kate for her well written, easy to follow pattern. I adore thoroughness in a pattern, and will happily knit more of her future patterns! I'm halfway through Section 2, and then on to dropping the stitches. Banish thy boredom!

Here's "Rocky", Norm's latest needle felted creation.



And yes, this is the wool roving that he stole from my Fleece Artist sock kit. But he's so cute (Norm and the bear), so how could I be mad.

Norm's clamoring for the computer, so I'm off...may there be a great scarf in your future!

You Know...

you make a list of the things that you're going to accomplish, you wake up energize and ready to go, and before you can even start Item #1, it all goes wrong...

I have a million things I want to do today, and the crazy thing is that each morning, I tell myself that "IT IS POSSIBLE".

First of all, I woke up late this morning. Why did that happen when I have so much to do? Because the Northern Lights put on such a show last night that Norm and I bundled up (we left Reba in the warm house because we didn't think she's be interested in them) and we sat on the dock and watched the lights. It was incredible. The sky was completely lit up and the lights actually waved up. I've seen them wave across the horizon before, but never wave completely up and across the sky. The quarter moon had already disappeared, but the lights were so bright we didn't even need a flashlight, and we could see them all around us just sitting in the house. Absolutely spectacular! The lake was so still last night we could see the reflection of the lights in the water. It was breath taking, and needless to say, it kept us up late.

Secondly, I have a dial up connection that is so rotten! It's out to get me. I haven't mentioned this before because I was practicing self restraint, but this morning it got me. The only internet connection available here in the woods by the lake is dial up, and it's not even DSL. The phone lines are so old that the highest speed we get is 28.8 Kbps, and that's on a good day, even though we have a 56K modem. It is a source of constant frustration, but I try to practice a little patience (I have none) and resist the urge to throw the computer in the lake. Well, this morning, after rising late, we couldn't connect. Apparently the phone line decided to die, but only the jack by the computer. Norm and I have spent the morning taking the computer apart, moving it to the kitchen where the line worked, playing with the secondary jack, and then moving it all back to where it was in the first place. Did we find anything wrong after we spent two hours pulling everything apart, checking and re-checking the phone lines, and plugging in different lines? No. The phone line decided to have a little time out. It's now back in the game, only after I pulled out my hair, and some of Norm's too.

Thirdly, I spent part of yesterday afternoon raking. Did I mention that our property is half an acre and that we live in the woods. Yup. I tried to rake it all up. I dare say it's a losing battle, but all the other neighbor's rake theirs, so I didn't want to be the new lazy neighbour. Well, all was going well until I broke the rake. I didn't do it out of frustration, I swear. It just snapped at the base. The sad part is that I got half of it done, but I started at the back of the house and worked towards the front. So, from the road, nothing looks raked, but for the house, the leaves are in nice, tidy piles. I thought about hanging a sign saying "I DID RAKE THE LEAVES", but what's a girl to do. Except go buy another rake. Needless to say, I'm a little sore in the shoulder area, and things seem to be taking just a tiny bit more time than usual.

Here's some goodness in the world. This is Alessandro, and you saw him yesterday with an un-stuffed belly.



He's 11 1/2" standing, and he's made from chocolate mohair with matching suede paws. I gave him a suede ruff with three metal buttons that have a crest stamped on them. There's also two bells hanging around his neck. I only added a little air brushing to his face and kept with traditional colours because I wanted a realistic look, instead of a fantastical look. I think he looks very regal, and gave him a long Italian name to suit him.

As for knitting, look at these warm toes!




EXTREME COZINESS! I, of course, forgot how to do the kitchener stitch so I didn't graft the toe. I have the silly chant written down somewhere. Another thing to do on my growing list of things not getting done.

I also worked on Her Majesty, and managed to finish half a repeat, for a total of 3 1/2 repeats.




I do enjoy working on her so much!

And I'm off, to start Item#1, and perhaps destroy today's list and start one for tomorrow! May the Northern Lights shine for you tonight!

Did you Know That Turkeys...

could fly? Wild ones that is. I didn't until Reba's afternoon walk when one flew, or should I say, dropped out of a tree, and then flew off with four other of his friends. It's not a very graceful creature, heavy and cumbersome as it tries to take flight, but it's here, amongst the snow and leaves. Let's just say that a massive bird dropping from the tops of the trees, and then flying off was not something that I expected to happen, but I was talking to a neighbour when it happened, so I tried to look like I had seen it a thousand times before, but my wide open mouth gave me away.

It's been bear making central here! This is Norm's latest needle felted creation.



His name is Ealon and he's made from natural sheep's wool. He's 3" long, with big, black glass eyes and an open mouth. Norm hand painted all of the shading around his eyes, his mouth, and in between in toes. I made his necklace from perle cotton thread and the funkiest shell beads that my Grandma brought back from England for me.

Here's a funny looking creature!



His belly isn't stuffed yet, so he looks a little awkward. I spent most of yesterday sculpting his face. He still needs some air brushing on his face and around his paws. I love watching their faces slowly emerge from the fabric, and I'm even more delighted when they have sweet, innocent expressions.

I also designed and sewed a bear into the wee hours of the night.


I should have named today's post...The Day of Weird Pictures! I gave him very big feet and short legs, not like the bear above who has big feet, but very long, skinny legs.

And because I was sewing late into the night, Her Majesty went un-touched, but I did manage a couple of rows on my thrummed socks before my eyes closed.



Norm looked at them last night, and said; "Don't you think those will be too warm?" No, never...insert evil laugh, but I think yours will be too warm, so I should just knit them in MY size!

Toe decreases tonight, and then this puppy is going on one of my very cold feet. I don't care how it looks, I'll have one warm and toasty foot!

I'm off to enjoy another day in the woods making bears...may there be no wild turkeys dropping out of trees for you today!

It Happened this Morning...

as I was walking the Reba dog down the Point. We were just strolling along, looking at the colourful, fallen leaves along the lane, and scanning the lake for loons. A little snowflake came drifting down. No, I thought. It's only the beginning of November. And yes, another little snowflake came gently floating into sight and landed on my jacket. No-ooooooo, must be hail. And then another, and another, and soon there was no denying that it was snowing. By the time we arrived home, the snow was arriving full force, and yes, it was staying on the ground. We were planning on raking leaves this afternoon. So much for that. Guess I'll put another log on the fire. Hmph.

Back to bears...here's Reif, my latest mini mohair bear.



He's made from antique blue German mohair and he stands at 3 1/4". He reminded me of very still, deep water. He carries a little turtle around his neck. Lots and lots of little tiny stitches for this guy.

Can you tell I'm feeling out of sorts? I'm trying, I just really don't like the winter, and the snow thing so early has thrown me for a loop. I'm afraid to look away from the monitor. Maybe, if I just sit and stare at the computer, it will all go away. Yeah, right.

As for knitting, and fending off chills, lookie here...



It's a thrum sock, and it's a sock I love! I do have to stop shoving my hand into the top of the sock to warm up and feel the soft roving. These darlings are going to be the bomb this winter. Do you think I could knit a full body stocking?

Here's a close-up of the heel.



Nothing beats the colours of Fleece Artist! I find myself watching my knitting more when I use their yarns, just to see the colour changes slide through my fingers.

And Her Majesty got some love as well.



Three repeats done. She's finally starting to look like the back of a sweater. I still haven't decided how much I'm going to shorten it, but I'll be doing at least five or six repeats.

And last, but not least, the Reba dog has decided that she doesn't want to make any more long boring car rides for a little while because there's nothing like being cuddled up at home!



We had a great time in the big city celebrating my nephew's birthday, but it's good to be home!

I'm off to work on bears, make a trip to the Post Office, ignore the snow, and sneak in a little knitting. May there be no snow in your forecast!

It's Trying to Snow...

and I'm cringing as I type those four terrible words, the worst of all...SNOW. I'm a Canadian with a send-me-to-a-small-tropical-island-during-the-winter soul. Each year I try to embrace the winter. I try to love a winter sport. There have even been winters where I continued running outside through the season. I do love knitting and wearing big, cozy sweaters, but my best winters have been the ones where Norm and I have go live on a beach in Mexico for six months.

I woke up this morning nice and toasty warm, to the sound of the wind howling across the lake, and once I peeled open my eyes, I spied the choppy water with white caps on the waves. It just looked cold. The trees were bending at alarming angles and there were barely any autumn leaves left on their branches. Even the birds have gone into hiding. And I was warm, despite the fact that I heard the fire die around 5:30 am and knew the temperature inside had probably dipped down to 15. If you only knew how long it took me to get out of bed. The poor Reba dog had to do a great deal of coaxing before I would leave my warm cocoon to take her for her morning walk. And then it hailed. And then the wind picked up so much that it is something to be talked over even though we're inside. At least I know my home is safely anchored to this piece of Canadian Shield (the house sits on a rock, in fact, the basement is pure, exposed Canadian Shield, which at first I thought was charming and incredibly original. Except now I realize that "rock" is a living breathing thing, which gives off a great deal of moisture in the summer, and cold in the winter.) Hopefully, all the leaves on our lawn, that we've been putting off raking, will have blown away...or get covered over in snow.

As for bears, Norm's latest creation (not yet finished in this photo) looked very familiar to me...



Can you see the resemblance. Yes, there is a wool roving thief in my house, and his name is Norm! Luckily, we have enough roving for me to substitute in for the amount he took. I threatened to not knit his pair of thrum socks if he stole any more!

And did I work on them last night? No. My heart wasn't in it. I did ponder this, though:

"Magic Socks"

Thanks for the link, Moose! It's knitting two socks at once! How much fun is that! Has anyone else done this? It wouldn't suit the thrum socks because of the bulk, but for my next pair, I think I might give it a shot. I have knit something similar to it, the Windfall Shawl by Rowan #28:



It incorporates the same idea of having all the stitches on one needle, but you knit every other stitch, which produces two layers. The shawl is lovely, but I knit it a long time ago with cheap yarn and has since piled so much that I will not take a photo of it for you (even if I could find it in the numerous un-packed boxes that haunt my home).

As for Her Majesty, after working, there was only a little time for knitting, but I did manage to complete 2 1/2 repeats so far.



I do love working on her so. She's become the calm in the middle of the storm for me after my sock experience.

Here's a close up of the center panel.



Her Majesty will have all of my attention this week-end as Norm, the Reba dog and I are heading into the big, bad city to celebrate my nephew's and sister in law's birthdays. Lots and lots of car knitting.

And tonight...tonight is all about the sock!

And so I leave you, to work on a mini bear, take photos of a commission bear, head into town to do some shipping, stoke the fire, and sneak in some thrum sock knitting. I will return on Monday morning to show off the goods. Have a fabulous week-end, keep warm and may your world be devoid of roving thieves!

Okay...

so a post wasn't coming. I lied. I tried to post, but one bear and one pair of thrum socks pulled me away. More on that later...

First things first!

Norm's latest and strangest and goofiest bear ever!




He even named him "Goofy Doofy"! He's 2 1/2" tall with great big feet, a great big white belly and even bigger white teeth! He's the kind of creature that makes you giggle!

And the "official" photograph of Ming Lee, my latest bear in a silk kimono!




I wish I could snap my fingers and have my one kimono like hers. There's something so luxurious about a silk kimono!

And secondly....I hate my socks.

Why? All was going well as I knit away on my thrums, ever so happy, having a little sip of Diet Coke (yes, I was plying myself with caffeine so I could stay awake and knit my socks), knitting a thrum or two in the late evening hours....



Doesn't that look like the definition of warmth and coziness? I had to stop myself from plunging my hand through the top of the sock to feel how soft and warm it was!

I even started the heel...



I was in sock heaven. All was right in the world...and then I noticed it. And it was all my fault. I had failed to apply one of my knitting rules...every once and awhile stop and count the stitches. Something seemed strange as I turned the heel, a cold spot in a room, they way your bedroom as a teenager seemed to be the way you left it, but you knew that your mother had been through everything...

And there it was, right by the cuff...



A DROPPED STITCH! Cursing began. Reba hid under my drafting table. I showed Norm, and even he exclaimed "Oh no...." , which was sweet because he has no idea of the repercussions of a dropped stitch. My heart sank into my cold, thrum-less toes. I contemplated it. I COULD ignore it as the thrum had caught the stitch and it won't unravel it. Norm told me that it doesn't have to be perfect. I COULD just pick up an extra stitch when I turn the heel. No one would ever know. Then I thought about it some more.

It would always be the sock with the dropped stitch.

I would put it on last.

I would point out to others...THIS IS THE SOCK WITH THE DROPPED STITCH! Instead of showing them how lovely the socks are.

I COULDN'T LIVE WITH IT!

So, I ripped. Ripped it all out. And then I pilfered the freezer for another lovely product from Newfoundland.



I am a thrum-oholic.

May there always be a bottle of Iceberg Vodka in your freezer.

We're Off to See the...

big city of Kingston, so a proper post with photos will be coming later on today! And you better believe that I stayed up late (after a lovely evening at the neighbours) to start my socks! Oh, my lovelies...wait until you see...

It's a Cold and Rainy...

day in the woods. Hopefully the hunters are chilled to the bone, catching colds, and ready to go home for a hot cup of coffee. Hopefully. I, however, am warm and cozy with a big fire going and a hot cup of coffee in my hand. Now, despite all my ranting and raving about my new surroundings, I feel that I owe you a "good" post. Every morning and afternoon, Reba and I walk down "the point" to the actual point where there is a lovely park with a beach (very unusual in Ontario) on one side and a boat launch on the other. If I spot a neighbour, we stop and chat. And I am blessed with extraordinary neighbours. Reba and I stop at each side of the lake. Reba goes for a swim or roams around in the woods, and I watch for the loons. They change sides of the lake depending on the time of day, and I have the luxury of sitting in the woods (picnic tables) and watching them take a deep breath, dive underwater and emerge minutes later far away from their original spot. They are amazing to watch, and watch I do.

Even when I hung the laundry on the line yesterday (confession, I love doing laundry! This is the first time I've had my own washer and dryer, and I use it constantly. Laundry dried on a line smells amazing. I can't get enough of it. The smell is so fresh and clean, better than any laundry I have ever encountered. Yes, perhaps I have gone off the deep end, but clothes and sheets dried in the woods is right up their on my list of goof things in life)....where was I? Yes, even when I hung the laundry on the line yesterday I was greeted by Blue Jays. Lots and lots of these brightly coloured (and so pretty) birds scampering here and there. We're going to put out bird feed so that they stay the winter. And there I was, hanging laundry in the woods, by a lake, with Blue Jays around, and loons calling all around me. How good is my life here!

See...a good post.

And now back to delightful bears. You won't see a lot of my bears this week because I've been concentrating on commission work. So, if I get promisson from the commissioners, I'll post pictures.

This is Boo-Boo, Norm's latest creation, and I think, one of the best so far!



He's also one of his biggest bears, at 4" long. He's made from 100% natural sheep's wool, and then he needle felted hand dyed blue roving around his limbs and body for a furry look. And what would a panda do without his dose of bamboo!

As for knitting news....STOP TEMPTING ME!!! And you know who you are!

I am not a bad ass knitter, and could never be one. I have to finish what I start, otherwise it eats away at me. Besides, my stash is very small (thrum kits and perle cotton for Hush-Hush). But you almost got me...especially the one about knitting the socks and the gloves at the same time. Hmmmm......

But lookie here....



One left hand glove with four fingers and all seamed up and ready to fight the cold with style! I have to admit that I did think about taking a photo of the finished right hand glove and passing it off as the finished left glove so that I could start my socks and save face, but...



Two there are!

Pattern: Fable, Rowan Magazine #30
Nickname: Purple Stripey Gloves
Yarn: Cantata Cotton Crepe in Purple & Variegated Purple
Needles: 3 1/4 mm

And here come the socks!



I wound the yarn and created some thrums (which seem to have unraveled, but I don't care because tomorrow night is sock night. I know, tomorrow? Because neighbours invited us over for dinner tonight, so I may not get much knitting time this evening). I LOVE these socks already!

Well, I'm off to make a bear...May the sock be with you!

Deer Hunting Season...

began today, and I'm not very happy about it. Yes, yet another thing I did not expect in (as my stepsister would say) God's back. We hear gun shots all the time. Lately, it's been for ducks (not that killing a duck is any worse than killing a deer), but we learned yesterday that deer hunting season lasts for only seven days, starting this morning, and that it's an entire culture. People are fanatical about it, book vacation time around these seven days, and will even quit their jobs if they can't get the appropriate dates off. I don't understand what the thrill is to go kill a defenseless animal with a great big gun from a mile away.

The neighbours warned us that we'd be hearing and seeing a lot more gun shots and hunters over the next week. There's a tavern that we have to drive past in order to get anywhere, and they are holding a "Big Buck Contest" and I'm trying to tell myself that this involves loonies and twoonies, but I'm afraid it's just the loonies. I'm extremely sensitive to seeing dead animals flung over the hood of a pick up truck (I've also been a vegetarian for 18 years because I don't believe in killing animals for food, but that's another story), and the neighbours said that we would be seeing a lot of killed animals by the tavern and over the hoods of cars as hunters drive around showing off their trophies.

So, what does one do about this? I tried to convince Norm to take a little car ride with me yesterday and go around to the edges of the fields and forests and pee (if animals detect human urine they will flee), but I couldn't get him on board. We were also worried about getting shot because even though it is illegal to hunt on Sundays, there was quite a lot of shooting going on. Do I host my own private abolishment troop, tramp around in the woods on Sundays and declare a citizen arrest if I discover hunters hunting? Do I picket the tavern? The best idea I've been able to come up with is to have a pre-hunting party for all the hunters in the area, buy lots of free beer, and keep them drunk all week. That's the plan, Stan.

And what does Reba think about all this?



She thinks that everyone should just put down their guns and cuddle up on the sofa for a long, QUIET afternoon nap in the sun!

Don't even get me started on moose and bear hunting season.

Speaking of bears, here's a delightful creature I've been working on for quite some time!



She's in my favorite colours, purple and blue, and she's also wearing a breath taking silk kimono, which you'll see tomorrow after her photography session this afternoon. She has blue eyes with black pupils, a blue nose, and a sculpted face. I spent hours and hours plucking and cutting the fur around her face, and then I slowly hand painted layers of dark purple down her nose, around her eyes and in her inner ears. She has big cheeks and a tiny, delicate mouth, and I'm so delighted with her. More photos tomorrow...

As for knitting, Her Majesty and I are back on worship/slave speaking terms.



Yes, we had a connecting moment in which the heavens opened up and the angels sang. Okay, so I'm on my second cup of coffee and considering a third, but I finally got into a rhythm with the dear soul once I got past the first repeat. I'm almost done two repeats, and she's a joy to pick up in the late evenings!

And, lo and behold, two more fingers...



...and two more to go before I can start knitting my thrum socks! Oh, I can't tell you how much I want to fling down these gloves, stuff them in the back of the closet and start my socks. I WILL finish these gloves, I WILL finish these gloves...

And now this girl's off to hang laundry on the line, bake some bread (as we demolished the last loaf you saw in such a short time, I''m ashamed to tell you), do a little shipping (I'm sending Norm by himself because it requires driving past the Big Buck Contest and I may not be able to restrain myself from making a few enemies), and best of all, work on bears and knit!

May your day be devoid of gun shots and hunters. Go pee on a field for me!