A Treasured Swan

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Heather

Last night I finally finished up the Ackworth Swan Treasure Keep from the February issue of The Gift of Stitching. It turned out absolutely lovely, and I think it ranks up there in the top 5 of my favourite pieces that I have finished, even though it isn’t my normal style.


Ackworth Swan Treasure Keep from The Gift of Stitching, February 2009
Treads: Olde Willow Stitchery hand dyed silks
Fabric: 36ct. linen from Stitches and Spice

I’ve also finished up the first sleeve for Baby Man’s jacket. It was just able to get it out of the first ball of yarn. Below you can see the sleeve and ball #2 waiting to be used for the second sleeve and back.


And, fresh off the needles, withing the last 15 minutes, is the Kiss Me dish cloth from the February KAL for Monthly Dishcloth KAL. (It obviously hasn’t been blocked or anything. I’m not kidding when I said it is just off the needles.)


So, what’s next for me? Well, finishing up the jacket, even though it is going to be way to big for Baby Man to wear in the spring. I’m also going to get the second of those blue/purple socks started. It is wise to always have a sock on the needles, I think.

For cross stitch, I need to finish up Part 1 of Castles in the Air, and then I think I will work on the Jeanette Douglas tree design (the name of which I forget) and probably Camelot Miniature from Teresa Wentzler. And, of course, get Baby Man’s stocking started.

Comments Off on A Treasured Swan | Posted in Cross Stitch, Knitting | Tagged , ,

Earth Hour 2009

Posted on March 28, 2009 by Heather

I was really disappointed to see how few people in our neighbourhood took part in Earth Hour.  The two buildings next to us appeared to be only slightly less lit up than normal, and the seniors’ condo and the larger condo complex down the road both were as lit up they would be any day of the week.

I don’t understand why some people aren’t willing to take the simplest of steps.  How difficult is it to turn off the lights for an hour?  The gods forbid that we would have to miss our favourite shows and instead sit and talk with our loved ones in the candlelight with our loved ones.

If it is so hard for us to take the simple step of reducing our power usage for one hour a year, how are we ever going to make any progress towards repairing the environment?  Maybe, instead, Earth Hour should be monthly, or even weekly.  Little steps will help, especially if we all take part.

Comments Off on Earth Hour 2009 | Posted in The Outside World | Tagged

Asleep in My Arms

Posted on March 28, 2009 by Heather

The other night Baby Man woke up at about 9:30pm.  Very unusual for him; he’s slept through the night since he was about three months old.  (Except for a few weeks around Christmas, that is.  But that was because his pjs were too small…)  After letting him cry for a little while in hopes that he would go back to sleep, I went into his room to see if I could calm him down.

That night, I feel in love with my Baby Man all over again.  He was grumpy and tired, but when Mommy picked him up and started to rock him, he feel right asleep.  It nearly broke my heart.

You see, Baby Man has never been a cuddly baby.  After about the first month, he preferred to be ensconced in his papasan swing.  There he would rock back and forth and fall asleep.  Sometimes, if I was lucky, he would have his afternoon nap on my lap.  If I was really lucky, he would fall asleep on my chest, and I would get a nap too.  But, mostly, he was content to sooth himself.

He is only 14 months old, but I already feel like he is growing up.  He loves to play by himself, stacking his Megablocks, pulling his train, or pushing along his cars.  He can hardly walk or talk, but I see him already becoming his own person.  But it is nice to know that once in a while he still needs Mommy to rock him to sleep after a bad dream.

Comments Off on Asleep in My Arms | Posted in Baby | Tagged

Totally Useless Stitch Along… and a Kimono

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Heather

I’m a day late with my Totally Useless Stitch Along photo. I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather with a cold that just doesn’t want to get started properly, or go away. Anyway, here is my picture for this month:

Inside is yarn from the sock I shared recently, the Endless Blue Shawl of Doom (I’ve started ball 3 of 8!), the bunny, and Baby Man’s Kimono. There is also floss from Trick or Treat Fairy as well as a couple misshapen beads, from Castle in the Air, Ackworth Swan Treasure Keep (which I really, really want to finish), and Kitty and Me Design’s mystery SAL.

Even though I haven’t been feeling well, I have found time to knit. (Imagine that!) Baby Man’s kimono now has two fronts and a part of a sleeve.


Garter Stitch Kimono by Bernat
Yarn: Bernat Baby Jacquards

Soon it will be ready to be put together. I’m a bit nervous about that part since I’m not very good at seaming things. In retrospect, I should have knitted one of the seamless kimonos. Anyway, I have a sleeve and a half and the back to do, as well as ties. I’m nearly done the first ball of yarn, and it looks like two balls will be more than enough.

Also, don’t forget that tomorrow is Earth Hour.  Turn off all your lights, TVs, computers, etc. for an hour starting at 8:30pm local time.  We will be doing it, and I hope you will be too.

Comments Off on Totally Useless Stitch Along… and a Kimono | Posted in Cross Stitch, Knitting | Tagged , , ,

A Castle with a Sock

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Heather

It’s been a while since I’ve written about what I’ve been up to. With quanta taking some time off work last week, I was able to get away a couple of times and see some of the outside world. Along with a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum (probably the worst place for a mom to escape to alone during March Break), I also visited 3 yarns shops and increased my stash nicely.

On the weekend, I finished up one of my socks that I have been knitting using Panda Cotton. I did write a while back that I couldn’t stand it because of the way it untwisted, but I’ve learned to live with and just love the resulting sock.

Show Off Stranded Socks by Anne Campbell
Yarn: Crystal Palace Panda Cotton in Blueberries-Grapes

I’ve also been working on Kitty and Me Designs’ Garden Fantasy SAL. I don’t have any pictures to share yet, since it still doesn’t look like anything. Hopefully I’ll get some more of it done soon.

Papillon Creations has just started their newest SAL, and I’m happily working away on it. For my Castle in the Air I’m using hand-dyed fabric from Enchanting Lair called Wind. My choices for the colours are:

  • Dark Green – 500
  • Medium Green – 501
  • Light Green – 503
  • Floral 1 – 333
  • Floral 2 – 340
  • Floral 3 – 316
  • Floral 4 – 153
  • Floral 5 – 3078
  • Floral 6 – 151
  • Floral 7 – 3047
  • Floral 8 – 778
  • Metallic – PTB PB32 (which I bought for something else but can’t remember what…)
  • no decision on beads as of yet

Note that I will probably be using a Swarovski 4mm mauve pearl in the centre (originally bought 60+ for a knitting project that isn’t happening because of my allergy) and Swarovski 4mm crystal AB bicones in the corners where square eyelet is charted. I also didn’t do the second part of the tied Smyrna crosses. Not sure why, mostly because I didn’t care for the look I suppose. Here is what Part One looks like nearly done.

Castle in the Air – Part 1 by Papillon Creations
Fibres: DMC and Petite Treasure Braid
Fabric: Wind from Enchanting Lair

Progress is also being made on Baby Man’s jacket. The second side is about 1/3 done now. No pictures because I left it in his room and he is asleep.
1 Comment | Posted in Cross Stitch, Knitting | Tagged , ,

Time to Set Goals?

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Heather

Goal setting has been on my mind a lot lately.  The last year or two have been pretty free form thanks to the endless demands that Baby Man puts on my time.  I do what I can, when I can, and I am very happy when anything gets done.  But quanta made a comment to me the other day that has made me think a quite a bit about what I want to accomplish.  He said that I have all of these wonderful ideas of what I would like to accomplish, but no plan to get there.

Setting goals and making plans with regards to Baby Man is difficult.  He doesn’t really understand the idea of a time table.  I’m content to let him play and grow, making sure he is safe and progressing well.  When he gets a little older we will look into things like swimming lessons, music lessons and Chinese school.

Work is work right now, and I don’t really have an ambitions or goals with regards to what I currently do.  Sounds awful, doesn’t it?  Maybe when I’m not so concerned about Baby Man this will change.

Hobbies are difficult to set goals for, at least for me.  I like picking up what I want when I want, but that isn’t getting me the results I want.  I think I need to look over those lists of projects and make a timeline of what I want done by when.  I need to stop having my head turned by every new design that comes along.  (I’m talking to you Lily of the Valley.)

In order to help this new resolve, this attempt at setting goals, I did a Tarot reading this morning.  (Did I mention that I want to work my Tarot studies back into my life?  And writing to? Where, oh where will I find the time?)  I did a Past, Present, Future spread using the Maat Tarot and drew Death, Judgment and 5 of Swords.  I took this to mean that in the past I have ignored my old projects, and now I am paying them lip service but still starting new projects, and if I keep this up then I end up cheating myself.  So, I think it is time to do some serious goal setting.

With that in mind, I’ve been working on knitting Baby Man’s jacket this morning.  That, along with his Christmas stocking (which I haven’t started) are the two most important projects I have.  I’d like to knit him a bunny for Easter, so that may jump to the front of the queue since it has the quickest deadline.

Comments Off on Time to Set Goals? | Posted in My Life | Tagged , , , ,

Swiming in WIPs

Posted on March 16, 2009 by Heather

I have a lot of WIPs (that is, works-in-progress).  The other weekend, I counted 35 cross stitch WIPs along with another 36 projects I could start with buying few or no supplies, one crochet WIPs (the Never Ending Blue Shawl of Doom), and three knitting WIPs.  (You can see all my cross stitch WIPs here.)

I was actually feeling pretty bad about having so many projects on the go, until I read the Spring 2009 issue of Interweave Knits.  There is a cute article in it about the joy of WIPs.  The author talks about how each different project fulfills a creative need.  Take my WIPs.  I’m knitting the socks because I want a nice pair of socks, because I wanted to try the yarn, and because the pattern includes an interesting way to make the gusset.  Some of my cross stitch WIPs were started because they were going to be gifts, or Christmas decorations, or because I took a class.  I started others because I loved the pattern so much I knew I had to have it hanging on my walls.  As for the shawl, it is just something I have to have, even if it takes me ages to finish it.

I would really like to decrease the number of WIPs I have (she says after kitting up three more cross stitch projects last night).  I think it comes down to deciding what I really want to have finished.  For example, I’d love to get the Baby Man’s jacket done, another pair of socks, and the Ackworth Swan Treasure Keep–those things are moving to the top of the queue.  I want to finish the shawl, but more to say I have than to actually use it–so it is moving down the queue a little.  My class projects from the CreativFestival must be finished, so they are going to be in the middle somewhere.  The old WIPs will just have to languish a while longer.

I wonder how long I will stick to this.  There are always so many new designs that I must do.  The only way to avoid them would be to stay off the Internet, and I can’t do that. 😉

Comments Off on Swiming in WIPs | Posted in Cross Stitch, Knitting | Tagged , , ,