What I learned today

My mum had many sayings that she loved to pull out and use against us use to provide wisdom at opportune times. One of her favourite was "you learn something new everyday."

I can't really say that's true when you're home full time with two kids, unless you count the best strategies to avoid Baron Licorice in Candyland as learning something new. However, today I went out and purposefully learned something new and I'm so glad I did.

Now, if you're not a knitter or interested in knitting in some way, this is the part where your eyes will glaze over.

This is what I learned:


I took a course at a great knitting shop in New Hamburg today. The shop, in case you're ever in the area, is called Shall We Knit?. I drooled over their shelves of yarns and amazing books. Someday soon (maybe during Beth's visit?) I'll go and spend more time with the yarns. Today I was there to take a course on two-handed fair isle knitting. That's a fancy way to say that I learned to knit with two colours while holding one colour in each hand.

Sounds simple but you actually have to learn to knit a completely different way with one of your hands. I normally knit the English way (as do most North Americans). I had to learn to knit the Continental style, the choice of most Germans and other Europeans.

I've wanted to learn this style for a long time. First, it's more efficient but more importantly, it would allow me to do two-handed fair isle. Fair Isle is adding colour to your work in interesting patterns (beyond stripes or small dots). And, I learned! At first I was very awkward but now after spending the day doing it on and off, I feel like I've really got the rhythm and I'm on my way to finishing a very tight fitting mitten.

I've only knit mittens once before and they squished my hands like a vice. I think this mitten, which is supposed to fit a man's hand according to the pattern (hah!) will stop the blood flow to my finger tips. Oh well, that's what blocking is for! Or gifting them to a small child!

And where were the kids during my day to myself? With John having an amazing time. They spent the whole day with him doing fun stuff and I could see in their faces what a great day they had with their dad. We have to do this more often, just so they get some long stretches with him without me around. I get this all the time. He isn't so lucky being the guy who brings home the bacon. I was reminded today of how important and special it is to them and their relationship.

What a great day!

The civil holiday

All right, so today is actually The Civic Holiday. More specifically, if you're in Ottawa, it is known as Colonel By Day. But, I'm renaming it the Civil Holiday because we're going to spend it at a friend's cottage (so nice that it isn't ours - then we don't have to clean or host or cook) in Perth and that just seems downright civil. First, we only have to drive one hour to get there. Next, we'll be drinking wine and eating great food. Finally, the kids will have lots of other kids to play with which means they won't need to be entertained. By me. Hah! Great.

I have something embarrassing to admit.

I have a repetitive stress injury. Okay, that part isn't embarrassing.

I think it's from knitting.

Oh my. Embarrassing.

It actually began last year, before the knitting, while I was breastfeeding. Hope always plopped her heavy head on my right forearm and it started to aggravate the tendon in my upper right shoulder and bicep. It got to the point where I couldn't lift my right arm while bent without a lot of pain. My chiropractor fixed it.

But then knitting.

It flared up in a new and terrible way while I was at the cottage. I showed Beth that I couldn't lift the ketchup bottle while my arm was extended. Yah, sad.

So, my chiro has told me that it's repetitive stress injury which she says is most common in mothers with young children. What about mothers with young children who recently took up knitting and started to knit intricately patterned socks and don't generally put them down? I didn't go into all that because? yah, embarrassed.

Anyway, sadly, knitting is on hold but sewing is in full swing with the party aprons almost complete! Pictures to follow. But first, coffee, packing for the day, hitting the road, relaxation.

Ahhhhhh.

Happy Civic Holiday everyone. Or, depending where in Ontario you are, happy: Simcoe Day (Toronto), Joseph Brant Day (Burlington), Founders' Day (Brantford), McLaughlin Day (Oshawa), Alexander Mackenzie Day (Sarnia), James Cockburn Day (Coburg), John Galt Day (Guelph).

I'll knit for money

I've decided to throw caution to the wind, put myself on the line and open an Etsy store.

Please shop there. I need the cash. The stuff I make isn't so bad either. If you're not picky.

Here is my first offering:


Okay, so I only have one item up there so far because I took a seriously crappy photo of a very funky bag I made. Must redo that to do it justice.

Here is my Etsy shop. I kind of like the banner. Not bad for 30 minutes work.

Now I get to brag about the other things I've knit lately. Check it out:

This is the first (and only) sweater I have made, so far. It's for Hope when her birthday rolls around in September. Me? I like to start early.


And this is the funky bag photographed really badly. Still, I wanted to show it off. I love how the little cell phone/iPod holder turned out.


That's my Bring and Brag for tonight. If you know a newborn who is crying out for a strawberry hat, you know where I am.

Show and tell

I've been doing a lot of knitting since Beth taught me how to knit over Christmas. And a few weeks ago I started a knitting class with my friend Dawn so I've learned a few new tricks in the last few weeks, making me feel a bit more competent and daring. Anyway, I feel it's time for a show and tell of my creations. It will likely be more show than tell.

I've made several of these baby hats for people I know having or just had babies. I can spin them off pretty quick now and I like the change I made to the pattern by adding stripes. In my most recent version, not shown here, I use the contrast colour to do the decrease and i-cord on the top as well as the stripes, which looks even better.


After the first baby hat, I made this bag to hold my current knitting project. It's felted, which means you knit up a big floppy bag and then shrink it in the washing machine. So much fun!


This is the scarf I just finished for my knitting class. It is unlikely I will ever knit a scarf again. Sooooo boring. I became very good at colour changes though.


I just finished these leg warmers for Emily. She likes to put them on for a few minutes at a time but has yet to show interest in wearing them for real. They might end up in the dress-up clothes. Knitting these taught me a couple of things: I'll never knit with acrylic again or eyelash stuff; and how to do ribbing.... properly.


Last week I decided to learn how to cable. I taught myself to do it by making this dishcloth. Little expense and not much time. Turns out that cables are very easy. I plan to make a cable sweater someday for yours truly and probably the girls too. Oh, and cable socks.


That's the end of my current show and tell. I'm going to be making Easter bunnies and eggs for the girls soon and a sweater for Hope and Emily and then I really have to turn my attention to some sewing.