It's kind of growing on me...

At last...I'm knitting again! Here is my new project:The Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket.

It's a nice, steady project - back and forth in garter stitch rows ~ a free pattern from Mason and Dixon Knitting and is available at Ravelry.

I am using Lion Brand's Cotton Ease:

• Ivory
• Terracotta
• Lake
• Taupe
  
• Size 4 mm needles
  

The colours look a bit more muted in real life.

This is my "knitting halfway across Canada" project. BC here we come!

Still here...

Apparently it has been two months since Christmas...any my knitting is still not finished! I did manage to get one pair of slippers done, but the elves are packed away for next year. I have a crocheted scarf on the go but am making very little progress. I'm in a bit of a creative slump, as far as the knitting goes anyway.
I am blessed to be able to put some creative energy into the projects I have for work, researching and writing up teaching packages, power points, and other educational material for the NICU and paediatric nurses at our hospital. Not to mention writing papers for my degree courses!
That and the rest of life have kept me away from yarn and needles for a little while...

family, work, school...what's knitting again?

I have missed my needles and wool. While trying to keep up with the knitting world through Ravelry, one day I came across Manic Purl's blog and podcast. Just listening to her enthusiastically knitting up many Christmas presents, and noting her many knitted gift suggestions, she motivated me in a kniterly way once again. So here's what I am working on right now:

Yuletide Gnomes by Alan Dart

... and a few pair of these:

Ribby Slipper Socks

Interweave's Holiday Knits 2008

... seven more knitting days (including today) till Christmas...

...falling behind...

With the start of a new school year, the shuttling of four kids to various activities, and beginning a new job, this is just about as close to knitting as I have come in the past two months...

...well, not quite. I do have a baby outfit on the needles (three new babies in my circle of friends). I also enjoyed the company of four dpn's and 100 gm of trusty sock wool on the GO train to Toronto this week. I don't envy those who have such long commutes to work every day; however, it is ideal knitting time!

There is just so much to knit, but so little time. Have you seen the preview for the winter Interweave Knits?

Back to school!

When they are literally climbing the walls, you know it is time to go back to school! That is, if they will let them in! Our "beautiful" children...
These are much better : )

An almost finished object, or two

I've always wondered what it would be like to make one of these...look familiar?

Starting to make sense yet?

Almost there now...

That's right! It's Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket.

BSJ pattern found in The Opinionated Knitter.

Knit with MARBLE (James C. Brett) in Denims (MT2)

Needles: 4 mm

I loved how this knit up in one piece and did enjoy watching my daughter try to figure out what it was, once the knitting was finished. It still needs the top seam and a few buttons but is otherwise ready for a fall/winter baby...or two...

Camping: the art of getting closer to nature while getting farther away from the nearest cold beverage, hot shower and flush toilet.

It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent.-Dave Barry --American writer, b.1947

Every summer we head off to some park or other to go for a week of camping. This year, even though it has been the rainiest summer in eons, was no exception. After cramming our tent trailer and van as full as possible with camping "stuff" and food (marshmallows, chocolate, graham wafers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, bacon and eggs, etc) we first headed off to Charleston Lake Provincial Park. It rained the first night, it rained the second day, and the third day it rained again but the sun did come out for four hours, then it rained again, the fourth day was rainy, the fifth day we packed up and drove home in the rain. The sixth and seventh days were spent drying out the camping "stuff" and doing 10 loads of rain-soaked, mud-caked laundry. The camera got rained on and is barely functioning. We have one souvenir picture of our trip.

This was taken before it rained.

The trip was a disaster. Trying to make the most of it, I did bring along a bit of knitting...which I ripped out at least 10 times, in the rain.

Never mix lace knitting and camping.

Two weeks later we were back at it again, camping at another park called BurBaLac. Here the weather was much kinder to us and I was much wiser...

...I knit wash cloths.