Citric Sugar

Break and Baby (unrelated other than appearing in the same post)

2012-02-20T14:52:00.000-06:00

I have literally not touched my laptop since the wee hours of Friday morning. Count the odd email check and I was 98% offline this weekend. WOW. Highly unusual. But I was busy sewing.

I finished midterms this week and the midterm break is underway. This is what the last one looked like:

We were given the diagram a week in advance and had to figure out what it meant. In all honesty, it was surprisingly cool for an exam and obviously testing understanding as opposed to memorization. How wonderful to be asked to think instead of regurgitate!

So I decided to call some friends this weekend, long-suffering and patient ones who have weathered my unavailability for months on end and STILL find time for me, but before I could grab the phone, Mrs. Long-suffering Friend went into labour. (And crap! I hadn't finished the baby quilt yet...) Fifty-two hours later, (yes, I wrote 52 hours!) Baby Long-suffering Friend arrived. I swung by Maternity yesterday to meet her and give her the quilt that I finished while waiting for news of her arrival from Mr. Long-suffering Friend. They truly are wonderful people, Mr.&Mrs. LSF, and I am so happy for them I can't begin to tell you. I cried. I do that around new babies. I just can't help myself.

The quilt was sewn from a Hometown by Sweetwater charm pack and yardage. I backed it in some Kona, but I didn't pay attention to the name. I finished it just in time for my mother to remark on the colours and remind me that I owed her a table runner for her birthday. In January. Oops! More on that soon...

These clips have begun to appear all over quilting blogs so I picked some up to try. LOVE them. I prefer them to the silver "hair barrette" binding clips. They hold so well and yet, don't cause your hand to cramp by squeezing them over and over again. So if you've been thinking about getting some, just do it.

I took this weekend off from homework but I've got two papers to write this week. :-( One is definitely trickier than the other and involves researching legal codes and case files. Yuck. I haven't touched the homework quilt this weekend but I'm sure I'll make time when my brain starts to overheat from APA standards and case law....

Marvellous Mail

2012-02-10T17:20:00.000-06:00

It has been (insert adjective of choice) around here. I've been quite busy with school and assignments are coming due before the midterm break so sewing has been minimal. Then there's always the mild weather and some minor personal catastrophes. All told, I'm faring well.

But the MAIL has been BOOMING! All of it has been from a number of people who answered my request for blocks and fabric for my teacher-identity-quilt-project (I must really come up with a better name for it than that...) I'm still expecting a few more. Incredible! The light and my time available for photographing has been hmmmm....interesting? Please bear with the crappy shots...

From Dresden Quilter:

So bright and colourful. Orange and blue are favourites of mine and I have always loved how pink and orange get along. Like ruby red grapefruit, the inspiration for CitricSugar in the first place... It's perfect.

From Hello, my name is Quilt:

She had a STACK of leftover blocks and was kind enough to send them my way. There is a tonne of metaphorical value in these blocks, not to mention that they are gorgeous.

From Evidently:

Not a quilter herself, my dear friend had stashed these vintage hand-sewn blocks from the late 1880's for just the right project. How unbelievably touched I am that she thought mine was the project! Seriously. A great representation of traditional knowledge and passing it from one person to the next.

I also noticed THIS ONE on materials & method. Totally cool and completely inspires me. It hasn't arrived yet but I'm giddy with anticipation.

Here are some of the ones that I improv-pieced:

I'm going to start work on the more structured blocks next weekend. I have some more curves, some flying geese, as well as some paper-pieced Canadian flag and Love blocks planned. Should keep me busy during the break when I'm not furiously writing a paper or two.

Love is central to why I'm a teacher. Selvedge serendipity.

And now, I must get back to the books before a college-sponsored pub crawl (yes, I'm too old for pub crawls and skip most of them but this one has crazy carpets and sledding between bars. One is never too old to go barrelling down a snow-covered hill with one's friends...) I anticipate bruises tomorrow.

Progress

2012-01-30T00:08:00.000-06:00

I've made a few blocks so far for my "homework" quilt. I've imposed a few rules for myself - including an indictment against buying fabric (until it comes sandwich time...) and trying new techniques. I've made quite a few improvised blocks, sewing things together at random, which I'll save for another post, but I've also dabbled in some traditional ones.

Including some where you'll think I've gone insane.

Yep.

Made with triangular trimmings from the Seville quilt I made for Mum this Christmas...

But it became this. Tiny, but mighty! The trick to getting it to lay flat. STEAM. Much steam.

And there's this one.

Made with the trimmings from binding mitres. I have no idea why I kept them...

And I tried out my fancy curve sewing foot. This one turned out great. Subsequent ones did not and I will need to do far more practice...

Curves scare the bejeezus out of me. If I offended you with "bejeezus", be glad you didn't hear what I said when sewing the curves....

And then, I played around with the embroidery stitches. I figured the root of my philosophy on education needs to be in there somewhere. This phrase is something my mother said years ago when Seester and I were discussing the variances in curfew and rules for each of us.

Bad lighting + Steam iron brown gunk + water to wash out brown gunk = crappy photo.

For every student, the teacher they need. A little cheesy? Possibly. Do I believe it like the naive idealist I am? Absolutely.

Anyone have any ideas on other blocks and techniques I should try? This is about "learning", after all... :-) Thank you to those folks who volunteered their time and talents for this project - I'm so thrilled to have you as a part of it! More progress to come...

A Request

2012-01-15T15:34:00.001-06:00

I'm sitting here on a Sunday afternoon, doing homework and organizing my assignments for the term. Don't be jealous, it's not as much fun as it sounds. :-)

However, one assignment might be. And this is where I need your help.

I'm making a quilt based on my internship experiences and teacher identity (yeah, I know it sounds....mmmm...less than academic? But the assignment parameters allow for it so I can actually work destress-sewing into my scholastic schedule and call it achievement. So, I'm going with it.)

I am sewing it mainly from scraps and what I have in my stash. I will be doing fairly improvised stuff with a few traditional blocks thrown in. IF ANYONE would like to sew a block or two for me, (or maybe you have leftover blocks you have no idea what to do with) I would love to have them.

Guidelines:
1) Please use scraps - don't go cutting into anything large and precious. Part of my idea is about using limited resources.
2) Use white or off-white as a background or border. This isn't mandatory. I can make it work regardless.
3) Size and shape is completely up to you! Octagons, squares, circles, rectangles, triangles, and hexagons - go nuts!
4)Pop it in the mail by the first week of February. I'd be freer with the time but I have due dates.

Why am I asking other people to help me with my homework? Quilting, like teaching, is a highly personal activity and everyone has their unique ways of doing it. Also, teaching and quilting are greatly enriched and strengthened by community; I have learned teaching from other teachers, students and community members, just as I have learned skills and gained inspiration from the online quilting/sewing/knitting/writing community I've found online. With you.

I will be posting progress and explaining my concept as I go along. And coming up with treats to send back as thanks. :) If you'd have the time and energy to contribute to my project, please send me an email at citricsugar at yahoo dot ca or leave me a comment I can reply to.

And now for a random picture of an elephant in a Jayne toque:

Firsts

2012-01-04T12:43:00.000-06:00

Today is my first day back at university since April. It's odd to be on the student side of things again and I miss teaching like it's as important to as breathing. And it is. Of course, I'm an advocate of lifelong learning, and wearing jeans on weekdays again, but the adjustment is tricky. Ready to go there but not ready to be here. Ah, the hoops.

Tomorrow is my nephew's first birthday. I remember it well for being so very long a day. The call came at 12:45 am and after a few hours, they sent her home until the afternoon. I had four classes (one a three-hour night class) that day on two hours of sleep. I went back and forth between hospital and class all day. He arrived at 11:30pm. On his due date. And has filled my life with so much love, I can't believe it. I'm lucky that I get to see him almost every day.

I made him a sweater. With an elephant.

From Vintage Knits for Modern Babies. Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. Elephant instead of bird.

And towards many other firsts, a second. I was spoiled by Santa this Christmas and found a new sewing machine under the tree. It's a Janome 4120QDC and it's so zoomy!!! I love it and can finally learn to free-motion. It's incredibly quiet (my old Kenmore shook and squeaked the house down) and if I can't manage a scant 1/4" seam allowance, I have nothing left to blame but the operator. I have only just started to play around with all the features and what-not but I'm completely in love.

I named it Oscar. Yep, I name things. Usually British men's names. My phone is Giles. My iPad is Nigel. There's also a Hamish, a Kenneth, and a Darwin in my life. There was a Kevin, but it's still too hard to talk about... :-) I don't name cars; I find it portends their doom.

Hope you had a happy!

2011-12-31T18:18:00.001-06:00

Holiday, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, New Year! (and any other celebrations I missed.)

Hello again!

I unintentionally disappeared for a bit. I had intended to post the last of the gifts I'd made on Christmas Eve and then fell asleep between supper and church. I won't lie; I slept through church. It wasn't even at midnight. It was 7:30. Since then, I haven't been online. At ALL. It's been nice but I'm feeling out of the loop. The only news I've seen is sports-related. It's been hockey, hockey, hockey...

ANYHOO... This is the Borrowed Creativity Collection of gifts from this year.
I made this quilt for my mother for Christmas. It's Allison Harris' Seville pattern. I even bought the fat quarter bundle to make it.

Completely unoriginal on my part but I liked it so much I didn't want to change a thing. I named it Figaro. (Fee-ga-ro, Fee-ga-ro! You know, the Barber of Seville? Anyone? No?)

Also, a Honey Cowl, knit in a Manos del Uruguay mulberry silk. Also for my mother.

Seester got a shower cap (tute here), and a number of makeup bags using laminated cotton, which is much easier to sew with that the interwebs would have be believe. I used fantastic patterns and tutorials for all of them.

Boxbags: Amber of One Shabby Chick has a great tutorial. I lined the largest one with some interfaced Kona. It added a much-needed sturdiness.

Dumplings: Keyka Lou. These are awesome and fun to make.

Slouchy makeup bag: This one kicked my ass. You can tell it went haywire because the lining is on the outside...

Makeup Roll:

She also got one of the ubiquitous Anna Maria Horner scarves... I made this one in voile about 12"wide by 70"long. I made a couple in green for friends.

And finally, in the "saw-it-need-to-make-it" department, some pillow fight weapons for my brother-in-law. I saw them on ManMadeDIY.

I thought they were so clever. As far as I can tell the artist doesn't have a pattern or store so I hope he doesn't mind that I made a set.

So I was a sewing maniac. How I found time for three quilts during my internship, I don't know, but I suspect that I tend to sew as an unwind. It doesn't require speaking or socializing, or analyzing whether someone's got the whole answer or missed the boat. In sewing moments, my time is utterly my own. Which is why I was so very excited about my Christmas present from Santa.

But I'll show you that next time. :-)

Happy New Year! I'll be catching up with you soon.

Thank you!

2011-12-16T19:56:00.000-06:00

Dear Dustin Milligan,

Thank you for the other night. You were fantastic!

Carly

***

I've done improv comedy for about 14 years now. Our troupe, The Saskatoon Soaps, has been an institution here since 1984. We perform monthly at the Broadway Theatre in town. Every Christmas, we join forces with the Tree of Plenty campaign to raise food and funds for the food bank.

This year, we had celebrity guests. Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy)and Michael Eklund (Intelligence) grew up here. They're homegrown and were back in town filming Ferocious. Kim knows the original cast of the Soaps from back in the day (some of whom still do our show) and a few of the "new" ones. They'd been back and forth for a couple years trying to find a way to get him onstage with us. Since he was in town, he happily lent his talents to our show. AND he brought with him Michael. Then they roped in most of Ferocious, too. So we had Amanda Crew (Charlie St. Cloud), Katie Boland (Terminal City), and Dustin Milligan, who made me laugh so hard in Extract, my sides hurt. Apparently, he did 90210, too, but to me he'll always be Dead Corbett. These folks have appeared in so many things I've enjoyed, it was a treat to work with them.

Backstage, getting ready for the show.

Michael came straight from set and used the fake blood as a character trait.

I cannot thank them enough for lending their time and talents to a sold-out show and helping us raise a ton of money for the food bank. Not only were they great to goof off with onstage, they were also genuinely great human beings backstage and after the show. Kim was literally the last person out of the theatre that night staying to sign autographs and pose for pictures with the audience.

Good luck with the film, gang!

Trays

2011-12-14T22:34:00.000-06:00

My father is notoriously hard to buy for. He always says he doesn't need anything. This makes Christmas challenging. Even more so, his birthday is the 8th of December. ( My sister's is the 6th. Mother's - the 10th of January. Nephew - the 5th of January. Crazy family and their winter birthdays....) I have a hard time coming up with ideas for things he'd actually like and use. I have to admit, though, the potato pellet gun was a hoot. The ~~victims~~ rest of the family still haven't forgiven me for that one.

Father travels a lot. So I made him these trays.

They hold your change, your keycard, your wallet, your phone, etc., on the hotel dresser so you don't lose anything. And since they have snaps, they collapse to pack flat in your suitcase.

I bookmarked a tutorial on similar trays, planning to read it later when I had time, and then couldn't find it when I went to make them. So I made it up as I went along. I added some batting so that they were softer in the bottom so if he dumped his phone in there, it would be somewhat protected. I also chose flannel to line them so they wouldn't scratch anything.

To position the batting so it wouldn't shift, I cut it to finished size of the bottom and drew lines in the centre of some fusible interfacing cut to the size of my finished tray plus 1/4" seam allowance. I centred the batting in the squares I drew on the interfacing and fused it to the flannel. Then I cut around the interfacing to get my inside pieces and cut same size pieces from my quilting cotton for the outsides.

Forgive the bad lighting. I can only sew late at night right now...

He loves them. He has one in Toronto right now. He may also have gone to Leafs game last night. I'm terribly jealous. :-)

I also have some incredible thank-yous to give out for something cool that happened at Soaps last Friday night but I'm hoping to get a copy of a picture first... Stay tuned.

Doorjamb: 1, Carly: Zero & Two quilts down, One to go

2011-12-04T16:07:00.000-06:00

Doorjamb vs nose. Doorjamb will take the title every time. I was putting my bag away in my bedroom without actually entering the bedroom, in that old-fashioned way: you know, hand on the jamb, lean in with one foot firmly planted and the other slightly off the hall floor. Motion catches my eye, lean forward to say hi to the now-awake cat, and set bag down. Go to put my foot back down and exit. Instead, slip. Face goes crashing towards jamb. WHACK!

Not broken! But bruised. Made for a great and scabby story to tell to my students the next day. Of course, you're always going to have the full attention of teenagers when you start a class with, "Who wants to hear how I almost broke my nose yesterday?"

*****************************
Despite my nasal misadventures, I have another project to cross off my Christmas gift list.

I call this lap quilt for my father Square Dance, though I was tempted, albeit briefly, to call it Lap Square Dance. (heehee) Thought he'd find it funnier... Nothing like an inappropriate joke to get you through the tediousness that is basting a quilt!

Quilted with circles, since I've decided I really like the look, and to break up the insanity of squares within squares. Made mostly with Moda with some Hometown by Sweetwater, some red Kona, and backed with some brown Essex linen. Approx 56" x 74".

All that fussing with the paper and super tiny strips - the red squares are 1/2" wide - was worth the effort as I don't think my piecing has ever been so precise. You'll have to forgive the ugly clamps holding it up. I had a limited stealth-photo window and had to make do without assistance of any kind. Where are Santa's speedy little helpers when you need them?

Another quilt top finished...

2011-11-27T15:55:00.000-06:00

Manly, right?

One more thing to cross off the list. Now to find the time and space to baste like a madwoman!

Sewing and Sleeping

2011-11-20T23:32:00.000-06:00

My internship is winding down but the last few weeks have been particularly intense. Plus, the snow has arrived and the shifts in the weather have done a number on my noggin. ( I LOVE snow; I hate low barometric pressure and dramatic temperature swings. :-) I fell asleep so early on Friday night that it was still Friday. Normally, I don't retire until the wee hours of morning. Night was still well in control of the clock when I lost consciousness. Then I had a terror-inducing nightmare involving a dragon-zombie apocalypse. If you wanted to know what any of that meant, (and trust me, you don't) I could describe it in a staggering amount of detail. Apparently, my dreamscape is the latest of things available in HD. Once I got over the disturbing bits, I was strangely fascinated by it. Always, the bright side.

Before I crashed early once again on Saturday, I managed to get some sewing done (two weekends in a row - what the heck???). Family - if you are reading, I once again ask that you stop here. In fact, let's just declare the blog off-limits until Dec 25th. Please and thank you.

So far, I have sewn twelve of the squares inside of squares ( of 24) and 24 of the square in the corner blocks. These are destined to become a lap quilt for Father.

I started with a sketch. I'd bought fabric a month or so ago and just couldn't pick a block style. I wanted something masculine but everything I saw was just too fussy... I came up with the design above, calculated how many of each piece I'd have to cut from how many strips and when rotary-cutter crazy. Then I realized that *I* was crazy. My piecing has been dodgy. I have not been able to sew a scant 1/4" since, well.... ever. And here I have several pieces that would end up with a 1/2" width. Yeah, this ought to go well.

Then I thought, "Hmmm, based on my success with the Winter Woolies a couple of weeks ago, maybe I should paper-piece it..." So I made a template and that's what I did. Because I'd already cut the fabric, I am finding that it takes a bit of pinning to make sure that it ends up in the right place when you sew it. I can't chain-piece and it is taking me a lot longer to sew but the results are so precise, it's entirely worth the extra effort. Plus, this block combo is very forgiving when it comes to finished size. If I find I'm running shy of 9.5", these can trim to 9.25" without ruining them. Yay!

This photo turned out super-saturated for some reason. Bad lighting + tomato red = vintage 70s look?

Total finished this weekend:

-12 fiddly paper-pieced squares ( plus 24 easy blocks from last weekend)

-two quilt backs (one for the lap quilt, one for a top finished last weekend)

-couple of metres of double-fold bias binding in a particular shade of purple to match the fabrics I chose from Seester's gifts

Migraines:

-1

Long-suffering, patient, neglected friends seen:
-none, but in my defence, I once again fell asleep at the dinner table on Friday. Driving is never a wise decision when you've come ever-so-close to mashed potatoes up the nose.

Percentage of body and spirit restored:
-nearly 100%, ready for another week!

A long weekend means I actually finished something....

2011-11-13T21:18:00.000-06:00

There is something lovely about having no marking or lesson planning to do over a long weekend. I almost didn't know what to do with myself! Luckily, I have Christmas presents to work on. (At this time, Mum and Seester, I ask that you stop reading this post immediately. Unless you wish to ruin Christmas. Yep. I said ruin. :-)

Nothing like a well-placed guilt trip!

My nephew is only just ten months old but when I saw Riley Blake's Pirate fabrics, I knew I wanted to make him something with it. It was my dad who suggested a twin-size quilt for when he graduates to a big boy bed. I had a bundle of 10" squares, a bundle of 5" charms, and a yard of the black text print. I also had no idea of the pattern I would use. I definitely didn't want it to look babyish or fussy. If I could help it, I wanted it to last him a while and grow up with him a bit until he was "too cool" to have anything with pirates. I left the back pretty plain so he could flip it when the time came.

I threw the charms on the floor, raided my Kona solids (I had just scored 6.3m of charcoal with a 40%off coupon) and came up with this. The "X" I made from the black and white 10" squares. I used Steam-a-Seam on the black, drew my X, cut it out, ironed in on and zigzagged around it. If the edges get a bit raggy over the years, I'll be pleased and call it "authentic pirate weathering". During a spare hour last weekend, I managed to get it basted and then went on a complete tear this weekend getting it all finished up.

I also added my new label. gutenTAGS. Saw them on everyone else's blog and thought it would be a good idea. They went from idea to reality so very fast that I was shocked when they turned up in the mailbox shortly after I'd ordered them. I love them.

The idea for the quilting came from a photo I'd seen on Poppyprint. I thought it looked like a drop of water in a pond and it definitely was interesting than the straight-line quilting I usually do. I'm so pleased with how it turned out - definitely masculine.

Yes, that's my squeaky, creaky sewing machine on the floor. My sewing space is wherever I find room at the moment. Wednesday night was floor and bad lighting night.

And once finished with Pirates, I moved onto finishing the top for this one. Wasn't able to take photos of it yet though.... There are prying eyes and inquiring minds afoot!

Hot streak, cold weather, warm heart

2011-11-06T13:32:00.000-06:00

I've had a run of luck the last few weeks.

I won an e-book copy of Modern Mix on Amy's Creative Side. Can't wait to have the time to try some of the patterns, though right now, I'll have to content myself with the gorgeous photographs.

Then I won a book of poetry, Today's Special Dish by Nina Lindsay, at Both Fires... It hasn't arrived yet but I delight in knowing that I will soon have a feast of words in my hands..

And then I won a paper-piecing pattern by Very Kerry Berry, on Live a Colorful Life. I'd have posted about this earlier but I wanted to wait until I'd tried it. I've wanted to give this technique a whirl for ages but hadn't gotten around to it. No excuses left this time! For a first project, I'm thrilled with the results! The precision in the piecing amazed me, especially the teeny tiny parts. I still have a ton to learn but for now, I have a cute Winter Woolies set.

Clearly, I finished it in the nick of time because this is what I woke up to:

And now, I must depart the sewing machine and get back to marking. The last night of the school play was Friday and, after all the rehearsals at lunch, after school and weekends I treated myself to a lazy Saturday, thinking about what those talented kids accomplished on that stage.

For some reason, the gratitude of young people never fails to move me.

I invented a pie!

2011-10-27T21:35:00.001-06:00

No, I didn't have time to do it but I saw bonino mauro plums at the grocery store.

I also grabbed a bag of cranberries.

Used a ridiculous amount of butter.

Washed, chopped, sliced, blended, baked.

Enjoyed.

Carly's Plum-Cranberry Pie
Filling:
3 cups plums, pitted and sliced (approx 1/2 lb)
1 cup cranberries, halved
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper (trust me)

Streusel:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4-1/3 cup butter (1/4 cup melted gives you a crunchier streusel, 1/3 cup cold and cut into dry ingredients is crumblier but more butter than you need considering the amount in the crust)

Crust:
I use Martha's Perfect Pie Crust recipe. It makes enough for a two-crust pie so there is currently a half-batch in the fridge in case I get pie-crazy again... This crust is so good; it's a little heavier than those made with lard or shortening but the taste and texture make up for it.

1 egg, beaten

Make your crust and chill an hour or so. Roll out and put in pie pan. Fancify your edge. I know some prefer to just fork around it, but I like to flute it. Brush inside and edge with egg.

Keeping Up

2011-10-21T17:36:00.000-06:00

I have survived parent-teacher interviews. Not that it wasn't a positive experience. It was fantastic, actually. But I am beyond wiped at this point, and finished with conversing for a day or two! I shall entrench myself in a couch nook, do some lesson planning, and ~~try to~~ relax with a little sewing.

Since my sewing space is always temporary, I like to do as much of one thing as possible at a crack. Therefore, I've cut everything for this quilt and stored it in a ziploc. The pattern said to cut the strips, sew them all in a long strip and then cut the borders off that piece. I've already sewn the border strips and binding, though it'll be a while before I get to that part. (Months?) Then I thought, hmmm, crap. How'm I going to store the super long border strips?

Wind it around the 6" ruler and keep it from getting crazy!
My spiderweb triangles are finished but I haven't found enough time or space to lay them out yet... My kingdom for a design wall!

The darker colour is the entirety of the middle. The cream part hasn't even been added yet. The floor space between the bed and the closet is not big enough... Also, the lighting is one watt above kerosene lantern.

Well, I need to run! Nephew is nine-and-a-half months of chubby, moving, curiosity chaser, and currently pinching my toes while doing his velociraptor impression....

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-10-09T16:12:00.000-06:00

If you are a Canadian, Happy Thanksgiving to you!
If you are not, here is a random picture of a turkey.

I have a great deal to be thankful for and in the spirit of gratitude, thank you for stopping by, for reading, for commenting, for writing your blogs, for sharing and inspiring, for teaching and passing forward what you've learned, for comfort, for laughter, and for being you. I love you!

If you were here, I'd give you pie.

Steve

2011-10-05T20:18:00.000-06:00

What do I say?

His influence on me and on how I do things, how I teach, interact and work, is distinctly visible in how I live my daily life.

It's not simply possessions - possessions only carry a person so far - it's a way of thinking, of looking at things, a elegant simplicity, and a demand of excellence. It's a lifestyle, a philosophy, an idea.

He was a unique individual, a visionary, a pioneer, a genius and possibly a tyrant. He didn't know me, nor I, him. But he understood my goals and how I wanted to reach them.

He changed the world.

Steve Jobs. 1955-2011.

Things will not be the same without him.

"You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

Snippet of Life

2011-10-03T23:37:00.002-06:00

The following anecdote may fall into the category of TMI. You have been warned. :-)

Picture is unrelated but I'm trying to keep the blog rated PG :-D

While watching a little dessert television, the subject of a certain television host's breasts came up. Father made a comment about how lovely they were...

Me: They might look nice, but they're fake.
Father: I don't care.
Me: The fake ones don't feel the same, Dad.
Father: Yeah, *I know.*

At this point, I was confused and doing a little head scratch. My parents have been married for 39 years and I was trying to figure out just what situation would make his knowledge possible without making my head explode.

Me: *How*, exactly, do you know that?
Mother: Seriously?

She stared at me with a look of disbelief. At this point, I remembered.

Me: Oh! Right. Sorry, Mum!

And we all burst out into giggles at the silliness of it all. My mother is an eight-year survivor of breast cancer. We may have a little experience with the fake ones.

Mother: This doesn't go on your blog....
Me: It IS Breast Cancer Awareness Month....
Mother: Meh. Fair enough.

Moral of the story: Don't be a Boob. Be aware.

For all the women (and men) who have found themselves battling this particular brand of the horror that is cancer, for those that have lost the battle, for the families and friends of those who've won and lost, for the researchers, doctors and nurses that are working to eradicate cancer, for every person who runs, fundraises or shaves their head in solidarity, and for every pink ribbon... you have my prayers, thoughts and hopes. Keep fighting.

Lucky mail

2011-09-29T19:59:00.000-06:00

I enter giveaways on the blogs of people I read, even those for whom I rarely leave comments, but only for things I would like to win and could use. For example, I've seen some absolutely beautiful quilts in giveaways but as much as I appreciate the artistry, if I think it'll simply languish in a closet somewhere, then it belongs in better hands than mine and so I don't enter those ones. I'd hate to waste the day I'm lucky with an item that would be special and treasured by someone else. It's just how I roll.

And THEN there are the things I DO want to win. Like thread!

This delightful sample pack arrived in the mail today from my friend Cindy at Live a Colorful Life. The Random Number Generator chose me and there was much rejoicing. Thanks for the giveaway, Cindy! I'm thrilled to pieces (which I can now sew together with very pretty thread...)!

Now if anyone can find the giveaway where I can win the spare time to actually play around with my new thread, please let me know. :-)

Autumn leads to Soup

2011-09-18T15:39:00.001-06:00

I managed to find a few minutes in the last week to make the first pot of Potato, Ham and Cheese Soup for the season.

Using a variety of potatoes (blue, yellow, red) makes it prettier.

Using a Vermont-style ham gives a maple sweetness that balances out the chill flakes.

Making focaccia to dunk means no boring store-bought crackers.

It also means I have an excuse to use the pretty pink Himalayan finishing salt I received as a gift.

Pot of soup to myself means lots of yummy leftovers.

And not having to share strawberries for dessert!

Recipe found in a piece of junk mail years ago... It is not kosher, halal or vegetarian (my apologies to those with dietary restrictions!)

3 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes (or a hand-full of new potatoes with the skin on (prettier)

2 cups of water

3Tbsp butter

1 med onion, chopped

3Tbsp flour

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Chili flakes, to taste

1tsp sugar

3cups milk (not skim, it's better the higher fat content you go, but 1% will work if it's what you've got on-hand)

1 cup cooked ham, cubed (Vermont-style is nice but use your favourite, or bacon)

1 cup shredded old cheddar (spring for the best cheese you can, I use 2-year old white cheddar)

Boil potatoes in 2 cups water in a medium pot for 10-15min or until fork tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of potato water. (Add water if you are short). Add potato water to sugar and milk. Set potatoes and milk mixture aside.

Melt butter over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent but not brown, about 5 min. Sprinkle flour, pepper, and chili flakes over onions and stir constantly, until flour is browned and onions are thoroughly coated, 3-5 min. You may want to lower the heat to med-low for this step.

Gradually and gently add potatoes and stir until coated with flour mixture. Slowly add milk mixture, small amounts at first, stirring well with each addition. Add ham and cheese. Bring to a low simmer.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 min. Serves 4, or more if you get a little crazy with the potatoes and ham. I always seem to add more... It's yummier that way.

The Finished Hat

2011-09-07T00:04:00.000-06:00

The Zumthor hat is finished.

Hats are hard to photograph with an iPhone. Tricky coloured greeny-blues are tricky to photograph period. So you ask a friend, a very talented friend, to take a shot so that you aren't making yet another weird bathroom mirror funny face snap.

This is the actual colour. Yay for talented friends!

However....

...the trouble with having a talented friend take the photos is....

...it's going to be tricky to top these with my iPhone.

You can find my talented friend, Christy, here at Foxtail Studio.

Broken-hearted

2011-09-01T20:54:00.000-06:00

There have been three very sad deaths in the hockey community in the last four months. Two of them were guys from Saskatoon. One of them, I'd actually met.

The death of Wade Belak hits pretty close to home. Within a block, in fact. I can't tell you what I was dressed as for Halloween in 1991, but I can tell you who opened the door we knocked on at the seventh house. Hushed and excited whispers as we walked away.

I watched him play I don't know how many games with the Saskatoon Blades, our hometown junior hockey team. He was a solid player, and only retired from the NHL this March, after playing with a number of teams, the Maple Leafs being one of them. My father told stories about going with him to the children's ward at one of the hospitals in town and seeing Wade get mauled by kid after kid, a human jungle gym, staying for hours until the nurses finally sent him home... We were talking about him just this past Sunday before dinner, about how we might actually have to watch Battle of the Blades (Dancing with the Stars on-ice for ex-hockey players) this year because he was going to be competing. There's no doubt in my mind that he'd have won. He was a favourite in town and a favourite in the hockey world. And I have never heard anyone say a negative word about him whenever his name came up.

I was driving home yesterday afternoon when I heard the news. It's all kinds of horrible. Today, everywhere I went, the air was filled with "Did you hear...?" and "What?!? No... That's so sad..." and people telling stories about him. My heart goes out to his family, along with prayers - if my heart broke, I can't imagine how devastating it is for those who were close to him. I wish them healing and hope they find solace. I hope they know he will be missed by many.

Rest in Peace, Wade.

Birthday

2011-08-30T22:21:00.001-06:00

Another year older. But I prefer to think of it as another year better.... Although, the wonderful gifts I received remind me that I'm also another year even less mature than the last - and proud of it!

It's tradition to do family supper for birthdays but since I am already too busy during the week to even write this post (but I'm doing it anyway), we gathered Sunday night to celebrate.

Reason #847 that my Seester is awesome:

If you were a fan of Arrested Development, you already know that Annyong is Korean for "hello." If you missed the "You had me at hello" reference, to you I say, "Seriously, you've never seen Jerry Maguire???" (Sidebar: apparently, the clerk at the t-shirt place had never heard of either as the shirt my sister gave her came back reading "You had me at annoying." That shirt has now been relegated to pyjamas or for wearing on Dadaism Tuesdays.)

With a birthday celebrated two days in advance, there was, of course, debate whether or not presents would be given or kept until the actual day.

Mum: Well, I already gave her one so...
Dad: Oooh, can I give her mine today?
Mum: Yours? It's from both of us...
Dad: Yeah, but I bought it.
At this point in the conversation, Mother gives Father an incredible death glare that translates as "shut up or she'll figure out what it is!"

Curiosity piqued! Father picked out my gift? Whatever could it be? I certainly didn't think it would be this:

HAPPY CAMPER!

If you read this weblog regularly, you've likely figured out I'm a *bit* of a hockey fan. A sweater was needed, wanted and is oh so appreciated... I've always had a soft spot for goalies. Also, while the smallest size they had, it's big on me and, wearing it, I feel about the same size as I was when Father took me to my first game oh so many years ago. The feeling has a sweet nostalgia to it that reminds me why I treasure my family and am thankful for moments, both small and large.

Dad: I almost got you a Leafs jersey...

Me: That would've been pretty cool, too.

Dad: ...but I couldn't think of a player in Toronto that anyone's heard of.

I almost fell off my chair laughing. Sad, but true. I love Boston for the feel-good times and old-time's sake, and Toronto because they keep me humble. Perpetually.

Great birthday. Hope you had a great un-birthday (or birthday, as the case may be!)

No campfire? No problem!

2011-08-28T23:28:00.000-06:00

Toothpick. Mini marshmallows. Candle. Patience.

Freshly roasted marshmallow goodness.

Please note: this is a natural beeswax candle - no colours or perfumes, with an undyed cotton wick. I wouldn't recommend trying this with a scented or petroleum-based candle with graphite/cotton wick.... I prefer my burnt sugar to be as chemical-free as possible. :-)

Two years and I've only got this far...

2011-08-23T23:58:00.000-06:00

Two years ago, I saw a spiderweb quilt. I thought, "Hmmm, that's interesting."

Then I saw THIS ONE. And I fell in love with it. So then I had to make one. I wanted scraps, I wanted two sizes of webs, and I wanted the background to change somehow.

Remember this pencil sketch from last spring? Of course not. I haven't mentioned it since then. Why would you? :-) I did background calculations, I cut lopsided foundations kites and paper triangles and spent an entire evening last fall gluing them together.

The lighter greenish grey is French General "Rouenneries" from my stash which it almost pained me to cut into but that's what it's for, right? The darker colour is actually an old pair of dress pants that belonged to my dad. Now, it's kites. How it's going to wash? No idea... The cream is a muslin of unremembered origin.

That was a year ago. As it was on my to-do list for the summer, I felt it nagging at me that I hadn't touched it and I was heading into one of the busiest periods of my life and leaving it again. Alone. Neglected. So on Saturday night, I took to the machine! (Exciting Saturday, I know...) I haven't really done much sewing this summer. When your sewing room is the living room coffee table, and weekends are family time, it's tough to negotiate... Knitting is quieter and far more social so I've knit my hands into gnarled knots instead.

Sew. Iron. Sew. Iron. Trim. And there you have it - thirty triangles tackled. And it felt wonderful!

Stay tuned for when I sew more triangles (probably summer of 2012 with a completion date sometime before Buck Rodgers starts exploring the stars... I hope.)

I also finished the toque this weekend but haven't got the pictures yet. It's difficult to photograph tricky colours. Especially on your own head. With an iPhone. So I asked a friend. Photos forthcoming. :-)

Progress before the Onslaught

2011-08-19T21:07:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to get some post nuggets started so I don't completely disappear this fall. What do you suppose the chances are I'll succeed at not disappearing?? [Laughs. Sighs. Wipes tear. Laughs again.]

Orientation for internship was today and signals the winding down of free time and the ability to watch football games without feeling guilty. Before I get lost in the stacks of lesson plans and extra-curricular activities, I thought I would post some progress on projects. You know, before I abandon them in the oblivion that is education.

My scrappy afghan - panel 3 of 5 (or 6). It's coming along and laying siege to scads of leftover mitten yarn. The stash is taking up less room and three folded knit panels now sit in its place. Much tidier.

I took some of my back-to-school clothing budget and invested in a toque. Or rather the beginnings of one. While reading a favourite blog, I spotted the hat and instantly needed the pattern. Then I had to wait patiently for some Madeline Tosh Vintage to arrive. The colour is murder to photograph. Basically, it's an emeraldy-tealy sort of green with a bit of inky black for depth. They call it Cousteau.

I should have the toque knit by the end of the weekend. But no matter how busy I get, there is one project I'll never finish and always have time for:

...catching a little bonding time with Nephew.

And his giant baby feet.

Last Weekend

2011-08-12T17:52:00.000-06:00

Our student council headed to the lake to plan for the upcoming year and to get some good solid bonding time.

Mission accomplished. Complete with thunderstorm, swimming, and campfires. Minus makeup. Full of smores and fresh air.

Hope your weekend is a great as my last one.

The Link doesn't dissolve with Marriage and Children

2011-08-05T01:01:00.000-06:00

My sister and I have always been able to communicate entire thought waves with very few or even a single word. Kinda like zipping a file before sending an email. But then she got married and had a baby and I started to wonder if we were losing our mojo... The other day, a rapid-fire conversation took place.

Seester: That commercial always reminds me of that dojo.... (snaps fingers in attempt to remember)
Me: Cobra-Kai.
Seester: YES! See, I love that I can just say 'dojo' and you know exactly what I'm talking about...
Me: What other dojo could you possibly mean?
Seester: Mmm. True.

Mum: *...* What just happened?
Bro: I have no idea...

Just because she's married doesn't mean I don't *get* her anymore and vice versa. Sisterhood; such a wonderful and strange phenomenon...

PS. She was referring to the evil instructor and his dojo in The Karate Kid. The classic one. Pat Morita, not Jackie Chan. I still love Jackie Chan but he's not as easily incorporated into our familial nostalgia...

A little bit happy, a little bit sad

2011-08-02T22:05:00.001-06:00

This summer, my cousin and his wife were expecting twin girls, but they arrived very early and one of them couldn't stay.

I began these quilts after they were born, with a couple of Sherbet Pips charm packs. Sometimes, I think charm packs are lazy, but I can't argue that they are just about perfect for baby quilts. And Aneela Hoey's Sherbet Pips was perfect for these ones. I wanted feminine but not girly, blue to balance out the pink, and red, since it's lucky.... I also wanted them to match but not exactly; even twins want to be individuals.

They're backed in a simple Kona grey (Slate, I think). The border/binding fabrics I found to coordinate have wonderfully inspiring words on them: life, hope, grow, sprout... All the the wonderful things I wish for babies, especially those that arrive before they're ready.

I finished the binding in the new "room" that has become the family hub this summer - a screened gazebo with wide comfy rockers and a low coffee table that is perfect for holding spools of thread or glasses of wine. While stitching away, a red dragonfly, which I take to be a good omen, alit on brother-in-law's hand and stayed with him for five or ten minutes. I'd like to say we stayed in the awe of the moment but instead we drifted into conversation about radioactive critters and what a superhero named Dragonfly would have as superpowers...

Then, I made Seester and Bro hold quilts. But they needed to protect their secret identities.

This week, the quilt on the right will be delivered to its owner. The one on the left will be donated to the Crisis Nursery or NICU, based on her parents' choice. With luck, it will warm a very special babe in loving memory of another.

The Family Whirlwind

2011-07-26T16:06:00.000-06:00

It started about two and a half weeks ago and ended the other day. First, a trip out here:

Ooohhh, view from the hotel.

California?

Nope. Vancouver. I may or may not know the woman posing with the giant sculptures that may or may not have freaked me out.

Attended a beautiful wedding with AMAZING food. Local, organic, perfectly cooked, and ever-so-tasty...

Wandered Van Dusen Gardens.

Bought a fused-glass necklace from a Glaswegian artist who tends bar in the hotel.

Had a lovely walk with my dad from from Stanley Park, along the sea wall in English Bay, back to where we were staying. Random and beautiful art. And a wee seal but I couldn't capture him properly in photographs...

Played with my favourite photo apps. 360 Panorama, Tilt-Shift Generator, Hipstamatic. The fun of gizmos when you're stuck in a plane over a wing.

It was lovely to see family out west, and lovelier that we had family coming back to the middle right after. We've had people here for a week and a half straight and in different combinations, including no-air-conditioning-at-their-house refugees and their dog. Old family, new family, tiny family, furry family.... A wonderful buzz of energy and excitement and two-year-olds asking, "Where cat? He sleeping?" A real heartbreaker, for sure.

But now, the wine bottles have been enjoyed. The din has subsided. The shoes at the door have winnowed. The guest rooms are empty. I'm enjoying the quiet and the catching up. And the cat is at the foot of the bed, sleeping.

Ever get the feeling you're being watched?

2011-07-06T15:00:00.000-06:00

I do. I must also have been doing my Keir Dullea impression...

"What are you doing, Dave?"Apparently, twenty spare minutes for blog-reading is not acceptable to CAT-9000.

Just like Kubrick's homicidal computer, he tried to asphyxiate me. Only he did it with standing on my chest, demanding snuggles and suffocating me with orange fur.

I may have a hairball. I definitely need a lint roller. Maybe I can invent a big, black rectangular one and call it a Monolint. No one knows where it came from.... (Haha, cracking myself up!)

Yes, I see sci-fi classic moments in everyday life.

Finished and Sunshine

2011-06-30T20:51:00.000-06:00

It is so soft. And knit up so very well. My kitchener stitching needs work but you can't really tell. The only thing I'd change if I had to do it again - just wear it as is and don't block it. The blocking/steaming took away a bit from the scrunched look I had set out to get. Lesson learned.

I've had the cowl blocked for days but only today did I finally have a) good (enough) lighting, b) time during the day and c) someone else around to take a photo.

It's funny how you get used to taking photos of all sorts of things but the second you need one of yourself, you find it awkward. I'm often at the mercy of oddly lit mirror shots or the photography of someone whose style isn't the same as mine. Luckily, and not surprisingly, my mum takes a decent shot. The cowl is finished and I tried not to sweat it up while modelling (WARM outside today, she said while flushed and dying for a mint julep or something else associated with heat and humidity.) I also had to avoid getting it drooled up. No, it's not that I adore the yarn so much, though I do, but I had just asked for assistance when my visiting nephew woke from his micro-nap and desperately demanded auntie-snuggles. Who am I to deny my favourite nephew/godson/person under 6mos of age? But he does have a current habit of grabbing blankets, stuffies and his shirts and "tasting" them....

So to recap: cowl done, modelled and shot. Nephew snuggled. Cowl unscathed. T-shirt, hands and nephew sopping. :-)

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Cowl progress and a really Good Night

2011-06-16T01:19:00.001-06:00

I started a cowl the other day based on this scarf pattern. I wanted something with texture because it's grey but also to showcase the yarn.

I changed it up just a little, preferring to use a provisional cast-on so I can graft the ends together to form one long loop. I find that cowls keep my neck cosier and I don't have to worry about the migrating off my body while flailing and gesticulating wildly (which I am wont to do, on occasion. Or daily. Depends on the day, really.) The pucker stitch looks much more complicated than it is.

I used a merino-cashmere blend with which I fell madly in love and knew I had to stash until I found the right project but could only afford two balls. But oh my my my, it has such a nice touch to it!! Knits beautifully, too, of course. I'd have loved to stash enough for a sweater but until I win the lottery, marry rich, or invent the greatest thing since the iPhone, I'm outta luck. At least a cowl lets me snuggle up to it simply by shrugging my shoulders. :-) Sigh.

I've kitchenered the ends already but it still needs to be blocked and modelled for the camera... Waiting on the light now.

* * * * * * * *

The Good Night & The Great Game: If you don't care about sports, you can quit reading this post now. I won't be offended in the least.

I've had two teams since childhood. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins. Never have I seen either of them lift The Cup. Until tonight. So, that's what it feels like!! And yes, I cried a bit.

Dear Bruins,
   Thank you. You played hockey like champions, with hearts on your sleeves and hard work strewn in every corner.
   Thomas, you were beyond amazing. Unbelievable. Conn Smythe is well-earned. And you are one classy fellow. I'd say, don't let it change you, but I know it won't. Also, that beard is incredible. And you laying Sedin flat on his ass was one of the greatest things I saw all year. I owe you a very large beer.
   Bergeron, I may name a child Patrice. (I'm serious.) Also, if you could tell Johnny Boychuk that I'm available, it would greatly improve the chances of that happening. (Kinda serious. :-)
   Marchand, you're just getting started. And your heart is bigger than you are. It may be bigger than Chara is.
   Recchi, you are faster at 43 than I was at 21, or ever, for that matter - one hell of a career - you will be missed!
   Campbell, it's a shame you will never get the recognition you deserve as a solid player because your dad was in charge of the Wheel of Justice. May the Days of Shannahan bring you the accolades.
   Boychuk, you are one good-looking man, in addition to being awesome on the ice. You may have bumped Jumbo Joe from the #1 spot on my Hockey Crush list.
   Chara, Lucic, McQuaid, Krejci, Seguin, Paille, Horton, Peverley, Thornton, Ference, Seidenberg, Ryder, Kaberle, Kelly, and all the others... I adore you. That disappointment with Edmonton way back and that one with Philly last year - both are forgotten.
   My continued love forever,
   Carly

Dear Vancouver rioters,
   Not cool. You made the city look bad, Canucks fans (real ones, you know, the kind that take losses like Canadians - with sportsmanship) look bad, and Canada look bad, and acted like complete idiots. This is not how we do things. Period.
   I repeat, not cool.

Dear Bettman,
   I only wish I could have been there to boo you in person. I'm not generally in favour of booing, especially when it comes to anthems and players, but you're special that way.

Dear Brian Burke,
   Please pretend you're Santa and sign Brad Richards. Thanks for keeping Reimer around. I already have the t-shirt. It's flocked.

Dear Maple Leafs,
   Puck's in your end, now. I'm waiting....

Scrappy Afghan

2011-06-11T22:18:00.000-06:00

As I've mentioned in the past, I need to keep my hands busy when watching television. Frequently, I knit. However, I also try to match the required attention ratio match whatever I'm watching.

Sporting event = simple, simple, simple. There were way too many mistakes that required ripping on my beach coverup last spring during the Stanley Cup playoffs. K4 rds, rip2.

This year, because I have learned my lesson, and because it keeps me sitting still I'm using scrap wool leftover from many, many mittens and almost entirely straight stockingnette knitting to make long panels. The plan is to sew the panels together and then felt the whole thing at the end. I've knit two whole panels and I think I'll need five or six, depending on their width.

My rules: no buying yarn to finish this project, all of it is leftover or inherited yarn entirely taken from my stash, and everything that goes into it has to be felt-able. I've been trying to use all the same brand and type of merino wool (Patons Classic) and am prepared for the possibility that the darker blocks will felt up quicker and tighter than the lighter ones but I'm so far away from that point. I may experiment with some felt-able soy or some squares of non-felting material just to get some interesting textures but that will have to wait until I have the wherewithal to pay attention while I knit. :-)

What do you do with your scrap yarn?

Disaster Cake

2011-06-07T18:18:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you are desperate for a little cake. Problem? Everyone around you is on a diet and you can't bake a whole cake or bring one in. And it's 10 o'clock at night.

In desperation, you turn to the internet to find these rumoured microwave cake-in-a-mug recipes. You think to yourself, "How bad could it be?" There's a part of you that knows, deep down, that this won't end well, like when a promising date snaps at your server before you've even ordered. But rather than say, "Thanks, I'm going to save us both the trouble and end this now," you throw the ingredients and way too much (one whole) egg for a single serving cake, into a mug and microwave away.

Yuck. I tried not to waste but I just couldn't take one more rubbery bite of it. Microwave cake recipe inventor, what did flour and sugar ever do to you to deserve such a horrible fate? What did *I* ever do to you? I love cake. Cake is one of my favourite things in the whole wide world, the one food I could eat every single day, and you dressed up in its ingredients and paraded around making a mockery of baked goods everywhere.

It's the kind of epicurean misadventure that makes you wish the internet was intelligent and could tell you at the top of the search results page when something was a terrible idea.

Not cool, internet. Not cool.

It just keeps coming... but I was quilting anyway

2011-06-05T00:57:00.001-06:00

That old saying, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans", is so very true. I've had a lot going on. I figured that once the semester was over, I'd somehow get everything back to normal. HA!! No.

I took a spring class which took up an extraordinary amount of time, picked up more hours at work, logged a serious amount of Nephew/Auntie-time, and haven't missed more than two or three playoff games*. It has taken me a month to catch up on my blog-reading, get my crap organized, and start planning for my internship. And then there's been some personal blech that I won't go into here. PS. If you're little and donate blood, don't make plans for the rest of the day. Also, keep candy on your person.

Somewhere in there, a friend of mine had a baby shower for a nugget of cuddly babyness. And how could I go to celebrate a wee one like that empty-handed?

I didn't. A Max&Whiskers charm pack and some Kona solids later... Perfect for a tiny Irish gentleman. (I also need to call his mother for a coffee date, too, now that I have a little more time.)

Normally, I'm anti-charm-pack, but for baby quilts, they're kinda perfect. I've got two more baby quilts on the go. Pictures coming soon, along with pictures of how I'm keeping my hands busy and my language in check during the Cup run.** :-)

*(And no, I'm not cheering for Vancouver. Boston and Toronto have been my teams since childhood and I'm not a fan of the Van style of 'hockey'. Supporting the Bruins DOES NOT make me un-Canadian and I will drop gloves with those who attempt, wrongly, to insist otherwise. I will be happy to unfurl my laundry list of hockey rants and biases some other time. Plus, Boston has more Canadians on the team. ;p)
**I can be completely mild mannered but when watching players dive, linemen blow calls and listening to commentators who either don't know what's going on or have blatantly chosen a side, praising behaviour that has no place in the great game of hockey, I am far less eloquent than usual.)

Quilting for a Good Cause

2011-06-05T00:26:00.000-06:00

OR What to do when you adore quilting, every bed, sofa, table and wall already has a quilt for every season and the closets are busting at the seams and you just can't stop sewing...

Cheryl Arkinson of Naptime Quilter has put together a project where quilters can donate their quilts to those who've been involved in disasters. You can read about it on Quilts Recover or aboutthe launch of the project at Naptime Quilter.

I happen to think it's fabulous. If you do, as well, please check it out.

Happy Spring!

2011-04-24T23:59:00.000-06:00

Wishing you all the best with the promises of spring! And now for some pictures of pysanky:

I have survived my first year back at school. I haven't read anyone in months and I'm hoping I can at least get the gist of what's been going on for everyone in the last six months. I've missed you all! My head has been filled with words like epistemology, pedagogy, relationality, reflective practitioning and other things that sound made up. And a lot of it is, but they espouse it anyway. :-)

I'm back on the grid for awhile. You forget how much you need something until you have a taste of it again. I'm breathing a sigh of relief and joy like the first inhale on the first warm day of spring. And I'm reaching for chocolate!

Virtual hugs!

Carly

Imminent

2011-01-05T22:30:00.000-06:00

This post has been imminent for a long time. Ha!

I have survived my first semester and started back at classes this morning. The holiday was a whirlwind and I owe a great many emails and back comments - if I've been quiet on your blog lately, it's because I haven't had the time to read it for the last two and a half months. Sorry - but I know you understand and you know that I'll catch up. Thanks for the well-wishes! You'll be pleased to know that the first round of marks were of the RockStar variety so my focussing was not a waste of time...

I made very little in terms of gifts this year unless you count making naps and butter tarts a priority. I made a quilted stocking and a baby blanket (of which I apparently took pictures with the camera NOT currently on my person. Read: not my phone.) They were made to match and to grow a little with their recipient and went under the tree to be opened by expectant parents. And now, I have a few moments, sitting in a hospital waiting room, wallowing in our catastrophic World Junior hockey gold medal loss, with two hours of sleep in the last 38, waiting for the arrival of the person I have been more excited to meet than anyone before in my life. Nephew is Imminent. Impending Nephew. Incoming!!

I attended all four of the classes I had today, despite the action. Plus, the fact that the hospital is on campus made it much easier to zip over between them. All my new college buddies are awaiting word. He's Eminent as well as Imminent, my Nephew. I'm exhausted but giddy. And WAY too caffeinated. Which explains the silly word play.

I hope that your holiday - no matter your creed or tradition - was filled with hope, anticipation of the new year and all things good. Mine, other than the hockey game, most certainly was.

Blessings and happiness!

We'll chat soon.

Thankful for Grover

2010-10-11T11:35:00.000-06:00

It's Thanksgiving in Canada, today. And I am working hard on assignments and reading (no, I haven't really caught up - I've never been a successful skimmer, I pretty much have to read every word...) but on my way to my university log-in page, I travelled through the land of Yahoo! as a portal and lo' and behold:

Maybe because I'm fried or maybe because it's educational and my brain has turned to 'teacher'... But I think it's some friggin' hilarious.

So I am thankful for opportunities, my family and friends who are patiently tolerating my present but absent state of being, and Starbucks for being open when all buildings on campus were locked tight.

Next post: Man, We Need Groceries Soup

Falling Socks

2010-09-30T22:53:00.000-06:00

Little tip: If you want to show off new socks, resist the urge to wear them immediately and wash them before photographing. They look weird when you do that and not amount of faux-artistic photo-styling will make them look less lumpy. :-)

My new rule for non-reading, non-eating time is that I have to keep my hands busy so I can get away with keeping up on a small handful of tv shows and movies without feeling like I'm wasting time. I started these way back in August. At the time, I had just finished my chunky sweaters and moving from 10mm needles to 2.5mm needles almost induced second sock syndrome before the first was even finished. It was painfully slow to me. I quickly began the second and proceeded to try that "two socks on one long circular" process. Fiddly and seems to take a long time but I have two finished socks that are exactly the same size. Phew!

***

I haven't been following my iFriends as closely as usual - I only seem to get blog time about once a week. I am starting to manage my time better and have even polished off a few books. Thanks for all the encouragement! Some of my classes are fantastic; some... uhmmmm... I will spare you the ranting. I have found myself on the general council for the student society, joined a number of committees, and with a school friend had a fantastic lightsaber fight with our phones. I owe a few emails, and they are coming up. Right after my midterm. :-)

Have a great weekend!

After these messages...

2010-09-18T00:41:00.000-06:00

...we'll be right back!

Yup. The avalanche/onslaught has begun.

Tip o' the 'berg. Tip. O'. The. 'Berg.

Orange is for Organizing

2010-09-08T22:11:00.000-06:00

Going back to school is a great excuse for finally cutting into my long-stashed Jessica Jones canvas.

In my getting-ready-rampage (and trust me when I say rampage…) I finally traded in my had-it-forever-never-really-bonded-with-it cell phone for a smarter one and picked up a few things to make traveling with technology easier.

Now I have a whole lot of messy accessories and am overwhelmed by faster technology so I had the incredible urge to kick it old school ( ha!) and sew my own cases and cover my headphones with zippers based on this tutorial. Apparently I didn't take an after shot... but you get the idea. I get tangle-free headphones. (Great project for keeping your hands busy if you're indulging in some DVD watching and don't want to feel guilty for not accomplishing anything since you're watching DVDs and not reading textbooks.)

For my Eco-foldy speakers:

For my home-based screen cleaner and cloth:

And for my screen and USB travel sets, one for my purse and one for my mammoth bookbag:

I made them up as I went along and pulled any button that would fit the lacklustre buttonholes...

Ah, tidy. Nerd rep intact.

I also made a dress but I don't have a verdict on it yet.

Behind

2010-08-31T00:07:00.000-06:00

I am later posting this than I had intended.

Try as I might, I can not successfully photograph this sweater by myself, in any light, or with help, since almost everyone I wouldn't feel strange asking to photograph me wearing a sweater, to show off the sweater and specifically the sweater, is currently in Montana. Or white-water-rafting in BC.

So after three weeks of attempts, I resign myself to posting this one. Just this one.

The front is straight and without much detail. It's the back that really made me happy (and also makes me feel a little like Thandie Newton in The Chronicles of Riddick...) What you can't see in the photo is that it's actually quite a dark brown, bordering on black, that the single ply wool, though gorgeous, will probably pill like the dickens, and that I screwed up the pattern. I misread the chart and did the small cable repeats on every eighth row instead of every fourth. I realized my mistake as I started the first sleeve. Sleeves and pockets have the correct cable repeat... I should've known it was knitting up too fast but I decided that 9mm needles will have that effect. Very cosy. And very simple to do, provided that you are literate, or at least paying attention. I'm satisfied with the result

Vogue Knitting, Early Fall. Twilleys' Freedom. Notes: I used way more yardage than the pattern called for even though I knit to gauge on the specified needles. Then, since I had cleaned the yard shop out of Twilleys when I originally purchased the yarn, I had to wait several weeks while my favourite knitting shop tracked some more down for me. (Thank you, Charlene!) One more thing you can't see: the slightest colour variance on one and a half sleeves, two pockets.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. It was a happy birthday Monday for me! I inhaled an angelfood cake. No fork. True story. :-)

From Awful to Aaahhhh!-ful

2010-08-22T20:47:00.000-06:00

I am in Edmonton and have discovered the perils of online hotel bookings.

At first, I drove up and found out that the difference between a good part of town and a dodgy one is less than a block. Then I had that sinking feeling as I parked in the check-in zone and walked in. It was dark and grotty. It was dirty. It smelled. The carpet was buckled. There was a large tank of green water with what I can only assume were fish behind the algae. The front desk staff, two of them, were both arguing with customers, one of which was an unattended child left to his own devices for the day. In my writer's imagination, I'm sure I heard the crackle-snap of a dying fluorescent tube and a malcontented fly. This picture illustrates the general impression it made on me, though the picture is far more cheerful:

I became uneasy. My room wasn't ready yet so I left my bag at the desk and went to get the school clothes I was supposed to buy with some birthday money I got (Are you ever too old for birthday money? Thanks, Mum!). I traipsed through stores I usually have success in but couldn't focus enough to really invest in much. It was crowded, most of the salespeople gave the impression of being annoyed and almost everything I liked was over-budget or not available in my size. And I kept thinking about that place... And I knew I couldn't stay there.

Then the wheel spun back up and when I collected my bag from the [chain hotel to remain unnamed unless you're travelling to Edmonton, in which case, email me], the evening shift front desk clerk was very understanding and didn't charge me any sort of cancellation fee. I think he sensed I might cry if he said I had to stay there, in Stabby Town. (Yay for Gary!)

Needing to stick relatively close to downtown, I wandered a little over the river and found the Metterra on Whyte Ave. Whyte is the loveliest artsy indie strip in Edmonton and if I hadn't been a half-hour drive from it when I lived in Edmonton, I would've had a much different relationship with the city. The staff has been wonderful, the lobby is gorgeous, they have lovely little perks, I can walk to all the cool shops, restaurants, and my favourite little grocery store in the city.

At the end of a long corridor, I entered this beautiful and tranquil space.

The windows run the length of the room, the brightest and airiest hotel room I've ever had the pleasure of staying in.

There's even enough space to do yoga if I wanted to. That is, if I weren't wearing the bathrobe and lounging on the comfy bed with tiramisu from the restaurant I had supper, oh so happy that I booked a grotty little room somewhere else.

This is the view:

The haze in the air is the forest-fires burning in British Columbia, not smog. The smoke hit Saskatchewan two days ago...

And the powder room.

Because I know you wanted to know.

Birth of the Life - 100

2010-08-16T22:42:00.000-06:00

I disappeared for a while, lost amid the transitions. I was hijacked, distracted, and more than a little intimidated by the idea of a hundredth post. For 100, I had no desire to write about the latest sweater (though I will), about gutting my closet like the victim of a Roman campaign, a fabulous little meal from a borrowed kitchen and the hands of student chefs (though I will), or relate another anecdote from my button story (but it's coming). Nothing seemed right to me. It's a milestone, albeit a somewhat arbitrary one, and I felt the need to mark it. And after running into an extraordinary teacher today in one of my favourite art gallery/cafes, I had the moment where I figured it out.

There was a sessional lecturer in the Department of Drama that used to teach a theory on breaking down plays, scenes and monologues. To absorb a piece, it needs to be broken into manageable chunks. The Birth, The Life, and The Death. Easily identifiable but still too large. So you take it further and each chunk has its own Birth, Life, and Death. The Birth of the Birth, The Life of the Death, and so on.

I'd been in a funk and now I find myself in a swirl of creation and transition, and running break-neck trying to catch up.
I am winding down at the best job I've ever had and winding up to a period of intensity and learning.
I am two weeks from 32.
I am 6 days from the first anniversary of CitricSugar.
I am 4 and a half months from becoming an aunt (and the word from the ultrasound today is Nephew!)
I am no longer who I was _____ (then, before, ago, earlier, once, yesterday).
I am a woman with curlers in her hair.

I am passing out of the Death of the Birth and into The Birth of the Life.

My life. And I can't wait to get to it. I had focussed too much on what was already behind me. The conversation I'd had at the cafe sparked ideas in my brain and sitting in my car after on-campus errands, it struck me. Time to redirect my attention and ABSORB. Embrace the metamorphosis! (Not to imply that I plan on waking up as a beetle tomorrow.... Kafka, anyone? No?) This is a transformative time and like a photo taken in a mirror, it's tough to get the right perspective. But it's possibilities that excite me.

I always become a little introspective and often maudlin around my birthday. As odd as it is to say, one must always remember the future.

You never put curlers in your hair for the present. :-)

Thank you for joining me for 100 posts of CitricSugar. Soon, one hundred and one...
Much love, Carly

Ex Libris

2010-08-02T11:42:00.000-06:00

It's a long weekend here and I've been whacking away at my to-do list like machete-wielding action hero traipsing through the jungle. I've also had to battle giant tropical wolf-spiders. Okay, not so tropical but lightning-fast and definitely unwelcome in my bedroom!

On the list: Get books under control.

Because I am a nerd and I am accumulating tomes, textbooks, and tutelage at an alarming rate, I decided I needed to start putting my name in things. I might fail to recognize one of the new books as my own until I've ravaged it cover to cover or it might be swiped by someone less diligent about getting to the bookstore before they are sold out. And I'm a lender. I lend things. Then I forget to get them back. Also, my inner five-year-old likes putting her name on stuff.

However, I didn't want them to be overly fancy, with trees or etchings, or too young, with balloons or giraffes. A simply pretentious Latin phrase would do for me. But I couldn't find ones I liked. So I made some. Sixteen to a standard sheet of pretty paper - you can't really tell from the photo, but it has flecks in it. I took time to find the right paper - I could've used a self-adhesive sheet but I hate how the glue eventually discolours the paper and fuzzes out the inks. Also, expensive. Also, without nostalgia of "lick'em, stick'em" bookplates of my childhood. They apparently don't sell "lick'em, stick'em" in my neck of the woods. I looked. Twice.

Two glues were tried - wrinkle-free glue stick and quick-drying, photo-safe glue from the scrapbooking aisle. I have to say that I liked the liquid much better and it seems to have much better hold.
If you would like your own Pretentious Latin Not-Fancy BookPlates, I made you some too. And you can use the sticker sheets if you want to. I won't judge.

Too much.

Pretentious Latin Not-Fancy BookPlates. Click for download. (Via Scribd. Because I'm a book-nerd and less a computer-nerd so that's the only way I know how to do it. :-)

And you know the nerd labeled this one....

I also went all kinds of Goodwrench/Martha Stewart/Mr Clean on my car on Saturday. It was sweet.

Wednesday

2010-07-28T20:47:00.000-06:00

Another Sweater. I know...

2010-07-21T22:37:00.000-06:00

Please forgive the "I'm so cool" facial expression. I was thinking about cookies. The eyebrow is definitely saying, "Cookies? Hmmm... Mmmm. I love cookies." I only ever stop thinking about cookies when I'm preoccupied with cake. Cake trumps cookies. True story.

Clearly, I've been keeping my hands busy. Otherwise, I find it hard to sit still and pay attention to things. My only rule lately for making clothes is that it has to be something I can wear for teaching, or made entirely from materials I already have on hand. So while I *did* buy yarn for this one, I can wear it to school meaning it passes muster. Saw the colour - brown and green and pink all together - and become irrationally and inarguably convinced I needed to have it.

Vogue Knitting, Early Fall 2010. Cropped cardigan. Knit on 10mm needles. Took very little time. Baby alpaca, two strands held together. It's SO soft, maybe a little too soft for this project, but you live, you learn. (And you can't stop rubbing your arms for the tactile pleasure of a cozy knit beneath your fingers... If beds were made from alpaca, none of us would ever get out of them.)

Scott's Chicken Wings

2010-07-19T00:18:00.000-06:00

This recipe was passed onto me by Scott. Scott is my good friend's sister's boyfriend. (uncle's cousin's dermatologist's paperboy - which makes us as close as Helmet and Lonestar. Spaceballs, anyone? No?) I met him once when a large number of us went carousing. But before we caroused, there was wine. And tapas. And these incredibly, ridiculously easy and delicious wings. I begged him for the recipe. Begging works.

Ingredients:

Chicken drummettes or wing tips, or go crazy and get both
Lime juice, about one cup for every 20-30 pieces of chicken (You can use the RealLime bottled stuff. It'll be okay. It's not considered cheating. But using lemon juice would be. Use the lime. Do it.)
Montreal Steak Spice.

Yup. That's the good stuff.

Marinate your chicken in the lime juice for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. We were lazy today and used ziplocs so that we could turn and flip and toss without a lot of mess. (Little did we know... Mess will find you other ways...)
Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Place your chicken pieces on greased or lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle liberally with Montreal Steak Spice.

Liberally! With intent. In fact, just to be sure, when you think you've added enough, turn your cookie sheet one-eighty and check there is no nekkid chicken from the other angle.

Now, I will point out that I over-crowded my chicken today. Try to only marinate as much chicken as will reasonably fit in your oven. Also, use a rimmed baking sheet, especially if you plan to over-crowd your chicken. Why? You can either cook your chicken on rimmed sheets or use one to hold the scrapings of chicken juice-turned-charcoal from the bottom of your oven. (I did say that mess finds you in other ways...)

I had made these wings before on a non-lipped sheet without incident but today..., today, I over-crowded and it bit me in the ash. We had three fans going for a half an hour and had to interrupt cooking for a quarter so just use rimmed sheets. Do it.

Bake your wings for 30-35 minutes. Flip and be a libertine once more with the steak spice. Sprinkly wantonly! Return to oven for another 30-35 minutes or until chicken is browned and beginning to crisp.

Serve with napkins.
Also goes nicely with a side of sports, particularly if your team is doing well. Go, Riders!

Just a Button

2010-07-16T20:35:00.000-06:00

I don't know why I picked it up but before I'd even thought about it, it was in my hand, mused over, and dropped into the pocket of a puffy black coat two sizes too big.
Sasha asked me instantly what I'd plucked from beside the curb on a busy street during lunch hour in a city where sidewalks are really only a guideline. Sasha was what our teachers called her; she was actually Alexandra, but Sasha suited her better, so that's what stuck.
"Looks like a button," I said, and ran to catch up. Riad was almost at the door of our second stop on our cathedral tour and was annoyed that he was again waiting on the girls. He threatened us with snowballs later but honestly, Kazan had been there for centuries and two minutes wasn't going to affect his day all that much...
The three of us, Canadian, Australian, and Lebanese, were part of a fluctuating gaggle of foreigners studying in St. Petersburg. It's funny how foreigners collect other foreigners in foreign countries and socialize more intensely with them than with the people of the country hosting, but our informal model of the United Nations gave us a unusual sense of camaraderie. Our group collected everyone; our nation was one of misfit explorers. We developed our own language, our own customs, our own sense of inclusive identity. We also supported our collective delusion that we were cool. Well, we weren't bad. :-)
The very next night, my roommate Fiona (who can be one of the funnest people on the planet) and I were in the metro when something came spinning into my peripheral vision, pinged against the wall and dropped at my feet. A button. I grabbed it immediately as clearly the universe was trying to tell me something. Fiona looked at me like I was crazy (I get that a lot) and scolded me about picking up random items off a public floor. She shook her head when I explained about the button from the day before and said, "Alright."
It was weeks later when the third button appeared. Our Swede, Fred, had found a shack/tent/restaurant/folk music bar up the beach and decided we needed to eat supper there. We took Jose, who was only with us for a brief two weeks - but like I said, we adopted everyone. He was from Panama and raved about how he adored Canada. I loved him immediately. (If my father had been Panamanian, I'm sure he would've been just like Jose...)
We weren't far from our student dorm when I looked down at my feet and saw a button in the sand. I shrieked and found myself needing to explain why such a thing was marvellous. Fred joined the camp that thought I was crazy but Jose listened intently and embraced my impulse. "You have three now. Three's definitely a collection!" he said with a smile. (Did I mention that I loved Jose?) From then on, we couldn't stop talking all the way down the beach and through supper about things much bigger than ourselves. Fred was bored, I'm sure, but he was politely bored.
The fourth appeared at my feet on my way home from buying groceries a few days later. I'd never noticed buttons just lying around before and now they were finding me with wild abandon. But into my pocket it went.
I made way too much food as usual, and with Fiona nowhere to be found, I called up to Fred and Mike's. Mike was presumably on a cracking adventure downtown with the absent Fiona but Fred was definitely hungry.
"Jose left today. And he left you a present."
"What?" I said. " I met him once."
"Oh, it gets weirder..."
When I buzzed Fred onto our floor, curiosity stuck my head out the door until he came around the corner. He walked toward me with his hand outstretched. On his palm rested a button.
"He found it on Nevskiy Prospekt today. I was with him. I would've kept walking but he insisted I bring it to you."
I smiled. I'm sure now that Jose had understood then what I was just beginning to grasp. There was something going on and I just had to believe.

Swimsuit Cover-up

2010-07-12T20:16:00.000-06:00

Not much to say today but I did have a knitting finish last week (and two knitting starts - seriously, what is wrong with me?). It's almost too late for "lakeside" frolicking as the weather is starting (somewhat) to level out. We've had rain Thursday, Friday and into the wee hours on Saturday but the rest of the weekend was dry. (Yay!) Of course, we're expecting another dousing tonight...

All 145lbs of Niece Dog wanted to help but she's useless with a camera. Unless you need it to be eaten, in which case, she would be outstanding! She was visiting this weekend and is a little clingy, which can be comical since she leans against you in "hug" mode and can push you over without meaning to do so. Strangely enough, the above photo makes her look small. She's actually standing 500yards behind me and had Tokyo for breakfast. :-)

I'm satisfied with the fit but the linen/cotton blend I used had some unusual dye-shifting during initial blocking. Once sewn together and and rinsed (Twice!!), I still can't seem to get rid of the odd saturated spot, but you can't really tell unless you're close up. Now that it's washed, it's also quite stiff and needs to be taken down to the river for some old-school beating against a rock. Anyone have any recommendations for softening stiff fibres? I'm trying to avoid the dryer if I can...

Pattern from Vogue Knitting Summer 2010; I can't find the label from the linen... It's been that kind of week.

Holiday Weekend at the "Lake"

2010-07-05T17:17:00.000-06:00

Oh, how I dream of spending summer weekends at a cabin at a lake! Trouble is, I don't have one. This Canada Day weekend, the lake came to us.

Tuesday, we indeed got the storm predicted for the area. It came with torrents, hail and a tornado watch. The street flooded all the way up to the garage door of the house and into the cars of anyone unlucky enough to have parked in the street. It's not that we don't have storm drains. We have three on this corner alone (which is why the street is graded towards them) but we've had so much water this year (3 to 4 times normal), the drrrains, they canna' take it, Cap'n!! Local farmers are considering changing crops to rice, bamboo, and freshwater algae.

Then came Friday. That's when I took the above picture. And these ones:

You can see one of the eddies.... there's a storm drain these somewhere...

Saturday wasn't too bad. I baked.

I knit.

Sunday, it started raining again. It hasn't stopped. So I'm trying to enjoy the scenery.

In related news, the 'Riders won their home opener in an overtime squeaker. Maybe seeing green reign triumphant isn't all bad...

Five minutes.

2010-06-29T19:42:00.002-06:00

This is the start of the downpour last Wednesday.

This is five minutes later.

The rain here has the power to scrub away those pesky sidewalks. :-) SuperDeluge's sidekick Humid McHugsYouToDeath has been thwarting the hair rescuing efforts of straightening irons throughout western Canada.

I only mention it because it stormed again this weekend and we're "due" (ha!) for one tonight. I predict a province-wide "Hat Day" tomorrow....

Absent. Minded.

2010-06-22T20:57:00.001-06:00

I have been quiet. So quiet radar couldn't have detected me. I wasn't moving. I wasn't lurking. I wasn't even online.

And I missed it.

It's a treat to me to get a little bit of time to sit and read, to think and commiserate, to opine and admire, and to share, to be part of this delightfully weird and inspiring community connected by wi-fi and cable but joined by more than that, even if it's a laugh, a tear, an invisible hug for a stranger who shares a passion for the same obscure candy from childhood, or a thank-you for a tidbit of advice or a heart-rending story, a powerful set of words, an incredible photograph, a project, a slice of life so very different and so very similar to your own.

I wasn't absent-minded; I was absent. And I minded.

My world has been like a box of pieces. Nothing's fallen to pieces; it seems they've simply arrived that way. It's exciting, the assembly, but pieces seem to take up far more room in their original state. I can't wait to see what they become.

Distractions have been many. Anticipation of tiny, pudgy arms. (No, not from me. But I do get to knit with wild abandon and look forward to many squoodges and fat-belly kisses with the added bonus of relinquishing said fat-belly when it poops or starts to cry! YAY!)

The wettest spring since 1874 complete with all the climatological consequences for migraneurs. When my head hurts, it is far easier to knit and block than to read and blog.

Registering for classes and applying for student loans - I've only been gone from university for seven years and EVERYTHING is different or being renovated. (I've already cased the bookstore so I'm ready come August. Me = Nerd.)

Tackling a massive to-do list that I am determined to conquer before September 1st, including a stack of actual printed-on-paper reading! I am adding the odd 'easy-to-check-off' item to the list like Go For Coffee (or vodka) with So&So so that I can eat my coffee cake and check it off, too. ( I add a very square check-box beside each entry on the list. Me = Anal-Retentive Nerd.)

I've spent the last couple hours catching up on other people's lives. I still have a few more to check in on. And some emails to which I've wanted to reply. But I plan on adding my blog-reading and -writing respite onto the permanent list of things I want to do. Insert very square check-box here.

Sweet Nostalgia; Random Connections

2010-06-09T23:05:00.001-06:00

On the street where I grew up, like the streets where everyone else grew up, you could mark seasons by the sounds. Summer brought the whir of lawnmowers, the subsequent clank when one mower would pick up a rock and send it shooting across the sidewalk, the clickety-tap of neon-coloured beads on bicycle tires, or engines revving as teenagers took to drag-racing down the stretch after curfew. In winter, metal shovels scraping against cement driveways, toboggans dragging on asphalt behind sixty-pound children wrapped in eighty pounds of scarf, and tinny, choking engines trying to turn over.
Regardless of the season, you could hear the kid across the street firing hockey pucks against the garage door. But the timbre and pitch of the bang would let you know if it were a crisp autumn morning or a balmy spring evening. It was a constant reminder that it was an ordinary day in an ordinary neighbourhood. To this day, the sound is comforting and bittersweet.
Tonight, that kid from across the street hoisted the Stanley Cup. Ordinary day for me. Extraordinary day for him.
They put residential speed bumps on the stretch, we moved to a crescent, and most people have replaced shovels with snowblowers. But no matter the season, there's always a kid banging pucks against the garage.

A Finish

2010-05-31T23:56:00.000-06:00

A new spring sweater, all finished. Very soft, very comfy, photographs poorly. :-D (Although, to be fair, not my best seaming job. I always have trouble with seaming knits...) Overall, I'm quite pleased with how it came together and the nice, long length.

Pattern: Debbie Bliss Magazine, Spring 2010 Yarn: DB Eco Baby organic cotton in duck egg and apple. ( The colours are better in this photo as our weather has not been conducive to quality lighting.)

Cuff 'Em!

2010-05-28T20:10:00.001-06:00

I had a pile of socks that had given up the ghost and had holes beyond repair that, for some strange reason, I was reluctant to throw away. When organizing my yarn stash, I came across a use for the cuffs.

Cut the cuff off the sock and use it to hold together a partially-used skein. The loose ends are secured underneath it, the ball band can be kept with the ball, many can be thrown haphazard into a pile without fear they will tangle, and a center-pull ball can stay that way without the outer end twisting and knotting while the center end is worked. The sock cuff will tighten around the skein as it's used. And they will never snag your yarn.

Why the heck didn't I think of this before?

Cynical Rainbow, Happy Student

2010-05-26T17:00:00.000-06:00

Before you think I have lost my sense of sarcasm and gone even warm-fuzzier than ever, I should point out the tiny blue sign just to the left of the proverbial pot of gold.

It's a Wal-Mart.

Even Mother Nature can crack a joke. And the fainter, second rainbow lands gracefully on the university campus. Being that I will be a student there again shortly, spending all my pennies on tuition and books, I find that very funny indeed. My letter of acceptance has arrived this week and it is official... I'm in!!

And they've already asked for money. :-)

Bean there.

2010-05-24T22:52:00.008-06:00

Beans.

I always decide I want to make a bean-filled recipe about twelve hours too late. Legumes have oft been recommended to me as (surprise, surprise) I am a little on the anaemic side. The virtually transparent side. As a matter of fact, I've often been accused of having no blood in my blood and rather than dine on me, a vampire would more likely ask what I use for SPF.

But I can be an impatient cook and never remember to think ahead for beans. This weekend, in a fit of cupboard and closet cleaning, I made a plan! I budgeted some time, orchestrated enough bowls on the counter and proceeded to soak four varieties of beans. The next day, I cooked, parcelled, labelled and froze.

Now, I have a freezer full of magic beans ready for when I lazily wish to eat the same day I pick a recipe... 21.5 cups in fact. I'm thinking delicious soup some day soon. And maybe THAT will shush the naysayers asking me, "What's with all the beans?"

Either that, or I won't hear them over the beans' effects! :-D

Beginnings...

2010-05-18T19:50:00.008-06:00

The satisfying click of needles when you finally cast-on after a long drought.

A second project, started when intricate lace was knit during first periods and taken back during first intermissions. It's hard to tell whether it was the games or the mistakes that affected my language more. "He shoots, and it goes wide. There's a penalty coming up..." and I have lost my place for the fourteen hundredth time in the last twenty minutes.

Tomatoes. I have zero luck with gardening. Gardening requires you to run on the garden's schedule. You can't put it aside until inspiration strikes or you find the right shade of yarn. You can't say, It can wait until next week. But I am hopeful. See - they're 4 inches high and I haven't killed them yet. :-D [Insert tiny, quiet 'yay' that couldn't possibly court contempt from the gardening spirits here.]

Goosed

2010-05-11T20:43:00.003-06:00

Lately, when I'm driving along the river, particularly on my way home from work, I see the gangs gathering.

They threaten and mark their territory. People go out of their way to avoid walking too close.

I wonder when we lost our parks.

To tell the truth, it reminds me of that Monty Python sketch where the roving gangs of grannies took over the neighbourhood, frightening all the youth and wreaking havoc.

The other night, on my way to a meeting, I was stopped behind three cars at at apparently clear underpass. Wondering what the hold-up was, I started looking around and caught sight of a bad-ass goose strutting across the street to get to his buddies on the other side. No playing chicken. He was full of intent.

No one's messing with an intentional goose.

Atmospheric Phenomena

2010-05-04T20:56:00.004-06:00

Sundogs.
Pretty incredible to see one. Even more incredible when they go all the way around.

Pretty darn tricky to photograph with an automatic. Never stops me from trying though... :-)

Vegreville, Alberta. April 30th, 2010. Approximately 5pm.

Snippets of a Week

2010-04-29T21:36:00.008-06:00

Humbled by an invitation to witness forty-one people become Canadians. You only see the red serge jackets at important events...

Managed to salvage lemon pin-curls into a lemonade 40s up-do.

Pride while Mum and I taught Sister to crochet. Skills passed on. Bonds strengthened.

Saddened, but warmed, by an articulate and beautiful eulogy for a man I barely knew.

Oddly dreamt. Text message to Sister: Regarding my dream last night, the next time you shove a shotgun in my face, you best be prepared to use it. Love you! Text message back: LOL. Noted!

Inspired by sunshine leaking through painted glass.

Frustrated at an apparent pact with the devil playing out on the ice. My words were ineloquent. "That GUY can't tend goal for any OTHER team in the @*&%ing league???"

Lucky = Thank yous

2010-04-25T21:05:00.004-06:00

I made a wish.
I've had a little run of luck lately.

Some generous people have pulled me (my name) from the heaps and me reaps the benefits.

Scraps, beautiful scraps, from Kate of One Flew Over - oh, my little spiderweb quilt will be so much richer!!

And one I forgot to post about (how could I have done something so thoughtless...) is this pattern from Emily at Carolina Patchworks (If only all Pink Floyd allusions were as pretty...) via a giveaway through Dana of MADE. Not only are these three women generous but the amount of inspiration I've found in their blogs incredible.

Anyway - I owe them a HUGE THANK YOU. I will also owe my sewing machine a tune-up but it's a little busy right now...

2010-04-18T19:48:00.003-06:00

Sometimes, you find a book that makes your day.

Normally, I attempt to be a positive, life-affirming, people-empowering person.

But sometimes, a girl just needs a rant.

This journal is filled with cynical quotes from some of history's great thinkers and plenty of space to get one's bluster off her chest and save some poor unsuspecting paperboy.

Kidding. I have never unleashed a tirade on a paperboy. But I did go off on a plastic blister package once. It's going in the book....

Shovelful of Irony

2010-04-12T22:18:00.002-06:00

BOhn Api-TEE

2010-04-07T00:11:00.007-06:00

Warning: The following post may not be suitable for strict vegetarians. Reader discretion is advised.

I finally attempted it. As a family supper Sunday sort of thing...

Boeuf Bourgignon.

What I learned:

1)It takes a great deal of work. Not particularly hard work. Not even work that you notice once it's over. But while you're doing it, you find yourself saying, "This seems like a lot of work, doesn't it?"

Many little steps. Parts of a recipe that direct you to other recipes in order to make ingredients... But the smells and colours and flavours...

2)It really helps if your dinner guests/family are only due to arrive minutes before serving. Blanched bacon and rind look disgusting and could turn noses up before it's even tried. No distractions. And no one makes fun of you when it takes you half the batch of boiler onions before you figure out the trick to peeling them.

3)Buy an extra bottle of wine. Because you'll smell it and wish you didn't have to pour the whole thing into the pot. MMMMmmmm, beaujolais.....

4)Julia Child's mushroom recipe is one of the greatest things on earth. The secret is (of course) butter. Butter and high heat. With lots of shaking. But the flavour and texture of the mushrooms is.... absolutely worth it. However, not even Julia Child can make my brother-in-law eat mushrooms. He picked his out but they didn't stay on the side of his plate very long! We all had forks and we were not afraid to use them...

5)It's very rich. A little goes a long way. Second helpings are rare and you should probably start with a green salad before the bouef.

6)My family loves to play with words - and "bouef" is so very fun to say!

7) Use the lower-sodium stock. When cleaning up after supper, I mentioned to Mum that if I were to do it again in the future (which is highly likely because of how well it turned out), I would like to use homemade stock, instead of store-bought.

She said, "That seems like a lot of work, doesn't it?

Baby tops

2010-04-06T23:43:00.004-06:00

I have been sewing up a storm. In little bitty clouds. As in, not altogether. A few seams at a time. The literal weather is decidedly spring-y and has slowed me down a little lately but nothing can keep me from my sewing machine for long.

I've got enough pieces cut for three baby quilt tops. And to read more about where they're going, stop in here or here. I don't care so much about the giveaways but I do want to help pass a little goodness forward, and I get to play with colours and fabrics I wouldn't normally use for myself. Like puppy dogs and ducks. Polka dots and vibrant stripes. Plus, I've never made pinwheel blocks before now. They're kinda fun.

Oh, who am I trying to kid? It's mostly about having an "excuse" to sew. Who can begrudge you time spent making quilt blocks for extra-special, need-a-little-more-attention wee babes??

No one. Not without looking a bit like a jerk. And that, my friends, is the secret to getting away with being selfish with your time. :-)

Spring is for Tidying

2010-03-31T22:45:00.005-06:00

There are things that are necessary when moving between the seasons. A good sort of the closets, a deep-clean of items that usually get a regular clean, a new project, and a kick-ass playlist for aiding all of the above.

A proper playlist for a solid Spring Tidy includes anything upbeat enough to make elbow grease seem effortless, booty-shaking inevitable, and a healthy dose of classic rock. It's amazing how shiny and dust-free a living room will become when you're singing your heart out to an appropriate song... I recommend "When the Going Gets Tough" from the Easy Virtue soundtrack, some cheesy pop music I wouldn't play in any moment I actually wanted to think but has a beat to it, and Boston's "Peace of Mind" (though "More than a Feeling" will do, in a pinch.)

I volunteered to make some blocks for a woman giving back to the hospital where her son was born and had a rough time of it. (More of that story as the blocks progress.) I went rifling through my stash to find the perfect fabrics and discovered that a)my stash was a mess and b)almost all my non-project specific yardage was unwashed. So, I washed and dried and started one of the most soothing activities of tidying - Ironing. I love ironing. Not clothes, mind you, just large fabric swaths - expanses of wrinkles smoothed away, the smell of hot cotton drifting towards me, and the satisfying shhhhtt of the spray-bottle full of water. And when you get to do that in the sunshine...!!! (JOY.) Then folding and stacking and putting away in stacks so neat, they're almost precious. The best part of Spring Cleaning is that mental calm that comes with it. I'm a believer in the literal affecting the metaphorical... I get the same way with new journals, unused crayons, and perfect rows of the same item over and over again. Visual order - inner peace. (At least for a moment or two. ;-)

Chaos can be fun, too, though. The annoying bit of washing un-hemmed fabrics is all the ravel-ly bits that need trimming away. But roll them all into a lump and it seems so very pretty.

I'm going to name it Norman.

Six Days

2010-03-24T21:48:00.008-06:00

In the last six days, I have...

...watched the snow melt...

...and return again...

...baked banana bread...

Asante sana, squashed banana, wewe nana.... Lion King? Anyone? No?

...finished the pencil sketch for a project inspired by many, but this one in particular...

...did push-ups with this guy in the way (Buddy - when I'm swearing and sweating, I don't want to pet you!)...

...and attempted to get into shape.

I am not trying to lose weight but I would like to be able to outrun a toddler and to do so without wheezing. I've done it (the video - not the toddler thing) three times to date, prompted by a kick in the behind (Thanks, Wende!) and, though mine will likely be a "64-Day Moderate Firming of The Jigglier Bits and Ability to Run at Least as Fast as the Vacuum" and not a "30-Day Shred", I'm going to give it my all anyway. As you can see above, I have already died trying and therefore, it can't get worse. I have also remembered everyday to take my vitamins and brush the little dude so the spring shed doesn't end up imbedded in every piece of clothing I own. The pool on how long I can keep this up should prove lucrative. :-) Your entry can be forwarded to.....

Have a terrific one!

Carly

PS - I have decided that they call them calves because when you stretch them too far or overwork them, you make the same noise you would make if you were giving birth to a calf.

Steamed Milk

2010-03-17T17:07:00.004-06:00

I finished the milk scarf. Then I sewed the ends together and turned it into a loop. Then I steamed it. Which I should've done before I sewed the ends together. That would've made it easier to do both.

Looped three times. Super soft.

And Happy St. Patrick's Day, if you're Irish. Happy Big Green Excuse to Drink Day, if you're not but enjoy a tipple. Or a triple. (PS - please don't pinch me; I took this photo yesterday.)

Irish Blessing: May your house always be too small to hold all of your friends.

Knitting with Milk

2010-03-13T17:31:00.007-06:00

Today, I was helping my mother pick some yarn for a project. It's been a while since she's picked up needles but she decided she needed something to keep her hands busy.

She found yarn for her project and I found this...

Yarn. Made from milk fibre. I haven't figured out exactly how yet. And I needed to try some of it. Has anyone else given this a go?

And it knits beautifully. So very soft, too. I'm tinkering with a pattern I've used before but making it wider and using slightly smaller needles. I think it'll be a new spring scarf for me. I'll let you know how it turns out and if I ever stop craving cookies....

(Viking of Norway - Pure Milk Fiber in Light blue. I'd tell you more but it's all in Norwegian.)

Our Basement: Not for the over-actively imaginative...

2010-03-12T23:10:00.005-06:00

It's spring. It's melty. Water invades alleyways and old buildings. And someone has to venture down to the basements and plug in the sump pump.

Even if it's a basement that gives you the heebie-jeebies.

I use the word "creepy" a lot in the video. I couldn't help it. It sprang to mind. Actually, it crawled into my mind and wouldn't leave. Much like the smell of damp. But it's definitely interesting.... in a dimly-lit, "did you hear something", "where's Buffy when you need her" sort of way.

Liverpool and Lies

2010-03-07T15:04:00.007-06:00

Okay, so I lied about the Love when I said I wouldn't use it to make the Liverpool tunic. Love's a funny thing. But I didn't know I was ordering it when I ordered it. And WHOA. That print turned out to be a LOT larger in person. It was "punch you in the face" larger. I have come to terms with the practically audible nature of it. But I merely 'like' it and don't officially 'love' it.

The most shocking part of the whole thing is that I took my time with it. (Almost a week.) No big marathon sprint. With projects, I can sometimes tuck into them like a rottweiler with a t-bone and not come up for air until there's nothing left. But I didn't rush it and I still had to take the collar off three times before I finally gave myself a seven and moved onto the next hole. (Mini-golf. Anyone? No?)

I had no idea the pattern had ties on the back or button detail on the cuffs when I bought it. I discovered it while reading the pattern through before I started. And it took a bit of figuring since there were no diagrams of the cuff detail. No pictures outside, no diagrams inside. It's almost as if they structured the pattern with built-in "Enough-for-now-I-need-a-Diet-Coke" breaks. I am pleased with how it turned out, even if I tend to wear more neutrals and solids. I can always make it again sometime. Once I come to terms with collars, that is...

Haughty Supermodel Attitude Pose:

Terrible picture of back detail which looks like I'm burping a baby Fuji FinePix:

So that's what I was doing all week, next to trying out my skis and not dying just in time for the snow to disappear early and catching up on the Oscar picks. My vote goes to The Hurt Locker for Best Picture but I'm not a member of the Academy.

Next post: A basement so creepy, it could scare clowns.

Busy week but nothing done...

2010-02-27T22:26:00.003-06:00

Well, it has been a long one. Dramatic in more ways than one. Historic in more ways than one. Histrionic in more ways than necessary.

Naturally, I've spent way too much time in front of the television, trying to time channel flips to catch the most Olympic moments I could. And they have been wonderful. Heart-warming. Heart-breaking. And occasionally, embarrassing. Particularly embarrassing is the first half of a pair of mittens I started knitting to keep my hands busy and actually feel like I wasn't being completely unproductive while I cheered for Latvia, Russia, Ghana (Go, Snow Leopard!!), Norway, Germany, Australia, Slovenia, India, and the rest of the nations gathered in Vancouver. It's not pretty. I'll show you, if I ever get them finished, the consequences of knitting while watching hockey.... It's sad. Homeliness, thou art a hockey mitten.

I did get the shop updated. Not that I made anything this week but I had a few items I was selling locally on hand and have added them to the inventory. Made a bunch of dust covers for some equipment at work. Ran a bunch of errands. The usual.

And, in what may prove to be pure folly, I snagged a pair of used cross-country skis for the budget-busting price tag of a whopping ten dollars. They will have their maiden voyage tomorrow morning before I settle in to watch the last game. (I predict ibuprofen with a Pepto-bismal chaser.) But after two weeks of watching the best athletes in the world while sitting on the chesterfield, I'm feeling a distinct and inspired need to get off my marshmallow-y behind.

Silliness. On all fronts.

2010-02-21T14:04:00.003-06:00

Hey there, Thumbper. What's the matter?

Ooooooh. Ouch. Plastic bakeware-safe knife, you say? Because I didn't grease the brownie pan properly in haste to watch the hockey game? Because I was rushing to grab a brownie on my way back to the tv and slipped with the plastic bakeware-safe, good-for-lettuce, knife? And what's with the overly-dramatic lighting?

No, I don't think you need stitches. Yes, it's deep but that's what Superglue's for...

Walk it off, Thumbper. Walk it off.

Nightstand Revisited

2010-02-14T23:57:00.008-06:00

It is customary for Mother and Father to holiday each winter in a tropical vacation with Sister or myself usually in charge of airport drop-off and retrieval, pet maintenance, snow-shovelling and house-guarding. It is also customary for them to experience a flight-delay on the way home. (This time - volcano. Truly.)

It's nice after traveling, especially if you have a habit of getting waylaid, delayed and tarmac-stayed towards the end of your trip, to come home to a treat. I figured that maybe the time had come to tackle the toppers she wanted for her nightstands. (The ones to hide the "incident".)

Trouble - I had NO idea what kind of pattern I wanted to do. When Mum requested them, she gave me virtual carte blanche, except to say, "Maybe some yellow?" Pattern, no. Style, she trusted me. And the fabric sat in my hands for weeks. I was paralyzed by the freedom of it all.

Oh, inspiration! Thou art a fickle mistress!

(Which is a line from the first act of the elizabethan tragedy this project was becoming... Line 164 to be precise.)

Then I remembered that she liked how the runner I made turned out. So I just started cutting....

And cutting....

Fretted about how to get the curves right and not use bias binding.

It took me a Saturday. No more, no less. Go figure.

(So it may not have ended a tragedy but Aristotle would have to be satisfied by the Unity of Time, Place and Action! That's for you theatre and philosophy nerds....)

What do you think? Maybe less yellow?

Act V, Scene 3, Line 82:

But it be a butter yellow, and not glaring, like the offending sun of morning hung o'er.

Exeunt.

The Shape of My Heart (Warning: May contain extreme Canadian-ness)

2010-02-14T12:25:00.007-06:00

It looks like this....

Wide and flat and kinda pointy? Probably. I get incredibly spirited when the Olympics come around and so this Valentine's Day:

My heart...

...is excited to see all the different nations come together. It cheers for underdogs, from everywhere. (GO, Jamaican Bobsled Team!!!)

...thinks American Shannon Bahrke hugging every competitor that came down the mogul run after her with wild and supportive abandon was pretty cool. (GO, for hugs!)

...bleeds for Georgia. (There are no words...)

...loves, loves, loves The Great Game, will be rooting hard for Team Canada, and respects Crosby but would be leaps and bounds more excited to meet Ovechkin.

...doesn't really understand short-track speed-skating.

...actually gets weepy during inspirational commercials, medal presentations, heartbreaks and successes.

...is a little embarrassed about said weepiness. (Seriously, it's not even hormone-related. Unless there's such a thing as "that time of the Olympiad." )

...watches the events we don't have contenders in with the same enthusiasm as the ones we do. Who doesn't love to randomly adopt another country's athletes and just start cheering? (GO, Lithuania!)

...wonders how they made those whales during the opening ceremonies and who's that slam poet guy? Wow to both. (slight edge goes to the whales but the poem is here)

...has a sense of humour drier than the best of ginger ales. (GO, Canada Dry!)

...will always say "eh". I simply can't help myself and I'm not sure I really want to.

...hates the 'cheer' invented by Pepsi. As much as they're still evil, Coca-Cola just gets it. Pepsi, you don't. (PS. The Coke commercials are some of the ones that choke me up... I wish I was joking.)

...wishes it was in Vancouver.

Well, that is my maple-flavoured, bacon-wrapped, beer-dipped, "aboot"-saying heart's feelings today. I hope yours, no matter its shape or flavour, is equally full.

If this post is too full of Canadiana and rampant enthusiasm for you, I'm sorry. Oh, that was a little bit Canadian, too. Sorry. Ah, nuts. I'm just so excited.......!!!!!!!

PS. If you happen to have Sting's Shape of My Heart stuck in your head for the next few days, there is no need to thank me. You. Are. Welcome. :-)

Finished. One stage anyway.

2010-02-10T22:42:00.002-06:00

The top is finished.

The binding is made.

I don't have batting at the moment.

Or backing.

Or time and money to spend at the fabric shoppe.

But if wishes were horses...

...this girl would be shovelling horse crap out of the living room for the next several days.

:-)

Warmth from Wonderful People

2010-02-05T16:33:00.002-06:00

It might look bleak and cold.

But you might come home to something you've won in a fabulous giveaway.

It's warm and the stitches are immaculate.

Thank you, Jess! I love it and it could NOT have been more timely!

Latest Endeavour of the Sewing Variety

2010-02-01T21:47:00.004-06:00

I have neglected my machine since the holidays. And now that I have a little bit of time on my hands, I've dived headlong into the big-girl version of Lego. :-)

I am NOT a person who does Christmas fabrics. I am NOT a person who does quilt "kits". Typically, I like to take an idea or a pattern and make it my own, choose my own fabrics, make my own mistakes and triumphs. But when I saw the Figgy Pudding quilt top hanging in my local quilt shop, I needed it. It was the prettiest, most modern, holiday-themed quilt I'd ever seen and I fell desperately in love.

And then Santa brought it for me. :-)

There are dimensional tree blocks using a one-seam method that I would not have been able to figure out just by reading the pages...

Very fuzzy photography - there may have been wine involved.

Luckily, I'd seen the technique just before Christmas or I might have gone out of my mind trying to wrap my head around these trees and resorted to something crazy like attempting paper piecing and ruining my precious fabric with an untested method. How serendipitous that Anjeanette of Roots & Wings, Co. featured the exact technique I was going to need - THANK YOU!! (and just for you, I'll tell you that I'd've been Sobbin', Sobbin' Sobbin', Fit to be tied!)

I imagine I'll have the top together in a matter of days....

An Open Letter to Steve Jobs

2010-01-27T22:24:00.005-06:00

I only have eyyyyyeeessss foooo-ooorrr yoooooouuu!

The Apple of My Eyes??

Dear Mr. Jobs,

I ruined a beloved sweater today. I ruined it with excessive drooling caused by the launch of your new gizmo.

I expect to be reimbursed for the cost of the sweater in rebate form when I am finally able to get my hot little Canadian hands on one. In fact, you had better include the cost of a new pair of TOMS, too. (I wasn't wearing TOMS at the time, but it would be a nice gesture.)

I will be available to discuss the terms of my request with your rugged British designer from the demonstration video, preferably in a dimly-lit restaurant over a fine meal and a glass of wine...

Thank you, as always, for the inspired works and for distracting me from the world's troubles with shiny, shiny things.

I remain forever loyal (addicted) to your respectable and certainly evil empire.

Sincerely,

Carly

Get your "tartan" on!

2010-01-25T18:18:00.004-06:00

Today is Robbie Burns Day! Celebrate the Scottish bard!!

Go ahead - try it with the accent: Rrrrrobbie Burrrrrnss Dae.

Put on yer kilts, lads and lassies. Your tam, as well. And wear your heather perfume, if you've got it. ( It's one of the prettiest smells on earth.)

Have a scotch - preferably single malt - and some shortbread.

Or haggis, neeps and 'tatties.

(Or oatmeal. We Scots* love our oatmeal. Butterscotch will not be considered inappropriate either. )

Read some of the bonny poet's beautiful words!!

But don't get overly-comfortable with the sheep. :-)

*Even those by descent or association, or even those just looking to ha'e a gud tyme!!

Sunsets and timelines

2010-01-20T18:39:00.004-06:00

Remember when you were wee and getting to the next day, the next month, the next vacation was the goal? Not being able to wait until you were grown-up, older, could do what you wanted?

Remember the several moments today where you lamented that the days are going to quickly and there is just not enough time in a single one to do all the things you have to do, let alone the ones you want to do?

Let's all sigh together, shall we?

[Sigh.]

I took this photo on Sunday, driving back from Regina (if you're not Canadian, I should tell you it's not pronounced rih-JEAN-ah. That's most definitely rij-EYE-nah. Yep.) I had an audition for a commercial. It's been a while since I auditioned for anything and it was a nice change of pace. (Competition was very talented so it was mostly for the drive..) It had been awhile since I'd been able to really enjoy a sunset and driving along one was a beautiful respite. I mused over how quickly time passes..I meant to post the sunset on the ol' weblog when I got home.

And then came the distractions. Family, phone calls, the Globes (which I barely paid attention to) and many wonderful little interruptions. And before I knew it, it was Wednesday and I had been absent from my mental respite (the ol' weblog) for a week.

I look forward to the arrival of visionaries that invent the 14-day week and teleportation devices so we can all help the Haitians and bring them to a warm, safe place to sleep and a hot meal. In a strange way, I once again wish time would speed up so that it can slow right down.

[Sigh.]

*****************

If you're in town, Friday at 9:30pm, the Saskatoon Soaps have their regular Improv Comedy show with the added bonus of all profits going to the Red Cross for Haiti. Laughs and love in the same place.

Stripped!!

2010-01-13T22:36:00.004-06:00

And in case you thought I was speaking about what I did last night, let me set you straight...

Once upon a time, there was a nightstand. It was beautiful, part of a pair, and this part of the pair belonged to a woman known as Mum. Well, Mum thought the air a bit stale and convinced nightstand to support an oil diffuser upon its surface. It readily agreed (how would it argue, it was a nightstand...) The air was scented, Mum was relaxed, and all was well in the world.

Then along came a less-than graceful creature, well-meaning and gentle, but accident-prone and he was known as Father. One day, while Father was admiring the nightstand that looked so very much like his own, the oil diffuser was dislodged from its safe and vertical position. Father panicked and raced to sop up the perfumed and dangerous fluid. He wiped and rubbed and cleaned the entire surface of the beautiful nightstand, save under the exotic fabric coasters from the Middle East.... All night long, the nightstand felt something was amiss.

In the morning, when Mum greeted the nightstand, the appearance of the coasters alarmed her. She lifted the soggy rounds and much to her horror, discovered the stain had been stripped from nightstand's gentle face.

Father has not been seen or heard from since.

So I have been asked to make quilted toppers for the nightstands. :-)

Pictures Taken in Doorways

2010-01-07T22:44:00.004-06:00

The Romans had a thing about doorways.

Seems if you tripped in a doorway, it was terribly bad luck. This very notion is one of many theories about why brides are carried over a threshold. Can't have the little woman ruining your marriage before it starts, now can you? No one said the Romans weren't a little sexist... (My second favourite theory was read to me from Plutarch by Millie Pontipee during the winter I was kidnapped with 5 other girls and trapped in the mountains, not unlike the Sabine women about whom Millie was reading....) Double girl-points if you caught that reference.

Janus was the god of doorways. Naturally, January was a good month to name after him. He looked in both directions, forward and back, much like we all do this time of year. It's a threshold, a bridge, a period of transition. He was the god of gateways, standing guardian to the gates of War, seldom closed during Roman days and seldom closed in our own, it seems. Once again, I will try to focus on positives for the last year and embrace even the smallest victories headed into the new.

Like coaxing visiting Nephew Cat out of the basement. Sort of.

Like a good hair day.

Like getting to make magnetic poetry at work today. Seriously, it was so much fun...

So, I'm making like Janus: keeping an eye on the past to inform my step but focussing on the future and moving ahead.

A doorway is no place to stand still.

I call this one "Blue Steel".

Last of Last - First of the New

2010-01-01T21:36:00.006-06:00

If I haven't told you yet, Happy New Year!!

I came across an idea I loved this week - at A Commonplace Life. Rather than focus on resolutions and what didn't happen during the last year, look at what you've accomplished.

I started a weblog.

Made a few new good friends.

Found my path.

Found a job that makes me happy.

Baked 200 cupcakes for my sister's wedding and managed to keep from crying myself into a joyful mess on the day! (Trust me, that was difficult. When I have a feeling like happiness that becomes too large for little me to contain, it starts leaking out my face....)

Started an Etsy shop.

Learned how to make lasagna from scratch.

Gathered the courage to enter a poetry contest.

It was a trying year in many ways but that is now the past. I'll try to learn from my history and then put it behind me. And keep the memories of the good things beside me as I venture into the new year. And it is so very full of promise!!

*****

The first post of this year - the last projects of last year....

The pillows I felted for Mum for Christmas. The designs are my own adaptation of one in this book, Felt Forward.

The dresser runner is finally quilted as well. I solved my existential question and my metaphorical one shortly after. Life's like that.

And no, you can not see what's in the mirror behind me. Like I said, it colours the view but it really isn't all that important. :-)

Twas the day before Christmas....

2009-12-24T10:26:00.009-06:00

Now that the surprise-spoiling danger is all but over and my family has more pressing and urgent activities than web-surfing (read: jigsaw puzzle and butter tarts, critical stuff!!), I can share projects. Some of the photos are abysmally poor due to lighting conditions and operating in stealth mode. Such is the lot when you work in darkness and have to get things wrapped before light returns again....

Treeskirt for Sister to match the birdies for her birthday.

I based it on two I've seen though I didn't really follow either. CrazyMomQuilts did a wonderful tutorial and TallGrassPrairieStudios had lovely tree blocks to inspire me (in the sidebar). I preferred my trunk running behind and made myself a little crazy matching the trunk position in the from strip to strip....

Two pairs of hand-knit socks - one for Mum and one for Sister. The herringbone pattern was slightly more time consuming but very satisfying. Free pattern on Ravelry - link is here.

Nigella Yoga bag for Sister - Amy Butler pattern (free). Turned out so well, I'm likely going to make another for me one of these days....

And there was one other project - some felted pillows for Mum that I had been working at off and on for a few months. But I was so very tired of dark photos that I will click them tomorrow after she opens them....

There are no hand-mades for the menfolk. :-( But there are snowball guns under the tree so I imagine there will be handmade fun and much merry mayhem tomorrow!!

To all that celebrate it, Merry Christmas! If you are not of the Christmas persuasion, enjoy your long weekend! I wish you goodness and warmth, health and prosperity, and the glow that comes from experiencing simple pleasures in life (or from a glass or two of wine!)

Peace and blessings!

Another friendly family competition...

2009-12-20T23:00:00.006-06:00

Candy and cookies and icing - oh my!!

This is what happens when Sister buys gingerbread kits, sends us out for bulk candy, and we have a few hours to visit. Team M, Team H and Team Carly. We're not really competitive but there may have been some idea-defense strategies in place, serious architectural debates and some creative use of fruit leather....

Another afternoon of good clean fun.

Team M:

Note the fruit leather chimney complete with twist-tie smoke....

Team H:

Fruit leather bricks on the path.... Sister was displeased that the kit did NOT contain pieces for a three-dimensional chimney. She promptly stole Dad's chimney and dissected the gingerbread man in order to create the other two sides. (Oooohhhh nOooooo, not the gumdrop buttons!!!)

Team Carly:

A license plate (HOH OHO), taillights and a Chev logo. Inside joke here - the cookies were attached to each other and when I went to separate them, they got a bit crushed. So I made a remark about how I must have been driving. Hence the Chev logo. No winners were declared but I think it's pretty obvious, don't you?? Heehee.

Nostalgia ran amuck this weekend. And in days of yore, when one of the women in our large bunch of matriarchs was making buns, we children were given a chunk of dough in order to make a BunMan. It took us many years to learn that finer details were obscured by the final rise but we tried, time and again, to convey the true essence of our creations. This time, I skipped the raisin face.

Look like anyone you know?

Canadian Christmas Cookie Recipe

2009-12-18T18:22:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, my mother participated in one of those email recipe exchanges....

This was one of the recipes she received in return! Enjoy!!

Christmas Cookie Recipe

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Crown Royal Whiskey

- Sample the Crown Royal to check quality.

- Take a large bowl, check the Crown Royal again, to be sure it is of the
highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.

- Turn on the electric mixer...Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy
bowl.

- Add one teaspoon of sugar...Beat again.

- At this point it's best to make sure the Crown Royal is still OK, try
another cup.. just in case.

- Turn off the mixer thingy.

- Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

- Pick the frigging fruit off floor...

- Mix on the turner.

- If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a
dewscriver.

- Sample the Crown Royal to check for tonsisticity.

- Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.... who giveshz a sheet.

- Check the Crown Royal.

- Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

- Add one table.

- Add a spoon of ar, or somefink.... whatever you can find.

- Greash the oven.

- Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

- Don't forget to beat off the turner.

- Finally, throw the bowl through the window.

- Finish the bottle of Crown Royal.

- Make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher.

Cherry Mistmas

Listen and learn, Grasshopper

2009-12-15T21:01:00.003-06:00

I had a meeting yesterday and now that it seems things are rolling in the right direction, I'm inclined to share.

I am headed back to school and getting my Bachelor of Education degree.

I want to teach. I want to inspire. I want to be inspired. I want to be surrounded everyday by opportunities to learn and to help others find those moments. I want to be a positive influence. I want to see through as many eyes as possible. I want to be kept young and made to feel old at the same time.

I am passionate, driven, motivated, and patient. I am able to command attention. (Someone just choked on her coffee, right A.D?) I am contagious in my enthusiasm. I am a naive idealist. In other words, I am completely out of my mind.

It was not a decision made lightly. In fact, it has taken me ten years to do it. I needed to be sure. I needed to know that I was doing it for the right reasons. I hated those teachers that were only three years older than me who had never experienced anything beyond their own formal education. I hated those people who didn't know what they wanted or didn't really care what they did and chose teaching so they'd have summers off, people who took drama as a fine art elective because they thought it would be easy. Those people whined when it was more than putting on a silly hat and saying "doth" a lot. They still irk me. And their students deserved someone who wanted to be there, who wanted to teach them, who wanted to hear them, instead of just themselves. Being there for the wrong reasons wasn't an option for me. Teaching is a vocation. Teenagers are incredible people with incredible ideas and helping them learn how to think (not telling them, but guiding them to think for themselves) is an incredible responsibility.

Now, I have lived a bit, traveled a bit, and have been searching a whole lot. I am an actor and a writer. And I need something more. I need to feel I'm making a contribution. People find their niche in all sorts of places.

But when I made the decision on this place, I heard the click. And the support coming in has been amazing! When I tell people, they, of course, say "Good for you." Then they stop to think for a moment before adding, "You'd be a great teacher," as though, they hadn't thought about it before but it makes sense. And that's exactly what I need to believe. (If you think I'll be terrible, please don't tell me just yet.... :-)

The meeting was good - I had made sure that I had the classes I would need to get into Education before I left school - so the track to a second degree is much shorter for me come September and admission shouldn't be difficult. This time two years from now, I could be a certified teacher of Drama and English and Russian.

I could also be screaming, "Stop it. STOP IT. I don't care. Get on the bus. GET. ON. THE. BUS."

But, hey, at least I'll get summers off. :-)

Too cold to be clever with a title. :-)

2009-12-12T09:38:00.005-06:00

That's a glance at the weather here for you. I snapped it on Tuesday just before sunset. As much as the cold can be bitter, there is something sublime about frost that lingers thickly whether the sun shines or no'.

I love the cold and frost and simple beauty of winter so I'm not really lamenting about it. I'd much rather have -30 than +30. Thirty above makes me cranky. Thirty below makes me crafty. (If the temperatures seem weird, you are suffering from Fahrenheit syndrome - think in Celsius...)

Despite the chill, we had a very large crowd for our Soaps Christmas improv show last night. Thank you to anyone who braved the weather and the humour.

Happy Hanukkah, if you celebrate it! Happy Saturday, if you don't.

I have finished a few projects this week and regretfully cannot share them. Gifts are gifts and should remain surprises. Sister only pops by every few weeks, but with my luck, if I showed off what I've made her for Christmas, she'll read it today. :-)

Thank you to AmberLee of Giver's Log for mentioning me and the shop yesterday and for the lovely compliments! You have no idea how much simple joy your blog brings to me. A giver's list of ideas is a gift in itself! (Trouble is, you find all this cool stuff that I want for me... :-) Everyone else - go check it out.

Well, after a week of getting up in the dark at a quarter after "why the hell am I awake" and then coming home in the dark, I was looking forward to a good, solid, teen-style sleep-in until the sun was shining gloriously but my eyes popped open at 8am. So I'll try to be useful and productive instead.

It's a good way to keep warm.