Here Be Knitting

Canada Calling: Back from vacation

And sorry to be.  Ken & I went all out this year to travel outside of Manitoba, but stay in Canada.  I had come across a b&b while surfing the net a couple of years ago, and since then have been wanting to go there.

This is no ordinary b&b.  Instead of one room, it's a whole apartment - 700 square feet! Living/dining, full bathroom and very large bedroom with a king size bed.   We opted out of the daily breakfast since I never know how long Ken will sleep in while on vacation.  Besides, it's vacation, right?  We like to take it easy, sit around, read, explore and have no schedule to it all.  We're always so busy at home that it's nice to kick back.

It took a bit of travel to get there: from our place in rural Manitoba to the Winnipeg airport, fly to Vancouver, pick up a rental car, make our way through downtown Vancouver (I missed a turn at the airport)  to the ferry terminal at Horseshoe Bay.  After a 40 minute ferry ride, we arrived at Langdale terminal on the British Columbia Sunshine Coast.  It was a 30 minute drive to Sechelt where we picked up a few groceries, then another few minutes to Coracle Cove (I managed to miss another turn), but we made it!

Although we knew ahead of time there was a very steep driveway to navigate,  I really hoped the brakes were good as I made my way down.  The following picture really doesn't show the steep angle. I think I should have got right down on my belly to show the true angle.   I confessed to our host the next morning that I had nightmares that night about driving back up. 

However,  it was all worth it to have our own private suite on the waterfront. 

Right outside the patio doors was a charming covered patio which came in handy for the couple of times it rained.  We could sit out there having morning coffee.  Our host thoughtfully provided a pair of binoculars to use.

It was great for bird watching, particularly the Spotted Towhees and Rufous Hummingbirds that came to the hanging bird feeders. I tried many times to capture the birds on camera, but was never quick enough.  

The view from the deck was wonderful:

There was ample seating provided on the hot tub deck and further down, a floating dock with chairs.  With all this peace and quiet, why go anywhere? 

I wish we had the growing season they have in B.C.  I love to garden, and it was a joy to see the beautifully landscaped grounds here. 

The flowering shrubs were out of this world.

Mid week we took a walk along the Sechelt Sea Wall which was great exercise.  When we turned toward the road, we happened upon a little flower garden hidden by the trail.  While there were some lovely flowers in it, I was most impressed with the Himalayan Blue Poppies.  I tried growing them once, but obviously Manitoba doesn't have the right climate while B.C. does.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end ......

Australia Calling - The Weekend and Some Knitting

Hi Shelagh,

I've been sick the last few days - a fluey thing that laid me low and kept me home from work.  The home from work I quite like, the being sick not so much.  I'm feeling much better today and back off to work to try and catch up.

This last weekend, we ventured over to Daylesford:

This is Lake Daylesford.  It was a lovely, cold autumn day.  The sun didn't hold much heat but the wind stayed down for most of our visit.  I love the sun sparkling on the water.  We enjoyed a late lunch:

The cheeses are local to Victoria and were absolutely lovely.  The coffees were good too and this little coffee shop was located at the back of a second hand bookstore right on the edge of the lake.  It was a really nice place to spend an hour.

On the knitting front, I am working on the Wing -'o-the-Moth Shawl.  I'm in the Odd Ducks Swap Group on Ravelry and the latest swap I've joined is the Creepy Crawlies Swap and my spoilee loves moths, so I'm finally getting to knit this pattern.  I'm on the last chart and down to the last 15 rows, but as you know, these last ones take forever!  I'm knitting it in a Wollmeise deep red (almost the favourite colour of my spoilee):

Pretty hard to see the detail with my poor photos.  I'll take another few shots when I've finished and blocked the shawl.

Finally, I wanted to show you The Blue Lake at Mt Gambier.  It is in South Australia and we visited there on our recent break.  The blue of the lake really is this blue.  It is one of the most amazing things I've seen; it literally took our breaths away:

Canada Calling: Hello Deb!!

Hi Deb

It's wonderful to read your posts and see how your weight loss is going!  Congratulations!  You and your family must be having a lot of fun with Lilli.

I'm also working on cutting my weight down, and in almost 3 months have lost 19 lbs.   I looked at some photos of myself and am not really ready to post any before/after yet.  However, I just went through some underthings that used to be too small for me and a whole bunch of them now fit.  ;>)

 It's full on into Spring here and slowly but surely the weather is warming up.  I have daffodils flowering today, and more to come.  Too bad it reminds me of all the quackgrass I have to dig up out of my flowerbed.

I've been doing a bit of knitting, and a lot of project planning .  I have a lot of single skeins of fingering weight yarn that I'd like to convert.  I'm still on a yarn diet most of the time and working very hard on using only stash for projects.

Since my last post in March (!) I'm still working on the pink Billowy Delight at knit nights, so it's taking a long time to finish.  It'll be done when I use up the ball of yarn.

I've also finished a pair of socks which turned out to be too big because I used bigger needles. I'm an idiot - I should have known better.  I love the socks, so intend to rip them back and start over again. 

Unfortunately we have rain forecast for the next 4 or 5 days.  I should be glad since it's been so dry out here the municipality instituted a burning ban.  We've had rain off and on for the last few days, so I'm almost read for it to stop and have some sunshine.

 Don't be a stranger, it's been great to have you back!

 

Australia Calling - Lilli

Hi Shelagh

I couldn't resist posting a few photos of Lilli from this weekend:

I think it is safe to say that mid air ball catching is not one of Lilli's strengths. 

After all that activity, what is a girl to do:

Her black coat means she gets hot very quickly even when it is cold so we go nowhere without water - and plenty of treats :)

Our lovely girl.

Australia Calling - Not Knitting!

Hi Shelagh

I thought I would give an update on my weight loss.

Here is me when I began my journey mid-2008:

And here is me about a month ago (my birthday).  Not a great photo, but I think you can see the changes:

I've got a ways to go, but I'm very happy with how far I've come.  I'm also ok with how long it is taking - it took a long time to get this way; it should take a long time to get back to somewhere close to where I'd like to be.

Australia Calling: Hello Lilli!

Hi Shelagh

I'm back and here is a very potted history of the delightful Lilli.  She came into the world on the 18th April, 2011 and came to live with us 6 weeks later:

Trying very hard to convince us that she had never, ever, ever been fed :)

Two weeks later, already growing and having settled really well:

Trying to help in the garden - not!!

Three months old and enjoying the sun.

Her first bath - it was finally warm enough for us to risk her getting wet.  She wasn't too sure this first time, but now loooooovvveeesss the water.

Six months old and a "bucket head" after being spayed.  She actually got really sick after this op.  We were back to the vet every day and everytime we came home with more and different medication to help her through. 

The above two show one of her favourite things - chasing ball.  She is about 7 months here.

The above three were taken on Christmas day and Lilli got to combine some of her favourite things - water (!), balls and family :)  She has grown quite a bit since these were taken - taller and broader.

She has been an absolute dellight.  The girls are pressuring for us to get a golden lab as well.  I agree that a black and a gold lab would look lovely, but not so very keen on the extra commitment.  We'll see how hard they hassle and whether we have a weak moment :)

Next, some knitting.

It's Been a Long Time Coming

Hi Shelagh

It's been a long, long time.  Too long, I know.  There are plenty of reasons for this, but most, at their core, can be explained by the black dog that continues to hound me.  I'm much better than I was, but well is some ways off.

Last week we took off for a week down on the coast at some of our favourite places - The Great Ocean Road or more particularly Port Campbell and Portland (strictly not part of the Great Ocean Road, but close enough).  We also took in Mount Gambier and it's amazing Blue Lake.  If you scroll down, you will see some extraordinary photos - it really is that blue.  The DH has gone to bed or I would get some of his photos - much better than the ones in Wikipedia.

Here are some of the photos we took, with my knitting enjoying the view as we lunched!

As you can see, not much knitting actually done, but I think a good time was enjoyed by all :)

We arrived home on Sunday and on Monday we went out to one of our favourite places close to Melbourne, Mount Donna Buang (and Warburton) where it was snowing.  Turns out, the holiday to catch the last of the summer weather had been perfectly timed.

Next time, I'll fill you in on the latest edition to our family - Lilli the labrador, who is almost one already. (and who managed to drop the iron on my ankle yesterday - ouch!!)

It Can't be March Already!

We've had a lovely mild winter, with most of our snow falling in the last week or so.  According to the weather forecasts, we're about to get even warmer weather, which is fine with me.  We've almost finished up our firewood, so this weekend the man of the house will be picking up a boxload to tide us over until we can bring more in.

Let's see, what have I been knitting?  I'm still working on the pink billowy scarf on knit nights, and finished up the Liquid Silver Shawl. I really need to pic up a silver-tone shawl pin to go with it.  Something to shop for.

At home I'm working on a cowl called The Bird's Nest Smoke Ring out of Hand Maiden Fine Yarn Silk Cordonnet.  I love the yarn, so soft and silky.  Unfortunately it photographs like a lump, but I'll post a pic anyway.  Once it's finished, I'll model it.

I was trying to remember what else I've done and almost forgot a sweater and matching pants for my darling great-nephew. (I'm called "Graunty")  The yarn is a nice soft acrylic jacquard that knits up into a lovely pattern...

I found out the hard way that I made the sweater too small. (Dang!)  So, I brought it home, unraveled it and re-did it.  This picture shows the too-small sweater, but tomorrow I'm delivering the larger one to the babe and his Mom.  I hope to see it on him before he out-grows it.

It's time to look at my Ravelry Queue again to see what's next on my project list.  I'd also like to do a thicker pair of socks for myself in a nice soft wool fingering, but it really has to have some nylon in it so they won't wear out right away.  I'm thinking of this great bright yarn:

 

Finally, I saw this recently on Youtube and laughed my head off.  Big brave dog!

 

 

It's almost the end of January!

It's been five weeks since I last posted, and lots of knitting is happening.

The Come Sail Away baby blanket has been gifted to the young mother and her sweet baby son.  She advised me a few days later that he loved his blanket.  He didn't squirm under it or kick it off.  So, I was right to remake it with much softer yarn.  I'm still waiting for a picture of him wrapped up in it. ;>D

With that project out of the way,I decided to do a smaller project that would be finished quickly and I could wear it to ward off the winter chill.  I had a fitted cowl in my Ravelry queue that fit the bill, called Hoarfrost.  My lovely friend Roberta sent it to me as a Birthday/Christmas gift, along with a couple of other patterns.  It fits well and the silky yarn of rayon/linen feels lovely against the skin.

I decided to make an even smaller project after that.  Wee socks for the wee baby.  However, I think they'd fit a doll, not a baby, so I'm going to start over with a slightly bigger size.  They're still cute, don't you think?

Right around the same time, I dug into my basket and found a UFO.  The Liquid Silver Shawl which I started well over a year ago, then got bored with and put away for a while.  (AACHOO! - my allergies are acting up - badly.  AAAAAACHOOOOO!!!)  I've picked up the shawl again and only have a couple of more repeats to do on it and it will be ready for blocking.

I've also started a new project for knit nights, which had to be an easy knit and something I'd wear.  I found a lovely free scarf pattern that fit the bill, as well as being a stash-buster.  Two more balls of yarn (Madil Kid Seta) will be used up.  Hah!  The pattern name is Billowy Delight and can be accessed here on Ravelry.

An added note on the Killybegs sweater.  I've worn it a lot and love it!  I'm so pleased I got over not wanting to knit sweaters for myself.

I'll admit even though I'm doing some stash-busting knitting, I also had a small addition to the stash this month.  Two of my knitting friends acquired Fyberspates Royal Wedding Yarn, the colour of which matches Catherine's beautiful engagement ring that was originally given to Diana. It has a silver thread running through it as well.  I just had to have a hank of it too, and we're likely going to do a knit-along with it.  We're not going to be knitting the same design, but likely all doing a shawl of some kind. I'm looking forward to it.  (trumpet sound)....

January has been a strange month.  I'm so used to it being SO cold, yet we've had mild weather most of the time.  It's only gone close to -20C a couple of times and helped the time pass much faster.

We continue to be blessed with large numbers of the Common Redpoll and they're eating me into the poor house.  Little do they realize how spoiled they are getting straight niger seed in those seed socks.

 

A-A-A-AAAACHOOOO!  I have a sinking feeling this might be a cold, not allergies.  On that happy note I'll sign off for now.

It's Winter, but who's counting?

Christmas is only 4 days away.  We don't do a whole lot in our house for Christmas.  However, I do like to decorate a tree.  Since we don't have a lot of room, I usually get a small Norfolk Island pine, put the one string of lights I have on it and hang up a few ornaments.  I especially love the pretty white, fluffy bird sitting in the front, along with a couple of new ornaments:

This year I picked up this sweet Cardinal in a nest:

A friend gave me this darling Chickadee (sitting on binoculars) this week and I love it!

On the knitting front,  I finished the Come Sail Away baby blankie, along with a matching toque.  We're still waiting for the babe to make his appearance.

The Hitchhiker Scarf is almost done.  I'm just about out of yarn and when that happens, will cast off and block the scarf.

Not long ago, I discovered a knitting book that I love.  It's called Contemporary Irish Knits, and I've started a cardigan from the book, called Killybegs.  It's coming along well, and I'm only hoping I won't hate it when I try it on.

In my last post I reported only having a few birds left in the yard.  I'm delighted to report that at least 2 dozen Common Redpolls have showed up and likely will spend the winter here.  They don't come every year and I'm always happy when they show up.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!