Saturday Stash

I seem to have become a once-a-week blogger.  That isn't intentional but hey! it's better than nothing at all, isn't it?  This is where the chorus says Yes.

Today, I have finished and unfinished projects to report.  Tea cosies make up half and they are so quick and easy that it's hard to resist them.  Especially when I have so many small amounts of yarn in my stash.  Plus, there are so many fun patterns.  This is my version of Spotty Dotty Tea Cosy.  It reminds me of the Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.  Yeah, I am that old.

But sometimes, I just like to do my own thing.  This is my Tea Party cosy.  Very easy.  Anyone could recreate this design just by looking at it, I think.  We've had such a string of gray and misty days that these bright colors were just perfect on the needles. 

And, I found this sparkly yarn in one of the more recent additions to my stash.  Just enough for a tiny glam sweater and a pair of shoes for steppin' out.  I made this pattern a couple of years ago and it was perfect over grandbaby Number Four's onesy or T-shirt and leggings.   I've just seen the ultra-sound photo of Number Five and there's no clue if this will be suitable.  If big brother has his way, it will not be!

And, right now, I'm using up a fairly large bit of light blue worsted.  Granddaughter Number two enjoys wearing dresses.  Especially knitted ones because they are easy to pull on over anything...seriously, anything.  And they fit for a lo-ong time.   The original pattern has a stranded jelly bean design around the hem.   Since I don't enjoy stranded knitting, I have taken some stash multi-colors and knit some ribbons into slip-stitch beading.  The jumper itself is easy to knit and will be fun to wear. Hope she likes it as much as I do.

And that's the week.  The stash is going down -  but so slowly.   All this week and last I feel like I've been in meetings.  Unfortunately, knitting isn't an activity to take to a meeting.  I'm not convinced that they wouldn't be more productive, if it were.  Just sayin'.

Saturday Stash

A-a-actually, I've been knitting madly all morning.  I've been weaving in the yarn ends and sewing on buttons, too.  All so that there would be some finished stuff for the report today.  Of course, it's all fun and I'd rather do that than housework.  So, I just looked really, really busy and ignored the dust bunnies.

I finally finsished the Little Explorer pullover.  Last week, I hit a bit of a roadblock with the neck - it was going to be too small to get over a real kid's head.  So, I made my very first steek.  Then I picked up enough stitches for a faux placket and gave it a couple of decorative buttons.  I like it. 

 
And I've been on a tea cosy romp.  I'm still on it so expect  a few more next week.  I've decided that they're way more fun that hats.  You can't be too creative with a hat but a tea pot will wear anything out in public.  They are shameless.  many designers have discovered this, I think, as there are so many fun designs on ravelry.  This one is not too wild.  In fact, it's rather demure for cables.  Must be the bow.  I used Ruth Churchman's pattern for a Cabled Tea Cosy.  It includes a pattern for a cafetiere as well. 

This design is all mine: The Travelling Tea Cosy.  So named for the cables that travel up the sides of the button band.  Not for the fact that it appears to be ready to tip off the railing. And mostly because it has a little something that all travellers need:

A back-pack.  And this one is just big enough for a tea bag or two.  I do believe this falls into the 'because I can' category.  Just for fun.

The whole time I was knitting the little back pack, I was humming along with Peter, Paul and Mary. 

Fifty fridays #41

Today's photo is one of the only photos that I ever saw of my mother's father when I was growing up.

I never met him.  I never called him Grampa.  My mother always referred to him - in my presence - as T.I. which were his initials.  I can't ever remember her ever calling him 'Dad' although I'm sure that she must have.  

Having just this one photo made him almost as romantic as Lawrence of Arabia in my mind.  I always thought this man was so dapper.  He also had a nice face with interesting lines and angles.  I knew - and still know - very little about him as a person.  He was a ship's carpenter and a joiner.  I have an old wooden chest that he made in which he carried his tools and gear when he was on board ship. 

T.I. came from a family of sea-farers and farmers originally living on the south coast of Nova Scotia.  They even had their own island!  But, by the time my mother was born they were in Wolfeville and then it was on to the big city.  In the 30's, I expect he was away from home a lot because my mother lived with her step-mother at her step-mother's parents' home.  I alwys understood from Mom that work wasn't easy to find.  And it probably was very true of the 1930's especially. 

This photo could have been taken any time in the 1930's to the 1950's.  There is an ageless quality to the man, his clothing and even the setting.  I'm leaning more towards the late1940's but I don't really know.  This is my grandfather and I think he was a cool-looking guy.  I wish I could have met him. 

Saturday Stash

It's still Saturday, right?  I've been waiting...and waiting...for my batteries to charge up s I could take some photos.  I think I have to buy some new ones.  Yesterday, I put in what I thought were spares - and I knew they had been charged - only to have them die before the camera could even poke its lens out into the world.  So, I've been waiting.

I have a finished project!  Yes, I do.  The BFL Forever cardi is finally done.  Thirteen tiny buttons and a resew on the collar were what was standing in the way of success.  Last Sunday, I redid the collar.  It is still not totally satisfying but I can't do much else with it.   The wee buttons are just perfect - says me.  Thank you, Maria.  They were just ordinary buttons until we turned them over and saw the pink and green marbling on the back.  That made them work even better.  Now I'm happy.

And, I've almost finished this seamless pulli for some Little Explorer.  I'm using the Intrepid Pullover pattern by Katie Himmelberg. It isn't purple that's just my camera playing its color tricks again.  Really almost a navy blue.   It's a simple knit with just enough construction detail to keep me interested to see what comes next.  Stripes will do that for you whether they're colors or stitch variations.  It's headed for the donation basket when it's finished. 

Next week, I'll share the skirt I've just started.  And who knows what else will jump into the knitting basket by then?

Fifty Fridays #40

This Sunday is Father's Day so I will, of course, be featuring my Dad this week.  I thought I would share two things that were his vacation from work and home.  When I was a kid, we never really took vacations away from home.  I was never too concerned because very few of my friends ever did either.  It wasn't as common as it is now.  But now I wonder if there wasn't another reason. 

Every summer my father would disappear for a week.  He took his Air Cadets off to summer camp.  This is a photo of Dad and the other leaders of the squadron posing in front of their barracks at Sea Island.  This is where the Vancouver International Airport is now.  When I was much younger, the name seemed magical.  I never went there and I guess I didn't see this photo of the huts.  Kind of takes the magic away for me.  But not for Dad.  He loved being away with the young fellows (not co-ed then) and sharing his own air force flying experience. 

Dad not only loved the air but also the sea.  Once he moved to his island home, he liked nothing better than to get into his little boat and motor about pretending to fish.  When he retired, the first thing he bought was a sailboat which was a source of constant pleasure for him.  I can't say that I share his enthusiasm.  I believe that I stepped on his boat for a quick recce and then got off as fast as I could.  Not a chip off that old block, I'm not. 

And even in his last days, when he was very ill and not always thinking clearly, the boat was on his mind.  He would dream about sailing and think his hospital bed was his boat.  

So, Dad, here's to you! Hope the wind is blowing fair.


 

Saturday Stash

It's been a technicolor week in the yarn stash.  I have today two shawls that I would rather use as scarves.  Using all this color at once feels a bit like a binge.  I'm full of color; I'm overfull.  Kind of like looking at a garden of tropical flowers in the bright sunshine.  Gorgeous for a while but my temperate mind begins to crave some cool greens and blues. Probably comes from living too long on the west coast.

But that doesn't take away any of the glory in this yarn.  I wondered how all the colors would look in the eyelet lace and they do very nicely.  So this is my After the Storm shawl.  I used Beth Bradford's Sewanee pattern.  It was very easy to knit up. This is some stashed sock yarn.  So is the next...

Another many-hued sock yarn which I used for my lace in the Desert Shawl.   This is Shelly Delong's pattern,  Mairi.  Again, really easy.  The bottom scallops are made first and the body is knit up after you've got your long strip of lace.  And it's all garter stitch  - everywhere.  I love garter stitch because it's so cushy.  It has literally just come off the needles and isn't blocked.  I was nervous about the garter stitch and all these color changes - looks OK though.  I think I'll keep it...it will make a nice warm scarf.

Not that I'm exactly pining for winter.  No, I'm just ready.  Maybe I'll wear it in the 'cold room' at Costco.  It's like walking into a fridge. I know...it is a fridge. But when you're ready for summer fun and don't have your jacket, it's darn cold.   I'm always so happy to get out of there.

Now, I'm going to go digging  for some forest and ocean colors. 

Fifty Fridays #39

It's Friday again!  And today I have an interesting mystery photo to celebrate summer finally bringing us some sunshine.

What's summer without an office picnic?  Well, maybe that's what this is.  I have no idea what - or even who - this is and maybe that's just as well.  Some of these folks seem to having a bit too much fun.  And clearly at least one isn't enjoying the fun at all. Could it be a works outing?  With some having a bit more to their lemonade than others?

And I wonder who these folks are?  Am I related to anyone here?  From their clothes I would say sometime before WW1 but that's as close as I can get.   The picture box has a whole section of these photos that no one can identify.  It is fun to wonder but a bit frustrating, too.  I just enjoy making up a story to go with the evidence of the picture itself. 

Saturday Stash

I may have been down for the count for a while but I never stopped knitting.  I worked away on my projects and managed to finish quite a few.  I'm not really a person who makes To Do lists but I seem to have some inner demon that whispers in my ear.  Not sweet nothings, no.  This demon speaks of UFO's and then reminds me of all the yarn there is in my little hiding places.  Even more seductive is the knowledge that there are so many gorgeous yarns in the shops.  I can't justify buying anything new so I won't even try.  But I sort of can justify a little buy when I've finished a few stash things. 

I used this pattern to make a tiny little apres-ski sweater for a very little person.  I used leftover sock yarns throughout.  You may recognize the yarn from the last pair of kid's socks that I knit.  When I finished the body I realized that I picked up the wrong ball of gray to complete.  So, the sleeves had to get the same half and half treatment.  Looks a little odd but in an OK way, I think. 

This little cardi was finally finished.  After making all sorts of alterations to the pattern, I ran out of steam.  I think my brain power was beginning to dwindle about then.  So, the project sat in a corner and sulked.  I finally picked it up, realized that the sleeves awere all I had left to knit and they were so easy.  So, snap!  All done. 

And this stash-buster is in the 'because I can' category.  I found this baby hat pattern while I was browsing through some magazines.  It's silly but it actually has some cute details.  I love having it sit on the desk and smile it's big fishy smile at me.  I will give it - and all the other stuff - away, though. 

So, now we come to the part where I get a reward.  I was looking for some sock yarn for my daughter and saw this pretty purple yarn.  It's part of the Patons FX series and I've knit them before.  But I must be a sucker for purple.   All the while I was knitting it, I kept thinking of that it should be called Fifty Shades of Grape.  So that's what I named the socks.  I used Ann Budd's Seduction Socks pattern which seemed quite appropriate on all sorts of levels.  I really like how they turned out. 

I still have my red socks to finish.  And I've started two shawls.  I'll save them for next week.  Who knows?  Something may actually get finished this week, too.