Getting back into the swing of things

Life is strange. After trying for months to make changes in my life, to get things onto a positive track, and feeling trapped, like I was hitting a wall, it seems my persistence has paid off.

Not only did we manage to sell our old place, and move, but I have finally found another job, and will be starting my new role in a couple of weeks..

So now that it all seems to be falling into place, I can focus on my knitting again. It feels like ages since I've picked up the needles! And I never got a chance to blog about finishing my Effortless Cardigan. It's a great sweater, a pattern that I've wanted to knit forever, and of course it did not disappoint. None of Hannah Fettig's patterns do! I debated for a long time what yarn to use, and when I saw the Classic Elite Moorland on sale at Webs, it struck me as a good choice.

And it is .... in a way. Because mohair sheds, so I tend t leave a trail wherever I go. You can tell what chair I've  been sitting in, or what coat I've worn. Also, and this I am not sure is due to the mohair, I've got quite significant pilling where my watch and purse rub against the sweater. Bit I still like the yarn, it's great to work with, I maybe chose the wrong project for it.

Make no mistake, I'm still proudly wearing my sweater, but it just goes to show you that I still have lots to learn about pairing yarn and projects.

Now let me share some shots I got of the Effortless. We had really wonderful weather for about a week, so I am glad I got the hubs to dig out the camera.

Now that my creative mojo is slowly returning, I've got some, hopefully interesting posts lined up, so don't give up on this blog just yet!

Still alive

I know, I know, I promised I would not disappear again for days on end. But sometimes, the best laid plans....well don't quite work out. My last weeks and especially weekends have consisted mostly of this:

And certainly not enough of this:

Right now, I am not even sure where exactly my knitting needles are. And to be honest, as much as my fingers are itching to pick up a nice calming knitting project, I am completely exhausted, and can barely picture getting up tomorrow morning and facing a new drive to work and a new schedule, more boxes to unpack and things to put away.
But it's all good, it's all very good. I am super-excited about this fresh beginning.

L♥ve is in the air

A. and I have been working on his Valentine's cards for a few weekends now. They are safely tucked into his back-pack, and I know he's bursting with excitement and can hardly wait to give them away today. 

And this has made me think.... Valentine's Day was never a huge thing for me, but it is always nice to be told you are loved, right? Sometimes little gestures are all it takes.

Like the one my hubby made. He is halfway around the world all week, but before leaving, he got me this delicious tea, called "Read My Lips". This is how it's described :" It's a totally decadent combination of China black tea, vanilla, peppermint, chocolate bits and spicy red peppercorns. Plus it contains little red candy lips for a kiss of sweetness. In other words, it's a completely satisfying spring experience with no guilt or strings attached".

It smells divine, like most of the David's Tea choices, and yes, there really are little red lips in the tea. 

To make the experience complete, I baked some brownies, after all, mint and chocolate are a perfect pair, just like the two of us!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Looking good

I cannot believe it's been weeks since my last post! Three, to be exact. Where has the time gone? We're in February?

I do have a good reason though. Last summer I mentioned that I was trying hard to make some changes in my life. And I am finally seeing results. Our house sold, and we are moving! I am surrounded by boxes, lists, and well...dust. The new house is also ready, and I have to admit that my knitting obsession has been pushed aside a bit by my decorating obsession. I have to warn you, this year, you may see quite a few decor-related posts. But that's OK, right? Gotta shake things up a bit.

And because I want to keep things interesting, I took another fairly significant decision. This year, I will be participating in a craft fair! I don't have a lot of other details for now, but what I can tell you is that it's the Montreal POP Puces Market. I visited it this winter, and it's such a wonderful event. Local artists showcasing and selling their work. I felt really inspired, and encouraged. Also reading about Rebecca's experience over at nook, made me think that I'd probably have a blast!

So I've been experimenting with patterns and sketching out ideas. I had never tried a felting project before, and since 2012 seems to be a year of new adventures, I dove right in. Inspired by a woven basket that one of my good friends brought me back from the Philippines, I knitted and felted this little catch-all. It now proudly sits on my night-table, and I find it really practical. So I am thinking I will whip up a few for the market, and Etsy shop. I've already tried different sizes and also stripes, but the simple one, like this, I like best.

Now, what do you guys think of using safety pins to pin the basket into shape? I find it cute, a more "masculine" touch, but I am toying with the idea of trying beads or buttons.

In closing, I promise to not take another extended break...it feels strange and I do miss everyone that visits...

A slow start

I've been meaning to blog about my first 2012 FO for over a week now, but somehow my inspiration fails me.

The beginning of the year has been pretty quiet. After the madness of the holidays, some R & R was welcome. I was also pretty much stuck on the couch for a week after Christmas, as a nasty cold got the better of me. A perfect excuse to do some selfish knitting, right?

I had gotten an extra skein of Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, when I purchased yarn for my sister's Christmas hat. I knit her the Rosebud and chose to make Habitat for myself. Both patterns are easy and extremely well explained, and also a lot of fun to knit. At the same time they were my first experience with charts, and I have to say I like it (though hard to do while watching TV). The end result was great for both hats. My sister really likes her hat, even though I thought it ended up a little too large. My gauge was right on, and still it ended up a little too big. Funny thing is that with Habitat I had the exact opposite issue. Gauge right on, but it's a tiny bit too small. Either way, I've gotten some use out of it already.

Now a few words about the yarn. My fellow knitters have asked for my opinion, and I have to say I love it! As you knit with it, you fish bits and pieces of organic matter still clinging to the yarn, which serve as a reminder that this is the real thing. It's got a bit of elasticity to it, and it feels squishy and warm. In other words, the real thing.

Hm, I think I've found a theme for 2012, a focus, because I don't like the idea of resolutions. I want to be real, true, true to myself, to my newly discovered passion and creativity, to my family and what is truly important to me.

Bring it on 2012!

Ringing in the New Year

I have fought off my Dayquil induced haze for a few minutes to come here and wish you all a very Happy New Year and a wonderful 2012.

I have also taken a few minutes to look back on my 2011 projects, and I have to say that I
was pleasantly surprised to see that I managed 21 of them, I think that's not too bad.

And now, I will crawl back under my blankets and hope that my voice returns in the next few days.

Deck the Halls

I finally mananged to take a few photos of our own Christmas decorations to share with you guys. Aidan has really enjoyed helping me.

We started with his room. I especially like these little wooden ornaments.

Every year we've added a few special pieces like this star.

The Christmas Pyramid and Advent Calendar belonged to my grandmother and I count them among my most treasured possessions.

I had quite a number of crafts I wanted to make, but only managed these snow globes. Aidan loves it. It's a really fun and easy thing to make. For anyone interested, I kind of followed this tutorial.

And last, but not least, our own Christmas tree.

The only thing missing now, are the gifts, and I really hope I will finish all of my hand-knits in time.