Busy, busy. busy.

Look what I've been working on!


Tiny Brian still needs his little hammer and buttons for his shirt. Mini Em now has a little black apron and a petite pie box. I'm going to make her some shades once I acquire some black jewellery wire.

The case they are sitting on contains even more components of this project I'm working on. Much more to come!

Also, this was shot at Nat's family's cottage. We had a bit of a Guelph time reunion last week. What a great weekend! We ate like queens, swam about 5 times a day, and roasted (Well, Louise charred) s'mores every night. Lovely summer mini vacation.

"Will you forgive my single-mindedness, and my tendency to see knitting in everything?"

August 9, 2010 marks what would have been the 100th birthday of British-born knitter, Elizabeth Zimmerman. EZ, as she is known amongst the knitting community, was influential in shaping the craft into what it has become today. She was one of the first knitters to publish patterns in magazines. Her Wisconsin-based Schoolhouse Press was one of the first mail-order knitting pattern businesses. It is still producing countless well-thought-out and creatively designed patterns today.

EZ, herself, wrote many books about knitting. Her writing style is direct and logical. I have several of her books and they are my favourite works of knitting theory. I enjoy the mathematics and geometry that is involved in knitting. Elizabeth has managed to take these aspects of knitting and use them to design incredible techniques and guidelines for creating sweaters that fit perfectly and mittens that have such interesting construction. Really, EZ epitomized what being an arts and scientist means to me.

Not to mention, EZ was just one clever lady. Her personal motto was "Knit on with confidence and hope, through all crisis."

I have several favourite EZ quotes, but my all time favourite is a perfect example of Elizabeth telling it like it is, "really, all you need to become a good knitter are wool, needles, hands, and slightly below-average intelligence. Of course superior intelligence, such as yours and mine, is an advantage" (from Knitting Without Tears).

Above and beyond all of this, everything EZ made or designed was absolutely, simply beautiful. I think I will pull out my copy of The Knitter's Almanac tomorrow for some mid-summers knitting inspiration.

Thank you for everything, EZ.

Hillside 2010.

It was a good year for Hillside.

The turtle image they used for the tickets, lanyards, and promotional material was really cool. I just wish they'd used it more. I think adult t-shirts would have sold really well.

Bronwen and I rented a car to drive up because we had all of our camping gear and our workshop supplies to bring (we both volunteer running hour-long workshops in the Do-It-Yourself tent). Since we had the car, we got to visit Andrew and Louise for french toast breakfast on Saturday. Also, we took some detours on the way home to visit some of my favourite shops in Guelph and my old work site, Limehouse Conservation Authority

It rained a couple times on Saturday, but we were under the Island Stage tent for both of the down-pours, so we managed to stay dry. The ground got really muddy, but we walked around in bare feet and it wasn't so bad. It was actually cool on Saturday night. We went swimming after the music and the water was warmer than the air. Andrew had requested that we deliver him a cone from Mapleton's if there was a cold snap, but it wasn't quite that chilly.

Mapleton's had organized their ice cream stands much better this year, so we went there a lot (well, we always go there a lot, but this year they didn't run out of all the flavours so quickly and the line-ups were tolerable). The Flying Chestnut Kitchen had a stand and they served the most delicious Traditional Indian Tacos. All local ingredients, like Grey County beef chili, Ontario tomatoes and peach salsa and cilantro on Ojibway fry bread.

Our workshops went well. Mine wasn't so busy on Saturday (I was competing with The Acorn at 5:00 pm), but my Sunday workshop was packed and I used up all of the leftover materials from the day before.

My favourite acts of the weekend were: Jason Collett on the main stage Saturday night, The Beauties and what would have been the Japandroids show on Saturday night if security hadn't killed the show, The Acorn and Wooden Sky first thing Sunday morning, and Zeus.

Japandroids rock out in kitty t-shirts.


The Wooden Corn rip a hold in the the plaid universe on Sunday morning. This also isn't a great picture, but you have to admire the seven plaid shirts on one small stage at the same time.


Sarah, Bronwen, and I at the main stage on Sunday night.


Amy Milan's insane glitter dress and Stars.

Glowy red mushrooms we found at Limehouse on our way home.


Some of the native alvar plants I planted in the abandoned Limehouse quarry three years ago. It's nice to see that they are doing so well.


The old draw kiln at Limehouse (just another type of old quarry restoration in action).

Pond hockey birthdays.

Today is the Little's 2nd birthday. She's all grown up! It seems like yesterday she was only the size of a guinea pig.


Since Mini's birthday also happens to be my half birthday, I thought I'd put a few pictures up from my very fun pond hockey birthday party last January. This was the first time I had seen many of my friends since returning from my Australia and New Zealand trip. I had barely even recovered, in fact. It was so great that everyone was able to make the drive up from Guelph to visit my little home town. We dug up enough skates and hockey sticks for everyone and spent the evening planning pick-up on the Mill Pond. After hockey we went home for homemade pizza dinner, arm wrestling, hilarious youtube videos, and then headed back out at midnight to toboggan on the hill behind the rink. Everyone slept over and we had a big breakfast including eggs from the chickens I was housesitting the next morning.

Nat and Whitney snapped so many hilarious picture of the event. Here are a few of my favourites.

Nat and I on the way to the pond. Notice all the fabulous knitwear.


Em by the stop sign infront of my parent's house on the way to the pond. Her figure skates and Matt's hockey skates. I believe her tam was made by one of my past knitting students.


Matt and John (fast friends) carry the rubbermaid bin of beer to the pond. Whit tags along. They would build a bonfire on the pond for us. Whitney is wearing the toque I made her for Christmas. She truly appreciates a good handmade item.


Skate tie-up help. Andrew's chocolate brown toque made by me.


The crew. Mom and Dad and the pups came to join in on the fun too. Notice Jayme's flap hat.


Nat and Andrew back at the house after dinner.


Matt and Jayme modelling my grandfather's old snowpants.


Me and Louise!


Brian and his pup, Stogie. Brian is wearing his Christmas toque from me as well.


Em made me a spectacular cake, as usual. With a small bonfire's worth of candles.


My party was a great time. I'm so glad that I have so many good friends to knit for. Til next July....

O, and better yet, this post puts me one tiny bit closer to finishing one of my 101 things in 1001 days items. I've been working hard on my list lately.

Wool Blacks.

Once upon a time I was a Knit World visitor too. I actually dropped in on the knitting group at the Knit World in Wellington, NZ. This group is out of Dunedin. I was only in Dunedin for about one hour while waiting to catch a plane. Not enough time for, even me, to find a wool store (the airport is just a tiny little place out in the sheep pastures).

I like this video because I have always thought of knitting a sports jersey. Hockey jerseys were knit by hand when leagues were first starting. This group of women are knitting the jerseys to raise money for charity.

Appropriate and inappropriate uses for googly eyes.

Sometimes googly eyes can be used for good. For example, quickly and easily turning a little purple tea cozy into a little purple hedgehog tea cozy.


On the other hand, googly eyes can sometimes be used for evil. For example. on this poster advertising a breakfast deal in downtown Peterborough. Sunny-side-up eggs shouldn't be able to see you. Also, none of this egg's food friends have googly eyes, so how come it even has googly eyes, in the first place?


Of course, definitions of good and evil are up for interpretation.

Retro puppies.

The other day I snapped this picture of Sam and Miss sitting in the front seat of the RV. I decided this was the perfect setting to transform a digital image into (what looks like) an old-school analog photo. I used this tutorial from spoon graphics to learn a few tricks in photoshop. And I think it turned out quite well. I will definitely use this technique in the future. It's an easy way to capture the old-fashioned aesthetic I am always looking for. Don't worry, I still love my Holga and can't wait to test out my new Polaroid Spectra. John found it in the old Sarnia Hospital and brought it home for me. It has a big OR scratched into the top, so I'm sure it's taken some interesting photos in it's life. I just need to find a good source of film.

The retro puppies:


The original puppies: