My excuse for not posting recently is that I was at my parent’s house on the coast. I went out and stayed there for 5 days last week, then I came back to an empty and laptop-less house, because the boy was off freelancing in Banff. I just didn’t feel like blogging, or uploading my pics to his computer, just to move them over, when my laptop came back. So I didn’t. And I got stuff done! Knitting, cooking, cleaning… it was good.

Then Friday I couldn’t stand it any longer and drove out to Banff to visit for the weekend, and when I left today, I took my laptop too. He is working 12 hours today, so he won’t have computer time. mwahahha.

The good news that comes with a blogger taking a break, is that stuff gets done. Like DONE done.

I mentioned I left for my parents’ on Wednesday (the 24th). I finished my Two-Tone Shrug that afternoon, just a week after I started it! Sadly, that’s the only thing I don’t have pictures of, because I believe that if I put it on right now, I would immediately die of the heat. Tanks and shorts are too much clothing right now. I did wear it while in Victoria (blessed, blessed rain), but no pics.

I do have pics of…. A finished Vinnland!

It’s rather hard to take pictures of your own feet. Especially when your skirt keeps getting in the shot (see not above about unbelievable heat. Skirts help.). You also get to see the anime collection (bottom shelf of the bookcase) and my humungo box ‘o M*A*S*H. (PS: would just like to point out that the Coles Notes are for conjugating French verbs, not books. I read books.)

I like this shot best, I find it has some movement to it.

I finished the sock while at my parents’ house, but took the photos after work on my first day back here. The second sock is about 1cm away from the heel turn. I’ve only got two weeks left at my magical knit-all-day job, so I’m going to make them count. Unless they give me stuff to do. bastards.

While in the Vic, I went to my first-ever LYS, The Beehive. And of course, there was stash enhancement. Vacation yarn doesn’t count, right?

Hand Maiden Silk Spun. It came with a ‘pattern’ for a very simple shoulder wrap, which I am going to do, as I think it’ll show of the yarn better than anything else. yum. From what I can gather from the Hand Maiden website, it is the Paris colourway. Even after going through the yarn shops here, nowhere can match the Beehive for Fleece Artist/Hand Maiden selection.

It even matches that skirt!

As I finished the Two-Tone Shrug, I needed another project (obviously. No one mention the $1.50), so I started the Firey Bolero pattern, in some Rowan Cotton Glace. I originally bought the yarn to make Crinkle from Rowan 39, but then decided that that cardi just wasn’t for me. Now I want to do the Firey Bolero, and Orangina. It’ll be like a mod twinset-type thing. Although I don’t know that I’d wear them together ever. We’ll see. The cotton seems to be pretty good to work with, not many problems (yet), but we’ll see how that all goes. Planning on getting some knitting done tonight; the boy isn’t coming home until tomorrow, as he’s working late in Banff.

The colourway is called ‘Hot Lips’ so I think it very appropriate that I break out said humungo M*A*S*H collection tonight for some knitting.

And yes, I did bring the sock to Banff, but I forgot my camera. Imagine more pictures like the last entry’s, but with less valley and more mountains.

….doesn’t actually stand for Knitting Country. But it should. :)The boyfriend and I went out to Kananaskis Country for a little mid-week vacation. Well, he was sent out there for work, and I tagged along for the ride. He was working at a conference, so the conference people paid for his room, and food. The room was great because they lost the original booking, so we got put into the room of a conference delegate who canceled at the last minute. Very exclusive place, chocolates on the pillows, king size bed, etc.

While he was working I had plenty to amuse myself with. I had books, walks, and of course, knitting.

(click all pics for bigger!)

I brought two projects with me, for variety:

(wonderful project bags from PiddleLoop on etsy, sitting on the fountain in the hotel’s main entrance.)

The number bag contains my Vinnland sock, and the dot bag contains the yarn for a project from:

(sitting on a bench by the pond the above fountain feeds)

I have yarn in that bag for the Two-Tone Shrug. I decided to cast it on, knit with big yarn for a change. And oh, did I knit.

(back at the fountain, and out in a mountain meadow with a flower of a similar colour)

I was almost finished the raglan increases by the time we left. Now I’ve just started on the first sleeve. The yarn is Classy by Dream in Color, they of the adorable baby cardis. The colour is ‘Wisterious’. I’ve got an oatmeal-y Cascade 220 for the contrast… but it isn’t superwash, it’s one of the Heathered colours. The purple is superwash, but I like the colour combo. sigh. I can deal with hand-washing I guess.

The sock felt a bit left out, as I ignored it for the whole time, so we did a photoshoot on the last day. Part of the reason I ignored it was because I’m almost done, but concerned about amount of yarn, and wanted to weigh it before I decide what to do next. I suppose I could’ve called room service for a scale….

(looking up at the mountains)

(and down to the valley)

(at lookout #4, not picking flowers)

Sometimes I forget about the amazing landscape that is just an hour away from here. I need to remember that when I complain about there being no green in this city.

I haven’t been knitting too much recently, I don’t know where my spare time has been going. Actually, I do. It’s a new obsession: Stargate SG1. I’d never watched it before, but my boyfriend bought season 1 on DVD and we sat down to watch and it is SO. GOOD. We’re halfway through Season 2 now. It’s so good I don’t knit during it, because I actually want to watch it.

Still plugging away on Vinnland #1, I think I’ll finish it today. :)  I say that because I’m at work, but no one else is, and I finished my crazy (252 pages) of data entry.

This week will be a good knitting week I believe, as the boyfriend and I are going away for a couple days. He’s working out of town for 3 days, being put up at a hotel, and I’m going to tag along. I’m going to take the Vinnlands, and another project, for variety. I’m not sure if I want it to be another pair of socks, or the Two-Tone Shrug from Fitted Knits. I’ve really been itching to start that one, so I may do that.

I picked up my Gocco on Friday night. I think I got almost the best deal evar.

The bag had the Gocco machine in its box, and a couple things of ink and a pack of bulbs loose.

When I got home, and unpacked everything, what did I find but this:

5 packs of ‘masters’ (one has only 4 in it, instead of 5)

15 tubes of ink (14 different colours, 1 extra black)

3 boxes of bulbs

Gocco itself and various assorted manuals and flyers.

DUDE. 15 things of ink!

I was planning what I’d want to buy, as I was only expecting 1 thing of masters, 1 box of bulbs, and a couple ink tubes. I’ve looked in the manuals, and apparently they are normally sold with 7 tubes. eee hee hee hee.

A fuzzy close-up (I was excited!):

Haven’t played with it yet, as we’ve been fairly busy, and I actually felt like knitting (Vinnlands are doing well!). Maybe tomorrow (yay stat holiday!)

Happy Canada Day!

I’ve had a good day so far, I went to a citizenship ceremony this morning. My boyfriend’s cousins are citizens now, after 10 or so years here.

It’s actually the second ceremony I’ve been to, but I don’t remember the first one; it was my dad’s, but I was only 2 weeks old.

It was great to see the diversity, there were 140 people (for 140 years of Canada!) from 39 different countries. The list went from Afghanistan to Yugoslavia, and also included England, Northern Ireland, USA, Algeria, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Russia, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China, South Korea, Iraq, Brazil, Chile, and many others I can’t remember. There was a bagpiper (who looked about 11 years old) and a Mountie and everything.

Now, if only the judge’s French was a little better. He read the oath in French and then English, and I mean, I don’t expect him to be fluent in French, but he could at least have gone over it with someone. I was cringing.

It was a very nice way to spend Canada Day. Almost perfect, if it wasn’t for screaming demon toddler. I didn’t know kids could scream for that long with no space for breath.