I really REALLY need to get a camera. My crocus have finally come up and bloomed. I wanted to post a pic and realized that I only have my crappy point and click. Our good camera died last year, ruined by a thunderstorm while we were out geocaching. On the knitting front, I finished Tammy's sweater. Just need to block it. I'm working on some toe up socks. They're only about the 5th or 6th pair I've ever made. I've always had a mental block about them. I'm determined to finish these this week and start another pair. I want to knit myself a few pairs before I start on a new sweater.

so last night I was working on the neck of tammy's sweater. you know, THE sweater. The sweater is all knit and assembled except for the neck. I have 2 rows left and then just the bind off. I left it on the coffee table. One of the cats knocked it off the coffee table and then threw up on it.......... this sweater is going to get finished ..........if it kills me.............which it might.

So, tomorrow is the opening exhibit for Operation Homespun:The Next Generation.

 Operation Homespun was a book that was complied in the 70's. It was complied because the authors of the book were afraid that with modern times, no one would want to knit with wool. Or even know how to. That these traditional patterns and charts would be lost to time. Miss Anna Templeton was a great advocate of keeping Newfoundland traditions alive, especially our crafting heritage. She was instrumental in the production of this book.

 The book was re-released  2 years ago. Never was I more excited about the release of a knitting book. I remember going to the NL book section @ the MUN Library and painstakingly photocopying every single page. Now, I do not advocate photocopying books/patterns. I will only copy a pattern to use as a carrying copy so I don't have to lug a book around. This book was not available anywhere. No one I knew had a copy. I searched high and low, could not find it. I had my name down @ all the used bookstores that if a copy ever came in it was mine. So of course the minute it became available again, I had to have a copy. I hope this book never goes out of print again.

Here's a pic of a pair of trigger mitts in progress that I made for my friend James with the (at the time) newly released Operation Homespun Book.

Today I was reading a blog I frequent, I'm Mad and I Eat and saw that her tag line is "Santorum doesn't know he's the Antichrist". I nearly spit my latte over the screen. It's true that I am in Canada so American politics doesn't usually impact me directly. Some aspects of foreign policy may filter down to my day to day level but in general it doesn't. BUT. I can't help but worry about Rick Santorum. He scares me. It's not even his extreme right wing aka social conservative politics. It's just he really seems oblivious to it all. He REALLY doesn't know he's the Antichrist.

This was our weather for the last 2 days. A beautiful sheath of ice over everything. Made for some slippery walking conditions and driving down the road when a huge piece of ice comes adrift from power lines was quite scary. Still, all in all it wasn't a bad Sheilah's Brush. Hopefully spring will be here soon.

I am so not a morning person. Everyone who knows me, knows this. That being said I work morning shifts @my job so that I can get it done as early as possible. Now that the clock has "sprung" forward and the days are getting longer, I'm actually enjoying getting up in the morning. I've even been going to the gym in the mornings before work. It's been awhile but I am determined to go. Having a desk job makes it easy to turn into Jabba the Hut. So I'm gyming it up. Wish me luck ;)

Thank Glod the super freezing cold temps are over for now. The sun is shining and it's +6 outside. WOOT! I know spring isn't really here and in fact , Sheila's Brush is exactly 2 weeks away from today. I can't help hoping that for this year, all the major snow and cold weather is almost done. I can already see the little tops of my crocus bulbs shooting up some little green bits but I think they are rushing it a bit.

Did you LOVE the film Up? Well I did and I found this awesome photo series. National Geographic decided to recreate the house from Up flying away on a bouquet of balloons. Isn't it amazing? Go check out the website. That ain't no toy sized house!!

Bord av gamla golvplankor

I really,REALLY love this table. Makes me want to run out to a lumberyard and pick up some wood,lol.

Lately, I am completely obsessed with decorating blogs. I really liked the images on this one today. Clean lines, neutral colours and verra little clutter. So different from my home right now but I'm feeling the urge to make changes. Maybe it is Spring, even though it is so cold here Spring feels a long ways away.



I know it is only February but I feel like Spring is on the way, WOOT! The days are noticably longer, the cats are shedding and the crocus were starting to sprout(until they got buried by snow again). I cannot wait.

On the knitting front, I am almost done my GF's sweater. I know,I know - I should have been done long ago. I blame it on angry birds and dwelling gawker,lol. I'm about 1/2 way up the sleeves. I knit some alreadt today and if work stays it Sunday slow pace, I'll definitely get some more done today. I'll post a pic when I am done.

http://disqus.com/forums/fromscandinaviawithlove/httpfromscandinaviawithlovetumblrcompost15295383243/trackback/

I'm really into design sites right now. I love this site, From Scandinavia With Love and DwellingGawker. I want/need to change up our bedroom and am getting all kinds of inspiration from these 2 sites. Dwelling Gawker is like the most incredible mix of ideas from all over the world. It is design PORN.  Very nice to look @ but most things shown are unrealistic for my apartment. I love From Scandinavia With Love bc it is more realistic. Some rooms are just styled rooms but others are actual homes. I get inspired by both.

I think that next weekend when I am off I'm going to do a little purging. Baby steps. I did get rid of some things already but I have a definite sock addiction :) I need to get down to half in the amount of clothes and accessories I have.
On the last but not least Yule present of a sweater for my GF I have the front and back done. Have to ball up some more yarn tonight after work. Then it will be the sleeves which should not take too long. I'm hoping it will be done by Friday. WOOT. Hope she likes it!

It was my birthday this past Saturday. Had a lovely time. Had some friends over and my GF made me a Red Velvet cake. It is such an awesome cake but it only gets made on my birthday. It is so rich, with all the buttermilk, whipping cream and mascarpone cheese. It's such a treat but a lot of work. Tammy is an excellent baker so it always comes out so well.

On the knitting front, I have completed all the leftover Yule presents EXCEPT Tammy's Sweater. I am making progress on it though. I have finished the front and am 1/2 thru the back. Then the sleeves and the dreaded sew up and it will be done. I'm hoping to have it done by next week. I want to make myself a new sweater too. I have a sweater I was given a couple of years ago. It is really big,even too big for me (imagine) so I think I am going to frog it and introduce it to an indigo dye bath. Then make a sweater for me! WOOT!

So today I was looking out my LR window and spotted a cat climbing up the post of my bird feeder!!! I couldn't believe it. I wish I had taken a pic. The cat was black and white,just like Sylvester. When I banged on the window the cat got such a fright but didn't jump down. I had to open the window before they got down. So brazen. On the knitting front, I'm still plugging away on Yule presents. Oh well, I guess they'll get done eventually.

Just realized I had not blogged since last year :)

I'm still working on the sweater, hoping it will be done by the end of January. I got an iPad for Yule and am completely addicted. I have read 6 books since December 25th and I bought 2 more today,lol. It definitely is having an impact on my knitting time.

A Good Yarn, my fav LYS is having a year long Knit A Long. The premise is that each month you knit a project that is suitable for gifting. This way you will not be up knitting @ 3am on December 23rd trying to finish a present for the 25th. Not that I have EVER done something like that ;) I'm hoping to join in and KAL as well.

Ok, sweater was not finished for Yule. I presented the unfinished sweater and yarn. I have been given a dead line for completion. January 28,2012. As I am just finishing off another belated christmas present, I will have to get cracking to be done in time. Now, if only I could stop ordering books from KOBO for my shiny new iPad I might get something done.

Ok, crunch time is here. There is NO WAY i am going to finish the sweater in time. I was in denial. I guess I ill be wrapping up a box of yarn with half a knit sweater in it,lol. I feel like this christmas is a fail :(

So the Holiday season is offically here. I work @ home but figure that I can continue with my annual tradition of a tree for my desk. It is a tad...obnoxious but I love it. There are (a few handmade) ornaments and garland but it is pretty tacky.

My actual tree in the Living Room is much nicer. There are a lot of handmade and unusal ornaments on that tree - tin devils and witches from Mexico, a mini bible, a dreidel, a spider and the grinch among others. I also have 3 ornaments from my great grandmother. I cringe everytime I put them up bc they are verra fragile glass. I figure I have to use them otherwise why have them. Nothing lasts forever but I do put them up in the top of the tree just in case :)

I'm still knitting away. There is no way I am going to get everything done by the 25th. Ah well, I'll just keep going. I might have to wrap a WIP,lol. Wish me luck.

The weather here has been up and down. Tomorrow, it will be 12 degrees. 12! There were days in July this year not that warm. I am dreading the winter and looking forward to it as well. Strange I know. I love the look of the snow and snuggling down watching a movie while the wind howls outside. What I don't like is shovelling for an hour to get TO the snowblower. The worst is when you come back in and start to warm up and you hear the damn city plow burying you in again.

On a lighter note, full on Holiday knitting. Don't know if I will be done for the 25th, but here's hoping!!!

So, still knitting the same scarf. I did borrow a pair of str8 needles from my friend leah which makes the knitting much,much better. I think the ball of yarn is somehow getting longer. This never happens when I am praying that I will have enough yarn left to finish a project. More than once I have went on-line begging for 3 feet of yarn to finish casting off a project. I am going to finish this scarf tonight! Come hell or high water, grrr.

I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. 1st winter storm. I love snuggling under a blanket and watching a sappy movie when the weather is gross out. What I don't like is the start of the shovelling season.  St. John's doesn't get as much snow as say, Corner Brook. The snow we get through tends to be wet and heavy. Back  breaking work.