Little Sister’s Dress

November and December have so far been filled with many distractions….work, dance, parties and much overdue get together’s with friends so Little Sister’s Dress took much more time than I was expecting. Thankfully I was able to complete the project on  Monday which is just in time for the dress to make the trip to England.

This is a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law Holly to her sister-in-law Rebecca who had her first child earlier this year. I knit the 12 month size and used Libertina Yarns Sport Weight 50% Wool / 50% Mohair. There isn’t a colourway marked on the skeins but as you can see its a shade of  aubergine/eggplant. Really rich with a bit of sheen….perfect for a little girl.

I picked up some shiny purple buttons that were a close match to the wool from the Triangle Sewing Centre and with the help of You Tube manage to learn how to crochet chain stitch so I could make the button loops. Crochet seems so much more complicated than knitting.

I am really pleased with how the dress turned out and look forward to seeing photos of Charlie & Rebecca’s little one wearing it.

Kitchen Update

We continued to work away on the kitchen over a two week period with every surface receiving its required coat or two of primer. Who knew such a small kitchen would take so long to repaint.

The first colour we chose, Taiga by Benjamin Moore didn’t turn out quite as we had hoped. It looked more like an army green than the shade of grey/brown we liked on the colour chip. Thankfully we only painted a small section of trim as we would spend the next morning covering it up with primer again.

We would ultimately deter from our initial colour options and move towards a lighter shade of grey, Coventry Gray to be exact.

After all that sanding, cleaning and painting we couldn’t just leave the original sink in the kitchen. Not only did the Canadiana Crafstman install the sink off centre he also bought the cheapest one available. The basin of the sink was on just enough of an incline that every glass placed in it would topple over or slide towards the drain. In addition the sink and tap were badly scratched/marked from their years of service.  Let’s just say ‘Gross.”

While Rory still isn’t sold on the colour of the cabinets (too blue gray) and we haven’t yet painted the tile, the kitchen is looking new & improved. A purge of the cupboards has opened up space making everything so much more accessible. We will live with the colour until the new year and decide then if we want to try a again. What’s that saying….”Third times a charm!”

Fifty Years Old

We are in renovation mode again, although this time on a much smaller scale and budget than the fence project this summer.

Our house is fifty years old and even with approximately 6 previous owners and us as the 7th the original kitchen cabinets/boxes still remain. When we moved in two years ago we opted to just live with them the way they were with permanent stains in spots, water marks and a poor excuse for a paint job. Since the budget won’t allow us to make a more permanent change at this time…rip out a wall, install new cabinets, appliances and flooring…. we’ve opted for a bit of a face lift.  Its cheaper on the pocket book and more about the manual labour you have to put in which is perfect for now.

It took a couple of hours to empty the contents of the kitchen into the dining room and begin the process of sanding down all the cabinet doors and drawers. We managed to get through about half in a Sunday afternoon while enjoying some unusually warm November weather.  It took us another 2 evenings and a good part of Rory’s day off of work Wednesday to finish. It was very dusty and the paint used by the previous owner (we will refer to him as the “Canadiana Craftsman” because of the quality of his workmanship!) must have been put on with a very lumpy roller or brush. Making sanding a time consuming effort to get the surfaces smooth.

We also made the decision that the lower shelf under the sink had to go. Note to all you kitchen renovators out there…..you cannot install a fixed shelf right under the cleanout for the sink unless it can be easily removed. And no large nails don’t qualify for easy removal.

Rory trucked on with painting putting primer on the insides of all the boxes and drawers Wednesday. Last night he finished the first coat of latex on the inside of the boxes and they already look better. Tonight the painting party continues.

Guy Fawkes: Part II

The celebration of Guy Fawkes (aka Bonfire Night) was fantastic. We burnt the Guy (you can barely see him falling to pieces on the fire in my photo), enjoyed some jumbo sparklers and a great fireworks show. Good food (baked potatos, sausage, purple carrots & cookies), good friends and a tiny bit of the fluffy stuff.

Guy Fawkes: Part 1

Today is Guy Fawkes day and if your like me you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. According to my mother I should be ashamed of myself having clearly not paid much attention in history class or the lesson on world holidays. I would also like to point out that I’m not British!!!

So for those that are interested here’s a brief overview of the event.

Guy was part of a group of Roman Catholic restorationist’s from England who planned the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Their goal was to displace protestant rule by blowing up the Houses of Parliament. Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night is held on November 5th in commemoration of the foiled plot. The event usually involves the burning of an effigy of Fawkes and is accompanied by fireworks.

For a more detailed history of Fawkes and the Gunpowder plot click here : Guy Fawkes

Tonight’s party is being held in A & N’s back garden and we will have a bonfire, fireworks and sparklers (my favorite).  I am very much looking forward to getting together with great friends on what is looking to be a very chilly night. There might even be snow.

Poppy

Remembrance Day is just around the corner so yesterday I took a few minutes to knit up a couple of lovely poppies for our lapels. Used Laura Chau’s pattern (ravelry link: A Poppy for Remembrance).

New Pics of Lucy Cubed

I completed this project, Lucy Cubed, earlier this summer as a gift for my sister-in-law Holly from my mother-in- law. I posted a few pics of the finished product before it made the trip to England but thought I would share a few lovely photos of her wearing the shawl.

Latest FO: So Simple Silk Garden

I had hoped to finish my first pair of socks in time to wear them to Rhinebeck but better late than never.  I knit these So Simple Silk Garden Socks with wool by Dyed In the Wool that was purchase at the DKC Knitters Frolic a few months back. This is the first time I have ever knit any cables but I think they turned out beautifully. I am on a total knitted sock kick…what with all my lovely yarns from Rhinebeck.

Rhinebeck: Part Two

The rain predicted for Saturday held off until early Sunday morning and we woke after a good nights rest to a gloomy day in the Catskills. We decided to spend the day touring some of the popular sites in Dutchess County. First stop Starbucks and then onto the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. The walkway had its official opening on Saturday October 3, 2009 and is listed as the longest pedestrian bridge in the world at approximately 1.25 miles (6,767 ft). We didn’t choose the best day to visit with the rain and blustering wind but it was a pretty amazing view all things considered.

We then headed over to the Culinary Institute of America located in Hyde Park, New York. We took a leisurely drive around the grounds which are bordered by Rte 9 on one side and the beautiful Hudson River on the other.  I hope that on our next trip to Rhinebeck time will permit us to have lunch or dinner at one of the restaurants on campus.

Next we headed to Val-Kill, the home of Eleanor Roosevelt located in Hyde Park just off of Rte 9. We walked around the stone cottage and Val-Kill Cottage taking a few minutes to browse in the shop located within. On the day we visited the recepients of the 2009 Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medals were being honoured.

We made our way back to Rte 9 and headed towards Springwood, the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Along the way I had to stop and run across the road to get a few photos of this huge Oak located at the southern end of FDR’s property.

We started our tour of FDR’s property at the beautiful Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Education Centre where I picked up the book, The best of the Hudson Valley & Catskill Mountains for future reference!

We left the welcome centre and headed over to the Presidential library and Museum for a few quick photos.

Then continued on to the Rose Garden, where the roses were still blooming despite the cold weather, and where FDR & Eleanor are buried. Just outside the rose garden Nicola found a bust of her good friend Winston!

Not far from the rose garden is the main house and a beautiful view of the Hudson. We didn’t have time to tour any of the buildings but will add it to the list next time around.

A highlight of this visit for me was getting to see Beatrix Farrand’s walled garden at Bellefield, the former home of State Senator Thomas Jefferson Newbold which was designed in 1912. I did a report on her work when I was a student and was thrilled to finally see one of her gardens in person.

We left Springwood and continued North. Next stop the Vanderbilt Mansion, a 211 acre site with stunning views of the Hudson River.

The overall size and detail of the Italian garden on the Vanderbilt property is indicative of the wealth of this family.

The property also features centuries old trees like this Gingko, Oak (vertically cabled) and group of Weeping Beech.

Our final stop at the Vanderbilt Estate would be at the lookout. With clearing skies we took the opportunity for a great group shot.

As we continued our trip north we would make one final stop in the Town of Rhinebeck. We did a bit of window shopping and got a bite to eat in the Bread Alone Bakery before beginning the long ride home. A trip that would be lengthened thanks to the lovely British Woman who lives in my GPS. I guess she felt we hadn’t seen enough of the Catskills so she took us the scenic way (it was lovely) getting us home in the wee hours of the night. Can’t wait to head back next year, although I think a 4 day trip is in order…still so much to see & do in Dutchess County.

Rhinebeck: Part One

A couple of months ago I was browsing through posts on the Waterloo and Wellington ravelers group to which I am a member and saw the word Rhinebeck. I had a feeling it might be a knitting fair and I am always game to check out a fair having been to the DKC Knitters Frolic and the Kitchener Knitters Fair in the past. What I didn’t realize at the time was that my search for Rhinebeck would have me driving over 7 hours each way the weekend of October 16-18th.

I am fortunate enough to have good friends (Katrina & Nicola) who are keen knitters and were willing to make the trip with me.  At 7pm on the Friday night we hit the road. With the well wishes of our friendly American custom agent…. “You ladies have a good time at your wool convention!!!!” …..we were on our way to Fishkill New York & our room at the Extended Stay America Hotel.

We arrived really late, 2am and were anxious to get to bed but sadly the front doors of the hotel were locked and no one was at the front desk. While I had specifically requested a late check-in it would be forty minutes before two sleepy employees appeared. After a bit of a paper work and a pathetic apology we headed to room 336 and went straight to bed.

With only 5 hours of sleep, we were up and on our way Saturday morning to the New York Sheep & Wool Festival.

The festival was overwhelming with building after building filled with vendors selling all things wooly. While I had tried to work out in my head in advance what I might like to make it was all lost once we got into the barns & buildings and began to browse. There were so many choices and I had no idea how I was going to decide what to buy.

I am also a sucker for anything furry. So I made sure to visit with a few friends in between my wool browsing.

The festival always features a particular breed of sheep at the show and this years was the Leichester Longwool (pronounced Lester right Nicola!!!!). I would have loved to have taken one of these home with me.

A bonus to attending this show was having the opportunity to participate in some Ravelry events. I think (and I could be totally wrong) that this might be the closest place to Guelph where you can attend a Ravelry event and see all the founding members in one place.  We ventured over at noon on Saturday to the meet-up and managed to get our buttons and check out who was there.

We continued shopping till the very end of the day (6pm) and I even got the chance to knit on the big sock!

On Saturday night we headed to Elks Lodge in Red Hook for the 3rd annual Ravelry Party. We had no idea what to expect but found it to be a bit of a surreal experience. We were surrounded by knitter’s  of all ages, men & women, fashioning all their beautiful knitted wears while knitting or spinning at tables with their friends.  We were given really lovely loot bags and enjoyed all the delicious finger food especially the cupcakes.

So what did I buy my first time around at Rhinebeck. From left to right:

The sock innovation book by Cookie A and a basic drop spindle from Liberty Ridge Farm, 2 balls of merino roving from Marlene’s Felting Madness, a lovely Yarnaholic Mug from Wardell Pottery, 2 skeins of Socks that Rock from Blue Moon Fibre Arts (colourway: purple rain & guppy) and 1 skein of Creatively Dyed sock wool (colourway: Marina).

Can’t wait to make the trip again next October.