knit_north

moving!

2011-02-03T14:07:00.000-08:00

The blog and houses! Moving but not too far - Willa and I have decided to combine blogs- so come find us here: http://bradshawgirls.blogspot.com/

And Patrick and I have bought a house! Still in Whitehorse but now I'll have a short walk through the woods to work. It is a half of a duplex and will be ready for us by the end of April. Hooray!

cute mitts

2010-06-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Mitered Mittens (May) by Elizabeth Zimmermann
wool: Noro Silk Garden
weekend knit (started Friday after work and finished on Monday)

ez at perfection! i think this might be the perfect car knitting pattern ever … small/portable, ideal mix of mindless stockinette but miters keep it interesting… feeling inspired to make a bunch on the upcoming road trip into BC
love love love!
used the gusset thumb thanks to grace ivy

i have narrow hands so adjusted the stitch count
CO 48st and reduced to 36st (so a flared long cuff)
gusset thumb: 12 st

ps crazy how these ending lining up! it is like i planned it (not at all)

spruce tip jelly

2010-06-07T08:52:00.001-07:00

yes, you read the title correctly .... spruce tip

it is spruce tip collecting time in the Yukon ... or really the end of it. For a couple weeks in May you can go collect the new 'buds' just before the brown papery covering has fallen off .... before they get too mature. You can eat them right off the tree - they taste almost lemony. So Christine and I inspired by our new Miche Genest cookbooks went out into the woods to gather them up. Many bug bites later we emerged with a bag each!

The jelly is quite delicate tasting - I can see why many people say they use it like honey - a teaspoon in their tea. Apparently spruce tips are very rich in Vitamin C (and are brewed into a tea for sore throats/colds).

Recipe:

Pick roundabout four cups of spruce tips. Rinse in cold water and give a light chopping. Cover the tips with water and simmer for 10 minutes. Let stand overnight, strain with jelly bag or cheesecloth.

3 1/2 cups spruce tip juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 package (dry) fruit pectin
5 cups sugar

Mix juice with lemon juice and pectin, stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil - add sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil for 1 minute. Ladle into jars.

More about spruce tips here and thank you to Miche - do check out her great cookbook: The Boreal Gourmet (review here)

raspberry lemon jam

2010-04-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

raspberry-lemon jam (with kiwi and grapefruit marmalade behind)

last night i made this jam - i had frozen raspberries and a bunch of lemons in the house - it is pretty tasty! i love raspberry jam - it has always been a favourite and I have to say the addition of lemon is a great sweet/tart combo.

Raspberry Lemon Jam

4 medium lemons
1/8 teaspoon baking soda (to adjust acidity)
one package (600 grams) frozen raspberries
6 cups sugar
1 (3 ounce) pouch liquid fruit pectin

1. Slice the lemons in half (along equator) and remove any seeds . Place in a deep pot and bring to boil, simmer, covered, for about 30 min. or until rind is soft. * I thinly sliced half of the lemons into rounds (these didn't go into the food processor) I don't think I'd bother again - the rounds are pretty but kind of a pain to spread on toast

2. Toss the boiled lemons in the food processor until its a nice even pulp

3. Meanwhile defrost raspberries

4. Place lemon pulp and defrosted raspberries into pot - i use my le creuset (dutch oven), bring to a boil, slowly add sugar, stir over heat, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil, boil uncovered for 2 minutes. Quickly stir in pectin; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; skim off any foam.

5. Pour into hot sterilized jars; leaving 1/4-in. headspace, seal.

Yields: about 8 cups

kiwi lime marmalade

2010-03-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

based on this meyer lemon kiwi marmalade recipe this is the tastiest marmalade ever ... well it is a hardly marmalade but a tangy beautiful spread

kiwi lime marmalade

6-8 Limes (or lemons if you like - i didn't have enough limes so did 4 limes and 3 lemons)
6 Kiwi (firm/ripe)
5 C Sugar

1. Slice the limes in half (along equator) and remove any seeds . Place in a deep pot and bring to boil, simmer, covered, for about 30 min. or until rind is soft.

2. Toss the boiled limes in the food processor until its a nice even pulp

3. Halve and scoop out kiwi - chop or crush into smaller pieces - it doesn't need to be pretty

3. Place lime pulp and kiwi into pot - i use my le creuset (dutch oven), add sugar, stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil, boil, uncovered for about 15 min. or until marmalade jells when tested.

5. Pour into hot sterilized jars; seal.

Yields: about 5 cups

ps - i love this stuff! it is great with cream cheese and bagels

sigh a bunch didn't seal

2010-03-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

i love listening to the lovely little pops as the jars seals. it is seriously so satisfying ... ok i profess my geekdom there but then i guess that is already out there with all this canning

but .. sigh 7 jars of the grapefruit didn't take - that is pretty much half of the batch! I think my jars were not hot enough - so have looked up other ways to heat up the jars. the simplest is filling the jars with water and tossing them in the microwave worked like a charm for the kiwi marmalade i made tonight

easy organic grapefruit marmalade

2010-03-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

so the first marmalade i made was blood orange based on this recipe from design sponge. it came out a lovely deep red .... it was a lot of work and i think i over cooked it. so much prep work! ... segmenting the oranges, making sure none of the white pith remained in ....

but then i read about boiling the fruit - it removes the bitterness - and the beauty is once they have been boiled - toss the orange etc in the food processor - yep the whole (mushy) thing!

OK on to the recipe!

easy grapefruit marmalade

5-6 Medium grapefruit (i used organic ruby red)
1 Medium lemon
10 Cups sugar, approximately

1. Slice the grapefruit and lemon in half (along equator) and remove any seeds - you won't get them all but no worries you can scoop out any stray seeds later. place in a deep pot and bring to boil, simmer, covered, for about 45 min. or until rind is soft. many suggest leaving them overnight - i have done this as well using them right away - i can't tell the difference

2. Toss the boiled citrus in the food processor until its a nice even pulp

3. Measure fruit mixture; allow 1-cup sugar to each cup of fruit mixture.

4. Return fruit mixture to your pot - i use my le creuset (dutch oven), add sugar, stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil, boil, uncovered for about 15 min. or until marmalade jells when tested.

5. Pour into hot sterilized jars; seal.

Yields: About 10 cups

101 jars of jam on the wall

2010-03-09T22:52:00.000-08:00

well not 100 jars yet ... but that is the plan
i've challenged myself to make 10 dozen (umm yes i can do math that is 120 jars but gosh that seems like a big number that i'll never finish) so as i go i figured i'd share the recipes
since its winter i'm starting with marmalades - i don't know about you but citrus seem like the only fruit in the supermarket at the moment but maybe that is because i live in the yukon

more fall colours outside my door

2009-09-21T21:45:00.000-07:00

as promised here are more photos

sunday morning in the fall

2009-09-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

sunday mornings are often often filled with pancakes for brunch. patrick whips them up for us around lunch time. this morning i made an apple breakfast cake. quite simple and tasty - it is based roughly on this recipe from d*sponge - theirs is still about summer fruit while i used fall-friendly apples and pears. i used more fruit 3 or 3 1/2 cups (theirs called for 2 cups of berries) and added pumpkin pie spice. it took a little more time to bake. oh and i would suggest sour cream or some yogurt with this - yum!

we are solidly into autumn here - the sweaters (rather than light summer cardigans ... they don't really count as sweaters) are out - these are the lighter pullovers and cozy cardigans ... not the massive ones .... hmm seems i have many classes of sweaters, but in my defense i do live north of 60: Fall arrives at the end of August; i scrape frost off the windshield most mornings now but thats OK - i don't need a coat yet!

here are a couple shots from my apartment patio. i'm going for a little hike this afternoon so may bring my camera as there are some lovely reds out right now too.

new project ...old project

2009-08-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

so yes ... i hate to admit it but i do have a closet of wool. here is a very old project .... from the last winter olympics in fact! this was my olympic knitting project when i lived in dawson .... but i never finished ... as it was coming together, it umm was a bit blah. but when i saw new free pattern downloads yesterday from interweave i found inspiration to dig up that project, pull it apart and start on a cozy fall cardigan.

so i have it all balled now and you know it is really quite a lovely colour deep greens with some teal and clay hints. the pattern: Side-Way Ribs Cardigan by Norah Gaughan is quite simple and normally too boring to knit but it is going to be quick and has an interesting construction!

instant shawl

2009-08-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

so i'm still working on that edging ..... 2.5 sections out of seven .... sigh
on my trip to dawson last weekend i cast on for a simple shawllette (placing beads on lace yarn in the car .... not that do-able) .... very satisfying to finish a project in the car there and back!

this is textured shawl recipe available on ravelry. i subbed in a bunch of other stitches and rows of stockinette between the lace

it is fairly small but it is perfect for this rustic pretty handspun wool that i bought in inuvik. hard to see but there are beads randomly glittering too

i made wool

2009-07-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

ok maybe i didn't make it but i did spin it!

while in Inuvik i was able to take a spinning class ... well almost the class was full but they let me watch and listen. I learnt alot! and it gave me confidence to try drop spindling. that is the photo above: my drop spindle. it is a lovely little thing cherry wood and very light so i can spin lace weights. can should be in quotes ... so i could spin lace, once i get better - right now it is mainly fingering (sock) weight .. but there are fair chunks of thick and thin

here is my fibre .... Spunky Eclectic Spunky Club Roving: Romney wool, Pansy colourway

our instructor gave lots of tips - ie good begining fibres - romney, corridale are two goods ones as they have long grabby hairs/fibres. also variegated colours help too so you can see the twist.

and here is my first 4oz or 100 grams of hand spun wool!!!

all i do is edge

2009-07-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

lacy knit-on edging: a fancy way to bind off

so i've had a few questions on how my current sweater is constructed. it is basically a giant circle. i cast on 7 stitches (centre back) and every other round i increased by 7 stitches.

step 1: knit the circle
step 2: knit the edging
step 3: sleeves

so right now i am on step 2 - the edging is basically a fancy bind-off, or in other words to cast off one stitch i have to knit 40 to 48 stitches. around the edge is about 550 stitches to cast off .... i don't want to do the math so lets just say it is a lot of knitting. Unfortunately it is kind of boring knitting which is part of the reason i'm adding beads to make it more interesting !

see what i mean how the colour shifts? here the beads appear copper ....
a post or two below and they look amethyst

just to clarify i haven't pre-strung the beads rather i add them to stitch with a crochet hook - whoever figured this out was brilliant. it works really well! you just need to find a tiny hook!

1985

2009-07-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

mom and dad brought boxes of everything i've left behind at home ... most of it i haven't seen for years.
this morning i found my school journal from 1985:

My DaD is wroking on church. he allmot finish it. I like helping

this one is kind of hard to read ... but it is me helping my dad as he is working on the church (they were building an upper floor extension) ... how sweet hey .... now check this one out:

85/10/15. When I was walking to class Willa was makeing noses. I spaked willa said OWh!

yes .. that is me hitting my younger sister... ha! how awesome is that ... she was banging cups (?) so i decided to spank her and then wrote about it?! what the hell ... but i do love the expressions

on to the edging

2009-07-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

well i've done the body of the cardigan now onto the edging. to help the monotony of it (twenty stitch saw tooth lace edge) i've decided to add beads - i picked out gold seed beads in Inuvik but i haven't been able to find a crochet hook small enough to add them to the yarn. so yesterday i went to our great local dollar store and found these larger beads and a size 14 crochet hook (0.60 mm smallest i've been able to find in whitehorse). The beads are a clear amethyst purple with a copper foil lining - the copper glints in the light and also makes the beads appear brown in some light. i really like how they shift colour - sometimes a pale grey-purple, bright copper, or dark warm purple/brown.

i have to admit i'm a little worried that they will add too much weight to this light floaty cardigan (wool will weigh about 100grams) and/or distract from the lace - however they are really pretty and it is fun to knit with them!

ps want to know how to knit with beads? knitty has a great article about beading it is much easier than it looks - try it out!

cool free stuff

2009-06-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

hermes kelly bag - seriously! the classic grace kelly bag - you can download it and print off your very own coveted bag. they have pre-made designs or a plain white one to decorate. i'm quite tempted to bring it down to to staples and print it out on heavy card ... wonder if you could laminate it??

yoga podcasts - ok many of you might have already thought of this but i just recently discovered these and gotta say i love them - i stick on my ipod and i can have a class at home (or the park ..etc) there are video podcasts but i prefer the audio ones ... the yogadownload ones come with pose guides too .. i also like "hillary's yoga practice" for longer sessions (about 60 minutes vs 20 minutes).

libravox - i have been talking about/loving this site for a while. what is librivox.org? free audio books of anything that is in the public domain. so the classics! feel like knitting to Jane Austen or maybe Dickens? all the books are there read by volunteers ... which means some are better than others but all in all it is great! here is a personal fav: Pride and Prejudice

and yeah there is plenty more out there (like some great knitting patterns) ... nevermind my place: the library! enjoy and share other links!

currently on the needles ..... and on my plate

2009-06-28T09:42:00.001-07:00

hardly looks like anything here but it will end up as a lacy floaty cardigan .... this link isn't a great pic but it does give you an idea how it will end up. the pattern is Honeysuckle in Rowan 45. mom has given me a subscription to this British magazine for the last couple years and i love it. it isn't a fast knit ... i'm on row 86 of 130 .... well then i do the edging and sleeves. so i'm getting there but haven't reached the half way mark yet!

mom and dad were here last week. it was so great to have them visiting as they finally got a chance to see the Yukon during our long summer days. they drove up bring my bedroom furniture ( a tall boy chest of drawers and vanity both with beautiful art deco lines from the 30s) and my great grandmothers china ... yes i now have a stunning set of dishes!

Blue Mikado by Royal Crown Derby ... this set was once Jennie Cogswell's my mom's mother's mother ... willa also got a beautiful set - from mom's father's mother - unfortunately not all of willa's made it to her complete ... so sad!!!! many broke ... so we'll hunt the internet for replacements. andrea also just received china too from our grandma white - her's has lovely pink blossoms that almost have a botanical drawing feel about them - so perfect for andrea!

back to my trip with mom and dad - they spent a few days here in whitehorse then we drove up to dawson city where we had three nights. there are so many touristy things to do in dawson and it has been a while since i've done them! we did the walking tour(highly recommended by the way as they also take you into restored buildings), the dredge (so big!), and mom and dad also went to robert service's and jack london's cabin .... i had homework to do then so didn't make it to those. we all went up the dome road which is high above dawson to see the sun not set on the 21st at midnight. it is a big gathering spot everyone brings a bottle ... or card table (there were a couple of groups plying poker) ... we looking rather square with out booze and mom and i were pretty tired ... but it is always cool to experience to sun stay high .. or skim above the mountains anyway ;)

ok i'm going to knit a bit more this morning .. enjoy your sunday morning

icelandic wool

2009-05-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

one thing i absolutely had on my list to bring back was icelandic wool. hee hee no surprise there! the mecca? the Álafoss factory outlet shop/orginal mill (pictured above). willa and i drove there on monday before we started our country drive. and wow! so glad we went. the staff were sooo nice, the selection amazing, and more than just wool lots of knit sweaters/ lace stoles/ kid items etc. oh and great prices - i left with spending just under $40 CA with enough wool to knit a cardigan and 2 or 3 lace stoles/scarves!

i will warn you my knitting/yarn geekness is going to come out here - so feel free to glaze over and just admire the pics.

Like Shetland (northern scottish islands) Iceland has its own breed of sheep. the resulting wool is warm, hardy and water-repellent. its long fibres mean it wears well (merino and cashmere for example have short fibres meaning they are soft .. but are delicate/prone to pilling - this is over simplified but you get the picture) because the long guard hairs are included - this adds to the wind/water resistant quality but also makes the wool 'hairy' looking and many find it itchy - ps a wash/soak in hair conditioner does wonders!

Ever heard of Lopi? yep that is icelandic wool - available in north america in 3 weights lite, regular and bulky. It is one ply with a loose spin/twist. Pretty affordable a lot of people i know use it for felted items (slippers etc) ......... i've used it a few times often carrying anther fibre like mohair with it to soften it up a bit

but i've been curious about the other icelandic wool out there..... in particular the traditional unspun that comes in "cakes" much like white buffalo used to, and the lace weight.

Plötulopi: the unspun wool, it "is fragile to knit; however, due to the length of its fibres, it knits into a sweater that is both sturdy and soft." see the lovely sweater above? I bought one from "Farmers Market" - young design company [profiled here] that is re-imagining the traditional lopapeysa - or icelandic yoke sweater. I love the sweater - i must get a shot of of me wearing it. anyway back to wool it is knit with a single strand of unspun while more traditional sweaters you'd knit with 2 to 4 strands at a time which would make them ready for the elements. but since i'm wearing this inside i love how lightweight and airy the cardigan is - yet still warm.

i love it so much i'm going to knit myself almost the same sweater - this time in a natural heathered grey with cream and purple. swoon! i have soooo many projects lined up but this pretty pretty wool is calling. oh and it smells great - i guess because it is rather unprocessed

and then there is the laceweight: Loðband - if you've been following the blog you'll know i've been really into knitting lace. and based on a beautiful triangle shaped shawl we saw in the shop [here is one that is similar - might be the pattern i'll use] i bought 6 natural shades from the lightest cream to a deep charcoal. i bought extra white/cream and charcoal so i have enough for 2 or 3 projects!

ps. if you are interested in more about icelandic wool and knitting - check out the The Handknitting Association of Iceland

streets of Reykjavík

2009-05-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

just wanted to give you a few glimpses of Reykjavík - here is willa (basically across from our place on the main shopping street: Laugavegur ) as you can see it wasn't warm - but no snow in town at least (early april)

street names - this was a shorter one!

many murals in town - this was a favourite! notice the palettes/massive sequins - the shimmering as the wind blew them - this was a feature on a few buildings. you know my undying love for shiny things ... so yes loved these giant metallic discs

overview from high up on the perlan

residential street - downtown Reykjavík - like Dawson City a good deal of tin siding. i love all the colours

mmmmmmmmm yellow

2009-05-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

oh how i love yellow at the mo. especially when it has a bit of green in it .....almost neon
mmmmmmm. thanks to willa i have these. don't ya love them!

Kolaportið

2009-04-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

Kolaportið ......... ah the flea market in Reykjavík. seriously such a great time. imagine a large warehouse divided into to isles and many table/stalls and then add huge amounts of people swarming and trying on sweaters/hats/etc. it's a crazy mix from folks with established tables full of vinyl and band tees, handknit sweaters (lopapeysa), beautiful dishes, to artists selling their work, and many just clearing out their closet. oh and the fish market of course! where we bought the rotten shark and dried fish

what we came away with:
jewelery - directly from the artist - stunning lava and silver pieces
salt licorice (just a couple pieces as i bought a MASSIVE bag at the airport - i still have loads)
a sparkly topshop tank - barely worn
a cowl top (again a group of friends selling items from their closets)
willa almost bought a sweater dress - but ended up with a great sweater at another shop

icelandic foods: love, like, and not so much

2009-04-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

easter eggs that come with fortunes. love cool article here

Bæjarins beztu pylsur (translates to The best best hot dog in town) and yep pretty good! they had a huge amount of toppings: ketchup, sweet mustard, fried onions, raw onions and remolaði, a mayonnaise-based sauce with sweet relish (oh and gravy too i think!) somewhere between like and love

haroifiskur or hardfiskur wind dried fish you eat with butter. it is alright. made a pretty good lunch. although not a quick eat.... lots of chewing. like

Hákari or kæstur hákarl (Icelandic for "fermented shark") yes rotten shark ... why rotten? well shark is poisonous when fresh due to a high content of uric acid and other toxins but may be consumed after it is 'cured' - ie buried in gravel for 2-3 months. It has a particular ammonia smell ... and is umm an acquired taste. Willa didn't mind it .... me? not so much

Skyr (pronounced skeer) is similar to a thick yoghurt, though technically skyr is a very soft cheese. and oh my it is really really good! it is actually made from skim milk which for yoghurt usually means well pretty crap but skyr is very creamy and rich. we ate skyr everyday and even during our layover on our way home! love oooooh and check out colbert eating skyr

no photos ..... but trust me it is pretty

2009-04-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Copenhagen is a pretty city .... lots of flowers which is the best. We wandered around shopping today as all the shops will be shut for Easter starting tomorrow(yes including Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday). The big fashion item here are big scarfs - loud bright triangle ones with tassles are hot..... so guess what both willa and i bought today? oh yes mine is almost neon with fantastic embroidery and pom-poms and willas? massive black and white woven square with the biggest tassles ever in yellow, pink, and purple. so great. is it bad i want another one? saw this russian style one ...... good thing those shops are shut for a couple days hey!
tomorrow we are hitting museums. looking forward to that.
oh and to explain the lack of photos: we have to internet cafe now as our hostel doesn't have wifi and we are still having computer power issues (our power converter blew up - it was quite dramatic .. smoke and everything). so yes this a brief note ..... but we have lots more icelandic and now danish photos to post. you can check out some of our iceland photos at willa's flickr site

orange blobs on wet icelandic horses

2009-04-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

umm yep that us .. this picture was taking after about 1/2 an hour of driving sleet. my hair and wet touque is plastered to my face. willa looks a bit better, but then she has always liked horses. when we were kids she was "horse crazy" went to horse camp, drew horses, had posters of horses etc .... me? no. they kinda freaked me out ... ok i should be honest they totally freaked me out esp when they went fast. so willa was pretty excited/surprized when i agreed to a three hour riding trip on icelandic horses. the reassuring thing for me? do you see the size? more like a pony.
We went out with Eldhester they are about 45 min out of town and picked us up right at our hotel/apartment. The horses are really well trained. which served me well. going fast still freaks me out so that was the worst part for me yes even above the stinging sleet and walking thru the river. the mountain trail was beautiful (it had started to clear up then). the staff and whole set up was great. they provided a snowsuit plus the bright orange rain gear along with boots (we had our own), gloves/mitts, and helmets.
today? a little sore .... feels like my bum is bruised. even after the soak at the thermal pool last night.

first stop? .... pancakes

2009-04-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

we flew at 9pm and arrived in Iceland at 6am ... it was a four hour flight and neither willa or i slept much. the drive in from the airport took us thru volcanic cliffs and lichen flatlands almost looked like tundra at times but with giant lava boulders. once in town we headed straight to the Grái kötturinn (Grey Cat) for a full plate of pancakes and bacon. it was about 3am our time so bodies demanded food or sleep. sleep wasn't an option so we window shopped and trekked around town. we hit most of the major landmarks. Reykjavík is such a walkable city! everything on the map ended up being closer than we thought. however by 3 we were about to collapse and had to nap! ah well we walked around more after dinner. our place is great! we have a studio apartment right on the trendy shopping street. very amazing. it has an awesome little kitchen and big square windows.

the classic Reykjavík shot ..... right on the harbour. what might not show up here is how windy it was. unreal. super chilly. but as you can see a nice looking day none the less.

spring's progress

2009-03-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

well it is not quick but it is starting to look like a scarf .... and a pretty airy one at that. having this done for copenhagen might be a push. but i'll keep at it

the dropped stitch details are quite lovely -

thrums good to -27C

2009-02-24T21:10:00.000-08:00

look what willa made me! the one on the left is inside out so you can see that it is fuzzy on the inside. they are crazy puffy and warm - i used them today (and it was a chilly -27 this morning!)
ooh in case you feel like making thrummed mittens here is a pattern. the thrums are folded bits of fibre knit right into the mitten - and make these suckers amazing hand furnaces

(ps this lovely shot is stolen from willa)

hello lace (goodbye winter?)

2009-02-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

i'm wishing for spring these days ... well maybe not wishing as i do love the bright sun on the snow but i am dreaming of warmer weather and green grass and flowers. so instead of the sweater(s) i had planned, i have been knitting lace. above is the hemlock ring tam knit with "silky wool" - it is wool and raw silk so has this lovely tweedy texture which i think works for this lacy tam. it isn't warm enough yet for this hat .... but maybe in a month or two?

yesterday i cast on for my next lace project: Cobweb Lace Stole by Michele Rose Orne found in last spring's IK Knits magazine. this pattern looks like a bit of a handful! there are no “rest” purl rows in the main pattern/section - but it shouldn’t bore me at least! so far i have the ruffled edge almost done - it reminds me of foxglove flowers

it is for my trip to Reykjavik and Copenhagen in early april with Willa. (squeal!) so i have a deadline i want to wear this light airy for spring in Scandinavia. the wool is from my trip to the east coast with my family last year - it is the prettiest pale coral or salmon pink/orange. it is suri blue a lace weight by Fleece Artist (based in Nova Scotia) - this wool/alpaca is totally lush - the colour has a slight variegation and a soft halo

happy early valentines!

2009-02-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

thanks to my mom (her birthday is Feb 14th), valentines is one of my favourite holidays. ok, i know, i like a lot of holidays - this girl likes decorations! but back to valentines - it has never been a romantic date thing - never any "i don't have a boyfriend angst" - to me valentines is all about heart shaped sugar cookies and little cut out paper valentines you hand out ....... so. much. fun! and yes i still handout valentines. i say it's because i lead a brownie troupe (think of the sad little brownie faces with no valentines!) but (cough) it's really because i love it. this year i have some ones that come with little jewels that you can wear on your cheek - hoorah for sparkly things.

baking wise i'm making mini-chocolate cupcakes with tiny heart sprinkles for frostbite. oooooooo and also in the kitchen look what my lovely boyfriend got me for v.day!squeal! yes it is a cast iron enamel pot! i few years ago i found a Le Creuset (in classic flame) in a thrift shop in here in Whitehorse. for a mear $15. love that pot. now i have this beautiful rich red one too! it's a great size (almost twice the size of my flame one). Patrick gave it to me early as i made a big south african style stew last night. yum. i'm thrilled and he loved the dinner

tweedy is done!

2009-02-04T18:37:00.000-08:00

Alexandra Ballerina Top by Stefanie Japel (found in Fitted Knits)

Needles: US 10½ / 6.5 mm

Yarn: Rowan RYC Soft Tweed (7 balls + a wee bit more) in Slate Blue

Size: 33" plus a lot more length for my looooong torso

i really like the back - all the waist shaping was done here - although this photo makes it look a bit lumpy!

while i'm still not 100% about this sweater - as i said before it's the chunk factor - it is cozy and the colour is pretty. oh and i think the sleeves are cute too!

Darcy portrait

2009-02-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

i couldn't resist sharing this! Yes, it is indeed Darcy's (Colin Firth) portrait from Pemberley, in the BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. needless to say best version ever. and the portrait cracks me up (it recently sold for 12,000 pounds)

oooh by the way I've been listening to classic books while i've been knitting lately. Librivox is a great free site of recordings of books (and poems, essays etc) in the public domain.

tweedy ballerina

2009-01-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

its coming along! the neck is pretty wide & big though, so will likely cut it out and re-knit it tighter. i'm not 100% on this knit - it's feeling a bit chunky. however i love the yarn, Rowan Soft Tweed! why oh why has it been discontinued? (hint... if you see Soft Tweed on sale keep me in mind!)

christmas gifting - so hard not to share

2008-12-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

ooooooooooooooooooh you should see what i'm knitting at the moment. my camel/silk cowl is on hold right now as well it is december - which might not be news to you but took me by suprise/shock earlier this week. this fact put into focus a few gifts that need to be finished!

but that also means i can't share in case i spoil it. but maybe a few tibits?? it is a deep beautiful teal with matching tiny seed beads ........... so lush and beautiful! ok i broke down and added a photo - isn't it pretty? i need to get moving on the knitting ... i'm almost done.....

latest project .... made with camel

2008-11-30T20:11:00.000-08:00

yes that is right ... silk and camel yarn ..... it is positively yummy - so soft and cozy
this will be a neck warmer/cowl - so less bulky under my coat (i think this will be for me as it is so luxurious i can't resist it!!)

ps: in case you want some: Handmaiden Camelspin

happy halloween

2008-10-31T23:07:00.000-07:00

whoo whoo

le sigh

2008-10-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

ah well - doesn't seem it is going to be much of a dress up halloween after all. oh well
i've got plenty of other things to do anyway!

crafty-ness i'm up to:

moccasins for patrick (above) - we are holding class at work so i'm making patrick a pair for christmas (shhhh don't tell!) beading on to elk hide is not easy - my hands are cramping up and unlike knitting i have to concentrate - watching tv + beading don't mix at least for me
ski sweater for me - a traditional norwegian ski sweater - i'm v excited about this - haven't cast on yet but will this week - esp now that i'm not knitting a costume!

halloween costume

2008-10-25T11:45:00.001-07:00

so that time of year do i make a halloween costume?? hmmmm
so i'm thinking either an owl or rainbow-brite .... i'd knit the costume ... mainly since i can't sew for my life.

so owl - basically a bubble knit dress in a couple shades of brown + a felt owl mask (borrowed from brownies)
rainbow brite - a bit more umm complicated. - but knit (tube?) top and skirt and puffy rainbow sleeves

any votes?

cashmere scarf

2008-10-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

hello my dear friends .... i know i haven't written for a while..... but looked what i finished! a lacy estonian shawlettte/scarf ... it had some crazy 3 into one into 9 stitches (yes really!) but really was a pretty quick knit .. i did the majority on my holiday with mom, dad and willa so that is a couple weeks.
it is super lovely, soft and warm! perfect for the .....do you see behind my shoulder? no, not patrick's moose lamp ...... snow. yep our first day of snow here. mid-october ..... not bad i guess ... and you know it is really pretty

pattern: laminaria from knitty
wool: jade saphire cashmere in robin's egg blue
needles: size 4

white, black and red all over

2008-09-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

look at this lovely bag! i chose the fabrics and the very talented corrie of Lilith Moon (in skagway alaska). corrie is so fantastic and i lurve this bag. inside it is lined in denim with lots of handy pockets.. ooooh and all the stitching is in red! corrie doesn't have a website but here is a nice article.
anyway can't wait to use it on my trip out east!! only three sleeps away

answers in pictures

2008-09-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

The Questions:

What is your name? mary
What is your favorite food? salmon
What elementary school did you go to? wickaninnish
What is your favorite color? teal and pink
Who is your celebrity crush? fred astaire
What is your favorite drink? tea
Dream vacation? st peterburg
Favorite dessert? rhubarb pie
What do you want to be when you grow up? curator
What do you love most in life? family
One word to describe you? knitter
Your flickr name? knitnorth

... simple questions, pretty answers. Here is how you play:

type your answer to each question above into Flickr Search
using only the first page of results, pick an image
copy and paste each URL into fd's mosaic maker
blog it!

Fun. Try it!

ps. you can click to photo to see details

getting ready for opening tomorrow

2008-09-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

my clothes are all laid out for our exhibition opening(s) tomorrow night. for the first time i'm going to wear jeans and a t-shirt .... but don't worry folks neither are ordinary - the jeans are fabulously high waisted by second and the t is made by artist ho tam who's show "confessions of a salesman" is opening in the gallery.
the whole look is rather duran duran - heehe!

sweater is done!

2008-08-22T20:21:00.001-07:00

sweater is done
Originally uploaded by knit_north

it has been done for a while ..... but no pics until now.
alas it did not make it into the fair .... "oh honey you have won a ribbon" the lady at the fair sighed - i missed the date - oh well, i love the sweater....

ps please don't mind the messy house - we are in the midst of moving!

olympic update

2008-08-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

well i'm about 1/4 of my way there - it is certainly a bulky funny thing. but will be thick spongy cute mat when it is all said and done (and heavy!).

totally addicted to watching the olympics - fashion wise: i love the russian team jackets - i couldn't find any decent pics but here is one to the right - the crisp red and white is fantastic with the scrolls found in traditional russian embroidery.

the other team that looks fabulous - in the opening ceremonies in particular are the french. check out the dove gray jackets on the men and the belts! looooove the red belts!!! really all their accessories are perfect and so french.

i wish i could say the same for canada - HBC blah! have you seen the the ugly fully patterned track pants?! they better put out the classic Bay jackets in Vancouver - keep it simple - the whole 'four elements' theme is overly complicated and ends up looking like pajamas - lame.

just lame

our lady of sitka

2008-08-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

as promised let me chat about highlights from our south east alaska trip. so the big landmark in Sitka is the Cathedral of St Micheal. The Russian Orthodox church is right in the centre of town. Sitka was once the captial of Russian America (until 1867 when Alaska was sold to the States) and has a few buildings from that era. The original church burnt to the ground in 1966 during a fire downtown, but has been completely restored. all the art was saved as was the chandelier which was hauled out by two guys while the church was on fire. the next day they went to move it and it took 6 men to move it as the chandelier weighs over 300 pounds - amazing what people can do in emergencies.

the madonna above is of the older russian icons. she is susposed to heal eye problems

up the hill

2008-08-10T16:25:00.001-07:00

213 steps 6088.1
Originally uploaded by Yukon White Light

just home from a walk up the cliff - where i live right now is in the older residential part of whitehorse right along the bottom of the clay cliffs. on the top of black street is a huge set of steps (200+ stairs) which i climb a few times a week, well at least at this time of year. it is so pretty up at the top you can see right across the city down to the river

this afternoon i took my knitting with me - i realized yesterday that i definitely do not have enough loops for the bathmat (like 150% more!) so loopy cotton loops .... solution? socks - yep i cut socks into loops. about 30 socks - i found a package of 20 youth sport socks for $5! plus a 10 pack that had white, pink, blue and purple socks. I spent last night cutting socks up as i watched the olympics. normally when patrick is away i rent girlie flicks (costume dramas and bollywood is my weakness) but the olympics are fantastic. not sure what is, i'd never watch bike road races, beach volleyball etc normally but during the olympics? count me in.

yesterday was pretty busy. i moved everything from christine + my house up the hill to the new place in porter creek. i spent friday night packing up and then on sat afternoon, four of my friends helped pack the boxes in the van and then into the apartment. took less than 2 hours! so i treated everyone to coffee and a treat ... ahhh.

still have to move patrick's place ..... that is the big stuff like couches etc but almost there.

olympic knitting challenge

2008-08-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

after failing last Olympics with a rather ambitious (cough.. crazy) sweater challenge i set myself - this time round: it is a bathmat. yes not nearly as sexy... or wearable (well maybe as a heavy-ass cape but yeah no.)

so how does one knit a bathmat? with potholder loops.... ummm potholder loops??? these cotton jersey (t-shirt material) loops - I found two bags in this funny little 'everything' store in Sitka. so yeah i need to loop them together to make my yarn then knit away with some big knitting needles! i'm already starting to worry i don't have enough .... so if any of you see these in weird little craft shops let me know!

new blanket for new home

2008-08-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

this was my big splurge on the alaska trip. a Pendleton "Beaded Woodland" blanket ...... pure wool and so pretty i couldn't resist it when i saw/found it in Juneau yesterday. well i was good .... saw in the morning and by dinner time knew it had to be for our new apartment. nice thing is was a good deal too (yay! as it is an expensive month).

i'm really looking forward to moving in. we hopefully get the keys tomorrow and i'll likely camp out there for a few days while patrick's son visits (this cabin is sooooo teeny!). then this weekend i hope to move as much as i can on my own over. happy to be back in whitehorse - great fantastic trip but lovely to be home.

ps i promise to post more about the alaska trip - just need to organize photos etc

mmmm salmonberries

2008-08-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

i think that was my favourite thing about Sitka - the salmonberries - so many ripe salmonberries! what a beautiful town - it used to be the capital of Russian America and still has buildings from that era along with amazing totem poles, a full harbour of fishing boats and just a quaint lovely feeling about it all. sooooo great! i have to jump off the computer now (in a bar in juneau) more soon i promise!

i am a knitting machine

2008-07-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

with less than a week to the Alaska State Fair, all i'm doing is knitting..... must finish sweater ... must block sweater .... must finish ... must knit .. stop typing back to knitting

ps check out dr horrible's sing-along blog (tho sure you already have!) "Look at my wrist! Time to go!"

summer sun

2008-07-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

found this great little animation that shows our summer light
our days are getting shorter now but as much as might lament up here we still have lots of light at 11 pm and frankly it is just dusky at midnight. then around 2-3am it is getting light again.
it is funny how you never really know what time it by just looking outside ...

sweater in the sun

2008-07-02T22:14:00.001-07:00

westcoast rose progress
Originally uploaded by knit_north

as you can see i'm working on the second sleeve ... um clearly missed the unrealistic stanely cup goal ..... but gotta get moving as i want to enter it in the s.e. alaska state fair - yes for real! i really really want to win a ribbon ... or even a sticker or something - also tempted to make some rhubarb jam or something. if i hadn't lost my oh so lovely tam would have entered that but ah well .... it is almost yoke time for this sweater so i'm on my way (by the way here is a photo of the pattern - i've changed up the colour and added an extra repeat to the torso as i'm so long-waisted)

so despite needing to finish this sweater - i'm planning out my next knit Gigi from knitty - it is a cute cropped kimono sleeved cardie and rather mindless knitting - i even already have the wool for it an alpaca/merino sock yarn in navy/purple . it is so soft and lush. and after that???? well i think i need a cashmere scarf (yes need. i mean it's cold up here)... a big lacey one .... maybe in a robin egg blue? thoughts?

World Wide Knit in Public Day

2008-06-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

WWKiP day was fantastic - we had 25+ people show up all different ages and sooo chatty! loved it! spoke for quite a while with this lady (she’d be in her 80s) about knitting and her 10 kids! She grew up in the Yukon - her best friend’s mother taught her knit as her mom didn’t knit - so at nine years old she began knitting her dad sweaters for work - her dad did the mail run between Whitehorse and Dawson City (this was before there was a road! about 500-600 km) - so cool and great

knitting on the train

2008-06-11T23:16:00.001-07:00

knitting on the train
Originally uploaded by knit_north

ummmm yes it has been a while since i've posted ....... this pic is from may long weekend on the train. patrick an i went to skagway - the first day was sooo cold! so had had to buy a toque (the one i'm wearing here) and totally bundle up. but the monday oh my so lovely and warm! it was so hard to leave. the flowers were all out and there was that lovely ocean breeze

the next weekend in whitehorse was amazing - so crazy hot ... i got so burned! oh my - really bad - i burnt my knees so badly i had a v hard time walking for 3 days - i was only in direct sun for about 1/2 hour. yes i'm that white - tho i also blame the sun here - i swear it is stronger up here

then this sunday .... we had SNOW - June 8th a couple inches of snow - granted it was wet snow .... but snow in june? gah!

oh and good news! i'm still employed! i'm the 'new' Gallery Director of the Arts Centre Gallery .. hoorah

my playoffs goal

2008-04-22T10:45:00.001-07:00

rose_progress1
Originally uploaded by knit_north

Ok - i hardly want to stay this out loud because i'm not sure if i'll make it.... but I want to have this sweater done by the time the Stanley Cup is handed over to the winning team!
the picture shows a little more than a week's progress - so yeah i better hurry

i was cursing the purple earlier but it is growing on my now ...
the other thing is: why is the ribbing curling?? hopefully that will sort itself out with blocking

new sweater swatch w notes

2008-04-06T10:58:00.001-07:00

rose_swatch w notes
Originally uploaded by knit_north

i'm about to start a fair isle sweater (Autumn Rose by Eunny Jang) - totally excited -
but still need a few colours - i'm in victoria next week so i'll actually be able to pick out colours in front of me instead of guessing over the web.

here is my swatch - i think i need a deeper gray and a brighter turquoise (instead of the moorgrass)
i think i’ll also swap out the shetland black with a deep purple
i tried out spruce and tartan - i like the darker green -tartan- better

happy easter

2008-03-24T20:55:00.001-07:00

easter egg
Originally uploaded by knit_north

a bit of eye candy for you
beautiful chocolate eggs my mom sent me!

it is huge

2008-02-19T22:10:00.001-08:00

tam_starmore4
Originally uploaded by knit_north

oooooooooooooooh traditional tammy you have forsaken me - you are sooo big! massive in fact (yes roll out the big scottish head jokes by mike myers and yeah i have a big head!) oh woe such beautiful wool, perfect gauge, lovely motifs but alas not for me - i may try felting it down ... but not sure how much that will help

oh well have started a new one - smaller and more me .. i have chosen the patterns (and dramatically altered the length) rather than religiously following the pattern

my traditional tam

2008-02-09T14:55:00.001-08:00

starmore_tam
Originally uploaded by knit_north

so at the moment I'm obsessively knitting a traditional tam for me - using mom's book Alice Starmore Fair Isle Knitting and wool right from Scotland (see below)

starmore yummy wool

2008-02-01T17:30:00.001-08:00

starmore3
Originally uploaded by knit_north

i have just received wool right from the Scottish Hebridies (yes Fair Isle 2 ply wool!) it is so lush - the colours are really rich and heathered - i'm knitting myself a tam. yes, i know ..... i've been knitting tams non-stop but this is the real deal

lets knit series [2007]

2008-01-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

look what Andrea got me for christmas! it just arrived yesterday - it is a fantastic knitting book from Japan - the instructions are all in Japanese - but i'm up for the challenge! really it is not as daunting as one would guess as the instructions are charted so v visual.

winter knitting

2007-12-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

hooray for completed projects - these all seemed to finish at the same time and boy does that make me smile!

first off the tams - i fell in love with knitty's three tams pattern
i made this one (version c) for me with local yukon alpaca and noro silkgarden (shade 226)

and a second one (a hybrid of version b + a) for willa - we've named it the bruise tam because the colours are all bruise-y shades mmmmm mustard-y green and purple

and yes i've cast one another!

and my tomten for my friend's little boy is done- hoooray!! i actually completed knitting it in November but haven't been able to put the zipper in until now - i'm home for christmas so my mom sewed it in with her machine. i'm sooo pleased. the buttons are just a 'design element' -read: the top of the zipper was difficult to sew so it looked rather messy there so we sewed on the buttons to hide the machine stitches there ... plus i do think they are cute (knit with Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs and Butterflies - daffodil shade)

another gift i made was toque for Tom for Christmas - it is 100% baby alpaca and super soft and cozy

what's on the needles

2007-12-16T13:31:00.001-08:00

side2side detail
Originally uploaded by knit_north

here is the detail of the sweater i'm making for myself. the photo is in b+w because the details didn't show up otherwise. it is actually a lush deep navy.

what else?
- a toque for tom for christmas - done - it is soo soft annd warm
- a tam for me (yes more for me!) super cute fair-isle.

happy halloween

2007-10-31T15:44:00.001-07:00

swan2
Originally uploaded by knit_north

my knit swan dress a'la bjork [not a great shot - but a fun costume to wear!]

getting there!

2007-10-20T20:23:00.001-07:00

tomten5
Originally uploaded by knit_north

well i found some variegated blue/green wool at the local shop [Manos - Caribe 116]
the blues (and greens) work well with the rest of the sweater - i have added an i-cord trim which i think really finishes up the garter stitch edges

i added stripes to the second sleeve as it looked like there was no way i had enough of the yellow .... but now that the sleeve is cast-off it looks like i have enough ..... so think i'll frog it and re-knit the sleeve in the original variegated yellow/green/blue

so i'm almost there! i'd like to add pockets, the arm seams need to be finished and the zipper needs to be sewn in

wool woes

2007-10-15T09:36:00.001-07:00

i'm almost done knitting my tomten sweater but gaah! i don't enough to finish the sleeve .... i bought the last 4 skeins of cute variegated wool (Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs and Butterflies Multi) on sale at the Knit Cafe with Willa, and figured i had plenty. no no no
I don't really feel have the time to search online for the dye lot etc .. so am going to the local wool shop today in hopes i can find a solid colour to finish it off with - wish me luck

done!

2007-10-03T23:58:00.001-07:00

ruffled1
Originally uploaded by knit_north

hooray! finished my berry picking gloves - perfect for the chilly fall weather. i'm sooo pleased. Diese Handschuhe sind groß! heehee did i tell you i'm in german class? (hope i got "gloves" right and i think the verb is in the wrong place ...oh and i mean groß as in 'great' not 'large')

tomten

2007-10-01T21:46:00.001-07:00

tomten4
Originally uploaded by knit_north

latest project - bought the wool in toronto with willa so i had something to knit at V-fest and on the train to montreal - i'm really loving the colour and the pattern - but ummm bit surprised how big the size is!

during v-fest they had staff photographers wandering around snapping pics - here is will + i knitting on day 2 (yep you can tell it is the last of the festival - oh so glam)

Run for your LIVES!!

2007-10-01T20:51:00.001-07:00

Run for your LIVES!!
Originally uploaded by glamourfae

i knit the monster hat for a halloween swap - and glamourfae's doll turned into a zombie and started hunting down her other blythes - she claims two are missing and she's blaming the hat

Molly Dress - free knit pattern for blythe

2007-09-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

a great, easy little mod dress for your blythe.

SIZE
12" Blythe Doll

MATERIALS
- Lang Jawoll sock yarn [75% superwash wool,18% nylon,7% acrylic 206 yards per 50 gram ball] - I love Jawoll! It is a lighter weight than most sock yarns, which is great for doll clothes. The best thing about it is each skein includes a 5g spool of reinforcement thread ~ perfect to sew on buttons, sequins etc!
- two doll sized buttons
- sequins, beads [optional]
- set of four 2.75 mm [US size #2] needles

PATTERN
Body:
· CO 40 sts. leave a tail aprox 3 inches long
· Knit 2 rows. Join - being careful not to twist.
· Eyelet Row: *K2tog YO* repeat
· Knit 10 rows
· Reduce row: *K3, K2tog* repeat (end up with 32 sts)
· K1P1 Rib for 4 rows
· Knit 12 rows
Divide for Front:
· K16 turn, P16
· K1P1 for 3 (or 4) rows
· Cast off Purl wise
Back:
· Pick up 16 sts at the Back
· Stockinette 4 rows (K on RS, P on WS)
· Next row P on RS
· Eyelet Row: *K2tog YO* repeat
· P 1 row
· Cast off

FINISHING
Use yarn tail from bottom to sew the bottom 2 rows together.
Sew on 2 buttons to the top front edges (use the eyelet holes as button holes) If desired, sew on sequins and/or beads to skirt portion. Weave in ends. Block as desired.

ruffled glove

2007-08-29T23:00:00.001-07:00

ruffled gloves
Originally uploaded by knit_north

one done!! so i switched it up - i really like the ruffle and figured why put that at the bottom - so here is my version of teva durham's pattern

ruffled [fingerless] gloves for berry-picking

2007-08-26T23:12:00.001-07:00

ruffled [fingerless] gloves for berry-picking
Originally uploaded by knit_north

patrick got me this most amazing wool/alpaca at the ODD gallery auction last weekend - it is sooo lush! so i'm madly knitting up these berry picking gloves (based on the ruffled gloves in loop-d-loop)

blythe sized tomten

2007-08-05T10:46:00.001-07:00

blythe sized tomten
Originally uploaded by knit_north

oooooooh i'm such a knitting nerd - i've made the classic elizabeth zimmerman pattern doll sized! i totally love this pattern - i want to make it for a friend's baby .. but first i thought i'd shrink it right down to fit a blythe doll - i cast on 40 stitches and "followed" the pattern from there

the hood doesn't fit but i like how it looks none-the-less. i made it for a swap so hoping it will go over well
next project? - well the harvest fair is coming up so i'd like to enter a knit or two into it. last year i won a ribbon! so i'm casting on a hat tonight (since it will be a present for a family member ... sorry no pictures!)

start of a wee sweater

2007-07-26T23:42:00.001-07:00

DSC00459
Originally uploaded by knit_north

cast on for a ... yep. a wee blythe sweater - this is the first sleeve

done the wedding present!

2007-07-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

i think the bamboo facecloths turned out well - but more than anything it is a relief to have them in the mail (ahhhhhh sigh)

don't ya love how well that ribbon matches?!

ps i added in treats from Aroma Borealis (lovely handmade herbal bath stuff, skin cream etc...)

train in carcross!

2007-07-23T14:05:00.001-07:00

train in teslin!
Originally uploaded by knit_north

patrick and i went to carcross last night for a hike around and an ice cream! it was great to see the whitepass train parked there (now the train from skagway comes all the way to carcross - hope it comes into whitehorse soon)

the water is really high - sandbags are sacked everywhere and you can hear pumps running

bamboo facecloth

2007-07-23T11:05:00.001-07:00

bamboo facecloth
Originally uploaded by knit_north

I'm madly knitting a set of bamboo facecloths for Carliegh's wedding - umm yes i know ... her wedding is on Saturday! i have to get these in the mail!!

in anycase they are super soft and lush and i'm really happy with the colour.

the "pattern" well it is a star stitch with a garter stitch border.

yaaa! wallpaper

2007-07-11T19:45:00.001-07:00

yaaa! wallpaper
Originally uploaded by knit_north

my bedroom newly wallpapered - which will be painted a lovely cream!

very excited!

my newest doll [or why i need to sell the blythe below]

2007-06-30T17:03:00.001-07:00

kenner4
Originally uploaded by knit_north

here is my newest doll - a 1972 Kenner
i've named her Tate ... yes after the galleries in the UK (i worked at Tate Britian .....as you all know) + its a cute name for a doll ;)

dollie for sale

2007-06-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

Sale period:June 30
Offers end: July 8th 2007

Doll Type: TRU EX Birdie Blue (Toysrus exclusive)

Condition:Gently Played With
Elsa is a beautiful doll in great condition, I'm sad to see her go but she just isn't getting the attention she deserves.

Alterations:
hair cut in a cute bob
eye make-up and blush removed
front facing pink chips changed to sparkly blue-grey

Overall Body: stock - very good condition
What Doll Comes With: nude (but i'll put her in a dress) with original box
Clothes: n/a
Accessories: n/a
Extras: n/a

Prices:
BIN: $95
Holds:

Methods of Payment accepted: Paypal

Shipping: $20 anywhere

Pictures:

Her Four Eye Colors:
blue - stock
orange - front facing stock
green - stock
blue-grey - backed with glittery foil

big[head] hi

2007-05-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

patrick sent me this hello from (as he calls them) "the big heads". so my blythes say hi to you too

<-------
this one is a bit scarier ..... not sure what i think ....

bamboo tape

2007-05-22T22:17:00.001-07:00

so here is my new project .... (Blouson from IK Summer 07) well kind of - i'm adapting it - knitting it at a larger gauge and changing up the neckline and sleeve length.

this is the "wool" i'm using:
rowan bamboo tape (in amethyst)

anyway i'm getting there - already 3 balls in and about 10 inches up from the bottom!

new blog...

2007-05-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

well blogsource.com is no more - it is where i've been posting for the last year and more. guess its been taken over by LiveDigital - anyway my old blog has been moved over there .... and while i could just keep blogging there - i don't know .... LiveDigital creeps me out a bit (people keep leaving random messages and asking for 'connections' - guess it is based on myspace - anyway seem to be alot of adult content there lets say) so think i'll steer clear thank you very much

but here is the link none-the-less