My 10 Knitting Projects of 2012

Here are my completed knitting projects of 2012 (in order of completion)

1. Bex's Raspberry Cowl

To: Bex for her 35th birthday. 

Yarn: Beautiful Madelinetosh DK. Gorgeous to work with! Colour: Vermillion.

Pattern: Honey Cowl. 

Notes: A vibrant colour for a vibrant friend. Great pattern and yarn = winning combination!

2. Snowbell Skirt

To: me

Yarn: Dark Grey Bulky Lopi from Iceland.

Pattern: Snowbell Skirt

Notes: I always wanted a wool skirt. Made with Icelandic wool, foreshadowing my Icelandic trip? Warm skirt to be worn over tights.

3. Green Spring

To: me (a spring present)

Yarn: Rowan Lenpur Linnen. Jungle green.

Pattern: Lime Scarf.

Notes: First lace-type pattern. Ideal for spring days. Breezy. Beautiful drape. Wear it a lot.

4. Nathalie's Blessing Shawl

To: Nathalie and her lil' cub (baby Asher) 

Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun.

Pattern: Janet's Shawl.

Notes: A practical shawl for cozy moments. To be worn and washed.

5. Green Hug

To: me (a fall present)

Yarn: Madelinetosh DK

Pattern: Honey Cowl

Notes: I wear it all the time! Cozy, squish. It truly is a warm hug! This is the third Honey Cowl that I have made. Pattern and yarn are fabulous! (I will probably make more)

6. Yoga Legs

To: me

Yarn: Rowan Tweed - bilberry

Pattern: Super Easy Leg warmers.

Notes: They were super easy to make. Too loose and they keep hanging out on my ankles, but I wear them a lot around the house. Haven't done yoga in them (I'd probably trip!), but wear them for meditation.

7. Mom's Armwarmers

Pour: maman

Yarn: same as above

Pattern: Toast

Notes: I had a pair. My mom wanted her own. Super easy. She wears them a lot. 

8. Apple Green Socks

To: Bex (who loves socks!)

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash

Pattern: A Simple Knitted Sock Pattern for Beginners.

Notes: First pair of socks! I learned a lot and had many starts! I couldn't resist trying them on. So cozy. I'm not a sock person but these ones make me want to (almost) convert.

9. Super-Bulky Malabrigo Cowl

To: Trish for her 36th birthday

Yarn: Malabrigo Rasta

Pattern: LTYC Super Bulky Cowl

Notes: Couldn't resist this yarn: bought a skein on a whim. Perfect colours for Trish! A quick project with huge needles. Warm and cozy for those Aberdeen winter mornings.

10. Anne's Blessing Shawl

To: Anne (Margot's caregiver who is expecting baby #3)
Yarn: same as Nathalie's Blessing Shawl - purple.
Pattern: same as Nathalie's Blessing Shawl
Notes: I had to rush to make this project and I'm glad that I completed it on time (before xmas). I know it will be used quite a bit.

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I have a few projects in mind for 2013 and will talk about them in a future post. I am quite proud of my knitting projects. Here's what I learned:
-socks are harder than they appear to be.
-lace projects are fun.
-I don't love big needles anymore.
-it takes me on average 2 months to complete a project (I often, if not always, have two on the go)
-it's fun to have a small project and a bigger one on the go.

p.s. I take requests! (warning: it might take awhile)

Now

Margot is watching Baby Art on DVD while playing with puzzle pieces.

She just did pipi in her waffle underwear. She told me by shouting "Oh no!". She sat patiently on the potty afterwards. She wiped herself and threw the toilet paper into the toilet. We flushed together. "Bye bye pipi". My plan was to toilet train her this summer. I have a few library books about the whole process. Not a thrilling read... I'm a bit slack and inconsistent with this whole potty-training business. Perhaps I should have a plan.

I'm drinking tea. My morning cup of orange pekoe with a dash of milk.

On my mind this moment (also, what I've been googling all morning):
-bed ideas for Margot. I love the idea of a low bed (futon-style). Toddler beds are cute, but they're not big enough! A bed, especially for a child, is a place where you can lay your dolls and teddies, have a bunch of books sprawled across it and lie sideways if you wish. She's still in her crib and enjoys it, but I'm itching to move things around in her room.
-buying a pair of Madrid Birks. I haven't bought new sandals in a really long time. Also, coincidentally, I've talked to too many people in the last few weeks who have bought newBirks. I'm jealous and I want my new pair. It's summer and my feet want to walk around in new sandals.

I'm also thinking about my next knitting projects.

And should I go to the grocery store now or in an hour? My brief list is made. Tugging Margot to a grocery store is an in and out business. No meandering around the aisles and reading ingredient lists.

Words on Asanas, Margot, Books, Knitting, Computer.

YOGA

"How Yoga Can Wreck my Body" by William Bond.

Listen to it here: on Wednesday February 8th's episode  CBC Q

My new found yoga  "resolution": if  don't like it, I'm not doing it. 

From this day forth, goodbye sarvagansana (a.k.a shoulderstand):  I have never liked you from day 1. I tried.  I really did. Especially when I was doing my YTT and one of my teachers was in love with the Queen of the Asanas and we practiced it for 5 minutes a day. She "corrected" me so many times. And yes, there were moments, raised up on 3 blankets, elbows strapped behind me that I did feel calm and in tune. But it's not worth the effort. I can't believe so many people love that pose. I don't get it! Your neck is crunched up, you're trying to keep your elbows together and you're carrying your body weight. It's uncomfortable. I know... I know about all the great benefits. I'll get them in another pose!

Goodbye also to Ustrasana (a.k.a Camel) with dropped head. I hate dropping my head back and exposing my neck. It doesn't work for me. I'll keep doing Camel, but my gaze will remain forward.

Urdhva Dhanurasana (a.k.a. Wheel pose). You feel great and empowering, but you're hard on my delicate wrists.  I will only do you once, out of the usual repeated 3 times. in wheel. I

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MARGOT

Margot is so much fun! She's full of beans and honey ;) She now pretends to cry/be upset. It's hilarious! And it's so obvious that it's fake - I should enroll her in Acting 101. 

Her favorite words these days are: encore, merci, ça, no, down, assis, oui, lait,  Noa.

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BOOKS

I have two books on the go (as I usually do). My Women's Bio Book Club is my downstairs book. Out of Africa is our Winter read. It's easy to pick up, read a few pages, underline a few things and then put down and tend to my little munchkin. My bedside one is Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth, a collection of short stories. The first one almost made me tear up. Now that's a good book! Can't wait to read the others.

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KNITTING

In terms of knitting. I'm working on a skirt these days, using Lopi yarn from Iceland. Like books, I have two knitting projects: one for movie watching downstairs (I just finished my own pair of wrist warmers) , and one for hanging out in the living room upstairs (grey skirt).  I just ordered Madelinetosh yarn online for a special hug in March ;)  I worked with this yarn when I made a nutmeg-coloured honey cowl for Bec. It is sumptuous! I knew no other yarn could match it, so I had to use it. There's only one store in Ottawa that sells it and they didn't have the colour I wanted.  Can't wait to begin my new project!

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COMPUTER

We have a new addition in our home: a MacBook Pro. Smooth...

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Saturday Morning

Autumn has shown its true colours. Woke up to a windy, grey and chilly (10C) morning.
Margot allowed us to sleep in until 8am, although Simon woke up at 7:30 and did a morning yoga practice. Very impressed by his dedication to do yoga twice a week (his week begins on Sunday; therefore, he needed to squeeze his second practice before the end of the day).

I like having a low-key weekend day. Nothing planned on the agenda. Those days are necessary, especially when one's week is "go go go" sprinkled with early wake-ups!

Saturday morning pleasures: classical music on the radio, pot of tea, curled up in the red chair with a book.

I also completed a pair of green arm warmers.

Knit & Purl

My 2011 New Year's project was to explore a new hobby. I chose knitting for the following reasons:

-My sweet belle-soeur, Nathalie, knits beautifully and has given me over the years, for b-days and xmas, a few knitted items. The scarf that she made me has been a staple of my winter wardrobe since March 2008 and I wear it everyday in the wintertime (and in the fall and spring!) . I always receive so many compliments! I absolutely adore that scarf.

-I love wool. In general, I tend to gravitate towards knitting clothes.
-I like the idea of creating something with my hands. From the first stitch to the last one.
-I find a meditative quality to knitting. A slowing down. An opportunity to be in the present, one stitch at a time.

This weekend, I had a Knitting Club meeting. I always learn so much and feel so inspired afterward, wanting to knit more projects! I really do need guidance and encouragement as this field is very new to me, and I'm very grateful for the help I am getting. I also signed up on ww.ravelry.com, an online knitting community where one can cehck out patterns, read reviews, post current and past projects,etc. It's opened up a whole new world to me!

Here are my 4 creations:

Rikke Hat - my latest project. A floppy, super comfy passe-partout hat for spring and fall weather.

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Bec's Baby Blessing Shawl. Made with Love.

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Neige Hat for those cold winter days. Super cozy and warm.

WhamBamThankYouLamb! neck warmer - my first project. Super easy to make.