string in motion

Colour colour everywhere

2011-03-24T11:35:00.001-07:00

Beauty and colour are everywhere.

what better inspiration than the beautiful natural colours found in nature? I am heavily into rich, saturated greens at the moment, and have been having a little bit of trouble finding ways to combine different colours with green in my knitting.

Going out into nature is a great way to remedy this problem. I immediately found many different and beautiful natural colour combinations right in my beautiful back yard (Lynn Valley)

How many colours can you see? I see red, green, orange, brown, black

green, brown, yellow, grey,

a more subdued offering of grey, green, brown and black

Its incredible how easy it is to forget how beautiful your local environment is. Inspiration can come just as easily from the urban environment as the natural environment.

Granville Island

I love the bright blue building, yellow sign and rich red of Jaruwan's dress in this photo.

Crafty Thursday!

2010-07-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

After an incredibly long craft related dry spell, this week has proven to be particularly fruitious.
I had a fun afternoon the other day fooling around with a new style of professional salon hair clips I got at the beauty supply store, some flowers and other bits & bobs and a fantastic hot glue gun.

These hair clips will be shipped off to my sister, her friends and some of my own friends to get some feedback regarding durability, cuteness and other factors before putting them out for sale.

If anyone out there in the webisphere wishes to test out my wares, drop me a line with your mailing address and I will send you a sample (while supplies last!!)*

* sample will not include hydrangea flower with leaf, Canadian leaves, or any in the "vintage" catagory (those are my faves and i'm keepin' em!)

Hydrangeas:

Daisies:

And Other odds & ends

Vintage:

A Peony!

Happy Canada Day:

Whew after all that, even Scruffins is tuckered out!

Back soon with more crafty goodness!

back again + hilarious....

2009-07-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

i am back again, and this time i mean it!

how many times have you heard; nay, have I said, that i would be back for good with many tasty treats for you to enjoy? far too many.

After a long delay due to family hilariaty and joy (my nephew being born and being generally awesome eating all my mental time + family visiting from Thailand + weddings + more awesome...) and being sick for almost a month, i finally can dedicate myself back to this kickass blog.

Ok... it is a lame blog, i will give you that. it is boring with few updates and even fewer helpful entries (i think the current count is 1).. but! i have high hopes that it will change/expand/improve/etc and the future will hold many a beautiful blossoming of creation, fun and exploration into the multimedia world of knitting, art and general enthusments..

here we go with photos to catch up:
my nephew in his rain poncho:
(dont worry all you safety freaks - it was a well monitored five minutes during a monsoon)

Girls Night Out:

Who says the recession hasn't hit North Vancouver?
line up for hiring fair.

Lastly I will leave you with a video of hilariousness thanks to our ever lovely You Tube:

New Budget in the works

2008-06-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

Budget Budget Budget and other things...

This time of year gets me really thinking of what i can do to help myself for the future. its between two major spending times for me: Christmas, & Birthdays (most of my family's birthdays are between January & July). This year i am beginning a new forage into Frugal Living, or Tightwadiness... whatever you call it, i've started something that i thought would never see fruition: A Budget. A real official separate-envelopes-and-everything Budget. I've got 6 envelopes:

Food -$50/week = $200/month
Clothing & Shoes - $50/month
Makeup & Accessories - $20/month
Entertainment - $25/week = $100/month
Fun - $30/month
Misc. Expenses - $100/month

Total Expenses: $500/month

Long Term Savings: $1000+/month
Short Term Savings: $100+/month

I have the tremendous luxury of my rent & utilities being currently looked after by my most amazing family. We are all trying to be super penny-pinching to get to our individual goals. So, instead of putting my extra $$ into an "entertainment" or "fun" envelope, i am instead rolling it into a long-term savings account. This will be new to me, this whole, limited spending thing. I have been feeling overwhelmingly consumerist as of late. Knitting related stuff will come out of my Entertainment & Fun catagories, depending on if it is a planned expense (entertainment) or a total splurge (fun).

Progress this month:

Entertainment: $100 - entire budget. gulp. spent on: gardening supplies, this totally awesome and worth it book that i've been searching for for years, & the latest Interweave Knits. I will be living entertainment free for the next 2 weeks ;)

Fun: $30 - entire month's budget: spent yesturday on Sushi ($21 with tip, yummy but expensive downtown location) & bus fare (day pass - $9)

Clothing & Shoes: $50 - entire month's budget: spent yesturday on a purse + spent too much on makeup so had to take from this account

Makeup & accessories: $20 - entire budget: MAC lipstick + lip stain from Urban Outfitters.

Miscellaneous expense: $50 - half my budget - this will be left for my trip to Victoria on the weekend.

Long Term Savings: $500
Short Term Savings: $50
Previous Savings Account Balance: $350 - sad, i know.

but we're on the way up, so i introduce to you: my new progress Ticker!

oh yeah, did i mention the goal in all this is to save $10,000 by the end of December this year??

wish me luck!

not knitting, but hilarious just the same

2008-05-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

Since i've managed to only knit one 3"x4" swatch & cast on 216 stitches for my sisters baby sling blanket, i haven't much to show in the way of my supposed "knitting-intensive holiday" I brought enough yarn & projects to occupy me for 3 months, let alone 3 weeks.. oh well. :) Here is something else entirely that i find endlessly amusing.

Hurricane Hat Pattern!!

2008-04-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Hat
Copyright sunshineknits, Andrea Goutier 2008. For
private, non-commercial use only.

Materials:

Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted, Pearl #36
Needles: 16" Circular Needles 4.5mm, set of 4 DPNs, 4.5mm
Gauge: 20 stitches & 28 rows knit in Stockinette Stitch

Sizing Note: Pattern is adjustable for sizing by altering how
many inches you work in pattern before beginning your
decreases. The suggested 5" will give you a med-large size.

Instructions:
Cast on 81 sts in the knitted on cast on method.
Join in the round, knitting first & last stitch
together to eliminate jag. Total 80sts.

Brim: Work in K2, P2 Rib for 1.5”. At the end of
final row, M1 stitch. Total 81sts

Body: Work in K9, P1 for 5” inches.

Decrease Rounds:
Round 1: *K7, K2tog, P1* 73sts
Round 2: *K8, P1*
Round 3: *K6, K2tog, P1* 65sts
Round 4: *K7, P1*
Round 5: *K5, K2tog, P1* 57sts
Round 6: *K6, P1*
Round 7: *K4, K2tog, P1* 49sts
Round 8: *K5, P1*
Round 9: *K3, K2tog, P1* 41sts
Round 10: *K4, P1*
Round 11: *K2, K2tog, P1* 33sts
Round 12: *K3, P1*
Round 13: *K1, K2tog, P1* 25sts
Round 14: *K2, P1*
Round 15: *K2tog, P1* 17sts
Round 16: *K2tog* 9sts

Break yarn & run through remaining stitches. Pull tight & secure. Weave in all ends.

and then there was...

2008-04-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

Gooey Eyeball Neckwarmer Pattern
copyright Andrea Goutier, sunshineknits 2008. for personal use only.

For use with Vitreous Humor yarn. approx. 60yds (70-80yds per skein from insubordiknit)
needles: size 13s & 19s 16" circs

pattern:

-cast on 35sts using smaller circular needle-
-work back & forth in garter stitch for 3 rows, slipping last stitch of each row-
-switch to larger needles-
-work in stockinette stitch for 5"-
-work in garter stitch for 3 rows-
-bind off really loosely-
-push eyeballs through the stockinette stitch as buttons to fasten-

Ta Da!

now run off and scare your neighbors.

Its been one of those weeks...

2008-03-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Its been one of those weeks...

And now, onto something completely different:

In other knitting news, the Hemlock Ring Blanket must be frogged, and begun again. silly me, made a mistake on the 2nd or 3rd row! oh well, at least now i know i'm not going crazy, and simply must begin again!

remember when?

2008-02-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

in knitting news:

Malabrigo March is coming up! Two more days, then 30 days of knitting straight with Malabrigo - mmm. My list is quite long, and I'm not sure if I will be able to finish, or even get to everything. I'm also donating finished Tudora's to Laurie for her to sell at her Crafty for the Cure Etsy shop. Laurie is the best and was my most awsome to shop for partner for malswap 1.

here is my list so far:

Gretel by Ysolda Teague: Hollyhock
Chevalier Mitts: Jacinto
Koolhaas: Black - this is to replace the other hat i made for my brother, that somehow ended up in the wash.
Tudora: various - sealing wax, little lovely, roanoke gold, jewel blue

that is all i can remember right now, i will be definately be adding more as time goes on. it shouldn't take me more than a week to finish the mitts & hats.

I Got it I Got it!!

2008-01-28T12:21:00.000-08:00

I received my Malabrigo Swap packages from my mystically talented partner Julie today! Holy cow.. how did she know? She chose the most fantastic colours for me, in worsted, and lace weight.. now just... what to make? I think I'm going to make the Swallowtail Shawl from the lace weight when we do the KAL over on Ravelry But i haven't the foggiest what i'm going to make with the worsted weight yet... i will wait till the perfect project comes along!

Anyway, on with the pics:
The whole Shebang:

Hollyhock:

Geranio:

Vanilla Caramels:

isn't that just fantastic!
Its 2 Skeins of Hollyhock, which i was totally coveting the last time i was at my LYS, and 1 skein of Geranio Lace weight.
In other knitterly news, here are the pictures from my most amazing Knitting group: Knitting in North Vancouver: These lovely ladies (& one helpful swift/man) are a joy to meet with twice a month at our neighborhood starbucks (though i think we will need a new location for next time - if only so we can bring our own cookies - am i the only one that thinks Starbucks snacks are lacking??) I can't wait until our next meeting, but until then, here are some pictures

Cathy & Debbie: The Brains behind the whole opporation:

Some Pomatomous Socks

An Unoriginal Hat (left) & Trekking Socks

2 nearly done Hemlock Ring Blankets

& one thats just beginning:

What a great group of girls. I can't wait to see you all at the next meeting!

Package Received Safely (whew)

2008-01-19T22:05:00.000-08:00

A little bit of Cute, to brighten your day:

I'm so glad Laurie Received my package safely. I was a bit scared that it would get lost indefinately in customs when they read it contained "knitting supplies"... I marked it as a gift as well, i can't remember if that means she's scot free for customs charges or not..

Here she is with her Danica scarf, i'm so glad she liked it. its a great stashbuster, and it looks so much funkier with the randomness of the pink & brown:

ok lets try this again

2008-01-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

Apparently i'm a bit of a blogger-dunderhead. How does one post a post without a body, i dont know. i swear i wrote a very well worded sentance about my swap mania this year and an assortment of things and trivial occurances in my day. I'm a very non-avid poster, but hopefully that will soon change with the advent of my Digital camera!!! i've been wanting one for SO long, and my sweet boyfriend got me one for Christmas (after telling me not to spend anything on him... sneaky sneaky!)

Here is the beginning of my next sweater: The Swatch:

Props:
Malabrigo Merino Worsted,
Needle Size: 5mm
Pattern: My own, to be determined, design.

Da Yarns:
from the neck down:
Amoroso: 3 skeins
Velvet Grapes: 2 skeins
Paris Nights: 1 Skein
Black: 1 Skein

Apparently this is what my boyfriend does when i'm sleeping and he has the camera:

As for the Swappin Time, Cathy, I am in the Malabrigo Swap over yonder on Ravelry. I am almost done with my package to Send Out, and am anxiously awaiting receiving my Sent To Me Package.. I can't wait to see whats in it, and be totally surprised! :) I hope that my partner sends me something wild and awsome... I'm usually pretty subdued with my Malabrigo purchases, but am trying to break out of my box. I'm currently working on a special something for my pen pal over in Georgia, using Emerald Blue, which is a blues/greens varigated colourway - its trying... but i'm getting through it.. :)

Next time:
I will have some patterns & photos up (finally) for my toques & scarves as posted over the past while. I'm hoping to start posting more photos & such now that i have my cam!

its Swappin Time!

2008-01-10T18:29:00.001-08:00

most addictive game ever

2007-12-10T10:52:00.001-08:00

SUSHI-GO-ROUND!

Mystery Stole #3 here i come

2007-09-27T13:14:00.000-07:00

I signed up for Mystery Stole #3. what was i thinking. It will be a good time to actually finish a lace project i think. Its sad that i've never finished one, as i've started so many. what wool to use...

She recommends nothing fuzzy, bright or varigated. so i guess my lime green mohair is out. I could use the sea silk from the failed swallowtail shawl as an option, or my Royal, but its a tad fuzzy. I guess i'll have to break out the stash and see what i've got. Since joining Stashbusters on Ravelry and discovering Malabrigo merino worsted at the same time, i cannot bear to buy any more wool, i feel guilty enough as it is! I hope i have some laceweight somewhere in there. I must, its like six feet square of squishy wool.

also: new easy hat pattern will eventually be coming soon. i'm in a candy theme at the moment so stay tuned, baby.

whee figured out what the heck an RSS feed is.

2007-08-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the lovely people over at Ravelry forums for helping me eventually figure out what the heck an RSS feed is. it only took me like two weeks to figure it out. Not bad for me, honestly.

In knitting news: Am about 15% done my second take on Danica. I cannot get over my love of this pattern. It is very well written, delightfully simple, portable, and the results are awsome for gifts or for yourself. The first one i made using Noro Kureyon, and blocked it beyond recognition. This time I am using Handmaiden 4-ply cashmere in the Renaissance colourway (or that is at least my best guess, as i have lost the ball band) and i will not be blocking it at all, deciding instead that the puckered, fluffy look of the unblocked entralace is much more inviting. I strongly recommend this yarn. I mean for one thing, its cashmere, so you can't go wrong there; but the colourway is amazing for something like entrelace, because it gives you a cool, muddy stripe effect, which cannot be accurately described, so you will have to trust me. I originally chose this as a delightful gift for myself, so I have something to work on for yours truely while slaving away on others Christmas gifts; however, Renaissance ends up knitting into unexpectedly masculine colours, thus this is to be my father's christmas gift.

I will be proudly displaying photos once the cam situation is dealt with.

the non-picture blog is destined for failure

2007-08-13T00:25:00.000-07:00

I do not have a digital camera. I do not have a scanner. I am at a loss for productive interesting blogging. ah well.

Productivity level is finally up. Finally coming to realize i'm a seasonally challenged knitter. But since the vancouver weather goddesses have decided to grace us with cold fall already, it feels as though the ull gods have blessed me again with inspiration.

1.) trying the Swallowtail Shawl. Again. This is try # 4. hopefully it will go smoother. I have traded in my Blue Sky Alpacas for Some Sea Silk by Handmaiden in the Nova Scotia colourway. It seems that the silkier, less fuzzy yarn is a lot simpler to see the pattern, but i have already made a mistake and must rip back a few rows to see where it was (who's the tard that didn't do life lines? thats me!)

2.) new pattern forthcoming soon: simple and easy and totally cute. its a thick n thin silky wool earflap toque i call Hookworm Hat.

3.) new pattern forthcoming soon: simple and easy and totally cute (do you see a trend here?) i call it Saucy Flounce. its a romantic saucy girly ascot type thing.

4.) next up using my Cascade 220 finally. Will maybe make Bluebell from Fitted Knits. we shall see.

Hoping to get a hold of a cam soon so i can take pictures of my FO's for the patterns and my progress on the shawl.

and now some interesting knittingish things to tide you over:
This is the work of the incredibly amazing artist: Gisela Gamper Check out her other work to be totally blown away !

my new favorite picture..

2007-05-26T22:40:00.001-07:00

I didn't see the bee until the pic was developed!

procrastinating

2007-05-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to be trying to minimize my stash right? well i haven't had much time to dedicate to a new sweater project, but i'm getting there. I've been totally preoccupied with the notion that the Swallowtail Shawl will look perfect a bit smaller and thicker, more like a large triangular scarf than a shawl. Its looking lovely with the pewter yarn. pictures soon. the cascade 220 has been banished back to the stash for the time being.

i am so weak

2007-05-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

I am so weak. I am trying (rather helplessly i might add) to skim down my stash. I know that yarn-fasts don't work for me as i just go on a binge and buy everything in sight.. but i was hoping id have a bit of restraint. well.

there was a great yarn sale on at urban yarns, and i picked up 4 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Royal at 25% off. colour Pewter 701
Not sure entirely what to do with it of course, but this is TOTALLY an acceptable purchase as i was going to buy it before it went on sale anyway. might as well stock up while the getting is good! :) its like the colour of the sky on a grey cloudy day, but when the clouds are high in the sky so its still bright. so in other words the perfect shade of grey. and its soft. reeeaaallly soft. we're talking puppy-underbelly softness here folks.

next up, three bags full. best yarn shop name ever. they carry a very small amount of handspun yarn from yummy yarns. I bought roving called "pink clouds in the shape of elephants" how could i resist? its the colour of melted/wet pink cotton candy! and the handspun "pirate booty" its a plied yarn in contrasting colours, i will post pics soon. since i had this fantastic roving, i decided i needed a drop spindle. i've always wanted to learn to spin, and this will help me decrease my roving stash - again, a totally acceptable purchase. I bought a top whorl drop spindle in some fancy wood. its real pretty and polished.

yay! finally some pics!

2007-05-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Ladybugs frolicking in my Oregano!

here is my craft supply stash. I wasn't kidding about yarn and notions and books, but this actually includes all my felting and sewing supplies as well

next up to be eliminated:

Cascade 220 in a heathers colourway. the # escapes me right now. I have seven skeins that are destined to become a sweater. if i have enough left over a shrug as well. I love the beautiful heathery colour, its absolutely beautiful and will look great with either cables or as part of a plain design.

I'm not sure what exactly to make out of it. and recommendations are totally welcomed. I've still got a few wips to work through before getting into this big baby. Having Just Finished my first full garment, FO, the Bottom up seamless raglan from EZ's KWTs.. i'm taking a break with a quick to finish FO: The two-tone shrug from Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel. I'm using some beautiful hand dyed handspun %100 wool plied with nylon thread for the MC and hand spun hand dyed melted creamsicle orange angora for the contrast colour. I wasn't sure what to use but i'm so impressed with the colour combination.

here is the blurry pic of the pattern with the wip.

Here is the creamsicle goodness... mmm.... its relatively more peachy and a bit lighter.

here you can see the beautiful multicoloured handspun with a more true colour of the orange angora. Its amazing. i looove it. :) This is pretty much bang on for colour .

goals

2007-05-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

why do we set personal goals that are unattainable?

anyone who has been on a yarn-fast or yarn-diet, or even a yarn-try-not-to-buy-too-much-unless-its-on-sale can relate to this dillema: I have more yarn than i care to mention. Though to my defense, most (2/3rds or so) was donated to me through various sources. I also have almost every pattern and how to book out there. Though i have made maybe two patterns from any of these books, as i tend more towards the free ones on Knitty etc. BUT I just love my periodicals, and i tell myself that i am preserving this bit of knitting history for my children, potential knitting enthusiasts though they may or may not be.

So now i am repurposing this blog to serve me well. Whether i do or do not use it regularly. I will keep track and stay organized with my ever uncontrollable amount of yarn:

goal #1: keep a photographic journal detailing transitions from yarn to finished product. this shouldnt be too difficult. and could prove rather interesting.

goal #2: Knit all my own yarn up. Easier said than done. and im not even limiting my new yarn purchases. I never intend to be one of those so called rare non-stashers, as my creative process would be signifigantly diminished without a bright and deep stash. but i would like it to fit in my 8' x 8' storage area.

goal #3: Knit at LEAST one pattern from every book i own. This may or may not be extended to EVERY magazine i own. I'm at least knitting christmas ornaments for some people. we all know those patterns: mini-sweater, mini-socks. soo cute. why have i never knitted them before??

goal #4: never buy another set of circular or straight needles unless i am POSITIVE i dont own it already. is it really necessary to own 4 pairs of 16" circular 6mm needles? Am i the only one who does that?

2007-04-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

rest in peace. November 11th, 1922 - April 11th, 2007

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. one of the most original and amazingly creative writers of the 20th century is dead.

owls owls everywhere.

2007-04-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Owls Owls Everywhere. I wish i had a digital cam to post a pic of my boyfriends 1.5ft porcelain owl from germany.. Inherited from his grandmother, its his prized possession
now owls are popular and a true cult hit. interesting.
coincidence? i think not. I like that tattoo. soo cute. :) i would like to make something with an owl motif. intarsia? cables? hmm

finally. A LOTR fan with a sense of humor

2007-03-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

http://missedmanners.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/what-i-did-over-christmas-vacation/

American Politics..

2007-03-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich equated bilingual education Saturday with "the language of living in a ghetto" and mocked requirements that ballots be printed in multiple languages.

"The government should quit mandating that various documents be printed in any one of 700 languages depending on who randomly shows up" to vote, said Gingrich, who is considering seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He made the comments in a speech to the National Federation of Republican Women.

"The American people believe English should be the official language of the government. ... We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto," Gingrich said to cheers from the crowd of more than 100.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/31/gingrich.bilingual.ap/index.html

2007-03-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

This design looks like someone got slimed

This one reminded me of this Strong Man pic i had on file

I honestly think there are a select group of elite individuals who design knitted items for their barbies that turn out too big.. then think it would be cute to make it in human size.

I have to say. i wouldn't wear anything huge like the above pictures. but i love them. I think i love hideously impractical knits (not hideous in themselves, just the lack of practicality..is well, hideous) i think i love them because they generally show a true love of knitting.

the french tickler hat. that is by Catirina Bonet. she is amazing.

NYResolutionz baby

2007-03-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

I am determined to stick to my New Years Resolutions this year. If only because it is to do with something i love: Crafting - specifically knitting

here are my goals so far:

January: Entrelace - completed the famous Danica Scarf from Knitty. used Kureyon colourway #40

February: Complete set of Thrummed mittens: Not Completed..

March: Complete bottom up seamless sweater: down to the wire - using EZ's Knitting Without Tears seamless raglan pattern.

April: Complete Top-down seamless sweater: pattern TBA. Probably using Stephanie Japels book Fitted Knits -due to arrive any day now...

May: Complete 3D object - i've selected this month to complete my Peach Bag

June: Complete 2 pairs of socks: Log Cabin Socks - Male and Female versions

July: Complete felted vessle using this tutorial

August: Complete lace object: Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits

September: TBA

October: TBA

November: TBA

December: TBA - christmas stockings??...

peach w/pit bag/fruity bags

2007-03-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

Peach bag with Peach pit change purse.. now only how to do it? This could be my April Challenge... However, i already have carry-over from March with my "complete an EZ sweater pattern" as my goal for March.. more brainstorming needed.

Possibilites:

Wet felted with layering to achieve proper colouring and texture and shape of "peach" Another quality of wet felting that i love is its durability and the wonderful colour possibilites. so this is definately a must.

using some sort of soft fluffy fun fur held together with standard wool for a knitted-then-felted objet d'art..

peach pit: held in with a cord attached at the inside so it wont be lost: use nubbly "scribble" yarn held together with fine %100 wool for felting. have basically decided that it must be felted in order to achieve desired texture, 3D shape and "realistic" colour scheme.

photos curtesy Google Images search for "peach"

string in motion? hopefully

2007-03-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

The easiest way for a seriously dysfuntional knitter to organize her thoughts, inspirations and knitterly whims. keeping track of everything electronically should be easier.. well. We shall see.

today's quote:
"Ninety percent of everything is crap" - Theodore Sturgeon (1918 - 1985)