Thank you, Jenna Rose

I was the lucky recipient of a very pretty and generous giveaway. Given my recent love affair with grey, it was tailor-made for me. Fellow Canadian Jenna Rose sent me such a lovely package. She creates gorgeous products from her own screen printed fabrics. I highly suggest you check out her shop because my photos here don't do these justice. The quality is lovely, everything is beautifully made!


This canvas hobo bag in the mum pattern is super cute, perfectly proportioned and so comfortable to wear.




How charming is this bicycle print tea towel? I must admit I can't imagine wiping my hands on it. I think I might use it as a little wall hanging.


Isn't this little cityscape pin cute?

Thank you so much, Jenna Rose!

Dear commenters

A little apology to all the sweet peeps that have left me comments lately. I just did the switch-over from the old Haloscan back to Blogger comments, but unfortunately that wiped all my comments out. I had to switch, because I hated Haloscan's replacement, Echo. I had no way of replying to comments directly, which is why I haven't been answering you all.

Know that I did receive and read all your comments. They are most definitely appreciated. Hopefully the conversation can now resume....

Sweetness

I'm making good on my New Year's resolution, not dwelling on what I don't love (a torn ACL which means no x-country skiing this winter, and a blood clot in my leg that may or may not be a deep vein thrombosis) and instead being mindful of what I do love (insurance-covered weekly massage therapy, an excuse not to do housework, and more knitting time).

Today I love:


Recently completed Regina Mitts. Details here.


Jo Sharp Silkroad DK, gifted by a sweet bloggy friend.



Covering older and not-warm-enough mitts with shiny new ones. I also love toasty fingers.




More Jo Sharp Silkroad, bought on sale with a Christmas gift-certificate, and used to test knit for another sweet bloggy friend. I especially love the soft beeswax yellow with grey flecks.


A beautiful silver necklace from my love that reads "Thy sweetness is my life".

Have yourself a sweet-filled weekend!

Quiet and cozy

Goodbye, crazy 2009, hello quiet and cozy 2010 (at least, that's what I'm wishing for).

My new year's resolution is to be mindful of what I love, and not dwell on what I don't love.


Today I love: tweedy wool, soft colours, tiny bobbles.

Hope your 2010 is what you wish for too.

Malabrigo weave scarf

This one was a long time coming.


Some Malabrigo goodness for me. This sat in my office knitting basket for quite a long time, progressing slowly as I stole a few furtive stitches here and there during lunch break.

I became quite proficient at cabling without a cable needle on this one. The fuzziness of the Malabrigo means the stitches want to stay put, making the job a whole lot easier.



I took the pattern out of one of my stitch dictionaries. Here's what I did if you would like to knit your own. It's dead easy:


Malabrigo Weave Scarf

Yarn: 4-5 skeins of Malabrigo Worsted, seen here in Grey Pearl (I used 5 skeins, because I wanted an extra long scarf, but 4 would be more than enough for an average length scarf.)
Needles: 6 mm, or whatever size gives you a pleasing fabric. I'm not specifying gauge here, because it's not crucial.

Cables:
4CF: put next 2 stitches on cable needle, bring to front, knit next 2 stitches, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle
4CB: put next 2 stitches on cable needle, bring to back, knit next 2 stitches, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle

Instructions:
Cast-on 46 stitches (or a multiple of 4+2)

Row 1(RS): K2, *4CF (repeat * to end)
Row 2(WS): Purl to end
Row 3: *4CB (repeat * to last 2 sts), K2
Row 4: Purl to end

Keep going till you get the desired length. I didn't want to add a fringe, but that means that my edges curl a bit, which is ok, because I wear it looped around my neck with the edges tucked under (the giant cowl look). You might want to add a fringe, or start with a garter band to flatten the ends.



More info on the pattern can be found here on Ravelry. I'll try and write it up as a PDF over the Christmas holidays. Let me know if you end up making one. I'd love to see!

The silver lining

Thank you for your sweet messages. They were so comforting. No need to worry though, I'm recovering quite well from my accident. My knee is still sore, but getting better. Hopefully I'll be up and running soon.

The silver lining to all this commotion? Convalescence knitting!



Pattern: Konnichiwa, from the lovely Knitted Socks East and West, by Judy Sumner
Yarn: Rowan Magpie Aran (discontinued), 2 skeins in grey
Needles: 4.5 mm dpns
Mods: none


(Sorry I could only manage close-ups. With my bum knee, I couldn't steady myself enough to take a good overhead shot.)

Too thick for shoes, but perfect for keeping my feet nice and warm as I curl up on the sofa with a good book. Have a warm and toasty weekend!

So thankful!

As my American friends celebrate thanksgiving this weekend, I too have so much to be grateful for. You see, Friday night, I had a little accident. I was hit by a car while running. I was crossing a busy street at the crosswalk (I did have the right of way) and a turning car didn't see me and struck me. Miraculously, I have no serious injuries. My right knee is a bit busted up, and I have bruises and scrapes everywhere, but I'm so insanely happy to be in one piece.

The whole thing was so surreal. The sudden, intense blow to the body (I did not see it coming), the crowd of people, the sirens, the ambulance ride—it was so weird. Surprisingly, I was quite calm. My only worry was that my husband would be scared when he got the call from the police. Once he showed up at the hospital I felt better. It took a long time while they checked me out (x-rays, cat scans, tetanus shot, glueing my head back together—fun times!) but the final verdict was that I would come out of it alive and happy.

And friends, I am SO HAPPY! You can't even imagine! Happy that I'm here, happy to live in a country with universal health care (I can't imagine the medical bills I would have otherwise!) happy for all the lovely people that care about me, and happy that I can still knit (no damage to the hands, people!)

The paramedic told me I should buy a lottery ticket. What a lucky girl I am! My marathon training might have to wait, but I don't care. Walking with a cane is a blessing compared to the alternative.

So, let's spread some of this luck around. On to the Selvedge giveaway. The random number generator picked Cornflower as the lucky winner (visit her great blog and book club!) Congratulations! Please email me with your address and I'll send the magazine to you, as soon as I can hobble to the post office.

Happy thanksgiving everyone!