I Won A Camera!!

Ok, so I have been looking at possibly getting a new camera for a few months now. I have a Fuji Z10 little orange camera that is fantastic. I love it...in fact I got one for DS and DD a few years ago for Christmas. They love it. Mine fits in my purse so I always have it handy. But I saw this really cute little Fuji Waterproof camera and decided that maybe it is time to get a new one.

This past summer DD was on her canoe trip and her little pink Fuji Z10 camera was damaged beyond repair. She decided that maybe I should give her my orange one and I buy the new one that I wanted. I thoguht it was a great idea, but the money just wasn't there so I have been waiting...I figured that Christmas was coming and that would make a great gift for me and she could have mine.

Last week DH comes home from work and hands me a little scrap of paper with a web address on it and tells me that I have to enter this contest. It is a contest that is giving away the VERY camera that I want....and hey, you never know I could win....I really have nothing to lose except a few minutes of my life....so I went to the website www.getyourfujiwet.ca and filled out the form. I submitted it and forgot about it...This past Monday I get a phone call at work from some lady at Fuji. She is telling me that I Won the camera and should be receiving an email as confirmation. WOO HOO!!! Honestly, I thought she was kidding at first...then I checked my email and THERE IT WAS... Notification from the FujiFilm Company informing me that I was won of their winners and that I should fill out the release form and send it back. She also told me that they would be announcing on FaceBook that I had won...

Well I did just that. I signed what I had to, and then told me that I would be receiving my new camera in about a week or so. THAT was Monday...on Wednesday morning, my shiny new camera arrived!!! I was so impressed and excited. I charged the battery right away and started to check out my NEW underwater camera. It is AWESOME!!! I will definately be posting some great pictures in the near future...

FujiFilm is giving away a free underwater Z33WP camera a day from November 9 to December 24th and all you have to do is fill out the form!!!

Thanks Fuji. I love my NEW camera and DD loves her NEW old camera...*LOL*

Maybe my luck is starting to change for the better!

Knitting Quick Things!

OK. I have to admit I have been very busy knitting. I am trying to get my Christmas gifts knit and feel that I am on my way...

I decided this year that the smaller shawl slash scarf was the thing to knit. So far I have completed 4... I also have a Clapotis and a pair of socks done....just need to decide who is getting what.

I decided that the Aestlight shawl that I knit for the Sketchy KAL is going to be given to someone.

I also knit Traveling Woman, 198 yards of Heaven, Ishbel and am currently finishing up the Dandy Neckerchief. They have all been fairly fast and simple but I think they look great. I was hoping to get a few more done for the 'teenagers' on my list.

Traveling Woman and Ishbel were knit using Silky Wool that I bought off of Kirsty. Ishbel is knit in a Pink colour and Traveling Woman is a dark purple. Each Shawl took less than 2 skeins of yarn. I was quite pleased with how they turned out.

I haven't taken a picture of 198 Yards of Heaven yet. It is blocking as I type this. I will try to get it uploaded tomorrow. I used Estelle 100% Silk for this one. I had a few balls leftover from my Corset top that was made a while ago. I used a larger needle than was suggested so I used about 220 yards instead.

I am now working on the Dandy Neckerchief...it is knit using Cascades 220 Heather in a teal colour. Talk about fast...I started this one last night and only have a few more repeats to go before I cast off. I should be finished this evening! At this rate I may get my Christmas knitting complete well in advance! Woo Hoo!

I am also working on a shawl for me. I want to wear it to DH's work Christmas dinner / party at the end of November. I started Night Blooms but am having second thoughts about it as I am using fingering weight yarn and I think that one should really be done in the DK weigh. I am going to give Cumparsita a try. I was originally going to do it but then decided that I liked the Night Blooms better. Not happening...

My knitting group, The Sketchy Knitters decided back in January that we were going to knit some squares to be sewn into blankets for charity. I have completed all of them to date, but only have photos of 4 of them...

Sorry about the crappy pictures. I really need to work on improving them. Each square is a different month in the overall pattern. I have also learned how to read a chart now as a result of doing these squares. The designer has incorporated a new technique into each month. Cabling without a needle was another learned technique.

This past weekend was our Canadian Thanksgiving. I had 3 glorious days off. The weather was good, we got all our outside household chores done. Gardening, lawn cut, and pool closed. Dinner was in there as well. We went to SIL's on Sunday for a ham and scalloped potato dinner. It was nice. Monday DH cooked our own turkey. An 18lb turkey for 4 of us....we had it all...turkey, mashed potatos, turnip, gravy, stuffing and pumpkin pie. There was so much leftover that I put enough in the freezer for 2 future meals. We ate it the next day and I made soup as well. You gotta love a turkey!

My pumpkin pie was a hit as well. I made a few extra tarts for my father as he loves my pies and pastry, but since I didn't have enough fixings for another pie, tarts it was. They were delivered the next morning and probably eaten before I was down the road. *LOL*

So now after that we are all back to work as usual. There are no more long weekend until Christmas...too bad!

Keep on knitting!

The Great Hunting/Knitting Trip

It's that time of year again...hunting season. I just returned home this past weekend from my great hunting slash knitting trip.

I went last year with DH to northern Ontario to hunt moose. Well MY original plan was to get away and just knit for the week, but the closer the departure date got, the more I thought I should try to get my hunting license. So the week befroe we left last year I took the Hunter Safety Education and Firearms Safety Course and passed. I was now armed with a license to kill. I didn't know if I could ACTUALLY do it but I was allowed.

DH decided that it would be cool to take a few pictures with my Sock Wars mug. So you will see them here and from time to time in my pictures!

So as this years hunting season approached I realized that I truly wanted to go again. I made all the arrangements to have everyone looked after while I was gone, kids, dog, business (THAT was no simple task either, as the person who was going to do it cancelled at the last minute) BUT my BEST friend Della, stepped up and took my herd in so that I could get the much needed sanity break!

The day we were leaving, DH and I packed everything in the truck. It was a FULL truck. Hunting clothes, regular clothes, bows, guns, sleeping bags and Knitting , of course. I had packed about 5 projects to take on this trip. I figured that I had a nine hour drive there, the time I was away and a nine hour drive home. Was 5 going to be enough? Sure it was.....

We were off, only an hour and a half late but that was okay. I was knitting 198 yards of Heaven. A small triangular scarf. It was knit using Silky wool that I had bought from a fellow Raveler.

The drive up to hunt camp was uneventful. We arrived around 7:30ish...just in time for dinner! What luck.

This is one of the beavers that I saw.

The weeks, daily routines consisted of us getting up in the morning, some, (there were 8 of us), got up early and went out to hunt, others got up around 8 and just puttered around camp for the morning, 10:30 was breakfast. We ate so much bacon on this trip that I have had withdrawl symptoms. Once breaky was done, we were free to do what ever we wanted. Some of the guys went fishing, others went scouting and others puttered around camp and sighted in their guns. DH and I did a bit of each. I killed a few golf balls, sighting in my gun. It was great fun...

This is Timbert, the Moose in Timmins, Ontario. Unfortunately, HE was the only moose I saw this trip.

I decided that once I arrive in camp I would knit a pair of socks. Last year I had mentioned to the other woman there, D, that I would eventually knit her a pair of socks. Well, this was the year. I started on the Sunday. I just knit a simple 2 x 2 rib for the leg and a plain foot. The kicker was that D wanted knee socks. So I adjusted the stitch count and kept checking them against her legs. I used a Finnish Sock yarn that I had received in a swap. The socks turned out to be pretty good. They fit her perfectly and she was thrilled to have a custom made pair. A few comments were made wondering who I was going to knit the next pair of socks for...I had said that maybe I should make that a tradition, that each year someone different gets a pair of socks knit for them. They were in agreement....

I saw quite a few different animals this year. Not as many as last though. I walked by a young lynx, we saw beavers, loons, a young bald eagle and a full grown adult one. (It was gorgeous and so majestic) I thought of all my US friends out there when I saw him fly over!

I got to go out in a small motorized fishing boat and in a canoe. I haven't been in a canoe since I was about 8 at Girl Guide Camp. The scenery was lovely.

While I sat in the bush waiting for the moose to walk by (no, I didn't see one at all!) I read a few books, knit a few projects and generally had a great relaxing time. Being in the forest/bush is relaxing and peaceful, not quiet...but peaceful!

I was very sad on our last day. I really didn't want to come home. I could have stayed there longer. DH and I packed up the truck again and headed out for home. I knit almost the whole ride home. I was working on the 2009 Charity Afghan squares that the Sketchy Knitters are making. I even had a woman in a passing vehicle wave at me as she pulled out her knitting!

Work the next day was a bit difficult, to say the least...Reality sucks!

Before I left I finished the socks I was knitting for DS's friend. The are just a plain basic sock knit using Schoeller+Stahl Fortissima Socka Bamboo yarn in a blue colourway.

Knitting Night was this week as well. It was nice to see everyone. We are planning a road trip at the end of this month that will include a few yarn stores and a winery or 2.

Well I have rambled enough for now.

Keep on knitting!

An Award! Woo Hoo!!!!

Thank you, Nancy from A Little Bit Wired for sending me this Domestic Witch Blog Award!

I have never received one before, so this is quite exciting! I am not very magical but I can be really Crafty.....
I will follow the rules and pass this onto 3 other deserving Magical Crafty people!

A :-) from Knit and Run

Paula from A Piper Knits

Zonda from Z Knits

Thank you again Nancy!

Point to Ponder....

This is just going to be a short blog post today....
I was just wondering how 2 people who grew up in the same household, with the same parents, same experiences can be so different in their lifestyle choice and parenting style.
I mean really, how does one sibling become indifferent to the same rules and teachings that they grew up with and yet the other one tries to live by them...
Now don't get me wrong...the upbringing was not rigid or strict unless the situation warranted it. The home was well kept, the children were in activities and looked after. So to stray that far from it is beyond my thinking.....
I just don't get how they can be THAT different.....is it really Nature vs. Nurture? Maybe after they leave home? Is one stronger than the other or is it something else? I don't know.....
Point to Ponder.....

Here We Go Again!

Ok, I have been busy knitting alot of things...Oh Yea and getting ready for school to start and for me to go hunting with DH!. I am looking forward to my trip up north with him again. I have a few knitting project already picked out to bring with me.

DD is taking part, first semester in The Bronte Creek project. It is a leadership program that focuses on the environment. She will earn 4 high school credits and learn alot. She is really looking forward to it.

DS is going to go back for one more year of High school as he would like to take 2 more sciences and a math. He figures that if he takes those credits then he will have NO problem getting into Memorial university for Oceanography / Marine Biology. He is going to go to the school that he went to for grades 9 & 10. That school id about a 1/2 hour drive from where we are now but he wants to take music as well and they have a Wonderful music program and very inspiring teacher as well! So who am I to argue!

I have repaired - darned - sewn a pair of Highland Dance hose for a dancer, that had numerous holes and a few split seams. I couldn't match the colour of yarn so I had to spin a few yards in order to fix them.

I have also made a few more hammered copper shawl pins for our Etsy site, SKWD Creations.

My knitting group is in the process of doing a Shawl KAL. I decided to knit the Aestlight Shawl in a dark blue yarn that is really nice. The yarn is Curious Creek Fibers Wasonga in the colourway Old Kinsale. I received the yarn from the WoolGirl Sock Club. The pattern knit up VERY fast. The center triangle is straight knitting (garter stitch), It doesn't get any faster than that. We started the KAL on August 20th and the goal was to have 5 inches of our respective shawls done by our next gathering (2 weeks later), well I am done. I will definately knit another shawl for this KAL, as the Aestlight one was too quick in my mind. Lovely, but quick!

The one I want to do is La Cumparsita. One of the others in my knitting group is doing it and I absolutely love it. I want to wear it for my DH's Christmas party. I think it would look stunning with a black dress. The colour that I want to knit it in is Veronica, a black/purple/pink colourway by Dizzy Blonde Studios.

I also started a pair of socks. The pattern is written in Finnish. It is called Bombadil. One of the girls in the Sketchy knitters made them and translated the pattern. I like how they are turing out. They have trailing leaves on them.

I also started a plain sock for DS's friend. They are in a self striping yarn.

I finished the Clapotis. It turned out okay. I ran out of the original dyed yarn and had to use part of the make up skein but unless you are looking for the difference you will never notice. I did okay with regards to attempting to match the kool-aid dyed yarn. I am pretty impressed with myself! I made the clapotis a bit longer that the pattern called for. It is not as wide as I thought it was going to be when I blocked it. I may give it to someone for a christmas gift. I haven't decided yet. Either way I am happy with the way it turned out.

I will try to post a few picutres either today or tomorrow.
Keep on Knitting!

August Already!!!

Well here I go again! It has been too long since my last post. I have been busy again though...blah, blah...not what you want to hear...oh well sorry!

Here goes....

The socks that I was working on last post for DD's friends mom are done and gifted. She loves them. She was so shocked that I would consider giving her a pair of knitted socks....I love to knit them and then give them away. I feel good inside...so in reality I am selfish for doing it since I get something out of it too! I will post a picture of the completed socks tonight.... The pattern was Copper Penny socks from the book Knitting with HandPainted Yarn. I changed from the Blackrose pattern that I started with. I didn't like how it looked with the yarn. The yarn was Fleece Artist Merino 2/6 in a lovely red, pink and yellow colourway! The yarn was very soft and I enjoyed knitting with this yarn.

The next pair I knit was for DD's Friend, D. He made a comment to me one day that IF I wanted to knit him a pair of socks that he would love them forever.....I told him probably not for a while and when I found out that he had size 13.5 feet. I figured it would be a LONG while! LOL But the suck that I am I decided to knit his pair next...OMG do you know how long it takes to knit a 13.5 sock....TOO BLOODY LONG!!!! But since I gave him the pair on Friday, I don't think he has taken them off! He really likes them too. The pattern was Barcelona by Helen Waites. I only knit the pattern on the leg portion of the sock, not the top of the foot. The yarn was ONline SuperSock 100.

I have no trouble knitting for people who are appreciative. It really does make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

I also started a Clapotis. I do believe that I am the last person on the planet to knit one of these...

I am using KnitPicks Gloss yarn in the sock weight. It started out as being the colour Porcini, but I decided that I wanted it to be a purple colour...so I Koolaid dyed it. It is a heathery burgundy colour with some dark purple bits and brighter pink bits. I am happy with the colour that it turned but I was an idiot and only dyed 3 out of the 4 skeins (don't ask...). I tried to dye the lone skein and it came close but not quite, so I think once I have it all finished I will over dye the Clapotis a darker purple...since that was what I originally wanted in the first place. Neither picture is really the true colour. I am making great progress on it. I believe that I am 8 repeats into the main section. It is a very quick knit, with just enough interest to keep you awake.

I am trying to get this done before my next Sketchy get together as we are starting a Shawl KAL. We are all going to do a different shawl but we will have to be accountable to each other in order to get it done. I can hardly wait to see what everyone pick to knit, and the yarn that they are going to use. I am going to knit the Aestlight Shawl using Curious Creek Fibers Wasonga in the Old Kinsale colourway. It is a dark blue yarn that looks so rich and feel so soft.

Also, since my last post, my 2 kids have been on and returned from their 17 day canoe trip in the Temagami area with their Youth Group. There was 15 of them in the group this time and my 2 were amongst them. They had a blast. Unfortunately it rained a good portion of their trip but then being teenagers I don't think that hampered them in any way shape or form. They canoed about 250kms over the 17 days. They had rest days and paddling days, but mostly they had fun days. They were so tired and dirty when they got home...I couldn't tell where the tan ended and the dirtline began! *LOL*

While DD & DS were away, DH was on afternoon shift and that left me alone every evening. So I went visiting. I was at Della's house a few evenings, we worked on the knitting machine, trying to make the highland argyle socks for our dancers. Della came over to my house and we got a few things cleaned up and moved around. and I had a Sketchy Knitting night. The time passed quickly but was enjoyable and I got alot accomplished...

Well that is about it for now.
Happy Knitting...

Grad, Knitting, Driving and Life in General...

This post is going to be picture heavy...sorry but alot has gone on in my world this past month and I have to show you.

First off...DS Graduated from High School! Yea!!! Grade 12 is done with...Woo Hoo! He received a scholarship award from the Burlington Lions club for community service. What a surprise for him. He was thrilled. (So was Mom! *LOL*)

Now on to the next part of his life...except that the next part includes doing another year of high school...Oh well, he WANTS to do this. He needs a few more science credits to be accepted to the university he wants to go to. So I say 'YEA!' for another year of high school. Saves me a few dollars this year! LOL

Now for the Knitting...

I have been busy and here is the proof...

I received my WoolGirl Sock Club kits. One of them went MIA so Jen sent me a new one. It is gorgeous! The yarn is Curious Creek and the colourway is Kinsale. The blue is Beautiful!

The other kit that I received was the 'It's Raining Cats & Dogs' theme. It was a really fun kit as well. The yarn is Dream in Colour Smooshy and is a brindle sort of colour similar to Tigers fur. The goodies that were also included are great! What fun Jen must have had putting these together!

I received a pair of Air Raid socks as my Death socks for Sock Wars and a friend loved them so much I had to knit her a pair! Here they are. They are knit using Malabrigo sock yarn and a 2.75mm Addi Circular needle. I love them and I know she does too!

I also wanted to try the Insidious pattern from Sock Wars, so once I died I decided to give them a try. Here they are. I knit them using KnitPicks Essential Kettle Dyed yarn in the gold colourway. They turned out pretty good. I like the 'strong' heel that the pattern uses. These were the first cables that I have ever done on a sock...

I also decided that I wanted to try to knit a shrug. So I decided to give the Cropped Raglan Sweater a try. I really like this and it was very easy and fast! I knit it out of dish cloth cotton. It is soft and I figure that it will wash like a rag, which in my world is a good thing! I even got to use my shawl pin that I made.

I also reknit the button band on my Mr. Greenjeans Sweater as it wasn't sitting right. It is blocking right now. The girls at my Sketchy Knit Night helped me to fix what I needed to so it would look okay. I love those girls!

DD's best friend's mom is going through some trying times right now in her personal life right now and I wanted to do something for her. A little while ago she commented on a pair of socks that I was knitting and how much she liked them so I decided to knit a pair for her! I know hand knit socks can't fix all the problems in the world right now, but if we keep on knitting them maybe one day they will! At the very least they make someone smile.

I am using Fleece Artist sock yarn in a colour that I picked up from Linda's Craftique last Saturday. The pattern is Blackrose. It has a little bit of a lace look without being too busy.

Last Saturday was a crazy day in my world. I think I drove all over Hell's Half Acre then. I had top be in 3 places that day. I was supposed to go to Chatham for a Highland Dance competition to seel dance shoes but Della didn't have anyone to look after her dogs for the day. And it was going to be a LONG day! So I volunteered to stay home and tend to the hounds. She went with her DD. They had a good networking day.

DH went to his brother's annual golf tournament in Guelph. They call it 'Puke and Putt 2009'. It is the 14th annual one and with a name like that you can guess how much fun they have.

I was also going to meet up with Kirstie from my knitting group at her LYS and visit there for a while.

So here's how my day went...I got up and drove DH to Guelph for 9:30ish (about an hour drive) then headed back to Oakville to tend to the dogs (mine included). (about an hour drive). I hung out with the hounds (Hasia, Betty, Lucy and Tiger) about 2 hours and got some knitting done. It was a nice sunny day and we sat outside...well I sat, they ran and flopped!

I got a call from Kirstie saying that she was leaving her place and that if I wanted to get ready soon she would meet me at the yarn store. That was about 2ish. So I left the dogs and headed out to the next city over. (about a 20 minute drive) I arrived a bit before Kirstie and met my Sock Wars assassin, MarionK. Apparently it is common for people to hang out at their LYS on a Saturday. What a great afternoon I had. There was coffee and cake, great company, as well as the Yummy yarns. It doesn't get any better than that! I think we finally left at about 5:30ish. I know we closed the store.

I headed back to check on the dogs and to pick up my Tiger....After staying with the dogs for about 45 minutes I got the phone call from DH telling me it was time to head back up to Guelph (another hours drive) to pick him up. So I called Della to tell her that I was leaving the dogs alone again (she was on her way home at that point) and headed out to my home to drop off Tiger.

I got to Guelph about 8:30, stayed for about a 1/2 hour, said 'Hi' to everyone that I knew and we, (DH and I), headed home (another hours drive). We got home around 10ish. I was done! I had a great day but I figure I drove about 350kms. I am glad that the golf tournament only happens once a year. I much prefer being a passenger in a vehicle as I get to knit. This driving alot sucks!

This is a picture of Tiger the next day! He was so tired after his day of visiting his girlfriends that he couldn't hold his own head up...he had to use his hedgehog...LOL

On that note...I have rambled enough...Happy Knitting!

Where Has June Gone?

Ok, here we are more than half way through June and the weather is still crappy! WTH is going on...

I have been crazy busy this month...we have had tattoo practices, the actual tattoo, school functions, knitting night, work, dance classes, a dance competition and just about every other evening out of the house. I would like school to be over, dance classes to be done and my evenings to be my own again! Soon, very soon....

This coming weekend we are out at a family surprise function and then next week is knitting night and DS's Graduation from High School. There has been a bit of a kerschmuffle about knitting night as most of our little group will not be attending on Thursday...due to different reasons, (mine being DS's Grad!) so we have decided to switch ourt evening to the Wednesday evening. WOO HOO!! That means that I get to go this time! I really hate missing it. It's funny how much you notice when you miss it.

Well this past weekend DD was involved again with the Canadian International Military Tattoo in Hamilton, Ontario. She was one of many tattoo dancers who did an excellent job!

Meanwhile, Della and I went to Windsor on Saturday for a dance competition....we went to sell Ghillies. Our company, The Tartan Ghillie, was asked to attend to sell the dance shoes. The dance competiton was a small one but held in a lovely setting. It was at Fort Malden in Amherstberg.

I did quite a bit of knitting as well. I am on the sleeves of my Mr. Greenjeans sweater and have turned the heel on the Insidious socks. I have also knit the June square for our Sketchy group charity blanket. I even knit an extra May square and learned to cable without a needle! THAT was very exciting and way quicker!

Happy Knitting!

Grad, Prom and Knitting, of Course!

Today is Tuesday...I am not feeling very creative but I thought that I should probably update my blog!

Quite a bit has actually happened since I last blogged.

DS has been to Prom in May and the Grad Dinner and Dance the other evening. He went with the same girl to both events. She is a friend of his. They had a good time at Grad and a funny time at Prom. Grad is run by the teachers and school and Prom is run by the students....One had supervision and the other...not so much! There were apparently kids at Prom totally smashed...so much so that their limo ride home left! Not my kid...he drove my vehicle and was responsible. So were his immediate friends. I was very proud of them!

Here is a picture of DS dressed for his Grad Dinner and Dance. He is turning out to be a good looking, responsible person. (well almost!)

This is DS & his date for Grad D & D

This is DS and his date for Prom. They look really cute together!

On the knitting front...I have been working on the Mr. Greenjeanssweater for me! I am using Cascades 220 in the Ruby colour. The picturee is really off with the colour. It is a deeper cooler red. I love it.

I am to the point wehre I have to decide if it is long enough for me so I decided to wait till tomorrow's Knit Night to get some opinions from the Sketchy Girls!

Hugs & Kisses Socks....I FINALLY finished them for DH. I started them back in April but ran out of yarn as DH has wide feet. I emailed a few people on Ravelry and got 2 responses ffrom people who were willing to send me their scraps of the same colour yarn. Man! I LOVE Ravelry for things like that. There are some Wonderful Knitters out there who are willing to help you even if it is just with a scrap of yarn! Gotta love knitter!

The Socks were knit using Cascades Heritage Paints yarn in the Thunder colourway using 2.5mm Addi's. I modified Cookie A's, Milo pattern from her new book, Sock Innovation. I only used the back X & O ribbing from it. The rest of the sock is plain ribbing. They fit DH really well.

I also started the Sock Wars sock pattern Insidious. I like it alot and was tempted to give it a try as my killer socks but decided that I wasn't up to the challenge of the left and right socks being different. So I started it the other day! I am using a semi solid yarn from Knitpicks. It is Kettle dyed fingering yarn in the gold colour. I will post pictures later if I get a chance.

Tomorrow evening is my Sketchy Knitting Night. I am really looking forward to it! Ilike getting together with the girls, we talk, knit and laugh!

Well that is about all for now.

Happy Knitting!