Thursday, July 24, 2008

Friday Fill-Ins # 82

1. I believe whatever doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.
2. If you're good at something, you must have worked hard to get there.
3. Why so glum chum?
4. Something is out there, it's a bird, no it's a plane, no it's *Superman*!
5. If my life were a sitcom, it would be titled Livin' the Single Life.
6. Sitting on my back porch I see trees, and other apartments.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to seeing L, tomorrow my plans include helping L&K move and Sunday, I want to visit L&K's church!

I've off to Mayne Island for the week, so I'll be incommunicato (aka out of communication) for the week.

PS. I saw this pin wheel blanket (ravelry link) on someone's blog and now I really want to make one!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Here's looking at you kid!

I had a great weekend, but in true Julia fashion I've neglected to blog about it. I had a fun time at Taste of the City with my sister, her husband, his sister, and her finance. Ate lots of yummy food including ice cream from Marble Slab Creamery. (They just came to New Westminster, BC and our family is loving it! I just checked their website and although there are only 8 locations in all of BC, appearantly they have locations ALL OVER Texas!)

Saturday night I went to my friend M's house, where she and her husband (ok, mainly her husband) have a projection TV. The screen takes up the entire wall of their living room! She invited me to come watch Casablanca with her and some friends. I jumped at the chance! I have always wanted to see this movie, but my local Rogers doesn't have it on DVD (and I don't have VHS). It was a great movie, and I like it so much that I hope to re-watch it someday.

I receieved my yarn package today from my Ravelry yarn swap pal. Its a $30.00 swap and we were each matched up to someone from another country. I was matched with Kristine. (Her blog is all in Norwegian, but her Ravelry page has some amazing fair isle mittens. Go check it out.) She sent me 4 skeins are wool: 1 black, 1 red, and 2 blue and white mixed skeins. They are meant to be knit on 3.5mm needles. I've never knit anything with wool. Does anyone have a good pattern suggestion? (I told my sister that I would knit her a pair of slippers this winter so I think I might use some of this wool for that.)

I have no pictures because I still don't have a digital camera. I think I'm getting closer to buying one though. My brother got a $350.00 digital camera and it's soooo nice. Nothing like a little jealousy to get you motivated into saving up for one of your own huh?

Monday evening I went to the Vancouver Knitting Meetup. I got to see fellow blogger Monica there, and meet some new knitters too. I enjoying seeing what other people are knitting. It usually inspires me to keep knitting (are start knitting again, as the case may be!)

I have finally corrected the socks. Yuck! Next time remind me not to mess up in the first place. :) I've ripped back, picked up the stitches, and re-counted everything. I'm now on track to start knitting again. It looks a little messier since the rip back but hopefully once I've knit a couple more rows it'll look better.

Anyway, I'm signing off because Friends is on TV and its seems like the perfect knitting time.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Friday Fill-Ins # 81

1. If I could be a fly on the wall I would really like it (I think).
2. Jealousy is like a burning fire.
3. When I see a shooting star my wish would be that I find that special someone.
4. I'd rather be hot than cold any day!
5. Certain songs when I hear them make me wanna dance.
6. If time were in a bottle I would leave it alone and it would come out when its ready.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to Girl's Night at my house, tomorrow my plans include a family reunion and Taste of the City and Sunday, I want to read...sit by the pool...swim!

I haven't been reading or knitting much this week, so no finished anything reports! The weather has been really great though ~ I love summer!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Who is the queen of procrastination?

Me, thats who! Rather than fix the debackle from Friday I have cast on 3 new projects. Fetching from Knitty.com, Sheldon also from Knitty, and the ballband dishcloth (I found the pattern on Ravelry)

Today was my dad's birthday and my family got together for lunch. I got to see and hold baby J again. :) Nothing makes me happier that getting to see him!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Grumble, grumble

I just noticed that I have knit the last 12 or so rows my sock wrong! ahhhhhhhhh! I've been doing the K2tog in the wrong place. It still looks like a sock and I could keep going but I (and any other knitter) would know that its wrong. I know that I'll have to rip it back but I can't go through with it tonight. Anyway, do you know how hard it is pickup such small stitches? I'm using 2.5mm needles and of course the stitches will shink once the needle is removed. I'm so disappointed. I was really looking forward to doing alot of knitting tonight.

And to top it all of when I tried to get to the Friday Fill-Ins page my stupid, slow computer won't let me get to that page. Grumble, grumble.....

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

My first (partial) sock

Considering that my blog is called "My Knit Blog" (so unoriginal, I know!) it's really been a while since I've posted about anything knitted. I when to the SCC knitting group Monday night so I finally picked up some needles. I was working away on my first knitted sock. I've finished turning the heal and I'm starting to pickup the side stitches. I was so excited when I finished turning the heal! It actually looks like a sock at that point (as opposed to just a knitted cylinder).

My mom, sister, and brother saw the partial sock around a week and a half ago at Mayne Island. They were all so impressed at the colour patterns. I'm using a self patterning yarn and they all thought that I was using different coloured yarn to get the patterns! Ya right! I have yet to make something using different coloured yarns. Anyway, I'll leave you with a pic of above mentioned sock (taken about a week or two ago).


Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Mayne Island and contest



I wanted to share this sunset picture with you. It was taken on the Canada Day non-long-weekend long weekend. (ie: I took Monday, June 30th off of work.) To be fair we had to drive to a park to see the sunset but it was only a 10 minute drive. Nice huh?

Here's a picture of the cabin we stayed in. Its pretty basic (ie: bring your own sleeping bag, no radio or TV) but it's a great place to relax, read, and spend time with the family.


The last thing (but main purpose) of this post is to let you know about Monica's contest. She has reached 1000 posts at her blog, Monniblog, and she's having a contest to celebrate. Go here to enter. She is the one who encouraged me to start blogging. Thanks Monica! And happy blogoversary!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Friday Fill-Ins # 79

1. Holidays in the summer are the best thing about summer.
2. Hamburgers are my favorite things to grill.
3. My thoughts are mine alone.
4. Dinner with A & M and then seeing Sex and the City (finally) is what I'm most looking forward to this weekend!
5. My favorite book so far this summer is Thorn in My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs.
6. Lounging around in bed is the best way to begin a day.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to dinner and a movie with A & M, tomorrow my plans include reading and Sunday, I want to have lunch with G & L after church!

Book Review: Anne of Green Gables



Last week I finished Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. As mentioned before I have watched the 1985 movie about a million times. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading the book. The book is abit different from the movie, but knowing that most movies are not as good as their books I was surprised that the movie did a pretty good job of being true to the book.

I won't recap the book because really if you haven't read the book or seen the movie where have you been for the last 20 years?? The main difference that stands out in my mind is the death of Matthew. In the movie he dies because of old age and hard work. In the book he dies of a heart attack after learning all his money is gone (bank collapse).

The book cover to the left is the original cover from the first edition, which was published in June 1908.

Although I've loved the movie for many years I've learned some new things from Wikipedia:
  • There are 8 books in the series (Anne's age in the book listed on Wikipedia)
  • Movies about the book were made as early as 1919
  • There is a new TV mini-series coming out next year
  • There was a cartoon about Anne in 2000, and a Japanese anime TV series back in 1979

Knowing that I'm a fan of the show, when my parents took a vacation of the eastern provinces a couple of years ago they brought me back a bottle of Raspberry Cordial from the PEI. You can be sure I'll be reading the rest of the series when I finish with the rest of my summer reading. I need to get started on my books for the Southern Reading Challenge.

I am the only one, or did anyone else have a crush on Gilbert Blythe's character in Jr. high school?

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Mayne Island and Book Review


I arrived back from four days at Mayne Island with my family late yesterday. We had a great time! The weather was perfect, warm and sunny on all days. I got to hold baby J lots and lots! I didn't do any knitting the entire weekend, but I did a lot of reading!

I finished Fair is the Rose by Liz Curtis Higgs in four days. This book is the second in a series of four. I loved the first book in this series, and this book continued the story. I enjoyed the book and found it to be a real page turner. Unfortunately there were some aspects of the story that made it hard to believe. At the begining of the book Jamie loves and is married to Leana, but during the book due to a records decreapancy, he is forced into a loveless marriage to her sister Rose, but ends up loving her too. I know the story is based in 1790 but can a love that deep be changed from one one sister to another so quickly? Overall I still enjoyed it and I still plan to read the last two books in the series.
While clicking through Ravelry at work (don't tell my boss :P ) found this stitch dictionary. Since I don't have any stitch dictionaries in book format I found this really interesting. There was a dishcloth made from the waffle stitch that looked cool. I might make a dishcloths with that stitch someday just to learn something new.
Hope everyone had a great Canada Day holiday! Did anyone go to the Vancouver Jazz Festival?