Monday, December 28, 2009

Dressew

At my last SCC Knit Night some of the ladies were talking about a sale at Dressew. The store has been around for arpx 40 years but I have never been there. They supply buttons, zippers, and tons of fabric for those who sew. (And holy cow the store is huge! I was overwelmed by how much stuff they had!!)

They just recently starting carrying yarn. And right now all yarn is 1.99 per ball! Since the store is downtown I decided to check it out after work on the 24th, since I only had to work half a day that day anyway. And here's what happened:


This is the most yarn I have ever bought all at once. The Rowan ribbon twist is destined to become Shroom. The Regia is going to be given in the post Christmas gift exchange the SCC Knit Group is doing in January. (I'm pretty sure no one from there reads this blog, and if you do just forget you read this k? :) Thx.) The Nashua Handkits Granite wants to become a pair of mittens (I'm not sure of which pattern yet - maybe just a basic mitten?) The Nashua Handknits Wooly Stripes will likely become a scarf, but seeing as its last on the list it will be quite awhile before that happens.
FO's coming up later in the week. :)

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Sunrise

Taken from my office on the 35th floor on Friday. The buildings in the front are downtown Vancouver, and the tiny building tops in the background are Burnaby.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Friday Fill-Ins# 152 & NaBloPoMo Apologies

NaBloPoMo? What? Did I sign up for that? Your kidding right?

Ok, so I suck at posting every day for a month. So what? Real life got busy. I am doing a new job at work and had to learn my new position while teaching my old position at the same time. Then to top off all that we are getting a new computer system and are having some computer down time. This meant that I had to be completely on top of all work. A little hard when you are training or being trained. Today was the last day at my old position so I'm glad to leave that part behind, hopefully all will go smoothly with the new one!


Here are some Friday Fill-Ins to make up for my previously lack of posting....

1. Wait! Wait, don't forget to bring your passport if you are one of the lucky/crazy ones going shopping in the states this weekend!

2. My promotion at work followed at once by more stress.

3. The trouble is hopefully far from me.

4. Italy (my dream vacation) is many miles away.

5. With a faint pop the Christmas lights burnt out.

6. Sunday through Thursday has been shadowy and ominous. (and just down right rainy!)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing nothing (maybe watch a movie and knit at home), tomorrow my plans include spending time with my Little Sister and Sunday, I want to visit with my sister and nephew!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

FO: Bamboo Cloth


Pattern: Bamboo Cloth

Yarn: Bernant Handicraft Cotton Ultrasoft - Neptune Ombre

Now I have 3 matching dishclothes to give to my sister for Christmas. :)


Wednesday, November 18, 2009

WIP Wednesday: One Row Scarf



Yarn: Moda Dea Tweedle Dee

I've just cast this one on so not much to show so far. The scarf will be knit on friday nights at the craft night at church. The scarf will be given to the youth who will give it away to someone downtown who probably needs it more than me. Even though I kinda like the fact that the yarn is supposed to have a shaded effect. If it turns out well I may want to make another one just for me!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Friday Fave Five


Every week Susanne from Living to Tell hosts Friday Fave Five. A time to be thankful for the good things of the week. To join go here.


1) I got promoted: A lady is leaving my work and I get to take over her job. I started with the company 3 months ago and currently do a bit of accounts payable and lots of accounts receivable. In 2 weeks I'll be doing straight accounts payable. I like AP much more than AR so this arrangement works well for me. Plus it comes with a pay raise!


2) Butter Chicken: My co-worker gave me a bite of the butter chicken she bought from the store just down the road. Yum! It tasted delicious! I will have to go buy myself some in the near future.


3) Online TV: Ok, confession time. I am a TV addict. I fully admit it. *hangs head in shame* Now if I am out and miss a favourite show I can watch it online.

4) Bible Study on Thursday night: This past Thursday we had a guest leader in our bible study. He was a great leader. Clear and interesting speaking voice, but more importantly he had a passion for his faith that spead to me. Our study was on Romans 14:1-12.

5) Meeting new people: Expecially guys that you like. :)

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Nelson Mandela
1994 Inaugural Speech


Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Remembering

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army


In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.




For some interesting information about the author Lieutenant Colonel John McCrea and the story of how the poem came to be click here. (scroll past the poem)

I'd encourage you to read the poem out loud. Often things mean more and are remembered more when we hear and see them at the same time.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays: The Kite Runner


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"The tension in the air was a taunt as the glass string I was tugging with my bloody hands. People were stomping their feet, clapping. whistling, chanting "Boboresh! Boboresh!' Cut him! Cut him."

From:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Monday, November 9, 2009

Group Project: The Oddball Blanket



I cannot claim that I knit all of this blanket. It's being knit by a bunch of people from my Monday Night Knitting Group. The pattern is found here. The yarn is all from the stash of one our memebers. So far I'm the third person to knit on the blanket. I've done the (small) peach section at the top. (What? You can hardly see it? Give me a break I just started!) When the blanket is complete it will be donated to some charity - I'm not sure which one yet.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Friday Fill-Ins # 149


1. Plans and schedules tend to change often .

2. I'm happy when things go my way .

3. The last thing I drank was water .

4. One of the most valuable things in my life is my family .

5. I like ham and pineapple on my pizza.

6. Dear November, please don't be affended that I don't like you. It's just to grey and wet during your month. I am much more of a summer person.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to learning about weaving, tomorrow my plans include seeing my Little Sister and Sunday, I want to go to the Ronsons shoe sale!


Hosted by Janet. To join go here.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

FO: Baktus Scarf



Yarn: Cherrry Tree Hill "Northern Lights"

Finished: Maybe last month? I can't really remember I just remember I didn't have my laptop yet.

Hints: If you make it make sure you knit alot of increases. I wish mine was just a bit bigger.

A better picture? Sure. :)




Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Book Review: Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs

Last month I had a marketer contact me to see if I would be interested in reading and reviewing Kate Jacob's new book Knit the Season. After reading the first 2 books in the series of course I said yes!

Knit the Season starts about a year after the last book in the series Knit Two, and follows all the characters through the next stage of their lifes. There are new relationships, career moves, and big trips to follow. Plus more of one of my favourite characters, Gran. If you liked the first two books in the series then you're sure to enjoy this book as well.

It did seem that knitting took a bit more of a back seat in this book. However, instead there were some really interesting flash backs to when Gorgia was growing up, and had first arrived in New York.

Knit the Season hit bookstores yesterday, but you can check out chapter one here. Or for more information on Kate Jacobs and her other books check out her website.

**Plus like the rest of Kate's books there are a bunch of recipes and patterns at the back of the book. Dakota's Thanksgiving Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins sound really good to me!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Lets go for a walk....

With the sunny weather we had on Sunday I decided to go for a walk and take my camera along with me.

Destination: Garry Point Park in Richmond, BC

Make sure you take some good tunes with you!



I parked along the road one block away to make sure I got some exercise!



Looks like I'm not the only one who though today was a good day to get outside. This trail is called the dyke and goes almost all the way around Richmond, which is an island.


Here's Garry Point Park, where you will almost always find a kite or two. It's not too windy today so there's not too many kites.


This is why I like the park, the beach. Its high tide today though so not much beach.


At the begining of the park you can buy coffee, ice-cream, or fish and chips. Store hours dependant on season. Looks like fall/winter hours have already started 'cause it mostly closed. I'm not stopping but continuing on to Steveston village.



Steveston Village is where Richmond first began, and it still holds some historic buildings. The Gulf of Georgia Cannery used to process fish, but now its a small maritime museum.


You're sure to see fishing boats when you come to Steveston!


Down on the docks you can buy straight from the boat! There's salmon, tuna, salmon row....




...and my favourite shirmp!



I passed this store on my way out of Steveston and couldn't pass by without checking out the yarn inside.


I headed home after this but had to snap one last picture as I passed through Garry Point park again.


Thanks for joining me!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

NaBloPoMo










The Challenge: Post everyday for 30 days for the month of November.

And boy will it be a challenge! Even if I don't post everyday I will make an effort to post more often than normal.

Want to join in? Go here.

Wish me luck!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

FO: Baby Hat

My knitting has been going very slowly lately but I was able to finish this cute little baby hat. It's meant for a 2-3 month old but boy is it tiny. I'd love the see the baby who fits this one! I have 3 friends (and my sister) who are pregnant so we'll see who has a boy first.

The pattern is Purple Baby Hats (I did version B and knit 3 and 1/2 inches between the end of the cuff and starting the decreases.) and it's made from some left over Malabrigo that a Chelle gave to me. I had just enough for the hat.



Isn't it so cute!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Friday's Fave Five

Hosted by Susanne who says: "Welcome to Friday's Fave Five. Join me as I reflect back on the week and find my five favorite things. It's a way that I try to keep a thankful attitude and look for those blessings, both large and small."


Join here.


1) My new laptop! After not having a computer at home for almost 1 year I'm back online. :)



2) Christian bloggers: I find it so encouraging to know that there are other Christians all over the world, and I love reading the blogs of other Christians. I'm enjoying seeing some of them via FFF, and also through Then Sings my Soul Saturdays.


3) Dinners made for me: This week my brother's girlfriend invited me to her house for dinner. Not only was that nice, but the food was good too! Mmmmm....home made apple pie.


4)New books: The Richmond Friend's of the Library held their yearly book sale last weekend. I brought two books for one dollars each. New to the to-be-read pile is Sarah by Marek Halter and Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.


5) Girls Night: Two of my good friends are coming over tonight for our a girls only night. Tonight will be a relaxing, chat filled evening. In fact I better go before they get here!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Wanna come on vacation with me?

I've been back for 2 weeks now but I spent 5 relaxing days on Mayne Island. I wanted to post a couple of pics so I could share the beauty of the island.

The cabin on the right hand side is where I stayed with my best friend, her husband, and their 2 kids (ages 2 and 3). You can only see half the cabin but there were 2 bedrooms and they kindly gave me one to myself so I could sleep-in even after the kids woke up at 6:30 everday.



You can see one of the kids chasing the soccer ball. I had such a fun time with them. I spent plenty of time on the beach with the kids as all they wanted to do was "Go frow wocks in water".

I learnt that kids are LOUD! As a single gal I'm not used to that. Also knitting around kids is not a good idea. It's just too distracting to get anything done.

Below is a shot of the end of the road and what the property looked like from the top of the hill. (This was taken beside the houses shown in pic 1)


On our second last evening on the island we went out for dinner and sat outside on the patio over looking the ocean. It was a beautiful, sunny day and a great way to have dinner. I'll leave you with the view we spent our dinner seeing.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

WIP Wednesday

There have been 2 projects I've been working on lately:

The first is the Falling Water Scarf. I'm not sure what the yarn is as it was gifted to me by my brother-in-law's sister. The length of the scarf will depend on how far the yarn goes (there was no ball band so I'm not sure how many yards I have). I'm pretty excited about this scarf as it's the first lacey thing I've ever knit!




















Below is the Baktus Scarf which is being knit with Cherry Hill sockyarn. I absolutely love the colous! This is my comfort knitting (all garter stitch). I had to start something new because it's way too hot to be working on my wool sweater (which is in hibernation until fall). This one is about half done.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett


"Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these [3] women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed."

Summary taken from the author's website.
This great story is told from three view points: 2 from black maids working in 1962 and 1 from a progressive young white 1962 college grad. Each of them want to change the world they live in but are afraid to do it publically. So they secretly meet to work on a special project and hope and pray that no one ever finds out they're worked on it.

I think the best thing about the book is the characters. I know it's just a story and it takes place in the 1960's but I really want to meet the ladies within the book, expecially Aibleen. I thought that being a maid would just be your 9-5 job, but Aibleen really loves the kids that she is taking care of as much as if they were her own. She seems like such an awesome woman. All of the characters were similarly well written.

I loved this book and would reccommend it to anyone!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Knitting WIPs

My current works in progress are:


















Wicked
It's being knit with KnitPicks Wool of the Andes. I've finished the body, and I'm mostly done the pocket. I just need to attached the pocket, knit the lower cuff and bind off, and knit the sleeves. It's going a little slower because knitting with wool it really no fun when it hot outside.

I'm also working on:















The Falling Water Scarf. It's being knit from some unknown yarn that was gifted to me. I don't think I have enough to do the full length called for in the pattern but I'm going to see how far I can get.

Friday, June 26, 2009

More Finished Knitting Projects

As promised here are a couple more items I've knitted this year. These are the slippers I knit for my sister back when it was still winter. Made from Lion Brand Homespun. I wished it used the whole skein but sadly I still have enough yarn left for another pair.















My most recent FO is this neck warmer called Tudora. This was made from the yummy Malabrigo my Secret Swap Pal gave me!
















What? Can't you tell from the above pic what it is or how it should be worn? Alright this is me wearing it. (Beware: Bad picture alert!!)
















Don't say I didn't warn ya!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

It's been way to long since this blog has had any knitting content. I finally got around to re-charging the battery on my camera and found all these old FOs! So here are a couple dishcloths I've knit in the past couple of months.




This is the Waffle Knit Dishcloth and is knit with the remains of 2 balls Bernat Handicraft Cotton.






This one is the Bamboo Cloth made from from some left over Bernat Handicraft Cotton and Sugar n' Cream.






I liked the pattern for the Bamboo Cloth so much I made another!







This is the Linked Hearts Dischcloth that I made from Sugar n' Cream. Both the yarn and the pattern were gifts from a past swap.





This is the No Holes Dishcloth made from Sugar n' Cream, Plum Pudding.






If you've stuck around this long... well thanks! I know dishcloths are not the most interesting knitted items. I have some more knitting stuff to share but will save it for a latter day. :)

Friday, June 19, 2009

Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

"Living on a peach farm in South Carolina with her harsh, unyielding father, Lily Owens has shaped her entire life around one devastating, blurred memory--the afternoon her mother was killed, when Lily was four. Since then, her only real companion has been the fierce-hearted, and sometimes just fierce, black woman Rosaleen, who acts as her "stand-in mother."

When Rosaleen insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily knows it's time to spring them both free. They take off in the only direction Lily can think of, toward a town called Tiburon, South Carolina--a name she found on the back of a picture amid the few possessions left by her mother. "

The above was taken from the author's website.

I read this book for the Southern Reading Challenege and boy was it southern! South Carolina in 1964 is a long way from British Columbia 2009.

What I liked about it: The relationships. Since her mother had died I liked seeing how young Lily Owens related to her caretaker, and then the 3 women who take her in after she runs away from home.

What I didn't like: The Mary statue (and honey) that the ladies pray to and have celebrations for.

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing the movie. I want to see how my view of the characters and the actresses portrayals are different (or maybe the same!). Plus there are a bunch of famous people in the movie.

Want a different view? Go check out Monica's or Jen's review.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Friday Fave Five# 41

It's been awhile since I've done Friday Fave Fives, but I thought I'd join in today.

"It's a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, great internet finds, etc., etc. Go ahead and grab the button and make your own post. Link to the Living to Tell the Story Fave Five post of that week and then add yourself to the Mr. Linky."


1) Up - I saw the movie Up in 3D last night, and what a great movie it was! It's been a while since I've laughed so hard at a movie. But I cried too. I let the theatre saying "I really liked this moment... Wasn't it great when... and this moment was so cool..."



2) Mini-Vacations - Last weekend I went to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island for a friend's wedding. I went up Friday evening, stayed at a friend's house Friday night, went to the wedding and came home Saturday night. I love getting out of the city for a bit.



3) Good Memories - As a kid my family camped in Qualicum Beach which is about a 30 minute drive north of Nanaimo. We went to the same campsite for aprx 20 years. Recently the campsite has been closed and a new housing development has been started. Although I didn't go see the new development a friend of mine did and posted pictures on Facebook. Seeing his pictures brought back all sorts of good childhood memories. Here's what the beach at the campsite looked like:




4) Tea at the London Heritage Farm House - Last Sunday my Women's bible study had our wrap up event for the year. We had a lovely tea at the London Heritage Farm. The farm was built in the 1880s and is filled with period pieces (old furniture, clothes, and toys). We had delicious home made cookies and scones along with our tea (which was a mix of black tea, and fruity tea).

5) Learning new words - This week I learnt that a pangram is a sentence assembled by using all the letters of the alphabet. Nevin Nollop developed the popular pangram "The quick brown fax jumps over the dog".

Thursday, June 11, 2009

A little promo....

I finished reading the entire Twilight series this winter, and like many others before me I really loved it. When I came across the chance to enter to win one of Stephenie Meyers adult books I jumped at the chance. Although I'm not normally a fantasy fan, I've read a couple fantasy books this year and I'm finding its alot about the writing style.

Anyway, if you're interested in The Host by Stephenie Meyer check out the give-away at Drew's library.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Book Review: The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Alright…. I’ve put off blogging about this book for long enough. I finished it sometime in late May, less than a week after I started it. I was looking forward to reading this book a lot. I am a fan of Nicholas Sparks and it’s been some time since I last read of any of his books.

Having said this I was a little disappointed with this book. (Maybe my expectations were too high?) It took me much longer than I thought to get to the “I-can’t-put-it-down” stage (about half the book). Although once I did get there I really couldn't’t put it down.

The story follows Logan Thibault who finds a picture of a woman while deployed in Iraq. A streak of good luck follows. Once he returns to the states he takes a cross country trip and finds himself ending his trip in the town she lives in...

I found the book somewhat similar to some of his others books. However I am still a fan and will likely read other books by him.

PS. For those who are Nicholas Sparks fans be sure to read Dear John before Feb 5th, 2010 as its about to become a movie. :)

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Southern Reading Challenge 2009



Just by fluke I noticed that the 2009 edition of The Southern Reading Challenge is about to begin. (Someone commented in the 2008 blog post which I still have in my blog reader…) Well, thanks to whoever did because I have decided to join in.

From Maggie Reads website: “You may choose to read any style of Southern book such as Appalachian tales, Civil War sagas, Gothic myths, Grit lit, and heart-wrenching biographies. Just as long as you read three (fiction or nonfiction) between May 15th and August 15th.”

Although my track record is pretty bad (1 of 3 read last year) I think that I’ll do better this year due to choosing books I already want to read.

1) The Help by Kathryn Stockett (author is born and raised in Jackson Mississippi, also story is set in Mississippi)

2) The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (author born in Sylvester, Georgia, story is set in South Carolina)

3) The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks (author lives in North Carolina, one main character lives in North Carolina)


I work in accounts payable and I like to have things black and white, so I decided to look up exactly which states are considered The South. Here’s what Wikipedia says:



The dark red states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia) are almost always included in modern day definitions of the South, while those in medium red (Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, Virginia, and Florida) are usually included.
So now ya know! :)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Book Review: The Constant Princess

I finally finished The Constant Princess. It seems to take a loooong time to finish this book. I think partly because the book is almost 500 pages, but partly because I read the book in bits and pieces. Every time the next Twilight series book became available at the library I would interrupt reading this book to read Twilight first.

The book was recommended to me by one of my knit/blog friends, and is historical fiction. (I found it to be very detailed in the political ties of the time.) It follows the life of Catalina of Spain who became Katherine, Queen of England by her marriage to King Henry. It is written by Phillipa Gregory who is the author of The Other Boleyn Girl. (Of which I enjoyed the movie. I normally have trouble reading the book after I have seen the movie so I starting reading the Constant Princess, which is the first of Gregory’s novels if read chronologically by dates in the books.)

I’m glad I read this book as it sounded really good to me before I started, and after all the hype surrounding the movie I wanted to know what the author’s writing style was like. I haven’t ruled out reading more of Gregory’s books in the future, but I don’t plan on reading any of her books in the near future. There are just so many other books that I want to read before I venture into one of her books again

PS. While searching for a picture of the book I found that there are different covers for US books verses the UK books. (Who knew??) I must have read the UK book because above is what the cover looked like on the book I borrowed from the library.