My Knit Blog

Books read in 2011

2012-01-05T10:14:00.001-08:00

I read 11 books this year. That's a big increase from last years 2 books! Sill 11 is much less than 24 read in 2010, and 18 read in 2009. Here's hoping that 2012 gives me more reading time.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Glass Castle by Jeannette Wall
Sarah's Kay by Tatiana de Rosnay
The Blue Notebook by James A Levine
Secret Daughter by Shilip Somaya Gowda
One Day by David Nicholls
Leaving by Karen Kingsbury
Sarah by Marek Halter
Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

My favourite book of the year was Glass Castle by Jeannette Wall. This was a true story of her life and one that I will never forget. It was hard to read in places only because no child should have to grow up like she did.

2008 list here
2009 list here
2010 list here

Books read in 2010

2011-02-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

So I've learnt that having a new boyfriend takes up alot of my former free reading time! But I'm not complaining. I love him! So here are the 2 (!?!) books I read this past year:

Ever After by Karen Kingsbury
Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

I am determined to read more this year.

2008 list here.
2009 list here.

I've got the fever!

2010-02-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

The Olympic fever that is. I arrived at work on Friday just in time to see this:

Skytrain Randomness

2010-02-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

I have to take the skytrain to and from work for the duration of the Olympics and look what I saw in the City Centre skytrain station today after work. The whole reason I took transit today instead of driving like I usually do is because the torch relay is going over the bridge I normally drive. He was just getting ready to leave so I only got the one shot but he sure looked happy and proud to be a torch carrier.

Just three more days!

2010-02-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

Olympics count-down clock in downtown Vancouver, BC.

(Or the Olympics start exactly 3 days, 5 hours, 44 minutes, and 8 seconds from the second I took the picture at lunch today.)

Books read in 2009

2010-01-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

I meant to post this earlier in the year but since its just for my own records I guess it doesnt matter. So here is my list of the books I read in 2009, starting with the most recently finished:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Away Laughing on a Fast Camel by Louise Rennison
Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants by Louise Rennison
Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas by Louise Rennison
On the Bright Side, I`m now the Girlfriend of a Sex God by Louise Rennison
Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
Ever After by Karen Kingsbury
Answered Prayers by Danielle Steele
The Help by Kathyrn Stockett
The Time Traveler`s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood by Anne Brashares
Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
The Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares
The Last Summer (of you and me) by Ann Brashares
The Reader by Berhard Schlink
Cranberry Queen by Kathleen DeMarco

Summary: I read 24 books this year (compared to 18 books in 10 months last year). This year I read alot of young adult books - probably the most in one year ever. My 2 favourite books read this year are The Help by Kathyrn Stockett and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

Books read in 2008 are listed here.

Book Review: The Kite Runer by Khaled Hosseini

2010-01-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

"Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is the unforgettable, beautifully told story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Raised in the same household and sharing the same wet nurse, Amir and Hassan nonetheless grow up in different worlds: Amir is the son of a prominent and wealthy man, while Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant, is a Hazara, member of a shunned ethnic minority. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When the Soviets invade and Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him."

From Khaled Hosseini's website.

I really enjoyed this book. The story spans around 30 years as the 2 friends grow up. A futher story summary can be found on the website above.

The part I found really interesting was the history included in the book. It was just part of the story included seemlessly, but being here in the west the first I heard of Afganistan was during the last 10 years or so. The book let me know a little bit of what the country was like before all of the current unrest, which I found really interesting.

FO: One Row Scarf

2010-01-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

I finished this scarf back in December. (Just call me a bad blogger as I haven't posted till now!)

Pattern: One Row Scarf

Yarn: Moda Dea Twiddle Dee

Thoughts: I loved knitting this scarf! Super easy pattern (Only 4 stiches to remember, you can't get any easier!) The finished product was so soft and thick and warm. I started this scarf to give away but after I felt how warm it was I decided to keep it.

Dressew

2009-12-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

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. :)

Sunrise

2009-11-29T20:43:00.001-08:00

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 Fill-Ins# 152 & NaBloPoMo Apologies

2009-11-27T18:01:00.000-08:00

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!

FO: Bamboo Cloth

2009-11-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Bamboo Cloth

Yarn: Bernant Handicraft Cotton Ultrasoft - Neptune Ombre

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

WIP Wednesday: One Row Scarf

2009-11-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

Pattern: One Row Scarf (rav link)

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 Fave Five

2009-11-13T22:15:00.000-08:00

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. :)

2009-11-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

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.

Remembering

2009-11-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

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.

Teaser Tuesdays: The Kite Runner

2009-11-10T21:13:00.000-08:00

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

Group Project: The Oddball Blanket

2009-11-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

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 Fill-Ins # 149

2009-11-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

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.

FO: Baktus Scarf

2009-11-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Baktus Scarf (Ravelry link)

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. :)

Book Review: Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs

2009-11-03T22:35:00.000-08:00

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!

Lets go for a walk....

2009-11-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

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!

NaBloPoMo

2009-11-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

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!

FO: Baby Hat

2009-10-27T21:39:00.001-07:00

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!

Friday's Fave Five

2009-10-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

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!

Wanna come on vacation with me?

2009-07-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

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.

WIP Wednesday

2009-07-22T13:31:00.001-07:00

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.

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2009-07-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

"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!

Knitting WIPs

2009-06-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

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.

More Finished Knitting Projects

2009-06-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

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. :)

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

2009-06-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

"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 Fave Five# 41

2009-06-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

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".

A little promo....

2009-06-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

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.

Book Review: The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

2009-06-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

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. :)

Southern Reading Challenge 2009

2009-05-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

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! :)

Book Review: The Constant Princess

2009-03-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

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.

Delayed....

2009-03-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

So it turns out I can't start my sweater as soon as I thought. The last Zephyr pattern I knit using needles .5mm smaller than the pattern called for. Wicked calls for 4.5 mm needles. I thought that I could do the same with this pattern, but when I did a swatch over the weekend I was off by around half a stitch over 2 inches in the stitch count and close to 2 rows off in the row count. I don't own the 4.5 mm needles that the pattern calls for.

I won't be buying anything for myself until after Easter. This is what I am giving up for Lent. Lent is the 40 day period before Easter. Some people mark this time by giving up something that is difficult to give up. (I have friends who have/are giving up coffee, or facebook.) This is the first year I have tried to give something up for Lent, and for me it's as much for Lent as for the purpose of saving money.

So, Wicked is on hold. I am still working on the Booga bag. I've completed 48 of60 rounds. I'm getting a little tired of it, but I'll just keep on truckin'.

It arrived! It arrived!

2009-03-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after work I checked my mailbox and inside was a large, soft package. I immediately knew it was my KnitPicks order. Yea! Once I got inside my house I open the package to see 10 skeins of Wool of the Andes in Spruce. Here's what the website says it looks like:

The above looks blue on my work computer (shhhh... don't tell the boss...actually she's on vacation :) The actually colour is a dark green with a bit of teal mixed in. Now I can start Wicked, my second sweater. Thanks to my Secret Swap Pal for the Knit Picks gift certificate.

Except I can't really start it yet because the needles I need are currently being used to hold The Cabled Rangoli Hat. Which I haven't been working on because I've done the increase row 4 times and it's still not right. I now know what I have to do to make it correctly. But as I put the link in I noticed that the original pattern called for it to be knit in Wool of the Andes, which I knew I would never get so I cast on using the Malabrigo that was gift to me (by the secret pal above). I have lots of Wool of the Andes now, so I think I'm going to:

1) frog the hat (hopefully the Malabrigo won't get damaged in the process, I'll be very careful)

2) knit the sweater

3) use the leftover Wool of the Andes to knit the hat.

Then I'll have a matching hat (and this will make me very happy!) The sweater has to be first as I almost ran out of yarn for my first sweater and I won't run the risk of that happening again.

This means that I'll have the Malabrigo yarn free to use for somthing else. Hmm... I'll have to peruse ravelry for new ideas. Suggestions anyone?

The project that I've been working on the most recently is the Booga Bag. I'm about half way done. I recently finished a dishcloth in this pattern (ravelry link), and I liked it so much that I've started another just like it.

Book Series Review: Twilight

2009-03-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

So, over the course of 4 months I read the Twilight series. Books 1-3 were read in about 3 or 4 days each (this is super fast for me!). I loved them and like many others before me I couldn’t put them down. Fantasy is never my first book choice but the first 3 books of the series eased me into the genre. I loved how Bella had doubts and insecurities and wasn’t a perfect person.

Book 4 (Breaking Dawn) felt completely different from the rest of the series. The book was told in 3 parts. Part 1 told by Bella, part 2 by Jacob, and part 3 by Bella. I have to say that the middle part was the most interesting. I enjoyed the chapter titles by Jacob ie: The two things at the very top of my things-I-never-want-to-do list or Sure as hell didn’t see that one coming. I felt that a lot of Bella’s story could have been condensed. It seemed to drag on and on. However the last half a dozen chapters were really good, and reminded me of Edward and Bella’s time in Italy. I am especially intrigued with Bella’s shield and her growing control over it.

Overall I’m very glad I read the series and I am looking forward to renting the movie when it’s released on DVD later this month.

Getting to know your blogger.

2009-03-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

I found this One Skein of Happiness and thought I'd play along. If you steal this please let me know so I can "read up" on you too. Thanks and enjoy.

1. Can you cook? What? Yes, I usually don't. I tend to do the "take from frozen state and put in oven for 30mins" kind of "cooking".
2. What was your dream growing up? To be a stay at home mom just like mine....and to wear high heeled shoes that made noise on the kitchen floor!
3. What talent do you wish you had? To speak more than one language.
4. Favorite place? Home
5. Favorite vegetable? Carrots
6. What was the last book you read? Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
7. What zodiac sign are you? Libra, but I don't pay attention to that. (don't read the "signs")
8. Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? 2 holes in each ear. (I almost got a bellybutton ring in my 20s but once I got to the store and saw the guy's spaced earing I freaked and decided no.)
9. Worst Habit? None, I'm perfect. mawahahaha
10. Do we know each other in real life? Nope
11. What is your favorite sport? Ummm, none really. If I had to participate in a sport I'd run.
12. Is a glass of water half-full or half empty? Half full.
13. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me (after we called for help, of course)? Ask about your travels.
14. Would you share an embarrassing moment with me? By posting it on-line??? No way!
15. Tell me one weird fact about you: As my friend likes to remind me (just last night, again) : I turned down dancing with the hottest guy at a club one night. (I was NOT going to dance to Who Let the Dogs Out!)
16. Do you have any pets? Nope
17. Can you read a book upside down? Yes, but reallly slowly (but why would I want to?!?!)
18. What time is it where you are now? 4:20pm
19. Who was the scariest fairy-tale/children movie hero ever for you? The Disney movie Fantasia. I don't remember it but my dad says that we had to leave the theatre because I was so scared.
20. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? My fascial complexion.
21. Would you be my crime partner or my conscience? Conscience
22. What color eyes do you have? Green
23. Ever been arrested? Nope
24. A cop or a robber? Cop
25. If you won 10,000 pounds/dollars today, what would you do with it? Pay my land taxes, and the "special payment" my strata is charging us this year, then travel to somewhere in Europe.
26. What kind of bubble gum do you prefer to chew? Mint
27. Favourite fastfood restaurant? Wendys
28. Do you believe in ghosts? I hestitantly answer... Yes
29. Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Knit or read or watch TV
30. Do you swear a lot? No
31. Biggest pet peeve? People who don't use their signal lights when turning or changing lanes.
32. In one word, how would you describe yourself? Although I hate to be labeled this way I do think of myself as quiet/shy.
33. Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you? Sure

FO: Green Gable Sweater

2009-03-05T18:35:00.000-08:00

My first knitted sweater is now done! I feel so proud to be able to wear something that I've made. It was actually much easier than I thought it would be.

The pattern is for a short sleeved sweater but I lengthed them abit. Once the pattern ended I knit 3 rounds, then knit two together at the begininging of every three rounds. The sleeves are quite tight and I'd reccommend doing them looser. I fully used the 3 skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece that I bought. I had only 68 inches of yarn left! If I knit this again I would do more waist shaping. In fact I will be knitting another Zypher pattern. My secret swap 13 pal swapped patterns with me. So I will be knitting Wicked next.

In addition she gave me a gift certificate for Knit Picks! I bought 10 skeins of Wool of the Andes in Spruce. This is 2 extra skeins than needed for the sweater so I shouldn't have to worry about running out this time! It's my first time ordering from Knit Picks and my order has already been shipped. I'm excited to get the package. :) If I have extra yarn I can knit a matching hat or scarf.

Friday Fill-Ins # 113

2009-02-27T17:30:00.000-08:00

1. I'm older than I once was, I'm younger than I will someday be, I think I have an age complex.
2. Why do I have a spare bedroom and not a person who lives in it?
3. How does this temp agency thing work, anyway?
4. Every morning, I put hot air on my hair. (With a blow dryer of course!)
5. I consider myself lucky because I have a wonderful, caring family.
6. One day we’ll see space travel accessable to everyone. (or so my father seems to think)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing Eclispe and starting Breaking Dawn, tomorrow my plans include visiting mom as she babysits my nephew and Sunday, I want to keep reading Breaking Dawn.

I'm still alive!

2009-02-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

Hello blogging world! Although it's been almost a month since I've posted anything, have no fear I am still alive and kicking. :)

Aside from this week it's been almost a month since I've knit anything. I just had no desire to knit. After some knitting with the SCC knitting group on Monday the desire has come back now. Monday I was able to almost finish my sweater. I just had the sleeves cuffs to do.

I also got together with 3 knitters on Tuesday, 2 of which are bloggers who each have a post with pictures of the event. Monica posted about it here and Ruth's post shows that I tried to work on my sweater that night but didn't get much done. (Well, I'm really just holding my sweater but that what you should read from it!) Marianne was the third knitter and it was nice to meet her for the first time.

I have been doing a fair bit of reading this past month. I read The Last Summer of You and Me by Ann Brashares, then I read the first 2 books in the Travelling Pants series. I enjoyed all of her books and was surprised at the difference in writting style between her young adult books and the adult book. I guess I've never read books from different genres by the same author. I was amazed at the flexiblity that an author can show by changing her style so much and still be a good writer.

I've also read New Moon by Stephenie Meyer and I'm working on The Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory. I now understand the draw of the Twilight series. I'm half way through the series and plan on reading the rest. Every time I finish one of the books I want to start in on the next one right away (but can't because there is a waiting line for the library books), also whatever book I read afterwards always seems to take a long time (and seem not as good...). I feel bad for the books I read after the Twilight series books, because they are not bad books, they're just not Twilight.

Friday Fill-Ins #109

2009-01-30T13:31:00.000-08:00

1. I'd really like to get rid of this cold right now.
2. Owww! is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.
3. Possession is "nine tenth of the law"?.
4. There are 3 movies about Captain Jack Sparrow. (although I've only seen 1)
5. Marshmallows and fire go together like tents and sleeping bags.
6. So forth and so forth, on and on.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching The Ghost Whispers, tomorrow my plans include seeing my roommate move out and Sunday, I want to go to church!

Secret Swap Package

2009-01-27T17:40:00.001-08:00

PC170067
Originally uploaded by juliabca

This is a much delayed picture of the wonderful package I received from my swpa pal. The Malabrigo lace yarn is soooo soft! The coloured pencils are made from recycled paper. Pretty cool eh? I certainly think so. The book by Kathleen DeMarco was my first read of 2009. It was pretty good. Although it started lagging (or maybe just me?) about 3/4 of the way through. The note pad currently lives in my kitchen drawer awaiting use.

Thanks to "Jimmy" my swap pal!

FO report: Swiffer Cloth

2009-01-20T17:44:00.001-08:00

PC240081
Originally uploaded by juliabca

Here's the finished Swiffer Cloth. This was a gift for a long-time friend, and she was happy to receive it. Knitted with Lily, Sugar n' Cream, and finished sometime in the first week of January.

WIP picture of Green Gable

2009-01-19T12:35:00.001-08:00

P1180101
Originally uploaded by juliabca

I met up with Monica and Chelle yesterday for a knitting get together. Although I didn't get too much knitting done, Chelle was very kind in bringing her laptop so I could download some pictures. So here is the sweater I've been working on lately. I'm glad that the body is finished. I have not done any work on it for a week now. I'm planning on 3/4 length sleeves, but that's not in the written pattern so I'm a bit nervous on how it'll turn out. I think that fear is stopping/slowing me down on knitting the sleeves. I'm knitting 2 together every 3 rows and just hoping for the best. Has anyone knit sleeves in the round before? How did you do it? I think I have to try in on today and see if I can tell by the little bit I've done on the sleeve so far.

I'll try to have some more picturey posts this week for you!

FO Report

2009-01-15T14:11:00.000-08:00

I finished the slippers and gave them to my sister on Tuesday. She seemed to like them even though they were abit big on her feet. The yarn that I complained about really isn't that bad once I got used to it. (It was a commercially made homespun type of yarn.)

I also finshed the No Holes Dishcloth, just because... well, why knit if you don't have a dishcloth on the needles! :P

(Still no computer in the house so you get no pics and just abit of sparatic posting.)

WIP Wednesday

2009-01-14T14:02:00.001-08:00

I don't have any pictures but here's what I'm currently working on:

** All links are from Ravelry

1) The Green Gable Sweater: The body is completely done. I'm working on the first sleeve. I think I'll do a 3/4 length sleeve. (I think I would look good, plus I'm getting low on yarn....)

2) The Cabled Rangoli Hat: I've only done the ribbing and first increase row. I'm knitting this in the Malabrigo that my secret swap pal gave me. I think that I'll get more use out of a hat then the cute bolero pattern she gave with the yarn. It's my first time knitting with Malabrigo and it feels like I'm knitting with a thin roving. (Well....not that I've ever touched roving, it's just a guess because its not spun tightly like other yarns are.) The pattern has lots of counting so this might be a slow knit for me. (Not that I can't count, but I watch TV and knit at the same time so I often get distracted by a show I might be watching!)

Knitting Update

2009-01-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted about knitting here. I have no pictures to show you since my computer is still not working properly, but here's what I've been working on.

I finished a dishcloth for my sister for Christmas. It's similar to this one from ravelry.

I've worked alot of my sweater. I've knit to 11 inches past the arm holes. According to the pattern this is all the length it needs, but according to me I'll be knitting another 2 inches atleast! I also plan to put sleeves on mine. I live in "winter" (or non-summer atleast!) for 8-10 months of the year and I need sleeves to stay warm. Length and ending of sleeves to be determined. I've seen some on ravelry end sleeves in k2, p2, but I've also seen someone end in the same lace pattern at the top, which I thought looked pretty neat.

I did a small amount of work on the second slipper for my sister. The yarn that it is being worked in is not very nice to knit with so the progress is slow going. Her birthday is the end of this month so it would be nice if I can get around to finishing it soon.

Last night I cast on for this dishcloth, just for some easy knitting to do.

What I want to be knitting is the Booga bag. We did a yarn gift/exchange with the SCC knitting group for Christmas and I was gifted a bunch of 100% wool that I will use to make this felted bag.

In the "I want to knit, but have to think alot on it yet" file: I've also been thinking about starting another sweater. Perhaps the Buttony sweater. If you are on ravelry check here for Buttony sweaters knit by others. There are some cool variations you can do.

A couple weeks ago I bought some sock yarn to do some toe-up socks. I also sorted my yarn stash on Boxing Day and saw that I have a bunch of second-hand sock yarn, enough to make at least 2 more pairs!

Plus I have some wonderful Malabrigo from my swap pal that I want to knit into this hat.

All this will likely keep my busy until at least next January! So nobody show me any cute knits this year k? :)

Books read in 2008

2009-01-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

I've never made a list of books I've read in one year before. It's pretty neat to see the list grow through the year. I read 18 books in 10 months in 2008. Lets see how many I'll be able to read this year. (My favourite books of the year were the ones by Liz Curtis Higgs. Thorn in my Heart leading the pack. I would definitely recommend those books.)

For my own benefit I'm listing them all here starting with the most recently finished:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Grace in Thine Eyes by Liz Curtis Higgs
Hating Valentine's Day by Allison Rushby
Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
Whence Came a Prince by Liz Curtis Higgs
Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down by Neta Jackson
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Fair is the Rose by Liz Curtis Higgs
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Thorn in My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs
Angels by Marian Keyes
The Forgiving Hour by Robin Lee Hatcher
Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes
The Shepherds Voice by Robin Lee Hatcher

Book Review: Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck

2008-12-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book from the author's website, and boy am I glad. I finished this book in less than a week. (That's fast for me!) This book would make a great summer read. Although I read it in December it made me feel warm and cosy.

The premise of the story is that Elle has recently broken off her engagement and while her broken heart heals she meets.... well, I won't tell you anymore. You'll have to read it yourself!

I love that it's a Christian love story. (ie: the characters don't jump into bed with the first guy they meet, it's about true love.) I also like how there is alot of talk about prayer in the book, as it reminds me about the importance of prayer in Christian life.

This book was just passed this one on to one of my good friends, but I can say that I would read more of Rachel's books in the future.

Friday Fave Five

2008-12-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

Hosted by Susanne, go here to join in!

1) Secret Pal package: I received my second secret swap pal package this week. It had some wonderfully soft yarn, a good book, along with some coloured pencils and notebook. It made me happy just to rub the soft yarn on my cheek. :)

2) Mountains: The North Shore Mountains look so pretty all covered in snow.

3) White Christmas: We might have a white Christmas this year. Or as close as we've had in a long time. It's supposed to snow on Sunday and be very cold for the following week. With temps in the zero and below range any snow we get won't be melted before Christmas. Ohhhh, so pretty!

4) Knitting Progress: I finished the Swiffer cover for my friend. I'm at the point in my top-down sweater where the arms have been separated. Seeing progress encourages me to keep knitting more. (Haven't had much time to do that lately.)

5) Presents: I've finishing all the gift shopping and I only have one more gift to wrap.

And one bonus:

6) My nephew: I spent a bunch of time with my sister and 7 1/2 month old nephew yesterday. He is trying to "walk"! If you hold his hands he moves his feet and "walks". He's too young to pull himself to an upright position, but his mom better watch out when he does learn! He has also learned to crawl but can only go backwards! Silly boy! :P

Book Review: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

2008-12-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

I first heard of this book about a year ago. It came with high recommendation from a non-Christian lady I meet through the Vancouver Knitting Meet-up. It peaked my interest that someone who didn't believe in the Bible would find a book based on a biblical story interesting.

When I finally starting reading the book I had a few reservations. For myself I do believe the bible and that every story recorded there is true. So when I started reading The Red Tent some of the questions that came up were: How can the author write about something that happened so many years ago? How can her account be accurate? I have a hard time thinking or reading a story that is based on a true event, but with out having any input from the people who were part of the event.

I kept all of this at the back of my mind as I read the book, which I found interesting. It was nice to be able to read and think about the day to day life of the women mentioned in the bible. They are more than just wife and mother, they were story tellers, teachers, midwifes, and weavers.

Even as I read the great story of the lives of these women I still had doubts about this truth of the story compared to what the bible said. I wasn't until I was finished the story and read the reading group guide at the end of the book that I felt better about all my questions. The reading guide says:

Aiding her (the author's) work was "midrash", the ancient and still vital literary form, which means "search" or "investigation."

"Historically, the rabbis used this highly imaginative form of story telling to make sense of the elliptical nature of the Bible... The compressed stories and images in the Bible are rather like photographs. They don't tell us everything we want or need to know. Midrash is the story about what happened before and after the photographic flash."

She points out that "The Red Tent is not a translation but a work of fiction. Its perspective and focus....distinguishes it from the biblical account in which women are usually peripheral and often totally silent. By giving Dinah a voice and by providing texture and content to the sketchy biblical descriptions, my book is a radical departure from the historical text."

I felt so much better after reading this. It is after all just a novel. I'm sure the author did her research and is quite accurate in her writing. But for some reason this just put my mind at ease. Has anyone else had issues with reading a novel that is based and true events but not a strict re-telling of the events?

Anyway....the novel is an enjoyable read. It's based on the events on Genesis 34 and is told from the view point of Dinah. She tells us about her family, and how things started before her birth. It then follows her story and her (possible) life after then events recorded in the bible.

Snow day! and other randomness

2008-12-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

It's snowing here in Greater Vancouver again. It's the second snow day in less than a week. (translation: stay off the roads!!) Its supposed to be really cold here for the next week or so. Really cold it this case means: zero celsius and down to -8 on some days!

I've been tagged in a meme by Katie and I have every intention of doing this but my computer needs to see the doctor. So this will be tackled once its all fixed up.

I finished reading Twilight in just 3 days and put New Moon on hold at the library but there were 146 people in front of me in the library line up.....so how know how long that will take?!

Friday Fill-Ins # 102

2008-12-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

1. Friends are the best support system.
2. Good health; it's taken for granted.
3. I'm ready for Christmas.
4. Whatever the guy from my old office used to wear is one of my favorite perfumes or aftershaves or smells.
5. The oldest ornament I have is not that old....my parents on the other hand have some from the 50s or earlier.
6. Take some aunts, uncles, cousins, and food mix it all together and you have a family Christmas gathering.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing in from of the TV (Ghost Whisperer) with my knitting, tomorrow my plans include heading to J & K's and Sunday, I want to watch Anne of Green Gables - A New Beginning on TV!

Books!

2008-12-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

Look what is waiting for me to pick it up at the library:

Meyer, Stephenie, 1973- Twilight / Stephenie Meyer. Held at the Brighouse (Main) until Dec 16, 2008

In addition last week I opened my mailbox to find a copy of Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck. I entered to win a copy from her website and the publishers decided to give a copy of everyone who entered. I'm really enjoying it and can't seem to put it down!

I've recently finished The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. I'll do a write up on it pretty soon. I wanted a couple of days to think about it before I wrote.

Whew, its over!

2008-11-30T18:29:00.001-08:00

November's National Blog Posting Month is over and I'm glad. I didn't quite do it everyday, but I think I put in a pretty good effort. I missed one day in November before I knew about nablopomo, and 3 days afterwards. Things will be slowing down in the posting frequency in the next weeks.

I just noticed that I'm on blog post 108! Wow, I never thought I'd get that many. I did my first post on Jan 16th so 1 year of blogging is coming up soon.

The sunset was pretty tonight and I wanted to share pictures with you. This first one looks like it was raining but it was just foggy.

This second picture was actually taken a couple of seconds before the other photo, just on a different camera setting. It's amazing how much different looks.

Friday Fill-Ins # 100

2008-11-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

1. My stomach hungry right now.
2. Either chips or hamburger is what I ate the most of on Thursday.
3. The yard at my parent's house is swishy because we've had lots of rain this week.
4. In the sun is where I'd rather be at any given time.
5. The smell of mandarin oranges reminds me of Christmas.
6. Chocolate is what I need right now!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to L's open house, tomorrow my plans include job hunting and Sunday, I want to church, knit, and read!

Getting to know me - Christmas style

2008-11-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

I found this on Wendy's blog and thought I'd play along.

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends, here’s what you're supposed to do. Just copy (not forward) this entire email and paste into a new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent it to you......Tips the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper for family, but bags for friends.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I prefer real, but will be using artificial this year.

3. When do you put up the tree? I think I'll put up the fake one tonight (or this weekend), real ones go up 2-3 weeks before Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime during the week after Christmas.

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Not sure of my favourite, but one that stands out is a baby bed for my doll that my grandma made.

7. Hardest people to buy for? My dad (if you know how to wrap "I just want everyone to be happy" let me know.)

8. Easiest person to buy for? My sister (we both love new clothes)

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but I want one. Maybe this will be there year I actually buy one.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A photo album made from natural materials.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Mickey's Christmas Carol

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Hopefully in November (depends how organized I am).

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Croquettes (dutch food item)

16. Lights on the tree? Of course!

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Little Town of Bethlehem

ETA: Where are you Christmas by Faith Hill is a great one too!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home (well, mom and dad's home, it just 5 mins away).

19. Can you name all 20 of Santa's reindeer's? No

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Never in the morning 'cause we go to church in the morning. Last year was the first year we did Christmas eve, usually it's a couple of days before Christmas.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? crazy busy malls

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Angels

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Stuffing

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? new clothes or yarn (although I don't trust my family to buy nice yarn).

26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Whoever is looking for blog fodder.

27. Who is least likely to respond to this? People who hate memes.

I hope everyone has fun decorating and preparing for Christmas in the coming weeks!

WIP Wednesday

2008-11-26T15:44:00.000-08:00

I haven't had too much time to knit this past week, but here's the progress I did make:

Here's the Swiffer Cover:

Below is the beginning of the Green Gable sweater:

Yarny Goodness!

2008-11-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

When I opened my mailbox this afternoon it had a big package in it. I opened the package and here's what I found:

I received the first package from my Secret Pal 13 swap! One skein of beautiful teal Malabrigo! I'm super excited to knit with this yarn for the first time. The pattern is perfect for me because it only requires 1 skein (which is all my short patience is likely to allow me to knit). I plan on leaving the skein laying around the house until it's knit because the colour is just so cheerful. I find myself smiling whenever I look at it. :)

Teaser Tuesdays

2008-11-25T17:33:00.000-08:00

Grab your current read
Let the book fall open to a random page
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Do NOT post anything that could spoil the plot of the book!!!

This is not my current read yet, but it is next on the TBR list. Also this is not a random page. It's the page that I opened to in the store and it caught my attention and made me hungry!

"Marty cradled the phone between his neck and shoulder as he spread schmears of cream cheese on warm, crusty sesame bagels and wrapped them up in waxed paper. One ofter the other, as the businessmen and businesswoman stopped in on their way to the subway and work downtown, he fixed breakfast bagels. Many of the his customers were regulars whose faces and orders he knew by heart. His favorite customer of all time, however, was having a panic attach on the phone."

From Kate Jacobs' new book Knit Two.

I'm still reading The Red Tent, but hope to get to the above book soon!

Have you ever? Knitting Style

2008-11-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

I found this on Tami's blog and thought I'd fill it out.

It is a list of knitting techniques, you are supposed to bold the ones you have tried, italicise the ones you want to try and leave the rest in plain text.

Afghan

I-cord - well, not so much want to try, but will have to try when I start to make my felted bag.

Garter stitch

Knitting with metal wire

Shawl

Stockinette stitch

Socks: top-down

Socks: toe-up

Knitting with camel yarn - Ewwww, gross!

Mittens: Cuff-up

Mittens: Tip-down

Hat - I've made one baby hat and want to make an adult hat for myself

Knitting with silk

Moebius band knitting

Participating in a KAL - sounds like a fun idea, but I doubt that I would knit fast enough.

Sweater

Drop stitch patterns

Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn

Slip stitch patterns

Knitting with banana fiber yarn

Domino knitting

Twisted stitch patterns

Knitting with bamboo yarn

Two end knitting

Charity knitting

Knitting with soy yarn

Cardigan

Toy/doll clothing

Knitting with circular needles

Baby items

Knitting with your own hand-spun yarn - I don't spin but would use someone else's. :P

Slippers - As requested by my sister

Graffiti knitting

Continental knitting

Designing knitted garments

Cable stitch patterns

Lace patterns - I've started a lace scarf.

Publishing a knitting book

Participate in an exchange

Scarf

Teaching a child/teenager to knit - I taught my sister but she's in her 20's

American/English knitting - I hold the yarn with my right hand.

Knitting to make money

Buttonholes

Knitting with alpaca

Fair Isle knitting

Norwegian knitting

Dying with plant colors

Knitting items for a wedding

Household items - dishcloths baby!

Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars

Knitting with someone else's hand-spun yarn

Knitting with dpns

Holiday related knitting

Teaching a male how to knit

Bobbles

Knitting for a living

Knitting with cotton

Knitting smocking

Dying yarn

Steeks

Knitting art

Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously

Felting

Knitting with wool

Textured knitting

Kitchener stitch

Knitted flowers

Purses/bags

Knitting with beads

Swatching - Sadly yes.

Long Tail CO

Entrelac

Knitting backwards - When I make a mistake, does tink-ing count?

Machine knitting

Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn - I don't like self patterning sock yarn.

Stuffed toys

Knitting with cashmere

Darning

Jewelry

Knitting with synthetic yarn

Writing a pattern

Gloves

Intarsia

Knitting with linen

Knitting for preemies

Tubular CO

Free-form knitting

Short rows

Cuffs/fingerless mits/arm-warmers

Pillows

Knitting a pattern from an on-line knitting magazine

Rug

Knitting on a loom

Thrummed knitting

Knitting a gift

Knitting for pets

Shrug/bolero/poncho

Knitting with dog/cat hair - Ewww, gross!

Hair accessories

Knitting in public

If you post this on your blog please let me know so I can read about you!

Friday Fill-Ins # 99

2008-11-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

1. The last band I saw live was Bon Jovi. (and they were awesome!!!)
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is stuffing. (and I had some in October for Canadian Thanksgiving)
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is about 1/3 of the way done.
4. Thoughts of warmer weather fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear sandles (but it's way too cold).
6. Bagpipes are so very Scotish.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to woman's tea with L, tomorrow my plans include a movie with A and a potluck dinner and Sunday, I want to relax!

WIP (Wednesday) Part 2 on Thursday

2008-11-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

As promised yesterday here are the pictures of my works in progress. We start with the finished fetching, made with Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran:

Next is the Swiffer Cover being made with Lily Sugar n' Cream:

And finally here is the first slipper being made from some acrylic I found the "stash".

As an aside..... is it Friday yet? Although I'm putting in less hours at work I feel more tired this week than last.

WIP Wednesday

2008-11-19T22:23:00.000-08:00

Saw this idea on someone's blog (but can't remember who). Here's what I've been working on this past weekend.

Got some more work done on The Slippers for my sister.

Started the Swiffer Cloth for my friend L.

Finished and measured the swatch for The Sweater. I will need to use 3.5mm needles.

It's late and I'm tired so pictures will come tomorrow.

What are you working on?

Teaser Tuesdays

2008-11-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

"The next day, the bondswomen joined Jacob's wives for the moon days, but it was more like a funeral than a feast. No one asked the pregnant woman to recount her symptoms."

From: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Word

2008-11-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

Found on Cass's blog. My response is bold.

Where is your mobile phone? purse
Where is your significant other? where are you?
Your hair colour? brown
Your mother? friend
Your father? provider
Your favourite thing? hanging with friends
Your dream last night? none
Your dream goal? working for a humanitarian organization
The room you’re in? dinning
Your hobby? knitting
Your fear? being alone
Where do you want to be in 6 years? married
Where were you last night? at home
What you’re not? employed (hopefully only temporarily)
One of your wish-list items? clothes
Where you grew up? Richmond
The last thing you did? eat a mini chocolate bar
What are you wearing? jeans & my new long-sleeve t-shirt
Your TV? on
Your pets? none
Your computer? a great gift
Your mood? neutral
Missing someone? my friend J
Your car? 96 Neon
Something you’re not wearing? shoes
Favourite shop? Reitmans
Your summer? long gone
Love someone? my family
Your favourite colour? purple
When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
When is the last time you cried? don't remember

A non-post post

2008-11-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

Ugh! I've been having trouble posting something everyday for the last couple of days. I have nothing new to share so really this boring post (sorry!) is to say that I'm here, I'm alive, and I'll try to have something more interesting to share tomorrow.

I hope you're all having a great weekend!

Friday Fill-Ins # 98

2008-11-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

It's a little late but here we go anyway:

1. Please feel free to leave a comment on my blog.
2. When I get a bouquet of fresh flowers I can't help sniffing it occasionally.
3. My favorite thing to cook is pasta.
4. Love is something I can't get enough of.
5. That's the thing I love most about love, then more you get the more you can give away.
6. People who drive straight with their turning signal on always makes me think to myself, what the heck?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner at mom and dad's, tomorrow my plans include getting my car worked on and Sunday, I want to go to church then come home and knit!

Friday Fave Five

2008-11-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

Friday Fave Five is a way to reflect over the past week, and is hosted by Living to Tell. Visit Susanne for more details.

1) Lower Gas Prices: Yea, for better prices. I saw as low as 94.9 cents per litre this week.

2) Remembrance Day Statutory Holiday: It was great to have a day off in the middle of the week. It make the work week seem shorter.

3) Circle Craft: It was nice to be able to go Circle Craft Fair with Monica.

4) Change: Some change can be good. I will be changing jobs in the coming weeks. This is not by my choice, but I think this will be a good change, as I was bored with my job.

5) This quote: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, “I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.” Ann Landers

FO: Socks

2008-11-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

Just because you asked, Chelle, here's a picture of both of the finished socks. They've been worn, washed, and worn again.

Yarn: Berroco Sox colour# 1426

Secret Pal 13 Questions

2008-11-12T22:15:00.000-08:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I don't like faux fur etc. I like to try new yarns that I've never used before. I like to knit using worsted weight if I can get away with it (depends on the pattern of course). When I don't know what to knit (or want to restart after a break) I always start with a cotton dishcloth.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a cloth needle holder that was a Christmas gift last year. I also have a small zippered pouch for stitch holders etc.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I've been knitting (on and off) for about 5 years, and I'm either an advanced beginner, or a beginning intermediate. (Make sense?) :P

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

No

5. What's your favorite scent?

Something floral.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

YES! I love sweets, anything chocolate is my favourite.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I don't spin. I used to cross-stitch, and make cards but since I've started knitting both have fallen by the way-side.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like country, rock, and pop, but I'm not sure if my computer plays MP3. I've never tried. How can I tell?

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

I tend to like a lot of blue (or mainly the darker shades of most colours). I don't like orange though.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I'm not married, I have no kids, and no pets......unless you count dust bunnies?

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Scarves yes, hats sometimes, mittens no, ponchos no, gloves YES.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Last year I went through a huge dishcloth faze. They're quick, easy, and instant gratification. I'm not sure I have a favourite right now.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Fingerless mitts for a friend's Christmas gift, dishcloth. (Also see 2 posts below for more info.)

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes, if the are practical or useful.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I like both straight and circulars. I have just recently become a big fan of bamboo.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

No and no.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

About a year.

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?

I'm definitely celebrating Christmas. As a Christian it means more to me that the gift grab the stores make it out to be! My birthday is my favourite holiday....oh wait that's not a national holiday, then Christmas is my next favourite.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Umm... maybe books? I'm trying to make my own library of "classic" books. I have Pride & Prejudge, Les Miserable, (and lots of Christian fiction, and chic lit books).

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I'm a big fan of free patterns, so ravelry is a great find for me. I don't subscribe to any magazines.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Toe-up socks, learn to knit a sweater.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I've knit my first sock, and though I love the warmth but it doesn't fit quite right. (I made it too big.) I hope to have better sizing on my toe up sock.

toe to heel - 9"; arch circumference - 8"; ankle - 8.5" I wear a size 7 shoe. (Canadian size)

23. When is your birthday? October 1st

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? juliabca

Remembrance Day

2008-11-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

In Flanders Fields

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.

- Lt. Col. John McCrae

I've heard this poem many times but this year I learned some new information about the author.

The red Flanders’ poppy was first described as a flower of remembrance by Colonel John McCrae, who was Professor of Medicine at McGill University of Canada before World War One. Colonel McCrae had served as a gunner in the Boer War, but went to France in World War One as a medical Officer with the first Canadian Contingent where he was killed in active duty in 1918.

**Please remember those who gave their lives for the wonderful freedom we enjoy today!

Click here for a cool pattern to knit your own poppy.

There ain't no doctor that can cure my disease!

2008-11-10T22:30:00.000-08:00

I think I have a serious case of startitis! For every 1 item that comes off the needles I have another 2 or 3 that want to be on the needles.

Last month I finished this dishcloth:

Last night I finished this one:

I also worked on a second pair of Fetching fingerless mitts this weekend. (Christmas gift for a friend.)

What I want to be working on is:

Green Gable

Aunt Maggie's Slippers (another Christmas present, if done in time)

Cabled Rangoli Hat

Swiffer Cloth (gift, but likely not for Christmas)

Lace Ribbon Scarf (on the needles but not a current project)

Plus while looking through the stash yesterday I found a cowl I got sick of knitting last year. Now seeing it again I want to pick it up and start knitting it again. Ack! What's a girl to do?!!

PS. Title from a Jon Bon Jovi song....Bad Medicine!

Things I'm loving' today:

2008-11-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

Fall colours and my new camera.

PS. And Sheryl Crow...I listened to her greatest hits CD as I took a walk.

Have you ever?

2008-11-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

I saw this meme on someone's blog several months ago, but can't remember whose blog. Have you:

Gone on a blind date? No (but does a date with someone you met online count?)

Skipped school? Yes

Watched someone die? No

Been to Canada? Pretty much every day of my life!

Been to Mexico? Yes, three times.

Been to Florida? No

Been on a plane? Yes

Been lost? Yes, have you heard about my family's bad sense of direction?? It's genetic.

Been on the opposite side of the country? No

Been to the capital of your country? No

Swam in the ocean or waded? Yes, living by the coast we went swimming every summer.

Cried yourself to sleep? Probably, but not for any good reason.

Played cops and robber? Nope

Recently colored with crayons? Not recently

Sang Karaoke? Yes, after several drinks.

Paid for a meal with coins only? Yes, thank-you Wendy's.

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes.

Made prank phone calls? No

Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? Yes, as a kid.

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Of course! Why go out in the snow if you're not going to catch a snowflake?

Danced in the rain? Yes, in bare feet.

Written a letter to Santa Claus? I think so, but I don't think it ever got mailed.

Been kissed under the mistletoe? No, maybe someday?

Watched the sunrise with someone you care about? No.

Blown bubbles? Yes, I brought some to the cabin in the summer to play with L's kids.

Gone ice-skating? Yes.

Been skinny dipping outdoors? No, and not indoors either!

Been out of North America? Yes, England, The Netherlands, Kazakstan, Uzebekistan, Australia, and Japan.

Been in detention? Yes, in grade 9, it was a big injustice in my opinion!!

Regreted something you blogged? No.

I won't tag anyone but if you do it let me know so that I can come and read.

Friday Fave Five

2008-11-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

It's the weekly review of your favourite things as hosted by Living to Tell. Visit Susanne for more details or to link your fav's to Mr. Linky.

1) Getting Compliments: On Saturday I helped a friend move, along with several of their other friends and family. The last item to be moved was a big couch that had to be lifted to the second story and taken in the sliding door. Well, since I had no intention of lifting a couch I started playing with the movees neice and nephew (ages 5 and 3) The children's mother saw me with playing games with the kids and asked if I worked with kids. I don't work with kids so knowing that she thought I did is quite the complement to me.

2) A trip down memory lane: My mom has been cleaning out the attic this week. On my visit to her I had a look though a bunch of old "stuff", keeping what is good and throwing out the unimportant. Things like childhood books, toys, and school work. There were so many things that brought back good memories. I look forward to more of the same, as mom is creating a box for each of her kids and when she is done we'll each get to look through our own box of special memories.

3) Being asked for: Sunday at church G&L were visiting with their one-year old daughter C. Although she doesn't usually go to just anyone when she saw me she held out her arms and wanted me to hold her. She did this several times during church and the social time. I made me feel so good that she trusted me.

4) Potluck: We had a potluck/games night with my bible study and a good time was had by all. (And my cheesecake when over very well.)

5) Digital camera: My new camera is definetely a favourite new toy for me!

FO: Pin Wheel Blanket

2008-11-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little post to show you an unblocked picture of the pinwheel blanket.

PS. Best Buy had no trouble taking back the open package with the wrong size memory card.

Smile for the camera!

2008-11-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

Last night I went out and bought my digital camera! It's like the one above except black, and it's really, really cool.

Small problem though.... the sales guy told me it used a SD memory card. So of course that's the type I bought. Once I opened the package and tried to fit the card in the camera it wouldn't fit! I know I've never had a digital camera before, but I have put a memory card in a camera before. (Thanks mom for having trouble with her's.) After trying to put the card in the camera in every direction possible I pulled out the booklet and it says I need an XD-picture card. Great now I have to go back to the store tonight and ask for a refund on the opened memory card! And also buy the correct memory card. (It's kinda too bad because the SD memory card was on sale and I got an 8GB memory card for 29.99, which is only $2.00 more than a 2GB.)

I'm a little worried that they won't let me return the open pack... Wish me luck!

Pin Wheel Blanket is finished...well, sort of.

2008-11-04T16:07:00.001-08:00

Last night I finished binding off the pin wheel blanket! All I need to do is weave the ends in, and block it. I've never blocked anything before so it should be interesting. My plan is to buy some pins from the fabric store, wet the blanket, lay it out and pin it to my bed mattress. (I'll do it on Saturday when the sheets are being washed.) One of the ladies from my knitting group last night told me that because the yarn is a 50/50 cotton/acrylic blend it won't block as nice as wool, but I'm going to try it anyway. (besides I have nothing to compare it to, so how would I know the difference!)

I did a swatch for the sweater but the needles were too big and I forgot the 3.5 needles at home. (well, not so much forgot as walked-past-and-didn't-think-I-would-need-them-so-left-them-on-the-counter-on-purpose! D'oh!)

I have cast on for another pair of Fetching (fingerless mitts) for a friend for Christmas, as she noticed mine the other week and really seemed to like them. I'm making them in a dusty blue colour that I really hope she likes.

NaBloPoMo

2008-11-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

I saw this on Monica's blog and thought I'd try it out. What is NaBloPoMo you may ask? Well, it stands for National Blog Posting Month. The idea is to post a blog entry every day this month. You're probably thinking: Yeah right that will never happen! (Ok, maybe that's just me!) For the girl who sometimes has trouble posting once a week this will be a real challenge for me. (And to be honest it's kinda freaking me out right now.) But the best way to grow is to get outside your comfort zone, right?

I've missed one day so far but so what? I'm gonna jump right in! Wish me luck.

PS. If you're interested you can go here for more info.

Knitting Update

2008-11-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick knitting update.... I'm almost finished the pin wheel blanket. I only have one and half rows to knit and the bind off left, but when each row has 380 stitches one row takes a while to knit.

I have the yarn for the Green Gable sweater I want to make. I'll order the pattern online after I have correct gauge. I'm usually not too picky about gauge (normally I don't even do a swatch) but I want the sweater to be my size! :) Unfortunately I can't start this until the blanket is done because they use the same needles.

I have cast on and the knit the first 4 rows of the Lace Ribbon Scarf. I had to do it 3 times in order to get it right!! Yikes lace might harder then I thought! This project is on hold until the blanket and sweater are finished.

PS. The digital camera I want is going on sale on the 4th. So hopefully I'll have pictures to post soon. :) Does anyone have digital camera advice? Do you love yours? Let me know what kind it is. Do you hate yours? Please let me know so I don't buy that one! Thanks!!

Friday Fave Five

2008-10-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

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

1) New Shoes: Even better is new shoes at a great price! Twice every year Ronsons holds a warehouse sale in my city and all shoes are sold for 39.99. This year I bought 1 pair of shoes for 39.99 and when I got home I noticed that the price on the box was 112.99. I love getting a great deal!

2) Pacific Theatre: Thursday I went to Pacific Theatre and saw Mourning Dove. PT is a very small theatre in Vancouver. They are connected to a church, but don't necessarily put on "Christian" plays. Their shows are based on moral issue and are designed to get you thinking and talking. I had a 2 for 1 coupon and went with a good friend to see Mourning Dove. What a touching play it was! I left with tears in my eyes.....and was sniffling by the time we got to the car.

3) Good friends: Further to #2 the friend I went to the play with is a great friend. One of those friends you can cry in front of and not feel bad. (In fact she's seen me cry on one than one occasion.)

4) 50% off coupons: It's much easier to go see a play when it costs you about the same as seeing a movie in the theatre!

5) Getting to use some sign language: A couple of years ago I took a sign language course at night school. Last Sunday at church I saw a friend signing to someone. I stopped by to say hello (in my very limited sign language). She was signing to a deaf man who has been attending our church. They invited me to sit with them next Sunday, when a translator will be translating the sermon for him.

Book Review: Grace in Thine Eyes

2008-10-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

I loved this book! It's the last in a series of 4 books, and possible the best one! The book is based in Scotland in 1808. It follows the story of 17 year old Davina, daughter of the two of the characters from books 1-3.

Davina, while visiting her cousins, is raped and must decide whether to lie and cover up the truth and save her reputation, or face the truth and forgive the one who did wrong to her. As with all things her family gets involved and must also come to terms with what happened.

The author's website really says it best:

"A story of passion and revenge, of lost innocence and shattered dreams, Grace in Thine Eyes explores the sorrow of unspeakable shame and the gift of immeasurable grace."

Besides being a great story I was struck by a couple things from this book. The first was that as I was reading part of the book I was starting to get really mad at the author. While this may seem bad it was really a good thing. Often with a story you can tell what is going to happen and where the story is going. I did not for see this one event and got so caught up the story that I wanted everything to work out for the best and this one event went against what I thought was best. ('cause you know its all about me right! :P )

I was also moved by the great descriptions of places. There was a lot of travel in the story and it was all so well described that I feel as through I've been there! (Ok, so I know I haven't really travelled 1808 Scotland, but it has created a strong urge to travel to modern day Scotland just to see the placed mentioned in the book!)

It's even got me thinking how lucky women are these days. We can own property, and have a job, and choose if we want to get married, heck we can even decide if we want kids and how many. Two hundred years ago everything depended on your husband! You HAD to marry and your had to marry well. All I can say is thank goodness for 2008.

Overall a great book, I would definitely recommend this one.

Wow, all this from one book! It must be one heck of a book huh? :)

Friday Fave Five

2008-10-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

"It's a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc. Go and make your own post, be as detailed as you like, link to the Living to Tell the Story Fave Five post and then add yourself to the Mr. Linky."

1) Good books: There just nothing like a good book to curl up with on cool fall days (or any day really!). I'm soon to post about a great book I just finished called Grace in Thine Eyes by Liz Curtis Higgs.

2) Yarn: The yarn I ordered online came in the mail this week. Three skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Raging Purple. It's not as dark a purple as I used for Fetching but it's not a pale, washed out purple either. Can you imagine wearing a sweater you made yourself. Yes, it will be lots of knitting work, but the payoff's gonna be great!

3) Work: I'm thankful that I have a job that is quite slow today. Our CEO and my supervisor are both away today and I can be a slacker and write this post while "on the job".

4) Good advice: As many people do I freeze bananas when they become too ripe, then when I have the time and inclination I'll take then out of the freezer and make banana bread. I normally just toss the whole banana, peel and all, in the freezer and then de-frost the entire thing when it comes time to bake. Recently while at a friend's house I saw that she had bananas in her freezer that were in plastic bags. After I asked she told me that before putting them in the freezer she peels the bananas as this makes it easier to use them when it comes time to bake. I've started doing this and now have several ziplock type bags with banana peices in them. I look forward to baking with them and not having to peel half frozen and soggy bananas!

5) Inspirational quotes: from this website. One of my fav's is:

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." Thoreau

Whiskers on Wednesday

2008-10-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary....

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!

9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!

7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!

8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!

11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary....

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow - but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now................

**I really do like cats, I just thought this post would be good for a laugh!

Friday Fave Five

2008-10-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

What a weekend!

2008-10-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

I've had a great weekend! On Saturday my family got together at my parent's house for my birthday. We had drinks and yummy cheesecake with strawberries, and played the card game Wizard. My 5 month nephew was there and looking as cute as always! They pooled their money for a gift and gave me ..... CASH! They know that I want a digital camera so along with the money I've been saving and the money they've given me I should be able to buy one soon. (Yea, then I can start posting pictures on the blog.) I also got two movie vouchers from mom. (She's been wanting to go see a chick flick with me for awhile now and I keep beating her to the movie by seeing it with my friends.)

Then this afternoon I met with 3 friends I got to know through the Vancouver Knitting Meetup. And two came bearing gifts. Monica gave me a felted tea cosy with a design and crocheted flower on the front. Chelle gave me 2 stitch markers, a notions bag (that I will put to use as soon as I finish this post), and some sock yarn. The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, 100% merino fingering weight. The colour is absolutely gorgeous! It's called Northern Lights and it's black with dark pink, purple, and green. (I gotta say the yarn does smell a little....mostly just like vinegar or chemicals....)

Since I've taken so long to complete my first pair of socks I don't think I'm quite ready to start my second just yet. I do really want to make this scarf though. I was going to make it out of some white yarn I had laying around the house, but I was feeling very uninspired with the yarn. I love the colours of this yarn so much that I might make the scarf with it. I'll do a swatch and see how the gauge turns out.

In non-birthday news I bought the yarn for my first sweater. It's Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in raging purple. (And in case I haven't mentioned it before the sweater I want to make is Green Gable.) I can't wait for it to arrive!

Friday Fill-Ins # 92

2008-10-02T23:59:00.000-07:00

1. October is here with in all its raining glory.
2. Pythons and tarantulas scare me!
3. Leaves are falling all around, it's making me want to go on a walk and crunch them.
4. My favorite horror movie is none because I don't watch horror movies.
5. Summer and good friends = good memories.
6. It was a dark and stormy night and the power went out while I was watching the scariest CSI episode ever! (the one where Nick is buried underground!)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing at home, tomorrow my plans include a birthday get together for me at mom and dad's and Sunday, I want to have tea at Steeps with Monica!

Book Review: Whence Came a Prince by Liz Curtis Higgs

2008-10-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 3 weeks since I finished reading Whence Came a Prince by Liz Curtis Higgs. This book is the third story in a series of four. I really enjoyed this book. I don't know how to describe the book without going into a long storyline, which I won't do. (It just continues the story of Jamie, Rose, and Leana.) Suffice it to say the book is about honour and duty. I love Leana's character and the strength and righteousness she displays. (I think she sets a good example for all of us to who feel not good enough, or those stuck in a tough time.) She gets through all her hard situations with sheer determination and her faith in God. I'm looking forward to picking up the forth (and final) book this Sunday.

Friday's Fave Five

2008-09-26T23:09:00.000-07:00

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

1) Movie: I went to see Nights in Rodanthe with some girl friends tonight. I read the book by Nicholas Sparks last week because I knew this was my type of movie. And it's always better to read then book then see the movie. (I never get around to reading the book after seeing the movie.) The movie was a little more superficial than the book, and it left out the "bookends" that begin and end the book. But it was still fun to get together with the girls and go out for a movie. (Even better yet we went to a cheap theatre and it only cost 7.95)

2) Work speed: Work has been good this week. Not too busy, and not too slow. (More on the slow side...) But overall it was a pretty good week.

3) Bible Study: I went to a new bible study on Wednesday and it was good. There were about 15 people there from all age groups and life experiences. (2 young married couples, 1 couple with young kids, 1 couple with grown kids, 3 other single people, and 1 divorcee) It was a great mix and was a nice relaxed atmostphere. It's a 12 week study on John 3:16 with book and study book by Max Lucado. I plan on going again next Wednesday.

4) The sun: Although it's the end of September and the nights are getting quite cold, the mid-day sun still has some warmth to it. There is a little park about 5 minutes from my work where I spent my lunch breaks during the summer. I went there today for lunch and the sun was strong enough that I could sit there without a jacket on. (The wind was cold when it blew ~seldom~ but let's not focus on that!) For someone who hates the 8 months of winter we have here this last little bit of sun has been great on lifting my mood.

5) Costco: I had a good experience in the Richmond Costco last week. I started my account in February 4 years ago. Then my work offered to pay for my yearly fees (Of course I accepted!). I worked in accounts payable at the old job so I know that they renew the subscriptions each September. When I left my old job last December I knew that they would not cancel my subscription until September of this year. I then expected that I would have until next February before my subscription expired. Well, when I went to Costco last week the card came up as expired. I was disappointed as I thought that I had another 6 months left! They had to call the manager over and after I paid for my purchases he took me over to another computer and looked into the matter. They had no record of my original payment for the first 1/2 a year before my old job started paying the cost (although I'm sure I paid the $40.00 fee). The nice Richmond Costco store manager arranged for me to have a free membership until the end of next February! How nice is that? I'm glad there are still some stores out there that believe in customer satisfaction. I left the store with a smile on my face.

Whew, I made this post in the nick of time! It's 11:41 Pacific Time ~ post on late posters, post on!

Friday Fill-Ins # 91

2008-09-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

1. My birthday and Thanksgiving are some of the things I'm most looking forward to in October.
2. Sometimes I like to go for a walk in the rain.
3. Miracles happen and that's why there is a saying, "never say never"!
4. When I'm down, I tend to spend alot of time in bed.
On the flip side: "When I'm up, I can't get down, can't get down, can't get level...." I love me some Great Big Sea!
5. Sitting on the couch watching TV or reading book is where you'll find me most often.
6. A rainy day is good for reading a good book with a mug of hot chocolate.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to seeing Nights in Rodanthe with the girls, tomorrow my plans include relaxing, and some cleaning too I guess! and Sunday, I want to go back and visit Fraserview church!

FO Report: Fetching (fingerless mitts)

2008-09-21T19:42:00.001-07:00

Fetching
Originally uploaded by juliabca

I finished knitting Fetching last Tuesday. This was a really fun and easy knit! The colour is darker that the picture shows, but this picture shows the cables best. The yarn is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, and is super soft. My work is freezing in the winter and this is where I plan on using these mitts.The top edge has a picot cast off and this is something new I learnt while making these mitts.

Yes, I do still knit!

2008-09-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd give a quick update on what and how far I've been knitting. I have almost finished Fetching (fingerless mitts). All I need to do is knit the thumb holes. I worked on this on the Saturday get together with one lady from the SCC knit group.

I finally picked up the socks again after having let them sit for almost a month! I had dropped a stitch and the stitch fell a couple of rows. I was able to pickup the stitch but the stitches still looked wonky and bigger than normal. So I tinked (knit backwards) for 2 or 3 rounds then started knitting forward. I went to a Vancouver meetup on Sunday and I knit on the sock for a hour or so and I have just started the toe decreases. I'm going to another SCC knitting night tonight and I plan on finishing the socks then.

I'm looking forward to starting my first sweater! I want to knit Green Gable. I haven't bought the pattern or the yarn yet. I would not let myself buy it until Fetching and the socks are finished first. Also up on the to-be-knit list is the pinwheel blanket. My edging will be different then the one in the link picture. I have a couple of 50% off coupons from Micheals that I will be using to buy the yarn for it. I'm heading there after work today.

I finished the dishclothes below sometime last month, it just took me awhile to photograph and post about them.

Friday Fill-Ins # 89

2008-09-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

1. I enjoy a good chick flick.
2. Relationships is something I wonder about often lately.
3. In your heart, you knew Fraserview wouldn't be my church home forever.
4. Take butter, add a little sugar, flour, & chocolate chips and you end up with cookies.
5. Life has gifted me with a great family.
6. Bob Marley music is an instant vacation.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to seeing my friends at a tupperware party, tomorrow my plans include going to a knitting night and Sunday, I want to try another new church.

Friday Fave Five

2008-09-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

"A place to think back over your week and just post 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, etc., etc. Just make your own post, be as detailed as you like, linking to Living to Tell the Story and then add yourself to the Mr. Linky."

1) Getting a hug from C. She is my friend's 1 year old daughter. I have seen her plenty but last weekend I spent a full day and half with her and near the end of the day she gave me a hug. When is the last time you got a hug from a 1 year old? It's the best thing ever!

2) The "new" computer I got from my sister and brother-in-law, and how its much smarter that my old one. They got a new laptop and gave me their old desktop. Pretty nice huh? My old one had this: 299 MHz, 256 MB of RAM, and the new one has this: 3.00 GHz, 1.00 GB of RAM. I don't know much about computers but I think that's a great improvement. It's much faster as I surf the net anyway. I can even have more than one page open at a time now!

3) My brother comes home from Europe on Sunday. I can't wait to hear what he saw/liked/hated/tasted.

4) Labour Day Long Weekend! Yea! That means a 4 days work week and I love that!

5) I'm stealing this from Tameka's blog but it's important and bares repeating: I am a child of the Most High & I Am Blessed!

Friday Fill-Ins # 88

2008-09-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

1. If I was to walk into your life, I'd say: Hi, how are you?

2. Catch a bright star and place it high on the wall for all to see.

3. And you can send me 'cause I won't eat any chocolate before it gets to you.....hehehe.

4. I'd like to forget that lousy day but I'm dealing with a memory that never forgets.

5. I'm the innocent bystander / Somehow I got stuck in the middle of it all.

6. What's keeping us apart isn't selfishness, it's fear.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to relaxing, maybe watching a movie, tomorrow my plans include not much and Sunday, I want to go to a new church!