Making progress!

It's been awhile since I've posted a knitting update. So here you go:

I've been juggling two projects - the Chevron scarf and the baby sweater - and making some progress on each.
My priority is the baby sweater because I want it done well before the baby is born, and because I also want to try to knit something else to go with it (baby booties and a toy). I pick up the Chevron when I'm frustrated with the sweater - a dropped stitch, or a lost stitch, or a technique I don't know how to tackle (anyone know how to increase on a purl row??).

Tonight I started and finished a sleeve. I'm hoping I can be finished the sweater in a week or so.
My biggest challenge with both projects is the counting! For some reason I have to count, recount and recount again. Hopefully my counting skills (or concentration skills) will improve over time and practice.

I've also been adding to my stash. During my visit to Toronto, Charlotte and I checked out a couple lovely wool shops. I restrained myself from spending a lot, but didn't want to leave empty handed either. Of course, it didn't help that I went into the shops without any projects in mind so I didn't have anything to shop for. All I could do was fondle the yarn and ooh and aah over the beautiful eye-catching colours. I came away with only 4 balls of wool that were very reasonably priced. Yay me! Millie approves.See! My stash is building. This is about half of it. The other half is tucked away out of sight.

And since I'm talking about knitting, I might as well tell you I've finally been invited into Ravelry. I signed up on Jan. 26, and it took 10 days of waiting before I got (and accepted!) the invitation. Yes, I was getting antsy and made many visits to the impatient alpaca to see where I was in the queue.
And I'd like to say the wait was worth it, but unfortunately for me, I've decided that Ravelry is classed in the same group with Facebook - a high potential to be a monumental time-sucker. So I've decided to add it to my Lenten sacrifice. No Facebook or Ravelry for me for 39 days.

When Easter comes I will feast upon all Ravelry has to offer!
(I realise I'm allowed to cheat on Sundays, so I may take a peak to see what it's all about then - we'll see.)

For those of you unfamiliar to Ravelry, it's a social network for those who knit and crochet. You can find photos and patterns and forums for asking questions; you can add friends just like on Facebook and you can log your own projects (works in progress, finished objects or those in the queue), you can keep an inventory of your stash and see what other people are doing with their stash. I've been warned it's highly addictive, and fascinating, and engrossing......which is why I'm staying away from it for the remainder of Lent.

More time to put towards other things .... which are in the works as I type (again, more on this later!).

Preparing for Lent

Last night I celebrated Shrove Tuesday by making crepes. This tradition goes way back, though typically it's pancakes, not crepes, that are made. The idea is to use up rich foods like eggs, milk and sugar before Lenten fasting. Crepes are made from the same ingredients as pancakes, just thinner, and I had been craving them since being served delicious crepes on my last morning in Toronto! I had a few ingredients that I figured would work nicely for savory crepes - tomatoes, parsley, mushrooms and cheese.

But you know, in the end, I preferred the delicious crepes with lemon and sugar. The crepes are lighter and zingy and taste so good!
And so Lenten fasting begins. Though this year I'm not actually giving up any tasty treats; I've decided to give up facebook instead. Facebook a huge time-sucker for me, and honestly I know I can be doing other things. So, I'm refocussing the time spent on Facebook on more quality things, like giving my time to my community (more on this later), getting involved in a church community, and other things.

Lent is supposed to be a time of sacrifice, remembrance, reflection and devotion. It's because of the significance behind the act of sacrifice (giving up something you enjoy, and giving up of yourself) that I choose to practice Lent, and not because of church tradition. This may be obvious to those who know that I grew up in the Baptist church, a denomination that doesn't practice Lent.

I'm not sure if I should admit this or not but so far giving up Facebook hasn't been that hard. It's really just been about breaking the habit, and not wasting my time being nosy ;).

Good friends & Good Food - Part 2

Another weekend full of good friends and good food. How lucky can one girl get!!?!
This time it was my turn to be hospitable. I have to admit, I was quite looking forward to this. I enjoy cooking, but find I don't go to much trouble just for myself. It's definitely more fun to cook for friends or family.

I had been giving my menu for tonight a great deal of thought and decided on a Morrocan/Italian blend. Not for any particular reason except that they were dishes I wanted to make.

The main course was Morrocan chicken and rice, served with garlic bread, steamed green beans, and a cucumber, tomato and parsley salad. And for dessert ...Authentic Italian Tiramisu! (as authentic as you can get in NS anyway!) I've been wanting to make Tiramisu again since my first botched attempt awhile ago, but hadn't gotten around to it. Well, today I did.
So here's what I learned about making Tiramisu.

1. The cookie ladyfingers work just as well as the cakey ladyfingers (which you can't find in Halifax - I know, I tried!).
   
2. The marscapone gets very lumpy when you add the eggs, etc. to it, but a little persistence and steady beating with an electric mixer pays off.
3. Though the marscapone mix seems really eggy, once it's refridgerated and set for a few hours, it's not at all eggy!
   
4. 500 mL of marscapone can make A LOT of Tiramisu. Look for a smaller container next time. I have another Tiramisu to make with all the left overs, and NOBODY needs 2! Tiramisus! 250 mL would work just as well, unless you're aiming to make dessert for a crowd.
   

After dinner, we settled into a game - Settlers of Catan. If you've never played this game, let me tell you, it's a lot of fun. It's a little like risk, but without the time commitment. A normal game, when you're not learning how to play, takes roughly an hour. A game involves some strategy, some luck, and a whole lot of trading. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys strategy games, and to those who don't typically enjoy strategy games!

Ha Ha!

How do you like your shreddies?

The Great Wall of China

I had always meant to take a photo of this, but never seemed to have my camera on me when I thought of it. Well, I did this time, so I snapped a couple of quick photos. I've always loved this display, possibly because I'm a huge fan of china (it runs in the family!).

If you find yourself in Toronto, at the William Ashley store on Bloor & Balmuto, be sure to gaze at this beautiful marvel.

Anyway, there you go. A little bit of randomness for the day.

Thank you WestJet...Again!

Okay, so I have to rave about WestJet again! ...because I can't say enough about the great service, and the comfortable and enjoyable flights .So, why is WestJet better than AirCanada? Because they don't take themselves so seriously. They cracked me up (seriously! There was some guffawing from my seat!) during the safety schpiel when they said :
Ladies & Gentlemen: There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 6 ways to leave this plane.

But the real reason for loving WestJet? The plane waited for me to find my scarf. Yes, I managed, in my rush to get to the flight (which was leaving 30 mins early!), to lose my scarf - my favourite self-knit scarf. I didn't notice until I got on the plane. When I asked the flight attendant if I had time to make a run for it and try to find it, she said I had about 10 minutes, but also cautioned me that the plane wouldn't wait. Well, she was wrong, of course. The plane did wait. I ran down stairs, found my scarf where I figured I had left it, and rushed through security again. One of the flight attendants was waiting for me on the stairs to get me through the gate without any delays or hassle. I was the last one on the plane. Thank you WestJet! again!

Here's the view flying into Toronto. So many lights!

Good friends & Good food

Whew! I 'm back from a whirlwind trip back to Toronto. My first time back since the move in April. This trip was all about visiting friends but, as I anticipated, a few days wasn't nearly enough time. It was so good to see folks again, and I'm so sorry about not being able to fit everyone in. I did my best and it just means I need to make another trip, right?!

So, as always, it seems when you visit with friends, there is always food involved. I managed to get to Green Mango and Pi-Toms for Thai, and to Pho Hung for Vietnamese, and even better than that I was treated to the hospitality of friends and delicious homemade food.

I helped a friend make homemade Chinese dumplings...
I haven't made dumplings in years, so it was a lot of fun to get my hands in and help again. I haven't quite got the technique down, but as long as the dumpling is securely folded so none of the stuffing leaks out when they're cooked, it's all good! And it's nice to be able to chat at a kitchen counter, working together, laughing together.

Unfortunately I didn't have my camera out for all my meals so I don't have a photo of Thursday's feast. But let me tell you, it was delicious! A four course Portuguese meal starting with pastries and grilled calamari (the best I've ever tasted!), followed by a delicious Portuguese BBQ chicken with rice and green beans, and topped off with amazing custard tarts from the Portuguese bakery. I should've taken pictures because, honestly, I'm not doing it justice!

Friday I got together with friends I used to play Euchre with and before we got into a game (or three!), we had a tasty meal of maple glazed salmon, salad and chocolatey brownie!

Saturday night was a potluck - an unusual potluck when you factor in all the food aversions, but great food is always served with wonderful hospitality and lots of conversation.
What are the food aversions you ask? No fish or meat, no fungi, no cooked peppers, no raisins, no cilantro, no cheese, and no gluten, no alcohol.

So here is what we had:

Hummus & Pita

Lentil Soup with gluten-free Focaccia bread

Baked pasta & Greek salad

Apple crisp for dessert!

And, last but not least, I've been given permission to post this. And so I will....because it fits nicely with the food theme. This was my first time at Licks and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great burger, great fries....great fun!

Mmm....Homeburger!

I like going out to restaurants, but when it comes down to it, I enjoy the company of friends more. And the great thing about homemade meals, is enjoying the company of friends in their own environment, casually (even in our pyjamas!), where you can relax and not have to rush out.

And a special thank-you to my hosts who treated me like a queen with fresh baked muffins and crepes and porridge. Back to making my own breakfasts now. ...

Weekend with the family

Another lovely weekend in the Valley. I was there for less than 24 hours, but got to enjoy a pretty January snowfall.
I also got to enjoy the company of family. My mother did some trouble-shooting for me with my knitting (I managed to drop a stitch but can't find it! Grr!) . She's also been babying her pup, Jessie, who's suffering from a very painful bone disease called Panosteitis. It's kind of like growing pains, but worse. Poor Jessie is limping around the house, looking very pathetic (she's got a head-bob when she limps down to a science!). She's also taken this as an opportunity for milking my folks for all the attention she can get. She's taken up residence on the futon or old sofa just like you or me when we get sick. And she likes to have her head propped on your lap, or a pillow or the arm of a sofa. Really, it's truly pathetic! Though I do sympathise with her. Not all of it is put-on. Her poor puppy-legs are in pain.

Productivity Report

So I've taken the plunge. I've started my first non-scarf knitting project. So far, so good. I've got the collar done and started the raglan shaping. I even modified the pattern ever so slightly - rather than knitting a garter stitch for the collar, I did a moss stitch, which I think looks nicer, and feels softer.

And today, while I was looking for fabric for another crafty project (that my mom is going to tackle for me), I found these cute stitch-on labels.

Since the sweater is for my nephew, yet to be born, and since I'm going to be his only Aunt (albeit a step-Aunt), I couldn't resist.

Hopefully it'll be done before the little guy's birth in April.

And because I was feeling REALLY productive today, I baked 3 dozen muffins. I hadn't quite realised how many muffins I was actually making until well after I started. The reason for my baking frenzy was to use up some applesauce I made last week.

I really like applesauce, but I could tell when I was peeling the apples that this batch wouldn't be as good as other batches I've made earlier in the Fall/Winter. This batch was made from cheap apples, that were old and soft and bruised, and not as tart as I like. As a result, the applesauce wasn't very flavourful and was too disappointing to eat on its own. So what do you do with applesauce you don't want to eat? You bake with it! Tonight I tried two different applesauce muffin recipes from the internet: this Nova Scotian healthy muffin recipe and this less healthy Pumpkin Applesauce muffin recipe , courtesy of Oprah.com. I'll wait till tomorrow to decide which I like better. For the time being I'm all muffin'ed out!

Yet another post about knitting projects...

Here's the next project I'm starting.


I've been assured by my mother that it's a simple pattern and within my abilities. I've been inspired to start one after a friend successfully completed her baby sweater project. The pattern I'm using is about 40 years old and I'm only going to do the sweater. It's for a baby due on April 2nd, so let's hope it doesn't take me too long to knit it up and piece it together.

In other news I was pleasantly surprised by these mittens gifted to me by a knitting Aunt! They fit perfectly, and they couldn't have come at a better time - we're in the midst of a snow/freezing rain storm. There's not a lot of snow, and it's not terribly stormy, but warm mittens will be needed tomorrow morning when I have to scrape the ice off the car. So thank-you Aunt S. - because I know you're reading this. *grin*


Millie really likes the mittens too! (Did you rub catnip on them?)

746.43

746.43 is the Dewey Decimal reference to Knitting.

I've finally gotten around to activating my library card. I've had it for months, and even popped in to my local library to check it out but, being pressed for time, I didn't actually activate my card. Well, this week I finally made a trip to the library close to work and got the deed done.

Of course I went with a purpose...I wanted a book! Thirty minutes later, I left with 3 books + 2 DVDs + 1 CD, and a request for another CD at another branch.
Here's what I borrowed:

1. Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson
   
2. Simple Knits with a Twist by Erika Knight
3. Hats: A Knitter's Dozen
4. Syriana (2005)
   
5. Pride & Prejudice (2005)
   
6. Tafelmusik: Chants Sacrés et Profanes (2003)

I'm very pleased! Mostly because I found what I wanted AND I'm saving money! Two great reasons for more frequent visits to the Library.

On another note, let me rant for a quick minute aboout how disappointed I was with Pride & Prejudice. Perhaps it's because I recently watched the BBC (1995) mini-series version of P&P - all 5 hours of it! It was truly wonderful and I'm not ashamed to admit that I crushed on Colin Firth thereafter (though I think I'm over it now). This film version didn't do the book justice, and didn't hold a candle to the other version. It seemed to me that this version was almost schlocky with it's predictable filmography and cheap shots (ie. very unconvincing city scenes) and with Keira Knightly's so-called "classic beauty", but not so classic acting skills. Anyway, if you're going to see Pride and Prejudice, don't bother with the 2005 version. Instead plan to set a block of 5 hours aside some time to watch the 1995 BBC version.

MBNA Bank - continued

I received a response from Mr. A.T. at MBNA Canada Bank (aka Bank of America).
And here is what he says:

"Your information was sourced from the telephone directories in your region. If you go to www.canada411.ca & do a reverse phone number look up, you will find the exact record that we had sourced. These phone directories are public records that, for the most part, are managed through a company in Toronto called Cornerstone Group of Companies. We license these directories across Canada from Cornerstone for the purpose of marketing our Credit Card & other products."

Here are some of the clients served by Cornerstone Group of Companies:
Canadian Diabetes Association
Citi Cards Canada
Columbia House
Doubleday Canada
Enchantress Hosiery Corporation
EPIC Marketing Solutions
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
ING Direct
Québec Loisirs
Reader's Digest (Canada)
Rogers Media
Xentel DM Incorporated

Okay, now check out Cornerstone's Products page. Cornerstone seems to be all about mailing list management, "email deployment" (aka Spam) and the like. I shall continue my quest and ask to have my personal information purged from their system. Here it goes!

MBNA Bank sent me a letter

This is the letter I received from MBNA bank in response to my request, in November, for the source from whom they received my personal information.

Here is my favourite part: In other words: "we're not going to provide you with this information unless you give us a code we never gave you when we called you and gave you the run-around. "

I shall persist though. I have an address, and a name, and a phone number and a will. I will find their source! Not to mention, I enjoy the challenge!

I'd like to point out one more thing: Notice the unmarked envelope? And the letter with no letterhead? And no signature? What kind of business is MBNA Bank if it doesn't have ANY Branding or follow any professional letter-writing conventions?

There! That's off my chest!

Follow-up:
I called Lead Prospect Manager, Mr. A.T., and learned that MBNA Bank doesn't have letterhead because "the company is going through an identity crisis" - they are re-branding the company as Bank of America and haven't yet come up with any branding products.

And when I asked A.T. about why they didn't provide the source of my personal information, he said they don't give out that information right away but wait until the customer [or non-customer in my case] persists. He's going to email me the information tomorrow. Let's see what he uncovers. I'm anticipating it to be something like Air Miles or GoodLife.

Knitting projects

I've been knitting up a storm this past week, trying to finish a basic scarf for a gift next weekend. It's nearly done, and I hope it's recipient enjoys it.



I'm also working on another scarf. I'm finally putting the Casbah yarn to good use while also explanding my knitting skills. I'm knitting a Chevron scarf. The pattern involves alot of increasing and decreasing which is a skill I hadn't tackled until now; that, and knitting using two different balls of yarn in one go. It's going well for my first try. Not quite as even as I'd like and it's slow going because I have to concentrate, but it's a good challenge!

One thing I discovered while knitting the Chevron: I knit best with wooden needles, particularly when it comes to smaller stitches. Not long after I started the Chevron I lost one of my 3.5mm wooden needles and switched to aluminum. Unfortunately, I kept dropping stitches (I think because there's no friction with aluminum needles) and ended up having to pull out rows. Needless to say I picked up another set of wooden needles before continuing on.

It also became painfully clear that I needed to be more intentional about keeping my knitting things together (instead of stuffing them into whatever bag I was carrying at the time.....or my pockets.


I picked up this bag at Chapters - it was 50% off and a very good price. Hopefully it'll do the trick for keeping my needles in one place. The pockets are handy and it'll hold my project/s.

Hopefully no more needles will go missing!

Ringing in a New Year

...with fishcakes!

My grandmother made the most wonderful fishcakes over Christmas, and send a couple home for my lunch. I fried them up for my New Year's Eve dinner. Unbeknownst to me, this was a very fitting way to ring in the new year, since 2008 is the Year of the Potato! I'm not kidding - it is!! Had I known I would've celebrated with a bag of chips too!

I'll have to think of more ways to celebrate the Year of the Potato!