The Blue Brick

Frolicking

April 28, 2013

This is what it looks like outside right now.

Which makes right now a perfect time to blog about the Knitter’s Frolic, because goodness knows I can use some colour at the moment.

My goodies for the day – 3 skeins of sock yarn, one of which will be Tito’s first knitted socks (you can all guess which manly (read:boring) colourway is his) and 2 pairs for me that are intended, ultimately, to result in socks that are visible from space.

2 skeins of Madeline Tosh (at last!) in a light turquoise that shall become a ginormous lace covered, I-almost-developed-a-drinking-problem-while-knitting-this shawl. I even already have the dress it’s going to go with (see how organized I am?)

2 skeins of baby alpaca (I lied, this is not from the frolic at all – I bought it at the lovely St. Jacob’s farmer’s market, more on that later). It’s heaven to touch. Big scarf coming from this as well.

And a lovely new project bag from this gorgeous rack:

This year I had knitting buddies Rayna and Leslie with me, in addition to the patient Tito. Leslie found Musk Ox roving that made the aforementioned baby alpaca feel like sand paper.

And also this silk hankie that I can’t wait to see her spin. Makes me wish I could get my spinning skills back on track!

Speaking of someone with actual spinning skills – she’s taken on spinning up my precious gifted Aurora roving – very excited to see it finished :)

And… I organized the stash because ~~I was having trouble fitting my new yarn in there~~ it was getting messy. After I was done I decided that a yarn diet might be in order – I’m going to follow Crystal Diva’s lead and decide that in order to ‘earn’ new yarn I’ve got to knit up a few skeins of what I’ve got (number TBD. My resolve is not strong on this).

So much colour, just what this dreary days needs. Know what it doesn’t need? Grey socks, but I just turned the heel on Tito’s… the things we do for love :)
Just a laser beam…

April 24, 2013

…Entering my home. Apparently killing everything in it’s path,
or at least rendering it blissfully unconscious.
Happy Feet.

April 23, 2013

I have wanted a reason to work with Koigu forever. Pattern: Sporty Striped Peds.
Trillian FO

April 21, 2013

Remember this post, where I asked everyone what I should knit, got a majority vote, and then did something else?

Here is the finished Trillian, and I’ve got to say – I love it :)

Oh, and I also got new hair :) Shortest it’s ever been!

Ravelry Project Page here:
Knotty by Nature Fibre Arts (or, My Socks Grow Funky)

April 17, 2013

I was admiring my socks (and how they feel in Crocs… oh, the cushiness…) and I was thinking perhaps I had enjoyed them quite enough and they were due for a wash.

This got me thinking ‘what the hell was in that yarn anyway?’ which led sadly to ‘I haven’t a clue’.

I bought the yarn from a lovely shop in Victoria BC, hand-dyed by the owner themselves. The store was so fun, colourful and full of fibre goodness that I had to share a few pics.

The owner, winding up the mystery yarn I had just bought. I like how he makes winding yarn look like a cavalier and swashbuckling thing to do.

The socks will be hand washed with my other knitted items to be on the safe side, I can’t bear to lose them now!

They’re called ‘Knotty by Nature’ and they’re right in downtown Victoria. Definitely look them up if you’re in town, and while you’re at it, ask about my socks ;)
La Libertad

April 14, 2013

I wanted to share some more of El Salvador – here is an area called La Libertad. Great restaurants, great surf and fantastic views :)
Short things come in important packages

April 12, 2013

My mom and I are both 5 foot 2. She may actually be 5 foot nothin’, but the fact remains that we are both small.

One day she was chatting with Tito and I, and she dropped this gem: ‘Because short things come in important packages’. To get the full effect, imagine it being said in a sweet West-Indian accent.

Some officious douchbag (I think it was me) presumptuously tried to correct her: ‘Mom, it’s good things come in small packages‘.

She frowned at me for a moment, but then grinned her infectious grin and repeated with confidence (and finality); ‘Nope! It’s short things come in important packages’.

Well, I finally realized that she’s right. This entire post is about a hurdle I have finally crossed – my first socks. I’ve been anti sock all these years thinking ‘why waste time like that?’. They’re amazing. They’re comfy. They fit my tiny feet perfectly. They are extraordinarily important.

Because short things come in important packages. As usual, mom is right.
The Pig

April 10, 2013

Finally – 45 gigs later, the El Salvador trip is complete and processed :) I want to start with a really beautiful place, that happens to also be the most ‘touristy’ place we saw on the trip – El Tunco.

El Tunco (the pig, in their aboriginal language) is so named for the rock formation on this stunning beach.

(Though I think it looks more like the beast-thing from the end of the 2nd Conan movie)

The surf here is legendary – in fact there is a sub culture of surf folks who consider El Salvador to be a hidden gem.With the 4th best beach in the world for surfing, the entire town is filled with archetypal surf bums. Cute cafés and little shops line both the streets and the ocean.

The ocean, which is lovely and unpredictable. If you look closely you can see that I’m about to get utterly schooled by a wave that I was as yet unaware of. I can only thank my lucky stars that I had just given the camera to our friend Quique to hold on to ;)

When we first got off the plane, I saw a photo of El Tunco. Immediately I wanted to go.

We didn’t think there would be time, but thanks to the wonderful family of the folks we traveled with we were able to get first class tour guides :) Gracias Bertha Alisa y Quique!
500 Followers and 300,000 hits :)

April 5, 2013

The Blue Brick has 500 followers! Watching the stats on this blog grow has been a very neat experience, we also just passed the 300,000 hit mark. I’ve been wondering about whether it was due for a refresher.

When I post about crafts sometimes I worry that the content isn’t interesting to photographers, and vice versa – that my photography posts are of less interest to crafters. I thought about whether it was time to start a separate blog to feature photography related material only.

But then I realized that, variety is what my blog is about, not a specific outlet for one hobby but a celebration of creativity in general. In my day job I’m the Art Director for a design firm in Toronto, and one thing I’ve realized is that cross-pollination is what creativity is about for me. I think my pottery contributes directly to my feel for advertising, and that graphic design influences my knitting. Being creative in general is the journey (though photography will always be my first love)

BUT there is a new first love emerging. I love when someone takes something I’ve done, and takes it a step farther. I love the idea that a photo of Newfoundland is on a wall in Istanbul, that a photograph of the aurora is now a bat of roving, and the idea that my work in the Bay of Fundy has helped educate people about the tides in physics textbooks in Austria, a museum in Northern Quebec, a magazine in California and many others. I love when work travels, and can inspire others. I really love seeing the projects of people who’ve knitted a design of mine!

So, I am going to make one little change. Rather than make jewellery for sale on Etsy any more I’m going to write tutorials so folks can make their own. In particular, I’m embarking on my first book, a comprehensive how-to of using resin to turn flowers into jewellery. I will still accept commission work, but my days of creating large quantities for sale on Etsy are over (There will be one last update, in late April though, because I just can’t resist making jewellery during tulip season :)). I am looking forward to the creative writing process, to creating my first book and most of all, to seeing what others make!
It’s Lintilla… AND Trillian… and breaking new ground :)

April 3, 2013

So it was Lintilla by a landslide… but one of the comments (the lovely Rayna from the Crystal Diva blog) recommended a look at this:

It’s Trillian by Martina Behm, the same designer who created Lintilla. I was instantly smitten and cast on.

And I’d have to say it’s working out pretty nice so far :) Lintilla’s not dead though….

I bought this in Halifax. I haven’t a clue what it is. It’s either fingering or sport, and there’s a decent amount of it, but I’m not sure how much. Martina’s patterns are awesome because you can stop when you think you’re going to run out and you still have a useful thing at the end of it, and that makes this yarn a good candidate! Oh… and of course it’s back in my colour comfort zone…yes, this shall be my Lintilla.

Also making their way onto the needles are a pair of these!

Yes, socks! Me! I hate dpns! I’ve never made a sock! I read this pattern though and actually laughed out loud. The writing is charming, funny, clear, and seems meant to guide a chicken like me into sock knitting. It’s the Easy Peasy Sock by Stacey Trock. It’s worsted, so it doesn’t freak me out too much, and they’re ankle socks so I think I’ll actually wear them. Cast away!