Winter Wonderland

Just when we thought we were finished with winter, we woke up on Friday to everything covered in snow.  It was hard to get upset considering the destructive earthquakes and tsunamis in other parts of the world.   I took this opportunity to stay cozy under my mohair throw and knit like the wind.  And wouldn't you know it, I finished my cardigan, and then I spent an insane amount of hours seaming the pieces together and weaving in the gazillion ends on Sunday.   So I'm giving myself a well-deserved break, and I've cast on a simple stockinette sock with some pretty striped Black Lamb fingering weight superwash wool.  It's my first and most favourite sock yarn.  And I'm wearing my cardigan today.  It's so warm and toasty.  LOVE.

I have a few days of work this week and then a long weekend in store for me.   I've planned some 'making' and a trip to the sugar bush for pancakes and syrup.  MMmmmm . . .  Fingers crossed that no one gets sick.

Happy Monday!
N

Playdate

We're always guaranteed to have fun at the Children's Museum.  We can go to outerspace, pretend to work in a restaurant, play with words, and teach in a turn-of-the-century classroom - all in one morning.  Soon there will be a new Arctic gallery, and well, that tickles us pink.  I hope there's ice fishing!

Here's to the weekend!
N

A Recap of Sorts

Just popping in to say . . .

• The tulips have bloomed and are falling over.
• Hot apple fritters have been discovered.
• Tomato & spinach soup was whipped up with lots of basil accidentally.
• The Aidez cardigan is super close to completion, and it would have been done much sooner had I not been distracted by this knit which I happened to finish in one week.  Whew!
• March Break is only a week away.  I'm thinking a day at the sugar bush 'cause we loves our maple-y syrup.  Mmmmm . . .  That's totally worth a vacation day.

N

Take comfort

This is my first crocheted hat.  I'm pleased with how it turned out.  Started on a Friday night and completed on Saturday, this charcoal cloche was a very quick project.  Crocheted in a soft wool-acrylic blend it is easy to care for and the brim comes down just far enough to shade the eyes, although you can't tell on the model because she's smaller than your average adult head.  The flower is pinned on and can be removed in case the recipient isn't much of a flower hat kind of gal. 

This cloche was crocheted for the mother of a coworker who will undergo chemotherapy this week.  She's already had a mastectomy and now fears losing her hair.  I can't begin to think that a simple hat can make her feel better but maybe she will find that it brings her a little warmth from the cold winter. 

In Progress

We started a few masterpieces this week.   One being a creative endeavour, and the other we will leave to nature (with a little sun and water).

Yesterday's public discussion on the Senate's report on poverty was eye-opening.  We all know that poverty is devastating to one's soul, and for that reason alone, we should want to eradicate it, but it's been proven with unrefutable stats that it costs taxpayers more to allow our fellow Canadians to live below the poverty level than it does to bring them in from the margins.   It is to all of our benefit to educate, house, feed, employ and nurture every single one of us.  Imagine a country where each person is productive and paying taxes.  It would be an economic dream.  It costs taxpayers $100,000 per homeless person per YEAR.  Imagine if we helped lift that person up out of poverty by meeting their needs - housing, food, schooling, health, and finding a meaningful, good paying job.  It would be a very good start indeed.

So now I have to figure what I'm going to do about it.  In the next few weeks, I'll be meeting with the volunteer coordinator at a homeless shelter for young single moms.  In addition to some focussed volunteering, I will continue to talk about it and spread awareness and educate.  We need to show that the public, us, wants the poverty issue to be the government's top priority.  I've also joined the London Homelessness Outreach Network which is a grassroots organization developed out of the passion of individuals to take action on homelessness in our city.   If you feel like joining me, I'd be happy for the company. 

Happy Thursday, friends!
N

High Winds

Fun times are being had in these parts.  The Bumblebee is writing a book about a monster with smelly feet, and that there drawing is a town meeting to brainstorm some solutions 'cause all the 'sunlight' super power flowers are wilting from the toxic fumes.  We've come up with an ending, but each page she writes takes us farther from that predetermined destination.   Needless to say, it's going to take more time than I thought to wrap this ditty up.

Thankfully the girls and I have the next two days to hang out and enjoy each other's company.  I plan to wear lots of sweats, knit up a storm, drink pots of tea, and do a little early spring tidying.  What I am really looking forward to is an event on Tuesday morning that I am co-organizing for work with Glen Pearson's office.  Senator Art Eggleton will be presenting his report In from the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness at the Wolf Performance Hall.  Doors open at 8:30 a.m., it's free, and there's no registration required to attend.  I'm stoked because this is exactly what I was seeking in my resolution-making - getting involved and building a caring community.   I just hope that I keep it together and don't cry.  When I get passionate about anything, I get really blubbery and unintelligible.  Everyone deserves a roof over their head, enough food to eat, and respect.  We live in a country that is incredibly rich with resources.  If one person is in need, we are all diminished.  If only this was as easy as solving some freaky malodorous toe jam.

N

Getting a grip

I received an email from Amazon this morning advertising Susan Bates Comfort Cushion for Crochet.  Isn't Amazon wonderful?  It magically seems to know what you want/need and delivers deals right into your inbox.  Ok, so maybe Amazon is watching you and tracking your every mouse click but you can get almost anything, from organic vanilla beans to downloadable MP3's.  I realize that our Canadian friends do not have the same products and services from Amazon.ca and I am deeply sorry. 

A few weeks ago I complained about my carpal tunnel that is caused by crocheting for long periods of time and lovely Kathryn over at Crochet Concupiscence blog suggested that I look into crochet tools that could help minimize the pain.  I could have kicked myself for not thinking of it sooner.  So naturally I do an Amazon search and find a few crochet hook grips that looked interesting.  And then, being a crafter and a penny pincher, I decided to search my seemingly infinite closet of craft supplies to see if I could make my own crochet grippy thing.  This is what I came up with.

Craft foam cut to fit the handle of a crochet hook and then rolled around the handle looks and feels very similar to the crochet hook grips that are on the market.  Secure with some tape and viola, a remedy for carpal tunnel for mere pennies.  Plus if you make your own craft foam grip you can make it as thick or as thin as you need by rolling around more foam.    I like to think of it as "custom made".  Sounds so much more posh, don't you think?