Basking

I'm all a-glow with knitting success. Cluaranach is finally done and blocked and looking great (if somewhat huuuuuge! Note to self: actually look at the finished, blocked measurements of a pattern before settling on size to make). I unfortunately don't have any really great pictures of me walking along some Scottish hillside or anything, with Cluaranach draped around my shoulders, but here's a shot I took while it was blocking in my bedroom.

Honestly, this picture really doesn't do it justice at ALL. I promise I'll get better pictures sometime this week, it's just difficult to tell an 11 month old and a 3 year old that they need to just chill for a minute because you need Daddy to take some pictures of you in your new wrap, you know? :)

I'm also totally, absolutely, positively in love with the Good Stripe Dress I'm making for Émilie. It's simple, fun... there's just nothing I'm not loving about this project. Émilie is really looking forward to trying it on. She had been saying that she wanted it to be a surprise, but last night she came back downstairs after I had put her to bed, and caught me working on it on the couch, and was really excited to see it. I've completed the waist shaping, and I'm almost to the flare skirt. Obviously, it'll be a little slower going from this point, because I'll have considerably more stitches on the needles, but I'm sure I'll manage to churn it out in time for her to wear it.

This weekend both Maxime and Émilie had their Spring swim sessions, which was fun but challenging. Their classes are one after the other, and Maxime's class unfortunately clashes with his nap time, but hey, that's life. I also managed to get the flower bed that runs along my front stairs/walkway all cleaned up and composted. I've still got 2 flower beds to do in the backyard, and I also want to expand our vegetable patch a little bit (only a little, Phil, I promise!). I'd work on it during the week, but they're predicting SNOW for Tuesday or Wednesday!!!! I KNOOOOOOWWW!!!! Unbelievable.

Aaaah, that's better. Happy Knitting Everyone!

Fun Filled Days

Maxime had a great first day at daycare on Tuesday. Émilie was apparently very helpful (perhaps too helpful!), and our daycare lady, Isabelle, thinks they're both going to do just fine. I wasn't really too worried, but it was good to hear nonetheless.

So Tuesday I had the entire day to myself. I did wind up doing some "productive" things (I finished preparing Phil's and my provincial income tax returns - ooh baby I live on the edge!), but I also managed to squeeze in some quality "us" time as well. For instance, we met up for a picnic at a local park, and flew his new kite.

This design is called a French Military kite (if I'm not mistaken), hence the blue, white and red colour scheme. It flew reasonably well for it's first time out. There are still a few line adjustments to be made, but considering that there was in fact NO wind that day, it did pretty well. It was nice to spend some time outside with Phil!

Yesterday I decided to take a page from Robyn's book and dressed Maxime in his one and only Habs T-shirt (I didn't even buy it, it was a gift from my nephew). I was trying to get a picture to post on the blog, but as you'll see, getting a picture of an almost one-year old can sometimes be tricky.

Maxime:"Huh? You talkin' to me?"

Maxime: "Heeey! What's that in your hand there? Can I see?" (Yes, I was still in my pajamas at this point.)


Maxime: "Wow! Looks like a camera!!! Let me try!!!"

He's a cutie!

Last night I went to the LavalKnits knit night, and while I only had 14 rows left on Cluaranach (I may have enabled Sandra into purchasing the pattern, I'm not sure), lace isn't really suited for social knitting, so I cast on for Émilie's Good Stripe Dress instead (I finally got the replacement colours in the mail yesterday). I really like the colour combo so far, and since it's mostly stockinette, I think it'll go fairly quickly. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

I've got another "Get Out of Jail Free" day today (Maxime is in daycare all day), so here's today's plan: finish Cluaranach, graft and block!!! I also promised my Mom I'd take her out for lunch and a movie (either 21 or Smart People, we'll see).

Happy Knitting!

Overachiever

I think it's safe to say that anyone who knows me would agree that I tend to take on too much. I don't know how it happens, exactly, but I think that it's mainly due to my genuine desire to be helpful to others, combined with my total inability to accurately judge how long a given task will take to complete. Anyway, long story short? I tend to take on too much.

For instance, I'm going back to work in 2 weeks. Thus, Maxime will be in daycare 2 whole days this week, to gently ease him into a new routine. I've got an abagagillion things I could do this week, like washing the windows, raking the property, cleaning out the flower beds, removing my daughter's booger-crusted wallpaper, and getting ready for Maxime's first birthday. Plus all the other stuff that needs to get done around here (laundry needs to get done, meals need to get prepared, yadayadayada).

So, pretty busy. The only problem is that my tendency to take on too much is matched only by my equally powerful urge to sprout roots on the living room sofa, to just lounge around and let the minutes lazily pass me by because, as any mother knows, the number of times a working mother has the house all to herself are few and far between, and are not to be wasted on stupid, so-called "productive" stuff.

I know all this. Unfortunately, I'm also a champion of self-imposed guilt (hey, I'm a complex woman). So I've been feeling, shall we say, a little scattered lately.

This has been reflected in my knitting as well. I've somehow managed to contract both startitis AND finishitis. It's like I've got an urge I can't satisfy (or name, for that matter). I want the thrill of casting on something new, but I also want the rush that comes from a finished object. I doubt even a healthy dose of stash enhancement would make me feel any better at this point.

Evidence of finishitis: What little time I had to knit this weekend was mainly spent on Cluaranach. As of last night, I've only got 2 pattern repeats (56 rows) left on the second half to complete the wrap, then it gets grafted and blocked. I don't know why this project has been languishing. It's very entertaining, and beautiful, and I'm looking forward to seeing the completed project. I've set a goal of 1 pattern repeat a day on this puppy, so if all goes according to plan, I'll have a completed wrap by the end of the week.

As a reward for completing my knitting goals, I'm allowed to work on either one of my socks in progress. I admit that I've been so intrigued by the design of Leafling that most of my sock knitting has been spent on this project. I really like the way it's turning out (pun intended).

I've got to say I think the mediumweight STR is by far my favourite to work with. Such a nice fabric. There's truly nothing about this sock I'm not liking. Hey! Wanna see the heel???

See that? The slip stitch heel flap continues through the heel turn and bottom part of the sole. How cool is that??? (OK, to your average person, perhaps it really isn't cool at all, but I thought it was pretty neat.)

Oh, and I CANNOT BELIEVE I ALMOST FORGOT TO BLOG THIS!!!! (Seriously, I was just proof-reading and about to hit the Publish Post button). I'm totally going to Rhinebeck!!!!!! Kate-the-Dilly-Dallying-Enabler (she knows I'm just kidding) has finally committed to accompanying me on what will likely become my annual pilgrimage to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival. And we're going without our husbands and kids!!! Just a couple of fiber enthusiasts on a knitting road trip. Woooo-Hooooooo!!!!! It's going to be awesome, I can't wait. :)

Sea Silk! (or The Trappings of KnitNights)

Last week I attended the LavalKnits meeting (along with Alison, Sandra and Audrey (blog-less?), and had a grand old time, as per always. I really love getting out and hanging out with fellow knitters, and can't make it into town for the MontrealKnits meetings, so LavalKnits has been great. Unfortunately, KnitNights can also be quite perilous for a girl who is supposed to be watching her budget (really, who are we kidding at this point?).

I've been pretty good about abstaining from any yarn purchases since coming back from Japan (aside from signing up for a spinning workshop at Ariadne on May 4th, but that doesn't count). Then Sandra pulls out this absolutely stunning Eunny Jang stole she's knitting with HandMaiden Sea Silk, and I'm instantly smitten (as in "Hey Buddy, can I borrow your laptop, I just need to place a quick order NOW!!!). I resist as well as I can, but finally fall off the wagon on Monday. After hunting around for the best price (Ram Wools!), I order 2 skeins in the Amethyst colourway. When it arrived yesterday, I could barely contain my excitement.


Dudes!!! It's stunning, it's magnificent, sonnets should be composed in its honour. Seriously, it's so soft and luscious and beautiful, I'm constantly being drawn towards it (maybe Seacell has magnetic properties?). Far be it from me to actually KNIT with this yarn, of course. :) No, I'm kidding, I totally will, I just want to get a bit further ahead on my current projects first.

Speaking of wip's, I'd post photos, but all you'd see are two slightly longer socks than the ones I last posted. I've only just begun the gusset increases in Leafling (again, shaping based on Cat Bordhi's techniques, should be interesting), and I'm still working on the foot on my Firestarter. I might concentrate my efforts on one rather than the other (probably Leafling, I really like the feel of it), just to get some visible progress.

Yesterday I had to attend a work function in the afternoon, so Maxime spent his first afternoon at daycare. Once he was safely off with Daddy (Phil comes home for lunch, and dropped him off on his way back to the office), I had a few hours to kill before I had to leave, so I got a spankin' new haircut. I really like it (it's quite short and modern), and I've been able to successfully reproduce it this morning (the true test of a good haircut). I swear, I must have taken 20 pictures of myself in the mirror, but they all made me look either a) old (close-up on wrinkles is not a good thing); b) fat (maybe I need to give up the hobbit lifestyle (breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies...); or c) crazy (I probably look like that all the time). So you'll just have to take my word for it. I like it.

I'll end this post with another picture of the Sea Silk, just 'cause :)

Happy Knitting everyone!

Through the Wilderness

Somehow I made it through the wilderness, the craziness and the busyness with my marbles fairly intact (still waiting on that award, though). Friday's dinner party went from a despair-inducing 9 guests with children to an acceptable, enjoyable 3. Maxime's fever finally broke during the night, allowing us all to sleep in until 7 o'clock Saturday morning, something I was starting to believe was only possible in urban myths.

Since Maxime was feeling better, we hopped in the car and went to the Cabane à Sucre (aka the Sugar Shack), along with a group of kids from Émilie's daycare. Aside from a somewhat traumatic incident in the Haunted House that they had set up for the kids, Émilie had a great time, and especially enjoyed that traditional favourite, hot tire (syrup heated until its caramelized, then cooled on fresh snow and enjoyed on a stick - no really, it's way better than it sounds).


When we got home, I was absolutely exhausted, but despite my best efforts, the kids felt that the 20 minutes they had slept in the car on the way back was more than enough for them, so after briefly considering totally flipping out (Phil was out picking up a new pinball machine with a friend - Hello Sea Silk, here I come!!!), I opted instead for a fun bath à trois. We had a great bubble bath (Maxime really loved being in the bath with Émilie, he kept letting out those awesome baby belly laughs) then we all got in our pajamas. Pajama day!!!! I couldn't veg out on the couch with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and my knitting (like I would have done if I hadn't had any kids), but it was still pretty nice all the same.

Sunday morning we had some friends over for brunch ('cause, you know, we were starving! I mean, we hadn't eaten in at least 12 hours!!!), and went to my in-laws after the kids' naps that afternoon to review some income tax stuff (Phil's mom usually does his income taxes, but she's just got too much on her plate this year, so I'm going to get to do it). After the kids were in bed, Phil and I watched the hockey game (I can't believe we lost!!!).

I finally managed to get a couple of pictures of Maxime wearing his new cardi.


It fits really well. The sleeves are a little long, but aren't they always? (Or is that just me?). I think Maxime likes it as well, because as soon as I put it on him, he immediately started checking himself out in the mirror.

Too funny :) It seems I was also suffering from severe sock withdrawal (I always have a pair on the needles, but I finished my last pair in Japan), because I cast on not one but two pairs of socks this weekend. First, Leafling, by JC Briar (March Rockin Sock Club). I got mine over three weeks ago, so I don't think I'm spoiling it for anyone by posting this picture.


I especially love this yarn, with its subtle colour variations. Très wonderful. And I also like the feel of the STR mediumweight, it feels a little bouncier than the lightweight. The pattern is worked up using some of the techniques from Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters (I still haven't found the guts to tackle any of the patterns in that one). I had a bit of trouble at first (especially with the left-leaning-increases, they kept getting twisted on me), but I think I'm good now, and I like the way it's knitting up.

Of course, I've been gazing adoringly at my 2 skeins of Spectrum ShiBui sock ever since I bought them from Robyn's shop a few weeks ago (starving for colour!!!), so after debating a while on the perfect pattern, I finally settled on Yarnissima's Firestarters.


Again, I had a bit of trouble understanding some of her instructions for the cables that run along each side of the foot, but once I got through the pattern, I realized it was fairly intuitive (just written differently than I was accustomed to), and it's been going pretty well (I knit this up last night). At one point during the game last night, Phil looks over at me and says "Weren't you working on green socks last night?".

Yeah, what's your point? :)

Hard Work is Hard...

...but eventually, it pays off. Presenting Trellis:


Made with about 6 and 3/4 balls of Mission Falls 1824 Wool (colour: Pistachio), using 4.5 mm needles. I'm really happy with it. As it turns out, there's something to be said about actually reading up on seaming before you go ahead and do it (isn't it funny how that tends to apply to just about anything in life? Better informed = better. Go figure). For instance, while reading The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques, I picked up a helpful tip, which I'm sure every other knitter on the planet knew intuitively and thought was redundant in the book, but on the off chance that I'm not the only challenged seamer out there, I'll repeat it here: when attaching your sleeves to the body of a sweater (or cardigan), to make sure the middle of the sleeve cap fits nicely within the armhole shaping of your garment, start seaming from the shoulder seam outwards (I used to start on one end of the sleeve and finagle endlessly to try to center it, most times unsuccessfully). Thread half the yarn you'll need to attach the sleeve just at the shoulder seam (leaving the rest for later), then attach the sleeve (trying to keep a decent stitch to row ratio). Repeat for second part of sleeve. Weave in ends, and pat self on the back for being THE (WO)MAN!!!!

I finished seaming on Tuesday night, but of course I didn't have any appropriate buttons, so after asking around on Ravelry, I headed out to Rubans, Boutons... on St-Denis, to find the perfect ones. The owner, Richard, was extremely helpful, and together we found the perfect ones.
They're made from cow's horns (does that make me evil? You can harvest a cow's horns without killing it, right? Or rather, doesn't this count as using every single part of the animal, and therefore make me in tune with the ways of Mother Earth? Or something?), and I think they give just the right organic feel to the garment. Here's another view (I went a little nuts with the camera this morning):

As you can see, by this point Russell was wondering what the heck I was doing, and decided to mosey on over to investigate. He got so whiny and insistent that I eventually caved and agreed to let him try it on.

"All Right now Russell, you've had your fun, now shoo!!!" I told him. Reluctantly, he trotted off. I turned the cardigan over because I wanted to get a shot of the back, and the second I look away, what does the sneaky little devil do??? He goes right back and puts it on again, trying to act all angelic!!! Just look at that face!!! "Wha-aaaat???, he asks me sweetly. Don't you think it looks good on me??".


Geez! What is it with sheep and wool? I tell you....

Seriously, if some of you are wondering why Maxime isn't doing the modeling (as opposed to Russell), it's because he's busy teething at the moment, and is feverish and sleepy and boogery and just plain miserable (me too, except for the fever). He's had a fever since last night, and spent a good part of the hours between 1:30 and 4:30 AM crying himself silly.

Yesterday I was rooting around the house, trying to put together a shopping list for the meal I'm preparing for tonight. (Oh, didn't I tell you? We're having an informal (as in anything less than 5 courses would be unacceptable) gathering with a few friends (9 people) tonight. Hahahaha!!!!) I decided to go with a recipe for marinated chicken thighs that I can just stick in the oven and be done with. The recipe calls for, among other things, vermouth. I search high and low, but just can't find any, so I add a bottle to my list and head out to the SAQ. This morning, I prepare the marinade, and go to put the bottle of vermouth away when lo and behold, there's a bottle RIGHT THERE ON THE COUNTER IN FRONT OF ME, with exactly 1 cup missing off the top (the exact quantity required for this recipe).

Anyone up for a Martini? 'Cause I've got all the vermouth we'll need.

Happy knitting everyone. If I make it to Monday with all my marbles intact, I'll nominate myself for a mother of the year award.

Busy Bee

As you've probably gathered from my lack of posting (not that I'm that frequent a poster to begin with - but I mean to!!), I've been quite busy lately. There are a rash of birthdays in early April chez Dearknits (my stepfather Michel, my mother-in-law Denise and my grand-mother Cécile), forcing me to step away from my knitting, wash my hair and be all "sociable" and stuff. Grumble grumble...

So the weekend was ripe with birthday celebrations. And Sunday was a special day, because Émilie and I attended our first mother-daughter concert! As you can see from this picture, taken before the concert, she was very excited.


We went to see Arthur L'Aventurier, a really great performer for children (think Sharon, Lois and Bram), and had a great time. I first heard about him from the lady at my daughter's daycare. She lent me the DVD and kept raving about how great he was and how the kids liked him. "Um, Thanks" I mumbled, fully intending to return it to her in a few days, unwatched, and agree with her whole-heartedly that he was indeed a genius. But Émilie insisted we watch it, and despite my original misgivings, it really wasn't half bad. In fact, I'll often find myself humming the songs after she watches it. So when I found out he was on tour (I wonder if he has groupies?), I knew we had to go.

The concert was a lot of fun, and despite a somewhat major incident when Émilie wanted to go on stage to dance with Arthur (they had asked the kids to go on, but by the time we got there, they weren't letting any more on - Oh the tears!!!!), I think she had a great time. The highlight, no doubt, was when she got to meet Arthur and have her picture taken with him, after the concert. I'm sure she'll be mortified by this picture when she's a teenager (I'll be sure to keep it to show all future boyfriends, along with the one of her trying to suck both thumbs at once and the obligatory full exposure in the bath shot), but for now, she's very proud of it (it's already been printed and made the rounds at daycare).

Yesterday I spent the entire day doing choir-related stuff. I've had annoying things like writing up the minutes of the two latest board meetings (I'm the secretary) looming over my head for months (because apparently, I forgot to write them up after our meeting in December - Whoopsee!!!), so I decided to just suck it up and get it over with already.

As far as knitting goes, I haven't got much to tell, I'm afraid. In true DearKnits fashion, I totally flaked on the whole "seaming" thing this weekend, opting instead to swatch for the Good Stripe Dress I want to make Émilie. I'll be using KnitPicks CotLin, but I'm not happy with one of the three colours I chose (purple, green and sort of a neutral), so once I determine the exact needle size I'll need (I'll have to order them, because I don't have circulars in those sizes), I'll order 2 balls of another colour (I'll replace the neutral with a turquoise - it'll be much better).

Anyway, I sit down to swatch while watching a taped episode of Battlestar Galactica on Sunday night, and right away, before I even get started, I run into a problem. The pattern states that gauge is 26 stitches and 37 rows for 4 inches after machine washing and drying. Now, even though you're supposed to, I never wash and dry my swatches. I knit them up, figure out my needle size, and rip out the swatch. I'm always afraid that I'll need the yarn used on the swatch down the road, you know? So when I read that, I was all "Frak!!! (I was watching BSG, after all) Do I haaaaaave to???". I figured there must be a reason (does the linen expand or contract after washing or drying? Time will tell, I guess), so I cast on using my main colour, grumbling all the way.

While I was knitting, I kept thinking "What if I need this yarn later? This is my main colour, after all. What if KnitPicks doesn't have anymore in the same dye lot? What then????". Still, I keep knitting.

When I'm about ready to cast off, it occurs to me that I could have used the colour I have chosen to discard (the neutral) for the swatches. It would still have given me all the gauge information I needed, and without wasting precious yarn. Cursing again, I ripped it out.

I'll focus on seaming Maxime's cardigan this afternoon. It'll be less stressful.

Persnickety-ness

Last night, while watching a couple of episodes of the X-Files (Monday and Arcadia episodes, from Season 6), I finished the right front on Maxime's cardigan, and kitchener stitched the right shoulder seam. I'm now entering the fussy, persnickety phase of seaming, which I absolutely detest with a fiery passion (but you knew that already). I'll glance briefly at my Finishing Techniques book (recommended by Jennifer), but I really just don't get it when I read about people choosing this stitch or that method for sewing things up. Of course, I suppose it does make sense to pay more attention to finishing concerns, when you've put so many hours into a project.

Be that as it may, this is what I'm actually going to spending much of my time today doing this:

Oh, and there's more in the hallway, I just couldn't get it all to fit in one picture. This is what happens when you try to only do laundry once a week in a family of four (Maxime's clothes and bibs get washed more often than that, but everything else is once a week). Hee Hee!!! Fortunately, I actually love doing laundry (no, really!!!).

Laundry was one of my chores when I was still living at home, one of the few I actually enjoyed. It was foisted upon me by my grandmother (who's probably reading this, and getting miffed at my use of the word "foisted"), who felt that I really ought to be doing more around the house to help out my mother. I grudgingly agreed (I think I was about 9 or 10), and discovered I actually liked it. I'm quite the busybody, and over the years I've developed a whole system for laundry (sorting, order of loads, folding). Some people might call this anal, or point out that I'm making something basically simple unnecessarily complicated in an effort to give myself importance (Whoa!!! How's that for introspection!), but to these people I say: Poop on you, I just like clean sheets :)

Now that I'm on the home stretch with Trellis, I've been thinking about what I want to do next. There's always Cluaranach to finish up, but I'm craving a real burst of colour (Spring, anyone?), so after swatching the Good Stripe Dress and placing my order for the circular needles I'm going to need (I don't have any in that range of sizes), I think I'm going to cast on a pair of socks with the lovely Shibui I picked up from Robyn's shop on Monday (I think it was the Orchid colourway). I've also got the March Rockin Sock Club waiting in the wings, but although I heart the pattern, I'm a bit greened out at the moment (the yarn is green).

Have a great weekend everyone!

Random Tuesday

Apologies (again) for not posting on Monday. Maxime is having sleep issues lately (short naps, waking up at night), so I don't have as much time as I'd like at the computer. I'm really behind on my blog reading as well, now that he's crawling. It's a little harder to ignore him when he's trying to climb up my leg (kidding!!! I never ignored him. For long.) Basically what I'm saying is that I have no idea how long I'll have at the computer, so I'll just jump in with whatever happens to be on my mind, m'kay?

Uuuuuuuuuuuuummmm... Drawing a complete blank (of course!). Let's see, since Friday I did.... what?

Scratch that! Let's start with a picture of my current project: Maxime's Trellis cardigan.

Cute, huh? (As you can see, I'm quite fond of the little sheep. I'm thinking of calling him Russell, as in this Russell). I'm knitting this with some Mission Falls 1824 Superwash I scored on sale from Ram Wools a while back. It's a pretty quick knit (especially without a cable needle), and except for a whee booboo in the Seed stitch panel in the center (near the top), I'm really happy with it. I've got the back and both sleeves knit up so far, and I'm working on the left front now. If I get even a modicum of knitting time this week, I may be finished with the knitting of this project by week's end. That doesn't mean the cardigan will be completed, of course, because as you may or may not know, I HATE ( as in loathe, detest, despise) seaming. So there's no telling when the actual garment will be ready.

Oh yeah! Jennifer is having a Se7en Deadly Sins of Knitting contest over on her blog, and I really want that 30$, so here are mine:

Pride: Gotta go with Emilie's Wildflower Sweater on that one. I worked hard on it, she wore it (and loved it), and I got many comments on it at Rhinebeck. 'Nough said.

Envy: I guess I'd say that right now, I'm envious of anyone going to the Toronto Knitters' Frolic. I had to miss it last year (I had a singing gig, and oh yeah, I was 8 and a half months pregnant), and I really wanted to go this year (I mean, reaaaallllllly), but Japan has eaten up all my savings, so I won't go after all. I know, boo-hoo, woe is me.

Gluttony: I'd have to go with knitting books there. I'm a librarian, so naturally I love books. Now, when you combine knitting AND books, I'm pretty much helpless. But I don't really read them or use them that much. I just put them in my bookcase (organized by content, then alphabetically by title, of course!). BUT I MUST BUY MORE!!! :)

Lust: I'm having a tough time figuring out the difference between lust and greed as it relates to knitting. You know, because, like any perfectly normal knitter, I have an inordinate craving for pretty much everything knit related. Let's see... (taking a moment to ponder and sip tea) I guess I'd have to follow Jenn's lead and say the Josephine Top. I saw it, was immediately smitten, paid a fortune for the yarn, cast on as soon as I got it, and pretty much haven't touched it since. I guess there's a lesson to be learned there (lust can never truly be satisfied, yadayadayada, whatever, moving on).

Anger: See the acrylic purchase in the previous post. Grumble, grumble.... OK, maybe not ANGER anger, but I'm still pretty darn ticked.

Greed: What can't I get enough of? What am I powerless to resist? Probably sock yarn. For instance, yesterday the stitchless Mommies who Knit met up at Robyn's house for some delicious apple cake and ice cream (no knitting of course!), and I picked up some Soak that Robyn had been saving for me for a while. Now, as you may or may not know, Robyn has an online yarn shop, and took us on a tour of her yarn room. I was prepared (you know, as well as a junkie can be prepared when someone says "And here's my supply of heroin, feel free to take a look"), I was going to resist. Then she gets a shipment of ShiBui Sock in the mail, and I'm powerless. So much for my steadfast resolve! I bought 2 skeins in a wild, bright variegate (I'm blaming my choking on the endless winter and my insane desire for colour of any kind).

Sloth: I've got a few languishing projects in the bottom of my knitting bag (Josephine, the Good Old Cable Scarf, Argosy). Take your pick. Some may call it sloth, I call it going with the flow, baby.

Wow, so far so good, Maxime is still asleep! I'll end today's post with an unfortunately blurry picture of Émilie, Maxime and Kate-the-Enabler's son Aidan, taken this Sunday during a playdate. The kids decided to play dressup, and Émilie grabbed the only gender neutral costume we have, so Aidan wound up wearing the pink Kimono we brought back from Japan. But he wore it in a really masculine way! ;)