Where did that camera go?

Hmmm....my dear partner seems to have absconded with the camera once again! And what is a blog post with no pictures? Boring, I say! Unless you divulge deep personal secrets or go on a rant!

Since you aren't getting any of my deep, dark secrets from me today, I might as well have a little rant. So, I have a question for anyone who reads this blog. What is the proper blog etiquette when you join an organized swap, make some lovely things for the three (yes three) recipients you have been assigned, add lots of extras and generally send out a great parcel, and then wait and wait and wait and WAIT and NEVER receive anything in the mail from your swap partner (who is unknown to me). Do I:

1. suck it up and chalk it up to experience and never join another swap due to my devastating experience on my first swap and my subsequent bitter attitude regarding the unfairness of the world (pout, stamp feet);
2. give the swap partner the benefit of the doubt that they are deathly ill (possibly a coma?), they have sewn their fingers to their brilliant creation but can't get the blood stains off the item and also have no fingers with which to type me a note, or that the parcel was lost in the mail (an honest possibility); or
3. file a complaint with the blog swap police so that the irresponsible swap participant is punished accordingly for her/his uncraftbloggerlike conduct (or possibly report the lack of receipt of a swap package to the swap organizer)???

I mean really? My very first swap and I am left high and dry. Plus, Oscar is a little miffed and you know that cats hold a grudge. Despite my slightly exaggerated rant, what is the proper way to deal with delinquent swap partners? What do you think?

Alright, come back later for a post with pictures of a finished project! Yup - I have completed one of the many, many projects I am working on - so happy!!! :)

yarn, yarn, yarn

It has been a busy and productive week for me! I have successfully defended my thesis proposal and am now ready to proceed with my research, which will keep me very busy this summer and fall. I have also found some time to knit - yah! I have been wanting some blissfully meditative stockinette stitch knitting instead of the lace of Orangina and River, so ...
I have resurrected a project that has been languishing in my knitting basket for quite a while and I must complete it before the recipient grows too large. It is the Sweeten sweater from Rowan Babies in Rowan 4-ply soft. I am working on the last section and then need to seam and knit the band around the neck opening. It is a wrap sweater and I may attach some pink ribbon as a tie and also to pretty it up a bit. I was thinking about why I left this project for so long and I think I just needed to learn a bit more about how garments are constructed before finishing it up. Or it could be my flighty knitting tendencies. Hmmm.
A few weekends ago, A and I explored a new area of town and attended the 2006 Knit Out here in Victoria (well, Esquimalt really). There were a number of vendors and I purchased a few lovely skeins of hand dyed yarn by Hummingbird Fibre Arts in some of my favourite blues and greens. The light green is a silk blend lace weight, the blue is a silk ribbon, and the blue green is a chunky boucle. I sat and knit for a bit, but it was soooo cold! I also purchased some sock yarn, because you can't have enough sock yarn!
And, if you weren't tired of photos of yarn, here is the promised photo of what I smuggled back from the US on my recent trip to Baltimore:
Ahhh, yarn...

Just to prove this is a multi-craft blog, here's a picture of a quick card I made yesterday for a friend.









Have a great friday!

workin it

Well, I missed out on day blue of colour week, but did manage to find a little red lurking in my photo archives.
I actually wore this little number today. It's a one skein wonder by Glampyre made from red/green cotton yarn. Just enough to keep the chill off with this cool weather we are having. It is a sweet little pattern - perfect if you are warming up to knit a whole sweater! (I'm still working on that).

And I thought I would share my work in progress corner. My little desk that used to be for studying/working has recently been transformed in to my crafting/sewing centre (a much better use of space ;). I now study at the dining room table, which has a lot more room to spread out.
I only have about 10+ works in progress on the go: a bag for a dear little boy (the baseball denim fabric), my knit purse (lining needs to be put in and handle attached), blackout lining for the window (hopefully finished before summer is over), and numerous clothes to sew and refashion. I won't even show you my mending pile - scary! You can see I am into the "basket" method of organization. Love baskets. Love organizing!

I hope all of you have a lovely Friday evening and a fabulous weekend too!

Black/grey

Visited Granville Island in Vancouver recently and took some photos of the sculpture on display. Bill Reid's Dogfish woman - a very strong figure in First Nations culture by the sounds of it!
And, of course, I can't leave Oscar out of Black/Grey day. Here he is lounging on the deck thinking "don't mess with me, lady!"

Brown

Mmmmm....incense. Japanese incense purchased today and very lovely.
And two china horses that sat on my grandparent's mantle for many years (since the 70s). I have two larger plaster horses (in storage) that are probably from the 50s as well. Needless to say, I was a horse-loving little girl and always admired these as a child. Now they are mine to enjoy. (oh, and most of the walls of our apartment are painted various shades of brown!)

I did not like brown until I was in my 30s - now most of my wardrobe is browns, greens, natural colours. Brown is a very underrated colour in my books!

White...

I intend to post a few colour pictures this week - inspired by little birds and port2port.

White - I used to have a little bundle of white in my life. My dearly departed doggie, Christie (a West Highland White Terrier). She was a wonderful companion for 11 years and I miss her dearly.

peep!

Just stopping by to show you NO crafting. That's right! None. I am itching to knit, but have no time. I have a pile of clothes to refashion, but no time. And my purse! I want to finish my purse!

Alright, enough whining. I haven't been crafting or knitting, but I have been traveling! I went to Baltimore, Maryland, for a conference where I presented a paper. I haven't been to the US in quite a while and have never been to the East Coast. The weather was stormy and humid, which I kind of liked as it is very different from what I see here in Victoria. I managed to sneak away from the conference and went to a yarn store at Fells Point: A Good Yarn. Believe it or not, the woman who owns the shop is from Canada (Nova Scotia). I purchased a few skeins of yarn that I haven't had a chance to take a picture of yet so you will have to make do with the storefront.
I managed to knit a bit at night in my hotel room, but didn't venture on the plane with my needles. I am so afraid of them taking my knitting needles away from me!! So little knitting time was had in Baltimore. One day I will be brave enough to knit during the conference...I will!

I found a great little shop in Fells Point where I made a few purchases that I will show later. One of them is a fabulous bag by Lotta Jansdotter (the green one)! Yum!
After I returned to Victoria, and my tailbone recovered somewhat from sitting for three days (make it 5 with traveling), I was home for one day and then off to Vancouver for a quick trip. This was a very nice occasion as I have recently been awarded a scholarship and was attending the celebration event. The organization put me up at the Granville Island Hotel - wonderful location!









Here is the view to the left and right as I sipped on my masala chai and enjoyed the sun at Granville Island. Vancouver is just the best city when the weather is agreeable! I was so glad to have some time to just relax and walk around to see all of the shops.

Well, my bloggy friends, I shall return with photos of yarn and other goodies!