Welcome to Hoodville

Knitting for Knit CamBRIDGE

2010-06-09T11:41:00.001-04:00

On Monday, I had the pleasure of spending the day with Sue Sturdy ~and company~ at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts. What a busy and inspiring space! We were busy organizing the knitting into different sizes, rolling long strips of knitting into manageable logs, and stacking them onto Sue's office windowsills - some of my favourite images are of these knitting "logs".

Projects are coming in from around the world. For example, there's a piece that's come from Spruce Grove, Alberta. Marie McP-- used to live in Cambridge and says, in her letter:

Knit Cambridge Club: Enclosed is a knitted rectangle piece for the bridge. What an interesting and fun project. I once lived in Cambridge and I very much miss it. Sincerely yours, Marie McP--

Hope you enjoy these photos I took on Monday. The knitting that is coming in is fantastic. I shouldn't just say knitting because there is one, bad-@ss crochet project: colourful skulls & crossbones.

Tonight, as usual on Wednesday evenings, we're gathering to knit and chat. We'll be at the Hespeler Library by the fireplace in the big comfy chairs from 6:30 - 8:30. There are rumblings of moving our gathering to a local coffee shop that has recently re-opened but we can decide that later. Today, we're at the library. :)

Cold day in ... May? Greg knits!

2010-05-22T19:23:00.001-04:00

Okay, so it isn't actually a cold day in July. Regardless, a rather momentous and highly remarkable event has recently occurred.

This actually happened: Greg says to Wendy, "I should learn how to knit."

The background? We were sitting at Melville Cafe, gazing over the Grand River and the Main Street bridge, whilst sipping coffee. The Knit CamBRIDGE basket was nearby so I picked up the ongoing knitting. Nothing unusual here. But then, Greg reminded me about the Guinness Record Attempt on June 19. "I should learn how to knit." I nearly fell off my chair.

So, I showed him what to do. He was, I might add, a rather adroit student or I'm a really good teacher. Another, more likely possibility is that knitting really isn't that difficult. Anyone can knit ... if they want to.

I'm attaching proof of Greg's first foray into the fibre arts. There's also a lovely photo of yours truly with the Main Street Bridge in the background. It's looking all cold and bland: definitely needs a warm bridge cozy. The final photo is completely random: Greg took it today when we were walking along the Grand River below the flood walls. I love the textures and subtle colours.

Monthly Knitting Circle

2010-05-10T13:55:00.001-04:00

TONIGHT!!! Join knitters and history enthusiasts as we learn about: "Textiles and Cambridge: A Match Made in History"

Tonight's speaker is Karen Dearlove. Karen holds a PhD in History from McMaster University and is the Executive Director of the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre in Brantford. She has organized two local history symposiums held in Cambridge and is planning a third to be held in 2011. Karen is also Chair of the Cambridge Archives Advisory Board and on the Steering Committee for the Waterloo Regional Museum.

Her talk will recount the significant impact the textile industry played in shaping the communities of this area.

7pm social

7:30 pm talk

FREE ADMISSION

Cambridge Centre for the Arts 60 Dickson Street, Cambridge

740-4681 ext. 4376

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Can't make it tonight? How about Monday, June 7

Debbie New – "Unexpected Knitting"

Knitter, author and teacher Debbie New enjoys the non-traditional possibilities of knitting and has masterminded innovative freeform techniques, such as 'virtual knitting' and 'swirl knitting', to achieve striking effects in her work. She has won many awards and has been named Waterloo Region's Visual Artist of the Year.

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September/October/November

Monthly Knitting Circles with resume again with more wonderful speakers to look forward to. Updates will be posted on the website below.

For more information on the Artist-in-Residence program of events, including the KNIT camBRIDGE project, contact Sue at 740-4681 ext. 4491 or sturdys@cambridge.ca

Program information can also be found at www.cambridgecentreforthearts.ca

KNIT camBRIDGE website: www.knitcambridge.com

Facebook: KNIT camBRIDGE

Twitter: twitter.com/suesturdy

www.cambridgecentreforthearts.ca

Volunteers Needed for World Record Attempt!!!

2010-05-04T20:18:00.001-04:00

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR A

WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT!

To celebrate the important history of the knitting industry in the Cambridge area and knitting as a vital contemporary art form, on Saturday, June 19 Artist-in-Residence Sue Sturdy is inviting knitters to attempt to set a new world record for the most people knitting simultaneously!

A team of volunteers will be needed to assist with this event to:

-          Count people coming into the record setting area (civic square
-          Officially witness the record attempt

-          Provide information and directions to participants

-          Assist vendors

-          Assist with on stage activities including a knit fashion parade and knitting games
-          Help with event set up, teardown and clean up

If you are interested, please contact Sophie McCann at mccanns[@]cambridge.ca or call 519-740-4681 ext. 4367. Full orientation provided.

Join the World Wide Knit in Public Day event on Facebook!!

City of Cambridge to Strive for World Record! #WWKiP

2010-04-23T20:43:00.001-04:00

Here's the press release regarding Cambridge's upcoming World Wide Knit in Public Day on June 19. Please feel free to share it with other knitters. Would love to make a go of the Guinness World Record!

From my understanding, there needs to be plenty of volunteers: one volunteer for every 50 knitters! Please let Sue or Sophie know if you're interested in being a volunteer. Their contact information is at the bottom of the press release.

For Immediate Release

Cambridge Onboard to Strive for Record

‘World Wide Knitting Day’ Attempts Guinness’s Book Record

Cambridge, Ontario. April 13, 2010…Time to get the knitting needles out and join Cambridge Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Sue Sturdy as knitters from across the region and beyond come together in an effort to break the current world record of 937 simultaneous knitting participants.

‘World Wide Knit in Public Day’ is slated for Saturday June 19th. Between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon Cambridge will celebrate this artistic form of fibre art including participating in the simultaneous knit-off at 10:30 am which will attempt to go down in the Guinness’s World Book of Records.

Knitters of all ages and skill sets are invited to Civic Square, in front of Cambridge City Hall, to participate in this unique community event. It is important to note that those people wishing to participate in the knit-off for the record must register in advance (on-site) between 8:00 am and 10:30 am.

“After a brief presentation at 10:30 am the go ahead to start knitting will be declared. All participants must knit simultaneously with two separate needles for at least 15 minutes,” says Fibre Artist Sue Sturdy, Cambridge’s AIR.

Rain or shine, the event will take place as special arrangements for an alternate indoor location are in play. There’s plenty to do:

§ Gather in Civic Square to socialize, knit and share experiences

§ Enjoy a knitting vendors’ fair inside City Hall

§ Visit the art gallery at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts

§ Experience the tastes of the Cambridge Farmers’ Market

§ Purchase a delicious apple dumpling and coffee at Wesley United Church

§ And, enjoy activities on the outdoor stage including a parade of knitting fashions and knitting games

“There are even prizes for participants - knitters are encouraged to wear a favourite piece of clothing that they have knitted,” Sturdy adds.

The City is also looking for volunteers to help with the event. As well, knitting organizations or retailers who wish to be in the knitting vendors’ fair should connect right away to be part of this amazing day.

‘World Wide Knit in Public Day’ began in 2005 by founder Danielle Landes to bring together knitters. It has expanded to include events around the world and this year, the program introduced ‘World Wide Knit in Public Week’ (June 12-20, 2010) to enable more groups and organizations to get involved.

More information on the program, as well as the Cambridge Centre for the Arts can be found at www.cambridgecentreforthearts.ca. For information on the KNIT camBRIDGE project go to www.knitcambridge.com

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About the Artist in Residence (AIR)

Each year an artist is selected for the position of Artist-in-Residence (A.I.R.) at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts. The artist shares their talents and skills with the community by engaging in various art initiatives that involve participation and arts education. The program is in part funded by the Cambridge Arts Guild. The 2010 AIR is Cambridge fibre artist Sue Sturdy. Sue will be holding a series of events and programs to explore knitting as a contemporary art form and celebrate its role as a founding industry in Cambridge. One initiative, KNIT camBRIDGE, involves an opportunity for knitters to contribute pieces to be used in the covering of the Main Street Bridge in knitting!

Contacts:

Sue Sturdy, AIR

sturdys@cambridge.ca

519.740.4681 ext 4491

Sophie McCann, Arts Coordinator

Cambridge Centre for the Arts (www.cambridgecentreforthearts.ca)

mccanns@cambridge.ca

519.740.4681 ext 4367

Want to knit or crochet for the KNIT camBRIDGE project?

2010-04-19T21:05:00.001-04:00

HOW DO I CONTRIBUTE KNITTING TO THE

KNIT camBRIDGE PROJECT?

Knitted/crocheted pieces of any size will be accepted but at the moment preference is for:

Pieces 21” x 27” (or as close as possible to this) to cover the 267 handrails on the bridge
Pieces 6” or 8” wide by 50”-60” long to cover 303 handrail spaces
Pieces as long as you like that are 8”, 10” or 22” wide
Pieces 30” wide, minimum 12” long, maximum 4 ft long to cover columns

You may use any type of yarn, pattern, colour and knitting technique you wish.

Please drop the pieces off at the front desk of the Cambridge Centre for the Arts, 60 Dickson Street, Cambridge. The Arts Centre can be reached at 519-740-4681 x 4376.

Please attach a piece of paper to the knitting with your name, address, phone number and email.

Thanks for being a part of this exciting community project! Stay tuned for updates on the bridge project and all of the other related knitting events and programs at www.cambridgecentreforthearts.ca

CONTACT: Sue Sturdy, 2010 Artist-in-Residence at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts

519-740-4681 x 4491, or email sturdys@cambridge.ca

Cheap Thrills: the old Forum

2010-04-18T00:29:00.009-04:00

I love this gorilla. He has my vote for best inflatable, marketing ploy that I've seen in a while. I am always a sucker for the big gorilla telling me there's a SUPER SALE.

My excuse was that I wanted to visit the old Forum which was my roller skating haunt of ... oh, a few years back.

Appropriately enough, this new store is called The Old Forum. Why bother changing the name? Unlike the SkyDome which now has the least descriptive name ever: The Rogers Centre. Boring. Could be anything. The Old Forum is just that: the old FORUM. Wow!

The Old Forum still has all the stuff I remember. The wooden roller rink is still there as is the video screen. The dj booth is intack as is the sound equipment which is actually being used by the store. The washrooms were disconcertingly samey as was the snack bar. There's even carpeting left on many of the walls.

Funny, I remember it being so cool at the time. Looking back, I remember so many awkward moments spent trying to look cool whilst skating in circles and hanging out at the dj door. I shudder to think!

It was certainly a walk through memory lane, I tell ya.

But then, I come outside and see that big, inflatable gorilla and smile. It's all good, I'm NOT 13 years old again. Thank gawd.

Having a chat about social media with Sue Sturdy

2010-04-12T14:46:00.001-04:00

If you're interested in contributing to the Knit camBridge project, or just want to stay in touch, make sure to sign the guest book: http://www.knitcambridge.com/Contributors.html

Just talking about Posterous blogs. Look where it goes!

Talking to the media? Think about this 1.1

2010-04-07T00:07:00.001-04:00

Talking to the media? Want to know some lingo? Here are some phrases you might be glad to know.

Double ender This is an interview where the interviewer isn't in the shot with the subject. These interviews can appear suspicious and even look like the interview was pre-taped or edited.

If you're ever invited to be interviewed for a double-ender, here are some tips worth keeping in mind:

Don’t play with your swivel chair; this is distracting to viewers.
Don’t look at the doohickey (sorry for the terminology) in your ear: oddly enough, this is a natural reaction but it makes you, the interviewee, look untrustworthy. Look where the camera operator tells you to look.

Plant your feet flat on the floor and don’t lean back in the chair. Do NOT relax.

Embargo Perhaps, not coincidently, "embargo" is nearly the word "embarrass" Embargoed news does NOT exist unless you are Apple and even then, it is every reporter's dream to find a News Link.

Off the record Be very, very careful of giving information "off the record." There is nothing saying that a reporter has to honour an "off the record" conversation. Be wary.

On Background aka "Double super secret background" Court orders can order full-disclosure of information sources. In practice, reporters should obfuscate the identity of their source. Just understand that it doesn't always work the way you hope it does. Be wary!

...now you know.

Info gratefully gleaned from Traditional and Social Media presentation by media commentator Ian Capstick of MediaStyle

Posted via email from WhoConnects

Hespeler is where it's at:

2010-04-05T21:24:00.001-04:00

Small towns are where it's at: Hespeler (Cambridge) Ontario is a lovely place to live. Great shops, friendly people, a beautiful library, a growing history museum (also known as the Company of Neighbours), a river with walking trails, and all within walking distance of home. What more could a girl want?

Easter Sunday at Cootes Paradise

2010-04-04T17:49:00.003-04:00

It was a gorgeous day at Cootes Paradise, a part of the Botanical Gardens, in Hamilton, Ontario. Cooler temperatures made us bring our jackets though we didn't really need them. We walked about 7 kms starting at the Bruce Trail head office and going as far as the Bull's Outlook where we had a lunch that included hard boiled Easter eggs (of course).

We're all a little weary, especially the 5 yo and the dog, who seem to travel twice the distance that us adults do, especially considering their shorter legs!

Some attached photos include my ongoing quest for the perfect honey bee picture.

Easter Magic

2010-04-04T11:30:00.000-04:00

Gather ingredients:
- Several hard boiled eggs
- Way too much chocolate
- At least one child

Hide eggs and chocolate (making sure to take inventory first so you don't find a nasty surprise in a few months)

Let children loose and watch for results:

- Laughter
- Hugs
- Followed by sugar highs then lows

In order to help, make sure all adults get to eat much of the chocolate :)

My adhoc yarn crawl

2010-04-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

Gorgeous day for surfing Queen Street West aboard the red rocket TTC streetcars! Had to curb my binge habit and only bought 5 skeins! ;)

Knit CamBridge: the ultimate graffiti knitting project?

2010-04-01T10:47:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting at the Melville Cafe in the U of W School of Architecture building. It over-looks the Grand River and historic downtown Galt: Galt being one of the three towns that make up modern day Cambridge, Ontario. This is a small town. Traditionally, the economies in Galt and Hespeler were based on textile mills. Preston was more based on their large grain mill which still operates to this day. Unfortunately, most of the textile industry is gone. What industry still exists is mostly assembly work (sewing together) of fabric made over-seas.

Sue Sturdy, artist in residence at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts, wants to bring fibre back into the minds and hearts of modern residents.

Her plan is audacious!

The four concrete arches of Galt's historic bridge will be covered in the ultimate graffiti knitting project (albeit sanctioned by the City of Cambridge). Scattered around town, you can find baskets of yarn and knitting on the needle. If you see one, pick up the needles and knit. It doesn't need to be pretty! By the time Sue sews all the pieces together and covers the bridge with said knitting, it will be a piece of art!

This morning, Sue and I sat down over coffee, to discuss the project. I'm happy to say that my involvement will be to help her reach more people through social media. Not to mention the fact that some of my knitting will be on the bridge this September!

Take a look at the Knit CamBridge website: www.knitcambridge.com. It will be growing throughout the months to come so check back frequently. Share this link with your friends and help spread the word!

Why I'm happy I lost my job

2010-03-25T23:21:00.001-04:00

Okay, I wasn't exactly HAPPY. There was none of this "thank GAWD you're letting me go" bit. I didn't exactly jump for joy. In fact, I sat there for a few minutes actually trying to argue my case. But it was useless. There were only 11 positions to distribute amongst 20 internal candidates. Some of us had to go.

Thirty minutes later, I almost kissed my manager and walked out the door right then and there. "Gotta go! Thanks for everything!"

How did my change of heart happen so suddenly? Well, let's put it this way. It's true, I've been working in a job that doesn't quite fit. Like a jacket that doesn't feel right around your shoulders or a hat that's just a little too snug, I have been working in a position that doesn't quite fit my skills. I loved our clients, truly enjoyed working with co-workers and I even got to be somewhat creative in my work. But, when you get right down to it, I'm not one for numbers and some details seemed more important to them than to me.

I have asked myself, why did I stay in a job that didn't fit for over a year? A few answers come to mind. One, it was comfortable: as I said, I liked some of the job and the people with whom I was working are truly wonderful individuals - I will miss them. Second, there was the pay cheque: it seems fool-hearty to go without a perfectly good pay cheque when one is coming in at regular intervals. Third, I wasn't ready to go out on my own. The long buried aspirations of running my own business had only just been daydreams and what-if scenarios.

So now I'm in the odd position of being without the comfort of a friendly and familiar workplace and the safety net of a regular pay cheque. What's a girl to do?

Well, firstly, I'm lucky enough to qualify for Employment Insurance. Secondly, there's my old dreams of being self-employed. I have some unique skills and, it turns out, I've been creating a mental inventory of my skills for a while now - sometimes to the detriment of my paid work.

Perhaps that's why it only took me 30 minutes to realize, "Hey! Thanks for the kick in the pants. I needed that."

Speaking of which, the guy in this photo needs a better fitting jacket, a bigger hat and possibly a new job. ~ editor's opin. ;)

Does Apple laugh? Foxtrot pokes fun ...

2010-03-20T20:15:00.001-04:00

Ignite Waterloo 2: building our community one Lego brick at a time

2010-03-07T10:08:00.001-05:00

I have been remiss in publishing this blog. Life seems to happen like that: when there's one thing to do there are often half a dozen more.

Nonetheless, Ignite Waterloo 2 was fantastic and I wouldn't miss it for anything! From the 16 speakers, to the Lego challenge, and the tasty nibblies, it was perfect. For a full run-down of speakers, visit the Ignite blog: Ignite Waterloo 2 has come and gone with a bang

On my part, I want to say: I'm amazed at the creative energy that runs through this community. The Lego building competition proves that there are many inventive folks in this community. The geek factor is high and proud! The prize for best, most creative Lego creation, was the Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0. Our winner? Well, let's just say, he made the world's smallest, playable foosball table. Can't wait to see what he makes using the Mindstorms robot. The mind boggles!

Be sure to attend the next Ignite Waterloo on July 7 and connect with Ignite Waterloo on Twitter at @ignitewaterloo.

Spinning a good hockey game

2010-02-26T23:25:00.001-05:00

Despite my best intentions, I have spent the week spinning. And watching the Olympics.

I know, I know. It might not sound so bad but I have a few pressing knitting projects on needles that are calling, bleating, to me: "knit me, knit me." There's sock #1, a gorgeous lace scarf using hand-spun kid-silk yarn (not mine), a random scarf that's the perfect project for knitting whilst watching tv, and a couple of forgotten Works In Progress that need serious attention. Why, oh why, should I learn to use a drop spindle now?

Part of it is just random timing. My local yarn shop - Yarn Indulgences - had a drop spindle class that I signed up for without thinking of the long-term consequences. Oh sure, our spinning teacher warned us that spinning was addictive. But did I listen? Apparently not.

Regardless, here I am still thinking that I'm not a spinner; I'm a knitter, damn it. And yet, here I am showing off my first real ball of my hand-spun yarn.

Now to ply. ;)

@aaronwarner @nigelpkay @modsuperstar @gjhoodmo & @wendyhoomo went to see the Guelph Storm. Who won?

2010-02-10T22:44:00.001-05:00

Thanks to @nigelpkay, a group of us twits enjoyed a Guelph Storm game. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to catch up on my sock knitting and got most of the foot done. :)

Adventures at the KW Knitters Guild meeting

2010-02-09T23:04:00.001-05:00

I'm just home from the KW Knitters' Guild meeting where I always have great conversations & learn good things: tonight @Knittydotcom (aka Amy Singer - yes, THE Amy Singer) was our guest speaker.

Opening (yes, OPENING) for Amy, was acclaimed ukelele performer and singer: @Ukulelezo (aka Zoe). Zoe strummed and charmed her way into out knitters' hearts. By the time she finished, we were like unspun roving in her hands. Oh, and Ukulelezo / Zoe is in a contest that closes tonight so if you read this in time, vote for her here - though the site seems a bit fussy and I'm not sure it recorded my vote or not.

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At any rate, tonight I learned more about knitty.com than I had ever known before. Mind you, I was always only one step away from the fame of knitty publishing as an old friend ACTUALLY has her Winecozy pattern published in knitty. OMG! Someday, someday, I hope my star may shine so bright ... :)

knitty.com is a ground breaking, oft-times back breaking, enterprise. It proudly offers FREE patterns to 100s of 1000s of knitters from all around the world. All that knitty.com asks in return is that you click on the advertising on the site. Simple. And, if you find a supplier that rocks your world, tell them that you learned about them from knitty.com. All patterns are carefully edited and any pattern corrections are made to the live site and will show up as PINK. Magic: no errata pages required!

Also, whilst sitting & listening to Amy Singer, I was working on MY FIRST SOCK and I TURNED my first HEEL FLAP. This is without a pattern, thank you very much. I must give credit to my hero, and knitty-published author, @yarnharlot, aka Stephanie Pearl-McPhee - what? does everyone have an alias these days??? At any rate, this being my first pair of socks, I'm using the heel flap method as suggested in Knitting Rules! I requested, and gratefully received, coaching from a Guild member beside me - we're friendly that way. But, I did it. I TURNED my first heel whilst listening to Amy Singer. Zowie! ;)

www.twitter.com/wendyhoomo
~ "wendyhoo" on Ravelry

This is a test post

2010-02-04T10:49:00.001-05:00

TEST TEST

Elizabeth Durand's Basic Mitt's for Children knit up great

2010-02-03T21:54:00.001-05:00

These mittens were knit using Elizabeth Durand's Basic Mitt's for Children found on http://afghansforafghans.org/mittens.html. The pattern is free. She asks only that you knit a pair for charity.

Since charity starts at home, I knit my first pair for my son who's constantly losing his mittens - naughty kitten. <sigh> Next, I'll make a pair for Lutherwood's Wall of Warmth. Visit the Cambridge (Ontario) office if you need a warm pair of mitts, hat or scarf. :)

What I like about this pattern is that both mittens are the same: makes it easier for young 'uns to get 'em on! Oh, and FYI, I knit these a size bigger and lightly felted them.

Easy pattern that knits up perfectly! Thanks Elizabeth :)

Spinning a winter day: caution - this is addictive

2010-01-30T23:59:00.001-05:00

Today was a beautiful winter day for both me and the family ... though we went our separate paths for most of it. Hubby and the 5yo went to the local ski hill and then skating. It was a gorgeous day for it: sun was shining and the snow was crunching. It even seemed to warm up ... at least my nostrils stopped sticking together from breathing in the ice cold air. Isn't that the weirdest sensation? Is there even an expression for that?

But I digress; it was that kind of day.

My day started of at the Galt Farmers' Market: which I blogged about earlier today.

Then, I went to the Kitchener Farmers' Market for my first ever spinning lessons... and not the kind of spinning you do on a stationary bike. ;) This spinning is much more traditional. In fact, our instructor, Tabi Ferguson from the Roving Spinners, told us that spinning was originally done with a rock and stick. This "modern" spindle is not such a new design.

Brief History of Spinning

It is generally agreed that the spinning of fibres, to form a thread or yarn, has been in existence for over 10,000 years. The drop spindle was the primary spinning tool for almost 9000 years, it was used to spin all the threads for clothing and fabrics from Egyptian mummy wrappings to tapestries, ropes and sails for ships. -excerpt borrowed from History of Spinning

I think I owe 9000 years of history a bit of my own time to learn how to spin with a drop spindle.

One of the first things Tabi told us was that she found spinning highly addictive. She's often up into the middle of the night spinning. Gawd! This sounds shockingly like my knitting. She also said that she started off as a knitter but prefers spinning. She's also using her engineering skills and is designing her very own spindle - you've heard it here first, folks!

Many of her spindles are rudimentary objects. As you can see from the one photo of the three spindles, her two are the hand-made ones. Spindles ideally weigh as little as possible - to allow for finer yarns to be spun. The heavier the spindle, the thicker the yarn will need to be.

At any rate, I actually did manage to spin something today. It was lumpy and uneven, but I filled my spindle with a single ply of gorgeous blue-face Leicester purchased from Yarn Indulgences.

Blue Faced Leicester
Our very popular BFL, this is a white top, that is very lustrous and soft. It is beautiful with a long 5 inch staple length, definitely worth trying! Blue Faced Leicester is a longer stapled wool (the individual fibers are longer) which is fine enough for next-to-skin wear and very hard to felt. It is considered very easy to spin, and is easy to dye with acid dyes (including food coloring and drink mix). It is extremely popular for fine to medium yarns for anything from lace to socks to light sweaters, and insulates and wears well enough for outerwear too.

Our first class involved learning the basics including drafting and spinning the fibre into a single-ply. Next week, we will ply it to make a two-ply yarn.

By the way, if you're wondering if I managed to get outside today, especially after raving about what a gorgeous, sunshiny winter's day it was? When I got home from the spinning class, hubby & 5yo were out skating. Our poor dog was beside himself wanting to go for a walk. Instead of jumping into my spinning, I was a good dog owner and took him for a walk. Now, let me get back to my spinning. ;)

My visit to the Galt Farmers' Market:

2010-01-30T10:46:00.001-05:00

I always enjoy visiting the Cambridge - or, as I think of it - the Galt Farmer's Market. It's located square in the middle of downtown Galt. Nearby, is the Main Street bridge which will be covered in knitting later this year. I love it! :)

At the market, I purchased the following goodies:

bees wax candles (a "must have" after reading Secret Life of Bees)
real marrow bones (one of which my dog is currently enjoying in the back porch, while the others will be used to make beef stock)
fresh cheese curds (mmm...)
garlic bulb (grown in California these days...)
cup of coffee (what can I say, it's a necessity!)
and cookies from my friend Krista at the Grand River Bakery (she also makes sweet, sweet cupcakes for any occasion ;p)

Type-It

2010-01-24T23:58:00.000-05:00

Add type-it to:
iGoogle | Webpage

Have fun while improving your typing skills with this simple typing game.

Get over 1000 points and you can submit your score to the High Scores page.

A calmer space #photog #joy

2010-01-24T18:14:00.001-05:00

All pictures by Wendy Hood-Morris, unless randomly taken by 5-yo.

Trevor Strong, from the Arrogant Worms, performed on Parliament Hill earlier today:

2010-01-23T21:06:00.001-05:00

No Prorogue Rally in Waterloo: photos plus my rant

2010-01-23T19:18:00.001-05:00

Today's No Prorogue Rally went smoothly. Thumbs up to all the organizers, speakers, musicians and attendees; thumbs down to all the absentee MPs who refuse to acknowledge their constituents' displeasure.

If you take a look at pictures from today's event, it's obvious that attendees are not just political activists, university kids or grandmothers. People from all walks of life are upset about what they see happening to our democracy. There is a serious decay of democratic process in this country. No amount of hyperbole and erroneous historical examples can erase what people are starting to recognize as fascist actions by our current government.

Unfortunately, I am certain that Harper will NOT return to work on January 25: he would not be able to bring himself to eat such bitter, humble pie. From what I've seen of this man, he is incapable of saying, "Oops, my bad" sarcastically, or otherwise. Instead, he'll stick to his guns, and continue refusing answers to any question that makes him uncomfortable. To be sure, he'll be holding an election at the next moment the polls are in his favour. He is fully aware that the Liberals don't have a charismatic leader, that the NDP is weakened and that the Green Party does not yet have enough popular support to be a threat.

At this point, I fear that many people might be pacified by the Olympics. Harper is, after all, giving us bread & circuses. Bread in the way of matching funds for Haiti and circuses as in the Olympics. Please, PLEASE, do not forget your anger, dismay, indignation and disgust at what this government has done to our democratic process. This is not acceptable and should not be condoned nor forgotten.

Parliamentary reform needs to be our next step so that this manipulation of Parliament cannot happen again.

Yummy oatmeal with raisins: affordable, easy & hearty breakfast (recipe)

2010-01-17T09:57:00.001-05:00

Oatmeal with raisins is an easy hot breakfast and tastes like oatmeal cookies and milk in a bowl. :p

3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1-1/3 cups quick oats
2/3 cups raisins
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Bring water (with salt) to a boil. Add oats and raisins. Reduce heat to a simmer. Stir to get rid of any lumps. Add cinnamon. After 3 minutes (longer if NOT using quick oats), remove from heat and cover for a minute.

Serve in 4 bowls. Top with cold milk and maple syrup or brown sugar. Delicious!

Get Back to Work & call to action (video)

2010-01-11T22:04:00.001-05:00

On January 23, join the march for democracy in your closest city across Canada.

To learn about local marches, visit No Prorogue!

or the Facebook event listing: Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament-Rally

Social media is here to stay (video)

2010-01-11T11:08:00.001-05:00

Response from Gary Goodyear, Cambridge MP

2010-01-06T15:18:00.001-05:00

Well... at least the response I received from my local Member of Parliament was quick - having only sent my letter last night.

However, you may recall what I said about form letters? This letter didn't even attempt to pretend it was anything else: notice the different fonts from one paragraph to another. Unfortunately, this letter is a cut and paste job.

Also, Mr Goodyear did not address what he was going to be doing over the next three months. He only listed what he has done.

Mr Goodyear also explains what PM Harper has been doing on the international stage; though, he chose not to address the fact that Canada's global reputation is in now tatters.

Wishing I could take a three month paid leave of absence and not have to explain my actions.

Sincerely,

Wendy

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <info@garygoodyear.com>
Date: Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 2:43 PM
Subject: RE: Feedback Form

Dear Wendy,

Thank you for your email regarding Parliament resuming on March 3^rd, 2009.

The next phase of our Economic Action Plan will be launched following the Olympic Games, with a Throne Speech on March 3^rd and a Budget on March 4^th. The three economic themes of the new session will be: (1) completing implementation of the Economic Action Plan, (2) returning the federal budget to balance once the economy has recovered and (3) building the economy of the future. This demonstrates that our government’s top priority remains economic action to protect existing jobs, to stimulate new job creation and to help families, workers and businesses cope during this global economic recession.

This past year has been a difficult year for Canadians and Canadian families as our economy struggled in light of the global recession. Canadians from all walks of life, regions, were and continue to be affected by this global recession. This is why our government responded quickly by introducing Canada's Economic Action Plan, which included the largest stimulus plan in Canadian history. In Cambridge, for example, I have worked hard to secure approximately $121 million of federal-provincial stimulus funding towards job creation and getting shovels in the ground for infrastructure projects throughout Cambridge-North Dumfries.

On the international stage, our government has been working extremely hard as well. Last year Prime Minister Harper traveled to a number of countries, including India, which has the world’s fastest growing economies, as well as China which is Canada’s third largest export destination. In regard to the latter, our government’s aim was to advance human rights and strengthen economic ties. For example, during this trip the Prime Minister raised the plight of imprisoned dissident Huseyincan Celil. Furthermore, our government took bold steps in boycotting Iranian President Ahmadinejad's speech at the UN General Assembly, both due to his ongoing denial of the Holocaust and his hostile views towards our democratic-ally Israel and because of the continual violation of the human rights of the people of Iran. The crackdown on legitimate democratic protests and arrests of Iranians and foreign nationals is both unacceptable and abhorrent to Canadian values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

In closing, you should be assured that bills which were previously before Parliament will be reintroduced in their original form, including; Bill C-6, the Consumer Safety Law and Bill C-15, a law which will see stronger sentences for serious drug offences. As your Member of Parliament and the Minister of State for Science & Technology and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, I will continue to work hard for my community and my country in the next session of parliament.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your views with me. I appreciate hearing from constituents on matters which are important to them.

Sincerely,

Gary Goodyear, MP

Cambridge – North Dumfries

From: webmaster@garygoodyear.com [mailto:webmaster@garygoodyear.com]
Sent: January-05-10 10:17 PM
To: info@garygoodyear.com
Subject: Feedback Form

emailTo: info@garygoodyear.com

Commentaires: Hello Mr. Goodyear, I\'m writing in good faith, and hoping for a response from you. My previous letter went unanswered [Sales tax on used merchandise 9/23/09]. At any rate, I\'m writing today to show my displeasure about our federal government\'s choice to prorogue parliament. I hope you have noticed the Facebook group called \"Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament\". It is quickly gaining support and it\'s numbers have doubled in 24 hours (currently at 52,000 supporters). I am excited but not surprised by the overwhelming response of Canadians against prorogation. Members of this group, and certainly other Canadians who can\'t access Facebook, are now speaking out proving that Canadians do care. From many statements I have read, it\'s clear that we need to settle our national issues democratically and openly. Parliament must be allowed to do its job. Otherwise, I am forced to question the reality, and the efficacy, of our democracy. This country is being insulted on the international stage and now it has been crippled at home. Let\'s get down to work. You need to do the work that you were elected and are *still being paid* to do. If you are interested in my vote next election, please respond to my request. Please avoid form letters; I find them insulting and easy to recognize. Sincerely, Wendy Hood-Morris, BA
Submit: Send!

An open letter sent to Gary Goodyear, MP for Cambridge, Ontario

2010-01-05T23:30:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd make this an open letter to Mr. Goodyear, Member of Parliament for the City of Cambridge, Ontario. I'm hoping for a response from him and will certainly post his answer if/when I've received it. As you can read below, I'm fairly upset with the fact that our government has chosen to cancel parliament for three months. 
If you'd like to send Mr. Goodyear a letter, you are welcome to do so through this website: Contact Gary. 
One more point, I am a little bit dismayed about Mr. Goodyear's motto on his banner. I do hope that we can somehow bring leadership back to this country. I also hope for a better Canada. So far, I'm not predicting a good year for Cambridge or Canada. 

Hello Mr. Goodyear,

I'm writing in good faith, and hoping for a response from you. My previous letter went unanswered [sales tax on used merchandise 9/23/09].

At any rate, I'm writing today to show my displeasure about our federal government's choice to prorogue parliament.

I hope you have noticed the Facebook group called "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament". It is quickly gaining support and its numbers have doubled in 24 hours (currently at 52,000 supporters). I am excited, but not surprised, by the overwhelming response of Canadians against prorogation. Members of this on-line group, and certainly other Canadians who can't access Facebook, are now speaking out proving that Canadians do care.

From the many statements I have read, it's clear that we need to settle our national issues democratically and openly. Parliament must be allowed to do its job.
Otherwise, I am forced to question the reality, and the efficacy, of our democracy. This country is being insulted on the international stage and now it has been crippled at home. Let's get down to work. You need to do the work that you were elected and are still being paid to do.
If you are interested in my vote next election, please respond to my request. Please avoid form letters; I find them insulting and easy to recognize.
Sincerely,

Wendy Hood-Morris, BA

News Years 2010

2010-01-01T10:48:00.001-05:00

Last night was our son's first New Years celebration that he got to "enjoy." From the look on his face, I'm thinking it was a bit too late for him. ;p At any rate, we spent an enjoyable evening in Toronto with old friends who we don't see enough. It was great to ring in the new year AND the new decade with them. New years resolution: see old friends more often.

My first cable hat that I knit without a pattern :)

2009-12-17T00:12:00.001-05:00

I'm proud of this hat even if the decreasing did become a little random toward the end. I figured out my tension; determined that I did NOT have an appropriate pattern and knit the damn thing on my on. I DID MATH!!!

Some details: hat ribbing is k1 p1 for 2", one row of purl, then 2" more of k1 p1. I then folded the rim inwards and knit it together. The cable is repeated twice. It's a 12 stitch braid (my first braided cable, I might add). I've taken notes as I knit so I MIGHT be able to repeat this hat in the near future.

This is a Posterous test

2009-12-10T11:40:00.001-05:00

We're taking a look at automated blog feeds.

Hespeler's Santa Claus Parade 2009

2009-12-05T14:14:00.001-05:00

Today's Santa Claus parade was, as usual, fantastic. Russel Bygrave, the parade's long-time organizer, did us proud again this year. I was in a line-up for coffee as the parade started and I missed taking a picture of our brave leader. Thankfully, I have one from 2008. He dons his white tux and top hat each year. I hope there will be someone else who will learn how to organize this parade before Mr. Bygrave gets too old to put forth so much effort.

This year, even the weather cooperated: sunny skies and temperatures just hovering around zero Celsius. What with blankets, hot chocolate and hand knit hats and mitts, everyone was warm. :)

Ignite Waterloo was a sweet affair

2009-11-26T12:08:00.001-05:00

Where to start? Last night was a blast from start to finish. Every single speaker went above and beyond: they were obviously passionate and knowledgeable about their topics. Everyone looked confident and even comfortable on the stage. From talking with a few speakers afterward, I understand they didn't feel as confident as they looked but they sure pulled it off ... with flying colours. Listening to the speakers, I had many a moment where I learned something new.

Ignite Waterloo was a solid event. The venue was perfect: the Children's Museum has a cool, modern vibe that's both spacious and perfectly laid out. The museum staff were incredibly helpful and responsive to requests and they set-up a great bar. Having the GPS exhibit upstairs was a nice touch, too. And then there was the food, crafted by the Exhibit Cafe. It was divine: an honest #nomnomnom is definitely in order here.

A serious highlight of the evening included cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes. And, as you can tell from my pictures, I was enthralled; we live in a land of hidden, artistic talents.

Being part of the elite, judging team, I can confirm that we deliberated and considered and weighed the options. This was a serious decision. We finally decided on a quite reasonable facsimile of a hamburger made from cupcakes. Kevin, the cupcake artist who won, walked away with a new laptop, complements of Communitech. Well done!

Of course there are several honourable cupcake-artistry mentions including a piranha-like Nemo, a volcano which was a natural disaster in more ways than one (it started off as something else entirely), a globe that included the equator, tilted axis, and reasonable representations of the continents in green on blue icing ~it coulda been a contendah!~ and a seriously disturbing rendition of gummy bears bitten in half. It was all good.

Anyway, I'll let my photos speak for themselves. All I can say is, Ignite Waterloo is one hot event. Watch for it next spring. Personally, I can't wait!

Oh, if you want to learn more about the general vibe of the event, you can do two things: first check out the blog at www.ignitewaterloo.ca, and second, check out the twitter feed using the hashtag #ignitewaterloo.

Cheers!

Another batch of happy, random Grand Manan photos

2009-11-22T22:44:00.001-05:00

Some of my photos from Grand Manan from over the years

2009-11-22T22:21:00.001-05:00

This evening, I've had the honour of meeting a first cousin of a man who owns lovely piece of paradise. Oddly enough, Greg was already following Shayne, aka @Driftwood_GM, the owner of Driftwood Cottages. I only learned about Shayne's twitter feed earlier this evening when I read a tweet from Greg, aka @gjhoodmo. However, I had previously connected to Sonja, aka @sonjaferne, who, unbeknownst to me, is Shayne's cousin. The myriad of connections through Twitter has my head spinning!

As a result, I've been going through my photos from Grand Manan, New Brunswick. I've attached a few to this blog post but gmail is stopping me from posting all the photos that want to post - likely some sort of size restriction. It stopped me at about 1500K. Guess I'll just have to do a couple of posts! ;)

Anyway, Grand Manan is a lovely part of the world. If you want to travel to a part of the world that is friendly, clean, full of friendly people and far, far away from southern Ontario, I suggest you take a look at Grand Manan.

The real scary stuff happens after Halloween...

2009-11-14T23:35:00.001-05:00

Bah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! This pumpkin is an experiment in composting. The question is: will it totally collapse before it is put into the compost bin about 3 feet to the right?

Artwork by Greg Hood-Morris

2009-11-12T18:18:00.001-05:00

If you want this printed on a t-shirt, let me know. This image also makes for sweet wallpaper. I know, because I came home to find it as wallpaper. ;)

My Noro striped scarf

2009-11-09T20:18:00.001-05:00

I am in love with colour and didn't understand that part of myself before knitting this scarf, but that's all there is to it! The stitch is so simple, repetitive and, one might say, monotonous. That usually wears me out when knitting. Not this one! Ribbed with knit one purl one throughout and I'm more intrigued than when I started. The colours keep changing and playing together.

For the original inspiration, check out Jared Flood's blog: brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/04/noro-scarf.html.

My Zimmermann stars

2009-10-21T23:01:00.001-04:00

I love these stars: they're so easy! One is knit every other row - you can tell that one because the points are less pointy. The other two are decreased every row. One star, with the most distinct points was "aggressively" blocked. The other star has not yet been blocked and would be all curled up except it's being held down by the scanner lid.

A string of these stars would be lovely and fairly quick. Except for casting on the 55 stitches on the 1 mm needles, the 5 rows (10 if you're knitting between decrease rows) knits up in a flash!

I want to also knit these stars in a worsted or bulky weight with big needles.

If you want the pattern it's in Elizabeth Zimmermanns Knitters Almanac: $10.75 at Chapters. A bargain price considering her wonderful writing style makes it a good read and a very helpful resource for knitters.

Memories of the Woodstock Fleece Festival

2009-10-20T21:41:00.001-04:00

Okay, so my flash didn't go off! Here are the pictures that I could take whilst at this past weekend's Fleece Festival in Woodstock Ontario. My verdict: a wonderful, woolly, first-time event! I will happily go back next year. Congrats to the organizers and volunteers. Oh, and the food was fabulous and well-priced. Thanks for all your hard work... :)

Is it just me or is Twitter always going down?

2009-10-18T14:41:00.001-04:00

Is Twitter like an old car that needs a lot of maintenance to keep it going? Or is it like one of those cars that are on the list of "most frequently broken into"? Either way, not so good!

Tomorrow only! History on the Grand: Industry & the Environment

2009-10-16T15:56:00.001-04:00

History on the Grand: Industry and the Environment

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

This one day symposium features presentations, displays and historical walking tours exploring industrial history, built and natural heritage, and historical interactions between industry and the environment.

History on the Grand takes place at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture

7 Melville Street, Cambridge

8:30 to 4:30

The program, registration form and more information can be found on the City of Cambridge website:

www.city.cambridge.on.ca

Sponsored by: City of Cambridge, Greentec, Waterloo Regional Heritage

Foundation, Network in Canadian History & Environment

Sorry everyone...don't usually post this kind of stuff but this one had me ROTFL; needed this after a stressful day :D

2009-10-15T20:05:00.001-04:00

Download now or watch on posterous

how_to_wake_up_the_girlfriend.wmv (3835 KB)

Will probably delete this video after a few days so please feel free to download and share to your heart's content!

Thinking of family, far away in Philly

2009-10-14T22:33:00.001-04:00

Was going through some old photos tonight and was happily surprised at what I found.

My grandmother, from Philadelphia (that great City of Brotherly Love) died just over five years back - I remember being pregnant with my son during the funeral.

Luckily, I had spent some time with her the week before she passed away. In the last few years, I had made far too few 8-hour drives from southwest Ontario to Philly. I remember her having trouble standing up from sitting down; that was a shock for me. She had always been very strong and independent. I also remember that she scoffed at me when I suggested that she could come visit the following year when she was feeling better. Back in my youth, I remember that she would drive all over North America with my granddad and the trailer.

She had a way of making me feel that I was very important to her when I was around: she would listen so very carefully and always look you straight in the eye. Her smile was crooked - even before her stroke that left her partially paralyzed on one side. I see my son smile like her from time to time.

Of the part of my childhood that occurred in Philly, I remember hearing her constantly arguing with her husband (my granddad). they would argue about anything and everything. She was always right.

When she was 70, she went back to school and completed her BA in English. I always loved rifling through her bookshelves.

Amazingly, she had 11 children: all separate births (no twins). My dad was in firmly in the middle at number five. She called him Michael. The oldest was James, named after my granddad, though she called her son Jimmy. So, if I can get them all, there is James (Jimmy), then Hazel, Mary, Carol, Thomas (Tommy), my dad, Richard (Dick), David (Dave), Elizabeth (Betsy), Patrick, and Margaret (Maggie). Amazingly, everyone is still alive and doing well. I have - at last count - 22 cousins. There are, seemingly, countless second cousins.

Anyway, back to that photo I found. The original is a wallet size photo of my grandparents younger than I am now. They're both handsome, happy, in love. I haven't done anything to modify this image in anyway, so it is what it is. I love it.

Grandmom, where ever you are, I'm thinking about you tonight.

Yesterday I wrote that history is unkind to the human legacy...

2009-10-14T20:29:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I wrote that history is unkind to the human legacy, by popping a quiz to name ten famous composers with parameters spanning hundreds of years and dozens of countries. Well, it must be said here that history is also unkind to the myriad of things that humans make. We assume that what we construct will somehow not only outlast us, but outlast us by some kind of long, almost immeasurable time. Very rarely does this prove to be true.

Basically, our world is always trying to make itself smooth. The erosive agents of wind and water eat away at the earth and all that dwells upon it, with the end goal of creating a planet completely engulfed by a vast shallow sea. Fortunately volcanoes and continental plates work against these smoothing agents by throwing up large mountains and other geological anomalies.

On a vast scale, it is only age that separates the stunted and weather-worn Laurentian Mountains, from the youthfully exuberant and thrusting Rockies. On a much more local scale, it’s the reason I have to paint my soffits every few years. The wind and rain are trying to knock my house down.

Oh sure, we have a lot of old things; art pieces from the Ming Dynasty and the like. However, with no human intervention, the number of things that could survive more than a few decades in usable form vastly decreases. With our egos commanding us in thinking that our constructs are built to last, no matter what the world throws at them, we become surprised at how quickly nature can reclaim areas once developed by humans.

Here’s an example:

When I was a child, my grandmother’s house used to have two train lines near it. I remember seeing trains on both tracks. My family and I, after having spent time in Toronto, now live quite near those same tracks. Or rather, we live near one set of tracks and the right-of-way where the other tracks used to be. Sometime in the late 1980’s, the tracks were lifted.

Recently, my wife and I were taking our dog for an impromptu walk when I realised that we were near where those tracks had been only twenty years ago. Well, not only did I have difficulty finding the old right-of-way, it was overgrown to the point that in some places we had to wave the brush out of our faces as we walked through the dark and spooky forest that wasn’t at all dark and spooky when I was a kid.

Then the old roadbed ended abruptly in a large hill built for a highway bypass, and beyond that it had been mostly usurped by a trucking company.

This process took only two decades, and it shows us the incredible amount of work humans have to do just to keep the things we’ve built standing and functioning properly.

Posted via email from Ramblings & musables

A pattern I'd like to knit comes from a book I won tonight at the KW Knitters Guild mtg: geek chic indeed!

2009-10-13T22:58:00.001-04:00

There are some really fun patterns in Teva Durham's Loop-d-Loop. As the cover says, "more than 40 novel designs for knitters". Some, more novel than others, admittedly. My favourite, and one I'm likely to try, is called a Child's Geek Spiral Pullover (pattern page 154). I won't be knitting it in chenille, more likely a washable wool.

Projects in the book I'm not likely to try would include a unisex sweater with more zippers than knitting. Oh, and knitted chair covers go pretty high on that list. That would be a fun list to make: objects I would NEVER EVER knit... !

@spellbunny Here's the cutest seasonal desktop ever - in yo' face!!! ;)

2009-10-02T10:05:00.001-04:00

From last year's pumpkins came the challenge... how do we represent each member of our family? Young John wanted a scary pumpkin. His pumpkin was SO SCARY, out pumpkins were shaking in their boots (if they had boots, that is). Now, this year, we get to do it again. So much pumpkin carnage!

Walking the dog

2009-09-09T21:37:00.001-04:00

Our son likes to think he can walk Jake. Problem is, Jake still has 20 lbs on the boy. All is good until Jake gets "squirrelly." So, please don't mention walk, or cat, or stick, or frisbee, but especially, don't mention squirrel. Thanks.

Err...does anyone know anything about spiders? We found this web today:

2009-09-05T20:48:00.001-04:00

I didn't even notice the hairy-legged thing in the top right when I took the photo. What kind of spider builds a web like this? John pointed it out to me. I instinctively pulled him back then shoved my camera close for the picture. I could've been a contender for the Darwin awards.

Day trip to Niagara (more photos)

2009-09-05T19:21:00.001-04:00

We spent the day driving down to Niagara Region today. It's always like visiting another part of the world. It's only an hour or so drive and yet it feels like we could be much further away. I love all the fruit at this time of year.

Our destination was a park down near Brock Monument. It's used minimally: probably because it doesn't have washrooms or running water. However, it always has lots of space, empy picnic tables and the view is breath-taking. We have not been here since before John was born because the cliff is so high and so precipitous.

While we were there, some fighter jets flew by coming from the US side of the river, presumably on their way to the Toronto airshow. About 15 minutes later, they flew back. Fastest Canadian invasion ever.

More summer photogs (I have this habit of taking pictures of random things)

2009-09-05T09:21:00.001-04:00

A summer in pictures

2009-09-05T09:06:00.001-04:00

It has been a short, dampish (sometimes downright wet) summer. We've had some interesting weather and enjoyed day & weekend trips inspite of the uncertainty. In Canada, summers seem all too short and it's hard to pack everything in to what we get.

Looking back on these photos, I realize I'm blessed with everything we have: my husband, my son, our dog, our home, our health. We've gone through some trying times of late and I would just like to say, I love my family very much and am happy.

Now, on with the Autumn. Can't wait to do some apple picking ... hopefully, later today! Yay, the sun is shining. :)

Buzz Lightyear: baby model

2009-09-03T23:49:00.001-04:00

Okay, I have a son. He doesn't have "dolls". Result, my baby hat and booty model is Buzz Lightyear. The hat and booties are heading to Philadelphia on Saturday (without me).

Feed the fish

2009-09-03T18:51:00.001-04:00

Rain, rain, go away; don't come back for ne'er a day

2009-08-28T07:14:00.001-04:00

This morning's weather forecast for the weekend (grrrrr):

Weather for Cambridge, ON

- Add to iGoogle

10°C

Current: Partly Cloudy
Wind: N at 0 km/h
Humidity: 94%

Fri

19°C | 17°C

Sat

21°C | 13°C

Sun

16°C | 11°C

Mon

18°C | 11°C

Stratford, Ontario is a beautiful town

2009-08-24T10:29:00.001-04:00

My son and I visited Stratford yesterday. We enjoyed a play, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which he thought was particularly hilarious; it's crude, bawdy and has much slapstick. Perfect for a 5 year old! Later we visited a toy store then went for pizza. Walking back to our car, we enjoyed a little air guitar and found an old time photo of Stratford: perfect for posing.

My first pattern: I call it my "Hero scarf"

2009-08-24T01:25:00.001-04:00

I've created my first (successful) pattern whilst watching season 2 of Heroes, hence the name "Hero scarf". Corny, ain't it? I like the fact that the scarf has a gentle zigzag pattern.

Yarn: worsted weight (used Bernat cottontots here)

Needles: 7 mm

Cast on 26 sts

Rows 1, 2: Knit

Rows 3-7: K2, [k2tog, yo]11 times, K2

Rows 8-12: K2, [yo, ssk]11 times, K2

Repeat Rows 3-12 until scarf is desired length or skein runs out

Knit final 2 rows.

Cast off.

Alpaca Farm Girl » Alpaca Yarn Giveaway

2009-08-06T16:17:00.001-04:00

via alpacafarmgirl.com

I'm in love. As a rule, I don't win contests so I'm hoping that I've saved up all my good luck for this one contest! Please?!? I'd be honoured to knit with this yarn. It positively glows!
http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/2009/08/alpaca-yarn-giveaway/comment-page-1/#comment-3011

Posted via web from wendyhoo's posterous

Thanks Fleece Artist!

2009-08-05T09:40:00.001-04:00

Fleece Artist has generously mailed me a new skein of yarn. I had a problem with a skein fading as I knit through a project; it appeared that the dye had begun run out. With their solid customer service policy, Fleece Artist has more than made up for it! They've sent me this new skein of yarn. The new skein doesn't completely match my other skein, though it's certainly close - it is hand-dyed after all! (The attached photos are the two skeins that I have now.) I'll use their suggestion of knitting from alternating skeins to make a project.

What will I make? Decisisions, decisions.... I have 650 m (230 g) of merino washable wool in the brightest colours imaginable. It reminds me of a brilliantly coloured rooster we once had - hence, I've been calling it my "Rooster" yarn.

Check out http://www.fleeceartist.com for more of their beautiful, east coast, yarns.

World’s Longest Waterslide Jump? - Can this be for real?

2009-08-05T09:09:00.001-04:00

via divinecaroline.com

If this isn't real, I want to know where they modified the video. If it is real, that guy is nuts! Amazing either way.

Posted via web from wendyhoo's posterous

Stash for next knitting project though I'm not yet done the shawl (normal state for my knitting projects is ongoing)

2009-08-04T23:39:00.001-04:00

via picasaweb.google.ca

Knitting this pretty handspun with Cascade 220 Heather. Created by Sally Gray of The Roving Spinners. I only wish that there was more of it but it's a one of a kind yarn. (Don't tell my husband that I photographed this yarn while stopped at a red light. I couldn't wait to get home!)

Posted via web from wendyhoo's posterous

What a great festival: highly recommend Port Colborne's Canal Days :)

2009-08-04T21:41:00.001-04:00

Canal Days was fantastic! We didn't even get to do everything. We saw giant kites flying in the distance and I wish we could have made the trek. With young child and tired dog, it wasn't meant to be ... this year. Hope to return next year. Great show, Port Colborne! Well done!

Photos from August long weekend camping at Rock Point Provincial Park

2009-08-04T08:30:00.001-04:00

We went camping this weekend at Rock Point Provincial Park. It has many beautiful shore lines: some sand, some flat rock ledges. The rock ledges are full of fossils. Amazing assortment of natural wonders. We had plenty of sun except for a few uncertain hours on Sunday morning when it looked like the rain may continue all day. We drove over to Port Colborne and enjoyed their Canal Days and escape the weather (more photos shortly).

That's one idea for a business (irony obviously backfired)

2009-08-03T21:35:00.001-04:00

One has to admire the nerve .... Perhaps, they were just too inconvenient.

The best looking dog in the world (at least, in my house)

2009-07-26T19:02:00.001-04:00

There must have been a stick on offer. He only looks so perky for sticks, squirrels or treats.

July day trip in stormy weather - part 2

2009-07-26T18:29:00.001-04:00

On our way back home, the skies turned an ominous black and in rolled the clouds. We anxiously watched the sky colour (we're experienced on tornado and learned that the sky will turn an icky greenish-yellow colour) but thankfully, all we saw were black, blues and greys. It's fun driving through a storm though I felt bad for the guy on the bike.

The duck crossing sign we saw seemed oddly appropriate. It was that kind of weather!

July day trip in stormy weather

2009-07-26T18:22:00.001-04:00

We had a good drive south of Cambridge today. It didn't seem like a particularly good day for a hike. We decided to head for the Bell Homestead in Brantford. And, despite almost losing our way in Brantford, we made it. Ironically, we passed a very large statue of Alexander Graham Bell looking very Lincoln-esque.

After enjoying the Bell Homestead museum (very reasonable at $5 each, free for little 'uns) we headed further south. I found a great little shop in Oakland (Ontario) which I recommend to anyone looking for a bargain. I bought a gorgeous Susan Bristol cardigan & Oscar skirt: paid $35 total. Will be heading back sometime soon.

Rooster yarn scarf

2009-07-24T07:17:00.001-04:00

I love how my "rooster" yarn turned out as I knit with it. Unfortunately, the colour shifted as I knit through the skein so that one end is significantly paler than the other end of the scarf. I've sent a note to Fleece Artist asking what gives.