Simple Knitting

I am not in the upper echelons of knitters when it comes to executing patterns and textures. However, I find the act of knitting a relatively relaxing pastime and I enjoy making what I consider utilitarian items for my family. I knit socks and have a rotation as to who receives the next pair. They all seem to like wearing what I produce, so I keep at it. Besides, I have a hard time sitting still for long and knitting the same pattern repeatedly keeps me from fidgeting. A recent trip resulted in 1.5 socks..a few hours here and there will finish those up. Then I will cast on the next pair for when I need to keep my hands busy.

This Christmas I wanted to knit a little joke for my daughter. She is a curler and is always telling me how cold she is in the rink. Since I do not have it in me to knit a lovely Mary Maxim seater (remember those? a bulky cardigan with curling motifs?), I knit her a wool hat. And I added some buttons for curling stones...just to be cute. She has my permission to remove the buttons..

She posed for me, we both ended up crying from laughing so hard, and we took a great series of photos of her wearing her hat. This however, if what you get to see...the top of the silly hat. She did wear it once and her curling mates laughed and suggested it could have been worse. There is a pattern circulating that looks just like a curling stone, handle and all. I am sure Simone is grateful that I don't do patterns well!

Since I had lots of wool, I also knit hats for my son and my Dad. I kept them simple and basic, like all my knitting is.

The Calm Before the Storm - Shediac, New Brunswick

Whenever snow, storms, blizzards are coming our way, the media is all over it. Conversations are dominated by the topic of what is expected. Comparisons are made to storms of the past and predictions are made for the one coming.

Right now the first blizzard of 2015 is brewing outside my windows. At 8 am, the air was still, no snow fell. Within a half hour the view out my living room window had changed considerably. The snow had begun and the wind had picked up. 

We have electric heat, so the most that can be done to prepare is to run off some extra water and bring in the camp stove. I don't react well to a loss of power, but a cup of hot tea or coffee can go along way to a better attitude. After all these years together, my husband knows this well. 

Our antidote to an impending storm is to head to the beach. Saturday was spent exploring the sands and wharf of the Shediac - Pointe du Chene area. As always, I took my camera and my husband exhibited extreme patience as I stopped and clicked and oohed and oohed more. He carried driftwood and feathers after my pockets were full and helped me push huge chucks of ice into the current and we watched as they floated and crashed and broke up into smaller pieces.

Shediac Beach

Looking toward Pointe du Chene

We met some other like minded folk walking and biking and even had a gentleman in an ultra lite fly just over our heads and wave! My photos don’t convey it well, so you will have to believe me that by times the sun was glorious. 

It was an incredibly restful and fun day.

off the Pointe du Chene wharf

Pointe du Chene Wharf

Shediac Beach

Full Disclosure

These are two views of my dining room. Kind of a before and after..haha I was hosting a planning meeting so had to tidy up this first shot so we could sit at the table. Not even a half hour after everyone had left, the room looked like the second photo. And it isn’t the only room I work in..My excuse? I am working on some techniques and surface treatments as I create fabric for some designs I have going on. 

I am part of the organizing committee for one of my guild’s annual retreats, so there is a pile of materials and props and goodies accumulating in another room upstairs. It is sharing space with the Christmas things I still haven’t sorted and stored again for this year. Maybe I should get to that..

My long arm takes up the back half of our living room, cuddled in next to our treadmill and my beloved spin bike.

I have a room full of fabric, materials and tools downstairs..

I try to contain everything, but I tend to spill over and over into the other spaces in the house. I prefer to work in natural light and when I can’t work on either of my decks (boo! winter), the dining room is perfect for sewing and painting, catching sun from the east, south and west. 

How lucky am I that I am married to a very understanding man. He is used to dirty paint pots and brushes lying by the kitchen sick, dye tubs and rags sitting on the washer, bundles of knitting projects scattered here and there, rug hooking that sits in the living room, plus all that other clutter that comes with me. And he cooks..

Superwoman in Training

I redeemed myself the next day. I started early, stayed focused and didn’t give up until the quilt was done. I was tired at the end of the day as I finished sewed the binding on by hand, but I was pleased with my results and felt back on track. Well, not completely on track, that might be asking too much, but it was another project checked off my list.

We were hit with freezing rain on Wednesday and our road was not passable until after 2 pm, so my plans for the day were put on hold. Ah well, staying home gave me the incentive, as well as the time, to piece and quilt and sew.

At the end of the day I had this..

It really doesn’t ripple on the edges - it’s just the way I draped it over the edge of the bed for photos.

A quilt my daughter asked me to make.

It has been carried by friends to Halifax and tomorrow it will travel a little further to be delivered to its new owner.

The true color is more like in the photo below on the bottom left corner. 

It’s a surprise gift for someone who has been generous and loving and treated my daughter like one of her own.

Like most of my projects, I seem to think I am going to be able to make exactly what I want with limited amounts of fabric. (Do I really have to wait until Christmas Day to open that 3D printer, Santa??) As it turned out, I had to get creative with what I had and the result was a bit smaller quilt than I originally planned. But, at 48 x 68 it is still a lovely size for keeping cosy and the minky (from Marden’s!) will add to that warmth factor.

Interestingly, in this rather small project, I used fabrics from Sew Sisters, Hamels, Mardens, Avonport Discount and thread from Barbados and New Maryland! Cotton top, poly batt, minky back, Glide Thread and my free wheeling on the needle.

It’s bright and cheery and I hope it is well received.

Walking the Trails in Moncton, NB

Rejean and I have tramped or biked pretty much every trail in the Moncton and immediate area. We always try to find something appealing or attractive about each one we go on, though to be honest, some of these trails are more utilitarian than beautiful. It really does depend on the time of year you visit them, I find. Some just don’t shine in the heat of summer and some do. Some are more attractive in fall when the leaves and grasses change color and the contrast of the blue sky enhances the golds, oranges and reds.

Such is the Humphrey Brook Trail, a 5 km walking, biking path that crosses a small section of the east end of Moncton. We have travelled it several times and yesterday, we walked to the end and back, an approximate 10 km trip. We actually didn’t see many people out on it, which surprised us since it was such a beautiful 19 degree day. The trail crosses behind several sub-divisions, and the city has added benches placed in several strategic spots as well as a much welcomed bathroom facility since we were last there. It does follow a lovely little brook and the area is in Phase Two of an environmental enhancement program as the city commits to providing green space and negotiable trails within city limits.

The wind blew just as I took this photo with my iPhone, but I like it even with the blurs

Ocean swimming on September 9th

A lot has been going these past weeks. I have neglected blogging in exchange perhaps for being more productive. Or, perhaps not. Maybe I have simply been enjoying the last fleeting days of summer....

Today I enjoyed a long leisurely swim in the ocean. Yes, on September 9th. It was wonderful and clear with gentle waves and beach solitude.

Solo synchronized swimming is the best because improvisation is encouraged..

Glimpses of a Maritime summer

Looking toward Charlottetown, PEi across the Charlottetown Harbour

A typical incredible roadside view, Cumberland, PEI

A couple of happy bikers on the south shore of PEI

Our favorite honey stand which works on the honor system for payment, a standard for road side stands in the Maritimes

The absolute best..Blueberry Honey although the Blueberry Cream is equally as delicious

The view from under my rainbow umbrella

The skies over my favorite NB beach

Throwing a few lines off a wharf in Petit Cap, NB

So many seaside treasures, this an abandoned crab shell picked clean by the gulls and washed by the ocean

Summertime Baking

So many of my very useful tools are ones my Mom gave me. This great little outdoor oven is one of the most useful appliances. It is perfect for those hot summer days when you just don’t want to add any extra heat to your house, yet still want to bake or cook.

Over the years I have hosted numerous summertime parties, celebrations, family dinners and this little Toastmaster oven has been at the centre of it all! There have been turkeys and hams roasted, muffins, breads, scones and biscuits baked, veggies roasted, so much yummy food prepared.

This summer there have been whole cut up chickens cooked in fresh springs of rosemary (14) and garlic cloves (I used 28, but the recommended is 40) and pans of blueberry muffins and banana chocolate muffins. There have been loaves of zucchini breads and sheets of biscuits, quite a few batches actually, as I search for the recipe that works for me.

With the recent cool temperatures and heavy rain we are experiencing, I suspect those hot, sultry days are soon behind us. I am hoping there are still a few more days where I have an excuse to sit on my deck basking in the sun while fresh basil scones bake, or a lovely medley of fresh garden veggies roasts.

Time for Creative Pursuits

I tend to jump into activities feet first, never really thinking of how this new responsibility might affect my personal time. As I age, I try to take the time to consider all sides of the argument before I agree. But, now that my daily schedule is free of any job related tasks that I choose not to do anymore, I think 24 hours is more like 36 or 40..Can I cram more into my day than I did before? Do I have more energy and enthusiasm?

Well, yes, I do have more time and I do have more positive energy. And I know what I want to do. I know where I want to spend my time. I have projects that are very dear to my heart that I want to accomplish. 

A young technician remarked to me yesterday during a conversation about retirement that she was pushing her dad, who happened to be the same vintage as me, to retire soon, so he could “enjoy the days he has left”..I understand her sentiment, but her choice of words left me pondering and a tad troubled. First I gave closer regard to the reflection looking back at me in the mirror. Yes, 57 leaves some battle scars, probably more than I can actually see with my deteriorating eye sight and lack of X-ray vision. After I considered my physicality, I considered my energy and focus. I realize this morning that subconsciously, I assume to prove a point to myself, I stayed up till after 1 am finishing up some orders and projects. I get in a zen state when I quilt and I hate to stop until I am done..old habits do die hard. 

I have had so many all nighters in my lifetime..finishing yearbook pages in high school, writing papers in University, lettering all night at college, constructing costumes for my daughter’s drama experience..the only times it was difficult to stay awake all night was when I was nursing sick children and while watching my dear sweet Mom slowly leave us. The energy of a creative pursuit can carry me through and leave me energy for the next day. Worry and caring for another doesn’t have the same effect. Overwhelming loss is unbearable and you lose all sense of time and your place in the universe. 

At my ripe old age, should I be allowing myself to do keep this late hours anymore while I pursue creativity? Perhaps 1 am is my new limit. I did let myself laze in bed this morning until after 8 and then remembered to do those stretches that help get my decades old neck muscles ready for another day. Maybe I am learning to create a balance in order to continue. 

I do have a new to me project to share very soon. With this project I have committed myself yet again to more personal time, but the need tugged at my heart strings and I did give it quite a bit of consideration before I made it “real”. People have amazingly jumped on board with me and I think this can be an enriching experience for everyone involved.

Watch for a dedicated post soon...Right now I have to get another decaf and get moving on today’s goals and objectives. Only 14 and a half hours left in my day and there is so much to be done.

Kaffe Fassett, We Meet Again!

In 1975 my sister Joanne, of Madaboutcolour fame and I boarded a plane with backpacks and dreams and found ourselves in England. Being maybe a little bit hippie and a lot dedicated to handcrafts, we focused our adventure on design, museums, live theatre, buying up wonderful items like Birkenstocks for 25.00!!(me) and corduroy jumpers and skirts at Selfridges (Jo). We spent a full week going to the Victoria and Albert Museum where time stood still for us to sketch (Jo), wander and soak it all in (me). We stayed in hostels, cheap rooming houses, B&B’s, and gathered stories as we experienced life on the road. We saw sooo many theatrical performances! Chorus Line, Agatha Christie’s The Mouse Trap, Swan Lake (for perhaps the 10th time....growing up on PEI with the Confederation Centre and its focus on live entertainment meant we had the opportunity to see lots of ballets), and Jesus Christ Superstar to name the most memorable.

We also visited a small shop in downtown London to see an interesting display of knitted items. I remember there weren’t an overwhelming number of pieces, but each piece there demanded your attention. Machine knitting was something I was just vaguely aware of and fashion design in these days before the immediacy of the internet, was something you saw in magazines. Joanne, being very smitten with the work we saw, bought a beautiful hand knit vest, it being the one article she convinced herself she could afford. We chatted with the proprietors/artists, no doubt gushing over the amazing designs..

I am not really sure when the pieces all began to fall into place, but on July 18th, in a little church in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Joanne stood up and showed Kaffe Fassett one of his earliest knitted vests, designed by his then partner, Bill Gibb. And the circle grew even tighter; she also presented Kaffe with a photocopy of her Scottish born husband and Bill Gibb in a class photo taken when they were both youngsters, attending the same school, sharing a desk. Kaffe very graciously accepted the photo and seemed pleased and intrigued to see a piece of his early work. He listened as Joanne explained that Bill and her husband had been close school friends and had spent hours preforming plays Bill made costumes for.

After Kaffe’s talk, he patiently chatted and signed books for attendees. He signed several books of Jo’s extensive collection of Kaffe books and again thanked her so kindly for her thoughtful gift. I remarked that he didn’t look a day older than the first time we spoke, way back in 1975 in that little showroom  on Bond Street..

Time well spent!

The south western shores of Nova Scotia are breathtakingly beautiful, especially at this time of year.

I recently had the pleasure of taking in a few sights along the shore with my daughter as I begin to learn the ways and habits of not working every day. Mind you, I did have my chores that kept me busy enough while visiting! I had a quilt to bind, and blocks to make, and some piecing to plan. And on what would have been my Mom’s 79th birthday, I tried 4 new recipes and each one was a success! 

One of my daughter’s co-workers gifted us with a huge bag full of fresh rhubarb, all in exchange for tips on picking and caring for his patch. Then came the big decision as to what to make! Rhubarb muffins, rhubarb crisp, cobbler, stewed rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb pie, oh my! A chance trip to the grocery store where ceramic loaf pans were on sale for what we felt was a dirt cheap price, made us decide loaves would be a good idea. I started flipping through recipes online and having faith in Canadian Living Magazine recipes, chose Rhubarb Loaf which conveniently makes two loaves, so one for us and one for the kind owner of the rhubarb patch. Be aware though, this recipe has soooo much sugar in it, it is not the healthiest choice, though most definitely a very tasty treat!

With still more rhubarb chopped, it was on to another Canadian Living recipe, Rhubarb Almond Crumble Squares...oh dear. If you like date squares, this is a must try! Again, lots of sugar, but all we rhubarb lovers know that is the price you pay for cooking with this fruit. This recipe is actually a bit more labour intensive than I am used to making in the past while, but again, I was trying to embrace the idea of being on my own schedule. When Simone walked in the door after work, the look on her face as she smelled the sweet aroma was well worth all my efforts. 

We also had an idea that a strawberry rhubarb combination needed to be included, so I made Rhubarb Strawberry Scones, but I used milk instead of heavy cream. Another delicious choice!

The fourth recipe tried that day was Kale and Quinoa Patties. We fell in love with these yummy burgers! So delicious and so worth making again and again! We did discover later that they are best reheated in the frying pan and not the oven, as they tend to dry out and become too crispy in the oven.

The sun was shining and though we had plans for a bike ride, the wind was just too wild for us that day. So, off we went to find a beach for a walk, with a pan of hot crumble and two forks, knowing that Mom would find this a perfectly suitable way to celebrate her birthday.

As is the norm in this area, the fog started to roll and when it rolls, it comes quickly, but we still managed a walk before we had to give in and get out of the damp wind. Besides, we did have that hot crumble in the car!

On Saturday we headed to the local Farmer’s Market where we tried even more scones - can you tell there is weakness here? And then we found me some more of this delicious coffee at the Natural Food Market.

Another great pastime is “antiquing” and I am one who loves to put all good things to use over and over! We visited four stories of antiques, 90% of which I could identify, own, or have seen in my family’s homes. Simone also tends to love the workmanship and intrigue of antiques and uses her Great Aunt’s dishes and her Grandmother’s silver daily, has her Great Grandmother’s table and chairs as her kitchen set and regularly collects new to her items for her home (Especially hats! Grandma June's granddaughter for sure!). One lovely purchase Simone made recently was with me in mind and I was the lucky one who came home with these beauties to use in my kitchen!

A quilt for Kate

This is the second of two quilts I pieced and quilted for friends of my daughter as thank you’s for kindness shown.

The new owner, Kate, chose greens and a simple layout for her top. I passed along some ideas for her to chose from and she liked the quilt she saw made from a quick sketch someone posted on pinterest with cutting dimensions and pressing instructions. The top sewed up quickly! Simone and I collected the selection of greens, I cut it all into 2.5 inch strips and then sewed randomly. Then I chopped these strips into the sizes of sections required and pieced 30 - 16 inch finished blocks. 

The before shot

The back is a lovely black cotton I picked up at Avonport Discount Fabrics last fall as we travelled back home from Yarmouth. It was our 28th wedding anniversary and remember being so grateful that my sweet and ever patient husband would wait while I fabric shopped and then not even ask about yet another bolt of fabric, let alone black fabric, that I was bundling into the hatchback!

I offered Kate something swirly or hearts as the stitch pattern and she chose hearts. Since I had just finished another quilt with hearts, it was an easy pattern to get back into it and I happily quilted away. I still have the binding to do which I will piece from the scraps left over and sew on next week.

I know Kate has just purchased her first home so I am hoping her new quilt will be a well loved addition.

Family Time in Cozumel

This has been my view for the last 9 days...

Our little family had a wonderfully relaxed vacation in Cozumel, Mexico and we spent so much time in the water! We snorkelled and snorkelled some more. We swam in the big waves off the west coast.

We snorkelled off a dock, off a boat, along a shore, and over coral reefs. We snorkelled in shallow water and in water 50 to 60 feet deep. We swam in the fresh water pool.

After diving for 25 years along the Atlantic Canadian shores, my husband did his first tropical water dives and I think he kind of liked it.

Cozumel is a scuba diving and snorkelling destination, and really suited us, a family of water babes.

We saw sea turtles, a live conch, schools of tangs of all colors, clown fish, schools of triggerfish, stingrays, lobster, and so many barracudas. The waters there are so warm and so clear, it was simply wonderful.

So wonderful.