indigodragonfly

Tagged by Tracey…ok, here we go…

1) What was I doing ten years ago?

I was a full-time practicing textile artist and arts educator…which meant I also had about 5 other jobs! :)  At exactly this time of year (Memorial Day weekend), I was getting ready to move back to the US on a 6 month visa to take a course at Haystack Mountain School of Craft (which completely changed my life), to teach at an art school and to be step-mother (common-law) to 3 amazing kids. 

2) What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today:

Celebrate Glenna’s freedom! ….while knitting…working out a design issue…convincing the boy that it’s his turn to vaccuum…and puppy kisses.
3) Snacks I enjoy:

Chocolate chip cookies, wasabi peas, gummy bears, homemade guacamole…usually not all at once

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
billionaire?  Dude, that’s a lot of money- and I’m just the girl to spend it:

Convince my cottage landlords that they DO indeed want to sell the cottage.  Build a shower in said cottage (believe it or not, my priority over insulation…go figure).  Open an open textile studio with all the necessary facilities and equipment, open to the public.  Start a foundation with grants for contemporary fine craft.    

5) Places I have lived:

Toronto, Haliburton county, Victoria BC, Newmarket NH, Eliot ME, Northampton MA

6) Jobs I have had:

bilingual exchange staff
music instructor at a day camp
staff at a camp for multihandicapped kids
tour guide (which involves explaining to tourists that yes, the CN tower IS taller than the Empire State building.  No, the Empire State building is not the tallest structure in the world…it’s not even the tallest structure in New York City!)
musician
singer
professional basketweaver
textile artist
arts educator
designer
manager at a “paint your own ceramics” bar
general manager of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale (also known as the Debt Chorale…)
manager of an inner city music school
manager with the Arts Network for Children and Youth
communications coordinator
Executive Director of Visual Arts Ontario

7) Peeps I want to know more about: 

I have no idea who reads this thing!  If it’s you, you’re TAGGED!  Yes!  You! 

Just saying!

I had visions of dragging out this saga over several blog posts…a photo by photo, day by day serial, if you will.  But in the interest of keeping Mel from becoming an 8:45 am alcoholic, Tracey from causing an international incident at the border, and Leslie from calling the Sweater’s Aid Society on me…well, just watch and see.

First let me say this is all the Techknitter’s fault.  Do you know of Techknitter?  LOVE the Techknitting blog. It’s made my left leaning decreases oh so Beauuuutiful now, instead of all lumpy and bumpy.  And just when I thought I’d have to live with the way too long Susie-sleeves, well along came a Ravelry link to the Techknitter’s article on SHORTENING too long knitting (or lengthening, which I’m sure is important to someone out there…just never one of my problems)!   

So we were here:

Which led to this:

And this:

(notice the important live stitches all safe and accounted for…Leslie, take your finger OFF speed dial)

Then it was time to unravel the extra length down to the cuff.  (Dude, I seriously over estimated how long my arms are!  There was about 4 inches of unnecessary knitting there!)

Because the cuff is knit sideways and the sleeve knitted up from the cuff, there were no live stitches to worry about on the cuff side.  All that was left was to stitch the cuff to the live stitches.  I tried a few things (3 needle bind off, stitch to stitch sewing, mattress stitch) before deciding on a modification of kitchener grafting which left a nice flat seam.

See?  All better! 

(Susie thanks you all for your notes of concern and assures you that she is quite attached to indigodragonfly…thanks in part to the unraveled yarn that keeps them tied together.

You may have seen this lately:

Mandy Moore’s Susie Hoodie (Ravelry link) from Amy and Jillian’s More Big Girl Knits. Love love LOVE it.

Except for one thing…

There’s long sleeves…and then there’s I-can’t-find-my-fingers long.  So I bet you can guess what’s coming next…

Surgery to be done.  Wish me luck

Wednesday:

Wake up.  Realize it’s too early to get up, roll over and go back to sleep.  The dog’s whining.  Why’s the dog whining?  Why is the dog HERE when he should be out for his walk with the other human? Go into living room.  Oh news is on.  Oh there’s a fire…again.  Oh…IT’S HALF A BLOCK AWAY!  Enter the other human who has been trying to get on the roof to see what’s happening because his sanity is broken.

Half a block of buildings on Queen Street between Bathurst and Portland are affected.  Turn of the century buildings that are among the oldest commercial structures in the city.  One building has collapsed, another close to it and at least 4 others completely gutted.   Duke’s Cycle, a family business that has survived for 3 generations is gone.  The building, their home, their livelihood…gone.  A few doors down is Suspect Video, completely gutted, with the building close to collapse.  Ironically, we returned our dvd’s on time this weekend…a season of “Rescue Me”. 

Photos taken from the roof of my building:  :                 

My first handdyed roving…

Dyeing in my apartment is not an option, so I was so happy to hear Megan was opening a dye studio at Lettuce Knit.  (I think it’s quite possible she has spies in my brain.  Thinking of trying some Habu stainless steel?  Huh.  She has it.  Thinking…gee those Raven colourways  are wonderful.  Huh.  Lettuce has that too…)  Dyeing is my thing.  I love it and used to do it for a living.  But never with wool…until I took a workshop with Laura.  Now my felting-paranoia has been quelled and I’m set to go!

The singles…

…and plied…

…and slowly turning into Jyri…

There is really nothing more satisfying.

…it must be the day after movie night.

Lars and the Real Girl

A couple of weeks ago, the boy suggested going to see Lars and the Real Girl.  I asked for a brief plot synopsis, and the boy being a man of few words said “Guy falls in love with blow-up doll.”  I gave the “you can’t be serious” look.  And yet, I still went.  Good thing too.  I loved it.  A very quiet, heartfelt, quirky small town movie with a basic premise that could go SO wrong:  man falls in love with doll he bought on the internet.  Lars is quiet, shy and antisocial, stuck in a daily routine that consists of going to work or church and back home again to sit staring out the window watching, but not participating, in the world.  Along comes Bianca, dropped off by UPS in a large wooden crate and Lars is completely committed.  Completely convinced this doll is a real person, with a full history he has concocted for her, Lars integrates Bianca into his everyday life.  Through telling her stories, he tells his own.  Through expressing her feelings, he expresses his own.  And out of support for Lars, the entire town participates in creating a life for Bianca…and building a new life for Lars.

This is one of those stories that could easily fall off the rails.  It doesn’t.  There is complete commitment to the characters and the story that makes this movie one of the best I’ve seen in a long time.

I’ve been knitting pentagons and hexagons like crazy lately.  Astrid, various items from Knitting Nature and the Russian Coat from the latest Vogue Knitting (which I would link to if I could find a photo online!).  So is it any surprise that when Susy Oliveira’s work came across my desk my head exploded?

First of all, congratulations Jen!  I challenge anyone to find a mum with more strength of heart and fabulous sense of humour than you.

   Tilted Duster is finished!  I like it better with the collar folded over like this.  I want to get a hook to hold it closed.  Apparently living in the textile district and working a few blocks away from here, is not enough incentive to get my butt into a fabric store to pick one up.  Is this the kind of thing I can send my staff to do??  (imagining the blank looks with expressions ranging from “like a cup hook that you screw into the wall?” to “and what exactly does this particular errand to do for me?”) 

Many requests for these…

The Tom Bihn on a real person:

The stats:  I’m 5′0″ tall and am wearing a few layers, including a sweater and fall jacket…a combination thicker than my winter coat.  The bag fits very comfortably over my shoulder.  I can also carry the bag in my hand and clear the floor.  To be able to do both at 5′0″ tall??  THAT’S good design people! 

And…

…enough room for the “one-handed-scoop-the-bag-up-onto-your-shoulder” move!

I have a thing about things to hold my stuff.  Baskets, boxes…and bags…lots and lots of bags.  And finding the perfect bag for a specific purpose that has a look I like AND functions well is my holy grail.  The search for the perfect knitting bag has been a long one and although there are some really great ones out there, none were just right…until now.  I have finally found the perfect knitting bag for me:  lightweight, able to fit both my everyday stuff and my knitting and adaptable to my changing needs!  The new knitting bag from Tom Bihn…the Swift!  

Notice the adjustable (3 settings)  button closure that holds everything in.  And the padded handles…a very nice and comfortable touch.

My version is made of 2 different colours of cordura — steel on one side, plum on the other.  Love these colours!  The bag is also available in ballistic nylon.  There are pros and cons to both materials.  The cordura is light which adds little weight to the whole bag.  Important to me because I tend to fill my bag up with everything I need for a busy day.  But this also means the bag is quite slouchy, something that doesn’t bother me at all.  If you want a stiffer bag, try the ballistic nylon.

The rough side of the cordura (on the outside of the bag) attracts fluff, which means if you’re knitting with mohair or angora or you own a cat, you’ll have a furry bag in no time!  Having said that, I have a dog who has spent the better part of the past 2 weeks rubbing up against the bag, and his fluffiness hasn’t rubbed off on the bag at all.  Even the tumbleweeds of dog fur that hug the base of my spinning wheel have managed to keep from sticking to the bag.   

Other considerations:  The ballistic nylon is more waterproof and is a sturdier material than the cordura.  The cordura comes in more colours.  It’s a matter of taste.

But what I really love is the inside of the bag and the multitude of ways I can adapt it to suit my needs.

This bag holds A LOT!  To give you an idea of how much, I’ve filled the main compartment of the bag with 8 balls of yarn, the finished Tilted Duster and a copy of Knitting Nature, along with everyday things like my wallet and glasses.  The bag is fill about 2/3 of the way to the top.  I wouldn’t want to put much more in it, because it would make access to the pockets a little difficult. 

Yes!  The pockets.  The bag has 2 big zippered pockets with a clear vinyl front so you can see what you put in them.  The back of the pockets are lined with the Dyneema nylon which has a dark grey background and white grid.  Very easy to see what’s in the pockets.  I use one pocket for everyday items like my glasses and cell phone…  

…and the other one for my knitting tools: tape measure, my Harmony knitting needle set, needle case, scissors, crochet hooks, cable needles and needle gauge.  Definitely not every tool I own, but pretty close! 

Keep in mind that the heavier the items you put in the pockets, the more top-heavy the bag will be.  If I’ve got a pattern book or extra balls of yarn in the bottom of the bag, that helps keep gravity in check.  I still prefer having the pockets near the top of the bag for easy access and visibility.

Another standard part of this bag is the Stuff It! Yarn Stuff Sack…a removeable project bag.  It’s a drawstring pouch with a hard plastic tab to guide your yarn through so the ball stays nice and neat and contained inside the bag, while you knit away outside of it!   The project bag has a key snap attached so that it can be clipped to the inside of the main bag to one of the 4 d-rings. 

The d-rings are indicated by x’s in this photo.  One is located inside one of the zippered pockets, which makes it a perfect place to use a key snap to attach your scissors.

And as an unexpected bonus, there are 2 slash pockets formed at the bottom of the inside, where the 2 colours of fabric cross over.  Just the perfect size and shape to slip my wallet or other items, keeping them separate from my knitting, but in a place I can easily reach without putting the bag down and digging through it.

In addition to the knitting bag itself, I treated myself to some organizer pouches to help organize my stuff:

Mini pouch for business cards and subway tokens, attached to my key snap…right at my fingertips whenever I need them

My Harmony knitting needle set and a needle gauge slipped into a medium pouch that fits neatly into one of the zippered pockets

The tools I use most, in a small pouch, attached to a d-ring so that the pouch can hang over the side of the bag…easy access at knit night 

A key snap to hold my scissors and a medium pouch for a pattern.  Both are attached to a d-ring for easy access on knit night or for subway knitting.

For the past 2 weeks, this bag has not left my side.  I love the look and the function.  The bag will be available on the Tom Bihn website  anyday now, so keep checking!