While choking on the 5th cigarette of the day (it’s 8:35 a.m.), I am sitting here wondering yet again why I cannot seem to quit. One would think that so much crafting would lead to less smoking. Instead, in my case, it seems to lead to inhaling more second-hand smoke when the cigarette burns untouched next to me working frenetically on the project at hand.

Or can it actually be considered “second-hand smoke” when I am the person who lit the smoke in the first place? Hmm. I really need to start taking some responsibility for this. 🙂

If anyone has any tips on how they used knitting to help them quit smoking, please do share. If nothing else, I’m spending valuable money (on average $13.00 per day) which could be more sensibly invested in … um… well… more yarn. However, financial incentives have never seemed to work for me in attempts to quit smoking. I have done the whole “stick the money you spend per day on smokes in a jar and watch it grow” thing… only to raid said jar on morning #3 when desperate for a Dunhill.

If only I could become a “social smoker” only. Instead, I’m becoming increasingly anti-social and I imagine my knitted products reek of the ashtray…

SIGH.

I’m beginning to think that I have TOO much time on my hands.

Here is a blanket I’m making for my mother for Christmas (based on the Nina Shawl pattern in the Mason-Dixon book) – knitted in Super 10 mercerised cotton. Progress has stopped while I am waiting for the last colour (paprika!) to come in to my LYS:

…and closer detail:

Blanket will be approx. 50″ wide by 55 ” long when finished. I’m knitting it on 4 mm Addi Turbo needles (my new favourite needles, although can’t afford to replace the ideal stash). It is just the Nina Shawl pattern x 2 (widthwise). However, rather than the ruffle I will be crocheting a border (due ultimately to laziness rather than aesthetic). It will take approximately 7-8 125 g. skeins of the yarn before finished (had ordered 16!)

You may notice a similarity in colour between this project and the “funky blankie” below. This is because I ended up ordering too much yarn for the Christmas present … and selfishly decided to make a blankie for my apartment instead. Such a bad daughter!!

And another sweater I’ve started – the Perfect Sweater! – using Fleece Artist Kid Silk. This may be the most luxurious yarn I’ve worked with. I had initially bought it to try to crochet a jacket for work, but decided it is wasted if not worn right nect to the skin (please note that the colours are quite a bit deeper and richer in real life – the blue base is closer to indigo):

I am making the sweater in medium size (although I usually take a small, the gauge of the kid silk is quite fine). 4 mm. needles. I have 750 grams of the yarn but don’t think this will take it all).

I am seriously considering calling in sick to my staff meeting today in order to finish the scarf below, so that I can get back to the stuff above. However, I guess the job supports my knitting habit (especially if I wish to keep buying kid silk!)

I thought my pressing dilemma had been solved when a coworker brought in some yarn last Friday and asked me to knit a scarf for her. I said I would likely have it done by Tuesday… please see it in progress above:

… and in detail … the yarn is Basics Quick Print (acrylic / wool blend)

Alas, by Saturday afternoon I had become bored with the scarf (I don’t like the feel of the acrylic blend, snob that I’ve become!)… and so grabbed some Brown Sheep Bulky remnants from my (abundant) stash and started on this sweater:

… and closer detail:

I became rather compulsive with finishing it, wanting to wear it to my staff meeting today. Unfortunately, I had not given too much thought to the fact that temperatures in Toronto are uncharacteristically balmy this week… going up to 12 celsius! Making it rather silly to wear this bulky sweater.

Which, as a positive, is a good thing, given that the sweater still looks like this:

I think it may take longer to weave in the ends than it did to knit it!

And now back to the scarf (which may not be done by Tuesday … oh well …).

Today am feeling rather obsessive about my knitting. Stash has grown too big, meaning that I cannot decide on what the next project should be. Some kind of sweater… but bulky or fine knit?

Luckily I don’t have to work today so have lots of time to ponder this weighty decision. Then again, maybe too much time is a bad thing… ?!?

Hello there:

Attached please see the latest stuff I’ve been working on.

(a) funky blankie (inspired by the Circle of Fun in the Mason-Dixon book) – knitted in Super 10; and

(b) little felted bag – Lamb’s Pride Worsted – thanks to the knitty.com website!

Hello all:

Wishing you a very spooky and mysterious Hallowe’en Eve!

Here is my (far from spooky) costume:

And some new stuff (sorry about lack of seasonal colour…)

yet another buttonhole bag…

a fuzzy hat (thanks to Beverly Galeska’s Felted Knits book)…

…and a slipper in progress (pre-felting – Lamb’s Pride and Lily Woo mohair – thanks to Kathleen Taylor’s Knit One, Felt Too)…

Cheers,

Tina

Kerr’s Halloween Candy
Originally uploaded by mezzoblue

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Hi all:

Some recent stuff I’ve been working on since getting the Mason Dixon Book (thanks to those who created it!!):

* my version of the Buttonhole Bag on the website (made with Lamb’s Pride Bulky)

* my version of the baby blanket “Moderne” (made with Bernat cotton)

* cardigan for my husband (thanks to the knitty.com website here in Toronto! and made with Mission Falls 1824 merino)

* detail on cardigan

Cheers,

Kristina

All of these were made in summer 2006.

1. Sunflower Table

2. Dish Brush Holder

3. Wacky Fruit Dish

4. Mini Bird Bath

5. Mini Bird Bath – detail

Hello all:

Welcome to my blog! I plan to bore you all with numerous photos of my works and works-in-progress.

By way of introduction, my name is Kristina and I am a (somewhat) obsessive crafter living in Toronto, Ontario. My current interests include knitting and mosaic although I have also been known to dabble in needlepointing and have recently taken up crochet – much to my chagrin.

To pay for all of these addiction in addition to my other bad habits, I work as a legal aid lawyer. The good hours allow me lots of time to purchase, stash and sometimes use materials.

Being a lawyer-type person, I have lots of opinions on many other subjects, but will try to spare you my various diatribes.

Enjoy!

Tina