Category: Uncategorized

Five Ways to Combat Your Fear of the Demon Weed

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No, not that kind of weed.

Get your mind out of the gutter!!! Anyway, it’s (still) illegal.

What I was actually referring to is the kind that pops up in yards and gardens all over the place at this time of year, striking fear and loathing into the hearts of gardeners everywhere.

An example: the dreaded and much-maligned dandelion.

Now, my thumb is not green but black – must be all that tar in the smokes. All this to say, I have no clue about gardening. But I do think that dandelions are quite pretty:

See? What’s wrong with them? They’re bright and cheery. And they’re free, and they don’t take any work to maintain. So what’s the big deal?

Still not convinced? Well, maybe my five tips on combatting the affliction of weed hatred will convince you.

1. Start eating the leaves.

Yes, you can eat dandelion greens. My great grandmother did it for years – and she even drank the water they were boiled in (the appearance of which any smoker who has tried that time honoured quit smoking tip “empty your ashtray into a jar, fill with water, let marinate one week then keep bringing it out and looking at it when you’re jonesing for a smoke” will recognise). And, she lived to be 107! (well, I exaggerate a bit. But she was very old when she died).

I’ve also seen dandelion greens at the supermarket in certain ethnic neighbourhoods from time to time Even some of the top chefs have picked up on this dandelion trick and are serving dandelion salad. So, if they can serve it, so can you, right?

As for prep tips, don’t ask me. I wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole. But, as they are extremely healthy, you really should try some yourselves. I’m thinking about your best interests here.

2. Look for comparisons between other “real” plants that you have to pay for and tend.

If you do this, it may well be that you will stop seeing the necessity of shelling out your hard-earned bucks at the flower centre. Here’s an example:

I mean, do you see any difference, really? If anything, the dandelions are nicer looking because they don’t have those big ugly fuzzy brown spots in the middle!

3. Hunt down artistic depictions of the weed.

And yes, people do honour dread weeds such as the dandelion in art. Here are two examples.

This piece by Ann Beckley is called “Dandelion Lace:

Don’t you love the dandelion etching on the side?

And this piece is Myrna Oostrom is simply called “Dandelions”

Wow. I wish I could paint like that.

Anyway, works of art like these are important in that they help to remove the stigma of weed-dom.

4. Make a pros and cons list.

I have a deep dark secret to confess: I am a huge fan of pros and cons lists. Having said that, I’m not going to list the “cons” of letting weeds flourish here because you already know all of those. Here are some pros:

  • You don’t have to break your back any more doing all that weeding.
  • You can save all that money you spend every year on plants which end up dying half the time anyway when there is some freak snowstorm in June.
  • Got any neighbours you can’t stand? Letting your yard grow over with wees provided great fodder to piss them off.
  • Alternatively, having problems coming up with social chit chat with the neighbours? Let your yard grow over with weeds, then you can casually ask them how they cope with weeds in their yard. I imagine that this is good for hours of pleasantries.
  • You will have lots of extra time for fun things… such as knitting, for example.

Which leads us to the fifth and final tip…

5. Check out yarn inspirations.

There are even knitting yarns named after weeds. And let me tell you, fondling a skein of Handmaiden Dandelion sea silk could probably change your mind about a whole lot of things:

For some reason, I haven’t quite managed to get my hot little mitts on any of this glorious stuff yet. But, after all, it is PayDay tomorrow!

Here’s a little challenge for you. Below is a photo of more Handmaiden colourways.

Tell me which one is named after a (sort of) weed – and provide the name. I’ll post the link to the answers here tomorrow. Hint – each colourway has one word in the name only.

See, weeds can be fun. Go forth and let them multiply, I exhort you!

Happy Weednesday Wednesday!

tallest freestanding tower in… Legoland!

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Well, it’s not quite the CN Tower…

… but pretty impressive all the same.

I present to you – the world’s tallest Lego tower!!!

It was built in the Legoland Windsor theme park in the U.K. of 500,000 LEGO bricks – man, I only wish my mother would have let me have so much Lego when I was a kid!

At just under 100 feet high, it breaks the old record of 96.1 feet from August 2007 by more than three feet.

Colourful, and amusing: kind of like this Bollywood spoof of Barack Obama’s campaign that someone sent me yesterday, called Barack O’Bollywood. “Bollywood”, if you haven’t heard this term, is shorthand for a certain style of musical movies made in India, very cheesy and camp but with fab dancing. So, even if you don’t like Obama, check this out!

(I think he’s rather hot myself. Don’t tell JJ, eh?)

I’m a happy camper today because two seasons’ worth of Fry and Laurie DVDs came my way courtesy of the interlibrary loan system!

Which meant that I laughed my @$$ off all last night while watching them. I’d never seen the series before.

In case one of these guys looks familiar but you can’t place him – it’s Dr. House on the right above, and the left here:

Nice shirt, eh?

Anyway, that’s about it for me. No huge plans for the weekend… but it’s JJs PayDay, meaning large food shopping. I know you’ll be looking forward to that particular post!

Happy Friday!

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PayDay mysteries… and a new family member!

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Well, what a coincidence that on PayDay, I came across a mysterious door…

…which led to a long and winding path through an enchanted forest.

And where did the path end?

My local yarn store!

Amazing, isn’t it? So, of course I just had to buy some yarn.

Misti Alpaca has managed to outdo themselves, I learned, with some new handpainted lace yarn in 800g skeins!

(In actual fact, I had learned this before PayDay. But it was a guid excuse to lay in some more stock.)

Isn’t this sumptuous?

I also succumbed, finally, to the temptation to give in to that dreaded Siren, Kureyon.

Now, I don’t quite get why I would want to knit socks out of this scratchy-as-hell yarn. However, I couldn’t resist the lure of the rainbow…

So, the lovely Leane suggested that I pair the Kureyon with a strand of this Kid Seta and make a shawl:

As you’ve probably gathered by now, I am highly suggestible to anything to do with the acquisition of yarn. But it’s lovely in itself, isn’t it?

Almost like a sunset in a skein!

I even bought some novelty yarn on sale because of the fab colour:

Fit for a Yarn Queen.

And, finally, this rather uncharacteristic purchase. The yarn is called Twelve and it’s got twelve types of yarn in one.

Funky, eh? I thought it would make a cute party scarf at some point.

But lest you think I was selfish on this very fine day, let it be known that JJ got a goodie as well:

A garden gnome for the balcony flowerbox!!!

And not only that, but it comes with a handy reference manual on All Things Gnomish:

In this photo is the author of the guidebook (I’ll leave you to guess who that might be):

JJ is quite chuffed, and as I write is talking to the gnome. I’m advised that his name is Wee John. (And now you understand why it is that JJ actually puts up with all my foolishness. He’s a bit barmy himself, eh?

And finally now I realise why I was so inspired to do my Group of Seven project!!

Methinks the wee pagan Quack Junior and Wee John will become fast friends…

I just hope that they don’t run off to the forest together!

Happy Thursday!


castles, Toronto and Spring – oh my!

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After all my moaning about Snow Madness this past winter, I am happy to report that spring seems finally to have arrived in Toronto!

Of course, the weeds were the first greenery to make themselves known, even pushing through concrete:

And until very recently, the cold finger of Winter was still more evident in the forest than the lovely leaves of Spring…

…but finally the spring greenery is emerging more clearly!

Now, because this is a part of Canada in which spring takes a while to appear, some flowers are slower to emerge than others.
But these budding tulips make me happy – they make me think of dancing arabesque ladies of the mystical East.
And funnily enough, just down the street there are fully-fledged tulips!
In fact, the road to the Castle is strewn with flowers.
There are also lots of other lovely spring colours there:
… as well as another sign that Winter is ever so slowly giving way to Spring:
The colours are overwhelming at this time of year after all that grey bleakness.

But don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining! (for once in my life, anyway).

I don’t even care that it is grey and damp outside when I see lovely blooms all around!


And even lovely cherry trees!

So, today I’m very happy. To top it off, it is that all-hallowed of holidays, PayDay. So, doubtless there will be more photos of Nature’s lovely colours as depicted through yarn on display here tomorrow.

Happy Wednesday!

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Knits

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Hello fair readers: I’m writing to say that I’m taking a wee break and won’t be back until Tuesday next week

I’ve had a very guid time out with friends, and as a result of this, will be taking a wee break from blogging (some of my “live” friends suggested that I didn’t have to blog this weekend).

I will be back next week Tuesday, probably with the finished Icarus, if all goes well.

In the meantime. check out the blasts from the past below..

Cheers

Kristina

This is a gallery of just some of my knits.

To see a gallery of some of my craftwork, click here.

To check out some of my free patterns and tutorials, click here.

*************************************************************************

Welcome to my knitting page!

Here’s a sampler of my work…

Icarus (in progress) (Handmaiden Lace Silk and Kidsilk Haze)

Valley of the Beads (Svale of Danegarn)

Wham! (Cotton Fleece)

Shazam! (Handmaiden Silken)

April Showers (Fleece Artist Italian Silk)

Cumulus (Rowan Kidsilk Night)


Tuscany the Second (Rosarios Bamboo)

Savannah/Secret of the Stole II (Malabrigo laceweight)

Storm Water Scarf (Handmaiden Sea Silk)

Tuscany (Handmaiden Silken)

Stormy Weather (Handmaiden Camelspin)

The Perfect Dress (Romni Linen)

Swallowtail Shawl (Handmaiden Mini Maiden)

Nina Shawl (Butterfly Super 10)

Crazed Harlequin Dress (Berocco Suede)

Rainbow Dress (various yarns)

Montego Bay Tunic (Handmaiden Sea Silk)

Montego Bay Scarf (Handmaiden Sea Silk)

River Rock Scarf (Handmaiden Silken)

Intoxicating (SWTC Bamboo and SWTC Oasis)

Curve of Pursuit (Paton’s Decor)

Funky Pinwheel Blankie (Super 10)

Gaia (Handmaiden Silk Spun)

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The Forest Adventures of Brouhaha

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I keep telling people I live right next door to a forest. No one believes me, given that I also live in an apartment building five minutes’ walking distance from a subway station in Toronto.

Well, here’s the proof: the view out the front entrance to my building:

I decided to venture out this evening and take some photos of the ravine. No small feat, given that I’m afraid of heights and depths.

But it was quite lovely, really:

Hard to believe there’s a major thoroughfare 50 metres away, isn’t it?


But then I spied some evidence of civilisation:

Hmm – maybe that’s why those bloody kids were whingeing outside my balcony on Saturday?!

But everything else appeared to be untouched by humans…

…until I spotted this.

Now – who would pitch a bike down a ravine, I ask you?!?

A-ha! Millionaires’ Row. Must be them. But then again, the world is their trashcan, no?

I keep having to remind myself that The Rich Ones don’t control everything. After all, check out this UFO!

(And no, this isn’t one of those ones I keep flinging off the balcony in a fit of pique. It’s the real thing. Honestly. Big lights started flashing off it but just as I raised my camera to take a photo, it vaporised.

Sigh. Now no-one will ever believe me!!)

And, just as I was about to come in, I spotted this.

The Easter Bunny, come early?! (Orthodox Easter being this Sunday)

But apparently not. No chocolates in sight. Just a rabbit, pigging out on grass.

Too blissed out by all that green, apparently, to notice the carrot right next to it!

Dumb bunny.

Happy Thursday!

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Brouhaha at the flea market…

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Sunday, I must say, was an amazing day in the life of Brouhaha.

First of all, proof of spring as I was leaving my apartment:

These are weeds, by the way, next to the forest near where I live. But isn’t the colour lovely?

I was headed downtown to meet my friend J for an afternoon trolling the flea market near her place. On the way, I saw this lovely item in a shop window

… and then passed yet more evidence of spring:

The fountains are on! (Actually, it’s an odd spring so far – today was 24 C/ 74 F… not complaining, let me tell you, but it’s odd – more like summer).

Anyway, I swung by and picked up J and then we headed to the St Lawrence Sunday Flea Market!

And, by the way, if you live in Toronto and have never hit this place, it’s at Front/Jarvis and it’s a complete blast. Where else can you come across great items like this:

Gotta love the butterflies!

Or, you can gaze upon beautiful glass like this:

and see novelty items like this:

(old toothpaste with some rotting teeth on top? And it’s yours for only $20!!!)

Or, blasts from the past like this:

(I thought Sinatra only had lusts, not loves. But hey… I believe everything I read in print!).

But now for a little tip from Brouhaha as to caution at fleamarkets and spending. For example, the above mag was priced at $30. Yet when one looks very closely at it, the date on the mag is … 1996. Hardly vintage.

I’m probably, mind you, a bit too cheap when I go on these outings. An example: I saw an Orthodox icon that looked somewhat like this (unfortunately couldn’t get a photo)

…except that it was all cracked and beaten up. Now, I have a very very strange attraction to old beat-up looking Orthodox iconic art…

and so I wanted the one I saw at the flea market. I couldn’t see the price tag in the back and asked J to decipher it for me. She peered at it and said “$6.50”.

I was thrilled, but then got scared because another guy came up and started playing with the doors. Then the vendor came along and took it away. I rushed up immediately and said “I’d like to buy that.”

“Really?”, he said.

I mean, I was dressed like a slob, but $6.50? Come on.

Well, of course it turned out that he actually wanted $650.00 for it.

Colour me embarrassed. I tried to give J hell for misleading me, but she felt I should have known she meant six-fifty. And, in that place, she was quite right…

But back to the main programme now. Sort of, anyway. For example, someone wanted $45 for these:

Now, if anyone knows when these big ugly glass grapes were popular, please Email me. I see them all the time at these flea markets… I can’t actually imagine anyone ever displaying them, let alone paying any serious money for them!

I was, however, tickled by this item I spotted:

And no, not Mickey – the kangaroo. This was a hopping kangaroo made by Fisher-Price. If you squeeze the little plastic bulb, it hops..

J and I (J is one of the Tenant Advocates, I should note) thought that this would be a perfect addition to our arsenal of rants against the state of the justice system. But not for $30. Sigh.

On our way out, we caught a look at this lovely glass bowl:

We did ask how much it cost (although knowing that it would be way, way too much for our bargain hunting pockets). The guy beat around the bush for about 10 minutes telling us that it was from Malta, etc. etc… then said “well, I’d have to charge you $120”. Probably not too much for the piece itself… but a wee hint to any vendors reading this: we don’t want the biography before the price. The spiel I got, I would have been turned off if he said “$10” and would feel I was being ripped off.

Anyway, I did purchase some things, hit a local patio with J for a while, got a wee suntan and came home. A perfect afternoon.

But, you ask, what did I buy?

First, a fabulous lamp:

Only $10!!!! Isn’t it fancy?

And, I discovered another relative for the Duck family:

I must thank friend J for this discovery. Obviously, I was half asleep during my travels through the flea market. I’ve decided that this is Aunt Hortense from the fancy side of the family…. stay tuned!

But friend J is also very, very evil. She introduced me today to one of her favourite glassworks people, William of Goodfellow Designs (I can’t find a web link for him – I wish I could.)

So, I had to pick up these two pendant pieces:

(This one, he told me, cracked when he was first making it. So the little gold piece in the middle was an addition after the fact. When I told him it reminded me of an evil eye, he said “Oh, a 21st century evil eye! Cool.” Indeed.)

And this one…

This photo fails the piece, and words fail me to describe it.

So, all in all it was a fantastic Sunday, and I feel like a complete

Happy Monday to you!

is a picture worth a thousand words, or only ten?

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Hey all: sick of busting your brain with Sudoku or crosswords? Here’s a new game to try…

I’ve decided to turn my love of wonky photos into an interactive blog… I’ll post one photo every day and people will be invited to come up with their very own captions – in 10 words or less.

Interested? Check out The Shorter The Sweeter today! And tomorrow… and the next day…and if you like it, why not pass it along?

Cheers,

Kristina

Look out WordPress… I’m coming!

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Please note that I’ve decided to move my blog from Blogger to here. The move will take place sometime on the weekend and so I likely won’t be posting on Saturday 19 April or Sunday 20 April.

(Haven’t moved apartments in a while, but thought this might be easier!)

If any regular readers want me to include them in an Email providing them a link to (my new web home), please drop me a line at BespokeByBrouhaha at gmail dot com! I’ll also put a goodbye post here, of course…

(If you comment here regularly, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered already).

Most of the posts from Blogger have now been imported here, but you might want to stick to this page and the “Hostess Page” for now.  Feel free to snoop around, though!

Look forward to visiting with you when I finally get here properly!

Cheers,

Kristina

Advocates’ Corner – Spring Auction/Fundraiser!

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PLEASE NOTE: the auction/fundraiser in this post is open only to my work colleagues (and their friends, if they should happen to have any extremely wealthy friends…). Apologies to anyone else for any inconvenience in having to slog through a second Brouhaha post – although who wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to see my fabulous goodies a second time, really?!

Hello all:

Well, it’s that time of year and I’ve been excavating the spare room and trying to adhere to our new Clean Desk policy at the office.

In this regard, I’ve come across some stuff I’ve made over the past couple of years that are not getting the use they so richly deserve. So, I thought I’d offer them to you, my biggest fans.

(At a price, of course – because nothing in life is free!)

So, welcome to the First Annual Brouhaha Spring Cleaning Auction/Fundraiser!!!

  • Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Stuck for gift ideas? Doesn’t your mom deserve a one-of-a-kind handmade original which will be worth thousands one day? Huh? Huh?
  • Any Jewish or Eastern Orthodox people on your gift list for Passover/Easter?
  • Skip all those May 2-4 Weekend/Week/Month sales at the Bay and Sears. Your one-stop shop is right here!!!
  • Oh, and let’s not forget Father’s Day coming up in June. It’s never too early…

And two thirds of the money will go to the New Outlook program – right here in the building! So you can feel good about giving on so many levels…

Here’s how it works!

  • The auction starts today, Tuesday 15 April 2008. (And yes, I know it’s PayDay for most of us. There is a method to my madness.)
  • Check out the items below. Most of the items (aside from #2, #3 and # ) are available in my office for viewing, so if you’re in the building, come on by!
  • If one or more tickle your fancy, Email me at the work Email address or (if you happen to be in the building) phone me on ext. 5411 with your bid. Each item is numbered below for your convenience.
  • Please note that I have put a minimum bid on some items. Those items are all originals, and I thought this fair.
  • Each day, I will post such bids as I should get underneath each item. The bids will be anonymised, rest assured. So, keep checking back!
  • Bids will close on St. George’s Day (a big Greek National Drinking Day, although sadly not this year because it’s during Holy Week): Wednesday 23 April 2008 at 5:00 p.m.

  • All items will be delivered on Thursday 24 April or during the week of 28 April. I’m flexible regarding payment terms.
  • What should you bid, you ask? Whatever your little heart desires – and whatever your conscience can live with considering that 2/3 of the money raised will go toward helping street youth at risk. The other 1/3 will go toward the support of the local artisan scene*!

* the Benevolent Association for Provision of Lace Yarn to KB

Oh, by the way, please do not feel any pressure because I’ve linked you to this site. I won’t be offended if you sniff don’t sob bid. Really, I won’t.

(In all seriousness, if you want to bid, great. If not, please don’t feel you’ve got to or anything silly like that… but do feel free to pass along the link and my Email addy to any friends you think like this sort of thing!)

Please also note that everything below has been very, very gently used. Some items, only once or twice.

And now… (drumroll, please…):

The fabulous works of Brouhaha!

(I’ve added links to the titles of some of the pieces – click on those if you want some info about “the making of…”!)

1. Homage to a Gerbera

Mosaic with broken teacups and saucers and a gerbera. 9″x9″ approx. Made in November 2007. Perfect for a little colour in the office, no?

Highest Bid to date: $50.00

2. Papillon Mini Birdbath

Mosaic with tile, stained glass and glass beads. Watersafe and good for outdoor use. Approximate size: 22″ high, 12″ water bowl diametre.

Birds love this! Great for your balcony or backyard.

And check out the pretty opal glass!

Made in Summer 2007.

Highest bid to date: $85.00

3. Crazy Melon Plate (vegan!)

Mosaic with mirror tile (clipped, NOT broken!), tile and glass beads on a glass base. Great for looking at on those days when you’re feeling a bit wonky. Made in Summer 2006.

Minimum bid: $40.00.

4. Crazy Paving Felted Bulletin Board

Repurposed sweater from Goodwill, felted and embroidered. Wouldn’t this be a funky bulletin board for the office or for home?! Huh? Huh? 24″ wide x 22″ deep, roughly. Made in Summer 2007.

Minimum bid: $30.00

5. Fuzzy Plaid Bag

Repurposed sweater from Goodwill, felted and sewn. Great for trips to the market – and reusable ad infinitum! Forget those ones they sell at the grocery store. It’s about the same size as those ones they’re selling at the LCBO, combining strength and lightness. Snap it up as someone who shall remain nameless already has their eye on it… Made in Summer 2006.

Minimum bid: $15.00

6. Spring Has Sprung! purse

Repurposed sweater from Goodwill, crochet edging and handle, felted and embroidered with funky button applique. You must know some fashion queen who’d like this one! The colours make me happy… small handbag size. Made in Spring 2007.

Minimum bid: $25.00.

7. Memories of Cage Au Lait – A moebius scarf

Hey, if it works for Galen Weston…!! The scarf is lighter in colour than shown in the photo, hence the name. It is knitted in the form of a Moebius strip… remember those from math class? Can be worn as a headdress or a scarf – very versatile. Knitted by me over the Atlantic in December 2007!!! 50% wool, 50% silk blend.

Minimum bid: $40.00 (that’s what the wool cost, plus three bucks for my labour. Not bad, eh?)

8. Silk Garden – Moebius scarf

Another Moebius scarf, like #7 above. Silk/wool blend. Knitted by me in jolly olde England! in December 2007. Silk/wool blend.

Minimum bid: $25.00 (that’s what the wool cost, plus three bucks for my labour. Not bad, eh?)

9. No Mirrors in My House!

Mirror retrieved from the trash (cut, not broken!), sea glass, glass beads, broken crockery (OPA!). The link above in the title shows better close-ups and perhaps a bit more than you want to know about the artisan’s thought process… don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Now, if I were a really deep and pretentious artiste-type person, I would tell you that the symbolism of this piece involves a deep sociocultural commentary on the fate of many young women who spend hours on end looking at themselves in department store mirrors, hating what they say, and feeling fractured and very blue as a result…

The link also explains the title. November 2007.

Highest Bid to date: $100.00

The following are not original patterns of mine. So, no minimum bid.


10. Santa Fe Felted Handbag

This is a smallish handbag – it can accommodate housekeys, a wallet and a pocket novel. Click on the photo to see the cool sun button!

11. Little Slip of a Thing Felted Handbag

Don’t you love the periwinkle and espresso colour combo? This bag, with an i-cord strap, is a smallish purse size but surprisingly capacious.

Highest bid to date: $20.00

12. French Market Felted Bag

On the shallow side but holds quite a bit. Good for trips to the market.

13. Periwinkle Bag

Great fun for an afternoon garden party. I think the right brooch or pin would work wonders – if I find it at the Goodwill before the end of the auction, I’ll throw it in. How about that!

14. Buttonhole Bag

This is the bag I’ve used the most, and some of you will probably recognize it. Very handy for schlepping stuff around – and funky!

Anyway, I hope you’ve all enjoyed viewing the Brouhaha Auction Gallery. Now, what are you waiting for…!! Get onto that Outlook and start bidding, already!!!

Thanks in advance… and happy day!

KB