Freshisle Fibers

Happy Long Weekend

Victoria Day weekend.  Three days free from school.  Well, almost free.  There's always a little bit of homework to be done, but mostly free to enjoy my hobbies and family.

Mom has moved into her new abode in our basement and things are going well.  She would like to bring everything she's ever owned into a much smaller space so there's lots of sorting and choosing only the very best and only the very necessary items.  My brother is home this weekend and we're spending some more time sorting, choosing, organizing.  We're planning on having a grand and glorious auction sale this summer.  So much stuff!

Knitting continues at a slow pace.  I've discovered that baby things are quick knits.  They are so small!

 

Two skeins of Wisdom Poems yarn and an easy pattern, Baby Boy 5 Hour Sweater, yielded this adorable sweater.  I'm in love with it.  Perfect for fall.

Years in the Making

How long does it take to finish a house?  In our case, 15 years and counting.  When we built our home, we planned on making our basement into an in-law suite, an apartment, a separate little space.  The plumbing, the electrical, the walls, were all put in place 15 years ago in preparation.  In the meantime, the basment became my yarn shop, my workshop, my storage space for all the raw wool and yarn.  That's changing.

We're finally finishing the basement for it's intended purpose.  My mother will soon be coming to live in this newly completed space.  It's gorgeous and cozy and perfect.

The tile floor is beautiful and the bathroom is nearly completed.

Carpet in the bedroom and living room to make the floor warm and soft.  New paint on the walls.  The yarn in the background has since been moved.  Moving and re-organizing replaced blogging for a time!

And once again, our dining room is no longer a dining room.  This time it's a yarn shop! 

It's been busy and a bit of an upheaval for all of us, but we're nearly there.  I think my mother will be much happier and it will be easier on myself and my darling husband to know she's okay and to only have one house to look after!

We awoke to more snow this morning.  Will it ever end?  With no signs of tulips or daffodils in my flower beds, I needed a burst of spring.  Thank heavens for florists.

Where is Spring?

We are very ready for winter to be over and spring to arrive.  We even had buses cancelled on Friday because of a snow storm!  When small children are no longer excited about snow, it's really time for winter weather to be over.

Our curling season is over for another winter.  I had a wonderful curling season with evening curling and five weekend bonspiels.  Our team won two of those and placed in the prizes for all of them.  It was terrific.  I have my weekends back and that means that I should be starting to think about getting outside and cleaning up the flower beds.  Not yet! 

I've rescued a very, very old project and am determined to finish it this time.  It's the Baby Norgi sweater from Knitty Spring 2003.  Very old.  10 years old.  A friend's daughter is expecting this spring and this would be a perfect gift.  I'm going to try!

The sad part is that I have an entire bin of these abandoned projects that just need a little finishing.  I think I have a new goal.  A spring resolution to work my way through them and finish up all old projects.

March Break Power Knitting

It's March Break and time for a short rest.  We've been spending a lot of time this winter curling and recently, watching curling on tv.  Yay for Team Northern Ontario on winning the Brier.  It was fabulous!

I love this post on the Canadian Curling Association's site - Seasonal Curling Zombie Virus.  So true!

All that time watching the Scotties and the Brier made for some power knitting time, too.  I have a parade of finished projects.

First are a very belated Christmas gift - Conwy socks from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush.  Knit with Lana Grossa Meilenweit Cotton Spirit, a lovely cotton/wool blend yarn.

Another quick frilly scarf with Patons Pirouette in Orchid Shimmer.  Love that glitter!

More presents.  Mittens and a neckwarmer from a vintage yarn, Patons Country Garden DK.  The mittens are my own Brrr Braid Mittens and the dickie/neckwarmer/cowl is a pattern called Ambitus.  I followed the neckwarmer pattern exactly and was hopeful it would work.  It did.  Beautifully.  It's stretchy and not tight at all.  Just perfect.

There are more projects on the needles.  Socks, a hat, a sweater that never seems to end, and more.  But, this week is for dyeing and the weekend ahead is more curling for us.  And maybe somewhere in there, a rest.

Where did the month go?

The month flew by with curling and report cards.  Very little time for blogging or knitting!

Another pair of beer cozy mittens are finished and gifted away.

These are man size ones.  Still no pattern.  Eventually.  Maybe when the curling season slows down!

There always has to be time for walks with Dusty and his girl friend.  Today was perfect.  Mild temperatures and snow machine packed trails.  We all had a wonderful time.

More curling next weekend, too.  Winter doesn't seem to be my prime knitting time!