Thank You

The post I had go up yesterday, was a silly one. The one I'm writing today isn't. I'm writing this on paper; it's around 6:30am NDT on July 1, 2016.

100 years ago this very morning one of, if not the, bloodiest battles of World War I was fought; the Battle of Beaumont Hamel, the first Battle of the Somme.

As I now live in Newfoundland that has special significance. The very fabric of the Dominion of Newfoundland was changed that day. So many young men lost, lives altered. I encourage you to watch any of the specials the CBC has put together; to somewhat understand what it means to the people of this island, that at that time wasn't part of Canada (Canada and Newfoundland were officially united on April 1, 1949). Newfoundland paid a terrible price. Links are at the end of this post.

The causes of WWI (aka The Great War, The War to End War, etc.) are many. The terms imposed against Germany at the Treaty of Versailles on November 11, 1918 in many ways paved the road for WWII. But many people here ask why the first happened at all. Why were those men sent to the slaughter on July 1, 1916?

I'm a rare case amongst my generation: I heard firsthand accounts of WWI as achild from my Grandfather. He was born in Belgium in December 1907. He wasn't yet 7 years old when Germany invaded in 1914. His father died in mid-October, leaving a widow and two small boys, one nearing 7, the other just 3.

My Grandfather and his younger brother ages 4 and about 6 months; spring 1912?

WWI wasn't something I just heard as a footnote to WWII to school, it was part and parcel of my Grandfather's childhood, much the same as the Depression was to my maternal Grandfather's.

There's no excuse for the men of the Newfoundland Regiment to have been sent over the top that day. The British commanders had word that the Germans knew about their plans and deeply entrenched on their side; it shouldn't have happened.

But there was a reason those men were there. For most it probably had more to do with the paypacket than any idea of "King and country". I'm sure some were aware that innocent people had had their homeland invaded, and the thought of their own wives and children/ mother and siblings/ grannies and sweethearts in that situation was enough to want to do something about it.

Simply stated, if the combined British, Irish, Scottish, Newfoundland, Canadian and American troops hadn't gone over, I for one, wouldn't be here today.

Today has dawned with bird song, a brilliant blue sky and puffy white clouds. Later, I will join others in remembrance of a horrific event that changed the lives of every family on this island I now call home. It almost feels odd for it to be so peaceful this morning. Today, while Newfoundlanders remember their fallen, I'm thinking of a boy who was 8 years old 100 years ago today, already the man of the house. And I'm remembering one of the most important things he ever told me, some 70 years later: when others are remembering their loss, we must remember to say "Thank you".

Thank You

Newfoundland at Armageddon
Trail of the Caribou

One Day I'll Be Drummed Out of Canada

Let me start by saying this post doesn't concern either my knitting or the furry members of my family. Weird, right?

This post got its start because Roomie said something about buying Kraft Dinner next payday, and I internally cringed. I intensely dislike KD; the watery, supposedly "cheese" sauce makes me want to gag. And then I started thinking about all the things that Canadians are supposed to like or do that I don't.

First is my aforementioned dislike of KD, which people seem to think of as our national dish.

Secondly, I don't "do" maple. Period. Not in syrup. Not in oatmeal. Not in doughnuts. Nope, not for me. And before you suggest I can't stomach the sweetness, as a kid I used to sneak mouthfuls of corn syrup. And I can drink Purity syrup (a Newfoundland staple) straight, without mixing it with water. I can handle sweet. I just don't get the big deal about maple. It's tree sap, people; why not go lick a birch or elm and see what that tastes like?

Further evidence I'll be thrown out: I don't like Tim Horton's. Not the doughnuts. Definitely not the coffee (to be fair, I don't like any coffee). And that steeped tea? It should be listed as a crime against teas!! I can walk be a Timmie's without a problem; no temptation for me at all. And that *has* to be un-Canadian, doesn't it?

Ok, enough food reasons to throw me out on my kiester, what else?

I did not get on the Blue Jays bandwagon last year. I don't care if they're the only Canadian team in MLB, I will never cheer for them. Bring back the Expos and I might start rooting for a Northern team. Until then, Go, Twins!!

I do not insert the letter and/or sound "eh" into my sentences while speaking. Actually, the only person I recall ever doing this was an old fella who said "Eh?" instead of "Pardon?" when he couldn't hear what someone said. Oh, and Bob and Doug Mackenzie, but that's shtick.

I never found "Due South" funny. Paul Gross is an amazing actor, don't get me wrong. He's been brilliant in both big and small screen projects (his role as Kevin Crocker on "Republic of Doyle" comes to mind). But "Due South"? Nope, not even a brilliant actor could save that one for me.

I don't understand the obsession with bacon. Ok, in my defense, I'm actually allergic to anything coming from a pig: porkchops, bacon, whatever you list can be spelled p-o-i-s-o-n to me. So, yeah, bacon-topped everything just doesn't appeal. Anyone for a nice turkey drumstick?

And that last one brought us back to food lol Funny how that happens, isn't it? We're a nation that thinks with our stomachs.

Or our throats, because that reminds me of something else: beer. I cannot drink beer; I can't get passed the smell. Beer, to me, is gross. And it's not like I'm some teetotaler; I drink on a fairly regular basis when I go out. I usually go for a rum and cola, a pina colada if I'm feeling festive. Or a whiskey*, neat, if it's been that kind of day/week. (* in my mind there is only one whiskey: Jameson. on less than a handful of times I have allowed Bushmills to pass my lips. That's it; after all, it was a bottle of Jameson that awoke poor Finnegan at his wake ;) ) Give me a shot of Screech, a bottle of Schnapps (peppermint preferably, but peach or butter ripple have their place), etc. But not beer. Call me un-Canadian or what have you, this girl is not a beer drinker.

Hmm. what else? I watch hockey; I even cheer for a Canadien team ;) (see what I did there?) The Holiday Season is not complete without hearing Bob and Doug Mackenzie's "12 Days of Christmas" at least once. And since they've decided to change lyrics in "Oh Canada" to make it "more inclusive", I say we scrap it and replace it with either The Arrogant Worms' "Canada is Really Big" or "We Are the Beaver". Either would provide us with a majestic anthem at the Olympics or other international sporting events.

On the basis of these points, I might be allowed to stay (I say might, because I'm pretty sure the whole beer, bacon and Tim Horton's segments of the population are gonna lobby to have me tossed.). I'm hopeful anyway. Lucky thing St. Pierre and Miquelon are only 25 clicks off the coast from here; I hear a lot of expatriots wind up in France... and they have rum. This could work in my favor...

If one day I do get drummed out


P.S. Happy Birthday, dear Canada, from a 2nd generationer (Dad's side), and immigrant's daughter (1st generation; Mum's side) who did the unthinkable and moved east from out West and didn't stop in Ontario, instead plunking herself on this lovely Rock, even though she still can't swim


P.S.S I wasn't kidding; "Canada is Really Big" or "We Are the Beaver" should be made the anthem. Have a listen and tell me what you think; personally I'm leaning a bit more towards "Canada is Really Big"
Canada is Really Big
We Are the Beaver  

Gratuitous Cuteness!!

And now you understand the title of this post. I took this last night, as I finally added Maureen's Blankie as a project on Ravelry. And I can't have a picture of Blankie without Little Miss, now can I? 

So here she is, Miss Maureen age 18 with her Blankie which, as well as I can remember, was knit back in October 1998. It's actually the oldest FO I have on Rav! 

I've updated the Patterns page so all the web-based patterns now have links directly to them :) And I've updated the blogs and other websites in the sideboard too. Busy morning!!

And with that, I'm off to continue with the designing of a certain bag pattern; around 1:15am NDT today, I think I hit upon the right way to do what I hope to do with this pattern.

TTFN

General Chitchat; Spring Cleaning

I composed a tweet the other day that I couldn't send due to my phone still not being fixed yet. It read "Peace= a mug of Read My Lips tea from @DAVIDSTEA + a beautiful shawl pattern by @RomiDesigns being knit in pretty yarn from @KnitPicks + 3 sleeping cats + sunshine" It really summed up my quiet morning: tea, knitting, cats and sunshine.

This afternoon, I'm knitting on my "Ardrum" in the lovely merino/silk blend I chose ages ago and enjoying a nice mug of tea (Toasted Walnut this time; I had some Apple Custard earlier). The cats are doing their cat things.

I finished the "Alcyone" I was working on, plus a little bag I started back in 2012. I'm not sure why I set it aside when all I had left on it was the handles. Oh well, it's done now; a charming little bag called "Leafy Knot Clutch" (Veronik Avery; book "24/7 Knitting"). I'm down to 2 WIPs: my "Ardrum" and the bag I'm designing. Which is odd for me, but I've really finished up a lot of things so far this year. 14 FOs since January; I'm pretty sure that's a record for me! There might be 1 or 2 more that I can move from "hibernating" status to active WIPs but I'm really getting things caught up. I guess spending my days sitting on my butt can be useful ;)

Friday (June 10) was the one year mark since "The Big Fall". In that time, I've progressed from excruciating pain and fear of what might be wrong with me to quiet acceptance that pain reminds me not to overdo things and my balance is bad and I need to use a cane especially out of the house. I'm still trying to get into physio but the new idiot system is more frustrating than the waiting was! But it is what it is and I can't change it. I'm trying to walk 5 days a week, even if it's just to the Post Office and back (roughly 1 kilometer, round trip). I take my pills, do what I can around the house. And I knit. And compose blogposts on paper that I can type up when I go to the library next ;)

I've been doing that a lot lately; blogging on paper. Some may find their way here, others won't. I have a feeling I'll hang onto them either way. They're good for a laugh if nothing else!

I plan on revamping my page of "Patterns Mentioned in this Blog" soon. Direct links for the web-based ones, like those published on Knitty.com, for sure. The Ravelry downloads, I think I'll just leave as they are. Same with those from books and magazines. I need to clean up the blogs and other links too. Freshen things up now that Spring appears to be approaching my lovely Rock in the sea.

So, be on the lookout for some minor tweaks to this blog and let me know if there's anything you'd like to see here. As always, you can check out more details of my knitting projects on Ravelry; find me there as knit-dance-repeat ;)

TTFN

I Have Pictures!!! And other news

I know things have been a bit dull around here. All my project talk with no pictures. Today I'm correcting that!! I has pictures to post of most of my lovelies of this year :)

First up, a shot of me wearing my "January Amusement"

This beauty (the sweater; please ignore the model) is my rendition of Jordana Paige's "Amused". Turned out fabulous and only took me 8 days to knit!!

Next up are three pics of my "Gansey-style Bunnyhug" ("East Nuek Hoodie by Kristin Orne) :)
First, the front:

 

The back (all the patterning is expanded from what would've been in the hood section):

And finally, the detail of the neckline, since I had to alter it in removing the hood. Also it shows off the adorable snowflake buttons I used ;) (Truest color of these is the first one)

My Habs scarf isn't as red and white as I'd have liked this season but I did finish it off rather nicely as shown in the next 2 pics:

That border just gives it some punch, right?

I mentioned knitting a quilt block. Here's the photographic evidence:

And, yes, I do have a classic car block on my wall.

This brings me to the latest projects, 2 of which are FOs!!

First is the one I called "Mitties" ("Hidden Gusset" by Mona Drager in the First Fall 2014 edition of knitty.com). So quick!! I started one evening (May 27 to be exact) and finished the next afternoon! The pic shows them in progress:

And then I turned around and knit a second pair for K:

Mine were from an ancient ball of Opal I've had in the stash since... I'm not sure when lol! K's were done in Bernat Sox.

And my latest pretty, as I believe I mentioned last time I posted, is Romi Hill's "Alcyone" (project name "Back to the Future") :) I'm just over the halfway point :) Much less in the pic but it gives you the idea:

The yarn is KnitPicks Hawthorne Kettle Dyed in "Delphinium"; it ranges from blues into blue-purples. And depending on the light it looks really purple :) Loving it!

And you might've noticed by the title that I have news...

New pattern in my Ravelry shop as of about an hour and a half ago :) It's a trivet and coasters set that I called "Garden Blooms". A quick little something to use up some cotton I have in the stash and I think it's pretty cute. 

So that's all the pics and news caught up :)

TTFN

An FO and some ruminations

Woot! Another FO to report for 2016 :) I knit a pair of "Hidden Gusset" (Mone Drager, knitty.com) between Friday and Saturday. Love them! So quick to do and they look pretty good. They're in my Rav projects under "Mitties"

And I'm happily organizing my projects for the June KAL in Rosemary Hill's Rav group. I'm taking another run at "Alcyone" in a more tonal yarn (Knit Picks Hawthorne Kettle Dye in Delphinium) to not obscure the pattern and thinking about "Verdigris" (Rosemary Hill, knitty.com) as well.

I really liked the first set of fingerless mitts I knit, and with walking with my cane, I find my hand gets chilled easily. I'm quietly amassing a bit of a sub-queue of fingerless mitts! lol Not a bad thing, I'm thinking.

The weather seems to getting Spring-like here in Newfoundland :) Not overly sunny today but definitely warming up after the past couple days of rain.

In kitty news, we're gearing up for a big birthday on Saturday. Miss Maureen Mavourneen turns the big 1-8!! I can't believe it, my ghirlie will be old enough to vote! (And she's probably smart enough to, given the general state of the electorate)

And the Ravellenic Games 2016 organizing is apparently underway :) Thread started a month ago; I found it today lol August is shaping up to be a good time :) Can't wait to see what teams are in this year and what events I can participate in. Gonna be fun!! :)

TTFN

Meditative Thoughts... or Are They?

It's funny how as you age, things that used to annoy you to the point of throwing things now offer an almost meditative calm. Take the lovely hank of handpainted merino I've been trying to untangle since last year sometime. I spent hours the past few days just quietly working through the tangles and loops and instead of getting frustrated like I normally would, I found focusing on the lovely shades of gray very soothing.

I've always disliked the whole "knitting is the new Yoga" comments. Probably because I dislike Yoga. I gave it, I think, a fair shot. I attended beginner sessions on two very separate occasions (with different instructors, even), mostly to see what friends were talking about. I really didn't like it. Really didn't. Not my cup of tea at all. So, those comments have always irked me. Right down to the core of my being. So no fears, this isn't going to turn into one of "those" posts. Just the thought has my teeth on edge, to be honest.

No, I think I've hit upon something about myself. Perhaps, just maybe, in some small way, I'm becoming a calmer and less reactive person. Where I normally would've pitched the tangle at a wall and stuffed it back into the zippered plastic bag after 5 or 10 minutes, I had the patience to sit with it and nudge it through and around and watch the two little balls I've started at each end get bigger and bigger. Add in the purrs of my nearly 18 year old cat and it was a very Zen-like afternoon.

I should add to this that my physical health is not at it's optimum just now. I have the sore sinuses and razorblade coated throat that mean Spring is upon us. And of course, all the aches and heaviness of limbs that goes with those. So sitting quietly is just what I needed; really it was almost all I could do. Maybe that's were the patience came from? The knowing I didn't have the energy to do anything else.

And it could be that I'm over-analyzing my time spent with a tangle of lovely merino yarn and my cat. That's equally possible too.

TTFN