Holden Shawlette

i am so in love with the Malabrigo sock yarn.  it is so soft, so springy, the colours are beyond amazing!  try as i might i could not capture the colours (i'm knitting with the colourway Archangel) exactly as they are with my camera.  in real life it is darker, with more burgundy.  it's like knitting the colours of a sunset.  beautiful!

Riverside Yarns

so, the man was kind enough to leave a little early to pick up his kids this weekend... which meant i had time to (finally!) stop in to check out Riverside Yarns in Owen Sound, Ontario. 

okay... i admit it... they almost kicked me out for drooling on their yarns.  you have to understand that i've been doing all my yarn shopping online for the past two years.  so being in an actual yarn store, with yarn i could fondle... oh.my.gawd.

i must also say that Colleen was incredible.  what a sweetheart.  she was very pleasant, and not in that fake-nice way, you know what i mean?  she seems very genuine. 

i walked out of there with Knitting Lace Triangles by Evelyn A. Clark, two skeins of Malabrigo sock (one in Indiecita, pictured, the other is in Archangel, not pictured... yet) and a skein of Fleece Artist Trail Socks in the most fabulous reds, purples and oranges.

this is my first experience with Malabrigo sock.  and i am in love.  i proposed to it, but it (oh so softly) turned me down and suggested we commit to each other in a different way... she would be willing to live with me for a long time in the form of a Holden Shawlette.  i agreed.

now... on to the quick and flash-ridden yarn pr0n.  hey... pr0n is pr0n, right?  ;)

i plead temporary insanity

my apologies for the not so great photo.  it's dark already, i had to use the flash to take these photos.  here's a better look at what temporary insanity does to me:

8 NYX round lipglosses.  8 NYX round lipsticks.  4 Amuse lip pencils.  4 No7 lip liners.  1 No7 blush. 1 No7 Sheer lipstick.  and 1 QUO sparkly lipgloss.  i got the NYX and Amuse via Cherry Culture.  they came very well packaged and arrived quickly :)  and the No7 and Quo items were on super clearance at my local Shopper's Drug Mart.  $10 lipliners for $2.50?  i couldn't resist grabbing some!

i'll take some time, when it's light out and i can take better photos, to do some swatches up and post them here :)

this is my new friend...

...Elizabeth.  she's rather tall and skinny (two things i am not), but i like her all the same  ;)

i got her on eBay.  i've been wanting to get a mannequin for a while... it's so hard to take pictures of things like scarfs without one for selling things on Etsy.  she arrived early last week but i was too sick to even look at her in the box.  John took her out of the box this past weekend and assembled her for me.  he's the one who christened her Elizabeth.  not only does he put things together, he names them.  this is a sign of a keeper for me... i name everything.  for example, my laptop's name is Jezebel. 

i haven't really managed much in the way of knitting this past week.  yes, i was that sick.  if i'm not knitting or if i turn down a glass of milk you know there is something seriously wrong with me.  i finished one Chroma sock and started the second  (i totally admit to manipulating the yarn so that the second sock would start at purple and be "opposite" the first sock):

and i started another Chroma (in worsted weight) striped scarf.  the black is Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes:

so sick

holy moley.  a week of hell has passed in my world.  i have been so sick with a stomach bug.  i'm finally at the point where i'm (kind of) eating again, but definitely not up and about or doing anything more than watching movies on my laptop.  this blows.  thank god for John, he has been my saviour this week.  he's done my errands, fed me, got my mail, made sure i'm well medicated and rested and has worked two jobs between taking care of me!  the man is wonderful!

so i've missed a bunch of days of the Month of Blog.  i'll try to catch up now :)

Day 7 - a picture that shows your true self:

Day 8 - a picture that makes you laugh (there are so many, so i'll go with the most recent... from a post on Ravelry this afternoon that cracked me up):

day 9 - a picture of the person who has gotten you through the most (i'm using a photo of my immediate family from my brother's wedding, because they have all been there for me through many things):

Day 10 - A picture of someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future:

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate:

i hate Valentine's Day

because it usually sucks butt for me.

however, the man i am currently dating is thoughtful.  yesterday he gave me a little bit of bling for valentine's day.  :)  i'm impressed that he bought it in white gold... he has noticed that i'm not a yellow gold kind of gal!  i do really love white gold/silver.  i can't believe he even took notice of that.

i might have to change my mind about the evil day if he keeps this up :)

Month of Blog. day six.

day 6 - a picture of somewhere you've been.

Amsterdam:

i have been to Holland twice.  both times i stayed in Amsterdam with family.  i went once when i was 13 and spent the summer between grade 8 and grade 9 in Amsterdam.  and then i went back when my children were very small.  Jake was 6 months old, Juliet was 2.

i would LOVE to go back again.  i would love to go back, spend a few days dedicated to visitng family and then do a lot of the usual tourist-y type things there are to do, and i'd also love to spend a few days wandering the city with no real destination.  i find the canals and the buildings along them incredibly fascinating.  i love the history.  there are buildings in Amsterdam that are older than my country and they're still being lived in as it they were built yesterday :)  it's mind boggling :D

Month of Blog. day five.

Day 5 - a picture of your favourite memory.

there are really too many to chose from.  the births of my children rank up there at the tippy top, but i don't have any digital-form pics of either.

so i'll add some pictures of more recent wonderful memories.

making soap with my kids back when we did the homeschooling thing:

playing around at the skateboard park when it wasn't quite finished:

Jake with our cat Burban (i really love this picture).  he was so sweet to that cat (she is no longer with us):

crashing my daughter in as my guest an "adults only" family wedding (that was 6 or 7 years ago):

mmmm. pear.

so, a couple of weeks ago i got stranded in Shopper's Drug Mart.  no, really.  stranded.  see... i was on my way, on foot, to pick up paper work from my doctor's office.  unbeknownst to me, because i check the weather by looking out the window and cold cannot be seen, it was minus three bazillion degrees out.  i managed to get a whole two blocks from my house when i had to take refuge in the nearest indoor anything.  which happened to be Shopper's Drug Mart.

...anyway.  so, a couple of weeks ago, i got stranded in Shopper's Drug Mart.  while i was there enjoying their wonderful heating system i took a gander around at what they had to offer.  i saw this:

mmm, pear

 ...and decided it had to come home with me.  i have no idea what "mangosteen" is, but i do know i love the scent of faux pears in body lotions and soaps and it's a rather hard scent to come by.  it's made by Upper Canada Soap and i am in love.  so much that i think i'm going back to get a second bottle before they are all gone (oh i hope they are not all gone already!)  it is the perfect sweet faux pear scent i like.  and a wee bit of this lotion goes a long way.  i only use a pea sized squirt and it moisturizes my entire arm.  love!

while i was there i, ofcourse, had to look at the makeup.  i ended up buying four Annabelle eyeshadows and the funky palette that's made to put them in.  i can't comment on them too much, i've only used "Fantasy" (the teal-ish green in the upper right) and "Divine Diva" (the purple-y colour that is all washed out in my photo because i used the flash :\ ... it has a gold shimmer which is kind of cool in the pan but doesn't show up so much on the lid).  i do like those colours.  the pigmentation in them is really good :)  the other two colours i got are "Lagoon" (the deep blue) and "Rainforest" (the green).

when i have some time i'll do up some swatches :)

i also recently ordered 16 NYX lipsticks and lipglosses from Cherry Culture.  this is my first time ordering from them, i hope it was a good choice!  and yeah... 16.  i know.  maybe a little excessive??  but... but... they were on sale!  and even with shipping they were cheaper than if i went to buy them at the only drugstore in town that carries (a very small selection of) NYX!  ...that's my story and i'm sticking to it.

Month of Blog... day four

Day 4 - a picture of your night.

will a mental picture do??  tonight i went to Ikea with my love.  we bought some lighting for the living room, so i can see better when i knit in the dark.  i have no pictures.  and i'm too tired to take pictures right now.  how about some pictures of the lights when they are installed?  will that suffice to make up for my lack of picture blogging tonight?  :)  

we laughed and laughed all night long together.  he is just so much fun to hang out with.  he's such a good sport.  he's not embarrassed when i plunk down on the display furniture, i laugh when he makes comments about how "ikea" it all looks, he goes along with me when i start talking in funny accents to see the reactions of shoppers around us (and he always always always one ups me in that department... the man is talented when it comes to accents), he lays next to me on the beds, says he doesn't care what the bed looks like as long as i am in it next to him, and we mess up the pillows, he's okay with me dragging in poor unsuspecting shoppers in colour choices for the new Lack side tables for the kids' rooms... he's just so great to spend time with :)  i think i love this man.  a lot.  

Chroma sock

i really do love this yarn.  so much that i went back to Knit Picks and ordered some more.  ssssshh.

i've been working on a sock in the fingering weight.  toe-up, like i usually knit my socks, with a short row heel.  i decided to use a different yarn for the heel so that the colour changes in the Chroma wouldn't be interrupted. 

heel:

a picture taken using the flash because it really makes the colours pop!

Month of Blog, day three

"Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show."

hrmmm.  this is a problem.

i don't really watch tv.  i don't subscribe to cable, or satellite, or any other means of receiving a television signal through my tv.  i don't have a favourite tv show.  i do watch a lot of documentaries.  there is an entire website filled with them, all yours to watch for free!  i spend a lot of time on that site and watch on my laptop while i knit.  

i also watch freebie ghost/haunting type shows here from time to time.  and sometimes i pop over to History Television's video page and watch a little there (hey... they have some new "Museum Secrets" up.  guess what i'll be watching while i knit this afternoon).

Month of Blog day two

it's 3 a.m. and i just can't sleep.  so here i am posting day two of the Month of Blog challenge.  today's challenge is "a picture of you and the person you're closest to"

this is John and I at my brother's wedding reception.  pardon my messy hair... i was dancing a little too hard for my own good ;)   to be clear, this is my new John, not my ex husband John.

Month of Blog. Day One

a picture of yourself with ten facts.

1. apparently i am slightly vain, because i chose to use two pictures of me.
2. i don't like brown chocolate.  blech.  i like white chocolate :)
3. i hate talking on the phone.
4. i have a mental illness... i enjoy depression, anxiety and panic attacks on a frighteningly regular basis.
5. i have a few tattoos and a few piercings.
6. i like black.  and purple.
7. i like my eye makeup dark.
8. i buy a lot of lipstick but rarely wear it.
9. i don't have a car. 
10. i drink a lot of milk.  white.  skim.  banana flavour when i want to change it up. 

Month of Blog

i was reading a friend's blog and she's participating in something called "month of blog".  basically, every day has a theme you post about, and it lasts for a month.  i'm going to give it a try.  the experiment is currently on round 3 (i wish i knew who started it).   round 3's theme is photos!

here's a breakdown of what you can expect to see from me in the next month, if i follow through with ease and finesse ;)...

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts.

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you are closest with.

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

Day 04 - A picture of your night.

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.

Day 06 - A picture of somewhere you've been.

Day 07 - A picture that shows your true self.

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

Day 10 - A picture of someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future.

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.

Day 12 - A picture of something you love.

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.

Day 16 - A picture of you and your friends.

Day 17 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.

Day 18 - A picture of your favorite place.

Day 19 - A picture of a habit you wish you didn't have.

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.

Day 22 - A picture that confuses you.

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.

Day 24 - A picture of something you crave a lot.

Day 25 - A picture of you last year and how you've changed since then.

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Chroma Scarf

i am in love with this scarf.  the yarn is soooo soft. 

the finished scarf ended up being 64" long and 6.5" wide.  i used exactly two balls of Chroma.

i love this scarf so much i want to make another one.  :)

shoes!

yeah.  i like shoes.  but i've been way too broke to buy good shoes.  today i thought "fuck it" and went out to buy some docs, because, you know, those things last forEVER!  you know it.  i know it.  even when you want them to die so you can replace them with a newer model, they don't.  and i need shoes that will last me for a while.  really... spend $150 on docs or spend $30 every few months on cheap-ass walmart shoes?  docs seem the better choice.

so that's what i did.  i will be eating kraft dinner for weeks, but my shoes will not fall apart! 

and because i am a sucker, i had to pick up the chucks too.  they were on sale for $30!!  who can pass that up??  apparently, not i.

(pardon the "omg, i got new shoes.  new PURPLE shoes!  must.take.picture.now." crappy photo.  lol)

Sleek I-Divine eyeshadow palettes

here are some swatches of the new Sleek I-Divine palettes i ordered from the UK and received in the mail the other day :)

for reference i swatched on bare skin, on my inner arm. i’m NW 20 in MAC’s foundations. although in winter i could probably go to NW15. i’m pale. :\ i swatched using the foam brush that was included in the palettes.

i find their shadows very soft. the pigmentation in them is good! i have MAC shadows that cry out for this much pigmentation. it seems uniform through each shadow… unlike MAC where it seems some shadows are more pigmented than others. picking them up with the foam applicator that comes with the palettes gives more colour payoff, but they are soft and crumble easily using the foam. with an eyeshadow brush there is less crumble/fallout but you have to layer for super pigmentation (but again, i still get more colour payoff using the brush with these than i do with some of my MAC shadows).

the shimmery colours are VERY shimmery. so if you’re not in to shimmer, pass up on these. they’re almost sparkly.

here’s what the palettes look like closed:

this is the Original I-Divine Palette:


and here it is swatched under natural light:


and here is the Sunset I-Divine palette:

swatched under natural light:


and finally the Bad Girl I-Divine palette:

again, swatched under natural light:

so... i've been knitting...

a little thing like divorce and complete life upheaval cannot keep me from my yarn and needles! here's a post with a few of the knits i've completed since my life changed :)

"Sweeney Todd" men's socks:

"Acid Alice" socks:

and life would not be complete without some rainbowish jaywalkers:


i have a free toe-up sock pattern available for download on Ravelry :)

and shawls! lacey things have taken my fancy:




i was also completely surprised when Vogue Knitting contacted me and asked if they could feature my Edwardian Ruffle Collar pattern in one of their issues:




....aaaaand... one of my current works in progress. a simple stripey scarf done in Knit Picks' Chroma Worsted. i'm using the colours Lollipop and RollerSkate.

i'm back.

my life has changed so much since my last post here. i am now divorced and no longer homeschool my kidlets. they are getting so big... one of them is in grade 9 (holy crow... when did i become the mother of a high schooler??! time, stop flying!) and the other is in grade 7.

i have started dating a new man, who, ironically, is named John. i just can't escape the Johns!! we met last year in June online and then in person in July. the rest, as they say, is history. ;)

after a very long hiatus and so many changes i have decided to come back to my blog. so i can fill your ears and eyes with sounds and sights of my yarn and makeup addictions and let poor John have a break.

my life has been turned upside down with the divorce, starting over, etc. but i'm still knitting! and i'm still equally obsessed with makeup. i never blogged about my love of makeup here before, but now i figure "what the hell, why can't a girl have one blog about two obsessions?" :)