A Basic Turtleneck, Fresh Snowfall, and Some Great Containers

Pattern: Basic Sweater
Designer: Louisa Harding
Yarn: Koala by Textiles de la Marque
Colour: ? (Tag reads "Lot No. 1) It is a soft taupe.
Needles: Circular 4.0 mm and 3.75 mm

This is the first adult sweater I have knit in decades. It knit up quite quickly but I procrastinated on sewing it together. I don't think many knitters really enjoy that process. I can do a crackerjack job of using the mattress stitch to sew side seams, rendering them all but invisible, but I am afraid I made a bit of a dog's dinner of the underarm seams. I redid them several times before concluding that they just were not going to get any better. Oh, well,  how often do I raise my arms up to the heavens?

I am not at all familiar with the Koala yarn so I don't know how well it will hold up. It is very soft, with very little spring or elasticity so I am hoping the ribbing will hold its shape over time. The yarn drapes well. I purchased it in France at a very unique and interesting store in Lille (La Lainière de Wazemmes), recommended by Isa, and there is very little information on the label (aside from the fact that it is a blend of wool, silk, rayon, and cashmere) and I can find nothing about it on line.

 

 

 

 

 

Winter continues to be unusually snowy and cold. The backyard was beautiful very early this morning after a fresh snowfall. The sun was just coming up over the trees.

A little later in the morning...

And here are some great containers I got for Christmas:

 

This Namaste Circular Needle Case was purchased at Have A Yarn in Mahone Bay.

 

It has accordion sections for storing circular knitting needles - such a neat, portable, and attractive way to keep them.

 

My other favourite new containers are an insulated mug with a cable knit design (!) and a beautiful box for storing treasures.

O, Canada!

Nora and Photo 101

For Christmas, my offspring gave me eight weeks of an online photography course - Nicole's Classes: Photo 101.

I have a great camera but I have always used auto mode, doing "point and shoot" multiple times until I get a decent photo. No more! Now I shoot in manual, RAW files, and adjust the aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focal point for each picture.

I found the Week One of the course very difficult. There is a steep learning curve. Between that and the brutally cold and messy weather, I found it hard to stay outside long enough, and to juggle the different settings correctly to get enough photographs to submit for homework. They were rather dreadful but I know I will improve over time.

One of the assignments was to follow someone and record their day in photos. Naturally, I chose our gorgeous Nora Bedora. I edited a few of these photos for the blog but they cannot be edited when submitted as homework.

This is a typical Saturday in the life of Nora The Dog:

The day begins with a trip to Lietash Farm in South Rawdon for her Agility class.

passing the chicken house on the way to the barn.

Then an hour of working through the course.

Back home for a rest.

Then a game of Frisbee in the back yard.

(It was sooooooooo cold but Nora didn't mind!)

A snowy face post game.

Saturday night is, of course, party time.

And later in the evening - a quiet time, chewing her favourite deer antler before bed.

Week Two photos are somewhat better shot (no editing here):

It's Sweet Baboo's Birthday!

It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.

- Ursula K. Le Guin

We think you are on a pretty good trip, Lego Man. May you collect a lot of great memories in the year ahead.

And sometimes let the rest of us ride on your coat tails!