Sadly, all good things come to an end…

Well it has been absolutely beautiful, sunny day, with warm, light breezes, simply gorgeous! A great day for a new start!

But, sadly all good things come to an end.

As wordpress.com has a limit on uploads and that’s it!

I have really enjoyed my experience here with this host, however it’s time to move on.

Kittens with Mittens is signing off for the last time. 

Thanks for sharing your time and comments with me.

Here are some of the great things shared on this blog…

Since my first post on Jan 22, 2011
Project 1 -2011: One skein shawl

To this last post July 4th, 2015. There have been 617 posts, and 26,173 visitors.

I guess we covered a little of everything, the good times and one or two sad ones. Places to go and things to do. Funny things, useful things, and shared things.

Some stash diving!
Believe it or not this collection of awesome sock yarn has out grown the boxes, since this was taken. But as usual, I have a plan!

Something special things like my
Afternoon Tea shawl

And some very quick and useful projects.
The Yarn ball Cosy!

Some longterm stashbusting projects
This is my Beryl Blanket made out of odds and sods of leftover fingering yarn.

The antics of my furries
Cat inspection of the Scrap Jar (Jan 2013) just one of many jars of clippings that grace our local birds nests each year.

Some projects that made me smile.

A little Handspinning here and there. Singles Spun on my Lendrum, turned into 2 ply laceweight

I have shared my reading habit, which covers a surprisingly substantial amount of ground.
27 Books Bedside table and yes at the time I was reading them all! There is a new pile now!

A few sewing lessons; I also enjoyed giving a Bra Making class. Hopefully I took the mystery out of Bra construction, and gave you some simple tools to make your own.

Though I mostly covered knitting, this was and is something that I use almost everyday.
Assorted buttons that are really to small to be used from my button Jar :0)

Wishing you all the best. I have deeply enjoyed my time here.

I am looking for another host for my blog.

If I find one I will add the address here so you can find me.

Take care, signing off…Bye for now

Sock Knitting Machine, make your own!

Just when you’ve given up ever having a Sock knitter!

A 3D printer can be used to create this circular knitting machine.

3D-Sock knitting Machine. 

Well if you can make friends with someone with access to a 3D printer; here is an open source program to manufacture one, supply list and instructions included!

Here is a video showing it being made!

and How to cast on.

I call that awesome!

The Fix is in!

There are times when you agree to stuff and you end up thinking you should have your head examined!

A good friend at church had a little problem, that wasn’t so little. She was knitting this lovely little cardigan for her great grandchild and something went wrong.

Having sewn in one sleeve and the right side up. The other however was sewed up without the sleeve. This is were the trouble began.

I must say that this very experienced knitter is a very exceptional seam sewer! While trying to open the seam at the shoulder to insert the sleeve, things went pear shaped.

I have to admit I would most likely have thrown in the towel. While trying to remove these very well concealed stitches 3 or 4 edge stitches in the front panel got snipped. Luckily the back was fine, however a hole 9 stitches deep and 5 rows long developed… Yup! 

The final row wouldn’t come out smoothly when grafted. The stitches were too mangled. I figure a blind man would be happy to see it.Starting from the most secure stitches at the bottom of the hole, I matched the colour and patched the 10 st across, knitting the side stitches seamlessly on the right side. The 7 rows join up and lay smoothly below.
Fixing a patch against an open edge was a first for me and a little nerve racking.
Very pleased with the overall result :0)

Remember my post on mending? Well I went back and forth three sides of the hole, using the most stable stitches. The tricky part is working a patch against an open edge. Wasn’t holding a lot of hope that this would work out. 

Finished it up by fixing the shoulder seam and inserting the sleeve. Then with a long thread secured the underarm leaving 1/2 the yarn to sew the sleeve, and the other half to mattress stitch the side seam. Then returned to the under arm to continue to sew the sleeve together.

Visualize, visualize, visualize, work at it till it looks as you see it in your mind. Be optimistic and plaster a smile on your puss!

Finishing advice:

I am a great advocate of sewing knitted garments together with the outside facing you. Follow the rows on either side to make a straight and seamless line. When working a shaped edge, I lightly pin (Coiless pins preferably plastic) the front and back, then working as smoothly as possible, easy the pieces together using the closest stable stitch to fit them together. Really important to match increases or decrease where possible. This is so much easier on the front side of the work. A knitting teacher once told me “That sewing it together right side out and seam to seam, made for a better finish as you can see what is actually happening. You don’t wear sweaters inside out. If you sew it together inside out, the inside will look lovely, but the outside will look like you sewed it together inside out!”

Part of my family is Catholic, so for the each of the children’s first communions I have made them a Rosary. Only one more to go after this. Finally finished this one. Thank goodness the other side isn’t, I would have 18 more to do! The Protestant side is very prolific!

This is a Catholic Rosary for my cousins daughter. Catholic uses 5 decades of 10 beads.

I also do Protestant Rosaries. For those that are interested in this meditative prayer practice. I am considering making some for my Etsy shop.

This one is mine. Note that the Protestant version of the Rosary has fewer beads. 4 wks of 7 beads.

If anyone is interested in Rosaries, let me know in the comments and I will provide links for making and use of both kinds.

WIP List = 9

1. EZ’s Baby Surprise Jacket – Fb/Kal
2. Zuzu’s Petals
3. His/Hers Socks
4. Cabled Hood with Pockets 
5. Sea of Dreams Blanket
6. Isla lace Pillowcase edge  
7. Rose Harbour Shawl 
8. My Fair Cardi 
9. Simplicity Lace Scarf   Kal/feb2015 

FO’s 2015 = 8 + 1 = 9

WIPS 2015 = 9

Long-term Projects = 4

 Stash Used 2015 = 13

Yds of Handspun 2015 = 0

Sewing FO’s 2015 = O

Books 2015 = 5

cya next week :0)

I’m off on to my blogwalk

come join me in the blogpond :0 

I also have a Ravelry shop and an Etsy shop!

for my Literary blog, see Totally Austentatious.

It’s been 30 years

Our Wedding Day June 2, 1984

Yes my sweetheart and I have been married 30 years.

We have had both sickness and health.

It has been a good life so far, we have traveled, we have worked hard for a  comfortable place to live, and had a son we are both very proud of. We have many close friends, and are very blessed that the parents that we both brought into this marriage are still with us.

Very year, I have been more and more aware that the critical decision to say “I do” so long ago, was the best decision I ever made. 

At 23 yrs old, the age my son is now, I made a life choice that has rewarded me in so many ways through out the years.

I want to Thank my Darling Husband for being my partner in life. I hope we will be blessed with many more happy years together.

Why so many WIPs you ask?

A really smart looking car, lol

I am weird, I know. I like having a bunch of WIP’s on the go at once. Usually between 12 and 15 projects. I suspect that most of you are horrified by such a large number. I like to have a half dozen books on the go too.

• Very satisfying when a bunch of stuff gets polished off all at once.
• If something is boring me I can change gears and pick something else out of the pile.
• I also like having and assortment of difficulty levels and big and little projects.
• Small, simple projects are good for toting around to my assorted craft groups. The simpler the better to chat with. 
• Lots of projects on the go is inspiring to me.
• Things drop off and get added on, something’s go on hold or need a rethink and/or redesign.
• I never really have to wonder what to do next.
• To me knitting is a Journey not a destination :0)

Left over Cowl

Knit this section on St Patrick’s Day :0)

Old Shale Scarf – This is my Kal for March

Tweed Baby Blanket for Baby 1 of 5

After a lot of thought, I finally decided to go with denim, lime and winter white.

Inspiration:

I read this earlier in the week and wanted to share this with you.

45 Life Lessons Written by a 90 yr old Woman

WIP List = 14

1. Old Shale Scarf Kal Started Mar 14/14
2. Tweed Baby Blanket  Started Mar 7/14
3. Hill Walking Socks My design
4. Left over Cowl started feb 23/14
5. Cabled Hood with Pockets Started Sept 27/13
6. Foots First Sox My design Started Jul/11
7.  SPROUT – Growing Roots sweater 80% done started May 17/12
8. Sea of Dreams Blanket 85% done started Mar 9/13
9. Isla lace Pillowcase edge  60% done started June 18/13
10. Rose Harbour Shawl 85% done started Jun 28/13
11. Fanflower Fling  50% done started Jul 12/13
12. Butterfly’s shawl in blue – started Jan 30/14 Test knit
13. Butterfly’s shawl in red – Feb 14/14 Test knit
14. Basic Yoke Baby Sweater 2.0 started Jan 29/14

FO’s 2014 = 14

WIPS 2014 = 13 + 1 = 14

 Stash Used 2014 = 34

Ravellenic 2014 FO’s =  8

Yds of Handspun 2014 =

Sewing FO’s 2014 = 

Books 2014 = 5

Thanks again cya next Friday :0)

I’m off to visit Tami’s, then on to my blogwalk

come join me in the blogpond :0

Toronto and Rob Ford, the slow train wreak!

Picture from Toronto Islands across the harbour

Ok, I have to share my embarrassment with the slow motion train wreak that is the Mayor of Toronto. I was born and raised here. This the largest city in Canada, it is a clean, safe and an interesting place to visit. Legally under Municipal, Provincial and Federal law in Canada, a Mayor cannot be removed from office for this kind of behaviour, as much as we might wish it. Obviously this Mayor will cause a review of these policies, we have never had someone so undeserving of the honour of this position. His behaviour has over shadowed any $$$ savings and rationalizing of the cities finances, and the extensions in process to Transit systems.
Currently we are stuck with him for another year :0(

Worth sharing!

A friend share this on Facebook. I thought that the lesson was important enough to share.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles roll ed into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. H…e asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed..

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—-your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—-and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else—-the small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first—-the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

Outdoor cooking: Such a good idea!

Baking soda useful stuff!

FO Friday: The Finish Line and racing forward on a wip

Done all done! I have been working away on the Ravellenic Games 2012 for team teamcarryalongkalgals2012.

Tada, finished Wingspan in 20hrs, 53mins, with Total of 76 beads (an extra bead at the tip of the wings at the top edge) Cast on during the torch lighting, finished Wednesday night at 10:25pm EST. I might add this is only knitting time, not including sleeping, eating, trips to the emergency vet (Jack is back to his cuddly normal self), weddings, etc. For more details see the last couple of posts!

Wingspan with beads!

Wingspan with beads on 78st.

Entered as Eventcharity:

Will be donated to St. Georges Anglican church to raise funds for wheelchair ramp

Entered as Eventoneskein

of S.R. Kertzer On Your Toes 4 Ply with Aloe Vera fingering

Entered as Eventbeads:

Total of 76 beads (an extra bead at the tip of the wings at the top edge) beads progressed from 5 on the bottom of the first wing, adding one extra on the end of each wing to wing 8 and 12 beads.

Entered as Eventshawl: well shawlette

Entered as Eventstash: This yarn has been in my stash for years :0)

Since I finished this so quickly I decided to enter my

Cozy Winter Shawl/scarf

Entered as Eventwips

To enter this category: WIP Wrestling, Work on an existing project. You must not have worked on the project since May 15, 2012. (this certainly qualifies) The project should have been started by you. If someone else started the project, you should have done a substantial amount of work on it yourself before the May 15 cut off.

I started this December 1, 2011, my challenge is to get this done before August 12,2012. Embarassed to say, this is my own design, pattern is ready for publishing, object 90% done. My only excuse is no excuse lol

Oh and my Darling sweetheart bought me this

on Wednesday night, delivered today <Happy Dance>

My very own Gio-bike, it’s electric! Zero to 33 km per hr, it has a bike alarm, storage under the seat, glove box, and trunk.

Weee more trips to LYS, freedom!

If my son is good I may let him borrow her.

I am not allowed to call her “Betzy”, I need some suggestions please…

she is tealish blue :0)

Did you know we have a Garter Snake in the backyard called SSSydney, he’s ssshy…

• Untangled (10 of 10 done) July
• XL Coffee Cup Sweaters (14 of 12 done 2 sold) July
• Wingspan – ravellenic2012 July
• Cozy Winter Shawl/scarf – my design  ravellenic2012
• Knitting In Nature Beaded Moebius Kal forum july
• Easy Peazy Shawl 
• Kelp Forest Shawl (3/4′s done)

FO’s 2012 = 50 + 1 = 51

Patterns from my own Library = 5

WIP’s 2012 = 4 – 1 = 3

Stash used 2012 = 61 + 2 = 63

Stash Purchased 2012 = 69

Beryl Blanket Hexes =  48

Books = 20

Take Care and cya next Wed

for links to my blogwalk  come join me in the blogpond :0)

WIP Weds and Friday’s at Tami’s