Thanksgiving, here I come...

I had such plans for a bigger, better, more photo-filled post - but, well, I am leaving in a few hours for Kelly's home in Wisconsin, where we shall yarn/wine/latte crawl, celebrate Thanksgiving, and venture out on Black Friday for some shopping...

and I don't even like shopping!

I'll be back, photos and stories a-plenty, on Sunday - Happy, happy...

Shocked and Saddened

This just came in on the Knit U list:

"Monday, November 19, 2007
Dear KnitU Members,

It is my sad duty to let you know that our List Aunt Gail McHugh passed awa=yFriday after a short illness.
For those who may wish to do so, the funeral home web site has a guest bookto sign and virtual candles to light for Gail. I think it would mean a lot to Gail's sister if the members of our list were to visit the web site and add a candle.
The URL is:www.keefefuneralhome.com

Speaking to XRX CEO Benjamin Saturday, Gail's sister mentioned that the knitting charity in New Orleans that Gail and Dez Crawford were working on was very special to Gail. She suggested that if knitters wanted to honor her memory, that she was sure that Gail would want people to remember the work that KnitU was doing for the Covenant House:http://www.covenanthouseno.org

Here is the address as well:
Covenant House New Orleans611 N. Rampart St.New Orleans, LA 70112

A little later today, our List will be passed to the capable hands of a newModerator, Anne Claxon, a long-time member of KnitU, probably now known to many KnitU members as the person in charge of sifting the KnitU posts on behalf of the Tips & Tricks section of the XRX Athena Database. Anne is very aware of our traditions as a group, but she will certainly need your assistance as she begins her task. I hope you will join me in welcoming her as we all begin the difficult task of adjusting to the loss of Gail, someone who has been a part of our lives for such a length of time.

With my deepest respects,
David Xenakis
List DadKnitU"

I have been a Knit U member possibly since it's inception, and had occasion to email Gail personally several times over the years about topics ranging from Stitches events to both of us walking around with wool samples stuffing our bras to try them out for softness.

I am shocked and so, so sad - I don't know what happened to Gail but she did such a phenomenal job of running Knit U, I just can't imagine it without her...

Reality Check...

So I started this sweater last year?, maybe the year before - in any case, the poor thing has been languishing because in an unusually cocky move, I failed to check it as I knit and instead of having a nicely shaped neck, with the same number of stitches front and back, I was in fact knitting the Quasimodo special...

I have been frantic with desire to knit something for ME, but I don't yet have the right needles for Thermal although I have the yarn, and I don't have the right yarn for a wrap ballet-type sweater although I have the needles, and I just don't have the requisite brain cells right now to even attempt the Dickinson pullover from the Fall '07 Interweave Knits - so I thought I would revive Quasimodo, and try to make him mine...

I tried it on, and I think I may need to re-measure myself... a little reality may be in order here. I am not a small person, never have been, just not my destiny. So, I always tend to knit big, buy big, way big - always large or x-large. I am slowly coming to the realization that bigger may not always be better. My sons rolled around laughing at me, swathed in this massive wooly partial garment, and suggested that maybe I should check the size again. For once, I agreed, and I am now in the process of undoing entirely what has been done, and starting over again. In a smaller size. And you know what? That makes me utterly happy! I have to size down!

I have also cast on yet another Wonderful Wallaby, this time for my youngest niece, who just had a birthday. I am particularly happy about this one because I am using stash yarn, purchased some years ago from one of Cherry Tree Hill's New Year's sales - the colour is absolutely perfect for Jackie, with her white-blond hair and clear blue eyes. The only catch will be my sister-in-law, who prefers acrylic for ease of washing. This is not acrylic, but I am hoping she'll be so taken with the colours that she won't mind.

Some absolutely lovely stuff in the mail this week - this from Wendee at Hazel Knits, which she and I both agree would look fabulous together as the Chevron Scarf in Last Minute Knitted Gifts, as well as some of her gorgeous stitch markers, two of which may well become earrings - I love them that much! Oh, and please note the detail - I found my macro (kinda like my mojo, I guess...)!!

More to follow - I am off for a haircut, where I will enjoy another reality check as we observe the creeping in of the grey...

I think I'm not too wild about this whole reality thing...

We Remember...

and we thank you...

Never believe your own press...

I am smarter than 98.48% of the rest of the world.
How smart are you?

although I must say that I'll take it as a bit of much-needed ego stroking for today...

Happy, happy

Criss Angel and Harry Houdini hope you had a sincerely spooky Halloween
-
they did...

Since last we spoke, I have been witness to sites only seen in Toronto:
- it's hard to make out, but there's a guy walking with a canoe on his shoulders, under the new Michael Lee Chin Crystal at the ROM.

I have appreciated the juxtaposition of old and new

I have accompanied Ben's grade 6 class to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, where we enjoyed lunch under the bomb bay of a Lancaster plane, and I experienced the best field trip ever!
(Yes, Ben is trying to look thoughtful, perhaps even pensive, here)

I finished and sent off my Sock Wars weapon

Project: Sock Wars sock, "Scar" Pattern

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Mini-Merino - from STASH!!

Needles: 3.5mm

Started: October 13, 2007

Finished and Mailed: October 27, 2007

I have cast on new socks, hopefully for myself, using absolutely scrumptious Dream in Colour 'Smooshy' sock yarn purchased from Connie at Pick Up Sticks, in the Happy Forest colourway I am not a green person, but I cannot tell you how deeply I love these - the subtle variations in colour are just wonderful - I may have to wrap these socks around my head so that everyone can appreciate the depth of colour...

I have made yet another trek to the magic stores in Toronto with my sons, and found this label on a box, which opened up a whole whack of interesting questions.

And because we felt touristy, we also took pictures of a billboard I have always liked,

found at the corner of Queen and Bathurst...

I hope I never outgrow my touristy side...

now I must de-Halloween the house before we go to see Jerry Seinfeld's new film, Bee Movie - I love Jerry Seinfeld with all my heart, because he makes me laugh - please, Jerry, don't disappoint me...