2013 Year in Review: Happy New Year!

I was looking back at my 2012 year in review, to remind myself what my goals were for 2013. Haha, I was so far off! I managed 15 FOs, and 5 designs. Not my most productive year, by a long shot.

Here are the FOs:

Vertical Columns, from left to right: Column 1: Brixter, Sunnyside Baby Cardigan, Rosewater Pullover, Pei. Column 2: Lilacs for Lila, Striped Tank, Moonmist Legwarmers, Mudra cuff. Column 3: Pemba Mittens & Headband, Fairy Mist cowl, Forest Floor hat, Baby Chucks. Column 4: Solaria, Creamsicle Tee, Aerie Scarf. 

And here are the patterns:

Clockwise from top left: Aerie Scarf, Lilacs for Lila, Hedgehog Love Chart, Pemba Mittens & Headband, Fairy Mist cowl. 

Update: The patterns for Aerie, Fairy Mist, and Pemba Mittens and headband were spcial designs for the 2013 Tanis Fiber Arts Year in Colour Club. They will all be available later this month for purchase.

2013 was a strange year for me, with lots of adjustments. I went back to work after my maternity leave in March, adjusted to working full time with Lila going to daycare, and trying to fit in knitting time and designing time in and around work and my little family. We went to Bristol, London, and Paris. And last but not least, I published a book of poetry, something I've always wanted to do. But yet I don't feel like I really lived up to my potential in 2013, you know what I mean? So I'm going to lean a little heavier on the throttle in 2014. I think I've got it in me to push a little harder.

So, my knitting goals for 2014? I'm going to try to do another 6 designs, including a sweater of some kind. And I'd like to get 20 FOs in 2014. And also, I want to revamp the blog a bit- I think it's time for a refresh. That's what the new year is all about, right? How about you- do you have any knititng related goals for 2014?

Wee Wednesday: Merry Christmas!

After the sort-of-disastrous Christmas card photo shoot, we decided to use a great family we shot we got in early November:

I think it worked out! And at least I got the Christmas cards out on time. 

For those of you that don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you enjoy the peace and quiet of a mid-week long weekend. And those that do, I hope you're having a blast. Here's a few moments from my Christmas so far:

Clockwise from top left: my parent's Christmas tree, my new reindeer pajamas (thanks Jen!), ice-coated branches form Toronto's recent ice storm, lovely red poinsettias (I adore poinsettias), the birthday card my husband gave me (December 23rd is my b-day) and some vintage ornament highlights from my parent's Christmas tree. 

I hope that whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you take a moment or two to appreciate the things around you that bring you joy. For example, one of my joys would be this little monkey here:

Happy Holidays everyone! 

Wee Wednesday: Christmas Card Photo Fail.

Recently, we decided to  attend a little Christmas lights festival, and take some photos. I was hoping we'd get a great family photo with all the pretty lights, and send it out as a Christmas card this year.

But then real life happened. It was that classic moment where I had a vision of us frolicking in the fairy-light-filled trees and getting amazing photos, all joy and family love. I said- 'we'll just get someone to snap a photo of us!'

I apparently live in an imaginary world where everyone knows how to use a DSLR. But I now know that isn't true at all- in fact, most people do not know how to use a DSLR. And those that do, well... Lila had other plans:

From left to right: Lila wants to run around and not be held for a photo; one of the people we asked to take a photo didn't tell us that her hat was covering her eyes, and then more of Lila trying to get away from me and run around... 

From left to right: I have no idea what she is looking at, but it certainly isn't the camera; we changed locations in hopes that might work, but all we have is this shot where Lila sees something else interesting, and possibly tasty-looking; more blurry shots of a wiggly toddler. 

She is just a busy little person on the go, and doesn't quite understand the whole 'smile for the camera' thing, so is often rather confused as to why we're standing still and what is going on. It's quite the change from the cooperation I had for last year's card.

This was the best of the bunch:


but Lila's got crazy toddler eyes. So Guy decided maybe he could fix it in Photoshop:

So. Much. Worse. We're going to have to go with a plan B, even though we're rapidly running out of time to get Christmas cards out! The holiday season just totally snuck up on me this year. 

Happy Halloween!

Our neighbours had a little kid Halloween party on the weekend, And Lila rocked her little leopard costume. It was really cold that day, so she has lots of layers underneath, but she had a great time. They had toys and decorations, and we all brought some kid-friendly fare (and some clever adults brought some grown up hot apple cider for the parents!). Lila picked up a shovel at the playground, and insisted on carrying it everywhere the rest of the afternoon. She seemed to genuinely enjoy her costume, except when we tried to put mittens on her. Because apparently leopards can carry green shovels, but they don't wear mittens.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Date Night Idea: An Evening at the Art Gallery

Everyone always talks about how important date nights are once you have kids.

But the trouble is, we really just want to sit on the couch and veg out in front of the TV- me with my knitting and Guy with his internet. Our last date night consisted of going to Home Depot, eating Subway sandwiches for dinner, picking up a baby gift for a friend, and then sitting in a cafe for an hour, feeling tired and wishing we could go home. But we felt guilty for wanting to go home, and also like we'd be ripping off the babysitter if we came home so soon. That is not an unusual way for us to spend a 'date night'.

So we decided to shake things up a bit and actually do something that people who were not married/cohabitating (and therefore HAD to go on dates as a way to spend time together) would do. We went to First Thursday, an evening event that the Art Gallery of Ontario puts on in the evening on the first Thursday of every month. And guys, it was FUN. It felt like a date- I wore a nice dress and there were bars and art and quiet corners to kiss in.

The fox-print dress is a a light summer dress (a birthday gift from a friend, but I know she got it at ASOS- the link is here, but it is out of stock).  To cozy it up for fall, I'm wearing it with a sheath dress underneath, and my awesome upcycled Anthropologie inspired cardigan. This was the first time I've tried the 'belted cardigan' look, but I think it works- I would do it again.

Also, this cardigan seems to go with everything, true story. 

The First Thursday event actually lets you wander around the galleries (most of them, anyway) with booze and food. The food they had on offer that evening: cronuts (seen above), fish and chips in tiny personal sized boxes, deep fried mac and cheese. It wasn't healthy, but it was delicious! 

 There were some cool new photography exhibits, and somehow part of the fun of First Thursday involved people dressed up with weird masks wandering around and perusing the art. Oddly, it does add a little something to the fun of the evening, though!

There were loads of people there, but yet it never felt too crowded. Guy and I have agreed that this date night was the most successful of all our post-baby date nights, and we will continue to go to First Thursdays. This was actually energizing, and fun, and stimulating, and beats the pants off of errand-running and obligatory dinners that we're too tired to actually enjoy. 

Wee Wednesday: How Summer Flies

Ah, summer 2013. It was good times:

Most of these were at a friend's cottage. The frog in the photo is actually really tiny- less than one inch in length! And that final photo on the right, Lila is laughing and screeching with happiness. Although it's sort of hard to tell in the photo. 

These were taken either at/near our home or near my parent's home in Sudbury. Lila loves ribs, and the display counter at Tim Horton's! 

That's not our pug, that's a very sweet pug belonging to a neighbour. Mr. Pugsley and Lila are BFFs.  We also made the most of farmer's markets, the little zoo on Center Island, and every pool we could find. 

It feels like we made the most of summer, but that it's gone by all too quickly. We were able to get out a lot to parks and even a small zoo, and spent time at a friend's cottage, and as much time in the water as possible! Lila s getting bigger and more vocal all the time, she is less like a baby and more like a little toddler now. Lila had her second MRI a few weeks ago, and  we recently got some good news- the brain lesion has not grown at all, so they'll just continue to monitor it. If it stays this size or shrinks, it won't impact her at all, so this was the kind of news we really wanted to hear!

Reduxi: Book Launch and TTC Knitalong

My book launch for Tangle went very well, and it's a nice relief that it's 'out there', although when it's in stores and available on line, that will feel like it's totally out there. There are some photos on instagram, although I wish I knew beforehand that you can't right click on instagram photos (at least, I can't right click on my phone, and the photos didn't originate on my camera phone, since I'm in most of them).  If you'd like to see them, search #tanglebooklaunch. But a friend came out and has just blogged about it, so check out Loulou's blog for some shots!

We couldn't find a sitter for Lila that night, so she came too! She was super well behaved, although stayed up waaaay past her bedtime. I thought for sure she would fall asleep, but she knew a good party when she saw one.

I participated in the TTC Knitalong again this year (In the last 4 years, I've only missed last year's, due to having a tiny newborn at the time), and had a blast. I'd love to say I remember to take lots of photos, but I don't- I get dazzled by all the yarn, and the chatting, and the interesting knitters, and the knitting, and did I mention the yarn? But here is my haul:

The fabric basket was a wonderful little gift I won in the draw for the knitterly goodies at the end of the TTC Knitalong, which was donated by Ewe Knit.

The yarn specs:
I got a skein of Americo Abrazos in a deep  fuchsia, and a skein of Llama lace in a lovely grey. Both of those are going to become shawls or scarves. The deep rust is Cascade 220, and going to be a fox hat for Lila this winter.  The white and lighter fuchsia is Cascade Ultra Pima cotton, and going to become an Aquae Tank, and the butter yellow Berroco Weekend is going to be some Wrap Me Up Puppies. Now, if only I could cast on for everything all at once!

Almost an FO: How to Submit to a Knitting Magazine, or, Lessons Learned

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I'm getting very close to finishing a new Wildflower Tank, and I'm loving it. there's something so buttery soft yet cool making a summer knit in 100% silk. I'm hoping to wear it on July 20th, when I participate in the TTC Knitalong here in Toronto (I'm on Team Fair Isle)!

What's been very interesting about the process is that I'm knitting it from the pattern in the magazine Interweave Knits Spring 2012, which was pretty different from what I originally submitted. For those of you who have not submitted to a magazine before, let me share with you the key points of what I learned along the way:

Disclaimer: I sent them a schematic and photos based on a finished knit I created, and they accepted it, which is not their customary process. The official process is to submit a swatch, sketch, and details of your prospective design. Then they agree to take it, send you the yarn, you write the pattern, grade(size) it, and send them the sample. So some of the mistakes I made were due to me bucking the system. My first piece of advice is to not buck the system if you are just starting out.

1. They finished knit cannot be a stitch different from what you wrote in the pattern. Seriously, not a stitch. I sent them the finished sample, but in knitting it, there were a few things that I thought would improve either the knitting experience or would make for a better fit, and wrote the pattern accordingly. They told me that it wasn't their practice to do this, and they had a tech editor rewrite the entire pattern based on the sample. You read that right- the entire thing.

2. Tech editors are using the spreadsheets for sizing. You might want to learn about this process now, to help yourself out. I took a very useful course on Craftsy about this, and although it is pretty dry stuff, it's extremely valuable.

3. It's not customary to get your sample knit back. So if you're hoping to one day have your  knit back so you can wear it again, be upfront about that in the contract stage. Keep in mind that if they provided the yarn, they might say no. Magazines can have trunk shows, too!

4. Remember that even though the knitting world is big, its's also small. We're all in this together- the magazines are trying to put out the best issue they can, with the best patterns they can get, with the best of intentions. If you don't like the experience, or don't think they photographed your knit in the most flattering way, or whatever, do not complain on the internet. People remember that stuff. I have never criticized Interweave, mainly because I don't think they did anything wrong, it was all me; but I've seen people venting about certain publications on twitter and on their blogs, and it makes me cringe a little. It's funny how we feel like we're having a private moment because we're at home, in our pajamas, doing our own thing; but the internet is a very public space.

A pattern in IK was a huge learning curve for me, and I was so embarrassed by my lack of understanding of the process that I actually haven't submitted to a magazine since (I am convinced the tech editor thought I was a blithering idiot). When I get embarrassed, I hide. But lately I'm thinking more and more about designing, and I think it's time to get back into the saddle.

Tangle Book Launch Thursday

It's been a long time coming, but this Thursday marks the launch of my first book of poetry- Tangle. It's not yet available for online purchase (although is available for pre-order on Amazon), but will be soon. In the mean time, the only way to get a copy for the next few weeks is if you swing by my book launch this Thursday! If you're in Toronto, I do hope you can make it. You can read a couple poems here, and here.

Even if you aren't sure what your feeling on poetry might be, come by and say hi, I always like meeting knitting buddies in real life!

Update: To answer the question about my name on the book, it's my maiden name. Crawford is my married surname.

HuffPost Live!

It was a bit sudden, but yesterday I was asked to participate in a Huffington Post Live chat about 'Low Key Weddings', since I'm always game to talk about my $5,000 wedding.  It was me, a recently engaged bride-to-be from Maryland, and a wedding planner couple from Seattle. It was fun!

You can check out the segment here, but the same video is posted on their partner site, AOL, and it's a much cleaner video to watch:

I bob my head around a lot. Consider yourself warned! 

London, and New Goodies

We had a very short stopover in London, just before we flew back to to Toronto:

I had the opportunity to meet up with Allison, who used to live in Toronto but now lives in London (lucky girl!). We met up for coffee, pastries, and a cruise through John Lewis and Liberty's haberdashery departments (she also very kindly took photos 4 and 6 in the above). We were originally planning on going to Loop, but it was much further away and more than a little awkward to get to with a stroller... so I'll have to save it for another time. But I did pick up some goodies:

Wonderland was purchased at John Lewis, buttons and measuring tape are from Liberty of London. 

Wonderland is a great little collection of stunning kid's knits, I'm really impressed with how stylish and lovely they are. And I like that they have a good size range (2-7 years old), I feel like if I don't get around to knitting some of my faves for a little while, it's okay.  I'm definitely going to make the Lovisa cardigan for Lila, as it features three buttons and will be perfect for my new Liberty buttons. A big thank you to Allison for making time to up and tour me around, it was fun!

Paris, and La Droguerie

 My favourite photo from Paris.

Towards the end of our trip, we spent a couple days in Paris- because really, if you're a short train ride away, why wouldn't you?! We had an amazing time. The food, the sights... ah, Paris.

I even had an opportunity to go to La Droguerie, one of the better known yarn and haberdashery shops in Paris. And.... it was an epic disappointment. And not just because one of the staff berated me for taking a photo. It's a very pretty shop, but it is not customer-friendly at all. Even if you speak fluent French (I had some help with the fluent part, I went with someone who was). The yarn that you see in the store is only display yarn (and it is a modest selection, but with a good colour range), so you have to ask someone to get you the yarn that you would like. Except you don't just find the nearest staff person and they are able to help you, you have to hover near the yarn (they provide benches for you to sit on), and wait. And wait. And wait. It is apparently the norm to wait around 45 minutes for someone, even if you can see three staff members at the back of the shop near the swifts chatting with each other. Even if the woman at the cash register is sitting right there by the yarn, in a booth. I assume that this is clearly a cultural difference. Obviously it works for them, or they would change it. But I left empty handed, and that was disappointing. They do have an impressive button selection, though. And it looked like you had a better chance of getting service if you were only buying buttons.

 It's okay, though. Who goes to Paris for the yarn, anyway? And it was the only down moment of the whole trip- otherwise I found that Parisians were generally quite friendly and helpful, and the food was spectacular. Plus that photo of Lila on Guy's shoulders with the Eiffel Tower in the background pretty much just made my year.

Bristol UK, and the Giveaway Winner

And the winner of the ISLAND pattern giveaway is....... Retha! congrats, Retha. I'll be in touch to get your mailing address.

Guy, Lila and I are in England for a bit, visiting family. I love Bristol, Guy's home town. The food:

The street art:

 

And just generally hanging out as a family: 

 We're going to be heading to Paris and London soon, so more photos to follow!

Wee Wednesday: New Booties and the Christmas Market

I started a Facebook page for Knitted Bliss last week. It's pretty brand-spanking new, but there will be sneak peeks and extras in between blog posts. Maybe there's even a sneak peek up there right now....
 

Swedish Market 

Distillery district lights

We've been attending some Christmas-y events around Toronto lately, namely the Swedish Christmas Market and the Distillery District Christmas Market. I have a thing for Christmas markets, it seems. I love the decorations and little stalls selling mulled wine, ornaments, and gifts. There is music and a chill in the air, and it's totally okay to drink your body weight in hot chocolate. What's not to love, really!

I also cranked out a new pair of Lila's booties over the weekend, this time in a lovely Jewel tone to match her bonnet. Ravelry project page is here.



I can't believe Lila is almost eight months old, time is going by so quickly! I'm so crazy in love with her, she's so smiley and happy, and every day I feel an immense sense of gratitude. How did I get so lucky? There we were, walking around the markets and taking photos, I was watching Guy and Lila and I thought,  that's my family. The man I love, and our precious baby. And they are all kinds of awesome.

Ravellenic Games- Fail.

For the first time since the Ravellenic Games/Ravelympics inception, I couldn't finish my knit in time.

My parents were on vacation during this time, and I went to spend a week in Sudbury with them, so they could spend extra time with Lila. They were a great help, but even with all the extra support, the very real truth emerged- my knitting time is nowhere near what it used to be, or what I've imagined it to be.

I took it pretty hard, to be honest. I had been working on a new design and put it on hold for a couple weeks believing I could dash off this lovely sweater in the alotted time, since I've always been able to complete a sweater during the Olympics before.  But as the closing ceremonies began, and I had neither a finished design nor a completed Ravellenic Games sweater, I felt like failure. I cried. Because this was the clearest signal since little Lila came into the world- my time is not what it used to be.  Not in a bad way, but in a new way that I still have to adjust for. I'm not sure how I'm going to do that, but it's definitely something I have to mull over. And be much more realistic about how long it takes to knit or design something these days.

Next Ravellenic Games, I'll tackle a smaller project. Maybe it'll still be a sweater, but it'll have to be a Lila-sized sweater.

Sad News

Our beloved hedgehog, Bruce Quillis, passed away. It appears to have been a combination of age and her weight (the vet said our hedgie was at a higher risk for fatty liver disease because she was not so into veggies but was very into mealworms, which is the hedgehog equivalent to a cheeseburger). Also, we bought an older hedgie that needed to be re-homed, not a young baby hedgie.

I talked to BQ every day, taking care of the daily needs and just generally checking in. I'm  in the habit of looking over at the cage every time I pass by, and it breaks my heart to look at the now empty space. Guy cleared away her cage, wheel and toys while I was sleeping to spare me the painful task. He also buried her in the garden under a tree. Oh yeah- turns out Bruce was a girl, not a boy. that was a news flash at the vet office a while back!

Goodbye, Bruce Quillis. You were much-loved.

Wee Wednesday: The New Normal

Lila is 7 weeks old, and she's already outgrown her tiniest onesies, which makes my heart twinge a little. I can already tell that it's true what they say- it goes so quickly.

Lila at one week

I find that everytime I spend time with family and friends, they look me straight in the eye, and ask, very very seriously, "How are you doing? How are you adjusting?" The truth is, I'm doing great. I feel like I've got away with murder- an easy pregnancy, a relatively easy birth (Lila was breech; I had a scheduled c-section after we spent weeks trying everything to turn her), and a healthy, trouble-free baby. I'm genuinely happy, and doing really well, which is fortunate. I know that's not true for every new mom.

The days feel really small now- hours slip by so quickly, and I eat most of meals over Lila while she is nursing (yes, my baby has crumbs on her). But I conciously choose to focus on the best parts of my day, like dancing around the kitchen with Lila to music to calm her fussy periods,  the way she feels snuggled up in my arms, her hilarious and ever-changing facial expressions, her sweet baby coos, her supercute parade of onesies. Don't get me wrong- Lila stubbornly resists sleep like it's her mission in life, and does not get anywhere neear the 14-18 hours total in a 24 hour time frame, not by a long shot. She also thinks baths and diaper changes are torture, and must be met with heavy screaming. But I don't dwell on any of the challenges. Sure, fatigue is part of it, but I can remember loads of times in years past where I stayed up late on a worknight to see a concert, catch a midnight movie, etc. I knew I'd be tired the next day, but the experience was worth it. I feel the same way about Lila- yup, I'm tired, but man, is it ever worth it.

Lila at 7 weeks. Do not let these sleeping photos fool you- it's just the only time I have two hands to take her photo is when she's sleeping!

Introducing Baby Bliss!

G and I are very pleased to announce the birth of our little bunny, Lila (like lilac, the flower) Somerset (the region in England where G is from) on April 16th. She's only a day old in this photo, but I think she looks a lot like G! Then again, look how she's a ham for the camera, so maybe that's how she takes after her mom (work that bunny hat!). I have no idea why one eye is a little more closed than the other in this photo, both her eyes are the exact same size. Maybe it's a little wink at the camera.

And here she is coming home from the hospital:

I pretty much put her in that bunny hat every chance I get. Newborns are cute, but newborns in bunny hats make entire elevators of jaded hospital staff smile their biggest smiles.

Hedgies Like Yarn, Apparently

Here is a cute little video (barely over 30 seconds) that G took of Bruce Quillis wandering around the coffee table last night. I have a decorative wooden bowl of yarn balls that I use as a coffee table centrepiece, and apparently Quillis was quite taken with it!



The stripey thing is Bruce's special flannel blanket. G tells me that Bruce was licking the yarn and very interested in trying to get in there- I had already gone to bed (see the time on the cable box?! waaaay past my bedtime), I was sorry to have missed the live show!

Happy Anniverary, Love

Today G and I are celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary, I can't believe how quickly it's already gone by! And it's only another 8 weeks (give or take) until we expand our twosome to welcome our baby girl.



Happy Anniversary, my love. You are without a doubt the best husband I ever could have imagined for myself, and I wouldn't change you for the world. You're going to be such an amazing dad to our little pot roast, and I can't wait to see how we grow as a couple when we welcome her into the world.