And I am back up and running!

Thank you all for your ideas and mac-tabulous encouragement! I have the laptop back up and running...for now...with a bigger hard drive. I will be backing up more regularly...thank goodness for ravelry, facebook and flicker...some files and pictures are still in my life:)
I am looking further into your suggestions for retrieval from the old hard drive...and shopping around for a mac...so that I am ready for when the time is right. Sadly, a fridge trumps the mac...and a stove...and an ikea kitchen. I'll put it on my Christmas list.

There has been knitting...and fabulous knitting if I must say so myself.



Once complete...blocked and with buttons...I will have a more in depth talk with you about this pattern. I will say I love it. I love the construction, the short rows and the button holes. But mostly, I love the preliminary try on's...



Just need to sew in the ends, block it and apply buttons (which I have ordered from etsy...we'll see how they work when they arrive).

Jared, you are a genius.

It's all gone...

My laptop hard drive. Gone.
All of it...pictures, patterns...yup.

Have I backed anything up? Well, not long ago, way before the summer I backed up photos. All the family photos since then....gone.

POOF.

Let that be a lesson to everyone, like myself, who don't regularly back up important files....it could happen to you.
So here I am, in the dungeon on the desk top that spontaneously shuts down when you are working on it...getting my knitblog/ravelry/internet fix.
Sure I have pictures, but the easy-pop-the-card-into-the-laptop-to-upload thingy is not on this contraption, so you have to wait.
I've decided to replace the hardrive, which is the most cost effective choice at the moment. I'm surfing for a mac...refurbished thanks to Karen. I can't wait till I cross to the other side...away from the pc over to mac...
soon my friends...soon.
But for now, take a moment and remember the old hard drive...and what was one it...cause I have no idea.

Let's recap...

Firstly...the shawl turned out absolutely unbelievably gorgeous. It felted perfectly and blocked out and I saw her draped on a manni at the KW knitters show. I took a horrible picture with my cell phone...it just won't due. I will go out to Shall We Knit this week to photograph it....you NEED to see it finished.

Next up the Terry Fox Run. I did it! I think I am still recovering..but I did it. I stopped in the 4th k to walk a bit and drink some water...but when the 4yr old passed me...I was back at it! I can't believe I ran it and completed the 5k. I am hoping I will like running now?! Well, maybe, atleast it is a little easier now. Thank you all for your support, I look forward to next year. Our family raised over $4000...just think of what next year will bring!

Now the knitting. Dad's socks are complete, but not blocked...waiting for a little package for that;)
What else is on the needles? Jared's Redhook...



This is a little birthday gift I picked out...thanks mom and dad! I have made it through the ribbing, the st st and decreasing...now to the arm holes! Still working on my diagonal ribbed sock...at knit and chats etc. I've knit some mini mittens and have some manly mitts on the go...more to come on that. Things are moving along.

I don't know why I haven't posted on this FO...but here it is!



Pattern: Tweed Baby Blanket by Jared Flood
Yarn: Zara...a beautiful machine washable merino wool. I ended up using 5 balls of the beige and 2 balls of the brown. If following the pattern as written, you would need 6 and 3.
Started: July 31, 2009
Finished: August 11, 2009
Adjustments: Well, I subbed in yarn, and I had problems with yardage. I ended up ripping back the edging and just "making it work" for what I had. It all worked out in the end.



The Zara blocked out wonderfully. It was the perfect blanket for a friends new baby boy:)

So things are slowly getting back to "normal". I am trying to get out to knit and chats...and getting a little knitting done as well. Hopefully I will make more time to blog about it...but for now, it's getting late. I've got a full day tomorrow...maybe we'll chat later in the week:)

Was there any doubt...

that it would turn out as gorgeous as this??!!??



Pattern: Shibori Solstice from Lost and Found
Yarn: Alchemy Silken Straw (4 skeins of each of the 4 colours) and Alchemy Sanctuary (4 skeins)
Started: August 29, 2009
Finished: September 9, 2009



Yes, I worked into the wee hours many nights and even worked on it in the morning of the day it was to be delivered! But I got it done...it will be quite a show stopper at the Knitters Fair.

Keep in mind these photos are pre felting. Shibori is a method of knitting that has partial felting to it. Sometimes the same fiber is used and objects...like marbles are tied in so that the felting can be manipulated. Other times, as in this example, feltable fibers and non feltable fibers are used. Silk and wool. I can't wait to see it felted and blocked!



This is definitely a one of a kind knit...if you would love to get your hands on one, kits will be available at Shall We Knit.
See you at the fair!

FYI notice the purple is gone from the room! No more purple rug, purple wall and purple flower border...now it just a gorgeous Hazy Skies! Haven't got to window treatments yet, hence the window reflections in the photos behind me:)

Knitting Marathon

I might have bitten off more than I can chew on this one....



I am feverishly knitting away on a shibori solstice....and there is a deadline. Well, I knew the deadline and agreed to take it on. The big KW knitters fair is on this weekend and this needs to be finished, felted, blocked and dried by saturday morning. So I really should drop this off for felting tomorrow.
TOMORROW!!!
I know, I know, I won't be stoned or shunned from the knitting community if I don't finish...but I need to finish it on time because I'm just like that.
This is knit from alchemy silken straw and alchemy sanctuary. 20 skeins. 20 SKEINS!!! The silken straw is doubled...so it's not so bad.
I love knitting with the sanctuary, it is just a fabulous yarn. A little silk and a little merino, the perfect blend. It just glides across the needles so smoothly...like butter.
The silken straw has gorgeous sheen and drape. It evidently will soften even more with wash and wear. A word of caution though, the plies are kind of just laying together...not really any twist. Use blunt needles so you don't split the plies...trust me on that one.
I am more than three quarters done the border...and it's 8:30 at night...not many knitting hours left.
My husband just says "shouldn't you be knitting?". Hey, my poor little hands need a break!
So, I am just about done this little marathon. 9 days, little sleep, a lot of garter stitch. You all better make your way over to Shall We Knit's booth and ooooohhh and aaaaahhhh....just for me!

Speaking of marathon...this weekend is the Terry Fox Run...and this year I am attempting to run the 5K. My training (yes, I need to train for a 5k, yes, that is very sad) is not going well at the moment, seems I've picked up a head cold (thanks to my nephew Nick, I am pretty sure)...which is moving into my chest. I will attempt to run again tomorrow...of course when my knitting is done:)
If you haven't donated to a great cause this year yet I would love your support! I am running in memory of my sister Maureen who lost her battle with cancer just over 2 years ago.
My donation page is HERE.
If you are out of donations...just think of me and wish me luck! I'll update you next week after the run.