Falling Leaves...(or "leafing" it behind)



The leaves have started to fall, the lentil soup is warming on the stove, the gas fire has been fired up a few times already ( thank God it is not coal) and warmer clothing is required in the mornings. The knitting needles have been clicking along and queues of projects are now stacked high. Did I mention my talent ( or stupidity) was multi tasking - well the projects include the knitting garments that I have started and the queued up items which are all organized and just ready to pick up...mmmmm.  I have the "Ravelry" site ( http://www.ravelry.com/) to thank for some of this as that is how I started to get organized and took off from there.



Bowl of Cherries
My Favourite





$2.99 at Liquidation place for
organizing my cross stitich projects

 The Cross Stitch items are also organized - I bought these little bags (See pic below) for $2.99 each at the liquidation place and they hold my unfinished or new projects. The side pockets hold your pattern/ picture, scissors, magnifying glass etc. I think they were meant for scrapbooking but seem to fit with my cross stitch needs and beats the plastic bags that I keep rummaging through. Over the years I have spent an inordinate amount of time and energy hunting things down that I have bought/ picked up to start when I am ready and then trying to pull it together later the time goes by before I have done anything productive. This time I have it sorted, you might say. A few threads need to be replaced for items that I just love to stitch and seem to make it into the queue often.  Of course like the knitting projects of old ( which started this whole thing) my cross stitch items are ones that have been hibernating and I want to finish ( I will post them to give me some motivation to get them going again) maybe "The Starry Eyed Stitcher" will give me a bit of a push to keep going...or tell me to dump them. Just looking at her finished projects (which she does all the time) makes me want to stitch 24/7. Check out her blog at the right and you will know what I mean.

In all of this clean up and organization ( it does look nice now) I also found a rug hooking project that I had started at a course and is not quite finished as I lost the material to complete it.  I am now reconsidering this as I would like to include my genealogy ( another project of old) into a rug that "says something".  I also found a magnet business card with the information that I need to get in touch with the teacher /business and follow this through ( are you dizzy yet...I am).

I went to the Knitting Show at Bingemans in Kitchener on Saturday with a knitty friend which makes it so much more enjoyable and after a full afternoon at the show we went in search of yarn that we couldn't find there. At the show my friend bought a fingerless glove pattern with cables on it that looked really interesting.  I bought yarn and pattern for Lanaknits "Little Cutie Twist Hat" ( http://lanaknitsdesigns.blogspot.com/ )also on Ravelry - which I thought I could knit up quickly on the weekend.  However there was a mistake in the pattern and I couldn't find the 4.25mm double edged needles it required (I used 4mm). I emailed regarding the problem I had encountered and got a quick answer but once you go through that it sort of throws you off and you are less interested in getting it done.  I will pick it up again. It is a lovely little hat and the yarn is beautiful in Esme's favourite green colour.  I loved the linen yarn that was displayed at several stalls at the show and the scarf/shawls that were knitted up in this soft linen in beautiful colours an dinteresting patterns. Although I have knitted very few items for myself ( maybe 2 in my lifetime) I am thinking this may be something I want to do for myself.  Also, there were many women ( read knitters) there sporting their finished projects like sweaters and wraps and I think that is fabulous.  People were also very friendly and eager to share.  All in all a good show.

I am 75% through Euans green aran sweater...it should be finished but I keep tearing it out as I am not concentrating fully on it.  I watch T.V. talk to the kids etc., then realize I am too far ahead of the pattern or have included a stitch that shouldn't be there.  I have the pattern down in my head now and that is not always a good thing.

I started my Colour Theory class for Interior Decorating this week and so far so good, as they say.  We have an amazing teacher and I had such a good time I forgot to pick up my homework...oh well!  this looks like a great class and only one sample board required for the final project- we had 4-6 boards for the last class....but I loved it! This will be my fifth course out of 11 courses.  They have changed the electives and now include Autocad ( I am in) and you only need two electives now instead of three....so this was all good news...what a pleasure.

...oh and did I tell you I am  now taking an interest in photography, but I will need a better camera. Check out the blog "A friend to knit with" at the right ...I liked the 365 project where you take a picture a day for 365 days (one year) but I need to focus on the story here....I do get complicated as I think it must be more...I must give more.

Iris

Time to get down to business and leave all of that dysfunctional behaviour behind and become more productive...multitasking - knitting, cross stitch, rug hooking, interior decorating...photography maybe and of course not to forget my botanical watercolours.  I am missin gsome in teresting classes/ work and great people there...hope to get back soonest...after the leaves have fallen.