Even though it's knit with 1200yds of fingering weight yarn, the yarn is held double - so I only knit 600yds. This is the green yarn Abi and I dyed together. I call the finished project Ebb and Flow, but the pattern is called Undercover.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
mail grumble
Even though it's knit with 1200yds of fingering weight yarn, the yarn is held double - so I only knit 600yds. This is the green yarn Abi and I dyed together. I call the finished project Ebb and Flow, but the pattern is called Undercover.
Happy Fathers Day
Hope all the dads I know had a great day with their kids today.
We went to the beach. Played in the sand and water. Saw a northern water snake (see second snake at link) cross through all the kids to the other side of the beach. Got ice-cream. And I rode in the back of the wee Corolla between a car seat and a booster seat.
Back in the city we picked up some beers, popped in some limes, and barbequed some steaks and potatoes. By "we" I mean Robin.
Pretty good day I'd say.
We went to the beach. Played in the sand and water. Saw a northern water snake (see second snake at link) cross through all the kids to the other side of the beach. Got ice-cream. And I rode in the back of the wee Corolla between a car seat and a booster seat.
Back in the city we picked up some beers, popped in some limes, and barbequed some steaks and potatoes. By "we" I mean Robin.
Pretty good day I'd say.
Friday, June 17, 2011
"I want sugar before bed"
We enjoyed a fun-filled day yesterday.
Started at the beach at Pinehurst Lake conservation area, which is a short 30 minute drive from home. (30 minutes provided that you take the non-scenic route...)
We were going to go after lunch, but the forecast was promising thunderstorms in the afternoon (liars!) so we left earlier. We were having so much fun we stayed until the last minute when we had to get Maxwell home. The beach is soft and sandy. It's small, but on a weekday during the school year it was empty. The lake is natural and spring-fed. The water was lovely. The temperature outside was only 21 degrees or so and the sun was playing peekaboo behind light clouds. Not so hot that I wanted to swim (it takes a lot to get me swimming) but I did wade in it with the kids. The kids spend the day wading, building sand castles, catching minnows, and just generally running around. We met up with some other homeschoolers there (how I learned of the place) and another family was there too. At the end of the day we joined the new friends for ice-cream at the nearby convenience store accessible from the park. It reminded me of St. Malo (back in Manitoba, where we often camped and went to the beach as kids) because for a little money you get a whole lotta ice-cream! It's an incredible deal and I don't know how they make a profit. As an added bonus they add a gumball inside the cone (I opted out, but the kids love it!) because apparently that's how it's done where the owner is from in Nova Scotia.
As Maxwell accurately pointed out, beaches and summer and ice-cream go together well. We played with all the variations of what makes one think of the other, leading to the third. The ice-cream was a fitting end to the day.
Except that it really wasn't the end of the day for Abi and I. After dropping Maxwell at his home we went home to prepare for a potluck that evening. I baked perogies. Easy-peasy contribution, but oh-so-delicious and I think they were a nice compliment to the many tasty dips and the burgers. I had accidentally been left off the discussion e-mails about the group event until the final tally of who was attending when people realized I hadn't responded. Ooops. So I only learned of the potluck the night before. Turns out it was also a birthday party, but I didn't know that until we arrived. It just means I wasn't prepared with a "gift", but it was present-free. The birthday girl received a book of "coupons" from friends of the "will help with X" variety. So I've sent along my written "coupon".
On our way to the potluck Abi and I were talking and I mentioned how it certainly was a special day of fun for her. She corrected me. "No, mommy, it's not a special day of fun, it's a special day of TREATS!" She was convinced there would be cookies at the potluck (there were not), and a day with cookies AND ice cream is certainly a special day of treats. Yes, she was like the proverbial kid in a candy store, and for obvious reason.
Anyhow, there was cake. It was around 8 before we were ready to light it up. There was just so much yummy food to be eaten that it was hard to think of cake. As the cake was being cut, after singing happy birthday, I facetiously sang "I want sugar before bed" while dancing with Abi. Silly me. Abi began to sing - more seriously of course - "I want sugar before bed" over and over and over. There were plenty of kids on site and they were running around in the yard - burning off sugar. We lured them home with parting balloons. Abi and I both crashed last night. Relatively early for me and relatively late for her (10pm by the time teeth were brushed, etc).
Started at the beach at Pinehurst Lake conservation area, which is a short 30 minute drive from home. (30 minutes provided that you take the non-scenic route...)
We were going to go after lunch, but the forecast was promising thunderstorms in the afternoon (liars!) so we left earlier. We were having so much fun we stayed until the last minute when we had to get Maxwell home. The beach is soft and sandy. It's small, but on a weekday during the school year it was empty. The lake is natural and spring-fed. The water was lovely. The temperature outside was only 21 degrees or so and the sun was playing peekaboo behind light clouds. Not so hot that I wanted to swim (it takes a lot to get me swimming) but I did wade in it with the kids. The kids spend the day wading, building sand castles, catching minnows, and just generally running around. We met up with some other homeschoolers there (how I learned of the place) and another family was there too. At the end of the day we joined the new friends for ice-cream at the nearby convenience store accessible from the park. It reminded me of St. Malo (back in Manitoba, where we often camped and went to the beach as kids) because for a little money you get a whole lotta ice-cream! It's an incredible deal and I don't know how they make a profit. As an added bonus they add a gumball inside the cone (I opted out, but the kids love it!) because apparently that's how it's done where the owner is from in Nova Scotia.
As Maxwell accurately pointed out, beaches and summer and ice-cream go together well. We played with all the variations of what makes one think of the other, leading to the third. The ice-cream was a fitting end to the day.
Except that it really wasn't the end of the day for Abi and I. After dropping Maxwell at his home we went home to prepare for a potluck that evening. I baked perogies. Easy-peasy contribution, but oh-so-delicious and I think they were a nice compliment to the many tasty dips and the burgers. I had accidentally been left off the discussion e-mails about the group event until the final tally of who was attending when people realized I hadn't responded. Ooops. So I only learned of the potluck the night before. Turns out it was also a birthday party, but I didn't know that until we arrived. It just means I wasn't prepared with a "gift", but it was present-free. The birthday girl received a book of "coupons" from friends of the "will help with X" variety. So I've sent along my written "coupon".
On our way to the potluck Abi and I were talking and I mentioned how it certainly was a special day of fun for her. She corrected me. "No, mommy, it's not a special day of fun, it's a special day of TREATS!" She was convinced there would be cookies at the potluck (there were not), and a day with cookies AND ice cream is certainly a special day of treats. Yes, she was like the proverbial kid in a candy store, and for obvious reason.
Anyhow, there was cake. It was around 8 before we were ready to light it up. There was just so much yummy food to be eaten that it was hard to think of cake. As the cake was being cut, after singing happy birthday, I facetiously sang "I want sugar before bed" while dancing with Abi. Silly me. Abi began to sing - more seriously of course - "I want sugar before bed" over and over and over. There were plenty of kids on site and they were running around in the yard - burning off sugar. We lured them home with parting balloons. Abi and I both crashed last night. Relatively early for me and relatively late for her (10pm by the time teeth were brushed, etc).
Thursday, June 16, 2011
For Nana
I've created a monster! Actually, I think I can blame the nice senior lady who gave Abi her "free donut" prize when I was going to cash in a "free coffee" prize a couple months ago. Abi of course had to choose her own donut then.
And she's not a monster, but I do get flashbacks when I see her with a donut - to my own donut days as a kid and mom's horror when I would eat an entire Big Mac as a kid. Yep, Abi and I can eat. Personally I go for the chocolate donuts.
Also, do you like her shawl? Still one of my favourite pieces. I found one of my childhood hairclips to hold it shut - the dogs. I think it's the hound dog from that Disney movie about a dog and fox. I find that metal hair clips with the wire back that pops over a metal ball - not the snapping kind - make great shawl pins.
A little more Abi for Nana in the form of a not-so-exciting video from the same day. Abi walking down hill on the way home. After a bus ride - and that's always exciting for her. Just a little bit of Abi being Abi.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
an exchange
Sharing some love from this morning.
Abi came downstairs, dressed and more awake than me - with my coffee in hand.
Abi "I like you mommy". Kisses me on cheek.
I kiss her back.
A: "No, you're supposed to do it like this - I like you Abi. Then kiss my cheek."
I do that. Then it's her turn again.
A: "Then we wipe it off and do it again. It's a game."
I love "I love you/like you" games.
So much better than "don't kiss me! Take it back!" lol. Taking it back involves giving another kiss. Win-win for me. Shhhhh.
Abi came downstairs, dressed and more awake than me - with my coffee in hand.
Abi "I like you mommy". Kisses me on cheek.
I kiss her back.
A: "No, you're supposed to do it like this - I like you Abi. Then kiss my cheek."
I do that. Then it's her turn again.
A: "Then we wipe it off and do it again. It's a game."
I love "I love you/like you" games.
So much better than "don't kiss me! Take it back!" lol. Taking it back involves giving another kiss. Win-win for me. Shhhhh.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Friday Fun
Our day started like this:
We found tent caterpillars along the road on our way to Monarch Woods.
Enjoyed looking at unique growth and plants in the woods (aka the "jungle" or "rainforest" as the kids like to call it). Brought along some field guides to wild flowers and "weeds"/native plants.
(note to self - finally identified this flower as Dame's Rocket. Edible.)
Had to look at the caterpillars some more on the way home.
Abi and I had no interest in touching them, but our friend Maxwell thought it was great fun. We found a few on the ground too, to crawl on Maxwell. Rescued one caterpillar from certain death as it was crossing the sidewalk towards the road.
Our day ended with too much all you can eat sushi. Abi even agreed to try vegetables again (ie, an avocado and cucumber maki roll), but she still opted just to eat the rice and seaweed instead. Then she tried one of the spicy salmon rolls and liked it. She also loved the shrimp tempura. It seems we have another seafood lover in the house.
Our day ended with too much all you can eat sushi. Abi even agreed to try vegetables again (ie, an avocado and cucumber maki roll), but she still opted just to eat the rice and seaweed instead. Then she tried one of the spicy salmon rolls and liked it. She also loved the shrimp tempura. It seems we have another seafood lover in the house.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Burgundy, Teal, Copper
What an exciting morning of colour fun we've had. I had three hanks of yarn that needed to be dyed for a special project. I wanted one to be handpainted, one solid, and the other to be solid or semi-solid (but changed my mind after using this dye).
Given that my blue food colouring (in the little drop shaped bottles from the grocery store) is leaking and I'm low on food dyes, I decided we'd try out the Wiltons paste dyes today.
First things first, I started the three hanks soaking in vinegar water this morning.
After Abi woke we all headed out to Bulk Barn to choose some colours.
Our friend Maxwell who was helping us dye chose the colours. Burgundy, teal, and copper. We all know what the special project is and that helped guide our decision.
At home we started by mixing up teal in the slow cooker to leave one hank cooking while we moved on to hank number two.
This was the fun hank! Hand-painted in all three colours!
After painting we wrapped it up in the plastic wrap and have left it to cook in the hot sun.
Meanwhile, the teal was setting nicely and ready to be rinsed, rolled in a towel and stepped on, and laid out to dry.
The teal and the hand-painted will be held together double to form the main body of the project.
There was still a fair bit of blue in the pot, so I freshened it up (by this point the kids were too hot to help as was the pot) and decided to immerse half of the third hank. I noticed that the paste colourings were being absorbed as a solid colour and since the third hank will create a border, I didn't want just a solid colour. This yarn will be held double using both ends.
And that's where we are by 1pm. Here are a couple of sneak peeks at the hand-painted while it's cooking in the sun.
Edited in the evening next morning (when the blogger uploader was finally working) to show the final yarns drying:
Given that my blue food colouring (in the little drop shaped bottles from the grocery store) is leaking and I'm low on food dyes, I decided we'd try out the Wiltons paste dyes today.
First things first, I started the three hanks soaking in vinegar water this morning.
After Abi woke we all headed out to Bulk Barn to choose some colours.
Our friend Maxwell who was helping us dye chose the colours. Burgundy, teal, and copper. We all know what the special project is and that helped guide our decision.
At home we started by mixing up teal in the slow cooker to leave one hank cooking while we moved on to hank number two.
This was the fun hank! Hand-painted in all three colours!
After painting we wrapped it up in the plastic wrap and have left it to cook in the hot sun.
Meanwhile, the teal was setting nicely and ready to be rinsed, rolled in a towel and stepped on, and laid out to dry.
The teal and the hand-painted will be held together double to form the main body of the project.
There was still a fair bit of blue in the pot, so I freshened it up (by this point the kids were too hot to help as was the pot) and decided to immerse half of the third hank. I noticed that the paste colourings were being absorbed as a solid colour and since the third hank will create a border, I didn't want just a solid colour. This yarn will be held double using both ends.
And that's where we are by 1pm. Here are a couple of sneak peeks at the hand-painted while it's cooking in the sun.
Edited in the
Friday, June 03, 2011
More Green Dye
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Friendship and bugs
I love this video of Abi and her friend enjoying a snack together. Abi adores all of her friends - and she has many. Just today we spent a good 3 hours at the playground as new friends came and left.
Note that Abi is randomly asking about bugs in the video [for those reading this on FB you'll need to click over to the original post].
Note that Abi is randomly asking about bugs in the video [for those reading this on FB you'll need to click over to the original post].
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Many bugs
Abi started the spring with a bug phobia. I'd warn her that summer=bugs. Then she started liking some bugs. Except anything that flies. Again I'd have to remind her that summer=bugs-that-fly-past-you. She especially doesn't like "bees" (which can be any number of yellowish flying bugs) and I remind her that Bees - especially the big ones we see in the flowers - are more interested in doing their own thing, like finding pollen in flowers.
She tells me all this now. She's less likely to freak out when she sees a bug. There is definite progress.
Then today I cracked up laughing.
I was singing
Summer time...
and she started echoing
Summer time...
I continued
And the living is easy....
She continued
And there are many bugs.
That was good for a belly laugh.
In other news a mysterious package arrived in my mailbox, for me. Unlike the last time I received an unexpected package, this one has a return address and customs stamp (from USA). Inside was a slice of a long spiral shell strung on a cord to wear. After much pondering I suspect my sister ordered this for me and it's arrived as a belated birthday gift. I had bought such a shell pendant years ago at a Festival. When V saw it she wanted it. So I gave it to her - because I love her and because I figured I could get a new one at the next fest. No such luck on the last part. I'd mentioned that to V last time I saw her wearing the shell, I think. I'm actually happy I gave it to her because she wears it all the time and I wouldn't have. I just don't wear necklaces as often as I once did.
I'm still waiting to confirm if I am right about the gift.
Abi was quite jealous that she didn't receive anything in the mail. She wondered aloud if maybe someone might send her a package. Who? I asked. Oh, I don't know. Maybe my Uncle Robbie.
She has this thing about Uncle Robbie. I don't know what it is. She's met him only a couple time and for short periods. She knows her toy cat was a gift from Uncle Robbie, but it's not as if it's her favourite toy. She has no favourite toys. Nevertheless, she talks about Uncle Robbie often and how much she loves him. (Oh, and she's never received a package from Uncle Robbie. I'd have thought she'd guess Nana - she sends plenty of packages - or Corey.)
So, Robbie, you've got some mighty big shoes to fill when we move home!
At home we decided to make her a necklace. The result was a lot of sead beads on the carpet in my office...
She tells me all this now. She's less likely to freak out when she sees a bug. There is definite progress.
Then today I cracked up laughing.
I was singing
Summer time...
and she started echoing
Summer time...
I continued
And the living is easy....
She continued
And there are many bugs.
That was good for a belly laugh.
In other news a mysterious package arrived in my mailbox, for me. Unlike the last time I received an unexpected package, this one has a return address and customs stamp (from USA). Inside was a slice of a long spiral shell strung on a cord to wear. After much pondering I suspect my sister ordered this for me and it's arrived as a belated birthday gift. I had bought such a shell pendant years ago at a Festival. When V saw it she wanted it. So I gave it to her - because I love her and because I figured I could get a new one at the next fest. No such luck on the last part. I'd mentioned that to V last time I saw her wearing the shell, I think. I'm actually happy I gave it to her because she wears it all the time and I wouldn't have. I just don't wear necklaces as often as I once did.
I'm still waiting to confirm if I am right about the gift.
Abi was quite jealous that she didn't receive anything in the mail. She wondered aloud if maybe someone might send her a package. Who? I asked. Oh, I don't know. Maybe my Uncle Robbie.
She has this thing about Uncle Robbie. I don't know what it is. She's met him only a couple time and for short periods. She knows her toy cat was a gift from Uncle Robbie, but it's not as if it's her favourite toy. She has no favourite toys. Nevertheless, she talks about Uncle Robbie often and how much she loves him. (Oh, and she's never received a package from Uncle Robbie. I'd have thought she'd guess Nana - she sends plenty of packages - or Corey.)
So, Robbie, you've got some mighty big shoes to fill when we move home!
At home we decided to make her a necklace. The result was a lot of sead beads on the carpet in my office...
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