the dotted line

Fabric from Purl Patchwork

Amidst the craziness of unpacking yesterday, I received a little package full of the most beautiful fabrics from Purl.

I absolutely *love* these Japanese designs from Kokka:

Echino by Etsuko Furuya - Blue Birds (Kokka)

Echino by Etsuko Furuya - Grape Birds (Kokka)

Abeille (also by Kokka)

And some more fabrics that I just love:

Robert Kaufman - Funidamentals :: Denyse Schmidt - Flea Market Fancy :: Cath Derksema and Kirsten Junor - Follow Your Imagination :: Amy Butler - Pine Coriander :: Denyse Schmidt - Putty Leaf and Stripe :: Assorted Solids from Robert Kaufman

A day of waiting

While waiting for the 'cable guy' to come and set up our cable, I finally started a new project - the clapotis - I completely missed the whole clapotis craze, but I think I'll give it a go (better late than never)...I'm using Blue Sky Alpaca Silk in Ice (color 113) and size three needles. So far it looks like it will be light and airy enough for winter in LA...it's 22 degrees celsius today and feels just like summer does in Canada...it does get chilly in the evenings, but it's J-a-n-u-a-r-y - how can this be? I don't want to think about what it'll be like in August. This is for a special person who also lives in LA, but she's probably used to the winters here and may like something to keep her warm.

We are also waiting to hear about our newest niece/nephew, who is expected to arrive today - *P & C* we're thinking of you and can't wait to meet the latest addition to our family. We wish we could be there...

Our moving truck arrived, so tomorrow we get to unload it all and start unpacking. It'll be great to finally have 'stuff'...and not have to camp out in our house anymore. The move is almost over.

A day at the beach

We celebrated our first weekend in California by taking Bailey to the beach for the first time ever. After having an amazing lunch at Sambos in Santa Barbara, we headed for Ocean Park, a beach near Surf. It was the only beach we could find that allowed dogs and there was hardly anyone there. She had so much fun sniffing everything, chasing waves and getting spooked by big piles of seaweed - I think the beach may be her new favorite place. And boy, was she tired! Anyone that knows us knows that we spend lots of time trying to tire our dog out...

Knitted Purse Swap II

Here are my answers to the questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I generally use natural yarns (wool/alpaca/silk/cashmerino); I have never really knit with anything heavier than aran-weight and have never used synthetic yarn before, so I'm not sure how I feel about those...I'll try anything though!
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a needle roll for all of my straight bamboo needles, and a second needle roll for my dpn's and circulars. I used to keep them in a vase on my coffee table...and then the dog discovered them.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for about a year - my mum was visiting from Scotland and she was kind enough to teach me, once we found out my sister was expecting her first baby. Since then, I've studied lots of books and figured out lots of different techniques. I haven't quite gotten around to figuring out cables or anything complicated like that so I'd say I'm intermediate.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No
5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I love lavender & vanilla together, anything that's fresh and summery...
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Chocolate is always nice...I don't have a favorite candy though...
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I am trained as a mosaicist, so I love to design and create mosaics. I also love to sew, create my own stationary, take pictures (although *J* is the photographer of the family)...anything creative. I don't spin, but I'd like to learn at some point.
8. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Right now, I'm in love with very textural charcoal greys, blacks, different shades of white and cream. I love lots of different colors, too, I'm just not a fan of anything 'neon'.
9. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
*J* and I just got married in June and we have three pets; a beagle puppy, a fat cat and a bunny. Although sadly our bunny has had to stay in Canada during our move to California.
10. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love knitting baby clothes (especially kimono-style) as they are small enough to finish quite quickly and are perfect for learning new techniques. I think it's about time that I knit something adult-sized though...
11. What are you knitting right now?
Mmmmm...nothing...we just moved within the past week so everything is packed in boxes and is in a moving truck *somewhere* in the US.
12. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I mostly use straight bamboos, but just recently tried out aluminum circulars...it's taking a while to get used to them...
13. Is there anything that you collect?
Pretty japanese papers, fabrics and ceramics.

The move

I wrote these a couple of days ago but didn't get around to posting them...
January 16, 2007
We finally received our visas. And finished packing all of our furniture and boxes into the moving company’s truck. Then we drove 2512 km in two days. Luckily Oscar, our cat, didn’t get car sick until one hour before arriving in LA. We excitedly pulled up in front of our new home at 10 pm on Monday, and with cat and dog in tow, we made our way to the front door. Put the key in the lock, rushed through the door and flicked on a switch. But the light didn’t come on. So we felt our way through the darkness and flicked on the next switch. Still no light. Then came the revelation. I forgot to contact the electrical company upon crossing the border. I had tried to call several times before leaving but for some reason you are not allowed to call certain 1-800 numbers in the US from a Canadian phone number. So I made the mental note to call when we crossed the border. The experience of going through US customs with Bailey (our dog) howling at the official’s dog, crossing our fingers and hoping that we remembered to throw any ‘forbidden’ items out (grapes from Chile: check, meat-containing dog treats not made in the USA: check) and then going inside to have our visas approved and activated, fingerprints and mug-shots taken, and persuading the border patrol officer that that I do understand I need to obtain a permit prior to working in the USA and I really will be happy to be a housewife in the meantime was nerve-wracking. But the relief that washed over us when we were actually allowed to cross the border was enough to cloud my memory and send me off into the coziest dream-filled sleep for several hours.
Upon discovering the lack of electricity, we headed to Target to buy candles...lots of candles. We spent the night huddled together on the floor in our sleeping bags, with Oscar and Bailey as our only source of heat. This morning, with sunshine streaming through the windows, we were able to see our new home for the first time. It’s much bigger than we expected, with lots of big windows and the second bedroom is perfect for a studio/office. I’ll post some pictures once our internet is set-up. We will be without electricity (heat and hot water) until Thursday.

January 19, 2007
Yay! We have electricity AND our phone/internet has been set up!! We are finally warm and clean, and not as grumpy as we were yesterday. We are loving the California sunshine, although it gets really chilly at night. Bailey and Oscar definitely approve of their new home - we have always had hardwood or laminate floors, but now we have carpet – and carpet is perfect for chasing each other in circles without worrying about slipping or skidding, not to mention that it’s a wonderful solution for an itchy back. Oh, and the afternoon sunshine provides lots of sunny spots to nap in. We’re so glad that they have adapted so well; they have both been shuttled around from place to place throughout the past two months that we were getting a little worried about how they’d settle in. Oscar still sits by the door and cries ‘mommmeee’ whenever we leave, so nothing has changed!

I was planning on posting some photos from our trip (and of the finished baby sweater) but I tried to take a picture of Bailey and Oscar cuddling together in my sleeping bag this morning and a second later all of the thumbnails started flashing ‘corrupt file’ and then disappeared. So all of my 350 photos and videos are gone. I’m desperately trying not to think about all of the images that were lost. Especially those of when we said good-bye to all of our friends and family.

waiting for baby

Right now I'm working on a little something for the newest member of our family - we are expecting our third little niece or nephew to arrive on January 18. Unfortunately, we may not be here for the birth as we'll most likely be on our way down to California next week. We were hoping we could time the move better, but it just doesn't look possible at the moment. No doubt we will be planning a visit home to meet him/her as soon as we can! Since this is a surprise, I can only offer a little peek. I'll let you know what pattern it is and the yarn used once it's all done.

Resolutions

In an attempt to keep things simple in this increasingly complicated world of ours, these are my resolutions for 2007.

[to create]
I love losing myself in the process of 'creating' - the calmness and repetition involved in sewing and knitting, the excited rush of simply being inspired, and the chance to quietly contemplate all make 'creating' an integral part of what keeps me content and focused in all the other aspects of my life. I recently realized that my overwhelming desire to be creative is a natural reaction to other things in life becoming unbalanced and complicated. Perhaps being creative in some way every day will bring some balance and simplicity back into my life, especially during this time of transition (more on this later).

[to reflect]
I admit to being a very sentimental person - I keep everything in the hopes of capturing memories. I have always wanted to keep a journal for this reason, but despite all best intentions somehow the brand new notebook assigned to the purpose becomes littered with messy sketches and an array of project ideas scribbled hastily in the middle of the night. I love the idea of combining words and photos with the capacity of sharing them with others - I guess this is where 'the dotted line' comes in! I hope that this blog will not only be my 'sketchbook/journal/inspiration file/portfolio' but also a way to connect with others in the art + craft community as well as give our friends + family insight into our latest adventures. I am excited to see how this project will develop over time...I only hope I have the attention-span required to post regularly, so I have something to reflect upon this time next year!

[to cherish]
Now to the 'transition' that I mentioned above...In September, my husband accepted a position with The Painted Turtle, a camp and family care center for children with life-threatening illnesses created by Paul Newman's Hole-in-the-Wall Association. And after two months of preparations and applying for our US visas, we are finally ready to make the move from our home in Alberta, Canada to Los Angeles, California. A little overwhelming to say the least! We are now going through the motions of saying good-bye to all of our friends and family members...it is turning out to be a lot harder than either of us were expecting, and we are realizing just how important it is to cherish every moment you have with the people you love. Its not that we didn't cherish our our friends and families before, its just that it has become so overwhelmingly apparent during the holiday season and our own personal transition. So a note to all of our family + friends: we will miss you so much and will treasure every visit, email and phone call with all our hearts.

Perhaps these are things I'd like to live by rather than 'resolutions'...for some reason I am wary of committing to definite goals that need to be accomplished...maybe because for once I have NO IDEA what to expect during the coming year (although I am sure it will be full of suprises + adventures).

I leave you with a photo of our dog, Bailey, who is sitting on my lap at the moment, while I struggle to balance my laptop with one hand and type with the other! No doubt many of the posts on here will be written in this position.

You may be seeing a lot of her...I just can't resist those puppy dog eyes.