mermaid rebirth

so, i finally heard back from the mermaid retailers. the news makes me feel like a moron, and indeed, i am most likely just that. shetland 2ply (knits as 4 ply) just meant that the two ply is equivalent gauge to a four ply, not that it needed doubling. and the missing color?? it's there, it's just only slightly different from the other color. apparently it shows it's difference in the knitted product, not exactly in separate balls. i hope i can take a picture of it that can actually show you the difference in color of these yarns. i really don't think i'm color blind, but ben noticed the difference when i put it up to the dining room halogens. sigh. i want an ott-lite.

other than that, the snow is melting away and it's above zero again. i miss the japanese bookstores and knick knack shops in seattle, and have racked up a 200+ dollar wishlist on yesasia. not gonna happen, but i might slowly purchase them and send them to my stateside friends to bring up to me. or i might go down there and pick them up. problem being that when the snow comes out i won't be going to far, sigh. i don't know how to drive in the snow, and i am not courageous enough to want to learn how, lol.

i'm planning a lil hike down to upstate new york soon. ben and i need to get out a bit. i want to stop at saratoga springs for a bagel and a visit to saratoga needle arts, then down to albany to visit some friends, then maybe down to morehouse farms for something special. when/if i get this road trip finalized, local montreal knitters let me know if they want anything from these places, and i'll try to make arrangements!

frogging sucks

so, i'm frogging the double weight mermaid a little at a time, and i must say it's more frustrating and less humiliating than i thought it would be. now that i'm over half done with the second sleeve, it's not so painful to rip apart the other work i've done on this project, however, the frogging is kicking my behind. first, the wool is a friction full shetland, which isn't impossible to frog, but the two strings together means having to pull them apart and roll them into separate balls. then there's the stripes, i have to alternate rip backs between two colors. it goes sooooooo slowly. but thank grace for my ball winder. after i separate all pieces of yarn, at least i can get them into usable center pulls... all be it several tiny ones.

elsewise, i've finished an unfinished object, a scarf for ben and i to share, only problem is i know it won't hold up to the ever popular velcro on ski jackets. velcro, i wonder if thats like kleenex or vaseline, that are really facial tissue and petroleum jelly. what would velcro be generically?

i've also lost one of my favorite mitts EVER. it's not knit, so i don't have to cry about my handcraft being forever gone, but it's the only pair i had that actually kept my hands warm for more than 2 blocks. so now, the fleece artist i bought that was for a good pair of legwarmers will become hardcore mittens. but those will wait until i have finished the socks. and that puts bens uchiha jacket farther off.

more exciting news though: I TAUGHT BEN TO KNIT LAST NIGHT! that's right, i taught him continental style, not my crazy single finger throwing way. i think continental is perhaps easier if you learn it from the begining. i can really only do it when i'm using multiple colors. oh, and when i saw taught i meant the knit stitch. we haven't covered casting on, casting off or purls just yet, though in theory i have shown him before. he took right to it though, i was exstatic. seriously, this is an excellent thing.

on such note i leave a meme spree below. oh, the entertainment!

You Belong in Paris

Stylish and a little sassy, you were meant for Paris. The art, the fashion, the wine, the men! Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park... You'll love living in the most chic place on earth.

What City Do You Belong In?

Your Hat Personality Is A

Fedora

What Hat Are You?

You Are An Iris

You are a unique woman who needs a lot of novelty in her life. An inspiration seeker, you often have to change scenery to recharge. You don't deal well with structure or rules. You need to do it your own way. Your ideal relationships are free and flowing. No one can tie you down.

What Flower Are You?

Men See You As Choosy

Men notice you light years before you notice them You take a selective approach to dating, and you can afford to be picky You aren't looking for a quick flirt - but a memorable encounter It may take men a while to ask you out, but it's worth the wait

How Do Men See You?

Guys Like That You're Sensitive

And not in that "cry at a drop of a hat" sort of way You just get most guys - even if you're not trying to Guys find it is easy to confide in you and tell you their secrets No wonder you tend to get close quickly in relationships!

What Do Guys Like About You?

ufo landing

so, let's play a little game of catch up. since last, i have finished one of the mermaids sleeves and started the other, i have started socks out of the pretty dirty pink koigu that wasn't enough to finish a tank top, gone to my first montreal knits get together, and i have managed to spread my knitting glory (benjamin might call it obsession, so be it) on most surfaces in our apartment. yarn on our desks, in bags on the living rooms floor, on the dining room table, in bags in the bedroom, a bag on the couch, a bag on the bar counter stool, a large bag in the laundry room, some hidden in the top shelves of the bookcases, oh and that whole bit 'on display' in a vase.

i love it, i can turn around and in any moment catch a glimpse of some soft bundle of love. the problem? the ufos are at an ultimate high, and if i don't get to them, it will only underline my lack of commitment and serve as fuel for the coming day (he can't be that patient) when someone might want to be able to sit down, or eat, or sleep on a yarn free surface. so i've begun listing my ufos... i'm sure this isn't all of them, but it will do for now.

*mum's mermaid finished 25 december
*dirty pink koigu "go with the flow" socks finished 28 november
*pink beaded stole for a friend
*brown lurex cropped sweater
*ribbed scarf finished 23 november
*'vintage' navy bolero
*cute j-bag
*orange sling bag
*ben's black socks finished 29 november

that's all i can remember. some i am not worried about. i will finish the mermaid (although the prospect of frogging previous work on this project is humiliatingly daunting, thank goodness for ball winders). i will finish the socks (just once i would like to make a pair that fit my feet, aka not get lazy near the end). the rest are not on such safe ground. the scarf is just silly, mindless knitting that i did on the metro, except for its too long and unruly to do that now. i will just have to take all of my more interesting projects out of my hands for an episode of six feet under and replace them with some rythmic *k1,p1* until its all done and ready for trim. the cropped sweater is a matter of biting the bullet and ripping out, for the third time, the neckline and redoing it with enough stitches... oh, and of course, it needs some sleeves. sleeves are the bane of my knitting career. the rest aren't high enough priority. when i finish the others i will reassess their status (that's hopeful, i'll probably forget after i complete one of them).

but since this is a new blog, i don't wnat to give the impression that i never finish anything. i have (thus far) survived the sweater curse, and made this lovely bundle of manly fabulousness (he didn't hear that) from rowans vintage style. it's beau in blue, and that's benjamin!

so the picture with the furry face i'm sure is not the most elegant picture of him, but it's the only one that shows the patterns simple yet effective design.

and i still have a huge desire to move into retailing yarn. i know this is probably one of every knitters dreams, but honestly i believe it could be one of the greatest sources of satisfaction in my life, and what else could one want from a career. financial security? working on that.

montreal knits was great fun. i really enjoyed watching everyone's projects, and it's nice to meet a group of like-obsessed people. it's too bad i can only make it on sundays, but, hey some is better than none.

oh my, what a mess...

!!AIYA!!

so my half finished mermaid, my joy and accomplishment for the last little while, must be foresaken. i must rip it all back. when i reached the begining of the back center gusset, i got a little nervous... i only had maybe a third of a ball of the stripe color left. this couldn't be happening. hanne's kits are clearly advertised as having plenty of wool for the largest size and then some.
when i first started the kit (the very day it arrived of course) i started knitting up a gauge swatch of the main color double stranded on the given needle size.
why double stranded?? because the online retailer i bought it from said so.
did it say so in the instructions? no, but it did say "Yarn: No. 2 Shetland..." with the No 2 in bold. this being an english translation of danish instructions, i took this as a sign of the kit dealers project description. i still had my doubts however. my swatch was not knitting up to gauge and was a little more off than my swatches normally are. i ended up obtaining gauge by using needles a full mm smaller than given.
that's not a good sign, why'd you insist on double strands? well... because one of my kits (colorway 4) only included 2 colors. the same number of balls as the colorway 7, but only two colors. the mermaid takes 3 colors, and the third color (read> the missing color) was described as "Turquoise Mix," leading me to believe i was to use one strand of each color. and indeed in the pictures turquoise mix could be just that. but if i were to mix colors that would be two strands, and there was no way i was going to knit single stranded then double stranded for the stripes... that was just silly, so it must be a double strand pattern, just like the dealer had said...
well, after scrupulously double checking the blog photographs of other mermaid knitters (namely wendy of WendyKnits and sheila of nwkniterati) i noticed only single strands. i contacted the wonderful wendy and got a response i was not so eager to hear: single strands and looks like i'm missing a color. OUCH.
so my mum's beautiful mermaid will have to be frogged and rewound into balls (thank goodness i got a ball winder not too long ago) and i'll have to have a discussion with the company i bought the kit from, because they seem to have been confused about the pattern and contents. sigh, i hope this all goes well, and i don't cry too much while watching my beautiful work be diminished. looks like i won't be surprising my mum with the prized jacket until after the new year.
more later.

first snow

as i was walking back home from an afternoon of helping my dear friend candice plan a baby blanket and shop for wool, i saw my very first official snow of the season. big, dry but sparse flakes tumbled slowly from a bright sky, and i was kind of happy. now, some people like winter... and i am definitely not one of them. i'm not used to it, and although i think snow and blue skies are pretty, the biting, nipping brutal montreal wind just about wipes any happy glimpses of the winter terrain from memory with that scathing brain freeze. even if i could see my surroundings (read> it's so cold my eyelashes freeze together from my breath), the wind would come and drill its sharp little spikes through my layered hoods and hats and scarves and just nail me right between the eyeballs. it's really quite grotesque. but, as it is november, im hoping there will still be another chilly but clear and non bitter weeks before the long months of minus zero winter begin here.
winter here brings me pain and pleasure. it reminds me that i come from a temperate climate that i still cherish and miss profoundly. it reminds me that i have to plan layers and do more laundry and try and swathe myself in lotion. but it brings out the winter accessories, a walking gallery of knit fare that i can observe being pulled off in the metro and stir my technical curiosity. i've become a much more savvy knitter since moving here. i window shop the underground malls for inspiration and a little back-scratching knowing i can accomplish what that lady at the counter paid so much for.
it reminds me there is still a reason to knit socks and leg warmers, and it isn't just fashionable. it reminds me that mittens are far superior in warmth to gloves. it turns on my fireplace, and keeps the kettle on all day. i'm sure the winter here has made me more appreciative of my knitting, it has definitely given me more time to practice it.
i came home and pulled out a package of lace weight merino for a stole for a friend. i had kept it in its box, since although the color does suit her, it was not my favorite to drudge over when tastier items (such as the beloved mermaid below) were waiting. i carefully threaded an entire 28 gram tube of plain clear seed beads onto the lace weight and cast on 520 sts. i blissfully knit the first row, knowing that that is always the most bland part for me, not with the slightest annoyance at the continual pushing back of the beads. it's sitting here on my desk and i am ready to start it, for it is winter and the bright pinks and light blues will keep the spirits up. it will be ready for the spring thaw, light enough but warm enough for april, a perky few rows at a time.

montreal restaurant review 1.0

going through my stacks of business cards and matchboxes offers me a glimpse into my love affair with food, and how it's changed since i've moved from the west coast to montreal.

i was raised by foodies, spoiled absolutely rotten by food. i must admit, unfortunately, that i did take it for granted, and did not appreciate it at certain times. i feel like this is criminal, because there are so many more who deserved my place at those tables. i have never starved, i have never been without. i'm almost ashamed of my gluttonous past...

since leaving seattle (my birthtown) i have begun to collect new sweet and savory memories of a more appreciative sort. good meals are now most often a result of excellent company, not just an excellent sous chef.

in montreal, service is very different from seattle (and perhaps generally the west coast). i could write an essay on this, but for the moment i'll leave that be. on with the review!

in no particular order (except how they appeared in my stack of business cards)

:TEHRAN
persian

5065 Boul. de Maisonneuve O. (at Grey)
514 488 0400
Metro Vendome

excellent persian food. prices have risen since another persian restaurant (can't remember the name) opened downtown. a bit less casual. no strollers sign on the door (...). i ate the kafta plate i believe, and enjoyed some of the koresht and tadik my friend had, both of which were not on the standard menu.

:CHEZ BONG
korean

B-(as in basement level) 1021 St Laurent, H2Z 1J4
514 396 7779
Metro St Laurent
Chinatown

good solid korean food, home style. assortment of grillades (bulgogi, kalbi...), soups and stews and appetizers. i have only seen 3 cold side dishes: the standard milder variety of kim chi, beansprouts and pickled radish. their dol sat bibim bap is great.

:RISTORANTE SPAGGIO'S
italian

6680 rue Sherbrooke E, H1N 1C9
514 251 1001
(this is the one i go to)

1940 Boul. St Martin O, Laval, H7S 1M9
450 978 7440

3689 Boul. St Jean, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, H9G 1X1
514 624 5353

nice generic italian at really affordable prices. their portions on certain items is rather overwhelming. i pretty much always get the tuna rare in a mushrrom sauce. i always have left overs.

:RESTAURANT BERLIN
german

101 rue Fairmount O, H2T 2M4
514 270 3000
Open Tuesdays through Sundays 17h-23h

awesome german food. a selection of schnitzels, from standards like weinerschnitzel, ones piled with mushrooms to three cordons: cordon bleu, cordon rouge & cordon vert. they also have a chefs plate for the indecisive which samples the sausages on the menu, a cordon bleu and a roulade. prices are around 15$ and up. all dishes come with sides and a great house salad. some of the main courses come with a shot of apple schnapps. extensive german beer list.

:BYBLOS
persian

1499 Laurier E, H2J 1H8
514 523 9396
Metro Laurier

nice relaxed cafe atmosphere. sunday night they serve the national dish "the dizzy," which is a great stew one drinks the broth of before making a spread out of the remaining ingredients. on a sunday night we always go for a side plate of the creamiest feta ever, a dizzy and one of the nightly specials. i have never been dissappointed. the owners are friendly and welcoming, and the after meal tea and plump date are a great way to finish it all up.

:SPIRITE LOUNGE
vegetarian

1201 Ontario E, H2L 1R5
514 522 5353

my favorite vegetarian meal in montreal. they serve a two course set meal that includes a soup and a crepe filled with a mix of veggies and legumes with usually two different purees on top. the decor is intensly saturated and pays homage to the glitter of aluminum. they practice a philosophy of not letting food go to waste and therefore require you finish your entrie meal before ordering dessert. if you don't finish dessert you will be banned form the restaurant... my dear love thinks this is food extremism, but recently enjoyed one of their meals. the portions are generally petite and their cocktails are pretty darn good. students enjoy a discount.

:TONG POR
chinese, vietnamese and thai

43 de la Gauchetiere E, H2X 1P4
514 393 9975

behold, my chinese half finds great solace in this chinatown restaurant. i can't explain what makes some chinese resto's my favorites, but this one has become just that. the salt and pepper fish is extra tasty, and they will cook items not found on the menu. the staff is extremely helpful and good natured, and the prices seem to get cheaper the more frequently you go ;)

:MIKADO
japanese

368 Laurier O, H2V 2K7
514 279 4809

5515 Monkland, H4A 1C8
514 369 3659

And another one (not listed on the business card i have) on St Denis in the Quartier Latin
Metro Berri UQAM

great cuisine. good for a night out with anyone who appreciates or wants to try sushi since it's neither too humble nor too hip for anyone. nightly specials and non sushi dishes available.

:ZEN YA
japanese

(I'm not looking at the business card, but) St Catherine O, upstairs, east of the Bay.
Metro Place des Arts or Mcgill

some of the best meals i've had in montreal have been here. must enjoy trendiness, because you may not be comfortable otherwise in the dim lighting and dark decor. service is excellent, prices are decent and the sake toro sushi is amazing... they only have one type of hot sake available, but they do have a very full bar (watch the prices there). i find making reservations for friday and saturday nights is a wise choice.

hanne falkenberg wonders

the marvelous danish knit designer HANNE FALKENBERG has put me in awe since i rediscovered knitting. her most recent style, the mermaid, is currently sitting happily in my lap in this colorway for my mother. I am nearing the centerline of the back and am surprised at how quickly i managed this. the 25/50 gauge was a bit intimidating for a jacket this size. [i had to use 2 mm needles to achieve this gauge although 3 mm were recommended (does that mean i'm a loose knitter??)- amended, see "oh my, what a mess..." ]

i also have the mermaid kit in this colorway for myself, and a dacopo kit in this colorway for my mum again. ^^*

for those interested in this (and her other projects) these are some points of interest/aide i can give you

: hanne falkenberg does not sell individual patterns, all of her designs come in kits with enough wool (we'll see about that when i've finished this medium mermaid) to supposedly complete a large. the wool is shetland, and the kits include instructions for sizes s, m & l.

: the instructions are translated from danish to english. since the danes don't babysit knitters, you should read ahead and know enough about knitting to fill in the blanks.

:the patterns use garter stitch predominantly, which produces a nice thickness to the fabric. the mermaid pattern uses i-cord and short rows extensively to make the flattering shape.

:i bought mine online (the cheapest i could find) but some lys do supply them, generally at a higher fee. if you need the hands on support or are not confident about getting through her kits alone, i would suggest you support a local retailer. as an intermediate knitter, so far i'm doing alright. reading well ahead and visualizing the concepts has saved me from having to frog more than one row.

more on the mermaid to come (read>> needs to get a digital camera)!