Friday, August 29, 2008

A Giggle

Elizabeth mentioned that she found my last post ‘sad sad’. , I thought I’d follow it up with something that gave me a giggle this morning.

I’m starting to realise who Iain is turning out to be most like…




…She is black and white with four legs…

And, just so you aren't worried that I'm too sad, Iain and I are off to New Minas today to pick up some dog food. We are also going to keep driving right onto Gaspeareau Valley Fibres for some SEX (that’s a Stash Enhancement Expedition for those of you not in the know. I realise that my in-laws occasionally read this blog…). I have a list. Wish us luck!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Stunned As Me Arse

She hates me. Yes, it’s true, there is no denying it. The Knitting Goddess hates me. Mind you, perhaps it’s too much to expect a Goddess to save you from yourself.

I managed to finish that lovely second swatch I told you about - no mean feat in this house and I like to think I was entitled to feel a little thrill of accomplishment considering what I had to do to get it finished. After all, one more swatch meant one closer to the goal of actually starting my bolero (I usually knit three swatches per ‘large’ project so this meant two down and one to go). It was only after I had finished the swatch, bound it off, washed, blocked, waited for it to dry and started measuring that I realised I had a problem. I had gotten a gauge of 18 sts/4” on 4mm needles before and I need 20 sts/4”. I was measuring 17.5 sts/4” on the new swatch.

Picture this, Fibreholic bent over the dining room table with the measuring tape and a screaming child at her knee because he wants that measuring tape (and I quote here, “Aaaaaaaaa!”. That’s Iain for “Give me measuring tape NOW!”), all the while muttering to herself something like,

“1, 2, 3…17.5. 17.5? How can it be 17.5? I got 18 stitches yesterday. How the hell can I be going up? Unless….aaaak! Ga! Argh!”

Instead of going down a needle size, I went up. Really, I should have realised something was up yesterday when I typed “usually I knit looser than the gauge called for in a pattern...” This is why I swatch, right?

Go me.

In other news, our cycling trip this coming week has been cancelled due to an increase in DH’s workload. No, I’m not happy about it. The ‘guilt’ flowers look nice though. We are going to head to Kejimkujik (see if you can say it!) National Park for Saturday and Sunday night as they will likely be the last camping weekend we have in the near future. Every other weekend this month is already spoken for. One of the few good things I can think of as a result of not going to PEI this weekend for a week of cycling (sob!) is that, with the way I’m knitting swatches, I could not in good conscience take bolero yarn on the trip to work on as I do not yet know what needle size I’d need to accompany me. Yeah, sure. That makes me feel loads better.

I Be Swatchin’



Elizabeth mentioned a few comments ago that I must be very patient as I knit swatches. I had to laugh out loud, ‘Patty’ and ‘patient’ not two words you’re likely to often see in the same sentence. I am not patient. At. All. Just ask my family. They can tell you all about it. The only thing that makes me knit swatches is that I hate a sweater that just does not fit more than I dislike knitting swatches. And, after swatching recently for something else, I realise that my swatching process takes a week as it takes me that long to knit a swatch, wash it, wait for it to dry, realise that my gauge is off, and start all over again.

The nice thing about this current round of swatching is seeing the colour play of this yarn. Isn’t it lovely?



I knew it was going to be nice but even I am impressed with how darn purdy this fabric is going to be.



I managed to get my skein wound into, somewhat, passable yarn cakes. My ‘swift’ (two chairs back to back) was being unreasonably difficult.



You may have noticed the little note on the completed swatch. Usually I just write the needle size and the gauge I got with that needle. In this case, as I was using a set of Addi Turbos which I am not used to using, I decided to add that information as well. There is every likelihood that the ‘slipperiness’ of the Addi’s threw my tension off as, for the first time since Moses was a baby, my swatch is too small. I’m usually a very loose knitter (don’t tell anyone. The neighbours already have too much to talk about, what with me out putting yarn in trees to take pictures of it) so was very surprised. Then again, the yarn may have shrunk. Regardless, I’m now knitting up from a 4mm to a 4.5 mm needle. I’m hoping to have a decision before we leave at the end of the week. Stay tuned.



Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Supply and Demand

Ever since he became mobile (at 7 months old or so), Iain has been helping me with the laundry. We have a front load washing machine and it is the perfect height for him to reach in and grab wet laundry. He then proceeds to ‘hand’ them to me – 90% of the time I catch whatever it was he was holding before it hits the floor.



He is also very helpful with the laundry baskets. He is quite indiscriminate about what he hauls out of the baskets - clean or dirty - he doesn’t seem to care. He does have an affinity for one item in particular: dishcloths. Hand knit dishcloths to be specific. I took a couple of random shots over the course of the day to show you what I mean. So interested is he in dishcloths that, when Mudder and Fadder visited in June, Mudder commented that I simply must be cleaning too much because Iain was so preoccupied with ‘scrubbing’ everything down with his very own dishcloth! Mind you, after being here for two weeks, I’m pretty sure she changed her mind about the fact that I might be cleaning too much.


I used to have a plethora of hand knit dishcloths. The grandmother of one of my BF’s (BF = Best Friend) used to knit them for her. BF doesn’t like them (yes, I know but wait. This works out for me in the end) and offered a thousand or so to me. Naturally I said ‘yes’ and got the lot. It’s taken years to wear them out and I use them All. The. Time. However, even hand knit dishcloths must have an end date and most of mine have already met theirs.

Sometimes, knitting is not just about the sumptuous yarn, the gorgeous pattern, the recipient of a special gift. Sometimes knitting is all about supply and demand. In this house, the demand is certainly there. Now I need to increase my supply so that both Iain and I can have dishcloths of our very own.

Note: Don't ask about the wires above Iain's head. They are there, they shouldn't be, none of them are 'live'. 'Nuff said.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A Visit to Fort Anne

The week after we got back from our Newfoundland holiday, when I was still on a ‘get Iain in the car at least once a week’ kick (that quickly fell by the wayside immediately following…), I decided to take Iain on a day trip to Annapolis Royal and the Fort Anne National historic site. We are blessed by living in this area for many reasons but one reason is the variety of beautiful historic sites within an hour drive of us. Annapolis Royal and Fort Anne are no exception.

Perhaps I should say right up front that I did not significantly increase my knowledge about the history of Annapolis Royal and Fort Anne on this trip. It was such a gorgeous day and Iain and I were both in such a good mood that we spent the afternoon enjoying each other’s company and being generally silly. Therefore, my increase in educational information will have to wait for another trip. I did learn that Fort Anne was called ‘Acadie’ (Acadia) by the French and Nova Scotia by the British. I should have known that before but it seems that this fact escaped me. Port Royal (now Annapolis Royal - I think I've got that right) was the seat of government for Acadie/Nova Scotia for some time. It was also the Fort Anne commander who saw the expulsion of the Acadians from the Annapolis area in 1755 – something I had learned during my many visits to Grand PrĂ© but it was interesting to visit the site itself as it was a prime trading location for the Acadians.

One thing I did wrong on this day trip was forget Iain’s hat and his sunglasses. He’s wearing my hat in this shot, as well as his ‘just got out of jail’ outfit.

“Look, Mommy! A cannon!”


Part of the fort wall at Fort Anne:
The view from the walls above (if you turn around) if, you know, you were a soldier with enough time on your hands to enjoy that sort of thing:
This shot is very typical of the dyke-land beauty built by the Acadians.

Ready to walk through the wall at Fort Anne. Note the hat is no longer on his head. It was a fight keeping it on the whole day:

I neglected to take pictures of Annapolis Royal itself which is a pity as it is such a picturesque little town. I guess we will just have to go back.

Am I knitting? Why, yes! I’m knitting swatches for the Yogini Bolero. Thanks so much for your opinions regarding using my yarn with the Yogini pattern. Ah, I love other knitters!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Problems With Fibre

First of all let us all wish a big, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MUDDER!

And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIL!

I have to admit to some false advertising here at Chez Fibreholic. Not intentional, I assure you, but poorly planned nonetheless. Remember that Nova Scotia mohair I offered up as a prize? Well, let me tell you a story. A farmer’s market (a first for Middleton apparently) started up here earlier in the summer and, every Friday afternoon that we’ve been in town, we have attended. We have also, every Friday, admired the mohair at one of the local farmer’s booths.

When Iain and I dropped by the market two weeks ago, the mohair table wasn’t there. No biggie. Some vendors are unable to make each and every market afternoon so I wasn’t concerned. This past week, it was the same thing. That’s when I started to get anxious. This past Friday, it was the same. By now, I’m hyperventilating. After all, I need mohair for a prize! I promised! In a panic, I spoke to a lady who is often sitting with the mohair folks. She said that the mohair family are back visiting England. They have been away for two weeks already. Likely, they will be for at least another two weeks. Be still my palpitating heart.

So, here is yet another confession from me. Fibreholic isn’t able to come up with the mohair goods. I hope the following will suffice…..(head hung in shame):
As to who will receive which box of goodies well, I have to leave something a surprise!

Next, allow me to introduce you to another problem with respect to fibre. Gorgeous, no?

Yep, I think it is pretty spectacular too. It’s a worsted weight (as least I believe 20 sts = 4” translates into worsted weight yarn) Fleece Artist hand dyed special. It is comprised of 450 metres (490ish yards) of 60% Donegal lambswool and 40% silk. Although I simply love the colourway and the yarn itself, I am completely stumped as to what to do with it. It has been sitting in my stash for years. It managed to survive my pregnancy purge (although another skein just like it (different colourway) did not) when even as little as a whiff of wool sent me running to the nearest bathroom. I really like it but, what should I do with it?

I found the Yogini Bolero pattern over at Knit and Tonic that I really like and thought might work. However, I have realised that the yarn the pattern calls for is a ‘light worsted’ yarn and I’m not sure my problem skein fits that category. My first favour of this post (if you completely disregard the fact that I messed up my contest prizes and my first favour could be construed as begging forgiveness…): what do you think about using my yarn for the Yogini Bolero? Is my yarn too heavy to work? The gauge and needle size for both the pattern and the yarn in question is exactly the same, by the way.

My second favour: if the pattern I found doesn’t work out, do you have any other pattern suggestions? I was thinking of a bolero or a shrug or something of that nature. I have checked Ravelry but, well, I guess I can admit this too - I got tired of looking.

I’m going to go and knit up a swatch for something else while I wait for a lightening bolt wonderful idea to hit me from the blogosphere. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Drum Roll, Please….

There was a contest draw at our house today.

The basket was primed:

The baby was ready:

And, in the name of wool, I present to you the winners!


The names are laying on a wool carpet. There is something just right about that, don't you think? Abigail can be reached over at 1870 Pearl My Life in Stitches and Jersey is blog free.

Congratulations to both of you and thanks SO much for participating in this contest! I now need some more personal information (aka your full names and mailing addresses) so that I can send you your pressies. Please use the email address on my sidebar and send me your details privately.

Hosting this contest was a lot of fun. It was great to receive so many great big ‘hello’s’ from so many people in the blogosphere and from so many different parts of the world! It was very exciting for me to have so many people participate. This was a great way to meet new friends and I look forward to reading your blogs as well. It’s too bad I can only get organised to host one of these types of events a year but hopefully you will be back again next year for a similar feature. I’d love for you to continue to drop by and have a read.

Hopefully the big winners do not mind their parcels not being brought to the mail until early next week. I want to take pictures of the booty for other enquiring minds before I send them off. So you do not feel too disappointed, I will tease you by saying that the quantity of loot in your prize parcel has been growing…

Thursday, August 21, 2008

It’s My Second Blogiversary!

Happy blogiversary to me!
Happy blogiversary to me!
Happy blogiversary, dear Fibreholic,
Happy blogiversary to me!

Yep, today is the day. And you all still have until midnight to enter my contest. Iain and I will draw names for the prizes (there are still two but there have been booty increases…) sometime tomorrow. There may be a slight delay in me posting the winner’s names as Iain has a pretty busy social schedule for a 13.5 month old. All of his friends turn one within eight weeks of each other. Therefore, we will be preparing to attend and then attending a party until sometime tomorrow afternoon.

I cannot wait to post the winning names. Stay tuned and, thanks very much for participating in the contest. It’s been great fun so far!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Butt Groove

Oooh! I love hosting a contest! I'm meeting so many neat, new knitting people. Don't forget to check out my contest post here - only two days to go to enter!

Ever since Suzanne posted about her butt groove location (and I believe she held a contest about it too, no? And I am blatantly stealing Suzanne's DH's name for her knitting spot. Let me know if I'm in trouble, Suzanne!), I've been wanting a butt groove location of my own. At the time, I was very pregnant and we were about to move. Those two realities did not lead me to developing a true dedicated butt groove location. Truthfully, there were not many places that I could sit comfortably, let alone develop a butt groove. Then we moved and people, let's face it, it takes a year or so to really move into a place as far as I'm concerned. Then there was this little issue of a newborn...I'm sure you're catching where I’m going with this. Creating a butt groove location has been a bit of a challenge.

We are just entering the stage where Iain is going to bed at more regular hours so that I can, dare I type, actually sit and knit for 10 minutes at a time. Be still my beating heart. That fact, coupled with another small house addition, are quickly making my butt groove location development a reality.

Lookie what entered our house two weeks ago…woo hoo!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

More Knitting Books (And Another Contest!)

Egads, two blog posts in a row! Here are my thoughts on the other knitting books that I purchased from Knitpicks recently.

A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting by Cat Bordhi is a bit of a liberating book. I’ve spent all this time trying not to get a twist in my yarn when joining and working in the round. This book is all about Moebius magic – that twist that you usually try and avoid. It is also all about fulling which I am becoming more and more interested in. There are some pretty cool projects in this book. If you like cats (are there any knitting bloggers that don’t like cats? I guess some people may be allergic…), there are cat beds and some fine cat beds they are. Some of the projects I’m most interested in are her felted bowls – there’s a Tri-fold Knitters Bowl that I’m dying to make. She has also added a chapter or two on some really pretty sling bags. I’m really pleased with this purchase too.

Now, before the rumours start flying, let’s talk about Expectant Little Knits: Chic Designs for Moms to Be by Suzanne J.E. Tourtillott. I am not pregnant therefore it is a bit of a mystery as to how this particular book made it to my book shelf. However, like I remember maternity clothes from the 1970s (aka the tents my mother wore), I was keen to see the types of maternity knitting that is available. This is a great book if you knit faster than, say, a nine month (yes, I know, it’s actually ten months) gestation period. The styles range from clingy and sexy to lovely, draped fabric. I particularly like the Goddess Tank (it's the first one on the right pages 1 - 4 if you click the 'view more images' tab from the book link above), the Cowl-Neck Nursing Sweater (aha! That could be one of the reasons I bought this book!), and Anne’s Tunic (top right pages 9 - 12 if you click the 'view more images' tab from the book link above). Any of these could be knit for the not-s0-pregnant knitter.

Check out Darcy's blog over at Darcy's Knotty Knitter. She has a gorgeous cable knitting necklace up for a contest prize (and they are also for sale if you don't win) and the deadline isn't until August 28th so you still have plenty of time to enter! And, please, send her some 'get well' thoughts. Darcy is feeling a little under the weather.

Today was another giant leap in my motherhood journey. Today was the first day that I had to fish a ‘what the hell is making that noise?’ out of the washing machine. My darling boy had added a plastic bowl to the mix…

Monday, August 18, 2008

Just Another Manic Monday

Don’t forget to add a comment to enter my 2nd blogiversary contest! See this post for details…

I mentioned that I’m really enjoying knitting the Celtic scarf, right? There’s something about cables that just makes me feel like ‘I can cable, therefore, I am’. It is very empowering.

I may not have been doing a lot of knitting over the past several months, I have been doing some knitting shopping. For example, I did take advantage of Knitpicks’ book sale recently. Into my hot little mail box came the following:

Inspired to Knit by Michele Rose Orne

A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting by Cat Bordhi and

Expectant Little Knits: Chic Designs for Moms to Be by Suzanne J. E. Tourtillott

I love them all. I am particularly enthralled with the Inspired to Knit book right now. All of the designs are gorgeous and many, many of them I would like to knit someday. And you, my fellow knitting bloggers, will be asked to help remind me of that every now and then.

Two sweaters in particular really speak to me. The Winter Wonderland sweater is, simply, divine. It is way more complicated than anything I’ve tried before. The yarn called for is Blue Sky Alapca’s 50% alpaca 50% merino hand dye. I haven’t felt it yet but it sounds as though you’d be wearing a cloud. This sweater will become a goal for me over the next couple of years. The other sweater that I adore is the Snowdrift cardigan. Although I would knit it longer (the pattern sits at about waist length), I adore the heavy, heavy cables in the sleeves and on the collar coupled with the smooth texture of stockinette stitch. Wow. This book has really blown me away. And those two patterns are just the start.

Yes, I really like the other two books as well. I’ll rave about them later this week, ‘K?

I’ve been knitting at the kitchen table as Iain naps. The window was open behind me (it’s got up to 27 degrees Celsius here today!) and I could hear the dry maple leaves blowing around behind me on the back deck. This sound always reminds me of Rivendell from The Lord of the Rings movies. In the scenes in The Two Towers when Arwen and Aragon are separated, there are lovely dry leaves blow around the Rivendell scenes, to intensify the metaphor of the ‘Fall (as in the season) of the Elves’ in Middle Earth. I would love to have a house where one wall opened up so that the leaves could blow through. I love that sound. I also love the fact that I’m able to knit a Celtic cable that reminds me of those movies. Yeah me!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Good

I have been getting frustrated with my lack of knitting/completing anything fibre related. This frustration has been intensified by the fact that I have chosen to be at home right now so that I can really enjoy these precious and fleeting moments as my little boy grows each minute. Then I experience the guilt of realising that I am occasionally wishing his time away so that I can knit (e.g. plllleeease have a nap! You’re tired! Really, you are!). It's terrible! Therefore, I am taking a long hard look at all of my projects and have come to two conclusions.

The first is that I really need to commit to finishing some projects. The number of them and the look of them, laying unfinished around our house, is stressing me out. The second is to cast on (yes, I know, this flies in the face of decision number one. I never claimed to be logical!) for some quick and easy knitting projects that will give me faster FOs than, say, a sweater for a twelve month old that took me almost ten months to complete. I am feeling the requirement for a significant increase in knitting mojo, pronto. If you have any suggestions for lovely and gift-worthy quick and easy projects, I’m the gal to be speaking to.

I have managed to knit a few rows recently – yeah!


Thanks to the wonder that is Ravelry, I found this lovely (and free!) scarf pattern to work on. Although it is going to be a pressie, I am fairly certain the recipient rarely, if ever, reads this blog so I think I’m safe posting about it. It’s rather a complicated cable for me, considering I’ve only ever attempted one cable pattern in the past. However, I think this pattern is gorgeous so I’m giving it a whirl. I’m using Alpaca Peru’s 100% alpaca in colour 403, which I would call a charcoal. Gorgeous. A little hard on the eyes with the darker colour but I’m managing. It’s hard enough that this isn’t an ‘settle into your butt groove and knit (see Suzanne’s blog for information on that!) in front of the television kind of project'. No, for me at least, it’s more of a ‘sit at the dining room table with several sheets of scrap paper and meticulously write down every completed row (there are 16 rows for a pattern repeat)’ kind of project. Luckily, it’s only a scarf and I’m really enjoying it.

The Bad

Elizabeth and Jen have been wondering how my running has been going. It’s time to fess up. Before my family and I left to go on holidays, I packed up all of my running stuff to take with us. The first part of the trip was all about driving and surviving the ferry ride. Once we arrived in Gander Bay, the lead up to the reunion was very busy. The days following were busy. Then, there was a wedding and I took another rug hooking course from my cousin’s fiancĂ©e. I really wanted to get out for a run several times but with visiting and driving and Iain, running just didn’t happen. It wasn’t until I got home and went into the front porch that I realised I’d forgotten one very important running item and would not have been able to run even if I’d found the time. I left my running shoes at home. Again.

In 1998, I trained for a half marathon. I say ‘trained’ because I was not able to even start the race as a couple of days before it I strained my left hip so badly that I was told to stay off it for 6 weeks and then spent the next two years strengthening it by trying other sports such as step aerobics and cycling. It wasn’t until our return to Canada in 2002 that I took up running again. One thing I’ve learned from unsuccessfully completing a half marathon and from successfully completing one is that the most important thing you can do to train is to put in the miles. I missed a month of putting in the miles and I do not have enough time between now and October 12th to catch up. Therefore my friends, I’m not going to make that big goal I decided to announce to the world of completing a half-marathon on October 12. Boo me.

Instead, I’m going to look for and train for a 10 km race. I’m going to do what DH has been hounding me to do all along (don’t tell him I’m listening to him for a change, will you?!?) and try to run a faster 10 km than I usually do. I have already trained enough to run a 10 K today so it’s time to do some speed work. I still hope to run a half marathon but it will be postponed.

To allow a small silver lining in the cloud of not completing this goal, this decrease in training at this point in my life allows me to cycle on an upcoming cycling holiday in PEI (previously I figured I would only be driving Iain in the support vehicle and running when the others weren’t cycling) not to mention try out some Pilates and yoga which I have not had the chance to do in a couple of years. So, there is some good in my change of plans.

So sorry to let you down, Elizabeth and Jen.

And, The Ugly

My feet seem to have grown a wee bit since I was running a lot, likely due to pregnancy. I hadn’t noticed until I started to do some longer runs. Now, I have one black toe nail. Ew!

DH is away this week – he left us this morning. He is back again on Friday so we think we will survive. Here is Iain looking particularly charming and pleased with himself as he is slowly mastering feeding himself.

Friday, August 15, 2008

It’s My Second Blogiversary Contest!

Things can get way too complicated when you have a thirteen month old. Things like getting up in the morning, going to the bathroom and thinking you can eat a hot meal become, as one of my brothers put it, ‘strangely exciting’.

In light of the fact that things are strangely exciting around Chez Fibreholic on a daily basis, I wanted to offer you a contest that is nice and easy for all of us. You need only do three things to enter this blogiversary contest (and one of those things will result in you getting a double (or more) entry in the draw basket):

  • First, send me a comment saying ‘hello’ (or an email in case you’re not interested in setting up on blogger to post a comment. See the right sidebar for my email address). This will earn you one entry;
  • Secondly, post about this contest on your blog (or tell your friends if you do not have your own blog) and encourage others to enter;
  • Finally, make sure people use your name/blog name when they drop me a note so that I can enter you again! For each mention, you win another entry.

The contest will run from today and right up until midnight on my blogiversary date (August 21, 2008). I/we will draw two names from the prize basket when we are up and at’em the next day (baring strangely exciting disasters, etc.).

There will be two prizes for this contest so Iain gets to make two draws. Yeah! Hints about the booty? Sock yarn and handmade in Nova Scotia mohair…how does that strike you? Naturally, if you win, you will need to share your name and snail mail address via email with me so that I can send you a prize.

Let the games begin…

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

We Went on a Summer Holiday (Post 150)

One of the ‘problems’ about going home to Newfoundland and Labrador is the inevitable consequence of having to come back again. I left Newfoundland and Labrador in the summer of 1996 so have had that process repeated many, many times. This doesn’t mean that I don’t like our newly adopted community here in Nova Scotia – I really do like it. However, like many other Newfoundland and Labradorians, we would really prefer to be home (‘home’ meaning living back in our home province).

I realise that not all Newfoundland and Labradorians want to return to the province. In fact, I’m related to a few and am friends with a few more who would never, ever move back. That being said, I can also think of many more who would move home with me tomorrow if I just said the word (and was able to provide a steady paycheque).

With all that in mind, my first week back (this past week) in Middleton was spent with me feeling slightly melancholy. I really do enjoy it here and love the fact that I can walk to all of our conveniences via Iain’s stroller, my legs and the wonderful sidewalks our town taxes pay for (the side walks are even cleared of snow in the winter – not something that occurs in St. John’s, NL in the winter I can assure you!). Yet, there is a pull to my home province that becomes harder and harder to resist every year. As you can probably infer from this introduction, we had a great trip home.

It was certainly a busy visit. The reunion went well, as far as was reported back to me in any case. That was great considering that I did most of the organising (aka bossing people around). It was wonderful to see everyone – seven of nine of my mother’s brothers and sisters were able to make it and all but five of our twenty-odd cousins and their families were also present. It was our first reunion in 12 years (it was held the same weekend as mine and DH’s 12 wedding anniversary, actually!) and the first without our grand-parents, which could have cast a sombre cloud over the whole event but did not. In fact, it remained as much a celebration of my grand-parents and their children as, I believe, our reunions ever have. This reunion is our fourth and I’m lobbying for another in 2014.

Immediately followed by the events of the reunion weekend, we celebrated one of my aunt and uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary. This was quickly followed by a rehearsal party and wedding the following weekend. With all of these festivities and so many of the extended family to visit with, I did not feel I had gotten the opportunity to visit with my own parents and siblings enough so Iain and I stayed an extra five days on the island while DH and Para drove back to Nova Scotia in our trusty camper van.

Highlights of the trip?

Prepping for our Gander River trip (thanks, Uncle R!) before we left Nova Scotia (yes, Para was wearing a lifejacket on the trip too):


The van packed and ready to go:

Waiting for a very late (late to leave; not late in the day) ferry in North Sydney. It was SO HOT!:

Vampire boy – Iain enjoying cherries en route:

A funny sign from the, ahem, McDonalds parking lot in Gander:


Iain playing in the North Atlantic (unfortunately, I do not have pictures from his first, fearless foray into waves but I will post a picture as soon as I get one) where there was such a heat wave that playing in Gander Bay was pure pleasure:

Wearing merino and cashmere and enjoying a wedding reception. This may be the only modelled by Iain shot you see of this sweater. He has SO grown out of it already! And, here’s the story I’d alluded to in this post: Despite the long drive from here to Newfoundland, I did not get much accomplished in the fibre realm. Actually, pretty much zilch. I have two reasons for this. Reason # 1: It was too darn HOT! Reason # 2: He’s about four apples tall, was sitting right next to me, could reach my knitting needles from his car seat and liked to be entertained pretty much all the time. Sigh. I had hoped to get more done by the time we arrived at our destination but, it turns out that I had no extra time to finish sewing the ends in this sweater. A couple of hours before the reunion (I really wanted to have the sweater finished for the first reunion event, the sit down supper) I bribed my cousin, an expert knitter, to sew in the last few ends for me. I bribed her with a three chocolate bars. Yes, she’s cheap ;) (I’m going to be in trouble…..). She had it finished in about five minutes. I kid you not, it would have taken me another two hours. That’s the story – Patty ‘paid’ outside help to get an FO. Guess what? I incubated Iain faster than I knit up and finished this project. Sigh :

Enjoying the view from Uncle Baldy and Aunt L’s downtown St. John’s house:


Swimming with the ducks on our way back to Middleton from the Halifax International Airport. It was so hot that we stopped by a park and had a swim in the lake (a pond by Newfoundland and Labradorian standards) for a swim:

I was too busy during the reunion weekend to get many photographs so, if there are any other gems, I’ll share them with you in the future.

Am I knitting? No, it’s been too darn hot this past week. What have I been doing? I'll leave you hanging with that (hint: it IS fibre related!).

And, this is my 150th post! I am so proud of myself! Thank you so much to all of you readers out there who have written to say that you enjoy this blog. Thank you as well to those of you who simply read. I have made some great friends through this process and it has been a wonderful journey. Thanks for tagging along with me on it!