I had the pleasure of attending Knit Night at the Co-op La Maison Vert, organised by the lovely Ms. Rhea (who used to live downstairs from me!)
I got to make new Ravelry friends (I'm GreenStockings on Ravelry, too). We had a blast drinking tea, chatting about knitting, books, and life. Great projects including socks on the tiniest needles, a jacket, a fantastically intricate lace shawl, a baby blanket, a hat, and some practice swatches, in a learning how to knit way.
Loved telling everyone about the Dr. Who Tom Baker scarf - especially juliesoleil's reaction, which was to immediately ask if I'd also made Bear a Jayne Hat, which, of course, I have.
I also signed up last night for the Montreal Ravelry Group Ravelympics 2010 Team. Going to use the challenge to knit the basis for my PlushYou! Shmancy Olympics Challenge. I need to get going on my design! My category is "Opening Ceremonies." Need to remember to take lots of pictures, and keep a record as I make it up as I go along, so as to make a pattern :)
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I have lived in Montreal all my life, but it never ceases to amaze me how dispersed the Montreal crafting scene is - I continue to discover that more and more friends of mine are crafters, and yet, we're not meeting, we're not forming community, and we're not supporting our own. The ease of purchasing craft supplies online has made crafting - once a pass time one did with others - something we now do at home, alone, in front of the TV.
So! I am starting my plan of creating a useful, engaged, hub of Montreal crafters. Here is my non-exhaustive and (hopefully) ever-expanding list of Montreal craft retailers
If you know of a craft retailer that I've missed, please email greenstockings[at]gmail[dot]com and let me know!
So! I am starting my plan of creating a useful, engaged, hub of Montreal crafters. Here is my non-exhaustive and (hopefully) ever-expanding list of Montreal craft retailers
Ariadne's Knits (http://www.ariadneknits.com/) - knitting, crochet [Sud-Ouest]
Bonnidee (www.bonnidee.com) - scrapbooking [Pointe-Claire]
Brickpoint Needlework (http://www.brickpointneedlework.com/) - needlepoint, knitting [Westmount]
Jeannette's (http://www.jeannettes.com/contact.html) - needlepoint, embroidery [Snowdon]
Boutique Jennimar & Sheila (http://www.jennimar.com/) - needlepoint, emroidery, crochet, knitting [Dorion]
L'Oiseau Bleu (http://www.loiseaubleu.com/iiix/home/) - general craft [Laval, Montreal, St-Hubert]
Mouline Yarns (http://www.moulineyarns.com/) - knitting, crochet [Sud-Ouest]
Omer de Serres (http://www.deserres.ca/) - general craft chain [various locations QC, ON]
Scrapbook Star (www.scrapbookstar.ca) - scrapbooking [NDG]
Sial (http://www.sial-canada.com/en/) - pottery, moulding, ceramics, copper [Laval]
If you know of a craft retailer that I've missed, please email greenstockings[at]gmail[dot]com and let me know!
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So I've joined onto two winter craft challenges:
the spins & needles Winterlude Urban Cozy project AND the Plush You! Winter Olympics Challenge
I'm very excited about both - it is, believe it or not, the first time I have participated in an online crafty community building/interaction/group project or whatever. How very unlike me. My decision at the beginning of this year to "do more" with my time and my energy is definitely a motivating factor here - instead of thinking that participating in things like this would be fun and something I should do, you know, at some point, I just signed up for the Olympics challenge, and have knitting buddy Kim to craft-along on the Urban Cozy project.
I have yet to be assigned my category for plushie making (which will either be Figure Skating, Skiing, Opening Ceremonies, Bobsleigh, or a MADE UP SPORT) - but I'm thinking about ways that I can incorporate some of my own views about the Vancouver Olympics into this crafting. (I'm very embarrassed and dismayed by the way that Canada, a supposedly "nice" place is handling the hosting of these games, by doing things like screwing over the native peoples and making the following illegal: homelessness, taking pictures, and 'public negative messages' (ie - protest signs saying negative things about the Olympics) - for more, please ignore the general crimes against the internet of 2010 Watchdog site.)
Knitting friend Kim is the one who pointed me to the Urban Cozy project, and while I was planning to make a standard sized cozy (30" x 8" - small scarf size) in a vaguely fishnet pattern out of truly atrocious mauve baby yarn (cognitive dissonance, much?), I may go her route and pull out the size 20 knitting needles* and knit up a few strands of stash yarn together.
Which reminds me, as well as knitting a cozy, I was thinking of writing to the folks at spins & needles and finding out what their schedule of events will be at Winterlude, since I am planning on coming to Ottawa for the last weekend (Feb 19 - 21) - and maybe I will be able to help at one of their workshops. Ok - going to do that now!
*no, it's not your imagination, they do look like they could be dildos...
the spins & needles Winterlude Urban Cozy project AND the Plush You! Winter Olympics Challenge
I'm very excited about both - it is, believe it or not, the first time I have participated in an online crafty community building/interaction/group project or whatever. How very unlike me. My decision at the beginning of this year to "do more" with my time and my energy is definitely a motivating factor here - instead of thinking that participating in things like this would be fun and something I should do, you know, at some point, I just signed up for the Olympics challenge, and have knitting buddy Kim to craft-along on the Urban Cozy project.
I have yet to be assigned my category for plushie making (which will either be Figure Skating, Skiing, Opening Ceremonies, Bobsleigh, or a MADE UP SPORT) - but I'm thinking about ways that I can incorporate some of my own views about the Vancouver Olympics into this crafting. (I'm very embarrassed and dismayed by the way that Canada, a supposedly "nice" place is handling the hosting of these games, by doing things like screwing over the native peoples and making the following illegal: homelessness, taking pictures, and 'public negative messages' (ie - protest signs saying negative things about the Olympics) - for more, please ignore the general crimes against the internet of 2010 Watchdog site.)
Knitting friend Kim is the one who pointed me to the Urban Cozy project, and while I was planning to make a standard sized cozy (30" x 8" - small scarf size) in a vaguely fishnet pattern out of truly atrocious mauve baby yarn (cognitive dissonance, much?), I may go her route and pull out the size 20 knitting needles* and knit up a few strands of stash yarn together.
Which reminds me, as well as knitting a cozy, I was thinking of writing to the folks at spins & needles and finding out what their schedule of events will be at Winterlude, since I am planning on coming to Ottawa for the last weekend (Feb 19 - 21) - and maybe I will be able to help at one of their workshops. Ok - going to do that now!
*no, it's not your imagination, they do look like they could be dildos...
Comments: (2)
A knitted washcloth
(except longer and shorter, Groucho is a basset, after all)
A giant compendium of dog knitting patterns. This is a great listing, I would definitely look to Knitting Pattern Central for other projects. I passed on their listing of baby blankets to another friend.
http://www.dailyknitter.com/patternsdetail.php?type=PE
A whole lot of puppy crafts, not just knits
http://knitting.about.com/od/patternsforpets/Knitting_Patterns_for_Pets_Knitting_Projects_for_Pets.htm
Better Homes and Gardens gives us a knitted collar pattern. Not exactly the most manly looking dogs in the photo... I somehow doubt that Groucho'll go for that hairy collar (i.e. Bear won't let me put a hairy collar on Grouch...)
So it's already been established that Groucho is a superhero, which is why he totally needs this Super hero dog cape!
And last (for now) but definitely not least, this wicked dog toy pattern that I can't wait to work on. It even squeaks!
Ok, so that wasn't the last one... I've been looking for DIY dog toys all over the internet, and there is a surprising dearth, considering how much of the market share of the internet is taken up with pet people (need I say more than http://ihasahotdog.com?), but this version of the duck toy has the cutest little bulldog in the picture!
(except longer and shorter, Groucho is a basset, after all)
A giant compendium of dog knitting patterns. This is a great listing, I would definitely look to Knitting Pattern Central for other projects. I passed on their listing of baby blankets to another friend.
A whole lot of puppy crafts, not just knits
Better Homes and Gardens gives us a knitted collar pattern. Not exactly the most manly looking dogs in the photo... I somehow doubt that Groucho'll go for that hairy collar (i.e. Bear won't let me put a hairy collar on Grouch...)
So it's already been established that Groucho is a superhero, which is why he totally needs this Super hero dog cape!
And last (for now) but definitely not least, this wicked dog toy pattern that I can't wait to work on. It even squeaks!
Ok, so that wasn't the last one... I've been looking for DIY dog toys all over the internet, and there is a surprising dearth, considering how much of the market share of the internet is taken up with pet people (need I say more than http://ihasahotdog.com?), but this version of the duck toy has the cutest little bulldog in the picture!
Comments: (0)
Dear Non-Existent Public,
I have had this blog for nearly a year and have never written in it. I have been a crafter forever, and a blogger elsewhere for a long time, but it took a singular seminal event for my crafting to kick into high gear, as well as a drive my normally low instinct for cleaning into something approach medium gear.
We got a puppy.
My fiancé and I have welcomed a 3 year old boy named Groucho into our family. I have a feeling that he's going to be one spoiled pooch by the time I'm done knitting for him. He's already got a treat bag, so here's the list of inspirational patterns that I'm going to shower on the pup.
http://www.knittingknonsense.com/dogcloth.html
(except longer and shorter, Groucho is a basset, after all)
http://knitting.about.com/od/patternsforpets/Knitting_Patterns_for_Pets_Knitting_Projects_for_Pets.htm
http://www.dailyknitter.com/patternsdetail.php?type=PE
http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/7376.asp
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/pets.php
I have had this blog for nearly a year and have never written in it. I have been a crafter forever, and a blogger elsewhere for a long time, but it took a singular seminal event for my crafting to kick into high gear, as well as a drive my normally low instinct for cleaning into something approach medium gear.
We got a puppy.
My fiancé and I have welcomed a 3 year old boy named Groucho into our family. I have a feeling that he's going to be one spoiled pooch by the time I'm done knitting for him. He's already got a treat bag, so here's the list of inspirational patterns that I'm going to shower on the pup.
http://www.knittingknonsense.com/dogcloth.html
(except longer and shorter, Groucho is a basset, after all)
http://knitting.about.com/od/patternsforpets/Knitting_Patterns_for_Pets_Knitting_Projects_for_Pets.htm
http://www.dailyknitter.com/patternsdetail.php?type=PE
http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/7376.asp
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/pets.php