one giant comeback post

Why blog once a week when you can blog once a year? You know it's been too long when you can't remember your login or password for blogger.
Well, I figured it out, and now I will proceed to create my longest blog post EVAR. I did a lot this year! I just didn't really have much time left over to share any of it :(

Last summer I made a quilt for my good friend Christine's wedding gift:
Then I went to said wedding, where I helped with many crafty wedding preparations:
I made these shirts for the bridesmaids:
I also met Fernando on this trip! My new second favourite dog!



Also last summer, I also participated in my first Artist Trading Card swap. I made 60 tiny Cloudy and Gerber Daisy silkscreens:

Then it was time to get ready for craft sale season. I did two sales last year, Three Oaks and Colonel Gray.

I then went on to have my most successful month ever on Etsy, selling lots of coasters, oven mitts and tea cozies:




Over Christmas holidays, I took a very brief trip to Halifax for a visit with Bonnie while she was passing through:

(it's fun traveling with a photographer!)



In January, I took on a huge custom order for a screen (this thing was HUGE!):
I also spent an inexplicable amount of time organizing my craft room and closet.

Before:
After (and amazingly, it still looks like this months later!):
How could I forget! Christine came to visit!








Then in March, I got a much needed vacation to visit my BRAND NEW NEPHEW! Quinn Allen Calof, born January 31, 2009:



We visited The Container Store TWICE which made me very organized and happy.Then I organized my sister's closet. Hey, I know I'm a geek and I've never claimed otherwise!


We got up at 5:00 am to wait in line for tickets to the Price is Right! It was totally worth it. Unfortunately, they don't allow cameras during the taping.






I call this face "Red Ross." Yup, geek!

I was home just long enough to get caught up at work, then took off again for Ontario for Lisa and Jordan's wedding, the Home Hardware Spring Market, and other various visits:

Maui wasn't too sure what to think of Fernando at first:


I think they were friends by the end of our visit!

There's a zoo in Waterloo! Who knew!
The door isn't the only one with issues :)


Vintage HH catalogs:

We stopped in Kingston on the way home for a Bubba's poutine for old times sake. It was alright, but not as good as I remembered. It must taste better at 3:00 am after a night at Stages :)

Ok, this post is getting huger than I had envisioned. I'll leave you with my Canada Day cupcakes, and with promises to keep much more up to date!


P.S. You can see many, many more of my pictures from all the above life events at my flickr!

WWKIP Day!

I know, I know, I've disappeared for another 3 months. It's been a combination of start-itis and business (haha, I wanted that to be busy-ness, but guess what that becomes!), and a healthy dose of hiding out. No longer!

Saturday was Worldwide Knit in Public day, and I met 4 other PEI knitters in Charlottetown to do our part. Thing was, it was rainy and windy, so we ended up inside the Confederation Centre. However, there was an Anne of Green Gables event and the place was overrun with kids and hot dogs, so we retreated to the upstairs lobby, which is just barely in public.

I also attended a baby shower for my good friend Emily, and I made her this quilt:

I finished these gloves last month, and they're my new favorite accessory!

I FINALLY made a new silkscreen! I've been working on this for a few months (the flower in the picture is one I got for my birthday in, um, March):


And, also finally, some new shop items! I have many more "in progress", but these are the finished items. I look forward to making many more tea cozies, as well as some cup cozies. What else can I make a cozy for? Cozies are great!


That's it for now! I've been doing lots of gardening, but I don't have any "after" pictures yet, so it'll have to wait!

Now you can wipe up your spilled drinks, too!

This is my first time sharing a pattern! If you try it, let me know how it goes!

Martini Dishcloth

Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton

Needle Size: 4.5 mm/ US 7

Finished Size: Approximately 20 cm / 8 inches square

Cast on 39 stitches

Row 1 (RS) K 39

2 (WS) K 39

3 K 39

4 K 39

5 K 39

6 K 3, P 33, K 3

7 K 39

8 K 3, P 33, K 3

9 K 39

10 K 3, P 33, K 3

11 K 15, P 9, K 15

12 K 3, P 11, K 11, P 11, K 3

13 K 15, P 9, K 15

14 K 3, P 16, K 1, P 16, K 3

15 K 19, P1, K19

16 same as 14

17 same as 15

18 same as 14

19 same as 15

20 same as 14

21 same as 15

22 same as 14

23 same as 15

24 same as 14

25 same as 15

26 same as 14

27 same as 15

28 same as 14

29 same as 15

30 same as 14

31 K 18, P 3, K 18

32 K 3, P 14, K 5, P 14, K 3

33 K 16, P 7, K 16

34 K 3, P 12, K 9, P 12, K 3

35 K 14, P 11, K 14

36 K 3, P 10, K 13, P 10, K 3

37 K 12, P 15, K 12

38 K 3, P 8, K 17, P 8, K 3

39 K 10, P 19, K 10

40 K 3, P 33, K 3

41 K 39

42 K 3, P 33, K 3

43 K 39

44 K 3, P 33, K 3

45 K 39

46 K 39

47 K 39

48 K 39

49 K 39

Bind off, leaving a long tail.

Use tail to make a loop, either with a crochet chain or braid.

Weave in ends.

Voila!

Note: This pattern is for personal use only. If you're not a knitter, but would still like one, I'm now selling these in my Etsy shop (see link at right).

30 green cakes!

Well, I don't have pictures of all 30 birthdays, but here are quite a few!

1978
1980
1981
1982
1983 (I might be off on a couple of the dates, but I'm pretty sure I'm close)
1985
1986


1987
1989
1990
1998
1999 (my first and last birthday involving tequila!)

2000
2001 (our Matrix phase)
2002 (green drink - check, fake green carnation corsage - check, fuzzy slippers - check)
2007
2008
It's my lucky day!

laziness

Well, I'm not lazy in life, but lazy in blogging. I just can't be bothered to post these pictures on flickr, Facebook AND Blogger. So here are some links:

Another day in my life
Skating with the dogs

Here are some funny videos from the skating (you can tell they're funny because I'm cackling):
stop!
chase

And here are some crafts!

neckwarmer:


martini dishcloth (my first dishcloth!):


placemats and coasters:



fabric greeting cards:


Since I have an unnatural love of mason jars (seriously, I buy jarred pesto and tomato sauce just for the jars...one night I was madly scrubbing the label off one and Chris asked what I was doing, I just muttered, "must get clean, need jar for buttons," now my buttons smell a little like pesto), I fell in love with Martha Stewart when I saw this idea: chalkboard paint on your jars and lids! Now there's no question how long things have been in the fridge for, just whether or not it's okay to eat two month old spaghetti sauce:)

MIA

Whoa, where did I go! I can't believe I haven't posted since December! I've been kind of MIA in the head (if that makes sense) with colds and crafter's block. Still having trouble forming full sentences. Here's a point form summary of what's going on with me:

Reading: Far from the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
Listening to: Once soundtrack, swapped mix cds, CBC podcasts
Watching: Lost, Sex and the City marathons
Eating: Mrs. McGarrigles blueberry and rhubarb jam (YUM), avocado sandwiches, failed dinners, poached eggs
Knitting: booties, late birthday gifts
Sewing: baby quilts, tea cozies, little pouches





We're having a crazy storm today! We didn't realize how bad it was and tried to go out for breakfast. Luckily, they closed AFTER they served us.

Maui wants to go out, but every time I open the door and she gets a blast of wind in her face, she looks at me like this: