Oops

I am clearly unable to have a blog, please follow me on flickr to have some updates on my life if you want to.

Caroline

Knitting project

During the holidays I started and completed this scarf made with rowan "drift" in the wanderer colour. I didn't want to go off and go crazy on the pattern as the yarn was so exceptional. It's toasty and soft and I plan on wearing it a lot this winter. I love knitting with chunky yarn; everything is so quick to make! Took me only a few hours while watching DVDs to complete this simple but lovely scarf. I'm not an advanced knitter but to finish a simple yet conclusive project like this helps me a lot in my knitting confidence.

Happy New Years

Happy New Years everyone!

I'm waiting on some analog photos to tell you about my Christmas holidays but here are some photos I stumbled on etsy I wouldn't mind adding to my collection.

images from : poodle55, nalomeli16 and maclancy.

Winter and holidays

I dreaded to visit malls this year in the holidays. Well, my experience today wasn't so bad. After stopping at Canadian Tire to buy Jeff's Christmas present, I went to a mall near a school I work at. Kids from 10-12 have been volunteering for the whole month, week nights and weekends and they are in charge of an "Arbre de Joie" (Tree of Joy) based on the story of a children book. Two teachers from that school were inspired from it and have been doing it for a few years now. They put a tree in the mall, collect present and when you do, you can light up a bulb in the tree. They get hundreds of gifts every year, destined to families who can't afford to buy presents for Christmas. As I knew I was going there, I picked up a nice soccer ball and gave it to an 11 years old boy named Ajmal. I hope you like your present, Ajmal. I'll be thinking of you on Christmas day.





I'll be spending some parts of my vacations that are starting next Thursday at Jeff's parent's house, a 14 hours bus drive up north in Sept-Iles. I will be enjoying the boreal forest, the smell of the cold ocean and perhaps some soynog with a splash of rum by the fire. Exactly what I needed. Until then, I really like the blue light of winter, and I am still not bothered by snow showers just yet. In fact, I can't be happier about snowshoe season!






My scanner is broken so hopefully I get back with some new analog photos very soon.

Until then, please have safe, and happy holidays.

Little bits of life

Hey!

First of all, thank you all for your warm welcome in my first step of blog life. I never expected having more than a handful of followers, even less to have commments (!!) I just want you to know I am very touched by the time you take reading this each time I post something.

I want to share with you photos of Liam, my friends' baby. He is the cutest thing and I each time I see him he gets bigger and so good at being alive. Esther and Dan are amazing parents and I was so happy to get them to visit from Massachusetts this weekend! I miss you already, guys!





Also, I want to apologize for the lack of consistency here. I have a few pictures to share but no time to scan and upload them. I have a crazy pre-Christmas schedule in school and workshops and special activites just get in the way.

We also lost both of our pet rats in the last month, which made us terribly sad. Pet rats are just like miniature dogs, they come by their names and do a bunch of tricks. It was one of the little joys we had in our lives and we've been devastated since their departure. Gaki, our old mama, left us last sunday for rattie's paradise.


In the hopes to bring better news very soon!

Warmt in scandinavia

If "tell me something typically scandinavian?" was a Family Feud question, most people here would come up with Ikea at first. Scanadinavian often means bold lines, whites, straight cut minimalistic things. I'm far from being an Ikea fan or extremely modern achitecture myself, but I must admit I love old scandinavian things. My visit in Iceland this summer only confirmed that. I love scandinavia!








I'm crazy about lopi wools, knitting patterns, embroderies and cross stiching. I love comforting, traditional scandinavian accessories and sceneries. In fact, living in Iceland for me would be a dream come true, and I brought back from it a bunch of handknitted goods. I also happened to find some amazing things here and there that reminds me of the 19th and early 20th century typical designs I really enjoy. I only wish I could knit faster! It takes me ages to knit a simple moss stitch scarf, I can't even picture learning all those patterns!

Here are some of my Icelandic goods I cherish. The mittens and socks were purchased at the same time from an old lady in Stykkysolmur not speaking a word of english. Sheeps in Iceland are higher in number than humans. You can find them everywhere! On roads, on the craziest hills, a few meters away from mudpots boiling, on the most isolated gravel road sipping on some fresh water, in laval fields covered in moss. They have a wild life until they get captured by their owner so they can shave their thick layer of wool off.





Also pictured: A grey "icelandic" sweater I found for $1 at charity and those brown handknitted "norwegian" mittens I found on etsy last year.


Here is a etsy treasury of a few scandinavian looking items I wouldn't mind adding to my collection of things!

Recent

It’s been dark when I wake up in the morning, and as dark as I come back from work at night, making it harder and harder for me to take nice photographs. Since all the things I want to tell you guys about require photos, it’s been slow here. The ideas aren’t missing though, and I cannot wait to tell you about a few escapades and projects into the makings around here. It’s harder for me to blog on week nights as I am trying to keep up with tasks and relax a bit. During the day, I am in school with the kids and I have a busy schedule of 4 or 5 workshops a day, most of the days. So early morning weekends it is!



Until I can take photos and scan them, here is a quick fix of recent acquisitions. I’m especially crazy about this handwritten baby arrival letter dating 1923 I found in the tiny drawers of this fabric box. I am still waiting to hang these beautiful copper pots and pans my mom found at charity for 2 dollars each. She gave them to me as a part of my birthday present earlier in October. I recently added to my collection a beautiful copper kettle I still need to scrub inside. Some tiny aluminum particles can be found when I boil some water in it. This tiny folding chair was found at Todd Farm earlier this fall, and some bits of succulents I tried to salvage from a dying plant. The last picture isn’t new perfume, neither is the La Durée box, it’s just one of those “end of the roll” shot.







I’m also facing a dilemma as I have a $60 gift certificate in a kitchen supply store. Should I splurge and take it as a rebate on a Creuset pot, or buy new cake molds and latté bowls? Those last two can easily be found antique and it makes it so hard for me to buy them new. On the other hand, spending 340$ on a Creuset makes me gasp!

Hope you have all a lovely weekend, I am off to have yummy eggs florentine with some friends for breakfast.