the next felting project???

The Lizard Ridge blanket is probably going, going…almost gone. I do not have the energy or the concentration that goes along knitting short rows. It will be a felted something…my guess is as good as anyone’s.

a bit of sunshine

I saw the sun peaking through the clouds today...

The sunshine hand towel will someday grace a towel holder a gentle reminder of the warm sunny days to come...

back on track...knit on

I don’t know if summer will ever arrive on this side of the pond, since the month of June has been mainly cool, damp and rainy…I am hoping for some warm weather by the time I finish this cami.The progress has been slow since I had to "frog" 10 cm of the bodice when I noticed a mistake I could not live with. So now I'm on the right track...

curled up on the sofa with a good book...

Has it really been raining here for two and a half weeks straight?

I decided to put my knitting aside and read a good book. I got myself a library card and spent an hour or so perusing the bookshelves.

I came across a familiar author, Margaret Atwood. It has been a while since I sunk my teeth in some Canadian Lit, so I signed out, The Blind Assassin.

With my beaded cami set aside, my free time has been spent wrapped in a blanket and curled up on the sofa, a mug of hot tea on the side and Ms. Atwood’s Booker Prize Winner (2000).

The novel’s title, The Blind Assassin, is actually the title of the story within, written by the narrator’s sister, Laura Chase, who on the very first page of the book, drives herself off a bridge ten days after the end of World War II.

The unusual structure of the novel is one of the great strengths in Ms. Atwood’s writing…a story within a story within a story…many layers to discover and unfold.

This novel is a literary piece of fabulous writing. The reader is drawn into the narrator, Iris Chasse Griffen’s reflection of her life and the perspectives of the people around her. The backdrop for this novel is set in a fictional small town Ontario with many references to Toronto, a place very familiar to me.

Of course the knitting perspective had a minor role in this novel…Atwood (she also knows how to knit) made references to the women who handknitted socks for the soldiers in World War I and II.

A very good read…now back to some knitting.

click on over to...

The weather here has been cool, damp, and rainy...so I've been catching up on my blog reading.

In addition, I've decided to rename my "Blog of the week" post to "click on over to...." since I never posted a "must see" blog every week.

So, click on over to ...Vintage Purls

I don't have any future plans to knit from a vintage pattern, however, I do enjoy admiring and connecting with these knitters from days gone by...

something old is vintage

I love to collect things that have a significant meaning to me. My latest acquisition has an interesting Canadian/Royal connection...
This is my first vintage knitting pattern...
To commemorate Princess Elizabeth’s first official visit to Canada in 1951, the T. Eaton Co. Limited (one of Canada’s greatest retail and social institution) produced and promoted a special knitting pattern in honour of the Royal Visit.
Now there is an Irish connection…
Timothy Eaton who founded Eaton’s in 1869 was an Irish immigrant.

World Wide Knit in Public Day...Dublin

Yesterday, 09 June 2007 was World Wide Knit in Public Day...

Lien and Jackie did a fantastic job organizing Dublin’s first WWKiP Day.

Non-Knitter Friend from Canada and I made our way into Bray yesterday morning to meet up with Jackie (who I never met before) from Wicklow. Non-knitter Friend asked, "if you've never met Jackie before how will we recognize her?" I replied, "Just look for a female carrying a big enough bag that could carry knitting paraphernalia." That being said, Non-Knitter Friend excitedly spots a female walking along the platform, "Look over there, she's got a big bag!" Female with the big quilted bag sits next to us and I turn to her and say, "Hello, are you Jackie?" She looks at my felted knitting bag, she smiles and that instant recognition of fellow knitters happens...we reach over to shake hands, "I'm Diane, pleased to meet you..."

While on the DART, Jackie shows off her felted samples...

Marta, admiring the felted bowl...it only takes one skein of Rowan's Big Wool...

A great knitting day enjoyed by all....

rain, rain...

Blogging and knitting has been put on the back burner since Mother-in-Law and her Friend arrived last Tuesday. Spouse and I have been promoted to Dublin Tourist Guides, however, the rain has made it very difficult to get around in Dublin...now, if the rain, rain would just go away...

I made it to 100

"the medium is the message" ~Marshall McLuhan

Blogging is a communicative tool to extend oneself and connect with others to communicate a concept, idea, thought or a vision.

Wow...this is my hundredth post. I have connected with so many other bloggers since the creation of this web log. I have been inspired by the creativity and eloquence of other bloggers. I wonder if McLuhan envisioned this "mass age" of the web log?