Women of Note

'Just in from the latest shopping frenzy and I'm struck by some inspiring women I've seen in my retail travels...

• The older ladies who have doubtless been making holiday dinners for many decades, pushing their carts about in search of the ingredients for long ago memorized recipes for family favourites.
• The ladies in the big box book store explaining to sales people either how exceptional their grandchildren are or conversely how they did wish kids today would read more....while their husbands sit and read.
• The woman who calmed her near hysterical husband in his quest for a parking spot as I was about to vacate mine by jumping out, asking if I was leaving and then offering to return my cart so he could park that much more quickly.

Finally and most impressive - the women who Christmas shop while parenting a toddler and wearing a baby.

May hat goes off to all of you ladies!

DKC Fashion Show

Wednesday night was the annual holiday fashion show event at Toronto's biggest knitting guild - The Downtown Knit Collective.

The DKC's own Fiona Ellis, who has run the show for the past few years really outdid herself this time with an accompanying power point presentation on the massive screen behind the podium.

For each garment worn in the show there were slides showing the name of the pattern, the designer, the pattern photo. This was especially great for knits being worn that had been made with a modified pattern because it allowed the audience to compare the two and see just how the modifications played out in the finished garment. There were also details on yarn and construction of each piece outlined in the commentary.

Afterwards there was the spread of Christmas Goodies and mulled cider and coffee to sip as everyone chatted and looked over the knits still being worn by the models.

I modeled my Olympic Sweater from last winter - made with yarn won in a DKC door prize draw. I was also lucky enough to model a couple of Fiona's sweaters from Twist..."Gwendolyn" from the Fall 2010 issue and "Georgie" from the current issue.

Both knits are now firmly in my mind to think seriously about trying out in 2011.

Also in the show was a full blown collection of knitted skirts! Among these were three done and modeled in a variety of colours by the ladies from Passionknit. Store Manager Tamara has been focused on skirts, knitted and crocheted, since late last spring. If you are thinking of trying out a knitted skirt (I know I am!) Passionknit is the place to get advice from a real expert on the subject!

Also of note to me were the inclusion of men's sweaters, knit and modeled by Patrick Madden. Not only are Patrick's knits fabulous but he looks so great in them it makes me want to add knits for My Beloved to my queue.

I always feel pressed for time to attend this show - given the inevitable list of things I'm still rushing to do so close to Christmas but really I'm always pleased I went. In the spirit of the season the entrance fee is even waived for non members so if you are curious about the DKC, think about putting the December fashion show on your calender for next year!

Thanks for dropping by!

Parenting and a Poodle...

...the things that have prevented knit blogging (and even knitting) around here for weeks now. 

The Parenting was about helping Number One Son deal with the effects of a just now resolved concussion he suffered October 1st.

The Poodle part...there's the walking and grooming but also stuff like having a creamy white, now 60 pound "pup" jumping on Number One Son carrying a full chocolate shake, the shake becoming airborne, landing on the thick creamy coat on the back of the bounding dog before depositing a significant amount of the thick dark chocolaty stuff into his fiercely wagging tail. Picture spraying shake, scrambling people and a dog having great fun playing "tag".

It was all so "exciting" it took me a while to notice the Christmas lights he'd been chomping just prior to exhuberantly "greeting" us.  'Seems I set the bags of lights too close to his crate and he managed to grab a string or three through the bars while we were out of the house.

Don't worry, he didn't ingest any...I know, I forensically reassembled the shattered and mangled bits and pieces with the missing sections of the strings. (Right after cleaning the shake off the carpet, furniture and of course the dog)

I hope to get to the splattered walls and woodwork later today.

I've added the choclately rags and towels to the laundry - its piled in baskets to take to my mom"s for washing. The new last year washing machine broke down 10 days ago and we're still waiting for parts...

I've already schlepped one week's worth of laundry over and back to Grandma's place - it only took two days to do what would have taken half a day here but it was handy I had My Beloved's vehicle to use (he was in Europe on business) since my two back tires were utterly flat when I went to leave the house that morning. 

I shouldn't complain though, the furnace (the one that had extensive repairs last January and was fully serviced and checked in April) is back working after the fresh air intake pipe was replaced early last week!

I've added  "get more lights for the tree we don't yet have", to my "Way too many things to do before Christmas" list. I could do that tomorrow except we'll the spend the entire day driving to and from My Beloved's home town to get winter tires put on the the cars.  We're a month late on this but on the weekend we usually get this done My Beloved was in India.

I could still go on and on but if you've read this far you probably get the idea by now...a lot of things have been getting in my way of late.

Nonetheless I hoped to post an FO today...a long overdue pair of mittens for Darling Daughter - a third run at this project with as many different patterns starting about a year ago. It turns out though I opted to make two left handed mittens and since our daughter fortunately has both a left and right hand I'm having to scramble to correct that little problem...

...'Can't imagine what was distracting me while I was working on those...Parenting or a Poodle? Probably both with a bit of domestic mayhem thrown in for good measure!