Slump, it's back

It's been a little over a week since I got back from Montreal and it seems that I have gone into a knitting slump.  For some reason I don't want to knit anything that I have or anything that I had in Montreal, it just makes me a little sad.  Gotta wonder if I left something in Montreal and I think that I did, I left my knitting mojo there.  I miss Montreal very much, I think that I just need to come to the conclusion that I need to move there, but I can't right now. 

There is that question about school, which I'm kind of burned out about, I would be pretty much done if I kept going with my original major, which I don't want to do anymore.  I'm already starting a new major and it will take every semester for the next 2 years, which is daunting.  Then I think about not finishing college, which then begs the question "what would I do with my life."  I think that I am just scared about burning myself completely out and I don't know if this new major will even work out.  But I think I learned something about myself while in Montreal, I don't like taking risks.  I like making everything calculated, simple, easy, etc.  I like knowing what the outcome will be, in general.  The not knowing freaks me the crap out.  

I'm thinking tonight will be a nice, cold cider night.  Not sure apple or pear, but we will see.  

I am almost done with one pair of socks from the trip though, with the little bit of knitting that I have done.  

Up in the drowsy clouds

I'm writing this to you readers from somewhere above the west coast.  I didn't write last night on the last day of the trip, because well I did not want to.  But mainly because I wanted to enjoy and savor each moment I had left of Montreal. All I have to say is that it is an amazing city, there is so much to see and do there, that we barely scratched the surface of.  Being around the old architecture and all of those small streets, the warm humid weather, the cafes that are everywhere (and no Starbucks is not the big main there, they have a lot of neat little cafes), and of course the thing there that is more ubiquitous then anything else (no churches was a good guess, there are a lot of stunning ones), is Bixi bikes.  

Wait what the....is a Bixi?  It's a combination bicycle and taxi all in one.  At a station you put your credit card in, select if you want a 24 or 72 hour pass, select up to 2 bikes per card, get your unlock code, and go.  Is that it? Kind of.  When you get to your destination there is most likely a Bixi station, if your trip is 0-30 minutes there is no extra charge, after that there are different fees.  It's a great really inexpensive solution, like if I'm going to work 20 minutes away i can pay $7 for the day, take it to work, dock it at a station (it knows which bike is you), go to work, then insert my card again and then get a new unlock code and go home.  And if I want to take it somewhere in those 24 hours, i can.  I wish that we had something where I live, but I don't know.  Cars are super predominant where I live, but if it ever happened that would be awesome.  

Ok enough of that....you're probably wondering what my knitting progress was for the trip and where I went yarn shopping.  Well shopping did not happen, the 2 shops we walked to (and one was a longer track then I realized) were both closed.  After that I didn't even want to check the 3rd shop, and from their selection I knew it wasn't what I wanted.  

(This is me writting today, after getting in slightly later then anticipated, quickly getting some stuff unpacked, showering and passing out.  Also to note I'm on my second cup of coffee, I got up at 7am... No 10am... No 7... Ugh time zone change)

This is the shop that I was looking forward too and the one that took the longest to get to.  They seemed to have a great selection and some ravelers really recommended them.  The shop is called Effiloché and it looks like a great place, if I was able to get in, but they were closed, so oh well.  

Lets talk about knitting progress while on the trip.  I brought 4 projects total as a just in case I needed something different if one thing didnt work out.  I brought Skews, Happy Street, Reykjavik, and the design that a picture of montreal inspired.  I have 1 skew done, 1.5 Reykjavik complete, the beginning of the design, and the first section plus a little of the first stripe done on happy street.  I would have had more done on the Reykjaviks but I was tired on the second flight so I had to put it down because it was so relaxing it was putting me to sleep.  

Photos will follow, just need to get back into the swing of normal life.  

Call first

It's been an amazing few days here in Montreal, I think pictures a worth more then 1000 words, so I might as well use them with all of the pictures that I have been taking.  Ill try to post some better pictures, but these will give you the general idea. 

Notre Dame - Main Alter

The organ behind, actually right above the entrance

A smaller one behind the main, not the original due to a fire that destroyed the original, but this one is still spectacular 

Vieux Porte

City Hall - L'hôtel de ville

Great little shopping market

Inside the Chatêau Ramasey this double drive, single treadle spinning wheel was on display

On the way up to the top of Mont Royal Park

The view at the top of the city

Perspective, more of a wow we are high up pictures

And of course there is a lot of good food here, we have barely scratched the surface of some of the amazing restaurants and places to visit.  There are 3 more museums, a few shopping places, and another quarter to visit before heading back home.  

Knitting wise, I've been knitting a bit actually, there is a almost a whole skew done, just finished the heel.

Just need to complete the leg and then start work on the next one.  

The secret project is underway and I'm loving it.  I mean I have to at least get some of it done here while I'm in montreal, the place that inspired this design.  I only work on it at night due to its complexity and it doesn't really work well for portable knitting.  Skews were perfect until I got to the heel.  The other socks I brought are now in the gusset decreases and no more chart so they are able to come with me.  

Of course I tried to go to 2 knitting stores, after going to Mont Royal, but this is where you should always call ahead.  The first, not too far from the Metro Station was closed, so trekked up a Amy's to another, which I was excited to go see, but to find that this one was also closed.  My mother felt bad that I couldn't go to any knitting stores while here, oh well.  

I learned my lesson, about time for dinner... I think we both deserve a big dinner, walking about 20,000 steps today already...   

Lets travel

Today, well yesteryear technically when I'm writing this I flew off to Montreal.  This is not permanent but just a nice vacation with my mother.  We left early in the morning, for the first flight of the day for that plane, at 8:45am.  That flight was slightly early on departure and arrived in Dallas/Fort-worth Airport right on time.  Along with that I had this at the end of the 3 hour flight:

This is a substitution for the Francie pattern that I originally had for this yarn, the name I will post later due to its another language, but it is by cookie a.  The yarn is abstract fibers o'keefe in koi pond.  

Then our flight in Dallas was a little delayed, but left fairly quickly, only a 50 minute connection.  If you haven't been to that airport it's humongous. You actually need a train to take you to different terminals. 

But that flight went smoothly and we arrived, on time actually to our destination, Montreal. 

You can guess that the sock was bigger...

I had knit the rest of the leg and did the heel flap, turned the heel, and was working on the gusset.  All of this knitting took place on both flights.  I might have a pair of socks at the end of it.

We checked in and went out to find food, but by the time we got in, it was about 9pm, so not much was still open.  We then found ourselves in china town and went into a kind of hole in the wall restaurant, but it was good, wonton soup, spring rolls, chow mein, short ribs, chicken fried rice.  

Tomorrow will be more around Veux Montreal, where we are staying.  And getting our bearings.  I'm hoping to start the design tomorrow, since Montreal and this trip inspired it.  I am still not telling what it is going to be though, that you will have to wait and see.... But right now it's 1am, lots more to do tomorrow.  

Travel Knitting.... Why is it so hard?

I'm sitting here drinking my second cup of coffee for the day and relaxing after an intense stash dive along with pattern pairing. I didn't know you could get tired from doing these things, but apparently you can. I have been going through my stash to find what yarn I have so that I can bring knitting for the trip, so I don't go insane. And I'm allowing myself to bring new projects because most of the ones I have right now are just too big to bring. But for some reason I am resisting casting on anything new, no I don't have startitis (yes it's a real thing, and only knitters are susceptible to my knowledge), and I don't have finishitis really. I think I am just used to working on one or two projects at a time starting a new one let alone up to 4 new ones just for this trip makes me a little... well... nuts. I know I know 4 projects just for a 10 day trip, well hear me out. I am brining a new design with me and that one I need something that will help me when that one isn't going the way I want it to. I have a mindless one for those moments when you need them (like when you are waiting or what not), I have one that's mindless but with some fun colors, one with interesting construction and a color that needs to be used, and one because it's awesome.

The projects are, with yarn:

• Ulaborious with Malabrio Sock, color Côte d'azure
• Skew with Madelinetosh Sock, color Amaaranth
• Francie with Abstract Fibers, color Koi Pond
• Happy Street with Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light, colors Luster, Hickory, Georgia O'Keefe
• This one is a maybe, just because it's silk and lace, RosaFlora with Madelinetosh Pure Silk Lace color, Saffron
• This is my design, it's going to be gorgeous I hope.

I know I won't be able to knit all of these things or finish them by the time I come back home, but this should leave me with enough knitting to keep me busy. I was thinking of brining a sweater along with me, but I decided that these small projects would be good. Though now I need needles for all of them and I found something out, I don't have as many US 1.5 needles as I thought, I actually need to get some new ones, because the signatures are staying at home. I might need to try the sock rockets....
I will post pictures when I have more to show, just for now going to tease you all with the colors and the patterns that I'm working on or will be.

Again.... It's been a while.

I write to you again.... after much time, after much knitting, and much going on in life.


I am still knitting, that is true.

I am actually designing a few things right now. I am using codewords for them right now, you'll know when they go up, I'll try to post here.... I will say they are pretty awesome. You'll just have to take my word for it right now.
Early July my mother and I will be venturing for 10 days into Montreal, now this is my first trip out of the United States... ever. I am kind of nervous about it and very excited. We have plans to go visit Vieux Montreal, Downtown, Mont Royal, the Latin Quarter, maybe go up to Trois Riviers, and lots more. Yarn stores are on the list and we are going to hit them (especially if for any reason my knitting needles are taken away, they shouldn't, but who knows). I will try to talk about my time there on here. I do have a design that I am working on that I will be starting for this trip (no it won't be finished before we leave, I'm fast... not that fast). But I can say it's going to be amazing, the color is amazing, I found a stitch pattern I really like, now it's number crunching time.
Through there is a problem I am facing with my knitting. We are planning on performing the next Knit Against at my LYS, a group of us coined this. What is a knit against you ask? Well that's a good question. It's similar to a knit along, where a group take on a the same pattern and knit it all together, but a knit against you are seeing who will finish first. It's quite amusing and a great motivator to get it done. The last one was pulelehua a pattern by Romi Hill, where there were a group of us doing it. You can see minehere, it was such a fun knit. The problem I'm facing is that we are going to be starting on July 1st, and then July 6th I'm leaving for Montreal, so I might not have a lot of knitting time during. However, on top of that I might have a new deadline with something completely different, so we will have to see. At any rate it should be fun. The next knit against will be RosaFlora another Romi Hill and I will be working mine in... wait for it... Madelinetosh Pure Silk Lace in the color of Saffron. It's gorgeous and I think perfect for this pattern.

Must go back to number crunching.

The Tour de Fleece

Tomorrow, 6-30-12 marks the beginning of the Tour de France, which I think is awesome and an incredible athletic event. However, there is a smaller version of the Tour de France which is more fibery in it's intention. The Tour de Fleece, which is described in the Yarn Harlot's Blog and in several posts this being one from 2010. Someone at my local shop has been infected with the spinning bug, I will not name her, she knows who she is... is going to be doing the Tour de Fleece. In fact, she is so infatuated with spinning, I will be letting her try my Lendrum double treddle. I think we've gotten another one. Let's get back on track.... This whole thing has gotten me thinking, I've been spinning since around 2008 and I have not done a Tour de Fleece, so I think this year I will be doing it. My goal however is unknown, officially maybe a goal of spinning everyday, and an unnofical goal of 2 lbs of fiber spun at the end of it, or a skein every 2-3 days, I'm unsure. Let the spinning begin...