Wednesday, July 30, 2008

A place to keep all my precious things

Why am I an awful blogger? Oh yes, because I work 60 hours a week and laze in front of a TV when I have some down time instead of typing about my adventures. But I will not give up. I am determined to make a habit out of this blogging thing, and maybe that will happen once I do it more regularly. Maybe. Here is my resolution for August: blog more, even if it's only a little bit. You'll never get to know me if you can't read about my adventures.

As promised (months ago), I come bearing knitting field trip pictures!The first shop we came across on Queen Street West. Americo was snooty. No pictures allowed inside and the sales people were all over us to buy something. Very small shops kind of have that feel, they make me uncomfortable. The yarns were gorgeous and expensive, I could never afford to make myself a sweater that doesn't exactly fit out of these yarns.

The highlight of the day for sure, Romni is my new favourite store. Like Len's Mill in terms of musty odour, but far more organized, even if it was a little chaotic. I've never seen so much yarn in my whole life. I think we spent at least 3 hours here.

Even with all the fabulous fibres around me, I only bought two knitting books, and I know they were both things available at my local Chapters, but I know they came from my knitting field trip. *drool* These books occupied most of my time at Romni

More yarn than you can shake a stick at! The variety was unreal, I love this place.

Cutest little shop ever. If I ever opened my own store, I would also combine yarn and coffee, but I would also include TV and puppies. It would be called "Victoria's Favourite Things".

Last stop on our adventure, I loved the name of this one, Lettuce Knit. Such a nice store, lots of things, a little cramped, but real estate must be pricey for a sweet little yarn store.

Working hard at work, both of them. The 60 hours a week is painful and I hate it, I literally have no time for myself. After the first month or so when I realized working this much was stupid, I got stuck doing it because the bux lost too many full-time supervisors/managers to let me get by with less than 30 hours. I'm foolishly dedicated to the store and I put up with the extra hours to help things go along smoothly. The next two weeks of schedule have me down for 24 hours each week, totally do-able. That is my ideal week right there, which is sad because it still leaves me working more than 50 hours each week. Soon my pretties, soon I will be a student once more with that classic of all cop-out excuses "Sorry I can't work more, I'm a student you know". I'll still work 30ish hours with classes to pay for my lux lifestyle, but I can handle it with such light course load.

Other work is going well enough. I work my 3 or 4 days with the bux and fit time in around that to get 30 hours in for co-op. Sometimes the days I pick to work don't have a lot of work to do and I feel like I'm wasting my time there, but really and truly there's always something to do. Coming up to a lot of big weddings and double-booked weekends. I booked off 4 days next week for the overload of work I'm expecting over a weekend.

Also, since my last post, I have completed another project! Behold!

Pre-felted, but looking like a bag, just like it's supposed to.

After felting, with syrup bottle supports and an elaborate cardboard rig to hold the shape I desired

The round bottom which worked perfectly as planned! I cut out a circle of cardboard and kept it holding the base in shape as it dried. B-E-A-utiful.

My fuzzy-headed boy, modeling my bag as a hat. In its early stages, the bag did resemble a beanie or other similarly hilarious hat.

In S&B news, my crew and I have started an ongoing team blanket project for a co-worker. We're each doing 12 8"x8" squares of our pattern choice, in earth tones and natural colours. I have completed one square so far. It's going to be what we've dubbed a "family blanket" for a new baby. Neither of our co-worker's sons received any hand made knits for being born, so we decided it was our duty as knitters to provide something.

Until we meet again,

Onward.