MouseGarden

It's 20% wool and 80% acrylic.

I really like the way it has some weight to it.

This is my new wool blend teal cowl.  It is a new stitch for me as well.  Sometimes I find myself wondering why knitting stitches all seem to have two or three names!  It is really confusing, especially when you're trying to track a pattern down.

But it is amazing what you can do with what is essentially two sticks and a ball of string!

If you have a few minutes you might want to pop over to Hakai magazine and read their article about how the invention of string was more important than the wheel.

https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/the-long-knotty-world-spanning-story-of-string/

Hakai magazine features Coastal Science and Societies, which usually means the sea , and the animals and people who live in and around the sea.  You can get it sent to you free in your inbox!

https://www.hakaimagazine.com/newsletter-sign/

They are based in Canada on the coast of British Columbia.  I am not affiliated with them but it is nice to promote their work.

There was a really interesting article about traditional wooden Indigenous fish hooks the other day.  They were hand carved to catch halibut and the size of the hook determined the size of the fish you'd catch, so they wouldn't catch the sizes they didn't want.

I find it interesting that something that seemed so simple was so sophisticated.  And artistic!  And a bit mystical.  And the idea that sometimes your dreams can tell you something.  I also like the idea of reclaiming a traditional craft that is also a kind of cultural connection.

https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/the-halibut-hook-revival/

A lot of traditional knitting patterns and stitches came from islands that relied on sheep and fishing.  Perhaps the act of knitting is connected with nature in that way.

After several weeks of what felt like early winter, normal autumn has been resumed.  This means instead of 3 degrees Celsius I am getting 15-20 degrees.  That is a huge improvement!  Typical of Canadian Prairie weather which can have extremes in temperature.  I'm always amazed anything can grow here.



This is the autumn foliage of some hardy geraniums.

This is a honeysuckle which is still ok even after snow and light frosts.  Popular with sparrows who have been hanging out in it looking for bugs, and in warmer weather hummingbirds like it a lot.

I've been admiring some of the shadows in the garden, which are quite atmospheric.  Now that the fallen leaves have dried out, you can here that autumn rustling sound as the wind shifts them along the ground, which is a little sinister. These are the shadows of angelica sylvestris, which is a plant wasps love when in flower.


This one seeded naturally from another one further away and is growing between two paving stones.  This is the shadow of the flower which is now a seedhead.

Awesome rat photo by Yarnspirations

I changed my template to something that is more flexible and less pink.  Yay!  Because I'm not really that keen on pink.  I have seen a radically Christmas red and green template I may inflict on people later.

Meanwhile it snowed a lot on October 2nd.  The weather has been consistently about 15 degrees colder than normal so it makes people crabby, though it does make knitting easier.  It's hard to sit down and knit when it is hot.

But the bird bath looked like this on the 2nd:

 It looks a bit like a cake.

And then you forget to fill the bird feeder so the birds hop round on your door mat.  Waiting, waiting.


What is she doing in there, they ask themselves.  Knitting?

I should probably warn people now that I've always been obsessed with wildlife tracks in the snow, especially bird tracks.  If you learn how to read all the different prints, you really can find out what goes on when you aren't there to see it.  I've kind of been thinking bird tracks would make a neat piece of embroidery if I could just figure out what to do with it.

I've been working on lots of new things.

Like this one:

A chunky knit teal and black tassel scarf.



Plus this Old Shale knitted throw in pale teal blue chunky yarn.

And some really long scarves:



That one is 109 inches.  It also comes in black and dark green. 

I do take custom requests, so if you have an idea for a Christmas present, don't hesitate!  Please remember to allow for knitting time, as well as the time spent in the mail.

I like making gift tags using various stamps.  I always check to see that they allow items to be sold that are made from their products.  My items are very limited production, and I'm planning to feature some on this blog.

This year I finally bought some Taylored Expressions stamps, which are made by a small company in Iowa.  I've been curious about them for a while but I think I've only ever seen one photo of what they look like inside the package.  I thought I might share what they look like, in a totally unsolicited, I didn't get paid for a review sort of way!  They tend to be more expensive than some, so I got these on sale.

On websites you only ever see the front of the package.  I wanted this Tag-a-long Halloween set mostly for the cat, which is awesome and reminds me of one I know in the neighbourhood that has a lot of attitude.  The illustrations are by Danielle Lounds.  This stamp was released back in 2015!  What took me so long?



They are good quality red rubber cling stamps, and they come stuck to the front package insert, which has a laminated plastic smooth surface.  It means you can store it on the card and there isn't much packaging, and I appreciate that.

I also notice that lots of cling stamps for sale don't include the measurements.  Taylored Expressions often says "images smaller than actual size" so it turns out the cat is quite a satisfying size that is much bigger than the picture.


I bought them online from Taylored Expressions, and I have to say I did like the service, which included a hand written thank you on the invoice.  Pretty cool.

Although I have the cat in mind for some gift tags, I am also considering using it to decorate a box.  I really like the bat and the potion bottles, and the Abracadabra.  Plus it is possible to use these stamps with other sets and come up with something new.

I finished it!  And I really like the colours.

I'm working on a purple lacy throw.  I like the colours a lot, as it has purple, grey and a cream colour.

No one panic, but I'm installing a new template and making some changes this week.  I hope it will look a lot better.  I needed to think about what I want it to look like.

Meanwhile, I think I've finally got Spring.  Hmm.  Leaves!  Flowers!

I've been knitting throws in different colours.  I think of this pattern as Old Shale, though some people argue that it is Feather and Fan, and it comes from the Shetland Isles.  That's why I haven't been blogging.  I'm knitting!

The weather is both cold and snowy, even if technically it is March.

A lacy throw can be surprisingly warm, as the many holes trap warm air underneath.  I love the traditional patterns.  They make me feel a little bit connected with the past.  Some of them are amazingly intricate.  I find it interesting that doing a familiar stitch in a new colour makes it look quite different.

A new scarf I have made with self striping yarn.  I really enjoy working with bright colours.  At 66 inches, it is a little shorter than some of the ones I usually make.

The weather keeps veering from extra Arctic cold to ridiculously warm, and then cold again.  After a second try at freezing cold, it is warmer this week.

Good weather for a striped scarf...