Bye Bye 2008

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I hope each and everyone of you had a great 2008 and I wish you all an even better 2009!

I'd say this year was a pretty good one for me, despite some difficult time at the end.

Knitting-wise, it was pretty quiet. I only finished 12 projects, all of them small (5 pairs of socks, 4 pairs of mittens, two hats and a scarf). My favourite FO is definitely my Bird in Hand mittens. I'm hoping to knit bigger things in 2009, but that will be for another post.

On a more personal level, as I mentionned, I had a difficult end of the year, which started with a miscarriage in November. I know I haven't mentionned it (despite it happening during NaBloPoMo), I just couldn't really talk about it. It happened very early and quickly. I barely had the time to be happy I was pregnant and then suddenly, I wasn't anymore. I'm ok now, and I'm hoping for a different outcome in 2009. I'll keep you posted.

In December, my family suffered a loss when my aunt (mom's sister) died quickly and quite unexpectedly. At the end of November, we learned she had lung cancer and by mid-December, we found out she only had days to live. She died peacefully on December 21. My mom has 11 brothers and sisters and my aunt was the first to go so it was especially painful. She was only 57 years old.

Ok I am all done with the bad. I thought I'd keep the good for the end so you won't leave this blog feeling all depressed! Because despite the bad, I had a good year. I found a job that I really really like (and it looks like I'm quite liked there too). They're giving me responsibilities that I thought I wouldn't have for years and I'm loving it.

Chris and I celebrated our three year anniversary in August. Can I call it anniversary if we're not married and don't ever plan on getting married? It doesn't matter, I'll call it whatever I want. So we've been together almost 3.5 years now and in a couple of months, this relationship will become my longest ever (his longest is seven years though so we have a long way to go until that). I love him with all my heart and I consider myself lucky to have found him. Oh and we had our first (and only) fight in September this year! It happens so rarely I almost want to celebrate it next year ;)

2008 is also the year of our fabulous trip to Europe. We went to Italy, France and Spain and it was fantastic and magical. I don't know if we'll travel in 2009 but I sure hope so. We have tickets to a taping of The Daily Show in New York in May so hopefully I'll be able to get some time off to go! I want to have Jon Stewart's babies!

That's all I have to say about the past year. We're going out tonight with friends to celebrate. It should be fun. I hope you all have fun celebrating too!

In-between

We're at this period of time between Christmas and New Year's eve where all I want is to eat healthy, NOT drink and NOT see people. Too much of a good thing is never good. I think I'm this close to a sugar overdose.

So, I'm sure you all really want to know if I finished my gifts on time. Well I did! Ok, I finished the hat in the car on my way to my mom's, but still, it was done when I got there. Unfortunately, as I was knitting it, I realized there was a good chunk of pink/lilac in the skein I had bought, and I knew the recipient wouldn't be too crazy about that. So I cut it out. But then I ran out of yarn and couldn't get anymore because it was Christmas day. So I took another skein of Noro I had and tried to find a colour that wouldn't look so bad. It's not perfect but it's ok and the giftee loved it so all is good.

Unfortunately (again), I only had time to take a quick picture so it's all you're gonna get.



Pattern: Quickie Silk Garden Hat, by Isela Phelps
Yarn: Noro Kureyon (I didn't note the colour)
Needles: 4,5 mm/ US7, circulars + DPNs

I am so glad Christmas knitting is over! I think I'll want to make me a hat and new mittens next, but I'm not sure. I've picked my lucky clover socks back up and I finished the first one.



I'm really enjoying the pattern (by the lovely Angela) and the yarn (by Shelby)) is so soft I'm almost sad to be using it for something that will go on my feet. Sock #2 is on the needles and I hope to finish it soon.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Yes, I am aware that I haven't been writing much. No, my disappearance has nothing to do with the book (I've only read a few pages so far, I'll get to it after Christmas).

I have been working, knitting, and dealing with the lemons that life decided to throw at me these past few weeks. But I'm ok.

My knitting has suffered and I only just finished my mom's mittens yesterday:



Pattern: #03 Green Autumn (Druid Mittens), by Jared Flood (Vogue Knitting, Fall 2008)
Yarn: Fearless Fibers Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn in Glorious Green
Needles: 2.75 mm/US2
Modifications: I made them for my mom and she has big hands. So I added an extra pattern repeat. I also added stitches to the thumb (I picked up 16 instead of 12).

The top looks weird on the pic but it's all right in person. I love the mittens and I hope my mom will like them too. I think I want to make another pair for myself (maybe next winter).

Now I only need to finish a hat. I don't need it until Dec. 26 and I have three long car rides coming up so I'm optimistic.

Happy Holidays to everyone and Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it. Me? I'm gonna be working 4pm to midnight on Dec. 25. Joy.

Wanna see some yarn?

Today is election day in Quebec and I hope those of you who can vote did. There's a good thing about working weird hours: I left to go vote at 10:21 this morning and I was back at 10:30! Tonight is going to be a crazy night but it should be fun. I'll be in charge of "reactions" all evening. It shouldn't be too stressful. I hope.

I know I mentionned yarn in the subject line, so here you go. I still had one Effiloché gift certificate left and I had to spend it because it expires on Christmas day. So I went on Friday. I didn't buy anything terribly exciting, but I'm happy:



I got some Dale of Norway Baby Ull, that I want to use to make the Postwar Mittens. I'm still not 100% sure about the colours, but I'll give them a try and we'll see. I have to wait until I'm all done with Christmas knitting to start them (cause they are for sure going to be for me!).

Then, I got a skein of Noro Kureyon, colour 233. I want to use it to make the Quickie Noro Silk Garden hat for my stepdad.

I also bought the winter issue of IK and I still had some money left on the certificate, so I added two skeins of Regia sock yarn. I need to buy more solid coloured sock yarn so I can knit some of the beautiful patterns I have in my queue.

Re: Christmas knitting, I just finished Druid mitten #1 and I.LOVE.IT. I want to keep it for myself. I just hope it fits my mom's hands. She has big hands. They're a bit too big for me, so I'm hopeful (I had to add an extra repeat of the pattern on the hand to make sure it's going to be long enough. I might have to redo the thumb though). Pictures coming soon.

Now I just hope I'll be able to finish them AND stepdad's hat before Christmas. Wish me luck!

Days of our Parliament

Things are completely crazy in Canada right now, ladies and gentlemen. Never before has federal politics been so exciting for me! And apparently, the US medias don't talk about it so I invite you all to read this blog post by the Yarn Harlot. She explains the whole thing very well.

Our prime minister is with the Governor General right now (probably asking her to prorogue parliament). My thoughts:

1. Stephen Harper is arrogant deserves everything that is happening right now. Governing like a majority when you're a minority could only work for so long.

2. I would personally like to see what the coalition could do, despite the fact that I strongly dislike Stéphane Dion (who is an intelligent man, but a very weak leader). I don't know if there's any chance they could replace him before May (Michael Ignatieff would be my choice), but I think it would be best.

3. Separatists =/= evil, dammit! I've been reading forums and watching TV and there seems to be quite a bit of Quebec-bashing going on outside of our province. And people wonder why few Quebecers are federalists...

4. Quebec will be electing its prime minister on Dec. 8, but no one is talking about the campaign right now because what's going on in Ottawa is so much more interesting. Jean Charest (our current PM) must be so happy. He's ahead in the polls right now and he could spend the rest of his campaign in Florida and no one would notice...

When did that happen?

So it looks like I'm 31 today.

I feel like I've gone from 21 to 31 pretty quickly, where did all those years go? And why don't I totally feel like an adult yet?

Despite getting older, there are good things about birthdays. Like cake (though I don't have one... hopefully I will this weekend). Gifts are good too. Chris got me a CD I wanted, a knitting book* (he says it doesn't count as a gift because he got it for free at work) and a HABS shirt!!! I'm so happy about that one. I don't have it yet, though, because he wants me to go with him to pick it out. I'm going to two games this winter and I'll have a shirt, woohoo!

*For the curious, the knitting book is in French and it's called "Elle tricote ses grigris, ses écharpes et cie". I haven't looked at it that much yet but it looks ok.