Knitting for Kneazles

The past month I been knitting like mad to finish my Slytherin Scarf in time for the launch of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I made it just in time and wore it to the midnight party at Chapters. It's a great five and a half feet long and very cosy. The book was a very enjoyable read, though not my favourite of the series. The epilogue especially was rather disappointing. Nonetheless, I was very happy the neither of my two favourite characters died! I intend to do some more Harry Potter inspired knitting this winter, and am looking forward to getting Charmed Knits and trying out some of their patterns.

Sew Much Fun

I've been busy sewing this summer and here are two of my new projects.

First the skirt is a half circle wrap-around skirt that I drafted myself using the wonderful book "Sew What! Skirts". The skirt is lovely, and perfect for twirling.

The top is one that I made for those hot hot hot summer days. I got the pattern at SewSimple.
There are no instructions but it goes together pretty well without them. I adore the back of this top, very unusual, but very pretty. And it took only a metre of fabric.

Crumbling

With the bounty of berries in the house, I whipped up a Strawberry Raspberry Crumble to enjoy.

We should be picking blueberries soon!

Strawberry Social

Summer's in full swing and the berries are ripe for the picking. We've been to the local U-Pick twice already and picked about 19 pounds of strawberries and 5 pounds of raspberries. I've been busy making the house favourite; strawberry banana jam and plan to freeze a whole bunch for later jamming. Other uses for our bountiful berries: Berries and Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, Berries with Scones, Berry Pancakes, Berries in Salads, and Berries in Pies, Crisps, Crumbles, and Slumps....

Strawberry fields forever.

The berries are soo very sweet. Here's what we picked on Wednesday, and we are already planning on going back for more. Yum!

Happy Canada Day, eh!

Time to pull out your red and white, and paint maple leafs on your cheeks! I had a great but exhausting day at the fort as we had over 4000 people come and celebrate with us!
Here's one of my favourite Canadian quotes by artist Emily Carr...

"It is wonderful to feel the grandness of Canada in the raw, not because she is Canada but because she was something sublime that you were born into, some great rugged power that you are part of."

Flintlock Fun

I've just got back from an amazing business (?!) trip. A co-worker and I went out to the island and Fort Rodd Hill to begin to learn about black powder musketry in order to start doing demos at our site sometime in the future. Fort Rodd Hill is an amazing site. It is truly stunning right where it is on the ocean, and such a fun atmosphere - definitely a great place to explore. If you ever get the chance, go visit!



Five years ago I would never have imagined all the neat things I have been so very fortunate to learn since I've become an intrepid Heritage Interpreter. Imagine me, a wee speck of a girlie- coopering, blacksmithing, and shooting black powder flintlock muskets!

In Love With Church Sales

It is a well known fact that Church Rummage Sales are always the very best place to find things of quailty and good price. Since I have worked on weekends for the past few years it is practically impossible to steal away to one and find the treasures that are carefully laid out by the old church ladies. However! Last Saturday while I was walking to work I passed one of the oldest churches in the village and lo and behold the sale had just begun. I had ten minutes before I had to run up the hill to the site so I scooped up these little things for the house. Three 1930's picture frames (I much prefer the older ones, and am always on the look out for them) all for 1$, as well as a handful of vintage linens including three hankerchiefs, a lace doily, and two lace and embroidered cushion covers (perfect for the hammock) for 7$.

I wish I could have spent more time poking around, I didn't even get more than a glimpse at the pie table!

Dear Mama

I have been so very fortunate in my life to have many "mamas". Kind, intelligent, hilarious, critical, loving women who have somehow put up with me with elegance and grace. But here is my very dearest, a-swirling and a-twirling in all gold silks.

Happy Mum's Day,
I promise to never be like Kitty or Lydia or even Mary!

Merry May Day!

"Oh!" she cried out, "is it you—is it you?" And it did not seem at all queer to her that she spoke to him as if she were sure that he would understand and answer her.

He did answer. He twittered and chirped and hopped along the wall as if he were telling her all sorts of things. It seemed to Mistress Mary as if she understood him, too, though he was not speaking in words. It was as if he said:

"Good morning! Isn't the wind nice? Isn't the sun nice? Isn't everything nice? Let us both chirp and hop and twitter. Come on! Come on!"

- The Secret Garden

Diamond Sunbursts and Marble Halls

"So give me pearls for our troth ring, Gilbert,"

Almost a year ago my fella proposed to me in the little park at the end of our street. He knows me so well - no bended knee, no giant rock from the jeweller's at the mall- I wanted something as unique as the two of us. So, wonderful man that he is, he let me search for my perfect ring. I always knew I wanted an antique piece and have been looking since last May for a ring that would suit. I found it on Ebay (of all places!) last December but it had to be paid for, sent here, and then sized. Sizing proved quite an issue since I have extremely slim fingers - size 4-4.25! and the jeweller was nervous, for the ring's six diamonds are all old mine cut diamonds and four are held in rather precariously. He worried that bending it so much might cause the diamonds to pop out and perhaps ruin the shape of the ring. He bravely decided to give it a-go though and we told him to take all the time he needed. Today the ring finally came home to me and is happily on my hand as I type. It goes back soon for it's proper appraisal, but for now, I can admire it to my heart's content.

The Ring:
No provenance came with the ring when purchased so it has been a bit of a trick to find out all there is to know. So far I can tell you that it is yellow gold and white gold (possibly platinum??) with a natural pearl in the centre. It has a stylised floral design which hints at Art Nouveau, and has six old mine cut diamonds (possibly 1880's?). There were worn hallmarks on the inside and the jeweller said that it might have English origins but it was very hard to distinguish. If anyone has any info on a ring similar to this I would love to hear about it! For now, the sleuthing continues...

And of course, to my dear Fella - thank you so very much. With or without diamonds, you will always be the centre of my happiness.

Back to Work

Ladysmithin' today and boy, are my arms tired tonight.

Home A-bed

I have had the very great misfortune to be stuck at home the past few days as I have caught the most horrendous head cold. (So horrendous in fact I am already on my second box of tissues within two days!) Today I have crawled from the comforts of the bed to the couch where I've been laying in a nest of fluffy duvet and watching old and not-so-old movies on the television as well as plenty of British real estate programs. So far I have watched "The Sixth Inn of Happiness", "The Quick and the Dead", "Much Ado about Nothing", and "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". I don't know if my attention span will hold out much longer. Luckily, tonight I am saved from musicals and westerns as one of my favourite shows "Most Haunted" comes on soon.

Being home sick is no fun at all, is it? I feel guilty for not going into work, I can't concentrate enough to read anything - let alone focus on a crossword puzzle or something else equally engaging, between sneezes I notice all the housework that needs doing but have no desire to attempt it, and to top it off I am the world's worst napper. I'm sure a little sleep in the afternoon would help me mend but it'll never happen. The only time I can manage a nap is after an intercontinental flight - perhaps flying to France would help my stuffy nose? *grin*

In the picture you can see my little tea table fixed with a fresh pot of orange pekoe and a bowl of noodles for lunch, as well as my ever present box of tissues. A-choo!

Pretty Little Lettuces

Lettuce seedlings sprouting quite happily in a make-do greenhouse.

Needlepoint Nirvana

A Place to Hang One's Hat

Empty..

Full!

I am a great lover of hats. I have always liked them, especially the twenties cloche style. They are a weakness of mine, I must confess, but for ages I had nowhere to properly store them. I had them packed away up in the office closet but up there they were often neglected as I'd dash out the front door without one perched on my head. That is now a thing of the past as the fella and I designed, and then he welded, a hat rack for me. With about twelve dollars worth of metal from the metal supermarket, my hat rack came to life. It is now happily hanging behind the front door displaying and keeping all my hats within easy reach.

Women's Work

Today I came straight home from work and changed into my pyjamas as I am catching the cold that is going around here. So instead of posting a picture of my regular clothes, I'll post a few pictures of what I wear daily at work as a heritage interpreter.

Tunic Time

It's day five of the Week in Feminine Dress and here is what I'm wearing today. After work, I changed into my long denim skirt and my flowy blue eyelet tunic. My head's a bit chopped because the camera was on timer as the fella is in Seattle today.

In Bad Taste

According to my 1890's Lady's Book of Manners;

" A worsted dress on a warm day or a white one on a cold day or a light thin one on a windy day are all in bad taste.

Very fine or very delicate dresses worn in the street, or very highly ornamented clothes worn to church, are in bad taste. Very long dresses worn in muddy or dusty weather, even if long dresses are the fashion, are still in bad taste.

Deep and bright-coloured gloves are always in bad taste; very few persons are careful enough in selecting gloves.

Light shoes and dark dresses, white stockings and dark dresses, dark stockings and light dresses, are all in bad taste."

Striped Skirt and Blue Wellies

Here I am on Day Four of the Week of Feminine Dress. The sun came out today briefly, but it was still chilly out in the back garden. I'm wearing my striped skirt, green checkered blouse, and mauve sweater overtop, along with my knee socks and my blue wellies that I got in Cornwall. Ignore the funny angle - I look kind of lumpy! Eep!

Polka Dots and Puffed Sleeves

Here I am on day three of the Week of Feminine Dress pouring a cup of tea. (Ignore the dirty tea towels, they are in the wash now!) I'm wearing my new spring green linen knee length skirt I got in England, with my new puffed cap sleeve polka dot blouse. Over top I've got my black cardigan again, and the always warm black knee socks.