... is not my forte, but I actually did some today. I have never reached my mom's standards of cleanliness, but my apartment still has a lot of construction dust, plus the sand and little bits of shredded paper from my shipment, so I decided to get to work today. I only worked in the bedroom, and there's still a lot more organising to do in there, but it definitely looks better. I washed the windows and the window screens, vacuumed, removed all non-bedroom materials, changed the sheets and cleaned the bathroom. I also moved two of my stash rubbermaid boxes in as temporary bedside tables. Nice.
I've been doing lots of knitting, but I don't have pictures fo any of it. There are a few gift items, but mostly I'm just never home during daylight hours. I'm lucky enough to be able to walk to work in the light (assuming I am organised getting out of the house), but otherwise I almost never see the sun. The next sunny weekend day, I'll have to do a whole photoshoot, for the blog and ravelry.
Yesterday was the Wellington West Wassail, and I met up with some newish friends for a wander that ended up lasting all day! We started off with Folka Voca at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, a horse-drawn wagon ride and free apple cider. There was also a craft fair and two yarn shops before we decided to get lunch, which ended up being pizza from Colonnade Pizza. It is, indeed, good pizza. Then drinks and pie at A's house to round out a lovely day. And now, I'm off to have more pie!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Upcoming Events
There are so many things going on in my "neighbourhood" that I can't decide what to do first! (And how I'm going to fit that in as I continue to open boxes!)
MainWorks Artists Studios Open House
You are invited to attend the annual MainWorks Artists Studios Open-House at 200 Crichton Street in New Edinburgh (please use Avon Lane entrance). See artists at work in their studios and view art in different mediums and styles; oils, acrylics, mixed media, painting, and installation.
Date/Time:
From November 6, 2009 to November 8, 2009
Friday, 5 to 9 pm; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 pm
Location:
MainWorks Artists Studios
200 Crichton Street
Ottawa
260 Fingers
260 Fingers is an invitational exhibition and sale of the work of 26 outstanding clay artists and potters from eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
Our participants have all won recognition for their work; some are emerging artists and some are veterans of the craft scene. Their work can be found in galleries and collections all over Canada and the world.
Time and place
The show opens at 6 p.m. on November 6th 2009.
The show continues 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.
The Glebe Community Centre is located at Lyon and Third Avenue, one block west of Bank Street and two blocks east of Bronson Avenue. The closest Queensway (417) exit is Bronson South (turn left on Third).
SPAO OPEN HOUSE
Join us for a celebration of photographic achievement and education as we open our doors to the public to commemorate our 4th year anniversary.
Tour the darkroom, computer lab and studio spaces, and view displays, slide shows, demonstrations, live shoots and exhibitions of images by our full-time students.
Come see what’s up at SPAO!
Friday November 6th, 2009
15:00-21:00
Photo Credit: Joël Côté-Cright
Red Wall Gallery at SPAO 168 Dalhousie
613-562-3824
info@spao.ca
MainWorks Artists Studios Open House
You are invited to attend the annual MainWorks Artists Studios Open-House at 200 Crichton Street in New Edinburgh (please use Avon Lane entrance). See artists at work in their studios and view art in different mediums and styles; oils, acrylics, mixed media, painting, and installation.
Date/Time:
From November 6, 2009 to November 8, 2009
Friday, 5 to 9 pm; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 pm
Location:
MainWorks Artists Studios
200 Crichton Street
Ottawa
260 Fingers
260 Fingers is an invitational exhibition and sale of the work of 26 outstanding clay artists and potters from eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
Our participants have all won recognition for their work; some are emerging artists and some are veterans of the craft scene. Their work can be found in galleries and collections all over Canada and the world.
Time and place
The show opens at 6 p.m. on November 6th 2009.
The show continues 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.
The Glebe Community Centre is located at Lyon and Third Avenue, one block west of Bank Street and two blocks east of Bronson Avenue. The closest Queensway (417) exit is Bronson South (turn left on Third).
SPAO OPEN HOUSE
Join us for a celebration of photographic achievement and education as we open our doors to the public to commemorate our 4th year anniversary.
Tour the darkroom, computer lab and studio spaces, and view displays, slide shows, demonstrations, live shoots and exhibitions of images by our full-time students.
Come see what’s up at SPAO!
Friday November 6th, 2009
15:00-21:00
Photo Credit: Joël Côté-Cright
Red Wall Gallery at SPAO 168 Dalhousie
613-562-3824
info@spao.ca
Monday, October 05, 2009
Sofa Shopping
Uh, yeah, I haven't posted in a while. Moving seems to have eaten most of my free time and brain capacity. Add the lack of computer/internet access until very recently, and you get blog silence.
So, while I am knitting, the main topic on my mind these days is furniture shopping. I am in a new place now that I'm back in Ottawa (my first *own* place!), and I need to furnish it. Since I'm tired of sitting on the floor, the couch is first on my list!
I have a pretty big living/dining area (the schematic says 17'5" by 18'1", but I haven't measured yet to see how that compares to reality). But, the couch, entertainment/storage and dining all have to fit. So, I thought I'd blog my choices and see if anyone else has any comments.
First, I'm basing my decorating on a rug I love that I got in Turkey last fall.
I'm looking for something gray (medium to dark) with metal legs and some clearance (so you can see through under it). I would like a sectional, but would consider other styles.
1) Philip Van Leeuwen - the Aspen
It's available now, and very reasonably priced, but this one is huge! As in, not even another chair would fit. Very comfy, and could seat 5 people, but not very flexible.
2) EQ3 - the Salema in Urban-Vapour
The worst thing about this couch is the order time - 6-12 weeks! The scale, options and price point are all good. The fabric, since I can't find a good sample on-line, reads as a browny-gray in a similar tone to the Aspen.
3) DWR - the Albert in Slate
Much more expensive than the other options, but this couch is beautiful! The only reason I haven't already ordered it is that it only comes in leather, which I find a bit cold. Although I've been testing out leather couches all over town trying to decide if I can live with it.
4) Montauk - Lily or Tuxedo (which do come in sofas), Kate or Catherine...
Another more expensive option, neither of which have sectional options, but they do have beautiful lines, and Montauk is known for their sustainable practices. My biggest question is around fabrics, and I think I'd just have to go to a showroom (either Montreal or Toronto).
Does anyone know of other options? I'd prefer not to have to ship anything too far, but for the most part, anything I bought would have to be shipped from somewhere.
So, while I am knitting, the main topic on my mind these days is furniture shopping. I am in a new place now that I'm back in Ottawa (my first *own* place!), and I need to furnish it. Since I'm tired of sitting on the floor, the couch is first on my list!
I have a pretty big living/dining area (the schematic says 17'5" by 18'1", but I haven't measured yet to see how that compares to reality). But, the couch, entertainment/storage and dining all have to fit. So, I thought I'd blog my choices and see if anyone else has any comments.
First, I'm basing my decorating on a rug I love that I got in Turkey last fall.
I'm looking for something gray (medium to dark) with metal legs and some clearance (so you can see through under it). I would like a sectional, but would consider other styles.
1) Philip Van Leeuwen - the Aspen
It's available now, and very reasonably priced, but this one is huge! As in, not even another chair would fit. Very comfy, and could seat 5 people, but not very flexible.
2) EQ3 - the Salema in Urban-Vapour
The worst thing about this couch is the order time - 6-12 weeks! The scale, options and price point are all good. The fabric, since I can't find a good sample on-line, reads as a browny-gray in a similar tone to the Aspen.
3) DWR - the Albert in Slate
Much more expensive than the other options, but this couch is beautiful! The only reason I haven't already ordered it is that it only comes in leather, which I find a bit cold. Although I've been testing out leather couches all over town trying to decide if I can live with it.
4) Montauk - Lily or Tuxedo (which do come in sofas), Kate or Catherine...
Another more expensive option, neither of which have sectional options, but they do have beautiful lines, and Montauk is known for their sustainable practices. My biggest question is around fabrics, and I think I'd just have to go to a showroom (either Montreal or Toronto).
Does anyone know of other options? I'd prefer not to have to ship anything too far, but for the most part, anything I bought would have to be shipped from somewhere.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Knitting in Paris (Knit Groups)
Yes, I'm a bad blogger! I've been back from my vacation for a week already, and I haven't even posted about any of my knitting adventures, never mind any of the other wonderful things I managed to do! Since this is a knitting blog, I'll start out with a knitting themed post, and see if I get around to any additional posts.
I contacted two knitting meetups through Ravelry before I headed out, and managed to visit with both of them. Saturday, the day after my arrival in Paris, I dragged my ass out of bed to head down to the gardens of the Quai Branly Museum to meet the Tricot Opera group.
The gardens were beautiful, and I felt very welcomed! It was great to chat with other knitters again, check out their projects, feel new yarns and see new books and magazines. I've been living under a rock as far as direct access to knitting stuff for a while, so it was a great way to start my trip. FLOUB was even so organised as to bring a thermos of coffee (much needed after my travels the previous day), so it was a real "cafe tricot!"
On Wednesday night, I made my way to L'OisiveThé for TricotThé. Amy has a great little shop, and it was a very welcoming. L'OisiveThé is mostly a tea room, but it has a small selection of yarn available, and I picked up two skeins of Shibui Knits Sock in Pebble, a mixture of gorgeous beiges and blues, with a hint of violet. Admittedly, not a local souvenir yarn purchase, but it was something I'd never seen before, and it's knitting up beautifully!
I contacted two knitting meetups through Ravelry before I headed out, and managed to visit with both of them. Saturday, the day after my arrival in Paris, I dragged my ass out of bed to head down to the gardens of the Quai Branly Museum to meet the Tricot Opera group.
The gardens were beautiful, and I felt very welcomed! It was great to chat with other knitters again, check out their projects, feel new yarns and see new books and magazines. I've been living under a rock as far as direct access to knitting stuff for a while, so it was a great way to start my trip. FLOUB was even so organised as to bring a thermos of coffee (much needed after my travels the previous day), so it was a real "cafe tricot!"
On Wednesday night, I made my way to L'OisiveThé for TricotThé. Amy has a great little shop, and it was a very welcoming. L'OisiveThé is mostly a tea room, but it has a small selection of yarn available, and I picked up two skeins of Shibui Knits Sock in Pebble, a mixture of gorgeous beiges and blues, with a hint of violet. Admittedly, not a local souvenir yarn purchase, but it was something I'd never seen before, and it's knitting up beautifully!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
I made something!
My new sewing machine cover!
The seams aren't perfect, but this is the first thing I've sewn in a long while! The front and back are legs of old pairs of jeans. The sides are colourful leftovers, and are quite old. I'm pretty sure I got them from my grandma.
Yay!
The seams aren't perfect, but this is the first thing I've sewn in a long while! The front and back are legs of old pairs of jeans. The sides are colourful leftovers, and are quite old. I'm pretty sure I got them from my grandma.
Yay!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Motivation
So, I don't think I've talked about this here yet, but I've signed up for a half marathon in September! I think it's slightly crazy, considering I was not exercising in any way, shape or form when I signed up (in April), so I was starting from nothing. 21 km is a long way to go!
For reasons I can't talk about, April was a complete write-off for training, but I seem to be doing ok now. I have no illusions about actually running the whole thing. My goal is to train regularly (about three times per week), getting my mileage as high as I can go without hurting myself, and then run/walk the race on the day. It will be doubly difficult as I'm pretty much restricted to treadmill training until September, although I am planning to do some outside runs when I'm on vacation in a week or so.
Can I say that it's really difficult to train right now though? The room I run in does have air conditioning, but given that it's not running unless I'm in the room and the room has large, east facing windows, its often hotter inside than outside. An engineer at work told me that the average temperature for June this year was 50 degrees C!!! I believe it, even if the information I find on weather on the internet doesn't support that. (Just fyi, Weather.com says it's 39 degrees here today, and BBC is actually predicting 38 and rain (I don't know what they're thinking. I've only seen rain here two or three times in two years, and today doesn't look like the day for it.))
So, anyone that's ever lived in a super-hot climate, how does one stay motivated to run when it is so warm? I did 45 minutes on the treadmill this morning, and managed to soak through my moisture-wicking gear and had sweat running down my back and arms. I've never actually experienced that before, even in steamy Ottawa summers. There are some articles on Runner's World, but given that the sweat isn't evaporating, I don't know how much use a lot of that advice will help (a lot of advice revolves around wet hats or ice in a bandana around the neck).
For reasons I can't talk about, April was a complete write-off for training, but I seem to be doing ok now. I have no illusions about actually running the whole thing. My goal is to train regularly (about three times per week), getting my mileage as high as I can go without hurting myself, and then run/walk the race on the day. It will be doubly difficult as I'm pretty much restricted to treadmill training until September, although I am planning to do some outside runs when I'm on vacation in a week or so.
Can I say that it's really difficult to train right now though? The room I run in does have air conditioning, but given that it's not running unless I'm in the room and the room has large, east facing windows, its often hotter inside than outside. An engineer at work told me that the average temperature for June this year was 50 degrees C!!! I believe it, even if the information I find on weather on the internet doesn't support that. (Just fyi, Weather.com says it's 39 degrees here today, and BBC is actually predicting 38 and rain (I don't know what they're thinking. I've only seen rain here two or three times in two years, and today doesn't look like the day for it.))
So, anyone that's ever lived in a super-hot climate, how does one stay motivated to run when it is so warm? I did 45 minutes on the treadmill this morning, and managed to soak through my moisture-wicking gear and had sweat running down my back and arms. I've never actually experienced that before, even in steamy Ottawa summers. There are some articles on Runner's World, but given that the sweat isn't evaporating, I don't know how much use a lot of that advice will help (a lot of advice revolves around wet hats or ice in a bandana around the neck).
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
FO: Ishbel
See, I do occasionally finish things! This didn't take much time, only a few days, but I was knitting a lot during that time.
It's difficult to get a shot where my facial expression is normal in the very bright sun. This is the best one I came up with.
Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Sophie's Toes sock yarn Layers of Colour Collection Dark Teal from emilyparson
Needle: 2.25 mm
The yarn was very nice to work with, and looks great.
And some nice flowers in the sun.
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