Perth, Ontario

One thing I have discovered on this trip is that I don't get time to keep my blog up as a travel diary when we're staying with friends-always too much to do! I also decided that I do not like the little laptop MOTH gave me to travel with- its too bloody small to see anything, and, as for editing any pictures, nearly impossible- especially after a large Baileys or 2!

This morning, while its quiet- we are home again now- I'm doing the catch ups on our trip-so will have to do a few entries, hopefully all today.

Here's a little more on our visit with Ruth & Terry.

After leaving Ya Ya I drove back with Barb to her place & caught the train to Ruth's-where I met up with MOTH, whom I hadn't seen for some 2 or more months-he'd been off travelling through Asia & the UK on his own-the reunion was uneventful, not even mildly exciting-he was much more interested in the loss of his baggage (another one for the bags getting a better holiday than its owner), having a beer with Terry & watching a hockey game....does 30+ years of marriage do this to a couple? Oh, hi dear, nice to see you- hand us a beer while you're up, will you.....

We have stayed with Ruth & Terry quite a few times now & its like coming home- we catch up with friends we've made through them- a social round of outings, meals out & gossip with the quilting group for me & catching up since the last time I saw them all.

We spent 2 weeks with Terry & Ruth, driving around the countryside to take pictures, or Ruth & I heading off to another quilt shop- seems that even with all the overload of Lancaster we were not quilt shopped out! Even managed to buy more fabric & order some online to have posted home!

While browsing through a magazine I happened upon "Fresh Vanilla" quilt & thought it would be perfect for our DIL- I had asked her before if she would like a quilt- she said she'd like a 'white one'- I mentioned that I 'didn't do white ones' ( I am not that crazy to be attempting a whole of cloth quilt when I hate the quilting part of making a quilt in the first place!).

Initially I was just going to order it & make it as a surprise for her, then thought what if she really hates it, then feels obliged to use it because I made it-so caution got the better of me & I sent her the link! Yeah- she loved it- said it was perfect-it has taken me some time to get to know my DIL's tastes but I think I have her pegged now.

I showed the quilt fabric & quilt to DD on our return & she loved it as well- only, can I have it in blues please-& would you believe it they do a blue colourway in the exact same fabrics- looks like everyone will get a quilt this Christmas- if I can get my act together & get them all done in time. I have ordered a whole 30 yard roll of batting from Zooks in Lancaster-hopefully it will arrive soon.

While at Ruth's I managed to get a pair of socks knitted- I had ordered some new needles & 2 packs of socks yarns from Knitpicks which were waiting for me at Barb's when I got there. The packs come with a mix & match recipe for making all sorts of socks- cafeteria style I call it- you just pick what you want & voila! you have a pair of socks.

Madeline showed an interest in the socks & so she was the lucky (?) recipient of the latest socks-pretty blue/green colour with a lacy pattern, spiral toe-fitted her perfectly & she even has yarn for patching.

Terry seemed pleased with his red 'ladder of life' socks- he even modelled them for me so I could take some decent shots of them- now lets hope Ruth doesn't wash them in hot water or throw them in the dryer! It would appear that the newly taken pics of the socks have disappeared from the folder-I'm not sure where that could possibly be.....but lets hope they are at least still on the other laptop.....

I started a second pair of socks while at Ruth's, then frogged them- they just weren't doing anything for me......next stop Vi & Bruce's.

Bits 'n Pieces

It's not often I have a lazy weekend- doing nothing-but this weekend has been one of them. I was just not in the mood for doing anything much at all.

Not that I did 'nothing'.

My list of 'to do' things before the trip to the USA-now has lots of ticks on it!

I checked out Knitpicks & placed an order- that will be delivered to my GF's & I'll pick it up when I visit in May. In some ways I'm glad they don't post to Oz or I'd be done for-you'd find me buried under a pile of wool & fabric.

I certainly don't need anything in the parcel before then- its more sock yarn (which I find hard to resist) & a ball winder. I do have a ball winder- well, really, technically its a cone winder & the balls tend to collapse on themselves as I don't keep the plastic cone in there.....

Next on my list was embroideryonline, after I had gone through all my machine embroidery threads, to see which ones need replacing-that took me the best part of 3 hours on Saturday . The up shot of that is that all the threads are tidy & sorted. Seems I need a few threads-I've sewn more than I thought I had in the past 12 months.

Sew, when I arrive at Barb's it'll be like Christmas for me- all these parcels that I have delivered to her place prior to my arrival.

I played around with a Flickr album- I seem to have albums all over the place with pics in them-but I'll keep this one for my sewing & knitting.

My knitting is certainly progressing well. After I gave Gemma her pink socks I then completed the blue, Embossed Leaves, pair- they are really gorgeous & I love the heel & toe detail in them-a little different to what I've done on other pairs. Very classy looking.

Today I started a pair with my yarn cafe shimmer yarn-it's a variegated yarn & patterns do not show well with all the colours. This is my improvised pair- I'm making it up as I go- hopefully when I finish I'll have something wearable & that fits a foot as well- you never know what will happen when I start to knit. I am now ready to turn the heel.

This afternoon I sat & watched 2 movies on DVD- I rarely sit & watch anything at all-its a good excuse to knit. The first one was a Helen Hunt one- 'then there was you' I think was the name of it- lovely girlie type movie for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

The second one was Indecent Proposal-I wonder how many people, in a similar situation, would do the same thing. Hell ,I'd have 'slept' with Robert Redford for nothing!

MOTH leaves for Malaysia on Wednesday, then onto UK-we don't catch up again until I get to Canada around 3 June.

Tuesday week I'm off to Hong Kong with the gals for our yearly shopping trip-this is when I might buy the camera I've been after- no DH saying to buy a Sony! Looking forward to our 6 days away- no guys-no meals- no dishes!!!! The perfect holiday!

Happy Crafting

Oz-tralien