Mom in '84

I discovered this roll of film a couple of years ago, buried in some junk at my Dad's place. The canister was super rusty, and though I knew it was old, I would have never guessed that it was from when my Dad traveled to the Philippines to marry my mom.

Man, check out that winning smile!

Watch her finger! So cute.

Now if I could only find out what happened to the roll of film that was in my Moms camera. That would be the find of a lifetime.

Althea Crome

Check out this video showcasing some truly amazing minature sweaters knit up by Althea Crome for Coraline. I absolutely love it!

Stop motion knitting

I came across this video a week or so ago, and I can't believe I haven't posted it yet. I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

via Craft

Forestbound

My latest forestbound pouch. It's number 6 in my forestbound related items!
This one is perfect for carrying around my small knitting projects.

Moss Stitch!

I have some super exciting news to share with you. The kind of news where you jump and down and scream with all your friends!

I'm opening a yarn shop!

Moss Stitch is Hamilton's newest yarn shop, specializing in fibres that are eco friendly, fair-trade, and natural! Our vision is to become a resource centre for knitters and craft loving individuals, offering classes for those new to knitting, and those not-so-new! Whether you knit, crochet, embroider or sew, we hope to inspire your inner crafty being.

Photo courtesy of Peter Michael Wilson

I'm hoping to take over this space - the current tenants being the lovely ladies of White Elephant. If I work really really hard, it could be mine by May! Nothing is set in stone by any means, but boy oh boy would it be great to move in there!

That being said, my Etsy shop is on hold. I still plan on opening it in the next couple of months, but for now it will have to wait. I have this amazing opportunity right now, and I've got to free up all my limbs so that I can hold onto it as tight as possible. Wish me luck!

Oh yes. That brings me to something else too. I'm conducting a little survey geared towards fellow Hamiltonians, but if you live in the Southern Ontario, feel free to fill it out too! It would really help me out if you did. You could even win a gift certificate to White Elephant if you're lucky!

Good times are a comin'!

Birch Bark Soap

I really, really love homemade soap, so recently I ordered a lavender bath bar from Birch Bark Soap. I have been drooling over this soap ever since I stumbled upon Sherries blog twenty-two pleasant, and learned that she is a soapmaker from Nova Scotia (my new favourite province)!

I was pretty excited about receiving this little treat, checking the mail box every single day for it's arrival. Lucky me, today was the day! It couldn't have come on a better day either. I had a pretty terrible morning, so nothing was better than opening a mailbox that was filled with the smell of lavender!

I was also surprised to see that Sherrie also threw in a (large!) sample of her carrot complexion soap, accompanied by a really lovely thank you card. Seriously, I have so much love and affinity for this soap right now - It's so beautifully fragrant and soothing - I can't wait to use it! After such a crummy start to the day I definitely needed the pick me up.

Thank you, Sherrie!

Santo & Johnny

I can't stop listening to Santo & Johnny, and this song just kills me every time.

Valentines

I know it's late, but I want to show you the cutest little chocolate I received for Valentines Day!

For Valentines Peter gave me a small bag of handmade chocolates from Coco Chocolates. The 'Burnt Flowing Caramel' and 'Balsamic and Lemon Zest' ones were top notch, but this 'Hazelnut Mushroom' has been deemed my favourite! I've been saving it so that I could share its cuteness over my the internet, and must continue saving it so that I can share it with Peter a little bit later! YUM!

EDIT: It was delicious!

Dress #2, and a jacket!

Since finishing my first dress, I've bought materials for two more. I made this one yesterday afternoon, and I'm so so happy with how it turned out! Today I will attempt the jacket. I'm crossing my fingers, knees and toes in hopes that I can pull it off! Wish me luck!

First Dress

I finally had enough guts to make my first dress! It's a really simple empire waist dress, with gold buttons closing the back and kimono sleeves -- how appropriate with that Hiroshige print behind me! Hah.

I've been wanting to have a go at it for some time now, so the other night I went to Fabricland, picked out a pattern, grabbed some broadcloth and thread, and got right to it. I cut out all the pattern pieces that night, and it took the entire following day for me to sew it all together.

Since it was kind of a practice dress it's riddled with imperfections. Like when I was spacing out the buttons, and I didn't bother to measure out the distance between them.. Or when I was cutting the button holes, and cut one way too big.. Oops! Its okay though - they're fun, silly mistakes that I'll try not to do again, but really I don't mind. I think the wonkiness of it is pretty cute!