Knitting - Sewn Cast Off

I knitted these socks toe-up.  It was the second pair using this method (or was it the third?). Anyway, I really like it!

But I didn't like the results of a "normal" cast off ... it was just a tad too tight.

So I surfed the web and found the "Sewn Cast Off" method.

I tried it on the socks above and love it!!

And now these socks are finished.  Another FO (finished object)! Yay!

Look for quality handknit gifts in my Etsy shop: ennadoolf.

Wednesday Wonder - Castor Beans

Thought I'd give a pictoral of the castor beans we planted on the weekend.

Our neighbour gave us seeds a few years ago and we harvested seeds from those plants.

Teams on Tuesday - Team ESST Let's Promote

There are some great Supplies shop on Etsy. Some of them are my team members on Team ESST. Here is a sampling of their wonderful wares!

SuppliesbyAyca ~ Hand crochet flowers for craft project

PatternsAndSuch ~ Patterns for Plastic Canvas, Knitting, Sewing and more!

Craftbusplus ~ PAPER CRAFTERS PARADISE

KIMONOS ~ THE PLACE FOR QUALITY FEATHER SUPPLIES and MORE

beadtopiavintage ~ vintage beads/rhinestone balls/clasps/brass/oddities

gemaliciousbeads ~ FREE strand of Pearls with any purchase $50 or more

ThreadsintheBed ~ Threads in the Bed

Happy May Two-Four

This is the Victoria Day weekend in Canada - many of us enjoy a lovely 3-day weekend honouring the birthday of Queen Victoria which falls on May 24th.  The holiday is always on a Monday so doesn't always fall right on the 24th of May as it did this year.

It usually marks the weekend that we can plant our gardens without fear of frost at night.  The plants we started indoors in late April have now been transplanted to the gardens. Next, we'll go look for some tomato plants.

Traditionally this is also the first big camping weekend of the year.  That's another reason we call this the May Two-Four weekend - not because of the date (24th) but because beer usually comes in a case of 24 and camping and beer just go together so well!

For most of us, its an extra day off work, and this year it is BEAUTIFUL weather here so I'm enjoying it and avoiding doing the weeding in the gardens.  :)

Finally, it's one of the few times we're allowed to set off fireworks! I can hear some going off in my neighbourhood as I type this. :)
[I took the above photo back in the 80s and scanned it in recently]

Wednesday Wonder - Indoor Gardening

Remember these?  Our plants just starting

I was looking for the photos of how they started!  And here they are!

and inside those were these:

and if you'd like to see how they'll end up, and where they really started ... here is the plant who's name I cannot remember!  :)

If you'd like to purchase one of these photos, please visit my shop ennadoolf.etsy.com and contact me to set up a listing for you.

My other gardening photos are also available in my shop.

Teams on Tuesday - Knit a Bridge

A bridge?

Yes!

Last year I helped with the Knit a Poem project in the United Kingdom and sent a knitted square as my contribution.

This year, I've learned about the KNIT CamBRIDGE project and it's right here in Ontario!

A good friend gave me a UFO (un-finished object) that was to be an afghan many years ago ... and there were quite a few squares already knitted up.  Some of those squares have been sent off to be made into other afghans and now the remainder will go to Cambridge for this Knit a Bridge project!

I'm hoping I'll be able to visit the bridge in person in September!

AND, if you are in Ontario and would like to take part in World Wide Knit In Public Day June 19th and help break a Guinness record, get more info here!

Girl Guides celebrate 100 years!!

Thousands of girls and women descended upon Ontario Place in Toronto,

as well as other locations across Canada,

for Rally Day 2010

to celebrate 100 years

of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts!

Songs were sung.

Games were played.

Crafts were glued.

Swaps were traded.

New friendships made.

Old friendships renewed.

FUN was had by all.

Happy 100 years to Guiding!

Wednesday Wonder - Bald Eagles

Last year and the year before, we visited a local bald eagle's nest that is within the city limits. Here is my blog post from last year:

 http://r-anne-dom.blogspot.com/2009/05/bald-eagles-at-their-nest.html

This past winter, we would drive by the area and wondered why we couldn't see the nest anymore even though there are no leaves on the trees.

Well, last night I found out that popular opinion is that one of the winter's wind storms knocked the nest down. 

I'm sure the eagles are still nesting somewhere in the area ... but where the nest is?  I suppose the Conservation Authority will find it if they don't know already where it is - after all, they tag the babies each year, but as for the rest of us, we may not be so lucky.

Hopefully we'll see them in flight!

Teams on Tuesday - Team ESST Let's Promote

There are some great Supplies shop on Etsy. Some of them are my team members on Team ESST. Here is a sampling of their wonderful wares!

PreciousSupplies ~ Jewelry Making Oxidized Silver, Beading Supplies

ButtonJars ~ BUTTONS, BUTTONS, and more BUTTONS!

doodlesmosaictiles ~ Creative Mosaics, Handpainted Tiles and Supplies

LAJewelryDesigns ~ Handmade Wearable Glass Art and Unique Jewelry

beadbrats ~ East of OZ

leslietsy ~ FINDINGS to make your work sing

ArtfulMosaicSupplies ~ Mosaic Supplies MDF Shapes Ceramic Glass China Tiles

Happy Mothers Day!

Although you'll find our house a mess,

Come in,

Sit Down,

Converse.

It doesn't always look like this,

Some days it's even worse!

(from a plaque my mom received for mother's day many years ago that was hanging in our home while I was growing up.)

Happy Mother's Day

common sense, dancing!

Common sense and a sense of humour are the same thing moving at different speeds.

A sense of humour is just common sense, dancing.

~ Clive James ~

 

Wednesday Wonder - "Pretty in Pink"

"Pretty in Pink"

A Charity Auction to raise money for the Wellspring cancer support centres presented by Jonathon's Gallery

Mother's Day
Sunday May 10. 2010

This is my donation - a two piece elegant gown for Barbie, doll and stand included.

The overskirt has 3 tiers for maximum fullness cut to add the train effect.

The main gown is one-shouldered with a single puffy sleeve, matching fabric covered button on the bodice back, and pearl trim along the lower hem of the gown.

In her hair, pink 'diamonds'.

Click here to see more photos of this beautiful gown.

Barbie is actually a Teresa. (shhh!)

And this is how she looked when I found her ~ and rescued her for this project:

Click here to see her make-over!

Just a bit of dish soap, some fabric softener, perm rods and boiling water, and voila! she was transformed.

For Barbie gowns and dresses available for sale, please visit my Etsy shop at ennadoolf.etsy.com

AND,

My sister also made a gown for a Barbie!

Her gown is crocheted from beautiful pale pink cotton and has tiny beads hand-sewn onto the train.

There are matching gloves, necklace and a beautiful pale pink boa to accessorize.

The Barbie was donated by my daughter from the dolls we still have in boxes in the basement.

Both dolls have now been delivered to Jonathons and await the auction on Sunday!

Crochet Patterns for fashion dolls like Barbie, are available in our Etsy shop Patterns and Such.

Teams on Tuesday - our gardening team

hm, not sure if you'd call our gardening team a "team". LOL  I try to do as little as possible but do enjoy the plants after they grow, and love taking their photos!

This year we are starting some of our plants indoors ...

Here's a first peek at the first little seedlings ...