Anne of Green Gables

I recently read the graphic novel version of this book. I have not read the original so can not comment on how accurate this version is. I had an idea of the subject matter of this book, had not read it in childhood had a mild interest in what all the fuss was about so when I saw a graphic version decided to go ahead.

The most interesting aspect of this book is that it is extremely well loved, including readers wanting to and actually visiting PEI to get a feel of the setting, and yet the main character is a foster child.

I have a big problem with this adoration as in the USA foster children are not loved. They are looked down upon by society, even though it is not the child’s fault they are in foster care, and let down by the organizations that are supposed to protect them. Mostly, but not exclusively, because they are not considered worthy of resources.

All too often we hear of another case of a child dying or disappearing in foster care because the workers have ignored the warning signs or have not checked on the child for months. But for all the cases that rock the news there are many more cases of abuse and neglect and just plain less than.

Imagine you’ve been looked after by the State without being allowed to make your own decisions and then at age 18 you’re on your own, quite often kicked out of where you are living as foster payments stop. No surprise that a high percentage of former foster children end up living on the streets. Or you’re quite happily living with a family and at the end of the school day your case worker picks you up and takes you to a different home. Your belongings are in a bin liner, half of them missing, you haven’t been allowed to say goodbye to school friends or the other children where you were living. Or the family you are living with want to adopt you but the courts decide you should go back to live with your mother because she has completed a drug rehabilitation program but her new boyfriend abuses you and she soon reverts to her previous behaviors so you are put back into foster care but not with the original loving family because that wouldn’t be good for anybody!

Is it any surprise that children are angry, sullen, unwilling or unable to form relationships. But hey, you continue loving Anne of Green Gables and the feisty orphan.

Not Good Photos But At Least There Are Photos

Shawl(ette)s have been piling up waiting to be photographed. My intention was to ask my husband to take photos one weekend but I never got around to it so a couple of weeks ago I took photos. But when I looked at them they were rather blurry so I took a few today with my phone. Not brilliant but at last I'm showing off finished objects.

In order of finishing:



This is the shawl mentioned in this post. My shawl is obviously smaller than the one shown in the pattern so I had another look at the one on display at the Yarnover Truck and that one has been stretched out much more in blocking.



This was on the needles way longer than it should have been because there was a huge delay in finding the second colour of yarn and then I had to find the right beads. The pattern is Branching Out Shawlette and is available on Ravelry.

I used less than 20 grams of the second colour, from 100 gram skein and I did not want it to just sit in the stash so I cast on another shawl.



I love it and it is a pattern that needs to be well blocked to show off the design. Even so, it is still a small piece but I must remember to wear it to show off.

I was given the yarn used in this shawl when I left Calgary. It is lovely and soft and I couldn't decide whether to make slippers or a shawl. A friend said a shawl. Way back in July last year I started one and then when it was close to being finished I frogged it, partly because I couldn't think what type of cast off to work. I definitely didn't want the yarn to go into stash as I find it hard to work with yarn I have already used, so this was cast on.



The pattern is Summer Flies, a pattern that I have already made as seen here and here. One day I would like to make this pattern bigger.

I have way too many things on the needles right now and I'm itching to start more and so far this month I have one finished item. Time to get back to the knitting in hopes of being able to share more at the end of the month.

Year End Round Up

So just how little did I knit this year? According to Ravelry there were 35 projects on my needles in 2012. Although this number is half of 2011s it is more in line with previous years and I have a very large shawl.

Of these 35 projects, 3 were frogged, 2 are carry overs from last year, one of which should be frogged, and there are 4 others still on the needles. Of the finished projects there were 6 pairs of socks, 5 dishcloths, 1 pair of gloves and a pair of mittens, 3 scarves and 2 shawls, an adult sweater, 4 sections for WCOBBS blankets and a complete blanket, 1 section for Warm Up America and a dress for a teddy bear. Only the sweater has not been photographed.

I was surprised that I had actually made 6 pairs of socks as I completed just one pair in the first 4 months of the year so I still have sock yarn but I don't feel owned by it and even if it does not get all used up in 2013 I am aiming to reduce it significantly. I also knit more (just) than I added to my stash. I have a plan for the yarn I bought in the 2011 year end sales although I have not used it all yet, and I have just one left of the three different yarns I bought in the summer just before we left Calgary. I have used all yarn I dyed in 2011 but still have one skein of yarn left from the yarn crawl in 2010.

On the book front, I read 49, which is not surprising as reading was low at the start of the year and in the fall. As usual my reading has been across the board. We are lucky to have a good library system where we now live.

The changes on the personal front have been recorded here. The most significant being our move from Calgary to Southern California and saying goodbye to our cat. And, of course, all of this has happened because a number of years ago I married my wonderful husband. Happy anniversary darling.

Another Year Over And What Have I Done

As the year draws to an end, Ravelry says I have 77 projects for 2011. Of these 3 have been unpicked, one should be, 6 are still in progress and 5 were started in 2010.

Of the finished projects; there were 9 squares and 6 sections for WCOBBS, 16 pairs of socks, 16 dishcloths, 5 hats, 7 scarves or other neckwear, 2 pairs of mittens, 1 other item of clothing, 2 baby blankets and a 6-inch strip for gift blanket. 7 items were gifts, plus 1 for hubby.

I am surprised by how much I have knitted especially socks. It seemed that a pair of socks was taking more than 1 month to knit but that can't be the case if I have made more pairs than there are months in the year.

So how did I fare for using my stash? All the yarn I purchased in Denver in 2010 has been used apart from one skein of sock yarn which I have saved specifically for the January challenge. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for the yarn bought on the yarn crawl - 3 skeins left, yarn bought on sale last year (don't ask), yarn purchased this year (really?) plus yarn in my stash older than 2010.

I read 98 books this year, across the board except horror and little science fiction and fantasy. A recurring theme for new books especially for Young Adults was USA in the future with government controlling every aspect of your life. Each book was good in its own right but repetitive after a few.

On the personal front, boy child (although he is no longer a child) came back from Denver, and we both became Canadian Citizens as previously posted; the beautiful white cat is still on supplements although her last vet visit was in March; the beautiful black cat is losing weight and looking good now that I make their food. And thanks to my wonderful husband, who makes this all possible, for another year.

A Year in Review

According to my projects listed on Ravelry, I have 31 items for 2010. Of these, there is one I unpicked, 2 that I started in 2009 and 1 I started in 2008, and 2 projects that are not finished. Of those 31 projects, 9 are pairs of socks, 4 are dishcloths, 8 are for charity, 1 baby blanket, 5 shawls or scarves, 1 skirt, 1 bag, 1 hat, 1 pair of mittens. Fewer projects than in 2009, but last year I made way more dishcloths. 3 of the items were gifts, everything else was made for me, the advantage of this is that I know I am going to like the finished item and if I don't then I am not hurting anyone's feelings by unpicking it or giving it away. I am pleased to say that everything mentioned in this post has been completed.

I have worn the skirt a couple of times and really like it. This is the pattern. It can be easily adapted for any yarn and I would not be surprised if I made some more. Will post some photos when I can persuade someone to take a decent one of me wearing it.

Here are photos of the mystery socks for September and November. I really enjoyed the patterns for both of these and am grateful that both designers gave of their time to provide these free patterns for the group.

What I haven't talked about are the blankets I have worked on for Western Canadian Odd-ball Baby Blanket Society. Information on this group which incorporated as an official non-profit charitable society this year can be found here.

The stash did increase rather this year with the shopping trip in Denver and a yarn crawl with other like minded people from my neck of the woods. More about plans for the stash to follow.

On the book front, I read 97 books this year. This surprised me as I thought that I wasn't reading as much. Some of these books were children's books and graphic novels. As usual my reading is across the board but does tend to avoid science fiction and fantasy. Books that I have read are shown on my shelf on this blog.

On the personal front; the boy child graduated high school this June and spent the last three months of the year in Denver although he plans to come back to Calgary to study or work. Our beautiful white cat has an idiopathic chylothorax. The first visit involved draining over 400 ml of fluid from her chest. Subsequent vet visits drained over 300 ml each visit. The last visit was a month ago but I am religiously giving her supplements twice a day.

And as usual, as today is our anniversary, I thank my husband for another wonderful year.

The Year in Review

So as we come to the end of another year it is time to reflect and consider on the last 365 days. According to Ravelry.com I had 40 projects for 2009 and despite my intermittent posts, I have posted photos of most of them on this blog.

Let me start with what I didn't do in 2009 - crochet. I don't crochet very much but this year, I didn't crochet one thing. Not sure why this was apart from the obvious, if I'd really wanted to crochet I would have.

Of the 40 items, there was one I started and completely unpicked just before I finished; one I started in 2008 and still isn't finished; and there were a couple of items started right at the end of 2008 that were finished in 2009.

And I have already lost one glove from a pair I knitted.

The Dishcloth group I belong to has instructions for 2 dishcloths each month. Out of a total of 24 I made 21 cloths with another currently on the needles.

So to sum up my 40 items are as follows:
21 dishcloths, all for my house;
4 pairs of socks, one pair still in progress, one pair for spousal unit;
5 scarves or wraps, all for me which sounds a bit excessive when counted up!;
3 pairs of gloves or mittens, one pair for spousal unit and one glove has been lost already;
1 hat for me;
1 bag for me;
1 sweater for spousal unit;
1 tea cosy, a gift;
1 baby jacket; unpicked;
1 baby blanket, gift;
1 shawl, still in progress;
Oh and I've remembered the charity sweater I knitted this fall.

It is surprising looking at this list as I felt that all I have knitted this year are dishcloths but it would appear that I have made a lot of things for myself. Didn't realise how many scarves I had made although one is still wrapped around Winnie the Pooh.

The other thing that this list doesn't show is how much stash yarn was used or, in other words, how little new yarn I bought for these projects. And when I bought new yarn, any yarn left over was immediately used for another project. The yarn for the sweater was purchased especially for that item and the left over yarn was immediately used for the bag. One of the scarves and pairs of gloves were from yarn left over from old projects; another scarf was from yarn left over from gloves; another pair of gloves was from yarn left over from socks. It actually feels good to use up yarn rather than put it into the stash for who-knows-when. The only other yarn I bought was dish cloth cotton when it went on sale and the yarn for the baby blanket.

Currently on the needles are a dishcloth (which would be finished except I'm on the computer!), a shawl, a sock, and a sweater for charity. Although this frightens me to think I have so many projects on the go, they range from super easy to need lots of concentration so they each have their place.

On the reading front, to save you counting all the books on my bookshelf, I have read 103 books. Not quite 2 books a week but that number includes picture books which shouldn't really count as a whole number for each.

And on a personal note for the year, I still have a wonderful husband. Happy anniversary dear one.

New Widget

Have you noticed a new feature at the side of my blog?

It is provided by Shelfari.

This will show you the books I have read in 2009 and if you click on a book you will be able to read reviews of it.

My first book for 2009 was The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier. I have read a number of her books and this had the usual element of suspense as to what will happen next and how will the story end. Which was not as I expected.