Garlic FYI

So sadly about a month ago all my nails just broke, and would not grow. The discovery we have made:

If the nail polish no longer smells strongly of Garlic it is not effective. Start afresh with new garlic, use the old polish and pour over the garlic.

I managed to empty out the old bottle of garlic and just use the same bottle again. My nails are back and better than ever again.  Quite exciting.

In other news, I have started a Tardis blanket and I have also started working on some Christmas presents. I was too late starting last year which caused me far too much stress, so this year I am hoping to practically be finished by the beginning of December.

I won the Battle..

not sure about the war though.
I finished it! the Queen Anne's Lace written by MMario, is complete. You have no idea how good that feels, or maybe you do and you are in the same boat I am in and just feel relief. All I have to do is block, take photos, and figure out what I am going to do with this shawl. It all sounds so easy. No notes on the pattern really, if I do this again I am going to make sure that my starting stitches are tighter, I think it will improve the look. Onto finishing the next one.

Henna

I cannot tell you how much I love Henna, there is something so magical about what it does that I find it fascinating. I also enjoy the fact that you can have a tattoo for about 4 - 6 weeks with no commitment, no pain, and without the thought process of "Am I going to love this for the rest of my life?"
I wish I could explain where this love first came from, but alas I cannot. After searching and only able to find Henna at the Stampede Grounds I found henna pre-mixed in a cone. My excitement it later turned out was too good to be true as the stain would not last, it did not matter what I did to that henna it just would not last. I then went to every ethnic grocery store in the search for henna powder, only to find packets specific for ones hair, or packs of henna that needed to be run through a stocking 4 times to make it work. Time went on.
Then I discovered that there was a Henna workshop coming to town. So I signed up, spent 8 hours at this workshop and I must say I couldn't be happier. I bought around 3 boxes of this beautiful powder and put them in the freezer. Then I got together my supplies and started mixing, rolling cones and going crazy.
The largest challenge now was that I had no one to practice on. I have 3 friends that are always up for Henna but they are not easily accessible to me so this passion does not get to come out of the box very often. But it is there.
The most recent design I have done is:

See ya
- A

The Garlic Project Progress

So, I just thought I would track my nail growth progress over the last 2 months, it has been amazing! Thank you home made Garlic Polish!

 For once a post is going to be picture heavy and I am going to stay quiet.

Day 1 - March 29, 2013

Week 3

Now - May 9, 2013

Now - May 9, 2013

NOTD

NOTD

They May now even be longer than this, but I am sooo pleased.

What's been going on

So I have finished three knitting projects in the past couple of weeks, some of them were Christmas gifts, but they are done now and have reached their recipients.

Secondly, I have started using Coconut oil on my 'chicken skin' arms and I have got to say they have never been this amazing. No pictures of my arms, but if you have not used Coconut Oil for anything go and get some, it changed my life.
Next, the Garlic Project....WOW I am so impressed with how this has changed my nails, and it was so EASY, if only I could get everything I am trying to fix about myself in line this efficiently. My main goal was so that I could pain the backs of them a different colour than the fronts and this has been achieved. I feel like an arch nemesis that gets to sit around saying "Muwahahahaha".
Also and finally, Mom and I went on a little trip to Emerald Lake Lodge, you should check this place out, anyway on the drive up there we stopped at Baker Creek Bistro and I had Duck Confit Poutine.....
Then that night for Dinner we went to Truffle Pigs in Field and I could not decide what to have so I ended up with Pork Belly Nachos and Black Truffle Perogies with blueberry reduction sauce...
Then we were informed of the desserts OMG, everyone go, just go, right now to Truffle Pigs and your life will be a better place.
Then we stopped at Baker Creek Bistro on the way back from Emerald Lake Lodge and I had a Bison Calzone with Blood Orange Chutney and Pesto with Cashews. Must say it was a taste explosion and the best three meals of my life to date, and trust me, sadly, I have eaten, a lot, all over the place and I am not sure I will be the same again after those two days.

Lace Work

I am addicted to knitting lace, not too sure why, I think it is partly how amazing it is that something so beautiful can be created using only 3 stitches, and because I enjoy a challenge.

The lace project that I am working on was a Christmas gift for a friend of mine, but I am over ambitious and do not have the amount of time to dedicate to this art that I need to. This pattern is called Summit and was found through Ravelry on the the Knitty website, so pretty, feminine and yet surprisingly easy to knit and it has grown so quickly in the short amount of time that I have spent on it.
The yarn is nothing fancy it is Patons Lace as I  find  lace yarn is hard to come by, the variegation in this yarn though is really long, which I think helps the pattern and does not make the scarf too patchy which can happen with variegated yarns.

Finished!

I am almost finished another lace project, pictures should be there in a week or so...cross fingers.

What are your favourite types of knitting projects?

Moving Along

Thursday I am getting my wisdom teeth removed and have been asked to stay off work for 3 - 5 days or even a week and a bit, my constant fear is "what on earth will I do with myself?" I guess I will find out on Thursday.
Anyway, I finished the tam! It's a bit on the small side, but it just means I get to do it again, and I have the wool to do it again, so no biggie.

Then I started on the Glass Knot Afghan, 4 pieces of 50 (8%)! Really great start I made to it this weekend, hopefully another 4 will get done this week. Or if I do 1 bit a day for about 50 days I should be done by July or August!
Sorry about the fact that in the other picture my finger got in the way, I was just soo excited I could not contain myself.

Then the rare Daliah Blanket! This is sooo pretty and something that I am just making up as I knit, I had to stop because I need to come up with a plan for the rest of it. I might try charting it so others can join in the fun. Honestly though, just start with stitches joined in the round and go from there. It will, if you keep going be giant, but oh so much fun and a great conversation piece.

TTFN

-A

Almost Can't Believe it

So do you remember this picture?

When they weren't too bad, but still a tiny bit too short for me.

Well, would you believe this:

Right Hand

Left Hand

I would not have, there is some serious growth going on here. The only thing that I have changed is adding the garlic, base coat, nail polish concoction to my bi-weekly manicure session.
These puppies are strong like heck, but not so strong that they snap instantly if you jam them on something.
And for this week just to let them all catch up, the nails that were long enough I used just base coat, the rest got base coat with garlic.

Also it is Tuesday now, and this polish was applied on Thursday, 5 days, no chips not to shabby. Fingers crossed that I can make it a full 7 days this week, as I am not around.


Moral of the story, put some garlic in your nail polish and enjoy.

A

Its here!

So my order from Knit Picks has arrived! Isn't this site amazing? I love it.
Anyway, so I will un-box everything and then hopefully be able to get a move on with the girlie blanket I am working on (it needed a longer cable, to make knitting easier).

Then I am going to start work the Glass Knot Afghan, and a sweater from this same set of patterns, and a hat as well. I will be a busy girl. Instead of jumping straight into a huge colour work pattern I decided to practice a little bit.
So using Chroma fingering and Pallete in black (www.knitpicks.com) I started working on the Monument Tam from the same set of patterns. This is soo pretty, and it just glows like stain glass, and I prefer using a pre-verigated yarn over having to remember to switch yarns every few rows. I have also almost got myself down pat on using Continental and English style knitting at the same time, and then I do not need to drop and pick up yarn every few stitches. This is tricky for me, and is not great for my tension, but like everything it will come with time.

I do not know if I am any fonder of any one project than another, but I think we all need a balance, between items that take us a day, versus projects that require a significant amount of planning, and time to get them finished. Either way for me it is all about keeping my hands occupied so I do not fall asleep while sitting down. I wish I could take this with me on the plane this week :(. I am sure I could but I would hate to loose my needles that would be most unfortunate.

The Garlic Project/New Challenge

Has anyone done anything exciting recently? I was at a dinner on Monday night, which was delicious, well done to everyone at the Banff Springs! And then last night I was at a Malbec tasting, as I believe it was International Malbec day. Great way to spend an evening.

Well, considering that four of my nails have just finished the grow out process after removing acrylic splints things are looking good. The nails that finished their grow out decided to break off instead of growing, but that is done with now so, I can in all good faith start this process in earnest, and can go in search of a splinting process that my nails do not hate, and need severe attention after they are removed. Maybe, if I am lucky they will respond so well to the garlic polish, that I will never need to splint again......yeah right.
My pinky nail is 1.2 cm long at this point in time so I would say that is a great improvement. So now it is the waiting game. The picture is not overly impressive, but it's there!!! Party for me. My other nails, since writing the above have also responded positively to this treatment, and other than my room smelling like garlic for a bit after I do this, I think they look phenomenal. Breaking and splitting have been non-existent, and my nail polish has been staying on a bit longer, about 2 days longer, which makes a hug difference, only needing to do one's nails every week instead of every 4 days, or every Sunday and Thursday as became my habit, but no more! (unless I need to)

My next challenge, seeing as something is working, I think will be to knit a sweater, yes that is right you read that correctly, I the professed do not want to knit a sweater person, wants to knit a sweater. I just need a challenge, hopefully I do not live to regret the decision. I won't be starting this weekend, but I will start. So keep your eyes peeled.

Then this weekend, or tonight by hook or by crook, I will fix all my woven bracelets, as I miss wearing them greatly, pictures will follow.

See ya.
A

The pink Blanket

Well, I am alive and well. My grandmother passed away but that us life and something unpreventable so there we are. However it is due to her that I can infact knit, so I thank her for thay from the bottom of my heart. I finished the large pink blanket, I think when I cast off there were around 2000 stitches but I won't think about that because it took me a week to cast off. Now it is just waiting in its box.

Look how pretty, it is all wrapped up and ready for gifting, now I just need to see the baby girl that it is going to. I hope she gets it before she is 10 years old, which until it was actually completed I was not too sure about.

I also completed a hat which is a birthday present but I am just waiting for her to come home again. This hat is perfect for her as she has the biggest heart and this hat has four hearts on the top so it makes it ideal. Before this hat was completed I did also complete a different version of the Tardis hat.

Well that is all I know of for now, except that based on my lack of great pictures I really need to find my good camera.

Peace

-A

Time for Change

This is about nothing all that crafty, but it is about a change I am trying to desperately make in my life. Fat loss. Yes ladies and gentlemen, and those who are yet to make up their minds. I need to do this for me, no one else but me, and with lots of good luck I hope it sticks permanently, this time. *crosses fingers*
With my 25th Birthday only 9 crazy months away, and me wanting to throw myself a Masquerede I need to be at my goal weight in that time frame so I can start planning it! Really I just want a fabulous dress with a decent sized hoop skirt, not talking Gypsy wedding large but large enough to make it difficult to get through a doorway. So to make this happen I should get down 70 lbs, I have already done 10 but it took around 4 months to make that happen. Which yes is awesome, but not good enough. So, in making sure this happens I have taken some positive steps towards my goals (for real this time), starting by gathering around me friends that share the same interest to rid ourselves of our extra fat, and I have started working out 4 days a week. Not a lot, but more than I am doing now, and when it starts to become a habit, I will start to do more.
I am also learning such fascinating things as 7000 jumping jacks is 1 lb of fat...so if you do 100 a day for a week then there is 1 lb, break the 100 down into 50 twice a day and you are good. And you don't need any equipment to do them, you can do them anywhere, and believe you me, right now, I am prepared to do them anywhere.
So with that out of the way, congratulations to Nicole for winning the Top Chef Canada Challenge last night! I did not watch it last night as Doctor Who took precedent, and watching food shows late at night just makes me eat...so it counters the above, slightly. Might watch today while I eat my lunch, who knows.

Well with that I am almost finished a scarf (not really, but I like to think I am so I will have that to talk about next time). Also if you will recall I knitted that gorgeous blue and then pink circle blanket, and I have just started another one in that same vein, but I am inventing the pattern for it as I go, it thus far, looks really cool, and I cannot wait to share it with you. Pictures of course not the pattern, as I think if I tried to write it down the mass confusion that would ensue would not be worth it.

Back to the grindstone.

-A

Easter

Happy Easter everyone. My NOTD is an Easter theme. Okay just the ring finger, but at least I made an effort, and it is very spring like.

Also after having done some research I read about garlic for nails and garlic nail polish. Which led me to this creation. I apologize for the picture. 

My gorgeous camera is at work, and my little camera is elsewhere. So, the idea with this is you apply before polish every week and it makes your mails stronger and grow. So application 1 is documented here. Who knows if it will work, but anything is worth a try. 

Anyway happy Easter all and be good to the Easter bunny.

Where have I been?

Well it was decided that we were going to get our popcorn ceilings taken off at home, and needless to say they are done, but getting dressed on three different flours in 4 different room has not been easy. There is stuff everywhere and it is a miracle I have only stubbed my toe twice in this whole fiasco.
So as a result of all this my room got a slight bit of reorganization, and I have a new closet to put my shoes/clothes in...lucky shoes.
Tonight I am off to Ikea to see if my nail polish will fit into the top drawer of this little desk I want to go where the dressers were...wish me luck!
My knitting has been at a halt as I do not even know where the projects are that I had started, so first I have to find those and then I will get some more stuff finished and some more pictures posted.

Let me just say that I cannot wait until everything gets back to normal, and I can resume what I feel to be a normal routine and be able to find the clothes I want to wear, not just wear what is at the top of the pile, I think the office has been entertained this week with some of the outfits I have managed to throw together.

-A

San Fran

Just returned from the beautiful city of San Fran, where I managed to finish a hat for the lovely Erin, I hope she manages to get some wear out of it!

Such a beautiful hat, I think this needs knitting in every colour.
I also managed to finish a book while I was away, woop! Juliet, By Anne Fortier. All in all a good read, some suspense, but a bit frustrating, as I feel going away from it now that I have missed something really important, but who knows, maybe that is just how I will feel about it.

Also part of my order arrived today from Corset-Story, I am so excited. I did in fact debate putting it on while I was still at the office today, but I think I will save that excitement for when I get home this evening. Why buy a corset you ask? Well for many reasons, for my 25th birthday I am throwing myself a Masked Ball, yes you read correctly a true ball, big dresses and all. However in order for me to do this I need to lose a chunk of weight. So, after changing my diet and starting to work out about 3 - 4 times a week not much has happened. I think it is because I have snacking problem when I am just sitting. So, wearing a waist cincher is my next solution, hopefully making me realize that I need to eat only about half of what I consume in one sitting, or nothing at all.
Here's hoping, I just hope they are easy to knit in!

Wish me luck!

Knitting Kick

So, I have a problem. I am basically over my knitting kick and really do not feel like doing it any more. Nothing exceeds like excess. In that though is the problem of having some projects sitting around unfinished. This is not a huge problem, its just I would love to feel that sense of accomplishment at getting something finished, a feeling I so rarely get. So on wards and up wards, I plan on getting the few projects I have on the go done and then moving on. I feel like moving into doing some reading, or breaking up my time more effectively.
Projects on the go:

1. Dragon Stole
2. Pink Blanket
3. Purple/Green Blanket
4. Summit Shawl
5. Tardis Scarf
6. Physillis Scarf
7. Arm warmers
8. Pom Pom wool
9. There must be something else on this list

Then for a friend I need to do a scarf and a hat for her birthday in February...eek. 

I am also thinking of trying 2 new systems. 1) Only have max 3 knitting projects on the go at the same time, and 2) Try and dedicate 1 night a week to something different. So Wednesday do your nails, Monday read, Tuesday knit and so forth. We will see.

I am also trying to get some jogging into my life, the treadmill will become my friend. 

I also have a henna appointment coming up soon, so I cannot wait to do that!

Peace

-A

Nailed It!

     So recently on the market there as been a vast majority of at home Gel Nail systems becoming available, the great thing that you can do this at home, it is cheaper than going to a salon, and if you become easily bored with your nail colour choice it is so easy to just switch without having to book a new appointment. That being said, I hate nail polish that is chipped two days after you put it on, and I do a lot of work with my hands, and my nails, so I want the polish to last. The system that I have created I can go 7-10 days on one application and I am really happy with this.
     When they first came out I bought two and followed the instructions to the letter. That being said I have a collection of around 160 OPI nail polishes that I then felt sorry for because they were sitting in a drawer being of no use.
     The two kits that I purchased were the QUO by Orly and the Sensational Gel systems. Both great systems, but I could not bring myself to purchase the nail colours associated with each system. So it became my new task to see if I could get my regular OPI nail polishes to co-operate with my new gel systems.
     Right now I use the QUO by Orly Gel Top coat with the Sensational light and it all seems to be fine.
This involved quite a bit of trial and error and a failed manicure, but I was determined to make it work, no matter what.
     The first couple did not turn out well at all, the nail polish warped and and wiggled underneath the top coat, it looked like what happens when you get waves on the sand at a beach, not a great look, unless you are thinking of a new way to do nail art.
     So what did I do, well I stopped prepping the nail for gel nails as it says to in the booklet, no buffing the nail, no primer, no gel base coat. I removed the old polish then right away applied OPI's Nail Envy Dry & Brittle or their Original Formula this decision just depends on how much my cuticles are growing at the time. I could probably do with getting the Soft & Thin nail formula, but never mind.
     Then apply your nail polish as per normal, use your favourite regular nail polish colour, then let this dry OVERNIGHT. I say this because I always do my nails sitting in bed.
     But what about Sheet Marks? Apply 2 - 3 THIN layers of polish then sit and watch a movie, carefully read a book for about 30 minutes, then apply some olive oil to your cuticles, then sleep clasping both hands off the edge of the bed or with arms flat out on top of the covers, whichever works for you. I find that the olive oil acts as a barrier between your freshly manicured digits and the sheets, not always a perfect system, but when it works it works really well.
     Then the next morning when you have woken up do your gel top coat, don't forget to wrap your tips, apply 1 thin layer of gel top coat, set in UV light for the polishes desired curing time, sometimes I cure it twice, and finally wipe off the goopy layer with a lint free wipe, and you are done!
Your nails will remain gorgeous for a week, and do not worry about them.

     Removal, both systems get you to file off the top coat of gel, DON'T DO IT! Your nails will thank you, the 80 grit on the file is too rough on your precious nails, you want them strong not weak. So, there are two methods here, both work, both are effective, just depends on what you feel like doing.
     Method #1: put straight acetone in a container and place that container in a container of warm water and then put the nail(s) into the acetone. Warming up acetone makes it more effective. The only problem with this is that your nail polish comes off in the acetone, and you are left with goopy acetone.
     Method #2: the foil method, put acetone on a cotton pad, place pad on finger and wrap finger with a square of tin foil, leave on for about 5-ish minutes and the polish is soaked straight into the cotton pad, and you just throw the cotton pad away.

Both of these methods will work as well if you are following the gel nail application instructions to a tee, but my nails just did not like having the gel coat straight on the nail, they need some protection.

Sorry no pictures, but maybe the next time I do a manicure I will generate some so that I can add them in.

The Blanket Lady

I am trying to get three blankets done. Two are going on a long journey to England and one is staying here.
The two that are going to England one is nearly complete and the other so close I can taste it, good thing as it leaves today.
The first one is a basket weave blanket, a really quick knit and easy to complete under pressure, my first one took less than 72 hours, I truly was under the gun. I am not sure how long the second one took but it is finished and just waiting for is trip across the pond.This blanket has been a go to blanket for a friend of mine for about 12 years, and I can see why because it is quick, easy, and is a crowd pleaser as it looks way more complicated that it actually is.

 The second one that was supposed to go to England is currently being frogged to go into the blanket that I am going to send to England. I must say that this is my new go to blanket.
This is the blanket that was frogged:

The idea of this though is amazing, it is ten stitches all the way around that are then attached to the one before. I want to finish this so bad, and yet I think something went very wrong a few rows back. This is not something to knit under a time crunch. Don't do it, give yourself lots of time. I would though like to try this as a 20 stitch instead of a 10 stitch, I think it could go a bit faster and would have a different look.
This is what it has become:

And now here it is on the only item I could find to use for blocking. It stretched out beautifully. I am so pleased with how it came out. To finish the edge and make sure it did not curl I did 5 rounds of seed stitch. So please with how this turned out and it took me around 2 days to finish, amazing record for a blanket. I think this will be my go to blanket for a quick project if necessary in the future.

The third blanket is the same as the one above, but it is being knit with a single strand of yarn, instead of a double strand, it will take a touch longer, but I think it is going to turn out beautifully and I cannot wait to pass it over.