Exaclair product review, Part 1: Rhodia Webnotebook , the US version

A little background, to start with: the buzz over the much anticipated Rhodia Webnotebook seems to have come in two waves. The first wave anticipated the initial release of the Webnotebook, which looked to be a promising alternative to the ubiquitous and highly successful Moleskine. Moleskine users, while favoring the hard covers, elastic band, and inner pocket, bemoaned the inconsistency of the paper, which sometimes feathered or bled when used with fountain pen ink. Many fountain pen users are already fans of the smooth, ink-friendly paper found in Rhodia pads, so the idea of Rhodia paper bound in a moleskine-like format would offer the best of both worlds.

The initial release of the Webnotebook, unfortunately, failed to meet expectations: users at Fountain Pen Network reported that the paper was quite unlike that found in the Rhodia pads and was disappointingly unsuitable for many fountain pens and inks. Exaclair , the US distributor of Rhodia, Quo Vadis, Exacompta and Clairefontaine (among others) listened to the response and moved quickly, and several months later, released an improved version of the Webnotebook, this time with the Rhodia paper everyone knew and loved. Sadly, this version was only released in the States, as I found out when I purchased a Webnotebook in my home province of Alberta - it was one of those with the inferior paper.


left: black Webnotebook bought in Canada. 80g paper, 192 lined pages, 14.5 x 21 cm
right: orange Webnotebook, US version from Exaclair. 90 g paper, 192 lined pages, 5"x 8"
(this picture and all the rest are clickable to larger sizes)

Stephanie of Rhodia Drive took pity on me, especially since she knew this was my second experience with a Canadian version of a product that did not perform as well as the US versions. She contacted Karen Doherty of Exaclair, who generously sent me sample copies of the Webnotebook, the Quo Vadis Habana, and the Exacompta Basics sketchbook in a Madiera cover.

My first reaction - "Only in America? Pity!" (you have to be a certain age and nationality to get that reference)
OK - that was actually my second (or third) reaction: my first reaction was "Put those down! Those are for me!" as my husband and son pounced on them: "These look great! can I have one? Can I have THIS one?"

The Webnotebook is certainly a good looking notebook, as is the Habana and Madeira sketchbook accompanying it. The version I received is just a little wider than a large Moleskine. It might be my imagination, but it also seems a tad thicker than my Canadian purchased version, which could either be because it contains 90 rather than 80 g. paper - or, it could just be because black is slimming :)

bottom to top: Canadian-purchased Webnotebook, US version Webnotebook, large Moleskine

The build is very like the moleskine, with a softer vinyl cover that is slightly imprinted by the elastic band, but that's not something that would bother me. There is an accordion pocket in the back (I admit I rarely use the pocket in this size journal, but it is still nice to have). Others have commented that they don't care for the Rhodia logo stamped on the front or printed on the page corners, but again, this isn't something that would really bother me.



There's two things I really want my ideal notebook to do: Lie flat when open, and take fountain pen ink without bleeding (ink spreading through to the other side) or feathering (spidery ink veins spreading from the line).

I'm happy to say that the US version of the Rhodia webnotebook does both, for the most part. I really hate writing into the "hump" in the middle of a book - that should not be a problem here. The signatures seem sewn in a little tighter than the Moleskine, so the pages don't lie quite as flat - but they will remain open if you leave the book open. I think they will likely loosen up with use and over time.



The paper is cream colored and, happily, is as great to write on as the Rhodia pad. I believe it's a touch heavier in weight - 90 g as opposed to the 80 g in the pads, but it has the same smooth feel. Best of all, it takes fountain pen ink happily, allowing a nice crisp line without bleeding or feathering. Now, I admit that I'm using somewhat different inks, because I bought the Canadian version several months ago, but most of the pens used in this test are the same, with similar inks. Click through to get the Flickr "all sizes" option if you like.


left: Canadian version. right: US version. Lines are much crisper.


left: Canadian version - note large amount of bleeding and showthrough. This makes me crazy, because I am much too cheap to only write on one side of the page.
right: US version - no bleedthrough. Yay!

My only disappointment is that this version is not available in Canada, to the best of my knowledge. The US version appears to have been produced in response to its users and the initial reviews, but there doesn't appear to be a similar response from Canadian distributors. There may well be some good reason having to do with trade and imports that I can't begin to understand, but the bottom line is that if I were in a Canadian stationery store with both the Webnotebook and Moleskine on nearby shelves, I would still pick up the Moleskine, because even with the inconsistent paper, it's still better than the Canadian version of the Rhodia Webnotebook.

If you're in the States, or can get easy access to the improved, 90 g paper version of the Webnotebook, it's certainly worth picking up. I would also love to see a plain or gridded version of this, in addition to the lined one. If in Canada, wait till you're travelling south of the 49th before buying this, or until the happy day that Canadian distributors catch on, and start stocking this much better version. Well - if you use a fountain pen, that is. If you don't have that to worry about, go ahead and get either version - it's a great notebook: sturdy, handsome, in utilitarian black or outspoken orange.

It's baffling to me that the same company is producing two versions of a notebook with the same name. If I did not know, from reading various forums and blogs, that a better version of the notebook existed, I might have sworn off this brand entirely. Unfortunately, this isn't the only Exaclair product like this - the Quo Vadis Habana suffers the same Canadian handicap, and I'll be reviewing that next.

Many thanks again to Stephanie and Karen for giving me the chance to sample the good stuff.

Excompta sketchbook in Madeira

Exacompta sketchbook, 279/365, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

Almost too beautiful to despoil with ink, pencil and paint. But I'm going to do it anyway. I'm working on a review of this book, along with the US version of the Habana and Rhodia webnotebook. It's a welcome distraction from work/school, and I am going to have fun with this!

I feel like I need to warm up a bit, first. I really have done very little sketching and drawing over the summer, and what little I've done is mostly unpostable. A good deal of what I drew earlier this year was done in church, and I prefer not to post anything with overtly religious themes. So it will take a little while to get my hand back in, and maybe it will be just as well to test this book by using colour swatches and samples - maybe that will help get things flowing again.

surprise, 278/365

surprise, 278/365, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I was extremely pleased and excited to come home to find this package of notebooks in my mailbox. They're from Karen Doherty of Exaclair, which distributes Quo Vadis, Rhodia, and Exacompta (among others) in the US. This is my chance to try - and review - some books not available in Canada - or at least, not in this form. I spend a lot of time writing, for personal reasons, work, and school, so I'm always looking for tools that are enjoyable and easy to work with. In this case, those preferred tools are fountain pens and good paper, with some paint, pencil and crayon thrown in as needed.

Many thanks to Karen, and also to Stephanie of Rhodia Drive for giving me the chance to try these out. Stephanie is the queen of notebook reviews, and I hope I'll be able to write something half as useful!

Film Fridays

This is really a placeholder for a picture still waiting to be developed. I decided to try to get more use out of my film camera - so I've decided to start making it film Friday, with a digital picture taken side by side. Not just as backup, but to remind me when the picture was taken, since obviously film doesn't have exif data. I'll scan the developed photo a few Fridays from now.

Two - three! I meant three things I learned:

1) 50 mm on a film camera has a different field of view than 50 mm on a digital, at least a digital with cropped sensor like I have. Actually, I already knew this, but somehow forgot when I slapped a 50 on each camera and headed out. Then was stupidly surprised when I went from one camera to the other and thought "hey, this looks different".

2) don't bother looking at the back of the film camera after you take a shot. There will only be the back of a camera.

3) if your film camera seems to lock up? you probably forgot to advance the film.

Man, the things you forget when going back to film!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

sleepless, 263/365

sleepless, 263/365, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

prompted by the Facebook meme Shuffleshare, my sisters and cousin were trying to come up with the 15 songs you would put on your iPod if it only held 15 songs ("wouldn't that make it a Walkman?" I asked). Everyone came up with a list quickly, and I finally made mine after a couple of hours of insomnia early this morning. And of course the first song I thought of was Jann Arden's Sleepless.

This went on for a few more pages, then I whittled them down to 15. A lot of them are covers that I like better than the originals, and in one case an original less well known than the hit. The ones that made it:

1. Sleepless, Jann Arden
2. Get Together, Indigo Girls.
3. Song for a Winter's Night, Sarah Mclachlan
4. Say Goodbye, Dave Mathews
5. Kyla Vuotta, Varrtina (Finnish folk-rock band)
6. Back on the Chain Gang, Pretenders
7. They Don't Know, Kirsty MacColl
8. Theme from Pat Garret and Billy the Kid, Bob Dylan
9. Proud Crowd/Pride Cried, Ferron
10. Witch of the Westmoreland, Stan Rogers
11. You were on my mind, Ian and Sylvia Tyson
12. Olivers' Army, Elvis Costello
13. Prickle-Eye Bush, Bellowhead (relatively new discovery from this year's VancouverFolk Festival)
14. It's Hard, The Who
15. Moonlight Shadow, Mike Oldfield with Maggie Riley

Sunday, September 20.

remembering sensei, 253/365

remembering sensei, 253/365, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

though this was actually taken at the end of May, this is the overarching story of the day, the passing of Lethbridge's beloved sensei. I struggled with this - did I really want to be reminded of this sad memory every time I looked at my photo diary? But it's not merely the story of the day, it's the memory of a man who had a profound impact on his community, and on so many lives. So yes, as sad as it is, I still want to remember. Sept 10.

extreme processing

window of St. Nicholas church, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I dunno. Is this the photography/processing equivalent of knitting a uterus, or inventing a butter chicken/tater tot casserole?

Actually, even if it's processed more than I normally like, I think I like this better than either of those hypothetical things. This is a restored church at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village near Edmonton, but it was one of the buildings closed the day we were there. My husband and I walked around trying to peek in the windows, and it was hard to get a shot, partly because I'm short and this was way over my head. I like the way this preset made the cloud reflections look a little like smoke wisping up from the candles inside the room.

Eryx preset courtesy of the talented and generous underthewaves at Flickr.

Month of the Damned

Month of the Damned, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

OK, it's a 2008 diary entry, but it's just as true this year, and even more so because they're starting in August.

We were actually expecting a lot more pain and strife, since they have been staying up till midnight and getting up around 9 for the last few weeks. I think the school subroutine kicked in and activated their brains, and got them up and at it with no trouble at all. A bit scary, that, seemingly a testament to early indoctrination of structure.

This school year actually feels like a continuation of the last one, since both kids keep the same teacher and classroom (no, they didn't flunk a year - they're both in the last year of a two-year split), which adds further to the sense of anticlimax. So it doesn't feel so much like new beginnings, as the end of a Really Really Long Weekend.

On a side note, this reminds me how little I've been drawing lately, almost none since the summer started. Damned 365!

Caroline bay, 1987

Caroline bay, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I've been meaning for months to scan some slides and pictures from pre-digital days, in particular the slides taken during my travels in Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines after university.

I remember seeing this slide shortly after it was developed and wishing it had been in better focus, that it didn't have the blurry grasses in the foreground, etc etc. But now, looking back over the decades, this perfectly captures that retrieved memory - heat, high sun, sand, and grass on a New Zealand beach, twenty-two years ago and far away from home and responsibility.

Process oriented

Since starting the 365 photo project, I've almost, of necessity, become interested in organization and processing software. Previous to this, I'd had the attitude that if it wasn't good enough SOOC (straight out of the camera), it wasn't good enough, period. However, trying to take a picture every day, whether there was a picture to take, and whether I had enough time or energy to put into it, made for some really abysmal pictures. This was pretty much evident within the first week. So after picking up Photoshop Elements at Costco, I started playing around and found that aside from quick fixes to exposure and contrast and cropping, you could really go to town with processing.

This isn't always a good thing.




I'm not in love with this shot. Actually, I kind of hate it. It was one of those last-minute, end of the day pictures, after working in the lab in the evening and coming home to poke around in the garden. The SOOC pictures is flat, soft (those last-minute shots are inevitably taken indoors at night) and pretty much lifeless. On the other hand - should the near-lifeless always be revived?

I threw on some textures from Boccacino and Rita at the Coffeeshop (not to slag them or the use of textures - they can be used judiciously to wonderful effect) and played with gradients till I got something kind of workeable.

And in the end, I admit I got carried away with the processing here, making me think: if the day was so busy I didn't have time to *take* a decent shot, then why do I have time to salvage it through processing?

On the other hand, sometimes processing really makes me happy. I recently started using LightRoom, which is ungodly expensive; an academic discount placated my frugal nature. I like it best for its organization and sorting capabilities, but also because you can lightly retouch minor things like exposure and contrast very quickly, leaving the picture in a more natural state. And in general, that is what I prefer - something as close as possible to what I saw while I was right there: I look at processing not as a tool to create something unreal, but as a way to bring back some of the reality that didn't get picked up by the camera sensor, whether through technical limitations, lighting difficulties, or user error. So this, taken in the coulees in the soft evening light at the end of a hot August day - this, I'm happy with.

Embossed in green, 235/365

Embossed in green, 235/365, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

Embossed leaves socks are apparently in the top 5 of most knitted socks on Ravelry, and now that I've started a pair, I can see why. I know I keep saying that lace and socks just don't make sense (if it's cold enough to wear socks, it's cold enough that you don't want holes in them) but I love knitting lace, and when I finally wound up the skein of Malabrigo Sock I got from my SIL Julie, I really wanted to do something special with it: the yarn is so soft, smooth, and beautiful to touch it begs for a beautiful pattern to match.

However, Mona Schmidt's design is full of quirks, like the stockinette heel with a three-stitch garter edging. I usually just plug the stitch pattern into a standard sock formula, but this time around I thought I'd try knitting it as written, quirks and all - but the stockinette heel is just not going to work for me. It's enormous! It will drive me nuts wearing it. So, off it comes, and I'm going to re-knit with a standard slip stitch heel.



Tech specs:
yarn: Malabrigo Sock, colorway Solis
pattern: Embossed Socks, from Favorite Socks by Interweave Knits
needles: 2.5mm Inox circulars
started August 23

Retro rib, 231/476

Retro rib, 231/476, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

Finally, I finished the socks I have seemingly been knitting all summer!
These have showed up previously as socks of resignation but I am now much happier with them. The second skein, and therefore the second sock, is actually quite a bit brighter than the first. This used to drive me crazy about handpainted yarns, but now that I realize you can hardly tell the difference after you've worn and washed them a few times, it doesn't bug me anymore.

They turned out too big for me - I should have known that 64 stitches on 2.75 mm needles probably would. But they fit my daughter perfectly. August 19.

recap of tech details:

Pattern: Retro Rib socks from Interweave Knits Favorite Socks
Yarn: Lorna's Laces in Tuscany, from my sister in law Julie
Needles: Brittany Birch, 2.75mm
June - August 2009

Hyles, 228/365

Hyles, 228/365, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

A nice plump hawkmoth caterpillar found by my daughter during our morning dog walk. She has a terrific eye for all kinds of natural things. I was pretty excited to see this, as in my previous life, I was a research technician and this insect is actually one of the biological control agents released to control leafy spurge that we used to rear in the lab, or rather my colleage did. (but I did have to throw them food when it was my turn to work weekends).

We are going to rear this one out to adulthood. The adult moth is pretty impressive. Hopefully all will go well - we've had problems in the past rearing out tent caterpillars (yes, I know, a pest) because they were parasitised by flies; so in fact, we ended up rearing parasitic flies. This one looks really healthy, though. We might end up having to overwinter it once it pupates, in which case it can reside safely in the vegetable crisper till ready for emergence and release in the spring. August 16.

Don't be shy

Several years ago, our Christmas project was to put together a cookbook with several family favorites. Since we made it, new favorites have emerged and although I've made a few attempts to compile a new version, I somehow haven't gotten the momentum. But I'm up for more suggestions, and I'll have a look through my old e-mails for recipes my siblings have sent me over the years.

In the meantime, here's the first edition, for anyone who's lost the first one (or, like me, have gotten it so splattered/sticky as to become unusable). I admit I use the dessert/baking section more than anything else, but I also use the pancit recipe once in a while, and this weekend, being an unseasonably rainy August weekend, I'm planning on using the perogie recipe.

The name is from our Lolo Berting's famous exhortation anybody appeared to hesitate over food: "Don't be shy!" (click to download pdf file)

empanada madness

empanada madness, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I just didn't get as many empanadas as I wanted while on holiday with my family in BC, since the Empanada Lady was on holiday (the nerve!). Being denied my fix, I have set out to make my own. I've made them before. They're usually not very good. These were better than *my* usual, but still not as good as Empanada Lady's.

My trusty assistant helped roll out the pastry into nice little circles, and put in a couple of tablespoons of filling, which today is ground pork, lots of garlic and onions, potatoes, peas, raisins, and seasoning. This time around, I used a couple of dollops of chili sauce, and some sweet pickle relish. I'm not too sure why.





Instead of just flattening the edges with a fork, I folded them in to make a fluted edge, which not only looks nicer, it prevents leakage. I actually learned this on youtube, of all places, in which some guy gets instructed in empanada folding by a cheerfully cantankerous lola, who at one point, I am sure, tells him "you're doing it like a white guy!". But my Tagalog is pretty rusty, so that could be misinterpretation on my part.

They didn't get quite as brown as I expected (maybe I am used to the deep brown of the fried versions) but I really couldn't bake them any longer without them turning really dry and tough. As it is they're a bit more...er, robust than I really like them. But I'm sufficiently encouraged that I am going to try them again soon, hoping to improve the pastry and pump up the seasoning a bit.

tandoori bun, beta version. 222/365

tandoori bun, beta version. 222/365, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I am not at all a foodie; in fact, I would rather do just about anything other than cook, and I am usually perfectly content with some variant of meat and potatoes (or meat and rice). However, I recently became obsessed with 1) empanadas, the Filipino versions, and 2) curry buns, just recently and by accident.

Okay, there is a reason behind this: while in Winnipeg for a conference, my supervisor and I both bought curry chicken buns from the Sri Lankan stall at the Forks, to eat on the plane (Air Canada doesn't give you so much as a peanut for a 2 hour flight). They were so good (again, I am used to quite boring food), I really wanted to try making one myself. But, instead of using an actual recipe (!), since I was making tandoori chicken that evening, I had the cunning plan of using the leftovers to make buns.

I chopped up the chicken, fried some onions with curry paste to make a gravy, then added the chicken and some cilantro leaves. Then I stirred in some corn. I don't really know why. Oh, and a cilantro/mint/ginger chutney I made earlier to eat with the chicken.

Next time, based on suggestions from my siblings and Facebook friends:
start from scratch, and forget the tandoori plan
make a really GOOD thick gravy to hold it all together, add a bit of cornstarch
forget the corn
cilantro good, mint bad.

also, try the breadmaker version of dough.

Meanwhile, these are still not too bad. Even if they were only 65% satisfactory, that is still a C+ curry bun.

offering, 212/365

offering, 212/365, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

Yesterday's post at Shutter Sisters talked about the comic relief of the bathroom portrait, as an antidote to boredom.

I don't know about boredom, but I've resorted to the bathroom portrait more than once during this 365 project, partly because it's the one place in the house that has both a mirror, and rather nice natural, diffuse lighting. I've taken lots of previous bathroom shots not so much as self-portraits but of various knitting projects. Photojojo's suggestion to include self-portraits as part of your 365 project to see how you've changed over the year has given me a reason to take them of my actual self, not merely as an prop to drape knitwear over. Self portaits are always a little awkward for me, not just for the technical challenge of getting an AF lens to focus on the reflection in the mirror, not to mention trying to get a picture aimed correctly when you're not looking through the viewfinder. But it's also impossible not to be at least a little bit self-conscious. So it's a little bit of a leap of faith, to trust in the camera, and get an image that feels like a little like an offering, a little piece of self to share with the outside world.

go a roving

go a roving, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I barely have room in my closet for more yarn, and I am really, really trying hard to make a dent in my stash. So even on holiday, I have been very good about not buying more yarn - I still have holiday yarn from years ago - from shops that don't even exist anymore!

So, I can't use the "yarn doesn't count if you buy it while on holiday" thing that has come in handy the last several summers.

But hey, roving is not yarn....yet. So, I bought roving at Knitopia Wools, which, unfortunately for me, relocated to my home town, where I visit family each summer. This is superwash blue-faced leicester. I'm trying to spin it a bit thicker than I did the stuff I bought last year (and which I'm industriously knitting up into the lace ribbon scarf) and since it's superwash, I'm hoping to make it into socks.

secret garden

secret garden, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

when I was probably 3 or 4 years old, my parents lived around Fraser and 21st in Vancouver, in one of those little houses typically rented by immigrant families. I still have dim memories of that house, and the way the back porch gave out onto a little garden that in turn led into a back alley, covered with vines and morning glory.

I am sure that the house my sisters now share in roughly the same area does not really resemble that house from my distant childhood (now torn down and replaced with one of those infamous Monster Houses), yet visiting them gave me a strange feeling of flashback and nostalgia, a sense of green and shade and quiet in the heart of the city.

For my book club: if, like me, you can never quite find that e-mail.

If you were at the June book club meeting at Earl's, you'll know how this challenge came about. If you weren’t, or were there but didn't hear it, here's how it happened:

while discussing The Flying Troutmans, Christine said, "I felt like anyone could write down a slice of their life and win the Giller prize". I thought that was a cool idea- we're all intelligent, interesting, articulate women - let's all try doing just that!

So, that's the challenge: Write a little slice of your life. It can just be a few sentences, a paragraph, or an entire chapter. It could be something that happened yesterday, or decades ago; or even something about to happen.

It could be fact or fiction (keep us guessing), prose or poetry - whatever floats your boat. Illustrate it with photographs or sketches (a la the Book Thief!) if you want. Let's have fun with this. Draw on inspiration from your favourite book, if it helps. Toss ideas back and forth with your friends. Tear pages out of your journal! But let's all try it. We can either share our writing at the September meeting, or if that's too intimidating, just share what the process of writing was like. Was it difficult? Did anything unexpected arise? Did it suck so much you never, ever want anyone to suggest it again? Do you see books and authors in a different way after that? Most of all, have a sense of adventure about it – nobody’s marking this or expecting perfection. You’re not handing it in to your English prof. Think of it as a journey into the mind of a writer, and this time, the writer is you.

a tribute of sorts

this tempts me to buys some film, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

or perhaps a eulogy:
this tempts me to buys some film, even if Kodak has announced it will stop producing Kodachrome.

handspun lace ribbon scarf

handspun lace ribbon scarf, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I got together with my knitting friend Michele earlier this week, which prompted me to finally start plying some handspun that had been malingering since last August. I spin with an S twist, so I'm plying with a Z twist. Or wait - is that the other way around?

This is my first stab at handspun, so to say that it's irregular and variable in both twist and weight would be an understatement. So, she suggested the lace ribbon scarf as a good project for these small and irregular hanks of handspun. I'd had it in mind as a possibility, but it was good to get validation from someone with her eye and skill level.

So far I'm liking how it's working up. I have some concerns that it will start looking kind of funky when I change skeins as there is no uniformity in colour whatsoever, but I think I'm going to consider that a design feature.

Fibre is Blue-Faced Leicester roving bought at Knitopia in Langley BC, spun and plied on locally made handspindles bought at same location.

June 20.

two daisies today

Daisies, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I thought they were Shasta daisies, but now realize they probably are something else completely. African daisies? The plastic tag has long been broken off and sunk into the dust.

Gardening is a lot of work in southern Alberta - late frosts and cold springs are usually followed by an abrupt swing to hot, droughty conditions. We don't put in the kind of time it takes to make plants really thrive here, but a few hardy clumps keep soldiering on, surprising us with colour amidst the dust and heat.

I was thinking of trying to make this picture into a banner of some sort, and got as far as experimenting to make a watermark, but that's as far as I got. I don't really need a banner, or a watermark, for that matter. I just felt like tinkering.

leap!

cabriolet, 161/365, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

So this is the first time I've had a camera that could shoot in RAW, the digitial equivalent of negatives (or postives too, I suppose). Up till now, I couldn't really see any good reason to use it, since RAW files aren't immediately viewable in Windows Explorer, and because they're completely humongous. However, Rita at Coffeshop Photography started writing presets for LightRoom that can also be used in PSE7. Although they can also be used on jpgs, which I usually take, they work best on RAW images, and no tweaking is needed afterwards. I'm not sure how much I'm willing to use RAW, since the files are so huge, but it's fun to play with once in a while.

And again - I like the way her preset brings the contrast and texture out in these chives:

blingy goodness

I haven't made jewelry for some time now, and in the last while, it's my daughter that's tinkered with the collection of beads, wire, and chain stuffed in a drawer of the hobby room. I was compelled to pick up my pliers again the other day to repair an old choker I made about six years ago - or, not so much repair it, but enlarge it, because it felt kind of tight. I find that weird. I seriously doubt that the weight I've gained since then has made my neck actually fat, but really, it doesn't feel as comfortable as it used to. So I added a couple of links, and now it feels fine. Maybe it's my Incredible Hulk type traps. I should take another picture of these - in reality, they look quite a bit more lively and spring-y, not this firey and intense.



While I was at it, I figured I would go the quick and dirty route with some beads we picked up on clearance at Michael's. But now that I look at them again, they seem sad and lonely, so I need to find a way to spruce them up a bit - I've seen some simple pendent designs with ribbon that might be fun to try.

Idling

It is truly woeful how I have spent insufficient idleness on knitting. As of the beginning of this year, I have managed to knit exactly 3.9 socks, and 0.75 of a sweater. I could say that it is because of my crazy school schedule, and that wouldn't be untrue, exactly. But it's not the only reason. I do still have moments of idleness, but have probably spent more time taking pictures than knitting this particular semester.

A couple of reasons for this: I have always taken pictures, and can actually remember being 4 or 5 years old, taking the family camera and snapping pictures of my mom while she napped. She was understandably unimpressed, but from there, I did get a little 110 instamatic of some sort by the time I was 10, and have been busily recording relatively insignificant moments of my life since.

So, this year I decided to undertake Project 365, which I learned about through Flickr and Photojojo. A picture a day, no matter how boring your life gets. This is a considerable challenge, but also encourages me to learn to use my camera, and not just put it on Program and snap away. I always have, and still do, fiddle with the settings anyway; I just do it more, now.

a relatively recent mosaic:



and the full constantly updated photo diary set is at Flickr.

what's with all the saliva?

Some of you already know I am pursuing a MSc. in exercise science, with a specific interest in the effects of activity on mid-life women. Here's the slides from the very brief presentation I gave a few weeks ago on my thesis proposal, and a bare bones description of the planned project.

It's a powerpoint presentation, so you might need to install a viewer in order to see them.

update: I've taken down the file, since I noticed it getting indexed in places I don't want it indexed. Contact me if you are interested (and not a troll, goblin, etc).

a shift in direction

Okay, I realize that this blog now functions as an archive for projects I haven't had the time to put on Ravelry, which is where most of my knitting projects are now stored.

But it seems silly to let a perfectly good blog just sit there, when I could use it for all sorts of other idleness. As in, sharing audio to use for Andrea Olson's Body Stories.

Here goes:

Body Stories Day Two: constructive rest

Body Stories Day Four: cellular breathing

These are strictly for fun and to share with my friends, and are abundantly amateurish. But I hope they might be of use to my fellow yoginis.

I have been sewing

I really have still been knitting, but it's been slowed down considerably by other obligations, among which was working on costumes for my my kid's dance club. Fashionable only in peasant societies in turn-of-the-century eastern Europe, and guaranteed to put 40 pounds on any woman in the adult version, they're a bit cuter in the kid version. Behold:

Welcome Yule

University has made a major dent in my knitting output, and though I still do quite a bit of stress-relief knitting, I've stuck mostly to vanilla patterns and small projects. I did finish MS3, but foolishly forgot to take a picture before I gifted it. And I did finish the Kimono shawl just at the beginning of the school year, but still haven't blocked it!

I did, however, manage to finish and photograph a few pairs of socks:

Gansey socks, from the Six_sox_knitalong:



I really like Wildfoote for sock yarn, though I know others find it splitty. It doesn't give me too many problems and I really like the way the socks feel and wear after a few washes.

Pattern: I love Gansey, by Janine Le Cras
Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildfoote, in Vinca Minor, or something like that
Needles: 2.5 mm Addi circs.
Modifications: I don't do hearts. So I did diamonds instead.

And, finished way back in August! Jutta's socks:



Pattern: Jutta's socks, from Folk Knitting in Estonia, by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Fleece Artist merino, in Pinata
needles: 2.25 mm Brittany Birch DPN's

Super comfy - but I've noticed that I wear out 100% wool socks much faster than I do blends. I don't know if I will continue to buy and knit 100% wool yarns like Fleece Artist and Cherry Tree Hill, as lusciously soft as they are, although I will definitely use and knit up what I have already stashed. In the meantime, I'll enjoy them while they last.

Clue 1 of Mystery stole is done!

Mystery Stole 3 - Clue 1
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf

The third Mystery Stole Knitalong hosted by Melanie of Pink Lemon Twist is well underway! Melanie released the first clue on June 29, and 4000 members are gradually discovering, at the same time, the design as it unfolds week by week.

The Mystery Stole is an intriguing concept - nobody but the designer knows what the finished product will look like - therein lies the appeal. However, given her previous mystery stole designs, you can be pretty darn sure it won't suck.

This clue was fairly short because it only started with two stitches and increased, but I think the next ones will be the full width and rectangular. But you never know!

Duelling pinatas

Duelling pinatas
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf

I finally started knitting up this skein of Fleece Artist merino sock I bought last summer in Vancouver. Really, when I bought it, I knew that the vivid and extremely excited looking colorway (Pinata) was going to be an issue when selecting a pattern. I could have done plain vanilla socks like the CTH socks I did a while ago, but I really wanted something more entertaining to knit.

On the left, Jutta's socks from Folk Knitting in Estonia, on the right, Undulating Rib from Favorite Socks from Interweave Knits. I think I'm going to stick with the Jutta's socks, because they're basically vanilla with a lace detail going down the sides, so there isn't an overkill of investment in stitch details that won't really show.

And yes, in real life, the colours are actually louder than this.

a little summer vanilla

Nothing fancy here, just plain but fun vanilla socks, using up some leftover yarn. I might make these again, so I thought I'd better save the recipe. They're just a 64 stitch cast on, with 2 x 2 ribbing from the cuff down, increased to 38 sole stitches before beginning garter stitch short row heel, decreased back to 64 stitch circumference before knitting a plain stockinette foot. In Regia tip-top cotton, 2.5 mm KP circ.


And for a larger serving of vanilla:

Recipe: cast on 32 stitches for short row toe, stockinette foot increased to 40 sole stitches before beginning short row garter stitch heel, decrease again and begin 3 x 1 ribbing, and knit till yarn is almost done. EZ's sewn bind-off. These are in CTH Supersock in potluck jewel colours, 2.5 mm Inox circ.

I'm doing these mostly because I've found that 100% merino socks seem to wear a little quickly in the heel, and I'm hoping the garter stitch heel will be a bit sturdier.

Kimono shawl beginning

Kimono shawl beginning, originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I've been wanting to do this shawl since I got the book, and this is a nice long term project. You don't want to sit and knit this all at once, because it does get a bit monotonous, but it's nice to pick up and work on on movie night.

I'm using size 4 Boye circs and Knitpicks Shadow in...um, I don't know. The greenish one. Lost Lagoon or something like that? I had used this earlier for the Mystery Stole, but ended up frogging it because the style just didn't suit me. It's a beautiful stole, just not my style. I was worried that all that frogging/reknitting/spit splicing would really do a number on the Shadow but it held up well. I like the multiple hues in this yarn and it's fairly soft. I'm in no hurry with this, so it's a nice leisurely knit I can take my time with.

Horcrux Socks

I'm all for easy knitting these days, and these Horcrux socks from the Six Sox Knitalong really fit the bill:



They're nice and short, perfect for summer, and the little bit of zigzag lace is entertaining to knit without being overwhelming. The color I chose is a bit easter-egg-y, but I think I'll keep them anyway. I love the colours of Trekking, but I've found that kids find it a little bit rough. So, my initial plan of knitting these in a smaller size to give to one of my nieces, a Harry Potter fan, was shelved. I think she would have textural issues with it, and would likely never wear them. So I'll keep these for myself, and try to find something softer to knit this with for her and perhaps the other young Harry Potter fans in the family. Might be a good time to look for Gryffindor colours.



After deciding to keep this particular pair, I had to re-knit the foot to get it to fit me after all. Not too much of a chore, and since Trekking has no particular repeat, I didn't have to worry about the toes making an abrupt colour change.

Pattern: Horcrux Socks, Six Sox Knitalong
Yarn: Trekking XXL
Needles: Addi Turbo circs, 2.5 mm using magic loop

Spring socks, and a Swallowtail

Now that I'm done with the university semester and Big Important Events are out of the way, I have time to update my much reduced, but consistent, knitting.

First, Dalarna:

pattern from Knitting on the Road, by Nancy Bush
STR in Lover's Leap
2.25 mm Brittany Birch
mods: toe-up with magic loop cast-on (from Knitty) and widdershins heel (also from Knitty)
This was the Knitting on the Road KAL choice for February/March and I finished it on a bus trip to Edmonton in mid-March, but kept forgetting to take pictures. I loved this pattern, and am glad the group chose it because I would never have bothered with it otherwise. It looks so plain in the book, but that's what made it so enjoyable to knit. It was perfect for a semi-solid yarn, and the clock pattern made it interesting. I did modify it to be knit toe-up, since I wanted to make the best use of my skein, which worked out perfectly.
This was also my first skein of STR. I did not want to love it, but I did. So soft, cushy and springy.

Since I was on a bus trip, I made sure I brought sock yarn! So on the same weekend I finished Dalarna, I cast on for Roza's sock, and finished it in...I don't know, about a week. It was a quick knit:


pattern: Roza's Socks,designed by Grumperina for Spring IK07
Fortissima Colori, leftover from the Mamlukes
2.5 mm Inox circs
Not much else to say, but again an easy to memorize pattern that works well with a gently transitioning yarn.

And last but not least, Rolling Thunder!


Rolling Thunder by Sivia Harding for Knitty
Lorna's Laces Bittersweet
size 1 KP circs
mods: omitted the beads

I did try this with beads initially, but once I tried on the cuff I found they made me crazy. I have weird textural issues. But I really loved the Thunderbird stitch design and I like picot hemmed cuffs, so I did that instead, and substituted purl ridges for the beaded ridges. After the cuff, the garter rib goes fast, BUT, I ran out of yarn a few inches short of the second sock. No way was I willing to rip this and do contrasting toes and heels, though that would have been the logical thing to do. But I just didn't want to interrupt the colour scheme for this particular sock. So although I started these socks over the Christmas holidays, I didn't get ahold of yarn till a few weeks ago, and then finished them right away. My daughter has already claimed them for her own.

Closeup of the Thunderbird stitch detail - it really does look like a Thunderbird under storm clouds!:



Finally, the Swallowtail shawl - my second:


Swallowtail shawl by Evelyn Clark, Fall IK06
Knitpicks Bare merino, fingering weight
size 5 Boye
cast on Wednesday night, May 2, cast off Saturday morning, May 5, 2007 - in time for my daughter's First Communion
diversions: Pride and Prejudice (the Knightly/McFayden version) and audio book of War and Peace, watching dance tech rehearsal during cast-off

I chose the Swallowtail because I figured it was my best chance of getting a shawl done in 3 days - I'd knit it before in the summer, and knew the pattern was fairly easy to "read" and thus catch mistakes. I managed to catch almost all of them on the back side, purling back.

There's nothing like being time pressured for a special occasion to speed your knitting along! I'd like to knit one again for myself - at a more relaxed and enjoyable pace.

In action:

I found the coolest thing

While peeking at the finished Dalarna's on a fellow KOTR knitter's blog, I found the coolest meme: Booking through Thursday.

Granted, these days I am more of a wanna-be reader, barely able to keep up with my own real life book club now that I am awash with reading for school. Still, books are such a big part of my life that anything bookish is irresistably attractive to me. How can I resist?

Booking Through Thursday

1. Do you lend your books to other people? If so, any restrictions?
   
   All the time. Most of the time, they're books I won't be too distressed to never see again - but I do prefer getting them back. Because my sibs live the next province over, we frequently have books on long-term loan from one another - like, a couple of years. It's common to walk into each other's houses on vacation and retrieve a book from their shelves - "Hey, ya done with this?"



2. Do you borrow books from other people? (Friends or family—I'm not talking about the public library)
   
   Yes, often - especially within our very cheap book club, in which we endeavour to circulate a few copies through all the members.



3. And, most importantly—do the books you lend/borrow get returned to their rightful owners??
   
   Most of the time - in the last few days I just loaned out one and got back four, though sometimes the balance is the other way around...