Winter

Winter has finally decided to arrive in southern Ontario. We have temperatures below the freezing mark and the snow is staying, rather than melting, today.

The last few days have been creative and inspiring. One was spent sorting, cleaning and carding vintage buttons. In particular, we selected beautiful vintage buttons for knitters-buttons with substance and presence, buttons that would enhance a carefully-crafted sweater or bag.

The next day the buttons were off to my local yarn shop, Spun Fibre Arts, in Burlington, Ontario. It is always a joy to visit Spun because it is a beehive of knitting activity. Knitters dropping in to select yarn for one project inspire each other to think about other projects, or are captured by a particular skein of yarn that calls out to be knit.

That night Monika Nowaczyk from Cambodia Knits came to speak to our knitting guild. Monika is a Canadian living and working in Cambodia who is passionate about helping the Cambodian people achieve self-sufficiency. She has taught nearly 30 local women and men how to knit and how to market their wares. Monika can be found on Ravelry as 'liontamer'. Her website is: www.cambodiaknits.com and you can follow her blog at www.cambodiaknits.blogspot.com. The work she is doing is truly amazing.

Yesterday included a visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Grange Museum. www.ago.net . Because knitting and buttons for knitters have consumed a lot of my time lately, I found myself looking at the paintings as little archives of fashion history. A painting by the Dutch master Jan Rotius is going to be the inspiration for my next lace knitting design.

Tonight I am off to make new friends at a knitting night at a local coffee shop. Report to follow!