I’ve also started my first reall full time job! I work at H&M, an amazing clothing store that started in Sweden and has finally come closer to home! I have great memories of shopping there on my trips to Europe and I’m so excited to be working for them! We have lots of staff as support from Europe and they are so much fun to know! Maybe when I go to Europe again I could go and visit them!! So any ways I’ve been really busy working because I have such an open schedule and they are taking advantage of that. I’m ok with that because it means decent paychecks!!

However I’m still involved with my summer camp community. I went to a work party where we cut up and move firewood around the camp and can now look foreward to burning an old old building they were using for storage in a few weeks. They are also having a fundraiser where I can get dressed up and dance : )

On another note, it was my birthday a few weeks ago, and my parents surprised me with a serger! Now I’m so motivated not only to knit but sew with my fancy new serger.

Sorry no pictures at the moment, just imagine a navy blue beret almost off the needles and a big smile on my face for all the exciting things my life has in store for me!

p.s. the post title is inspired by Across the Universe, an amazing movie I saw the other day and have since been listening to the soundtrack because it’s so amazing! check it out!!!

I took an extended break from blogging over my amazing summer, and then forgot my password! But now I’m back with a big update and a promise of more blogging!!

Here is my story, if you don’t want to read I don’t blame you!

July

So July started with a trip up to my grandparents cabin to help out with a close family friends wedding! It was so much fun, running around getting spare teacups and decorating the beach for such an amazing event. It shows how close people get on an island where everyone is willing to help out to make sure the wedding for two people so close to everyones heart goes as well as it did (in the rain!). Then straight home to do laundry and off to camp! (much of my summer was like this, spent in transit either on a long bus ride or boats).

Camp was amazing, my first time as a leader instead of a camper. I had my work cut out for me, but was so thankful to know the staff well from my days as a camper so I had a built-in support team. It is always sad to leave camp as a camper, but I got close to all the staff and was determined to go back. So yada yada, time spent in town on gross city beaches, one sunburn later and I had talked my way back into another camp gig! BUT I had to leave early because I got a job at my cities local fair and had to go in for training. No problem right?

August

The next camp was lots of fun, I wasn’t in charge of children, just helping out where they needed it. I had just as much fun with this group of staff as the first round. It was really hard to leave because A) it didn’t seem worth it and B) being on an island makes it hard to get into town. I was supposed to leave in the morning to get to my training in the afternoon, but there wasn’t a boat the morning I needed to go in so I had to leave the night before and got an hours notice to pack my bags! I was crying and throwing everyhting into my bag (it’s really hard to leave camp, such an amazing place and I had gotten to know the people so well in three days!). The worst part was finding out the boat had come and gone for me so I was really worried I would have to pay for an expensiver charter boat and deal with angry parents when I didn’t show up at the dock! Crisis averted and I went to my training.

NEXT, I couldn’t help but offer myself to the next camp because they needed staff, and it actually worked out this time. They had a lot of staff coming and going, only a few could actually stay the entire week because everyone had stuff they needed to do in town! It was funny, but the camp was older kids so they handled it well. Lots of fun again, some of the same staff from earlier camps and other staff that I was friends with as a camper and went through training with. I tell you if I could I would spend the entire summer up at camp, it’s a magical place where you meet amazing people and never want to leave!

However, I need to work. The fair was an interesting job, like McDonalds, good to have on your resume but not that great. I took tickets and got to deal with lots of unhappy people (unless I was on stamps, that’s where people are most happy, when they leave ha ha ha). I worked LOOOOONG hours which only paid off in the form of my pay check (har har har). I don’t think I will go back next year, I’ve experienced it once.

This leads me to September. Not in school, and don’t have a job. But no fear! I’ve kept myself busy and am awaiting a call about and interview at H&M (my dream store). Yes it is weird not to be in school after that comfortable routine I’ve been living with. It’s also liberating. I’m just testing the waters in the big bad grown up world. Getting experience in minimum wage jobs, considering my future and where I would go to school (plus what I want my career to be!). It seems like a lot, and I know it is but I can do it.

But you’re really just here for the yarn aren’t you? Well be happy to hear that I’ve ordered some Knitpicks yarn for the Boatneck Bluebell sweater from Fitted knits (yes it’s blue, only because it looks good on me!) as well as Charmed Knits so there will be lots of knitting action soon. Untill then, I’ve got Snicket socks on the needles and Jaywalkers freshly off them. Oh and I forgot to mention, in July before I started getting crazy busy with island hopping and planning for camp, I had enough time to sew up an adorable Built By Wendy hoodie and Simplicity babydoll dress in some wonderful leapord print fabric that I got good use of this summer. At the moment I’m only sewing up too big camp t-shirts into new creations before I start any more projects.

Phew, that was a lot, did you miss me?
(photo’s will be added later or in a sperate post, it’s been a while ok :P)

**pictures did not work for some reason, they will be added later, continue if you want to read the post without pictures**

I love sleeping in on a summer day, however this morning I was rudely awakned at 6AM by the garbage truck. So, since I was up I decided to print off the dress pattern I bought fabric for last week. While it was printing I fell back asleep for two hours, this is my kind of day

In the afternoon I baked these yummy chocolate banana muffins (recipe in summer Chatelaine) while I taped together my pattern.

Now all I have to do is actually cut out my fabric! The light blue with flower print will be the top or main fabric of the dress, while the pale yellow with almost invisible white polka-dots will be the yolk and under part(because the main fabric is polyester while the old sheet is most likely cotton). I can’t wait, I’m sure it will look cute and be nice and airy. I can’t wait to try it out on the beach when I go up next week!

I hope to have many more relaxing days like this, but with an upcoming interview, sewing classes with my sister and her friends (I’m teaching them stuff, go me!) and a friend that just got home from being away for a month, I’m going to be pretty busy in the next week. Then I set off on two different trips to the beach!! I might not get to the computer much, but I’m determined to keep on sewing and crafting and will do mega updates when I can!

I’ve also been sick the pst few days, the worst was yesterday when my sinuses were so stuffed up I couldn’t think.  I think the stress of finals and grad weakened my immune system and let this nasty cold in. I can’t wait to put my feet up on the beach and knit!

I have plans to make a sweater from Fitted Knits this summer as a goal for my fall wardrobe. I can’t choose just one to make becauseI love them all! There are lots of cute shrugs and cropped cardigans that I know I will make, but I want to make my first sweater. I need some help, for those that haven’t seen the book I’ll post pictures of each pattern I like. Let’s make it a vote! I wish I knew how to create a fancy poll on my blog, but I don’t so will rely on comments.

Here are the three options I’ve narrowed it down to for a nice fall sweater:

Puff sleeved cardigan:

Boatneck bluebell sweater:

Textured tunic:

don’t even get me started on colours! once a sweater is chosen, we’ll talk colours depending on what yarn is available in my LYS’s. Thanks for the input!

First, I found some really cut jelly sandals fot $8 at lasenza that look exactly like a designer pair I saw in a magazine only without the designer name and designer price tag.

I thought they might be uncomfortable, never having experienced jellies as a child, but have no fear they are soo comfy, and cute. Perfect for camp and the many beaches I will be visiting this summer.

Next, blue sky! It’s supposed to rain the next few days and I will really miss it because I’m going to a party on saturday that I hope to wear a dress to! The only good thing about rain is that it won’t be crazy hot for my dance performance on sunday!

And finally, I’m happy because I was inspired by this hoodie, in the same magazine as the sandals, that I have decided to make from the same pattern as my lilac hoodie. Instead of a zipper I’m going to get toggles and try different pockets (thanks to a fellow crafter on Craftster for mentioning it) as well as some cute little anchor’s to add on it. Yay for inspiration!

The best thing about this mystery magazine? It was only $1.99! That’s right, LouLou finally lowered its price (maybe because not many people were buying it? I know I wasn’t….) and has been very inspiring this month. I love how it’s Canadian, and therefore has Canadian stores and prices. No longer will I find something amazing in a magazine to find it’s from a store I can’t get to. Plus they did this eco issue and now they have an eco page with all different eco buys. I’m not a hard core eco shopper but would like to do my part in helping the environment by lessening my impact. Plus an excuse to shop is always nice! I really want to get a cute eco shopping bag…………..

Yes, I made my Built by Wendy hoodie! It only took me a few days to find the pattern, and a few hours last night to complete it. I absolutly LOVE it! I can’t wait to make another one, but for now I’m really happy with this one. I scored some really cheap sweater fabric on sale and couldn’t be happier. My original plan was to make one out of grey sweatshirt fabric, but I didn’t like the grey I saw at the fabric store. I’ll look around for a ncier grey to make a fall one, and I want to make out out of a lgither fabric for when it gets hot in the summer. I think what attracted me to this hoodie was the design. How it’s different from a plane hoodie, like the big comfy sleeves for instance. I also like how the zipper doesn’t go all the way up. At first I thought that was wierd, but it really looks great. That Wendy Mullin is a great designer!!

Next on my list? I discovered the Burda Style website that has some amazing free patterns and one dress pattern for sale that I would pay any ammount for, it’s that cute! I really should be studying, I have an exam tomorrow I’ve been avoiding due to all this fabric shopping. Bad girl! I’ll be back soon, I can’t avoid the internet for too long!

In other news, there are two new BbW Simplicty patterns! One is for a knit/jersey fabric dress or shirt, and the other is for a hoodie and dress. I really want to make the hoodie, it looks amazing from the tiny little pattern picture I found online. If only I weren’t making a vest in textiles……….. maybe I can still convince my mom to buy me fabric?

Bye for now!

While flipping through my Elle Canada magazine late last night, I decided to read this Special K add. It was targeted to women that are self concious and would rather stay inside than wear a two peice. It gave you two options, stay inside with a paragraph of excuses, or to eat Special K. As I read the paragraph, I discovered at the bottom one of the final opitons was to knit! It said learn to knit, or if you already do, knit until you can’t anymore! I find that very hillarious because I knit all summer, and many other knitters that don’t live in crazy hot climates knit all summer too! Oh Special K, you targeted the wrong audience!!

So besides that, the leaf cardigan is coming along greatly. I’m on the second sleeve, so once that’s done all I need to do is stitch up the picot edges and work on the icord. It was raining like crazy yesterday, but should be sunny later today so maybe I’ll get another progress picture

P.S. while looking through and old Elle Girl, I rememberd an eyelet tank top I started last year that I decided to finnish in my textiles class. Will be posting lots of FO pictures soon, I promise!!

Let me tell you, this is an amazing pattern. I love the concept of top down sweaters, and this little cardigan is a perfect first time top down garment. As I read through the pattern and looked at other peoples pictures, I fell in love! Not only is this a cute little cardigan, but I don’t need to seam it up!!! I HATE seaming (mostly because it never looks nice), and I LOVE using circular needles. This was meant to be! Plus, I think it will look great with at least two dresses I own and several tank tops, so I’m all set for a summer of cardigan love!

Then, after searching the web for Leaf FO’s, I came across the book Fitted Knits, where the pattern came from, and all the other AMAZING patterns in it. I have to knit the puff sleeved cardigan ASAP. Every prject in that book looks amazing, even if I don’t knit it I would have some great eyecandy! So now I’m waiting to borrow it from my local library to see the awsomeness in person, then when I have the money I will sooooo buy it. I can’t wait!

That’s all for now, no WIP picture because it’s night and to see the beauty of this I really need a good daylight shot.