My Dog has designs on my wool!

I have quite the wool stash going and the dog seems to have a problem staying away from it. She ROLLS on it. I picked up enough mohair on sale (40% off) to make 2 projects. With the purple mohair, I'm going to make a stole. With the beige mohair, a throw. I also picked up the materials to attempt to knit a pair of socks. No idea how hard they are… No idea if it's something I should even attempt… but darn it all, I'm going to try! But first on the agenda is a sweater for my dog. I'm using the howl part of the "Cowl and Howl" out of "Stich 'n Bitch". It's going to be in the leftover self-striping red from my scarf and I'm going to pick up some kind of floofy eyelash yarn for the collar and cuffs. I saw some in pinks and reds that would be fun! She will be quite the stylish little hound.

It's Done It's Done!!

I finished my shawl last night and here are some pictures. As you can see, my pets show an interest in knitting, sometimes not a very helpful one. My cat was attacking the Malizia every time I had to knit a band in. And the dog keeps trying to sit on my shawl which I just finished blocking (you can see her eyeing it in the picture). When I finished the shawl, I was afraid it might not be big enough but now that it's blocked it looks like it should be OK.
I was able to pick up some fantastic deals on yarn, patterns and supplies at the craft store nearest my home (the chain is, sadly going out of business, another victim of large souless box stores) so I have no shortage of new projects to try.

More Knitting…

It's one more scarf but I do love the colour. I call it my "Pug Coloured" Scarf because it has all the colours of a traditional black 'n tan pug. It was nice to have a warm hand knit scarf today. We woke up to a ton of snow in Calgary--not a good day to be out on the roads!

I'm not happy… tales of my X

Others might describe my DXH as a low life… I prefer to look at it a different way. We were a good couple. I loved him. We were happy--at least I was. Yeah, he left me without warning after 14 years of married life, yes his new wife is 17 years younger than me and yes, they up and moved to the opposite end of the country from me so now he is only able to see our son for a couple of weeks in the Summer. All this because as he described himself, "I'm Not Happy". You want to know something? He's STILL not happy and you wanna know something else? IT ISN'T MY PROBLEM!! For years his happiness, or lack there of, was MY problem, I took ownership of it, I chased my tail to make his life smoother, easier, calmer, all because I wanted him to be happy.

I asked my X once if he was "happy" now. He got mad, "Of course I'm not happy… my girlfriend is half my age… I have to pay child support so I am always broke". Funny that… I WAS happy when we were together… but I'm even happier now!

I have this long time friend--we'll call him "The Hanger". When he was still living with his girlfriend, "Beagle Babe", he would ask me on a fairly regular basis to fool around with him. If Beagle Babe was away, taking a night school class, whatever, he'd take me out for lunch, dinner and a movie, I'd even go over to her townhouse with him to have dinner and watch movies there. Eventually, one of her friends saw us out somewhere together and ratted him out. He quickly packed his bags and left. Beagle Babe wanted to know who he was with, he refused to discuss it. He could have told her I was just a friend. Instead he told her "I'm Not Happy". Now that he's not with her, I've had to make it very clear that while I like him and enjoy his company, I have NO wish to take her place. The truth is I NEVER want to be on the receiving end of the "I'm Not Happy" conversation again.

If you are unhappy, take responsibility! Look inside yourself. Younger, hotter, prettier, perkier--it may foster the illusion of happiness, but it's like a popsicle on a hot Summer's day. It doesn't last.

And if you've recently been on the receiving end of one of those conversations that begin with "I'm Not Happy"… be well and truly grateful that it isn't your problem anymore.

The Monet coloured shawl and...

Here, finally are some pictures of what I'm working on. So far, The shawl is coming along nicely. I haven't been knitting very long and really wanted to try something new. It's a combination of Estelle Watercolors in "Waterlily" with bands of Estelle Malizia in "Iris" knit in. I thought it might be too hard a pattern for me, but it's fairly easy and on size 10 bamboo needles, it's coming along fairly fast. The two scarves are in a wool I've fallen totally in love with--especially the red--it looks great with my winter coat! the wool is Tosca by Lang. It's so soft and wonderful to work and comes in so may different colors--all with that great self striping--that I picked up several different shades to make scarves as gifts for friends.

Am I howling in the Wilderness?

If a blog falls in the forest and nobody reads it was it really posted?

So my son was away for the most of the Family Day long weekend--he got back late last night. That gave me a chance to get right into my knitting. The scarf is coming along nicely and the shawl is to die for! Next on the agenda is a new sweater for my little dog. Will post pics when I finish them.

I did have a few things to get done around here too. The recycling was getting out of hand for one thing. Took a load of cloths to my favorite consignment store--Trends in Kensington. It's awesome! When I first started loosing weight, I would take my cloths in to be altered. But I went from an 18 to an 8 and hey, there's only so much altering you can do before you need to start fresh. If you are like me--Diva tastes (now that I've got a body, I want to show it off) and a single Mom budget-new stuff gets expensive. And so I discovered the joy of consignment! Things that don't fit go in, things that do fit come out--gotta love it! Plus, its easy on the environment and anything that hasn't sold within 2 months goes to a women's shelter.

Not that I come out ahead. The money saved on clothes "new to me" gets spent on lingerie--nothin' like knowing there's a red lace bra under that plain old sweater to bring out the goddesss within! But that's another story……

About being knitting obsessed…

and it is an obsession, wish someone had told me that. It all started with wanting to do something I'd never done before. Should have picked something less addictive. I have 2 projects on the go, A "pug coloured" scarf, haven't decided who's getting that, and a gorgeous shawl. I buy wool because I fall in love with the colour and texture of it--it's all about the way it feels! This shawl, when it's finished, will be like wrapping myself in an impressionist painting made of the softest mohair. Can't wait!

Here I go

So there are a few things you need to know about me. I am an addictive personality… my addicitions are reading, knitting, writing, art and of course… gingersnaps with tea. I lost 80 lbs. without any help from anyone. After 14 years of wedded bliss, my DXH ran off with a 23-year-old co-worker and moved to the other side of the country. I'm now raising my wonderful son on my own and life is better than ever!! It isn't what happens to you in life, it's what you do with it that counts.