Gingersnaps with Tea

Speak to me of Summer...

2011-05-23T19:42:00.000-06:00

I'm one of those people who loves a nice Summer weight yarn... some cotton or linen... maybe even silk or bamboo. When I first started knitting, I knit with cotton. Cotton hats, cotton tee's... it took me a while to venture into wool. Right now, despite the many things I already have going, I've cast on for a light weight wrap sweater, something easy to throw on over a tank top. I'm using a yarn I fell in love with the moment I saw it. Linsey by Berroco. A lovely worsted weight cotton/linen blend. I'm knitting in "Shell" I love the texture of it, the tones in it, the way it drapes and best of all the way it feels while I'm knitting it. It just screams Summer and on a rainy day like today, with this crazy ol' cold I've managed to pick up... I need something, anything that screams... or even whispers Summer.

ChChChanges...

2011-04-30T18:02:00.000-06:00

I've never been a big fan of change but sometimes change is GOOD!! And this is one of those times. I have accepted a full time position managing The Knitting Room. I start the middle of May.

I will still be at good old UB on Sundays because I love my manager, he's the most awesome guy in the world and I want to help him out (also he asked me really nicely).

I'm very happy and excited... may be a little nervous too. I have so much retail and service experience and I'm comfortable doing ordering, receiving, inventory... but this will be a challenge. One I'm looking forward to. I do have an honest passion for knitting. I hope to learn and grow in the position and put all my retail and marketing skills to full use to make the store the best it can be. I want it to be welcoming and comfortable... a truly special place. I hope the fantastic community of knitters in Calgary will be happy for me.

In other news... I have some contest winners! They know who they are. Prezzies got delayed but they are on their way.

And did I mention I finished Mara YAY! I have been wearing my "Shawl of Despair" regularly... now that it's done I LOVE it!!

KooKoo for Koigu

2011-03-11T11:52:00.002-07:00

We all have our weaknesses... this happens to be one of mine. I have been trying really hard to reduce my stash to a more manageable size but things happen... things like bag upon bag of Koigu at the LYS... what's a girl to do? At least I have found some fantastic patterns that call for Koigu, these cute patterns from Churchmouse. I especially love the beaded beret.

I am afraid to jinx myself by saying I am almost done Mara, what a long haul. Compounded by knitting the border a total of three times! My knitting has become very boring as I am on a finishing bent and trying really hard not to start new things.

Seeing as my last contest did not garner any takers... the answer was "The Hanger" and I call him that because he works at an airport. I shall try again.

Tell me your favorite project that you have made that either was made or could be made with Koigu KPPPM. A link on Ravelry would be nice so I can see them. I will draw on April 1st and send off some sort of fingering weight yarn and assorted fun stuff to 2 lucky winners. Don't forget to tell me your favourite colours.

Also, the reducing diet I put Simba on has only had the effect of making him annoyed, he doesn't appear to have lost any weight. He takes out his annoyance on poor little Ginger. Oh Simba.

I'm not fat... I'm poofy!

2011-02-06T18:37:00.003-07:00

Oh Simba... you are not poofy... you are an over weight kitty! I suppose it's the after effects of having been abandoned. Simba eats like there may never be food again and so, he has taken on a distinctly pear shape! So, when I went to get Ginger her special food at the vet, I asked for recommendations to help get Simba's weight under control. The food specialist there assured me that it is not uncommon for abandoned kitties to develop an over-sized appetite... it's self preservation, they starved once so they aren't going to take any chances, if there's food... they eat! With my vet's help, I am hoping Simba will go back to being a more reasonable weight. I'll keep you posted.

Also, I am very excited to be the new Saturday girl at TKR, I hope people will stop by on Saturdays. This past Saturday was my first day on the job, it was fairly busy but the day went by very quickly and I had a great time!

I think it might be time to boost my reader ship by running a little contest for my knitting pals in honor of Anti-Valentines Day. If you know the nick-name I've given to my guy pal* who I love for his wicked ways... but who often drives me totally bonkers... PM me on Ravelry. I'll enter you twice if you can guess why I picked that specific nickname for him. It's Gingersnaps on Ravelry and everyone who PM's me BEFORE Valentines Day will be entered, I'll do the draw on Valentines Day. I'll make it something good. Don't forget to include your favorite colour.

*Hint: We've been pals for over 8 years... and he's still a bad... bad... boy...

What do you do when it's like this?

2011-01-29T12:21:00.002-07:00

You knit! After a week of chinook weather, I got up to this. Bluurgh!

So I made a big pot of coffee and called it a home day. I'm going to browse my latest copy of Knitscene and drink coffee and knit my darn socks.

I had a 2 week fight with the flu (the flu won). My body hurt SO MUCH I couldn't hold my needles to knit. I actually cried. I sat on my sofa wearing: slippers, socks, pjs, a sweater, a full length house coat and two fleecy blankets shaking and shivering from fever and sobbed my heart out. The dog sat on my lap and absorbed the tears. That kind of wallowing, while it sure isn't pretty, can be healing. You can't be happy, happy, joy, joy all the time (at least I can't)... eventually something has to give. I feel better now. I'm still shaking off the last of the flu, a nagging cough but I got rid of a huge pile of built up sad. On the upside, I was too sick to eat for a week so I lost a bunch of weight and my stomach shrunk. I'm still not eating very much.

If I don't work on my roundy rounds, I'm going to work on this: basic feather and fan. A scarf, easy to knit.

Not the kind of knitting to impress anyone but perfect for with a cold snowy day and a hot cup of coffee.

Time Flies...

2011-01-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, so it was June last time I posted... what happened there?

I think it was a phase where I was processing a lot of things... lots to think about but not a lot to write about. My old computer went Kaput so there was that. My camera wasn't working properly, took a while to figure out my son had borrowed it and messed up the settings. You know... stuff.

Oh well, new year, new start... onward ho!

So what's new? Well... lets see... I had a birthday, I'm getting to the point where I choose not to mention my actual age, ever. Twice recently, I've mentioned that I have a 16 year-old & got the response," Your son is HOW OLD??" I'll take that as a complement. I'm more than old enough to have a 16-year-old son, several friends in my age range are Grandparents (hopefully not me any time soon).

Ginger and Simba are both doing well.Ginger turned 12 in November, she's getting to be an old lady with her little gray paws and snout.

Simba is fitting in well with our little family, he's in remarkably good shape for an older cat. He's a bit of a clutz though, constantly knocking things over... he is a big guy. He is a social guy too, loves attention... they both do. I don't know what I would do without the pair of them, they make me laugh every day. Im really glad I bought light colour chairs...Simba loves them!

Speaking of big guys, the boy is closing in on 6'3" and size 13 extra wide feet... no socks in his future, nope. He dwarfs me. When did that happen?

Still loving the knitting... knitting, reading and coffee... the three things I can't live without. I was so sad when Calgary Farmer's Market closed at the Currie Barracks... it was such a great location and going there was a part of my weekly routine. I look forward to checking out the new market when it opens.

My stash is under control... for now. Budgetary constraints forced me to scale back. I finished some projects... nothing spectacular... a cowl for a friend and a shawl for me. Both from the same yarn, Fleece Artist Big Merino. I love the yarn and these were both quick and satisfying projects.

Cherry Garcia Cowl

Mistaken Rib Shawl

I do finish things once in a while.

And that's it for now... I will try to be a better blogger.

It's Raining Again...

2010-06-10T11:17:00.000-06:00

If I wanted to live in Vancouver... I'd move back there. What I love most about Calgary is the sun. That gorgeous, endless clear blue sky. And where the heck is it I'd like to know!?

It's time to be outside canoing and biking and I'm doing neither, I'm still doing winter activities (aka:knitting and reading) not a bad thing but honestly.

I got a lovely present to brighten my week last week. This terrific little package showed up on my doorstep. Made my day! In this package (covered by Ginger's long flapping ear and pointy little snout) is a tin of Ginger flavoured Altoids. Those who know me know I love ginger, in cookies, cakes, tea, candied or pickled, in marinades you name it... I even love it in nosy weiner dog form :-D. These mints are addictive! I can't get enough. So strong and gingery... Yum!

A while ago I mentioned The Happiness Project. Gretchen Rubin talks about writing your 12 Personal Commandments for Happiness. Here are mine.

1: Be Me

2: Embrace the Joy of Now

3: Sing Every Day

4: Do Nice Things for Others

5: Laugh

6: Be Polite and Be Fair

7: Just Do It

8: Don't be Afraid to Fail

9: Be Nice... to Everyone

10: Leave the Past in the Past

11: Never Pass Up the Opportunity to do Something New

12: Be Unapologetically Green

It's a good book,... heck it's a good blog too... check it out!

The Animals love the Mo...

2010-05-27T12:26:00.001-06:00

Oh yes they do!

I needed a quick fix project and I found one. This easy mohair shawl, I'm going to keep going until I run out of mo... that's it. If, that is, I can get Simba and Ginger to leave it alone! Now if it would just stop raining so I can go canoeing.

Someone's getting a prezzie...

2010-05-19T12:19:00.000-06:00

Because she knew Tom Waits sings "Red Shoes". The X and I use to listen to a lot of Tom Waits.... being artsy types and all y' know... we knew it might have gotten a little out of hand when we were driving around with the boy in his car seat--all of about 4-years-old-- and we can hear him singing in the back seat, "T'ain't no sin to take off your skin and dance around in your bones..." the weird little bit that William S Burroughs Sings on "The Black Rider"... a little creepy.

Other than that, my 10-sticth blanket is coming along. It's a good TV knitting/visiting project. Not too taxing. I frogged a bunch of Prairie Rose, back to the life line. Couldn't live with the error, couldn't figure out how to fix it. Worked some more on Mara... I need to be done this one... love the pattern but the border is killing me!

Oooh, and I jioned the Calgary Canoe Club, a steal of a deal, $125 and you can take kayaks and canoes out on the Glemore Reservoir from May 1st to October 31st. Wonderful!

she wore red shoes by the news stand...

2010-05-07T10:49:00.002-06:00

I have a serious case of stuff love going on... these are a few of MY favourite things...

my red shoes...

my bike...

my red Namaste circ case...

my specs... I lurv both the glasses AND the case they came in!

my spring coat...

my purple bra... mmmm purpley goodness.

PM me on Ravelry if you know the singer/songwriter responsible for the title of this post... tell me your favourite colour... you've got nothin' to loose.

so meet me tonight by the drugstore
we're goin' out tonight
wear your red shoes...

What to Do...

2010-05-06T12:15:00.003-06:00

When you have a three day weekend... every weekend SCORE! I've gone down to a 4 day work week for the Summer at least. It's perfect, LOVE it. I never quite seem to be on top of all the things I love to/have to do. Usually it's the HAVE TOs that suffer most. I really don't HAVE TO have a clean fridge... do I? Do I HAVE TO mow the lawn EVERY week? I will have to make some minor financial cut backs to do this/fewer fancy coffees, fewer pizza nights. but that's easy, one day of work less a week=one less latte, & one more night I can make a scratch dinner, one less magazine purchase/one more day I can go to the library instead. But the idea of a whole extra day... heaven.

And here's some more heaven: Prairie Rose, I can't get over how well written this is... I'm use to being totally confuzzled by lace but I seriously love this!

Last Saturday, I took a course and started this: ten stitch blanket. Sorted out my corner issues at home. My secret to all difficult tasks in life is if I can draw it... I can do it. I even got the top mark in high school geometry (and I was some kind of hopeless at Math) simply because I could draw it. The corner issues were simply sorted with a diagram 1st half of corner: SIIIIIIIIW Wrap towards the Slip 2nd half of corner: SWIIIIIIII Wrap Away from the Slip. I draw this when I do a corner and check off the knit stitches as I wrap them. SO EASY!!

And finally a question: does this happen when you knit? I sit, critter's descend on me.

The dog and cat are waging a cold war but they appear to have achieved detente as long as they don't look at each other, they can share a chair and nobody needs to die.

It's like I'm knitting with a strand of heaven...

2010-04-17T20:38:00.003-06:00

Seriously, I get this qiviut thing now. It's lighter than air, it's unbelievably soft. I mean, I've been practically sleeping with it under my pillow at night, like a yarn wubbie but actually knitting with it... awesome! So thanks to the tips, I figured out my mystery stitch, it was also in the book... doh! Lace tends to defeat me a bit... I start off OK and fall rapidly into confusion... but this seems to be a relatively straightforward pattern, easy to follow and understand. I will not tempt fate by saying it's going well but so far... it's not going badly.

I am working regularly on Mara, my Noro Silk Garden Socks and Rooibos. It would be nice to have some finished objects to show... may be if I just stuck with one of them.

Simba is cracking me up! He's such a funny cat. Today he hopped up on the table and I was very stern with him... NO SIMBA! So he crouched down and hid behind the vase of tulips on the table... of course he's such a huge cat it just looked ridiculous.

Oh Simba...

2010-04-14T10:45:00.004-06:00

He already thinks he owns the joint! I don't know how anyone could have abandoned this cat once yet alone twice. He was abandoned and rescued from a shelter once, then abandoned a second time in a basement suite. Now he is my foster cat and I already love him! He is very personable, friendly, chatty, curious still a little iffy about Ginger but he's definitely coming around. He is every inch the gentleman, patiently letting the boy and I brush him. Yep, he's a keeper. Now I just need to load up on lint rollers.

So I got through my stash on the weekend. Everything is priced and sorted. There are one or two items that may still go into the blue bags but for the most part I'm ready. People are PMing me on Ravelry if anything catches their eye. There is a fair bit for sale that never got put into my stash on Ravelry so I may add that in too as I have time. I'm trying so hard to de-clutter. All the stuff is getting to me.

I did start something new... when I bought my qiviut/merino/silk in Banff at the amazing 30% off it was with a specific project in mind. The Prairie Rose Lace Shawl from the Knitter's Book of Wool. I'm still working on finishing other projects but I really want to attempt to make this. I will not speak of how it's going as I do not wish to anger the knitting Gods. but I am temporarily stuck. What the heck is a Sk2p?

An Undertaking...

2010-04-10T14:50:00.003-06:00

If ever there was one. I am trying to clean up my stash, pare it down to what I really love, get rid of what I don't. As I go, I am sorting everything into sealed zip-locks, labeling it and storing it in large clear storage bags. See the big blue bag, that's all being destashed, by the time I'm done, there should be two blue bags full. Most I am hoping to take to the guild garage sale to sell, It's also on my trade/sell page in Ravelry. I've never done this before so I'm not entirely sure about pricing, I know what each thing is worth retail... it doesn't seem fair to mark full price but I'm not giving it away either, I've made up lots that I'm not breaking up. I'm trying to be fair. We'll see... any hints, comments, personal stories of de-stashing trauma etc are welcome!

I worked on Mara and Roibos last week, Mara is painfully slow now, one row is somewhere 800+ stitches of 2x2 ribbing but it's also almost finished.

Also, we have a new addition in our home... Simba! We are his forever foster home. Simba is 15-years-old, he was abandoned in a basement suite by his former owner. No one is going to take on a 15-year-old cat, he wouldn't stand a chance at the humane society. The rescue agency asked me to be his foster owner, they can't keep him in the shelter because of his age, he would have a high chance of developing breathing problems. They'll help out with basic vet bills, I just have to provide a comfortable home for the old boy. Ginger is none too pleased, Simba is none too pleased either, he hasn't touched his food. They need time. For now, Simba is living in the bathroom. The door is open but there is a barricade to keep Ginger out.

The gods want you to go to Banff...

2010-04-04T19:32:00.008-06:00

and they want you to buy Qiviuk while you're there.

I decided, in the absence of family or anyone to cook for, that a road trip was called for. I packed my swimsuit, a book and some knitting and headed for Banff.

People from all over the world go to Banff to look at the scenery and breath in the mountain air, it truly is spectacular.

or they go to have tea at the Banff Springs Hotel... a fairy tale castle if ever there was one.

or they go to have a swim in the upper hot springs, which are incredibly hot and work wonders on sore muscles.

I did all those things. But Banff has something special, something you don't find every day, something for knitters... At the Banff Springs Hotel and on Banff Avenue you will find Jacques Cartier, home of Qiviuk.

Evidently the knitting Gods were watching over me today because there was a one day sale... 30% off Everything in the store... today only. So I indulged, just a little, I bought enough Qiviut, Merino Silk Blend to make a shawl. Ever since I bought "The Knitter's Book of Wool" I've been wanting to make the Prairie Rose Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clark.

With this, I can make it in the luxury yarn it calls for.

HAPPY EASTER!

I don't need no stinkin easter bonnet...

2010-04-02T16:32:00.003-06:00

Seriously. So what do you do when you have three days off for Easter, absolutely no family, and no one to cook for? Do you hit the open road? may be... Do you hit the bottle? Hopefully not... Do you buy yourself some yummy easter treats and flowers? Definitely!!
I picked up these lovely tulips
and a delectable array of Macarons: lemon poppy seed, lavender, Turkish delight, vanilla bean, pistachio, cherry blossom...mmmm at the Farmer's Market. On Sunday, I might take a run out to Banff. I've always wanted to do tea at the Banff Springs. Or I may just hang out around town. Happy Easter.

Beyond all reason...

2010-04-02T11:31:00.003-06:00

OK so I said I wasn't buying more yarn. I DO NOT need more, I can't possibly knit fast enough to justify it. But I am in some clubs and occasionally I see something I just HAVE to have.

I had to have some Sweet Georgia Silk Merino Aran in the spicy cayenne colourway, had to. I'm thinking 198 Yds of Heaven...

I had to have some sport weight yarn. I knit loose and to knit with fingering weight for socks, I end up on some mighty small needles. I saw the new colourways of Lorna's Laces Shepard Sport and picked just 2...
Verve...
and Calumet... total opposites but I love them! Plus... I had a coupon...

On the club front, my most recent additions were the Dashing Dachs sport in Alice from first Alice in Wonderland Kit and
Zen Yarn Garden Bling Yarn in Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz club.

I am sailing along on my Rooibos Vest, did I mention I love the pattern? And so close to being done Mara... if I do it again it's on bigger needles with bigger yarn!!

I am planning a destash too. Next month is the Guild's annual Garage Sale. If I can put together a bag of stash that just isn't working for me... there's lots of acrylic blends adn things that are good for charity knitting in there and a few very nice WWIT yarns that just need a better, more loving home than I can provide.

I've been reading "The Happiness Project" and it talks about clearing clutter. Clean surfaces definitely make me happier. I've been working away on my house while the boy is away, which begs the question, "does paper breed in the dark?" I ask this because I swear even though I'm pretty diligent about recycling and I have a no junk mail/flier sticker on my mail box, the paper just piles up! I've put together three bags of cloths for the community center's clothing exchange (I just give them cloths I don't take any away).

The one bit of clutter I am going to be adding is a Cat. I have decided to adopt an older cat. He's 15, his name is Simba and as soon as he's mine there will be pictures...

Check it out!

2010-03-26T16:55:00.004-06:00

I picked up the boy from School and we headed over to BowCycle to pick up my bike.I talked to Doug, the same guy who sold us the boy's mountain bike last fall. He's a good guy, he doesn't mind talking to people like me who aren't crazy bike obsessed but want a good solid bike. I think he found me a perfect bike for what I want, easy trails, bike paths, no crazy stuff! It's a Cannondale Comfort 4. I picked up a bike rack at the same time so the boy and I can take our bikes with us to Sechelt when we go out there this Summer. I can't wait to get out riding! I'm reading the owner's manual first and as long as it's nice tomorrow... we're going riding!

Oh, oh oh oh oh oooh....

2010-03-25T12:04:00.004-06:00

Oh I'm SO FREAKIN' HAPPY I got the Hanger out of my life when I did.

He's got a new girl friend... a lovely flight attendant we'll call "Jackie". Better her than me. None too surprising, I didn't nickname him "the hanger" cause he's been hanging around me for 6+ years (what can I say, I'm a sucker for taking care of 'sick' people). Hope they will be happy together 'cause I guess as soon as she's actually free to marry again, that's the plan. 'Course, being the Hanger, he's fooling around on her when she's flying... even though he loves her. It's sad, she sounds like a great person... may be she'll see her blue eyed man-child for who he is. Wishing them all the best and I'm not being sarcastic.

I asked the Hanger once why he cheats... he prefers to call it his little problem... he said it was because he "wants to make everyone happy". Happy. Yeah, that's it.

Now that I got that off my chest. I am feeling pretty good these days. My load feels much lighter. Work's good. I'm exercising. I'm even trying to get out there and date... so if you know anyone in the Greater Calgary area... I just want to have some fun!

I've been doing a fair bit of knitting. Slowly finishing three projects, Mara, Some basic socks in Noro Silk Garden and my Rooibos Vest. Love the vest.

I'm loving the packagey goodness that is woolgirl sock kits. Alice literally moved me to tears, it was the journal more than anything, I absolutely loved it!

I'm in the throws of spring cleaning... continuing my solid efforts to throw out the trash... all the trash... and detox my life.

I bought a new book today, "The Happiness Project". I've heard really great things about it and I'm looking forward to being inspired. It goes hand in hand with my efforts in that department. The de-junking, shedding of outgrown relationships, eat local, live in the moment, love what is momentum that I've taken on this year. And I'm buying a bike. A hybrid so I can go trail riding with the boy or touring around town on my own. This Friday... me... Bow Cycle... it's on. And... because nothing... but nothing... makes me happier than paddling me own canoe... I'm joining the Calgary Canoe Club as soon as the new season opens.

I guess that's one of the reasons I haven't been writing as much. I need to spend less time thinking about doing things and more time doing them. really... NIKE had it right all along... Just Do It.

There are worse things...

2010-02-09T12:04:00.004-07:00

It seemed like when I went through my divorce, I didn't know a single person who wasn't in happy, perfect, no doubt passionate, coupledom, I felt so totally alone and I thought the sadness would never go away.

Recently, a couple of friends have started down that road my heart hurts for them because I remember what that felt like but it's also made me think...

I remember my Aunt saying to me when I was recently divorced and still utterly devastated, "There are worse things than being alone." I certainly didn't think so at the time.

She knew a little something about the worse things, she had a rough life with a man who while brilliant, suffered addiction and mental health problems. He died suddenly in a fire, leaving her a poor widow and single mother. I know my Dad helped her when he could but she had a rough time of it. She got a job... did what she had to do... No matter what happened, she was always warm and generous, full of laughter and good humor, treating my sisters and I as her own. The many summers I spent with her made me who I am and I loved her. She never re-married, I know she was asked, she told me she preferred to be alone.

Now I understand what she meant. Few things are as exhausting as trying to make someone happy when they just aren't. Dancing around frantically trying to make something work that just doesn't anymore, even if it once did, sucks the life right out of you. Holding it together when it's irreparably broken, it's a waste of energy on a monumental scale. I know why people do it, I know why I did it...

I am alone, I have my son but I've been on my own for nearly 8 years. Some of that time I've had a romantic interest but I haven't remarried or moved in. And it's OK, I'm happy, life is good, I have energy, I relish doing what I want when I want to. As my son gets older (he just turned 16) things just keep getting easier, our relationship keeps getting better and life seems brighter.

Valentines Day is this weekend all those ads... all that pressure... meh... so what? who cares? It's just a day. Would it make me happy if I met the perfect man to be my best friend, lover & partner in crime? Sure it would... but I'm not hanging around waiting for it to happen.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my Aunt was right... as she usually was... there are so many worse things than being alone.

In the hood...

2010-01-19T11:04:00.004-07:00

So... guess what came through my neighborhood today? Not something you see every day that's for sure. The Olympic Torch Relay was a block from my house. The boy, Ginger and I walked over to take a gander... I thought we'd see someone run past and then we'd go home. It was so much more than that! There is a large entourage that travels with the torches. Sponsor vehicles that hand out free stuff, Police of course, in cars and on bikes and on foot (one of my nephews is a police officer and is volunteering as a torch guard, he ran with the torch bearer in Nunivut and will again in West Vancouver), helicopters over head, a bus to drop off the next runner and a bus to pick up the one that just finished. As it turned out we were at a hand off point and my son took a terrific picture of the new torch being lit. It was all-in-all a very exciting morning. Now back to my regular knitting content... still working on Mara.

In with the new...

2010-01-01T11:55:00.004-07:00

I passed quietly into 2010, a mellow evening at home with my son. Looking back, I haven't completed much in 2009 knitting wise, a lot of other things got in the way. I would like to declare 2010 the year of finishing. Oh yes... finishing what I started...

The only project I started and finished in 2009 was Lady Eleanor

I think I can do better.

First up will be Mara (of course)

Then Wisp...

The Travelling Sweater...

Dianna...

Wrenna...Meret...Greenjeans... it's a long list.

You get the picture. At least four of the above projects must be completed before I allow myself a new project. My plan is to go through my stash putting yarn and pattern for project it was purchased for into plastic bags, as I finish what I've started I will pull new projects from the stash. Shouldn't be too hard, I buy for specific projects. I joined 2 sock kits which should stave off the inevitable need to go project shopping... which inevitably leads to project starting and later... inevitably project abandoning...

Yep Woolgirl got my attention this year, I signed up for Oz when it was open and for my birthday... Alice. They are also going into the new stash organization system so when the muse strikes they will be ready and waiting.

I also plan to de-stash. This will take work but as part of my total de-cluttering program, I know it will make me feel better. I plan to do some de-stashing as contest give aways, some as gifts and RAKs and some as straight up sales so keep a weather eye open...

And as for the rest of my plans... total de-cluttering program... personally, emotionally... physically... time to pack up the excess baggage (or buttage as the case may be) and get rid of it!!

Happy New Year to you all and may 2010 be an awesome year for everyone!

Another year older another year...?

2009-12-26T16:13:00.004-07:00

I just called to wish you an unhappy birthday... oh the Smiths always SO cheerful. This has been a rough one... year that is. I'm not sorry to put it behind me. My mood is definitely back on the upswing now, the spring is back in my step, the joy is back in my heart, I say bring it on!

Christmas was lovely, it's all about the people and I'm lucky to have some pretty terrific ones in my life.

Finally some updates... Mara is on the border, love Mara, great project I highly recommend it.

New wooly treats for Christmas... MadelineTosh in Turquoise and Port. I think Ginger is under the impression it's for her... NOT.

My other wooly (or should I say Woolgirly treat) I signed up for the Alice in Wonderland Sock club... so excited.

Anyway, this is what 47 looks like on me... and surprisingly... it feels pretty darn good. May be older really is wiser... or may be it's the rum and eggnog talking. Happy ho ho ho

Why does Facebook hate me...

2009-12-11T20:22:00.005-07:00

I can't update my status, accept friend requests, comment friend's status updates or send any kind of message. I am not a huge facebook fan but it's an easy way to stay in touch. I feel like the girl who didn't get invited to the party.

In other news... the Hanger got his walking papers, we agreed it was best for both of us. 6 years is way too long to live in the gray area between friends and something more. He spent a month incommunicado, as per my request, then this week, texted me from 7:00 PM to 1:00 AM one night, telling me how much he misses me... men are beyond me, give me pets any day!

I've been knitting but it's impossible to get good pictures... I go to work in the dark, I come home in the dark, traffic is insane... welcome to winter in Calgary. I'm making terrific progress on my Mara shawl, love the pattern. Next time I'll make it in the proper weight on larger needles (as specified in the pattern) in fact, I've already picked out the yarn for the next one. I'm so enamoured of Mara that I've put everything else on hold.

Oh... all I have left in the way of Christmas is procuring booze and chocolates... neener, neener, neener

What is it about this time of year?

2009-10-28T10:50:00.005-06:00

Everyone at work is in the worst mood... cranky, cranky, cranky. Lots of pointless nastiness around the store these days. Doesn't help that everything and anything seems to make me cry... everything just seems so much harder... it feels like I can't do anything right. It's a feeling that comes around every fall and stays with me 'til Spring. I think the technical term is SAD.

I look hard for ways to break out of the SAD cycle before it sucks me in.

One way to shift an over-hanging black mood works really well... doing unexpected, un-asked, kind things for other people. Buying coffee, picking up some chocolates on my break, driving a co-worker to the opposite end of the city to save her a long bus trip because I can see she is white as a sheet and plainly just as exhausted as I am. Giving people presents for no particular reason 'cept I like them. Makes me feel better and usually perks them up too. It can make a rotten work day suddenly bearable again. Just because I'm sad doesn't mean I don't have it in me to make someone else happier.

I'm feeling things especially sharply this year. When you loose someone, it brings back every other loss you've ever suffered. I miss my friend so much... loosing her makes me miss my Mom... my Aunt Betty... being married... being young... etc. etc. oh-woe-is-me... enough.

Obviously it's high time to get back on my seasonal meds.

If, like me, you get a little blue this time of year... do something for someone else. See how that makes you feel.

Ginger Phone Home...

2009-10-20T11:50:00.005-06:00

My little Ginger has been very poorly lately, she picked up a bug and had to spend some more time at the Vets. She hasn’t been eating at all, she’s been running a fever and she has been one sad, sad little doxie. But last night she turned the corner.

I know this because she called to tell me so. Ginger loves my cel. "The dog ate my cel phone" is an excuse I have actually had to use. Even when it's not ringing she will dig it out of my purse or pocket. Up until this morning, she has been too ill to even bark when it rings much less make any effort to go after it. But this morning… while I was in the bathroom… she somehow managed to use my cel phone to call my home phone. She called me. I picked up the home phone to general snarfling and no voice. After I hung up, I checked the caller ID and it was my cel. I went in the bedroom and sure enough, it was her. MADE MY DAY!

Ginger does not approve...

2009-10-14T10:58:00.003-06:00

And Nor do I... Snow in October... not a dusting either. Yuck.

Luckily she has a warm place to curl up. Not looking pleased by my disturbance is she?

So it's amazing what happens when you have somethin' to give and don't use the C word... the search engines don't pick it up. Which suits me. So unless someone else has some ideas quick there is only one entry and she gets da prize... people?

Also, it's too cold to do anything BUT knit although eventually, I do have to go to work so here is proof that I do work on my projects and not just start and heartlessly abandon them...

Wisp...

Mara...

Meret...

All fast, all lovely yarns and all progressing nicely.

Stay Warm!

Looking for a Workhorse...

2009-09-29T12:32:00.004-06:00

A Workhorse YARN that is. I'm trying to find those all time old reliables that everybody loves for making larger projects--like sweaters or big comfy wraps.

To me a workhorse is: Great value. Great quality, great yardage, lovely to work with, comfortable to wear and affordable to buy. Worsted or Aran weight.

There may be a little random draw of something in it for you...

Seriously, give me your best go to yarn and On October 15th, I'll dig something nice out of my stash throw the names in a hat, pick one and send it out.

Cascade Heathers is a good example of the kind of thing I'm looking for.

Can't wait to hear your ideas!

What's new Kangaroo....

2009-09-24T10:32:00.005-06:00

Sorry... especially because there will be no further mention of kangaroos, nor any photos of kangaroos in my post (although I did see some at the Calgary zoo this Summer but that's neither here nor there).

So I took this photo of Eleanor at my Dad's home on the sunshine coast... can you see how she blends in to her natural setting. In the end, she returned to Calgary with me. I took in the Gibson's Fiber Fest while I was there. I dragged my sisters along with me and although they have no interest in fiber or knitting, they both enjoyed it.

This is Horseshoe Bay, the ferry leaves here for Gibson's Landing and the Sunshine coast. I love the feeling when I get on the ferry, it's all my stress falling away at once. When I was little my Dad use to bring me here on Sundays. We'd go to the park, beach comb, get Fish & Chips from Trolls (an institution) to eat on the shore. Good memories. I love the coast! Every time I'm out there, I just want to sell off everything I own and relocate. Paint, Illustrate and pursue fiber interests until the money runs out.

Here are some lovely treats that came back with me from the fiber fest.

I redecorated my bedroom, all new bedding, in the spring I will be looking at new dressers and bedside tables to go with the bedding. Yay work for making my penchant for decorating affordable. It's the girly girl room of my dreams.

My current WIP is the lovely Mara by Madelinetosh. It's in Sweet Georgia Sportweight in the colour way Ginger, how could I resist that one?

So I'm trying to be a better blogger... more posts, more pictures, more bloggy goodness promise.

It's been a long time...

2009-09-18T20:33:00.003-06:00

Too long. I am lucky to have friends and family I love. Some I've met here on this blog that I've been neglecting for so long.

I lost a friend. We use to joke that if I ever needed to hide a body, she would be the one I called. In fact in her last e-mail to me, she asked me if I'd "killed anybody lately". Well, guess I'm on my own in that department now.

I admire people who plan outings and parties and get-togethers and who are always on the phone with their friends and family & often wish I were more like them. I'm not. Not one to pick up the phone, never have been. I don't plan events or get the girls together. I can't cope with having people over, so I don't entertain. My friends & family mean so much to me... & I think that... but may be I don't tell them as often as I should & more than one person I truly cared about has drifted away. It's the path to ending up alone.

May be it's time to do things a little differently.

Call an old friend...

So many embrace the promise
of joy tomorrow or next week,
too few celebrate the joy of now.

Three Days Grace... & Three Weird Things...

2009-06-05T09:21:00.005-06:00

The boy is away on a camping trip with his OE class. I woke up to rain on the window this morning and thought to myself... "I'm really glad that yesterday, when I realized the boy forgot his coat, instead of deciding since it was nice out that it wouldn't hurt him to be cold for one night, I ran back down to the school & brought him his coat." They have a big hike to do today but the rain seems to have let up. Other than the whole coat issue... he was well prepared. He looked like an over grown sherpa yesterday... everything that wouldn't actually fit in his back-pack was hanging off it with pack-biners the tent, his sleeping bag all the pots and pans... it was quite a sight. Thank heaven for MEC is all I can say!

I have a three day weekend. I pick the boy up tonight at the school. Rain or shine, the Farmers Market is in the picture (the ad for the farmer's market features a clucking chicken and it makes Ginger bark), probably a visit with SpinKnit & a surprise party for which I will make my Mom's signature meatballs. They've never failed me.

Last weekend was crazy! I worked 6 days straight and one of those days was Lilac Festival. In all my years in Calgary, I have never attended Lilac Festival. It was nuts. I had the good sense to go down early and take the train. Now I am a totally chill person normally nothing fazes me but I have three things that I can not cope with.

Large crowds, being bumped into nearly sends me postal. I can't do Christmas shopping or Stampede without something for my nerves.

Anything touching my neck (all those v-necks I wear are not just to show off the girls). I once nearly threw up because one of my co-workers put a piece of ribbon around HER neck. I wake up gagging if the sheets touch my neck at night.

And finally... Parades. I cry at parades... sob really... tears stream down my face... they multiply ten-fold if there are bagpipes remotely involved and I am helpless to stop it.

Well, Lilac Fest starts with a parade, complete with bagpipes, the crowd is insane and I was ill prepared... by the time I got to work I was a sobbing wreck. At least nothing touched my neck.

If you believed in reincarnation there might be some explanation, I was strangled... or hung... or may be even beheaded but not before being marched through a large jostling crowd while bagpipes played in the background. It's just a theory.

What are your three weirdest things?

Ooooh Dianna...

2009-05-15T09:04:00.007-06:00

I am working away on Elsewhere, it's a fast knitting sweater which I like. I made a couple of mods as far as adding length and also putting darts in the back to make it a little less boxy.

I have a problem with sweaters, the back and forth part looks great but my arms are always funny. It has to do with how I knit. When I first started knitting, I developed this horrible affliction called "DeQuervain's syndrome" requiring a hiatus from knitting and a great deal of physio. Then I discovered this marvelous technique called combination knitting, much easier on the wrists & it looks great! BUT If all I'm doing is knitting (as in the case of arms) it just looks wrong, not wrong enough to bother anyone else but wrong. It doesn't bother me in socks (too small) or lace (to much else going on) but the plain stocking knit sleeve...this issue has lead to a lot of armless sweaters. I get one arm done and don't like it.

I want to be a better knitter so my plan is to rip out the arms of the sweaters I have issues with... green jeans... simple knitted bodice and redo them knitting correctly. I have been relearning my knit stitch, so far so good. I will need to re-swatch on circulars to make sure my gauge is the same.

I have also been gardening... container gardening. Tomatoes and herbs and salad greens... hooray! I love getting dirty ;-)

And stashing... let us not forget the stashing... MadelineTosh sock and Handmaiden Casbah... what sock pattern would be worthy of such stunning yarn?

Plus some Noro silk garden sock and some Handmaiden Mini Maiden... I have in mind a new entrelac project. "Dianna". Perfect for my entrelac obsession plus a touch of lace without being overly lacy. It calls for 500 or so meters. I can't decide between the Handmaiden and the silk garden. Can you help?

Say Chowda....

2009-05-07T10:59:00.005-06:00

Have you ever had something so difficult it consumed your life. You couldn't think of anything else but at the same time you couldn't talk about the "thing" because it was simply too painful.

For a while there, my 'thing' was my son. His school's psychologist had recommended he under go psychiatric assessment and potential diagnosis for clinical depression, clinical anxiety and/or Bipolar disorder... if you have a child you can just about imagine what this did to me. Bipolar disorder is a life sentence requiring regular monitoring and some nasty medication. I was relieved (to put it mildly) when the psychiatric assessment finally took place. The way the psychiatrist put it is, "I have good news and I have bad news... the good news is there is nothing wrong with your son... the bad news is there is nothing wrong with your son. As she said he's "drifting", "his comfort zone is very small", he "lacks passion" and "there is no pill to cure a chronic lack of motivation". She has referred me for counseling on how to help him meet his potential, sooner rather than later. Of course it's another three month wait list.

The one bright light is cooking. The boy loves it, he wants to be a professional chef. It's my wedge, the way to ignite passion where there was none. So we have a new ritual. The weekend trip to the Farmer's Market followed by a full on, sit down dinner we cook, from scratch, together. This weekend was seafood chowder based on this recipe. It was phenomenal, a culinary extravaganza, and my 15-year-old son took the reins to make it happen. He spoke to the fish monger to find out the best substitutes for the fish called for (we are in Calgary after all). I gave him the money, he found and purchased all of the ingredients, the only thing I bought was the wine. Today, he did all the prep so we were ready to rock 'n roll as soon as I got home from work and we had ourselves a feast. Food therapy... don't you love it!

The other love the boy and I have in common is drawing. I went to art college for seven years... seven! Then I went into advertising. It sucked every once of creativity out of me, I got burned out, overweight, depressed and divorced... in no particular order... hey thanks advertising... you shouldn't have. Lately, I am poking around the edges of illustration, for myself so far. I would say I found my way back to it through knitting, I started drawing out sweater ideas and went from there. The boy and I have been drawing together we each have a sketch book to work out ideas in and we muck about. This is a scrap of something I was working on...

So I am done the lovely Lady Eleanor... and she is lovely... we had quite the crush and I am sad to see the end of it... I haven't decided n the finishing... to fringe or not to fringe... that is the question.

I have moved on to Elsewhere... another intense relationship... although the potential for infidelity is there, I am trying to resist. I have come to the conclusion that... just like in real life... in knitting... monogamy works best for me. I am much more motivated when I'm being faithful.

I am also back to working on my Nakiska shawl... I lost the pattern so it went on hiatus until I found the pattern... my goal is one pattern repeat a day, if I stuck to that, it would be done in a month or so... I said if.

Time...

2009-03-25T13:05:00.004-06:00

The boy is at his Dad's for a week.

I booked an extra 2 days off work to give myself a 4 day weekend and guess what I've got? Time. A very precious commodity in my world.

Today is day one of my 4 day, mini holiday... so what should I do with it?

I wanted to go to the mountains but a snow fall last night made that seem like a risky plan. I may still go on Friday (the boy is back Friday night) or take the boy and go Saturday for the day, if the snow has melted by then.

Tomorrow, I booked an afternoon at the spa, a facial followed by a massage. Yummmm!! I can't remember the last time I treated myself to anything like that.

Last Sunday, after working all day and driving the boy to the airport, I played "Mama Mia" in Sing-along-mode... I sang along. Monday night was a quiet evening.

Last night was knit night. I swatched for a knit-along. We are doing Amy Swenson's Elsewhere. A whole bunch of us (like 10 people) tried it on one knit night and, regardless of figure type, it looked amazing so we all decided to make it.

I set Wrenna aside after having to rip out all the lace. I still plan to finish it, I just got side tracked.

What has really been side tracking me is Lady Eleanor... Love this project!! Never tried Entrelac before and I haven't been able to put it down. Good thing I'm almost finished.

Also, last weekend, I had a truly UTube worthy moment... I got my car stuck in the entrance to the car wash. Eventually, the owner of the car wash was able to free my little Yaris using his trusty jack. What amazed me, is the number of men who stopped to help me. They all seemed to be under the impression that they could simply lift it out... dude... it's a car. It was nice to know that, even at my age, there are men out there who will attempt to come to my rescue.

I'm still here...

2009-02-11T19:15:00.006-07:00

I really need to blog more often.

Bought the most lovely book "French Girl Knits" I love the seamless patterns and the extra detail and attention that have gone into them. I cast on for Wrenna first.

I also bought yarn to make Viola.

Nakiska is still progressing nicely but lace is often more mentally demanding than what I'm up to so I like to have options. What I should do is finish some things but why would I finish... when I can start.

I started a Lady Eleanor Entrelac Wrap and am having so much fun with it. I've never done Entrelac before so I had a learning curve but now it's all good.

So I took a tough stance with "the Hanger" those of you who have read this blog in the past know he's been on the scene for some time. He's a good guy in many ways and we do love and care for one another but he is also quite a handful. I honestly thought he would stop being part of my life after I drew my line of death (and was prepared for it) but he seems to have gone the opposite route. the man never ceases to surprise me... surprise... irritate... exasperate. I'm still 100% prepared to toss him out on his ass at the slightest sign of relapse.

On the home front, my sweet "little" boy celebrated a birthday he's 15, has size 12 feet and is a good 6' tall with no signs of slowing down... STOP GROWING ALREADY!!!

In Progress...

2009-01-23T12:43:00.004-07:00

It feels like I have a lot in progress right now, personal, work wise and knitting. I guess every day is a work in progress if you get right down to it.

My son is awaiting a mental health assessment. I already know he is ADHD and learning disabled, now we are waiting to find out if he is also Bi-Polar or suffering from depression. I can't emphasize strongly enough just how much I love my son, he's an awesome guy... but he isn't easy.

I am in two minds regarding a long time personal relationship. You just got to let me know... should I stay or should I go.

Work is great! I love every person I work with, but it's not my passion and I do need passion.

I just finished an amazing book: "Half a Yellow Sun" about the efforts of the Igbo people of Nigeria to establish the country of Biafra... it's heart breaking... read it!!

Nakiska is still progressing. I am so happy with this lace pattern, more so because of what it's taught me about shawl design. Thanks to the amazing Amy Singer for showing me just how easy lace can be.

I made yet another sister, yet another hat... have I ever mentioned I am the youngest of FIVE girls. Next time you want to kill your teenage daughters, think about my poor sainted mother who had four girls in five years (I was the after thought). When they all took to fighting, I use to hide under the dining room table. I lufs 'em though...

I splurged on socky lovliness... Mmmm Malabrigo and Mountain Colors... how could I resist?

Progress indeed.

Finished loveliness!

2009-01-02T12:38:00.005-07:00

Blocking...

I am so happy with this cowl, another Awesome Amy pattern (that's what I think her nickname should be from now on "Awesome Amy" Swenson). Chameleon Colorworks is a treat to knit with. No one believed it was actually wool it's so soft and fluffy feeling.

Specs: Shapely Cowl by Amy Swenson
Needles 4.5 mm (US 7)
Yarn Chameleon Colorworks Evolution in Ophelia Sport Weight 150 yd

Loveliness to come...

Mmmmmm... Mini Maiden, bought here with my birthday gift certificates.

What to do what to do... I'm thinking an Abby out of the Sangria and a Woodland Shawl out of the Victoria. What are your thoughts?

The Last Year of Lace kit for 2008, Nancy Bush's Snowdrop Shawl

New Years is for resolutions right?

Here are mine.

Finish projects

Stash Slower
Buy only what I love with specific projects in mind.

Get creative
I would like to dip my toes into the areas of design, dying and spinning. I already have some pattern ideas in the works and my absolute love of colour pulls me towards dying. I am by nature a creative person... an idealist... 7 years of art college speaks to that... the 15 years of working in the advertising industry that followed didn't completely knock it out of me :-D.

Support local, Canadian, independent businesses at every possible opportunity
The bricks and mortar LYS isn't going to be around if nobody shops there. If you want a place you can go to hang out and have a coffee, knit and chat with your friends, and get real help when you need it--you need to be supportive. You need to give back to those people who make up your local community. Have you ever tried going back to a Wallmart or Michaels or E-bay and asking for help on your latest project? I'm all for supporting the independent crafts people too, spinners and dyers, but I would like to try to do it locally. Look for a local craft collective (ideally in my perfect world, I would start one). It's the same reason I shop at the farmer's market. I know my money is going in a more direct route to the people who've earned it.

Expand my knowledge and understanding of the craft
Learn, learn, learn... it's what keeps my mind from turning into complete mush.

And on a more personal note...
Focus on what I love, be passionate, be grateful for what I have and tell the people I love that I love them more often.

That's it, that's all... Happy New Years to all my Yarnie friends! XOXO M.

On the Other Side...

2008-12-05T22:06:00.006-07:00

I am on the other side of a rather large undertaking. I helped open a new location for the company I work for. We unpacked and assembled 9 truckloads of furniture, 28 skids of accessories, maybe more... I stopped counting, hung at least 40 prints and mirrors, decorated and merchandised an entire store (our largest location in Calgary) all in under two weeks. Whew!! Know what I did today? Slept. It's OK though, opening day was Thursday and we got nothing but complements on how fantastic the store looked. If you're down in Mission, check us out.

In the long hours and overtime there was little time to knit. I am also not use to working so physically hard so when there was time, I was tired. I needed some relatively low cognitive knitting. Enter Ruffle Fluff. Ruffle Fluff is a free pattern from Amy Swenson and it's perfect. Deceptively easy but oh so pretty. Amy splurged on Cashmere, I did mine in Blue Sky Alpaca Suri Merino. Love this yarn, oh so soft and smooshy. I'm finished the first set of ruffles and on the body of the scarf.

Now that I am back to my normal schedule, I may get more done on my Nakiska wrap. I've done two full repeats so far and I'm happy with what I've got. I am actually enjoying it which is more than I ever thought I'd say about anything but the most basic lace!

Also, one of my all time favorite things to do is head out to the Calgary Farmer's Market. I like my dollars going to locally owned businesses, growers and independent crafts people.

I had an interesting conversation there while sharing a table. It was regarding the "R word". The fellow I was sitting with had a gloomy outlook on where things were going. Canada as he sees it is under constant threat from large multi-nationals and big business. The economy is manipulated and controlled by a select few, largely south of the border and they don't have our interests at heart. I can concede some of those points to him. I agreed with some of the advice he had on what to do in the face of the "coming crisis": 1: Be debt free--thanks to my dear Aunt Irene, I am debt free and own my own home, 2: Own a really good bike--I do, I also have a fuel efficient car. 3: Invest in seeds and grow your own vegetables--I love gardening and plan to have a vegetable garden now that I've done some landscaping. Be as self sufficient as possible. I'm all for that. Where we disagreed is on the ability of each of us to stave off the negative influences. One person can make a difference. We each have a responsibility to choose carefully where and how we spend our money. As far as I'm concerned, the closer to home the better, the more directly the better and finally the more ethically the better. We can do it!!

My Fantasy Weekend

2008-11-09T19:47:00.004-07:00

Get out of the gutter people, not that kind of fantasy. I went to the knitter equivalent of baseball fantasy camp. All the heavy hitters were there: Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Amy Singer, Nancy Bush, Cookle A., Stefanie Japel, Amy Swenson... a veritable who's who of knitting.

Here they are signing books.

The instruction was excellent. The classes were smaller so we had ample opportunity to ask questions and get feedback. I feel inspired and my mind is full of ideas and new horizons.

Stefanie Japel taught me all the basics to customise patterns and even design my own sweaters based on my measurements. I felt like a kid at Christmas. She is my idol... she is also warm, endlessly patient, easy to talk to and has the very cutest baby around!

In "Stump Steph", Stephanie Pearl-McPhee told me knitting a pattern left handed "is like reading forwards but writing backwards". AuntyTink has been telling me that for ages and I've been plugging my ears and singing "lalala I can't hear you" ... needless to say she gave me an "I told you so look". I also learned tons in "Stump Steph" to tweak and improve my knitting. I took pages of notes and laughed lots too.

In "Plug 'n Play Shawl Design", Amy Singer helped me to design my own shawl. I am making it in Sanguine Gryphon's "An American in China" fingering weight. I ripped out what I had started (wine and lace don't mix). I can't wait to start it again. Not only that, but her lesson taught me everything I need to design my own basic shawls.

We were limited to taking three classes so I didn't get a chance to take any classes with Cookie A or Nancy Bush. There were women who had traveled from New York and California just to take classes with Nancy Bush... what does that say?

Most of what I did on the weekend was swatching and experimenting. The only project I made real headway on was my Noro sock. It was awe inspiring to see what other people had on the needles and what they were wearing. Fabulous shawls... perfectly fitted sweaters... lace... entrelac... Penguin PJ's (Ok that was just at the PJ party Saturday night... 92 knitters high on wine and wool fumes).

The weekend went by so quickly. Great food (I ate way too much), swimming and sitting outside in the hot tub, walking in the fresh mountain air, yoga classes (I am not the most flexible person in the world but I still enjoyed them). Anyone who knows me knows... I do better in small groups... large numbers of people freak me out. Still it was absolutely wonderful meeting knitters from other parts of North America. The whole weekend was absolutely wonderful. I'm exhausted... but in a good way.

It Snuck up on me...

2008-11-04T09:13:00.005-07:00

The Retreat that is. I am so excited. An ALL DAY class with Stephanie Japel... y'all know how I feel about her. And I'm taking the fun bus out to Kananaskis. I need to pack. Warm things of course, layers, t-shirts, hoodies and a sweater or two :-).

Do I pack things I've made by the various designers teaching? My room mate this year was at retreat last year as well, she was wearing SJ's simple knitted bodice and it was just gorgeous! I hope she packs it this year.

What classes should I take on Saturday? We don't get to pick those ahead of time. The choices are so darn inspirational. So much awesome knitting talent in one place. Fitting your Knits with Stephanie Japel, Socks with Cookie A, Stump Stef with the Yarn Harlot, Shawls with Nancy Bush, Non Wool Fibers or Shawls with Amy Singer. And lets not forget, the hostesses with the mostest, Amy "Green Jeans" Swenson (it makes her sound like a sports celebrity don't you think?) and the lovely Sandra, two of my favorite people in the whole world.

Then there's the Stash and WIPs, I need to bring stuff for the various classes. What do I bring? My almost done SKB and Green Jeans, possibly, toques (like the one above that I made for one of my sisters... one down three more to go) and mitts (the plan is each sister gets a toque and matching mitts) and socks, probably, they are easy drinking knitting. My Ribbon Lace Scarf for the "Stump Stef class", it's been on time out ever since I realized I made a mistake and would have to rip a way's back.

I'm packing my swim suit, yoga gear and a couple of bottles of wine... Wishing Tree Shiraz... my favorite. I love K. Country so I will also be packing some sturdy walking shoes in case there's a chance for some light hiking.

Oh, I'm all a twitter!!!

Interim Knitting

2008-10-11T14:51:00.004-06:00

You know how sometimes you just need to read something light? Nothing too challenging, nothing depressing, just something to give you a little break. Well, it's the same with knitting, I need to break things up a bit with some easy projects. I've knocked a couple off the needles lately.

A scarf for my boss, he's a good guy and he gives me stuff (like a TV and a Microwave).

And a hat for one of the girls I work with. She's an art student and a skate rat and she reminds me of myself when I was 21.

They were both well received.

I also have a pair of slippers to finish. An "easy" yet not so easy project. They are for a good friend. Better than a "good" friend, a best friend, my partner in crime, one of the few people who gets my morbid/quirky sense of humour, the first person I told (after my X of course) when I was expecting, a friend who would help me "hide the body" no questions asked. She's fighting a battle with cancer and it is going to be a hard, hard fight. I feel so helpless. What I can... and will do... is knit for her. She isn't in Calgary but if I can keep sending her little things to show that I am sending her... not just knitted objects... but all my hopes and prayers. It's something isn't it?

And on this Canadian Thanksgiving... I am thankful to have as many people to care about as I have... having people to love is a gift. My friends... my family... they are the best gift I could ever ask for and I am thankful for them every day.

Things I've been meaning to do...

2008-09-17T21:16:00.005-06:00

Blog mostly, it's not that I don't have stuff to say... it's that I never seem to get around to saying it.

I find that when I'm really up... or really down... the words just aren't there. The good news is I'm really up these days, getting things done around the house. I love my new walls and baseboards, it feels like a brand new home, and I am loving the new furniture I got! Even the dog likes it.

Speaking of the dog... since Ginger had her surgery she's found new energy and she's turned into a little brat!! She's also turning into a little piglet.. those rocks in her bladder must've made her feel full all the time but now she's loving her food again (and here I was convinced she had a "delicate appetite").

I'm working on a couple of scarves, some socks and just about ready to get back to some sweaters.

I picked up enough stash for both a worsted and lace weight Wicked. How wicked is that?

I'm especially enjoying this scarf... an excellent use of sock yarn if I do say so.

What I did this summer...

2008-09-04T12:11:00.006-06:00

Well, here's what I did not do... blog.

What did I do?

Held a Contest... This is one of the two prizes I sent out for great ideas on what to do with sock yarn... other than socks.

Lost a good furry friend of 20 years... I miss you Billy.

Went away... this is the sunshine coast... don't you love it?

Made a sweater...

Made some socks...

Fixed a furry friend, Ginger had major surgery to remove 8 bladder stones...

Fixed my house... landscaping, painting, baseboards and new living room furniture!

Now you know.

We have our winners...

2008-06-15T11:26:00.003-06:00

So the sock yarn has been won! Congratulations to my lucky two! They've both been contacted and I will post pics of the packages once they've been sent out. Thanks to everyone for the fantastic ideas. I've got enough inspiration to last me for quite some time.

Also, holding the contest was a blast. I hope everyone who posted will come back to visit. I'll have to have another one soon!

I've been getting sock inspiration as well. Fawkes Socks, Monkeys and Trish's lovely Straight Laced socks. I figure may as well have both sock and non-sock ideas on the go. Pics to come soon I promise!

BTW the winners were LizardKnits and Twisted Stitches I can't wait to send them their packages!

It's not my damn planet monkey boy...

2008-06-08T17:36:00.003-06:00

Quick, name the movie!

So thanks for all the fantastic suggestions for non-sock patterns. Keep 'em coming!!

In the mean time monkeys are rockin' my world. I can see what all the hubub is about. They are a very fun knit!

Good thing too 'cause with all the rain around here I need something to entertain me. The lack of sun is making everyone stir crazy. The boy and I watched movies last night, "The Waterhorse". Rugby was cancelled, due to rain, surprise! So we slouched around in our PJ's most of today.

The closest thing I've seen to a blue sky in days!

This is the first installment in this year's Make One sock club. I wasn't going to join sock club but you know... monkey see, monkey do (sorry couldn't resist).

Stay dry!

My First Contest...

2008-05-26T11:33:00.003-06:00

So the weather is crap today... pissing down rain... and lucky me, I have a day off. I decided to haul out all my yarn from behind the fireplace and sort through it all. You know... reorganize. Holy Mother of God... I have a lot of sock yarn. So here is the contest. You send me your favorite non-sock pattern using sock yarn along with your favorite colour/colour combo and I will do a random draw and send you some. I will draw 2 names on June 15th and find something in your colours to send you so there's lots of time. I can't wait to see what people come up with!!

PS: If you link to my contest from your blog and tell me your favorite non-sock pattern, I'll put your name in twice!

Bad...

2008-05-20T12:51:00.008-06:00

Bad girl!! Yep that's me.

I had a little yarn buying incident... OK I had a big yarn buying incident. It wasn't my fault really. First of all I saw this post, it got me to yearning for a little yarn lovin' myself. I went searching but to no avail. Then I got a heads up that my hearts desire could be found here. Then all hell broke loose. It is to die for!!

How can you not desire a yarn aptly named Elizabeth Bennet? Oh so soft and lovely. And the colours...
Bayfield Apple...

Sunny Skies...

Tuscany...

In a bleak, late snowfall, Calgary moment... resistance was futile.

While I was scooping up my Yarn Love goodies, I chanced upon these goodies, Evolution by Chameleon Colorworks

Ophelia...

Mourning Dove...

I liked the colours and was intrigued by the description "Stretched Wool" it appears to mean super soft squishy merino wool that feels like a silk/bamboo/cottony blend. I look forward to trying it. Also it's sport weight and I love making socks on slightly larger needles.

I'm so weak...

Long Weekend...

2008-05-20T09:48:00.004-06:00

Not that I had one, I worked Friday and Saturday but the boy was off school both Friday and Monday and we had no rugby Sunday morning or Monday night so it felt like a long weekend.

We got lots done (actually we got nothing done but did a great deal of goofing off). We went Canoing on Sunday and had breakfast out Monday morning, new decadent breakfast...cinnamon bun french toast, Yummmmmmy. Our deal on Monday was we could go to the comic book store and however long the boy spent there, that's how long I got to spend at the yarn store afterwards! We threw in an afternoon movie for good measure. We saw "Prince Caspian" and both enjoyed it.

A fun filled weekend.

of course he had to get something at the comic book store and you know what that means...

I had to get something at the yarn store!

The boy enjoys the yarn store, he usually goes and gets a slurpy while I shop and visit. I can't get him remotely interested in knitting but the carding machine interested him and he seems interested in spinning too. Who knows... next spin-in, I might take him down so he can try it out (although hang it! spin-in is always on Saturday and I work!) Darn work anyway.

I saw a lovely entrelac scarf in progress using Noro sock yarn on smaller needles. I love Noro's colours but the feel of it has always put me off. I've never tried entrelac but my enabler assured me it was easy. One skein is enough to find out for myself if I will like working with Noro.

I also stopped in last week to pick out some more Avery Allison. It was just too soft and pretty to pass up!

Nearing completion on my silver wrap sweater. I can't wait to wear this, it feels so soft and snuggly on. The body fits perfectly, now all it needs is some i-cord ties and a couple of short sleeves!

Swimming through a fog...

2008-05-13T11:10:00.004-06:00

That's what it feels like I've been doing lately. I have been so tired and I'm not sure what it is. We had a winter that seemed to drag on forever and I suffer from severe SAD so that might be part of it. My Doctor wants me to go on medication every winter and get one of those SAD lamps to minimize the effects. At any rate, all I want to do these days is sleep and then sleep some more. I've been forcing myself to go out and do stuff. "Activity precedes motivation".

The boy and I went to "Iron Man" for our Mother's Day celebration. I see a lot of action movies and not many "chick flicks" part and parcel of living with an adolescent boy. Lucky for me I like action movies and I loved "Iron Man", Robert Downey Jr. is an unlikely super hero but he does a great job!

We also went to the zoo. They have a new manta ray exhibit where you place your hands on a ledge in the water and the rays swim over them. They feel smooth and it was all together pretty darn cool!! Edited to add: I just read the newspaper article about the rays dying, how sad! I hope they are able to figure out what happened.

Rugby is ongoing. I get boy to practice and fall asleep in the car waiting for him. Good support there. He had a game on Sunday and I did watch all of it. The more I watch Rugby, the more I love rugby, it really is a great sport.

Knitting is on going as well. I am progressing really fast (or at least fast for me) on my silver/gray wrap sweater. Even the girls at work are excited to see it finished. I did a little stash enhancement as well. I needed another skein for the wrap sweater but while I was at the LYS, I saw they had some new sock yarn in. Avery Allison, an indie dyer from St. Albert Alberta. All the colour ways were pretty but I settled on Iris.

Decisions...

2008-05-04T10:39:00.005-06:00

Decisions... So, I may have already mentioned that I signed up for the Make One Fall Fiber retreat. Oh once or twice... I'm gonna keep mentioning it too. I can't get over the line up of instructors. Talk about spoiled for choice. You get to pick your instructor for the all day Friday class. Initially, I had picked the Yarn Harlot because... well why wouldn't I? No matter what she's teaching, it's bound to be great! Then... Stephanie Japel was added to the line up. Stephanie Japel!! I LOVE her book and love her patterns I want to be her official stalker! Okay... so now what? I was compelled to change my selection. I am taking her class on top down sweaters. I love them, they are my absolute favorite thing to make. I still hope to take a shorter class with the other Stephanie but all the instructors are awesome so what ever I get I'm sure it will be fantastic! Only 7 months to go...

Oh and here is my latest Stephanie Japel inspired project. A wrap sweater in Skacel Urban Silk. Coming along nicely.

And here is a picture of Ginger, she's having a relaxing snooze in her bed right now, there is a sunbeam hitting it perfectly and she LOVES that!

Meme, cause I have nothing interesting to say...

2008-04-27T18:40:00.004-06:00

I snagged this from Mostly Self Taught Knitter.

Rules

1. Pick up the nearest book of 125 pages or more.

There was one in my desk cubby practically touching my knee.

2. State the tittle and author.

"the woman who walked into doors", Roddy Doyle

3. Find page 25

4. Type in the first 5 sentences.

I left school after my Group. I ran out of the place; I f**k'n hated it. I stuck it for three years, longer than any of my kids have done, so far. But I hated it, every minute of it. I loved the primary school.

5. Find page 100

6. Type in the first, second and fifth word on the page

He, wasn't, he'd

Done. I won't tag anyone but I'm always curious what other people are reading.

I've gone 'n done it now...

2008-04-12T18:25:00.003-06:00

Yep, I've gone and signed up for Make One Yarn Studio's Fall Fiber Arts Retreat. Put my deposit down today. I had a blast last time and they gave alumni a small break plus the chance for an early sign up. While I was there, I used my class credit to buy 5 skeins of Skacel Urban Silk 80% silk 20% cotton in a gorgeous silvery grey to make another modified wrap/boob holder. Love it!

Oh and on the shameless self-admiration front... I had to buy new jeans yesterday. Size 7!!! I'm 5'9" and a size 7. Oh Yeah! I am not going to feign anything less than total delight 'cause there was a time when I was a size 18. Eat less, exercise more, that's it, that's all. Squeeeeee!!!

Walkin' with my baby...

2008-04-12T13:03:00.005-06:00

He got GREAT BIG FEET!!!

My boy has humongous feet. It's taken me for ever working on these socks but I am, through sheer determination, getting them done.

As an antidote to the boy socks, I am making myself some cabled footies. I am using the pattern from One Skein as my inspiration but I am making them toe up, cause that's how I like to make socks. In Dream In Colour Classy, Pansy-Go-Lightly. They should be a fast knit and they will keep my toes warm 'cause my house is COLD man! If the first ones turn out I'm making more 'casue 5mm needles for socks. Sounds perfect to me! And who doesn't like to keep their feet warm?

Also still committed to my SKB, on the silk insert of the first sleeve.

And one sleeve and the button band to go on Green Jeans. I put this one down for awhile then picked it up and went... what was I thinking, I freaking LOVE this pattern!

I am also committed (or perhaps should be committed) to doing YOL this year.

And a Swallowtail Shawl Knit Along in the Make One Yarnies group on Ravelry. Who else has swallowtail on the to do list? MMMMMMalibrigo lace, should start it any day!

Speaking of YOL & recent retail experiences (as a retail worker myself) in general... is it just me or are insanely cranky and irrational people on the rise? What is enough when it comes to excellent customer service? Blood? For the record, I feel Make One provides, bar none, the best customer service experience I've ever had. Bar None.

I was going to take a Monkey Sock class at the M1 but Boy's Rugby practices start the same night as the sock class. RATS!! Sorry Trish... hopefully later. In the mean time... Up the Mighty Saracens!!

Hello... Goodbye...

2008-03-21T18:06:00.006-06:00

Hello Year of Lace that is! Ever the procrastonator, I joined today. SO GLAD. I joined because I saw the first kit. No spoiler here... only one word... STUNNING!!! Plus it's not like I've ever had a bad experience with Make One, it's my LYS. Classes, sock club, Retreat... all have been fantastic experiences. So I am stoked. Stoked I say.

I also joined the Swallowtail Shawl KAL on Ravelry's Make One Yarnies group, I have MMMMMalibrigo lace yarn, I have my needles, I have not the pattern, not yet anyway. But I'm working on it.

This is fearless knitting at it's finest for me... that left-handedness is a particular bug when it comes to things like... well like lace. Wish me luck. It'll either be my Year of Lace or my Year of Crazy Making.

I said goodbye to my son today. He's off to Ontario to visit his Dad. I am already going stir crazy but hope that a total and overwhelming obsession with knitting will get me through the next 10 days without me turning into a unmitigated disaster.

There is reason to worry. The last time the boy went to his Dad's, I got daily sobbing phone calls, he fought incessantly with his new step mother and in the end, he came home early. He didn't speak to his Dad for months afterwards (he'd hang up on his Dad if he called). That was 1-1/2 years ago. After that, the boy started having severe anxiety problems (requiring professional intervention) and we have that under control now. I don't want to project negativity on this trip. The boy is more mature, and with any degree of luck, so is his Step Mom. The anxiety is well under control (and we reviewed what he needs to do if he does have an anxiety attack). One might hope, his Dad has made a better plan of action for this trip to ensure it's fun, pleasant and goes more smoothly. I told the boy to chill, don't take things to heart and above all HAVE FUN. Tell his Dad if anything upsets him, breathe.

I miss him already.

Can't believe, I almost forgot I have an FO. It's a miracle! Gigi is done! She's going to her new home. Specs: Gigi from Romantic Knits by Annie Modesitt in Tilli Tomas, Pure and Simple: Ruby Wine

Warming Up...

2008-03-08T16:35:00.010-07:00

Winter in Calgary can seem endless... endless cold...endless snow...endless wind... and then you get a day like today. It gives a false sense of hope. I know in my head that Winter is by no means over but my heart... my heart leaps at the warmer weather. Not wearing mittens... not wearing a toque... not wearing my red winter parka or the matching scarf I knit to go with it. Needless to say, I got outside while the getting was good.

Even Ginger's heart seems to be leaping look at her!
While I was out, I took a few pictures of my neck of the woods. I love my inner city neighborhood. I've lived here for nearly 20 years. But it's changing.

When I moved here... Jimmy's was Harry's. The first time I met Jimmy... he was in high school. Now Jimmy's is an institution. Yummy food, always packed.

The Chinese Kitchen is still there. Even though the coin laundry next store has now become a real estate office.

The park is still the same.

But you can see where things are going...

Look no further than my street. When I bought my home, it was a street in a run down, inner city neighborhood with a lot of rentals. All the homes were little post war bungalows (mine still is). Well you can see what's happening to the post war bungalows, they are torn down the minute they are sold and up goes another infill (or two) all house and no yard. The value on my property went up more last year than I paid for it in the first place. Kind of hard on the seniors who are still trying to stay in their homes. I know denser population is a good thing. Revitalizing the inner city is better than endless, hideous, suburban sprawl. Does it HAVE to be my neighborhood?

Same ol' WIPs SKB Body done, sleeves anyone?

Gigi, nearing completion, love the waving lace pattern!

A Gorey Death...

2008-02-27T19:50:00.001-07:00

What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?

You will be smothered under a rug. You're a little anti-social, and may want to start gaining new social skills by making prank phone calls.
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Not so ginger anymore...

2008-02-21T15:02:00.004-07:00

I woke up today, drove my son to school and went to pick up groceries at the mall and thought. I want to change my hair. Just like that. So I did. I kept a few red highlights but I am most definitely now a brunette. Red is over for me. It was fun but it's time to be movin' on.

In other news. Knitting is happening. I am being very diligent about trying to finish projects. My SKB is well on it's way past the lace and back onto the body. I am loving it! It is Simple Knitted Perfection. I like how easy it is and yet there is enough intricate stuff happening to make it interesting. I am loving the yarns I am using. They feel really nice and to my eye, they complement each other.

I was coerced into joining a mini sock swap. The sock goes on a sock blocker key chain. I finished one and it was great fun so I may make more.

Brrrrrrr... good day to stay in

2008-02-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

And Blog! I am trying to blog, life keeps getting in the way.

So the fireman thing, didn't work out. Nice guy though. Now I'll NEVER get to ride in the ladder truck... Darn!

I LOVED the comment about making the Hanger a sweater... now WHY didn't I think of that? A chunky, all acrylic, extra, extra large "Cosby Sweater" (imagine Jack Black and John Cusack in High Fidelity) in the most heinous colours imaginable with moth holes, thank you Cyn (which means at least one of the heinous colours will have to be wool). It makes me smile just thinking about it!

The Boy turned 14, 14!!! He's an eating, sleeping, growing machine. Very nearly taller than me and considerably broader through the shoulders. I no longer live with a child but a rugby thug, "the Crusher". How did that happen? When did that happen? I want my baby back!! We celebrated by rockin' out with Guitar Hero 3 and going to the Keg for dinner. Three words: Rare Prime Rib. Yum!

Look, I'm FINALLY done the lace insert on my SKB. I loved the lace but I'm glad to be back onto plain knitting. By the time I get to the sleeves, I'll be ready for the lace again.

I needed a break from all the lace going on, so I started a pair of Maine Morning Mitts. Something quick and relatively painless to give me a mental break.

Speaking of lace. I'm still working on Gigi. The yarn and pattern are quite perfect for one another. A fortuitous combination. Again, I am not always mentally up for this baby, but I'm still thoroughly enjoying it.

Don't know why my brain is feeling so taxed these days but it is. Thinking feels like a lot of work. Maybe I just shouldn't think too much... WWGD... what would Ginger do? It's a dogs life around here for sure. She doesn't look like her brain is taxed. Although considering what a little pin head she has, there's not much brain there to tax. Love her though! She makes me smile every day.

More yarn treats for me... in addition to the Shibui and Heather previously mentioned, some Mountain Colours Barefoot and Koigu mmmmmm precious Koigu. Must...Stop...Buying...Sock Yarn. In fact, yarn buying is what I gave up for Lent. Hold me to it!! That's all for now.

The black hole got me again...

2008-01-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

So I have been a very bad blogger. Not only have I not been posting, I haven't even had my usual two bits to add on to anyone else's posts either. It wasn't really that I had a dry spell writing wise. I had stuff to say, it just wasn't stuff I felt like dumping on an unsuspecting bunch of knitters. You guys deserve better. Things are OK now though.

I am making a concerted effort to distance myself from the Hanger. One of my best friends aptly described him as a "Sucking Vortex of Angst and Drama". All I've ever really got from hanging around with him for the last 4 years is 4 years older. My good friends thought it would be helpful if I started seeing other men. Doesn't even have to be Mr. Right, just Mr. Distract me so that when the Hanger tries to suck me back in (and he always tries and always succeeds) I can say, "Actually, I'm busy." I think I may have found just such a man. A Fireman. A stand up, do right, and as my sister says... who doesn't love a... Fireman. We shall see. I must admit, the very thought of dating a fireman makes me a trifle giddy. As one of the gals at Knit Night put it... "Just think of the role playing games!"

Okay I'll tear myself away from that little fantasy... for now... I have been knitting. Nothing new, same ol bunch of WIP's. I am a slow knitter.

I finished a cute toque, just in time for some very frigid weather.

Still working on the boy's socks, Mr. Green Jeans and my VBF's Gigi Scarf which I sent her a picture of since it obviously was ready for neither her birthday nor Christmas.

I am still totally in love with SKB... oh how I love my SKB. I love the top downness of it, the lace inserts, just... everything!

I have also been busy acquiring.

I acquired a Namaste messenger style knitting bag and some new C*Eye*Ber Fiber "Mal de Mer"and Sheep 3 from Make One Yarn Studios.

I also acquired some Schaefer Heather, some Shibui Knits and I'm still waiting on a couple of other little treaties for my feeties, courtesy The Loopy Ewe. Hey, I needed some major cheering up OK?

If you thought...

2008-01-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

I fell through a black hole, you wouldn't be completely wrong.

I wasn't in the Christmas spirit this year, it never came. The hanger has been having a tough time. I have been doing my best to help him. Things got worse and worse, just before Christmas, things pretty much hit bottom. You know when you jump in to save a drowning man, the danger is he can pull you under with him. I've made a tough call to save myself but it doesn't come without feelings of sadness and loss.

I got through Christmas this year. There was a tree, there were presents for my son. Fortunately, my X's family were in the Christmas spirit and what may have been missing at home, my son received in abundance when he spent Christmas Day with them. We were invited to a girl friend's for Christmas dinner and that was a tremendous help. To be able to be a part of her family celebration made it much easier.

My birthday passed almost completely without remark. I wasn't in the birthday spirit either. I took myself down to Make 1 and Michelle asked me if I wanted her to sing. I said "No", so she got the whole store to sing. Next time I will know that what I needed to say was "I will kill you if you do". Honestly, it actually did cheer me up a bit. The knitting bag I bought on sale and with a gift certificate from my sister cheered me up even more.

One thing that has been a constant is my knitting. A friend told what Edith Piaf said when asked about her knitting , "It keeps me off the cocaine and heroin." Well, I wouldn't go that far but it does keep me sane.

No pictures today. Soon I promise.

Lets all hope that 2008 is better than 2007.

The tree is up...

2007-12-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

I am of two minds at Christmas. I love Christmas, not getting presents but having happy secrets, decorating, lights, music all that good stuff. The general spirit of good will--unless you work retail then it's the general spirit of "I want it and I want it now and while you're at it could you wrap each and every ornament carefully mind you (cause you're obviously too stupid to do it carefully if I don't tell you to) and I don't care if there are 10 people behind me!--and even that only seems to be somehow tolerable, a reflection of how screwed up and sad some people are and how far away they get from the Christmas spirit, I feel sorry for them more than anything. But I digress.

I love the familiness of Christmas. My Mom was a certified Christmas Nut!! And that's my flip side. Christmas is also when I miss my Mom most of all. She MADE Christmas and it's never, ever been the same without her. So when I was decorating the tree with my son, I found myself in tears. Certain music gets to me, little things set me off. I think the word I am looking for is Bittersweet.

I also knit, I felt compelled to start the Simple Knitted Bodice. I've been obsessed with it for a while. So far I am loving the yarn, Lang Silk Dream, in Heather. It's SO soft. I am in Simple Knitted Bodice Love.

Happy Day

2007-11-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

Friday, day off, picked up my November Sock Kit at the LYS, sat and knitted for a bit and drank tea with the girls. It's so cold out -19C ALL I want to do is drink hot things, snuggle under blankets and knit. I am proud to say I have resisted the on-line shopping urge that occasionally strikes along with a raging case of cabin fever. I had a raft of yummy sock yarn in my cart and I JUST SAID NO.

After all, I still have to pay for my new Tri-focals (yes you heard me: over $900 of, "Oh boy, you ARE getting old!!").

All Ginger wants to do is snuggle in the furry warmth of her new bed. Look at that face!

Can't really post what I'm working on, but I'm making it with this. Tilli Tomas Ruby Wine. I will say, it's going well so far.

My first attempt at lace went to its intended recipient. A fun, fast and easy project and I would make it again. Slanted Eyelet Scarf in Tilli Tomas Glampyre.

Retreat, retreat...

2007-11-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

So I had a weekend away. That might be the biggest understatement I've ever made.

I had a lovely, amazing weekend of knitterly goodness. Starting Thursday night with a class at Make One taught by Annie Modessit. The class was awesome. I am not at the skill level some of my fellow classmates were but I got so much out of it!

I tend to be a reluctant class taker. I've dropped out of classes I paid good money for because there were people who insisted on talking all the time. I can't cope with a lot of noise, if people in the class are talking it's hard. I'm left handed which means spending a lot of time not only learning a technique but having to figure out how to do it in mirror image so when the instructor is saying "now take your right needle..." I am immediately translating "SO that means my left needle and when she's doing this, to get the same thing I need to do that....". Annie was very good about keeping the background chat to a dull roar for which I was profoundly grateful. She runs a tight ship and that's a good thing! There was a lot of information to take away at the end of the night.

Friday, I had the boy's report card interviews. Never fun. He doesn't get his written assignments done, if he does get them done, he never gets them handed in. We heard this in every tone ranging from positivity, hope that a change might be affected to total exasperation. We ended the morning by stopping by his cooking teacher. What a difference. "Your son is so appreciative of food! He is professional and efficient in the kitchen, he looks like a true chef!" I told him that passion and commitment needs to carry over. He has to find something in his other courses to be enthusiastic about.

We barelled home after the interviews, I grabbed my bags and called a cab. That's when the weekend really started. The boy went to his Grandma's, the dog had a sitter (and her new birthday bed) and I hit the road.

We met at the yarn store for a yummy breakfast, hopped on board a luxury tour bus for some quality knitting (or drinking depending) time and headed up to Emerald Lake.

What a fabulous weekend. Lots of amazing food, excellent wine, spectacular scenery, knitting by the fire, hot tubbing, more fantastic food, excellent classes taught by Annie Modessit (an excellent instructor), fresh air, cosy accommodations (every room had it's own fireplace).

I'm not a large group person, there were times when the noise level got to me, but there were lots of corners to go knit quietly and ample time to get away. Much progress was made on Greenjeans and the lace scarf. I spent one afternoon (after a much needed session in the hot tub) curled up by the fire in my room reading. I ate more than I should have, drank just a little bit more than I should have, met nice people, laughed lots, learned lots and just generally had a fabulous break! Something that hasn't happened for me in a long time.

Amy and Sandra did a fantastic job of hosting the weekend. There were nearly 50 women there needing to be kept happy, I don't know how they did it. The staff were awesome, the lodge is spectacular. It was all together amazing.

Official Stalker…

2007-11-09T23:43:00.000-07:00

Hello, I'd like to apply to be Stefanie Japel's official stalker, is that position taken yet? I could also be her official stalker's official stalker if that's still open (apologies to Jasper Fforde). Now that I've finished one Stefanie Japel pattern (the mini wrap sweater/boob holder) and purchased the Simple Knitted Bodice pattern and as of today, am the proud owner of her book "Fitted Knits" and even joined the Fitted Knits group on Ravelry, heck even the lace scarf I'm working on is in the colourway "Glampyre" do you think I'm qualified? I want to make everything! SKB, The Elizabeth Bennet Cardigan, The Drop Stitch Lace Tank, The Wrap Around Lace Sweater and of course The Back to School Vest and V-Neck Pullover with Deep Ribbing. All her pattern are just, well they're just kind of sexy. When I realized how many patterns in my queue were from that one book, it only made sense to get it. Now I've got it so I have no excuses.

In other news, I am on the sleeves of Mr. Greenjeans. Yeah! And my lace scarf is back on track now that my beloved Glampyre is no longer a pathetic tangled mess. Double Yeah! One more week and I go on the Emerald Lake Lodge Knitting Retreat (I'm not sure I have enough yeah!s for that one). Really looking forward to the classes being taught by Annie Modesitt both the night before the retreat and at the retreat. How many yeah!'s before they just get annoying?

Well, enough chat, back to stalking SJ!

Stay on target…

2007-11-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

My favorite line from the first Star Wars movie is when Han Solo says to Luke Skywalker, "Don't get cocky." My son once asked me, "Why does he say Don't forget the car keys?" So when ever we watch it (Star Wars is a regular feature on movie night in our home) I yell that out and we laugh our heads off. My line of the moment is "Stay on Target..." because I have finished the body of Mr. Greenjeans and am about to start the sleeves. That's lightening fast for me! And yet I am tempted to loose focus and start something else. I bought Stefanie Japel's "Simple Knitted Bodice" and I found gorgeous yarn for it (at the "other" store) and now It's taking all my will not to cast on!

I Picked up some Lang Silk Dream for the main body and Debbie Bliss Pure Silk in a slightly lighter shade for the lace inserts and trim. Don't they look Lurvly?! Of course I would love to have made it in Tilli Thomas Pure and Simple and Rockstar as the pattern recommends but they are a little dear. One skein for a gift scarf, doable, 6 skeins total for a sweater for myself, not so much. I am hoping I have enough to make it slightly longer, more tunic length for over jeans. May be if I don't make the sleeves as long. I'm quite partial to 3/4 length sleeves. I bought every ball of silk dream in the store so I'm hoping there's enough.

Any words of advice on this project? I keep hearing to go down one size. I swatched once already and couldn't get gauge so I need to go down a needle size for sure.

Still loving the alchemy scarf (speaking of fast knits) although my ball of Tilli Thomas got all tangled so now I am taking the time to detangle and rewqind it before continuing on.

And a gratuitous picture of Ginger, I am thinking about buying her her very own faux fur and leather bed (we have them at work believe it or not) just becasue she likes mine so much and it would be funny.

Oh happy day...

2007-10-28T13:41:00.000-06:00

A day off after an insane work week. Yeah!! We busted out the Christmas decorations, the store looks spectacular and there was a feeding frenzy on yesterday fur sure.

I am loving the projects I am working on. If you haven't already, I would seriously recommend adding Greenjeans to your queue! It is an awesome pattern. 'Course Amy is a fabulous designer so it stands to reason.

I am also enjoying the slanted eyelet scarf from Alchemy. It's my first lace pattern. It's a quick easy to memorize pattern and progresses nicely. It's perfect for gifts as it only calls for one skein of yarn. I think the trick would be to counter the simplicity of the pattern with a truly fantastic yarn. The Tilli Thomas I'm using IS fantastic. Photographs really don't do justice to how vibrant it is. I am making it for a 19-year-old tiny little miss, a little bit goth, loves purple (happened to mention she wanted to buy a pretty scarf to contrast with her black leather jacket and studs) and she looks amazing in jewel tones so I'm hoping she'll like it.

I'm still working on the boy's sock and sweater but they are slow projects and it's nice to work on things that zip along a little quicker.

Still in a great mood. I usually suffer quite severe SAD and it starts hitting me about now (back before I had responsibilities, I use to quit my job, always in November every year or two). I've been taking Melatonin supplements to help with sleep issues, the boy's paediatrician recommended them for him and I thought I'd try them as well, it seems like they might be making a difference with the SAD.

Squeeeeeeee...

2007-10-22T18:06:00.000-06:00

This is how I am feeling right now...

for the past while, I haven't been blogging much, it's 'cause I'm happy. really happy. No special reason, nothing super wonderful has happened. I don't want to think about it too much either... it might wreck the mood.

There are lots of little reasons to be happy, no one big reason. I love my new car. My son isn't having anxiety attacks any more. He has much better teachers this year and school is going well. I'm reading books that make me happy ("Buddha Da" by Ann Donovan and "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert for those who need to know). I bought some lovely, lacy new lingerie and a new pair of flannel PJ's, just for me. I'm knitting projects that are working and that are enjoyable to knit. I am taking a knitting class and going on a wonderful retreat in November, it's an opportunity to learn new things and spend time with lots of fun people. Work is going well, I love it there. I am feeling profoundly grateful for what I have.

I am love, loving Greenjeans, the LL Red Rover is awesome to work with and it fits perfect and is turning out super cute. This picture is a little washed out so you can see the cable pattern, it's fun and not too hard. Did I mention it's fast too?

I splurged on some Tilli Thomas Pure & Simple in Glampyre. I am making a quick slanted eyelet scarf for Angela, a co-worker of mine who is house sitting when I'm on the retreat and is crazy for purple. Great pattern, thanks for the suggestion Aunty Tink!

Finally, here is a picture of my finished mini wrap in Bam Boo. It still needs to be washed and blocked but I'm pretty happy with it.

Ssssh... Busy knitting

2007-10-13T08:51:00.000-06:00

No Blogging, lots of knitting.

Thanks for all the responses to my question. I will find a project worthy of the Tuareg, I promise, but in the end, redrover won the day. The LYS people all voted for the red (and they've seen me in red). I swatched both and liked the definition in the cables better for redrover. I am loving the pattern, I highly recommend it and it's a fast knit!

The boys sweater is another matter. Endless stocking stitch.
"Boy, could I run a nice cable down the arm?"
"No."
"Could I put a band of colour around the chest?"
"No."
"How about a little ribbing?"
"No, I just want a plain, green sweater."
Endless stocking stitch.

And the boy socks, portable and always there

Question…

2007-10-02T23:11:00.000-06:00

Quick post,

I am not normally this indecisive. I am about to start Mr. Greenjeans and I have 2 gorgeous yarns to choose from. Lorna's Laces Shepard worsted in RedRover and Malabrigo in Tuareg. Greenjeans is another wonderful Amy pattern and lucky me to live so close to Amy's yarn shop. Both are quite different and a lot brighter than the yarn used in the pattern. Which one do you think would look better?

Also never ending boy socks… they never end.

My little secret…

2007-09-24T12:08:00.000-06:00

I was being so good, no new yarn acquisitions, working with what I had. Then, oh I don't know... it all just started to get to me you know? I wanted to spend a little money on myself. It's money I really shouldn't have been spending but here's the thing. It was only sock yarn... no biggie... $20 here and $20 there well closer to $60 here and $40 there but who's counting and damn it sock yarn is pretty!! Claudia's, Mama-E's, Cider Moon--Even in it's pre-sock state it's just so darn pretty. And it makes me happy just to hold it.

Should I call Make One and Sweet Sheep and the good ol' Loopy Ewe and tell them, "Please, don't take my money, tell me it's no good, send me packing."

I am trying to save money so I can finish my home renovations, an endless work in progress. SO here is the secret. All you lovely organized folk who lovingly store your yarn in plastic storage bins with lovely lavender sachets so it smells nice. What I do with my stash, is… and some of you may find this disturbing… I use it for insulation. One day, I will have a lovely fireplace with a lovely mantle with window seats on either side that are hinged for storage. What I have had, since my divorce 4 years ago, during a major home renovation (word of advice: hire a contractor) is a lovely gas fireplace with no mantle and a big freaking hole behind it (I also don't have baseboards but we won't even go there). Every year I have intended to finish the renovation, every year something happens (Car payments need I say more). In the winter, the wind whistles through that hole, you can hear it and at -20C oh boy can you feel it. So I fill it up… with wool. One whole blue bag full of sock yarn, another one with two sweater's worth of Misti Alpaca and a third sweater's worth of Malabrigo and a smaller bag full of what ever else I could find to block the hole. It's kind o' pathetic. It's how it is.

Now you know.

More on monogamy… evidently socks don't count…

2007-09-16T23:02:00.000-06:00

Oh so close! I am nearly done. An I-cord and some weaving in, a little blocking. I will be much more interesting I promise once this little sweater is out of my system!

Amy was shocked I had no socks on the go so I started these: boy socks other wise known as the socks that will never end. The boy has very wide men's size 10-1/2 feet and he wants socks darn it! I hope he isn't counting on getting them this year. I also LOVE Amy's new pattern in Knitty. I can't wait to try it.

I also caved in to sock yarn temptation. I just happened to be hanging around Make One when the Claudia's Hand Painted came in. The girls got on the phone and in no time it was like a flock of seagulls descending on a pile of garbage. Well not really because Claudia's is nothing like garbage. I'd never witnessed a yarn feeding frenzy before. It's kind of scary. I snagged some lovely Earth Dot at the time as well as a couple of skeins of Make One's own hand dyed (in my ever favourite green) and went back today and picked up the Lemon Ice and a Monster too, PAX will be going to a friend's baby (if I can give him up). Neither of the Claudia's is my typical colour way (that is to say green) but they are both very appealing. I have been trying to be frugal (that's such an ugly word) with my yarn spending but sometimes a girls gotta do…

Also, look what we did on labour day! How very Canadian eh?

And here is a picture of my favourite fuzzy beasts curled up next to a rather ratty looking shin (that is unfortunately attached to my body).

This is what I call representing…

2007-09-14T23:52:00.000-06:00

I have sent people to look at this site before but I'm saying one more time, check it out! I appreciate Suzen's work and it seems only fair to pass it along for others to enjoy. Great article about her as well here.

Well I Do Sometimes Feel Cursed…

2007-09-07T21:20:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Uberstrickenfrau For putting me on to this one.

You're The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe!

by C.S. Lewis

You were just looking for some decent clothes when everything changed
quite dramatically. For the better or for the worse, it is still hard to tell. Now it
seems like winter will never end and you feel cursed. Soon there will be an epic
struggle between two forces in your life and you are very concerned about a betrayal
that could turn the balance. If this makes it sound like you're re-enacting Christian
theological events, that may or may not be coincidence. When in doubt, put your trust
in zoo animals.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Project Monogamy…

2007-08-30T23:49:00.000-06:00

… it sounds every bit as boring as it is. I want to finish what I'm working on! In the interest of doing that, I am not doing anything else. I am still working on the modified Mini Wrap Sweater in Classic Elite leaf Bam Boo. It's a great project but I am not good at only working on one thing at a time. I have many other things I am thinking about: Clapotis (I am going to do it in the gorgeous HandMaiden Two Four Silk I bought in Gibsons instead of the LL Bittersweet I had planned), An Irish Hiking Scarf (I have some Malibrigo in Sealing Wax that would be perfect), even a pair of toe-up socks (lord knows I have enough sock yarn to choose from). But no, I want to wear my mini wrap sweater and therefore I MUST finish it!! My only solace is logging on to Ravelry each day to change the % finished on it. So far, it's fitting well. I am making it slightly longer to compensate for my height.

I am still loving the new car but the car payments are going to cut into my yarn buying. Good thing I have lots of goodies in my stash to keep me busy.

My New Car…

2007-08-23T07:37:00.000-06:00

I ended up getting a 2007 Toyota Yaris Sedan in "Nautical Blue". I love that deep metallic blue. I bought it from Adam, the cutest 20-something car salesman in the world, and a decent guy too. I wouldn't hesitate to refer someone to him. He stopped by work yesterday to drop off the remote entry key (the detail guy took it by mistake the night I picked up the car). My young co-workers were drooling. I have a feeling there are going to be a couple of 20-something girls up at the dealership kicking tires. When I was looking at the car and test driving, my son thought he was flirting with me but I told him, "No dear, Adam's just trying to sell me a car and he's doing a really good job." Just in case anyone thinks I've gone off my nut… I did research the car guides etc. before making a final choice, a slave to my hormones…possibly… but I'm not completely insane. The insurance gave me a hefty down payment but with 5 years of car payments to look forward to… it's going to be a damn good car.

Home again, home again jiggity jig…

2007-08-22T19:55:00.000-06:00

And as a matter of fact, I did love Blade Runner.

So I went away and now I'm back. Sort of a last minute trip in that I planned it back in April but then the Car got stolen in July and I couldn't go unless I had a car and the insurance didn't come through until the Friday before I left (but it did come through) and I picked the new car up on the Saturday before I left so I wasn't actually sure I was still going until basically 1 day before my holiday started. I went to see my family on the coast. In my brand new car. We drove. Ginger came too. We rode the ferry. We went to the beach a lot. We had camp fires. The boy caught a fish.

He built a beach house with a new friend.

Look! Ginger on the beach note the knitting in the background.

Knitting happened. I made fair progress on my mini sweater.

I went to the Gibson's Landing Fiber Festival (honestly, it wasn't planned it just worked out that way). I loved the exhibitions and looking at some of the woven goods. I got some yarny goodness a one-of-a-kind skein of HandMaiden Two Four Silk, from the Knitopia Wools booth (enough for a small clapotis) and 2 skeins of hand dyed sock yarn in Autumn Harvest from Indigo Moon. There was lots there to see and I hope I get to go again.

I'm glad I went and happy we are home.

You lift me up…

2007-08-06T16:49:00.000-06:00

Ok, well may be not you you… although you guys do know how to lift my spirits… I'm talking about my favorite LYS. Yesterday, I wandered in there and the ever lovely Sandra (who had no way of knowing I'd been having a really bad, no good, crying in the rental car kind of day) totally lifted my spirits. Just by being her.

Well, she was just being her (which is uplifting all by itself) but then she told me the new sock club yarn was Jitterbug (oh be still my beating heart). I chose the colour way Copperbeech.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, she told me I had a credit for 2 skeins of Cadenza. I picked Mist. I had no clue I even had the credit. Imagine, 3 skeins of Collinette just fell into my hands, like mana from heaven. Totally made my day.

Plus, after a false start, I am finally moving along on the wrap sweater. Bam Boo takes some getting use to (I frogged it once because of the split stitches) but it's looking good now. I'm loving the pattern enough that I have no desire what so ever to start anything else until it's done!

Also, if all that didn't lift me up… my ridiculously adorable (albeit somewhat squinty eyed) dog ALWAYS makes me smile.

The Ol' Bam Boo

2007-07-28T22:18:00.000-06:00

Well, for me it's the new Bam Boo.

I was finally able to get my things and license plate from my car this past Monday. A sorry sight it was. Most of my stuff was still there and a whole ton of stuff that really creeped me out. Cloths, CD's etc. none of it mine. Depressing stuff. To cheer myself up after that little excursion, I'd planned to meet up with Gina at the LYS. It was just what I needed air conditioning someone to talk to and some good yarn therapy.

I came away with this. Six balls of Classic Elite Bam Boo in leaf.

And I'm making this. A little Summer wrap sweater with i-cord ties, Amy's take on the "Boob Holder" from Glampyre. I am having so much fun knitting this. Bam Boo is more difficult to work with than I expected, very splitty, but I love it and the pattern is as cute as can be. I was going to save it for vacation knitting but now I might be able to wear it on vacation instead.

And, I had a pleasant surprise from the insurance adjuster. Oh don't worry… the car is still a total right off… $6000 damage to a car I've had for several years and only paid $8000 for in the first place but they offered me more money than I was expecting for it due to the low kilometers. I should get the cheque towards the end of next week. So now I get to go car shopping. I am bowing to the fact that my best bet is to use the money from insurance as a down payment and accept the reality of car payments. It will allow me to get a slightly newer, safer car.

Go with the 'Fro…

2007-07-22T18:03:00.001-06:00

So I picked the boy up from camp after work on Friday. A week of fun in the sun canoeing, swimming, doing archery…I swear he grew while he was gone. His hair grew too. The camp counsellors nicknamed him "Curly 'Fro Man" which I find amusing and a significant improvement over "Gasmask" which was his nickname 2 Summers ago (don't ask). He doesn't seem to mind, he told me, "The girls at camp seemed to really like my hair". It's hard not to smile at it, dark brown and ridiculously curly (I swear he never had hair this curly before) and he has green eyes and tiny freckles and after a week at camp, a killer tan. I missed him.

I had planned a relaxing week of knitting, dropping by the LYS, Raveling and of course working. Well, my two days off were consumed by dealing with the car. Still no news from the insurance company. I was waiting on the loaner for the start of the week so no trip to the LYS. I've done a bit of raveling… a bit of knitting too but the week was over before I knew it.

I finished my jay socks. I cast them off as ankle socks because they were so mismatched. I'll know better for next time.

I wanted to start a clapotis, seduced by the sheer number of them out there. I'm having trouble getting the pattern going but I think it's because I am a combination knitter that my stitches are wonky and I'm just not quite getting it. I am planning to take a series of knit what you want classes in the fall. May be I'll save clapotis for then.

The never ending wrap… well it's still never ending. I am trying to think of it as a value added project. The longer it takes to knit, the greater the entertainment value and lower the cost. Three balls of laceweight silk/mohair and a set of circulars x 4 years or more of knitting entertainment I guess it is good value for the money spent. Shut up out there, it's a positive spin OK! I show people and all they say is, "Well the yarn is really lovely." I know they are thinking, "Is she insane! At the rate she's going she'll be in her grave before she gets through the first ball".

And… did you know… my dog thinks she's a prOn star.

I can't believe how upset…

2007-07-15T09:17:00.000-06:00

My car was stolen last night. My car was frickin' stolen out of my frickin' driveway. I am a single mom, I do not drive a nice car. I drive a crappy old '96 Plymouth Neon (but it's MY piece of crap and it gets me from point A to point B) and someone stole it! I have to take the boy to camp… today. I called the neighbors across the street (their window faces my driveway) and they didn't see anything, they did offer to drive the boy to camp. I am so upset… I can't even… I have no family here, I have to get to work, I have to pick the boy up from camp on Friday and get groceries and go to work and all the other stuff people do and my frickin' car is stolen. I called the police. Tomorrow I'll call insurance. AAAAHHHGH!!! Update July 16: I got a call at about 3:15 AM that the police had recovered my stolen vehicle and it was being towed to the impound lot. It had "sustained damage" and they had arrested 2 young men. They were using my car to prowl other cars, they took off when they saw the cops. The cops gave chase and eventually they got them. Not before the thieves hit the curb a couple of times and crashed my car into a tree. The constable who called me said the front axle is toast and my car is almost certainly a right off. The insurance company is paying for a loaner, I can pick it up tomorrow morning, while they look at the car and decide what it's worth. At least they caught the miscreants.

All That and More!

2007-07-11T21:34:00.000-06:00

I was feeling all left out because friends right left and centre were joining Ravelry and I hadn't got my invite yet :-(. Joy of Joys! It showed up in my in-box Tuesday morning. I'm "Gingersnaps" on Ravelry and so far I am loving it!!! Great fun. Wonderful time sucker. I'm so excited.

We are the champions my friends…

2007-07-01T08:10:00.000-06:00

a hard tackle

And they are! The boy's rugby team WON the city finals. It came down to a final match against the only other undefeated team in the league this season. Our other club team! Yep it was the old school boys (Sheilds in green) vs the football Dad's boys (Swords in white) and guess who won. I've never seen any of the boys play so hard, every try was hard fought to the bitter end and in the end the Shields only won by three points. It was great! Fun to watch and well played on both sides.

the line out… note intense look on the boy's face.

I went to watch a friend's son play baseball… no offence to my American friends but compared to watching rugby… it's like watching paint dry. There were tons of Mom's in the stands. I said, "You never see this many Mom's at the rugby games." to which she replied, "Of course you don't, they can't bear to watch their son's getting hurt."

the scrum

The boy already has designs on some classmates to get them signed up for next year.

hang onto the ball lads!

And school is out. YEAH!! No more rugby… no more school… nothing to worry about for 2 whole months! The boy's transition to Junior High did not go well. School this year was a total right off. Absences, issues, I hate to say bad…but young, inexperienced, stressed out, teachers who were not able to reach out to my son. I am hoping next year will be better.

I am very excited about the boy's psychologist. She specialises in issues surrounding anxiety, depression, LD kids, School refusal all the stuff we've been struggling with and our intake session went very well. Her philosophy is good, I felt very much at ease with her. She likens anxiety to a visitor, something you let in and what she does is teach kids how to shut the door. The boy has his first real session with her in just over a week, we have the Summer to get things going and by September I'm hoping for good things. I was really worried about the cost. My coverage for this sort of thing is limited. She told me to let her know if at any point it becomes a financial burden. She said we've accepted you as our clients, the treatment doesn't stop because you can't afford it. So that was reassuring.

Anyway, no knitting today, still working on the heinous mohair wrap. Self torture disguised as fun hobby. My best friend is coming Tuesday, 4 kids and 2 adults in a 750 sq. ft. house with one bathroom, we will need 2 things--good weather and lots of booze, The house is a shambles must work on that. HAPPY CANADA DAY!

It's…Alive!

2007-06-20T20:32:00.000-06:00

So I am feeling in better spirits, down in the dumps gets right dull after a while. I felt like I needed a break from socks but wanted to be true to my attempt to finish more projects.

In that spirit, I have ressurected the tube wrap from Alterknits. There is nothing wrong with this project and I do want to make it, it'll be gorgeous when it's done. One teeny tiny problem… it's mohair…mohair is not my friend… I thought we could be friends but I was mistaken… is mohair is anyone's friend? May be mohair is just a two faced b**tch who pretends to be a friend so she can stab you in the back but I digress. The wrap is suppose to be made using 3 balls of Kid Silk Haze, In an attempt to keep the cost down slightly I decided on a compromise, 1 ball of Crystal Palace Kid Merino on either end of the wrap and a skein of Art Yarns Silk Mohair in the middle, all in a soft springy green pallet.

The plan was to pull a swath of vivid blue green silk through it when it's done and pin it with my favourite art noveau sterling silver pin. That was the plan. Well, I knit… and knit… and knit away at it and it just wasn't getting any bigger so it got sent to knitting coventry.

Now it's back like a bad smell… mohair still isn't my friend and if it's getting bigger, it's at a barely imperceptible rate but it lives again.

My socks are very nearly done and I was about to cast off on them (mostly because they were boring me) . Looking at them they should be at least an inch longer so I'll work on the wrap for a while then go back and finish off the socks.

A gratuitous picture of Billy because she hardly ever gets her picture taken.

Also… LOOK WHAT GINGER DID TO MY CELL PHONE!!!! And she actually went into my purse and dug it out to do it…Bad weiner dog.

Up 'n Down 'n Round we go…

2007-06-12T11:08:00.000-06:00

Ok so the happies were somewhat of a fleeting thing…

My son has me down again. We are getting there slowly, slowly. He has an appointment with a psychologist who specializes in teen anxiety and depression for the end of June. The paediatrician is thrilled that he was able to get in to see her because it's a closed practice. She feels it will really help get to the root of my son's problems to see this woman. The new meds he's taking are making a huge difference with his ADD but they just aren't enough.

I feel like there is a great big weight in the middle of my chest. Mom's are suppose to make everything better and I can't. I started seeing my own counselor and she is helping me work through some stuff. It's emotionally exhausting but she's definitely helping me. It's just that every time my son has an anxiety attack my heart breaks into a million little pieces. He's so sorry afterwards and it's not his fault.

I'm coping right now but just… you know… barely. Every day I try and find light… things to feel good about… things to feel grateful for (and there is so much) and things that are positive and hopeful. Happiness is in the little things. Knitting is wonderful therapy. I do a lot of walking… pacing might be a more accurate term. We have this park near my house and a path that makes a loop through it. I walk the loop when ever I'm feeling out of control. It's like pacing in a really BIG circle.

I treated myself to more socky goodness. First off, I got the first installment in the Make1 Sock Club. A lovely lace sock pattern and some Schaefer Anne to knit it with. Second, I got these gorgeous skeins of Wooly Boully from The Loopy Ewe called "Lotus Blooms" and "Beneath the Cherry Tree" they came with a cute little needle inventory and a lovely note. I love them!!

And my jitterbug socks are almost done. I am a sloooow knitter. They aren't quite what I expected but it's OK. I can try for a better matched pair next time. They are fitting really well and I think my problem is that I started them from either end of the same ball when I should have done what the sane people do and made one, then continuing with the same end of the ball, made another one. However, my odd sock ways work for me and the mismatched socks are not out of sync with how I am feeling. I recently described myself to someone as a nut-laden-bar and right now, that's pretty much accurate.

The Happies…

2007-06-04T14:24:00.000-06:00

There is a time and place for everything, a time to whine… a time to rant… a time to give you my list of the happies…

My frogs singing…The way my son giggles in his sleep…New lingerie…Summer dresses…Hot pink toenails…Red open toe shoes…The smell of lilacs…Climbing into a freshly made bed…Children selling lemonade…

Watching Ginger roll in the grass…A spritz of Clinique Happy Heart on the back of my neck…Real Ice tea…Singing made up songs like instead of "going to the chapel and I'm gonna get married", it's "going to the depot and I'm gonna buy a lawnmower"…Road Trips…Yard Sales…A great book…Sitting on the front porch…Going to a rugby match…Watching a Summer storm…Knitting or just dreaming of knitting…
Socky goodness…My Summer BBQ playlist on ITunes…Sitting in a dark little jazz club listening to an amazing quintet…Having breakfast at the airport.

I suddenly got me a severe case of the happies and I don't plan to let it go any time soon!

So tell me…what makes you happy?

ROAD TRIP!!!

2007-05-22T10:29:00.001-06:00

Oh look, some actual knitting content. I have been knitting, in fact, I have been knitting a pair of socks quite faithfully and they are on the home stretch. Same ol' toe up dpn's two at the same time thing. There is a problem though. They look great individually but see them together--yep--they look like two entirely different socks. Fortunately, I'm not especially troubled by that. Nope not at all.

And look at my knitting bowl. Chock full of gorgeous stuff all calling to me but I am trying to be a one thing at a time sort of person--in other words going entirely against my true nature. I started to start a chevron scarf but ripped it back out, put the balls back from whence they came and went back to my socks. I set a pug to guard over my bowl to keep temptation at bay. A present from the Hanger (he is pug obsessed).

My car died last Wednesday, right before a long weekend, of course. In a true, "if life hands you lemons make lemonade" moment I decided that this could mean only one thing. ROAD TRIP!!! So Sunday, I rented a car and took the boy on a totally spontaneous road trip. We went to one of our favourite places, bet you'll never guess, Drumheller !! I loves the Drum! For the record, I also love Dinosaur Provincial Park. We hike, we admire the hoodoos, we go to the Royal Tyrrell Museum, we eat junk food, it's all good. There is something about renting a car and just taking off--it's so freeing. I have this fantasy where I just keep going… drive wherever the whim takes me… find a job in some little diner in the middle of nowhere and start all over… completely anonymous… Holly Cole's song, "Calling You" would be the soundtrack.

I have this other fantasy involves getting a job at the Museum and moving to Drum. The severe electrical storm and flash flood that occurred while we were there might have cured me of that for awhile. I've never seen so much water accumulate so fast. It was still fun except for a few tense moments driving through the rapidly rising water. We elected to get the heck out of Dodge and avoid our usual drive up the badlands to the Bleriot ferry (which probably wasn't running by that point).

7 Random Things…

2007-05-16T21:02:00.000-06:00

7 Random things about me. This is really hard. I was double tagged by both Knit Two Together and The ADD Knitter so here goes. "Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog."

1 I am the youngest of 5 girls. Because my Dad could never keep us straight, he referred to us by # if we are all together, he will still call me #5.

2 My Mom passed away when I was in my late 20's. While she was in the hospital, myself and 2 of my sisters were in other hospitals at the same time. I broke my ankle in 4 places, my sister also broke her ankle very badly either the same day or the day after me and my other sister had kidney stones. As an aside, I am deadly allergic to general anaesthetic so any trip to the hospital is kind of scary.

3 I have had the same best friend since I was 7-years-old. I was maid of honour at her wedding and dated her X husband's brother off and on for a few years. Walking up the aisle with him as best man and me as maid of honour was what finally made me see he would never be the one for me. She is coming to visit me this Summer and I can't wait!

4 I spend a lot of money on underwear. More than I spend on yarn. I have an obsession with pretty, lacy, expensive bras and undies. If I get hit by a bus, the EMS guys will have more than just your basic clean underwear to look at ;-D.

5 My father was a world class sailor, he came in 2nd at the Canada games and at the Canadian Olympic Trials. He also use to be an extremely good jazz piano player.

6 My X husband and I attended the same Art College but we actually met in a martial arts class. I would be so entranced watching the instructor throw him back and forth across the room that I could never remember what we were suppose to do when the demonstration was over.

7 I am still friends with the very first guy I ever fell in love with. When we met, he was living in Ottawa and I was living in Vancouver (those long distance things never quite work out) now he lives in Vancouver and I live in Calgary but we talk/e-mail often. Thinking about him always makes me smile.

I am not sure who to tag (and I was about to tag some people who have already tagged me) but how about if you would like to play along, just leave a comment. These are 7 knitters and bloggers I'd love to find out more about though: On Gauge, Indigirl, String Theory, The Natural Bardo, Australoknitticus, The Ex-Nomad, CanKNITian

Hope you will play along!

Not Knitting…

2007-05-13T13:54:00.000-06:00

Miracles of miracles, my son is no longer on the team with the football kids. He got switched to accommodate more of their car pooling issues. Works for me. Now he's on the team with the nice parents.

He wasn't at practice this week. One of the sad things about anxiety is that it tends to spread. Monday the boy convinced me he was far too tired to play rugby and further more had hurt his knee while playing rugby in gym. The week kind of went down hill from there. Major anxiety issues. Tuesday the mailman brought brand new cleats from Ruggers Canada. So Wednesday, I thought practice would be easy, nice weather, new cleats to show off, it's all good. The boy got ready to go and seemed excited to try out the new cleats; we got up there and he couldn't get out of the car. A big fat tear was rolling down each cheek and he couldn't tell me why. He played a bit at the game today and stayed to watch 'til the end so he could cheer his team, they won.

I guess the good news is I was able to get him into the specialist finally on Tuesday because she had a cancellation. She has him on a much higher dosage of his primary ADD medication and is in the process of increasing the secondary ADD medication which is also used as an anti-anxiety medication. She feels the main reason for the anxiety is that he was on dosages too low for his age and weight and that by bringing his medication levels up, the negative components of his ADD will subside, his ability to function and do well at school will increase and his anxiety will go down. If that doesn't work, I also have a referral to a clinic with psychologists who specialise in adolescent anxiety. Hopefully one of them could help the boy.

The thing with anxiety is people can't see it. Talking to his teachers, they don't get it. They STILL think it's being lazy and irresponsible. Trying to explain to his coaches why he wasn't at practice this week, they don't really get it, although they are trying to.

I can't show the boy how this is affecting me. I know how many knit bloggers are also parents, you guys can sympathise. If I show any weakness it feeds the anxiety. If I get upset, or depressed, any chink that all is not A-OK and things go South. I gotta stay positive, up beat, sunshine and lollipops--if I take the odd break from blogging, it's 'cause I'm having trouble doing that.

Where did the time go?

2007-05-06T18:29:00.000-06:00

Had a bit of a downward turn there… weeks went by and and I couldn't find anything funny, or up beat or in any way inspirational to say. Every time I started to write, it went south and it was never my intention to be down and depressing for anyone who cares to read.

And now the weather is better and the rugby fields are lovely and green and things are looking up again, so I'm back.

Ah Rugby…I love the game… but the parents may drive me to drink!

Some of the Dads are such amazing jerks! We have enough registered players for 2 teams. If they had their way, the 2 teams would be: Their son's (who of course are all perfect) on one team and the rest of the loosers on the other. Some clubs do it that way, a highly competitive team and a B team, not ours. These are the same bunch of yahoos who joined their kids up last year and were telling them, "Rugby is just off season practice for Football."

I really don't like the "Football Dad's", gee can you tell ;-D? One of their snotty little blond Stepford wives was talking about the gravel on the field and that someone should pick it up. Then she looked over at me (who was not part of the conversation and minding my knitting) and said, "That could be your job." Seriously. I looked her straight in the eye and said, "Yeah, I'll be getting right on that." and went back to knitting. I have no problem picking up the odd rock, it was her tone.

Hooker, Lock and Prop all rugbyese for ox-like, capable of mowing down anything in it's path. All are in this thing called a "ruck" and also something else that involves a great deal of pushing called a "maul". The boy is in green, black and white.

The boy played two games back to back this afternoon (he's on the team that has all the football kids but I haven't started spiking my coffee yet). He plays, prop, hooker or lock. They won both games and knitting was accomplished. The other club team also won its games.

See? "Still life with rugby balls and sock."

Have received more fibery goodness in the shape of Vespers sock yarn by Knitterly Things in "Sorbet" from the Sweet Sheep sock club. Best of all… I booked a lil' somthin' special for my self. This fall I am going on a knitting retreat. The Make One Emerald Lake Lodge knitting retreat. I am pumped! I have from now 'til the bus leaves in November to get it paid for, totally doable. Emerald Lake Lodge is so awesome and gorgeous. Looking forward to it.

Other than that… you know… the hanger just won't go away. I can't figure that man out. When he isn't driving me insane, he's one of my best friends. We aren't going out but we aren't not going out either. In other words… he's still doing what he does best… hanging.

GO Check this girl out…

2007-04-18T20:56:00.000-06:00

I don't usually do this but I'm going to tell everyone who reads my blog that they must go check this fiber artist and soon to be ACAD grad out! What I love about her is she has a quirky, unique and off beat vision and her art is knitted. It's very cool. Suzen… you are awesome!

Why can't we all just get along?

2007-04-15T17:16:00.001-06:00

So I started my Next pair of toe ups. I went with the Collinette Jitterbug in Jay--I love this yarn!! Lornas Laces is lovely but Jitterbug is Da Bomb! It is so vivid and has a great feel, it knits up perfectly and evenly and is just the nicest sock yarn I've worked with so far. Nicer than Trekking, nicer than Reggia and Sorry LL I love you but nicer than Lorna's Laces too (those are the only sock yarns I've tried so far although there are others yet to be tried in my stash)

I fell so in love with Jitterbug that I bought it in two more colours: Fruit Coulis and Bright Charcoal, thinking of course of more socks. Now that I have it, I am thinking it might make a really lovely Chevron Scarf from "Last Minute Knitted Gifts". The colours complement each other beautifully. What do you think?

I do have quite the hoard of sock yarn now. In with my order for Jitterbug, I also ordered one skein of Louet Gems in "Carribean Blue" to use as toes and heels with my left over Lorna's Laces "Lakeview"and some Zen Yarn Garden sock yarn in "Pacific Grove". I liked the idea of a sock yarn that comes with the co-ordinating toe and heel colour and being from the West Coast, the name holds a certain appeal. I also joined two sock clubs. The Make One Sock Club which starts in May and the Sweet Sheep (the source of my most recent sock yarn mana) sock club which started in March. So far from the SS Sock Club I have received Sweet Sheep's own "Spring Tulips" and All Things Heather "Spring Fling" I love the colours from the Sweet Sheep Club, they are springy and bright and oh so girly… they make me think of brightly coloured flower gardens and little girls skipping rope… and the yarns feel lovely… and they come with lovely little extras… like a sheep stitch marker and several samples of S.O.A.K. yarn wash but so far… the colours aren't really me. However… the whole point of joining two sock clubs was to try yarns I normally might not so I am not complaining. Sweet Sheep has fantastic service, very quick turn around and a lovely personal touch.

Other than that, thanks so much to everyone who has commented on my recent troubles with the boy and his school. I am finding the whole process painfully slow. There aren't enough professionals in the area of children's mental health and that means a lot of waiting.

The school has done some good things, accepted that they have to make more effort too. The boy wasn't getting the right accommodations for his ADD and that was contributing to the anxiety. They've set him up with a mentor which seems to be a good thing.

I am using some strategies that work. An incentive program for a good week at school, accepting the realities of my son's anxiety, if I can calm the situation and bring the levels of anxiety down sometimes we can stop it in it's tracks. Getting him to look down the road to a good weekend helps get him past the one bad day. Sometimes humor works: if I can lighten things up and get some laughter going. Making sure the boy gets enough sleep, eats properly, takes his meds, gets some exercise (Rugby starts tomorrow)--all that routine stuff seems to help--reassuring him that we are going to figure out what's going on and make it better.

The worst possible thing is when I give in to my own fears, raise my voice, loose my temper. When my X was here he was making noise about taking the boy to live in ON because in his opinion, "What else do you expect from him with you for a mother". Then as he put it "You can fork over the money every month". In my X's opinion the only thing wrong with our son is my lousy parenting (this despite a history of anxiety and/or depression on both sides). I let my fear completely overwhelm me. My anxiety went through the roof and anxiety feeds on anxiety. There was a lot of recovery work to make up for that. The boy doesn't want to live with his Dad, he dreads seeing him and I have to reassure him that unless he wants to, he doesn't have to. The boy has been talking to his Grandma as well (my X's Mom, a decent and smart lady) and hopefully she will help her son see that what he is doing is wrong.

Here are my dog and the X's cat (now mine) asking that age old question: "Why can't we all just get along?".

Good weather for knitting…

2007-04-02T11:44:00.000-06:00

One finished pair of socks! I felt it was only fair that I cast on for another--Jitterbug Jays (you knew I would) they are so much faster on the bigger needles! I am not going to start any larger projects until I finish a few things first.

There was quite a bit of LL left over… what do you do with left over sock yarn? I think there might be enough for another pair if I get something to co-ordinate for the toe and heel or is there something else I could do?

I got my Applelaine Apple Pie sock yarn from Wool-Tyme. If anything it's even prettier in person and very soft. To me, it looks like dappled sunshine. The "Army Surplus" colour way is quite lovely--it's name does not do it justice as the colours are quite intense and look more like foliage with the sun shining through it and the "Winter Dawn" is very suited to it's name, pinks and browns and blues and golds all flecking together. I look forward to trying it.

It's good weather for knitting here as you can see.

I worked around the house most of the day Sunday and will do the same again today. What I can't bring myself to throw away, I am moving to the basement. Hopefully we will have a yard sale this summer and get rid of a bunch of stuff. Or I may just skip the yard sale and call a charity to come take it all away. My main concern is to remove the clutter… where it goes doesn't bother me that much.

It's Spring Break this week.

Prepare for a rant about school. You can stop reading here if you are only interested in the knitting ;-D.

I met with people at the boy's school Friday. I got the distinct impression that the VP there is an idiot.

First, he was going to cancel because some other parent had barged in and was insisting he talk to her NOW! I pointed out that I had scheduled my meeting and taken unpaid time off work to be there and had no intention of cancelling (he should get a back bone for crying out loud).
Second, he wasn't prepared. He had anxiety mixed up with OCD (quite different and not an issue for my son). The guidance counsellor had to explain the difference.
Third, the VP was immediately wanting to send my son off to a different school (one where the kids focus more on being employable). Great, lets take an extremely bright kid with a learning disability and anxiety and teach him how to drywall. Yeah!!
And finally, he didn't know about the special needs school that operates within the CBE. It's a wonderful school that only accepts students of above average intelligence who also have either ADD or learning disabilities or both but can only keep them a maximum of two years. I pointed out that they did not recommended the current school willy nilly. They obviously feel the boy is capable of doing well there and I certainly don't want the doors of academia being closed in his face in grade 7.

It was all most exhausting. However, at this point I know that a calm, polite, yet firm manner wins over calling someone a moron every time (although the latter is always tempting).

Looky Here… Knitting

2007-03-26T22:18:00.000-06:00

Well some knitting… some navel gazing… but I'll keep it to a minimum.

Socks! I am on the cuffs. I have started socks before but this is the first pair I can picture actually finishing. I'm so happy. Amy's Universal Toe Up Socks in Lorna's Laces Lakeview.

Now what to do next. I am, as usual, eyeing all sorts of things other than what I already have started or have bought yarn and patterns for. Karen both this Karen and that Karen had me thinking a small Clapotis. Make One just got a new shipment of Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb and of course… me being me… I had to at least buy the yarn. On the other hand, there are projects to be finished first. Lots of them. I should have a WIP hall of shame. And then there are the projects on my list, the yarn and patterns are already in my grubby little mitts and all that needs to be done now is make them. One's hobby shouldn't be so out of control as to be causing this sort of mental dithering. I should just shut my eyes, reach into my basket and grab something. Everything in there is project specific.

Right Now, I could potentially Start:

Clapotis in Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb Bittersweet

Socks in Collinette Jitterbug Jay or Sweet Sheep Spring Tulips

A Lacey Hug me Tight in Mocha Silk/Alpacca

A top down Men's Henley in Olive Green Melange Misti Alpacca

Another Wrap Sweater in either Deep Red Misti Alpacca or Bright Blue Malabrigo

A Lace and Cable Scarf in Art Yarns Silk Rhapsody 139

Cabled Gauntlets in Collinette Cadenza Moss

Felted Slippers

A Dog Sweater

or I could potentially finish:

A Cotton Hat

A Wrap

Two Pairs of Socks

Sizzle

The Tube Wrap from Alterknits

More Squares for blanket drives

Thoughts anyone?

I would be calling myself ADD but it's already been taken.

I did get tasty packages in the mail. Sweet Sheep sock yarn in "Spring Tulips" and my copy of "Victorian Lace Today"--never mind that I've never knit lace in my life--a girl can dream can't she (and it is worth having just for the inspiration and amazing photography)? And I was very bad… I saw these socks and the yarn looked so lovely I couldn't resist. Apple Pie yarn by Applelaine in Army Surplus and Winter's Dawn. Yes, I realize that in one year I have gone from no stash to substantial stash but it's the dreamer in me… I can't help myself.

Part of the attention problems I've been having getting significant knitting done is that I am up to my neck in referrals, for specialists, counselling and following up recommendations for my son's anxiety issue. Doing the recommended reading… especially about what to do when ADD co-exists with other issues like Anxiety and possibly Depression. Everything seems to move at an impossibly slow pace. We've been working with crisis response counseling but that is strictly a short term thing. I had to book my son's mental health intake interview (it's today) a week ahead of time. That's just to get him into the system. His pediatric referral is going to take at least 6-8 weeks. It'll be Summer Holidays by then. There is also a 6 week waiting period for me to get into counseling so that I can work through some of my own issues (one of the recommendations) and be a better help to him. It's so SLOW. However, at the end if we can figure out what is going on and make it better…well. At least we are moving along.

I will have more time for knitting when the boy's rugby season starts in April. Practice twice a week, games on Sunday, lots of lovely knitting time. I love the rugby too of course but it's the knitting time that really appeals…what else can you do when you are out on the practice field?

Oh soooo tired. But soon, I shall have a lovely new bed. This bed and a fantastic new mattress too. My present to me. Nobody to share it with of course… unless you count Ginger… but a lovely present don't you think? I shall feel like a princess.

Progress…

2007-03-12T11:51:00.000-06:00

So I knit the gauge swatch for my Jitterbug socks. It swatched great and at 6 stitches per inch on #3 dpns… I think I'm in love. Compared to the Lorna's Laces ones I am working on now 8.5 stitches per inch on #1-1/2 dpns. That's 48 stitches per round as opposed to 64. Wow. Wow. Once again I will do both concurrently toe up using Amy's Universal Toe Up pattern from Knitty. I might play with some ribbing this time or not. Doing two toe ups at once keeps me motivated in several ways.

You can try them on
You get the hardest part over at the beginning
They progress apace
If you swap back and forth then they should be finished at the same time, no second sock!
Did I mention you can try them on?

No bad fit surprises. The only tricky part is the short row toes and heels but I like the way they both look and fit as opposed to a heel flap, aesthetically, to me anyway, short row toes and heels look better. Other than that, my knitting is Booooring! I am focused on finishing stuff so there isn't much to see. I want to take a spinning class at Make1 but they only offer it Saturdays… when I'm at work.

In other news, this is something that doesn't make it into the blog… the real source of my stress… the stuff that is nearly too painful to talk about. The boy struggles with school. He's ADHD, he has learning disabilities. School overwhelms him. He sometimes has massive anxiety attacks and refuses to go. Sometimes he does go but once we're there he just can't get out of the car. Every week is a crap shoot, some weeks are fine some are anything but, he has missed more school than he should have and the whole sorry mess breaks my heart.

Nothing I tried seemed to work, nothing until this week. The boy LOVES to cook. He wanted to make a REAL Black Forrest Cake. So I promised him that provided he had a full good week at school, I'd teach him my Mom's secret (it's not really a secret, a chocolate cake mix, cherry pie filling with a little kirsch mixed in and whipping cream with chocolate shavings on top). Last week, every time he started to go off track I just kept repeating… you can do it… Keep your eye on the prize… x more days to Black Forrest Cake Sunday! One more day and I pick up the secret ingredients… No fights, no threats, no taking stuff away, no tears, no begging. And it worked!! We're already talking about next weekend--Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Sunday. I am not a baker and neither of us needs the calories but if it works…he can bake or cook anything he wants to every Sunday provided only that he has a good week and goes to school every day.

Oh, and the Hanger has called, a few times. He misses me… he misses my body… and who wouldn't…Angelina Joile is my boob twin ;-D…he wants to see me, I miss him too but I'm holding the line. I told him he can call me, we might even go to a hockey game this week but we can't go back to the way things were. He has to figure out what he wants. I got off the fence… now it's his turn. We'll see. I'm doing OK though, it feels good to have taken that deep breath and told him the truth. Even if nothing comes of it, even if he goes away. I told him we get what we settle for and that's true. There is a great line in the Movie, "Failure to Launch" when she says to the guy, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life having Fun? Or do you want to spend it with me?".

Hey Hey…

2007-03-11T19:53:00.001-06:00

Your Celebrity Boob Twin:

Angelina Jolie

Who's Your Celebrity Boob Twin?

the book meme

2007-03-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

I saw this meme on Quilty Knitwit's blog and as I LOVE reading, thought it was a good one for me.

Look at the list of books below.
The ones I’ve read are starred and in bold*.
The ones I want to read are in italics.
I've left alone the ones that I'm not interested in.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) *
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) *
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) *
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (J.R.R. Tolkien) *
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien) *
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (J.R.R. Tolkien) *
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) *
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry) *
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J.K. Rowling) *
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown) *
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (J.K. Rowling) *
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) *
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (J.K. Rowling) *
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald) *
18. The Stand (Stephen King) *
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J.K. Rowling) *
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) *
21. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien) *
22. Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) *
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) *
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel) *
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) *
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) *
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) *
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) *
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert) *
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) *
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (George Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb) *
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant) *
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) *
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible*
46. Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt) *
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb) *
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver) *
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Scott Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence) *
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (J.K. Rowling) *
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) *
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) *
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davies) *
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Victor Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Helen Fielding) *
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) *
73. Shogun (James Clavell) *
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) *
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) *
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving) *
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence) *
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) *
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley) LOVE TF this is one of the few I haven't read.
82. Of Mice And Men (John Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier) *
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) *
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams) *
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields) *
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In the Skin of a Lion (Michael Ondaatje) *
92. Lord of the Flies (William Golding) *
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck) *
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) *
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch) *
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

You can leave a comment on my blog if you participate in this meme - I'd be interested to know what you liked and didn't!

So it's official…

2007-02-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

I'm becoming a wiener dog lady. Look… Ginger is thrilled.

I told the hanger a week ago today that if I wasn't the one… I wanted him to leave me alone. That I wasn't interested in being friends or "friends" as the case may be. Haven't heard from him since… zip… nothing… nada. 3-1/2 years. I don't hate the guy. He warned me from the start he was shallow but I thought he had hidden depths. Guess not.

So I've been doing my best to stay busy. Lots of knitting, my toe-up socks and some fetchings, nothing too mentally challenging. Cleaning my house.

Playing with my new toy. I needed a ball winder. I tend to end up at the LYS when ever I'm feeling despondent but this will get lots of use.

I am feeling despondent… it's a good word for a bad mood. I was happy being married (ignorant and blind yes… but damn it I was happy) and good at it too. Now it seems like something completely out of my reach. I am a good person, there is lots of love in my heart, I'm reasonably decent looking, collectively the girls at work have decided I'm only 35… so what's wrong?

You can tell a lot by how people treat service workers. We get these yuppy couples in the store. The guys are polite and the women are just mean. All the time at work I see hard, rude, nasty, women with nice guys… why do they have nice guys? So they can snap their fingers at them and see how high they jump? They are the girls who use to bully me mercilessly in junior high (& they probably all have nice guys too). Lots of nice women have nice guys too and there are lots of women in worse states than I could ever dream of but still… what is it?

My sister says I'm only getting back what I put out. According to her… I put out a looser vibe… that's comforting (that's probably not what she meant to say). I don't even know how you meet anyone anymore.

Yup…
Wiener dog lady.

It's like my Aunt Betty use to tell me… there are worse things than being alone.

How would you photograph a state of angst anyway?

2007-02-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

So I finally got my drink in Saturday night at the Make 1 pub night. I had no excuse not to be there as they meet at the pub across the street form where I work. It was badly needed and very much enjoyed.

I was working a seven day stretch while our AM is away on holidays. I can see why my Manager gets so frustrated sometimes. I wanted to smack someone yesterday. What ever happened to a work ethic? The overwhelming attitude seems to be "I'm not paid enough to care." but honestly if that's the way you feel, there are lots of jobs, no one has to be there if they don't want to be. We are more than fairly compensated for what we do.

I compensated for my stressful couple of weeks (not just mine, the boy has been through hell too) with some shopping. Note to self… don't go to the yarn store when you're mad at the X… anger and shopping don't mix. I've been wanting to try some more complicated cables and find a good starter lace pattern and when I bought the Jitterbug Jay sock yarn, There was another Colinette yarn that caught my eye The Cadenza Easy Care in Moss. I love the rusty flecks in it and the soft green colour… everything about it really… so I am going to use it to make a pair of Alchemy Cabled Gauntlets. I also picked up the pattern for an Alchemy "Lace & Cable Scarf", there was one on display at the store and it was so lovely and looks not too daunting for someone who has never done lace. I'm going to make it in Art Yarns, Silk Rhapsody 139. On top of that, I joined the Make One Sock Club. I am justifying it by telling myself it's a great way to try a whole bunch of different sock yarns and get some new toe up sock patterns all at a reasonable price. Oy, so much for knitting from stash. I'm not being completely bad though… I've been using my stash up too. Making fetchings, knitting blanket squares (now that I found my lost knitting bag), I could start another sweater as well. When I'm stressed out and cranky at the world all I want to do is shut my self away and knit. For years I use to shut my self away and read. When I was a kid, I would shut my self away and play the piano… really, really badly or draw. Basically, I just want to shut my self away… a natural recluse personality… maybe I should become a wiener dog lady… surely Ginger wouldn't mind.

Oh and I figured since… you know… my life is going to hell in a hand basket anyway… I'd tell the Hanger to get off the fence. We had that little talk last night. He seemed genuinely flabbergasted (God I love that word). He kept saying "but you're the one who's not ready". My sister told me that the reason he wouldn't commit to me was because I wouldn't commit to him. You get what you give and all that. She might have had something there. I'm prepared for him to walk away, if he does, than that's what's meant to be. If he doesn't… well… I'll deal with that when it happens.

Anyway, no photos… not in the mood… and how would you photograph a state of angst anyway?

No Gory Details…

2007-02-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

But I need to say this just to have it said. I really can not count the ways in which I hate my X husband. I try to be nice and I try to be polite but he is a bully and a put down artist. No matter how far I've come, he can still find the exact right words to make me feel like crap. There it's off my chest… nuf said. I need a drink.

Feeling Blue…

2007-02-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

Actually, I'm not feeling blue, at the moment I'm feeling relieved.

But on Monday, when I was feeling blue and had my lovely test lurking… went to the yarn store… fell off the KFS wagon BAD but it was worth it. It was hard not to yield to temptation. Make 1 had not only new Malabrigo but Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn (can Malabrigo be my exception to KFS?). Jitterbug is knit it on slightly larger needles which gives me hope. I purchased a sweater's worth of Malabrigo in "Tuareg", a ladies top down cardigan perhaps? and one lovely skein of Jitterbug 85 "Jay". These are both blue and can you see how intense the colours are? Who could possibly resist? I've added in my first fetching just to add to the blue theme.

My gorgeous new blue and chocolate brown bra (please excuse the cheap cleavage shot) and a blue top that I'm loving. All I need now is some blues on my iTunes and I'm all set.

Are Fetchings addictive or what? Talk about the cure for Fast Finished Objects.

Anyway, back to the test. It went, the tech was great, her initial comment was to the effect of "Well at your age everything starts going to hell in a hand basket… it's just a question of what goes first." She was also hilarious about the "probe" she was using to take pictures. "It's not as bad as it looks, trust me, if it went all the way in… I'd be taking pictures of your thyroid." It was obvious she found something "of interest". The call back was today and confirmed exactly what my Dr. thought was going on… I have some fibroids. The really great news is I don't have to have surgery, yet. I do have to go on a fairly strong birth control, take anti-inflamatories and monitor the situation but big deal. I feel like a dork getting worked up over nothing but January was pretty scary and as a natural born worrier… I was doing what comes naturally.

And now it's my FUN weekend. The roads suck but I've been catching up on pod-casts. Lime & Violet is great for a laugh. Wacky fun. Lime & Violet are hilarious but I have to say Sticks and String is still my favourite pod-cast. May be it's David Reidy's gorgeous Australian accent I can't resist. Or the opening strains of Bach but I love that show! Going out with the kids at work tomorrow night. Tonight is movie night at Make 1. That could be fun!

I am currently reading "A Complicated Kindness"by Miriam Toews. So far it's very good! It was a 2004 Governor General Award Winner and Giller Prize Finalist. "Darkly Funny" is the description that comes to mind. I think you would need to have a pretty dark side to enjoy this book.