Last post for December

Ok, Just a quick happy New Year to everyone. In case you are wondering, as per SP9 rules, I had to have 4 posts for the month of December to be allowed to stay in and so, here they are. Ta da. Have a great time tonight, whatever you are doing. Drive safe!

On the Needles? Nothing.

Just a quick update as to what I have been knitting these days... nothing. I have been too sick even to pick up my knitting. Virtually nothing has been knit in this house for the last six weeks. Sad, I know. I just haven't felt up to it. I did however, force myself to get out of the house for an hour to go to the Make One knitting sale. It was great to see everyone and I got a lot of very good deals on everything. I bought 3 skeins of Lorna's Laces Lion&Lamb in Georgetown for another Clapotis. I also bought some sock yarns from Art Yarns and a cotton stretch sock yarn, both in blue colorways.

Other than that, I am sadly behind in all of my knitting and am hoping that soon I will feel less like puking and more like purling.

Its... A Baby

Yup, to those that didn't know, those that guessed, and those that just don't care, I am pregnant again... and for the last time ever.

I seem to be one of those few women who hates being pregnant. I HATE it. With a passion. I have been so sick with both pregnancies as to render the first trimester and beyond so terrible that it is impossible to get excited about anything. And, if the last pregnancy is anything to go by, I am predicting that I will get a few good weeks at the end of the second trimester when the vomiting and extreme 24/7 nausea will let up. At which point, the baby will then lodge its head under my ribcage and stomp incessantly on my bladder for the next couple of months until it is born.

Sounds pretty miserable hey? Why do I do it? Because I LOVE the end result. And, if you know Bunny, you can see why I think having kids is so great...

I just wish I wasn't the one that actually has to have them.

So Darn Sick

I have been away from the blog for a while now. Worse yet, I haven't knit anything in 2 weeks. Not even picked up my needles. Odd, I know. I haven't been out of the house except to the doctor or the hospital in two weeks. I throw up at all times of the day and generally feel tired and miserable. But, it will all be worth it. Can you guess why? I am not telling now, but very soon all will be revealed. Very soon.

Sale Stuffs...

Time sure flies when you are having... fun. Actually, I have just been too busy to sit down and post something substantial. Plus, I promised some yarn for sale/swap. So, without further ado, here is the stuff that I want to get rid of. I just really want to make room for some of the things that are coming in, so I will be more than happy to make a very good deal with anyone that wants anything. This post will only contain a portion of what I need to get rid of though. My camera battery died halfway through the photos so I will post the rest of the stuff as soon as the camera charges.

This is some super 10 cotton that I bought for the Calla tank. I actually have 3 skeins and will gladly frog the one which is still on the needles if you would like.






















I bought this to make Bunny a cardigan from Knitty. Just after I bought it and swatched it, she proclaimed that she didn't like purple and that was the end of that. I actually have one more skein of the purple that was on the needles and then frogged.









This yarn comes from Elann. I bought it to make this. It's actually very soft with quite a bit of stretch to it. Its a 40/30/30 mix of wool/poyamide/acrylic. I love the color, but I don't want to spend the time making the sweater, frankly. There are 10 balls still in the bag and two that were partially unwound and then promptly rewound again. Enough to make the medium size of the sweater.

















This is a very different yarn. Its a slubby peach color and I have about a dozen (give or take) skeins of this. I bought it thinking it would make a cool sweater, but never got around to it. I don't know much about the manufacturer since I think that they may have gone out of business. Its a soft mix of cotton/viscose/acrylic and has some pretty shine to it.







If anyone is interested in any of these yarns, please email me at lawsontrisha(at)hotmail(dot)com -- you know to put in the @ and the . right? We can also discuss shipping then. I promise not to charge any more than it costs me to ship.

Otherwise, all things are good. I will also have some pics of the knitting retreat that I went on last weekend (including pics of the 2 special - and famous- guests that accompanied and imparted copious amounts of wisdom on us).

Coming Soon...

Stash Busting!! In the next week or so, I will be trying to streamline some of my stash and pare it down to the basics. I am running out of room in the office that Hubby and I share and he has asked me to get rid of some of my stash as its starting to crowd him out. So, I agreed and will be taking it down a notch. I don't really want to, but I realize that its necessary, so watch for a large batch of very nice yarn at great prices over the next week or so. And one lucky buyer will also win a surprise gift! As soon as its posted, you will be able to PM me and let me know what you would like. I will be taking any reasonable offer. Keep your eyes peeled.

NaNoWriMo

Ok, so I have signed up to join NaNoWriMo. What the heck is that? Well, when I break it down into its non-acronym stage, its National Novel Writing Month. See the counter at the right hand side of the blog? That should show how many words I have written over the course of the month. The goal, of course, being 50, 000 words. Lots hey. I worked it out - that's 1666.66 words per day, every day. Big challenge, but I have to say, I think it's worth it. I have always wanted to write a novel and now I am doing it. In a month. Heh. I started this morning and have completed 401 words in the space of a half hour. I think this is something I could actually complete and stick with to completion. Of course, that's what I thought about going to the gym too.

So begins the journey. And so begins the writing process. I am happy to say that I think that I have a fairly good idea to work with and am excited to see where the story will go from here. They say, write about what you know. I think I will.

Keep on Swimmin...

Check this out. Fishy Mittens! How cool is that? I think that I am in love! I have so much sock yarn and this is such a great use for the leftovers that always happen with a pair of adult socks. I can't wait to cut my entrelac teeth on these socks. I think that they will be such a great present for Bunny.

I also have a ton of clogs to make for family this winter for Xmas. I absolutely love that I can make people presents. It always seems to me that Xmas has become so commercialized and has lost its true meaning. Somehow when stores start their Xmas push in October, I start feeling nauseous and the feeling doesn't really pass until January. Hopefully people like handmade gifts. I sure do.

What's on the needles right now? A hat for Bunny to match the one that I made my Mom and some socks. Seriously. I think that this is the least that I have ever had on the needles at one time. Of course, I still have a 3/4 finished pair of clogs for me, Calla, and my design project on the needles right now waiting to be finished, but I need some serious inspiration before I pick these UFO's up again... Someday they will get finished. Someday. Until then, Fishy mittys, here I come!!

Snowdays.

I have the day off of work today. What does one do at home all day by herself? Clean? I probably should, but no. Study? Nope. Not that either. Let's see, I slept in, sent Hubby to drop off Bunny at daycare, drank that coffee that he brought me from Tim Hortons (yummy!) and sat down at the computer. That was an hour ago. I am thinking that next I will probably go and watch some tv and then have a nap. I love snowdays. I used to have a lot of snowdays in school, but once you are working, it becomes very difficult to just take a day off whenever you feel like it. People tend to get upset if you don't show up when you are supposed to. Phhhft... whatever.

Not much on the needles right now. I am a bit stumped actually. I haven't unpacked my knitting books because we are waiting on shelving in this room. And, I can't put up any shelving or anything until the room is painted. So, there you have it. I am planning to paint tomorrow afternoon after Bunnys swimming. I am thinking I will just go down to HomeDepot and buy one of the "mistake" cans -- you know, the cans of paint that someone has decided that they don't like the color of. I will try to find one that is the most neutral color (its a basement room) and just get it done tomorrow so that on Sunday I can buy my shelves and have Hubby set them up. I can't wait to get the boxes out of the garage so that we can start parking in there. Seems sort of a waste to have a nice big garage and still be parking on the street right??

Check out how big Bunny is getting. Seems like only yesterday she was a little baby. Every morning when she wakes up, I bring her in our bed and can't help marvel at how much she has grown up and what a nice little lady she is becoming. How lucky are we? See what I mean? So very grown up. And the things that come out of her mouth... She even talks like a grownup.

I wonder what the future will hold for her.

Being an Adult is HARD...

I am having a no good, terrible horrible, very bad day. Today I have a sick kid. I hate when she is sick. Sunday, I broke my glasses and haven't had a chance to get them fixed yet. They snapped in half while I was drying them. Hubby super-glued them together. I am waiting for them to come apart and fall to the floor during a meeting. I have been dreaming about this happening for 3 nights now.

I was late to a meeting this morning. Traffic sucked. It's snowing. I have cold feet. I need to pee.

I know I have probably exhausted my share of whining for the next month, but sometimes you just need to get it out. Right? I bet tomorrow will be better.

And All the Good Things

You know you have become officially obsessed (is it even possible to become officially obsessed? Maybe we need to have a ceremony or something) when you get almost pant-wetting excited at the thought of going to a... wait for it... Knitting Retreat!! Yeah, I said it. A knitting retreat. But wait, before anyone thinks that I have gone off the deep end, check out the details. This is what the gals at Make One Yarn Studio have posted on their website about the trip:

November 10 - 12 at Emerald Lake Lodge in Field, BC. Authors Amy R. Singer and Jillian Moreno will join for the weekend to teach fit, flattery, and alterations. At the end of the weekend, you’ll have one fully customized pattern based on your body shape and measurements. You’ll also receive one-on-one consulations on any commerically available pattern, and a set of your own measurements. But, it’s not all about fit and flattery! We’ll also party it up, make one style, with fashion shows, games and great prizes all weekend long. Emerald Lake Lodge is known for five star accomodations, dining, wine, and priceless views. The lake is yours that weekend. Knit in front of your own fireplace, enjoy a glass of wine on your balcony, or join others. The all-inclusive price includes all food, drink, accomodation, and round-trip transporation from Calgary, plus every activity and class all weekend long.

How cool does that sound? I know, to non-knitters, it may seem a bit pricey to spend a weekend away with a set of pointy, inanimate objects and a bunch of string, but to me, its a weekend with a bunch of people who share the same obsessions as me. Good food, good conversation, and pointy inanimate objects and a who truck load of string. I can't wait!

And, I have more good news, I finished Clapotis! It took a little while, but I have to say that I enjoyed knitting this pattern more than any other that I have knit so far. And, I am happy to say that it took only 3 balls of the Curious Creek Oban. Side Note:You have no idea how long it took me to upload this picture though. I have been having some issues with Blogger over the last little while and the uploading of pictures is a major bone of contention. I think I have found a solution though; upload pictures through Flickr.
Regarding the the Clapotis though, it came off the needles last night and all that is left is to make sure the stitches drop the rest of the way down. The Oban is a little fuzzy and seems to not want to drop more than a few stitches on its own. I can't wait to block it and wear it. Its supposed to get very cold here and possibly snow over the next few days, so I am planning to have it blocked and ready for monday.

As well, I got a new knitting bag. My fave knitting store got a new shipment of these wonderful bags in over the last month and of course, I just had to have one. I love that it is professional enough to carry to work. Cute hey? And yes, what post would be complete without a mention of The Wall. So, here is the bag in all her splendor featured in the great Thibodeau wall project of 2006. Gotta love it.

And, I was all ready to publish this blog entry, when I decided to take a quick break and go get the mail. Lo and behold, my first SP9 package had already arrived!!! I know! How the heck did my SP9 pal already get this fabulous stuff in the mail to me? Alpaca fibre no less and organic dark chocolate. How could my pal know that I don't really have a sweet tooth, but if anything, I would never turn down a piece of dark chocolate. Yummy. And, for Bunny, some stuff that turns bath water pink. How cool is that?? She will be thrilled and since MIL is coming tonight, this will make bath time even more special. Thank you thank you thank you secret pal. How you have already gotten this out, is beyond me! You are one speedy lady. I guess this means I need to get my butt in gear and send something out to my secret pal. I know what I will be doing this weekend. Shopping!!

And more about me...

Well, the first contest of SP9 has been posted and here are my answers....

The question was; what is my favorite:


Actor - Anyone who knows me knows that JOHNNY DEPP makes me swoon. Literally. I would give my right arm for an evening alone with him. Sigh.
Actress - Stockard Channing. Seriously. I lurve her.
Animal - Cat. Who doesn't love cats? I know that there are people out there that hate cats. I Just. Don't. Get. This.
Band - The Philosopher Kings - who by the way, I have never seen live and I have loved them for years. But, they have just gotten back together and I am making it a goal to see them play this time.
Beverage - Cosmopolitan. Yummy. And pink. Oh, or Sangria.
Book - Anything by Diana Gabaldon or Wilbur Smith. I really dig historical fiction.
Bubble Bath - I don't get bubble bath. I just don't.
Candy - I am also not a huge candy person. Give me a big ol basket of fries any day over candy.
Color - Any and all. Except, maybe, neon or pastels.
Flower - Red Calla lilies. And, yes, I know they don't grow that color.
Food - See, now this is a tough question. I like most food equally. I think if I had to choose though, I would say sushi.
Lip Balm - Burts Bees or anything from Lush.
Lotion - Bedhead Lotion in Oatmeal Cookie
Movie - Six Degrees of separation. Nobody but me has ever seen this movie though. I think I must have been one of only 10 people that have ever watched it. Of course, now they have a new tv show out on Wednesday nights that is based on this way cool movie that no one has ever watched.
Song - How do you have a favorite song? There are so many great songs out there...
TV Show - Lost or ER or Prison Break or Men in Trees or Gilmore Girls or Heroes or... Ya, we watch a lot of tv.
Vacation Spot - Hawaii. Although I really want to go to Bali and Africa.

Ok, SP9 Pal, here are the answers to the rather lengthy list of questions that I got off the website. Hopefully they will help you make the difficult decision about what to get me...



1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I really like silk right now. I am currently knitting Clapotis out of some Curious Creek Oban and it makes me happy every time I knit with it, no matter what mood I am in before I sit down.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a Namaste bag that I LOVE, but I am finding that I really would like a sturdy DPN holder that I can put all of my DPN's in so that they aren't floating all over my bag all the time.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I have been knitting for about a year how. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? With as much modesty as possible, I would humbly consider myself an intermediate knitter. I know all the basic stitches and have tackled some of the more complex patterns and techniques such as cabling without a cable needle.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Nope. I abhor Amazon though. Their customer service is crap.
5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) Pink Grapefruit and cranberry. Basically anything natural and light. Artificial smells give me a headache.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Not really. I have more of a yarn tooth :)
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I have just started spinning and am getting better, but always seem to run out of roving quite quickly. For some reason, I can never seem to just sit down and spin a little bit. I always need to spin all the roving I have at one time, LOL. I really wish I had more bobbins for my Ashford traveler though... hint hint :)
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like all kinds of music, but find that I mostly listen to the radio and my MP3 player. We don't have a CD player in our car.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? Anything earthy toned or jewel toned. I don't really dislike any colors. If pressed, I guess I would say that I would prefer not to receive anything neon.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I am married and have a 4 year old daughter. I also have two cats.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Scarves, hats, mittens good. Ponchos, shawls bad.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Oh, that's easy. Socks. Any kind of socks. And baby stuffs. So many people around me are pregnant right now.
13. What are you knitting right now? Fetchings, socks, Clapotis. Check out the progress bars on the right of the blog.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Sure. I love when someone spends a lot of time on something for someone else. As long as its from the heart. Isn't that what knitting is all about?
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I only knit on Circulars and DPNS. I would love to own some Knit Picks Options, but haven't bought them yet. I do have two other interchangeable sets - Denise and Boye. I wish I had some shorter sock needles in sizes 0-2.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yep. Both.
17. How old is your oldest UFO? Oh jeez, I am embarrassed to admit that my oldest UFO is from May of this year. I started knitting Calla and hated it. I should really frog it and make something else with the yarn.
18. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving. I LOVE Turkey and all the trimmings, but hate the commercialism of Christmas - hence, Thanksgiving.
19. Is there anything that you collect? Does yarn count? LOL. Seriously though, I was just saying in a previous post that I have never collected anything before I started knitting. Now, I think I have a bonafied sock yarn collection. Its almost too large to store in the bins that I have it in.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I can't really think of anything right now. There is a book out there and I can't remember the name, but I liked the idea that it has a ton of different patterns in it for almost anything which are like templates. It gives you tables so that you can convert any pattern into any gauge of yarn and make any size of the item. Jeez, I bet that's as clear as mud. If I figure it out, I will be sure and update this post.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I can't think of anything at the moment. Mostly, I would like to become a better designer. I have taken some courses and have the SnB nation book that breaks the design process down for you, but I am a little nervous to take the plunge and start writing my own patterns.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I think I may have mentioned that I love to knit socks... Heh. I have a size 7 foot.
23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) Feb 4. Every year.

Hopefully that helps. Shopping for other people is so hard. Especially when you don't know the person. I can't wait to see what you send though!! I'm sure I will love it!

Having a roughie...

Don't have much time or desire to write much today. Feeling kind of down this weekend. Have you ever felt like you weren't connecting with someone that was important to you? Someone that you have had a connection with for years and then suddenly, its like you don't really know them anymore and you get the feeling that they no longer know you? I hate that I feel this way and that I don't even know what to do about it. Its that sick feeling you get in the bottom of your stomach when you know something bad is about to happen and there is nothing that you can do about it. That's how I feel right now.

I just feel like we never make time for eachother anymore. Like we are just too busy to be there for one another or really hear what the other person is saying. Like we have found other people to fill those gaps in our lives that need filling and so we no longer really need the other person. And trust me, its coming from both sides. I just feel so... alone.

TGIF baby!

Remember when I said that I love work. Well, I changed my mind. This week has gone by so slowly and I am thinking that a day or two off might be just the thing I need. I have so many knit projects on the go right now that I need a good block of time to work on them without any interruptions or distractions. I still have to finish my design project fer cryin out loud. And, I have the Calla tank on the needles that I started at the beginning of the summer. So many projects, so little time. I really need to force myself to finish the projects that are hogging all my Denise cords, dpn's, and stitch markers before I start something else. I really have had the best of intentions, but then I went and started some more Fetchings because... well, just because, really. Aren't they purdy though? Who doesn't love Fetching? I am making them out of Misti Baby Alpaca which is so super soft, but surprisingly, not as soft when knit up as the Malabrigo that I was using before. I really was surprised at this because un-knit, I found the Misti to be much softer and smooshier. Really, I have to admit that I was not as enamored with the Malabrigo knit up as the rest of the world seems to be. I know, I shall now be shunned forever by the rest of the knitting community. Hell hath no fury like a yarn lover scorned. Heh. What do you think of the sock yarn in the picture? I think that I must be a bonafied sock yarn collector now. I have never felt the need to collect anything in my life before this, but I covet sock yarn. Like nobody's business. I delight in the endless color combination possibilities and the way that a skein of sock yarn can look completely different wound in a hank to knit up on needles. I just dig sock yarn. And that's all I have to say about that.


Ok, so, no blog post would be complete without mention of the remodeling that we are forever undertaking in our house. Let's see. We have drywall. At least, a little. Half of the wall has been drywalled and is awaiting taping and mudding. Its getting close and I am starting to get excited. Let's call it cautious optimism at this point m'kay? ,I also have 2 new pictures hung in the family room that I picked up yesterday and new tracklights up in there too. Seriously, yesterday while I went grocery shopping, hubby put up track lights. All. By. Himself. Yup. I have a handy guy living in my house and until last month, I never even knew. Sometimes people surprise you in ways you would have never even dreampt of. Cool beans.

Otherwise, lots of little things happening. Not much to talk about though. I have dropped one stitch on Clapotis. Not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Very cool though. I am hoping the Curious Creek yarn I am using will allow for the dropped stitches to unravel easily because at this point, they are not seeming to. They seem a little sticky and may require some finessing. Hopefully it wont present too much of a problem. Otherwise, I have been spinning up a storm. I bought some new fiber at Make One and will hopefully have some pictures to post later today. No promises though. There is just too much going on to make any definite timeline promises about blogging. If only there were 26 hours in a day...

Houston, We have SOCKS!!

And, they rock. Check me out. I am actually doing toe up socks and you know what -- they actually fit better than any other socks I have ever made! I have to admit, when I first started, I was less than enamored with the toe up's because they aren't nearly as aesthetically pleasing to knit as the cuff down ones. I find that until you turn the heel, they look a little out of shape and blob-like. But, once I turned the heel, it was like magic. I tried them on and behold; sock perfection. Do I sound like I am raving? Well, maybe I technically am, but believe me, if you had these socks, you would be raving too. Nuff said.

About the house, don't ask. It's getting stagnant and no one wants to work on it. Seriously, I think its sucking the life out of our relationship and causing more fights than we even want to admit to. I think we are taking a break from the house for a few nights. I think we just need to hire a professional so that we can spend some more time together. Anyone know the name of a good local contractor? Let me know.

Bunny starts swimming lessons tomorrow. I am too excited for words. Pictures to follow.

I don't really have much else to say today. I think that the horrid weather has rained out my need to drone on. So, that's it for today. More later this weekend.

The Universe tends to unfold as it should

Today I am happy. Do you ever have one of those days where all seems well in the Universe? Today is just such a day. The house is coming along nicely. The wall is half done. The floors are 3/4 done and the sectional for the family room has been ordered and is in the process of being custom made just for us. Bunny is happy and Hubby is happy too. Life is good. Here is a shot of the wall from the upside down. See the recessed lights? My Husband did that! I sometimes can't believe it either. And, he has built a very nice, up to code, stair too. He is a handy guy. I never knew.

We have an appointment with the flooring guy next week to discuss putting tile in the entry way. I have decided that we want to put slate in the step between the living room and dining room, simply because hardwood is slippery and this will decrease the chances of anyone falling and breaking their necks. But, of course, if we put in tile there, we will need to redo the tile in the foyer to match. So, therefore, the appointment with the flooring guy to pick out new tile. And, we got a quote for windows. So, we are having those done in the next month or so. My house is finally going to feel like my house. So much work, but so worth it.

I think I must be the last person ever to start Clapotis. But, in my defense, I hadn't found any fiber that made me think -- hey! That wants to be a Clapotis. I did buy some Lion & Lamb in Black Purl, but I wasn't dead set on making that into Clapotis. The last time that I was at Make One, however, I found the best Clapotis yarn ever! For my anniversary, bought me 3 skeins of Oban in Rock Grotto from Curious Creek. Oh My God.
This yarn makes my mouth water and my knees weak. And the saddest part, I am trying to get through Clapotis before the snow gets here and its taking me four times as long as it should because I have to keep petting it and I find myself lost in thought while I contemplate the way that the colors lay themselves out and interweave to create the most perfect Clapotis ever. Gush gush gush. Have I mentioned that I lurve it? I do.

I am also taking that toe up sock class from Amy at Make One. I am enjoying it, but I have to admit that I am having a time mastering the short row wraps. They are tough to spot and even tougher to pick up. But, I love the color of sock yarn I am using. It's Lorna's Laces in Hawaii. The color reminds me so much of our honeymoon and the 11 days that we spent there. I can't wait to go back! I would love to take Bunny the next time. I would post some pics of the socks that I started, but since they have just been started, there is not much to see. Next week I will post pics. I should be done the foot and ready to work on the heel by next Wednesday's class.

Bunny starts swimming lessons next Saturday. I can't wait. Hopefully she will learn to swim by the time the lessons are done. Oh, who am I kidding, I just hope that she actually gets into pool by herself. Heh. Otherwise Hubby will have to take swim lessons too. Funny.

I also had to frog my Fetchings and learned a very valuable lesson all at the same time. The lesson is this -- if you modify a pattern, write the dang modifications down! Especially if you have to make another matching item. I couldn't remember how many extra rows that I had added and where I added them. Therefore, frogged Fetchings. Rippit. Ribbit. Bah. I will start them again soon.

Tired? You can say that again.

My first day back at work and I have realized one thing while I was on holidays. I can't ever retire. EVER. I really missed being at work while I was on holidays. Not that I really love what I do, but that I just love the whole idea of going to work. Seriously. I love going to work. I love the process, I love the ritual, everything. I think the best part of my day is getting up in the morning (minus the trying to decode all the putting together of a fabulous outfit), the commute (all of about 5 minutes) and especially getting my first morning cup of coffee and enjoying it while reading all my new emails (generally spam). I am in love with the ritual of it all. I have been assured by my family (who looked at me as if I was nuts when I mentioned this feeling of mine) that this too shall pass and that one day I will wake up, hate the idea of going to work daily and spiral into that bottomless void that is made up of all the days that you work until you get to those few (and hard earned) vacation days per year. I hope not. And, frankly, what a horrible thought. I will just have to wait and see I suppose. I will certainly let you know once I get there.


Ok, onto bigger and brighter things... I have been a poor updater - so I am pledging to be better at letting everyone know what I am working on. I still have not finished my smock stitch scarf for mumsy. I thought I would have finished it by now, but given the new carpets, construction, and vacation depression, I have not gotten any closer to a FO. I have (in true ADD and jumping on the bandwagon fashion) started a pair of Fetching(s) and I lurve them. They are so soft and snuggly and done in the most luscious olive/gold color of Malabrigo called Jaen.

I think that these will go well with a cup of hot coco on the back deck in the fall while watching the leaves turn and the sun rise. Very romantic eh? I actually think that these will come in very handy on those days that I need to make the three hour drive to our head office in the middle of winter. A cup of Tim Hortons coffee in one hand and a bagel in the other. Very functional.

Also, this weekend is our first anniversary for hubby & me. Yuppers. One year since we were married. I can't believe that a year has come and gone so fast already. And, in true hubby fashion, he has booked us at the same place that we spent our wedding night at. Isn't he great? I think I will keep him.

Last, but not least, I start my first toe up sock class at Make One tomorrow. Very excited. Bunny helped me wind a ball of Lorna's Laces in the Hawaii colorway so that I would be all ready for class. I will post progress pics as soon as there are some. Also, I will leave you with a photo from the weekend. We all went to Global Fest on the weekend to watch the finale of the fireworks competition. It was wonderful and Bunny loved it. Here we are waiting for the fireworks to start. Doesn't Bunny look happy. Personally I think that it was because she got to stay up until 10:00pm (which is a lot later than her actual bed time).

Renovations. Period.

Ok, so, for those simply interested in knitting, please note, the knitting content will return soon. I promise.

For those wondering what's happening on the home front, boy do I have news for you. This is not what I had planned to be doing on a Sunday afternoon, the day after my BIL's wedding. However, what I planned to do and what I ended up doing are two completely different things.

Maybe I should start from the beginning. Yesterday, the in-laws came over for a visit. They actually came to see the new house. So after giving them the grand walking tour, I casually mentioned that the flooring guys were coming this week (side note: Yahoo!!!) and that we were thinking about taking out the ugly old 80's style banister in our living room before they came, but hadn't really gotten up the chutzpah to take out the railing. To make a long story short, the railing came out. This is what ensued:

Here we are contemplating the railing and then cutting it with the saw.

There it goes...

...and then it's gone.

Ok, so as if that wasn't shocking enough, we then discovered that a section of sub floor needed to be replaced. So, that came up too. Once we pulled up the sub floor, we discovered that it was right above the only portion of unfinished basement in the house.

So, now that we have a plan (and we do have a plan), Terry can start to work on it. He is really excited. I think that once it is finished, it will be amazing. The rough idea is that there will be a small sort-of-wall with three open spaces inside it that will be able to hold a vase, bowl or some sort of other decorative object. He also wants to put some lights in it at the top of each square so that the objects will have a spot light. Et Voila... art! Neat huh?

Oh and the best news of all?" The carpets come tomorrow!! The carpets come tomorrow!! The carpets come tomorrow!!! I am so happy, I could practically wet myself! But I won't. There is enough pee in these carpets already. I can't wait to get them out of here and have a house that doesn't smell like funk all the time. I will keep all up to date on the process of the carpet installation, the wall building and the overall renovations. Oh, and knitting will return sometime soon. I promise.

Here we are...

Ok, so we are out in Invermere on holidays and the unthinkable has happened. I have run out of projects. To be totally honest, I have run out of UFO's. I really didn't think that I would have so much time on my hands and so I only brought two UFO's -- my Mom's smock stitch scarf and Bunny's felted clogs. They are both done and have turned out so nicely.

Patterns: Fiber Trends Felted Clogs -- Children
Yarn: Miss Piggy
Yarn Source: Make One Yarn Studio
Needles: US size 13 (9mm)
UnfeltedGauge: 9st/4 inch over stockinette stitch
Felted Gauge: 12st/4 inch
Modifications: None

I really enjoyed making the felted clogs. They were a quick knit and easy to do. I think that they took all of about 4 hours total to make, including the felting. And, they will be super warm for Bunny this winter. She was so happy that she got to pick out the yarn and helped to felt them as well.

I will be able to put up some pics of the scarf later in the week since I also forgot to bring a crochet hook so that I could add the fringe. I am at a loss today as to what to knit next. I have the yarn and needles to make the Jaywalker socks, but I am having trouble with figuring out what size to knit. I think that given the fact that my calves are fairly um... shapely and my feet are quite narrow, I will need to knit the leg with size 0 needles and knit the foot with size 1's. That way they will fit right. Here's hoping anyway.

So, I am still without a project. No socks, no Fetchings because Mom wants a hat with the leftover yarn I was going to use to knit them and nothing else. I really needed to bring some more yarn, but honestly, when I set out, it really did seem as though I had more than I could ever knit in the week.

I am also a little sad today as this is the last day we have here at the cabin. We Albertan's are so lucky to live both so close to the mountains and some great Canadian lakes as well. Granted, they are nothing like the beaches that you see from destinations around the world, such as Hawaii, but the hiking and mountain biking here is second to none. So far on this vacation, we have hiked to a waterfall (Bunny is just 4 and she hiked the whole 5k!), been to the beach, been mini golfing, and today we are planning to go go-karting. This will be Bunny's first time go-karting so I think it will be well worth the inflated prices that these places always charge.

I am also a little happy today given the fact that when we get home the carpets are scheduled to get ripped out and the new ones will be going in. And shortly after that, the hardwood will be going in and then, I think that Bunny's cough and drippy nose will clear right up. Which, as far as I am concerned is the best justification for the high cost of having all the new stuff put in. The added bonus is the fact that they were so disgusting before and now we will have clean carpet, free from stains. I am also super excited to see how the new commercial carpet will be. Doesn't that say something about how old one is when they get excited about carpet?? Jeez.

Oh, I did forget to mention something else exciting... I am taking two new classes within the next few weeks. On August 30, I am taking a toe up sock class at Make One and on Sept 9, I am taking an intermediate spinning class at Shuttleworks. I am really looking forward to the toe up sock class as I am hoping that it will help me perfect my short row shaping and, I will be able to master the provisional cast on as I did spend a day trying to learn it and got fed up with it. As well, the spinning class will be fun as we will be learning how to spin knot yarns and boucle and what not. I am really glad that I don't have to teach myself to spin boucle. I will however, be spending the next (and last) week of my holidays working on my spinning technique so that I am ready for the class. I was planning on working on my UFO's, but since those are mostly done, I guess that I will just have to start some new projects. I do have some ideas for a new wrap/scarf and for a new vest, I just need to find the materials.

Sweet Georgia....

Yarn!!! Sigh... My first purchase of this fantastic yarn from Vancouver. I can't believe that I was able to get my hands of this fantastic stuff. Can you believe that I had nver even heard of this yarn until Make One Yarn studio opened here in Calgary? And, it is better than imagined.

It's not only softer than buttah, the colors are so rich and vibrant. In short, Sweet Georgia Yarn is the bombdiggity and I lurve it!


Oh, and the house is coming along nicely. We have almost finished setting up the kitchen and yesterday, I not only bought new kitchen accessories in greens & beiges, but I also cooked our very first dinner in the new house. Not a super gourmet meal, but it was nice to eat something not deep fried or sandwiched between a bun with catsup on it.

Want to see a picture?? Nice eh? Loving it.

We are still waiting on flooring, but hopefully that won't be too far off. I can't wait to get that in so that we can start decorating. We leave on holidays tomorrow and are gone until the 18th. It will be so nice to have some time off of work and finally get some f/o's up here. It feels like seriously forever since I have had anything to take pictures of. I am, however, super close to finishing the baby blanket that I have been working on forever. What is it about big projects like that? They are never ending.

I am also very stuck on the tunic top I am designing. I need to sit down all by me onesies and think on the sleeve decreases. I know I need to go from 40 st to 19 on the sleeve caps, but how to do it? Maybe I will have some inspiration once my life slows down a bit and I have some time to reflect on everything. Sounds deep doesn't it?

Otherwise, wish me a happy vacation and look forward to some f/o's once I return.

Design Disaster Averted

All thanks to Amy. Seriously. I am sad to be done though. I will really miss the design class. On the flip side though, I am somewhat close to being done and I learned a lot over the last six (yes, six -- although it really feels like three) weeks. I learned the right way tonight to pick up stitches and even more importantly, I learned that it really is important to pick up the right ammount the first time. Rather than pick up the wrong ammount, fudge it, and end up with a huge, glaring error. So, the sweater (yes. Its a sweater) is coming along well... now. I can't wait to be done and post some pics!!

And, because I was so upset at all the frogging that I had to do tonight, I bought some sock yarn. Yarn therapy. Actually, I bought some sock yarn and Mo bought some sock yarn. Nice hey? Good friends are hard to find and I am super lucky to have so many.

Wanna see my new sock yarn?
It makes me happy just looking at it. Yarn therapy indeed. There are two skeins of Lorna's Laces sock yarn in Hawaii and two in River. I am so smitten with these colors. See all the purple? Yeah, I used to have a problem with purple -- it just doesn't seem very much like a grown up color, but since everyone says that it is very much a grown up color, I think that I am becoming ok with it. It looks grown up, right? Right? Oh, and check out the new stitch markers that I got... They are way cool.


And, I finally got the movie that I had ordered a month ago! I know most of you have no idea what the heck this movie is, but I Lurve it. I watched this movie so many times as a kid and I used to be able to sing all of the songs (yes, it has songs). But its just such a wholesome kids movie and it has such a great story line, that if the Bunny doesn't love it, I think I really will be sad. I can't wait to show it to her tomorrow night. I am going to pop some popcorn, pick up my knitting and finish my tunic while I show her one of the greatest kids movies on Earth. I can't wait! Having kids is so great!

No camera today...

Ok, so since everything we own is packed and I am not able to post any pictures of the knitting I am doing, I thought that I would use this opportunity to get a little personal. So, without further ado, the 150 things that you never knew about me... (this was sent to me in an email, so I figured rather than send it back to just one person, I would post it here in lieu of anything more interesting).

The bolded things are the ones that I have done.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it - many times
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights - I have never once seen these
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly could
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states - How about all the provinces... I have done that.
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day - not lately though. Once you have kids, this is all over.
60. Posed nude in front of strangers - see comments above.
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater - I sure miss ours.
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Gone white water rafting
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason - the first time was the moment I knew I was in love with my now husband.
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house - yes. Just. We moved in this past weekend...
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents - I dread having to bold this one. Not for years hopefully.
93. Been on a cruise ship - We took our honeymoon on one in Hawaii. Best vacation of my life!
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children. - She is 4 today
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived - hit a deer and rolled my car. Scary stuff.
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane - dated a pilot.
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart - not proud of this one at all.
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse - Many times.
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi - almost daily in college
128. Had your picture in the newspaper - I think my mom still has it somewhere
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about - yup and now I couldn't live without them
130. Gone back to school - best decision of my life
131. Parasailed - not well. This is way harder than it looks
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read - The Catcher in the Rye was one of the best books I ever read... I am so glad I waited until I was an adult.
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language - I dated someone deaf for a while. It took me 2 weeks to learn to sign enough that we could communicate.
139. Been elected to public office - no, but I was asked to run
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

So, there you have it. I really have a lot of things on there that I would still love to do. Maybe I will have to work at crossing the whole list off. Now that's a goal huh?

Anyway, for those that made it through the list, kudos. For everyone else, knitting content will return soon. I promise.

Squee!!

I bet you are wondering about the new house... its been ours for a whole week now and no blog entry about it. Well, that's because we have been so busy LOVING it!! It's fantastic. Dirty, but fantastic. And, to be honest, not nearly as dirty as I would have thought it would have been.

Some discussion of the new paint job? Ok, you asked for it.

We went with Harvest Brown in the Dining Room and Living room. And Baked Scone in the rest of the house. Oh, and as a special treat to Bunny (who will be 4 this Monday!! Already!!), pink and purple in her room. Was she ever happy with it!!


Also, my swap pal sent my stuff to me. Yay! Who doesn't love receiving stuff in the mail. And, so's the better if its yarn stuffs!! And, it works out perfectly with my move from Thursday yarn porn to Friday yarn porn. Thursdays just weren't working for me.

I love everything she sent!! 2 skeins of Paint Box in the most delicious colors. Burgundy, blues, greens. What's not to like?? I don't know quite what they want to be yet, but I intend to find out!! She also sent me a beautiful mole-skin note book and a loverly card with a pop-out birds nest in it. Way cool. Oh, and a very funny bookmark that made me smile as soon as I read it. My swap pal was gimmesanity (Sharon). Thanks so much swap pal. I loved it!!


Ok, and since Fridays (now its Friday, remember) are for yarn porn, please enjoy some shots of the new Malabrigo I bought, courtesy of Make One Yarn Studio. Oh, and though it will be hard, please try not to drool onto your keyboards too much. I know what type of project I want to make with it, but I wasn't sure what stitch pattern I wanted to do the project in, so I wound one of the skeins up into a ball and took it to work with me today. As the day went on, I realized what it wanted to be and can now start on the project. The only problem? It has to be *done* for Monday, and we have to be out of our old house by then. Ergo, we are moving all weekend and I will have to find bits of time to hide away and knit while everyone else is killing themselves moving. Do I feel guilty? Nah, for the same reason that I could justify buying 3 skeins of the softest yarn on Earth... its for a good cause. Hopefully I will be able to show a F/O on Monday and reveal the recipient. Keep those fingers and toes crossed.

Anticipation. Truly greater than the deed?

I suppose we will know in a few hours when we officially take possession of our new house. Yahoo. I am happy and sad and nervous all at the same time. Happy for obvious reasons. Sad because the house that we are moving out of is the only house that Bunny has lived in. And, nervous because I don't know what shape and how dirty the house will be when we get there today.

Moving is so stressful. I recommend only doing it once in a lifetime if you can help it.

Ok, enough about moving. Let's talk about knitting. I was at my design class last night and I have to tell you, the variety of the projects and conversation is amazing. What a wonderful night to myself. I love sitting and watching the projects that everyone is creating. So much talent. All thanks to Amy of course who is teaching the course. And, thanks to her, I am starting to really see my design take shape. I can actually see that my on the needles design is matching the visual creation in my head. I can hardly wait to be finished.

I also joined the Baudelaire KAL and last night I cast on for the toe. This is my first toe up sock and I think that the figure 8 cast on looks great. I am not as keen on how the toe stitches seem a little loose, but I think that given that this is a common issue with this cast on, and that they don't seem overly so, I will leave it and just keep working on the toe. I love love love the yarn that I am using. Its Fleece Artist Basic Merino sock yarn. Its actually much lighter than the yarn in the photo and when I bought it, I didn't see all the variegation in the colorway. Once I wound it though, I was dazzled by the different colors. I think it will be the perfect yarn.

And, last night, of course, I bought some more yarn from Make One Yarn Studio. Thursdays truly are for yarn porn. I really meant to post it last night, but by the time I got home from Knitting Class, watched So You Think You Can Dance and an episode of Law and Order that I had taped, I was too tired to do anything but take the pics and email them to myself.

However, since Thursdays are for Yarn Porn, here ya go....


I bought some Blue Sky Cotton (So soft) in Green. There is enough for an OSK. I am so kicking myself though because last week when I bought the sock yarn, they had just gotten in a shipment of the Blue Sky in a beautiful rich red color (almost a Cranberry) and I passed on it thinking that I would buy it the next week. And, of course, this week it was gone. So, I settled for the green, which, although very beautiful, is not the red.

I also bought another 2 skeins of the Ultramerino from Art Yarns and underneath it all is some Fin roving from Amy. I am going to try and spin and ply it and bring it back next week to the shop. A little show and tell. I wish I had time to dye it and see how it takes color, but I think that will have to wait until we are settled in the new place.

Oh, time to run and see the new house. Wish me luck. I am nervous and excited all at the same time.

6 More days...

The final countdown has begun. We are finally starting to feel as though we may make it out of this house and into the new one without losing our sanity. Although, I must say, its been a bit of a ride. The movers that hubby has hired don't speak much English, which in and of itself is fine. But, when you combine that with the fact that they don't offer a contract, and are coming the second last day before we must be out of this house and it gets a little more nerve racking. Oh, and they are booked for 2pm on Saturday. So, if they fail to show, we will be running around like chickens trying to move everything by ourselves in one day... Scary stuff. Let's hope that all this worrying pays off and I have only good things to blog about next weekend.

Yesterday we had our token garage sale. You know, the one that you have as soon as you realize just how much crap you actually do have that you really don't want to have to move. So, I sat out in the hot sun (and it was hot) and sold off all of the stuff we had bought at previous garage sales. I got one heck of a sun burn, but it was totally worth it. We made a whopping $175.00 (and we only sold half of our stuff!). I figure I will need some serious yarn therapy to relieve the pain of my sunburn.
I also got to knit for 6 hours on and off between the swarms of people driving up to pay us money for all the stuff we didn't want anymore. So, here is the obligiatory pic of me working on the Knit Picks socks. I am doing them using a pattern called "the Ultimate Re-footable Sock" and am making a pair of camping socks for a friend of mine who wears only socks while camping. This way, I figure if she wears out the soles, I can just re-knit them for her and she will be good to go.

I also feel like we are getting closer to having everything packed up. Although, I am starting to wonder why we have all these boxes of stuff when it seems painfully obvious that we can do without them. I mean, all this stuff has been boxed up for 2 or 3 weeks now and I honestly can't even remember what was in them. Maybe it will be like Christmas when we open them again.

Let's see, what else? Oh yes, we went to the flooring place Friday. Squee!! We picked out a carpet sample and the hardwood sample too. We are going with a chocolate colored carpet in the family room and Maple hardwood in the rest of the house. I can't wait. I really think that once we get the carpets up and all the painting and new flooring in, it will all come together nicely.


I think that I will be spending much of this week packing and working on my design project. I can't wait to get that done. I just wish that I had more time to work on it. There are truly not enough hours in the day! And, just because, I will leave you with some pics of the sock yarn that I got last Thursday at Make One Yarn Studio. Thursdays truly are for sock yarn...

See the purple/green sock yarn on the bottom? I think that this yarn wants to be a pair of Jaywalker socks. I am almost sure of it. As for the orange/red and the green/pink colors, I just don't know yet. They haven't asked to be anything specific. If you have any ideas, let me know. I am sure that in time, all will be revealed. I am going now to pack the extra clothes in my closet and then to pack the extra food in our pantry. Boxes and boxes and more boxes...

Am I out of control?

I think that this hobby of mine is getting out of hand a little maybe. Yesterday, I had a spinning lesson at Legacy Studio from the lady who sold me my wheel. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't overspinning my singles, which she assured me I wasn't. So, on my way there, I stopped at this cute little yarn shop and bought some Lorna's Laces in a very pretty pink color. Truthfully, I couldn't help it. I took one look at them and knew that they wanted to be Baudelaire. So really, what is a girl to do? And, because they had so many skeins of Koigu, I just knew that I needed to take a couple home. I couldn't, in good conscience, leave them with that many skeins of Koigu, now could I? So, I did the right thing and took some with me. i promise to give them a good home.

Here's where it gets kinda hinky. I really meant to go out to my lesson and buy some more roving to practice on, but I ended up coming home with a set of Ashford hand cards, some Polworth roving (oh so soft - I can sure tell the difference between this and Corridale), some Corridale, and some Flicker which is a nylon roving that is dyed a number of beautiful colors. I really should be working on my homework for my design class, packing, and using up the fiber that I already have, but I just can't seem to help myself. The flicker was just too sparkly and I weakly justified it by saying to myself that I would spin it and make Bunny a hat and some mitty's for her b-day.

I also got some thread to ply with and I was pleasntly surprised at how lovely the yarn was that I created with the polworth & flicker carded together and plied with the white thread. It made a very pretty, lofty thick and thin yarn. We went last night and bought a DVD player for the Van, so when we drive to Edmonton this weekend, I am fairly confident that I will be able to knit the yarn while she watches a DVD in the backseat. Three hours of knitting there (I will work on my homework for design class) and three hours back. Plenty of time to get everything done right?

Well, we have our first b-day for Bunny to go to. She is super excited. It's for one of her friends from daycare that she adores. Princess theme and all that jazz. Little girls are so much fun...

Oh, and I did pack 2 boxes this morning while I was waiting for the coffee to brew. I think that this week in the evenings hubby and I will need to get through the basement junk. I have a goal.

Warning... Serious Yarn Porn Ahead.

I have made some real progress since my last post. The packing is still weighing heavily on my mind, however, hubby has book some movers. I can now focus less on the move and more on the knitting. But first, since I did promise yarn porn, here it is without further ado.













Recognize any of the yarn in the basket? I'm sure it was easy to identify the Lorna's Laces in Black Purl colorway, especially if you have read any of my previous posts. It's anxiously awaiting its transformation from beautiful soft & silky skein to gorgeous and fantastic Clapotis. I picked this yarn up at the Make One Yarn Studio sale a few weeks ago. I also admit I have a secret weakness for sock yarn and couldn't pass up some stripey Art Yarns Ultramerino in a verigated olive, tan, grey, black and white colorway. So pretty. Oh, also in the basket is the very beautiful yarn that was sent to me by my yarn swap pal. I finally managed to get a picture of it. I also received my Rowan 4-ply yarn that I had been waiting for from eBay. The colorway is called "Ripple", but I don't think that name does it justice. I think that it looks more like "Ghost" or "Cloud". What do you think?

And, I have my 2nd design class tonight at Make One Yarn Studio. I can't wait. I am pretty much done the band part of my sweater and have swatched my gauge swatch with the pattern for the body. I am still having problems posting a picture. Not an excuse I swear, I really can't. Maybe when hubby gets home I will have him fix it. Maybe not. Anticipation and all...

Moving is Consuming my Life

I feel as though we have been moving for the last 5 years. Seriously. Everywhere I go is in disarray and its makin me crazy!! See what I am talking about?? Horrible mess everywhere. Whose big idea was it to move anyway?? Mine??

I must have been out of my mind. Agh. And the worst part? It's only going to get worse. Bah. See all the stuff in the picture with the table? That's all the crap in our house that needs to be garage sale'd. Seriously, just how many empty cd cases does one person need? Not to mention all the weird and ugly coffee cups that we seem to have collected. Very, very strange. I have no idea how all this crap got into our house. Must have been before I moved in. And what's with all the knickety-knackety crap that was caught hiding in drawers, closets, and, believe it or not, under the sink? I hate hate hate knicknacks. Even the word makes me cringe. Dust collectors. And, I just realized that the move is taking over my life so much that it is taking over my knitting blog too.

Let's fix that. We now interrupt your regularly scheduled moving bitch session to bring you some knitting commentary. First of all, I am loving the knit design class I am taking. The gals at Make One Yarn Studio have been absolutely amazing and so helpful. I am taking the class under Amy Swenson and she is so talented! What I am designing will be revealed in good time, however, I will say this, it is cranberry, a garment and will have a band of some sort under the bust. I wanted to post a picture of the gauge swatch that I made, but I couldn't get it to load for some reason, so there you have it. Hopefully by next week, I hope to have the band part finished, but right now I am stuck on what to do with it. I have spent the last 2 days pouring over my stitch a day calendar and Nicky Epstein's "Knitting On the Edge", but so far nothing seems just right. I sent Terry out to get "Knitting Over the Edge". Hopefully inspiration will strike and the band will be finished by Thursday. I promise to post more about the knitting and designing, rather than the moving next time. I promise.

Ok, I have taken my well-earned 15 minutes. Back to packing and intermittent swearing.

I am busy. So busy in fact, that finding time to blog has been difficult. Packing, setting up movers, work, getting the stuff for the lawyer and insurance on the new home, and now the knitwear design course that I am taking has been super duper hectic and taking up all of my time. Such little time.

What am I working on now you ask?? I am making a new a-line tunic shirt for my knitwear design course, making a pair of socks out of knitpicks memories sock yarn in the Cape Cod colorway. And, I have my 3 skiens of Lorna's Laces in the Black Purl colorway (inspired by Johnny Depp's movie - Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl) with which to make Clapotis and I am waiting on the 10 skiens of Rowan Cotton 4 Ply in Ripple that I ordered for the Lucky Lace Wrap from SnB Nation.

So, as soon as that arrives, I suppose I will promptly pack it up and put it into the yarn box so that it will arrive at the new house when we move. I feel as though I have too many projects on my plate at the moment frankly, and need to slow down a bit. I think I may be taking too much on and am getting more and more stressed by the day. I simply can not keep up with packing, moving, work, and all the knitting I would like to do. Not to mention the fact that we are trying to squeeze in family and friend visits between now and the move and trying to think about planning for the flooring, painting, and Kalika's birthday in between. Sigh.

On the upside, I am working very diligently at making myself feel better. I have booked a spa appointment for tomorow at Oasis spa and will be getting the "Raindrop Therapy". Described on their website:

Like drops of rain, nine essential oils are applied along the spine. Each oil is layered one upon the other. Your back massage is completed with a hot compress treatment. Your legs are treated to essential oils and massage as well. Toxins are released and the immune system is boosted.

Pure yummm... I will float back home feeling renewed and re-energized right??

I am a Yarn Swapper!!!

I officially got my yarn out to my secret pal (who loved it!) and even though I had to give up some of the yummiest yarn that I have ever seen, I felt so good when I saw that my yarn pal had opened it and loved it! I have some more that I am sending out to her in the meantime, but I am so happy that she loved what I sent her.


Oh and I also got my yarn in the mail! What a total score. I am so pleased with everything! I got 2 skeins of a yarn that I have never even seen before and it is totally fantastic!! There is enough here to make a pair of socks and so I think that once I have perfected the toe up technique, I will make some using this super fantastic yarn. The yarn is absolutely gorgeous in a blue/green colorway called Caribbean Blue. I also got some amazing stitch markers and let me tell you, it irks me to no end to know that we have no battery for the camera right now (it was left at a friends cabin by that guy I live with) and as a result, no picture. I also got what I am fairly sure is a needle holder. Its a small wooden tube with leaves and the like painted on it. I can hardly wait to see what next month will bring!!

And, as if that wasn't enough, my spinning fiber that I ordered online came yesterday as well. I ordered some of the softest top merino in a blue/green colorway called "Under the Sea" and 4oz of pure silk in the same colorway. So shiny. Truthfully, I am not ready to be spinning with this yet, but, I intend to take some of the yarn that I have already spun out to the lady that I bought my wheel from and have her correct some of the errors that I have made. I also intend to buy some more cheap practice yarn and a set of combs at the same time. Soon I will be ready to spin this yarn. I just know it!

And, on the homefront, packing is a total nightmare. If its possible, I actually hate it more!! I am currently at 15 packed boxes (after packing for a whole freaking week!) and the kitchen is in a state of chaos that makes me want to crawl out of my skin every time I go in there. We are putting all of the garage sale stuff in the kitchen until I get my office cleaned out and we can stack it in there. Husband has been a total help... he has packed one box and is currently shredding all the extra stuff in his filing cabinet. Oh ya, some serious help there I tell ya! Still no movers hired yet, but he assures me that he has moved more times than I could ever count and he knows what he is doing. I will keep the updates coming.

Other than that, some misc housekeeping things going on in the house. Got the cats shaved. Romeo looks like one of those freakin hairless cats (or possible a bobblehead of his former self) as his fur was the same color as skin. Pretty freakin gross. Skinny cat with a big head. And, surprisingly, Indica is pretty svelte for a cat. Who knew? Not me. Seriously. Otherwise, all calm around here. packing, packing and more packing. What could be more fun??

I have a new Love

The Lucky Lace Wrap from SnB Nation. Remember the great book that I gushed and gushed over in that it included the schematics for designing anything (I Heart algebra)? Well, I want to make this next from the book since I think that it would make a nice cardigan for wearing to work. I just need to figure out what yarn to use since it calls for a fingering weight yarn (I think).

I also finished my One Skein Wonder and its currently blocking on the floor of my laundry room. I must confess to wearing it for a while before I blocked it, but I couldn't stop myself. The yarn is so dang cushy and soft!! MMMM Misti Alpaca (total yum!). I made it in a very natural color so that I will be able to wear it with almost everything. Now I want to make one in white and one in black. Oh heck, I want to make it in every color of the rainbow. Its such a fast knit and so easy. And, since it requires so little, you can make it in such yummy yarn that I normally wouldn't buy for larger projects.

I have also started packing. I hate packing. No, I abhor packing. I will be happy when its all done and all of the work is done and we have moved. It seems all at once like an eternity and no time at all. I have also been having crazy dreams that there are horrible things wrong with the house and we have moved in and find them. Things like a family of snakes living in the basement and the walls falling down around us while we run away in fear. Maybe the dreams will ward off any actual bad things from happening. Maybe. I will still be nervous until sometime after we are settled in. I worry. Its what I do.

Where Have I gone??

I haven't posted in a while and here's why -- we bought a HOUSE!! Yes, we already own a house, but this is a new house. Well, new to us anyway.... and its fantastic. But, buying a house and selling your own house is a big process and it takes lots of time. In fact, I haven't even knit anything in the last 2 weeks or so because of all the time I have spent looking at houses and getting ours ready to show. plus, we had to stay away all weekend so that potential home buyers could come and look at our house. Don't even get me started on that!! People are so disrespectful of other people's things. In the 2 days over the weekend that our home showed, the back door was left wide open and the soap dish in our bathroom was ripped off the wall! Nice.

Anyway, back to the new house. Here are some pics of it:












Nice eh?? We think so. Personally I hate the colors. I am already in the process of picking out new furniture and thinking about paint options. I can't wait to get started on making it ours. We take possession on the 21st of July (just 10 days before Kiki's b-day) and we have 10 days before we have to be fully out of our house. just 10 days to get the flooring and painting done. We want to paint all of the rooms (they all need it) and put laminate in the dining room and living room. We also need to redo the bathrooms and put in new tiles and a new sink and tub in each bathroom. It needs a LOT of work, but I know that with a little TLC, this house can be sooooooo nice.
Oh, and did I mention the best part?? It has a fireplace!! There is a sunkenn family room just below the kitchen and it has a fireplace and a walk out deck (actually, both the kitchen and the family room have walkout decks!). The fire place will also need some re-finishing, but once we do, it will look amazing!


Anyway, that's what I have been up to. I have just cast on a pair of socks, so not very exciting, but I am doing them toe up this time, so I guess that's at least somewhat interesting. Right? I will include a shot of them sometime this week if I get a moment. Otherwise, I imagine I will be fairly busy for the new few weeks/months. We are taking offers on our house tomorrow night. So, I am crossing my fingers between now and then in hopes that it will sell. Anything could happen between now and then!