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!