Renovations

Carrie is off visiting her dad in Michigan this week. And everyone knows that the mice will play while the cat is away. Wait a minute -- I thought I was the cat!

In any event, with Carrie out of the way, it seemed the perfect opportunity to do some major work in her bedroom. Originally, the cottage came with two 8 x 10-foot bedrooms. Hardly room enough for a bed and dresser, let alone the stuff that teens require. So the wall came down (it was a temporary wall from the previous round of renovations) and Doug and I have been working continuously in there.

My new job description is "carpenter's helper." The duties are (to date): vacuuming (and here I thought I could escape it!) the work site, drilling holes, inserting screws, nailing in the trim pieces, shimming window trim, trimming foam, finding studs, and removing staples. This means that I now have operated the electric drill, the screw gun, the electric nailer, the chop saw, and the stud finder. Such fun, eh?


And here you see the finished window!


There is yet another window in the room which is completed, and a little window that will get the slightest of trim. Carrie plans to install a poster over the window, so a full trim-out isn't required at the moment.

Today the baseboard has been installed, and it looks fabulous. We are hoping to get someone to come in and sand, patch and refinish the existing pine floor. It is in pretty rough shape as pine doesn't wear well, and there are places where the original wall used to be which have never been finished.

The plus side of my new occupation -- when the carpenter doesn't need me, I get to sit and knit!
Doesn't that just break your heart?

I'm working on a baby blanket for the wife of a friend from my teen-age years. Unfortunately, she recently suffered a miscarriage with all the attendant grief. I have continued with the blanket, knitting each stitch with a prayer for healing and in confidence that they will one day have a precious baby to wrap in the blanket. Since baby blankets don't appear to change much from day to day, I have decided to wait until it is complete before making a photo opportunity.

Summer Knitting

Summer demands cool cotton tops. And since the requisite yarn just happened to jump off the shelf and into my eagerly waiting arms ... well, this is what I get --


The yarn is Scheepjes soft fun, colour 2325. The pattern was gifted to me by my darling daughter at Christmas -- the Pattern-a-Day knitting calendar. This particular pattern was the Too-Cool! Halter Top for June 15. Of course, I didn't use the yarn specified in the pattern ... But I can tell you that this top (size large) consumed 3 balls of yarn.

What will I do with the remaining yarn? One never knows. When will I wear the top? I keep forgetting that I'm not 18 any more, and that I do not have that 18-year-old body. But here on the Point, where almost anything goes, I'll fit right in.

In other news -- renovations continue apace on the first floor bedroom. It will become the bedroom of the afore-mentioned darling daughter, complete with her plans for a funky paint job, strange ceiling treatments and interesting furniture arrangements. I assisted (really I did!) with building out the windows and in the process learned to operate the electric drill, screw gun and air gun. All 20 fingers (10 for me and 10 for my dear husband) survived without injury. And the room is looking great! Pictures will follow.

When it's too hot to knit ...

a visit to the bookstore is required. And this is what I found!


Now I officially have absolutely no reason not to venture into the mysteries of designing my own sweaters.

What do you do when it's too hot to knit?

When it's so hot that ice cubes melt before you can pour in the water? When it's so hot that sweat drips down your face before you even get out of bed in the morning?


You do like Henry ... sprawl in the shade with your four paws to the wind.

And pray that there's wind.

Fortunately, the heat seems to have ever so slightly lessened and knitting can and will resume tomorrow.

The Dulaan Project

Now that the dust has settled over at Mossy Cottage Knits and the count is in for the Dulaan Project does not mean it is time to rest on our collective laurels. There will be more cold young 'uns the world around -- if not in Mongolia, then Korea, or even closer to home -- in Canada.

Meredith from F.I.R.E. has left me a comment stating that they will be collecting items for shipment in July of 2006.

With that in mind, I've already started knitting for 2006. And this is what I've accomplished!


Two size 4 sweaters for little girls.

Anyone else want to help make 2006 as successful as 2005?

Sock fixation? Me? (Part Two)

Have I mentioned that Carrie thinks I have a sock fixation? She swears that all I knit these days is socks. Now, I just don't understand what could possibly be giving her that idea? After all, I knit her a sweater ... in January ... and in the heat of summer, here I am having Doug try on a sock of his very own.

 


It is a cute sock, is it not? And such a manly colorway. This sock is ribbed the entire body, with stockinette stitch on the sole. He has commented before that he really needs his socks to be smooth, else the bumps really irritate him. Here's hoping that stockinette works.

I must admit that this picture is several days old. Since then, I have finished the second sock of that pair. As well as ... started and finished another sock. The mate to that one is currently on the needles. Photos will follow.

Hmmph. Sock fixation, indeed!

Sock fixation? Me?

Aren't these cute?! And so tiny!

 


And the best part is that Emery loves them. She is my sister's little girl -- two and a half years old. Already a heart-breaker. Mine, that is. You see, I live so far away that I just don't get to see her enough to make it onto her "favorite people" list.

So I have resorted to bribery.

Brutal, isn't it?

This is my dilemma.

I love my husband. He has a lot of really fine qualities. A LOT of many fine qualities.

But he also has some annoying qualities. Some REALLY annoying qualities. Including the fact that he is very particular. Some might even call it too picky.

I made him a sweater. It was a lot of work -- work that I did willingly and happily. I thoroughly enjoy working Aran patterns.

 


But after all this work ... the sweater is too large. He doesn't wear it. I suspect also that the v-neck cardigan possibly wasn't the right choice.

I checked the gauge. The gauge specifies 18 inches over 4 inches. And I got 20 stitches over 4 inches. So obviously the REAL problem is that the sweater is too large ... and probably the style.

So here's my dilemma. Do I offer to frog it and redo? And give him the choice of a pullover on the redo?

Ack. I hate making decisions like this.

Showing the sock a good time

I've been reading about Stephanie's bookbookbook tour and all the fun her sock has been having. It's wonderful to see all the knitters enjoying themselves.

Inspired by Stephanie, I attempted to show MY sock a good time. How, you might ask. Well, since Spring has arrived, this means that mountain biking season has also arrived. I've discovered that the greater the risk for broken bones, the more fun I have. Go figure, eh?

For the first time in 35 years, I fell off my bicycle. It wasn't my fault -- really! I was pedalling furiously uphill when the chain fell off the front sprocket. Normal people might stop immediately and restring the chain. Other people, like me, attempt to continue up the hill while simultaneously restringing the chain. Once the uphill momentum stops (and quickly, I might add), the bicycle and rider begin to answer the call of gravity and roll downhill. Backwards. Generally at an increasing rate of speed and tilting dangerously to the side.

What happens next?



Ouch. Slightly sprained ankle, which is being treated with RICE -- rest, ice, compression and elevation. Ice is really cold.

Bruised ego. Treated by a glass of wine and more knitting.

The knitting is Regia Cotton Tip & Top Color yarn, purchased at The Knitter's Frolic. This is really neat yarn -- one ply is white, the second ply is colored, resulting in a heathery yarn. That knits nicely into a fair isle pattern.

Here's hoping that the ankle heals before the rain leaves.

Spring is here. Definitely and without question.

How do I know? Lizzie, my cat has decided that 5:00 am is the time to rise and shine. And she is persistent. For a 5-lb. cat, she sure does shake the bed when she lands. And then she paces back and forth across the sleeping mom. Next she goes to the bedroom door and scratches frantically in an effort to turn the handle. Never mind that the handle is 3 inches higher than her little paws.

So Saturday morning she was scooped up, carried downstairs and unceremoniously dumped into the "time out" box -- something most people know as a cat carrier. She was not impressed.

At 7:00 am, Henry decided it was high time for us to get up. So he started with the scratching at the door. He also was caught and dropped into another time-out box.

And what happened on Sunday? Blessed peace and quiet. No frantic scratching. No meows. No pacing back and forth. Whew.

In knitting news -- I have started knitting a pair of socks made with Reggia Cotton. So far I am loving the yarn. The colors are summery and nice and they are making a lovely fair-isle type pattern. Pictures (hopefully) tomorrow.

Right now, I am growling and grumpy because we have a dial-up connection. No options for high-speed. And the dial-up is painfully s-l-o-w.

Grr.

Catching Up

Well, it's been a while since I've been here. Busy, busy, busy. Doing what? Nothing that I can really put my finger on, but busy none the less.

I quit my job. I'm even past the two-week notice part. Now I'm working "at the pleasure of the parties." Which means, basically, that they can tell me to leave, or I can leave. That's it. I'll be done. I volunteered to hang around to train my replacement. Now let's see if they manage to hire my replacement before my self-imposed deadline. I told them I wanted to be done completely by the end of May. We'll see.

So what brought this on? There have been way too many games being played, by the lawyers and the staff. And it seems that the favorite, convenient target for everyone is yours truly. And I'm not paid nearly enough to be the little sitting duck in the shooting arcade.

The cruise really brought this home. For 10 days, C. and I relaxed in the sun, read good books and relaxed. Coming home, going to work ... it was like a 20-tonne weight slamming down on my back. And I realized that life is too darn short, time is too precious to spend it waiting for the axe to fall. So I quit.

What will I do next? I really don't know. And that should scare me, but it doesn't. I will figure something out.

Over the weekend we attended the Lake Scugog Studio Tour. Saw a fair number of watercolour artists, a woodworker, a potter, a glass artist and ... ta da! A knitter! And she lives not too far from me. Even better. And the best news of all -- the friend who invited us also brought along another friend. Susan knits. That says it all.

Goodies at the Knitters' Frolic

Saturday was the Knitters' Frolic in Toronto. I found out about the event on Friday ... and went on Saturday! Yippee!

I had SO much fun! And spent some money!

What did I buy? Blocking wires and pins, a book titled "Annabelle's Caps," three balls of Reggia sock yarn to make socks for Doug, a ball of Reggia sock yarn in a cotton blend to try for summer, and a ball of Opal sock yarn. I've heard SO much about Opal that I just had to try it.

I also met Stephanie. also known as The Yarn Harlot (yarnharlot.ca). She is so funny, just like her blog. And very nice.

Anyway, it was a wonderful day, and now I've got to finish up some projects so that I can try knitting with my new yarn. Teehee.

My Mom

My mother, Frances Dixon, died a year ago yesterday. She was a very special person, which is what everyone says about their mother. But she really was special.

You see, she had polio when she was 22. And pregnant. My brother was born and went home about six months before she did. And after he was born, there were 4 more. A total of six kids, borne to a woman who did not understand the meaning of the word "handicapped."

She taught us that life was to be lived to its fullest. In spite of the polio, she went canoing, bicycling, camping, and motorcycle riding with my dad. She traveled from Michigan to Oklahoma and back in a side car one year. Another time, she and Dad took the motorcycle from Michigan to Nova Scotia and back again.

My mother taught me to love reading. She read avidly, and her example taught me to likewise love books. There are pictures of her with a book in hand, sitting at some rest stop. Everyone else was off stretching their legs. Mom was reading. Some of my happiest memories are of those times when we shared our opinions of various authors and books.

Another thing my mom taught me was to knit. She knit things for her children, her husband, and her grandchildren. This woman was even brave enough to start aran sweaters for children who were prone to growing rapidly. Go figure, eh?


This is a sweater my mother made for me years ago. I can't quite wear it any more, but I still keep it. Some things you just have to hold on to, ya know?

And there, on with the sweater, you see the book by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit's End. Stephanie is also known as the Yarn Harlot. Last night was the book launch at the Textile Museum in Toronto, Ontario. We went. What better way to celebrate my mother's life than by spending it with someone who, like my mother loves to knit.

Faina's Scarf

Finished all 423 rows! It still needs to be blocked and fringed, but the scarf is fabulous. The yarn is alpaca, and is deliciously soft and yummy. Pattern from Fibertrends, and Yarn is Plymouth Indiecita Alpaca, sport 3-ply.


And I still love lace!

In other news ... the weekend was wonderful. Sunny and warm both days. The lake is still frozen, but melting quickly.

Went to the Home Show on Saturday. Wasn't worth the effort of driving 1.5 hours to get there. We wanted to see bathroom fixtures since we are nearing that step in the home renovations. Unfortunately, there were only two displays that we saw -- both offering fancy shower enclosures, complete with FM radios, multiple jets and extremely tiny hot tubs. Extremely silly if you ask me.

My next project will be a gift for my secret friend from Christmas. Something special and specially made for someone who deserves something special.

Dulaan Project

This is my box for the Dulaan project. It is one sweater (size 6) and three pairs of mittens. Not the most prolific knitters, even if I do say so myself. But I am only one, and there are hundreds of other knitters participating in the project. It'll go out in the mail this week, so should be at the appointed place at the appointed time for mailing to Mongolia.

In other news, I revisited Yonder Yarns last Saturday. She is still open -- wonderful news. Even better, her stock has grown. And best of all -- she has a knitting group that meets on Tuesday evenings! I found some knitting friends! Yippee! I have missed that aspect of my life for so long.

Of course, today is Tuesday and I'm not there. I'm tired. Dangerously tired for driving. Hence, I am home tonight. There's always next Tuesday!

This is NOT funny. This is April 3, for crying out loud! We are supposed to have green grass, flowers just peeking through the ground, fresh winds, robins and squirrels. What is with this white, gloppy snow stuff? And to make it worse, you can't even ski on this garbage!

Since the weather wasn't good for much of anything else, I sat at home and knit. My Faina's Scarf is now into the second repeat. Not the first repeat. The second. And I've opened the second ball of that yummy alpaca yarn! Progress. But I haven't taken any pictures to brag yet -- don't want to ruin my luck.

Now that I've gotten into the rhythm of it all, the scarf progresses nicely. Can't wait to get it done.

Tomorrow the weatherman claims that we will see 13 degrees C (that's 55 degrees F). I'll believe that when I see it.

Back from Cruise

Wow. Back from the cruise. It was wonderful. Words fail me, and that doesn't happen often. We went to Nassau, the Bahamas; St. Thomas, U.S. V.I., and St. Martiin, Netherlands Antilles. Such an experience. This is something that I've wanted to do all my life, and it was every bit as delightful as I had hoped it would be.

And after all my agonizing over which project to take ... in the car, headed towards the airport in Buffalo. Took the Dulaan sweater. Finished the front. Cast off those stitches that needed to be cast off and placed the rest on a stitch holder. Ready to start the sleeves! Wrong. I forgot the necessary needles. Grrrr!

So now I'm back and will start working seriously on it. Hopefully, I can finish it this weekend.

Ta-ta-for-now!

Wednesday

The knitting for the Dulaan Project progresss. D.is helping by keeping our furry friends occupied.

In three days, C. and I will climb onto an airplane and fly to Miami. From there -- it's a Caribbean Cruise for us! Yippee! I'm debating which project(s) to take with me. The Dulaan sweater has gone cross-country skiing the last two weekends, and has progressed. The front is completed and the back is nearly so. It's a definite candidate.

Also under contemplation is the Faina's Scarf. I have discovered that there are indeed repeated rows. But it still is a complex project, requiring complete concentration. Consequently, it isn't such a good candidate for travel.

On the other hand, I could just take some sock yarn ... easy, fun to knit, and sure to elicit lots of commentary.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

What is needed to do lacework?

I started the first lacework I've done in 14 years. It's a lace scarf made from Plymouth Indiecita Alpaca, and a pattern from Fibertrends called Faina's Scarf. I carefully assembled all the necessary tools --


See what is missing?

The TV. This is not a pattern that can be worked in front of the TV. Nor the radio. Nor the stereo. It requires concentration -- and lots of it.

I am on row 57 -- and there have not been any repeat rows yet. Possibly as I get further into the pattern ... but I'm not counting on it. The directions list 423 rows. And in the 150 that I've skimmed, not one of them say "repeat row *."

If I knit 40 rows a day, I'll be done in 10 days. Right.

Notice the stitch marker? That's for the places that I forget the yarn over. I have figured out how to add it on the next row -- provided I see that I've forgotten it in time. Hence the stitch marker.

Now, I used to have a favorite baby sweater set that I made for all my children and for my friends' children. It was lace. It also had a nice 15-stitch, 12-row repeat. This scarf is not even in the same class.

We'll see if I still like lace when I'm done.

Brandi is my daughter's best friend. On Feb. 5, her mother loaded her onto an airplane and shipped her out to Calgary to live. Kicked her out of the house.

There are no words to express how I feel right now. Brandi is a good kid. She is my "other daughter." I really miss her, as does Carrie.

So I made these socks for her. The heart is embroidered on with duplicate stitch, and is a reminder to her of how very much she is loved.