Interesting Times

There is an old Chinese curse -- May you live in interesting times -- that has become quite applicable to my current life. For many reasons, one of which I will share with you today.

The month of April, 2008, has become ice-out on the lake. Normally, this is a fairly benign process, at least for us. You see, we live on the southern shore of the lake and our property sits quite high on the bank above the lake. So when the ice goes out, we are normally untouched. We watch others along the shoreline have their boat lifts crushed by the ice, or their docks get swept away. Or their shorelines get gouged out. You get the idea I'm sure.

This year, the lake dumped all the ice on our shoreline. And normally this really isn't a problem since we have this big concrete wall protecting our lake access. When I say "big," I do mean big. It's about 10 feet high by 12 or 13 feet wide. Doug stores the dock parts up on top during the winter, which saves him hauling them another 12 feet up to the yard. Generally this is a good plan.

Remember when I said that the lake dumped all the ice on our shoreline? This is what we found last week: Those red planks up there? Those are 4 dock sections that require two strong men each to move.
The ice shoved up the wall, and then another two feet. Those dock sections started the winter with the short side facing the lake. Now? You can only see the long sides. The ice picked them all up and moved the front end by about 12 feet.

Just for perspective, here's a shot of me standing in front of the ice pile.
Impressive, eh? Never again will I scoff at the power of the lake.

In knitting news, I finished the Ada Fenick (page 46) square of the Great American Afghan.
It is delightfully well-written and fun to knit. One of the reasons I loved this square so much is that there was only one chart to follow. None of this switching from chart a to chart b to chart a stuff. Just one big chart. I loved it! Everyone that sees the square loves it.

I moved on to the Ada Hunt (page 20) square and finished it as well. Again, well-written and reasonably accurate. The down side of this square is that there were 5 charts, two of which were repeated. The pattern was, however, accurately written, so I can't complain. Well, I can and do. But I shouldn't.
So that's now 4 squares completed of my afghan. 21 left ... assembly and then the border. Did I mention that I'm looking forward to it?

Sort of an Update

Since there was so little knitting content in my previous post, it seemed only proper that I get a second post up this week--WITH knitting content!

Here you see the progress on my Great American Aran Afghan. The square on the left is Barbara Selesnick, found on page 16. On the right is Hanna Burns, found on page 32. This square (Hanna Burns) claims to be "easy." They lie. Big time. It was not easy. The third square is Ada Fenick, found on page 46. So far (and I do knock on wood as I say this) it has been easy. Who knows what joys lurk in the later rows.

We are teaching a class from the Patons Upside Downers book at the shop this month. Here is my progress so far. I'm using the number of stitches for a size 2; but the yarn is an older bulky wool and I'm using the proper size needles. I THINK this is going to turn out to be an adult large now. Sure hope I have sufficient wool to complete the sweater. The wool has been laughing at me since stitch one but I've persevered and forced the wool to do my will. I'm not sure I could stand the humiliation of having the wool stand victorious over my poor, defeated body as I struggle through the frog pond.

All other knitting has been studiously ignored while my brain attempts to find its way through the ever-present fog. Only three more days of antiobiotics, and hopefully I'll be in the home stretch.

A girl CAN dream, right?

Oy vey!

The past couple of weeks have been beyond interesting at my house, and hence the absence of blogging. I do apologise.

To bring you up to date ... My doctor has been quite obsessed with my alleged high blood pressure. She prescribed some meds three years ago, which have done nothing to bring down the numbers she sees. She asked me to purchase a home monitor two years ago, which I did.

The first prescribed med. was hydrochlorothiazide--a water pill. We started at a low dose and when that had no effect, climbed higher. Still no effect. Well, other than the fatigue that has been sucking my patience and body dry. After all, just who sleeps 16 or 17 hours a day anyway? Well, other than me, not many folks that I know.

When confronted with the actual numbers of hours of sleep I required instead of the vague "fatigue" word, she conceded that perhaps my need for sleep was excessive. So she prescribed an ASE-inhibitor by the name of Lisinopril. Again, at a low dose, but ...

I am amazed, totally amazed at the speed with which life changed. The lisinopril kicked in and my blood pressure dropped. Dramatically. As recorded on the home monitor. Unfortunately, so did the side effects. Major and uncomfortable. Nausea, dizziness, light-headedness. What I thought were unrelated physical manifestations were chills, insomnia, huge coughing fits for absolutely no reason and with no productive outcome, and emotional melt-downs. Turns out that everything but the chills were related to the lisinopril. Chills? Well, wouldn't YOU be cold if your blood pressure was somewhere around 100/65?

At the last check-up on March 5, the doctor and I discussed the situation. Turns out that the home monitor readings don't count. Are, in fact, worthless, because she didn't take them. (Why I got to spend $100 buying the blasted monitor I still don't understand, especially if she is just gonna ignore the numbers.) I had already decided to stop taking the lisinopril, a decision with which she agreed. Fortunately! Now I just had to wait for the meds to work their way through and out the body.

Thursday evening (the 13th), I ended up going to the local emergency room. I had a pain in my right side that basically had me hunched over and not breathing. The diagnosis? Well ... it MIGHT be a fractured/dislocated rib caused by coughing so hard; it MIGHT be pneumonia because there was shading in the lung on the x-ray; it MIGHT be a kidney infection since there was blood in the urine. Sweet. Got some lovely antibiotics and some of the good (pain) drugs and sent home. Things are improving, albeit slowly. Monday morning I get to go for an ultrasound and then we'll see how things go from there.

Because of the lack of sleep and brain fog I have been experiencing, there really hasn't been much knitting done around here. By me, anyway. It was March Break for the daughter, and her brother was willing to come visit. This is the fabulous sight I saw on some evenings here at my house: Jeffrey may look a wee bit perturbed at his knitting, but the reality is that he was concentrating very hard. Such determination!

He was here at Christmas time and started and completed his first project: a hat!
Inspired by his success, he went searching for a special hat for a young lady friend of his. She performs dances wearing a black dress ... and needed a flapper-style hat to complete the outfit. He found a pattern, his step-mother provided the yarn, and he went to work.
The flapper hat as modeled by his younger sister. Turned out quite well, in fact.

He wasn't done knitting, however, so he browsed around the shop and decided to make himself a sweater. He selected a pattern, I suggested yarn, and he has begun the adventure of a lifetime. He is becoming a Knitter. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I made contact with a friend of the Yarn Harlot's who lives in his neighbourhood, and inquired about male-friendly shops and knitting groups. He now has a knitting buddy nearby. How cool is that?!

Time to take another of those good drugs and hit the hay. Tomorrow is another day, and since I'm starting to feel better, I'm actually looking forward to it!

New boots, how do I love thee?

I love thee from the tips of your wonderfully roomy toes to the top of your padded ankles ...

I love thee for the wonderfully secure three-pin bindings upon your soles ...
I love thee for the cool and flashy laces in your eyelets ...
I love thee for your wonderfully sturdy arch supports ...
I love thee for the way you keep me standing upon my skiis and gliding (somewhat) gracefully down the hills ...
I love thee for the way you keep me from getting bruises (unlike your predecessors!) ...
(That was one nasty tumble, by the way. Doug feared that I would be giving up skiing again, despite the fact that I snarled through clenched teeth that I really WAS having fun.)

I love thee for the hours that I spend knitting on my way to and from the Leslie Frost Centre ...
This is Bamboo On Your Toes from S.R. Kertzer--a delightful experience in knitting once you get past the casting on. The yarn tends to unply as I cast on, something to do with the fact that I cast on left left-handed and pull from the centre of the ball, no doubt.

PS--Note to Elizabeth Barret Browning: Thanks for letting me borrow your lines!

And I was having so much fun!

When my daughter and I moved to Canada , I had never really experienced the joys of cross-country skiing. Doug, on the other hand, enjoys the activity immensely. Enough so that when we landed, he almost immediately took me to buy the necessary equipment so that I, too, could enjoy skiing.

For eight years, I have generally enjoyed cross-country skiing. There was the one outing that went pretty sour, and I didn't ski again that season. Went out a couple of times the next year, and now I'm back to enjoying it.

Until this past weekend. As we were kitting up at the Leslie Frost Centre, I noticed something a bit strange with my boots. Upon closer examination, I discovered this: The binding part of the boot is pulling away from the boot part. Dang! And I was enjoying skiing so much! After a fair bit of discussion and examination, we decided to give it a try. Worse case scenario--I'd get to carry my skis and walk out.

The ski was ... well ... interesting is a nice word. I was vertically challenged (in other words, I fell. A lot.), but I'm blaming it on the failing ski boots, not on myself. Just because I hadn't been out for three weeks meant nothing. I tell you, if the boots had been 100% I'm certain that I would've handled the trail perfectly. (If you believe that, did I mention that I have some ocean-front real estate in Nevada for sale? Didn't fall for that one either, did you? Dang!)

So I now have a massive bruise on my leg. But at least I didn't break anything. We are planning to replace the boots at the earliest opportunity so that I can continue having fun this winter.

What I DID accomplish on the two hour ride there and two hours back is this:


These are the Annetrelac Socks from the Holiday 2007 Interweave Knits. I knit them in Regia Strato Colour and a pair of 2.75mm needles. I modified the pattern a bit. The instructions asked for a cast-on of 72 stitches, decreasing down to 48 stitches for the leg portion. This was HUGE! I cast on 60 stitches and then decreased to 48 stitches for the leg. They fit beautifully, so the modification worked.

In other news regarding the Saffron Cables ... my daughter really felt that the afghan was short. Upon further reflection, I decided she was right. Since I had three balls of yarn left over, I have decided that I am going to take back the border and add another pattern repeat. More photos of this later.

A FO, a close-up, and progress

Sibling rivalry is an interesting thing. As a parent, you try to treat your children equally, show no preference for one child over another. In fact, you generally try diligently to treat each child absolutely equally.

So when my sons were both in the 3 to 4 years of age range, they both got an afghan made for them. Their choice, as I recall, although I did give them a limited selection from which to choose. Jason chose a crocheted afghan with a barn and a tractor. Jeff, with some coaching I do admit, selected an afghan with kitties playing with balls of yarn. And Carrie? Well ... I just never got around to making her afghan. Something about having moved to Tennessee, mired in a major depression, getting divorced, you know ... life.

So the boys used to tease Carrie -- "mom likes me better because she made ME an afghan" sort of thing.

Well, that is one claim that I am finally able to lay to rest. Carrie has an afghan of her very own now.


Doesn't she look very happy? She absolutely loves the afghan and proclaims me the best mother in the world. She might be a wee bit prejudiced, but I'm not gonna complain.

The afghan is the Saffron Cables from Interweave Knits Fall 2006. I used Butter (#03612) in Patons Shetland Chunky--19 balls in all--and a size 5.5mm needle. Carrie is going to add a fringe with the 1.5 balls remaining from the wool purchase. I found no errors in the pattern, which is a wonderful experience.
If you tip your head sideways, you can also see the progress on the Arabesque from Fiddlesticks Knitting. I'm loving this project--the tiny wool, the Addi lace needles, the painstaking counting of decreases and yarn-overs, the placement of life lines. Yes, it is truly a project to enjoy. I'm currently working repeat number 9 of 14 centre repeats, so I'm officially on the downhill side.
I wonder what lace I'll do next?

The problem is ...

I was reminded today that it was more than time for an update to appear. (Hi Gwen!) I meant to update last week, even took the photos.

But you see, I have a problem. A serious problem.

I am having a difficult time putting down the needles. And unless one puts down the needles, an update just isn't gonna appear.

I can hear you folks now, wondering just what the heck has me so entranced that I cannot stop knitting.

The daughter's afghan(Saffron Cables from Interweave Fall 2006) is within 20 rows of having the last pattern repeat completed. Then all I have left to do is the seed stitch border. I'm hoping to have that finished by next weekend.

The Annetralac sock from the Holiday Interweave Knits is also coming along. (There is no ling available to the Interweave Knits site as the issue is completely sold out. Sorry.) I've just finished turning the heel and shaping the gusset.

The Clapotis in Aracania Atacama is inching along slowly. I used it at the store this week to demonstrate how to drop a stitch and repair the damage.

The real problem is this:

Isn't lace supposed to not be pretty until it has been blocked? No one told this Arabesque shawl that, and I hope they never do. It's so gorgeous! The charts are easy to read, and the Malabrigo is a delight to knit. I work two rows, and then admire my work. Force anyone near the shop to also admire. Then work two more rows. I have completed one and a half repeats of the centre charts. Only 12 and a half to go!

Finally, there is the Great American Aran Afghan. We are doing the afghan as a "knit along" project at the store, beginning on February 26. I decided that I should work a square (at least) ahead of the group so that if there are any problems, I can troubleshoot them before my knitters get there.

I have lusted after this afghan for at least three years. Never quite found the motivation, until now. Starting this square was a wee bit problematic. For whatever reason, I am finding the charts difficult to follow. I don't believe it is a problem with the charts--just the knitter! In any event, here is the beginning of my afghan:

This is Hannah Burns' square found on page 32, and the yarn is Patons Canadiana in Oatmeal. I finally figured out that part of the problem was that the ribbons (chart B) don't both start on row 1. One side does, of course, but the other side is a reverse image. Consequently, it starts on row 17. I added a second column of row numbers to the chart, and suddenly things are progressing nicely.

Tomorrow I am going cross-country skiing at the Leslie Frost Centre. That means two hours of knitting time in the car, followed by two more hours knitting on the way home. I'm looking forward to it!

See you later!

The slope is just as steep as it ever was!

Remember how I claim to be a "one-project-at-a-time" kind of knitter? And how much I whine and complain about having four projects on the needles and the fifth one on its way? How I profess that it makes me uncomfortable and all that?

Well, I can hold my head up high. I finished the Sublime cabled shell. In all its finished glory, here it is!
I used 8 balls of Sublime #59 and the pattern from Pure Silk by Debbie Bliss. All in all, this was a purely delightful project. The directions were accurately written and the yarn was a joy. I do wish that there had been a chart provided in addition to the written directions, but hey--I won't complain. All my customers have been waiting with bated breath for the finished shell, and it is here!

Of course, having finished a store project, I immediately cast on another. (Leaving me with four -- count 'em -- FOUR projects on needles!)

This is the beginning of the Arabesque from Fiddlesticks Knitting, in Malabrigo Baby Lace Merino. Today was my day off and the shop was closed. Where was I? Back at the store, fondling -- er petting -- I mean knitting on the lace. Yeah, that's it. I was knitting!

The Saffron Cables was given much love and attention this weekend as well. I'm now 13 rows into the final pattern repeat, and in the home stretch. This is a good thing since it was so blasted cold this weekend -- I know I was hoping for a bit more winter so that I could do some more cross-country skiing, but really now. -20 was a bit extreme! It was really nice to sit under an afghan and knit merrily away.

Project number 5 soon to be on the needles -- we are doing the Great American Aran Afghan as a group project at the store. I'll be casting on soon for that one as well. Sheesh! Whatever happened to that one-project-at-a-time knitter?

And Irene? There was only a gap of 9 days between updates this time! I have been paying attention!

A Slippery Slope

I have been knitting since I was 8 years old, or there-abouts. It's been a while. For most of this time, I have been a very consistent, one-project-at-a-time knitter. I would decide what I wanted to knit, purchase the yarn, and make the project. Whatever was left over would go into a box, to rest there until winter and I needed to make mittens. Even when a yarn store went out of business I still only purchased yarn for the next project. (I know many of you are shaking your heads over this. But it is true--I purchased only yarn for the very next project on my mental list.) One project at a time, from start to finish. And life was good.

Then a bit of misfortune occurred. My friend Randi died. She wasn't quite as monogamous a knitter as I, and she had stash. She had rather a lot, in fact. But that was OK. I started knitting my way through her stash, one project at a time. And life was good.

From there, I discovered charity knitting. There are lots and lots of places that need hand-knit items, and I love knitting enough to want to assist those folks less fortunate than myself. So I adapted my strategy to accommodate this desire. One project for Dulaan, one project for the Durham Crisis Pregnancy Centre, and one for myself. Three projects at the same time. I'd knit for a designated period of time on one project, switch to the second for an equal amount of time, and then knit on my personal project for the same amount of time. Items were finished, and they were beautiful. And life was good.

Do you realize how big a knitting bag one needs to carry around three projects at a time? And enough wool to keep going on each of the projects? I decided that the concept was good and all, but one project at a time was just fine for me. And life was better.

I discovered the Knitter's Frolic. I discovered the Kitchener-Waterloo Spinners & Knitters Fair. I remembered how nice it was to be able to finish a project at midnight on a Saturday night, and be able to walk over to the Stash and immediately start a new project. I bought. And bought some more. I had Stash. And life was tremendous!

Next in my knitting adventures, I decided to open a wool shop. Never Enough Wool was born. Every wool shop needs store models, and mine was no exception. So I had to start knitting models from wools in the store.

This caused a conflict in my little psyche--how could I have two, TWO projects on needles at the same time? I resolved to designate one project as "store" knitting and one as "home" knitting. I would knit the "store" project while at the store, and the "home" knitting at home or on the knitting nights at the store. And life continued to be tremendous.

Now, somewhere along the line (and I really am not sure just how it happened), I started more projects than I had finished. I took inventory yesterday, and this is what I found:


This is a store project--a delightful sleeveless shell designed by Debbie Bliss and knit in Sublime. Coincidentally, the shell is just my size although I profess no knowledge as to how this happened. The back is complete, and the front lacks just the right shoulder. So close ...

Designated as a "home" project, there is this lovely afghan from Interweave Knits Fall 2006 issue. I am knitting it in Patons Shetland Chunky even though the design specifies an alpaca blend.
There are four pattern repeats in this afghan and I am currently half-way through the third repeat. I started this afghan on December 10, so I must say that I am really quite pleased with my progress thus far.

But wait! What's this? Another project, that's what!
My daughter wanted to make a wrap for a friend of hers and I suggested the Clapotis from Knitty and this wonderfully soft Atacama, an alpaca wool from Auracania. I had no sooner gotten her started when she changed her mind. Since the wool was already wound into balls and stitches on the needle, it seemed cruel and unusual punishment to consign the wool back into inventory or stash. So I have continued knitting, with the plan to display the wrap at the store as a model. It's a good plan, even if I say so myself.

But wait! There's more! What else do I find in the bottom of my knitting bag? ANOTHER project?!

Yes, indeed, it is another project. This is the Annetrelac Sock from the Holiday 2007 Interweave Knits issue, knit in Regia 4-ply Strato Color. Socks are such a nice LITTLE project, don't you think? One should always have a pair of socks on the go. Right?

That makes 4 projects currently on the needles. Quite enough for someone who likes one project at a time.

But wait! There's more!

Yes, I did say that. The store is hosting a lace knit-along project, beginning January 22. I have to have a project. So I will be casting on ... the Arabesque using Malabrigo lace-weight merino. Of course, I haven't actually cast on yet, so it doesn't count. Sort of.

The slippery slope is getting steeper and steeper. It will be difficult to get back to the "one-project-at-a-time" knitter that I was. But perhaps that is OK, since life is still good.

What I did over the holidays

I humbly apologize to anyone who tries to read my blog. I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly, and that December has gone. I really have been knitting ...

Much as I love my children, and Doug's, this year they decided it was the year for them all to visit the parents on the other side. There was some commentary about needing to be fair and hoping we'd understand and all. And so we agreed that it would be fair to the other parents and in-laws if the dear children did, indeed, visit elsewhere this year.

Inside, however, we were actually rather pleased. The shop was going to be closed for Christmas and Boxing Days. Adding my regular Sunday and Monday days off meant that I was the proud owner of a Four-Day-Weekend. Rather an event to be celebrated in my opinion--especially since we would be child-free.

Doug researched and finally we decided to try a stay at the Nordic Inn. The B&B had rooms available for the necessary days; unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to provide breakfast for two of the days. This wasn't a problem for us, because we had planned on taking our breakfast and dinners with us and using the microwave in the room.

We checked in, and learned that Jane, the owner, was a knitter. She was quite pleased to show me her afghans and look at my works in process. And at breakfast the next morning? She showed me a Llama hat that a previous guest had prepared.

I personally think the hat is priceless. And why would someone knit her a Llama hat? That remains to be seen.

The room we selected for our get-away was the deluxe suite. We had a king-size bed, a jacuzzi tub, a stone fireplace and a dining nook. It was delightful.
And now for the answer as to why someone would knit her a llama hat. You see, at the Nordic Inn there are llamas. Friendly llamas. Ones that like carrots. Oh yes. There's a horse there too. We immediately went to the nearest grocery store and bought carrots.

The critters were quite friendly when tempted by carrots.

Finally, the only question remaining is why we would go to the Nordic Inn for Christmas. Well, the answer is that the Nordic Inn is minutes from the Frost Centre, where there is some wonderful cross-country skiing.

Doug is quite an avid cross-country ski aficionado. Several years ago, he took me out on a trail that was far above my abilities. Since then, I've been greatly reluctant to venture back out onto the trails. This was an attempt for me to learn to enjoy skiing again. The Frost Centre has a multitude of trails, ranging from easy to more difficult, short to long. We were able to select a route for us to ski that would be short enough for my endurance as well as not beyond my technical skills.

We went skiing on Monday, after the big rain. Fortunately, we had some rain overnight which helped, as did the cooling temperatures. The conditions were slightly better than OK, and we did fairly well. Actually, I was more than a little vertically challenged (which means that I fell down ... a lot). Then we returned to the room and soaked our weary bones in the jacuzzi.

Tuesday we went skiing again. This time ... Well, they always say that a photo is worth a thousand words.
That one says a lot, eh?

On Wednesday, Doug deicded to attempt a ski on the trails at the Nordic. Turns out that the Nordic Inn was previously a training centre for the Canadian ski teams. The trails were ... um ... challenging. Doug reports that the word "challenging" is somewhat like the Chinese curse of living in interesting times. Challenging was an understatement.

The first two water hazards were intimidating. Which means that he managed to get past them without incident. The third water hazard, however, was daunting. Which means that he turned around and came back.

The verdict? The holiday get-away up north was an unqualified success. We will do it again, the first chance we get. After all, we DID purchase the family membership to the Frost Centre ski trails.

We returned home on Wednesday afternoon, to prepare for the impending visit of my second son and the return of my daughter. More on that later!

Done like dinner!

I've been knitting an Aran sweater for a customer at the store. The gentleman came in looking for a hand-knit Aran sweater for his wife's birthday. Money was not a problem, and he realized that Aran sweaters require LOTS of work. Also, there really wasn't a deadline as his wife was in on the surprise. With that in mind, I accepted the commission.


She selected a design from Susan Bates booklet no. 17670, circa 1983, knit in Paton's Classic Merino. All well and good, and quite in line with what I would have chosen. Unfortunately, the wool wasn't available from the warehouse immediately, so I had to wait until the latter half of October to cast on.

I knit dutifully and carefully, following the pattern diligently. Christy asked if I made any alterations to compensate for the difference between the style as written (long and lean) and the current styles and/or body styles. Well, I did. First, I cast on using the numbers for a size 42, and tapered to a size 40 to mimic the customer's body. I also shortened the length to the underarm shaping since the customer is vertically challenged.

One of my friends from the store questioned whether I had knit a gauge swatch. "Ha! I know this yarn and I know me! I'll be fine!" And when she wasn't looking, I measured. Once the back and two fronts were completed, I took them home for a little blocking. Unfortunately, the goddess of knitting didn't look kindly upon my arrogance. I needed six more stitches. I compensated by knitting up a gusset from the bottom ribbing to the armhole, sewing it in darn near invisibly.

The sleeves were knit just as written, only for a size 42. This provided some extra width across the shoulders and the necessary length. The collar was also knit as directed, for the size 42.

All in all, looking at the photo, it does appear to be a credible job, and one I hope the customer will find worthy. After the photo shoot, I sewed on the 7 buttons. All in all, the sweater consumed 8 balls of wool and six weeks of my life. It could've been completed sooner, with more diligence on my part in the store. But sometimes a girl has to do the bookwork, and stock the shelves, and play on the computer. Ya know? And I'm happy with it.

An attempt at normalcy

My family in the US celebrated Thanksgiving last weekend. This is the second year in which I didn't pull Carrie from school and make the mad drive on Wednesday. She takes her high school classes a little bit seriously ... doesn't want to miss the time in school. Coupled with her involvement in the high school play (Voices 2000), the Rebel Improv Team, and her having missed so many days earlier in the year, not to mention her paying job, it just didn't seem right to forcefully yank her away for the long weekend. She does just fine with missing the family activities. I do miss them ... and the recognition that life is finite just makes things more difficult.

In an effort to cheer myself up, then, I am posting some amazing photos of my Lizzie kitty. She regularly gets thumped by both Henry and Mimi when in the house, so she is always on the look-out for a new hideaway. This past summer she found what she thought was a truly great spot --
Fortunately for her, we spotted her in there before we shut the drawer -- hence the photo. She really didn't understand why we were killing ourselves laughing at her. Perhaps I don't either. After all, it IS a secure hideaway.

Fast forward to last weekend and the arrival of cold, ice and snow. NOW the kitties are looking for somewhere warm to roost. Remember when I said that Henry and Mimi regularly thump poor Lizzie? Apparently, all is forgiven.
Yes, you saw it here first. Henry and Lizzie sharing the same lap. Even more amazing, they've shared the lap at least once more since this photo. I'm not sure, but it may be getting a little cooler in a place not known for warm weather. (As in hell freezing over in case I've been too cute!)

And now for something completely different ... if you are near and dear to my heart, or married to someone near and dear to my heart, you should now wander on to the next place in your internet wanderings. Nothing else here for you to see. Really.

I mean it. Nothing here for you to see. Just keep on moving.

Still here, eh? Well, don't say I didn't warn you. Now you will have to take the chance of ruining your Christmas surprise. Glad to see you took the warning. See ya later!

For those of you still here, remember the day I spent dying wool with my friends? The wool dried and was wound into pretty little centre pull balls. Very cute. The photo doesn't do them justice, but they are truly things of beauty. The "manly" colours on the right are two shades of green, a gold, an orange, a yellow and a brown. Truly they look like autumn colours in their brightest shades of glory. The "girly" colours on the left are a vivid yellow, hot pink, green ... you almost need sunglasses to look at the yarn.
All in all, a dying experience worthy of praise, and definitely one to repeat. Especially the manly colours. I really want a pair of socks from that colourway.

Finally, a not-very-good photo of another Christmas gift. This is a lace skirt from Interweave Knits Summer 2007 issue, knit in Blue Sky Cotton. The skirt itself is lovely and the photo truly doesn't do it justice. I hope to get a better photo after the gift-giving.
As with all lace, it is better knit with few distractions. However, the pattern shows itself almost immediately thus making it an easier knit than it might otherwise have been. The designer attempted to have a "fake" I-cord border up the sides with a provisional cast-on finished off with a real knitted I-cord edging. In my humble opinion, the I-cord should have been knit around the sides and bottom afterward as the imitation cord really doesn't stand out. Other than that, a delightful knit. I used one and a half balls of this cotton to make the skirt, by the way, making it a very economical holiday gift.

A day of painting

Several months ago, my friend Barb and I attended a dyeing workshop offered by a local spinner. We had fun. Just prior to our workshop, our friend Irene also attended a dye workshop held by the same local spinner. She also had fun.

In fact, we had so much fun that we decided that we should try to recreate the fun. We ordered Jacquard Acid Dyes and Bare yarns from Knitpicks. Barb has a wonderfully large basement with sturdy linoleum floors. It was agreed that we would meet there and begin our adventures.

This is a photo of Irene and I painting our yarns. Irene and her sister, Kathy, were painting wool to make a sweater. Me? I'm just painting sock yarn.
Barb decided to attempt some immersion dyeing with lace-weight wool. She is trying to explain to us how it will work.

Here you see Barb pulling some of the laceweight out of the dye bath and letting it run into the rinse water. The theory was that the wool in the dye bath would continue absorbing dye, making it darker and darker.
The theory is good. Unfortunately, it probably should not have been attempted with lace-weight. 880 meters is a lot to be pulling from the dyebath at 5-15 meters at a time. The truly frightening part of the endeavor was that the wool in the rinse water was just pooling there, waiting to be rewound. We kept teasing Barb that we were going to stir the rinsewater. Her shrieks were quite amazing.

We were quite thrilled with the results. The colours were vivid and rich. Even before the heat setting process. And after? Even better. We are all waiting (im)patiently for the yarns to dry so that we can wind them into balls and show them off.

And what was Doug up to while I was out having fun? He spent the day on his hands and knees, spreading out the heating element for the new bathroom.
To say that I am thrilled with the progress being made would be an understatement--possibly the biggest understatement of 2007. Stay tuned for more updates on the yarns and the bathroom!

Yes, I have been knitting

Despite the blahs I have been experiencing, I have been knitting. Not as enthusiastically as is customary, but I've been plugging away. And here are photos to prove it!

This first project is a store project--an Aran-style sweater for a customer. The book is one I collected 25 years ago when I worked for an Aunt Mary's (Caron warehouse outlet). I just collect Aran books, not necessarily knit them. The customer browsed through all the books available, including some from the store and some from home, and selected her favorite from this golden oldie. The photo shows a back and most of the left front ... currently I am half-way through the right side as well. The wool is Paton's Classic Merino in the Aran colourway. Despite my attempts to over-think and screw things up, I am enjoying this project. I have noted one minor error in the pattern, but it was easily spotted and rectified.

Believe it or not, I have two projects on the needles for home. Yes, you read it here. Two projects. At the same time. Who'd have believed it?!

This photo shows a baby set I've been working on for the Durham Crisis Pregnancy Centre. I had acquired the yarn (Bernat Baby) when Lewiscraft went out of business. Only having 4 ounces, however, I wanted to be certain to get the complete set finished before I ran out of yarn. Consequently, I used a 2.00mm needles instead of the 2.25mm specified in the pattern. Makes the fabric a wee bit stiff, but not uncomfortably so.
You see here the completed jacket, the bonnet and one bootie. The second bootie was almost completed. True to form, I have completed the knitting and actually attached the requisite ribbons! You will see a finished object photo in the very near future.

Finally, my last project was started so that I would have a sock in hand for the Learn to Knit Socks class at the shop. I used Hacho from Mirasol and a pattern from Knitting Pure and Simple. As promised, it is an excellent beginner patternl--clear and concise.
Once again, I've progressed a bit beyond the photo. The second sock is actually on the needles. A momentous event occurred at the toe of the first sock. I used the kitchener stitch to close off the toe. Voluntarily. Without grumbling. With a smile. Who knew that kitchener would be so much fun when you can actually see the stitches on which you are working?!?!

Those crazy, lazy, hazy days of ... FALL?

This will be a somewhat unusual post. Despite the cheery, bright title, I have been more than a little bummed of late.

While we were celebrating Thanksgiving weekend on October 7, a very good friend of Carrie's (back in Michigan) died. He was 25 years old, and he died in tragic circumstances.

Chris had life by the tail--finishing up his university degree with exemplary grades, a new job offer in his field and doing what he loved most--promoting music. Things were finally coming together for him. And then he died, leaving behind his young wife and two beautiful children. He also left behind his dreams unrealized, his life unfinished.

In his short life, Chris touched many people. People he knew in "real life," and people he knew through the internet. His power was such that he brought out the best in people. His enthusiasm for life was infectious, and he just made everyone smile.

If you can spare a moment, please say a prayer for his family. They do need them.

* * * * *

I have been knitting lately, but have neglected to take photos. I have also been shopping lately, but have the same issue--no photos. I WILL do better ...

In the meantime, how about this crazy weather? It was positively warm today, and sunny. A condition almost unheard of lately. And to take advantage of this crazy, hazy, and decidedly not lazy day, Doug and I raked leaves. Lots of leaves. 4 hours worth of leaves. The good news is that we almost raked the entire yard. The bad news? Well, the trees still have plenty of leaves to drop. At least Doug will be able to mow the grass now and make that last raking up a lot easier than today's efforts!

The cats enjoyed the sunshine immensely. Mostly they stay inside when the weather is dull and grey. Especially when it is raining or snowing. So they have stayed inside for the better part of the last two weeks. But today? They couldn't wait to get outside!

Mimi flaked out on the handrail. Warm, away from those treacherous feet which might step on her tail, you get the idea. I haven't seen her so comfortable in ages, in fact. She really enjoyed her sunning.

Henry, on the other hand, went for some cushioning. After all, he is getting up there in age!
Unfortunately, he sat up just before the shutter clicked. He had been sprawled magnificently across the leaves, all four paws to the wind.

The yard and deck look much better now than they did when these photos were taken. The leaves are gone, and things look much more tidy. And they'll stay that way--until the wind kicks up as predicted and blows the remaining leaves down.

Then we'll rake again. Unless I get lucky and am at the store!

Recuperating from the weekend

Last weekend we drove to Michigan for a weekend of family gatherings. Departing Friday night, after closing the store, we arrived at the hotel at 2:30 am. I have an all new respect for Stephanie for keeping the hours she does when she travels. I myself would be a basketcase if I had to do the things she does.

Saturday morning we gathered at St. Thomas Episcopal church for a memorial service for my Uncle Ray. He passed away back at Easter, and this was the time when his children (all four of them, with spouses) could congregate in Michigan. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. The service left everyone a little teary, and with a smile. My uncle did have a wicked sense of humour.

Following the service at the graveside (where we all learned that we should not try to make a living by singing), we gathered at a local restaurant and had a very nice luncheon. I had not seen any of the cousins for 15 years, and some even longer than that. It was a great to sit down together and catch up on what was happening in each others' lives.

Doug, Carrie and I bopped out of the restaurant at 4:00 so that we could have a bike ride at Fort Custer. The day was conducive to bicycle riding, and we all had a tremendous time. So much of a good time that ... well, it had been a late night and an early morning, coupled with a fair bit of exertion on the bike trail ... A nap seemed like a tremendously good idea. So we did. Doug was supposed to be in the shower, washing away any traces of poison ivy. Apparently that wasn't all that he did while he snoozed!

Sunday was a big day as well, again at St. Thomas. My new niece, Amelia Ann, was baptized! Again, with the big family gathering. And the three of us (Doug, Carrie and myself) snuck out for another bicycle ride. With not so great results, I am afraid. Carrie managed to go over the handlebars yet again and was bruised and battered upon our return to the hotel. She has decided that she will NOT be mountain biking any more. Now I'm on the lookout for a less dangerous bicycle route to take her on.

Have you noticed how few photos there are, even though I am talking about a lot of activity? It seems our digital camera is deciding whether or not to give up the ghost. We get maybe a photo or two per day, and then it dies. My brother thinks it is something with the image-capture element ... all I know is that sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

One thing that was really cool about the weekend is that I got to meet Amelia. She was five weeks old on Friday, the 28th of September. And such a sweetie. You know how babies sometimes are fussy and only quiet down for one person? This particular weekend, I was that person. (For those folks who have known me for years and years, they understand how exciting this was. Babies NEVER quiet down for me!) She slept on my lap, or on my shoulder, for the longest times. Made me quite happy, I must admit. There are reportedly photos capturing this event, and I am even now in search of them.

I also was able to gift the baby bunting to little Amelia. I am not sure about her, but her parents loved it. Again, photos are in existence and I am still trying to track them down! Even better, it appears that she will be able to wear the bunting more than once since there is plenty of room for her to grow.

In other news, I am participating in a dishcloth relay race with some on-line friends. I received a box with some cotton yarn and a dishcloth, and something special:

I'm not certain what yarn was used for the cloth, but it is nice and soft. The pattern is a basic broken rib pattern. All in all, quite nice. The relay requires me to knit up a dishcloth using one of the yarns included in the box, replace the yarn, and send it forward. I've been eyeing this dishcloth for quite some time, and never found the excuse to knit it.

This is the doily-type dishcloth pattern found on some of the Bernat Handicrafter ball bands. Quite straightforward to knit, and as enjoyable in person as it is to look at on the label. I replaced the Bernat with some S.R. Kertzer Coolspun Cotton, and sent the box on its way. Here's hoping that Customs won't demolish the box as it winds it way to the next recipient.

Also in conjunction with Delphi's Knit & Chat group, I've been attempting to knit a pair of socks each month. Some months I knit baby booties. Some months I knit plain ole socks. But not in September. (Oh yeah -- if you are related to me by birth or marriage, you might want to look away now. Wouldn't want to spoil Christmas, would you?)
These are Dragon Socks knit in the style of shadow knitting, pattern courtesy of Fresh Isle Fibres. Unfortunately, I didn't follow the directions to "cast on loosely" as carefully as I should have. I will have to carefully snip the yarn at the ribbing cast-on and catch the stitches before they unravel. Then carefully and LOOSELY bind off. Other than that, however, I am quite pleased with the pattern. The designer intends to have shadow knitting socks for all the houses at Hogwarts, so if you are an avid Harry Potter fan stay tuned there!

This is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. I have spent the weekend thinking about the things for which I am thankful--family, friends, a warm home, a job I love, plenty of food, good health ... what are you thankful for this year?