Restless Needles

Alaska comes back

2012-01-27T10:31:00.000-08:00

to where he first called home . Long story , but a happy one for us , Max brought Alaska to stay with us . Since Stef has gone back to work they were both finding it difficult to give enough attention to the dogs . Max decided that Alaska would be happier back with us . Mike and I both missed Bingo and since Alaska came here as a pup and knows us , it has worked out well all around .

A new year , a fresh start

2012-01-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

The last months of 2011 saw some changes in my life, hence the blog silence . Just when I thought that life was going to settle down somewhat , I started baby sitting our little grandson , Mason , when his mom went back to work , after her maternity leave . I'd forgotten just how much energy it takes to look after a lively one year old . I'm up at 5:30 am every day to be over at Max's before 6:30 . Stef leaves very early for her commute to work . I'll be having him full time , 5 days a week , until sometime in June when he should have a permanent daycare spot . Even then I'll be the one bringing him to daycare , otherwise he'd have to get up super early and it would mean a very long day for him . The bonus for me and what makes it all worthwhile is his happy smile when he sees me in the morning . Priceless ! But I will say that I have now started taking a short nap when Mason goes down for his afternoon nap . I have never , ever , been a person who naps .

Aside from that , I've also been spending Wednesday afternoons with Stella while Chantal teaches a dance class . She has got to be the easiest , happiest baby ever . I'm also trying to get some one on one time with Jessey whenever possible .I don't want him to feel left out . Needless to say , they've all kept me hopping ...

As per usual I got my annual Christmas cold right in time for the holidays , my birthday and New Years eve . I spent the better part of that week in bed , feeling absolutely horrible . Thankfully it only lasted a week .

There hasn't been too much time for knitting lately , but all of my intended Christmas knitting was done in time .I'm hoping that I'll be able to update my ravelry page in the next week or two with the finished knits . There are two works in progress , I guess I should say slow progress . This is the first sock for 2012 , almost done . I'm going to try and keep up with the sock a month KAL . The other knit is a hat which I'd intended to be for me , but it looks like it might be a tad too small . One for the gift box !

In the last while I've contemplated discontinuing this blog . I can't say how often I'll update and how much time I'll have to read and comment on other blogs . I've missed that more than you can imagine . In the meantime I'll keep going a little longer and see how it goes ...

Have a good week !

Back to normal

2011-10-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

All 's quiet in the house since my father left last Tuesday . It was a bittersweet departure , on the one hand I'm happy for some peace and quiet but on the other he's getting older and who knows how for much longer he'll be to come . This trip was made more special because of his three great- grandchildren . He was tickled to see the change in Jessey and to meet Mason and Stella . It was his decision to move back to Austria after my mother died but despite all of his connections there , his family is here . I think some part of him regrets that decision , but you really can't change some things , not at his age anyway . As for visiting him , trips like that are expensive and unfortunately all of us aren't in a position to go . The boys both have young families and Mike and a I are on a pension , so we make the best of it while he's here ...

I discovered the niftiest gadget ever while my Dad was here . When he's here my father always seeks out those little edibles that are particular to Canada which they don't have in Austria . One thing he's particularly fond of are the prepackaged , god- knows -how- long- they've- been- on- the -shelf May West dessert cakes . One day while we were out getting the groceries he had me add a big box of 12 to my cart . No sooner did we get home , like a kid in a candy store , he had his tea and polished off four cakes at one sitting . Anyone else would have keeled over from too much sugar , but he's as healthy as can be and thoroughly enjoyed them .

Back to the gadget , the other thing my father really likes are apple pies , especially home made ones . My friend Shirley came across this handy dandy apple peeler at Walmart , bought it , tried it, and raved about it . She convinced me to buy one , easily done , I'm not a fan of peeling apples . I've baked more than my share of pies and apple strudels to appreciate anything that speeds up the process . I used it when I baked a bunch of pies during the last week that he was here , it is totally amazing ! Dad , after seeing it in action , promptly went out and bought two to bring home as gifts . Apparently he gave a demonstration on how to use it when he got home and everyone is as taken with it as we were . I see a business opportunity there for Starfrit . Maybe I should let them know ;-) ....

Back to knitting next time , there are some things to show , believe it or not . In the meantime have a good day !

Hanging in ...

2011-10-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot going on in my life over the last month or so , most of it good and then some not so good . My most heartfelt thanks for all of the kind comments that were sent after my last post about Bingo's passing . It was so very much appreciated ! The tears have lessened and I'll cherish the happy memories .

My father arrived from Austria in mid September for a six week visit . He usually comes every year but missed last year due to health issues , not his own , but his wife's . There have been two new additions to the family since his last visit 2 years go , Jessey is a real little boy now , no longer the baby that my father remembers . So there has been a lot of catching up . We've also celebrated 4 birthdays since he arrived and had more birthday cake than is good for the waistline . Not to mention Thanksgiving and turkey with all the trimmings last week . Suffice to say , I'm all tuckered out and will not be cooking or entertaining for at least a week after my Dad leaves on the 25th ...not so much as a toast , if I can help it .

Knitting wise , not much going on . I've kind of lost the mojo . I did finish the boring grey socks for Mike and have got halfway through another less boring second pair . I 've been experimenting with crocheting a granny square blanket for a doll , intended as a Christmas gift for Stella , then making a matching blankie for her . I'm hoping that motivation will strike once things are a little less crazy.

The rest of my Dad's stay promises to be just as crazy as the last month has been . There's just no rest for the wicked ! I shouldn't complain too much because I'll probably miss all the hustle and bustle. Catch you later !

Bingo , a little dog

2011-10-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

with a big heart passed away suddenly on Sunday morning . He was my buddy and constant companion . He suffered a series of seizures and was in terrible pain . I called the emergency number at our vets office and was directed to an animal hospital that was open 24 /7 . He was so very weak and didn't seem to know us and what was going on . The preliminary diagnosis was some kind of neurological problem , most likely a tumour . It would require a whole battery of tests , and likely with not a very good outcome when all was said and done . After a lot of tears I made the decision that the kindest thing would be to let him go . I think that given his age and how badly he was suffering, it was the right thing , but I 'm still having a difficult time dealing with it .

He was truly a great little guy. He was my one and only dog . He came to us fourteen years ago , quite by accident . He was originally supposed to be Mike's moms dog , but she physically wasn't able to take care of him . He ended up with us , the best decision I ever made ! He was just a tiny little puppy when he came to us in November of 1997 . He quickly made friends with our cat and wound his way into our hearts with his good nature and spunky attitude . He loved his walks , but especially when it snowed . He always walked with his tail up like a flag . He was always with me , followed me everywhere .I'm lucky to have had him for so many years but I'm heartbroken and miss him so very much....

Ready for FO Friday

2011-09-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

Will wonders never cease , but this is the second consecutive week that I have a FO to show ! It will probably never happen again . I'm so happy with this knit . The yarn , Zara an extra fine merino , is absolute delight to work with . I learned more about sweater construction and design just from the little things like how the increases in the collar gave a much better fit and more finished look to the cardigan . My mattress stitch skills are improving with practice . It is a simple , classic design which I know that I'll knit again . I've already bought more of this yarn in a gorgeous blue to knit one for my grandson Mason .

In the mean time there's a hat to go with this cardi in the works , Mike's socks and a newly cast on vest for Mason . So many projects so little time ...

PS - There's a whole lot more FO over at Tamis Amis .
Have a wonderful weekend !

What's going on ...WIP Wednesday

2011-09-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

Wednesday already and time once again for Tami's WIP Wednesday show and tell . Wow , a week goes by quickly . Head on over to Tami's to check out what others are working on . You'll be inspired .

Eli's cardi is soooo close to being finished . I just didn't have the energy last night , this cold is wearing me out . This morning I put in a good effort , but seriously , I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to finishing . I seamed and ripped a few times before I was satisfied . One sleeve left to do . Hopefully this will be ready for it's closeup for FO Friday .

Here's the current WIP , a pair of socks for DH Mike , who's been hinting lately that with the cool weather coming he 'd really love to have some new hand knit socks . He even pointed out the yarn that he thought I should use . What's a knitter to do , but cast on . I really should knit more socks for him , but man size socks are so big and I have a short attention span . These will keep him happy for a bit ;-) .

Till next time have a good rest of the day !

Eli's sweater & a houseguest .

2011-09-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week what with one thing and another , but then that's nothing new .You'd think I was working for heaven's sake ! Thanks to the trifecta of rainy weather , US Open tennis and a really cr***y head cold , a good deal of progress has been made on my little red cardi for Eli . The knitting was pretty much done last week and then the procrastination began for the finishing . I really , really hate this last part , mostly because I think I suck at it , to put it not so nicely . Though I think I'm becoming better at it with more practice . Left to do here is the collar and seaming the sides and sleeves . Then another search for buttons . With a bit of determination it should be finished any time now .

Last Wednesday we received an unexpected house guest . This little poochie needed a home while his owner is recuperating from a fall that ended up with her breaking a both arms . She's a senior who lives alone , and obviously can't manage to care for herself with both arms in a cast . It was going to cost her a fortune to board him , so Mike and I offered to take him for the duration . He's a really sweet little guy who gets along really well with our Bingo . The cats , however , are still giving us the stink eye . They were not happy campers when he arrived and avoid him as much as possible . Not hard to do when you sleep most of the day ...

That's it for today , be back next time with what's new on the needles . Have a good rest of the day ...

Yipeee, finished objects !

2011-09-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

This week I'm passing GO or WIP Wednesday and going directly to Finished Object Friday . The first of the finished knits is the baby cardi that was in need of some buttons . Imagine , after much second guessing I went with these truly unoriginal buttons . Better safe than sorry . It was gifted , well received , tried on , and it FITS ! Stella should be able to get a few months wear out of it this winter .

Next up is this crocheted baby hat . I needed a little something extra for Stella's christening and found this sweet little hat on ravelry . It was really quick and easy , though I did have a few issues with the flower . I 'm more of a knitter than a crocheter so it took a bit of work for me to 'get' it . All in all I'm pretty happy with it .

Last but not least.... finished socks ! These are another pair of socks for the Warm Hands Network . The deadline for the next shipment up north is the end of September , so I could possibly get at least one more item done before I have to send everything on . Better get knitting !

For more finished objects head on over to Tami's blog .Have a good weekend !

Stella's christening

2011-08-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

This was a special weekend for Stella . She was christened yesterday afternoon and there was a big party afterwards to celebrate the fact . She looked just adorable in her dress , which her mom had also worn for her own baptism , and the little hat that I'd crocheted for her .The church was filled with family and friends but she's such calm and happy baby that not even all the noise and someone pouring water on her head made her cry . Jessey could hardly wait for the whole thing to be over so that he could go play with his cousins and all of his friends . This actually was the only photo that I managed to get of him all day . He wasn't still for a moment .

The party was originally going to be held outdoors at Chantals' parents home , but the torrential rains and heavy winds that blew in with the remnants of Irene put paid to that . The party was moved inside . We were a little cramped but that didn't matter . There was lots of food , it was a happy occasion , so not even the weather could dampen our spirits . But then I wasn't one of these guys who had to be outside to barbecue the supper .

I was warm and dry inside getting hugs and kisses from this little sweetie ....

and this handsome fella !

In tribute to Jack Layton

2011-08-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

It's unusual for me to express my political beliefs on this blog  . I believe that those are best expressed   in the voting booth at election time . This is the exception because of the death of Jack Layton , leader of the NDP ( New Democratic Party) and leader of the official opposition , who lost his battle with cancer today .

As a federalist in Quebec , it's been a  struggle to vote , to find a politician who best represented my belief in a strong and united Canada . For more than a decade my MP was a member of the Bloc Quebecois which believes in Quebec becoming a sovereign nation . That changed with the spring election in which the 'orange crush ' , referring to the NDP colours , hit Quebec and to a lesser extent other parts of Canada . The surge of the NDP can largely be attributed to the popularity of Jack Layton as a politician . With his leadership the NDP won 59 of 75 seats in the province and more or less demolished the Bloc Quebecois as a party . I'm not so naive as to believe that the sovereignty movement is dead in this province ,but I had hoped that with NDP having more of a voice in Ottawa , as opposed to a being a peripheral party , and representing what I think are the core values and hopes of Canadians we might put that notion to rest once and for all .

In Quebec Jack Layton won over voters in record numbers because he spoke to the concerns of everyday people in tough economic times . He talked about health care , education , jobs ,the environment , poverty and improving the lives of those less fortunate .He showed courage in his personal battle with cancer and optimism for the future . Never giving up and always with a smile and words of encouragement for those who faced similar battles . He touched many of us with his honesty and talked of working together for a better future and a better Canada.

I think he was a good man , no doubt with flaws , but Canada lost someone who really could have moved us forward to that better future . I'm so very sad to think that he won't be here to enjoy the success that his party achieved with his leadership . In his own words from letter released by his family  today ....

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world ."

Jack Layton 1950 -2011

Stella's blanket

2011-08-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

I'm late to Tami's FO Friday party , but I thought that I'd show you anyway . The blanket for my grand daughter is completely finished and ready for her baptism next week . The pattern is Evelyn Clark's Old Shale crochet baby blanket . It really was quite easy , even for my somewhat rusty crochet skills , but gave me fits at the beginning . I was always one stitch off by the end of the row . Consequently I did more ripping than crocheting . After a short time out , all was well . The yarn is Berroco Comfort DK , a very nice quality nylon and acrylic yarn . I would have preferred wool , but I wasn't the decider , as they say . I'm pretty happy with though , it's soft and should wear well .

For more Finished objects head on over to Tami's blog . Have a good weekend !

WIP Wednesday Aug 17

2011-08-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

Wow,it's time for another WIP Wednesday already ! We've been so busy with family , friends and grand kids that the week has just flown by . Plus , we've had spectacularly nice summer weather , so there's not much temptation to do fibery things . That being said , I've made progress on all of last weeks wips . The crochet blanket is finished except for weaving in the ends . Yay , I'll actually have a FO for Friday ! The little red cardi has the back and only one of the front pieces left to do , then it's on to the sleeves . As for Stella's cardi , I'm still wavering on the buttons . I haven't been able to find any buttons that just scream ' perfect ' to me , so I'll have to start looking further afield . Who'd of thought finding buttons would be such a challenge ? Last but not least , I'm at the gusset decreases of sock # 1.

That's it in a nutshell . To see who's joined Tami's WIP Wednesday and what they're working on click here . Have a great day !

WIP Wednesday Aug 10

2011-08-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'm joining Tami 's WIP Wednesday once again this week . As per usual there's something new in progress because I just can't seem to resist starting yet another project .I'm happy to report that the old shale crochet baby blanket is out of it's time out and back on track . No photos this week because it looks the same only bigger . As for Stella's cardigan it's still the same as last week . I'm rethinking the button choice . It needs to be done for the end of the month , so I still have a bit of time . Why do I always second guess myself !?

The other evening I started a another baby cardigan . Little Eli is due to arrive on Aug 21 and will surely need a sweater to keep him warm this fall. I've decided to knit the 6 to 12 month size in the hopes that he'll get more wear out of it. Newborns outgrow their clothes so fast .

As always , there are socks on the needles . This will be another pair for the Warm Hands Network . I'm doing more stash busting with this yarn but I still have way too much sock yarn for my liking . I can't knit fast enough and I'm easily distracted !

Why is it that when you request books at the library they all come in the same week ? I"m reading Shanghai Girls from where I left off a couple of weeks ago because a book that I really wanted to read came in . Now I'm rushing through that to read the sequel Dreams of Joy . Naturally another book that I've requested has come in . If I don't get it now heaven knows when it will be available again . So much to read and knit and so little time . Cooking , cleaning and sleeping are overrated , right ?

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

This little cardigan has been in progress for way too long . It 's intended for my little granddaughter Stella . It's still too warm here to wear it now, but September is just around the corner . I'm knitting the 6 to 12 month size , she's a plump 4 months old , but in hindsight I wish that I'd chosen to knit it one size larger . I've the left button band and the seaming left to do , then all the weaving in of the gazillion ends . The cardie has been a challenge , due in most part to the construction . The raglan sleeves and body had to be seamed in order for me to pick up the stitches for the yoke . I'm picky and find that the yoke is not as neat as I'd like . I'm hoping that a wash and dry will take care of that .

For more WIP Wednesday posts visit Tami's Amis here . It's her blog anniversary and her one year anniversary for WIP Wednesday . Congratulations Tami !

Mystery solved ,I think

2011-07-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

This spring while digging into the compost pile for fertilizer for this years veggie garden Mike found a little plant growing right in the midst of it. He had no clue as to what it was . He decided to plant it to see what would develop . This is what it looked like after a few weeks , just as the flowers were blooming. He photographed his hand next to the bloom to give an idea of just how large these blooms were . We thought , maybe zucchini or some type of squash .

Well earlier this week the mystery was solved . That looks suspiciously like a pumpkin to me . So far despite an abundance of blooms that's the only pumpkin . Apparently there are male and female flowers on a vine which depend on honeybees for pollination . Lucky for us that at least one bee was busy in the pumpkin patch . Wish he'd call a couple of friends , I'd like a few more pumpkins .

The baby blanket is on a short time out for bad behavior . I have repeatedly crocheted the same row numerous times , making the same mistake at different points in the row . I'm blaming it on this unbearable heat which has me completely frazzled . I've decided a break in favour of sock knitting is in order .

Have a good weekend !

Yarning Along on WIP Wednesday

2011-07-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

I just can't resist a two for one post. This is for Tami's WIPW and Ginny's Yarn Along . Last weeks book (Shanghai Girls ) has been temporarily put aside because this book was finally in at the library . If I didn't pick it up right away , who knows when I'll see it in again . The book is set in post war Britain and tells the tale of a Polish couple and their son reunited after surviving the second world war and spending those years apart .He ending up in England and helping in the fight against the Germans ; she in Poland and living through the horrors of war . It chronicles how they survived and of their struggle to become a family again . I'm finding it an enjoyable read but not as engaging as I thought it would be . The two main characters have me wondering how they ever got together in the first place . I'm just over half way through hoping that feelings will change by the time I finish reading it .

As for what's on the go , wouldn't you know that the hottest days of the summer find me knitting a baby blanket for my granddaughter Stella's christening in August . It was a surprise request from my DIL Chantal . I searched the net and found an Evelyn Clark old shale crochet blanket , hit the yarn shop and her we are . There are also last weeks grey socks in rotation . I need to finish those by the end of the month .

That's it for today . Head on over to Tami's to see what others are knitting .

Covering all the bases

2011-07-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

This post is to be WIP Wednesday , FO Friday (two days early) and Ginny's Yarn Along all rolled into one . With my dismal posting record for this year , I thought that I should strike while the iron is hot , so to speak .

This is the first time that I'm officially participating in Tami's WIP Wednesday. Last week was all about the dishcloths , this weeks focus is socks . The deadline for the next shipment to The Warm Hands Network is September and I haven't completed nearly as many knitted items as I'd hoped to . The summer is just whipping by so I'd better get a move on .

As for the Yarn Along , another first for me , I've started reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See . This book has been on my shelf for what seems like forever , every previous attempt at reading it ended with my putting it aside . For whatever reason the story and the characters didn't capture me at the time . This time I've perservered and it's growing on me . I'm a firm believer in there being a right and a wrong time to be reading a book . If I'm not enjoying it , it's back to the shelf for a later date , maybe. Life's too short ...

We've been having spectacular summer weather for the last couple of weeks . We've been enjoying the pool and are biking almost every day . My behind has finally stopped hurting ! Last Sunday we were invited to a BBQ hosted by some mutual friends of ours and Stef's family . Mason got to try out their pool and got his first swimming lesson from his Nanny . Doesn't he look like a little water baby !

Dishcloth mania

2011-07-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

Sometime last week the last of my knitted dishcloths bit the dust . I dug into the stash for yarn and hit the ravelry pattern page to find a pattern to knit a new one . Previously I've almost always done just a plain old garter stitch cloth , but that was getting tired and boring to knit .I mean , it's a very nice pattern , but a girl needs a change every so often . I found this super little pattern by Leah Michelle called the Boxy Dishcloth and it has become the new favourite . I'm like the kid with a new toy , I knit one up in double quick time and cast on for another . The plan is to have seven cloths knit by the end of the weekend . I'm working on number six , the first one is already in use . Mike is going off roading with the boys tomorrow , so I'll have a little time to myself . The plan is to finish off the last of the dishcloths and maybe spend a little time outside by the pool with a book and a glass of ice tea . Add in a bike ride and you have a perfect way to spend a summer day .

Have a wonderful weekend !

A berry good day to bake

2011-07-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

Years ago I planted a Saskatoon Berry 'stick' and waited many a year before getting any kind of crop . The stick is now about 10 feet tall and provides an abundance of berries . We love them , the taste is kind of like blueberry with a hint of apple , but the robins REALLY love them . The robins are more vigilant than I am and eat them up as fast as they ripen making it darn near impossible for us to get our fair share . On Tuesday evening I noticed the robins sitting on the fence near the berry bush and thought I'd go see the state of the berries . Sure enough , there was ripe fruit to be had . Mike and I picked about 8 cups , enough for a couple of pies .

Yesterday was pie making day , thanks to some cool and rainy weather . Hence the rather dark photo . Today is pie eating day , just in time for the family dinner . Yummmm....

The moral of the story ?! You snooze you lose !

June

2011-06-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

This is a sample of what has kept me from blogging this month . Back to more regular posts next month .... hopefully !

Rounding out the week

2011-06-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

Gah ! The weather gods are certainly toying with us this spring . After having warm, sunny days at the beginning of the week we've come back to SSDD (Same S**t Different Day / Still Soggy Different Day). Rain , with the addition of gale force winds . I thought that we'd lose the gazebo and the BBQ yesterday . Today it's sunny , still windy , and cool enough to wear socks and a sweater when I go for my walk . I shouldn't complain because at least we haven't been flooded out for 40 days like the people living near St-Jean-sur -Richelieu . I don't remember ever having floods that lasted that long . They've asked for volunteers to go help with the clean up over the next two weekends . A good turn out is expected .

During last month's blog silence there was knitting happening here . I have two pairs of socks for the Warm Hands Network completed with one pair almost done . The first ones are these bright red socks . I stole/borrowed the idea for the multi-coloured cuff from Lynn of mindingmyownstitches . She had knit a pair using up some remnants from a previous knit and a single from her stash . What I particularly like about her socks was the stripe at the toe . Thanks Lynn for a great idea , hope you don't mind that I borrowed it .

The second ones are just a simple garter rib pattern with some yarn gifted to me by my dad that's been in the stash for awhile .It's called Anna Belle College . It was very nice to work with . I really like the colourway , that orange stripe particularly pleases me . I think that's the last of that brand that I have . I'll have to ask Dad to bring me some more on his next visit . That's why the sock yarn stash doesn't go down , it's all my father's fault !

Anyway , that's it for today , the rest can wait for another day . Have a wonderful weekend !

Priceless !

2011-06-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

Casey and Chantal had family portraits taken a few weeks ago . The photographer did a wonderful job , but to me this photo of Stella is just too cute . It's sure to put a smile on your face , not being biased or anything ....

A new month

2011-06-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

Thank heavens ! Maybe the month of June will be better than May . It was a month of literally never ending rain , cool temperatures , and grey depressing days .It just got me so down ! We did manage to get the vegetable garden planted in between rain drops and get some of the yard work completed . I've just been itching to get outside and enjoy some sun . We need it after our long winter .

Aside from the crappy weather we had a scare with two month old Stella having to be hospitalized because of a high fever . They did a battery of tests , including a spinal tap to rule out meningitis , but they didn't show anything conclusive . After a series of antibiotics the fever came down . She's been home for a couple of days and seems to be fine .

I was able to finish my shawl in time for our trip to Maine for Sarah's wedding in mid May . It turned out just the way I'd hoped . The photo doesn't really show the true colours , they're much deeper and richer . I love the gentle curve , it drapes beautifully over your shoulders . The yarn was Regia Lace . It was a surprise find at my LYS . It was a very nice yarn to work with and had a generous 600 metres per 100g ball . Unfortunately I don't have any model shots of me wearing it , but it was absolutely perfect with my dress . Don't you love it when that happens !

There is more knitting to show you , some completed , some in progress , but I'll leave that for another day . Right now game one of the Stanley Cup final series is on and I can't miss that . Go Canucks !!!!

WIP Wednesday

2011-05-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

I have a trio of knits in progress but I'm too lazy to get them all together to take the photos . These socks were at hand . They are the newest ones for the WHN . I've been trying to knit socks in a variety of sizes in order to cover different ages . The pattern is the trusty Garter Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks . I get tired of knitting just plain vanilla socks , though they do seem to knit up more quickly . The yarn was a gift from my father and has been in the stash for awhile . Once again the colourway is more feminine , I'll have to dig more and see if I can find something more masculine . There must be something in there !

Also on the needles is this shawl which I should really be working on today because there's a deadline . I'm hoping to wear it to a wedding in Maine on May 14th . I'm at row 99 of 126 , which doesn't sound so bad , except for for fact that each row has more stitches than the last . At this point I've got 251 stitches on the needle and I'm just getting to the lace section which increases the chances for error and tinking back . Also on the go is a darling little sweater for Stella . That is most definitely on the back burner but it is so cute and tempts me to pick it up . I have to be strong and listen to the shawl ....

Catching up yet again !

2011-04-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

I swear I don't know where the time goes ! There's always something going on that makes the weeks just fly by . The last few years we've been doing quite a bit of renovating inside the house . This year the plan had been to replace the fence surrounding the property . It's old and really just painting and replacing posts and boards just isn't cutting it anymore. Well , Mike decided that a new garden shed/storage area should come first . So the last couple of weeks have been occupied with demolishing the old one and building the new one . I have to say that it's really handy to have a carpenter in the family . Max has been the driving force behind the construction with Mike and Casey being the extra muscle . Well , it's almost done , just the siding and roof shingles left to install . We just need the weather to cooperate . Max has another job over the next 2 weekends , so his time will be limited to a couple of hours after work . My part in all this has been to provide the meals , so the family have been here for dinners more often than usual lately . So it's back to me being mom's restaurant for the time being ! As for the fence, well the budget has been blown , so it's back to fixing it up to last just one more year ....

Wednesday I had an appointment with my family doctor . He's seeing me at 3 month intervals for this year to keep track of my progress with the weight loss and my goal of getting off the medications for diabetes and high blood pressure . He'd received all the results of the latest blood work and I'm happy to say that at least the of the pills for high blood pressure has been reduced with the probability that I'll be able to gradually stop taking it altogether. I'm down 10 pounds , but I need to lose at least 10 to 15 more pounds in order to stop taking all the rest . I'm exercising by walking at a good clip for about 2 to 3 miles every day or every other day . I usually average about 8 miles a week . I'm feeling a lot better and am more hopeful than I've ever been about losing weight and keeping it off . It's slow progress but it IS progress .

I have done some knitting during the hockey playoffs . Too bad that Habs didn't advance to the next round , but there's always next year . Now we can cheer on Vancouver ! Anyway I did finish these socks for the Warm Hands Network and one more pair is almost completed .I'm halfway to the toe decreases . I need to get them finished by tomorrow so that I can post them to the sock KAL for April .

Have a good weekend !

Random Tuesday

2011-04-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

I've been away from the blog for so long that it's hard to get back into the groove . I'm still in kind of a funk , probably due more to our crappy weather than anything else . I'm waiting for Spring , not so patiently . Don't know how many more grey , rainy , cold days I can handle . Tomorrows forecast , snow , freezing rain and very windy. Calgon take me away !

Just a small rant about the price of gas . I went out earlier to buy some Easter goodies for the grand kids and couldn't believe today's price at the pump , a whopping $1.43 per litre which translates to roughly $5.74 per gallon for those not on the metric system. Yesterday afternoon it was $1.28/litre . A 15 cent per litre increase for no discernible reason . What's up with that ! Just plain greed if you ask me . Here in Quebec we've seen about a 15 to 20 % increase in price since last year . That's mostly thanks to our lovely provincial government who applies a pretty hefty gas tax . Don't get me started on those bleepity bleep idiots . If I could vote them out I certainly would . The only problem here is that the alternative (sovereignists/separatists ) might actually be worse . Okay , rant over ...

One sign of Spring is the hockey playoffs . Our Canadiens have made it into the first round of post season play again . Keeping fingers crossed that they survive the series against Boston . If not I'll cheer for whoever is left standing . I would love to see the Stanley Cup come back home to Canada though ! If not the Habs , maybe Vancouver !?

I couple of weeks ago I played tourist in my town . I went to visit the Montreal Bio dome with Casey , Chantal and the kids . Yep even 10 day old Stella had a field trip . That's the kind of thing you absolutely have to do with an impressionable 2 1/2 year old . He just couldn't get enough of the animals ! I think he would have done the tour a dozen times if we'd let him . Stella slept through the whole thing .

As for the knitting , there's some finished knits , some almost done and not unexpectedly something new on the needles . I've been spending more time reading these days than knitting . I guess I'm an all or nothing kind of gal . The hockey playoff should up my knitting productivity . Yet another reason for wanting the Habs to do well ;-)) !

So that's it for today . I'll try and get my mojo to stick around for a bit . I'll have some knitting to show next time ....

A granddaughter !

2011-04-04T12:35:00.001-07:00

Stella Mackenzie Grace finally arrived last Wednesday afternoon March 30 , 2011 at 1:44 pm . She kept us waiting for a couple of extra days but we're so happy that she's here and healthy . The delivery went well and she weighed in at 9 pounds even . Mom , Dad and big brother Jessey are really happy to have this sweet little addition to complete their family . You can bet that her grandparents are also tickled pink to have a little granddaughter to spoil !

All of the knits that I had on the needles for her were finished in time for her arrival . I finished the hat at about 2:00 am the day she was born . Talk about cutting it close !

March ...

2011-03-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

...the month I lost my get up and go . Don't know where it went , but I want it back ! The month started out very promising with a girls escape to Vermont for a couple of days with BF Shirley . I have a soft spot for Vermont as that was our honeymoon destination almost 36 years ago . We had a really nice time , did a little shopping , enjoyed some excellent meals and just relaxed .

From there on in it was kind of downhill . Between all the everyday must do , should dos , don't want to do , but did it anyway , grey snowy winter skies , taxes , bad news everywhere you look , I got into a real funk . Not even expected babies , babies already here and a cute 2 year old could lift the fog . Not knitting , not reading blogs , not commenting , nothing . Then about 10 days ago I developed a severe allergic reaction to god only knows what on my hands , in particular my left hand . I mean severe . Blisters on my palms , fingers so swollen and blistered that I couldn't even close them . Burning and itching so much that I could have pulled off my skin . After 3 visits to the ER , a few sleepless nights , the final diagnosis was a severe allergic reaction . Meds were prescribed , creams applied , antihistamines taken and finally the swelling is down , but my hands are super sensitive to the slightest touch . It's painful , but getting better . I'm wearing cotton gloves to keep from doing more damage . I don't know what caused it all , but bets are on a new leather sofa that was delivered just before this all started . That was the only new thing in the house . It was suggested that I do a little test on another area of my skin , but I don't think so ....

Knitting wise , before the wheels fell off , I did finish the baby blanket and mittens from my last post . The sweater is still waiting to be seamed , but I did start another blanket for Stella . She's due any day now , but I'm hoping that she holds on just a tiny bit longer . This blanket is knit on 7mm needles with the softest yarn . I'm about 3/4 done . Slowly the fog is lifting ....

Works in slow progress

2011-02-28T12:21:00.000-08:00

After January's really good knitting output , February has brought a decidedly lacklustre showing . Lots of things started , nothing finished .There were only 2 small projects completed , those little brown mittens and a pair of socks for the WHN from a previous post .

The blanket needs tinking back about 6 rows to correct a mistake that I just didn't see until it was 6 rows behind me . Probably no one else would notice the error , But I see it , so tink it is .

The red mittens are a thumb and the top of the hand away from completion . These are made from a skein of my Briggs & Little stash . I'm not loving it , it's rough and feels horrible when I knit with it . I bought a bunch of this stuff on a trip to New Brunswick a couple of years ago . A lot of people swear by it for mittens, hats and socks , but I hold off judgement till the mittens have had a wash .

The baby sweater needs the second sleeve set in , the side seams , snaps for the closures and a button sewn on . I just don't enjoy seaming and am my own worst critic . To seam that one little sleeve probably took me the better part of two hours .

With all these works in progress , what did I do last night while watching the Oscars !? Yup , that 's right , I cast on another pair of socks . I really like knitting socks and the best part , no seaming . Maybe knitting these will bring back the motivation to get the other WIPs done , or not ....

Some assembly required

2011-02-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

I got sidetracked again ! After a look at the calendar last week it dawned on me that our expected granddaughter is due to arrive in a little over 4 weeks . It also occurred to me that she doesn't have a hand knit sweater yet . Never mind that a blanket for her crib is almost done and that I shouldn't really start another project till that's done , I could only focus on her lack of a sweater . What's an Omi to do except head out to her local yarn shop , pick out some really cute yarn and cast on . The knitting was a piece of cake , it is a small sweater after all , but the seaming and finishing was kicking my butt . After some refresher courses via you tube , the finishing is getting there . The shoulders are seamed , the borders are knitted on and the pieces are blocking for the final assembly . I won't have time to do it tomorrow , but maybe Thursday will see a completed sweater . Then the blanket will get back to the front of the line ...

Sum Total

2011-02-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

This is it , the sum total of my knitting over the last week or so . Like everyone else on the eastern side of the continent we had a fairly big dump of snow last Wednesday. Since then we've had an equal amount dispersed in smaller quantities just about every day . All of which has added up to an awful lot of shoveling . The up side is that the skiing has been phenomenal . When we're not shoveling or skiing , there's been baby sitting , Mike's birthday which was celebrated on three different days last week with all the attendant hoopla , and a Super Bowl party . Let's just say I'm too tired to pick up the needles lately. I didn't even turn on the computer for four days , which is very unusual for me . Today I've stayed in my pj's and had a down day . I picked up my blanket for Stella and did a pattern repeat or two . I should be able to get it done by sometime next week if , big if , I don't start something new .

In case you're wondering the socks are pair #4 for the Warm Hands Network . They're knit with Regia Mosaik 6 ply . On the right is a Calorimetry which I knit for me. The hat I usually wear for skiing was too warm sometimes and I thought this might be a good solution . I wore it on the weekend when it was a little milder , it was perfect .

Here's a couple of pics of Omi's little helper . The snow plow very obliging made a hill of snow at the end of the street and Jessey had a blast sliding down it , then having a snowball fight with Grandpa Mike .

Another Finished Knit

2011-01-31T12:27:00.000-08:00

January has certainly been a productive month for knitting . One of the recent finished projects was this hat . The pattern is the "top down " snow boarder hat from Cabin Fever . I used some Patons Classic Wool for the main colour and the contrast colours are Elann Peruvian Wool . All were from my stash . Yay !! I misjudged the size slightly by knitting the large adult size . I should have measured Mike's head , apparently it's not as big as I thought it was :-) , it came out a little too big . The remedy was to wet it and try and shrink it a tad in the dryer . Worked out well don't you think ? He's as happy as the proverbial clam and wears it all the time . Wonder of wonders Max and Casey have each requested one .

The weather lately has been perfect for cross country skiing and Mike and I head out almost every day . I'm still using the stationary bike on the odd days we don't ski . I've lost another pound that makes it four pounds for this month . Believe it or not the exercise part of my goal of making lifestyle changes has been easier than the calorie reducing part . I'm eating healthier, making better choices , limiting my caloric intake but it's a daily struggle to keep my sugar readings at good levels .

Tomorrow is Mike's birthday so we're having the family over for dinner . Nothing fancy because they were over during the weekend and we celebrated then . Casey , Chantal and Jessey won't be able to make it because Jessey is sick again . They spent the evening at the ER last night and apparently Jessey has pneumonia . Poor little guy ! He was listless and coughing when we saw him but not running a fever till yesterday . Then he started having difficulty breathing , hence the trip to the ER . Chantal had thought it was asthma . No daycare for him this week .

Till next time ...

Brrrrr , a cold Monday

2011-01-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

Today was just too darn cold go anywhere if you don't have to , so I spent the day at home with my knitting , enjoying the warmth of the sun streaming into the kitchen . I did have to go out briefly to bring Jessey to daycare because Chantal's car wouldn't start . But that really wasn't a hardship because I got extra Jessey kisses as payment . We had planned to do some skiing but the extreme temperatures put an end to that . The stationary bike was the alternative for today .

This is the hat and scarf set for Sidney that I had planned to sent out to Alberta in time for Christmas . I only had to knit a couple of inches more on the scarf and weave in the ends but it just hung around in the knitting basket . Bad, bad bad . It'll be in the mail tomorrow .

Also in the mail tomorrow will be this trio of socks for the Warm Hands Network . The box is packed and ready to go . I've started another pair and am looking through the stash for yarn to knit some mittens . I also finished Mike's hat , but that's for another post .

So all in all a pretty productive day . It'll be slightly warmer here tomorrow so maybe we can head out on the skis . Till next time ...

Friday round up

2011-01-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

I've been away from the blog so I'm just trying to play catch up here . Life has been good since I finally kicked that nasty cold that plagued me for the last few weeks of 2010 . The weather hasn't been too awful and we have enough snow to break in the new cross country skis . Or rather , to break in my badly out of shape body . The 'goals' for 2011 to eat healthier and exercise more are off to a good start . I've lost 3lbs and am exercising regularly . Not a lot , but it's a start . I'm biking on the stationary bike that has been a clothes rack in the family room for the last few years . Mike and I are going skiing a couple of times a week . And big news , I'm enjoying it and it's not torture any more . The first few outings were definitely on the torturous side and had me wondering if this purchase of skis was wise . I found this fabulous web site that has been the biggest help in keeping me focused and motivated . It's early days yet but I feel like I might actually be able to stick to this and get off all of the meds for high blood pressure and diabetes . If some excess weight comes off , bonus !

The knitting has been going really well too . I've finished three pairs of socks for the Warm Hands Network , finally got Jessey's blanket for the car done , and am working on a hat for Mike . I have to take photos of the socks and update my ravelry page but here's the blanket . It's cosy and warm and best of all Jessey loves it .

Just because I think he's the cutest little baby and I love him to pieces I'll end this post with a picture of Mason . He's already six weeks old ! He's losing that baby bird preemie look and filling out quite nicely . Jessey is quite smitten with him but will tell me to give him back to Max if he's getting too much attention from Omi . Little monkey !

Have a wonderful weekend !

Cleaning up the WIPs

2011-01-10T12:21:00.001-08:00

I found these mittens at the bottom of the knitting basket just before Christmas . I had started them in January 2010 , knit the first mitten , got half through the second and then put them away till I discovered them again this year . They had been intended as an early January birthday gift for a friend . I must have missed the deadline and put them away to be finished later . Well , a year later she finally got them . Better late than never and one less WIP in the knitting basket ! BTW , Cory loved them .

The details : Anna's Mittens pattern by SpillyJane . The yarn is Paton Classic Merino wool and the contrasting colours are all Elann Peruvian Wool . These are probably the second or third mittens that I've ever knit . There's some mistakes in the first mitten but I learned a few things during the hiatus and the second one turned out much better .

Back to working on socks for the Warm Hands Network . I'd like to get three pairs done by next week so that they'd be in Ottawa in time for the January shipment . Mind you if worst comes to worst I could drive them up to Ottawa , it's only 2 1/2 hours away . It would probably be quicker than Canada Post and a good excuse to visit the nations capital and visit some yarn shops . Oops , I'm not supposed to do that ...

Goals for 2011

2011-01-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

That seems more realistic to me than making resolutions . Goals are achievable long term aspirations for something better. Resolutions invariably end up being broken . 2010 was a very good year overall . There were moments of sorrow , but there were also times of great joy . The arrival of our second grandson being one of those . Chantal and Casey's announcement of another baby on the way for 2011 was another .

The goals for 2011 are :

One eat healthier . I have type 2 diabetes . Things had been going well but somehow this fall the wheels came off the bus and I've been struggling to stay on track . I'm tired of being tired so I HAVE to make some changes !

The second part of the equation obviously is exercise . In the past I've tried gym memberships but always failed to stick to it . The plan now is to find activities that I enjoy and give that a shot . Hence the new cross country skis . I tried them out and while it was hard it was fun .

The third of my goals concerns my knitting . I will knit more for charity , socks , hats mittens and maybe even a baby blanket or two . I'll be celebrating a milestone birthday (60) at the end of the year and this seems like a good way to make it more meaningful . The principal recipients will be the Warm Hands Network (rav link) which I found out about through some knitters who visit here . Mike and the grandkids will also be getting some hand knits but for the most part my knitting this year will be going there . I hope to use mostly stash , but will have to buy yarn now and again . Such a hardship , I know ....

My first project for 2011 .

Happy New Year !

2011-01-01T17:09:00.001-08:00

Looking back at 2010 ...

Christmas wrap up

2010-12-29T08:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone . We had a beautiful Christmas Eve with the family , lots of good food , laughter and special moments . As you can imagine our Christmas was extra special with Mason's early arrival . Mason pretty much slept through the whole thing , even though he was passed around like the proverbial hot potato with everyone oohing and aahing over him . One of my favourite pictures from Christmas Eve is this one of Jessey having a closer look at Mason . He's completely intrigued by his little cousin . He kisses him every chance he gets . Just think , next year if all goes well , there will be one more baby here at Christmas . What fun !

My bathroom scale is showing me the results off all that good food. One of the resolutions for the new year will be to get rid of those couple of extra pounds that I put on this fall and over the holidays . To that end Mike and I bought ourselves some cross country skis as our Christmas gift to each other . God knows we live in a place that generally gets enough snow over our long winter to make it a worthwhile purchase . We used to go skiing often , but somehow got out of the habit the last few years . We haven't tried them out yet as I'm still got that damn cold . I cough and cough and have absolutely no energy . If I'm not feeling any better in the next couple of days ,and the cough doesn't let up , I'll head over to the clinic early next week . Thankfully except for New Years Eve , this a quiet week . I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a little rest and lots of fluids will kick this cold .

As for the knitting most of what was important got done , the rest will be taken care of in the next week or so . I did finish the socks , pictures next time ....

Catching up

2010-12-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

Firstly , thank you so much for all the congratulations and best wishes on Mason's arrival . It meant a lot to me . I should be thanking everyone personally but the last week has been unexpectedly hectic and crazy . Added to the usual holiday craziness I've come down with a miserable cold that is sucking the energy right out of me . So please accept my heartfelt thanks here instead .

Little Mason is home and thriving , but not without giving us all a scare just to keep us on our toes . He'd no sooner arrived home then he had to be rushed back to the hospital after experiencing some difficulty breathing . It turned out to be nothing serious and he's back at home . He's an absolute sweetie , doing nothing but eat , sleep and poo . All the things a healthy baby does . A nurse from the CLSC (community health centre ) dropped by yesterday to do a followup to assess how mom and baby are doing . She's basically there to help if needed . She was pleased to see that Mason has regained and surpassed his birth weight already . So far so good . Now if I could just get rid of this cold so that I can hold him and breathe in that sweet baby smell .

I've been trying to keep up with all the holiday baking , wrapping , decorating , not to mention the few unfinished Christmas knits , but it's been a slog . After putting up the Christmas tree yesterday I came to the realization Christmas was going to happen even if certain things weren't done . So I might as well go with the flow , prioritize and let the rest go . Of course the two glasses of Caribou that I imbibed might have helped with the go with the flow feeling . It remains to be seen if I can keep it up ....

As for the knitting I'm still working on the baby blankets . A hat and scarf set are almost done but won't be sent out to Alberta in time for Christmas , but the winter's long and getting it in early January will be okay as well . There's also a pair of socks on the needles that look like they might be gifted after Christmas . So be it . How's that for the new go with the flow me ?!

Introducing

2010-12-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

Mason Emerson , who arrived at 5:28 pm yesterday. He weighed in at a healthy 6.8 lbs and is nineteen inches long . Pretty good for a little guy 4 weeks early . Mom , dad and baby all doing well . Guess the little man was anxious to see the Christkind /Santa and get himself some Christmas gifts . For the rest of the family and friends he's the best gift ever !

Random

2010-11-30T12:59:00.000-08:00

Gosh , can it be the end of November already and Christmas less than a month away ! I've got nothing new to show knitting wise . I'm still plugging away on the baby knits . There's two blankets in progress. The lilac/purple one from the previous post has progressed and there's another on the needles intended for Jessey . Pictures next time ....

Mike and I went down to Vermont for a few days over the American Thanksgiving weekend . I experienced Black Friday for the first time . All I can say is WOW , not even our Boxing Day craziness can match that . It was fun , we had a nice weekend away and got a lot of our Christmas shopping done . I found a Carter's outlet for children's clothes and bought a whole bunch of baby clothes for the babies on the way .

Speaking of babies on the way , while we were in Vermont Max called to say that Stef was in the hospital experiencing contractions and that there was a possibility that the little guy might make an early appearance . We'd gone down with Stef's mom and step dad . You can imagine the phone calls back and forth , hoping that everything would be alright . It was . They were able to stop the labour with medication . The doctors at the hospital did recommend that she stop working right away and take it easy . She's got a prenatal visit with her doctor on Wednesday . I'm pretty sure that he'll recommend the same thing , especially if she tells him that she drove herself home while experiencing the contractions , got stuck in a traffic jam and that she , the usually unflappable Stef , had a meltdown . Anyway all's well that ends well .

I think one of the reasons I was so worried for Stef was that just few days before the young couple next door lost their baby . The baby died from complications during childbirth , a perfectly healthy , beautiful , at term , baby girl . Needless to say they and all of their family were devastated . Things like that don't happen often , but they do happen . You can't take things for granted even with all the medical means we have at our disposal today .

Well that's all that's new in my world . Must get back to the knitting ....

Friday's FO and a sneak peek

2010-11-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

Liam's hat and scarf were finished yesterday . One more gift done ! Keeping fingers crossed that the hat fits . It's smaller than Jessey's but bigger than the ones for Max's baby (newborn ) . Sounds like a page out of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

The yarn for the hat was Sirdar's Country Style DK and the scarf was a mix of that with Berroco Comfort DK . I couldn't get 2 shades of grey in the Sirdar so I compromised with the Berroco. I think it worked out okay . Both the hat and scarf are as soft as can be and should be fine for a baby .

As an aside here, I've had a few people voice an opinion about babies and toddlers wearing scarves with the scarves being a possible choking hazard . That really took me by surprise as both of my boys wore scarves all the time when they were babies , toddlers and older children .They wore them inside their snowsuits or wrapped around their mouths when it was bitterly cold and they were outside for a longer time . I generally don't make them very long for that reason , just long enough to be tucked inside a coat . Chantal mentioned to me that Jessey's daycare no longer allows kid to wear scarves , even tucked inside a snowsuit . I can understand the precautions to a point , but to ban them even inside a coat ! Come on ! They allow neck warmers , so why not a scarf ? What do you think ? Scarves or no scarves .....

Here's a sneak peek at the new project on the needles.....

Have a good weekend !

Baby knits r us

2010-11-16T10:43:00.001-08:00

It seems like all baby knits, all the time ,these days . The two blue ones were finished just in time for Stef's baby shower last Saturday . The grey one will be a baptism gift for Jessey's cousin Liam . Chantal's mom was quite taken with the hat and scarf that I'd knit for Jessey and asked if I could knit another for Liam . The scarf is in progress . I had a few requests for hats from some of Stef's friends at the shower . Flattering , but truth be told I'm ready to move on . I have two more in the queue, one for Sydney and another for Jessey and that's it , I'm done . For now anyways .

This is the little cardi that goes with the hat . I'd like to knit some bootees or socks if I get a chance . There's still 2 baby blankets and one other baby sweater , plus one more person to knit a pair of socks for as a Christmas gift . I can do it ....right ?!

Calming the Baby Beast

2010-11-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

I dare you not to smile ....

Another Christmas gift done

2010-11-10T13:31:00.001-08:00

I'm calling these Denis' Speckled Trout socks because the colourway reminds me of that species of fish . The recipient , our friend Denis is an avid fisherman so it seemed appropriate . I've promised to knit him socks ages ago and till now he's never received any . Better late than never !

The yarn is Regia Mosaik Color 6 ply . The pattern is a very easy one from More Sensational Knitted Socks called "Ridged Squares " . The colourway hides the ridges somewhat , though . I would have finished these much sooner but I got sidetracked by baby knits , not surprisingly .

Mike and I had an unexpected trip to Maine over the weekend . Mike's Uncle Paul passed away last week after a long battle with Alzheimer's . He suffered greatly , these last 2 years especially , so in the end it was a blessing . While this was a sad occasion it was so nice to see all the family . We hadn't seen Mike's cousins children for years . It was wonderful to meet them again and see them all grown up . They are a fantastic bunch and we should make the effort to get together more often .

Thank you all for the congratulations on our expected granddaughter . Casey and Chantal have already picked out a name - Stella . That's a name that's becoming popular again in Quebec these days , or so I'm told . All I could think of when they told me was of that famous scene from the movie ' A Streetcar Named Desire ' , Marlon Brando's ".....STELLAaaaaa.... ". Bad Omi ! I do like it but it's not a choice I would have expected from them .

Anyway back to the baby knits , oh , and maybe get some supper on ....

Thought I'd share

2010-11-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

some good news . Yesterday we found out that our third expected grandchild will be a girl . Yippeeeee! I can finally knit some cute girly things in pink !

In the more good news department , I came across this item about a Nova Scotia couple who won 11 million dollars last July and gave it all away except for about 2% of their winnings . That brought tears to my eyes , thinking about how many people they helped with their generosity . Nice to see something like this in these days of bad economic times . Bless their ever lovin' hearts !

Two weeks

2010-11-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Apple picking with the little guy , resulting in an overabundance of apples which needed either eating up or baking . Here's one of the eight apple strudels in progress . Add to that a couple of apple cakes . Guess what , I still have more apples . That's the usual ,' eyes are bigger than the stomach ' thing . What was I thinking? That there would be an apple shortage due to unforeseen circumstances . And lest you think that there are some baked goods still lurking somewhere in this house , forget about it . My boys loaded up while the getting was good . Just as well otherwise I'd eat them ...

Then there was this visit from the Cookie Monster . He was a little disappointed that no one was giving out cookies , but all the chocolate and candy made up for it . I'm not so sure that mom and dad were quite ready to deal with the two year old hyped up on candy . Ah , brings back memories .

Yesterday I accompanied Stef to her appointment at the hospital for an ultrasound . Max couldn't get time off from work so I offered to go if she wanted company . Lucky me , she said yes and I was able to get a glimpse of the expected grandson . All is well and it looks if he'll be a big guy when he decides he's ready for the world .

Last but not least , there is some knitting going on . It was inevitable .... baby v cardi number 8 . I suddenly realized that the baby shower for Stef is only two weeks away . What better to knit than something I've already knit seven times before and that I could probably knit with my eyes closed . So there you go another one on the needles . The socks from the last post are almost done . I'm just getting to the toe decreases on the second sock .

That's it for now . Back to the sweater ...

One off , one on

2010-10-19T13:23:00.001-07:00

Off the needles with toes grafted , ends sewn in , are Mike's Skyp socks . Finally ! The yarn is Austermann Step , lost the ball band so I couldn't tell you the colourway . Mike is a very happy camper to have another pair of hand knit socks . More coming , just not right away . I need a break from knitting socks for man size feet , albeit they're not overly large feet .

Last week was the week from hell as far as knitting goes . I cast on for these socks by Phyll Lagerman . These are intended to go into the Christmas knitting box . I was looking for a fun and funky sock design and these certainly fit the bill . I even had yarn in the stash . I'd chosen some Marks & Kattens Fame Trend that had been in the stash for at least a couple of years . What a disaster ! This yarn has beautiful colours but the yarn itself is so badly spun with so many thick(almost unspun ) and thin (barely there ) bits . The colour repeats were too long for the pattern . I 'd knit to the heel , hoping that perserverance would somehow win the day . Not to be ! Called it a day and ripped them out . Cast on with another yarn from the stash this was much better BUT got all the way past the gusset decreases on the foot and didn't like the fit . It was too loose , I should have gone down a needle size , so ripped that too . Gave up on that pattern for another day .

This is what I have on the needles now . A simple pattern , a nice yarn and mama's happy !

Snow boarder hat , toddler version

2010-10-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

With the cooler and rainy weather last week I decided to cast on an ear flap hat for Jessey . I had enough yarn left from my Maine Blue scarf to knit the hat but not quite enough for a matching scarf . Off to the wool shop I went searching for some more Berroco Vintage . The blue that they had in stock was a different dye lot so I settled on a red , thinking I'd knit a striping scarf , then use the rest of it for another hat and possibly some mittens to match . This is the first half of the plan accomplished .

Here 's the little monkey modelling them for Omi . It actually fits ! This was my first attempt at an ear flap hat and I'm thrilled that it came out so perfectly . Gotta hand it to the crowd at Cabin Fever , their patterns are so well written . The book that I used is this one . Each design has two sets of instructions , one for a specific weight of yarn and another set you can use with the provided gauge and size charts that are adaptable to whatever weight of yarn you have on hand . Plus a chart for how much yarn you'll need . Makes it all easy peasy .

So now it's back to Mike's socks . After all it is Socktober ....

A rainy Friday

2010-10-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Makes a perfect day to hunker down , knit on a WIP and cook up something warm and delicious to eat . We're being deluged with rain today and I mean deluged . Mike had to go out and let some of the water out of the pool because it looked like it might overflow . Not good if it all runs toward the house and the foundation . The sump pumps were working full time overnight at Casey and Max's houses .They were worried that the power might go out so that the pumps wouldn't work . Luckily that didn't happen . We're not that deep so a pump isn't a necessity .

For some reason bad weather always puts me in the mood to cook or bake . I got up this morning , looked outside and decided to try a new recipe for breakfast . This is kind of a cross between a pancake and a souffle . I modified it slightly by adding some vanilla and sliced apples to the bottom of the pan . It was absolutely delicious ! Big hit with Mike and definitely one to make again .

Knitting wise I've been a busy bee . I finished another baby blanket , started an ear flap hat for Jessey and am busy with Mike's socks . Actually the hat is done except for the sewing in of the ends . The pattern is called the 8 Hour Baby Blanket from booklet put out by Plymouth Yarns . I found this booklet on our recent trip to Maine . I was so lucky as this was their last copy and the lady had to look awhile to find it . Guess it was meant to be ! It's a very quick knit , I used 8.00mm circulars . The yarn is Patons Decor which is an acrylic /wool blend , making it easy care . There are a bunch of other really nice blankets in this booklet so I'm set for when I need a quick knit for another baby gift .

That's the wrap up for this week . I'm off to start some soup .....

Have a good weekend !

Pretty , pretty Rosamond

2010-09-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

These are my recently completed socks . They are Kate Blackburns' Rosamond pattern . I don't remember how exactly I came across this gorgeous design , but am I ever glad that I did. It was love at first sight and I love , love the finished socks . They're lacy and feminine without being overly fussy. As Goldilocks would say they are just right . And best of all they're for me ! Some of my hand knit socks are starting to be the worse for wear and it's time I knit some new ones .

The added bonus with these socks is that I'm slowly using up my Elann Sock it to Me 4 ply stash . This is a sturdy , adequate and inexpensive yarn for socks . It leaves a little to be desired in the softness category . The problem being that since I bought this yarn I've acquired some truly spectacular yarns and have been spoiled by them for this more plain and everyday yarn . I still like it overall , but it's true what they say , you get what you pay for . They're knit cuff down using 2,25mm dpns . I like this pattern so much that I can foresee me knitting another pair in a better quality yarn that would truly do it justice .

On to the next pair which will be for Mike who's definitely experiencing a shortage in the hand knit sock department . As he keeps reminding me ;-)) . But hey , I've only got two hands and there's so many projects , so little time . I'm not called restless needles for nothing ....

Have a wonderful weekend !

Scarf love

2010-09-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

I'd lost the blogging mojo for a while but found the knitting mojo to replace it . I 've been suffering with a severe case of startitis and couldn't wait to cast on new projects before finishing the ones in progress. Usually this spells disaster with a plethora of unfinished knits in the knitting corner . Not this time , things are actually getting done , will wonders never cease !

The first one is a scarf I call Maine Blue , not because it's a blue ( as in sad ) project but because the yarn and pattern were bought in Maine on our recent visit . It reminds me of the colours of the ocean and sky on a beautiful day spent at the beach . An good image to keep in mind on a snowy winter day . The details are here on my ravelry page .

Second up is a stash buster . I've had some Noro Kureyon in the stash since 2004 . I'd bought some on impulse mostly because of the gorgeous colours . I came across 4 balls of 2 different but somewhat similar colourways . I'd cast on simply to see how the colours would work out and before I knew it I had a completed scarf . I don't have a recipient in mind , it'll be going into the gift basket . It'll need a good soak in a wool wash to soften up the scratchiness of the Noro . I wouldn't want to gift it as is . So the yarn is technically out of one stash but into another . Oh well ....

There is one more finished knit and two in progress to show but I'll save those for another day . Back to the knitting before the mojo disappears !

Finished socks and the birth of a knitter

2010-09-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

We've been back from our vacation for almost 2 weeks and I still haven't posted my finished socks . I've been too busy knitting , baby sitting and watching the US Open . Oh and the house also had a quick once over just to get rid of some dust bunnies . But truthfully thanks to the tennis I've turned into a real couch potato this week . But a productive one !

These socks just missed the August deadline for the socks a month KAL . I finished them on Sept 1st . Love the pattern , but I'm not sure if my yarn choice was the best one for it . The yarn was new to me , it's a super wash bamboo . It's very splitty and slippery to work with but the finished socks are really , really soft . These are for Mallory . I consider her our almost niece ,but actually she's our friends daughter . I've known her since she was 2 years old and she is the sweetest 14 , almost 15 , year old you could ever hope to meet . She started knitting this summer and is working on a garter stitch scarf made from some of my leftovers from various projects . She calls it the Ugly Scarf , it's so ugly its cool . It's certainly funky but in the best way . When Mallory and her mum come over she always brings her knitting and proudly shows off her progress . I think this knitting thing might just stick .

Specs on the socks :

Yarn - Happy 4ply from Wendy a UK company . It's 75% bamboo , 25 % nylon .

Pattern - Circle socks (ravelry link ) by Anne Campbell . I knit them on 2,25mm dpns .

There are some more knits to show but I'll save them for another post . I also have some stash enhancements bought in Maine , also for another post . Before I forget , thank you all so much for the good wishes for the upcoming grand baby . I'm pinching myself , I can't believe that in the new year there will be 3 little bundles to cuddle . Lucky , lucky me !

Back home

2010-09-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

and doing the happy dance . We had a very nice time on our week away in Ogunquit . I should add , despite the weather , which was rainy , stormy and windy for five out of the seven days of our stay . I did get 2 hot , sweltering days at the beach , so it's all good .

The big reason for the happy dance is that there's another grand baby on the way . That will make three ! Chantal and Casey are expecting another baby , as of now the due date is late March 2011 . Jessey will be a big brother !!! I see more baby knits on the horizon .

Heading out

2010-08-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post all week but just couldn't get it together . Mike and I are heading out tomorrow morning for Maine . We've rented a house with some friends and are hoping that the gorgeous weather that we've had all summer will continue for another week . I'm dying to stick my toes into the ocean ! We're mostly packed and ready to go , actually the knitting is ALL packed , reading material is organized , clothes , well I'm still doing laundry ...

This is what I have planned to work on while Mike drives . I'm at the toe decreases on the first sock so should be able to get a good start on the second sock on the way down . They're called Circle Socks . These are another pair earmarked as a Christmas gift .

We had some very nice news yesterday , Max and Stef found out that they were having a boy . I'd kinda been hoping for a girl but it will be fun for Jessey to have a little buddy . Guess the little pink sweater goes in the gift basket . Someone is bound to have a girl sooner or later !

I'll be bringing my computer but I'm not sure if I'll be able to have access to the Internet so I'll catch you all in about a week . Have a great week !

Kisses cardigan

2010-08-13T11:19:00.001-07:00

It took me longer to seam this little cardigan (details here ) than it did to knit it . I'm not completely happy with it . Seaming is not my strong suit and I had no end of problems with the set in sleeves . Also , my tension was uneven in spots and even with blocking it shows . So , glad it's done but not happy . At least I got gauge !

Well back to socks and the shawl in progress , those don't need seaming .

Have a great weekend ....

Taste testing

2010-08-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

Grandpa sure has lots of tomatoes . Wonder which one should I pick ...

Grandpa says this one looks good enough to eat

Yup , the man knows his tomatoes . Do you think I can have more than one ?

Ta Da....

2010-08-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Mission accomplished ! The ends were sewn in this morning but it was finished over at Max's this past weekend . The first finished knit for the new grandbaby to be ! Stef has her next ultrasound on Aug 19th . We're hoping that they'll be able to tell whether they're having a boy or a girl . She'll be 20 weeks along at that point .

I love this little blanket . The pattern is the Pine Forest Baby Blanket on ravelry .The yarn is Berroco Comfort DK . The finished size is 30"X 28" . I wanted a blanket that would be easily carried along for the car or the stroller . I know that someone else is knitting larger blankets for this baby but wanted him/her to have one from me too .

Next up , the pink sweater is ready to be assembled . Brushing up on my finishing skills ,wish me luck ....

Is July almost over !

2010-07-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

I've been in a bit of a funk lately , feeling kinda meh , which has meant no blogging . Mike is away on a fishing expedition up in northern Quebec for a couple of weeks . I'm always a little out of sorts when he's away . Anyway enough of that .

I haven't been knitting very much , still have the baby blanket , a baby sweater and a shawl on the needles . Just to make life interesting I cast on for another pair if socks . At least Mike's socks are done so I feel a little less guilty about starting another project . Speaking of which ....

I'm disappointed in the yarn . There was a problem with the colour sequence about half through the ball . You can see the wheels fall off the bus at the midpoint of the foot of the top sock in the photo. Till that point they matched up pretty well . Mike had seen them in progress and said that he's quite happy just to be getting them and that the matchiness is not an issue for him . Isn't he good , I think I'll keep him !

This weekend I'm staying at Max's to dog sit Zeus and Alaska . They have a beautiful deck and a pool and with the weekend weather looking promising , let's see if I can get at least one more project finished by Monday .

Have a good weekend !

After the heat

2010-07-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

It's finally cooled down a tiny bit after last week's blistering heat . To think that I was looking forward to reading, knitting and enjoying the pool . We did enjoy the pool for the first couple of days till it got so hot that even going for a swim to stay cool was an exercise in futility. The pool temps last week were in the 90s . With no air conditioning the inside of the house was decidedly like an oven . Th main floor wasn't too bad but the upstairs was unbearable . After a week of this we bought an air conditioner for our bedroom which will help to keep the upstairs cool enough to at least get some sleep . The upside of the heat last week , I sweat off a few pounds .

I did more reading than knitting last week but I did pick up the sticks to work on the baby blanket for the Max's expected little one . But I gotta say that having a blanket on your lap doesn't help you to stay cool , so I picked up Mike's socks in progress . I cast on for these after seeing Manda's June socks in the sock a month KAL . The pattern is available as a free download on ravelry .

An interesting aside . As some of you might know my method of knitting has always been to hold the yarn in my left hand and also to throw it with the same hand to knit . This weird method comes from me being a self taught knitter , reading the instructions and feeling more comfortable doing it my way . It works . After always having to explain why I knit that way I decided to try and change it up . After a lot of practice and perseverance I now knit continental . I'm hoping to keep at it so that it becomes second nature . So far so good . I like the way my knitting looks , the tension is more even and it seems to me the stitch definition is nicer .

Off to search the Internet for some good zucchini recipes , dessert or otherwise . I used to have a really great recipe for chocolate chip zucchini cake but can't find it for love or money . Any you'd like to share ?

A rare weekend post

2010-07-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

I just had to post because I finished the red blanket . I finished it a couple of days ago and it's packed away in Shirley's suitcase . She's leaving for Red Deer tomorrow morning . She's so excited to be visiting her son and his family . They'll be having a big party to celebrate Sidney's first birthday . I 'm looking forward to talking to her on Skype and getting to see the changes in the little guy since Christmas .

Speaking of Skype , have I ever mentioned how much I love it ! I'm able to video call my dad in Austria whenever I want . It costs nothing from computer to computer . You can call landlines or mobile phones for a minimal cost . I have a subscription for unlimited minutes to Europe for $5.95 CDN /month . I'm saving a bundle on long distance calls . Plus it's so nice to be able to see the person that you're talking to .

It'll be quiet around here as Casey and Chantal have rented a condo in Hampton Beach NH for a week . Jessey will get his first taste of the beach and the ocean . I'm missing the little guy like crazy . Casey promised to call on Skype so that we can get our Jessey fix . I looked at the weather forecast for Hampton Beach , boy , did they ever luck into perfect beach weather , sunny and hot , hot , hot . Ditto for here . That means that without air conditioning very little real work will get done here . Yours truly will be enjoying the pool , sipping cold beverages and trying to find a cool shady spot to read or knit . Such a hard life ! Man , I love summer !

Emma's socks

2010-06-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

Finally, Emma's socks are done ! They have been hibernating since May ; they were put aside for the baby blankets, which BTW are still no closer to being finished . The deadline for the fluffy red one is this weekend . These are done just in time for the socks a month KAL and could also be counted in the Summer of Socks KAL .

The yarn for these socks is Regia Flusi 4 ply . All the colours in this line of yarn are so bright and cheerful . I ended up using only one of the two balls that I had with only a few yards left . I might try and get another one of the same dye lot to knit a pair of adult socks later on .

The pattern is the waffle rib from Sensational Knitted socks . I really like this pattern for child size socks and striping yarn . It's interesting enough , but not too busy . I've already cast on for the July socks . Off to work on the blanket !

40 inches or so

2010-06-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

It's all baby blankets all the time . The two blankets measure up to about 40 inches or so . I say or so because every time I measure the darn things the measurements change . What's with that ? The red one is 21 " long , by my calculations another 9 " and I'm done . A couple of people asked about the yarn that I'm using . It's Bernats' Soft Boucle , beautifully soft , light as a feather , easy care , wears like iron , but a b***h to knit with . . The blanket for Max and Stef's baby is coming along nicely too . With that one there's plenty of time before it's needed so I can take a break with other knitting .

Last week I splurged on some new yarn . Valerie & her mom ( Wandering Cat Yarns ) had been busy dyeing up some new yarn for their etsy store . I had a peek and saw this beauty . It's the prettiest lilac / mauve colour . It was a must have . It arrived today and completely lives up to my expectations . I have 2 shawls in mind for this , it's a toss up depending on yardage . So far the frontrunner is Arabella . I just have to get done with the other WIPs . I MUST NOT cast on for anything else !

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

.... to all of my boys ! Life wouldn't be the same without you ...

Wishing all the Dads a very happy day !

Catching up

2010-06-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Last week ended on some high notes after the sad beginning . On Friday evening , Jessey's cousin Liam made his entrance into the world . It was a surprise , he's a month early , but hey when you're ready , you're ready ! All went well for mom and baby . He is on the tiny side, weighing in at 4.7 lbs , but he's healthy and at home with his parents . It'll take a few months till he fits the sweater that I knit for him .

Saturday we attended a wedding of one of Max's friends . It was a beautiful wedding .We had a blast at the reception afterwards ! It's been a long time since I danced so much .

Max and Abe have been buddies since elementary school . They were always hanging around together here and at Abe's moms' place through high school .They always kept in touch later even though their lives diverged . Max had moved to Alberta for a couple of years and they still kept that bond. Max always called him my "other brother " . His bride Annie is a real sweetheart , funny , down to earth , kind and pretty . Can you believe that her grandmother made her wedding dress ? I wish them many years of happiness !

Knitting wise there are now 2 baby blankets in progress . One is for my grand baby -to -be , and this second one is for Shirley's grandson Sidney in Alberta . She'll be heading out west in a couple of weeks to celebrate his first birthday . She'd started this blanket , but is totally overwhelmed with the end of the school year reports , meetings , planning for next year and is running out of time to get it done . I offered to get it done before she leaves . I'm rotating working on them . If you add them together I have about 30 inches of baby blanket knit . That would be almost enough for one complete blanket . I'm anxious to get them done so that I can get back to regularly scheduled shawl and sock knitting . There's also a cute little baby sweater waiting in the wings . Knit , knit , knit .....

Passing the torch

2010-06-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday minding my own stitches nominated me for a beautiful blogger award . It was a complete surprise and I must say a very pleasant one . Thank you ! I started reading knitting blogs in 2006/2007 which was probably the heyday of blogging according to some pundits . I read them mainly as a means of inspiration and also improving my knitting skills . I discovered the myriad of yarns , patterns and techniques thanks to other bloggers .

When I was younger I had a romantic notion that pen pals from around the world would be so cool . It would be a way of connecting with other people from faraway places . The Internet has made the world so much smaller and it is so much easier now to find a connection with people /community . Initially , and it probably still is to a large extent , this blog was an experiment and a journal of my knitting . A bit of my life and family crept into it bit by bit . The most wonderful thing though has been the connection with the friends who leave their comments and visit . Because that what it feels like , a virtual visit from a friend , who shares my love of knitting . I love to hear what they do in their lives , their stories , their knitting and how the world is in their corner of it .

Ten things about me you might not know about me ....

I can't swim .

I love the ocean , go figure.

I don't like seafood.

I also don't like salads , have to force myself to eat one .

I' m a current events junkie , who loves to follow politics and could probably qualify as a bleeding heart liberal .

I love movies !

I love flowers in a garden , but can't keep a houseplant alive to save my life . With the exception of the Christmas cactus that my mother gave me almost 30 years ago . I think cactus is the operative word here .

I don't like housework ,but do it because I really don't like the alternative of a dirty house either . I do enough to keep the place decent , but don't look in the closets .

I love to play poker . I play online , but not for real money , too cheap for that . We used to have a weekend game with the kids and their friends , till they had better things to do than play poker with the old folks . I miss it .

I'm a klutz , period , point finale .

Passing the torch to some of my favourite bloggers , in no particular order .

Just in the Knit of Time

NovaKnitter

Wildflower Wool Knits

Stop , Breath , and Knit

Knitting is in My Genes

Tangled up in Sticks and String

PS , Blogger is being a PIA today and keeps messing up my spacing no matter how I edit this post . Sorry for the run on spacing . Just make me look stupid , it'll work this time or not ....

Random Wednesday

2010-06-09T04:42:00.000-07:00

Whoosh , and it's already Wednesday ! First , thank you all for the congratulations on Max and Stefanie's big news . It's wonderful news to be able to share and it's really nice that you took the time to extend your good wishes .

On Saturday , I couldn't resist a trip to my LYS for some baby yarn . I had an idea of starting a baby blanket , but there was nothing suitable in the stash . The "candy stripes blankie " from this book was my first choice . After a lot of browsing , I ended up buying some Berroco Comfort yarn and two gorgeous Sirdar pattern books , and also enough yarn to make a girly little baby sweater . Yes , I opted for the "girly" as a change of pace . I cast on for the blanket , didn't like it as much as I'd expected and came up with this instead . The inspiration was Lynn's blankets for the Warm Hands Network , which are absolutely gorgeous .

The start of the week has been a little rough as I'd learned of the death of a friend's son . Gwen is the mother of one of my dearest friends who passed away suddenly in 2000 .In 1995 , her youngest daughter died from cancer , in 1998 it was her husband , also from cancer . Then on Monday morning her son and last surviving child also died suddenly , presumably from a heart attack . It doesn't seem fair that one person has to suffer so many loses . She's a strong and capable person with good network of friends ; she'll certainly need them .

On a less sad note , the annual "Relay for Life " for the Canadian Cancer Society , was held last Friday night . Other than raising a little bit of money for the cause , I didn't stay and walk the relay through the night , just a couple of hours. Casey , Chantal and Jessey represented our side of the family . The good news is that our community was able to raise over $230,000 , with our group contributing just over $4000 of that . Not bad at all . Apparently the total was a record for the local event .

Doing the happy dance

2010-06-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be an Omi again ! Max and Stef are expecting their first baby . We (the parents) have known about it for a few weeks , but as it was early days , didn't want to announce it to the world . The waiting was so hard , I wanted to shout it from the rooftops . Jessey will have a cousin ! Yesterday Stef had her first appointment with the doctor and he gave her the good news that all is well and she should be okay to tell friends and family . On Stef's side this will be the first grandchild . Her mom phoned me after Max and Stef announced it to them , she is thrilled to pieces ! We were all hoping that 2010 would bring us a new addition . Looks like it will 2011 as her due date is Jan 4 . Could still be this year as babies arrive when they're good and ready .

Off to search ravelry for baby knits . I have some in mind , no not the basic baby v cardigan (again) . Keeping fingers crossed that this will be a girl . I would just love to knit something feminine and sweet for a baby girl ; there are so many cute designs for girls . It really doesn't matter though as long as everything goes well for Stef and this baby is born healthy ....

Have a great weekend !

Summertime !

2010-05-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

Summer has hit with a vengeance and I'm loving it ! Like much of the eastern part of Canada we've been experiencing a heat wave , with temperatures in the 30s . We've gone from snow on Mothers' Day to heat like it's July already. Fortunately for us the pool has been up and running for a couple of weeks .Can you believe that we were able to go for a swim on Victoria day weekend - unheard of ! Jessey is not a big fan of the pool yet but managed to find some ways to stay cool .

The only thing that marred this otherwise perfect week has been the elimination of our Canadiens in the playoffs . I guess it was inevitable that they run out of steam at some point , but we're still sad to see the dream of the Stanley Cup back in Canada have to wait for another year . The boys gave us an exciting run and hats off to them . I'll be cheering for Phillie , while Mike supports the Blackhawks , go figure ....

Just in the nick of time , I finished another little baby sweater . This is for Chantal's brother's baby , Liam expected in mid July . I say in the nick of time because the shower is tomorrow afternoon . The pattern is the basic baby v cardigan (again ). "Again " is what it says on your ravelry page whenever you knit the same pattern more than once. Laughed when I saw that , apparently I do that quite often . I love this pattern and I love the yarn (Berroco Comfort DK ) . Perfect little baby sweater if I do say so myself !

Have a wonderful weekend ....

Quick Friday post

2010-05-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

It seems that I'm on a roll with blocking shawls these days . I finally got around to blocking my Ravelympics project , the blue Spinner's Lace shawl . It only waited in the knitting basket for almost 3 months . Bad, bad , bad !

Yesterday I received a package from Valerie of Wandering Cat Yarns . This was a thank you for helping her niece in fundraising for the Heart & Stroke Foundation . It was so very nice of her and so much appreciated . She emailed me and asked me to choose a yarn from her etsy store . This superwash merino arrived yesterday afternoon . How gorgeous is that ! Thank you very much Valerie !!!

Hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend !

Ishbel

2010-05-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

She's done ! I wanted a simple , cosy shawl to put around my shoulders when I'm having my first cuppa on a cool morning . This fits the bill to a tee . The pattern was a dream to knit , and the Regia Hand-dye Effekt sock yarn was a nice surprise . It was nice to work with , didn't cost an arm and a leg and can I say , I just love this colourway .

Specs : Regia Hand-dye Effekt sock yarn colour azurit .

Knit on 4,00 mm Addi- Turbo lace circular needles .

finished size 68" w X 31 " deep .

With two other projects on the needles I'm all set for tonight's hockey game . I need some knitting to calm the nerves as our boys are down 2 games to 0 and it's not looking good .Tonight it's on home ice so hopefully that will bring them some luck . Go Habs Go !

Just when you think it's safe

2010-05-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

to take off the flannel sheets and get rid of the winter jackets Mother Nature throws you a curve. Imagine , snow on May 9th AND on Mothers Day to add insult to injury . It's been so freaking cold ! So much for the family BBQ and sitting outside on the patio .

I will say though that it was an excuse to stay in and knit . Late yesterday I cast off the playoff socks from last week . I used this basic ribbed sock pattern , but made quite a few modifications as I went along . Starting with the cuff , I did a k1, p1 rib for an 1 1/2 inches before starting the k3 ,p1 rib . I also lengthened the heel flap and modified the toe decreases . I knit them on 2,25 mm dpns . As mentioned before I used Fortissima Colori yarn from the stash . These will be heading out to Alberta come Christmas this year . I know it's early but I'm trying to beat the Christmas knitting stress this year .

Next up are some socks for Emma , my friend Shirley's granddaughter. I wish I could say that I dug this out of the stash , but it was a fairly recent purchase . I just loved the colours and immediately earmarked the yarn for Emma . I'm convinced knitting on socks has brought a good vibe to these playoffs . Hopefully these will bring the Habs some luck tonight in the match against Sid the Kid and the Penguins . God knows they need it with all the injuries . I'd love to see a game 7 . BTW , we're also rooting for Vancouver in their series . Gotta cheer on our Canadian teams ...

Hockey playoff knitting

2010-05-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

It seems that the NHL playoffs have increased my knitting productivity . Witness these socks , one done and one already at the heel flap . I'm continuing my stash smackdown with this ancient Fortissima Colori Socka yarn . If memory serves me correctly this was one of my first purchases of sock yarn . That would date it circa 2004 . About time that it was knit up don't you think ...

As for the Ishbel shawl , its coming along really well . Lace knitting and watching hockey are not necessarily compatible . To save my sanity and avoid tinking back I knit on it only when I have a few minutes spare time here and there .

Mike and I are working on a major overhaul of the perrenial beds in the backyard most days , weather permitting . The garden has been sadly neglected in the last few years in favour of house renovations . Consequently this has been a week of digging , enlarging some of the beds cleaning out weeds , dividing and transplanting , adding new earth , fertilizing , mulching , etc. There's still lots more work to do but I have visions of sitting outside on the patio this summer with a nice glass of wine , a good book or some knitting , enjoying the fruits of all this hard work . A gals gotta dream right...

With this Sunday being Mother's Day , I wish all the moms a very happy day with all the blessings of family to surround you !

Let the bells ring !

2010-04-29T10:59:00.001-07:00

They're done !!!! Thanks in large part to a snowy Tuesday and the NHL playoffs .

The Montreal Canadiens played their hearts out last night , one game from elimination . I was kept glued to my seat for the duration of the game , it was that exciting . I swear the more intense the game became the faster I knit . I'm so glad the Habs survived to play in the next round . I'm even more glad that these socks are finally off the needles .

Specs :

Pattern : Summer Lovin' Socks by Knitting Nonstop. I knit them on 2,00 mm dpns . The yarn was Regia 4ply , colour 1092 , which is a really bright green . It is a very nice pattern , but I have issues with the fit . I found them to be a little loose . Looking at others on Ravelry I didn't see anyone with that issue so it's probably that I knit looser than most even on 2,00mm needles . I wasn't going down another needle size no matter what . I'm hoping that the intended recipient likes them and that they fit her better than they did me .

What happened to Spring ?

2010-04-27T19:11:00.001-07:00

Chugging along

2010-04-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well so much for my good intentions of blocking the shawl this weekend . Friday night I came down with a doozy of a cold leaving me fit for absolutely nothing . I spent most of the weekend hacking , emptying out kleenex boxes , and snoozing when I could because the cough has just about worn me out . I barely made it through our Sunday brunch with the family . I hate coming down with a cold but getting one at this time of year ,when there's so much that needs to be done outside , really ticks me off . Of course we had perfect weather for garden work this weekend . They're calling for flurries for tomorrow and we'll be seeing a drastic drop in temps .

At least I feel well enough to tackle some knitting today. Here's the progress on the second green sock . Another half repeat of the pattern and then comes the heel turn . Yay ! I seems like once you get to that point it's relatively smooth sailing to the toe and a pair of finished socks . They just have to be done for Friday to make it for the April KAL . Yes I can , yes I can , yes I can , said the little engine that could ....

A finished knit

2010-04-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

No it's not my green socks . I'm still not feeling the love for them . Actually the Brandywine shawl has been off the needles since last weekend . Haven't blogged about it because I've been swept away by Ishbel which I cast on immediately after Brandywine was off the needles . What can I say, I'm in a shawl knitting mood .

I love , love , love this shawl . The pattern , the yarn , the reversible i-cord cast off , which was a new technique for me . The colour in the photo just doesn't do it justice .It really is more a dark wine colour interspersed with sort of copper tones .It still needs blocking before it sent on its way to my aunt in Austria . Hopefully it will get done this weekend , blocking is such a chore for me .

Next week onward to the dreaded green socks . I CAN finish them , yes I can , yes I can ....

A perfect Spring day

2010-04-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Mike and I spent a glorious day hiking at Parc Oka just north of Montreal . It's only an hours drive from Montreal but feels like it's a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city . I'm amazed at how many of the flowers are already coming out this early in April . We were dead tired when we came back but we couldn't have asked for a better day ...

Surfacing

2010-04-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

The last time I posted here was on the 29th of March . A blogaversary has come and gone as has Easter . What can I say except that life has been full with never a dull moment . Jessey has been sick yet again and has spent most of his weekdays with me . That'll keep you busy ! He's on the mend but I hope that his immune system picks up so he can fight off the mighty daycare germs . Here's some pics of the little monkey taken over Easter weekend . Here he is sharing his Easter chocolate with Gizmo , who you can see at the bottom right of the photo . Shes always trying to mooch something and Jessey is usually quite happy to share .

Here he is going down the new slide that Grandpa and Omi bought . You might get the idea that we are just about ready to open our own home daycare . Mike keeps telling me that I've got to stop buying baby stuff . I live in hope for more grand kids so it won't go to waste . It's like the Scout motto "be prepared " . That's my story and I'm sticking to it ...

Knitting wise there's not much new to show . My right shoulder has been really sore , reason unknown , but knitting isn't helping it .Consequently I'm only working on the shawl for a few minutes at a time so there's not much more to show . The green socks are hibernating at the moment . I 've fallen out of love with that project . Trying to get my mojo back where they're concerned , but it seems that I'm in a shawl knitting mood these days . I broke my vow to knit only from stash and bought some new yarn . I was feeling a little deprived that day so indulged in a couple of new purchases . Two of these are for shawls and the others are an attempt to get the sock love back . More on that in another post .

Thanks for stopping by and have a good weekend !

Love 'em or hate 'em socks

2010-03-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

The socks in question are my green St. Paddy's day socks . I started these way back in February thinking that the early start would have them completed in time for March 17th . Wishful thinking . I can't put my finger on what it is that irks me so and makes knitting them a test of determination . The closest I can come to a reason for my dislike is the fit . I sometimes have issues on that score with patterns that have you cast on 64 stitches . They always seem on the loose side to me .They feel big and baggy around the ankles . I'm also having some issues with the yarn which is splitty , unusual for Regia . Modifying the number of stitches cast on would mean going down to 48 stitches making them too small even with an adjustment for needle size . Anyways finally have one done and will plug along on the second . My sock a month KAL has bitten the dust yet again .

Thankfully the other project on the needles is a joy to knit . The shawl is coming along very well . I'm halfway through the required repeats of chart B. The challenge will be at the end which has some new to me techniques . Should be interesting ...

A new shawl

2010-03-19T05:05:00.000-07:00

The sock knitting mojo is still missing in action, but there is something new on my needles . Going through the yarn closet a skein of Hand Maiden Sea Silk fell out and cried "knit me, knit me, KNIT me " . Apparently four years hidden in the closet was more than this poor yarn could bear . A search of my Ravelry queue yielded the perfect pattern , Rosemary Hill's Brandywine shawl . The yarn was purchased in New Brunswick on a trip we took there about four years ago . I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to using it , it's so beautiful to work with . I've no intended recipient for this shawl so it might just go in the gift box . Or I might just keep it .

Yesterday was my day with Jessey . I had such a good day with him . He's growing up so fast , becoming quite a little character . I usually bring my camera when I have him , but seldom get to take any photos . He keeps me that busy . He loves to pretend cook and gets out a bunch of utensils and some pots and pans and has at it . Yesterday I did manage to get one or two photos , this was my favourite . Chef or future orchestra conductor ?

I'll continue to look for my sock knitting mojo and enjoying the good weather while it lasts . Have a good weekend !

Gone

2010-03-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

If someone knows where my blogging and knitting mojo has gone , please tell it to come home . The knitting mojo has made an appearance from time to time just to tease me . Nothing of substance was accomplished except for these three dishcloths also known as Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth . I've been going through the yarn closet in the hopes of being motivated -nada , no inspiration whatsoever . Lots of yarn , lots of patterns but nothing to tickle the knitting fancy .

My week and a half of work at my former job went well . It made me realize how happy I am to be retired . Less money , but more enjoyment from life and definitely less stress . The most enjoyable aspect of being back was seeing all the former clients again .

The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous , no snow left to speak of and the grass is starting to show signs of life . Today's forecast high is + 14C , so very much warmer than normal . I plan on taking a walk along the river this afternoon . This morning when I went outside a small flock of Canada geese flew overhead , I couldn't believe my eyes and ears . At this rate we'll be cutting the lawn before we know it .

Hope you all have a good day and please keep an eye peeled for my errant knitting mojo . Mama wants her back ....

Just under the wire

2010-02-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

Done, done , done and just in the nick of time . It seems that knitting a shawl and watching the Olympics leads to a lot of unknitting in my case . It really should have been finished sooner except for the fact that one row of the spider lace pattern gave me no end of problems . I kept repeating the same mistake over and over again . Anyway it's done , but still needs to be blocked . I ended up doing only 10 repeats of the main pattern . The finished size looks to be just what I'd hoped for .

I'm sorry that the Olympics are over . There were so many memorable moments from Alex Bilodeau starting Canada's run for gold to Joannie Rochette's performance through personal tragedy right through to the last event , the Canada versus USA hockey game . What a nail biter that was ! Not to mention all the athletes from the world over who gave us their best performances and were a thrill to watch .

I'll be away from the computer for a few days . I'll be replacing my former boss who's taking a week off for March break . It's a family run retail business and none of regular employees are available early in the week . I'm a little nervous , having the responsibility of keeping things running even if it's just for a week . Wish me luck !

Knitting Olympics update

2010-02-19T06:31:00.000-08:00

Coming to you from the Short Track Shawl event . No medal in sight yet , but ever hopeful . The shawl looks pretty much the same as this photo , only larger . I've completed 7 repeats of the main spider lace pattern . After tinking back several times I've finally got the pattern in my head . I'm looking at the size so far and I'm guesstimating that I'll have to do at least 12 repeats to get the shawl size I'd like . With just over a week left in the competition things are looking good for completion before the closing ceremonies , barring any unexpected setbacks .

We woke up to a few centimetres of snow this morning . Just when I thought that possiby spring was not too far away . I actually wore shoes this week instead of boots when I went out . So much for that .

With the spring fever came an urge to cast on something green . Here's the next pair of socks on the needles . These are the Summer Lovin Socks . You surely didn't think I could be faithful to only one project did you ? I baby sit Jessey on Wednesdays and wanted a small portable project and these socks fit the bill . Not that I get a chance to sit and knit when he's around , but he does nap for a bit in the afternoon . I love my Wednesdays with Jessey , it's just the two of us , special one on one time . The day just flies by .

Have a good weekend with lots of time to do whatever your heart desires ...

Oh Canada !

2010-02-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

What a weekend ! I've never watched so much TV . We were glued to all the Olympic coverage , starting with the starting with the unbelievably beautiful opening ceremonies to Alex Bilodeau 's terrific run for the gold medal . The opening brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion . Vancouver did us all proud ! We're 3 hours behind Vancouver time so I'm feeling the effects of a weekend of late nights , but it is so worth it .

Knitting updates : The Wakefield socks were done on Friday evening just before Olympic coverage started . Talk about cutting it close !
This was a super pattern and I'm really happy with the finished socks .The Tanis Fiber Arts is absolutely wonderful to work with. I won't wait so long to use up the other skeins in the stash .

I had my Ravelympics project chosen and the yarn at the ready but I didn't cast on till Saturday . Lace knitting and charts mixed with TV are a recipe for disaster for me . Plus we had friends over and there was food and drink involved . As it was I ended up tinking back a few times . Things are going more smoothly now that I've worked a few repeats of the spider lace pattern . I didn't want an overly large shawl , but using lace weight yarn instead of the recommended sport weight is making it considerably smaller than I'd hoped . That means more repeats before starting the edging . I'm an awful judge of how much yarn is needed when attempting a shawl . I'm playing it safe with this yarn ,1260 yds should be more than enough to give me a decent sized shawl . I'm patting myself on the back for continuing to use what I have on hand . February 15th and so far so good vis a vis the yarn diet . Wish my diet to lose weight , was going as well . Oh well , one day at a time ...

Baby cuteness

2010-02-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

You might remember the baby sweater knitting binge I had going on last fall . Earlier this week I received an email with this photo attached . How cute are these two strapping little guys ! Can you believe that they weighed little more than 3 pounds each at birth . I just can't get over how much they've changed since I saw them last . This photo made my day !

I'm still working on my Wakefield socks . I've got one done and am at the heel on the second one . They'd be done if I wasn't constantly stopping to pet the loveliness that is the Tanis yarn . These socks were supposed to go in the gift box , but they might just end up with yours truly . The set deadline to have them done is tomorrow in time for the opening ceremonies of the Olympics . It should be no problem especially with the season opener of Survivor on tonight . I'm still a fan even after all these years .

The week that was

2010-02-05T06:27:00.001-08:00

Gosh almighty , but time flies ! I didn't see much of this week , there was so much going on . DH Mike celebrated his 60th birthday on Monday . We had a special birthday dinner with the family on the weekend , this weekend we're supposed to have a get together with friends . I say supposed to because the birthday boy has succumbed to a yucky stomach bug and is decidedly not in any shape to party. So we've postponed that . I have to laugh because Mike was definitely having trouble accepting this birthday . He's never complained or moaned about his age , but for some reason this birthday has got him cranky . He didn't want any fuss or bother , no party , no gifts , just get it over and we'll move on . I'm thinking he's really gone to extreme lengths to avoid a celebration . We'll get him yet ...

This bug has gone through the family both literally and figuratively . I baby sat Jessey because , guess what , he was sick again . Yep same bug. Dad Casey was next on the hit list and then yours truly , Omi . This gastro thing is a rare experience for me and not one I want to repeat any time soon .

Anyway on the good side I started another pair of socks . I have a few "special " yarns in the stash , one of them being a really pretty hand dyed deep pink one called Royal Flush by Tanis Fiber Arts . On Tuesday evening when I was still feeling relatively okay I started this pattern . Lovely pattern , beautiful yarn , just not a good match . The socks were not going to fit even though I was using 2,00 mm dpns . I'd knit all the way to the heel and despite my optimism , finally faced the fact that they WERE not going to fit . Yesterday afternoon I ripped and found another pattern (Wakefield Socks ) . This one is perfect , not too big , not too small , or as Goldilocks would say "just right " ....

Who turned off the heat ?

2010-02-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

After saying what warm rainy weather we've been having someone came along and turned off the heat . It was sooooo bitterly cold this past weekend . Not great to spend time outdoors but wonderful weather to stay home and knit .

Delphine's little sweater is done . Not much knitting was accomplished on my so called "benylin day " . You know what the say about the best laid plans not always working out . Anyway it did get done and though I still have some issues with the sleeves , I'm pretty happy with this little sweater . You can find the details here on my Ravelry page . This time I made some notes to help with the sleeves should I ever knit it again . Depends on whether or not some one ever gives me a little granddaughter :-))

A Benylin day

2010-01-27T06:19:00.000-08:00

No , I'm not sick with a cold but I feel like I could use a day of playing hooky . I'm attributing these blahs to the lack of sun these days . January has been unusually warm , grey, and rainy . I'm not complaining about the warm so much , but the dull skies are getting on my nerves .Rain here ends up being treacherous as soon as everything freezes . According to the weatherman we should see the sun today . Hurray !!!

Jessey has been sick again , consequently I've been babysitting . He's finally better and back to daycare . Omi is having a teeny bit of Jessey withdrawal today. That also accounts for the blahs . He is just such a ray of sunshine , even when he's sick . He loves to cuddle with you .

Baby sitting means little knitting time and by the end of the day Omi 's get up and go has got up and went . Hence no finished knits . I'm at the second sleeve of Delphine's sweater . I bought buttons for it last weekend so it shouldn't be long now , especially if I take a Benylin day .

Have a good day , hope it's sunny where you are ....

Delphine's sweater

2010-01-20T07:03:00.000-08:00

A week ago on Tuesday Chantal 's cousin Isabelle gave birth to a beautiful baby girl . Isabelle had asked me back in October to knit a sweater for her baby girl expected on Jan 26th . I immediately said yes . Having knit mostly for boys I couldn't miss the opportunity to knit something lacy in pink . I'd planned to start this sweater right after New Years' but Mike's socks were already on the needles . Also after going through the stash , no pink yarn , surprise, surprise . That meant a trip to my LYS ( I know , such a hardship ) for some yarn . I was good though and limited my purchase to just what I needed . Well that was last Tuesday the day that Delphine decided to come into the world . What a coincidence !

I immediately cast on for Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Baby Sweater . Everything went along swimmingly until I reached the sleeves . EZ's instructions are as clear as mud for this portion of the knit . Having knit this sweater before , but failing to make notes , I couldn't remember how I'd worked it the last time around . Ravelry and some wonderful knitters who did leave notes came to the rescue . Since I've got past the irksome problems I'm throughly enjoying this knit . I can't wait to give it to Isabelle !

Mike's socks

2010-01-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

The first finished knit for 2010 is a pair of socks for my DH . He's been feeling a little neglected in the hand knit sock department . In addition to my intention to clean out /knit up yarn , I've added husband socks to my resolutions for stash reduction . It seems a waste for all that yarn to be just sitting there unloved and unused .

The pattern is a simple waffle rib and the yarn is Lana Grossa Meilenweit Merino . I'm a teeny bit worried how these socks will hold up in wearing . That's been an issue for some sock knitters , but better knit up than sitting in the closet . Mike loves them and is more than happy to have them . He put them on right after they were off the needles and the ends sewn in . Nice to knit for someone who appreciates it ...

Closing out 2009...

2010-01-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

...with two finished knits . I'd blogged about these shortly before Christmas but never posted any photos . The first FO were a pair of socks knitted for Shirley's DIL Robin . She's joined the family and is now on the list for hand knit socks . I knit a tiny pair for Sidney , but didn't alas no photos of his . The yarn used for these came from stash and is the Elann Sock it to Me 4 ply . I knit up a simple garter rib pattern which seems to be the best use for this yarn . More intricate or lacy patterns get lost in the striping . I have a few more balls of this in the stash and let me tell you I'll be glad when they're gone . I'm so over stripes !

Next up in the FO is another stash buster . A one row scarf a la Yarn Harlot . I love this pattern because it's reversible and suitable for just about anyone , man , woman or child . This yarn was Berroco's Ultra Alpaca in a gorgeous dark blue with hints of pink and purple highlights called blueberry mix . This is simply a fantastic yarn to work with ; I'm sure more will find its way to me in the future . Ruby (my neighbour Cory's mom ) was so happy to receive this . She's also an avid reader and has passed on some of her books to me , this scarf was by way of a thank you . She 's in her eighties and a hoot to be around . She's got more stories to tell and an opinion about everything , but in a good way .

It's been a good start to the new year , busy with the family as usual . I'm over the cold thankfully , but now Mike's having his turn with it . He's wishing that I'd kept it to myself . I've been knitting quite a lot this week , when I'm not reading that is . The Kindle has not lost it's attraction yet . I should have something to show on the next post .

Have a good weekend , stay warm , hoping it's not too wintery where you are !

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T16:17:00.000-08:00

Mike and I are spending a quiet New Years Eve at home . I've got a "bleepity -bleep" cold and feel about new years the way Scrooge felt about Christmas . BAH HUMBUG ! Don't you envy poor Mike with me as company . Let me just crawl under the covers and wake me up when it's all over . Okay , got that out of my system , the pity party's over...

2009 was a good year , not perfect but pretty darn close . I've never liked all the hubbub about New Years Eve in the first place . Except for the cold, this suits me just fine . We've got some good wine, a few munchies , a nice warm home and I have some knitting on the needles . Tomorrow the family will be by and on Saturday we've got the best friends a person could hope for in for a bite , so life is good . What more could anyone want !

More yarn .... psst you didn't hear me say that . I MUST use the stash , I MUST use the stash !

On that note I wish everyone a very happy , healthy & peaceful New Year ! And more yarn if at all possible ....

Christmas Wrap up

2009-12-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's over already ! So much preparation and anticipation and then BOOM in the blink of an eye , over and done with .

This year Christmas Eve was celebrated at Casey & Chantal 's house instead of here . Jessey was sick again with pneumonia and it was better to do it there . Poor little guy was so sick on the Tuesday but by Christmas Eve he was well enough to enjoy at least a few hours with us and see what Christkind left under the tree . It was magical when he got his first look at the tree with the candles and sparklers , he couldn't take his eyes away from it . He soon got into the swing of unwrapping gifts , his and everyone else's . What was inside was irrelevant . You can't imagine how much fun a 14 month old can have with wrapping paper . When we were done he was the captain of the cleanup crew. Hilarious !Apparently he's great one to " help" with that regularly . I'm sure that will change once he's a teenager .

Christmas day was quiet but special because we visited with Shirley and her family . Jerold, Robin and Sidney were in town for the holidays . Sidney is just so darn cute! The sweater that I knit for him back in September fits perfectly and suits him to a tee . As per usual my camera was at home , but Jerold took some photos and promised to email them to me . Later on we were invited to share Christmas dinner with our next door neighbours and their families . They've become more than just neighbours , but terrific friends . Actually Mike and Dave must be long lost brothers separated at birth , they're a hoot whenever they get together and have a friendly rivalry going for the title of BBQ king.So you can bet there were lots of laughs as well as plenty of yummy food .

Mike outdid himself this Christmas as far as a gift goes . We don't usually buy each other extravagant gifts ,but this is a combination birthday gift too so I guess I can forgive him this one . It's the Kindle 2 from Amazon , just recently available to Canada . It's an ereader which can hold up to 1000+ books . I can download a book in less than a minute , anywhere , anytime . I love , love , love it more than you can imagine . The size , not heavy at all unlike the average hardcover and even a regular paperback makes it wonderful to use . I can shop Amazon anytime and the prices of books are generally cheaper . At least the new hardcovers , the prices with trade paperbacks and mass market are comparable and sometimes cheaper too . It's absolutely fantastic for someone like me who usually has a book in progress and always brings at least four books along on trips . That's not to say that I'll give up on actual books with covers and pages , the Kindle is just another option . I foresee a dilemma in the new year , reading or knitting , two passions only 24 hours in a day ...

At the gingerbread factory

2009-12-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

I spent the afternoon baking some gingerbread cookies . I haven't baked any for years , but used to make them often when the boys were young . It smelled wonderful in the house when these were in the oven . I think having a 14 month old grandson brought on the nostalgia for these cookies . They're done , but for the decorating which I'll do tomorrow . It's late in the day and I'm tired . In my current state these might not be all that pretty if I were to do it right away .

I have been doing some knitting , a scarf and a pair of socks are off the needles . Both are Christmas gifts . There will be photos on the next post .

The Christmas preparations are coming along , the shopping's done , just need to wrap it all up . The baking is done , just need to package up what's going out as gifts . The Christmas cards are almost done , I have the stamps so it's just a matter of sitting down and actually doing them . So after those are done with pretty much all that's left is the cleaning and then we can let the celebrations begin ! After which comes more cleaning ...

Home again.

2009-12-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

Actually , we've been back for a little over a week . Although it's nice to be back home with the family , getting back to winter is a b***h . We've had more than a foot of snow since we got home and the shovel has seen regular use . Uugh !

Mike and I had a wonderful week away . It was everything and more that I could have hoped for . We visited some beautiful places, met some wonderful people , relaxed and swam on the the beaches of the Cayman islands , snorkeled in Roatan , visited Mayan ruins on 2 of our stops . The ruins at Tulum Mexico were breathtaking beautiful , situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean . The ruins at Altun Ha in Belize were further inland , but equally amazing , surrounded by lush flora . My only complaint would be that we didn't have enough time to fully enjoy each place that we visited . A day is really only enough to give you a taste , however we now have some future destinations to plan for . Our guides were phenomenal , giving us fact filed but interesting tours of their respective countries . They were proud citizens of their homelands and wanted to give us a true picture of the people , the history and culture of the places that we visited .

Shipboard life was certainly the easy life to the nth degree .The food , the entertainment , the service was amazing . I've never been so spoiled , laughed so much and had so much fun ! Its been rough getting back to reality waiting for some one to prepare and plan the meals , do the laundry and clean the house , not happening ;-)) .

I've been baking up a storm , shopping for last minute Christmas gifts and just generally trying to get ready for the holidays . There's been very little knitting going on . I seem to have lost my knitting mojo , must have left it on the ship and its cruising the Caribbean . Thank heavens I didn't set myself a bunch of Christmas knitting . I have been reading in the evenings , I just finished the second of Steig Larssons Millenium trilogy . I loved it !!! The third and final one won't be released in Canada till late next year . Apparently its available in the UK , thanks for the heads up Monika , so I might see about trying to order it early in the new year . Would be a great birthday present , don't you think . I've just picked up Barbara Kingsolver's latest novel "The Lacuna " , she's got me hooked , and I've had a tough time choosing between baking for the holidays , knitting or reading . Reading has been winning a lot lately .

Anyway , that what's I've been up to ; hope you all have a good day !

PS , I uploaded a few photos of our trip on my flickr page , if anyone's interested .

I'm so excited !

2009-11-27T14:51:00.000-08:00

It's been crazy busy since my last post as I've been trying to clear the decks for our vacation . We're flying out tomorrow , very early and we'll be in Miami tomorrow afternoon . We'll be hooking up for dinner with my SIL Saturday evening . Sunday morning we're leaving for a week of sun and sand . I'm over the moon excited , it's been a while since Mike and I had a real vacation together . Everything's packed , including some knitting , and ready to go .

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend , catch you in December ....

New socks and a resolution (maybe )

2009-11-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

After battling a nasty bug last week , I finished the second of the Christmas knits this week . I was really down for the count , no energy and coughing so much my sides hurt, all attributed to a sinus and, can you believe it , an ear infection . My GP who was on duty at the clinic had a quiet chuckle , saying the insides of my ear resembled that of a child . Apparently it's rare for someone my age to get this, go figure . A round of antibiotics took care of the infection , but the cough still lingers . I can't figure out how I came to get this , but am extremely happy to be feeling much better . I have to be in shape for our trip on the 28 th . I was able to get the flu shot , so that's another good thing .

Back to the socks , these are for Dana , Emma's mom . I seem to have started a tradition of knitting Christmas socks for them . Dana loved last year's funky coloured socks , so I decided that this year I would mix it up and go more conservative . After some stash diving I discovered this yarn which was gifted to me by my father on one of his recent visits here from Austria . Perfect ! As usual the pattern (Waffle Rib ) comes from Sensational Knitted Socks . That pattern is a good match for self-striping sock yarn . I seem to have a lot of that kind yarn in my stash . It would appear that I went on a buying binge in my early my sock knitting days . The Internet has enabled me to expand my horizons and my stash with a greater variety of yarns .

As 2009 draws to a close I've made a resolution to knit up more of the stash before buying more yarn . Just because its been marinating in the closet for awhile and the temptations for newer , fresher yarns being ever present , doesn't make it less deserving of my attention . That being said and after looking on my ravelry projects page , I 'm finding that I have knitted mostly self-striping socks despite having so many other beautiful yarns of the non-striping variety . What gives ? Could it be that I'm in a rut ? Nah, not me ....

Christmas knitting...

2009-11-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

...is underway. Emma's socks are done , so that's one gift done . Do you think that they're bright enough ? The orange is even brighter in real life . I'm sure she won't have any trouble finding them in the morning .

Specs : Regia Crazy Color 6 ply sock yarn Knit on 2.5mm dpns . The pattern is the baby cable rib from my usual source "Sensational knitted Socks" .

We had a bit of a scare with Jessey this week .Casey and Chantal had to go to emergency at the hospital with him with the flu which quickly turned into pneumonia . He was tested for the swine flu and given antibiotics and Tamiflu which is an anti-viral . This came on so quickly it was scary . After lots of rest and fluids and with the help of the meds he's almost back to normal . I took care of him alot this week , so I'm a little worried that I might catch this too . I tend to catch a cold most winters which inevitaby ends up in my chest and a gives me no end of coughing fits . I get the flu shot every year so I haven't had the flu , just colds . I'll be able to get the H1N1 vaccine the week of the 16th of November . I've taken all the suggested precautions and am hoping to escape this nasty virus .

We've got real November type weather here these days , cool , grey and damp . So far no snow , unlike Halifax which got blasted yesterday . Waaaay too early for that ! To escape these miserable dark days Mike and I booked a one week cruise getaway . We're leaving on Nov. 28th and coming back on Dec. 6th . I can't wait to get some sun ! This is an kind of an early 35th wedding anniversary gift to ourselves . We're looking forward to a little alone time , if you catch my drift ;-)) .