New year , fresh start

 We're only a week in to 2013 so I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year ! I can't say that I'm too unhappy to see the end of 2012 even if it means I am year older . Last year kicked my butt in more than a few ways , but I'm looking for 2013 to be better . At least I started the new year relatively healthy , without my annual Christmas cold . I'll take that as a good start and hope that the rest will fall into place .

We had  really beautiful holidays , spent with our family and friends . It seems like you 're so busy preparing , cooking cleaning ,wrapping ,celebrating , entertaining etc  and then it all goes by in a flash . I took last week as a post holiday stay cation but this week it's back to normal . Everyone is back to work , the grand kids are back to daycare and it's business as usual for Omi . Today is my day for catching up , updating the blog and downloading  all of the  photos from the camera to the computer . I'm ashamed to say that there are pics from last summer that are included in that . Where did the time go ?

We had a big dump of snow on Dec . 27th and quite  a few more centimetres at time since then . No reason for not putting on the xcountry skis this year ! Mike is getting tired of shovelling it though . Alaska , our snow dog is in his element he could spend hours outdoors if we'd let him .

I've started some new  knits , just a couple of scarves and a hat for Mason to wear with his new snowsuit . There 's also the first of a pair of socks in progress and a ski hat for me . When I last updated my ravelry page it was evident that I really hadn't completed as many projects as the year before .That  could be a result of the fact that I'm reading a lot more , as evidenced my my Goodreads page . I'd read a whopping (for me ) 31 books . My knitting focus / goals this year will be to do more charity knitting as well as more knits for the grand kids  . There are always socks on the needles but I hope to branch out to knitting more mittens . I 'd like to expand my cabling skills and small projects are like hats and mittens are ideal . I kind of fell off the yarn diet toward the end of 2012 , but I really have to work down the stash this year .


Ummm , good !

Two of my boys



Omi's sweetie

 

I haven't been able to get a photo of Jessey wearing his skull hat but it was a definite hit , especially because it came with a pirate backpack and a sword and an eyeglass . He's now a fully equipped pirate . This is one of my favourite photos of him , taken at our local Christmas festival put on by the town. It was a cold and snowy day but he really enjoyed that hot chocolate .

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day !

Rolling along

That's December for you , rolling , rolling rolling along sort of like a wave in the ocean and I'm kind of tumbling along with it .  It hit me today that there's just 14 days left till Christmas . I was feeling kind of happy with how my holiday preparations were going , after all the shopping is done , most of the knitted gifts are coming off the needles , the lights are up outside , some of the decorations are up inside. BUT and that's a really big but  , I haven't even started the holiday baking and planned the meal for Christmas Eve which is when my family celebrates Christmas . Then there's still the cleaning and wrapping of the presents , cards to be mailed out and probably a bunch of other stuff I 've forgotten about . I WILL not panic YET !

Yesterday I decided to start on the baking and attempted to make some spritz cookies . I've always thought that spritz cookies look so pretty and festive and I wanted to add something new to my repertoire . I'd never realized that using a cookie press is more tricky than it seems . Let's just say ,after a couple or twelve attempts that it didn't work out as planned and that darn cookie press will be finding a new home .Then I thought I'll just start on my absolutely- must-have- it- wouldn't- be- Christmas- without -them vanilla kiferl . Apparently grinding hazelnuts for the dough was a challenge also . I always buy them already ground but this year I couldn't find them anywhere . After trying to grind them in a variety of my small appliances , they weren't really fit to use in the recipe .I could possibly salvage them by using ground almonds instead and then adding a bit of the hazelnuts but that's for another day . I need to recover my disastrous day of baking first .

The BIG news , at least knitting wise  , is that I did finish Masons' sweater in time for his birthday . Here he is sporting it after opening his gifts last Saturday . I wish that I had knit a bigger size  (4 to 5 ) but at least he'll wear it this winter and spring . He's growing so fast ! I'm fairly happy with it , my finishing skills are improving but seaming is still my least favourite part of a project .

 

 

Some  nice things to write about are two bits of mail that I received recently . The first was from Dee which included a pattern for some socks that I had admired on her blog and she included the little sleigh cross stitch ornament that she'd recently finished . This was really wonderful unexpected act of kindness and I was so touched that she would send them . the ornament will have pride of place on our tree . Thank you so much Dee !



Wandering Cat Yarns - Day Dream & Night Wish

This was my second bit of nice mail . Aren't they gorgeous , the photo doesn't do them justice ! I was so happy with my last purchase at Valeries etsy shop that I snapped these two up as soon as I saw them . I told Mike that he was buying them for me as an early birthday gift  ;-)) .  No plans for them yet , I 'm just enjoying them as is for now .

So that just about wraps up December for now . I have a couple of finished knits to show but will save them for another post . In the meantime have a wonderful day and week  ! Wish me luck with my baking ....

A good week

It feels like forever since I've been able to say that .After waiting for a while I got to see an ob/gyn and she's sending me for a pelvic ultrasound  . I've got an appointment for that on Saturday Dec. 1st . Going the private clinic route for that because the wait in the public system is a long one . We have insurance so we might as well use it . At least it's put my mind at ease that things are moving . Now I just need to be patient for the results .

Simple Textured blanket and a Peacock hat

 

Things are almost back to normal with my back . Naproxyn is amazing , it worked wonders ! I put my week off  , so to speak , to good use and finished up one project that had been in hibernation in the UFO pile and Jessey's blanket . I love this hat ! It was intended to be a ski hat for me , but about half way through the knitting I realized it was going to be too small . So into the UFO pile it went . It was a shame to leave it for so long , but I finished it this weekend and found a recipient . It fits my DIL Stefanie perfectly and it matches one of her jackets . One down ! I have  yarn in my stash to knit another one for me .

 

Whats on my needles now are my self-striping picot edge socks from the last post . I'm almost done with the first one , but then I got distracted again with this . A hat for Jessey , who is very much into pirates at the moment . I found the pattern on ravelry but am modifying it to fit a 4 year old . I had so much fun doing the braid on my Peacock hat that I've incorporated the technique into this one . As for Mason's sweater , don't ask ...

Thanks for stopping by , have a wonderful day !

Knitting , yarn and a new dessert

My back has been acting up again lately which means that I have had lots more time to knit . I've finished a little vest for Stella and am just about 3/4 of the way through with a blanket for Jessey . I'd promised him one last winter , bought the yarn and then it kind of got lost in all the projects on the needles . Well , though we've had an nice fall , winter can't be too far off so it is in progress now . The vest for Stella just need buttons and then she'll have her show and tell . Don't ask about Mason's sweater ... I guess I'm waiting for the deadline of Dec .
8th  (his birthday ) before I get cracking on seaming it together .

There's a new pair of socks on the go right now too . I was browsing online shops and came across some absolutely gorgeous yarn that I  HAD to have ,  to heck with the yarn diet . It was at Wandering Cat Yarns etsy shop . It was a simply fabulous grey/pink self-striping colourway called Steel Magnolias. Those  are my favourite colours lately . That colourway is all sold out but Valerie's got lots more beautiful yarns where that came from , so go look her up . The yarn arrived and I just had to cast on  . the picture doesn't do it justice , it's a much deeper pink , almost wine . I love it !

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day , mild and sunny , not like our typical gray November days . Despite the back pain I decided a walk , sunshine and fresh air would do me a world of good . After I came back , I felt like doing a little baking . I'd come across this yummy recipe for a crustless cranberry pie recently .  I modified the recipe slightly , as per other peoples recommendatios , using only a 1/4 tsp of almond extract and adding 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract . I also used sliced almonds instead of walnuts because that's what I had on hand . It's such a quick and easy recipe and the finished dessert is delcious ! Mike couldn't wait for it to cool down and had a piece almost straight from the oven . A big hit and one recipe I'll definitely do again .

That's it for me for today . Have a good day and a good week ...

October come and gone

I'm still here , but my blogging  mojo has disappeared lately  . With my father's six week stay and all the other family obligations I just can't seem to get back on track . I'm either too tired or just don't have the time , by the time I do have the time , there's not much to say . I have been doing some knitting but my spare time lately has been to escape into the pages of a book .

Health wise ,it's been one step forward and two steps back  lately . Step forward , the results of a second mammogram showed that there was nothing to worry about . Step back , I have some other health concerns and am waiting for  yet more results from  tests . I've been trying to see an ob/gyn but can't get an appointment till the middle of December . My own doctor is off for personal reasons . If I told the secretary that I was pregnant I'm sure that I could get in to see another doctor in a week or so .Somehow I don't think she's going to buy that so in the meanwhile I'm  trying to be patient and optimistic and hope for a cancellation .



Stella's hat and almost finished socks

My knitting step forward , this week I've been trying to finish my socks for the sock a month KAL . I just have the toe to finish off on the second sock . AND I finished  a pair of socks for Mike . The step back  , that hat for Stella which needs to be ripped back yet again and then lengthened yet again because Chantal thinks it should be a bit longer . I had Stella try it on before I sewed on the tassel and everything was fine , but this week it needs a do over . Grrrrrr ! I've modified this pattern to fit a two year old . I fell in love with it after seeing this one. Anyway I just have to bite the bullet and get it done , I just hope I have enough yarn left because the tassel and braids for the ties used up a ton of yarn .  Mason's sweater is all knitted up but the ribbing on the v- neck collar needs a do over . I don't think he'll be able to put it over his head as it is now . Then just sew in the sleeves and it 's done .Why I just can't get that finished is beyond me , but it's been sitting around for weeks already . I wish I had a little genie that would come in while I'm sleeping and voila ! DONE !



Bernat Sashay scarf

 Last but not least is this scarf for Linde , dad's wife . And she likes it ! It's not a yarn  that I'd knit with normally , but I liked the sparkles . A girl needs some sparkles once in awhile , especially this month ...

Onward to November ! Hope it's better than October ....

What happened to September !?

The birthday boys - Opa , Casey and Max
 

Hi again !  It just seems like so many other things have claimed my time this month that blogging has fallen by the wayside . September , the short version , my father arrived from Austria a few weeks ago , so the family is here often , make that just about all the time . It seems like I have a revolving front door and an open kitchen . We celebrated three birthdays this month .As well Mike and Max put a new roof on the house . I had a  mammogram this month and have to go back for a follow up with my doctor this week . Just to make life more interesting , I managed to catch a humdinger of a cold . So that's September, mostly good stuff , but some crappy stuff thrown in .

 Murano socks
 

 

Today is cold and rainy ,  a perfect day to get in some knitting . I finished a pair of socks for my September sock KAL , but I REALLY have to get Mason's sweater finished . It's been stalled at the halfway point of the first sleeve . The body has been blocking on my ironing board for at least two weeks . Shows you how often I iron anything . Socktoberfest kicks off tomorrow and I'm trying to ignore the urge to cast on for another pair of socks . With a bit of luck and perseverance maybe I can get the first sleeve done today...

Distracted again

new socks in progress

new dishcloths
 

I really should be working on Masons' sweater but this is what's on the needles . Now , how did that happen ! Off to enjoy the last long weekend of the summer . Have a great one wherever you are !