Today (for lack of a better title )

Let me start off this post by thanking  all of you gentle readers who gave me your support and kind words on Alaska's passing . It touched both Mike and I very much that you took the time to offer words of comfort . Thank you for the virtual hugs, they were much appreciated .

Just to catch up , Mike and I had a wonderful time on our recent trip to Florida .The month just flew by , we loved our condo,, the beach just steps away . The weather was mostly gorgeous with a few rainy days thrown in . If you asked me what we did I'd just say RELAX  . We visited Mike's sister who lives in Port St. Lucie , met up with friends who were also in Cocoa Beach at the same time as we were . Most special of all was that I got to meet an online friend Dee of Tangled Up in Sticks and String . She drove in from Orlando to meet me, we spent a wonderful few hours chatting , shopping for yarn and just getting to know each other . She is just the best , every bit as nice as you'd think from her blog . She's also very generous , she gifted me with some wonderful handmade soap that she'd bought at the alpaca farm she'd visited recently . She also put in one of her beautiful cross stitch bookmarks and one of her washcloths that I'd admired on her blog . The Internet can be amazing , bringing together a couple of knitters from different countries . Thanks Dee for that visit , and I look forward to meeting again next year ...




seamless yoked baby sweater

 

This week has been a little up and down  . I came down with a cold which knocked me down but not out for most of this week . Despite my head feeling stuffed , blowing my nose and just generally feeling awful , I worked on my baby cardi that I'd started while we were in Florida . We found out in April that Max and Stef are expecting a baby girl in September . We're having another grand daughter !! I had brought along the Surprise blanket as my travel project , but had prepared another 'in case' project so I was able to cast on a matching sweater after we'd got the news .  I finished today . I love this little sweater and will knit a hat and some bootees to complete the set . I so love having another little one to knit for !

So that's it for today . We have a long weekend here and finally we're having a little nice weather . Just in time to plant the annuals and start the vegetable garden . Mike has been out there doing the planting and later he cut the grass . I was hard at work sewing buttons on a baby sweater and choosing my next project . Some days it's tough to be me .


RIP Alaska June 30 , 2003 - May 9 . 2013

My constant companion Alaska passed away suddenly this morning . We're not sure what happened as he was fine when we let him out as usual . A short time later Mike went outside and found him barely breathing , he died just after that . We suspect that he had a heart attack .

We have so many fond memories of him . He came into our lives after Max moved back home from Calgary . Max found him when he was doing deliveries for a small company . It was love at first sight . He brought him home and he just fit right in with Bingo and our cats . Bingo was quite happy to have another canine in the house . He was just a puppy then about the size of our cat Hey You . We have video of all three of them playing in the snow together . Alaska just loved snow and the winter time . He didn't much like summer , it was too hot and he'd always try and find the coolest , shadiest place in the yard . He loved being outdoors except when there was a thunderstorm .Then he was just a big chicken and try to find someplace to hide . We could never figure out why , as Bingo couldn't care less , but Alaska would be a shaking , trembling mess . He loved his walks and would sit in front of the door to remind us when he was due for one .

He was gentle with the little ones . Jessey had a fear of dogs and was a little worried when he learned that Alaska was coming to stay with us again . Alaska , with his quiet approach and gentle behaviour soon won him over . The same happened  with my friend Shirley . She's had a lifelong fear of dogs but she would be quite at ease with Alaska .

He was always happy to see us , he followed us all the time . He was just the best companion . All of us will miss him so much , we'll never forget him and all the happiness he brought into our lives. He was a beautiful boy ...

Cupcakes !

Omi's first cupcakes ! Not too bad for an amateur , if I do say so myself ...


Stella's birthday cupcakes

Tomorrow is Stella's second birthday and the family is coming over for brunch , Easter and birthday celebration all rolled into one . I'd thought of making her a traditional birthday cake but came across a very nice recipe for vanilla cupcakes . The cupcakes in the recipe were decorated with Easter colours and it got me to thinking that maybe I should try to make these instead . I have the cutest little butterfly picks that will go on top . Stella has butterflies stenciled on one wall in her room so this is just perfect for her .  I'm pretty happy at how they came out ....

Happy Easter !

Coming up for air

OMG it's already been a month since I last posted ! There's been so much going on . First , we're going to be grandparents again . Max and Stef are expecting their second child in September , making it grandchild number 4 for us .  Needless to say I've already started knitting for this little one . I cast on this blanket almost immediately after they announced it . The colour is very spring like and the pattern is just a dream to knit . I have some coordinating yarn in the stash so I'll be able to knit a hat and some bootees to match . Stef will find out the gender at the end of April ! I've been searching ravelry for baby knits and have added to the queue , the ever expanding queue . Would that I could knit as fast as I add to the queue !



Surprise !

The second bit of news is that Mike and I are going to Florida for a month , Cocoa Beach to be exact . We haven't had a proper vacation for years . We could both really use a break and are anxious to have some nice weather . Winter was back here with a vengeance this week and dumped another 35 cm of snow (just over 12 ") .  If it had been December I'd have welcomed it but at the end of March , enough already ! We're leaving the week after Easter and will be back  the second week in May . We're driving down , something that I'm dreading , but the reward will be sun and sand at our destination . We 've rented a third floor condo with a gorgeous big balcony that faces the beach . I can hardly wait to dip my feet in the ocean !

 

It's been non-stop this past month with all the preparations , taxes , insurances and a myriad of details that needed attending to , that knitting time has been at a premium . That didn't stop me from joining Kellys' (Celtic Cast On ) Business Casual  sock KAL . I don't know what I was thinking ! I also decided that Stella needed a vest for her birthday which is March 30th . The logic being that a vest doesn't have sleeves so it will be a quicker knit than a cardigan . I have another week to finish that and the sock KAL ends on March 25th which is next Monday . I have one sock completed and am working on the cuff of the second . The vest is further along than indicated in the photo . The back is almost done , but  there's still the sides , collar and buttons , which I haven't bought yet .Yikes , I'd better get cracking !

Have a wonderful weekend , I hope it's Spring where you are !

Done and dusted ...

... with novelty yarns ! I finished the fingerless mitts for Dana . I 'm really really happy to have knit them for her . She's had a rough time of it lately and deserves a little something . I just can't bring myself to say very much positive about the yarn except that it sparkles very nicely . I know that I was knitting these on smaller needles but jeez louise this yarn is a PIA to work with . I knit Stellas' scarf with 7.5 mm and still didn't like it .

Also off the needles is yet another frilly scarf for another friend . That makes eight knit up since last fall . I forgot to take a photo but it's pretty much like the others except it's red and purple . I'm getting faster at knitting these ; It only took  about 2 1/2 hours for this one . Still it will be the last one for awhile .

On to the socks , only 2months in the works . Will February finally see a pair of finished socks !?

Pink snow princess

My knitting mojo has been missing of late . I think in part due to this hat , I really don't like this yarn , except for the sparkles . Chantal had requested a hat and scarf set for Stella . I fell in love with this pattern and found the yarn used for it at Micheal's . Trouble was that Chantal wanted an ear flap hat because Stella will not keep a hat on her head unless it's tied on . I modified it to knit top down but used the sizes used in the pattern as a guideline . I couldn't quite get gauge no matter how many needles sizes I went down , so I find it a little on the large side . However the hat that Stella is currently using is just about the same size so I think it will do . Stella is already wearing the matching scarf . I couldn't get it away from her when she saw it , like her Omi she was quite taken with the sparkles . Little miss also is a difficult model who will not sit still no matter what , so no photos yet .

There's not much else to show knitting wise .So much has been going on around here , but I 'm hoping that it will all settles down soon . Nothing bad , just super busy with the grandkids and life in general . I never thought retirement would be this hectic . I have to finish the second of a pair of fingerless mitts that I'm knitting for a friend . Using this very same Dewdrops yarn as the pink hat . They should have been done weeks ago , I just couldn't bring myself to work on them . The Smittens are coming along , I have an even dozen finished . There's also a sock on the needles , begun in December , but still not done . So of course I cast on for something new  . It's a secret so more about that later . I DO like this latest knit and would knit it on all the time if the UFOs in the basket weren't making me feel so guilty about not turning them onto FOs .

First Finishes for 2013

 

The first 10 days of 2013 have been very productive . I've got three finished knits to show for my efforts . These are the first two of three planned scarves . These  scarves are all the rage here at the moment . The white one is a thank you gift to a new neighbour for hosting us to a very entertaining evening over the holidays . The second and third are birthday gifts also for a neighbour and her mum . The third is still a work in progress . There's only so many ruffly scarves that you can knit without losing your mind or the will to knit anything ever again . After number 3 it will be a frosty Friday or pigs fly  before I buy more of that stuff . Mind you I had been contemplating selling them at my Wednesday afternoon bowling league to make some cash for the local food bank next Christmas. They are a quick and easy knit , but after these three I think I'm done for awhile !

 

The third finish and the one that I'm most happy with is my Peacock Hat . Unlike Goldilocks it didn't take me three tries before it was just right . Take II is perfect and has been out and about a couple of times this week . I just love it and I love wearing it . I'm so not a hat person, I only wear one when I absolutely have to , so for me to say that is really something .

 

 

What's next you might ask ? Well I've been bitten by the Smitten . The plan over the next 11 months is to knit 48 of these mitts in time to make Advent garlands for Casey and Max .I certainly have enough stash yarn to make that many . I also think that it will be fun for the little ones to get their treats from an Omi made mitten every day till Christmas . So one or two every week till I'm done . I've got a head start on next week ...

Have a wonderful weekend !