I've decided to move

Yup, it's true. I've definitely decided I have to move. I need the space you see. Every time I want to start a project or decide I NEED to start a project, the stuff I want is in the bin at the bottom of the stack - and there's nowhere to stack the stack so I can get into the bottom bin for the stuff I want.

I need at least a THREE bedroom place or a TWO bedroom one with an enclosed garage. And that ain't here. Oh, I played with the idea of renting the space once occupied by the BT - it comes with an extra bathroom that I don't need but does have a huge room with a big walk-in closet. That would be enough space to spread out all the STASH & it's accoutrements. But it's cold all the time around here - good for stash but bad for ME.
And why do I need THREE bedrooms??? Well, I need one to sleep & hang clothes in. One to fill with stash. And one to use as the Working office. One must work to pay for stash, you know.

So, I have to move.

I want outside laundry tubs to wash wool & a clothesline to hang dyed skeins. And a garden to grow dye plants. A proper compost box & two rain barrels too. Hanging baskets & a big front porch for my rocker. Gawd, Maw Kettle comes to Surrey!! Can you just see it all?? I might even take up macrame again - Holy Seventies Batman!!!

My living room is the stash room at present. I don't have room for anything but one chair because it's taken up with books, spinning wheels, stash bins, baskets of stash & stacking shelves of stash. I know there's even a table in there somewhere but it's covered with stash. The office closet is full of mohair. I think there's still a fleece or two in a bag under my bed. They've probably had twins by now. I'm afraid to look . . .

Winter is baaaaack!


I woke up to snow flakes flying thru the open bedroom window & landing on my face this morning. I had to get up to get a better look!! Gee, I can't remember seeing snow this late in the year around here! I got a cup of tea & commuted to my home office in time to watch HUGE flakes coming down - the cat kept flying around her fuzzy window-sill bed to try & catch them from inside - what a hoot.

I did go outside to take a picture of the falling snow but it just didn't work out. But, while I was there I got a shot of my favorite pot of flowers blooming away while it snowed. The winter Pansies are growing in the same pot as the rhubarb while the pot behind sports a head of some creeping perennial ground cover that caught my fancy last year.


I finished the scrappy socks for the BT on Tuesday. Well - I still have to bind-off the toes but, essentially, they're done. I was going to put pink toes on them but found I'd used all the pink in a Christmas project - bummer!!! - so I was forced to use my very last ball of blue instead. I didn't make it to Fibre Fest this year as planned & I usually load up on the solid colors for toes when I'm there, so I guess that's why I don't have any.


In the meantime, I started a new pair of socks - hey, the sock basket is empty except for the Mexiko socks!! I wanted something quiet for a change - not everyone wants bright or flashy ones. I actually thought this pair would be nice for a man but men seem to think these are nice 'girly' colors. Oooops. That's what I get for buying something 'quiet'! So, I'm not sure who these will be for - the BT's mom might end up with them - she likes everything I knit. And the BT's dad will get something that isn't so 'girly'. I think I have a ball of camel shit brown & snotty yellow that should be 'manly' enough . . .

It's a Good Friday

It seems the storm with it's hail, snow showers & high winds, has passed over us. All of this cold weather hasn't discouraged the rhubarb or the winter Pansies though. And, my Clematis has huge shoots popping out all over the old stems!! But, it does make me want to spend more time knitting.

I finally received my first package from the Seven Deadly Spins club!! Now, when I first joined up, I thought it was a SPINNING thing BUT, apparently it's more of a KNITTING thing. Not a biggie, and the first SIN is GLUTTONY.
So, they sent a package with a Gluttony of color! Each of these skeins is a different color & the pattern is designed to create a simple patterned sock in graduated colors. The yarn is handpainted superwash merino.

Also included in the package were little sock needle protectors!! And a sock stretcher with handpainted yarn to knit the sock!! And a big bag of wildly colored Jelly Bellies!! What great fun! I've never signed up for any of these things before but I think I'm gonna change my ways.

I've just started the gussets for the BT's last pair of the splotchy Confetti socks. I found all those little leftover balls & figured I had more than enough to knit another pair with them. He does love that yarn! And there's always a place in everyone's life for mindless knitting projects . . . . . Oh, and in the left corner, on the socks, are the latest stitch markers created by the Oh So Talented, Karen Bonter (spinquilt.blogspot.com)!! I use her markers in every project - they're so much sexier than rubber bands!!!

It was NOT a good weekend . . .


I'd been looking forward to the First Annual Spinning Retreat hosted by our Guild - although most of the work was actually done by Doris!! I hadn't been feeling too perky the week before but I was determined to go Hell or High Water. The event was held at the Timberline Dude Ranch,in Maple Ridge, in the Lodge, which is spread over three floors. Beds on the top floor - yeah, haul all the stuff up there huffing & puffing because we had to supply pillows, towels & bedding as well as the usual clothes & toiletries. The dining room was on the main floor - nice & bright with big windows to look at the wildlife looking back at us. And our work room was downstairs - yup, lug all the spinners, bins, books, fibre etc downstairs & NO bathroom on that floor.
The place was rustic but warm, dry & the food was good. Tea & coffee - some of the best decaf I've ever tasted - were hot & ready constantly but you had to go up & down those damned stairs all the time!
And then, on to bed. I'm just not built for wooden bunks with 3" mattresses. I thought I was going to die on the first morning - I ended up in tears with shooting pains down both legs. Doris, bless her beautiful, generous soul, hauled another mattress into the room for me. I slept much better the next night but still had to crawl up & down those stairs with shooting pain down my left leg.
Other than that, we had a good time & were locked up with two Vendors who brought lots of lovely fibre - & planted their wares between us & the exit!! Grrrrr . . . . I missed the Spindling workshop taught by Jeff, one of the vendors. Two more workshops in Beading & Plying for Color were offered on the Saturday & Sunday.
We got door prizes of sock yarns from Knitopia & Designer circular needle holders by Doris in the picture on the left. I planned on giving a pair of Mexiko socks in the Gift Exchange - but as you can see on the right, they didn't get finished . . . guess the sock basket gets another offering! But I got 3 cute Sheepy ornaments in the gift exchange! Oh, I did buy some fibre even though I swore I wouldn't - Lynne had dyed some that I just couldn't resist - it's pictured at the top along with a ball of neon pink that I just had to have ever since Karen beat me to the last one at Desert Mesa!! And I bought myself a NEW Majacraft spinner. I can't believe I did that!
The pain in my leg is almost gone thanks to drugs, vodka, a soft bed, lots of walking & NO stairs. Thank gawd.

And it's still light outside


Since I keep checking everyone else's blog for updates, I guess I'd better update my own!! Ahhh, tax season has curtailed my extra-curricular activities somewhat but I do get to catch up on all my regular clients' lives . . . I could write a book!!


It looks like I may still have a chance to get that two bedroom duplex I was told about LAST summer. Apparently the tenant is not a good one & the old folks are sick of her antics. Her loss, my gain??? I go to talk to them tomorrow morning - who knows??? I really hate the thought of the effort of moving but I'm sure I'll be better off in the long run - 10 years in a suite with landlords who don't want to do repairs properly is enough.

I might be able to get a cat door installed!! And a back porch built with lattice for the flowers. And my own yard & garden! I want rain barrels, composters & raised beds. I can grow dye flowers again & the rhubarb will be happy next to a compost box. Part of the yard is damp & shady apparently, so I'll fill it with native ferns. I'll bet I dream about gardening tonite. I don't want to get too excited but . . . .


And the BT goes for Mediation with ICBC tomorrow. I sincerely hope it all gets settled tomorrow because I broke a filling this afternoon & need to pay the dentist.


My gift socks still need the second heel turned - I can see me finishing them on the trip over to Maple Ridge!! Hey, I'm really looking forward to the spinning weekend away from all the crap & stress. I can hardly wait!!


My Ginny sweater body is now finished except for the borders. I have one sleeve to finish & then I get out the crochet hook to finish the edges - I've decided NOT to pick up & knit the fronts, bottom & collar as directed in the pattern. I've decided instead, to crochet the entire fronts & bottom in a couple of rows of single crochet - hope it looks okay - & then pick up & knit the collar since I want a big shirt style collar. THEN, I have to finish Arvik. It's on the needles but I decided to finish Ginny since it was farther along after I frogged poor Arvik the first time. Booo Hooo no sweater again this winter!!

Well, didja do it??

Didja remember to change your clocks??? Do you know how MANY clocks I had to change???

I HAD intended to go to FibreFest on Saturday after all - but work got in the way. I ended up in Langley doing data entry for the day instead, sigh. It's probably for the best since next weekend I'm off to our Guild's first Spinning Retreat! We are hoping this will be an annual event - much thanx to DORIS for doing all the work!!!! It's nice to get away for the weekend & just shop & relax.

In the meantime, it's Tax Season. Need I say more?? They're piling up on my desk since my printer gave up the ghost the other day & my old tractor-feed - which is the one I REALLY need - is costing an arm & a leg to feed with paper!!! Gone are the days when I could buy damaged boxes at $15. Now I have to cough up $62 for the same box!!! Between paper, gas & Program costs, I've had to raise my prices. So far all my clients have just laughed . . . . but it cuts into my fibre money - whine, snivel, sob!!!

Speaking of fibre, I'm hauling a tub of old packages of Buffalo wool - there must be 40 of them - to the Retreat. I just can't use them anymore. They put off so much fibre into the air that I can't breathe if I try. I know some people still knit the sweaters - if I do, I'll use good wool that I've spun myself!!!! This stuff is overprocessed!! But it should make great felting fibre or be good for slippers - I just don't care. It's free & will be out of here!!

I still have white, blue & brown that I reclaimed from a whole pile of sleeves that someone donated to Value Village. The wool is soft & silky & was processed minimally. Someone was manufacturing sweaters & these became surplus. I unravelled the sleeves & saved the yarn in big balls. At one time, I started a sweater for a friend with it but it soon grew so heavy that I couldn't work with it anymore!! I considered spinning it as a finer yarn & it might go to the retreat with me.
Maybe it should be my summer project . . . . . maybe I'll dye the wool first with my new "Mother McKenzie" dyes. I want to knit a 'Wonderful Wallaby' for a friend going to camp to work & this might be the very potential yarn. Ohhhhhh - I see a summer project coming up!

I've been asked to knit infant socks for a baby gift. The BT's lawyer is off on maternity leave with her new baby. Since he doesn't know what it is or how big it is . . . just like a man . . . he asked for socks. Good thing I have tons of leftovers & who doesn't need socks for a new baby!! I'm just not sure how big 6 month old feet generally are - But the good thing about babies - they grow!
I see the sun is struggling to poke thru the clouds today - yesterday was gorgeous in the afternoon & I was indoors working - I swear, if it actually gets warm & nice, I'm going OUT.

I've been so busy


I figured out today why I haven't read my emails, written on my blog, worked on any projects & not done my dishes - I've been working 70 hour weeks for the past two weeks!! I've been exhausted & only seem to get to bed, get up, take a shower, eat brekkie & head out the door to start it all over again!! I've been working as a Receptionist as well as doing my regular jobs for the past two weeks. I will have more respect for a Receptionist in the future.


Now, back to my old life!! You don't realize how you enjoy your leisure time until you don't have any! Whilst enjoying some of it, I looked thru all the leftover bags, rounded up all the old black/white Confetti bits & started on the last pair of Confetti socks in this color for the BT. I was quite amazed at how many leftovers I found but he'll be happy with another pair in the end - even if they have pink toes . . . . .


And then I dug out the LAST TWO BALLS of Mexiko to knit a pair of socks for a gift I need shortly. Stoooooopidly I pulled half a ball of yarn out before I found the color sequence I needed to match the first sock to the second - I have no idea why I bothered doing that with THIS pair of socks since I almost never bother with any other . . . . anyway, I was just starting the heel gussets when I realized the socks were not looking all that similar. It took me a while but I suddenly realized one of the damn balls of yarn was wound backwards from the other! I'd ripped one out before I realized what the problem was & then ripped the other out in a fit of pique. Now I'm reknitting them both & don't care how they come out. I should've known better . . . .

I won two balls of OPAL 6ply yarn!! I got FISH & TIGER from the Rainforest collection. Very yummy & very thick!!! Boy, when you're used to Fingering . . . . . . but, I think they'll both be very nice as WINTER socks for next year. No, Virginia, I am NOT gifting anyone with my winnings - these are for ME. I may have to buy bigger shoes or wear my sandals with them but they're all for Moi!!