I think my luck ran out . .

I've been sick as a dog these past few days. That dry hack, which I thought was an allergic reaction to the unfolding of the latest box of scrunched paper bits, turned out to be the beginning of a real kick-in-the-ass virus attack. I've coughed my lungs out, sneezed, wheezed, blown & croaked my way from bed to kitchen for juice & tea & back to bed. I think I slept most of the past three days! I got up this evening, felt like getting dressed & ordered Chow Mein from my favorite Chinese cafe. Needless to say, I haven't been knitting a whole bunch! But, I did finish a nice washcloth for the Christmas basket.

I have watched a couple hours of TV, so I've knit a little on the latest hoodie. This one's a kid's size 12. As I mentioned before, people tend to make things for little kids & big kids get left out, so I decided to make larger sizes since I have the yarn. The last hoodie in a size 4 took 3, 100 gm balls of yarn. I have 8 to 12 balls in several colors so I decided to knit size 12s for a change. On Saturday, I was finishing the pouch before fusing it to the main body of the hoodie. Last night, I actually got as far as the underarm in the main body & started the first sleeve while watching the Antiques Roadshow & History Detectives. Then I went back to bed.

The Wonderful Wallaby pattern I'm using is worked from the bottom up to the armholes in one piece with the pouch stitches picked up & knit into the body - NO SEWING!! The sleeves are knit to the underarm & joined to the body on one circular needle & knit in one piece to the neck. At that point you can cast off for a plain sweater or keep on knitting the hood. The hood is sewed down the centre & a few stitches under the arm are grafted on to the body. I love the almost NO SEWING part of this sweater. No seams to come undone. No buttons to lose. No zipper to break. Great sweater for kids. When this one is finished, I'll knit another in the greyish/tanish/cherry yarn that I used for the size 4. I didn't realize I had another 12 balls of it in the bin!

Hello World, it's me again . . .

I've sustained a major injury to my right thumb. Dunno what in hell you call it, maybe thumbitis - anything with major inflammation has 'itis' added onto it's end as in appendicitis, bursitis etc Maybe it's actually tendinitis, now that I think about it. It's the base of my thumb where it actually joins onto my hand that's killing me. I can't knit, sew, screw, swivel, press, write, use the mouse or do much that requires the cooperation of that opposible digit that separates Me from an Ape. I'm thinking the Ape is probably more intelligent since he wouldn't have done this to himself!
I bought a new gizmo to exercise my shoulders, arms, chest & upper back. I have a weakness in this area due to bursitis in my right shoulder. I saw this neat little gizmo advertised & thought I'd try it. Recognize it?? It's the old button on a string that we used to play with as kids. Well, a CERTAIN generation used to play with it as kids. It was all the rage when I was in Primary school back in the 50s. We would get the biggest, brightest, fanciest coat button we could find, thread nylon twine through it - fishnet mending twine was the best - wind that thing up & pull on it all day. THIS one comes in cast aluminum & gives you about a 20 pound resistance. THAT should've been the hint. TWENTY POUNDS. The thing proved to be light, easy to operate & fun! You should've felt my Triceps - those muscles under the flappers on the back & underside of your arms - burning!! I didn't use it too much. They recommend no more than FIVE minutes a couple of times a day. Well, after the first couple of weeks, I started using it SEVERAL times a day for a couple of minutes. I felt it in my forearms & shoulders. But I wanted to give an extra 'burn' to my triceps. So I hooked my thumbs through the rings & worked my triceps for FIVE FULL MINUTES four days ago. Oh they burned alright. My thumbs hurt the next day. My right thumb was swollen & hot the second day & excruciating by evening. Still sore as hell. Funny how the left thumb is just fine. Is this Nature's way of telling me that pulling on that button is just for kids???

I managed to finish the latest Hoodie before I damaged my thumb so at least all is not lost. When the thumb is back in shape, I'll start the next one since the yarn is already picked out & I have a couple of dozen more balls of this variegated yarn.
The next one will be a larger size since kids come in all sizes. People love to knit small sizes - yeah, I know it's faster - but big kids are cold too. AND I have 8 more balls of this color! This hoodie will fit a 3 to 5 year old & took just under 3, 100gm balls of worsted weight acrylic. Cheap & easy! I may make the next a size 12 so it can work for a small teen or large kid. The Wonderful Wallaby is really a simple, fun project that takes no time to knit. Although I hate sewing things up, this one only requires a few stitches under the arms & a three needles bind-off across the hood - even I can do it.

Had my second strawberry this afternoon from my very own strawberry plants!! Here's a pic of the spot. I know, you can't see the plants too well - the hen & chicks have taken over the pot - but if you look carefully at the top, right hand corner, you can see the strawberries poking up above the chicks. This was once a strawberry pot that a single chick was tucked into because the squirrel kicked it out of its basket while trying to bury a Hershey's bar. I tossed the Hershey's bar - gawd knows where the squirrel got the thing - and planted the chick in some fertile soil next to the strawberries. It grew to a gigantic size before it started populating the garden with offspring. I have several pots overflowing with them now & have sent a couple of pots off with new owners.

What to do, oh what to do

The hoodie is just about finished with some of the hood to knit & the underarms to sew up. I know I'll probably just cast-on another one right away but I feel the itch to start something else, for a change. While rooting through the bits & pieces for some inspiration, I came across two 100 gm balls of Scottish yarn in a DK weight. It's mostly acrylic with a little wool in the most marvelous dark lavender with orange bits in it. I'm sure it will knit up quickly & prove indestructible - it was originally $7 a ball & bought at Eatons - must be 20 years ago. That makes it old & a luxury at at the time, too. I almost think there's enough for a hoodie but what if there isn't?? I have nothing that would go with it if I ran out of yarn. A vest? Maybe. A child could wear a vest under a hoodie. I keep looking at it wondering if I could make something for me out of it. It's too bulky for socks, won't felt for slippers, too bulky for fingerless gloves - could make a cowl or neck warmer but they just don't suit me. I've hung on to it because of the color, I just know it. But maybe it's because of the feel too - it just feels luxurious. I'd like a sweater in that yarn.

I have another bag of wool in three colors. I tried to give it away but no one would take it. Someone suggested a felted bag but I read the labels & with 10% nylon, I think felting is out. I have 17, 50 gm balls of fuzzy DK weight yarn which would make a terrific bag or even nicer slippers - too bad I can't felt it!! Maybe a blanket on very large needles? Crocheted? Something soft & pouffy would be nice to cuddle under when it's cold outside, that's for sure. I'm just wondering if there's enough yarn in that bag to make something warm to wear in my drafty office this winter. Top down on very large needles?? Mmmmm

So, I'm finally at the toe shaping on the latest socks for the Ex. Size 13 takes a loooong time, especially in solids or dull colors. And he's looking forward to more of the same. I think the next pair will be grey - since I have 20 balls of it. I'd forgotten about the other balls of "manly" yarn I'd bought on sale last year! All my storage boxes should be clear so I know what I have but since his socks take 3 balls of yarn, I guess I'll use it all up eventually. I don't think I need to buy another ball of sock yarn this decade! Well . . . not until something brightly colored & seductive blows kisses in my direction, anyway . . .

A Mugshot

That damned mug sent me another photo!

Is that sun??

I opened the door this morning to the sun! Wow, it's been raining so long I'd forgotten what it looked like - it rained almost every day in May & continued into June. The flowers are happy with this warm wet weather but my hands sure aren't! Even the Strawberries & Clematis are happy - the strawberries are sharing pots with the Hen & Chicks & seem to be in love. I guess the slugs don't like strawberries enough to crawl over the Chicks to get them! And the Clematis! I haven't seen them put out as many shoots since the year I planted them! Must be that rotted steer manure I threw on them back in April . . . .

Before I start another project - and I have a couple already picked out - I decided to finish the hoodie I cast on in one of the Odd Ball yarns. This is another incarnation of the Wonderful Wallaby that I've been knitting for the Boomer project. Knitopia, now in White Rock, is still shipping hats, scarves & sweaters to the Canadian Forces base on the Island. They go to the Troops in Afghanistan to be given out to the kids to keep them warm in the winter. I started this one a couple of months ago & it got set aside for the tax season. I decided I better finish it before starting something else or it would get lost in the UFO bag. And a kid will need it this winter!

The wild socks with the fraternal pattern are also finished. Amazing how the wild yarns still knit up faster - even with a weird lace pattern! One of my Motorcycle School cohorts oohed & awwed so much when she saw them that I gifted them to her. She's a character & will enjoy wearing them with her riding leathers!
And both heels are turned on the new blue socks for the Ex. I may just add a narrow red stripe before shaping the toe to jazz them up a tad. Hey, it worked with the BT's socks. And I'm thinking the next ones will be grey - I just bought 20 balls of grey on sale! LOL

I need more socks like a hole in the head! I think I counted 22 pairs last time I looked in the sock basket. But - I have this wonderful purple patterned yarn that would go with most of my favorite tops! I can't wear sneakers without socks & could get two pairs of short socks out of two 50 gm balls quite easily. This colorway would go very nicely with the three purple & two fuchsia tops I love to wear! Ahhh . . so much yarn & so little time