Another No Underwear Day


Last winter's snow pile seems so far away although it's only been a few months! Remember this???? I don't mind SOME heat - it's good for my bones!! But, heat that's so hot that nothing cools down overnite or you walk into a blast furnace office or warehouse, is no fun at all! I normally love my basement apartment but these days, it's HOT. I face west & can't escape the blast in the late afternoon when my patio bakes. That being said, the squash plants love this heat - they're growing up the lattice that the clematis normally uses! Now if I could just grow squashes across the whole front . . . .

Since it's been too hot to drive anywhere, I've been home in front of the fan in the evenings, knitting. I've not only turned the heels on the EX socks but am travelling slowly down the BIG foot - I need these for August 5th & his birthday. If he's lucky, he'll get another pair before Christmas. I've found three balls of yarn that isn't quite as ugly as the last so they may knit faster. I've noticed that Ugly yarn doesn't look nearly as ugly in the ball sometimes as it does when you start knitting with it. Why is that???


My latest Wonderful Wallaby is up to the hood at the moment & moving quickly to the end. The only problem I have with this pattern is the stitches left to be grafted at the underarm where the sleeves join the body. The pattern says to put 6 stitches on a holder on the sleeve & the body & graft them together later. By the time I get to the grafting part, the opening is several stitches wider than the 6 I put on the holders. This may only be a problem on the smaller sizes though since knitting around the body & sleeves at that point really pulls for the first few rows after joining. For now, I'm doing a three needle bind-off for the six stitches on either side & taking an extra stitch or two on either side. I like the Wallaby. There's no buttons to sew on & consequently, no buttons for a kid to lose & it's mostly in one piece which makes me happy - no sewing!!

I've got a Kyler's Kardigan - by the same company & is knitted from the top down - on the other set of needles. Kyler's is fun because it's done in garter stitch but the front is open & you have to sew on buttons that may become lost. It is a faster knit though & that may be it's saving grace in the end.

I've discovered a couple of holes in my hand knit socks. They're almost 10 years old so I guess it's to be expected. They may turn into house slippers for the winter & make room for some new socks. I've got a couple of balls of Regia in blues & purples that I just love & I think they will be the next socks for ME. Funny how my wardrobe of socks is becoming very purple these days!! They'll go nicely with the Raspberry & deep Purple tops I bought this month. And the purple sweater I have on the go - Ginny is purple!! Is this a phase??

Sweating it Off


Mostly, I like the dry heat - the old joints don't hurt as much - but this is just a little too much for me. It was so hot yesterday that I had a perm without the plastic cape or the hair dryer - I just sat in the sun to process! It's even too hot to wear underwear! I came home to find the cat flopped in the bathtub - I guess it's the coolest place in the house especially since the tap is on a verrrry slow drip into her bowl of drinking water . . . . She likes to play in the water after I get out of the shower, too. Aren't cat's weird??

In this heat, I've been getting up really really early & working when it's cooler because most of the south facing buildings are just too hot after 3:00. I was at work by 5:30AM on Sunday & that warehouse was still hot from the day before. My home office faces west & while I do keep the blinds down, it gets waaay too hot & the computer complains . . . . sort of like the office in Langley where the portable air-conditioner has to be blowing right on you to keep you cool before 3:00 & you still sweat bullets after the sun comes over the roof around 3:30 - we wear as little as possible & go barefoot when we can . . . . but nothing really cools down overnight when everything's closed up & there's no windows to open. Oh well, better than being snowed in for 10 days!!!! But, the garden sure loves this weather! I have a squash plant that's crawling up the lattice I put up for the clematis!! The rescued grasses are doing extremly well - they had a label on them "I survived the winter outside in THIS pot" when I first saw them - I had to take them home! I'm always rescuing something . . . My hen & chicks -in the top pic - are taking over . . . .

I finished the pink summer socks but it's just too hot to put them on! And, yes, I have been working on the Ugly socks for my Ex - I force myself to knit on them or I can't watch tv. And since I've been watching the news reports on the Kelowna fires, I've been working on them a lot. My mother used to live on Glenrosa!! And Gorman's mill was not that far away!! I'm so glad she moved back to Vernon . . . . Now, since I don't have a cat to model my projects like the Yarn Floozies do, so I'll just have to lay them flat for the photos.

The Ugly socks are both to the heel turning - Oh, you say, they're half done! Oh No. This man wears a size 13 shoe in the widest width available. And I have yarn to knit another 5 pairs. I will have this pair done for his birthday - hopefully, I'll have a second done as well since his birthday is August 8th. Or is it the 5th? Oh well, beginning of August . . . .

Outfoxed!


Well the doctor had the last laugh on Monday. After making me wait for almost an hour & a half in an overheated office, my blood pressure was waaaaaaay up when he finally took it. And he wondered why?? Yeah, right! I soon put him straight but he didn't believe a word I said. He would only renew my prescription for three months, dammit. So, I got mad & bought myself a portable BP machine! Hey, what do we have plastic for anyway???

I decided I would take my pressure every evening around 8 & every second day, I'd take it twice, morning & evening. My Monday evening reading was 127/85! Not the 160/100 the doctor complained about at noon on Monday! I'm going to keep a daily diary to wave under his skinny nose in three months - after all, I'm not killing myself at Curves for nothing!

I got the chip reader going!! It's a bit of a pain in the ass to make it do what I want, but I can at least download the pictures from the chip & erase them when I'm done. So here's the picture of my new Opal Lace Socks. Took a pic with them on but it didn't turn out so well. I think this one shows them off quite nicely.



I've almost finished the rosy pink summer socks - they're to the toe shaping on both right now. The ugly Ex socks still only have about an inch of ribbing . . . . on ONE sock. I suspect they're going to take a VERRRRY long time to knit, especially since I've been spinning again.

Another Creaky Monday


Creaked out of bed early this AM & decided I am NOT going to Curves this morning like I planned, I'll go after lunch when I'm not as stiff - I sure hope this isn't a taste of the future!! My bones just aren't liking mornings these days . . . . I thought I'd just drink some tea & do a few hours of data entry to get myself warmed up for the day instead, hahahaha. I get to make one of my bi-annual trips to the doctor today. Wooopie! I get to see if my blood pressure has improved since October when I saw him last. He likes to lecture about stress, weight loss, blood sugar & lifestyle. He tells me I don't drink enough & I should have a glass of wine every day. He's always disappointed when he stabs me to test my sugar & I come out smack in the middle of the 5's where I should be - I'll bet his sugar is higher!! He's a runner & likes to lecture about my sedentary ways. I remind him that Runners drop dead of heart attacks just as often as couch spuds! Stress is the real killer. My stress is waaaay lower this year & I'll be shocked if my blood pressure hasn't dropped 20 points! I mean, the BT had just had a stroke when I saw the Doc last so my stress was off the charts!! No BT, no stress - right?? Well almost - my Ex cleaned me out of my extra cash yesterday for two month's worth of Extended Medical. Looks like I have to go back to work a couple more days a week - geeze, I like being semi-retired!!!
So, today, I get to find out if the lifestyle changes I've made this year have made a difference to my health! Curves should've reduced my resting pressure by now, dumping the BT should've reduced my other numbers & my sugar has always been good. And I've even increased my fibre too! But I'm getting creakier in the mornings & my joints hurt more - hey, is it too late for some estrogen???? Getting older is a pain - literally!!!

I sat outside with my spinner yesterday - this reduces blood pressure too!!! - all the neighbors came out to watch the crazy Goree (white devil in Punjabi)!!! I plugged in "Deadly Nightshade" a Martha's Vineyard murder mystery on my headset & spun the lovely Brown Sheep mill ends. I'm still working on spinning up the fuzzier "eggs" into skeins for dyeing later this summer. These yield an almost spongy yarn with lots of stretch & volume. You can see the difference in the unspun rovings between the smooth wool/mohair & the fuzzy 'eggs' but the knitted samples really show the difference. The mohair/wool knits smoothly, lays flat with a nice even consistency while the 'eggs' make a yarn that is lofty, stretchy & elastic. I used the 'eggs' to make the Danish Working Shawl & love the way it took the splochy dye job. The yarn is so stretchy that I didn't even make ends to tie the shawl - they stretch enough as knitted to tie around ME!

I promised my Ex I'd knit him some socks. He's been left out in the sock department while the BT & his parents got socks for birthdays, Christmas etc. The reason the Ex didn't get socks is that his feet are HUGE. I need three balls of yarn to make socks for him! But I promised socks - this is the price I pay for his helping me out of the financial mess the BT left me in - & so, on the weekend I cast on the first pair as promised. I bought 21 balls of Confetti last fall at Knitopia when it came on at two for the price of one. Now this is dark, ugly sock yarn. The Ex will wear just about anything I knit in any color but prefers dark socks - it's a guy thing & they GO with everything, apparently. So I bought a lot of it. The one I cast-on this weekend is dark brown with deep plum & yellow in it. Bloody awful in the ball but the two men I consulted in the shop thought it was great - well, a man is going to wear it . . . . AND I bought many balls in the same theme. I have the feeling that these socks will take a - L O N G - time to knit! Good thing I put them on my 2.5mm bamboo skewer needles . . .

I had to cast-on some bright pink DROPS Fabel yarn for short socks for me to counteract the glumness I experienced when I started that ugly Confetti sock. Somehow, I got to the heel shaping on both of them before I realized last evening. Gad, both to the heel shaping while the ugly sock has only an inch of ribbing . . . . . I have to stop this! Have you noticed that knitting with exciting yarn is like eating chocolate??

Cooooler Temps


I am sooooo enjoying the cooler weather today. I did NOT enjoy it yesterday after the barometer fell. I woke up stiff, sore & aching all over - it was Monday, Curves day. It took me an extra hour, one hot shower & two Tylenol arthritis pills to get it in gear to go to Curves. I managed to get thru the workout to find I'm not actually malingering when the weather changes. The computer recorded a definite decrease in range of motion & strength! This shouldn't come as a surprise of course, since I really notice it when I have swollen, hot joints but to have it acknowledged on a graph on the computer when I'm only stiff & sore - well, it really brings the chickens home to roost, so to speak! And, pushing & pulling those damn machines really makes my hands hurt too!
Have to admit the exercise does make be feel better when it's over . . . maybe you don't understand how bad you can feel until it stops???? LOL

And on to knitting, I decided to try a lace patterned sock.
I found this great sweater with a simple lace pattern & really liked it. I had to swatch the pattern! And then decided to try the pattern - a simple repeat over 7 stitches - in a sock that I was making in a purple OPAL. Too much association with the Lace knitting gang on Wednesday nites. I think! I think the lace pattern is interesting but would look better in a softer yarn - the OPAL tends to be a little stiff but that may change when I wash the sizing out. I still like the effect though so I may just try another pattern with the softer DROPS Fabel yarn I have next in the lineup. It has a color pattern but it's mostly large runs of one color so it may be a better choice for a knitted pattern. I've turned the heels on the OPAL socks & am on the home stretch. Hopefully, I'll have one finished for Wednesday nite to show off!

Still spinning up white mill ends for a big dyeing day. I want at least six big skeins ready so I can knit up a big project for a change. I have a couple of things in mind & it just may turn out to be a lacy or openwork project so I can make the most of what I'll have spun up. I won't know for sure until the yarn is spun, dyed & dried so I can swatch.


What a difference a year makes!! The second-hand cat is reclining on the same knitted blanket a little over a year in between the pictures - I ran across these today & was shocked - she wasn't sick or anything but she learned to sneak out at nite!!


And poor old Arvik?? Well, I'm thinking I may rip it back yet again, to the middle of the yoke & finish it off with an openwork pattern on bigger needles so I can make the most of the yarn I actually have. I figure this is the fastest way to actually get a sweater finished before the end of the summer! I DO love the shetland wool & particularly Arvik's lovely shades of grey. But she can't give me anymore fleeces so I have to make the most of what I have.

And so this is Canada Day


And it's just another day in the life of a separated, self-employed woman rapidly approaching retirement. Well, rapidly approaching the AGE of retirement in Canada, that is. Whether or not I CAN retire is the question to ponder on this Canada Day. I've worked since I was 15 for small businesses & non-profits so I have little in the way of pension credits other than those paid to the National Plan unless I kill my Ex. The Doomsayers question the long term existence of The Plan. The Baby Boomers are certainly taxing the limits of The Plan. The Cost of Living may soon exceed the payments of The Plan.
So, on this Canada Day, I am planning to keep working until I die.

Having pondered the future, I think I'll spend the rest of the day spinning.

By the way, I stole the Knitted Sushi pictured above from one of my chums who's using it as his latest ID pic on Messenger! And the bugger doesn't even knit!! Can you believe that???

A couple of years ago, I bought one of the 15lb bags of white mill ends from the Sheep Shed Studio. They're from the Brown Sheep mill. And they're gorgeous. I still have most of the bag which I split with my pal, Gail & other than the yarn I spun up for my Danish Working Shawl, its remained in the bag. Most of the bag was full of wool/mohair roving that feels & spins like silk - you could tell by the pink tint which washes out easily. The rest of the bag was oval 'bumps' of a slightly woolier stuff. I spun the 'bumps' for my Danish Working shawl because it had a sponginess & elasticity which the mohair/wool roving did not. I guess I just liked the feel!

While sorting thru baskets & bins last week - my annual attempt to clean house & toss stuff I don't need - I ran across the bag. I wondered why I hadn't spun it all up when I first got it. The stuff spins beautifully & maybe that's it's main problem - it flows so smoothly thru the fingers that it almost spins itself. And that can get really boring after a while . . . . I started spinning a couple of the 'bumps' that I just had to pull out & now have an almost filled bobbin - this pic is from LAST week. Oh, I heard someone in the crowd snort. This giant bobbin my dear, holds at least a pound of spun wool - it's on an Indian Spinner!

I thought I'd fill the bobbin a couple of times & save the skeins for a day of dyeing. It would be nice to have enough yarn to knit something soft to cuddle into when it gets cold & damp in the fall. And to all of you out there who're laughing because you know I've been knitting Arvik for three years, one giant Bronx Cheer!!!

On someone's Blog I read, "Unhappy people watch more television. Those who describe themselves as "happy" spend more time socializing & reading . . . " Hmmmm - so what does that mean for us who plug in a good murder on the old headset & spin???

By the way, I finished my Rosy DROPS Fabel socks the other day & tried them on this morning to take a photo. One pic & the camera reports the chip is full!! Damn. I bought a new chip reader but it does funny things & puts my photos somewhere else . . . . now I have to hunt for them. Grrrrrrrrrr . . .

Curves Update


Yesterday, after dithering for a week, talking to friends - dithering some more - checking out the competition & just plain laying about, I decided it was in my own best interest to just give in & sign on for a year with Curves. And, I can hear the bell tolling in my head as I write this . . . I just spent too much time on the Cardiac & Stroke wards last fall with the BT to NOT sign on & get my butt moving. The monthly fee bothered me a whole lot. But I checked out the Rec Centre, which is half the price & knew I wouldn't go with all the 20 somethings in spandex & sweat pants . . . I've tried the Multi-Location spot that has all the frills but no instructors to help unless you pay $80 an hour . . . . the Women only local joint has no air-conditioning in the summer - ouch!! And I don't want to work out with the Testosterone crowd . . a l t h o u g h h h h . . NAAAAAA, I'd be too intimidated even though it sounds like fun . . . So I bit the bullet & signed on with Curves.

Yesterday, I went just after lunch to do the paperwork etc. And met the wackiest woman in the world. Apparently the place is dead from lunch to 3:00 - afternoon nap time, I'm sure of it!! So I decided to wander in when it was quiet. The Whirlwind takes me over, does the paperwork & leads me thru the optional computerized programming. Apparently Curves offers a whole lot more than just the circuit training! I'd been watching members insert these tags into the special equipment attached to the machinery & although they do the same circuit, they do it a little differently. So I made sure I got signed on for THAT too. They also have a walking club & weight loss club - I am NOT signing on for more than I can cope with right now.

So, I'm signed up for the Computerized Circuit. Apparently you have to do at least two weeks on the plain circuit before you can sign up for the computerized plan & I've now done my 30 days for the Study! So we sign on , transfer my sign up info & workout info from the study & it assigns me a TAG. We stuck my little tag into each machine, did three full movements, waited for the beep & did three more. After completing the circuit, we went back to the computer, inserted my tag & IT NOW KNOWS MY NAME & BODY. Sounds ominous, doesn't it??? It sets up a program for me. I have to stay within the Green zone as I work out. If I slow down or hesitate, it flashes YELLOW. It has determined that I have good upper body strength - must be all that knitting!!! - AND I am a lot weaker in my right leg - told ya - it targets my right hip, inner thigh & glut as needing work. It assigns me strength & endurance work on each machine according to my numbers. On some machines I have to do so many reps, on others I just have to go slowly & stay green. After my circuit, I'm to go back to the computer, plug in my tag & call up the information from the workout. The computer will show me a graph of how I worked, if I worked to program & where I exceeded or fell short of my goals.

I went back for another circuit as programmed. The instructor recommended that I only do ONE circuit my first time since I'd already done it once while programming. Well, I said, we'd see how it goes . . . and bit off more than I could chew! That computerized program really put me thru my paces, gang. I was stumbling with exhaustion at the end of that circuit - and YES, I only did ONE more! It pushed me to muscle exhaustion. I actually did smaller movements but more reps. Turns out that I have the strength to do the work but not the endurance. The machine is going to work on the Endurance part of exercise . . . . oh bloody!

And I found out why I've been in such pain & why I injured myself on the 30 day program. I was doing WAY TOO MUCH. I was using too much weight & trying to force my right side to keep up with my left. The Computer has changed my program so I work at the pace my right side can do instead of injuring it trying to keep up with the left. So I'm doing lighter work but for a longer time. I literally went home after that workout & crawled on the couch for a nap. And, nothing hurts today folks. NOTHING!

More Sunshine


The last couple of days have been cool enough to make my right hip ache enough to make me start swallowing Arthritis strength Aspirin again!! My fingers have been sore but not sore enough to make me stop knitting . . . . . I must admit I'm glad to see the sunshine & blue sky again this morning! Everything has stopped aching as I type - maybe it's due to the HUGE amounts of enteric aspirin in my system????

So, I've been working on Kyler's Kardigan for the Boomer project. Remember it?? Lynne at Knitopia donated the acrylic/wool yarn to anyone who will knit children's hats, scarves or sweaters which are sent to the Canadian troops to distribute to the kids in Afghanistan. The project is named in the honor of "Boomer", a Canadian medic who wrote to his mom about the kids he met on the streets.
Back to Kyler's Kardigan. It's knit from the top down in garter stitch. I made too many increases right in the beginning. This made me grumble but I carried on knitting. After a while I decided I didn't like the shaping. And I didn't like the fact that I'd have to find buttons. And sew them on. So I ripped it all out & went back to the Wallaby pattern. No sewing. No buttons. No garter stitch neither because you can't garter in the round . . . . . sigh. But, what the hell, I DO like the Wallaby pattern!!!!

Crawford's mom has sent me another 40 pound bag of yarn. I'm afraid to look in there. I know if I open the top, something will jump out, grab me by the throat & threaten to come inside the house with me. I have enough crap in the house now. So, it lives in the car! But, I see greens & blues & pinks & Lopi in there. No Buffalo wool but a box of THAT has already made it inside the house! The first bag is all bits & pieces. The second bag is balls & skeins. I hear there's at least 5 more waiting for me . . . . . . I hope a lot of this yarn will end up in Wallabies or afghan squares. Somewhere, anywhere!!! I need help here folks! If anyone wants to knit some 8" afghan squares, I've got the yarn!

I've almost finished my wild pink socks in the Drops Fabel yarn. I've been too busy & too tired to knit much in the last week or so but an evening will finish them off! I've made winter length socks because I just know I'll want to wear them a LOT!! I really must get back to Knitopia & see what other colors have come out in the Fabel. You might have your Lorna's Laces, Malbrigio or Wollmeise yarn but I just love my berry colored Fabel!! And it's a lot more affordable too!

Someday - maybe before the winds blow in October - I'll get back to the sweater I'm knitting for myself out of the Briggs & Little Anniversary blue yarn. It's part way up the yoke, heading for the shoulders at the moment. I cast off for DEEP armholes & will use the EZ short row method in the Tomten jacket to pick up the sleeve stitches & knit the cap. Hopefully it will all work out . . . . . before it gets too cold, that is. I guess I could always make a wallaby.

Onward & Upward


Feeling a lot better this week although I still want my afternoon nap. I think this is the result of getting up too early . . . . those damned birds start twittering well before the sun comes up in the morning these days! I do love this time of year - my Patio Jungle is busting out all over!! Just thought I'd include a picture of my two aged Christmas cacti, spending the summer under the table on the patio. Both are loaded with buds!!! I think they're enjoying the weather too.


I finally got myself a chip reader today so I can now start taking pictures of the projects I've been working on. I finished the purple socks & the decided to finish the pink ones from the Car knitting bag. Both are made with the Drops Fabel yarn which feels distinctly thicker than some other sock yarns so I've made longer 'winter' socks with the yarn. I really like the colors & the way they blend into each other - especially the pink one - so I'll definitely buy more of this yarn in the future. I'm almost looking forward to the cold weather so I have an excuse to wear them! I've decided that I like the pink so much that I may knit myself a pair of fingerless mitts in the same colorway. Have to dig out Knitty's famous Spirogyra mitt pattern . . . . .

My first Wallaby for the Boomer project in the bulky yarn supplied by Knitopia!! This was a lot of fun to knit from the bottom up but I'm working on the next one from the neck down using the Kyler's Kardigan pattern from the same people who gave us the Wonderful Wallaby. Kyler's Kardigan is done in garter stitch with two half pockets. Both are easy to knit in front of the tube while you peruse the Home & Garden channel or watch the Antiques Roadshow.

My Briggs & Little Anniversary yarn jacket is temporarily on hold for the summer. It's waaaaay to big & warm to sit in my lap while I work on it in this weather! I'll save it for the damp days because I intend to wear it later this fall.

The spinner has half a bobbin - we're talking GIANT indian spinner bobbin here - of Brown Sheep mill ends spun up on it. The stuff spins like silk & I love it. Dunno why I don't just order another 15 pound bag of it & just spend the rest of my days slobbering over it as I spin . . . . Soooooo much fibre, sooooo little time . . . .

Monday er, Tuesday Again


Unglued an eyeball on Monday morning at 5:13 & decided I felt like hell & went back to sleep. Woke up a couple hours later with one cat standing on chest squawking. Forced the aforementioned eyeball open to sunshine & hungry cat. Not pleased. Eventually got up, fed the damned cat, drank something & crawled onto the couch. Piled on the blankets, but couldn't get warm. Got up at suppertime & ate something. While contemplating the spinning room & complaining cat, the phone rang. Ignored it & went back to bed. Should've had some Bailey's in that tea . . . . .

Got up this morning but not willingly. Head still spinning but I'm out of milk so I have to go out - eventually. I have the Summer Crud. The cat's pissed off because I've also run out of extra lean hamburger which she's become addicted to. Won't eat cat food anymore, only eats crunchies when starved into it . . . I pay $18 a small bag for that expensive chow!!!!! She took another hunk out of my shin reminding me the bowl's empty but I managed to NOT fall down when I kicked her furry behind . . . . I guess I HAVE to go shopping . . . no milk for my tea & I'm too dizzy for the Bailey's already. Sigh.

I didn't feel too ambitious on the weekend either although I went to work. I got out the old Indian Spinner & some of the Brown Sheep mill ends & spun & spun & spun in the evenings. It's such lovely stuff & I haven't really spun anything again since the Spring Retreat in April. So I got out the old girl & spent a few hours listening to a Murder on my MP3 player & spinning until it got too dark to see. I have about half a bobbin full at the moment & plan to spin up a couple of them for my next dye experiment!! I bought Mother McKenzie's dye kit several years ago & haven't dyed anything!! So I was thinking about it . . . . but first, I'm going to get several BIG skeins spun up. A little spinning here & a little there should do it . . . And I may be home by myself spinning tomorrow instead of knitting socks with the Wednesday Nite Nitters if I don't feel a whole lot better than I am at the moment!

Oh, did I mention I've also done a little more work on socks?? Well, I have. To the toe on one purple sock & to the middle of the foot with the other. I think I need them today! It's cool - too cool today. I wonder if its better to be sick on cold days or warm ones?? Blleetchhhh!

Sweating to the Oldies

So I've hung in for almost 30 days at Curves for the Avon study. I hope I don't skew the works. It seems I'm pretty damned good at these machines . . . . Gawd help me! I'm sore for the rest of the day & stiff & achy the next as well until it's time to go back for more . . . but, I'm meeting my daily totals for exercise, steps & calories so I KNOW it's a good thing although I could use some of that estrogen I used to have to recover more quickly.
Since it's been hot, I've been getting up VERY early & going to Curves just before 7AM when it's cool. I'm sleeping better these days & although I'm sweating bullets, I feel a lot better. Maybe I'll just surprise myself & keep on going.

I finished my first Wonderful Wallaby for the Boomer project & have gone onto the Kyler's Kardigan from the same author. It's knit from the neck down & I have to report that I got a little enthusiastic & made too many increases on the yoke. I refuse to pull it all out so I'm doing just a top-down cardi in garter stitch. Oh, I'll put a hood on it & trim the edges in a nice contrasting color so it'll work out in the end. One thing about knitting, you can adapt it! The next one will be done the right way! Still no pictures of the projects because I have no reader for my flash chip but I'm going shopping later this week & will download them all. A blog is just not the same without pictures!!!

Not much happening on the sock scene although my knitting buddy Karen & talked about having our own Sock Summit for those of us who couldn't go to Portland. The Yarn Stinkers - oops, Floozies are driving down together & managed to get registered for classes on line! Gail, Karen & I tossed around the idea for a brief shining moment but soon realized it was just not on the schedule. So Karen thought we could have one in her back yard. We thought about having a knit-a-long in a luxury yarn or lace pattern or a new sock design. We COULD rent a Retreat space for a couple of days but the idea of a lazy day in the shade with munchies is really appealing. I mean, the money spent on a Retreat could be better spent on a book & some outrageous yarn instead, don't you think . . .
Meanwhile, I have two pairs of socks in the project bag - I turned all the heels & got no further. Maybe Boomer sweaters took over? Or maybe it was just too hot to knit . . . .

Just another Monday - er - Tuesday


Just back from my fourth, yes fourth, workout at Curves in 8 days. It's bloody awful being part of a study - you can't just decide that you WON'T go today because you screw up the works & stand out like a sore thumb! Today I woke up achy & stiff. At 4:38! Although I tried to go back to sleep, turned over, turned on a tape, plumped the pillows, fed the cat to stop her squawking & visited the biff . . . nothing worked. So, I got up in disgust, had a tea, got dressed & went to exercise. The dreaded E word. In my estimation, worse than the F word! Not a great way to start the morning but at least I started it. Even my fingers ached. Made it thru the circuit in record time - how the heck did I do a 30 minute circuit in 23 minutes??? And went for a grilled chicken sandwich & morning paper to recover. If anything, I'm even a bit sorer now, two hours later, if that's possible. Must be the damp in this part of the world. And the muscles I'd forgotten I had.

I tried my best on the weekend to get my chip reader to work again. I couldn't download any of the pictures I've taken of the goodies in progress - what a pain! I've turned the heels on the purple Fabel socks & am on the heel shaping with the pink car socks, also in Fabel. I've attached the pouch to my first kids' Wallaby - the sweater is in Navy while the pouch is in a stripey blue & white!! The B&L sweater is resting at the moment due to my sore hands - it's become so heavy that I'm in real pain when I try to work on it with sore hands. When the weather dries up, I'll knit like mad again. In the meantime, smaller, lighter projects are in the works! Oh, & on Sunday, I got the first bag of donated yarn from my customer's mom. I haven't unloaded it from the car yet since I have to buy another storage bin just to hold it. I hear there's several more on the way . . . .

The Great Orange Huntress is reclining on her window perch. Mice & birds are safe for the moment & I haven't found any more "offerings" under my favorite chair. The window is open wide & her nose is pointed in the direction of the incoming wind. A cheeky squirrel tried to sneak a peek the other day & TGOH sprang up out of a dead sleep & just about took out the sliding window on her way to nail the invader. I'm not sure who bounced the highest but it sure was a hilarious sight to see. I remember the days when she was just learning to stalk birds about 4 years ago. The crows would totally ignore her till she was about a foot away & then lazily drift into the air with seconds to spare - she was 23 pounds of indoor housecat. Now she's a sleek 7 pounds of fangs & claws - they don't wait when they see her coming . . . .

Oh what a busy life this is . . .

So, lately I've been busier than I was during the height of tax season in April!! Why, you ask?? Well, it seems I tend to bite off big chunks of Life & then contemplate the wisdom of taking such a big mouthful later . . .

I took up the Sock needles with a vengeance again. Not only did I cast-on for one pair but now I've got THREE on the go & have finished two more pairs of Frankensocks as well in the last month. On the right, the Car Socks in progress in Fabel pinks are very yummy!! Below are the Fabel blue & purple socks in the bag beside my chair!! I have to confess I have yet another purple Fabel variant in the car bag - sometimes you just need to knit & can't do the heel shaping with the rubber bands because the light isn't good enough or there isn't time or room enough. I've really come to love the Fabel Superwash colors as well as the feel of the finished socks - I highly recommend it !!

I'm still pluggin away on my sweater in Briggs & Little Heritage in Anniversary Blue - winter weight worsted for those who don't know - and I've almost finished it to the shoulders. I intend to pickup the sleeve stitches & knit the sleeves to the cuff - Oh how I hate sewing sweaters together!!! And I haven't yet decided if I'll knit a hood or design a big collar as I go.

I've hauled another big bag of yarn home from Knitopia to knit kids' sweaters for the Boomer Project - yes, one is on the needles as I type. I've really enjoyed both the Tomten & the BSJ in this yarn but the next sweater or two will be Wallabies!!! I even found STRIPEY yarn this time.

And Arvik?? Well, I sent an email to her owner to ask for this year's fleece only to find that Arvik has gone to the great Pasture in the sky. She left behind daughters & granddaughters but none with her coloring. DRAT! I did buy a couple of fleeces so I have to hunt for the bin with the leftovers in it. I tried to exclude the darkest or lightest parts of the fleece but I have no idea what's actually left. I'm sure there's enough for TWO sweaters but I wanted the grey parts rather than the brown parts that existed in the same fleece. A summer project, I guess, since the sweater is three-quarters finished in a plain stockinet & I sure don't want to rip it out again!! Although . . . . . I could rip it back to the yoke & add a simple lace pattern to the body to stretch the yarn a little to finish it . . . . mmmm?

A Normal Life


Other than a couple of late nite phone calls from "Private", my life is almost back to "Normal" again. I admit I slept for a couple of days after the 'Season' ended - it's not really over but the deadline doesn't hang like a lump over my head anymore! I think I have almost as many tax return TO DOs in the pile AFTER the deadline as I did in the week BEFORE. But, to heck with that. Today was a NORMAL day. I slept till 6:30. I went out for brekkie with my Ex. And I didn't even turn on the computer . . . . till now. I swear I hear my blood pressure falling.

So, I had a little problem with the E brake on the car. I don't have one anymore. It locked up when a friend applied it & we had to cut the cable to use the car. I've heard it's a very expensive item laborwise to replace. I was sweating blood because I have to go thru Air Care - I won't go into how useless that organization is - by June 12 & I need an Emergency brake in order to be tested or I can't get insurance . . . . To my utter surprise - hey, good things come to good people sometimes - I got the letter that says, "Air Care not necessary" I did the Happy Dance. And what will I do with the money I've saved??? I guess it will get deposited to cover the Overdraft that has to be paid IMMEDIATELY according to a second letter in the same mail delivery! It was soooo good while it lasted.

My Blue Frankensocks went to a new home the other day. I offered them up as a 40th birthday sacrifice. A bad husband, yeah a friend of mine, one day away from his wife's 40th, still hadn't figured out what to get her. I pulled them out of the bag to dig something else out & he admired them. He asked what I'd charge for them & told me his wife would love them twice before I clued in. Hey, I never said I was the brightest bulb in the array! I told him I'd donate them to the cause. She's an artist so we both knew she'd love them . . . AND I immediately cast on another pair. This time they may actually get to the person they were intended for! I do have plenty of leftovers to work with so nothing much will change in the color department, that's for sure.

And speaking of socks - a client has two pairs of hand-knit, wool socks that an old aunty knit for him half a century ago. He wears them as bed socks or when he's sick & his feet are cold. The feet are practically gone, they're stretched out to fit an elephant & I'm sure he only wears them for security. Anyhoo - he gives me a pair & asks if I can fix them. Fix them??? There's nothing left to fix. So I cut off the feet, picked up the stitches & knit a giant foot in aran wool - heh, I have nothing else that will have any durability & be close to the creme color of the existing "sock". I have to deliver them tomorrow & I hope he likes them. I'll have to take a picture for posterity!!!
I have another pair on the needles in my Car Bag - I'm thinking these will be short summer socks, if we get more summer!!! The yarn is the DROPS Fabel superwash in shades of pink, purple, oatmeal & some green. So far, I really like the color & pattern & I think they'll knit up really fast. I've got several balls of the Fabel in my personal collection of yarns - mostly in pinks & purples. Must be a phase I'm going thru!!! And then, really & truly, I have to knit the Ex a pair of 13WWWWWs because I promised . . . . .

It's Over


I always feel just a little let down when it's all over. The tax season, I mean. All that stress and then it's just . . . OVER. Oh, I swore I wouldn't but I made One Last Trip to the BOX just before Midnite on April 30 - I figured most of the last minute idiots would be gone by then. They were but the Traffic Control folks were still there directing them through the maze to the BOX. Got the last 6 returns to the box in time. And then slept most of the following day. I probably have just as many to do in the stack at home but they'll get filed as & when I get to them. Can you believe I met with a couple the following morning to pick up more to do?? Yup. I did.

So I have to report I haven't accomplished much in the way of knitting or spinning this week. I did go for coffee most evenings for an hour or two with the Techie boys & managed to add a few rows to my B&L sweater. I also got to enjoy the floorshow as a Shoplifter got nabbed by a customer leaving the store with 8 pounds of coffee in her big bag. She turned out to be a slippery "customer" & the Techie boys stood guard on the door till the police came for her. Apparently she's well known in the area.
I am now to the armhole of my sweater - 22.5 inches from the hem to the armhole - & I've decided to just carry on as before with the garter trim around the armhole & up the front. I cast off 15 stitches on each side for a deep armhole & will pick up & short row the sleeve cap later. I've carried the garter band up the armhole to make picking up stitches easier & to give it a little more pizazz. I liked the way that Elizabeth Zimmerman did the sleeve on her Tomten jacket - there was no excess fabric under the arm after the short-rowed sleeve was finished so I decided to snitch it for mine. So far, so good. Haven't decided on a hood or not but I've got plenty of time.

When I get the time to buy another chip reader, I'll post pictures of my progress. In the meantime, you'll just have to wait!!

Wheeeeeeze . . .


Yeah, it's tax return HELL around here. Season of blooming trees & paper dust. Just call me Sneezy, Snuffly or Hack. And knitting with Briggs & Little yarn doesn't help, neither!! Oh, yeah, I've come to love the Heritage yarn I'm using - the Anniversary Blue is really nice & seems to look great on just about everyone - but it puts fibres into the air as you knit!!! And it's dusty too. I never realized that before, but if you sit in a ray of sunshine & knit with it, you'd be shocked at the STUFF you send into the air! Another good reason to spin your own yarn, I guess. But who really has the time to spin everything you want to knit??? Not me. Not in this life unless I win the Lotto or get back 30 years . . . .

So, I'm working on a nice plain cardigan in stockinet with garter borders, from the bottom up in one piece, to the armholes. In the B&L. I haven't decided whether it will get a hood or just a big collar yet but there's lots of time for that. In case you haven't noticed, the evenings are still COLD! And I had FROST on my car Sunday morning! The frost won't be around once this sweater is done but I'm knitting it anyway! The goal is to have a Just Hanging Around sweater that can be thrown on to go for coffee or to pick up a plant. Since I drive, I want something warm but flexible. This is the last picture I took for the record. I really need a project to take with me when the Techie Boys haul me out for coffee most evenings. So, this morning when I laid the Sweater-in-Progress on the couch to take it's picture for posterity - I'm about 2/3 of the way to the armholes - the nasty orange cat pounced on the nice new bed & got there before I even snapped the pic!! Yes, I have one of the sweater with the orange blur as she pounced!!! And now it looks like my chip reader has died & I have transferred my last picture for now. Drat.

I finished the blue Frankensocks. I do swear that wild socks knit faster!! And Frankensocks knit up the fastest of all. I think it has something to do with the whole adventure. I made these ones long socks instead of the usual short summer socks. I think I was just having too much fun designing them as I went. Hopefully, the recipient-to-be will not be too anal to wear them since they ARE related but are a little more like cousins than brothers although they are mostly blue as requested. Lucky for me, I took this picture yesterday when the chip reader felt like transfering the picture!!

Arvik is really on the needles. But, you can't just pick up a couple extra balls of yarn at the local shop when you're spinning your own! I have to dig out the fleeces, spin up several ounces, skein it, wash it & only then can I knit up the balance of the sweater. But, I will finish it this summer when It gets warm enough outside to dry the skeins & the paperwork is mostly gone. Right now, I just want dumb knitting. As of this report, Arvik has both sleeves finished to just above the cuff & the body is almost long enough . . . I'm still contemplating using those neat Ladybug buttons I got at Walmart last year too.

The Gang Goes to Cache Creek


I looked in the mirror the other day & wondered how I got to be 58. It all happened so fast. So before I died of old age, I gave myself a birthday present & ran off to Cache Creek for the weekend in the middle of TAX SEASON! My Techie bud came & fed the cat & scooped the litter box a couple times a day while I laid about, got fed three times a day & did nothing but be totally immersed in fibre. Gail drove while Karen & I got to knit, nap or watch the scenery! We stopped along the way to have a bag lunch at a picnic spot in the Canyon & they surprised me with a felted Denise needle bag, a bottle of wine for my collection & a muffin with a candle that refused to stay lit!!! Did I say it was WINDY out there??? Not bad eh?? We laughed & laughed till the wind blew us back into the truck & out of there.

Karen & I got to room together again & Gail was off with Lynne, our travelling Socklady who comes in from the back of beyond just to spin & hang out. Although the wind was still blowing, the weather was bright & sunny which gave us a wonderful view of the bluffs on the southeast side of the big meeting room. With warm days & cold nights, we were content to stay indoors & some people were spinning in pyjamas shortly after supper. I didn't even get dressed till noon on Sunday!!!

I managed to finish spinning the superwash sock roving I bought over a year ago! And I also spun up quite a bit of the bossy neon pink roving that I bought to go with it. Although I spun that neon pink finely, it was not fine enough to use it with the pink/blue/purple sock roving. When I twist the two together, the bossy neon pink takes over. Since I have a lot of it, I'm going to try spinning it a lot finer & see if it makes a difference. If it still takes over, it will be combined with something else that needs some brightening - who knows, it may wind up with some Romney roving I have tucked away in a box.

And what did I buy?? Well, not much really. I had most of the books that were on sale & none of the ones I wanted to see were there. Since I couldn't remember which one I ordered with my credit from Amazon, I was afraid to buy anything in case I was buying the same book again - I'm sure it goes with being 58 . . . . . but I did buy a package of Black Rainbow Glitter from Aurelia. It's so lovely in the sample - totally black with just a shimmer of acid green, yellow, turquoise or silver in there. The glitter they now use is very soft & pliable, thank gawd. I remember some wonderful fibre I bought several years ago with that awful stiff & nasty glitter that has to be picked out!!! I got a small package of Wisteria to try - it's another shade of purple with blue in it that I thought might go with something else I had.


Show & Tell was great fun! We saw a lot of lace shawls & scarves - lace is really popular!! Wild socks & Tushie Cushies also made an appearance. And tons of funky yarns - our old pal Guddie is always FUNKY!! Not only did she wear a vest of ZIPPERS but she spun up other scrap yarns & fabric into thicker yarn for knitting & weaving. I dragged in my Danish Working Shawl that I made last year. That rotten Socklady gave me the gears about Arvik which is still only HALF finished & I had to confess to everyone!! Bill & Vivienne made it even though Vivienne was very ill. Bill still managed to check out the wheels while Viv was able to spin for a few hours. She was wearing the neatest sweater & I had to go over & check it out. Vivienne knit a simple cardigan out of multicolored handspun in blobs of color but the sleeves were knit in the round in stripes of the same colors. The ribbing was all in striped colors to match. Vivienne reported she still has 4 chemo sessions to go & hopes to continue spinning & knitting thru them all. One of our hostesses, Sheila Kirk, gifted our travelling SockLady Lynne with one of her handspun shawls. I believe it was silk & alpaca - a lot of people knew but kept the secret rather well, I think!

We all got doorprizes of a sheep keychain with wild eyes - I think HE was into the Bailey's - in a keepsake tin! And I got a nice wooly Aries Ram in the Door Prize draw.

Had a good time - the girls report I'm more fun these days now that my stress levels are down. I really don't know what they're talking about!! Even I've noticed that I'm a lot happier these days but I thought that was just MY personal opinion. Apparently I've been rather sour & contankerous for some time! I had no idea that losing 240 pounds of expensive fat would make that much of a difference . . . .