Just Knitting

So, I spent the weekend knitting. On my old Ginny. I watched my favorite Saturday nite shows on PBS & Knowledge - the Antiques Roadshow, Heartbeat & New Tricks - while I knit on the Adult-sized Kyler's Kardigan. I thought about knitting the whole thing in one color but was afraid I wouldn't have enough - I DID buy this yarn over 30 years agol! It's Scheepsjawool Luzerne. I bought enough for three sweaters & have knit them up & worn them for years . . .

So, I decided I'd do the same as I did when I knit up the Ginny pattern. I'd do the wild stripey bodice with the darker plain bottom. A couple of times I had to tink it back a bit to overlap a thin spot but it's a simple, fast knit that should go quickly. As long as I can keep on knitting.

Just Hanging at Home


I spent most of the last week pounding on my computer to finish the tax stuff I promised to file on Friday. It isn't filed yet. But, the government works slowly & I'll just slip a couple of years into the big blue box by Sunday nite & by the time they get to the place they need to be, I'll have the rest in the box!! Friday is the same as Monday to those guys anyway cause no one works on the weekends . . .

I've had time to knit. I haven't finished the toes on the blue socks but I'll probably do that tonite in front of the tube. Notice in the picture how the yarn colors change just after the heel?? There was no knot in the yarn, it just changed color. I'm thinking there's a flaw in the yarn or, the colorway is really long. Who knows?? I just kept on knitting . . .

You know all that laundry I did last weekend?? Well, good thing I did it when I could. My sink's been backed up since the middle of the week. I have a giant hair/grease clog I guess. I destroyed a plunger trying to plunge the thing. Poured 64 ounces of some toxic gunk down the sink through the standing water - three treatments - to try to unclog it. Hot water goes thru like, well, a hot knife thru butter!! Too much water jams it up again. I can now wash dishes in small batches but the damned thing backs up again so I think I've only managed to move the clog a little further down the line . . . I thought about taking the trap off & getting at it THAT way with my handy dandy pipe wrench, but apparently, I don't have a trap that I can get at. My pipe goes straight down somewhere underground. Oh well, I'll plunge it a time or two & then borrow a snake. If THAT doesn't do the job, I'll have to call the plumber . . .

So, while I've been waiting for the sink to drain, I've been knitting. I was going to try to fix Ginny. You remember Ginny?? The multi-hued purple sweater I started eons ago that the cat decided to bed down on?? The one with the great long pull in the yoke of the TOP-DOWN sweater?? Well, I tore it all apart yesterday. I rewound the balls & looked for something else to knit since Ginny seems jinxed. The evenings are getting cooler & I'll soon NEED a sweater. In my search, I just couldn't find a simple, top-down, quick knit to use up all that purple yarn in three colors - until I found Kyler's Kardigan. I thought, wouldn't that little garter cardigan be great in adult size??? And then I found the Adult sizes in the back half of the book. I'd never actually read past the kids section! So I cast on immediately & started a simple, garter stitch cardigan in the purple yarn. I have lavender & dark plum as well as the single ball of wild cherry boucle with turquoise & hot pink bits in it for an accent. I thought I'd use all the colors in the yoke section & then just knit the bust down in the dark plum. And maybe it'll just be in the three former colors. I'll decide later. Kyler looks to be a fast knit - I have about three inches of the yoke done in a couple of hours & there's NO SEWING in this sweater!!! I'll probably rib the cuffs but leave the bottom in a plain garter finish. FAST & DIRTY, that's the plan anyway.

The Taxman Cometh

Updating the old blog again to pass the time while the printer catches up to my completed tax returns. I admit to still using the old 24 pin dot matrix machine in my office. And I intend to continue using it until the last box of expensive - I bought mine for $5 a box years ago because they were 'damaged' - paper is gone & the $18 ribbons are used up! Being cheap is what keeps my prices down!!

I meant to go spin at Karen's house on Sunday but laundry got in the way. I ran out of underpants. So I hooked the portable washer up to the sink & started doing laundry. Since it was a bright sunny day, I put out the folding rack & let everything dry in the sun. I love the smell of clothes that've dried outside . . . . that made me strip the bed so the sheets & pillow cases would smell wonderful when I went to bed. And then I thought I might as well do the bathmat & shower curtain since things were drying so quickly. Before I knew it, it was mid-afternoon, I still wasn't dressed & half the household was either washing, washed, waiting to be washed, outside drying or waiting to be outside drying! So much for spinning, We rescheduled for Tuesday.

On Monday, a client I've been talking to since last fall, dropped two boxes on me all in a panic. Seems the Taxman seized his bank account. NOW he has to file. I've been at my computer working on his stuff for a day & a half so far & I promised the Taxman I'd get all this filed by Friday if he loosened the strings on said client's bank. Boy, is he ever gonna pay . . . & I didn't get to spin again today.

Meanwhile, the blue socks not only have their heels turned but I'm just about to shape the toes. The yarn was quite interesting. It was almost like the yarn for two different socks was joined together so that half the sock was in one colorway & the other half in another colorway - if there was a knot in the yarn, I could understand it but???? Looks a little strange but most of the sock will be inside a sneaker so I guess it just won't matter.

A Murder Most Foul


Came home yesterday to half a bare trellis! I couldn't believe my eyes. I've been training a Butternut squash vine to climb up my trellis where the Clematis is supposed to be. The other squash vines are wandering down my drive & I thought it would be fun to have this end climb up the trellis instead. I planted Butternut - I love to puree it to use instead of cheese in Broccoli soup!! - I have a Hubbard & some other winter variety that I bought because it needed a home. I've been watching the Butternut fill the trellis with giant leaves & big yellow flowers. It only produced two squashes & I tucked them nicely into the trellis holes until one outgrew them. In the last week, that one grew amazingly!The nite before, I was thinking I should tie a knee high around it to give it more support . . . Well, somehow, in the middle of the day, that squash grew legs & jumped off the trellis taking the whole top of the vine & one of it's baby sisters with it. I found the wayward squash sitting happily in my spider plant while the vine lay dying around it. I took the perp into the house & slapped her on the scale - not quite 4 pounds of baby squash! No wonder the vine broke . . . I see this morning, that the little squash on the other end of the vine has perked up & grown since yesterday . . . seems big sis was taking all her food too.

I dug into the Blue box of yarn leftovers. Found two balls of something with blues, greys, rust, some green & thought I might as well start with that & see how far it goes . . . . short socks are so much fun!! I've turned the heels on both of them & it sort of looks like the balls will make the entire socks. I'm wondering if this is the stuff my pal Karen decided she didn't like & tossed into my leftovers box to get rid of it. We'll see . . . .

Ta Da

I decided the pink & green socks looked waaaay better without the grey yarn!! This was decided after knitting & ripping several rows & dropping a stitch that almost ran into the heel . . . .

So, now that I've knitted up the pink & green socks & the remnant ladybug socks, I'm looking around for another interesting combination. Found a whole IKEA box full of blues - I can't believe I've knitted so many blue socks for other people - so I think it's time for something in blue for me too.

Forgotten again


I can't believe I forgot to update the blog. Life does get in the way occasionally though . . . the cooler weather has been nice but my bones sure don't like the wet. Since I joined Curves, I can see the physical difference in my performance on wet days as opposed to dry ones - it's scarey. The computerized program clearly shows a difference in strength & endurance - hey, I simply ENDURE exercise in any form!! but I have noticed that my hands give me hell if I knit for too long or knit on something heavy - no more bulky White Buffalo sweaters for me!! Hey, can I have some of that estrogen back???? I've given away all the really big needles anyway!! I do love my nice light, Denice needles which I seem to use for everything but socks . . . . Maybe it's time to start on the purple Marble sweater!!

So now that my bones hurt, my teeth are getting loose & I can't even PRETEND I have any non-grey hairs left, what's a person to do? Well, I bought more yarn. Knitopia is having a moving sale. The woman who swore she loved Langley & would never to open another business in White Rock again, is moving back to White Rock. We're devastated. And in shock. The new shop is tiny. The hours are few. Our knitting group will be unable to shop on Thursday nites as we knit, chat & pass around Show & Tell. And everything that won't be sold in the tiny new shop, is on sale. Knitopia was our all time fav - we'll miss it - but most of us won't be making the trek all the way to White Rock since we'll have to take a day off to go there. I guess it's back to mail order, the yarn trek to everything in town a couple times a year & attending all the crafty events to see whats out there. The Floozies always seem to have stuff we haven't seen before so I guess we'll have to wander downtown to shop at THEIR store.

I've been making summer socks out of scraps. The latest project is leftover pink Fabel, lime Kroy & grey Lady Galt - you don't see too much of THAT around!! Laura from my Wednesday Nite Knitting group has hinted several times that she'd love them. Mmmmm, I'll have to finish them & decide. One thing about frankensocks, you can always make another pair!! I discovered another box full of blue leftovers in a box I thought was an empty!! I now have two shoe boxes, half a shopping bag & two IKEA book boxes full of leftovers - I should just buy another plastic see thru bin & put it all in there so I can see what I have . . . .

Rain Rain stay for a day


Some lovely rain is falling outside for a change & I hear this rain is putting out all the fires in the interior of our lovely Province. Apparently the combination of rain & cool humid air is wetting everything down nicely. And it'll take the concentrated pollution out of the air around here too. My garden is drinking in all that lovely free water & I think the Butternut squash has doubled in size since yesterday . . .

The latest summer socks are finished!! I can't wait to wear them. This pair uses up the last of the OPAL in the Ladybug colorway which I've loved & knit up into two pairs of regular socks, one pair of short summer socks & two pairs of infant socks - not bad!! To the left, are the four leftover balls which are to become the next pair of short socks in the new collection. Two leftover ends of Drops Fabel in pinks, some dark grey Lady Galt & some snotty green left over from Laura's socks - I think it's Kroy.
When these are finished, I have a couple of lacy sock patterns to try - yes, Virginia, I'll do something different for a change.

Evening Visitors


I keep an old kitty litter tray under the stand the fuchsia sits on in the very back of the short carport that I converted to a covered patio. I have a big cedar box about 4 feet long sitting on two big grey bricks against the back, next to the fuchsia, which contains ferns & rainbow colored Lobelia this year. The Christmas cacti sits under the patio table out of the sun just in front of the cedar box. The pan of water is to provide moisture & give the cat a drink when she's not using the toilet or the slow drip in the bathtub.

Since it's been very dry, I notice the squirrels sneak up for a drink too since this is probably the only open water source in the neighborhood. The other night, the cat came to attention at the open door & I heard snuffling outside. I got up to take a look & caught one of the resident skunks ambling over to have a drink out of the pan. We've had a family of skunks living under the neighbor's tarped car for the 11 years I've been here. We don't bother them & they don't bother us! The cat will run off other cats, squirrels & raccoons but I noticed she just sat there & watched when the skunk came visiting. You think she knows about the perfumed end of that critter???


I needed more short summer socks. After pawing thru my odds & ends bags, boxes & baskets - I seem to have more leftovers than full balls of sock yarn!! - I found the tail end of some OPAL & a couple of leftover Lady Galt solids in shades of grey. The socks have now had their heels turned & I'm halfway down the foot to the toe. this is so much fun that I think I'll knit a few more for my summer wardrobe! The OPAL & the Lady Galt blend together so well that it's hard to see where one ends & the other begins . . .

I spotted Gladys - our pooling stole expert Yarn Floozie who knits with us occasionally on Wednesday nites - in the Big Knit challenge at the Sock Summit! Over 1000 knitters gathered in one room to knit for 15 minutes on SPs to break the World's Record established by the Aussies! Apparently, they blew the record out of the water!!! Yahhhhh . . . Sock knitters!!!

Just sitting here


As the title says, I'm just sitting here. I'm waiting for the latest flock of tax returns to finish printing so I can collate them & fire them into the box! The printer is an old tractor-feed - yup, I'm using it until all the expensive boxed paper & hard-to-find ribbons are GONE. Will be sometime this year. I have two tractor-feed machines & they will be going to an office that still prints three-part invoices on machines such as these. I have a very old dinosaur laser printer that once cost some business $8000 waiting in the wings. It's fast, cheap to feed but weighs 70 pounds!! I can't help it if I'm cheap. I gotta save my money for fibre after all.

I was wandering about on Ravelry this morning whilst my printer chugged away & came upon the results of the Dye for Glory contest. Hey, I'd knit any of them into socks!! Yes, I would!!! I sort of wish I was going to the Sock Summit to see them in person, sigh, even if I don't like sleeping in strange beds. But, funds & lack of cat-sitter prevent me. Good thing the Yarn Floozies are going - they'll bring back half the Marketplace stock & some great stories!!
I wish I had more time to spend on Ravelry. I don't get in there very often any more & I wouldn't Twitter or Facebook etc if you paid me. I just don't care about stuff like that - hell, I don't even update this Blog all that often. When you work on the computer all day to make a living, you aren't really excited about spending free time on it too . . .

The Ex called yesterday morning to invite me to breakfast so I took his gift of socks & a funny birthday card along with me - so much for my surprising him today!! He loved the socks & even liked the colors! So, I guess I'm still in the Will! And, whaddya know?? I think I'm getting an order for socks from one of the customers in the cafe! I'll think about it . . . .

Went to Curves yesterday too. Haven't been there since July 19th & I sure knew it. My butt & one shoulder aches today but I think I'll survive. This is what I get for sitting in front of the computer & pounding on a keyboard all day instead of exercising - a sore butt!!

I decided I need more summer socks! Well, short socks - the kind you stuff in sneakers to go to exercise class. I found a partial ball of OPAL in the Ladybug colors of pinky red, black, white & pale grey. It's the exact same colors as Ladybug but doesn't make the pattern. I found some grey, black & some cherry red too which all should go with it & cast-on the OPAL for short socks. I figure I'll knit as far as the OPAL goes & then finish with stripes of grey, black & red. Scrappy socks are fun & usually there's more yarn there than you think. A couple of evenings & they'll be done & ready to wear! Fast, simple & uses up scraps. My kind of project. For fun. In between Wallabies that is.

Sweatbox Sunday

Spent Sunday in the UBrew warehouse. Opened the door at 6:45AM & got a blast from Saturday! The sun was beating in from the east & continued to beat in all day from the south as I did data entry & a corporate tax return! It was the kind of day where it's useless to shower because I was dripping wet constantly except when I went into the giant cooler to freeze the droplets clinging to my brow. Did my laundry in the back & wore the tee shirts fresh out of the washer till they dried . . . . AND then went back for another wet one! If it wasn't for the ice machine, the wet tee-shirts & the cooler, I'd've melted in the heat. I hear some people actually PAY money to sweat off the pounds . . . .

The Cat & I've been happier since it actually dropped a couple of degrees but the polution keeps my chest congested & my eyes & nose runny. Sort of like a summer cold but without the aches & misery. They say it's gonna rain later this week!! The last drop in temp - small as it was - helps in the knitting department too - it's comfortable to knit again - well, as long as it doesn't lay on my body & the fan is blowing directly on me!! I finished the ugly Birthday socks for my Ex. He thinks I'm laid up with a cold - hehe - but I'll take him out for a surprise lunch on Wednesday & present him with his socks!

Finished the hood on my latest Wallaby. The next is finished to the underarm & the first sleeve is on the needles. The new one is in deep plum - almost eggplant, dusty rose & a snotty green for interest. I have 2 balls each of the main colors & 1 of the green. I thought they'd work together to make something interesting!! I've been sitting outside late in the evening when its cool with Mars Revisited by Ben Bova on my headset & the Wallaby knitting in my hands. A tall, iced Pink Lemonade doesn't hurt neither!!! It's just too damned hot to drink beer . . . sorry Harlot.

Speaking of hoodies, I'd love to go back & work on my B&L jacket-in-progress but the very thought of all that wool laying in my lap makes me sweat faster . . .

I bought Modular Magic on sale at Knitopia a few weeks back, took it home & forgot about it. Came across it this morning as I was - wait for it - CLEANING UP! Sat down & looked thru it again - I want to stop everything & try out some of the ideas! I'm always the starter!! I had to put it down slowly & back away. I have Wallabies to knit instead right now . . . I promised Wallabies & have only half a bag of yarn left so I can't start anything but socks until the yarn is gone!!! Booohoooo . . .


So, it's back to the keyboard & paper. All is not lost though, I have Cemetary Dance by Lee Child playing on the desktop today.

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 . . . .