The Knitted Piper

18 years .... how can time go so fast ??!!

2009-10-16T11:20:00.001-04:00

no knitting today ... it's all about my baby ...

18 years ago today, I wasn't doing so well, but quietly laying in the nursery of Markham Hospital was a perfect wee baby girl .... ok, maybe not so wee, and apparently not so quietly. my parents came to visit me in the ICU, but stopped off to visit with their first (and only) grandchild (that should have been my first clue as to where I was now on their priority list *LOL*). I saw them coming from across the unit, and was so excited ... had they seen the baby??!! they said oh yes, but then completely irrational panic on my part set in .... are you SURE it was MY baby??!! how can you tell, babies all look alike, and you hear of them getting switched at birth. OMG .... how do I know that it's MY baby ??!! I calmly (NOT) voiced my concern to my Parents (and probably to most of the staff and any conscious patients in the ICU with me) about the chances of them not finding the right baby .... but not to fear. My Dad, in his unique (blunt) style reminded me that Markham Hospital Maternity was a "rooming-in" facility, meaning all babies stayed with their Mother's for their entire stay ... unless there is a medical reason why they cant. the only babies in the nursery were preemies (itty-bitty ones) and jaundice babies (who were usually on the small side). apparently my parents had no problems finding their new Granddaughter ... she was (only) the 10-pounder, and on top of that what little bit of hair she had was read red and she was screaming at the top of her lungs (obviously healthy). that made me feel better :)

well ... 18 years later and my baby is all grown up, and is now away at college. where has the time gone ??!! I'm sure every Mother feels the same way, looking back over the years at their grown children, but still sees the the wee babe that used to need them. it's such a strange emotion to be so proud of them you want to burst, while at the same time wishing they were wee again and wanted to crawl up into your lap for a snuggle.

DD is heading home from school today to spend the weekend at home. she'll be spending the day with her Dad, and then coming home for a "Girl's Night" together .... dinner & a movie *WOO HOO* !! Saturday maybe some shopping together and then we'll be meeting my Parents for a late brunch at Cora's.

October ~ Breast Cancer Awarness & Knitting

2009-10-13T15:53:00.007-04:00

I cant believe October is almost half over already .... where has the time gone ??!!

we ended August in our favourite way .... spending a week at a rental cottage just outside Algonquin Park. it's a great way to relax, get some reading & knitting done, play some boardgames, and go hiking with the dogs.

September was a huge month for DD and myself ..... Labour Day her Dad and I moved DD into her dorm room. the day turned out really well, the move went smoothly, we spent the day putting things together, then out for her first grocery shop and a nice lunch. the house is going to be quiet with her gone, but I'm very proud of her and going to enjoy watching this next phase of her life unfold.

Tuesday September 8 ..... first day of college for DD, and first day of my new job. dont know which one of us was more nervous, but we both survived, and seem to be settling in just fine.

just when I thought I was getting used to my "empty nest" ..... I end up with a houseful. Wendi and her hubby go off to the great (not so) white north on a hunting trip, and I acquire 2 teenagers and another dog while they are away. the kids are more than old enough to look after themselves, and pretty much did their own thing, but boy did I enjoy having them around for that week!!! I think I found the house harder to adjust to after then left, then when DD went off to college.

I have some earings that you can get from SKWD Creations and wanted to point out their breast cancer pink-ribbon items ..... if you're looking for any Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon items go check them out. they also have a great selection of earings, shawl pins, stitch markers, and a few necklaces & cellphone charms.

Knitting Update .... this is going to be big, as it's been ages since I blogged

Scotch Thistle Lace Stole ~ a lovely lace stole that I knitted last year, but only recently got around to blocking. the good news is, it turned out lovely .... the bad news is, I must have dropped a stitch back in the beginning, so as I blocked it a hole started to emerge. it turns out that it was a wee bit small for my liking, and with the un-fixable hole, i decided to frog it out and re-use the yarn

Blender Socks for DD ~ well the blender socks that I did for me turned out so well, I decided to give it a try for my DD (who wanted to scoop mine). I used some left over yarn that I had done a previous pair of socks for her, and put solid (kettle dyed) black toes and cuffs on them (I would have done a black heel too, but didnt think I'd have enough yarn)

Los Monos Locos ~ these socks were for me!! a "crazy" version of the famous "monkey sock", with a toe-up reverse heel flap that I wanted to try. love the socks, love the yarn, not impressed with this style of heel

Hug Me Boucle Shawl ~ I got some acrylique boucle from a yarn swap. the colour is lovely, but not really a type of yarn that I really knew what to do with .... thank goodness for Ravelry and their wonderful pattern search. entered some critera, and up pops up some suggestions ..... I ended up making this really awesome shawl. I'm so pleased with how it turned out, the colours are just lovely, and it really works with the type of yarn. with it being made of acrylique, it will be really easy to look after. I'm not a shawl person, and the ones I like are much bigger than this, so it will be gifted to someone (or a charity organization) that I think will get some use of it

Bored, and dont know what to knit .... get out the dish cloth cotton and whip up a dishcloth using a basic no-thought required pattern. and to match the dishcloth, how about a crochet market bag. everyone is so concerned about plastic bags, and them ending up in the dump, here's a great alternative ... they are strong, expandable, can be thrown in the washing machine, and are kind of cute.

Cropped Raglan Sweater ~ while away at the cottage I wanted an easy knit, but something practical. this is an easy raglan (neck down) sweater, that was brainless to knit ..... just to add some character (and because I dont do anything the way it was written) I added a "lace" pattern down the front, and made to hang just below the waist band of my jeans. I love how the sweater turned out, but I think it's a wee bit large .... so guess that means that I'll get to knit it again for next year !!

Sketchy Shawl KAL ~ well the girls all got together and decided they wanted to do a shawl KAL. I dont think any of us did the same shawl pattern, but we all had our "ceremonial cast on" together at our meeting. I had a hard time choosing what pattern to work on because I'm not a "lacy shawl type of person", and I wanted one that would actually wrap around me ... I found Wild Flower Shawl. it was just what I was looking for, and I thought it would be perfect with the lace weight yarn that I had already decided I want to use (no matter what pattern I found). both the yarn and shawl are on the casual side, and I joined the group and cast on ..... by the end of the night, I was NOT impressed. although the pattern was nice, you couldnt see all the work I was doing because it was too loose .... so frogged out, and down I go in needle size, and then again frogged and down another needle size. at this point, I've decided I not only hate lace weight, but all shawls. fortunately Wendi suggests some lovely yarn that we both have, and knowing that I wouldnt have enough for the shawl, she offers me the remainder of her skein (aren't friends great !!). the shawl turned out lovely, and as worried as I was about then knitting on the edging, it turns out there was nothing to worry about, and the edging really makes the shawl .... and now that it's finally blocked, I love it even more !!!

Sunday June 7th 2009 ~ A Day of Firsts

2009-06-08T10:59:00.007-04:00

ok, this has nothing to do with knitting, but after the day we had I just had to blog about it.

DD and I spent the day with the dogs on McCrae Lake with Eren & Jessie from Dog Paddling Adventures, along with 7 other people and their puppies, for a canoe & portage trip around the area. it was a good solid 2 hours from our house to get there, and the farther north we drove the worse the weather seemed to be looking. by the time we met up with everyone it had already started to drizzle. fortunately DD and I had purchased excellent canoe/hiking trousers, that for the most part were rather water resistant (thank goodness !!). DD has a good rain jacket, but I only had a pull-over style windbreaker & my running jacket (neither of which are great in the rain, but better than nothing). as luck would have it, Eren saved the day with some extra rain jackets (I wasn't the only one that needed to borrow one). we all got suited up in our canoeing gear, including life jackets for everyone, including all the dogs.

after our initial introduction chat, we all headed down thru a muddy path to the water's edge where the canoes were waiting. this was our first taste of how the day was going to be. as we got a quick introduction to canoeing, we were constantly being attacked by SWARMS of mosquitoes.

FIRST # 1 ~ apparently Hasia, and eventually Betty, bothered so much by the mosquitoes, decided to coat themselves in the black muck at the shoreline that we were standing at, while Eren was giving his instructional talk about the canoes. although DD and I had seen Hasia do this once before (and have pictures of the end result), apparently no one else had ..... everyone was EEEWWWWWing and YUCKing as Hasia did everything she could to get as coated in mud as possible

needless to say Eren gave his instructions as quickly as possible and when asked for volunteers to be the first in a canoe, DD and I quickly offered our hands up.

FIRST # 2 ~ it was decided that I would steer. now, I have been "in" a canoe a couple of times, and even tried War Canoeing once ..... but my paddling skills were VERY limited, and nor was I ever really interested in working that hard in the past. it always seems to be very hard work, and difficult to get anywhere quickly. this was my FIRST time to not only really be involved in paddling a canoe, but also in control of the steering of it

so I very gracefully (NOT) tried to make my way to the back of the canoe. once I was seated "comfortably" it was DDs turn to get in

FIRST # 3 ~ getting 2 VERY excited Labradors, COMPLETELY covered in mud and soaking wet, into a canoe, without all of us going for a swim.
it took a wee bit to cokes the dogs into the canoe, and then get them settled into their own "sections". unfortunately, they both seemed to want to sit on the same side, which got a wee bit tippy at times. then, of course, as each canoe was loaded with it's occupants of humans and dogs, and came near to another canoe ..... often times the dogs wanted to "visit" with each other (which did NOT amuse the humans they were sharing the canoes with !!) Hasia and Betty did REALLY well, and my only complaint was that every so often Betty would stand up to look around .... and would have to circle around 2 or 3 times before she'd settle back down again.

well, off we go. everyone is finally settled in our canoes and we're ready to head out. unfortunately, like myself, many of us had no idea what the heck we were doing. Eren was an awesome instructor, and very quickly we were padding our way thru the straight towards our portage spot.

FIRST # 4 ~ our first portage. although I've heard of this, I've never experienced it before ... and to be honest, it wasn't my favourite part. the terrain was hard enough for me to handle on my own, but with a canoe on my shoulders, or even being carried between 3 or 4 people, it was brutal. the one GOOD thing about the portage spot was that we pulled up on rocks & the water was clean ..... so we had Hasia & Betty in the water as soon as we stopped to try to get them cleaned up.

we (by that I mean Eren) hauled one of the canoes across the paths down to the lower part of the waterfall as we all followed. fortunately, there was another chap with us who had portaged before so was able to help with moving the canoes, and then a group of 3 also helped bring one over. DD and I stayed on the lower side, keeping watch over the dogs and our canoes. ours was the last canoe to come over, and before it was brought DD and I had a chat. although we were both wet, DD's hands were beat red and ICE cold. we seriously considered leaving the group and heading back to our starting location and going home. in the end, DD said she'd be ok, and our canoe was brought over with the rest.

FIRST # 5 ~ time to get back into the canoes. again, DD and I were first .... with Eren's assistance, I head in and towards the back of my canoe. just as I'm settled down I feel a tugging on my canoe. Eren is holding the front of the canoe steady, while Sophie (a yellow lab) is tugging with all her strength on the bailing bucket that attached to the back of my canoe, and was floating in the water. I seriously thought I was going over, between the tug-of-war of my canoe between Eren and Sophie. I was in hysterics laughing so hard. everyone was laughing, as we couldn't believe this was happening. finally, I was able to reach around back and grab the rope attached to the bailing bucket, and Sophie's "Mum" pulled her out of the water, and we were all ready to load up the rest of the canoes without incident. everyone piled back into their canoes and we head into McCrae Lake towards Georgian Bay.

the dogs were getting the concept of the canoes now, and it was much easier getting them in and settled down. I think all the swimming they were doing during the portage break helped tire them out *LOL*. the rain was coming on and off, sometimes drizzling, and then stopping for a wee bit, teasing us with how lovely this trip could be in nice weather !!! the one bit of wildlife we saw was a magnificent blue heron take off as we canoed past it thru a weedy section of channel. it was just beautiful to see !!

our first 2 planned locations for lunch were already in use by campers (what kind of crazy people would be out camping & canoeing in this type of weather ??!!). apparently 3rd time is a charm .... we landed in a great location (I actually thought it was the best, and flattest of the 3 choices). the weather was threatening to get worse. we tossed around setting up a tarp over the lunch are, but decided against it as it would take too long, and we "probably didn't need it". LOL ..... ok, so we set the lunch up, did Eren's "warm up dance" (thank GOODNESS no one was around to watch that !!), and then the clouds opened up. I think Eren made record time in hanging a tarp over the lunch area .... it wasn't a GREAT job ... but it worked, and many of us used it to try to stay out of the rain. this final down-pour seemed to be what "Mother Nature" needed .... after that the skies seemed to brighten, and was much nicer. lunch was a good and bad thing ... by the time it was over we were all wet and chilled to the bone. it was time to go back, and as much as we enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs, at least while we were paddling we were warmer.

after a quick flip of the canoes to empty the rain water out of them, we all piled back in again (as we're all starting to look like we know what we're doing now ... including the dogs !!) head back to portage back upstream. the portage spot was lovely !!! it was a small waterfall so the water was calm enough that we were not afraid of the dogs being in the water. this was play time for the dogs, as sticks seemed to be constantly dropped at our feet to be thrown back into the water for them to fetch. again Eren, with the help of some of the others carried our 5 canoes across to the upper section. Kelsey took our paddles, and I carried one of our large group backpacks. the mosquitoes, again, were brutal, at the upper portage location. thank goodness for bug spray ..... and for the fact that there was no mud for Hasia to coat herself in !!!

after loading up for our final leg of the journey the sky was bright, but still overcast, but it was probably the quickest time we made for the entire day !!! as much fun as we all had, we were all looking forward to getting back to our vehicles and changing into dry clothes !! we pull up to shore, back where we started ... we're warmed up from paddling but still chilled from being wet, our feet are soaked, but we're all smiling and laughing.

FIRST # 6 ~ ok, maybe this "first" is a stretch, but as I've never done it before (picked up a canoe, and moved it), I'm counting it. DD and I picked up our canoe, and with the help of Sophie's "Mum" we hauled it up a SOAKED and MUDDY trail to the truck. I started out trying to avoid the mud, but with all the rain that had fallen while we were out, this was next to impossible .... and besides, I was already wet, and my running shoes soaked and squishing ... what's a little mud ??!! we handed in our canoe, paddles, all 4 lifejackets .. and before I was able to finish, DD had gotten my keys from the waterproof bag and was booking it to the truck. I turned in my loaner rain jacket (without which I think I would have been "oober" miserable), and after some "thankyous" and "goodbyes" I squished towards the truck myself. DD had already managed her change, and was WAY more comfortable ..... fortunately we were the last in a line of vehicles, and with the doors opened and the back seats flat it was very easy to get our of our wet soggy clothes and to change into the dry ones we brought with us. this change made for a much more enjoyable ride home.

warm and dry, we turned around and headed back to the 400. I think the dogs were asleep before we hit the highway. we made a stop in Barrie for a much needed pee-break (and a HOT coffee), then headed back to the 400. DD followed the example set by the dogs ... and she was very quickly asleep too. it was a wee bit more than a 2 hour drive home, because of traffic .... then baths for the dogs, and hot showers for DD and myself. the rest of the evening was VERY quiet, ending in us heading downstairs to watch "Bon Cop, Bad Cop" (well, only half of it ... we were too tired to watch the entire movie, and ended up going to bed early)

all in all .... we were wet, cold, muddy, tired, eaten alive my swarms of mosquitoes ..... and had a GREAT day !!! DD and I talked during the last leg of our journey .... weather aside, we had an awesome day, and are looking forward to doing it again (hopefully with nicer weather next time). our thanks to Eren & Jessie of Dog Paddling Adventures for their great leadership and instructions, we couldn't have done it without you .... and to Kathryn; without your organizational skills, excellent lunch preparation and e-mail suggesting that we bring a dry set of clothes to drive home in; we would have been confused, hungry and had a miserable drive home !!

please check out the pictures that Eren took during our day's adventures!!

Sock Wars IV

2009-06-02T15:54:00.006-04:00

Sock Wars IV The largest, bloodiest, extreme knitting tournament in the world. the dossiers for each target have been sent out to their Warrior Assassins, while our "Pages" (i.e. children, husbands, pets, etc) ready our weapons (knitting needles, stitch markers, row counters, conversion charts, etc), and ensure that we are not distracted during the battle with mundane things (i.e. Mum drive me here, Mum what's for dinner, Mum the dog just ate the cat, etc)

my Target:
"PatchWorkBumbleBee" is from Michigan .... another American to die at the feet of my knitting needles. it's going to be like the War of 1812 all over again !!!. it's a shame too, she seems like a nice person, and this is her first Sock Wars ..... I'm sure it will be hard for her to die so quickly & painfully, but she's chosen a nice colour of yarn, so I hope she enjoys her early death !!!!!

my Assassin:
"IPakosh" is an Ex-Patriot .... who, ironically lived only blocks from me before she had to flee from her homeland. when asked if I'm at all worried about her being a threat .... I laugh in their general direction *HAA HAA* !!! I have no concerns about her being able to complete her mission, and send me my death socks ..... right now, she's probably sipping a rum punch, while lounging in a recliner on a white sandy beach, overlooking the blue ocean .... so do I fear her, NO WAY .... do I envy her, OH YEA !!!!!

Teams:
this year there is a new facet to the fighting ... warrior assassin teams !! I was able to gather 3 of my sketch knitting friends and get a team together, and so "Team Sketchy" was born. myself, Knitted Squirrel , Vaedri and Loki are out for blood together. Warrior Heather has also joined in the fighting, but as our other Sketchy friends were not SKETCHY enough to join up, our poor Heather will have to battle on her own :(

R2Sock2 ~ this mediocre team of warrior-knitters has been assigned us as their target. they seem like a lovely group of ladies, and I have to admit, it's hard to trash talk Marion, who like myself is also a DogGuide Foster Mum .... but that being said, I'll be cheering on the LI team from the U.S. to kick their butts (before they get a chance to take out all 4 of us)

The Shocking Stocking Killers ~ an International group of knitters (2 Canadians & 2 Americans), that will hopefully be dying a VERY quick death by the Team Sketchy !!! it's a shame that we'll have to be taking out fellow Canadians, but that's the spoils of war !

the battle begins on Friday May 15, 2009 ... let the carnage begin ..... MWWWWAAAA HAAAAA HAAAAA !!!!

May 22, 2009 .... Kill #1 as "PatchWorkBumbleBee" falls to her sketchy pair of Insidious socks!!! to help her family thru their time of mourning I also included a box of yummy maple sugar candy, and some ladybug stitch markers (there were the only "insect" stitch markers that I was able to make).

June 1, 2009 .... it is with great sorrow that I post the detail of my demise. I believe that I was the last of "Team Sketchy" to be killed, but fortunately there is still one stealthy Sketchy Warrior still alive and kicking !!! as much as I'm sorry to be dead, I couldn't have been killed by a more lovely pair of socks. "IPakosh" also included some lovely wee pressies to help ease the pain .... a couple of bath bombs (rather appropriate I thought !!), 2 different teas, some perfume samples and a sample of another yarn and some roving.

April

2009-05-11T10:00:00.003-04:00

wow, I cant believe another month has come and gone already !!!

Blog Changes
- although this has happened as of May 1st, it's a subject that's very close to my heart. you'll notice some new banners added to my blog ... Red Friday, and Support Our Troops. I dont care about your politics, or if you believe that our troops should be in Afghanastan or not .... they have CHOSEN this career, and as part of their job they are putting their lives on the line because they believe in what they are doing. I cry every time I hear about another one of our young people being killed over there. there is very little I can do, but I do what I can. I have a support our troops magnet on my truck (well, I did have one, but it "dissappeared", so I have ordered a new one) and I wear a Red Friday Support Our Troops t-shirt (and have ordered one for my Dad for Father's Day). I am also a proud participant in the Chosen Soldier Project ... each tour, I get assigned a new "soldier boy" (I suppose I may get assigned a female one of these times, but so far they have all been men) that I sent parcels to every so often. it's a wonderful thing to be a part of, and the biggest thrill I get out of it is finding a wee thank you letter in my mail box or my e-mail. DD will be dancing in the Hamilton Tattoo in June, and the Kingston Tattoo this July .... each year they always ask any Vetrans in the audience to stand up so that everyone can show their appreciation, and each year the number of people that stand up get's smaller and smaller ... but the lump that comes to my throat is always huge !!!

ok ... back to knitting .....

Blended Socks
- Wendi has knitted quite a few of these, so I decided to try them. after going thru my stash, I pulled up some left over yarn and as I was sitting down to get started DD noticed it ... HEY, are you knitting me another pair of socks ??!!! NO, says I. well, it's "my" yarn, she says ... well it's yarn from 2 different pairs of socks that I had knit for her. LOL ... sucks to be her ... THESE ARE MINE, and they turned our quite lovely !!! I've already caved, and have found more yarns, so the next pair of blended socks are for her (boy is she ever lucky to have such a great Mum !!)

ASL Charity Afghan
- ok, have I mentioned how much I HATE this project ??!! in the past month I have gotten almost nothing accomplished as far as this bloody thing goes. it's turning out ok, but such a pain to knit ... working with 2 colours that twist and get tangled. although the squares are small, and so you'd think that it would be a portable project ... HA, not really ... you see every row is different, so I have to have the pattern with me all the time, and follow it VERY carefully (frogging this back when I discover a mistake is VERY frustrating !!)

Holidays
- no, not mine (unfortunately) ... my parents were gone for a good part of April, on holiday in Croatia. yea, ok not the first place one thinks about when asking themselves where should we go this year on holiday (especially when you are not from that culture) ... but that being said apparently they had an awesome time. the people were wonderful, food excellent and the countryside absolutely beautiful ... in my Mum's words "it's one of the hiden jems of the world!!". I'm so happy that my parents are travelling again. they used to go somewhere in the world every year, but due to health problems that stopped for over a decade. last year they decided to "risk it" and went to Ireland .... well apparently they are back in full force, and I couldnt be happier for them. NOW that being said, it sucks for me !!! I dont "talk" to my parents very day, or even see them every week, but my Mum is on-line daily so there is MSN and e-mail exchanges every day. also, before they left my Mum discovered FaceBook .... OMG !!!! so even though we dont "talk" we have regular contact, and I know that they are only a phone call away .... unless they are off galavanting across the pond somewhere .... and I dont like that at all!! dont get me wrong, I'm happy for them ... but it's amazing how lonely it is. The good news is they had an awesome time, and go home safe !!!

March ~ an emotional rollercoaster !!

2009-04-02T11:37:00.006-04:00

I'm not even sure where to start, but let's start with knitting .....

ASL Charity Afghan ~ this has turned into afghan from he!! after more attempts than I'd like to think about, the first row is finally done, and actually looks pretty good. I'm working on the blocks for the 2nd row, to discover that the last block on the first row has the wrong colour combination .... and I just cant leave it, as it will drive me absolutely around the bend .... BUT, on the advice of Wendi, I've decided to continue along with the squares as planned. IF I have time after all squares are completed, I'll re-knit the mistake square .... and if there isn't enough time then maybe we can include a game of "what's wrong with this afghan" during the raffle !!!

Old friends come back for a visit ...
I had 2 old friends come to town on March 12. Lucy, the beagle, is our house guest when her family go away on holidays. ironically I was just saying to DD that it was getting to be time when I was craving my "Lucy fix". thank goodness for March Break ... Lucy came to stay with us again !!! she comes running in the house like she never left, knows exactly where everything is (including where HER crate is, I mean used to be ... I ended up having to move a crate back to "her" spot in the kitchen). her and our Betty have a marvelous time wrestling and running around, while our Hasia just sits there "supervising" ready to discipline should anyone get too rough. (you'll notice the picture where Lucy is hugging my latest pair of knitted socks!)

Ironically, on the same day, Kris is flying back home from BC, where her and the family moved to about 5 years ago. what a great reunion .... needless to say we went thru quite a bit of wine for the 2 weeks she was here !!!

the first weekend of March Break DD and I tried something I had found on-line. Dog Paddling Adventures is an outfit that arranges hikes, canoe trips and camping (yuck) trips for dogs and their families. what an AWESOME idea !! the only catch with this first hike was the addition of Lucy, who had never been off leash, and we were worried about her recall. no worries ..... up we get, bright and early .... configure the back of the truck so that our Betty and Lucy have a crate to sit in (which they both prefer) and our Hasia is able to sit up towards the front in-between DD and myself so she can look out the window. after a quick Starbucks stop off we head to Pigeon River Conservation area. OMG .... what an absolute hoot ... before we even got out of the truck we were greeted by at least 3 dogs who came running over to introduce themselves. based on this greeting, and not seeing any dogs on leash, we just opened the back of the truck and let our 2 labs jump out and introduce themselves ...... we were a wee bit more careful with Lucy, and kept her on a double leash. the day was bitter sweet ..... the weather was perfect, the guides Eren & Kevin were awesome, and the other hikers (both 2 and 4-legged) were all very friendly. unfortunately, just before lunch, DD slipped on some ice (of which there was lots of) and ALMOST fell ..... she was able to catch herself on a bench beside her. maybe she should have let herself fall ... she ended up really spraining her wrist quite badly. fortunately there were 2 doctors on the hike, and they graciously checked her out to make sure nothing was broken. DD ended up being in quite a bit of pain, so we headed home after lunch. sprain aside .... what a great way to start off March Break .... we were already looking forward to our next hike with them on the ride home !

MUD MUD MUD .... oh my gosh .... off we go with our 3, Kris & Raven (her care for the week while she house-sits for her brother). I assumed there would be SOME mud, but I don't think any of us expected what we ran into. between us trying to walk thru it, and the dogs running thru it, we were splattered up to our nether-regions. that being said, it was a beautiful day, and the dogs had a blast !!

Kris loves dragonflies .... so I had to find something that I could whip up for her before she left .... a great wee project that knit up really quickly, and turned out super !!

GIRL'S NIGHT (and puppies too) .... it was a full house Kris with Raven, Wendi with Tiger, myself and our Hasia Betty and Lucy. there was lots of munchies, wine and laughs all night long. Wendi's hubby Jim showed up about 11:00. they didn't leave until the wee hours of the morning, but Kris and I were up even later (her and Raven stayed for a sleep-over). I've decided I'm too old now to do this too often ... but it was well worth it (and resulted in a very quiet Sunday at my place)

Hasia turns 5 ~ this is a wee bit out of sequence, but that's ok. March 27 2004, proud parents Pyke & Daisy announce the birth of their 12 puppies .... the "H" litter. on Saturday May 22 2004, one of their little girls came home with us, and changed our life for ever. Hasia was our first foster puppy for the Lions Foundation of Canada DogGuide Program. for her 1st birthday, Hasia was SSD training at the foundation, for her 2nd birthday she was on her "honeymoon" with Toby, and for her 3rd birthday she was in CVC training with her foster sister Betty. this year, her birthday was a Friday .... what a wonderful excuse for a party. attendees: Tiger (with Auntie Wendi), Wilbur (Hasia's son) & foster sister Libby (with Auntie Sharon), Rory & Akita (with Auntie Cindy), Betty & Lucy (with me). Eddie (from next door) came for a short time while everyone was playing in the backyard to pay his respects. before Kelsey booked it out of the house after all the guests arrived, she made some special treats for all the guests (that went over REALLY well). Auntie Sharon brought a special b-day cake (fried liver and kibble) .... the ladies weren't impressed, but the dogs all seemed to love it. Happy 5th Birthday to our Hasia ... my special puppy :)

week of good-byes

the 2 weeks just flew by, and the next thing we know it's Thursday again, and Kris is back on a plane going home. hopefully it wont be another 5 years before we see each other again.

a couple of days later, it's Saturday and Lucy's family have come home (and apparently want her back .... can you imagine the nerve ??!!). so we say good-bye to our wee Lucy, and look forward to seeing her again when her family go on their summer holidays

driving to work on the morning of Monday March 30 2009, I hear about a horrific car crash that had happened early that morning. a 17-year old young man crashed his jeep into an embankment on the 403 and was killed instantly. it's 8:44 am and I get a text from my daughter "Thomas died". the next thing my phone is ringing, she is crying and all I can hear in the background is people crying and talking. he was 5 minutes from home .... but a combination of speed and fatigue caused him to lose control of his vehicle and he never made it. he was my daughter's grade-9 boyfriend, but remained to be her good friend and they saw each other and got together often. he ended up moving to her school for grade-11 and they shared their lunch breaks and some classes. he was an honour student, an entrepreneur, always positive & up-beat (the glass is half full kind of person), well-mannered & polite (a very important trait if you want to date my daughter !!). his senseless death has touched so many people ... my thoughts and prayers go out to his parents and family. to all this friends, and those that will only hear about this, my hope is that you take a piece of Thomas with you ..... he lived more in his 17 years that most do that live to old age. give life everything you have, stop moping about "what sucks" about it and take control to make the best of it. Learn from Thomas .... from the good things he did and the positive way he lived his life .... but as no one is perfect, learn from his mistakes. NO ONE is too young to die, or too invincible .... you have been blessed by God when you were given life, so don't throw it away. part of me wants to smack him for being so stupid and careless, and such a teenage boy .... I know WE think he was taken too young, but who are we to question. hopefully Thomas, how he lived and how he died, will be a lesson for all those that loved him, and even for those that will only hear his story.

God Bless Thomas .... Rest In Peace

December 2008 - February 2009

2009-02-27T12:43:00.005-05:00

Christmas Update

Mum's Happy Socks ~ I got the perfect yarn for my mum for Christmas. these socks got knitted, for the most part, while I was working/travelling in Westminster Mass at the end of last year. the pattern was very easy, and I'm really pleased with how they turned out. Mum says that they fit well, she would have preferred a sock that we further up her leg. (unlike DD and myself who prefer a short sock, which is what I based hers on .... oh well, next time)

Irish Hiking Arm Warmers ~ they got done in time, but never made it to becoming a Christmas pressie .. but DD took a liking to them, so they are current being worn with love :)

Dad's Gentleman Socks ~ this was going to be a tough one. I had no idea how big to make these socks (or if he'd even like & wear them) .... not to mention I decided to try some new techniques at the same time. NOT a good thing to do when you have a deadline!!! I used 2 lovely contrasting yarns, in browns, that I got from the Heel & Toe sock club ... perfect for a man's sock. after going thru all my patterns, I decided to do the gentleman sock .... it was an easy knit the last time, and looks great. OMG .... but this time, the socks were WAY bigger, and I was using a thinner yarn with smaller needles!!! these socks got done CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON .... and actually delayed us getting to my parents for Christmas dinner!!! from the pictures my Mum took, they look a wee bit big in the foot ... but they'll be a nice "house sock" during the cold winter.

DD's Eclipse Socks ~ well these got started before Christmas ... but were put on hold so that I could get my Dad's socks done for Christmas Day. these socks were also a nightmare of mine !! in theory, they should have been easy ... using the same heel/toe/cuff technique as my dad's sock did help make the basic sock knitting VERY easy. these socks were re-started at least 3 times ... the problem was trying to get the red "ribbon" knit into the one sock, and having it look good. working with multiple colours, in the round, but not carrying the extra colour all the time, just wasn't working ... and for some reason, I just couldn't wrap my head around how to get it to look nice. so an executive decision was made ... from them AGAIN, and knit them plain (with the intent of double stitching the ribbon on afterwards ... and per the pattern's suggestion). knitting plain socks is SO FAST AND EASY (especially after struggling thru getting my Dad's done). so now, the socks are done and they fit DD ..... now it should be an easy task to duplicate stitch the red ribbon on the one sock ..... NOT !!!! OH MY GOSH ..... for some reason, no matter what I tried, it looked like crap. the good news is my daughter got a nice pair of red & black sock ... the bad news, no ribbon (this time anyway .... I think I've figured out how to do intarsia knitting in the round ..... so who knows when I'll try this one again)

DD's cable make-up socks ~ it seems like I'm destined to disappoint my daughter with the socks that she'd like to have. she spotted my first WEBs order, and called the yarn right away .... then she went on-line and found the sock pattern that she wanted. these socks just didn't work ..... no, that's not right ... they looked lovely, but she could just BARELY get her foot into them, and they were such an intricate cabled pattern that I just didn't have the heart to frog them out and start over .... so they were thrown in my basket, with the intent of giving them to someone smaller. DD understood, but I think she was disappointed .... here enters the make-up socks. I have enough of the WEBs yarn that she like to make her another pair of socks ... ones with cables, but not so intricate. I took a pattern on Ravelry, and added my own twist (based on some of the things from the original pattern she wanted). they are not as "fancy" as the original ones she wanted ..... but I hope she was pleased when I surprised her with them.

2nd "kick at the can" machine knit sock ~ well .... project from HeII had slowed down, and I found I was having some time to myself again .... so it was a good opportunity to get the knitting machine back together, and see if I remembered what I learned back in November. now .. the sock took me WAY longer than it was supposed to, and I did a brutal job of hand sewing the seam .... BUT .... I did it, and it fit !!!! (and as long as you look at the non-seamed side ..... it turned out pretty good!) now my test is going to be to try to knit with multiple colours so that I can eventually start knitting the dancers argyle socks!!

time for a pair of sock for me ~ one our SKETCHY group was de-stashing, and I picked up a couple of her brighter yarns. it's called "lagoon", which perfectly describes the colours. I wanted a bright, colourful pair of socks ... and it was my turn!! now the question ..... what pattern would best show off this vibrant yarn??!! NOTHING .... couldn't find anything that grabbed me, and went with the yarn. if all else fails .... go thru old lace books, and FAKE IT !!! so that's what I did. after finishing them, I went to add them to Ravelry, and found that my basic pattern was not completely original ..... but then again, not exactly like what was already there (but they did already have the names I wanted) ..... so even though they are a basic toe-up, short row heel, "arrow lace" pattern sock ... I'm calling them "tropical wave". thanks for the de-stashing Kirsty !!

Sketchy Knitters ~ well .... it's nice to be able to get back to the group again. I've been able to attend our last 3 gatherings .... hope they don't get spoiled seeing me back like this again !! last year, we talked, off and on, about doing some charity work .... well, talk is cheap, and we never got ourselves together to decided what where were going to do, and for whom. I was surfing thru something, probably on Ravelry, and found the 2009 Afghan. each month a new square's pattern will be revealed, and at the end of the year VOILA. well I have enough acrylique in my stash do do an afghan like this from 2009 until eternity. but what's more fun than doing something like this yourself .... it's to suck your friends into the vortex as well (misery loves company). so I put the idea out to the ladies, and they all though it was great. we've had more fun, comparing gauge and (EEK) colour choices. it's not decided if or when these squares will become a blanket .... but with the group of us working on a square a month, we'll have some great charity pieces by the end !! it's the best stash busting idea ever !!!

CHHA Golf Tournament ~ ASL Afghan
my Mum is the secretary CHHA-Hamilton (Canadian Heard of Hearing, Hamilton Branch). they've decided to put together a golf tournament as a fundraiser. fundraising can be a very difficult things to do, especially in this economy .... so I thought maybe I could help out. I've decided to knit an afghan that they can raffle off ..... but not just any pattern, it should be related .... so I'm doing the alphabet in ASL (American Sign Language), and making it a patchwork style. unfortunately there are only 26 letters, so I'm adding the "deaf" symbol to each of the 4 corners. ok, so now I've got the design figured out .... then came the difficult decision of colour. fortunately this is where DD comes into the project .... off we go to Michaels to look at some reasonable acrylique yarn that I spotted. the pattern will have 5 squares across, and 6 squares down .... we we chose 6 beautiful colours, that will be rotated thru the afghan pattern.

ok ... have the pattern, have the yarn .... now begin to knit. started with square 1, colour 1 .... following the pattern get the square done ...... nope, looks like crap. cant see the "deaf" symbol in the square at all. I'm NOT impressed !!! after some consideration, it got frogged out, and an adapted version is knitted up. this one is better, but I'm still not sure. on to squares "A" and "B" .... they look "ok", but I'm still not convinced you can see the ASL symbols for each letter. I tack the 3 squares together, and with the help of DD we kind of block/stretch them and take a look .... THAT'S BETTER. once they are blocked and stretched, I think the symbols will show better. they don't really stand out as well as I was hoping, but I think it will look nice when done.

OH ... and speaking of done .... one of the reasons I was able to convince myself to do a patchwork style afghan is because Wendi has graciously offered to sew all the squares together for me, because she knows how much I hate doing it. THANKS Wendi !!!!

SOCK WARS IV ~ registration has started, and the battle begins May 15. I had a love/hate relationship with Sock Wars III last year .... it was not my favourite pattern to knit, and there were some issues with "flakes" ... but I "met" (killed or was killed by) some really nice people, and isn't that what it' all about. SO, what the heck ... LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE (or rather ... let's get ready to knit !!). Wendi is going to join me this time, and I'm hoping to get some of our Sketch group into it as well. ToFutsies is the sponsor again, and they have a new PowerStripe yarn that is going to be the recommended weapon of death this year. unfortunately, we weren't able to find it locally, so Wendi contacted Danielle at Spun and she's ordered it in for us ***WOO HOO***. Wendi got an e-mail this morning, and it's arrived already ..... I cant wait to go see it in person!! thanks Danielle !!

Think I FINALLY have this knitting machine thing figured out

2009-01-27T10:29:00.012-05:00

.
OK OK OK .... I know it's been ages, but the project I've been on at work as taken over my life and barely left room for Christmas .... so blogging has been REALLY low on my priority list. however, here's what I wrote, back in November, that was meant to be posted way back then ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

wow, I cant believe that November is almost over!! work has been taking FAR too much time from me lately, and I've hardly had time to get much knitting done. the good news is I've made some good progress with some Christmas pressies

Saturday DD and I went to Cardiknits for a Christmas crafts knitting machine workshop with the intent of learning how to do one of those fancy Christmas stockings .... hahahahah!!! it was definitely a learning experience, but I dont think we're that far advanced yet.

within minutes of getting to Pat's place and looking around DD spotted some funky black "fun yarn" and had plans for it immediately. one lovely suprise was Pat's offer to let DD borrow a machine, so that we didnt have to share. DD used an "LK something or other" and it worked out great. I was originally worried that her using a different machine would confuse both of us, but it turns out that it is made by the same company as the one I have (even though they have different names) so the set-up, switches & levers are the same. the LK is a bulky weight machine, and very basic, so it was perfect for DD ....a great machine to try for the very first time, and also a good match for her "fun yarn".

DD got help casting on the fun yarn, and dealt with the beginning frustration of the yarn texture and messing around with the machines tension ... but once she found her groove, there was no stopping her.

she finished the loveliest scarf you've ever seen shortly after lunch, and now has a wonderful Christmas pressent for her Grandmother, who has been not well for the last few months. this will definitely dress up her holiday !!!

I followed along with the class as we all worked on a mini Christmas stocking. this was a flat stocking, knit in 2 pieces and then joined together with a very cool "pie crust" edging. this was a great exercise and included a new double e-wrap increase, hidden decrease, punch card pattern with 2 colours, crochet cast-on detail trim, pie-crust style edging. the wee stocking isn't perfect, but I'm pleased with what I learned !!

looks like I'll have to move the laundry off my knitting table, and set-up my machine ..... it will be interesting to see if I can get the thing to work without the "experts" in the room to bail me out when I'm all jamed up.

Happy Mother's Day !!!

2008-11-06T10:47:00.004-05:00

ok, I know that sounds like I'm a WEE bit late .. but that's not true, because this week I finished the 6-week Stained Glass course, at the Royal Botanical Gardens, that DD got me for Mothers Day this year. the logistics had the potential to make it impossible for me to attend the classes as it was Tuesday evenings from 7:00-10:00 .... which is our busiest night of the week. DD has 2 dance classes and I have my piping lessons. I decided to bite the bullet .... I cancelled piping for 6 weeks (which is probably a good thing as this project at work has kept me so busy most evening that I haven't practiced AT ALL !!), and Wendi was good enough to bring DD home with her after dance (and I'd pick her up on my way home after class)

the first week was very exciting, I met a couple of nice ladies that I sat with and chatted. it was a quiet class because we all didn't know each other yet (boy did that change by the end of the 6 weeks!!). our instructor was Tony, a lovely man who has a studio in West Hamilton. to say this man was talented would be an understatement, but fortunately for us he also has the "patience of Jobe". I couldn't believe that we actually came home, after our first class with a lovely finished product, this bird sun catcher. everyone's turned out SO cute, and we were all thrilled !!! he also showed us what out main project would be for the remainder of the course .... OMG, not only are we going to do a large window, but the subject is an iris which is my favourite flower !!!

week-2 .... we started to cut out and assemble our iris. this was not a totally fun class. I was deciding at this point, that although working with the stained glass was "ok", I didn't think it was "my thing", but I would (of course) finish the classes. we actually lost one lady half way thru this class, who completely hated it. it's too bad she didn't stick it out, because it got so much better.

I'm not going to bother going into details for each week, but let's just say that by the last class I was enjoying working on the project as much as chatting with all the ladies. it's amazing how fast 3 hours can go when you are busy, and how much you can accomplish.

week-6 .... we couldn't believe that this was it!! the weeks had gone so quickly, and we were all leaving with a beautiful window. Tony brought a VERY yummy box of chocolates (I tried a couple of the dark ones .. only to be polite !!), and one of the ladies brought veggies and the BEST DIP I've ever had (which she let me take home afterwards, and both DD and I've been enjoying it) Everyone's window turned out great .... it was so interesting to see how we each started with the same pattern ... but between the cutting, placement, and colour choices each window had something different and special. I can honestly say there was something from everyone else's window that made theirs stand out apart from all the others.

I was lucky, and got an added bonus out of the class ... because I finished my window early, I was able to take some of the left over glass pieces and make an angel sun catcher.

over all, probably one of the best Mother's Day pressies I've ever had !!!

stained glass is definitely not my "calling", and if given the choice I'd rather be knitting ... but that being said, by the end of the 6-weeks I definitely enjoyed working on my projects and would be willing to give it another go. both Wendi and my neighbour across the street have all the necessary stained glass related tools, and have offered them to me if I ever choose to give it another go. Wendi and I were taking about getting together for a "stained glass day", hopefully with our daughters. I can only imagine what the 4 of us can come up with !!!

I recognize the face, but can't place the name ??!!

2008-10-27T12:42:00.008-04:00

OMG it's been 100 years since I've last blogged (and yes, I have been told a million times not to exaggerate !!) ... let's see if I can not only remember how to do this again, but remember what's happened in my knitting life since I was here last !!

July
~ I suppose the 2 big things for July were my Mum and Mother-In-Law's birthdays are both during this month. my Mum was turning 29, my MIL 30 ??!! ok, better make it 39 & 40 ..... would you believe 49 & 50 ?? (well, that's what I'm sticking with, as they are BOTH so youthful looking ... as are all the women in the family :) )

~ Cable Lagoon sock for DD ... finished the socks, the constant cabling was brutal, but they turned out lovely ..... until she tired to put them on. the ankle & cuff are too tight ... so frogged them out the turning of the heel, and re-knitted them on a size bigger needle (was NOT about to frog out the entire sock!). it's July 25, I've rushed MIL to the hospital but fortunately had my knitting with me, so was able to finish them while sitting in Emergency with her!! DD does her best to look pleased when she tries them on, but it's obvious that the foot is also a wee bit tight, but worse they are also a wee bit short. I'm not frogging them out, so I guess I'll be looking for someone with a thinner, shorter foot to wear them. there may be enough yarn left for a plain pair of socks for DD, and I promised to re-knit this pattern for her, but we agreed that a plainer yarn would show off the cables better.

~ I'm heading to Ancaster to sit with MIL who is home but in a lot of pain, and I need something to knit (that doesn't require spending money). I have some left over aran, that would be perfect for the Fashion Cable Knit Bag from Michaels ..... a casting-on we go !!! as I HATE sewing up a knitting project worse that pretty much anything, rather than following the instructions for the bag, I decided to knit it from the bottom up, in the round. it's a bloody pain to start, but now that it's going it is turning out just lovely !!

August
~ the best part of August was our trip to White Birches Cottages just outside Algonquin Park with DD and the labs. we rented a cottage for the 2nd year in a row, then visited with my Uncle & Aunt at their cottage for the weekend on the way home. it was the nicest week of the summer and we had a great time. DD hooked up with some kids she knew from last year, and met some new ones. the dogs spent as much time in the lake as they could, we hiked, and I relaxed and knitted. unfortunately it was not a banner week for knitting. my plan was to finish the cable purse that I had started in July, and I was well on my way, and finished up one side, when I realized that I had not brought enough yarn to finish the other side, NERTZ !! ok, no problem I have my started entrelac sock, which FINALLY looked like it was going to turn out to be the right size ..... got working on the sock, not as pleased with the way the colours were pooling, but wanted to give it a chance. used the solid colour from the toe, to turn the heel, and then back to the variegated yarn as I went up the leg. after a couple of entrelac rows up the leg, I decided to try on the sock ... YUCK .... I knew that I wasn't thrilled with the pooling, and I was not impressed how I went from heel back to entrelac leg pattern, but when I put the sock on that ended it for me. first of all, it was tight (yea, after all the attempts at it being too big), and when it was on, it looked like crap. the entrelac pattern just looked like random squares, and no where near the cool effect that it should have been. maybe if I had alternated the variegated yarn with the solid for each row, it would have looked better ?? I don't know. but to be honest .... even if I did finish the sock, the thought of starting the nightmare all over again and doing a 2nd one just didn't leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling ... so here I was in the wilds of Algonquin Park ... and the sounds of "frogging" could be heard echoing thru the forests !!! ok, now I was 3:3 (due to the cable socks for DD that I FINALLY finished before leaving but are too small for her) and frustrated about what to try next. while in town DD found a book she wanted, the latest in a series she has been reading ... turns out one of the patterns I brought was for a pair of socks based on the cover of the first book in the series. I had the base colour, but needed the red contrast colour. we headed into Huntsville for some shopping and to check out the LYS for a look around. I saw a few things that looked interesting, but nothing really exciting, but I did find a nice skein of the red we needed for DD socks. we got back the cottage, and I wanted to get something started, but both DD and I agreed that I needed a successful project, so starting another pair of socks after the 2 pairs that haven't worked out would not be a good idea ..... then I found it The Scotch Thistle Stole, using Arequipa yarn in lovely shades of purple and green .... it was a perfect match and the skein should have enough for the stole. I was off to the races, so to speak, with an exciting new project to cast on.

September
~ summer is over and it's back to the regular routines of school & dance for DD. this is a big year for her, grade-12 ... it's hard to believe !! doesn't seem that long ago that it was me starting my senior year.

~ Scotch Thistle Lace Stole is "done" ... well, not as per the pattern, because unfortunately I ran out of yarn ... BUT, it's done as far as it's going, and the 2 ends are grafted together .... now all I have to do is block it (any bets on how long this is going to take me to finally get around to do ??!!)

October

~ woo hoo ... Fashion Cable Knit Bag is done, and the handles are on ... OH MY GOSH, but it turned out just lovely !!! I haven't decided if I'm going to leave it as is, or line it with material.

~ this is another popular month for the family. DD turned 17 on October 16, foster puppies Betty & Maisie have birthdays on October 17th, and my parents had their wedding anniversary on October 20. Betty (foster puppy #3) turned 3, disqualified from the DogGuide CVC program last August because of kennel stress, and was adopted by DD. she's still a very nervous dog, but is happy to be "home". Maisie (foster puppy #4) turned 2 on the same day. she has also disqualified from the DogGuide program, and now lives with a great family in the next neighbourhood. we keep in touch with them and I love hearing how she is doing. now that she has settled in with her new family, I'm looking forward to some play dates where we can get the dogs together. it will be great to see Maisie again !!!

~ want to start the "flying south" pattern using the yarn from the September Pick Up Sticks Fleece Artist Sock Club package. it's the perfect colours for my mum, and would be a nice surprise in her Christmas stocking .... unfortunately, my 2.5mm circular's are "somewhere safe". I think it's time to go thru my stash and figure out what I have, and where everything is !!

~ I spent most of the Oct 17th weekend either sorting and organizing my yarn stash and knitting/sewing area in the basement. OMG what a job !!! I headed downstairs about noon on Saturday, and didn't come up for air until 7:00pm that evening .... and when I finally did I went upstairs to find my house FREEZING COLD and DARK !! when I headed down at noon, it was a lovely day so I opened up the house to let the fresh air in ..... well by 7:00 not only had the sun gone down but so had the temperature !!! it was definitely a productive day though. I THINK I have found all my hidden stashes of yarn .... all the bags, bins, baskets, containers and boxes all sorted thru, re-wound and assigned to it's new storage bin (based on yarn weight). much of the yarn has been entered into my "stash" on Ravelry, but I haven't taken pictures of most of it yet. I also went thru and catalogued a number of my knitting/craft related books, magazines and pattern booklets. there were some interesting in-progress discoveries ... some got frogged, some put aside to be frogged, and a couple put in my "to finish" pile. I'm also putting a bag together of "unknown" and partial balls of yarn, that can be donated for charity knitting. the good news is my yarn has been organized ... the bad news is I've discovered hidden stashes of material and other craft supplies that I still have to deal with ... oh well, another craft, another weekend :)

~ finished a cute wee baby sweater, Little Sweetie, that I started YEARS ago .... not sure if it was the right colour combination, as you really cant see the pattern ... but at least it's finally done :)

~ frustrated, bored, and don't know what to knit ... still haven't found the 2.5mm needles to start my Mum's socks .....so what do I have handy ...... cotton yarn, perfect for dishcloths. too lazy to look thru for a pattern, so I'll just wing it for a while. they are dead easy, brainless knitting and great while you are watching Friday night television !! 2 down, and unlimited number to go. I was planning on getting a bunch done for Christmas anyway, so this got me going.

~ Saturday Oct 25 was a machine knitting workshop at Cardiknits in Hamilton. it was a VERY educational day, and I was all pumped up to go home and re-setup my knitting machine and get something cast-on. (did I mention that I MAY have left the workshop with 3 new cones of yarn :) got home and headed downstairs to my newly cleaned & organized knitting area to set-up my knitting machines. had some trouble getting the carriage to slide smoothly, but I wondered if it just needed a cleaning/dusting ... APPARENTLY NOT !! I cast-on some waste yarn ready to knit my first row ... JAM!! pulled everything off, re-caston .. JAM .... JAM ... JAM .... ok, I'm REALLY getting frustrated now. I end up sliding the carriage off, and putting it back on a couple of times, when all of a sudden, it slides on as smooth as butter .... crap, I didn't have the carriage on right, and it was jamming the hooks. re-cast on again, with the carriage on properly, and knit a few rows to find the last 2 stitches not knitting at all .... turns out the repeated jamming totally bent the 2 hooks (so that they are no longer hook shaped !!) ok, no worries, I'll call Pat and ask her for a couple of new hooks ..... I'll just try to cast-on the other side of "0", it's working just beautifully, EXCEPT for ONE BLOODY stitch. this hook must be FUBAR too, but I cant tell by looking at it. I have 3 extra hooks, but by this point, I am NOT in any mental frame of mind to figure out how to replace them ..... yarn goes away, cover goes on, and it's no knitting for me tonight

~ Sunday Oct 25 .... Happy Birthday Wendi !!!

Graduation Night !!

2008-06-27T10:07:00.000-04:00

No knitting for me last night. Although I was disappointed to miss out on our “sketchy knitter’s night”, it was well worth it !!!! I’d like to announce the new CVC team of Terry & Wolf. Wolf is the 3^rd of my grand-puppies to graduate from the Lions Club DogGuide Foundation of Canada (Waltz & Wonka both graduated from the SSD program). Ironically, their Mum Hasia was originally trained for SSD, and after she retired from the breeding program went into CVC training before she was retired for good and came back home to me …. So I guess it’s in their blood !!

Terry seemed like a very nice lady. I also met her Daughter & Grand-daughter, and her entire family seemed so proud of her. It looked that although Wolf was happy to see is foster family again, she’ll be well loved and looked after in her new home with Terry.

I haven’t seen Wolf in about a year. I happened to be at the Foundation one day, to pick up Hasia and it was heart-worm testing time. A man walked down the hallway with a black lab (a common occurrence there). Hasia, who prefers the attention of people to dogs, starting barking and straining towards this other dog. It was very strange behaviour for her. I was chatting with some of the staff, and and I had to stop and correct Hasia … then I heard Sam say something about “a wolf”. OMG, it dawned on me … it was “our” Wolf !!! Hasia knew it was one of her puppies !!!

It was a great reunion. Hasia kept Wolf in her place, and I had a great loving session with her. Neither of us had seen Wolf since she was about 8-weeks old and went off to her new foster family. It’s amazing …. With all the dogs that we have go thru our place, and they can do just about anything to Hasia …. But let one of her puppies get out of line, and oh boy, are they in trouble !!! anyone who thinks that dogs are just “dumb animals”, you don’t know what you are talking about ….. even after 2 years, and not seeing her puppies since they were 8-weeks old, if you put Hasia in a room full of labs, she’d herd out her babies without any trouble.

Hasia was a great Mum, and was bless with 10 wonderful puppies !!!

5 Black Females

Wags
Wave ~ DQ’d
Wolf ~ CVC with Terry
Whim ~ working as companion dog @ Senior Residence
Waltz ~ SSD with Katie

1 Choc Female

Walnut

4 Choc Males

Willy ~ R.I.P. L
Wonka ~ SSD with Fred
Windsor
Wilbur ~ DQ’d

Sock Wars III

2008-06-23T10:39:00.000-04:00

now that the battle is officially over, I can discuss the "confidential" details of Sock Wars III.

on May 9th dossiers were sent out to each of the 1153 participating warriors, outlining our intended targets (their location and sock size). the weapon this year was "The Detonator", using the sponsor company TOFUtsies sock yarn. the object was to knit a pair of Detonator socks, and mail them off to your assigned target. once they receive their socks they are considered "dead" and must mail their SIP (socks in progress) back to you along with the dossier of their intended victim. you would then complete the socks and send them off to your new target ... etc .... UNTIL, you received your own socks, at which time you are dead.

Sock Wars III officially came to an end on June 13, when all warriors still alive were e-mailed a set of new instructions. post cards were to be mailed into our Supreme Commander and a winner would be drawn on June 21.

as of June 13, I was still alive, and therefore eligible for the postcard draw. I also had made one official kill, and a 2nd kill was winging it's way to it's intended target. the change of rules meant a new strategy was required if I was going to win .... it was time to put my network of "spies" into action.

as soon as the post card draw was announced, my first spy went into action ..... Wendi immediately sent off a postcard from her PakMail store in Burlington Ontario ... but would it get across the pond and land in Antrim Ireland by the deadline of June 21 ??!! this is where it's important to have an international team of well trained knitters in your network. thanks to Wendi's connections a quick e-mail to Máirín, who lives in Galway Ireland, asking her to send a post card for me just in case the one send from Canada doesn't make it in time. then, just to make sure, another e-mail off to Ceire who lives in Belfast Ireland, and another postcard was fired off to the Supreme Commander.

the best part about Sock Wars III was the people I "met". I had a great time "killing" my 2 targets.

Audrey was my first kill. her socks were probably the most difficult but also the easiest. I had to "learn" the pattern on her socks, and they probably got "frogged" at least 3 times before getting completed ... but they were also easy to knit because her size was just a wee bit bigger than mine so I could use my feet as a guide when knitting them.

my second "kill" was Gwyn. she was a bit of a worry for me because she has such tiny feet (compaired to mine anyway) and as I already knew how big these socks knitted up. I to make sure they were wearable for her, while still keeping the rules of battel. as it turns out they were still a bit big for her, but I understand fit her daughter well.

I also had 2 wonderful co-assassins. my original assassin was Anita, who did a lovely job getting my death socks started. before she could finish them she was "killed" by Jana who then completed the socks and posted them off to me.

this past weekend it all came to an end (for me anyway) ....... Friday, on the way to Sarnia for DD's dance competition, I stopped by Wendi's PakMail store to drop off some DPNs she asked to borrow .... and what did she have in return for me ..... my death socks!!!! it's with mixed emotions that I "officially" announce my Sock Wars death ....... the emotions are mixed because now I cann't continue with the Sock Wars III Continues group ..... but my socks are so lovely, that it really doesn't matter !!! thank you so much Anita & Jana !!! to end Friday on a high note, DD's group took the trophy for their choreography number !!! (her dance studio also took 2nd place in the same category, and also the trophy for the choreography broad sword)

DD and I stayed overnight in Sarnia, with the intent of heading across the border to Port Huron if the weather was nice. we woke up Saturday to rain, but fortunately it cleared up, and we headed over anyway. it turned out to be a beautiful day, and we had a great time walking around the beautiful historic downtown area. just before heading back, we decided to sit and enjoy a nice Dairy Queen treat and some water. DD went in and ordered, while I stayed outside with Hasia & Betty (our 2 black labs). I had a small dipped cone, DD had a candy floss blizzard ..... and Hasia & Betty shared a MILK-BONE SUNDAY !!! yes, I couldn't believe it, but for $1.25 I just had to get one for them ...... a dish of ice cream, with 2 milk bones in it! needless to day the mutts were VERY happy !! well, it was time to head back into Canada, and we didn't end up getting home until very late.

Sunday morning came WAY too soon ...... and I was woken up by the phone ringing. Wendi, the head of my spy network was on the phone ..... "YOU WON, YOU WON". ok, fuzzy head me ..... had no idea what she was talking about. Wendi had been keeping an eye on the Sock Wars sites, hoping that I'd win the big draw (for obvious reasons, knowing that I'd share the lot TOFUtsies with her). I didn't in the BIG prize of all the TOFUtsies yarn ..... this was actually more satisfying ... I won one of the two "cheeky" bonus prizes !!!

here is the e-mail from Julie, our Supreme Commander:
You get a cheeky bonus prize from Sock Wars just for sheer geographical magnificence. UK, Ireland and over the pond. Either you are a prolific traveller or have a crack network of spies. Either way for sheer boldness I am going to mail you a set of luxury dpns from signature needle arts!

this has been a great experience. yes, there has been some frustrations ..... I had some "issues" with the Detonator pattern, and unfortunately encountered 2 "flakes" (warriors that went MIA) that really delayed my progress. BUT, it was a game, I went into it with the right frame of mind (to have fun), and so I didnt let the "little things" get to me. I want to thank my 2 wonderful assassins for the beautiful pair of socks, my 2 targets for being so nice and making the war so much fun, my "2nd in command" Wendi and her network of knitting spies Máirín & Ceire without whom I could not have won the cheeky bonus prize !!! most of all I want to thank Julie, the Supreme Commander of Sock Wars III .... it was a tough battle for her this time, but she went above and beyond !!!

What's in a name ??!!

2008-05-12T13:12:00.000-04:00

well, everything ..... when your name is different, or strange, or unusual. I'm not sure what category mine falls under, but I usually have to repeat my name a second time when asked for it. as a child, I cant say that I really liked having a not so common name. everyone else was able to get something with their name printed on it .... but I never could (technology being was it was 100 years or so ago). I was named after my Mother's Brother (Dell), so from that point of view, I've like my name ... and to be honest, I've always probably enjoyed being a wee bit different from main crowd.

ok ... so I'm on Ravelry, and as work this morning has be SO busy and fascinating (NOT) .... I decided to go lurking around the profiles of strangers. I did a People search looking for "Della" .... and here is what I found (I'm not sure if I should be offended or proud ??!!)

members: 4 (including me)
dogs : 3
cats: 2
COW: 1 (ok, first of all WHO has a pet cow ??!! and where did you think of calling it Della ??!!)
pattern: 1 (this is the coolest thing ... I've e-mailed the person designing the shawl, as I'd love to see it when she's done)

14 minute slippers .... LOL, who are they kidding !!!

2008-05-09T09:17:00.000-04:00

ok, so last night I decided to head downstairs and re-set up my knitting machine, even if it's only in a temporary location for now. I went thru some of the patterns that I had queued on Ravelry, and decided on the "14 minute" lined slippers .... they seemed easy enough. plus, I thought they would be great for Soldier Boy #3.

well, 90 minutes later, I head back upstairs ...... now, I did use some of that time to set get everything and re-set things up, find wool, try to remember how to cast on, etc. things were going pretty well ... the slippers are lined so I was even able to change colours so that the inside would be a different colour from the outside. THAT was part of my downfall .... when doing the lining section you tighten up the tension a wee bit, and I used yarn from a cone that I had never used before, missed stitches, and had to re-pick them up, and I had a couple of jams. Pat had warned me to to start of with a dark colour of wool, and now I know why ..... they are brutal to work with when you have to correct dropped stitches because you cant see what the heck you are doing. I ended up wtih a couple of jams, and the slipper didnt seeme to be "hanging" right, but I didn't know, and thought maybe it was the short-row heels & toes that were causing it to "bunch" ...... well, apparently not, which I realized when I cast off.

SOMEHOW, I managed to catch some stitches in the "claws" that separate the latch hooks (sorry I dont know the technical names). not sure what I did, or how I did it, but I suspect this was the cause of my lining problems. all that aside it's a very easy pattern and (holes in the lining aside) the slipper turned out really well ..... except for one SMALL problem.

ok kiddies, gather around, we're going to learn about READING INSTRUCTIONS and the importance of GAUGE. what I failed to notice was that the pattern was for a BULKY machine, and used worsed weight yarn ........ I have a Singer 700 (which is a finer gauge machine) and used fingering weight (Pat recommended that this was the best weight to use for my machine). so needless to say, although the slipper looks very cute, and I cast on for the x-large size for a man's slipper ..... it would only fit a small child !!!

fortunately, I had a sense of humour, and although exhausted from my knitting attempt, I got a good chuckle out of my finished project !!!

Old enough to know better ??!! ..... apparently not :(

2008-04-22T08:31:00.000-04:00

well, there's a reason why I'm posting on Tuesday for events that happened over the weekend .... I felt like bloody crap (and it was all my own fault).

I've joined a website called MeetUp ... it's a great place to find people with similar interests and get together. there was one group that caught my eye, but I've never been available on the days that they planned their outtings ..... that is until this past Saturday. Friday night, I just happened to get onto the MeetUp website and noticed that the Mississauga/Oakville Bicycling, Walking & Actvity Group was meeting on Saturday morning to cycle along the waterfront trail. the description read as follows "We'll pedal along the waterfront trail eastward for about 10 K. 20 K round trip about 2 hours". this sounds perfect, says I to myself, so I RSVP'd "yes" and just prayed that I'd be able to get my backside out out of bed Saturday morning to see if my bike was rideable, I could find my/a helmet and I could figure out how to attach the bike carrier to the truck.

OH MY GOSH ... Saturday was a beautiful day, and to make a long story short, let's just say that I was able to put everything together and figure out how to carry a water bottle along during the ride. everyone was great, what a friendly group of people. we all started chatting right away, and the pace was just fine (especially for someone like me, old, over weight, out of shape, and haven't been on a bike in a few years). when we reached our "goal" turn-around point, we looked across a bay and could see the CN Tower (thru the smog) and the Toronto skyline. it looked so close and we estimated it would probably take 30-minutes or so (famous last words) to get there ... so a group vote and off we went, further east towards Toronto. after all, my only plan for the day was to go home and get yard work done, so what did I care.

well ..... it was a BEAUTIFUL day, spent biking along the shores of Lake Ontario, with a very nice group of people ...... and 35km & 3.5 hours later we returned back at our cars. to be honest, although I felt a wee bit tender (some spots more tender than others) I felt great. my 1 water bottle didnt last very long, but I had remembered my asthma meds which I took before leaving so I thought I had survived rather well (mind you I was expecting to feel the physical symptoms as the day wore on). my biggest bother, as time wore on though, was my head, it started to pound and I wanted to sleep. after trip to Home Depot to get some needed grass seed & bags of soil, I dropped my bike off at the local shop for a tune-up and accessories for my next outting. by this point my head was worse, but I assumed it was just hunger, so a quick run thru the Taco Bell drive-thru and I headed home.

the rest of the day was a right-off, and I couldnt figure out why, other than I felt like crap, and my head was pounding, and I felt like I was burning up. about supper time, I happened to look in a mirror .... OH MY GOSH .... my face was BRIGHT RED and swollen. no wonder I felt like I was burning up !!! the tops of my hands were in a similar condition ..... I had done so well, under the circumstances, remembering my water & asthma meds ...... what I didnt remember was sun block cream !!! now, in my defence, we were only supposed to be out for a nice little 2-hour bike ... and on top of the breeze (very cool at times) and the smog alert that morning (the first for 2008, WOO HOO) we really didnt notice the sun.

well, I felt "hung over" all Sunday, which made doing my yardwork no fun at all, and Monday as well (nothing better than going to work, and sitting infront of a computer all day while being expected to think, while you feel hung-over). fortunately, thanks to all the cream I slathered on me, by Monday, I wasn't as red any more, but still a wee bit swollen still. fortunately today, I feel more like my old self !!! what makes this all the more daft is that as a ginger-head, in a family of ginger-heads .... I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER !!!! ( especially at my age).

ok ... and now on to a knitting update ...

my Mobieus Zig-Zag is done, except for the grafting (I hate that part). I'm pleased with how it turned out, and I think there's enough in the skein for another one. (picture doesnt do it justice, will have to re-take in day-light)

Wendi gave me some beautiful sock yarn for Christmas, and I've known from the moment I saw it what pattern I wanted to do .... Annetrelac. the problem with all entrelac socks I've seen done is that they only pattern the leg portion, and the rest is knittined around ... it looks "odd" and I dont like it, especially as I prefer short/ankle socks, it almost seems not worth the bother if you only pattern the leg. I wanted to do the pattern down the foot also, but then I knew that I was going to end up with an odd striped toe, heel and cuff .... so off we went to our LYS, Spun Fibres, for a solid to do the toe/heel/cuff in. after a huge debate about whether to compliment or blend this solid, I decided to take the safe route and "blend". the solid almost exactly matches the sock's main yarn.

Friday I balled the skeins (can you tell it was my first time??)

casting on the 2 toes was easy, I struggled thru the first one on Saturday evening, and the other was done Sunday evening ... piece of cake .... then came the entrelac part. well, the last (and only other) time I did an entrelac pattern was approx 100 years ago (ok, how about 10-12 years ago) and I honestly had no memory of how to do it. following the (cuff-down) pattern made absolutely no bloody sense, especially as I was trying to do 2 at one time toe-up. FINALLY, after deciding to work on only one at a time, and playing with it for a while, a light in my head came on, and it started to work. I stayed up WAY too late last night, but I finished the base triangle row, and 2 full-block rows of one sock.

and after all that, I'm going to pull it out. the pattern calls for a round of 72sts using 2.25mm needles .... I didnt have them so I cast on using 2.5mm which is my standard sock needle. I also only cast on 60 sts, as that's the approx number of stitches that seems to fit me. there was a note made in someone's blog, who had already made these socks that the entrelac pattern is not stretchy and she found the 2.25m needle make them almost too tight to get on over her heel, so she did her 2nd sock in 2.5, but would move up a wee bit more for the next time ...... so I cast on my 60 sts using the 2.5, then moved to a 3mm for the entrelac/foot pattern. TOO BIG !!! now that it's at a point where you can see the sock shape starting to emerge, I tried it on ..... way too big !!

so, it's frog time tonight, back to the toe, and I'm going to re-start the entrelac pattern keeping with the 2.5mm needles. I tend to knit loose, so I think I'll be ok .... plus I'll keep trying it on to make sure. apparently the tightness may show up when I do the heel, so I'll be careful. plus, now that I'm ok with the entrelac pattern I may go back to working on both socks at one time (but I haven't decided that for sure yet). I'll keep everyone posted (yea, I know you're sitting on the edge of your seats, in anticipation of my next posting !!)

yea ... and I know that the toe it too pointy .... that's what you get when you cast-on with a "hang-over" :( but I'm not frogging it again !!

WE HAVE SOCK !!!

2008-04-10T07:39:00.000-04:00

my goal was to knit a sock. I found (what seemed to be) a wonderfly simple pattern Single-Bed Machine Knit Socks by Ruth Rogers. last night after we finished butchering the puppy coat of DD's foster puppy Emmett, and they went off to her dad's place .... and after I had a nice wee nap ... the mutts and I headed down stairs for an attempt at knitting a sock.

it was shortly after 8:00, and after 2 or 3 attempts at knitting on the ravel cord (without running out of cord and losing half of my scrap-yarn cast-on), and trying to figure/remember how to set the machine not to knit the stitches in HP ... I was on a roll !!! the heel/toe decreases were easy (I remembered them from my lesson with Pat) but I had trouble remembering how to do the increases .... I don't know if they are right, but I eventually got it.

the good news ..... about 10:10, I was heading back upstairs with what closely resembled a sock ... or at least what was going to be a sock. I was thrill to bits .... not only did I do it, but even with the re-dos, dropped stitches, corrections, and the odd exclamation of WTF ... it still only took me 2 hours !!!

OK well, with good news there is always bad news .... I learned a lot last night.

the sock is a wee bit small for me, but would probably fit DD
there's a hole on the outside heel, from a dropped stitch .... oh well, this was practice
my grafting (kitchener stitching) SUCKS !!!!! and it's not even like "oh well, I'll get better with practice ... because I don't want to .... I hated that part
HOWEVER ... what I hated even more than grafting ..... sewing/joining the inside seam .... I'd rather go to the dentist, or be hit on the back of the head with a plank !!! so, needless to say, it didn't get done !!!

so, here's the long & short of my single-bed machine knitting sock ..... it took me 2 hours to perform the actually "knitting" (including set-up, mistakes, re-trys, etc) ..... it took me from about 10:15 until I FINALLY tossed it aside @ 1:00am and went to bed to get the daft thing half sewed together !!!

and today's lesson boys & girls ..... I'd better figure out how to knit socks on my knitting machine in the round, or I'll never end up with a pair that's wearable !!!

we have knitting !!!! ...... and wine :)

2008-04-06T18:00:00.000-04:00

so Pat at Cardiknits is my new hero. I don't feel too bad though, it took her a few unsuccessful cast-on attempts before we finally discovered a method that works with my machine. with her help I knitted this teddybear's hat (or at least it will be when I sew up the side seam), and we went thru and made this "mini-stocking" (don't quite understand how it's to be grafted together, but at least i got the idea). I picked up a "reasonable" cone of "practice yarn", and a couple of books for me to try out ... then I spotted a cone of really cool marrelled yarn, and decided to buy it too !!!

OH MY GOSH ... the weather has been absolutely marvelous this weekend .... and there's no better way to spend a lovely weekend than knitting, being with friends and drinking wine ... and that's how I spent this weekend.

Today was the Wine & Cheese Show in Toronto. fortunately, it was in the same building as the Motorcycle Show, that Wendi's DH was interested in. last year, the three of us went to the wine shoe, but as Wendi isn't (or should i say WASN'T) a big wine drinker, that allowed her DH and I to enjoy ourselves and she would be the d.d. ..... this year, DH went off to his show, and just us girls went off and enjoyed a dram or two (or 20) of wine. some good, some not so good, but we found a couple of excellent ones that we decided to re-visit for numerous taste test (just to make sure that we liked it). for the most part, we were trying local vineyards, but discovered a wonderful white from Germany, and I have a new favourite red from Australia. on the way home, we had Wendi's DH stop off at the big new LCBO in Milton, where we picked up a couple of bottles of our new favourites !!!

don't know if it's a really good idea (under the circumstances) ... but I'm going to head down stairs tonight, to re set-up my knitting machine, and see if I can actually use the thing without supervision (but if I cant, I'm blaming it on the wine)

DogGuide Open House, A Reunion & Knitting Lessons

2008-04-05T10:24:00.000-04:00

well, the Anisette Wrap is done, blocked and dropped off. oh my gosh, I'm SO pleased with how it turned out (as you can tell by the number of pics I've included !!). not much more to say about it. I stopped by the foundation this morning while everyone was getting ready for the OpenHouse, and handed it off. I'm looking forward to hearing how much is brings in ..... if you're in the Oakville area today, please come by and BID HIGH !!!

well ..... I decided it bring Betty with me on the short trip to the foundation. she left the DogGuide program last August, so has been back home for less than a year. Betty's Trainer, Brenda was wonderful, and truly loved her. we get to the Foundation, park, get out and are walking around talking to friends, seeing lots of people and DogGuides (in various stages of their training ... from young puppies thru to ones ready to graduate). as we're walking down the hall toward the lounge, I see a number of trainers gathered, and there is Brenda ... they all see & greet me, but I wink at Brenda .... "OH MY GOSH, that's not who I think it is, is it ??!!" Betty had been as good as gold up until this point, walking so well, and not really being distracted by any of the other people or dogs ..... that is until she smelled Brenda's hand. WELL .... she started wagging, and jumping up ... i dont know who was more excited Brenda or Betty. Even Leah was happy (the Senior Trainer for Betty) to see Betty and got lots of kisses in return. it was wonderful to see how happy Betty was to see Brenda (and visa versa, of course). I think the only person that Betty would happily leave DD and me for would be her Brenda ... and I suspect Brenda would take her in a heart-beat.

OK ... enough goofing off .... time to jump in the shower and get headding out for my day. going to stop by PakMail to see Wendi for a bit, then it's off to Hamilton. I have a knitting machine lesson @ 2:00, and will hopefully be able to fit in a coffee with my Mum sometime while I'm in the area.

To Block, Or Not To Block

2008-04-02T17:47:00.001-04:00

ok .... so I'm blocking ..... this is the Anissette Wrap (sorry the pic is blurrey for some reason). I'm very pleased with how it has turned out, even if I haven't been able to take a picture that does it justice. I dont see colours well, but this mohair is a lovely shade of dark blue, with almost a metalic twinkle. the Lions Foundation of Canada DogGuide Open House & Silent Auction is Saturday, so if all blocks well, I should be able to drop this off Friday for them to add to the silent auction.

it was a hard decision what to do with this project ... my original intent was to send it to one of my Pay It Forward recipients, but my heart goes to the charity and I'm really hoping that my wrap will help bring in some well needed funds to the program. the cost of raising and putting a DogGuide out to work is between $20,000-$25,000. the foundation doesnt get any goverment funding, all money is raised thru private donations .... and then they turn around a give the trained working dog to the client at no cost to them. I'm honoured to call a few people with working dogs my friends, and when you see how these dogs enhance their lives, the choice is easy. between DD and myself, we're on our 6th foster puppy.

Hasia, a black lab, was in training for SSD (Special Skills Dog) but then transferred to the Breeding Program. in May 2006 she welped 10 of the cutest puppies you've ever seen, all of who went into training. we've had 1 pass away, 2 graduate in the SSD program, and 3 disqualify (but one has been adopted by a Senior's Home, and is "working" in her own way). after retiring from the Breeding Program, Hasia went in to train for the CVC (Canine Vision Program), but at 3 years old decided that she'd rather come home so that's what she did, and we're happy to have our "forever" puppy.

Neung, a Thai Ridgeback, was one of a test group for the foundation to see how the breed would work out ..... let's just say they didnt, and leave it at that. Neung is now living with a wonderful couple in Toronto, and is enjoying being spoiled by them

Betty, a black lab was recalled and went into CVC training. ironcially, it was her class that Hasia joined. training was going splendedly, but unfortunately, as happens with some dogs, she stressed out from being in kennel, a month away from possible partnership and graduation. Betty was DD's favourite, so needless to say, she's been adopted by DD and now we have two "forever puppies"

Fawn, a chocolate mini poodle, was DD's first foster puppy on her own. she was recalled into the HED (Hearing Ear Dog) program, and graduated in December. Fawn is now living in Montreal with her partner, and we hear that they are doing great.

Maisie, a chocolate standard poodle, was recalled in October of last year. coincidently enough she has the same birthday as Betty, and they are the only 2 dogs we've had home for their 1st birthday. Maisie is currently in HED training, and I've got my fingers crossed for her (I want one of MY puppies to graduate !!!)

Emmett is an apricot standard poodle .... he's a HUGE 10-months old, and DD's 2nd foster puppy. he's also, the clown of the group. we dont know when he'll be recalled, or what program he'll be training in, but we have our fingers crossed that he'll do well.

so .... if you're one of my PIF people, and were hoping for this wrap ... I hope you'll understand why I've decided to donate it instead. I think you can see why I have a passion for this charity.

Anisette Wrap ~ done and ready to block

2008-03-31T13:33:00.000-04:00

WOO HOO .. the wrap is cast off and ready to block. I'm really pleased how it turned out (I've hung it in the window for this pic, so you can see the pattern) and the colour is really pretty. I'm kind of hoping that the blocking de-fuzzes it a wee bit so the pattern will show better.

will keep everyone posted after blocking.

I'm in 2 swaps right now .... my World Yarn Swap partner is Roseanne from Australia. we're supposed to send "local" yarn to our partners, with the thought that they probably dont have it easily available to them. I'm pleased with what I've got for Roseanne, although I cheated, and am sending something not from Canada (but my LYS assured me that this yarn is not available in her part of the world). there will be Canadian content, of course, but I couldnt resist this imported yarn. the deadline to send out our swaps is April 1st ... BUT, I've order something on-line and waiting for it to be included in her parcel. I still have today and tomorrow before I'm delinquent, so everything should be ok.

I'm also taking part in a "Sinister Swap" ..... this sounds stranger than it is .... it's for left-handed people. what fun !!! (any excuse for a swap). my partner is Kandace from Montana, and we've seemed to hit it off right from the start. OH MY GOSH .. what is it with knitting people without a blog ... the ironic thing is, Kandace doesnt have a blog, but she sent me the link to her puppy's web page !!! (now MY puppies are jealous ... ok mama, why dont WE have our own web page ??!!). our original agreed upon limit was set low, but after chatting and lurking thru each others on-line lives, we've agreed to up things .... woo hoo, this makes it way more fun. a wonderful excuse to go shopping some more !!! I have some things picked out for her also, but have a special request that I'm going to hunt down for her before I package everything up to send out. we have until April 11 to mail out our parcels, so I still have lots of time to keep looking for treats :)

Happy B-Day to my baby, Easter ... and some knitting stuff too

2008-03-27T11:11:00.000-04:00

no no no ... not the ginger one ..... the one covered in black fur. LOL, ok, for the people that know me, that wont really narrow things down, will it??!!

Our Hasia turns the big "4" today. it's hard to believe that we brought our first Dogguide foster puppy home a little less that 4 years ago. she was only 7 weeks old, and SO CUTE and so little !!! none of us realized how much this new bit of volunteering would change our lives forever. it's been an emotional experience, with us learning along with Hasia, all about puppies and what being a Dogguide was all about. I've fostered 4 puppies in total, and DD has fostered 2 more of her own, and on top of that I have 10 grand-puppies to brag about. at times, our house is absolute bedlamn at times ... but I wouldnt trade one day of it for anything .... the unconditional love they give more than makes up for the odd bit of frustration they cause or the urge to kill once in a while *LOL*.

DD and I went on our semi-annual pilgrimage to Winona to get our hair cut yesterday. DD, of course, also included a colourful dye job to the event. we're both getting shorter with each visit !! it's always great to see Carrie, and catch up ... plus I'm always able to get some knitting done while DD is in the chair. last night, I finished the final centre pattern repeat to the Annissette Wrap, and began the outside pattern. I seemed to be going thru more wool than called for, and wasn't able to knit the suggested 18 repeats of the centre pattern, but prior to the last one I completed, I felt the wrap was long enough, so adding the last repeat and then the ending pattern should be fine .... I'm hoping to get it cast-off and blocked this weekend (with the assistance of DD).

this past weekend was Easter. DD came home on Monday morning with the most beautiful bouquet of lilies. OH MY GOSH .... I cant believe how good the house smells !! as you can see, as nice as they were when I opened them, they have opened up like we couldnt believe !! have I mentioned what a thoughtful DD I have !!

We heading out to Ancaster for a quick "Easter Hello" to MIL. Hasia and Betty, both thrilled to get out visitting. (Emmett stayed home, as he had a busy weekend away with DD at her dad's ... besides, 3 large dogs is just much) MIL doesnt see the puppies as much any more so everyone enjoyed the short visit. then it was over to Hamilton for a visit and Easter dinner with my parents. as usual, the mutts got spoiled, and were fed WAY too many treats (my opinion, not theirs).

for those that have been following my knitting machine drama .... it's far from over. I was beyond the point of frustration, when it was suggested that I get my knitting machine tuned-up. a brilliant suggestion, it was in desparate need. so off I trucked, knitting machine & related bits, to Hamilton to meet Pat from Cardiknits. she's a wonderful woman, and I knew right away I was in good hands. my knitting machine looks like new, and it apparently works beautifully (I have a sample Pat knitted as proof) .... although you cant tell by the cursing that came out of my basement over the weekend. OMG .... why in heaven's name would ANYONE want to do this to themselves when you can produce beautiful results using knitting needles ??!! I'm almost at the point where I want to give up!!! I have followed the instruction book TO THE LETTER .... and still crap !!!! needless to say, I'm NOT a happy camper !! ok, I'm giving it one more shot before the entire contraption becomes the new base for my compost pile. Pat will give lessons, so I'm going to phone her and see if I can get one booked. there is a wonderful workshop in April, that's been recommended, but there's no point in me seeing what everyone else can do if I cant even cast on with the bloody thing !!

ok ... I'm going to end on a good note ... final B-Day wish to Hasia, and all her brothers & sisters out there. we've seen sister Hazel who also went into the Breeding program (and is now also retired), brother Havoc was adopted by a very nice family and came for a visit last summer. sister Hillie (Hilton) graduated SSD and is partnered with Pam. I'd love to hear from any of the other "H" puppies, but no matter where they are, and what they are doing I know that parents Daisy & Pyke are very proud of their puppies and also wish them a Happy 4th Birthday !!!

Thoughtful daughter, surprise from a new friend, CWS week-6

2008-03-06T22:17:00.000-05:00

are these not the most beautiful roses you've ever seen ??!!! I was not feeling well on Sunday, spent a good part of it sleeping and/or in bed. to make the day worse, good friends who had moved out of town were in for the weekend, and supposed to come for a visit ..... but about an hour after they were supposed to arrive, they phoned to say that they couldn't make it. my feelings were torn, hurt that they coudn't make the time to visit us for a bit, but kind of releaved because I didnt feel well. DD took it very hard. she had gotten her knitting out for the first time in ages, and after the phone call, gatherered it all up and thru it on her desk. we had all been friends since the girls were in Kindergarden, and it really hurt DD that they couldnt find even an hour for us. we ended up going out to rent a couple of movies to cheer us up, while in the grocery store, DD said she wanted to go look at something while I was checking out. as I'm loading the cart after paying, she arrives with a bouquet of the most beautiful roses. I have been blessed with a wonderful daughter !!!

Tuesday, and just in the nic of time I finished week-6 of the Civil War Shawl. I fell behind was I was concentrating most of my time getting the socks for my cousin finished. thanks to the fingers of DD and her friend, I tried to take a picture .... but it's getting too big for the circular needle to get a decent picture that shows off how the pattern is evolving. you'll have to trust me, it's just beautiful !! so, I'm all ready to start week-7 with Wendi tonight !

THANK YOU CHARLIE !!!! I have a new lovely friend from the UK. she posted in Ravelry looking for some Canadian hand-dyed wool. I was able to find some for her from my LYS and contacted her. she asked for one colour in particular, but said she's love a second skein. so I found the one she was looking for, and send her another one I found as a surpirse. Charlie paid me for the one skein, but we agreed to to swap pressies for the 2nd skein. on Tuesday, I received a package from her ..... OH MY GOSH, it's absolutely lovely !!! YarnAddict Yarns presents Merino Lace. the colour is called "fantastique" and is just beautiful, and the wool so soft. I've spend a good part of my spair time going thru patterns to find just the right thing to make. I'll keep everyone posted on what I find.

Busy day, and a lot accomplished

2008-03-02T01:10:00.000-05:00

Cari ~ thanks for your advice. I dropped my knitting machine off to Pat @ Cardinits in Hamilton.

Jen, dinna fash yersel ... I'll be flying on that thing in no time !!!

Spent the afternoon with Wendi, knitting and painting. now painting is not my idea of fun, but we laughed a lot and the job went quickly (there are permanent "remidners" of both of us on the wall). we arrived back at her home to find an awesome dinner being made for us all by her DH ... over all an enjoyable way to spend the day.

got home and DD turned on the Court Jester, while I worked on the socks for my cousin. DD went off to bed after the movie, but I stayed up and eventually finished the socks. the pictures dont do them justice, but I'm really pleased with them !! I think I'll re-make them, using the suggested yarn weight & needles.

Unfortunately, I was sick on Sunday, and spent most of my time sleeping .... so my cousin still doesnt have her socks. I'm aiming for a Wednesday visit, after work.

Wendi to the rescue !!!

2008-02-29T01:05:00.000-05:00

I've two cousins that are currently fighting cancer. the one, seems to be holding her own. the other, unfortunately, doesnt seem to be doing as well. I tried to go visit her in the hospital last weekend, but she was not having a good day, and requested no visitors. my plan is to visit her this weekend, and bring Emmett our current DogGuide-in-Training foster puppy. I'm hoping that a short visit, and the distraction may help brighten my cousin's day.

on Wednesday, it occurred to me, that I had nothing to bring my cousin. flowers die, and I dont know what, if anything, she is eating. I've always had a few finished projects put away for just this occasion, but right now the cupboard is bare ....... so, what do you bring to a person, struggling with an illness, who will be spending her remaining days in a hospital environment ..... hand knitted socks !!!! the only catch is, I didnt have any heavier weight, natural fiber yarn at home, and would have to start them that night, if there is any chance of getting them done by Saturday

Wendi to the rescue ..... I was on-line with Wendi, and she offered some of the yarn from her stash. the same type that she used to make socks for her FIL. so, off I went to Chez Wendi, to grab some wool so that I could get the socks started.

there are TONS of sock patterns available on Ravelry, many of which are very nice, but I wanted a simple pattern, that would knit up quickly ... and I found one, the Gentlemans Sock (dont worry the wool is pink/purple, so it will not be too manly). I'm following the pattern exactly ..... except I'm using DK instead of sock/fingering, therefore had to adjust from recommended 2.5mm to 4mm, therefore had to adjust the number of stitches around for the foot ..... oh yea, and the pattern is top down, but I'm doing them toe-up ..... but other than all that, I'm following the pattern exactly !!

so, to make a long story short (not !!) I've finished about 5" of foot, and I'm really pleased how they are turning out. I think I'm going to make this pattern again, using the suggested yarn-weight, and see how they look when done "properly".

I'm sure everyone has someone in their family that needs an extra prayer ..... please remember my family in your prayers. I'll be doing the same for you !

The Urge to "drop-kick"

2008-02-24T17:16:00.000-05:00

I did get some knitting done last night while watching TV. the new "Knight Rider" was on, not bad for a re-make. it made for an interesting backdrop while working on the Anisette Wrap. I was able to finish 2 pattern repeats before getting to bed at a decent time (for a change)

this is DD's new cat, and my knitting "assistant" BK .... she never seems to be too far away when I have my knitting out. you can see her here, "supervising" while I pin the wrap down to take it's picture. I have to say, the wrap is lovely, but I'm quite disappointed in how the pictures are turning out. they don't do it justice because of how fuzzy the mohair is. maybe next time, I'll try to stretch it more when I pin it out

today is absolutely beautiful out. cold, but the sun is shining and the sky is blue. have some soup simmering in the crockpot, and spent time out with the dogs. we were all in the backyard for a while, so I could gather up some "poop-cicles". then they put their collars & leashes on, and we headed to the park for a good run around. sounds like the perfect day, right ??!!

NOT !!!

well, it was until I decided to fulfill my promise to Jen and see if I could get the knitting machine that I purchased last August up and running. I've tried to cast on, which seems to work, but after the first couple of rows everything seems to jump off. I got out the manual again, dusted it off, and tried to follow the cast-on instructions (and they sound SO easy). same thing happens during both attempts. I found a lady who has some videos on YOUTUBE, and she shows a cast on. so, I head downstairs to give her method a try ... after de-fuzzing the machine, I tried again .... only to this time bend one of the needles. ok, so not I'm really not impressed (hence the urge to drop-kick the machine out the back door !) I suspect that it needs a good cleaning, as I remember when I picked it up the woman saying that it has been sitting for about 5 years or so because her arthritis got too bad to be able to use it ... to make things worse, it's been sitting in my family room since I brought it home and set it up. unfortunately, the operation manual that I got with it says nothing about maintenance except brush out the fuzzies, with a VERY week brush (included). so, off to the internet I go for research. I remove the "sponge bar" and discover that the sponge part is rather compressed in the middle .... my next quest will be to find where I can get a new one, have someone explain an easier way to get the latch hooks out (there has to be a better way than the method I used to take out the bent one), and get the machine cleaned up & oiled and ready to go.

I bought the knitting machine with the thought that it was a good idea, and would expand my knitting ability ..... but right now I'm just trying to figure out "what the heck was I thinking" ??!!

An Evening of Knitting & Total Eclipse of the Moon

2008-02-21T09:10:00.000-05:00

tonight was great ..... Wendi and I had our regular every-other-week meeting with the Burl-Oak Knitting Group from Ravelry at Artisano Bakery Cafe. as always, the company was great, topics were varied and food was excellent. this week was a treat, as it was our first Wednesday meeting. up to now, the group has been meeting on Thursdays, which works for the most part. Wendi's DD has been enjoying her knitting and wanted to join us once in a while, but unfortunately is unable to come on Thursdays due to dance class. we all know that you cant make everyone happy, so we're going to try meeting Wednesday this week, Thursday in 2 weeks, then Wednesday the 2 weeks after that (etc.)

oh my gosh .... it was brutally cold, but the sky was absolutely clear. perfect conditons to watch the total eclipse of the moon ... and it was stunning !!! (this is an actual picture of the eclipse from last nite ... but I didnt photograph it myself, I "borrowed" it from the interent).

after getting home from an enjoyable evening with the ladies, I spent the next couple of hours cataloging my huge stash of craft books, magazines & patterns. I was able to enter all of the ones I worked on into LibraryThing, unfortunately most of them were added manually so there is minimal information and no cover images (yet). I also updated my stash-to-go blog, noting that I have updated my library, for what's available if anyone is interested in buying or trading for what I have.

knitting update:
Civil War Shawl ~ finished week 5 !!!
Anisette Wrap ~ working on pattern repeat 2/18

Family Day .... and Anisette Wrap ~ take 2 ??

2008-02-19T09:04:00.000-05:00

what a lovely long weekend !!! yesterday was Ontario's first "Family Day" ... now, I'm not going to argue about a day home with DD, but there was a bunch of contraversey about how this new holiday was going to work for many union employees. for the most part, I think everything was closed up. DD was a social butterfly, Wendi & her clan came for a visit which gave me a break from my house cleaning. we had a nice visit, and the dogs all had agreat romp together.

I came home Friday evening to DD and her g-friend over for the evening, so I picked up a pizza on the way home. it was a quiet evening of TV and knitting my CWS where I finished week-4, but continued on so that I could catch up to Wendi.

Saturday was dedicated mostly to running errands, but one of the fun bits was a trip to a new LYS ~ The Needle Emporium. (well maybe not new, but it was new to me) OH MY GOSH .... what a packed stash from heaven. I went to find some Handmaiden's Casbah Sock yard for a new friend in the UK, who cant get it over there. (DD was being very strick, reminding me of my HUGE stash at home, and that I really didnt NEED any more ... so I behaved myself) Charlie had posted in Ravelry asking if someone could pick her up some, and I was happy to do it for her. I bought Charlie 2 skeins, one that she wanted and one that's a surprise (I hope she likes it). after spending some time in "heaven", we headed over to see Wendi @ her PakMail store, to package-up Charlie's yarn and get it ready for posting pick-up today.

Sunday was a slower day. puttered around the house, then headed to the mall for a while, for some window shopping and to give our latest Dogguide Foster Puppy, Emmett, some work on open stairs & escallators. planned on a quiet evening infront of the TV, when we got an invite to watch Wendi's DS play hockey .... an offer we couldnt refused, so after dinner up we went to Milton. it was an excellent game, but came to a sad conclusion about my current project the "Anisette Wrap". it was a hard lesson to learn ... dont just look at yarn weight, consider yardage. the Annisette pattern requires 1 or 2 25g balls (depending on if you're makinng the scarf or wrap). no problem, I have 2 50g of the Opal Mist mohair, so there should be plenty ..... NOT !!! unfortunately, what I missed was the pattern used a lace-weight, while I was using a fingering weight, so although my skeins were twice as heavy, they only contained half as much yardage ...... so, that means I do have enough for the scarf, but I'd knitted the wrap width.

now we're back to where this blog started, Family Day Monday. like I've already said, Wendi and her clan came by for a visit. her DD brought her knitting along too (like Mum like Daughter). she was just finishing up a very cute pair of legwarmers for her to wear to dance class. I took her down stairs for a shopping trip to "Della's Wool Emplorium", where we went thru my stash and found some more yarn that she liked for some new/future projects. while we were "shopping", Wendi and her DS were VERY PATIENTLY frogging out my Anisette Wrap (mohair is almost as horrible to frog as it is to knit with). we looked thru my mohair stash together, and found a nice replacement for the original colour, one that I have more than enough of (hopefully). so I spent the evening starting all over again, but I think the wrap is going to be lovely! will keep the original mohair handy, for the scarf version.

3rd snow storm in 3 weeks, but it's not all bad

2008-02-13T20:38:00.000-05:00

well, we're digging out of our 3rd snow storm in as many weeks. I was really good at timing for the last 2 and was able to work from home and avoided most of the ugly associated traffic, unfortunately this one I wasnt quite as lucky. it took me over 90 minutes to drive my usual 20-30 minute drive, and another hour to dig ourselves out this morning. the drive in wasn't great, but could have been worse, and the school busses weren't cancelled this time so DD went off to school

well, because of the storm last night, it was decided not to tackle the highway again to take DD to dance. this made for a nice relaxing evening of a homecooked chicken pot pie dinner, and a night of knitting. I finished the 1st section (rows 1-27) of my mohair Anisette Wrap project. it's really turning out lovely, I cant wait to see how the next section is going to look. Tuesday is also the night when Wendi & I start our next week/section of the Civil War Shawl together. we weren't together in body, but were together in spirit. I stopped at row 74 before calling it a night.

ok .... thru sleet and snow and rain and hale and dark of night etc. ok you know the postman thing .... well he came thru just fine for me. I received a package from my Ravelry World Yarn Swap buddy, Kat in Mississippi. she sent me some beautiful hand dyed yarn from a local shop, and a scarf pattern to go with it. I'm really looking forward to knitting it up. I've never worked with this type of yarn before. It's so soft, and the colours are perfect for me !!! Kat was also thoughtful and sent some "plastic yarn" for DD and included a pattern for a belt or bracelettes. I dont know how Kat knew that red was her favourite colour, but DD was thrilled !!! filling all the spaces was all these wee happy-face candies, that hopefully I can get into before DD gets at them all. Thanks so much Kat .... you made my first swap very special !!

Busy Weekend, with not so much knitting

2008-02-10T20:02:00.000-05:00

well, I finished week-3 of the Civil War Shawl. there was some time of panic when I thought that I was short 2 stitches per repeat ... but fortunately cooler heads prevailed, and thanks to Wendi, I think I'm ok to begin week-4 with her on Tuesday.

I didnt get a chance to wind the skein I wanted, so my entrelac socks are on hold for a bit. I went thru my wound sock yarns and patterns, and decided that I'd do monkey socks next ..... but my heart wasn't in them.

so .... I decided to go thru my stash (of which there is quite a bit) and see if anything struck my fancy. I have a bag of mohair upstairs, that I'd like to trade/sell, so it was the easiest stash to rummage thru. turns out I found a nice shawl pattern that's easy, and doesnt use too much ... so, tonight's cast on is the Anisette Wrap using Opal Mist Mohair by Bouquet. Wish me luck !

socks are done, and a wonderful surprise !!

2008-02-06T17:41:00.000-05:00

well good news, and awesome news .....

Good News ~ Jacobean socks are done, and on my feet. they are too big for DD (gee, that's a shame !!), and a wee bit long in the foot for me because I wanted to co-ordinate the middle of the diamond patter with the heel turn ... but I dont mind, I'm sure they will shrink a wee bit in the wash

Awesome News ~ ok, DD and I have been assigned our 2nd "Chosen Soldier", Cpl Miller. well we sent him off 2 stuffed boxes for Christmas. one to be opened when he got them, full of pre-Christmas tacky, and lots of treat. the 2nd box was marked "no not open until Dec 25" and was more treats and some Christmas pressents. we hadn't heard anything back saything that he's received the parcels, so I was getting worried ... but then DD phones me at work. "were you expecting something from Canada Post?" it's covered with stamps and turns out to be from Kandahar ... OH MY GOSH .... what a wonderful surprise, WE got a pressent. he send us the most beautiful table runner & table cloth, and he couldn't have picked a more perfect colour for our living/dining room area !!! they are almost too beautiful to use, and I'd kill anyone that spilled on them ... so I'll use the table runner for sure (you can see a pic of it on my coffee table), but Wendi suggested that we hang the tablecloth on the wall (it's huge, see half of laying on my chesterfield), as it will look lovely over our chesterfield.

Exhausting week ...

2008-02-01T17:40:00.000-05:00

ok, so far the civil war shawl pattern is addicting. Tuesday evening, while my daughter was at her dance class, Wendi and I started week-2 of the pattern ... I picked it back up when I got home that night, and ended up staying up until past 1:00am to finish my week (and this is not good when my alarm goes off @ 6:00am). the good news is the shawl looks good so far ..... the bad news is I was exhaused all the next day.

Wednesday ~ did a couple of rows of the Jacobean socks during my lunch break at work, and again at night when I got home and tried to relax. my goal was to get to bed at a decent time on Wednesday nite ..... unfortunately my obsessive nature took over, and my desire to turn both heels beat my need to go to bed. so, another late nite, but both heels are done !!

Thursday ~ no knitting, had a hot date instead (ok, not really a HOT date) .... went to a movie and dinner with a g-friend who also fosters guidedog puppies. her hubby is out of town, so we took advantage and had a nice "girl's night". went to see "27 Dresses" and dinner at Montfort. ANOTHER late nite, but lots of fun.

Friday ~ snow storm came today as expected. I called in, and worked from home. I got alot of work done, Kelsey and I watched a "Back To The Future" movie marathon, and I'm hoping to get my Jacobean socks done tonight.

World Yarn Swap & Civil War Shawl

2008-01-27T16:57:00.000-05:00

well, yesterday was a busy day .... knitting wise.

World Yarn Swap ~ I was finally able to find the perfect yarn to send Kat, my swap buddy. I needed a yarn from Canada, but she's allergic to wool ... so that make my search very tough. well, I found the perfect thing ..... it's hand-dyed from Nova Scotia ... I don't want to give any more away, in case she reads my blog ..... but I fell in love with it and I hope she does too. so, it's all packaged up, and ready to go. it should be leaving the Burlington PakMail store on Monday (Wendi ~ thanks for all your packaging help !!)

Civil War KAL ~ after a busy day of errands and mailing packages I settled in for the evening to a pasta dinner and glass of Niagara Merlot ..... and my newly arrived cone of Jaggerspun. it took a couple of cast-on attempts, and the decision to toss the double points and work with circular needles using the "magic loop" method ... but I got the first "section" of the Civil War Shawl done (rnd 29). the wool is just lovely to work with, and so far the pattern is fairly simple. I was able to knit and watch "Pretty Woman" without messing up the pattern.

TA DAA !!!

2008-01-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

oh my gosh !!! it's cast off, blocked, and done !!!! I honestly didnt think this day would come. I stopped by Wendi's house today and saw her Sheltland Shawl. she also finished and blocked hers this weekend. it turned out lovely, and I was so worried about how mine was going to look. when I got home tonight, and settled in, I decided to go downstairs and pull the pins out and see what it was going to look like. to say I'm impressed, and thrilled is an understatment !!! my only complaint is that the pictures dont do justice to how nice the beads sparkle and catch the light.

darn fine job, my first lace project, my first bead project, my first shawl and my first blocking ...... alls well that ends well, I guess :)

special thanks to my daughter for modelling it for me ..... and to Mary @ work, couldn't have done all those beads without your help !!

as an added note .... this shawl was done in hand spun alpaca that I bought at Headwater Wool in Orangeville, Ontario. I believe she imported it in from Europe. if anyone is interested, I have 2 skeins of it left, check out my stash on Ravelry.

side bar ~ the jacobean socks ..... thought about backing them out to the point where I messed the pattern up, but decided to frog them completely and start again. I wasn't even done the 1st pattern repeat, so it wasnt that bad.

Finally !!!

2008-01-19T22:21:00.001-05:00

well, it seemed like the shetland shawl was taking for ever, but I finally finished the edging and cast off this afternoon. it looks silly and small, but hopefully it will survive my first attempt at blocking and come out looking ok. I have to admit, I love how the beads catch the light, and I'm looking forward to seeing it all blocked out nicely.

tonight my daughter was dancing at one of many Robbie Burns dinners this month. seeing as the shawl is done, I brought the Jacobean socks to work on while I was waiting ... did a couple of rounds before I realized that I've completely messed up the pattern. I didnt have the heart to start frogging it there, so I calmly put it away, and will tackle it tomorrow when I have more patience.

World Yarn Swap

2008-01-18T09:56:00.000-05:00

well, yesterday was very exciting .. I joined the "World Yarn Swap" on Ravelry. there was no one left for me to partner with, so I was going to be left out until the next round ... that is until, Kat asked to join in also. as it turns out, we got in just under (ok, maybe a wee bit over the wire) but were accepted and are doing the swap together.

Kat is from Mississippi, and is a fairly new to knitting and Crochetting. she has both dogs and cats, so I think we'll get long just fine !!. we have exchanged a number of e-mails now, and I'm really looking forward to doing this with her.

She doesnt have anything particular from Canada in mind, so I'll check out my LYS and look for something special for her. (dont want to say too much, and give away any secrets, just incase she checks out my blog)

WIP status

shetland shawl ... finished all the pattern repeats I'm going to do, and am on row 7 of the 14 edging rows. then all I have to do is figure out how and where to block it.
jacobean socks ... still working on the first pattern repeat. have been concentrating on the shetland shawl, so that I can get it done by the time the wool for the Civil War Shawl KAL comes in
knitting tote ... for my favourite (and only) MIL. well, I've been really remiss in getting it done. all I have to do is the cording and tassels, but I've been putting it off until we get together and I can give it to her ... think I'll have to take care of that this weekend.
highland argyle socks .... ick !!! absolutley no status update. haven't touched them in months. it's not that they are hard, but with all the different balls of wool hanging off, they are a pain in the arse to knit without getting everything all tangles.

Pay It Forward

2008-01-14T10:22:00.000-05:00

You've may have seen the "Pay It Forward" on a blog here or there, I never had until a short while ago when my friend Wendi, sent me an IM about one. I went and checked it out right away. for some reason, I've was feeling extra alone last night, and finding this exchange is exactly what I needed. just the thought of sending off a surprise to brighten some one's day has put a smile on my face ... I'm so excited about this !!! So, I've commented on her blog, and hopefully someone will comment on mine so that I can continue this good will gesture.

The Pay It Forward Exchange.
It’s based on the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on. So here’s how it works. I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise! What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.I will send to anywhere in the World as long as it doesn't involve space travel ;)

Cheers !!!

Merry Christmas ??

2008-01-13T11:05:00.000-05:00

well, it was for my family last night when we met at my Uncle & Aunt's place for our annual (post) Christmas dinner. My parents stopped by my place first, to meet the newest member of our clan, a cat that had been hit by a car and taken to the vet where my daughter works ..... it didnt have a home, and now it does. then off we went to my Uncle & Aunt's house. my Uncle is my Mum's brother, and I was named after him, so he has always been very special to me.

ok, and here's where the knitting connection comes in ..... I finished their present before I started blogging, so I get to brag about it now. after last Christmas's dinner with them, I really wanted to find something "extra" for them this year .... I went thru all my books and found an absolutely beautiful aran cable afghan. it seemed to take for ever, as it was frogged a couple of times before being completed .... but I'm pleased with the results, and they seemed very happy last nite with it also. it should have been knitted in 3 panels and sewn together, but I hate doing that, so frogged most of it out and started again, on a long circular needle and knitted it all at the same time. my Aunt loves to sit and read, and they have a beautiful cottage with a great glass door over-looking the lake .... it will be perfect to keep her warm while they are relaxing either there or at home.

family is the most important thing to me in the world ... and I've been blessed with a wonderful family (both blood members, and extended/chosen family members).

Welcome 2008 !!!

2008-01-04T11:26:00.000-05:00

Well, I survived Christmas and New Years !!!! WOO HOO !!!! NewYears for us is totally opposite from Christmas. where our Christmas is nice and quiet and relaxing, New Years is bedlam !!! this year there were a dozen teenagers downstairs, friends and neighbours upstairs, and 5 dogs running between the 2 groups and outside. Steel (Hasia's puppy-kitten) was unsure where he fit in, but my daughter's new cat BK ("broken kitty") had no problem coming around to push the dogs out of the way so she could get some attention from all the guests or into the dog food and water dishes.

This year is going to the year of de-cluttering. one day last week I say a dresser I liked on KIJIJI, then a chest of draws, then a headboard. at the urging of my knitting-buddy Wendi, I arranged to purchase all 3 pieces and placed my head/foot board & bedroom set for sale on the same web site. after being on my own for 7 years now, I'm thrilled to finally be replacing the bedroom furniture that I had when I was married. this time it's going to be just mine, and I'm really excited. I picked up the chest of drawers & headboard on Saturday, and they are in place. my head/foot board is sold and delivered. hopefully my bedroom set will be sold in the near future. if all goes well, I'll be picking up my "new" dresser this weekend.

now comes the work ..... cleaning out my closets and old dressers of 30 years worth of clothes. between sweaters from the 80s and hand-me-downs from my Mother-In-Law, I have far too many clothes, most of which I either haven't worn in a coons-age, or shouldn't be wearing (or so I've been told). apparently I also have to get rid of anything that looks like someones Grandmother would be wearing the same thing. so far, I've gone thru my 1980s sweaters and half of one closet ... and have BAGS of stuff for charity.

between Christmas, New Years, recovering from them, playing "musical bedroom furniture" and trying to purge my bedroom there has been almost no time for knitting. even work has been busy, with no lunch time breaks where I can get a few rows in. I'm still trying to get my daughter's socks done, hopefully this weekend as I only have the cuff to finish.

oh ... and seeing as I'm on the topic of knitting, my Friend Wendi found a great knitting club, 2008 Woolgirl Sock Club, that we've both requested to join. Wendi has been accepted, but I'm still waiting to hear. wish me luck !!!

Cheers!

Merry Christmas ~ but so glad it's over !!

2007-12-27T12:01:00.001-05:00

well, I survived another Christmas. as always it was quiet but nice. my daughter and I brought the labs, and headed to my parents for too many presents and an awesome dinner. afterwards we sat downstairs to enjoy a roaring fire, some coffee and open our stockings. this year it was fun because we got stocking hangers that were frames, and put pictures of the 4 of us when we were all young. all in all, a good day !!

Boxing Day meant hitting the mall. this year Kelsey and I went to Erin Mills for a change. it was busy, but not as bad a before Christmas. we both spent some money, I got a couple of sweaters, and Kelsey got some CDs and a DVD. after we got home, we were busy putting away some of the disaster created by Christmas, and then Kelsey headed to her dad's for a few days ... I spend the rest of the evening puttering around, and trying to recover on the couch.

got my felted back done, which turned out great .... the Harris Tweed socks for Kelsey aren't quite done yet, but will try to finish them tonight or tomorrow. I've posted a pic of the bag, but wont post the socks until they are done.

back to work today, but lucky to be able to work ... back in the office tomorrow.

Cheers !

Yoga Mat Bag ~ another Christmas gift done !!

2007-11-21T13:17:00.001-05:00

Yoga Mat Bag
Originally uploaded by knittedpiper

well, I'm very pleased with the way this project turned out !!!

only 2 comments for if I every do another one:
- knit using circule needles so I dont have to sew it together afterwards (I HATE that part)
- dont rely on the pattern ... use the finished product to judge how much cording should be bought for the handles (I bought the 60" as described in the patter, but feel that it should have been a wee bit longer)

hopefully my Mum will get alot of use from it after Christmas, when she goes off to her yoga classes !!!

Happy Birthday and a sad farwell

2007-10-26T18:34:00.001-04:00

well ... it's a day filled with mixed emotions. Today is my good friend's Birthday (happy 30 12), but unfortunately we also said good-bye to my Parent's cat Suzie.

Suzie was a miserable, cranky old puss. she was great with me, until the day I brought my baby girl home in her wee car seat .... from that day on, she hissed at me every chance she got. that being said, she was with my parents for a good 20 years, and was a much loved member of the family. as cranky as she was, complaining first at me bringing my daughter into the family, then when I started bringing my dogs ..... she eventually learned to tolerate my daughter, and ironically looked for my dogs when ever I came to visit (especially Hasia ... who she'd go nose-to-nose with at every opportunity). the strange thing, she never hissed at the dogs, she never hissed at my daughter, but for 16 years she hissed at me every time I came round !!!

Happy Birthday Wendi

R.I.P. Suzie ... God Bless, we'll miss you.

Chosen Soldier ~ touque

2007-10-22T23:26:00.000-04:00

I got my new "chosen soldier" assignment this week, and I"m thrilled. this is my second soldier, and the first one that I'll have for Christmas. one of the suggestions are touques, slippers, etc .... so here's a quick one that I knitted up. if all goes well, my first box will go out to him by the end of the month.

my foster puppy, Maisie, was graceous enough to try to model for me .... but it was kind of difficult to get a nice shot .... so here's a picture of the hat sitting on my piano. hopefully it will look nicer on Cpl Miller.

Celtic Knot Scarf

2007-10-19T09:55:00.000-04:00

here's another gift (to be).

it's knitted in a lovely aran wool, and not only does it look great but it should be nice and warm too. I wont know until Christmas, but I'm sure it's going to be enjoyed !!

Cheers!

Breast Cancer Slipper-Booties

2007-10-18T08:37:00.000-04:00

well this is my first "knitting-related" posting ... and after all, that's what this blog is SUPPOSED to be mostly about.

my friend and neighbour was struck with some bad news a couple of months ago. she went in for a check-up, and a lump was discovered. then the biopsy, and finally the mastectomy. unfortunately, her husband is also going thru some medical issues, so the timing is just brutal. fortunately they have a great care system from their children, and my friend is a very strong & independant woman ... who I know will come thru this just fine.

a couple of years ago, one of my best friends when breast cancer as well. thru her, I learned about the non-medical difficulties that one goes thru when they have cancer .... the loss of hair, and about all the hours sitting around the hospital when you are going thru your tests & treatments. because of her, I started donating up-to-date magazines to the Credit Valley Cancer Centre, participating in runs to support the hospital itself & Cancer Support Services. I also started knitting for my friend. I knit chemo caps, slippers, shawl & lap blankets ... oh and a "falsie".

so, back to this posting, now that you have the history ..... with my friend & neighbour just recently beginning her survival journey, I thought a pair of nice "pink ribbon socks" would be great to knit for her. they turned out lovely, but because I used baby weight yarn and not "sock yarn" they turned out to be more of a slipper/bootie and thicker than a regular sock. I tried them on and they are great. originally the plan was to have a sock with 3 pink ribbons going up the leg, but as they ended up bootie-like, I stopped at just the one.

take a look ... I'm quite pleased with the results. I dropped them off on Friday evening with a jar of home-made organic vegetable & bean soup (and my prayers and good wishes)

More Birthdays ~ Betty & Maisie

2007-10-17T23:54:00.001-04:00

ok, so again this has nothing to do with knitting (or piping), but it is about my dogs. today 2 of my (4 current) dogs are having their birthday.

in August, my daughter adopted Betty, one of our foster puppies that disqualified from the DogGuide program. Betty is a beautiful purebread black lab, that was being trained to be a CVC (Canine Vision Canda) Dog (or seeing eye dog). unfortunately, due to her highstrung nature, she disqualified after almost making it thru the program and only a couple of months from being partnered with a client and graduating. our Betty-Boop has been Kelsey's special puppy, and Kelsey has talked about wanting to adopt her (just in case) ever since Betty was recalled for training. Betty is our first foster puppy to be home for their birthday (until today the only), and she is now 2 years old!!!

Maisie is a chocolate purbreed standard poodle, and my foster puppy. co-incidently, she also shares Betty's birthday of October 17 and the honour of being our 2nd foster puppy to be home on their birthday. Today Maisie turns 1 year old !!!

I love all my puppies ... but today our Betty (Boop) and Maisie (Mutt) are special. Happy Birthday !!!

Happy Sweet 16 to my "Baby Girl"

2007-10-16T14:52:00.001-04:00

well .... this is my first posting, and the perfect day to do it (even though it has nothing specifically to do with knitting).

16 years ago today, at 12:53 am, at the Markham Stouffville Hospital, I was blessed with a 9-lb 10-oz baby girl. 21 3/4 inches long, red hair and light blue/grey eyes. she is still the joy in my life, and my proudest "accomplishment" as I watch her continuing to grow into a beautiful young woman.

I love you "baby girl", and am so proud of you.

love,
Mama