Day of Rest

How could I have forgotten to brag about my little interior decorator who built my discount fireplace?? I need to empty a bookshelf in order to shift it enough to plug in the fireplace where I'd like it to be, but it's portable enough to slide to another outlet for now.


It throws the perfect (adjustable) heat at floor level, especially since it's almost always my feet that are cold.
It also operates without heat, so will be just perfect for romantic snuggles on the floor with my puppies.

And I am really the last person to know about this creamy, perfectly cinnamony and brown sugary deliciousness?!?


I could eat it with a spoon!!

Today was a gorgeous day! I went outside with the dogs and truly intended to knit. I had the stereo turned up, perfect outdoor knitting, - garter stitch strip - and then the T3's kicked in at the same time as the sun became drowsily warm. I just let my head loll back and relaxed.


The puppies didn't argue.









I brought us in before anyone got burnt, and after everyone took in water we went for a walk.
I'm swear I'm going to buy a harness for Toby; he's so strong that his pulling when I walk him takes all of the pleasure out of it.

Toby misses his main human. He loves the puppies & I, but we aren't Lee. Toby spent a good while keeping watch for Lee's return.


It was both sad and heartwarming.

I knit, finished Breaking Bad, grilled salmon for dinner. The puppies had some fun digging while I ate!






It's been a decent day pain-wise, for which I am grateful. Now - back to my knitting :)



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Romi Mystery Shawl Spoiler

Friday was a struggle, but that's alright. By the end of the day I chose to not take any Rx, clear my head and body a bit. I worked some on Romi's Mystery Shawl. I'm not sure about the colour. it's lighter IRL


A darker colour will get worked in later on (this is Clue 2 of 5). It just seems quite pastel. I know, but like baby pastel. I'm keeping on knitting as I'm hoping that the darker colour will help some of the coloured bits in the the Dream in Color Smooshy pop. But I am reserving final judgement and might still use the lighter Wollmeise


(on the far right in the pic).

I slept for 12 hours. Between the constant pain (in varying degrees), and the drugs, my body is exhausted. My choice today has been to accept the pain. Easier when I can just relax (kind of) and knit through it. Not having to deal with people makes it easier to bear as well.

Still working with the hand-pleasing Loft from Brooklyn Tweed. Secret Project. You know.

Enjoying, as ever, the garter stitch. Especially in the variegated CEY Liberty Wool.


I do like the redo better; the colours seem to lay nicer. I know, sounds crazy, but there it is.

Amanda came over for a couple of days to hell with the puppies & Toby. Lee went on an impromptu drive to Boston. He misses the sea.





Don't worry, I explained about Oceans & Seas ... Amanda & I coloured (I bought her her own Enchanted Forest and colouring pencils) and had a lovely time. I should have taken a pic of her colouring - we have very different styles. She walked dogs and fetched bagels - a good daughter.

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Still Knitting

It's been too long, I know. I've been busy with work and family (the good and the bad) and there is always knitting!
So I did finish Elise's sock. Much better on 3mm needles.

I finished the two toddler projects for Julie. Blue Sky Alpacas Cameron Hoodie and the Beatrice Top. Easy knitting and well written instructions.

I'm in the midst of the Amalfi Poncho right now. I am using the suggested Classic Elite Liberty Wool Print, col #7840, Middle Earth and #7845, Spark.

 

 
 
 Again with the easy knitting. I love the cabled projects but getting back to basics is always a pleasure as well. I try to find a fairly matching colour section when I have to move into a new ball and I use a spit splice so the continuity is maintained (and fewer ends to sew in!!).

I didn't give much thought to the last bit of the funnel neck which gets seamed to the beginning until I was ready to cast off the neck stitches. No matter how you stack it, it wasn't going to look a bit right. It might not bother some but I could feel the hives waiting to break out if I didn't sort this.


I'm also not generally one for knitting in my ends. I know, but I prefer to sew them in after. That being said, I am knitting them in on this project. It seems (no pun intended - groan) to be finishing up well.






There - all caught up on the knitting.

The Misfits finished our regular baseball season without adding any more wins to the column but I pitched great, hit well and had a fantastic time!! Our whole team improved and we really started to play well together. Learning each others  strengths and foibles, making the most of our assets and helping cover each other in the field. We play our year-end tourney in two weeks and I'm looking forward to it but I'll be sad to have it end for another year.

Progress

Mitten Mania '10 continues - Amanda loves this striped pair the best. I can tell because when we went out she tried not to take them off, to the point of turning magazine pages with them on at Chapters!! That truly makes it all worth it. I think that the Yarn Pirate mittens will be next.

I've been fighting off a cold for the last week, I'm feeling like I'm finally getting the better of it today. Still with the tight cough but the useless exhaustion is pretty much gone. PHEW!!





I finished the Classic Elite Molly scarf and started on the Elizabeth sweater. I know - that is a circular needle!! The sweater is done side to side and I really don't like changing from straights to circulars mid-project, it can really affect your tension so I'm rediscovering my circular needle skills.






The old Beaumark vacuum that I've had for about 20 years has finally given up the ghost. Mucking with it for 10-15 minutes to get it to start is a serious waste of knitting time & when I need it the most I'm afraid that it will not start at all. I've been wanting a Dyson for awhile & I totally got it at the right time - Future Shop had them on sale for $449 (sale runs until the 27th) so I price matched that at The Mighty Mart of Wal so that I could get my discount on top of the sale price. I ended up saving almost $200!!! I did a quick test run with it on the upstairs hallway and OMG - the amount of dust/dirt that it picked up!! Amanda just vacuumed on Tuesday and while she is not the most thorough she's not incompetent!!

I am almost excited to go for treatment on Wednesday - it's my last one!!! Then I've got almost 3 weeks of before I go down to Sunnybrook Hospital for my tattoo - it's a tiny little dot that marks where they need to aim the radiation. Seriously - aim for the scar dude!! It's a specialty tattoo that very few hospitals do. No worries though - I've set up a ride so it will be me knitting all the way there & back!! Then it will be 6.5 weeks of radiation every weekday, but the visits will be very short.
I'm feeling pretty good - tired still and there is a new thing; my eyes just won't stop watering!! It's annoying enough just sitting still, walking around inside creates enough breeze to make it worse and if I go outside ... tears streaming down my face!! I walk around stores dabbing at my eyes with Kleenex and I can see people looking at me like they want to ask if I'm okay but mercifully (or maybe it's a bit sad) they don't.

Takin' it Easy

Just ribbin' along - 2 x 2, 2.75mm needles, 248 sts. Don't feel too sad for me, it's Windy Valley Muskox Majestic Blend for a re-design and totally feels like way more than 15% musk ox!! This is challenging my mental faculties (especially at the moment) - there is shaping and I'll have to sort out the math for 2 sizes in addition to the sample, and my organizational skills ... no winging the pattern, I am taking notes!!

I started on the Molly scarf - it's fun!! I love the way that the CE Liberty Wool get a bit mottled in between the colour changes, it makes for a nice transition. I'm knitting back backwards on the short rows; I think that I'm getting good enough at it that it's quicker than doing so much turning. Give it a go - it has a learning curve and is a bit awkward at first but it's worth persevering. I'll see if Amanda wants to record me doing it & I'll post it.












My legs are deeply achy today. Not quite at excruciating but definitely wicked. There are occasional stabs in my forearms and elbows but mostly it's leaving my essentials alone. Still, I'll be calling the oncology clinic tomorrow to see if they can bump up the Arthrotec or hit me up with something that, if it won't make the pain go away will make me not care so much if it hurts.
It's snowing again but it's the weekend - Kerwyn can be on shoveling duty if he wants to go anywhere and the kids are good. I need to remember to keep up on my management skills - I'd hate to go back to The Mighty Mart of Wal all rusty!! LOL

Good Things Come ...

... to those who wait.

I'm definitely feeling the effects of the anemia more - another day spent in bed after clearing off the sidewalk. I just feel tired & winded but fortunately, after years of wishing that knitting was more aerobic I am grateful that it is not!! OMG - I can't believe how much snow that we got this week - 3 snow days and one day where they actually closed Amanda's school (it takes a lot to close a walking school!!). I paced myself and Amanda & her friends were an excellent help, but I really am quite over the snow already.

I finished the Multi-directional scarf - I don't know who it's for. It may just be a DKC Knitting for the Cure scarf!
I also got around to knitting up these little wristlets that were a gift (don't even ask how long ago!!) but they were a perfect little knit that brought the gifter close to my heart when I needed it. They were such a fast knit - DK weight yarn and 6/0 beads (of which I have quite a stash!!
I also finished the socks for Elise - they'll be in the mail tomorrow.

The Mailman brought my KnitPicks prize - Amanda will have another pair of mittens soon! The book will make for some lovely eye candy.

I also got my next projects from Julie - she knows how much I love variegated yarn and I get to use the lovely CE Liberty Wool to knit up the Molly scarf & Elizabeth cardigan.