Finally!!!

It took over 5 months (yes, that's a horrible new record for me) but there were things - messing up cables at the beginning, circular needles, not sure if the fuzziness of the alpaca was right for the pattern (my issue - Beth loved it from the get-go), seasonal insanity at work and issues with the sleeve length and wrist size that hampered smooth and expeditious progress. Good things come to those who wait though and Beth has a cozy sweater perfect for the cold days that still plague Ontario!!

I have been working on a few small projects for Caroline of Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts.
Lovely Leaves Fingerless Gloves

Orenburg Rhapsody

The Honeycomb Mobius Cowl is on the needles. Fun and quick designs paired with lovely yarn that is so rich with colour. Check her out!!

Lee has set up a fish tank at his.

Jake loves it and helped to pick out a fish for me (I couldn't make the fishing trip); Lenny (a red-tailed shark) is hiding in there somewhere!




I love my Kobo Glo and finally bought some "accessories" for it.I'm actually returning the hardcover Clockwork Orange; it doesn't stay closed with the Glo is inside.


Hopefully Spring is truly on the way after this last blast from Old Man Winter. There was ice on all the surfaces but fortunately the roads were salted and not a Yes, I *could* go out and walk/run in the winter but I don't do cold.

I can't wait to be able to get out and get fit for the baseball season!
 

Bring it On!!!

Can you even believe that it's November already? No matter, I'm totally ready for whatever it has to throw at me.

I finished the RF of China Clouds!!! Just in time to decide about NaKniSweMo. I was torn - I'm not one to take a challenge lightly and I want to choose a sweater that would be challenging for me but I also am committed to finishing China Clouds, sooner rather than later. And the back of China Clouds is no small task so I've decided that I am going to do On The Easy Side from Knit One Below for which I over dyed some Koigu Kersti specially and have it laid out in knitting order. I sorted it so that the lighter skeins are going to be on the sleeves with the darker/richer colours in the body. I'm going to cast on as soon as I'm done posting this.




I also finished my Sweet Spot strip out of the yarn that I dyed at Shelridge Farm. Mine is on the left, the Creatively Dyed strip is on the right. It was a fun day that is memorialized in yarn!! I don't know what yarn I'll swatch up next - maybe I'll leave it to The People. Y'all did an excellent job picking a hair colour!

The new sleeping pills are the bomb but I have to make sure to take them early enough/go to bed early enough the night before if I've got AM plans because it takes me a bit to crawl out from under that hammer! Not complaining, just saying.

Oh - a winter picture for Elise. I'm not sure that she'll actually get to feel Canadian snow before she heads for her European home so this picture will have to play a good 2^nd fiddle.

First Day of Real Snow

While the first day of winter isn't actually until December 21^st (seems kind of late to me ...) Old Man Winter couldn't wait to get the party started!!

I've not got much else to share - I've been going hard on Elise's socks so that she can have them before she goes back to her European home. I'm heading down to The Purple Purl tonight for the Knitty Round Table - it's a ton of fun & I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm glad that I gapped on some appts and had a day in yesterday. I'm going to have to start pacing myself; I am definitely feeling more tired than before. A small trade off but I'm going to have to start realizing new limits & working within some new boundaries. Yeah, it won't be easy - y'all know what a busy little bee I like to be.

Here's the picture of me at the Look Good Feel Better program - the volunteer helping me is Karen (or maybe Lynne ... I didn't write it down & now don't remember). A rose by any other name ... she was awesome & is a 2-time survivor herself!! We all came away with box of skin care & cosmetics from excellent companies - MAC, Cover Girl, Anna Sui, Mary Kay and a whack of others!!! I'm still not a massive make up girl but it was very interesting, Amanda had fun and the skin care stuff is excellent - I'm drying up!!

Oh - and ask away Roz!! If there is any intarsia type question that I can answer I will. I'll even try for pics and/or video if necessary!!

Winter Pics

This one is for elisabetha.

I really love how a real snowfall, laying a thick, soft blanket over everything changes the world! It's beautiful for the eyes and a treat for the ears. Not quite soundproofing, it's like a dampening field. All of the regular sounds are there - traffic, target practice on the rifle range on base, dogs barking - but they're muffled, not quite complete and there is utterly no echo. It's enchanting.

These little red birds (I'm no ornithologist!!) love whatever kind of berries are on this tree in our front yard. They look like some kind of cherries (the berries, not the birds!).

Of course it's not all pretty. The amount of snow that falls has a direct & proven co-relation to the foolhardy driving decisions of wanna-be men. This young man was heading into the corner way too fast to have a chance. I'm sure that his embarrassment (this happened right behind his high school) will probably be more punishment than his parents will be handing down when they find out - I can't imagine that the hood or fender is coming away completely intact!