Till Death

SPOILER PICS BELOW!!

You know how sometimes you say, “I did something to my back ...”? Well, I did nothing and it’s not good. After my shower last night, it just started seizing up and I could barely walk. Despite praying to all the gods, the old and the new, this morning was not much better. It was so bad that I was calling in reinforcements to cover Cakes at work, and I especially love my cake shifts, so they knew it was bad. 

My massage therapist is off on her honeymoon so I’m going to be using my next 4 days off to take all the drugs that will not aggravate my ulcer, and sit with a heating pad. Fortunately knitting fits nicely into this plan!! 

I also ordered a footstool that will angle; I think that this will help improve my seated posture. And considering how much I’m seated at home, that will make a massive difference. 

Adorable grandbaby pic so that when I post this to Facebook, the Till Death mittens pic isn’t the first one that you see.  I really do try to maintain the mystery for everyone else 🙂🙂

I am finished Clue 3 on the 1^st mitten!! I love the skeletons! 

They fit just perfectly too! 

So now I’m going to go go work on the 2^nd mitten - so excited to see how my change of green looks. I hope I don’t love it too much or I’ll be tempted to make a 3^rd mitten 😳😂😂

Not sure how much I’ll get done, I’m going to make a medicinal brownie. For my back, not just because I can. 

Not enough to do ...

Slow and rather disappointing start to the day. I shan’t bore you with the details, since the problems have been sorted and the remainder of my day at home was quite nice and fairly productive. 

I got a bit done on my Turtlepurl Wonder Woman socks. I am not used to matching socks, so this is rather a novelty! 

I also need to get a push on as these will be a part of my Wonder Woman costume for Halloween at work.

I am 48 rounds into the 90 rounds that I need on the body of Humulus. 

I just had to use my new Starbucks stitch marker that I got from Fibermancy!!

Because these projects on the needles just doesn’t seem like enough (on top of the Wonder Woman cape that I need for Halloween as well), I have signed on for the Till Death  MKAL  My only saving grace here is that they.are mittens and I should be able to keep up! LOL I’ll have to go stash diving to find a some yarn to knit them with.

Got a bit behind on my 30 Days of Flowers colouring, but I am caught up now - days 6-9. 

All of this therapy, along with the love of puppies, the support of friends, and doing some baking has made a massive improvement to my mood! I have changed what I can today and left alone what I can’t. I’m getting better at that and it makes a difference. 

What the Fade

Spoiler pics below. Though not too spoilery -- I'm back to Clue 1.

OMG - it's been two steps forward and one step back on this and I'm only one Clue in (barely made it into the 2^nd Clue). 

Brioche is a half sibling to Knit One Below and I'm aces at that, yet I keep forgetting incs and having to rip back. 

This is the at the end of CLue 1 -- before I was 10 rows deep into Clue 2 and THEN discovered that I was missing !!2!! Increases!! 

Le Grand Sigh 

I love how brioche is reversible - thewrong side is just a non-public side, whichever one the wearer chooses that to be!

I know - crazy!! At this rate I might be caught up in time for Clue 4.

That is my poor Petey in the pic above. He is suffering from The Allergies. I joked early days when he'd sneeze about him having allergies like his mum. Then when he'd bite and scratch at himself, I thought it might just be mosquito bites. 

Then after a day outside, his paws and belly turned pink, he started scratching and biting in earnest, his eyes and muzzle turned pink ... he was an allergic mess. I am loathe to out him on strong anti-histamine or cortisone, so after much consultation with doggie friends who've gone through this and searching my soul in the reflection of his sad little eyes, I am pursuing natural easements, building up his immune system and I have also changed his diet to raw on the outside chance this is a coincidentally occurring food allergy. 

The Cone of Shame has him quite dispirited, but he still has the gumption to bark at John the Landlord and snap at Chica on occasion, so he is not seriously ill. I have ordered an inflatable neck ring that I hope will keep him from reaching his paws, and also return some of his dignity.

All I can say is that I'm thankful that it's not Chica with The Allergies. She's bitchy enough as it is - lol!!

Oh - looky at what Helen sent me!! New to me yarn. 

Okay. Fortunately I close tomorrow - though I am up early to go get my hair did (yes, something new!!), so I am on a mission to knit back to where I was. 

Fading Away

I forgot to tell you that I finally have a cedar chest!! A friend was selling one since she was moving East, and I didn't even bother to bargain, I paid my $50 and started loading it up. 

The outside shows wear, but it has history, and the inside (where it counts) is pristine. I love it.

Today was a laundry day and I did a few more rows on my Beyond The Wall MKAL  The rows are at a time-consuming length now, but I persevere. 

The 3.75mm circulars were proving too large for the So Faded sweater, so I ripped out and restarted; 3.25mm are the ticket. 

With 8 colours, my first fade would have been before the neck shaping ended, so after a consult with Julie, I finished the neck shaping, then started fading. I have adjusted the row counts on the subsequent colour sections and it's all good.

Except something went awry with the first fade row and I lost the continuity of the single stitch between sections.

 I kept knitting, thinking that it wasn't so horrible, that it was on the back shoulder, no one would see it. Who was I trying to convince? We all know what a perfectionist I am. So that got taken apart and I am much happier now!

This pic is 7 rows into the fade. The colours are so close that it is almost impossible to distinguish them apart. This is going to be the most subtle and awesome fade ever!!! Prism has outdone themselves on this gradient kit. 

Beyond the Wall 2

So the Super Secret Project is a fait accompli, and I jumped straight away into my Beyond the Wall shawl.

I have finished Clue 2 and am headed into 3!! I should be caught up in time for the release of Clue 4 on Sunday. Go me!! 

I made time today to bake a pie using local berries. 

It was delish - the perfect tartness, cinnamon, and sweet. It's not going to last long - it'll be breakfast and snack and lunch ... you get the idea. 

I got new glasses!! Something a little different. 

I'm also trying out multi-focal contacts. I lose some sharpness on both near & far vision, but it affords me flexibility with sunglasses and the mid-range vision is excellent. I think I'll use them for beach days and sports. 

Beyond the Wall - spoilers

I took a couple hours out of the deadline knitting and did Clue 1 of the Beyond the Wall MKAL  So glad I did! It's a nice change-up. I went with alternating balls of yarn, and the bobbles. When I do a MKAL, I like to do the pattern that the designer envisioned, so while alternating balls of yarn is not my fave thing to do, and I love letting yarn pool as it will, this is the path that I've set myself upon. 

Okay. To work, then two more days of my chosen work. 

Starting Point - spoiler pics

I really love having my two days off in a row. Day 1 is always errand day - shops, appointments, cleaning. Day 2 is my day of home, knitting, relaxing. It is my ritual, I look forward to it, I need it. 

My Starting Point shawl is done!! I finished all the ends and laid it outside to block; it fit perfectly on my little back deck. It blocked out gently to 71cm x 203cm (28" x 80"). A generous stole, and if I knit another I could join them for a blanket. I love it; I has an intriguing construction with a pleasing symmetrical geometry.

 

   

 

I also finished the 3^rd part of my Chatelaine X garden mandala. The Algerian eyelets were the finishing touch and all 4 corners are now complete.

 The charts for the 4^th part are taped together and I'm ready to make 100's of tiny x's!!  

Happy Mail Day!! Jimmy Beans pkg arrived with the Lorna's Laces Solemat  that I ordered for the Beyond the Wall MKAL  The colours are brighter and less grey than the online pic. My fingers are almost twitching with excitement!!!

 The puppies are playing outside, no rabbit-chasing whinging to be heard, while the salmon that I planked is on the grill. It's been awhile since I've made salmon, the smell of it is so enticing. 

 I've powered through OITNB today -- how am I supposed to get along until season 6!!?? I am imaging storyline after storyline in my head. 

The Handmaid's Tale will see me through my evenings stitching. 

Have I mentioned how much I love my android box? An introverts best friend this! ☺️☺️

 Oh, I found this tiny robins egg shell on my driveway this morning.  

It made me happy, like seeing deer and rainbows. I know, I'm a bit simple, but my heart is pleased. 

Sunday

Nothing planned today so we watched the French Open final, then headed out to Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary  I follow them on Facebook and Instagram, and I've been wanting to go see the dogs for awhile. 

You know that feeling you get when you know you want another child? Yeah. I wasn't sure if I wanted to fall in love or not, but it was a lovely day to visit dogs. 

I didn't fall in love, but these two caught my eye. I'll think on it and maybe go back for a visit. 

 

 

Craig had his serious face on. 

 

I am making progress on my last Clue of the Starting Point MKAL. I love my colour #2, Sin. It's so bright and I love it! 

 

We went to see Wonder Woman this aft. I'm not usually one given to emotions when watching films, but when Wonder Woman ran across No Man's Land, hit her mark and crouched into her power stance, fending off a barrage of bullets with her shield, I got struck with some feels. 

I love a movie with a strong female lead, and this one goes to the head of the class. Though Kill Bill is still a strong fave. 

I started knitting on my sock but I couldn't keep track of 2x2 ribbing 🙄 and there were mistakes. I knit the tail into the fabric 

 And something wonky happened here.  

So I just watched the movie. Sigh. 

The new kobo is fantastic! The balance of it in hand makes the larger screen a total win. The yellow-tinted night-mode lighting is a noticeable upgrade and my eyes are grateful. 

Settling in now for an easy evening, making some visible progress on the shawl.  

The End is in Sight

I've been knitting away! This is a massive shawl. Granted, I haven't been as diligent as I could've been, but it's been quite a lot of knitting. But I'm doing the I-cord cast off today!!!

 

 I deliberated probably longer than I needed to about what colour to use; I went with Wish, colour B. 

I am excited to be finishing; not just so that I can block and wear it, but so that I can get back to Sorrento.

 

 I'm into the front ribbing shaping and it's enough to keep me knitting to the next increase. I know, but it's the simple pleasures that are truly what I enjoy in my knitting. There is a lot of "At The Same Time" going on here ... def keeps a knitter sharp. 

That's kind of it. Working, puppies, family keeping me busy. Chica really is a fan of Craig; she'll generally sidle up to him and pour on the charm (seriously - kissing on him!!) when she wants to play. 

 

 

I really do have to get back into my flute practice. I've neglected it lately, but I miss it. It gives me a singular pleasure that I need to give back to myself. 

Linen Challenge

So then this happened. 

 Yeah. 85% of this Studio Linen is recycle rayon linen which is what gives the yarn a lovely sheen and drape right off the ball. This means I really can't just toss the balls in my knitting bag and go. Well, I can, but this is the result. YMMV

This was good opportunity to just zen out and untangle something. I feel like I've got choices and decisions to be made all around me and this was something that I could just do. It felt good to make it neat again, and then, lesson learned, bagged.

 

 

So ... I'm still working on a colourway for my Building Blocks MKAL  Clearly, having more choices was not a valid strategy in making this process easier. I keep looking at my Bag of Loveliness and then just sighing and thinking.  One of these skeins was a raok gift and I'm having a hard time deciding whether or not to use it in this project. It might end up a sentimental favourite in my stash. 

It's definitely cooling off, but I've not lit the furnace yet. I did plug in the electric fireplace to take the chill off of my feet. I'd likely have it going even if the furnace was running, it's not for overall room heating. And the puppies love it!! 

 

Treats

So on this, the day before my 47^th natal celebration, Craig and I set off for The Needle Emporium. Truly, where else would I find the perfect gift for myself?!?

 

 Another beautiful day for a road trip, even with a decided chill in the morning air. 

My mission to Julie's was to make sure I had a proper

selection of Hedgehog fibres Skinny Sock to make a final decision on my colourway for the Westknits Building Blocks MKAL  I was more than successful! I also picked up the latest Rowan magazine. 

On the way back we veered off of the highway since traffic into Toronto was nuts - concerts & sporting events galore - and I remembered how much I love a Krispy Kreme donut. And since it was on the back way home, and the Magic 8 Ball concurred, we stopped in. It was more processed sugar than we usually eat in an entire month, but it was so totally delicious!! Craig had a simple glazed, but I went with a salted caramel, and a lemon filled. It's my pre-birthday, I shouldn't have to make the hard choices. 

Then there was groceries and home. Since we were making this a cheat day, it was manicotti with a homemade pasta sauce. 

I am now defrosting the freezer to make room for all of the yummy things that I'm making tomorrow. Planning and meal prep is key to any kind of diet plan and having only a 1/2 hour lunch with no easy access to other food. 

I am getting ready to cast on my next project:

 Sorrento from The Studio Linen Collection by Erika Knight. 

I am having a lovely day, and looking forward to another one tomorrow!

Mittens, Take Two

A busy week, but I finally remembered to make the time to stop at True North Yarn Co to pick out yarn for my cousins mittens.



Without further ado, I cast on for them after dinner tonight. I'm feeling much more optimistic about these ones!!

I have also made fine progress on my 2^nd Stitch Surfers. Just finished the heel shaping.



Tomorrow a new clue comes out on the Vanessa Ives MKAL - can't wait to see what's next!!

Busy, busy, busy!!

Its Thanksgiving weekend this weekend; I have my son and his girlfriend coming, as well as my dad and his lady friend. I will be cooking all of the things!!

I'm back to work 1/2 days next week. It will be bittersweet. Almost 6 years; I've made a lot of friends and while I am excited about my new opportunity, there are a lot of people that I will miss at The Mighty Mart of Wal!!
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Location:Tree Top St,Essa,Canada

Vanessa Ives

A fairly easy clue to get started on the Vanessa Ives MKAL. I decided to alternate to colours of the beads in sections as the beads are placed on stitches individually rather than strung onto the working yarn and knit in. It's a lot more challenging to be random with two colours than you might imagine.











I am very pleased with it so far. I am using a 1mm crochet hook to place the beads on the stitches, and the 3.5mm hook to make the nupps.


It is interesting that the lighter colored beads have a consistently larger inner hole and are more easily slid onto the stitch. The darker beads are hit & miss if I can even get them into the hook, and then it's a struggle to slide them down. This despite them both being 6/0 beads.

The Denise 2 Go needles are working perfectly for this project. The cables straighten out nicely in hot water, and the kit comes with a joiner, so I've been able to lengthen my cord enough to continue working.
The join - that's seriously one of the top considerations in a chiding a circular needle. It is not nearly as smooth as the Addi's, but while there is a unevenness at the join, it is not overly bothersome. It doesn't impede and backlog the movement of stitches the way I have found on lesser quality needles.

I am nearly at the ribbing of my Stitch Surfers!!! I am impressed - though I generally require instep shaping, they fit very well without it.


Can't wait to finish and get on with the second sock!!

I've been on a winning streak on the interwebs as well!!
I won the Skagway pattern set from TanisKnits and a Halloween bag, stitch marker and yarn from CraftsOMatic!!!

Three more days until I check in with my surgeon. I am excited. I have felt well today, and hoping that a few more restful days stress-free is just too much to ask for will give me allowance to increase my activity levels.

The incision site that was giving me some trouble is healing well. The slough skin is mostly gone; the pink skin is closing over. It's still tender, but it's getting better.


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