February 29th - end of Reno phase 1

hee hee - just waiting for the floor to dry, one more vacuuming and my living room and office/den/spare room are mine again.
Thank you Keith - I would post pictures, but the aforementioned camera cable is still awol.
On the yarn front - Robyn very graciously helped me spend some more money before my self imposed deadline and if the weather improves, my MOTHER may make me break it as she wants to take me to a real wool farm/store near their place. It would be rude not to buy more.
What else is going on - scarf is puttering - thinking of enlarging keyhole part as it is for a 6 year 10 month old (only second time ever she was really 10 months old!!!) That involves ripping about 20 rows - so it may not happen.
Definitely contemplating ripping the sister's afghan. love it, but it doesn't seem right - the starting square of course, not the two others. We will see.
I bought and paid for tickets to Florida for big gurl's birthday. No turning back now - Last week of April - we are there. I'm not telling them until absolutely necessary. I bet you understand.
My coffee swap prize arrived today - well yesterday, but had to sign for it, so picked it up today. Thank you Annemarie - lovely blue yarns and cards and notebook and I think the smelly sachet is going to help clear up one of less positively odoured rooms. I will post pics as previously stated just as soon as possible.
We are snowed in a little - supposed to go to parents tonight, but very snowy and the roads around their place are just deadly. For my sake, please pray that we can go tomorrow as my 2 year old cried when we turned on our street and kicked at me, when I tried to get her out of the car - we hadn't even packed at this point.
I though the little ones didn't have long term memories?
Not my luck, that's for sure.
Talk to you later.

I'm NOT tired...

...instant headache to a tired parent's ears. I haven't handled it well. Especially since she riled up the little gurl who then wouldn't go to bed without a tantrum. About on a par with this from an angry child.
And that is whom I am knitting a scarf for? Ungrateful ...
How do your Monday's go? Generally speaking I am strange in that I enjoy Monday's because it is the point where the gurlz and I are at loggerheads anyways and we could use a short break from each other. Currently it also has the added factor of the inability to use a portion of my home the way I want to, so I am eager to leave.
Mine go fairly well until about 7:55 am or whenever I open the front door. Seriously. It's like you turn a switch on the big gurl and suddenly she is soooooo tired and just wants to sleep and her head hurts and her pants don't fit.
Quote of the day from yesterday (from same gurl)
I wish school was only on Wednesdays.
She's only 6 years, 10 months folks. Do you think there might be some heavy disappointment in this young gurl's life? I went to school for 20 years (21 if you count the half years).
On the knitting front - the scarf is a little further, keyhole thing done and heading for the next set of pop sticks. Sis's afghan got some attention last night, but after reading Yarn Harlot's post on the importance of 'casting off' and reinforcing, it may be headed to the frog pond. I hate doing a bind off or seam when it is just as easy to continue knitting. The shape may not hold. Arrgghh.
What about pictures you say? I am really not in the mood, but maybe I will. Give me a moment.
(45 minutes later of which 15 were spent ripping the room apart without harming anyone)
AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHH
Did you hear the screaming???????????????
Well, since I had my camera out and a pretty set up to lay my yarn on, I decided to take some pictures for ravelry re yarn and projects - took 40 of yarn and 4 project photos to post here and... I CAN'T FIND THE CAMERA CABLE.
No place. No how.
Angry now.
Calm ....what calms a knitter.
Need to cast on a pair of Momma Monkey socks, see here for details.
I think that will be easier than posting pictures today. Sorry.

One last thing. As of March 1st I cannot purchase more yarn for some time. I mean I took 40 pictures of yarn, and I didn't even touch the sock yarn or afghan yarn or sweater yarn or 20 years of stash yarn...or the package coming from this sale. I can see 40 more skeins and I know there are about 100 not in view. (all with specific projects and purpose in mind of course)

So I hereby state that no yarn - not even sock yarn - will be bought until June 30th, 2008.

Except for Noro Silk Garden - for Lizard Ridge (of course the only way to find that yarn is to go into quality yarn shoppes). This includes all yarn not paid for before February 29th, 2008. (cause I have two sock clubs that have been paid for but will continue to arrive after that date) and cause I may need something yet this week.
This may be really hard. If I destash I can replace right?
Sorry Angela and Robyn, it's definitely not personal. Please readers, if you are not on a yarn diet, go shopping in their shops cause they have some great stuff.
I need to go spend some money.

Knitting stuff..

So I received my February sock Kit from Robyn's Nest on Wednesday. Big gurl immediately wanted the yarn. As it didn't speak to me of socks, I said okay and went pattern looking on Thursday. Found one on Fricknits - by Stitch Marker and bought it on ravelry. The Pop Scarf. It is currently over half done and well, I need to sleep, cause the little gurl gets up early. Otherwise I would not have stopped.
I also picked up her Mabel scarf pattern and then at Emily's blog (Not another Knit blog) I snagged the cute pattern there.
The afghan for sister is at a debate point, I want to cast on my Firestarter's again, I could make another block for Lizard Ridge, there is the baby blanket and sweater that should have been finished for little gurl and the booties for little Becca, my Moeibus Ring, and at least one other project.
I want to cast on for a sweet little kitty I saw - well somewhere, and my Dashing need finishing and there are those other fingerless mitts and...
Somebody has to do the housework though and although Keith cleans up after himself, he doesn't do dishes or laundry.
I hope to post pics tomorrow.
For not to sleep. perchance to dream...

FO and a PACKAGE

FO - my hat is done!!!

Here it is - please ignore the person in the photo, the gurlz were asleep and unavailable for modeling.

Koolhaas, from IK Holiday Knits 2007

Malabrigo Worsted in ... purple - just over half the skein.

It fits me, Mom, and both the gurlz. I am thinking of trying it with a slightly thicker yarn and a needle size up. Or adding the additional 8 rows for the mens size. We will see.

I LOVE THIS PATTERN. It took me from Tuesday night until Saturday - when I wove in the ends. Would have been less, but I cabled wrong in two spots.

Denise of Nanaknits is the winner (cause she got it right away). Now I get to send her some yarn and other special stuff.

My Hot Cocoa Swap package arrived. My little buddy too - a fortune kitty, sporting cute medallions that match my new stitch markers.

There was Hot Cocoa - organic with no dairy included. Am thinking tomorrow night to drink some of that. 2 dark chocolate cadbury bars - one with nuts and one fruit and nuts. Only one is left. Dark Cadbury eggs - I may share with the gurlz, we will see. Marisol yarn - Miske, 100% baby Llama. This stuff is super soft and love the blue green colour. Stitch markers - beside the can of Cocoa - lovely cloisinne with a medallion or symbol on them. And of course the Blah Buster Buddy - a purple kittly with a sweet bright fish. Here is Madeline (named by big gurl) hanging out on the big table saw and surveying the renovation debris.

And here she is in my dirty front window, sitting on the super wide ledge. Around her neck there are two little medals (which likely mean something) and then there is her sweet little fish. Thank you Emily.

Have a great week.

Some knitting and painting

So, we have a lot of snow today - enough that I should have shovelled the drive, but it might melt tomorrow. Valentine's day is tomorrow. I have 2 valentines - the sweetest purest kind. Love my card from little gurl (took it home early today). Big gurl is all gaga that she has one for me. Love my gurlz.
Knitting - the sister's afghan is on hold as the dpn's are currently in my new WIP - a hat. Can you guess which one? I'll send a prize to whomever picks the right one. It may involve some of the excessive yarn I have. (if more than one person is correct, I could send more than one prize - you have until Saturday to guess!!) Anyways, I am loving it and well maybe the afghan will be done a little later.
My Hot Cocoa Swap partner got her package. Go here to see. Isn't Red Maple the sweetest thing? I had a hard time getting that one out of the house, believe me.
On the paint front, I have a lovely Evening Light room and the office/den is going to be Slightly Taupe (with a rather pink tinge). They will do and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (and in the rooms). I have a short list of items to pick up yet, and hope to do it this weekend.
Happy figuring.

It's Monday - hey ho

Yep - it's a cold blustery Monday. Work, was well work and I remembered to pick up 96 Valentine's cards for the gurlz to send to their school and daycare mates. Fun Wow.

Yesterday, we visited Grandma and while there I started Block 2 for my Lizard Ridge. It's done now. I have another skein of Silk Garden and then I figure with the leftovers from the skeins, I can make a fourth. Wow - that's like 1/6 of the necessary blocks. Kind of seems possible.

On the sister's afghan front - I had a 12 inch square last night - and now I have a large pull ball again. First of all the rosewood dpn's are a dream to knit with and when they were too short, my addi turbo fit right in. I was winging it on the square and it turned out too busy - would have made a really cute hat, but sucked as an afghan block. So I did the fearless thing and ripped it to start again.

Really craving a sweet hat, that covers my ears. trying to figure out ways to fix my current handknit, without frogging and starting over. So far batting zero. Maybe I will go cast one on with ...

Renos update - I need to pick paint colours. I know they will be light shades, but that is it for the decision making process. I am thinking Blue Opal for the living room and a mocha or biscotti for the office. Hate making decisions. Need to try to get on my way early, so I can pick it up and get it to Keith. We'll see.

All my parcels, except the coffee swap prize have arrived. Makes me a happy gurl again. Too much yarn in this room though - Mom is going to freak when she sees it. Maybe I can hide it under my bed...
Does anyone know why blogger doesn't spell check anymore????

CRACK....

ing under the stress and strain of renovations. Seriously. My work life right now is fabulous - nothing piled up excessively - I spent most of the last few days cleaning up filing and helping out my partner in non-resident taxation. He has a fun job in that anyone who comes to the Niagara Region to work (perform) and is a non-resident and doesn't want to pay us taxes (15%) has to apply to him for a waiver. He's seen paperwork on them all, and I got a chance to play with some of it and in fact make decisions. If only the granting of a waiver could be done with a free ticket exchange to some of my favourite artists - speaking of artists, I bought a new CD today. My Hot Cocoa Swap partner stated she really enjoys Feist and I heard this song from her the other day (1234). Since the Grammy's recently happened (I think) there was a compilation CD out, so I bought it. It has that song and a bunch I don't know and then a whole bunch I enjoy. That was fun. Even more fun though - I bought myself a new mattress set - FINALLY - bought one with my own hard earned money (err credit). ALL for MEEEEEE!!! And it was on for like 50+% off because it is the floor model and then she took another $50 off because there was a 'mark' on the cover - like I'm not going to put sheets on it???? Thank you so much Josie!!! It even comes with a bonus offer - which I am rethinking - I don't have an ipod so why get something with a docking station - I am going to ask for the sweet 'iron look headboard' or the top quality pillows instead. (I went to Sears, cause big gurl was complaining her snow pants were too tight and I did pick some up, but she doesn't want to try them on)
And then I went over to the new LYS in the area - I'm sorry Jack for messing this up, but I know it is at J&J's Florist and I think it was called Rose's fine yarns. (there is the yarn shoppe, a flower shoppe, antique shoppe, gift shoppe - thank goodness I was on time constraint, or I woulh have had to return the mattress set). Anywyas, I needed 5mm dpn and I have already checked Zellers, Walmart and Michaels - they don't have what I want. The lovely yarn store assistant was very helpful and we had picked some sweet bamboo ones and then we were debating the attributes of fine yarns (uhm Noro Silk Garden and Kureyon) and bam - right there - one set of 5 mm dpns in lovely Rosewood. I put the bamboo back - price difference was negligible (put me in a happy place - right up there with the lovely mattress set). I also picked up some lovely Noro Silk Garden - they had two different ones so I bought one of each for my Lizard Ridge. The colours of the Kureyon they had was just awesome and it was difficult not to buy some, but I haven't even knit with it yet. I also picked up a skein of Sprinkles by King Cole - but I just realized the coat that needs a scarf is pink, not purple. Well, I will make a doll blanket or something with it. lovely stuff. Then I get home...
Wait a minute - why am I cracking (or was)?
I called Keith on Thursday afternoon to get an idea of where he was with the primer and ceiling- and he informed me that the new ceiling was cracking - I mean SHIT (sorry) that's why we ripped everything down in the first place. We debated the need to do items and before I went to sleep it was determined that he would rip down the tape and mud and redo it with better stuff.
Then when I came home, I noticed our condensing bucket was off kilter and ... there was water under the neat stack/layering of various furniture pieces that don't have a home right now. So, I can't wash laundry, cause the washer is buried, can't fold laundry cause it is inaccessible, and there is furniture in my stairwell (not cause it is wet, but cause I couldn't handle the bedroom - previous post - and moved stuff around and out and...)
So I destressed with shopping, Keith and his dad worked on the ceiling (and cleaned up alot of the floor and dirt that was around) and now I am going to try to resist the siren call of the yarn - oh yes and my Malabrigo destash purchase from Aija of zer0 markers arrived with two lovely little stitch markers - they look like pearl earrrings!!
I could cast on for sister's blanket (who so carefully mailed me a cheque to help pay for the yarn, advised me when to deposit it and then promptly forgot that she wrote the cheque until she got an overdraft notice), for Lizard Ridge block 2, for a sweet washcloth, a baby blanket, knit the 2nd Cinderella, the SoTS i or ii...
No, I will go look at the destash site, my yahoo account and then go to bed.
I hope.
Happy Friday

Change of plans

I did 5 rows of version 2 of Lizard Ridge. The Malabrigo knits up like a dream. I made a mistake on row 4 (the short row row) - after the second short row section and discovered the error at the end of the row when I had too many stitches left over. I cannot knit 24 rows of that pattern over 180+ stitches. The malabrigo is now frogged and awaiting pattern choice number 2. But I have not dpn in 5 mm. I have a great addi circ and some cute blue short 5 mm straights, but no dpn. Could have sworn I had some.

My Widdershins are also headed to the frog pond. I knit a row on them today, but am unsure if it was the cable row or not and well my increases for the gusset are all wrong and... bottom line - I am not happy with how it looks (they are two inches wide - unstretched as they lay there - I think that is also the problem. So they will be frogged.

Guinevere, is patiently waiting completion. SoTS ii is well hanging out at row 7 - i have to do it yet. And there is the scarf, moeibus ring and baby layette, plus two ompleted socks awaiitng their matched partner.

There were some questions about whether or not I will do a Lizard Ridge afghan. I'm pretty sure I will, however I don't think I have anymore Silk Garden. What do I mean not sure - well I think there might be another skein in my room, but, well, let me see if I can get a picture.

Underneath the pile of yarn are two bins, one of which is full of yarn. I could have sworn I had a couple of matched skeins of silk garden, but maybe those were the regular Noro. I can't recall. Regardles, I know I don't have 24 different skeins, so, if you have an odd skein of the silk garden kicking around please let me know and we could trade or something.

This is a picture of my bedroom from the doorway - the computer, the bed (covered with laundry) the living room chair the lamp... you get the picture. There is a safe path to walk provided you watch your feet.

Since I had the camera out, I also took a picture of our main floor living space - the accessible portion at this time. As you can see, there is a reason for the crazy personalities chez Gurlz.The top picture is from the top of the stairs, beside the plastic curtain to the renovated/destroyed rooms. The bottom is from the fridge to the other side. The stairs, lead to the dungeons we currently reside in except to eat and use the facilities.

Isn't my amaryllis lovely though??????

Late, great, Oh well

I had to call my boss at 8:15 am to tell him I would likely not be in until about 9:30 am. We weren't even out of PJs at this point (however lunches were packed). After Friday's snow day, the 3 day weekend really knocks you out. Plus it could have something to do with the knitting that hit me last night.

I wanted to try out the Lizard Ridge pattern - just one block to see what I thought. I know why the designer finished it so quick. It is so addictive. I have a completed block - only a few ends left to weave in (the first time I switched yarns, they tangled so much that I couldn't do anything but cut) I then cut every section - although I am pleased to state, that the only pattern adjusting I did, was after a knot was removed - the colour change was completely off, so I took the end to the right spot and started the last 6 rows from there. LOVE this yarn - I used Noro -Silk Garden as this was a solo skein in my stash. Here is the completed block (long pause as photo is taken, uploaded to computer, flickr and blog)

The purple section at the top all the sudden had a knot with the blue - obviously wrong, so it was fixed. The big deal on this is that for the short row sections -I didn't turn my work, I knit backwards instead. This is my reason for not being able to put it down (and then a little late for work...) I couldn't beleive how easy it was - I admit I wouldn't want to do it for more than 8 or 9 stitches, but it is so AMAZING. Now to decide if I want to do this over 180+ stitches. We will see about that small detail.

On another note - I have two gurls, hence 2 beds (for them). They are sleeping together right now because it's more nicer to sleep with someone. Ahh, this is the same child who asked how I new the Jolly Saint Nick song. The joys, the trials, the love.

Have a great week - I AM FEARLESS KNITTER!!! my hesitation over the afghan is the strain on my wrists, not FEAR of the pattern. tee hee.

Patience....

...is way overrated. It gets you nowhere. I have recieved the destash Malabrigo, but the others are still MIA.
My house is... well no further than on Thursday, and unfortunately (sorry Keith) the progress of the whole week was not really seen (only empty boxes of mud and cracks and screws covered). Not really extreme makeover speed. I'm not criticizing his work, it is precise and I know will be near perfect. It's just, we have been living in our bedrooms for 2 weeks now. Occasional extra time spent in the kitchen, but when you are upset with your 6 3/4 year old, sending her to her room doesn't have much bearing when that is the only place she can go - the landing halfway down was a timeout location, but doesn't work well when you need to get by.

I did work on organizing things in my bedroom/craftroom. I know where the majority of what I wanted to find is, and actually found what I was looking for - the camera, small skein of black angora for Hot Cocoa Buddy, other items for Hot Cocoa buddy, and all the skeins of yarn I thought I had (and a dozen or so more that I had conveniently forgotten).

I have some FO's to show too. One that was finished for SAM4 in December, but never made it to the post - it was my last FO of 2007. And the other - underneath the socks, was my Friday/Saturday project cause I needed a quick knit - I love my stoles and socks in progress, but they just don't give that instant gratification with long lasting results.
I'm pretty impressed with both. (long pause as I get the camera, hook it up and upload the picture to Flickr, then reload one of the pictures as I deleted it) I'm listening to Josh Groban right now, think of that as I go get the pics...

The socks are 'Toddler socks' from 2007 knitting calendar, in Skinny Duets, Cowgirl. Little gurl loves them. The washcloth is knit in SRK Cool spun cotton (from my SP11 spoiler). The stitch is called 'Textured Diamonds' and is from Simply Knitting' s December issue. (the ends have since been woven in) A 3rd FO is not pictured as it is for my Hot Cocoa Swap partner and I want her to see it first.

And the second picture, I owe Crystal an apology as this was my Winter Wonderland Coffee Swap "MAIN" package. I posted previously about the gorgeous mug and coffee I received from her. Due to being ill, she couldn't get everything to me in one swoop, so she sent this when she could. There were two skeins of Cascade 220 Superwash in a lovely green (finding them on Friday night reminded me to do this post); more coffee - lovely stuff had some this morning; chocolate dipped apricots; 2 chocolate santas (one didn't make the photo shoot); candy tree; adorabel snowface/flake ornament; a mermaid book for big gurl; and I think it was 'The Mitten' board book for the little gurl. Everything was greatly appreciated and the chocolate apricots were, well hoarded by me.