Scattered Marbles

2003-09-16T05:55:00.000-07:00

I am trying out a new set up at http://scatteredmarbles.blogs.com/blog/. I am not sure if I like Typepad yet. It does have some great features, but it also restricts me in many ways. I still haven't found a way around the restrictions except to go the highest level of Typepad. I am not sure I want to do that. It has been an interesting exercise though.

2003-09-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

Friday Five (again)

1. Is the name you have now the same name that's on your birth certificate? If not, what's changed? I took my husband's last name when we married.

2. If you could change your name (first, middle and/or last), what would it be? I would dearly love to change my first name. I think Lee or Leah would suit me better than what I am currently living with.

3. Why were you named what you were? (Is there a story behind it? Who specifically was responsible for naming you?) My mother chose my name because she liked it. I have since discovered that it is an ancestral name.

4. Are there any names you really hate or love? What are they and why? These can change regularly, but I really despise Clint or Clinton for a boy.

5. Is the analysis of your name at kabalarians.com / triggur.org / astroexpert accurate? How or how isn't it? My goodness! That is so like me it is scary!!!

2003-08-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

I have washed and blocked my Chickami, and it is ready for it's unveiling on the last official summer weekend. Here it is:

I knit it out of purple Idena Cotton Sport. It really fits a lot better than the picture shows. This is just an example of how hard it is for me to take a picture of myself when no one else is around. I'll try to get a better one up once my family returns home from camping.

2003-08-19T04:34:00.000-07:00

I am back from my nice, relaxing camping trip. (If it was so relaxing, why am I up with insomnia?) Nothing beats a family reunion during a heat wave, while camping, for creating quality knitting time. My knitting acted like valium, and I was able to keep somewhat sane. I did discover that my version of Brisa, while lovely, was a little small. Then I took a look at Theresa's gauge and smacked my head. Hmmm, one of these days I will start knitting a gauge swatch BEFORE knitting the project. However, I have my ChicKami waiting for a try-on to determine strap lengths. I am a little nervous about the fit and almost wriggled into it while sitting in the front seat of the van, during the drive home. I didn't want to entertain the kids, and the other drivers on the road, so I am waiting until later on today. I could go do that now. Since I am not sleeping, and can't do much else.....

2003-08-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

I am off on holidays starting tomorrow morning. I have my holiday knitting planned. Maybe I will even get my ChicKami knit too. Well.... I will be camping and there won't be much else to do! Peace!!!!

2003-08-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

Trying to fix my archives. It feels like part of me has been lost.

2003-08-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

I have finished the knitting and blocking for my Vera tank. It looks lovely! I just need to pick up the neck and arm borders, and sew the side seams. For some reason that is taking me forever!

I found a local store that carries Idena Cotton Sport and am now knitting Theresa's Brisa, from knitty. I made the mistake of automatically switching to the larger sized needles after finishing the ribbing, and so the mesh part seems very holey. :-) However, I switched back to the smaller needles after the lace, so I will see how I like it. I want to add 2" to the length in this part, so it may turn out all right in the end. Nothing quite like designing on the fly, is there?

I leave for vacation in 4 days! Woohoo!!!!!!

2003-07-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well, lookie here! Amy is famous! It looks like knitty is filling the void left by the other knitting magazines that stopped listening to their readers! Here is a force to be reckonned with!

2003-07-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

I have finally finished my latest pair of socks. I think I need to check my gauge, they are looking a little bullet proof. I took some pictures, but the light is not good right now, so I will try again in a day or two. Luckily it is way too hot to even think about wearing wool socks right now! I do have my next pair planned out though. I am actually thinking of trying an idea that Mare proposed. I want to knit the socks from the summer issue of IK, plus I have Lucy Neatby's Fiesta Socks to challenge myself with. I have so much sock yarn around, and I am getting a little sick of my plain vanilla pattern.

I also finished the back of my Vera Tank today. I started knitting the front, but the heat really started to get to me, and it became too hot to do anything but sit and try to remember to breathe. LOL! I need to remember that in January when it is too cold to do anything.

2003-07-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on several projects. None of which are getting very far, but at least they are getting some work. The swank-a-long is on week three and I am still ploughing through the piece for week two. Hopefully, I will get that piece finished tomorrow, and get the next part worked on. My socks are both almost at the toe decreases, but it is way too hot to think about wool socks right now. I have Kool-Aid dyed some wool to make a felted bag, and the colours are super. My Vera tank front is half done. I love knitting with the Mission Falls Cotton. It is so nice to work with. I am going to have to try it for a few other projects.

2003-07-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

You may not be a granny, but you've got the
mentality. Hard work and artistic vision lead
to your beautiful knitted results.

Are you a knitter?
brought to you by Quizilla

Yup, I am behind the times, and finally doing this now. I suppose I do have a "Granny Knitter" mentality. I was just telling Maryssa's friend's grandmother that sock heels are so easy to do. I recall my grandmother telling me that about 6 years ago. :-)

2003-07-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

It is interesting that I have some archives again, but not all of them. Not that I have been posting enought to make it worth worrying about, but I do like to make sure things work. I would love it if blogger went back to working again, although I suspect the big plan is to keep it this way until people buy the Pro, or drop off. (No, I am not cynical, not in the least!)

I have been knitting, and working, and gardening. Mostly working though. I suppose it is good for me, although I do miss having the energy and inclination to do other things. I have been reading quite a few blogs, and I am truly amazed at just how much knitting other people are getting done. I suspect my addiction to silly computer games has cut my knitting time, almost as much as being at work has. When I get home, I just want to veg out, but I am at the back of the line for TV, so unless I want to watch the action shows my husband has chosen...I get the computer. Really not a bad deal, but I have yet to master knitting and reading email. Ok, I am whining....I think I will go buy some more wool to play with. At least it is insulating several portions of my basement!

2003-06-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, it is Friday already!

1. Is your hair naturally curly, wavy, or straight? Long or short? Wavy, with 7 cowlicks and very long.

2. How has your hair changed over your lifetime? I lost quite a lot in my early 20's. One of the side effects of trying to be extremely skinny.

3. How do your normally wear your hair? I have bangs and usually the sides are pinned back or all of it is pinned up.

4. If you could change your hair this minute, what would it look like? I would like it to be thicker, and with more curl.

5. Ever had a hair disaster? What happened? I had a "Bride of Frankenstein" perm once. I also coloured another time and ended up with purple hair. It was not a fetching look.

2003-06-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

My knitting has really slowed lately. Partially due to the extra 17+ hours I am working per 2 week period, and partially due to the number of trips I am making to the ER with my daughter's asthma. For some reason, I just haven't been feeling much like knitting. I broke that little drought with Wendy's mousealong pattern. I whipped one up this morning, and tied a bell to the long braided tail. It looks rather odd, but the cats are intrigued. They are both nip-heads, so they are used to a regular dose of cat nip. They usually just get a pile of leaves on the floor, so they are not too sure why I felt the need to package it.

I figured that since I am knitting, I might as well finish my Fortissima socks. I don't care for this colourway all that much. It is #9076 (the purple fair isle) and it is rather blah. But I have just started the toe decreases, so I don't have too much further to go to finish them.

I haven't had much luck with knitting anything larger than socks lately. My gauge always seems to go to pot at some point in the project, and I end up with a sweater that doesn't fit well, or just plain doesn't fit. It frustrates me so much!

2003-05-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

I have spun up 4 skeins of the grey wool that I received with my wheel. I have to find a way to tension my Lazy Kate because it spins a little too freely and creates some problems when I am trying to ply. However, I am still loving the spinning. My knitting is slow right now. I am still working extra hours every week, so I get very little extra done. My eldest daughter has got herself a job now, so I am taxi driver for her too. I do have two socks at the heel flap stage. (I try to knit both socks of a pair at the same time). It is a colourway that really doesn't appeal to me, or maybe it is just that the yarn is quite washed out. Anyway, new socks never go to waste around here!

I had better go back outside and work on my garden. Later.....

2003-05-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

Amy is looking at ways to hand out business cards for knitty magazine. So I am giving her a plug here.

Read knitty! It will knock your socks off!

2003-05-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

Time for .... The Wednesday Five! (Because I am not organized enough to do this on Fridays.)

1. Would you consider yourself an organized person? Why or why not? No. No matter how hard I try, I can never stay organized, although if left alone, I do seem to live in a form of organized chaos.

2. Do you keep some type of planner, organizer, calendar, etc. with you, and do you use it regularly? I have several, and no, I don't use them regularly. It is a really good thing that my work schedule is in the form of a calendar. That gets me to work on the right days.

3. Would you say that your desk is organized right now? For me, yes.

4. Do you alphabetize CDs, books, and DVDs, or does it not matter? Since I work in a library, I do tend to sort my CDs, tapes and books, into a system. It is more by category than anything else.

5. What's the hardest thing you've ever had to organize? I am a mother, so I would have to say anything that has to do with my children. My husband is a close second. My cats and dog are easier to organize than the humans I share my life with! :-)

2003-05-14T06:43:00.000-07:00

SimilarMinds.com Compatibility Test

Your match with Amy
you are 69% similar
you are 90% complementary

How Compatible are You and Your Friends?

I did this after reading the test on Indigirl's blog. We may not be all that similar, but we would probably get along well. Hmmm... I wonder if it is all that knitting, spinning, the cats, and Alberta....

2003-05-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

I am back. I survived the wicked flu that is making the rounds, and the sun has finally decided to shine again. Things are really looking up! My best bit of news is that my family surprised me with one of these! I spent all day yesterday sanding and oiling, and we set it up last night. Tonight I finally get the chance to play with it! I am so excited! I have so much roving that needs to be spun, and I am looking forward to getting it spun.

On the knitting project front: I finally finished my Blueberry Waffle socks made from Regia Stretch. They had to be the most boring pair of socks to knit. They feel wonderful when I wear them, though. I also have both of my blue Mexiko socks ready to decrease for the toe. It is sort of a dilema. Should I finish up my socks, or spin? hmmm..... Good thing I am off work tomorrow! Hopefully I will get some pictures up shortly.

2003-04-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

Friday Five (well, maybe the Sunday five, but...whatever)

1. What was the last TV show you watched? I watched the last half hour of Law and Order SVU on Friday night. It has been too busy a weekend to watch a whole lot of TV.

2. What was the last thing you complained about? The whole in my exhaust pipe which makes my car sound like it was tuned by an 15 year old male. oh, and the snow today!

3. Who was the last person you complimented and what did you say? I complimented my daughter on the super job she did on cleaning up the house before I got home yesterday.

4. What was the last thing you threw away? Kleenex? I cleaned my car out after my trip, and Kleenex was the last thing that got ditched.

5. What was the last website (besides this one) that you visited? That would be my home page.

2003-04-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

Glampyre has the best response of all!

2003-04-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

The quality of various blogs is probably a dead horse by now, but like a few other people, I am going to take it out and beat it anyway.

I am not a writer. My blog is not a quality read. It is, in fact, quite boring, but it is a place for me to post my own notes, thoughts, links, and findings. Maybe this will be shared with others, most likely not. The point is, I know that I don't have an audience, so I don't have to worry about what I write, or who reads it. I keep it for myself, and, while I love comments, I have learned not to look for them. I have defined who I am writing for. I knit in a vacuum. I know nobody else who knits or wishes to talk about it, so this is the place I can work out what I am doing and wish to say.

I know, there are lists....many lists. And at one point in time, I belonged to large numbers of them. Email lists are a great tool, and serve a wonderful purpose, but you cannot say what you wish on most of them. Since I suffer from foot in mouth disease, I frequently end up offending someone, or embarassing myself enough to end up needing to leave. I have also found, over the past 5 years, that no matter what the hobby, the lists eventually become cliquish, repetative, or just simply change focus. This isn't a bad thing, lists are not static, and they are super for many people. For those of us who haven't got the time, or cannot make our fingers behave, lists aren't always the answer.

So, all that blather, simply to say, I love reading blogs. I love reading about what other people are knitting, spinning, dyeing, beading, sewing, etc. It fuels my imagination and forces me to think outside the little box I live in. Simply looking at what relatively new knitters are working on has really forced me to rethink the "rules" I have knit with for the past umpteen years. I am a better knitter for it. However, writing is not, and probably never will be, my forte. That isn't going to stop me from blogging when I can, it will just stop me from rising to "blog stardom", which is all right with me. If I had to behave and follow rules, I probably would stop writing all together.

2003-04-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know of a Canadian mail order source for Cotton Ease? It would seem that Edmonton is no longer carrying it, and since I don't like the red, I cannot get any. I would prefer not to buy it from the US. Between exchange, and GST, it would cost a fortune.

2003-04-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

And from the "It ain't broke, so let's fix it category".... the winner is Blogger, which now won't allow me to post or update my blog. Time to get a server that will allow movable type. ....mutter...mutter...grumble...

2003-04-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

I really haven't dropped off the face of this Earth. It was tempting, but I didn't. My time on the computer has become so limited, that I often just don't get the chance to post. So, I have been knitting away on the most boring sock ever, and my Sisik sweater. I have also finished up two beading projects, and started a third one. It has been fun, and I use it to bribe myself. If I knit 4 rows on my sock, I can bead for half an hour.

Work has been going well, but I have worked quite a few extra hours. (You would never know that by looking at my pay cheque!) It takes a lot out of me though, so I am really thankful that this week I only have two shifts, plus the stat. Next week I am off all week until Thursday, then I am going away to a conference. I am really looking forward to this. I want to gather some information about the mandate for our library vs that of other public libraries. Also that of the school libraries in Alberta. School libraries have been a major concern of mine since my older children started in Junior High. I think the schools and the library are working at such cross purposes that the students are suffering. But before I get to stirred up about the whole thing, I have to look at just what service we are expected to give vs the "norm". Research...never was my strong suit in school. Now I do research just about every day, just not on my topics. (Ok, I'll leave this topic alone)

This morning we woke up to yet another dump of snow, and the pitiful sight of the first spring robin sitting in our apple tree, looking totally bewildered. I could just see him wondering why he came back here. I hope we end up with another robin's nest in our spruce tree this year. It was really interesting to watch them last year, especially when flying lessons started. Anyway, I am off to hunt a few dust bunnies and then knit and bead. I am going to enjoy the silence of today!

2003-03-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

I wish I could spell! (Actually, I wish I could type without making all the typos that make it look as though I cannot spell.)

Some of my seeds have sprouted, and a lot of snow has melted. Hope is really starting to niggle at my brain, I just hope reality doesn't allow it to snow again.

I am swatching for a sweater that I am designing out of Sisik wool. I think I may have to move down to 4.5 mm needles because the 5mm ones create a rather loose fabric. Back to swatching and ripping. (I figured I would do this prior to just jumping in and knitting. There has to be a first time for everything, right?)

2003-03-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

My Top Secret sweater is finished! Hurray! It turned out a whole lot better than I thought yesterday. Now to get some help with a picture.

2003-03-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

Spring is trying to arrive here, and it is about time! I figured that I would plant my seeds today, and maybe even start to dream about what my garden will look like this summer. That will guarentee that we will have more snow and another deep freeze.

I am still plugging away at my Top-Secret sweater. I reached the point in the neck where I need to switch needles and realized that I didn't have a set of DPNs that were the correct size. My trip to the LYS netted me a set of 7.5 mm needles which were the largest size they have, so I guess I will be knitting the next 5" very loosely! The rest of the sweater is looking pretty good, although there are a couple of places where I am going to have to do some fancy finishing to make it look better. I am not sure why I have these problems, but they epitomize why I rarely finish knitting sweaters. I am just never quite happy with the results.

Yesterday I made a trip to Michael's in Edmonton, so I could purchase some cotton-ease for Bonne Marie's Sitcom Chic sweater in the current issue of knitty. And, to my utter disgust, I found out that they have discontinued it, and didn't have enough balls in any colours execpt red or yellow, to knit that sweater. This was the only local place that I knew of that carried this yarn. Last year, they stopped carrying the Homespun, and now cotton-ease, next will be wool-ease, I suppose. (Can you tell that I am just a touch crabby? LOL! I wish we could access some inexpensive, yarn that wasn't pure acrylic and felt it too. Some Brown Sheep would be nice, also. Even if it was only to put Canadian knitters onto the same ground as Americans.)

OK, that rant out of my system, I guess I can worry about the up-coming war now, or better yet, I'll go work on my newest pair of mindless socks.

2003-03-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

ARGGGGG!!!!!!!!! I hate it when I write a long post and blogger loses it!!!!

I was trying to get a clearer picture of the Drunken Master socks, but the wool is so vibrant that I cannot get a good image capture. I have been playing in Paint Shop Pro, and this should give you a better idea of the initial sock, and wool. The colours pooled horribly in straight knit, so I had to choose a textural stitch.

This is an attempt to show the pattern better, (as well as my error). It really did look better in Paint Shop, but now it looks blurry and over exposed.

And here is Konan being very helpful once again. This is usually where he sits, right on the monitor. If I shot the picture from the front, you could see that he is in position to drape his tail over the screen, or peek down and see if his help is needed.

Yes, he is wearing his sucky "Aren't I so beautiful?" expression!

2003-03-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

I never did comment on the latest knitty. WOW!!!! There are three projects in it that I am planning to knit right now. I am considering another one too. If this was a magazine I had to buy, I would. Unlike some of the other online zines, and even the paper ones, I enjoy knitty and always find at least one project I WANT to knit. It is even causing me to seriously consider trying my hand at design. (Don't hold your breath though!)

2003-03-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

I have finished B's socks! I knit them out of Sisu wool, using orange for the cuffs and heels, and a bright varigated for the rest of the socks. The Drunken Master is a fun pattern to knit. If you are interested in it, the directions are here. I made an error when knitting the first sock, and had to continue it into the second sock. I think the quality of my picture is too poor for you to see it.

I was able to do some spindling today too. I had carded some of the brown roving from my spinning course, and the cat was insiting on playing with the rolags. So I spun several of them up. I still have quite a bit of it left, but I need to get approximately the same amount spun on another spindle so I can ply it together. I am definately spinning a whole lot better than I used to. I no longer worry about the "park and draft", and rarely break the single. My spindles are staying in better shape because of that too.

Here is a picture of my midi Bossie made of tulipwood. It is my current favourite to spin with. I am also posting a picture of my crazy cat Konan. One of his favourite perches is on top of the computer hutch.

2003-03-07T09:48:00.000-08:00

How did it get to be March, and Friday already? You would think I didn't have a life based on my lack of updates, wouldn't you?

It is time for The Friday Five

1. What was the last song you heard? It is a long story, but I have to admit to "Patricia the Stripper" by Chris de Burgh.

2. What were the last two movies you saw? Lord of the Rings, and some video about codebreakers during WWII. I didn't pick that video, but it was pretty good. I would even recommend it if I could remember it's title. (The movie is called Enigma, and my daughter reminded me that I also saw Sweet Home Alabama that weekend.)

3. What were the last three things you purchased? Coffee, milk and cat litter. Boring, huh?

4. What four things do you need to do this weekend? Work (tomorrow is my Saturday, but it only arrives once every 8 weeks), finish B's socks, mail the Fuzzy Feet that I knit in February, and SLEEP!

5. Who are the last five people you talked to? I worked last night, and I know we had 67 people come into the library between 5 and 8 o'clock. So barring my family, I would have to say some of those people.

My goodness, the excitement of my life is killing me!

2003-02-25T11:24:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Robin, my morning chuckle came from this list. That pretty much covers the reasons for knitting. Now to come up with more reasons to buy yarn. I know I don't need more, but in case I am ever challenged I should have a clever answer or two tucked away.

I have finished one Drunken Master sock and am well on my way on the second one. This pair is being knit for a close friend of my eldest daughter. Yesterday, B was over here afterschool, so I asked her what she thought of the finished one. The look on her face was priceless when I told her it was for her! It fit her perfectly! Yay! The size charts here are super and really help when you are trying to knit without measuring the recipients feet. B is not shy, and these socks are not for the faint of heart. Now to get them finished.

2003-02-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

I have had a chance to play with my spindles this morning. I am amassing quite the collection of them. This morning I was finally able to spin on my Tulipwood midi Bosworth. I haven't had any success in the past, but finally have my drafting technique sorted out enough that I am getting a nice result. I am still using the brown wool that was supplied at the spinning class I took, because I am saving my fancier fibres for the day that I will be a better spinner. I suppose I should start trying some of them. There are some gorgeous fibres waiting for me to fine tune my spinning skills. I would still like to get a wheel, but I think that will be something I have to leave until the future.

My eldest daughter has expressed an interest in weaving. I know she really wants a great, big floor loom, however, that is out of the question. (No funds, no space!) However, after reading Stacia's blog, and looking into inkle looms, I think my husband can create a small one that she and I can learn on. The bonus is that if we don't care for it, the loom won't take up a lot of space or material. And if we do like it, the possibilities are endless! (Yeah, right! Like I REALLY need another hobby! But Caitlyn might like it, and I am always willing to enable new hobbies and interests for my kids!)

2003-02-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

I love this guy!

2003-02-15T20:43:00.000-08:00

Friday Five

1. Explain why you started to journal/blog. My original blog was created to help me chronicle my recovery from a severe depression. It blossomed into a form of expression, and a place to leave notes to myself. This blog was created to record my more creative side, knitting and spinning.

2. Do people you interact with day to day or family members know about your journal/blog? Why or why not? My family know about my blogs, but do not read them. I have read entries to them, but they don't read them themselves. My co-workers know that I have blogs, but nothing else.

3. Do you have a theme for your journal/blog? Blue Angel, not really. It is mostly personal ramblings. Scattered Marbles is mostly knitting and spinning related, although I do occasionally bring family issues onto this one.

4. What direction would you like to have your journal/blog go in over the next year? I would like to take it onto my own domain and perhaps merge the two blogs into one, with more journalling.

5. Pimp five of your favorite journals/blogs. LOL!!!! In no real order (and it is tough to cut it down to 5!)
Chicknits
Middle Aged Guy
Laughing Rat
(Mama) Kate
Bagatell

2003-02-14T06:56:00.000-08:00

Ahh, Look, even my weather pixie has red hearts! Still no winter gear, but someone loves her.

2003-02-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

I hope you all have a great day!
(Grrr... that is supposed to be in big red letters!)

2003-02-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

I finished felting my Fuzzy Feet this morning. It is hard to believe that
these once looked like this! They went from 13" to 8.5", and I think they will be sturdy enough to withstand wandering around in the snow.

2003-02-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

This is my baby boy, 14 years ago.

Yikes! It is really hard to believe that he is now 14! I am sure I am not a day over 18.
Happy Birthday Adam! The past 14 years just flew by!

2003-02-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

Friday Five

1. What did you have for breakfast this morning? If you didn't have breakfast, why not? Breakfast is always toast and chunky peanut butter, skim milk, and coffee. Without this combo, I am not human! :-)

2. What's your favorite cereal? I am not much of a cereal person, but I do like some granolas.

3. How often do you eat out? Do you want that to change? Not very often, it is too expensive with two teenagers, and a 6 year old.

4. What do you plan on having for dinner tonight? Got a recipe for that? Store bought pizza, and home-made chocolate birthday cake. My son is having some friends over to celebrate his 14th birthday. Recipe for chocolate cake? That is one of my few secret recipes!

5. What's your favorite restaurant? Why? I love those tiny, hole-in-the-wall Chinese food restaurants in the Chinatown area of Edmonton. The prices are usually very good, and the food is fabulous. The only problem is that I can rarely tempt my husband into joining me at a place like this. He tends to think that the bland Canadianized Chinese food is better than the authentic stuff.

2003-02-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

I can multi-task with the best of them! Here I am with my zillionth load of laundry in the washer, eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich (lunch), contemplating starting my third pair of fuzzy feet, and checking out my daily read logs. WHEW! I think I broke out into a sweat!

It has occurred to me that my children are not aware of the finer points of cuisine. For instance, they do not appreciate that adding a banana to your toast and peanut butter adds another point towards your daily 5. Instead, they look at me and groan. But when they get to be old, and their doctor is strongly hinting that they need to eat more fruits and vegetables, they won't consider adding them to the peanut butter that they already consume. Maybe that is a talent they will learn in college?

I really need to get an umbrella swift. My husband has offered to make one for me, but that was last summer, and he is no closer to starting than the offer. I also need a ball winder. For some reason, he always groans when I say that. I am not too sure why... I have seen a wooden one, but cannot remember where and didn't print out a picture. It sounds like a project to give to my father for development. I am sure he would love the mental exercise of designing one. I am just not too sure what other bells and whistles he would add to it.

Anyway, enough musing, my sandwich is done. I have a lovely blue teal that I need to wind into a ball, so I need to set up my old fashioned skein winder, two kitchen chairs. Hmm... maybe that is what Jim meant by supplying me with one? mutter, mutter... I am off to play with my wool! (And in case you didn't notice, I am in a bit of a screwy mood today. Perhaps it is from inhaling all those soap fumes?)

2003-02-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Maryssa's Fuzzy Feet before felting.

This is an after picture. It is rather hard to tell how much they changed in size, but they are significantly smaller.

2003-02-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

I figured I would join the Global Fuzzy Feet Felt-Along, especially since I have made two pairs of these warm slippers. I can attest to the simplicity of the pattern as well as the warmth of the slippers. Now to get my pictures posted.
I love Bonne Marie's Pieds Brouillés de Shrek concept. I wonder if I could find some shrek green worsted weight wool today? It would give me a great reason to go trolling the yarn stores, wouldn't it?

2003-01-29T11:26:00.000-08:00

I have finished the mini Fuzzy Feet I was making for my 6 year old. She is just thrilled with them! They felted easily and she likes the warmth of them. I will try to get a picture posted after work. The pattern was easy to adjust too.

I watched "The Banger Sisters" last night, and knitted a few more rounds on my top secret sweater. I like the way it is turning out. Too bad work interferes with my life so much! :-)

2003-01-27T12:29:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who responded to my questions about Brown Sheep wool. I have found a shop here in Alberta that sells it, but I have yet to hear back about the price. I would rather buy it from a Canadian store, than bring it in from the US, but if I have to, I will. I just need to justify starting yet another project!

I have just finished my latest pair of socks from Fortissima Colori colour 9074. Someone on socknitters called this the ugliest yarn she has ever seen. My socks turned out really nicely though. I rather like them. I plan to knit up some in the 9076 colourway, which has the purple jacquard, but they are a few places down on my "to knit" list.

Currently, I am knitting a scaled down version of Theresa's Fuzzy Feet for Maryssa. I'll let you know what they turn out like. I have also started a mohair boucle shawl from The Fleece Artist in the navy blue colourway, and I am knitting Top Secret from Knitty's first issue. I want to get some spinning done too. Too bad I go back to work on Wednesday.

2003-01-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

I think my Weather Pixie is related to my kids. -17C and no toque, no mitts, and her coat open. I want to wrap her in some wool fleece and tell her that her mother should have done a much better job of raising her! You know you are getting old when you tell cartoon characters off!

2003-01-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

Hmmm... these are some interesting questions:

1. Where are you right now? (Duh, on the computer?) In the kitchen, at home.
2. What time is it? Exactly noon
3. What are you wearing? Clothes. :-)...Jeans, t-shirt, socks and slippers
4. Any people or animals around you? Describe them. Right beside me is Konan, my male Siamese cat who thinks he is the head honcho arond this house. His sister, Anna is hiding in her newest hiding place. Bentley, the terrier X dog, is sitting under the table, totally confused because I put his new dog license on his collar. He is usually totally confused though.
5. What are your plans for the weekend? Tomorrow, I have to work, and Sunday, Caitlyn is getting baptized at church. So, I would have to say, not much else is in the works. (Yes, I know, I live a really exciting life! NOT!!!!) I do plan on finishing up my lates pair of socks and perhaps starting something new. Or maybe just reading, catching up on some email, etc. :-)

2003-01-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

Can anybody tell me what the Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride and Nature Spun yarns feel like? Are they scratchy? I have some Peace Fleece wool here, are they anything like that? I have been debating ordering some for a project versus trying to figure out what I could substitute for them. Any help would be appreciated.

2003-01-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

I want to wish you all a Happy New Year! I hope that 2003 will be a wonderful year for you. :-)

Last night I finished knitting my fuzzyfeet slippers from Theresa's pattern in knitty. I made them out of Briggs and Little Heritage wool, which was supposed to be a little thicker than what was called for, but it worked well. I also used two colours and added some stripes since my feet are quite long. I was a little apprehensive about the felting because I was told this wool can be hard to felt, but three wash cycles and it worked perfectly! I like them, they are nice and cozy and just the ticket to keep my feet warm when it is chilly in here.

2002-12-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

May your needles click and clack,
May your yarn stash never lack
Sock yarn large and sock yarn small
Worsted, DK, fingering ---all
Colors quiet and colors gay
To be knitted some fine day.
Patterns new and patterns old
Creative people who can hold
Strands of love between their hands
Knitting now in many lands
Socks for husbands, socks for lovers,
Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers.
As we head towards a New Year
Health and Happiness far and near.

Blessings,
Gail Robinson

This was posted to the Socknitters list on the 23rd. I thought it was rather appropriate. The name included is the woman who posted it. I don't know if she wrote it or just passed it on.

2002-12-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

I convinced Jim to wear his new socks today. He says that there isn't much difference between them and commercial socks. Sigh! I suppose I won't be knitting socks for him again.

2002-12-26T16:10:00.000-08:00

I finished the socks that I was knitting for Jim for Christmas. I wasn't able to get them done before Christmas because I was trying to knit them while he wasn't around. It is really tough to find that time. He wanted sedate, not flashy socks. I hope these fit that description. They fit him well, but he hasn't put the pair on yet.

2002-12-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

I promised to post photos of the spindles that Jim made. Please forgive the quality of these. I am used to using Adobe Photoshop 3.1 as my photo editor, and since we have recently upgraded to Photoshop 7.0, I haven't a clue as to what I am doing. It is a little scary, but I am sure that one of these days I will get it right...maybe. ;-)

Here is a shot of both of the spindles. The top whorl one is made from purpleheart wood and maple, and the bottom whorl is made of walnut. What I couldn't capture on the photo is the gloss that makes these glow and look like satin.

Here is another shot of the whorls.

We still need to work on refining the shafts, but they are fun to experiment on.

2002-12-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Mama Kate! I hope it was a great one for you!

(And I will put up some pics of my spindles tomorrow.)

2002-12-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

If you haven't stopped by knitty yet, get yourself over there quickly! It more than makes up for the awful issue of Knitters that was put out recently. Actually, it surpasses anything Knitters has put out in the past year. Bravo Amy!

2002-12-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

I have been neglecting my blog, not because I have had nothing to post, but because I have been so busy that I haven't had the time to fiddle with resetting WS_FTP Pro. Everytime we get a new computer I have to remember how I did it the last time and redo it again. Unfortunately, I never keep notes or really remember what I did. This time, I am in a little bit of trouble. However, I have been able to get a picture transferred, so I have something to show you. Here are my current favourite socks made from a ball of Opal Tiger yarn. I woulndn't have bought this yarn on my own, but was sent it as a present, and I really love the way these socks turned out! Plus they are super comfortable!

I even modelled them for you, and have learned that taking a picture while wearing the socks isn't the easiest thing!

My SIL's socks for Christmas are coming along really well. I am doing the gusset decreases on both socks and really need only a few more hours of steady knitting to finish them up. Another pair of Christmas socks are being ripped back to the cuff and reknit from there, and the final pair have yet to be started. I had better get knitting!

I will post some pictures of my spinning project, along with pictures of some spindles my husband made, next time.

2002-11-26T22:12:00.000-08:00

B6 d- t- k+ s+ u-- f i o x- e+ l c+ Apparently, this is my blogger code. Am I supposed to be impressed? Or am I just another lemming?

2002-11-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

Someone really needs to tell my Weather Pixie chick that it is cold and she needs a winter jacket and mittens, and a touque! I have tried, but she doesn't listen to me. It must be a blonde thing!

2002-11-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

For your viewing pleasure.... I have tried my hand at creating a button. It isn't what I wanted yet, but this is an idea of what I am aiming for, and one day I hope to get one created If anyone has suggestions for improvement, PLEASE let me know. I really can use all the help I can get! I would like to do a banner with the marbles as a background, but haven't figured out how to upload that onto this blog. I wish the HTML books wouldn't put me to sleep as quickly as they do. ;-)

And here is a picture from last spring. That is my Aunt's llama, Cassie and I. Cassie is due to become a mother in June of 2003.

2002-11-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

I am learning to take Shannita's advice and copy my posts in case Blogger pulls their usual fast ones. I also try to post with w.bloggar instead because it hasn't mucked things up on me yet.

I am still working on the same three projects and wishing I could start or return to one of the other hundred that is waiting in the wings. I need to become more disciplined. (Yeah, right!) I do know, that it really doesn't matter what I work on, as soon as I knit a few stitches my stress level goes down and I relax. Sometimes to the point of almost falling asleep. It is interesting how that has changed since my younger days when I would get all tensed up trying to finish a project as quickly as possible. It must be my age or something! :-)

My husband surprised me by making me two spindles yesterday. I haven't shown him the ones I have, simply pictures of ones from various web sites. The two he made are rather interesting. The designs are pretty good, but need a few changes, and we really need to figure out a better hook design. But I was impressed, and he was thrilled that I liked them! He is now trying to figure out just how they work, so it is a little like the blind leading the blind when I try to teach him, however, I think he has a fairly good understanding now. He said that he was hoping to get good enough to make some to sell. I am not sure if he was joking or not, but I am not holding my breath. Just asking for him to make one for my Spindlers list Santee. We will have to get the kinks out of the design first, but he has a week or two. LOL!!!

Anyway, I need to finish my Domestic Goddess chores before I can take out some knitting and supervise Youth Drop-in. The kids are pretty used to seeing me knit while I am there and are always asking what the current project is. The first one to show any interest in learning will get jumped on though. :-) I would love to teach a few of them, but it probably won't happen until after exam time in January. We shall see though.

Take care!

2002-11-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

Don't you just hate it when you write a lovely, long, newsy post, and it gets eaten by blogger? (Insert sound of loud, long scream followed by wailing and gnaching of teeth) Now to try again, not that I will get it all.

I still haven't taken any pitures of my Tiger socks, although I have worn them quite a bit. They are so comfortable! I am very glad that I chose my favourite Slouch sock pattern for them. I had my doubts about halfway through the first sock because the striping really doesn't lend itself to this knitting pattern, but once they are on my feet, they look great and feel even better!

My "fibres to spin" stash is really growing. I bought 4 ounces of a GNIC carded batt from Running Moon Farm, in the Spanish Moss colour, I think. It was so lovely, that I splurged and bought 12 ounces of Morning Haze. I hope I can do justice to them when I get them spun up. I have also bought 4 ounces of an angora blend in soft spring colours. The last two haven't arrived yet, but I am looking forward to the fibre petting session that will occur once they do. :-)

My second Bosworth spindle has arrived. I now have a cochin rosewood one, and a tulipwood one. Both are midis and both spin very well. Now if I could just spin better with them. I did take the first part of my spinning class. Not a whole lot of time was spent on drop spindling, but I think I have a clearer idea of what I am trying to do. We did get to spin on spinning wheels, and I have borrowed a wheel from the shop. It is a lovely Ashford scholar, which I don't think is made anymore, but is on consignment at the shop. jim just about had kittens when he found out the price, and he is still convinced that he can build me a wheel (just like that!) for a whole lot less. Since he doesn't really have the time, and I don't think he has the inclination either, I doubt he ever will build it. He also hasn't priced out the wood needed, or the extra bits and pieces. It may come as a total shock to him once he does. I am not in a hurry though. I like the wheel, but the spindles are a lot of fun too.

I have three "active" knitting projects. I am still knitting Maryssa's shawl, but I am rapidly running out of yarn. It may be interesting when it is finished. I am also knitting a pair of socks for one of Caitlyn's friends. This is a bright pair, and will match her personality to a T. The other pair is Blueberry Waffle Socks in fingering weight out of a slightly varigated Regia Stretch yarn. They are a little dull, but very mindless and great to carry around and work on whenever someone is watching.

Anyway, that is an update on part of my life. It gets pretty crazy, but then...so do I. Have a good one!

2002-10-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

I just finished my Opal Tiger socks! I am quite pleased with the way they turned out. I think these will be a lot of fun to wear. I have two shawls on needles right now. One is a mix of eyelash and another glammer yarn, and the other is for my youngest daughter, out of pale pink Patons Shetland Chunky. This one I am making the pattern up as I knit. I wonder how it will turn out?

2002-10-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

I finally have bloggar up and running. Next is to get my FTP program back.

I have been knitting during my "spare" time, and am almost finished my Opal Tiger socks. However, my spare time is really limited these days. I am also signed up for a beginners spinning course starting on Nov. 3. It will cover both the drop spindle and the spinning wheel. I am really looking forward to this, even though it will be during a couple of really hectic weeks for me. I hope I can lose myself in the "zen" of the spinning and just relax and enjoy this time away.

2002-10-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

Another day, and a new computer. Hmmm.... This is a bit of a trend. Not a great one, but one none the less. This time we got a scanner along with the computer. I guess the price of these computers has gone down so we picked up a scanner that works with XP. (Did I mention how much I hate Windows XP?) Anyway, I am curious wether the price went down because someone discovered what a piece of crap these computers are, or if they are just really obsolete now? I am also curious about when my DH is planning on getting rid of the three extra scanners that do not work with our computers, but are living in our basement anyway. (On that , I suspect never would be a good guess.)

Yesterday was my first full day of work. I really love the job, but am I ever tired after working all day. I work this afternoon and evening, and then again all day tomorrow. And if I am lucky, I will be able to get in quite a bit of knitting this weekend.

Last night, I had a parent/teacher interview with my youngest daughter's teacher. Maryssa is a very independant thinker and is working beyond what the class is currenly doing. Hmmm... grade 1 is too easy for her....maybe I should brush off the calculus text from university and get het to explain it to me. :-) She probably would, but it wouldn't be the right explanation. (Of course, the explanation I came up with wasn't the one my prof thought was correct either.)

I am rambling, but then again, this is my blog.... so a rambling I will go.........

2002-10-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate Windows XP? Our main computer is on crash number 6 since February. I am so not impressed. Oh well, while we get it up and running again, I suppose I should do some more knitting. Or maybe hammer a few more nails into something. Wielding a hammer is such a stress reliever! :-)

2002-10-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am still here. I have started training for my new job. Not a lot of hours yet, but it still fills my brain. :-) In my spare time, I have been knitting a sock out of some Opal Tiger that I was given. I know I wouldn't have ever bought this yarn on my own, but I like the way it is knitting up. I have also finally figured out how to draft with a drop spindle. It must have been the fibre I was using coupled with watching the videos at I Can Spin.com a million times! I still don't know what it was that clicked, but I was thrilled when it did. I have half a pound of Polypay fibre to spin and it is going fairly well. I wonder if I culd set the twist and hand-dye it, and sell it for big bucks on Ebay? It looks a little like some of those thick/ thin yarns...well, maybe a little more even. Oh well, it is fun to play with, and when it works well, very relaxing.

2002-09-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here are my results from Stasia's quiz for fibre enthusiasts...

I'm A Mielke's Farm Emily - Which Spindle Are You?
You are calm, industrious, productive, and natural!

I am not sure if I should look like Adam, or like the Emily spindle. I do like that spindle though, and I don't have one yet. Hmmm.....

Of course, the second time I took this quiz, this it the answer I got

I'm A Grafton Fibers Swan - Which Spindle Are You?
You are open, spiritual, creative, and down-to-earth!
Now, which is more like me?

2002-09-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my latest socks. The colour is a little bright and the dark stripes don't show their true colours. The first dark stripe is maroon, the next is green, and the last is a dark grey that becomes navy.

And here is a picture of my three spindles (in their glory)

The first one is my CD spindle, the second is a pear wood spindle and the third is a cochin rosewood Bosworth that is just too beautiful for words! Too bad the words I use when spinning are not appropriate to repeat, although people keep re-assuring me that I will get it one of these days. The people on the Spindlers list through Yahoo, have been really helpful.

Lastly, here is a picture of my youngest two kids on their first day of school. Don't they look happy?

Maybe one of these days I will figure out how to take better pictures with the digital camera too.

2002-09-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

It is time again for another Friday Five!

1. Would you say that you're good at keeping in touch with people? No not really. I have a terrible time getting up the nerve to use the phone, and I tend to write letters in my head, but never commit them to paper.

2. Which communication method do you usually prefer/use: e-mail, telephone, snail mail, blog comments, or meeting in person? Why? Email, and blogs/blogcomments. These are just easier for me to deal with.

3. Do you have an instant messenger program? How many? Why/why not? How often do you use it? I have ICQ and Windows Messenger. I don't use either very much anymore because they don't automatically come on when I sign on, and because of all the porn I was getting through ICQ, even with all the filters set up.

4. Do most of your close friends live nearby or far away? I have close friends? Nope, they all live away from me.

5. Are you an "out of sight, out of mind" person, or do you believe that "distance makes the heart grow fonder"? Probably a little of both.

2002-09-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

I have been so quiet, I know. I finished my latest socks, and have a picture, I just have to post it. I also have a picture of my spindles. They are a lovely group. Too bad I still haven't figured out how to use them. I keep trying though and I am sure that one of these days, either things will click, or I will throw one through the wall.

And not fibre related, today I got offered a job! Yippee!!!!! My husband bought a newer van 10 days ago, and although he figured we could afford it, I knew that we were going to have to do some major scrimping to pay for it. However, it won't be so bad now, and I won't have to give up my fibre addiction.

2002-09-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Take the Purrsonality Quiz!

Uh-huh. I knew I was something a little weird!

2002-09-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

Peach Beserk and its sister store Fresh Baked Goods are enough to lure me to Toronto. Failing that, a tour around their websites have given me a desire to revamp my tired wardrobe. Of couse, I would never have any place to wear some of this stuff, but...take a look at Babette. I would really love a dress like that. Even if I had to create an opportunity to wear it. That is a little tough when you don't leave the house very often though.

On the fibre front, I found a hand spindle at my local yarn store. This place is about 15 minutes (on a bad traffic day) from me, and the owner is also a spinner and weaver, as well as a knitter. Anyway, I picked up a little pear wood spindle made by Ray. I haven't tried it out yet, but I am hoping to have better luck than I have with my CD spindle. I am also waiting for my Bosworth midi Spindle from Journey Wheel. I ordered a cochin rosewood one and Sheila has informed me that it is on it's way. I also love the look of the budinga wood, but I don't think I am going to be able to splurge and order from the US too often. The exchange rate is just too high, but I can keep dreaming.

Speaking of dreaming, the yarn store also has a double treadle Ashford Joy spinning wheel that I have been lusting after. Since they are quite expensive, I am going to take some lessons on spinning with the drop spindle and then the wheel to see if I am even interested in doing more of it. Right now I am, but I never know just how flighty my interests can be.

I started knitting a pair of socks from Fortissima Colori yarn in the mexiko collection, colour 9070. I have both socks to the heel and am doing a short row heel on them. The yarn is lovely to knit with. It doesn't twist back on itself which is a frequent problem I have had with Opal yarns. It also feels really nice. It smells a little weird, but from experience, I know that is just from the processing and they will be fine once they are washed. The one thing that really ticked me off about this yarn is that the two balls were wound in different directions. I did discover that at the beginning so I was able to get them started from the same point and get the pattern sequence to repeat the same, but if I hadn't known about this, I would have been really cheesed about the whole process.

I have been rather verbal today. I guess when I finally decide to update, I go whole hog. I guess I should confess to starting my Christmas knitting too. On Saturday I knit up a scarf for my eldest DD out of a bright red eyelash yarn called Funny. It was so simple! One ball of yarn, 6.5 mm needles, cast on 14 stitches (I actually used 20) and knit until you are left with enough yarn to cast off. And Voila! Movie knitting. I might even make a few more of them since they only cost about $6.00 to make and they are very trendy at the High School. Heck, I even liked the feel of the fuzz wrapped around my neck. :-)

Well, have a good one. I am getting ready for a weekend retreat for the youth leaders from my church. Since it is two days away from home, I should throw a few things together and look like I am prepared.

2002-08-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

School starts tomorrow for my two youngest children, and on Friday for my eldest. ALL RIGHT!!!!! Then my husband is taking all three kids, plus two extras, camping for the long weekend. The dog and I get to stay home. Yes, I am really looking forward to this!

2002-08-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hot off the Needles!

These are knit from Regia Jacquard 5271 on 2.25 mm needles. They started off as ER knitting, and were relegated to Dr. visit knitting. Now they are finally done. And they match too! That was a little harder than itt should have been because there was a knot in one ball of wool, and it threw the sequencing off. However, I matched it, and was even able to knit the legs a little longer than I normally do. I think I have about 3 feet from one ball left over, and a few yard from the other. The joys of long feet!

2002-08-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Friday Five

1. What is your current occupation? Is this what you chose to be doing at this point in your life? Why or why not? Stay at home mom and yes, this is what I have chosen for the moment. Even though my kids are growing up, they still need me to be here for them. Time flies so quickly, and I know that in the blink of an eye they will be on their own.

2. If time/talent/money were no object, what would your dream occupation be? Both psychology and forensics fascinate me, but I think that if I could, I would really like to be an aging hippie artist.

3. What did/do your parents do for a living? Has this had any influence on your career choices? My mother was a nurse and my father was an engineer in the military. They are both retired now. I tried to follow in my father's footsteps, but didn't succeed due to major depression.

4. Have you ever had to choose between having a career and having a family? Not really, due to the way my life has gone.

5. In your opinion, what is the easiest job in the world? What is the hardest? Why? Easiest? I haven' a clue, but the hardest has to be a parent. Stay at home or working, there is no easy way to be a parent.

2002-08-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here is my Fearless FairIsle Sweater as of yesterday morning. I don't think I would have attempted this on my own, but with the group, it has been easy. Although Wendy's handholding has been very helpful!

2002-08-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

These are my positives from 2 weeks ago. I figured that I should start saving them and then I can look back whenever I hit another funk. My brain isn't playing nice right now, and I am fighting to keep myself sane. Sanity has never been my strong suit, but lately, it is even more elusive than usual. So trying to think of anything that is positive is really tough. I know it is supposed to get easier the more I do it, but it is still hard to look for good things. Mostly I see dark negativity.

-cooler weather
-joy that transcends understanding
-new yarn in the mail! :-)
-hearing the laughter of children
-knowing that my children are laughing too
-spending time with the Youth at my church
-learning to not shy away from all people
-the goofy grin on my son's face when we share a joke

That was my wisdom from two weeks ago. Let's see what I can come up with for today.

2002-08-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

And it is time again for The Friday Five!

1. Do you have a car? We have two. They are both 1987 models, one is a Dodge Caravan and the other is a Nissan Stanza

2. Do you drive very often? Not much. I used to, but I developed a fear of driving about 4 years ago, and it still haunts me. I also don't like to leave the house too often, and it is impossible to drive in the house. :-)

3. What's your dream car? One that runs and doesn't EVER have transmission problems.

4. Have you ever received a ticket? Ummm... yup.

5. Have you ever been in an accident? Unfortunately yes. 30 years ago, I was in one that my mother clains was my fault, even though I was just a child at the time. The other was 11 years ago. A pickup drove into me (he turned without looking to see if the road was clear) and wrote off my little car. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt.

2002-08-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Which flock do you follow?

this quiz was made by alanna

Uhhh... yes, well.

2002-08-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

During the past week, I have finished my Prayer Shawl, finished my green tank, knit both legs on a new pair of socks, ripped out 23 rows on my FFI sweater and re knit 10 rows. My prayer shawl really needs another ball of yarn to make it a little longer. The yarn isn't great, but it is fluffy and warm, and since I decided not to give it to my former pastor, I think I may just keep it around for chilly evenings on the computer. My green tank wasn't a success either. I am still trying to work out just what exactly I don't like about it. I wonder if it is the drape of the knitted fabric. My socks are from Regia Jacquard, and they are looking really nice. I haven't used the Jaquard patterning of Regia yarns before, but I think I am going to get a few more colourways for some more socks. I really like the Regia yarn. My fair Isle sweater looks better too. I was really discouraged with it, and after ripping it out, really didn't want to reknit it again, but I managed to give myself the push I needed and got moving. The weather has cooled off considerably and it is knitting weather again. As much as I like summer, I must admit the heat is very draining. I guess it is a good thing summer is only a month long here. :-)

2002-08-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

Friday Five (.org)

1. What is your lineage? Where are your ancestors from? Norwegian, British, Irish, Scottish, Welsh. One line of my family tree has been traced back 17 generations from me. (Yikes!)

2. Of those countries, which would you most like to visit? Norway and Ireland.

3. Which would you least like to visit? Why? If I had any opportunity to travel over seas, I wouldn't turn it down.

4. Do you do anything during the year to celebrate or recognize your heritage? No. Although I am learning more about some of the old traditions. I need to learn to make Lefse. I think that would be a great way to celebrate my heritage, but let's omit the Lutefisk.

5. Who were the first ancestors to move to your present country (parents, grandparents, etc)? On my Dad's side, my Great, Great Grandparents, and on my mother's side, my Great Grandparents.

Pertaining to this subject, this summer, I had a chance to visit the "old" family farmstead while in Saskatchewan. I also was able to visit the tiny family cemetary, and see the school my Grandmother attended when she was a child. It was quite interesting, especially the stories of my Grandmother helping to haul shingles for the roof of the church, and showing us the path she had to walk to the tiny one room school house. There is no community there any longer, nor is there a lake. The area was called Ponass Lake, and the school was in the "town" of Scrip. Scrip consisted of a store, school church and a couple of houses and the ubiquitous curling rink. I think that at one time ever Saskatchewan town bigger than 3 families had a curling rink.

2002-07-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for a good chuckle? Has it been a while since you had wedding fever? Perhaps this site will remind you of just how bad things could have been. The pictures are worth a thousand words!

2002-07-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

Hey, my 503 error is gone! Yippee! I wonder what happened. However, I am really glad to be able to post without going through all the hoops I had to.

I started a new pair of socks today too. It was a rainy cold day, and sitting working on a pair of socks was just about all I wanted to do. They are looking pretty cool!

2002-07-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

I reknit the neck finish for my green tank today. This would be the 5th or 6th time. I think I finally have it the way I like it. I also got a chance to get one armhole done. But somehow my life got in the way of my knitting any more than that today. I always hate it when that happens. On the other hand, it was cool enough to break in my newest pair of socks. I can't believe that they have been sitting for so long, waiting for the weather to cool off enough that I could wear them. Sock fever is hitting again! SAVE ME!!!!!!!!

2002-07-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the new brides and brides-to-be! I am rather jealous. 16 years ago, Jim asked me to marry him, while he was flipping hamburgers on a BBQ. Silly fool that I was, I agreed. Not the most romantic proposal in history. :-) 6 months later we got married. It wasn't exactly the day of my dreams, but I was 12 weeks pregnant, and had been through so much pre-wedding drama (not us, other members of the wedding party) that I think elopement was looking really good at the time. For a wedding on a budget, it came off really well. And all Jim's friend who figured he would never marry are shocked that we are still together. I have never told them that the secret is that the first person to leave has to take the kids! Seriously, I suppose looking back, that it hasn't been all roses and sunshine, but it hasn't been all storm clouds and tidal waves. He stuck by me through some pretty wretched stuff, and now I am fetching and carrying for him. :-) One day at a time, and all that jazz!

2002-07-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else noticed that the pink knitty box changes its message regularly? Somehow, the current one always makes me wonder if it is asking about the state of my bowels. :-)

2002-07-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

I hate this Error 503! I wish that it would go somewhere far away, before I do! Maybe that is the intent?

2002-07-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is that time again! Here is The Friday Five!

1. How long have you had a weblog? Since January 2001, when I set up my first blog on Xanga.

2. What was your first post about? I haven't a clue.

3. How many changes (name, location, etc.) of your weblog have there been, if more than one? I have blueangel and another private (very dark and depressed) blogs on Xanga.com, and Scattered Marbles, which was originally called Fribble Time. I also had jannieland on Blogger, but that was just to try out Blogger, and it made me realize just how much I needed to learn.

4. What CMS (content management system) do you use? Do you like it or do you want to try something else? Xanga is really easy to use, and it super for someone with little or no programing knowledge. Blogger has been OK, but I am having some problems with it. I have been looking into Grey Matter and Movable Type, but haven't made the leap yet.

5. Do you read people who have both a journal and a weblog? Ummm... I read all sorts of things. Some more regularly than others. If I find someone whose style I like, I will read just about everything they have written. Journals can be interesting, but many people I read use the blog as their journal.

2002-07-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the washcloth I knit for the exchange. I didn't spend the time to block it, which I probably should have. It would look so much nicer. The pattern was pretty much a no-brainer, or at least, it didn't require too much of my limited brain power. :-) I found the pattern at Dishcloth Boutique, page 3 It is called Friendship Chain. It seemed really appropriate anyway.

I am also knitting a shawl using a pattern from here. I am using a yarn I found at Wal-Mart (Red Heart Light & Lofty) which doesn't allow the pattern to show very well. However, it is a big cloud-like shawl, and it looks pretty good. I will try to take a picture tonight. I have one more ball of yarn to knit into it, but when you are using 15mm needles it goes really quickly!

And on the rant side, Blogger is really irritating me! I keep getting an Error 503, which they say is "Unable to load template file". I have looked for more information, and cannot figure out what the problem is. I know it is likely to be something minor, but it is driving me batty! The only thing worse is trying to move my blog from Blogspot to my own server's webpage. I might as well just bang my head against the wall. I really suspect that would produce more results!

Well, I am off to fetch and carry for my husband. His ankle is slowly returning to a more normal colour and size. It was really scary just how big and red it got. I think if you had stuck a fork in it it would have exploded! (Isn't that a pleasant image to leave you with?)

2002-07-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last night I spent several hours with Jim in ER. His ankle is not getting any better, and is quite the collection of colours. So we went back in to have it checked out again, by yet another set of doctors. It would appear that he now has a danger of blood clots in his foot. And they were able to see a bone chip floating around. And... well, suffice it to say he is finally listening to me and is parked and not moving at all. I have toyed with teaching him to knit, but he is unreceptive so I might just dig out one of my half finished cross-stitch kits and let him go to town. He doesn't like cross-stitch much, but he can do it, and it might help keep his mind off not working.

ER gave me a good chance to get some work done on my FFI sweater. I was able to get several rows knit and had to stop only when I realized I hadn't brought all of my colours with me, and I needed one of the ones that is still at home. It is really looking lovely!

I also knit a dishcloth yesterday. I need to get it into the mail today. It is for an exchange on the knit with cats list. I'll post a picture later on today. For now, I have to go tend to my husband. I really wish there was a way to remove the pain and speed the healing.

2002-07-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

This site was posted to the sockknitters list. Should you ever find yourself in need of help in translating a knitting pattern from another language go here. There are eight languages including English. Now to go back to that site that Bonne Marie suggested. Maybe I will have a clue this time. :-)

2002-07-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

Friday Five
1. Where were you born? In Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada

2. If you still live there, where would you rather move to? If you don't live there, do you want to move back? Why or why not? I have lived there twice since we moved away when I was 18 months old. I would like to move back to B.C., but I think a nice secluded plot of land on Salt Spring Island would be more my speed now. I would really like to move back to an area that doesn't have 9 months of winter.

3. Where in the world do you feel the safest? I feel pretty safe where I am living now.

4. Do you feel you are well-traveled? Until I moved to Alberta, I would have said yes. However, I haven't done much travelling since then. I suppose I was fortunate that I got to travel so much while I was growing up. Maybe I will get a chance to travel more when the kids have grown up.

5. Where is the most interesting place you've been? The most interesting place that I have ever visited, through my own choice, and that I can remember, is Quebec City. The old city is a fascinating place to see, and it boggled my mind a bit to think that I actually could walk on the battlefield of the battle of the Plains of Abraham. I would love to revisit Quebec City...one of these days.

2002-07-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

We have been having too much fun around here. It all started on Monday night when I picked my husband up at the airport. He had gone to Yellowknife on a business trip. While there he had managed to do quite a number on his ankle, and he arrived home in a cast from his knee to his toe. He was told that he had ripped the ligaments off the side of his foot, an had broken some small bones in his foot/ankle region. It wasn't until he went to visit his own doctor that he was diagnosed with just a really bad sprain. He is in a half cast now, and has ceased moaning as much. We are in the midst of a drought/heat wave. We aren't used to temperatures over 25 degrees Celcius. The past 2 weeks have been an average of 30+ degrees. So a cast was really uncomfortable.

I, then, had the misfortune of stepping on our back step and irritating one of the wasps that was building a nest underneath it. I haven't had a wasp bite for a few years, and was reminded just how much they hurt. Fortunately, my foot is back to normal size now, and I can walk normally too. I was really beginning to wonder about this family. :-)

I have had some knitting time though. I finished one mystery sock, started a dishcloth (for an exchange) and a prayer shawl for a former pastor who got married. I have also done some work on my fearless fairisle. Here is the wool for this project:

Here is the swatch I knit. And here is what I have currently done. It isn't stupendous, but I am trying to do this with one colour in each hand, which means I have to learn to knit with my left hand. It is slow going, but I am really enjoying it.

2002-07-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

It has been very hot here the past few days. So hot that I haven't been spending much time on the computer. However, I have been doing some knitting. My package from the UK arrived, and I have been winding yarn for the fearless fairisle sweater that Wendy has designed. My swatch is three quarters done. I have figured out how to hold one strand of wool in each hand, so I am using the swatch to get a little more comfortable with this. But, as I do this, I am reminded that I still hate swatching! Anyway, I hope to cast on the sweater tomorrow afternoon. I am knitting in the purple colourway that Wendy is also knitting. It was a toss up between purple and blue. Purple won this time. :-) I am also knitting this with Addi Turbos. I hate knitting with circular needles and I know that the major reason is the join on the cheaper needles. I hope these work well.

I also cast on a sweater for Maryssa tonight. This one is a short sleeved summery sweater out of Sirdar Snuggly Domino DK in the 760 vibrant pink. Maryssa once again picked the yarn first. She calls it her pom-pom yarn. It is quite a lively colour, but she is a lively kid, so it will suit her. And I am trying to push myself to put in 10 rounds a day on my mystery sock. I should have the leg long enough tomorrow, so I can start the other sock. It is turning out well, but is rather boring to knit. I might take it with me to church. Since I sit in the back, I often work on the mindless small knitting during the sermon. (I usually remember the message better that way!)

Well, my brain is fried. I need a shower and bed. I am so glad that my bedroom is in the basement!

Have a happy!

2002-07-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

These are my newest feet warmers! Yes, I do have long feet. I wear a size 12. These are knit from the toes up, with heel directions by KyleAnn Williams. They were pretty easy and fun to knit. I knit 4 rows of plain knitting after the 15 rows of rib, just to give me something different. Now they are all ready and waiting for tomorrow when I get to break them in! Yippee!

2002-07-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

Knitting Haikus Some of these are a hoot! I especially like this one:
Stash busting husband
I hide my yarns from his eyes
I must go buy more.
(Carolyn Ricker)

I think Carolyn knows my husband! :-)

2002-07-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

Almost finished my toeup socks! I have about 6 rows left and casting off. Then I have to go back to finish a sock that I threw against the wall in a fit of frustration. It wasn't the patterns fault that I wasn't paying attention. I was creating a very interesting looking heel but I doubt it would have fit anyone. And since I was using a dark yarn and 2.00mm needles, frogging was not something I relished doing. Ah, tomorrow, and fresh eyes!

I have sewn up one side of my green tank. It looks rather interesting. Since Squib had already knit the same pattern, I asked her for suggestions, and decided to add a little waist shaping. This is going to look nothing like the original pattern due to all the changes I made, but it was knit out of a nice cotton yarn to work with. I just hope it fits and looks presentable.

My update on the funky "Crazy Socks"...they fit me really well. Caitlyn gets a guilty look on her face whenever I wear them, but has refrained from asking me to knit her another pair. Since they were fun to knit, I probably will make her another pair, but be sure to use the yarn she picks out in person. It is a really good thing that we wear virtually the same sized shoe. :-)

Have a great weekend!

2002-07-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Friday Five

Yup, it is that time again. So here are the five probing questions, and the answers.

1. Where are you right now? Sitting at my computer in the kitchen, wondering if my kids are ever going to get moving for the day.

2. What have you lost recently? I think the better question would be what have I found? However,...I have lost my patience, my innocence and my sanity. Not in that order though.

3. What was the first CD you ever purchased? Does that embarrass you now? A compilation of Love Songs that I bought for my husband in April 1989. I think that was about the time that I realized that cassettes were not the answer, and gave in to CD. First LP purchase...now that was embarrassing!

4. What is your favorite kind of writing pen? I like a very fine point, black pen. They never last around here because someone is always walking off with them. I also love a rosewood pen that my husband made for me. That one I never leave where another person can touch it.

5. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? I think it was called Moose Tracks, a chocolate base with mini peanut butter cups in it. YUMMY! However, I also like plain old vanilla with butterscotch sauce too.

And since I missed last Friday, here are the answers to those questions too.

When was the last time you...

1. ...sent a handwritten letter? I sent a thank-you note after Christmas to my Grandmothers. I sure wish they would get onto the internet though.

2. ...baked something from scratch or made something by hand? Last Friday night I baked Chocolate chip cookies from scratch. I usually leave baing to my daughter, but she has been way too busy lately.

3. ...camped in a tent? One night in 1993. But we use a tent trailer when we camp now.

4. ...volunteered your time to church, school, or community? I have done quite a bit of work both in the local elementary school, and jr. high. I also did some work with my church's youth group this spring and will do more this coming fall.

5. ...helped a stranger? Early last week, in a new yarn store I found. Does that count?

2002-07-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a little Canadiana to perk me up. I just listened to "I am Cow" by the Arrogant Worms My kids think this is a hoot, and hearing my almost 6 year old sing it is really funny! I needed the laugh, believe me!