Lyz's Thoughts! ( I have thoughts? That's scary)

Another Busy Weekend

2012-01-14T21:28:00.002-05:00

The weekends are the best time of all. For example, at this exact moment in time, my two wonderful, well mostly wonderful, grandchildren are here beside me, one older boy, and one a bit younger girl, is giving and complaining about getting the worst thing there is in the world for a child. COOTIES! Specifically BOY COOTIES! and giggling madly. You do know they fight at home and yes they fight here too. They are brother and sister, and what else are brother and sisters to do with themselves if not fight? I am enjoying the noise now from the other room as I wind down for the evening. Dinner and dishes are done and soon it will be pajama time. I am so looking forward to that! My pajamas I mean! Oh and the kids too of course LOL. I was up early again, no sleeping in for me today. I had the most wonderful, enjoyable, and educational morning that I've had in a long time. Spinning class called Wrap It Up with Jillian Moreno ( of Knittyspin fame) We learned several different ways to work with cores and wraps, using several different cores and several differently prepared fibres for the wraps. I have several mini skeins of Corespun yarn that if very HORRIBLY made! BUT! I learned so much and just need more practice. I plan to practice soon and try to get it where I am producing some fun and exciting corespun yarns before too long. At least I hope so. I have spent way to long away from my wheel. After the class, I needed to pay for my class. There was a huge line up at the cash register of other knitters and spinners needing to do the same as me. I wasn't in much of a mood to be patient in a long line up however, so I was forced *shudder* to browse and shop the yarn store! I am very pleased to say, I came away like a happy bunny with one one but two of the hugely coveted and desperately craved varieties of ORANGE sock yarn. Doesn't everyone NEED to have bright orange handknit socks? I know I do!

Here we have Trekking XXL colourway 487

Here we have Spud and Chloe Fine Sock in colourway 7802.

OOOOOOOO...... AHHHHH..... ORANGE!

You know orange is the new green right... ???

I'm dealing with my head, or trying to...

2011-11-17T09:38:00.001-05:00

The weather is constantly changing here it seems. Mid November is usually leaning a little more toward the winter type weather but it keeps getting mild again. Don't get me wrong, I am so NOT a winter fan, and I am really NOT trying to encourage it along. Problem is unsettled weather unsettles my body aches and pains. It makes me more in the mood to relax with a heating pad in front of the tv instead of the up and down's of sewing and quilting. Since I am trying to concentrate on quilting projects that need to be done, it makes for an interesting conflict between my head and the rest of my body. In the project I am currently working on, I am at the point of semi-constructed. In this project, I need to do a lot of the work before I can see the results of that work. It's not an overly large time eater the way the last pieced project was, but it's not instant gratification either! The way I've been feeling, with the aches and pains pretty much constant, I find I am second guessing the whole concept of what I thought was going to be a totally awesome project... I know, 'Stop Thinking Lyz!' LOL I think thinking is my worst enemy. No worries though I am going to slog it through, if it comes to having to slog it (but I don't think I will) What can I say, I just want to see the finished product NOW! long before it's finished!

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Speechless

2011-11-16T22:07:00.001-05:00

Or would that be tongue tied? It sounded like a great idea yesterday, to take up my blog and be faithful again. Today, however I already don't have words to fill the space! It's been a long time since the last time I blogged. I don't really want to play catch up. That seems so yesterday! and I know in the course of regular writings a lot of it will come out anyways. What was today like? Yes lets stick with the present. Work of course. After that a dentist appointment. Only for a cleaning but it put my feet to shaking in my boots! Fortunately, I have learned how to not shake all over just for a cleaning, I save that nifty trick for fillings and more major work. Not to be outdone by the dentist, the Cable guy came and fixed my almost two week long battle over one little tv that didn't want to work right. Seems my fixitup was the correct, however and the Cable guy simply, after checking out everything inside and out, changed the cable box to another one! Imagine that! I already did that once... It took three cable boxes to find a good one that worked! Shall I tell you what I think of refurbished cable boxes? Ok nevermind, you get the idea. On to my free time tonight! I spend some time on the computer doing some relaxing fun stuff and then spent a couple hours sewing. I have started quilting about a year, maybe a bit more, ago. I really enjoy it! But why wouldn't I? I learned to sew when I was a girl so it's like going back to my roots. The present project is not too far in and I'm not sure where it's going yet. I have a plan for it but who knows if it will turn out the way I am planning now. Is it not my prerogative as a female to change my mind whenever the mood suits me?

For now however, it's time to pack it in for the night. Morning comes awful early when I am on this shift.

In the mean time, for your viewing pleasure, and my experimenting with email blog posts, a Kenaf flower. The stalks that grow these pretty flowers can be dried and used for spinning.

Sent from my iPhone

Just Testing

2011-11-15T12:31:00.001-05:00

Due to my lack of geekiness, I have to test this to see if it works. Thanks to my best friend, who happens to be overflowing with geekiness and doesn't mind sharing, I feel confident it will actually post to my blog!

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A New Day

2011-11-15T10:12:00.001-05:00

A friend is trying very hard and pretty much succeeding at returning to her blog and doing it faithfully every day. I have enjoyed reading about all of her exploits, even though I get a 'more' than daily report on it all. We are best friends. I get the nitty and the gritty as well as all the details ! I wouldn't have it any other way! Having said that, however, I have to admit, it's fun, and sometimes educational, to read her blog and get the 'public' view point. I think I know what's coming when I read her blog, because I have already been there, done that... right? ... Well not really. She always manages to entertain, and/or surprise me with some details or bits of story that I wasn't anticipating. She comments sometimes that journaling her 'boring' life, as she feels it is sometimes, is just that... boring... I tell her that her posts are enjoyable, because that is what they are. I am seeing first hand through someone else's eyes, their life, and realize that it's time again for me to see my life through someone else's eyes too.. those of the blogger! I can't say I am going to be faithful to my blog, but I can try. I can't say I am going to post award winning writings, but I can try! LOL I guarantee it will be from it! I can again write about my mundane and boring life, as I see it sometimes, but not to a journal, or diary as many people see blogs as being, but written to a public domain. I will therefore try to take the boring and mundane out of *my* life and see it through other eyes. This, will be an excursive in a change of attitude, outlook and lots of positive thinking. How well I will do with this, I don't know but, I can try....

not kitting- what's with that?

2010-03-13T15:27:00.005-05:00

It's been a busy time even though i haven't been knitting.

but i still love the sheep!

I just had to share...

2009-08-22T18:45:00.003-04:00

First of all let's just say that fishing in the rain

Drove us just a little 'Loon'ie!

Seriously though....

Isn't it just too pretty for words? I just had to share. Sunset last night over Berford Lake on the Bruce Peninsula. *big sigh*

(scroll all the way to the bottom, I saved the best for last)

I've Finally Managed To Do It Right! Sock Blanks and Pictures Too

2009-07-06T07:28:00.006-04:00

A blog and blog pics all in one post! How did I manage that? Here it is though, a few weeks late but in all it's glory, World Wide Knit In Public Day post.

The World Wide Knit in Public festivities on Saturday June 13, were a lot of fun. I was in New Hamburg with my knitting buddies at Shall We Knit for the morning and half the afternoon. There was quite a bit of Breast Cancer fund raising going on, with a silent auction, which I I didn't win on the items I bid on. The Big Pink Knitting Needles Contest, in which teams of 3 knitters get sponsors and try to knit as many stitches as they can in a certain amount of time using the famous crowd stopping Big Pink 6 ft. long Knitting Needles. I didn't participate in that but it was a hoot to watch! Drawing a Blank, with proceeds being donated, was a sock blank dyeing activity. I signed up for two sock blanks, one for myself and one for my daughter. I decided to do mine in a semi-solid dye job, or at least try to, because I am always so attracted to bright and colourful, wild even sock yarns and I love the new Sock Innovation book by Cookie A. that I got a few weeks ago. The socks in that book are all textured and more suited to a solid/semi-solid sock yarn. I have a lot of wild colourful sock yarn in my stash that just isn't appropriate for all the wonderful texture in Cookie's designs. This one is my blue semi-solid sock blank

My daughter just went to town with coloured dye, applying it willy-nilly as the impulse struck.

Didn't we do an awsome job? and it was way too much fun! We will definately be doing this again.

As the Swatch Lies

2009-06-11T23:51:00.000-04:00

I swatched last night after I got home from work. I was using the 3.25mm circ that the pattern told me to use. It turned out too big, quite a bit too big. I had a 2.75mm circ as well, that the pattern said is supposed to be the smaller needle for the ribbing, and so I decided to change to the 2.75mm circ and swatch.

I knit one row onto one end of the 2.75mm circ. I started on the purl row using the other end of the circ and about 2/3 the way across the row, I felt something catching on the yarn. I scootched the yarn down the needle a bit and purled a few more stitches and there goes that catchy, catchy again. I don't like it when good yarn catches because it could be ruining the yarn. I wiggled the stitches over a bit to have a look and low and behold I was dumbfounded.

The bamboo needle on the one end of the circ, had been snapped previously and taped together with scotch tape and put back in it's pouch!!! Me??? I didn't do that! I'm sure I didn't do that! Just because I have imposed a self-banning on bamboo circ's thinner than 3.5mm for myself, because I tend to snap them, doesn't mean I did this to my 2.75! I just know it couldn't have been me!

I looked for another and didn't find one. Hmmm.. seems I have a good reason to visit my LYS asap! (like I need a reason LOL)

I found some straights I haven't used in a long time. I used to do baby things on these years ago, they are old English plastic needles I inherited from my Grandmother and/or Great Aunt. And I love them! It felt so good to use these needles again. I successfully swatched with the red #10's (3mm) and pulled out the white #11's (2.5mm) for the ribbing. I cast on, worked my ribbing, and into the striped body of the little boy's vest from Rowan Purelife, The Organic Cotton Kids Collection am doing as a store sample. I make it up 4.5 inches and have my ribbing and all the striped part done. The knitting looks very nice to me, and although I had my doubts about the colour choice when I put the red and the brown together, it's all playing nice now. I do think that because of the colour choice that the finished vest will be more suited to a girl than a boy, but since it is a store sample gender isn't going to make or break the garment.

At this point I thought to stop to double check my gauge. This is when I discovered my swatch was lying to me. The width of the back of the vest was one inch too small!!! Go figure!

It is now on hold awaiting my new 2.75mm circ this weekend so I can re-cast on the ribbing and have another go. In the mean time, it is the Cable-Edged Vest by Sally Melville from Mother - Daughter Knits in burgundy Zara, another store sample. It looks like a very interesting design and will be fun to knit. The yarn is totally yummy too! (I need to get some in my stash muhaha...)

I love to play with new yarns and patterns. Isn't this so much fun?

Backbuster Yesterday

2009-06-10T12:25:00.003-04:00

Yes, I know it's not Tuesday anymore, and yes, I know I am not posting pics again, but too bad suck it up! (now I know why no one reads my blog! LOL)

This was from yesterday but lazy me is just getting around to post it now.....

I have spent a goodly bit of today trying to beat the fact that life is getting in the way and staying strong and true to my knitting goal for the day. That goal is finishing the back of the Ballooomin' Cardi, hence I have named today Backbusting Tuesday.

I started off well with a whole pattern repeat with my morning coffee. Most people would have a piece of toast or a muffin but not a knitter, or at least not this knitter! A coffee and a repeat then on to a few things that needed me, then back to my knitting. A simple enough plan one would think. Well I think that I was the only one who thought this plan was solid. I was sidetracked when my daughter and granddaughter came over to make bread and do laundry, a few calls to Mom and other assorted tidbits of knitting time abusing activities occurred, and it was after lunch before I knew it. I rushed to my chair and picked up my needles and did a couple more rows. Wonderful, but not enough to finish. I headed out early, well, I tried to head out early thinking that I could manage a couple more rows at All Strung Out the LYS that's near my work, before I had to go to work. Well my early wasn't early enough and I only had enough time to arrange to get some merino and silk fibre drum carded and quickly visit with and pet all the glorious yarns on the shelf. Then a rush to work, flying in the door with just minutes to spare. See I wasn't late for work after all!

I have my breaks coming up and not that many rows to go was all I could think as I sat at my desk and started in on the emails of the day, hoping for a nice quiet evening without too many problems for me to solve, after all I was wanting to concentrate on keeping my knitting mojo strong). Well as life always happens, I was fairly busy all night, but I did knit during breaks. I didn't quite get finished though. I am home now, tired, and am going straight to bed.

I will finish the last TWO shoulder decrease rows in the morning... night, night.

Life As It Happens

2009-06-08T23:30:00.008-04:00

Me thinks me gets too caught up in life as it happens. How do you balance the two? Knitting/Life.... Life/Knitting. Is there a balance? or do we all just go with the flow? I have been very guilty (is there a state more guilty than guilty?) of living my blogging life through the blogs of others.

Yes I am lazy.

It's so much easier to just pick up the needles, or sit in front of the wheel, instead of having to think creatively and write out a blog entry. I have so much to blog about since the last time, where in the world do I start? The knitting, the spinning, the workshops, classes, fun events with knitterly friends? Is there any rhyme or reason to it all? All the little treasured moments are all packed inside my memories and then mish-mashed around by life as if it was a high-speed blender inside my head.

I have a bunch of pictures on my camera waiting to uploaded to my computer.

I have some FO's that are waiting to be bragged about.

I have spinning projects and cast on's as well.

They are all neglected in print as I continue to let life just lead me along.

Suffice to say that I will not try to catch up my cyber life with reality. (yes I can still tell the difference, isn't that amazing?) I will instead try to highlight some glimpses into my memory with bits and bites of things past as so I get inspired to. In other words, I am going to try (really hard trying) to blog often over the next while, before I explode from keeping it all in.

Topic for today, Current Events.

Today was Monday Knit and Chat at Starbucks. Yes, I actually went today, on a Monday. I don't often, but I felt the need for a good cuppa coffee and a bit of knitting. (Friday's K&C was a well needed social event for me, with a whole 7? or was it 9 or 10? stitches accomplished in the 4 or 5 hours I spent at Starbucks that day.) I managed several rows on my Baaaloooomin' Cardi (Interweave Knits Winter 2008 cover choice). I am so happy to be back working on it. I had put it on hold for a few months to work on other more prioritized projects. I am almost finished the back now and I KNOW I am going to wear this sweater tons. I am totally in love with the yarn. (I weally heart it). It's Cascade EcoWool in black umm.. oops... in colour #8095/! and I can see myself using this yarn again, and probably again too.

Hmm... what projects can I plan for more Ecowool???

Oh wait... I am trying to stick to my self imposed yarn diet. I have cotton that I want to knit. remember the mantra... I need to knit summer cotton tops.... I need to knit summer cotton tops.... I need to.... Oh crap forget it, I know I am going to knit whatever inspires me at the moment.

P.S. Gessh, isn't this boring with no pics??? Maybe tomorrow....

Isn't it just Wonderful?

2009-04-15T08:00:00.018-04:00

So now everything is dry and not felted.

It has been re-skiened and braided. (yup I figured it out)

I am pleased and so is my grand-daughter. (now renamed Laughaholic as I see from her brand new membership to Ravelry)

Here's the promised pics of the finished dye job. Yarn and Fibre look great! I on the other hand still have grey roots! (Should have done my hair while I was at it!)

The first pic is Laughaholic's first handspun. Not a bad job of it I think. Looks better than my first did! The second pic is the blue one with beads. It has already been cast on. She has decided to make a lacy scarf from it. The third pic is her handpainted skein.

See the big smile on her face.

These ones are mine.....

First pic is two ply Shetland laceweight/fingering, the second pic is about a worsted weight three ply

The third and fourth pic, below, are before and after pics of what used to be grey Icelandic wool rovings. Notice it's not grey anymore! :D

Then we have the rovings.

Pic one, two and three, quite self explanatory.

Beautiful?

Ithinkso.

Dye Day What Fun

2009-04-11T20:10:00.017-04:00

We survived! Tick-Tick, my eldest granddaughter of 13 yrs (who insessantly drives me insane with the constant tick-tick of the keyboard as she chats constantly on messenger with her friends) , is slightly green and blue in several spots, and I even have a tinge of off colour on my hands too, but we had a blast!

I found all the natural handspun I had hanging around the house including the first practicing at beaded yarn and a skein of somewhat dark grey Icelandic Wool yarn I had spun.

Tick-Tick had her skein of 'First Handspun' to dye as well. I also decided to throw in some natural off white rovings as I had 4 kg of it before I starting spinning, aka playing with it and my wheel.

We went to Michael's Craft Store on Thursday night and Tick-Tick picked out 5 colours of Wilton Food Colour to use in our dying. We had Sky Blue, Juniper Green, Teal, Orange, and Buttercup Yellow. I am so glad the the local grocer's was sold out of McCormick's Neon Food Colouring! (Neon yarn is not my cup of tea)

We re-skeined the yarn that needed reskeining, put it all in a vinegar bath. I cleaned up the kitchen a bit and got the dye ready in it's squeezee bottles.

Then we went at it. We hand painted the off white skeins, including the beaded one, and two batches of wool rovings, wrapped them in Saran Wrap and steamed them on the stove to set the colour.

I put one batch of wool rovings in the crock pot and when it was all hot and steamy I added three colours of dye to the crock pot and let it cook for a couple of hours.

The dark grey skein was an experiment to see if it would over-dye. I tried handpainting it and though you could see there was other colour added to it, it still looked grey. We left it till last and decided to try a dye bath for it with a microwave chaser. We chose teal as the dye colour. I make a strong teal bath, put in the grey yarn to soak, then nuked it for two minutes at a time until it had exhausted noticably some of the dye. At that point the dye water was much lighter teal than when we started. I took it out of the microwave to cool and as it cooled, it took up even more dye. After much cooling when it was good and warm instead of still hot I noticed the water was almost clear with very little dye colour left in the water! I was amazed! My grey yarn was now a deep greenish teal and I am extremely pleased with the colour. Truly amazing I say! I am so glad I tried this, and as I have more of the grey Icelandic wool to spin I can guarantee that I will be making more of this colour.

More to come after it dries but the bottom line is, we had a ball with it all, lots got dyed, none got felted and we are very happy with the results of our labours. Next time, it will be McCormick' NEON! (please help me!!!)

And now it be Silk

2009-03-05T09:31:00.010-05:00

Specifically, hand dyed Tussah Silk by Libertina Yarns bought at All Strung Out in Guelph On. After spinning two braids of singles I am now wondering if I will ever spin anything but silk again. Oh it is so lovely and soft and cushy and heavenly and beautiful, oh excuse me, am I gushing? I plan to ply it for a resulting DK weight 2 ply. The braids have spun nicely, giving me generous yardage. I will measure the metres after I ply though.

I am hoping to pop over to the store tonight and show the resident dye master the singles with my comments and hopes that more can be dyed to match what I already have. If I get enough yardage, I am going to make a light spring/summer camisole or tank top for me!

Are the Knitting Fates Pulling my Leg?

2009-03-01T12:08:00.008-05:00

I am happy again. Enjoying my knitting. LOVING my knitting. Flying through the cutest little tiny girly baby vest in the world. The MOJO has come back, I am sure of it. the 2 skeins of Filatura Di Crosa Maxime Print Soft Socks, colourway 5072 has me thoroughly enchanted and inspired again.It has grey in it. It will be for my Husby's replacement grey socks. ( to replace the socks I made for him that I gave away to his cousin on finishing them last summer)

I am truly inspired to knit my current projects and am excited to start a pair of socks again.

Had I written this post yesterday, that is what it would have said.

Today, the knitting fates are kicking my arse. They have been playing me for a fool. They bumped me up a few notches just to drop me down and crush me yet again. Ok, yes I agree, that is what they do best. I admit it. I totally and absolutely bow in their presence and acquiescent in the magnitude of their power.

What's up you ask? Well it's that cute little baby vest. I started the front last night, knit the ribbing, and worked up to the armholes this morning. Totally forgot, in my excitement over the beautiful work I was managing to get done, that I didn't change needles after the ribbing. And YES I needed to. Rib is on a 3.25mm, body of vest is on a 4.0mm. Major gauge difference between front and back that resulted in a complete frogging back to the ribbing.

The Knitting Fates are still batting 1000.

My arse has been well kicked.

P.S. I think I will go cast on those socks. Lets see how badly I can screw them up!

Good, Good Blogger (for a change)

2009-02-27T19:43:00.015-05:00

I am patting myself on the back because in a timely fashion, for a change, I have some pics to post. Not too much to say though, I am tired. Knitting all day at Knit and Chat can do that.

I have finished the sample Baby Sweater and matching Socks for my LYS, Shall We Knit It is a nice lace pattern with short sleeves knit using Shepherd Baby Velvet DK. Matching socks make a nice touch.

The spinning is coming along very well. I have spun a nice cushy soft skein of what I am now calling my Vampire Yarn. I got three batts of yummy hand dyed, fibre from All Strung Out My other LYS.

The colourway is called Real Vampires Don't Sparkle by Libertina Yarns. It is 65% wool/ 35% silk/ and a little bit of vampire sparkle. Very awesome! I loved it the second I saw it.

Nice huh?

lost the interesting?

2009-02-25T07:58:00.005-05:00

Oh knitting mojo,
Oh where did you go?
I thought you were back on the weekend.

You played me, and teased me, and led me along,
and what did I find?
that you were still gone!
:(

I even WANT to knit, and I am not making mistakes, I just can't get the interest going! What's with this? There are so many wonderful things on my to knit list that I can't wait to start, oh, and finish the ones already started. The baby sweater is finished. Yes pics to come. And the baby socks are started. Sock one is at the toe. I keep picking it up and feeling how soft it is, admiring how darn cute it is, ooooo'ing and ahhhh'ing in wonder at it's tiny size... but then I just put it back in it's baggie and NOT knit on it. It's so not me! Geesh!

I have however got the spins. I took pics last week of the 'Real Vampires Don't Sparkle' colourway of the hand dyed hand carded batts made at All Strung Out . I have not however uploaded them from my card to my puter. I have finished spinning all 3 batts into yarn. I used a thin singles and a thick/thin singles (that was supposed to be a thick singles, but hey as a still somewhat beginner, I am still winging it aren't I). I went with my knitting buddy to the All Strung Out Sunday afternoon spin in and worked on the plying. I plied the two singles together haphazardly without a care in the world. I wanted it to look the way I wanted it to look and went for it totally and relentlessly ignoring (on purpose) the fact that I was supposed to check for a balanced yarn. Ya man! It looked good, it plied good, and it felt good. Instincts prevailed and when all was said and done, and the yarn was skeined up, THE YARN WAS TOTALLY BALANCED! I am now the owner of 150 m of luscious, soft, cushy, wonderful chunky Vampire Sparkle Yarn. and did I say I totally LOVE the results?

Having finished my Vampire Sparkle Yarn, and planning to spin more of the Blue Fusion to make matching mitts to go with my Moebius (which is now finished and I love) I went over to the fibre shelves of the store and gave in to my cravings for hand dyed silk. So beautiful, so wonderfully soft and silky, 100% hand dyed silk rovings started turning into gorgeous silky singles on my bobbin before long.
Oh and by the way, don't forget to charge me for the silk on my wheel!

Simply a Rant

2009-02-01T11:50:00.002-05:00

baby sweater (as pictured in previous post). both fronts done up to almost the armholes, you know all the lace part (go figure right?) mistaken in the patt and frogged halfway back to the start. I am now doing much needed and very overdue housework. Does that mean something?

OK! I'm UP!

2009-01-29T08:50:00.006-05:00

and would be knitting but for a few minutes here to blog. Need coffee still, the writing might be bad! LOL

Linen Stitch Socks for husby are finished. And for your viewing

pleasure, I even braved the weather, ran outside in my pj's and bare feet and took a nature shot of them in the wild.

Work Socks #1 for The Boy are also finished. Work Socks #2 are cast with 4 or 6 rows done but will be frogged (today) and re-cast on with 48 sts instead of 44 sts. We thought they might be a little loose in the leg before they were finished. They were cast on with 50 sts so to tighten the leg a bit I cast on 44 sts on Socks #2. Now that Socks #1 are finished and tried on and even already worn once, they fit well. The leg is not too loose and it turns out that 44 is a rude number and just has to go.

Baby Sweater #1 is half way done. See (I am working on stuff besides socks!) The back is done and the fronts will be cast on as soon as I can get to them.

(It's lime green, colour in the pic is bad)

Moebius is into it's second lace panel, though I haven't been working on it as much as I was hoping too. You know how it goes when work and life just get in the way.

Oh and I have some errands to do today. It snowed (like crazy again) again and made winter miserable, messy, and hard to drive in. So I might end up not getting any knitting done today? Ahhh.... such is life.

Maybe since I might not end up with time to knit, my errands might just manage to take me to a yarn store or two today? Oh imagine how BAD that would be! NOT!

Pics are here too! (YAY for me huh?)

Non Sockdon Ended

2009-01-27T00:58:00.003-05:00

If it's possible to get sock burnout, no I don't mean by blowing a big hole in the toe of it, sock burnout, I had it now it's gone. YAY to me? well pair one of socks for 2009 is done, and pair 2 is almost done. I am tired of socks again though and want to knit things. Not socks, but things. That wonderful moebius that is whispering to me from my canvas bag, just a bit more than half done and will be needing another ball of yarn spun before it's completed. That barely more than a start,and because of gauge woes second time around, sweater for me, you know, the one that has obsessed me since my copy of Interweave Knit's Winter 2008 has come into my itchy little knit friendly fingers. It's calling, and calling, and calling for more attention than I have time for. Poor old KW Guild Mystery Shawl, that lays depressed because of neglected since sometime in December when it was so on top of the world. Then it was 'THE project of the day'. Beautiful, beautiful Granddaughter Sweater, is thinking that it's not going to be worn by the girl that will be much to big for it before it's finished. And oh, the two new projects, one 'just' started and the other, only a strand peeking over the edge of it's bag of keeping. Baby sweaters, both of them, waiting for their birth.
What will I do tomorrow morning when I get up? Finish second sock of the pair that almost are, then cast on a new pair of socks.
I am going to bed now, it's late and I can't fight the urge to stay up and knit any more.
Good Night.

In Case You Were Wondering,

2009-01-17T09:33:00.011-05:00

Yes Husby and I went to the show last night. After a wonderful day of knitting with friends and drinking Skinny Vanilla Lattes, I headed home, did my dishes as I said I would, and started supper. The Asian Chicken and Rice Bake was delicious. We will definately make that one again.

Wonderful Husby brought me the EcoWool colour 8095 from Shall We Knit that I wanted for my Blooming Card igan from Interweave Knits Winter 2008 Yes I am totally obsessed with this design and I HAVE to make it.

Anyways. as a thank you treat for being a non complaining stash enhancer on my behalf, yet again, I decided to treat him to go and see the movie he has been wanting to go to. Gran Torino with Clint Eastwool.

Of course as the fates that control the midnight shift would have it, my sleep deprived body was slow in getting ready to go to the show and we were late for the early show!

The theatre was packed and we would have missed half the movie by the time we got our tickets waiting in the long slow moving 80% teenage strewn lineups at the ticket wicket and concession stand. Next show, 9:50 pm! We were at the mall with time (3 flippin' hours of time) to kill so we did what the teens do and hung out. Window shopped the mall 3 times over, tried on a ton of clothes, mostly jeans as Husby and I both need new ones badly, and sat and drank our Tim's (coffee) in front of the skating rink that was sporting kids hockey league games one after the other all evening long.

Yes it was nice. Yes it was a date. And yes it was fun. When it was time, we bought our popcorn and drinks and headed into the theater. Me, having not slept for over 24 hours now, gave Husby strick instructions to, in the case of emergency, wake me up before leaving the theatre after the movie was over. LOL. I didn't fall asleep. I enjoyed the movie. Husby enjoyed the movie. We ate popcorn, drank pop and laughed at all the funny parts. In short the movie was awesome. In my opinion, and that of Husby's a very good movie and highly recommened.
Go See It.

now... I have laundry to do, Husby went to the Toronto Boat Show with our grandon, lovingly nicknamed Bug and I have the day to myself.

Moebius Woebius?

2009-01-15T08:02:00.012-05:00

We had Techniques Night at KW Knitter's Guild meeting this past Tuesday night. I was hoping to get in on Debbie New's Freeform Knitting Workshop, and Karen's (Shall We Knit) Moebius workshop. As it was announced to make your way to your chosen workshop in a few minutes, everyone rushed to the places they wanted to go to right away. Needless to say, Moebius was packed, and Freeform was even more packed.

My Knitting Buddy made her way up to Moebius but came back to where we were sitting saying she didn't have the right needle and it's packed. So we sat with Another Knitting Buddy (of the 'don't give her chocolate' fame) and chatted, and knit, and knit, and chatted. At the 20 minute mark, Knitting Buddy and I made our way to Moebius and got in on the second session.

The technique is very cool! I didn't start mine right then because the circular needle I had with me was too short to knit with but I did learned the cast on with it.

When I got home, in my rush to get to work, I took a few minutes to sneak my knitting needle box out of the bedroom without waking my Husby, and grabbed my longest circ, a 120cm long 3.5 mm Addi Lace.

The yarn I decided on is Wellington Fibres Mohair/Wool blend rovings in Blue Fusion colourway (blue/green blend) spun in my attempt to purposely make a chunky singles. Well, now that I have been spinning for a little while, my usual yarn is two plied to a fingering to dk weight yarn and I 'can't' do thick anymore! I had to work hard concentrating on NOT drafting more than just a little, and NOT putting a decent amount of twist into it. I took my time, predrafted to the size of fibre I wanted and put in just enough twist to hold it together. (at least I tried to LOL).
I am very happy with the results even though the finished yarn wasn't quite what I was going for.
I ended up with a dk to worsted weight singles, lightly twisted. IMO it is going to be a very nice Lacy Moebius. I cast on again during my break at work that same night and did my first round. I added a few more rounds last night including my first repeat of the 2 row lace pattern repeat.

I plan to wear it as a cowl not a wrap, and it's not very far yet but here's the pic.

The pattern is White Lacy Shoulder Wrap from A Treasury of Magical Knitting by Cat Bordhi.

So in answer to the question Moebius Woebius? NOT! In fact it's Moebius Glow-bius cause the pattern/yarn combo is just too yummy!

Obsessed I Am yet again

2009-01-07T19:34:00.003-05:00

Ok so I got the new Interweave Knits Magazine Winter 2008 Issue, oh, a number of weeks ago now, and ya know, like most knitters I know, I don't like bobbles. But, I am totally obsessed with the Blooming Cardigan! bobbles and all! I just can't figure it out, but I HAVE TO make this cardigan for myself. (I think I am more obsessed by this cardigan than I am by the fact that I just HAVE TO get me the Shawn the Sheep game for DS) Well I had decided weeks ago I was going to cast this on over my two week Christmas holiday from work. I trashed my stash looking for yarn that would work, after all, it's Christmastime and the last thing that would be good for my bank book would be to purchase a sweater's worth of wool. Right? (sigh) I came up with nothing in my stash and that I had enough of that would match or be close to the guage in the pattern. My purple Shelridge Farms DK is too thin, and the beautiful Manos (colour # 42 Marl) that would work beautifully for colour and guage was bought over a year ago and is two skeins short of the right amount. Go Figure huh? Hence my dilema creating an even more growing obsession with this bobbled Cardigan.

When I was at Shall We Knit last week I got looking at yarns in the appropriate weight. I think that Cascade Eco Wool will work guagewise. Colour choice of the instore stock is somewhat limited though. The only in stock colour I can choose that will work for me is black. Ok so a textured stitched, somewhat aran style with bobbles, kind of cardigan will not look good in black. It's a waste of time. The beautiful stitch details will be lost in the blackness of it all. Won't it? hmmm... what do you think? (sigh, sigh, sigh) Ok so now I also NEED to HAVE a black cardigan.

(Happy side of the whole thing, more Cascade Eco Wool is coming in soon and I am pretty sure my colour of choice can be ordered if need be) (happy sigh)

P.S. I will placate myself by spending tomorrow knitting all day while I wait for the Mr. Fixit Dude of the washing machine variety to show up with the parts to fix my ailing fairly new Maytag! (Thank Goodness for extended warranties LOL)

P.S.S. I will placate my Blooming Cardigan and Black Cardigan obsessions (somewhat) by casting on the Climbing Vines Pullover (scroll down to find the pic) with the purple Shelridge Farms DK.

New Year To Try Again

2009-01-04T15:51:00.005-05:00

So it's now 2009. January 4, 2009 to be exact and my first post of the year. Ok so it only took me four days to do this. Am I getting better at posting? I think maybe so? As I felt so compelled to post a post somewhat timely for and in the new year that I am actually doing it! Ok New Year to try again and be a good blogger again. My 2009 mantra is: If I post often, I won't have to write a novel every time I post. Think it will work? got my fingers crossed but I'm not gonna hold my breath. Ok now on to the post.
Tons of things have been happening since last I posted. Hopefully over time I can catch at least some of them up. But for now, today's doin's.
I finally made it to All Strung Out. A very nice store with some wonderful yarn and fibre. Ashley, the store owner is very nice and extremely helpful. My score for today, Briggs and Little Tuffy yarn for socks. This is a strong worsted weight wool/nylon combination that is a workhorse of a yarn for socks. My 'I'll never be caught dead in handmade socks' son, asked, of his own free will, shortly before Christmas for handknit work socks. His new job is working on cars and the big bay doors are open most of the time, freezing his feet. I took the trip up to Spinrite in Listowel for Tuffy and got two skeins of the only colours they stock. Light grey and darker grey. Those colours are fine for him but the hour long drive for only two boring colours (imo) will not be something I want to do alot. I was so thrilled to see Tuffy in All Strung out today that I bought a bit of a stash in generic colours for more socks. And best of all, it so close I can go there anytime I want. I feel so blessed. Now I have two wonderful favourite LYS's that I can stash enhance from any time I want. Shall We Knit and All Strung Out.

Spin-spired Again

2008-09-15T07:24:00.000-04:00

It was the KWKnitter's Guild Knitting Fair this passed weekend and I volunteered for security duty so as to NOT (hopefully) be used by the yarn and fibre and provoked into yet again breaking the bank of Lyz!
It was a wonderful day. I worked too much (planned it that way and it was such fun) and therefore missed a lot of the 'good' stuff. But no need to despair, I got a few really yummy things and I am all in all very pleased with the day. Simply put the day was awesome fun for all. I had very little shopping time but since I had nothing on my 'I have to get it' list, that was okay. I went with the attitude that I would listen for what called to me and pick out a few special 'just for me' treats.
I treated myself with:

An afghan pattern from Sandy's Needle Nook called Hexagon Afghan (Pattern #NN177)
A cardigan pattern by Ilga Lega called Shorelines
100g of chocolate brown Alpaca fibre from Alpaca Acres, it's soft as butter and now half spun up into a lace weight singles I think for a nice light lacy scarf for me
A litre sized mason jar filled with all sorts of fibre goodness by The Roving Spinners. It contains silk, wool, alpaca, firestar, and mohair for a total of 100g in the colourway Boysenberry which is mostly purples with a bit of grey and pink added in for fun. They call it a Gourmet Carding Recipe but it reminds me of the Surprise bags that I used to get at a birthday party when I was little. All sorts of good stuff stuffed and packed into it. Inside the jar there are all the makings for a luscious batt just not made into a batt. That's where the fun comes in. You can make your own custom 'designer' fibre batt or just spin it up as is. That is what my choice is. That is once it's finished being a gorgeous centerpiece on my coffee table LOL.

The highlight of my day though was trying out a couple wheels at Gemini Fibres. Though it won't happen for quite a while yet, I have already decided that I am ready for my next wheel and that I am outgrowing my first wheel. I love it to bits but it's just not always thinking along the same lines that I am. It seems to like thicker yarns better and I have figured out that it is going to be an awesome plying wheel, when I have another wheel with a little lighter touch and a little more speed to spin the thinner singles I love to spin. I tried out two Kromski wheels and they were both just lovely to work with. I liked the Minstrel a little more than the Sonata though. Even though I haven't touched my wheel in over three months and still consider myself a beginner spinner, just learning a bit more than a year ago, I sat and spun like I had done it every day. I plan at some time in the future to try to get up to Gemini Fibres and try out some of the other wheels. It doesn't hurt to be prepared LOL.

The only slight regrets (which I am not crying over at all cause there is always next year) is that I didn't realize that I was one skein short of the Jitterbug (Colourway 142 Sea Breeze) I was going to use for the Guild Mystery Shawl Kal. Had I known, I could have got some yummy fingering weight just for the shawl.

My other slight regret was that I had that awesome Heere Be Dragons Shawl pattern IN MY HANDS damnitall, and I forgot to go back and buy it!!!

So if I can't locate another skein to match my Jitterbug soon, I have decided to spin something up for the Kal and as for the pattern, there's always next year!

And, oh ya, as usual, pics to follow soon (hopefully)

Now I've Done It

2008-01-25T23:09:00.001-05:00

See how long it lasted? I missed a bunch of time with my posts again. Sorry I tried. Oh well I am here now, right? Well at least I have been productive with my knitting time since I haven't been on the computer hardly at all lately. I have my New Year's Socks almost finished. I am working down the foot of sock #2 now and I WILL have them finished this weekend. Good thing happening here right?
I will post a pic when they are done so therefore another post in a day or two.

SSS Cast On

2008-01-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

I went to Shall We Knit with Mom yesterday and got the rest of my Malabrigo for my Spring Shawl Surprise project and cast on last night. I have made a few stupid goofups already but I frogged back to the edging and redid the rows. I felt better after my little warm up of the pattern as I am preferring to call it now, and I have it going slow but sure. I am not saying that it's going to be easy sailing, that I know is such a total untruth as I have already managed an extra yo in the row I am working now and HAVE TO REMEMBER to drop it when I go back on the next row. I have worked a few rows on my Chevron Lace Socks from Get Started Knitting Socks book and I am decreasing at the gusset of sock 1 of my New Years Socks from Sockamania. Pictures to follow when I get enough on my needles to have it actually look like something.

Baby Surprise Sweater and Matching Hat

2008-01-08T12:58:00.001-05:00

2008_0104 Baby Surprise Sweater and Matching Hat
Originally uploaded by Lyzert

I have finished the Baby Surprise Jacket with matching hat that I started in mid December. It was a gift for my daughter's friend that had her first baby shortly after Christmas. The matching garter stitch has was of my own design and matches wonderfully.

Swatch number 1

2008-01-07T12:02:00.001-05:00

Of the Spring Shawl Surprise project as well as the yarn I am using.

the yarn is Malibrago in colourway Jewel Blue

and this is the swatch.

Swatch number two is blocked and drying. I will get pics up of it (hopefully tomorrow)

Swatching Blocking

2008-01-06T10:12:00.000-05:00

Ok I finished up Swatch 2 a little late, this morning not last night, but that's ok. I am a little disappointed though. The decision to move down one needle size was not a good one. Now it's a little too small. I don't like the look of the excess stretching when I was blocking it to gauge size. I will go back to the 2.5 mm needle when I cast on the 'real' shawl. Later though, or maybe tomorrow. Now I am scared to actually start it for real! LOL. I think I will go work on socks now. bye....

Nope I didn't do it

2008-01-05T20:23:00.000-05:00

yet.... The pictures I mean. I have my camera sitting here daring me to hook it up to the puter but I just don't want to spend the time right now with it. I will do it this week, I promise. We have had our 9 yrs grandson here for a week and no, it's not that he's a handful, it actually the opposite. He's bored and we have been wracking our brains (or what's left of our brains) trying to keep him busy. We baked Grampy a belated birthday cake today! YAY! Bug's first time making cake! yes Granny MADE him make it! and I was appalled that he didn't know how already! Well we fixed that! and the cake was delicious too! He did a great job on the cake.

I have been swatching for the Spring Shawl Surprise project and I have swatch 1 blocked and drying. Pics to follow even though I made mistakes in it that i didn't fix. I decided that it wasn't that important to start over yet once again because the size of the finished swatch would not be affected by the mistakes in pattern in the one area that I goofed up. The second swatch is on my needles and about 3/4 done. No mistakes in this one... yet... LOL. It's lace pattern on both sides and a bit harder to work. Excellent practice for me though and I decided to switch needles to one smaller size after blocking swatch 1. I am off now to that and not play with uploads of pics. I would like so much to get swatch 2 finished tonight.

BTW, anyone know how to make lace blocking wires? don't think they are in my budget right now, too close to after Christmas to be able to afford them. :(

Sad but yet so Happy too

2008-01-03T14:10:00.000-05:00

I am sad, yes I am. Why am I sad? I broke one of my new knitpicks wooden circular needles yesterday. First time used, cast on and four rounds into it's very first sock and poof! Gone! Ruined in one quick snap of the wood. and now... I am so sad. But yes it's true I am happy too! I started swatching for the Spring Surprise Shawl project last night. I have been not feeling well and without truck again and not able to even swatch because of lack of lace weight stash. The ONE lace weight yarn I have is two skeins of lucious Sheldridge Farms Lace Weight Merino in off white colour that one day will be my Swan Lake Shawl. I cannot use it for another project or the Swan Lake Shawl will never be, I just know it! So I got on the phone with Karen over at Shall We Knit and asked her guidance of laceweight and colourways and she was sooo wonderful and helpful. We narrowed it down to two possibilites and she put them aside for my Mom to pick up for me. (YAY MOM!) Well Mom came over later in the afternoon bearing wonderful yarny treats for me :) I love them both! Malabrigo laceweight in Jewel Blue and Emerald. EWwww wow! what a choice. I started swatching in Jewel Blue and have picked another project from Arctic Lace for the Emerald colourway. I called Karen this afternoon to let her know that I would need more of both yarns LOL. Happy? YES!!! but still sad too... I will try to get pictures on tomorrow.

Notta Resolution

2008-01-01T19:58:00.001-05:00

because I believe resolutions were invented only to be broken and not kept. Instead I present my new Mindset for 2008, and that is to let go the old crap I promised to blog about and get on with the new. (Recited in my best Queen Victorian imitation voice) 'We are going to try to be a real blogger this year lest we end up being not amused!' Hear that Nic? I'm gonna try real damn hard to blog at least weekly if not more often! ok stop laughing now... I am outta here to check on dinner that is in the oven.
Btw, cast on Chevron Lace Socks from Getting started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd in Pigeonroof Studios superwash sock yarn in Cousteau colourway. And since I gotta new camera for Christmas there will be great pics too! ttyl. I promise.

June.....

2007-07-23T09:37:00.000-04:00

The 4x2 Rib Socks KAL with Mom,

Yay, I got them finished and my Husby loves them.

They aren't blocked yet but aren' t they nice?

Gotta love the colour variation.

Mom and I joined a Charlotte's web shawl kal at Knitwerkx that started June 26/07. I am using SRK Super 10 cotton in 5 colours and 3.25mm circ to make a Beach Wrap for me. I am nowup to row 27 at the first colour change. I though the way the pattern is written up is kinda wonky but I got it figured out and am catching on to how they are doing it. I had trouble with the first 20 or so rows doing the set up of the first lace patt and gradual increases. Now, that I have a bit of fabric on the needles, it is starting to make much more sense and I can start to see where I am going with this. Mom was participating in this kal too but has dropped out, feeling she is not ready to tackle this with so many socks on the needles. Multi tasking is not one of her strong suits anymore and the lure of socks is just too strong for her to think shawl. This is the start of my Charlotte's Web Beach Wrap. I am have started the second colour now.

I was feeling the call of the Harris Tweed Gedifra Sportivo and so I took a bit of time and worked a few rows of Serrano (lace cardigan) from Knitty the week of June24/07. Long term for sure but oh how nice it is going to be when done. No pics yet.

I knit more of sock #1 of Sockbug's Lacy Scallops the week of June24/07. I think the 'official' two person kal is mebbe dead? thinking one day it might be revived though so I am not pushing the end of sock one and doing of sock two. No pics of this yet either though I guess I should take some soon. The Koigu I am using is looking very nice imo.

2007-06-15T16:15:00.000-04:00

How come it is that when you get 2 inches into that awesome classic 4x2 ribbed sock that your brain goes on holidays and you just can't manage to count to 4 anymore?

Ok like I needed to start a new project, but I have started a knit along with my Mom two days ago. She's making socks for my nephew, I though for a Christmas pressie but I think Mom probably won't be able to wait to give them to him once they are done. Mom loves help to get the sock started and joined so I cast on the first sock for her Tuesday evening. She is using Gedifra Sportivo using no pattern but what I tell her. A classic man's sock in a 4x2 ribbing letting the colour do the work. She knows the basics for heels, gussets, and toes, even though she so totally second guesses herself into non-confidence land. I cast on 66 sts, on her new 2.25 Hiya Hiya 120cm circ and proceeded to join and do the two first rounds. As I was doing this I expressed my opinion that since this yarn comes in 50g balls that she should do two at the same time! Well, Mom's comment was I already mess one up I don't want to do two! LOL. So we stuck with one sock. I gave her the ready to go newly born sock wannabe and said there you go, already for you to do your thing! Mom's panic was starting to permeate to my side of the table with the what do i do now attitude of a pattern knitter with no pattern. Finally Mom said, I can't do this I don't have a pattern. Confident in her longtime knitting skill, and also knowing that it doesn't matter if she has a pattern or not, and I was confident that she will still mess it up plenty for me to fix, I said to her, 'You don't need a pattern! Continue the rib till you get to the heel. Do the heel flap, you know how, then the gussets, you know that too, then the foot and toe. It's easy. You know how to do it!' Ok well EXCUSE ME! for being wrong. One glitch that I didn't take into account... the fact that we are doing a 6stitch repeat for 11 repeats so that 30 sts are on needle one and 36 sts are on needle 2. Ok this is a problem? not really, but in Mom's eyes it's panic time again. I calmly explain how she is going to move a few sts from one needle to the other come heel time and proceed from there but this concept is just beyond desperate Mom's grasp. My next comments are classic. Ok Mom don't worry about it, it will be fine. We will deal with it when the time comes and it will work ok. The look of panic now changes to that slightly scared unsure look of a dear caught in the headlights. This is how the 4x2 Man's Classic Sock Knit along with Mom started.
I am using my new 2.0 mm Hiya Hiya 120cm circ and Gedifra Sportivo in colourway 5768 and to further add interest I decided to do two socks at the same time. I set mine up with two socks on one needle and liked it. I called Mom to ask her to bring her other ball of yarn with her when she came over the next day. I gave her no choice. Simply said I was casting on sock #2, she was to knit it up to the same length as sock #1 then they would go on the needles together. This is both of our first time at 2 socks at once on one circ. I will keep you posted on how it goes.

interrupting the updating for a special announcement...

2007-06-12T10:17:00.000-04:00

May I introduce the Nipissing University Class of 2007

(ok the sixth of seven commencement ceremonies for 2007 there's a lot more grads than pictured here)

Receiving her Bachelor of Science Degree,

Hooded in the appropriate colours for a 4 year science degree

Look a Hoodie!

the Proud Graduate and the Proud Gramma

.... and the Proud Parents too....

Pictures of my daughter's Grad from Nipissing University. She's now a real person and no longer a student (at least for a little while) My husby and I are so very proud of her accomplishments. She plans to continue her education but not until she works for a bit and earns a bit of money to pay for more schooling! LOL!

On to March, Marchin' right along...

2007-05-27T14:32:00.000-04:00

Teaching my son's girlyfriend got me back in the mood to do a bit of crocheting. Finished projects in crochet were Pretty Dishcloth, an internet freebie pattern and I did it in an orange/yellow pink veri cotton with blue edging. Fire Blossom 9- inch Dishcloth. Again an internet freebie pattern in pink/white veri cotton again with blue trim. As I was working with Girlyfriend teaching her pattern reading by this time, I had fun with it but didn't get many finished objects done this month. I did a Grandmother's Favourite knit cloth as I was just feeling the need to do it. I used a lime green/ blue veri cotton for this one.

Missing my knitting, hit home with the cloth, and I was well enough, just barely, to hear my sock wool calling to me again.

I have the most wonderful surgeon in the whole world. I have every confidence in her as a doctor and she is just a very caring and extremely nice person. She took such awesome care of me during my illness and surgeries and all she did in return is call me a trouble maker. Ok I give her that one, I did get really, really sick, and if i had just gotten better without all the complications then I wouldn't have hogged so much of her time! LOL. She really is wonderful and caring and I really appreciate the extra time she has given me. When I had my first surgery in November, she saw my slippers and loved them and I made her a pair too. She said they were perfect and that she really loved them when I gave them to her.

I really felt since she went the extra mile for me, that I needed to do more than just a pair of slippers this time around. I decided she needed a pair of hand knit wool socks, and I needed to make her a pair of hand knit wool socks to say thank you to her. This is how the Little Shells Mini Sock-a-long, with Nicole and I, got started. I used Socka in 'blau tweed' colour 1049 and 2.0mm needles.

They turned out quite lovely in my opinion and my Doctor said she loved them. I they were very worth making.

The Cold of February Spent Inside

2007-05-27T11:23:00.000-04:00

For February, basically down for the count, 100% recuperation and knitting time, that is when I could keep my eyes open (good drugs, prescription of course, can do that to you LOL!)

First and foremost was finishing my Fleece Artist Mohair Shawl (stage left) ... cause I wanted to snuggle in it ASAP. I bought the yarn on holidays, summer 2006 and proceeded to design my own simple design shawl. The colourway I picked, and yes it was so very hard to pick just one colourway, is shades of blues and greens. The colourway reminds me of the day we were boating our way through downtown Huntsville (Ontario) where we were visiting family and taking a nice summer holiday.

Glitten's (stage right) for my Husby, again of my own design, were next to come off my needles. We do a fair amount of winter heating with wood and he wanted something he could work his chain saw with to cut wood in the winter and still be able to keep his hands warm. I used some very old discontinued Braemar yarn. It is a wool/acrylic blend in a black/white/blue rag style colourway. Now my brother-in-law wants a pair too. I have started them but not finished them. Oh well there's always next winter.

Next was a blue hat for my granddaughter with novelty yarn trim. Perfect for a 9 year old girl, but sorry no pic of it right now.

A lacy scarf that I wanted to try the pattern out. The pattern was a free internet pattern and I can't recall it's name right now. I loved the look of the stitches and plan to make a 'real' scarf from that pattern one day. When I do I will post a pic then. I used a skein of slightly fuzzy acrylic from my odds and ends stash and ran out of yarn half way through the scarf. It resembles a large lacy dishcloth much more than a scarf but since it's acrylic I couldn't imagine using it for dishes. Ewwwww..... LOL.

The last finished project for February was for me. A gifted Fleece Artist Mitten's Kit that I have been petting for a long time. I had a strand of Merino and a strand of Mohair together for a wonderful thick comfy pair of mittens with enough left over to make a matching headband. I now have some nice warm gear for walking in winter!

In and among all this I found time to teach my son's girlyfriend to crochet. She can knit... sort of... LOL but it's much too slow for her. In her words, "Lets crochet instead! I hear it's much faster!" Well I taught her and she learned quickly. I have some very cool slightly misshapen sc, hdc, dc, and tr dishcloths added to my dishcloth wardrobe. Excellent starter projects as they are easy, quick to do, and you really can't mess up a dishcloth. If it's full of mistakes, it really doesn't matter as they will still wash your dishes. She had a lot of fun picking colours from my cotton stash and learning a new craft.

Dishcloths are done, and now she knows how, now on to a real project! A blanket for her baby sister for a Christmas present. LOL! I wonder how much of a baby her sister will be when, if ever, she actually receives this blankie as a present?

The other thing I did to keep me down and resting was have my husby make me some home made drop spindles so I could start to learn to spin.

Spinning... Wow! Something I have thought of for quite a while but never thought it would ever come about . I never even mentioned to anyone that I was interested. I already get enough strange looks over my totally addicted crafting obsessions!

Jan 2007 Update

2007-05-26T18:21:00.000-04:00

After New Year's had come and gone I got back down to business. Since I was going back in hospital for more surgery ( I actually had three surgeries from November/06 to end of January/07) and my old slippers I used during the first surgery had huge holes in their bottoms I set out to make me new hospital slippers. I make a nice sock style slipper using my Knifty Knitter Loom. I use an acrylic bulky yarn, two strands held together to make a nice dense and soft, very thick slipper that wears like iron. I knew I would have a number of days in hospital and months of recuperation after the upcoming two surgeries and bought some new flannel PJ's to lounge and knit in. The pair I chose to take to hospital with me are my bright pink Jammies that are covered in white sledding polar bears wearing red toques! So obvious choice of colour for my new slippers was of course fuzzy purple! Very cool hospital attire donchathink? Sorry I can't find pics. I must have forgotten to take them. Not that it it an excuse but I really wasn't feeling well that day.....

more updating

2007-05-26T16:44:00.000-04:00

After Mom's Rapid River socks were gifted, we found they were just a titch small so I frogged back the toes and redid them up with the little extra length added in. A simple enough process except for the woven in ends that were next to totally impossible to find and pick out and the extremely frustrating job of un-kitchenering after a couple washings and a day or two of wearing . It took a bit to convince Mom that they were indeed in need of another half inch or so of length. I was having nightmares of her ripping a finger through the lacey eyelet holes as she is yanking at them to make them stretch over her heel. UGGG! But she loved them and didn't want me to change them. Isn't that nice. I finally had to get tough though and let her know that she would NOT be pleased when they were ruined, if she didn't give them to me to fix.

*I have learned a valuable lesson from that.*

Today's valuable lesson: 'NEVER, NEVER kitchener and weave the ends in until BOTH socks are done, (in case you change your mind on foot length as you are finishing up sock #2) and BOTH socks are tried on and fit ok. Then comes the kitchener stitch.'

I don't remember when it came about, but after Mom's first pair of hand knit socks she wanted more! Imagine that. That's when I got out the big guns! I told Mom that since I don't have time to make socks for everyone and she has her pair that if she wants more she can make them herself. *now wishing I could shoot myself with the big guns more days than not because of this decision* Don't get me wrong, Mom can knit. She taught me to knit after all when I was a girl. Problem is Mom is 80 yrs (yay for her! what an accomplishment!) but her eyes just don't see as well as they used to. With a number of lessons in sock making, Mom has it down pretty good now and we have the Dance of the Socks happening.

I get her started. She likes it when I start it for her and I really don't mind,

then she knit's some.

At this point she either messes the pattern (no hard lace patts for Mom thank you LOL) or drops a stitch or two.

Mom brings it back to me

and I fix it for her. Like I said Mom's eyes have seen better days (excuse the pun) and it's much easier for both of us if I just fix it LOL.

Mom gets it back and works some more till another boo boo occurs

Mom brings it back to me

and I fix it again.

This is the Dance. This continues on till Mom's finished a pair of socks. In fact Mom is finishing lots of socks. Me? well I tend to spend my time fixing Mom's socks and not working on my socks when Mom is over, and Mom's been over a lot lately. But more on this some other time. I will post pics of Mom's socks too.

The Promised Picture

2007-05-25T21:36:00.000-04:00

Here's the pic's of Mom's Christmas Pressie Socks.

Click on the pic to see the stitch detail.

This is the River Rapids Pattern from Sockbug's site.

Sockbug's patterns are awesome!

Gotta make a list

2007-05-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

Wonderful husby and sometimes wonderful son are putting up the first shelving unit of my "Wool Wall". I talked him, or mebbe my overgrown stash convinced him, that I needed a wall of cubbies here in my spare bedroom (aka knitting/puter room) I am so happy that at least some of it will be up for me to use. But better, that means the second and larger part will be started out in the garage! YAY! I will start to organize my yarn and ufo's as I fill the cubbies up with yummy stash. I have decided as well that I need a list. Or maybe even Lists. I will try to get perhaps a ufo list and/or a fo list and maybe even a stash list. Now won't that be fun? I have heard that online there are worksheets/spreadsheets that can be used for stash. I will have to go looking for something. Either that or take some time to work something up on my own spread sheets. Well there's another project for me to do.

Oh ya, the toe up socks are no longer. At least for a day or two. I messed up my increases when I was almost done the toes and didn't have the patience to frog back looking for the missed inc's. Actually I figured it would be easier just to start over for the little I had done and I can use the extra practice at a new technique.

Ta for now, husby just came through with tools in hand.

Back again

2007-05-20T20:08:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy day here today. Which is nice as it keeps the day from dragging but it's not nice because I didn't get as much time to knit today and I would have liked. I am going to rush through this post though and then go put my feet up and continue on with my very first toe up sock. More on the later though.
Back to my updates.
I worked in husby's Columbine socks (see previous post) in hospital with my first surgery. After I was able to knit again I finished them off and worked on a Christmas gift pair of socks for my Mom. She was always saying how much she would love a pair of hand knit socks but never came right out and asked me to make her a pair. She would always leave off at maybe some day you might have some time to make some in my size but I know how busy you are and all... Nothing like a subtle hint eh? LOL. Anyways, I used Austermann's Step yarn, the yarn with the Aloe in it, for a treat for her feet, in colourway 03 Gras, the green/taupe using the River Rapids Sock pattern from Sockbug's site. It turned out great and I actually had them done in time for Christmas.(though I ended up miscalculating how big Mom's feet are and had to rip down the toe and lengthen the socks a bit after Christmas)

OH NO I just went looking in my puter for a pic of these socks and didn't find one. I guess I forgot to take one. I will have to take a pic next time Mom's over for a visit.

Gotta go and knit, Ta for now.

Good Bloggy Morning

2007-05-19T12:27:00.000-04:00

Yes I am back, back the next morning. Now you can pick yourself up off the floor and continue to read my update! ROFL

My Husby LOVES hand knit socks Aren't I the lucky knitter? I have made him a number of pairs of socks during my absentia from blogland. Good thing for me he doesn't love sweaters huh?

After the Sassy Stripes socks, I chose to use Camo Bernat Sox to make this pair for him. (Socks to the left, stitch detail to the right)

Next in line was this pair of socks again in Bernat Sox ( I was gifted some from a wonderful friend and hit a clearance when they were selling out the last of it down a the mill ends store)

Now if I had a memory I could tell you what pattern I used ... or sometime I might go and look it up, but not now, sorry, but notice the garter stitch short row heel and garter stitch toe. Very nice to knit up and my husby says very nice to wear as well. There are still no holes in these socks, and as you can see by the pics that they have been well worn, so I must report that the garter stitch heel and toe wear as well as a heel flap. And they look really cool too!

Then there was these. This is the Columbine pattern from Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi Husby took me to Cloth and Clay last summer and treated me to some goodies (my first Addi circ and a few other goodies) so I treated him to his own choice of whatever sock yarn he wanted for socks for himself. (Of course I made him pay for it all *snicker, grin*) He chose Meilenweit Mega Boots yarn by Lana Grossa in colouway 712. (Yes GOOD taste)

I enjoyed doing this pattern very much. Simple lace or should I say openwork as this is a guy's sock.. LOL was fun to do. I haven't knit lace in a long long time and my husby just loves his socks. I ask him again and again what pattern he would like for his next pair of socks and he keeps referring back to his Columbines!

Gotta go untangle a skein of sock yarn that I tried to ball up in a rush the other night. All I ended up doing was causing a tremendously horrid mess of it all. I refuse to take a pic of the mess as it would so totally embarrass me to have anyone out of my house knowing how badly I mangled a *good* ... *extremely good* skien of sock yarn. I promise to tell and show you what it is but not until it's balled and looking as it should. Ta for now.

UM, Sorry, but i didn't lie did i...

2007-05-18T20:02:00.000-04:00

Went out with husby to so a few errands and then came home and slept the whole afternoon away. My lovely man woke me to get up for hotdogs for supper. Who could ask for anything more! ( I am not complaining, they were made for me! WOOHOO! and I happen to love hotdogs) I threw together a couple quickie salads for us and supper was awesome. Now I am here blogging again as I said I would be but I have a dilema. House starts in about 6 minutes and ... well.. I just can't miss it. Sorry :( Yes I know it's a rerun on Friday night but I am as addicted to House as I am to yarn. Mebbe I will bbl. Ta for now.

Ok it's update time...

2007-05-18T11:12:00.000-04:00

Quick synopsis of my past year... I have been basically sick since last May/June and on some real good drugs (prescription of course) Blogging was very low on my list of priorities as sitting at the puter much of the time just was not the sensible activity for me. I have had 3 surgeries and many many tests since then, 5-6 months off work and feeling much better now though still in recovery mode. (No it wasn't cancer, just some stuff that needed taking care of)

Now back to last year....
After the knittig olympics, I knit a pair of socks for my husby. Used the same pattern and yarn as my Olympic Socks just a different colour. Here's the pic.

Heading out for a bit of a thread hunting trip with husby. Be back later to finish updating. (No Nic I am not lying. I will be back, and I know what you are thinking)

Need Pictures...

2007-04-03T08:47:00.000-04:00

Ok so I still don't have pictures. I have several pairs of socks done for my husby that I need to photograph but they are in the wash still. When I get them all clean I will take pics of all of them. They are the socks that I have made during my time of absentia from Blogland. Since then I have finished Little Shells Socks and taken a picture of them as they are to be gifted. I have also finished Field of Flowers Socks for myself, well actually I am grafting the toe as I speak and have 4 ends to sew in on each sock then they are finished. I will wash and block them today. It might be spring here but my feet are cold and I am anxious to be wearing my new socks. Conwy (another sock for me) from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush is on the foot of the second sock. I planned to finish that before starting Lacy Scallops a free pattern from Sock Bug but I would rather have it as an alternative so I can put down Lacy Scallops when I get frustrated from messing it up so much LOL (Nic u know what I mean) It won't take long to go down that second foot and finish up the pair anyways. So back to my needles and the grafting of the toe, then on to a website that can tell me how to do a crochet cast on.... and Lacy Scallops Socks will be born.

WOW It's now almost April...

2007-03-28T13:40:00.000-04:00

and how time flys. I have been a very very bad blogger. Ok I have been a nonexistant blogger. I will do a very quicky update, been a busy almost year, I have had many health concerns (no nothing really serious) that have kept me down from doing my normal activities, and just life in general tends to get in the way of many of my plans. I have completed mostly socks over the last winter. Honestly best description is "ADDICTION" LOL. My name is Lyz and I am addicted to sock knitting. I am also 'Smitten' for Mittens' too. I will take pictures soon of my FO's (mostly socks for my husby) and get them posted. In the mean time I am off to knit socks and finish up a pair in the Little Shells Pattern which is a free online pattern to which I don't have a link handy but will try to get up on the blog. These socks are turning out very very pretty IMO and are going to be a special gift for a special Doctor that has taken awesome care of me this winter.
'Till next time.... happy KNITTING (and crocheting)

Yes I am still alive

2006-07-10T11:54:00.000-04:00

though i thought a week ago that might be doubtful! I have just come through (and lived to tell about it) a six day gall bladder attack that put me into emerg at the hospital three times :(( Ya crying real tears! Though the resulting presciptions of almost every kind of good narcotic pain killer going was enough to ease up the pain somewhat, I am still somewhat disappointed that I didn't actually get to *enjoy* any of the good drugs! ROFL! So since I been sick :P I have had no urges or energy to pick up needles, hooks, or loom to work with fibre. I know it will come back to me when I am ready but it still feels weird to not *live* to create yarn items! On the other hand I have finally come back to reading! YAAAY! I haven't been much of a reader the last couple years as the yarn was my life blood, but I have got myself on a reading kick again and it feels great. I am off for my sleep now though, before i get the urge to try to eat something I shouldn't. One good thing is that at least i have finally broken the weighloss barrier and have shed a few lbs! (not eating for almost two weeks will do that though... doncha think?

what kind of soul are you

2006-03-10T23:25:00.000-05:00

You Are a Prophet Soul

You are a gentle soul, with good intentions toward everyone.

Selfless and kind, you have great faith in people.

Sometimes this faith can lead to disappoinment in the long run.

No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way.

You are a good interpreter, very sensitive, intuitive, caring, and gentle.

Concerned about the world, you are good at predicting people's feelings.

A seeker of wisdom, you are a life long learner looking for purpose and meaning.

You are a great thinker and communicator, but not necessarily a doer.

Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

WooHoo Here's My Gold Metals

2006-03-05T20:25:00.000-05:00

I have added my Knitting Olympics Gold to my blog. Scroll down to my buttons section and they are there. Beautiful aren't they!
It has been a long hard road back to knitdom and yes! I am having crochet withdrawl too.... ROFL!

Again, I thank Yarn Harlot for coming up with this wonderful crazy idea as well as all my team mates competing in the Knitting Olympics, fellow team mates on Team Canada, Team Hooker and also Team DPN. Team DPN especially for coming up with a special Gold Metal for the Team give me two Gold's in the 2006 Knitting Olympics!

It was fun to take part and I as most of my fellow teammates can't wait until 2008! Happy Knitting and Crocheting!

So now in training for the next time..... I am 3/4 the way through sock number one of another pair for my husby! Ok the browns and blues I am using for his socks are gorgeous and he might end up having to put up a fight to get them from me when I am done making them for me... ahem, I mean HIM! (yes I know socks are addicting! NO KIDDING!)

And to relieve the Crochet withdrawl I am working on two more little girl ponchos for friends at work. Ok so they had to wait till the Olympics was over but they are soooooo cute it's worth the wait!

Oh geez ya and my booger!!!! Awwww... sigh..... so many projects, so little time!

2006-03-03T23:49:00.000-05:00

You Are a Caramel Crunch Donut

You're a complex creature, and you're guilty of complicating things for fun.

You've been known to sit around pondering the meaning of life...

Or at times, pondering the meaning of your doughnut.

To frost or not to frost? To fill or not to fill? These are your eternal questions.

What Donut Are You?

what kind of language quiz

2006-02-28T22:36:00.000-05:00

You Should Learn Japanese

You're cutting edge, and you are ready to delve into wacky Japanese culture.

From Engrish to eating contests, you're born to be a crazy gaijin. Saiko!

What Language Should You Learn?

Gold Metal Socks!

2006-02-25T10:27:00.000-05:00

I have crossed the finish line and my Olympic socks are DONE!!! YEAHHHH! Gotta busy day today with the grandkids' baptism this afternoon but I HAD to get this posted. I go back on my threat to wear my new Jersey to the church but you're damn tootin' I WILL be wearing my new socks! I am so happy with myself to not only completing the socks, but completing them on time!!!
Special thanks to Yarn Harlot for challenging us with the Knitting Olympics :)
Here's the pics.

UGG! No time to knit today!

2006-02-23T21:02:00.000-05:00

Gotta surprise tonight from my husby and my son! Ok well not quite a surprise I knew we were getting them but I they were here when I got home. ! Yes our Team Canada Jerseys! Don't we look just so spiffy??? :D
Now I am just waiting for my Knitting Olympics Canadian Team Jersey to arrive and I am good to go!

Ok I was out shopping pretty much all day for Baptism gifts for my four (yes I said four!!!) Grandkids. *Think I should wear my new jersey to the church? (wink)* And yes I totally broke the 'Bank of Granny' Oh well gotta love it! after all they are my darling grands and this will only happen once in their lives. I am just so happy it will be a very special day for them.
My problem... NO KNITTING TODAY! and ya it's all their faults! and yes I am pouting! is this where I say Na-na na-na na na ???? LOL
Well I am off to knit now for the rest of the 'until i fall asleep from doing the mall for so long today'! I am so glad that I am actually ahead of schedule on the second sock event. Oh ya a pic... hang on brb.......

second sock.... SOCK where are you.....
hmmm it wandered off on me!

oh there you are ...keeping Kelly company! ROFL! (much to large a dose of mall today)

ok here ya go a pic...
see I am almost done! Tomorrow's trip to Toronto should get me very close to done.

Socks Soc....

2006-02-22T23:31:00.000-05:00

Ok OK I am getting there! I will be done in time I know it but the second sock isn't finished yet. Soc... yup about 3/5ths the way there is a good guess. I am working on the foot but still have a quite a few inches to go. Hoping tomorrow night to be nearing the toe region and finishing up on Friday. I will post a pic tomorrow. Camera is in the dark dark bedroom and my Husby is sleeping....shhhhh.....
night night.

The new quiz I just did from Nic's site. Thanks Nicole for drumming up all this fun stuff.

Your Candy Heart Says "First Kiss"

You're a true romantic who brings an innocent hope to each new relationship.

You see the good in every person you date, and you relish each step of falling in love.

Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a romantic dinner your sweetie cooks for you

Your flirting style: friendly and sweet

What turns you off: cynics who don't believe in romance

Why you're hot: you always keep the romance alive

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Quick Update: Olympic Socks

2006-02-21T08:41:00.000-05:00

We are interupting this program to bring you a special report. We will now cut into the event already in progress.....

...and Lyz is turning the heel on sock two........

now we take you back to your regularly scheduled knitting and blogging.

I am a Gummy Bear ??

2006-02-19T17:16:00.000-05:00

Gummy Bears

You may be smooshie and taste unnatural, but you're so darn cute.

What Kind of Candy Are You?

Round Two of the Sock Event...

2006-02-17T23:39:00.000-05:00

Ok so I had a rough start with sock number two. I think that might have been due to the fact that I was casting on and working rnd 1 with dpn's in the car (wonderful Husby driving) on the very busy highway during a major winter storm. I think I was just a little stressed and the fact that I dropped the needles and bumped them around to twist my sts more than a half a dozen times really didn't come into play here did it???
After I got home I gave it another half a dozen tries and then all of a sudden, after turning my pretty sock yarn into flying sock yarn, I realized that for some stupid reason, unknown to everyone except Murphy, I was trying to do it backwards! Imagine that! Me... Backwards! Like it should have worked that way for me! ROFL! Well once I realized what my problem was, I got my first rnd done and I was off and knitting my way to Gold. I did well after that. I am up about 2.5 inches of ribbed leg now and coming along nicely.

Now for the quiz. Ok Nic, this is yesterday's quiz but done today....just for you :)

You are bamboo.
Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and

enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You

love the craft and beauty of traditional

things, and you value the comfort and

experience of knitting as much as the

results. But while you are reveling in your

warm cozies, don't get stuck. Warm is

wonderful, but so is the whole wide world!

What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Gotta Sock!! A REAL Sock!!!

2006-02-17T01:03:00.000-05:00

First one DONE! Yahooooooo! One to go. Half way through the marathon sock event, second half of the course to yet complete! Confident and hopeful with Gold in my sights!

Time is Running Out! or so my Husby says....

2006-02-16T08:35:00.000-05:00

Many THANKS to Anny purls for sharing the Knitting Olympics Countdown Timer that she has posted on her blog. I have put it here now so we all can see how much time is left until FO day and the always hopeful gold metal.

Olympic Sock Event Update: I am working through the foothills of the first run of the event and will soon be in the toe area and finishing off the first of the two socks. I am hoping to cast on for the second run of the event tomorrow.
Pictures to come.....
gotta go knit ttly

Here's the Heel!

2006-02-15T07:12:00.000-05:00

in a rush and now off to school with Olympic sock in tow...or is that toe?

are you a knitter quiz

2006-02-14T21:44:00.000-05:00

Olymmpic Coverage for today: Heel turned and foot started! Coming in to the home stretch of the first 'leg' of the marathon event.

I was visiting at Nicole's blog and found the Knitter's quiz there.

I took it and this is the result:

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

Here Comes the Heel!

2006-02-14T00:20:00.000-05:00

Ok here it is! I think I am doing a good job so far! I am so totally loving the colours.
Tomorrow I start on the heel. I don't know how much time I will have tomorrow to work on it though. Busy, busy day... but what else is new!

UGGG... learning! (OLympic SoCK UpdATe!

2006-02-13T09:50:00.000-05:00

OK I am so busy knitting my Olympic Socks that I haven't had time to post!!! ROFL!~ no actually ... how come it's always happens that when you plan something really cool just for "me" life just totally gets in the way? !!!!! I will take a pic later [hopefully] and post the 4 or 5 inches of sock I have done so far. Sock is coming along nicely but slowly. I just frustrates the hell out of me that I, a seasoned and very experienced knitter can feel so awkward and clumsy at something that should be so second nature to me. I guess I am having a hard time giving myself the "learning time" needed to master a new skill and just assuming that after a few tries of a totally new method that I should automatically be the "pro" I am at the other method.....
Off to do some more 'learning'

Booger Progress

2006-02-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about the progress I am making on my Bigger Booga Bag. I still have a long way to go but it's coming along very nice IMO. I love what is happening so far... Here's a couple pics. I am up about 20 or so rows into the sides of the bag.

Yes I am Certifiable

2006-02-06T12:14:00.000-05:00

I just about lost it and I though my dh was going to actually call the men with the white coats to come and take me away last Friday! I was so out of it from the long week on midnight shift with literally no work to do and the little bit I had to do was done my my colleague. I was so out of sorts and feeling like a train ran me over I even had a nap on Friday! OK something I never do unless I have to work Friday night right??? Anyways after sleeping just about around the clock I found I had enough energy to try to be a person again sometime Saturday... at least I think it was Saturday. I have to give credit where credit is due and even I wonder sometimes how the hell my dh puts up with me! So after another night of OMG what am I going to do with myself ovenight for another week of nothing to do on midnights, I decided ya I am just crazy enough to make some some cool bright awesome looking "Cheer Me Up" socks! AND I am even crazier to enter into the Knitting Olympics with my event being completely continental knitted socks after so many years of non knitting status and relearning the "KNIT" thing to boot! So to justify my really awesome choice of Spring colour Moda Dea Sassy Stripes, I counter balanced my purchase with another pair of socks worth of Swish colour Moda Dea Sassy Stripes for my wonderful DH. Won't he be so pleased I am making him socks too! :) Ok so now I am doing research on how to work socks on two circs. I dunno yet if I am going to actually do this but it looks interesting. I would love it if i could get both pairs made in the 16 days of the Olympics but I am setting my goal at one pair complete from cast on to finished ends. That seems a much more realisticly plausible goal for me since I am still just learning continental method and also haven't knit in almost 10 years.
So this is my task I have set upon myself. To have a new pair of socks for me in just over two weeks and possibly a pair for Dh too! All this of course after I finish my Booger! ROFL!

Current WIP: base of Booger done and started on the sides. Ran into trouble with awkwardness over an over-large circ so new circ was sought out this morning. Will transfer WIP to new shorter circ and continue tonight. Booger MUST be finished before Olympics start! THIS IS A MUST!!!!
****** see told ya i'm totally gone! absolutely and completely NUTS!!!!! ******
ROFLROFLROFL

Learning to Knit... again!

2006-02-02T09:04:00.000-05:00

I lied! I didn't update the other day like I said I was going to. I was out the other night with my husby and got me a new cell phone!! HURRAY! finally huh? LOL Ok so the update.
Firstly FO's have been flying off my hooks. Baby poncho's (pic to the left)in size two approximately for various people I know.

My own creation I call a Bed Shawl (aka hug me tight or shrug) made for the very sick Mom of a very dear friend. (pic to the left)

Also a very large baby blanket for a friend at work (pics below). It was a new pattern that I tried out and "adjusted" to suit my taste.

Ok I admit it when it comes to crochet I am sooo guilty of NOT following the patterns! I start out ok but then I think.... hmmm I wonder what would happen if I... or think... I think it would look better if I.... and presto.. the pattern is no more my guide. I haven't taken pics of all the ponchos but
I have one or two pics to post of both poncho and blanket. I am very pleased with the outcome of the blanket. I KNOW I will make some Woolly blankets using this ghan as a guide. Though as pretty much everything I make is unique in that I always end up changing something from the last time I made that item, I know the next will be similar but not the same.

I have also done a few of the "Martha" Coming Home ponchos. Ok so I am not a poncho person but I wanted to try the pattern and fortunately I have a couple people close to me that were willing recipients of my efforts to create one. In other words... I get to make it but I don't gotta wear it! ROFL! My Mom got one of the Coming Home ponchos so maybe when get a chance I will take a pic of her in her poncho and post it here for you all to see.

On the knitting note.... YES!! I did say KNITTING! and yes it has been a very long time indeed. I have finally found THE bag!. I have been looking for a pattern or idea for a new tote style bag that I can make for me for a long time now. The Booga bag enlarged and yes... felted... is what's soon gonna be happening! (link to felted bags including Booga Bag is here) http://www.blacksheepbags.com/patterns.html In fact I have picked out my colours for the stripes and have been playing with a practice piece. I felted my first felting project yesterday morning. A belt. I did it in colour blocks very similar to the stripes I am planing for my large sized Booga Bag. I must admit I was so excited throwing into the washer to shrink it up. It turned out very nice IMO, and the felting worked out wonderfully.
Ok so back to the 'knit' thing.... well it turns out that I have finally managed to learn to knit Continental style. I don't have to move my arm and shoulder all around and hence it doesn't seem to be bothering my shoulder to knit using this method! HURRAY!!! I can start to knit again!! I need a ton of practice though. Nic would love to see how I am so good a seasoned and experienced knitter that I drop my needles and drop my sts too! I am the clumsy awkward Oaf revisited! ROFL! I have done my whole belt using continental method and though still awkward, I am starting to get the hang of it somewhat. I have a long way to go to get my tension under control LOL. I am posting a pic of my belt too. I hope you like what I have done.

And this, this is my new belt. Yes these are my
jeans! Without my BIG BUTT in them! LOL!

Happy NEW YEAR!

2006-01-25T17:24:00.000-05:00

Ok HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
ok so it takes me till most of the way through January to post my happy new year message! Ok got a run going on... we got a calender for 2006 yesterday too! So I guess it's official at my house now that the new year is actually here now..... FINALLY RIGHT???
Ok so I am posting again after a couple months of hiding. I actually have some things to say this time! Yes I admit it. I have a thought! A real one even!! Work is a little slow these days as I am training new people in my deptartment so that actually gives me time to have a break or two through my work day for a change. I think tomorrow I will write up a Blog post and email it home and post it tomorrow night... or the next night as time (and laziness) permits. But for now, yes I feel guilty Nicole! because I have been ignoring my blog way too much.
talk to you all later. Husby has dinner ready and I have dinner getting cold and a drink getting warm out in the kitchen.
So until later... I went and did a weirdness test and the results are below. Click the link at the bottom to see how weird you are! Don't forget to let me know the results after all I shared with you! ROFL!

You Are 60% Weird

You're so weird, you think you're *totally* normal. Right?

But you wig out even the biggest of circus freaks!

How Weird Are You?

Ya I'm Bad....

2005-10-01T21:05:00.000-04:00

ok this is me............ and this is husby.........

It's been since forever that I have blogged here. I will now repeat to myself (since there is no chalkboard available) one hundred times, "Lyz you must Blog more often"
Been a busy time around here. the living room still isn't finished, but not by our own fault. Seems that everything just keeps going wrong from furniture delivery guys to grandkids Windex'ing the wall! but that's a long story for another time. My wonderful Husby just informed me that a movie that 'looks good' is starting soon on the TV in our bedroom... so I am outta here for now. Talk at you tomorrow I hope.
Got some finished WIM's from my crocheting too that I am very pleased about. tty all later! gotta date with a tv set and my husby.
oh ya pic from our holidays. OH I just love the water! Lake Huron was beautiful that day......

Quick Quick before I get caught!

2005-04-02T11:44:00.000-05:00

supposed to be working so quick before Husby catches my taking a puter break, here is my post.... (yes I had it pre-drafted, hope it is ok? if not I will have to edit it later*wink wink*)

Ok has been a while AGAIN!. I need something fun in my life so i thought i might think! In other words...BLOG IT! ROFL. Actually my mind is pretty empty these days or over full, either way quite unusable as usual. Maybe it is time to talk about my knitting and crocheting habits, something I have not yet touched upon in all my ramblings so far. WIPs (Work In Progress) for me are two corner to corner crocheted baby blankets, both in Cottontots cotton yarn. One in pink and one in blue. Both will have white edging on, the pink, a deep pineapple edging, and the blue a deep scalloped edging. Quite nice if i do say so myself. I can't wait to get them done but I haven't had much time to work on them this last week or so. On my needles is a new design by my friend Nicole http://www.geocities.com/nicolethegeek who is now learning not only to knit but to design knit projects as well. I as well as many of my online friends has been grasped in the clutches of a dishcloth making frenzy and this project is a Duckie Dishcloth. I am making it in Cottontots in peach colour. Again I am dying to get back to it and finish it off. I am also working on slippers.I have a great pattern here for crochet slippers. I have just now gotten around to actually making them. I am having a hard time with sizing though :( I have tried two sizes and two hook sizes and so far I have come up with either too big or too small for the person I am making them for! LOL everyone else I know is getting new slippers except the person that is SUPPOSED to be getting new slippers! Go figure huh? Well a lesson in patience and note taking is taking place and by the time I am done with these slippers I betcha I will be able to make slippers in any size going!!! ROFL!! So now that I finally got a digital camera, I am hoping to get some pics of my works to post. Well I am off now to do other things. Perhaps I will pick up my hook and work on these slippers some more. I want to take some time hopefully this weekend to search for a suitable quote to add to my sig line. I have looked briefly a couple of times but haven't come up with something suitable yet. A more thorough search I hope will hopefully provide me with something more witty, more fun, and especially more "me" than what I have been finding so far in my search. Until then though....

Peanut butter facts for Today:
1: Peanut Butter will get scratches out of CD's! Just Wipe the peanut butter off with a paper coffee filter.
2: Peanut Butter will remove ink from the face of dolls.
3: To remove labels off glassware etc. rub the area with Peanut Butter.
4: Peanut Butter tastes great on toast!
5: and lastly, only nerds use call it peanut butter! The "Cool" use the term "PB" as in PB & J (and it's gotta be grape!) sandwich ;)
and a side note on that has nothing whatsoever to do with PB... A Slinky Will hold toast and CD's! I think that is so cool I am going Slinky shopping at the dollar store for office accessories!

Also on closing for today, a word of caution:
Never hold your farts in. They travel up your spine, and into your brain. That's where shitty ideas come from! (author unknown but if it's you let me know and I will give credit where credit is due.)

Inspired again... finally!

2005-03-22T12:29:00.000-05:00

Ok so I haven't blogged for like what a few days? or even maybe a week? I have been busy with stuff! and nothing but boring thoughts and no inspiriation to write anything but the multitude of tax returns I do every year for various family members. Yeah!! Woot only 2 left to do. Ok so why am I here now? Well just got in from work and my guys made me an awesome plate of waffles and sausages for my late night dinner or supper depending on where you are from (see "You Know You Are From..." posted below) eheheh.. and yes Sara I am getting to that in a sec! So I am checking my email, and reading some of the crochet/knit related emails, and pigging out on waffles and sausage, when I wondered if Sara made changes to her blog today. Well when I got there I got a pleasant surprise! Sara your blog looks great! and hence the inspiration to post to mine tonight. OK so as I am reading You Know You Are From Alabama When... and thinking that hmmm... in my last lifetime was I like born and raised in Alabama? or maybe did a gypsy steal me from an Alabamanian (hey is that a real word?) family when I was only days old!! Geesh Alabama must be just like Canada! only warmer of course! (yes I am shivering as I type this) LOL Then at the bottom I found the link to the rest of it, and found, low and behold, NOPE not from Alabama! Not even in another lifetime! I am Canadian! and That's a fact! I am sitting here reading You Know You are from Canada When.... and smiling... and nodding... and going UH HUH out loud even though it is after midnight and everyone else has been asleep for HOURS! So thanks Sara. You have shown me my true heritage! ahem.. and also a new place to find bloggin' inpiration... And I haven't even started in about crochet or knitting yet......

HEY NIC!!!

CHECK OUT THE BLOGTHINGS SITE IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE YET! Link is at the bottom of this post!

Night all :)

You Know You're From Canada When...

You're not offended by the term, "Homo Milk."

You understand the phrase, "Could you pass me a serviette, I just dropped my poutine, on the chesterfield."

You eat chocolate bars, not candy bars.

You drink pop, not soda.

You know what a Mickey and 2-4 mean.

You don't care about the fuss with Cuba. It's a cheap place to go for your holidays, with good cigars.

You know that a pike is a type of fish, not part of a highway.

You drive on a highway, not a freeway.

You have Canadian Tire money in your kitchen drawers.

You know that Casey and Finnegan were not part of a Celtic musical group.

You get excited whenever an American television show mentions Canada.

You brag to Americans that: Shania Twain, Jim Carrey, Celine Dion and many more are Canadians.

You know that the C.E.O. of American Airlines is a Canadian!

You know what a touque is.

You know that the last letter of the English alphabet is always pronounced "Zed" not "Zee".

You understand the Labatt Blue commercials.

You know how to pronounce and spell "Saskatchewan."

You perk up when you hear the theme song from "Hockey Night in Canada."

You were in grade 12, not the 12th grade.

"Eh?" is a very important part of your vocabulary and more polite than, "Huh?"

Winter. Whenever you want it. And then some.

There's German food, Italian food, Chinese food, Armenian food, American food, but NO Canadian food.

You call a "mouse" a "moose".

You like the Americans a little because they don't want Quebec either.

Contests run by anyone other than the government have "skill-testing questions" that winners must answer correctly before they can claim a prize.

Everything is labelled in English and French.

Milk comes in plastic bags as well as cartons and plastic jugs.

Mountain Dew has no caffeine.

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Canada.

Get Your Own "You Know You're From" Meme Here

More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

Nothing much to say

2005-03-14T02:58:00.000-05:00

It has been a busy day today. I am just now getting around to blogging!. Well my hair turned out awesome. Best decision I have ever made I think is to let my stylist decide what to do with my hair. LOL. She gets to pick and I end up with a nice surprise. Well so far it has always been a nice surprise. Then again, it' only hair right? It will grow back so what's the deal? So the nice surprise this time is dark reddish brown on the bottom and underneath, coppery brown on the top with tons and tons of blonde highlights! Is much better than the natural brown but mostly premature grey that it would be if I didn't let my stylist play rainbow pallette with it! :) OK for my day today.. well I didn't sleep well last night so I was tired out before I even started. Then the chore of taxes! uggg... How come even if you get a refund, no matter how big or small, it is still such a chore doing the taxes? And yeah we both get $$ back. We had to pay in one year and I swore then NEVER again! Like don't we all have enough bills already? That was my morning. Out shopping for the afternoon. We ended up going to one of the furniture stores by our place to window/comparison shop. We NEED new living room furniture badly and I think we are finally gonna bite the bullet and get some. It will be a total redo, from the floor up so I am really looking forward to it. I picked some stuff today in fairly neutral earthy greens. This is a total change for me and I think I will be a real "pick me up". So I will have to drag dh out again and do some more window shopping before a final decision is made but we actually both agreed on the set we saw today. WOW huh? LOLOL After that home with some groceries and dh made a big pot of chile for dinner. I checked my email then went for my nap, now I am here. Really exciting huh?? I guess Sara is right. You don't need to have anything to say to actually blog. The gift of "babble" works well. I haven't worked on any knit or crochet in a few days. I think my creativity is clogged from lack of crafting. So I will get out my yarn and hook and on my next break (yes I am actually writing this on my break and NOT on company time) I will force myself to crochet. The slippers I am making here are coming along nicely. One slipper was finished in two dinner breaks and it looks so cute too. Now to find a one footed person to wear it??? LOL So think it would be just easier to make another huh????. Ok I am off to do some work now.

Thought's from ME? now that's scary!

2005-03-12T14:40:00.000-05:00

Ok now you've done it Sara! Between your posts in groups about your Blog, Nicole and Michelle also enticing me in their replies about their Blogs, and on top of it all Nicole's recent and frequent HTML lessons I have been having to survive! and Jane don't go taking offense now, it really has been a blast! If it wasn't for you, Jane, I probably wouldn't be here right now typing in this Blog :) Sequence goes dedication to the group, New leader gets roped into taking over, mess is impossible to clean up, wonderful friendship gets reinforced, New leader gets new helper(s), hence HTML lessons commence and well I might just as well use what I have learned here on MY blog. And yes I am positive I will never really truly believe that I have actually created this thing! So now I am tired and going to bed. Work was very slow tonight and I had some fun emails to help my keep my eyes open while there. Tomorrow is going to be here soon though, and it would be nice to just close my eyes for even just a few hours before tackling another day.

So now it is the morning after the night before...

2005-03-12T08:52:00.000-05:00

Ok i musta had a bad night last night. It's just like the morning after the night before. I am sitting here squinting at the moniter cause I'm not even awake enought to realize i really should go and put my glasses on, and wondering how it came to be that I was just so out of it last night that I really tied one on to the degree that Blogness just erupted outta me and rendered me helpless and outta control and fully under the powers of Blogdom. (ok for you seasoned Blogger Pro's if my terminology isn't quite correct here, hopefully time will rectify that)
only thing i really know at this point is... OH MAN I NEED COFFEE...
I am outta here on my way to Tim's for coffee. Any one want one c(_) I think I have Blog hangover.

I have had my coffee now and have started into the harder stuff!!! LOL Juice and Sprite! and oh ya just a hint of vodka too. Goes down good after a long day of messing about on the puter. I decided to reset the email to Outlook instead of OE and well created quite the headache for myself. In trying to figure out how to make dh's account I managed to import all hundreds plus of my emails into my new Outlook email 3 darned times!!! It has taken me hours of deleting to get rid of everything in triplicate! (ok stop laughing now) (anytime is fine) (no really it's not THAT funny) It's been a busy day with almost nothing accomplished that needed to be accomplished for the day. We are heading out shortly to visit with dh's brother and his wife. She is gonna do my hair. I will let you know tomorrow what colour it turns out. It isn't my call, that is my "stylists" decision. It's much more fun that way.
So now I can't believe this is the third time I have been here typing at well no one really! And I thought I didn't have anything to say! Just wait till I start getting into it about crocheting and knitting and the kids and all. Not to mention whining about work and Woolly and all the other things that are so important to me but to no one else in particular. Well dh is asking if I am ready to go and of course I am saying YES and thinking NO i wanna blog some more! ehehehe...
I am off to become a totally new ME :)

2005-03-12T02:58:00.000-05:00

sent to me by a special friend and made by Dusty.