I have cast-on-itis

You would think with Christmas coming, and all I have going on in my life, I would just hurry up and finish what I already have on the needles, but I JUST CANT HELP MYSELF. I've been inundated with fabulous pattern after pattern luring me in this week.
Here we have Henry :




453 stitches off the go man. I'm serious. You screw this up once you have a heck of a lot of ripping back to do (ask me how I know this).
But the pattern? SO MUCH FUN! Great TV knitting once you memorize the pattern. I do need to have the lights on for this one though. Every now and then it's a good idea to stop and check to make sure you haven't buggered up the pattern mid-way through the row.

I also cast on a pair of these:


Mittens from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's almanac. I adore these, and foresee a few pair in my future. These particular ones are going to an 11 year old girl as part of a Christmas charity hamper we are putting together at work for a needy family of 8. This girl is the oldest of 6 children, and I thought she deserved a special treat.
There are also mystery projects going on that I can't post about yet.
I still can't figure out where I caught this damn cast-on-itis.

My Turn

I am coming out of hiatus for this quick little post to let y'all know I am participating in this "pay it forward" campaign that I stumbled across from Norma's blog, which in turn led me to KT's blog. And voila...the chain of kindness and handmade pressies continues

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days. That is my promise. The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Your turn now!

Oh and in case anyone was wondering, I'm still alive here chez Stickchicky, still dealing with some health issues, but still knitting. Here's proof:

Emerald Sweater(Knitty) made for my girl Annik..a very late birthday gift....

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Mitred Mittens # 1 of 2
My own handspun....


Smocked Baby coat from Debbie Bliss' Simply Baby book made for a co-worker's neice

I've also got the Central Park Hoodie in full swing on the needles (just the arms to finish) and another little coat the same as above in a green color, as well as the Celtic Icon sweater(Fiona Ellis)sweater almost complete.. And of course there is much Christmas knitting going on, but most of it is top secret, so I can't post about it here.

Whew!.. that took a while to put together...till next time folks, I should return to blogging a little more regularily after the holidays (with maybe a little post or two in between). Till next time....

Hiatus

Even though it seems as if I have already been taking a hiatus, I think I will make this an official hiatus until I can get all of my health issues under control. I love my blog, but it is just one more thing on the list that I want to get done but never seems to happen. Send Healthy good vibes my way...i'll be back soon.

Fell Off The Planet

I know it seems as though I have just upped and fallen off the planet, but I assure you I haven't..I made promises to post in June that I didn't keep, and for that I'm really sorry. I do love my blog, and enjoy each of the comments left for me with each new post. I have just been having a really hard time with my health lately, and I really needed some TLC from the family. There are some major things going on right now that I'm not quite sure if I should discuss here or not, but in time I will share, lets just say that having people poke big needles in your head is not fun, and I don't want to set off any alarms until I have all of the information I need. My kids are great, my husband is wonderful, and I've been seeing a whole lot more of my mom lately which can never be a bad thing. I have done some knitting, and am working on a new sock pattern which I hope to have ready for the knitting vault soon, maybe I'll even try a Knitty submission who knows. I do have an FO pic for you graciously modeled by my 7 year old since the thing (made for my -1 size sister) wouldn't fit on my big toe:




Ribbed Lace Bolero By Kelly Maher of 10 Feet High
Yarn: 1 Ball Georga Wool( amazing 100% mercerized wool bought at Wal Mart)(about 200 yds)
Size 5 and 6 circular needles
Started Sept 1 , 1:00 am Finished Sept 1, 11 pm

I absolutely LOVED this pattern. It was a super quick knit (maybe 5 hours)
and this new yarn I discovered is TO DIE FOR!
I never thought I'd say this about a yarn purchased at Wal Mart, but I decided to give it a try, and I fell in love. It is super buttery soft, and shiny, and pretty colours, and ,and, a...I cannot explain my love for this yarn. Just try it you'll see.
I want to go and buy out their entire stock of this stuff, cause I can't for the life of me track down where it comes from, other than China, and we all know this would be a losing battle.
On a more serious note, my coffee swap pal still hasn't received her gift from me that was sent the first week of July(also for the second time). What is up with customs? have they gone and lost their minds? To top it off I have no way of finding the status out until it leaves customs. So Pal..if you're out there, I will pack ANOTHER beautiful, inspired, lovely, Canadian flavored coffee/yarny package for you and have it out before the end of the week. I am soo sorry.
On that note, I am off to the doctor's office, then to the LYS to find me some more pretty things to fill the box with. I'll try not to be a stranger.

Fuzzy Head

I really feel terrible that I haven't blogged for a long time. Once again...work is kicking my butt, and I've been dealing with some pretty major stuff on the health front. I have a huge post in my head, but I don't have access to my photos to back it up, so I'll try to do that tommorow night. I need to show you all the wonderful package my knitter's coffee swap pal sent to me, I need to show a progress photo of my Mystery Stole, a really cool handspun handknit argosy I'm knitting, and so..much..more. There is so much swirling in my brain, that I really do need to sit down and plan up an uber overdue post. I promise, by this weekend. I missed my blog!

Kitty Newsflash!

Two posts in one day I know, but remember my sad kitty story? Remember how there were three kittens, and the momma came and took one but left the other two? Well disappearing kitten # 3 has returned! And big n' fluffy n' cute as can be. I walked into my garage tonight to grab some ice cream from the freezer, and I heard a kitten crying. Thinking I was losing my mind, I walked out and closed the door. 2 minutes later I went back in and I heard it again! Marc was in the pool with the boys, and I had to wait for him to come back cause I thought it was up in the rafters. We went for a little hunt in the garage to find little plump kitty # 3 under our shelves.
Now here's my dilemma, I really want to take him in, but his momma has obviously been feeding him. I'm sure she's around wondering what I've done with her baby. But, on the flip side, chances are he would just end up being another stray cat in the neighborhood. He needs a home right? What to do? Oh and the contest...I still want to have it, but since I only have three entries I think I'll let it go till the end of the month. That way we can see how the kitten saga will end. Sorry to those of you who have given their suggestions already, there is still one I'm VERY fond of. As it stands now, he's been fed some water, and has a nice warm fleece lined box to sleep in on my front porch. I really kinda hope he's still there in the morning.
Such drama on a Wednesday night!

Can you feel the heat yet?

Ok, so I noticed the new Knitty before they even sent out the e-mail and I am absolutely casting this on tonight Love. It. Plus it's a little reward for myself since I've lost 8 pounds since my "get fit" plan. I love the shaping at the neck. Now I just need to figure out what I am going to make it out of. I have a cotton nylon blend that will definitely work, but it's off white, and I'm not too sure 8 pounds is enough to pull of white just yet. I also have some sage green in the stash( elann sonata) but I'm not sure about getting gauge with it. I did some stash swimming today, so I'm sure I'll come up with something. Speaking of swimming..it's frickin' hot in these parts, and I think the kids and I are going for a swim really soon.
Note to self: Purchase air conditioning.Fast.

New Knitty!

New Knitty is up! New Knitty is up! Alhough there are a few things I probably am not crazy about, there are 3 or 4 things I'd love to make right now.I'll come back and talk about what I just casted on this week.. Yay! Summer Knitty

Very Very Sad

I'm very sad today because I have to tell everyone that both kitties have gone to kitty heaven. I fed and loved and pretended to be mama for them, but they were too little and too weak to fight whatever illness came over them. It breaks my heart, so much so, that we've decided to go to the humane society and adopt another. I had already grown really attached to them, and they had already become part of the family. I am still going to honor my contest though, since I will still need a name for our new Kitty to be. but...I will extend it until Friday because I'd like to go see what beautiful kittens they have at the SPCA. One name in particular has really tickled my fancy, and I actually went so far as to use it on one of the kittens...I'm not telling yet though. There still may be another name I like just as much out there in the brains of you knitters. It's silly I know to be so sad for little kittens that really didn't have alot of chance to begin with since they were abandoned, but I feel like I'm grieving the loss of a long time pet(s). I'll check in if we adopt a new kitten this week!

Useless stuff

You Are a Ring Finger

You are romantic, expressive, and hopeful. You see the best in everything.You are very artistic, and you see the world as your canvas. You are also drawn to the written word.Inventive and unique, you are often away in your own inner world. You get along well with: The Pinky Stay away from: The Index Finger

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatfingerareyouquiz/">What Finger Are You?

Mama and babies are doing fine..

Well, it seems mama kitty came back and took the thriving kitten of the litter, and abandoned the other two for me to look after. They are precious, and I think have already identified me as mama the food giver. I went to the vet and bought some kitten milk replacement formula for them, and I have been bottle feeding them for the last two days. One eats better than the other, but they are both coming along. I also learned that you have to help them "evacuate" their bladders and intestines manually. FUN STUFF going on here chez Stickchicky. Mr.Man finally caved and said I could keep them if I wanted. YAY! I have really missed having pets since we've been together.(He never once had a pet as a child).



He battled hard on the subject, but eventually the queen of the castle won.


Aren't they just precious?
Now knit blog world, I need some name suggestions! The grey one is male, and the white and grey spotty one is female. Any ideas? Hmmm..lets make this a contest!
I'll pick something lovely out of my ever growing stash and give it to the winner(s) who suggest my favorite names. Just leave me a comment before midnight June 5th, and I'll enter you in the draw!
On another note of pure joy, I have completed Icarus II that I was kniting as a gift for a co-worker getting married this July. She is wearing it with her wedding gown!
It turned out better than I had hoped.

I knit it with some 70% silk/30% cashmere laceweight held double from Colourmart ( a fantastic seller on E-Bay) on 3.75 mm needles. I started in February, and finished last week.
This laceweight was extremely fine so rather than attempt this with thread, I doubled it. It is so soft, and has such a wonderful drape and shine! I am 100% thrilled. Now I need one for me!

He Had a Surprise For Me

I just got off of a graveyard shift, and my husband woke me up about an hour ago telling me he had a surprise for me in the garage. I sprang out of bed wondering what the heck he was talking about.
"Go look on the couch" he said (yes we have a couch in our insulated heated garage)(tv's too, but that's another story). So...I walked over and looked. Nothing, I couldn't for the life of me see what on God's earth he was talking about. "Look closer" he said. I kept on looking until I peered into the corner of the couch, and this is what I saw:


Look closer........




Three baby kittens! They are the cutest little things I have ever seen! Marc scared away mum, and we are really hoping she will come back. I'm making a very un-educated guess that they are only about a week, maybe two, tops. Their little eyes are still glued shut, and their little mews are barely audible.
I know they really need momma cat right now, but I think she's too scared to come around. So with gloved hands, I carefully put them in a little fleece lined box and put them on the side of the garage in a warm sunny spot. I also put a bowl of food out for the mum so she'll come back. Her babies need some milk..and soon! I am green to all of this. Over my life I have had many, beloved pets (mostly dogs, but also a couple of cats) but they were already weaned from their mothers. So, I'm putting it out into the blogosphere, to see what I should do. Baby formula? we have lots of that...eye droppers? a bowl? I have no idea. Anyone? HELP!!!!
We'll talk about the conversation I had with M.Man about keeping them later...

Work Sucks

NO TIME TO BLOG. I REALLY HATE THAT. I PROMISE TO BE BACK REALLY SOON.

Too Weird

I think my computer had a fit last night or something cause I wasn't able to load anything I wanted. Although the header is a little ahem large(and I can't figure out where in the code I can adjust the size) the blog is still intact. I have so many things to talk about but not enough brain scynchonization to write about so I am copping out today. I found this on another blog I read and I thought it was neat:

Mark with bold the things you have ever knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn ( no but I have spun some)
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book(in the works)
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding (doing this right now)
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies...)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on magic loop
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teach a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Pretty scary that I have tackled almost all of these. Who knew?

Does it work?

This is a test to see if I still have a blog. My computer tells me the web page is invalid???

I really tried

I have a half descent digital camera..(Fuji Fine Pix e510) and usually I'm able to capture my subject quite nicely, but I've been having a bear of a time getting a good shot of a modeled Gathering Intentions, hence no post about it lately.
Leave it to my 2 year old daughter to get the best shot. I kinda look like a cow in it, but it shows the sweater pretty well. I also have a new (well 40 years old but new to me) dress form for which to size shape and block all of my items. It has been in my garage FOREVER courtesy of my husband's grandmother (who used to own our house) and I just remembered this week that we had it. Yay me!! On other YAY news, I got my hair cut today. I am so pleased with it I cannot tell you. I've finally found a hairdresser that understood what I wanted and did exactly that. I have some before and after shots for you as well.

Here's me this morning before going out for my haircut.....





And Here's me after the cut...quite happy about it!!
I have always liked changing up my hair frequently, but my husband has this strange guy thing about girls with long hair. So, I let it grow...and grow...until I just couldn't take it anymore. Moms of four need quick in the shower out the door hair cuts. I sent The Man to do the groceries while I had my cut done, and when I walked into the store he smiled and said my hair was hot. Hot? I'm not sure he's ever referred to my hair as hot, but I'm guessing it's a good thing.
Let's see...what else is new...Oh yeah I almost forgot to mention that I have started a new blog about my weight loss journey here.
Come on by and visit if you are so inclined. It's still in the very baby stages of a blog, but I thought that rather than bore my knitting content related readers, I would set up shop somewhere else to chronicle my weight loss project.
Happy Friday everyone...get out and enjoy the sun!

Yesterday I cried a little

I didn't get much knitting done yesterday. Not because I didn't want to, but because I was busy chasing my little man around the house trying to make sure he kept something attached to his face. I didn't think it would affect me as much as it does, but I have to say I cried a little bit. Not because I feel sorry for him, or because I don't like the way he looks, but because he had changed. I would never see his face the same way again..his pudgy cheeked , full on grin, eyes that sparkle when he laughs face. My Kaeleb face. One that no-one in else in world has. But now ...it's different.He got his first glasses this week. At 19 months. And it is probable that he will wear them every waking moment of his life from now on. Maybe I feel guilty ..Man! why can't I stop crying!!! His condition is most likely hereditary. Which means out of my four children, my baby..the one that had to endure so much already in his little life is the unfortunate one, the one that will have to undergo eye surgery down the road, and the one that has to wear glasses for the rest of his life...just like his dad. My husband feels sick about it, and he of all people knows what it's like. He started crying as soon as we left the optometrist. We are both just being big cry-babies right now. Maybe it's just mourning the loss of that baby face we grew so accustomed to. So ... we took pictures... lots and lots of pictures. I won't show them all here, but there are a couple of favorites I can show



That last one was easter weekend, and I love how blue his eyes look . All in all it really isn't such a bad thing because after all he can see better right? I guess that is all that matters.
Hopefully tommorow, some more knitting content. I'm halfway through my "Large Rectangle " stole, and I'm worried about running out of sea silk. Dun Dun DUnnnnn...What will I do then?

So Cool!

Takin' Care of Business

I joined the Knitter's Coffee Swap for the first time, and I need to post some answers to questions, so I don't get a box full of chic peas and pepto Red Heart..so here goes


1.Whole Bean Or Ground? I would have to say ground...I wish I had a grinder to grind my own..but I just let Tim Horton's do it for me. More time for knitting that way.

2 Fully Loaded or Decaf? Definitely fully loaded for this gal. All I have to say is 4 kids under 11 and a full time job.....

3.Regular or flavoured? Hmm this one is tougher, cause I love both. My favorite flavored is by far any vanilla variety, I once was gifted a vanilla caramel flavor that was to die for. But for everyday use..I'd say a good strong blend is my mainstay.

4. How do you drink your coffee? This one is easy...Extra Large Triple Triple ( that's for all of you Canadian folks)I don't drink alot of alcohol, or eat a lot of junk, but I do not skimp on my coffee. It's my one treat of the day that I don't compromise on, even if I'm dieting. I find the best cream I can, and a spoon or two of cane sugar, and that's about it. I do lighten up on the sugar when I drink flavored coffees though, cause I find it masks the flavor a little.

5.Favorite Coffee Ever? No favorites here, as long as it contains caffeine I'm in.

6. Are you fussy about your coffee, or will any old bean do? See above..although I would have to amend that to say I don't do well with highly acidic coffees...my body yells at me when I drink them.

7.Favorite Treats to have with your coffee? My favorite coffee treat ..cinnamon crunchy rolls...you know the kind with pastry rolled into little mini crunchy brown sugary, cinnamony heaven. Those are the ones. A good cookie is also a close second.

8.Anything else about your coffee preferences? I think I've about covered it.

9.Yarn/fibre you love? Anything natural, ie wool, cotton, alpaca, silk, llama.

10. Yarn Fibre you hate? I really don't hate any yarn, but I use very little acrylic/synthetic. On the rare occasion I do, it's usually a baby project(with the yarn chosen by someone else)

11.What's on your needles. HA HA! That's a good one, got an hour? There are at least 15-20 of them, but the ones I am working on the most are Icarus II , My stole from Victorian Lace(which I plan to talk about later), and about 4 or 5 pairs of socks. The rest have been sitting and languishing in the pile.

12. Favorite colours? Lately it's been greens(any green but fluorescent) and natural charcoals, greys, creams. I do also have a love affair lately with reds of all kinds.

13. Any Allergies? Only Codeine, and bee stings.

14. Anything you really love, really dislike, or just want to get off your chest?. Ummm... I can't think of anything specific, but if it pops into my brain I'll be sure to let you know!

I'm putting together another post for tonight about what I've been up to, but I've been on the computer for about an hour already, so I'll post more later.

Happy monday!

So Much to say..Too Little Time

I have had a really hard couple of weeks at work, and to be honest I'm totally drained, but now, I have seven days off, and it feels FANTASTIC! I really have slacked on blogging, but when a million things are pulling you a million directions, some things get left on the side lines. Now that I have some time off, and the weather has finally improved to more spring-like conditions, I finally feel a little rejuvenated. Gathering Intentions is Done(all except for the I cord ties) and it fits pretty well, considering I have a slightly warped notion that a regular large still fits me. It came out just a touch shorter than I had hoped, but I think another wet block may fix that problem. The only modifications I made were the collar( I didn't want it quite as close to my chin as the model) and the sleeve tie has a cable all the way to the cuff cause I really screwed up when I thought it would be a good idea to do both sleeves at once. Reading directions BEFORE you start really is a good plan. Turns out the left sleeve was to have st st for the first cable repeat to make room for the i-cord ties, but dumb- ass me, in a hurry to finish this baby started both sleeves at the same time, and knit them both exactly the same. DUH. I will jimmy something up, and no-one will be the wiser. The shots I took today are not the finest quality, but once I do another blocking, I'll have the man do a photo shoot .
I'll call this one...99% done sweater on a kitchen table


I have also started a new project with my most prized of stash ( 1 skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk).
I just received Victorian Lace Today in the mail this week, and it was just the inspiration I needed to finally cast on with this yarn that I am completely in love with.


The colours are the most beautiful gold, sea foam green, copper, wine, sage all combined in the perfect way . The picture doesn't really do it justice, but it was as close as I could get. It is so soft I would swim in it. Some people have commented that it has a weird smell, but I haven't noticed any odor at all. I won't give away which pattern I'm doing until I decide if it will work or not, but I can say it is destined to become a scarf/wrap for my SIL's wedding next fall. I am standing in her wedding, and her colours will be gold and copper, so I think this will be the perfect fit for my cold shoulders in September. Speaking of this wedding, I have come to the realization that I have just gotten way too fat. So I am challenging myself to lose 25 lbs before September. It's been a while since I've stood in a wedding, and I certainly don't want to be remembered as the "Fat Bridesmaid". I've never been one to really diet, but my plan is to cut out white stuff ( breads flours, pasta sugar) drink tons of water, and get out for some form of exercise each day.
Oh and before I forget, go check out this blog. Some really great Karma going on there, and one of my favorite bloggers is one of the blog moms. Cool chicks I tell ya, Cool chicks.

GRRRRRR

You never know how much you miss the internet until you don't have it. We were hit by lightning 2 days ago, and I am just finally getting back online. Be back soon!

Winners!

I know I said I wasn't going to draw until tommorrow morning, but I'm still up, so what the heck right?My trusty Mr.Man got a kick out of being the official number picker for the contest. I am so pleased at the turnout! I hope you all come back and visit every now and then. I got a real kick out of reading all of the comments. Melissa of is the winner of the must be nice cause I bought it twice book, and Karen wins the yarn. This contest stuff is really fun, I think I may have to do it more often. It feels great to give stuff away no? Karen I need your e-mail address so I can send you some stuff! Melissa, I've already sent you an e-mail. Congrats ladies, and knit on!

Ask and Ye shall recieve

Ok so I guess this is turning out to be a real contest afterall, so I'm adding another prize so I can spread the dumb assedness love around. A big thank you to Chris for mentioning my contest on her blog. Reading all of your comments today is a ball of fun! Keep em coming. The sock yarn is Four Seasons Hot Socks Sockenwolle in colour 287, and the other yarn is a local treasure Manitoulin Yarns Wooly Harvest in some purpely/blues. I'm almost done my Gathering Intentions, so I hope to be able to post a photo by this weekend! Yay!! Have a great Wednesday everyone.

Vacationland

So, apparently, no one reads this blog, or everybody already has the book I'm giving away, cause only two of you have left comments! Cummon guys! Show me some love....I may even throw in a little something soft and squishy to knit with. Just leave a comment between now and Thursday night at 11 pm EST (cause that is about my bedtime) and I'll do a drawing on Friday. There, now that that is out of the way, I can talk about my wonderful little mini getaway.
First, some yarn *porn*:



The top photo is 2 skeins of Apple Laine Sock yarn in Winter's Dawn colourway; 1 Skein of Misti Alpaca Laceweight
Next up, A new book....Very cute stuff to knit for the guy in your life, and a pair of socks that I knit entirely on my trip (that must have been a record)
And Finally, the Piece de Resistance......A luscious silky skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk, and a sliver of Fleece Artist Silk Merino roving. YUMMMM!!!!!
Does anyone have a fantastic pattern for a single lonely skein of Sea Silk? It has to be special..I really love this stuff, but at $38/100 grams, I'm afraid to knit with it.
Suggestions Please!
Our Trip was great. No traffic on the way there, sunny skies, and about 10 degrees celcius. Perfect!

My mom had home-made meatloaf ready for us when we arrived, and it was sooooo good.
Marc and I managed to get out to the casino, just so we could lose all our money, butwe had a blast anyway. This was our first time out sans enfant since May of last year. We really need to get out more. Being the week of the dumb ass, I forgot to take my camera, so alas, no photos of the festivities. Wednesday, we shopped, and shopped till the kids couldn't take it anymore. Let's just say, thank God for IKEA ball pits. The end result of the little shopping spree, is that I decided my bathroom needed a complete remodeling all based around a really pretty shower curtain I bought. Marc was thrilled.....*not* So, this week is all about the paint, and fixtures, and bathmats to match. It's only a couple of days work, with really big pay off.

As for knitting, as you can see, I managed to knit an entire pair of socks on the trip. Gathering Intentions also saw a little face time, hopefully it will be done by next weekend. Just in time for me to return to work. Wahhhhh!

Since I'm so dumb, I'll have a contest!

Well not really a contest, but more like a giveaway, cause I have got to be the stupidest Amazon Shopper in the world! I bought myself two of these :


I thought I was being all smart using the one click shopping, until I was sent two invoices for the same book! Anyways, rather than cry about it, I will share the love, so I will randomly choose one person to win this lovely book. All comments left before 11pm EST Thursday March 22 will be entered into the draw.
I've also got lots to tell you about my trip, but I'm painting my bathroom at the moment, and was just stopping for a quick break. More tommorrow!

A Trip!

I am really exited for the coming week. We are going to Ottawa to visit with my parents, and I can't wait. Real Yarn Shops! With the kids being off for spring break, and me being off on sick leave we thought it would be the perfect time to get away and recharge our batteries. The only dissapointment is that the Rideau Canal closes today. I'm a little bummed about that, since I wanted to bring the kids for a skate, but I guess sinking through the ice really wouldn't be much fun anyway. I did however promise my Josh (my 6 yr old) that we would make a special trip for a Beaver Tail. He had a bite or two as a baby when we lived in Ottawa, but doesn't remember, and he can't wrap his head around how we could possibly eat the tail of a beaver. He'll soon see how one cannot live without this gooey, sugary most wonderful taste of the Capital. I have big plans to surprise Mr.Man with a romantic night to ourselves at a really nice hotel. We really need the break, and since we didn't really celebrate on Valentine's day, I plan to make up for it. Mom is going to babysit ( I hope) and we may even get to sleep in. Can't wait! Cant wait! Can't wait!

I Bet Ya Didn't Know

I'm not too sure if I've ever mentioned it before or not, but I make wedding cakes. It's just a little something I do on the side for some extra cash. I wish I could do it full time, but I'm not sure my nerves could handle it. Making someone's wedding cake is a very special thing. There are few "traditional" wedding ceremonies left, but cake cutting seems to be one that has stuck. If you screw up someone's wedding cake, you are jeopardizing part of thier "Day". This always haunts me when I'm travelling to the reception site, wondering if my days of baking and preparation will go flying with every bump. Today was no different, and I did have a minor mishap, but all is well now. My centre tier took a little nose-dive into the cake box during travel, but nothing my little kit of icing bags couldn't fix. Here's the cake as it was when I left the hall.....let's hope nobody stuck their thumb in it before the bride arrived. Not a perfect cake by any means, but pretty candlelight and dim lights hide all sins right?

One Word Friday

One Word for Today

SNOW DAY!!!!

A Very Special Job

Mr. Man's family is French Canadian, and with that comes a whole slew of traditions I had never heard of. My sister in law is getting married next September, and I have been asked as the "resident knitter" of the family to do a very special job. There is a wedding tradition ( look under Canada scroll down half a page, I'll wait) which involves me knitting the longest ugliest socks I have ever created, for my brother in law. I can't wait !! I figure I'll use up alot of my uber-colorful sock yarn left-overs. I may even add some jingle bells, sequins, beads etc to make things interesting. And I have a year and a half to do them! That should be manageable I hope. In other funny random things, I was reading The Harlot's blog the other day and read about a nasty e-mailer she's been dealing with. I thought it might be funny to show you this list of other "Canadian" words. I'm feeling much better today than I was last time I posted. I'm still really sore in the navel area, but I'm told that is to be expected. No more gall stones though! I'm off to catch a few minutes in my knitting chair. Nothing beats Tim Horton's and sock knitting!

All you need is Yarn

You know when you are having a miserable week, and you can't quite put your finger on what it is you need to make you feel better, or what the heck that craving is for? I was having a week like that until today. Marc walked on down to the mailbox today and brought me the best pick me up I could have asked for! My Secret Pal totally rocks! Her package could not have come on a better day. What better to fix a craving than sock yarn? Enough for 3 pairs!,Cherry Tree Hill in Indian Summer Colourway, some C*eye*ber fibre and some Canadian Colours Regia, some perfect little dpn's, the cutest keychain Hello Kitty mini scissors (a girl can never have enough scissors) oh wait! that's not all, Some really cool stitch markers (Boye) that you can leave open, or snap closed in a great little case, a tape measure set, row counters, and the best little washcloth I have ever seen. I think It's from Mason Dixon Knitting if I'm not mistaken. I LOVE IT!!! Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou Deirdre....you made my whole week.

Ouch!

So...I'm back from the hospital, in one piece ..well minus a piece, but alive and well none the less. I am in considerable pain, I can't stand up without help, and I can't pick up anything heavier than my coffee cup, but I am happy to say that my gall bladder will no longer cause me anymore agony.
The folks at the hospital were great even though I caused them a little more of a stressful day when I stopped breathing a couple of times, but all is well now. Wanna see some pictures?
If you are a little sensitive to photos with incision content, please avert your eyes, It's really not too bad to look at though considering my bloated belly is the most heinous part..



Those are three of the four cuts they made (the other one is in the belly button)
I'm told I should be back to normal in a week. Let's hope that's the case cause it hurts like hell right now. I have been knitting a bit on some socks, but anything requiring more than plain stockinette will have to wait. The drugs make me really loopy, and totally incapable of following a pattern.
Time for a little lie down I think. Night all.

Needle Love

I am a happy camper today. I just got my hands on some of these
and I couldn't be more thrilled. Finally after a ton of feedback, Addi has come through BIG TIME!! I only own a few Addi circulars, but they always seem to be the ones I turn to for comfort knitting . You just can't beat em'(while Knitpicks is really close). I do love the knitpicks needles, and have bought 3 or 4 sizes of their options circulars, but I have had 2 cables come apart on me. Addi to the rescue! I now am the proud owner of size 1 addi circulars (2 sets for my 2 socks on 2 circs)with nice pointy tips, and smooth lovely joints Hooray!! I have some FO's to speak of, but no pictures yet. They're just socks anyways, but I have 2 pair done so far, so I can cross them of the list. My Cherry Tree hill anklet socks, and a pair of STR G-rocks socks that weren't even on the list. They match my PJ's for the hospital, so I wanted to motor through them to wear when I'm there. Nurses love to knit, and I know they will appreciate my nice hand knit socks! This is my first time trying STR and I do have to say I'm thrilled about it too. Squishy, sproingy cushy yarn, that is dyed to perfection. I love it almost as much as Cherry Tree Hill (which has now become my mainstay sock yarn). I find The STR slightly thicker than CTH, which makes for a slightly denser fabric on my 2 mm needles, but it isn't quite as silky as CTH. I guess I like a little shine to my sock yarn. I love it anyways, and I'm sure I will buy more. I also bought some STR in the Terra Firma colourway, which is destined to become some socks for The Man. 3 Days and counting till I get this rotten little gall bladder out. Can't wait to be relieved of the agony it's causing me. Since I don't have any FO photos to show you, I'll pull one out of the album that I think is really cool. This is a wall hanging made completely out of silk ribbon, and woven over a mirror. I thought it was fantastic. It is hanging in a ribbon store on Queen St. in Toronto. Fabulous No?

I Hate Hospitals

Today I return (for the 3rd time) to the hospital for my pre-op tests. Yippee Skippee more poking and proding! The funny thing is, I was a nurse for 6 years, and I now currently work for our national blood service, but I detest having blood removed from my body. I bruise easily, and my arms are always left mangled. The big day for surgery is next Tuesday, so I'm sure there will be much more where that came from. As long as it doesn't hinder my ability to knit I suppose I can survive right? Wish me luck, I'll catch y'all tommorow.

Sad But True

I haven't been well lately, as some of you who read regularily know, and today I got some disturbing news....apparently, there are gall stones almost the size of golf balls trying to push themselves out of my gall bladder. No wonder I've been in such agony! My doctor phoned me today to confirm what I suspected, and to have me come in tommorow to set a surgery date in the very near future. Fun times!! The plus side to all of this is, I'll be laid up for a while, and I'll be able to start finishing up some of that ginormous list of projects I have on the go. I hope to be bed-ridden for at least a few days, so...Mr.Man has no choice but to let me sit and knit to my little heart's content. Oh...did I also mention that I get 3 weeks off work? No? Well that rocks as well. All of these health issues though have made me wake up and realize I need to take better care of my body. No more sugar filled, high fat foods for me. I plan on making this a good excuse to get off my ass and get healthy. If it wasn't -35 here most of the time I would have started walking some more by now, but It's just too cold. Skin freezes fast around here.
I have managed to knock off a couple of things from my "to knit" list. My Cherry tree hill socks are all but done, just the last inch of cuff on the second one, and I have managed to finish the sleeves of my Gathering Intentions Sweater. Hopefully I can get the front done while I'm in the hospital, so I can have a coming home squishy warm sweater to wear in our outrageous temperatures here. I also want to thank all of you for your suggestions on yarn choices for Cromarty. After reading Wendy's post, I went and ordered the Celtic Collection book right away. Once Gathering Intenetions is finished, she will be my next knit. I'm not usually much of a bandwagon knitter, but as soon as I saw that sweater, I knew it had to be mine! Now if I could just decide what I want to knit it with. I was thinking Elann's Devon yarn, but not sure. Any thoughts? So..I'm of to pop some good drugs so that I can sleep tonight without pain that would want to make you poke your eyes out. Night all.

Getting organized

I was thinking alot about all of my unfinished projects the other day, and decided it really was getting out of hand. I have resigned myself to the fact that I am a great starter, and not such a great finisher. My list may not be as long as yours, but I think I could give alot of you a run for your money. So..I'm putting it out there, for all to see, so I can keep better track of finishing things, and actually start finishing stuff. I'm designating Tuesdays for UFO's. Here's the list

Pink Butterfly beaded scarf - half done
Pomotamous socks- 1 sock done the other OTN and completed cuff
Gathering Intentions Sweater - Back done, 2 sleeves, half done
Lorna's Laces Jaywalkers - 2 at a time half done
Shell socks from Knitting Vintage Socks- 1 sock done other not even started
Plain Vanilla Socks for Mr.Man -1 sock done, other not started yet
Apple Tree Shawl (my own design) -1/3 done
Icarus II wedding shawl for a co-worker- done 4 repeats of the first chart.
Snowdrop Shawl - need 1 more repeat and a border
Comfy Cardi (my own design)- Back ,1 front and 1 sleeve done
Lizard Ridge blanket- 2 squares done
Cherry Tree Hill socks for me -1 sock 1/3 done
Cotton Cabled Tank from Summer Cast-On 3/4 done

I'm sure there's a few more tucked away in the deep deep crevasse known as the knitting closet, but I can't remember right now.
Now which ones to finish first??

I Shall Oblige

I have been really remiss in posting some photos of stuff I've been working on, so ..since my secret pal asked so nicely, I'll post a pic or
two. Here are some plain vanilla socks done two at a time on circulars YAY!!! I conquered that one! As well, we have some yummilicious sock yarn aquisitions, Lorna's Laces Sheperd sock in Watercolour, and Fall Leaves(below). I already have the fall leaves on the needles(2 at a time again) but as Jaywalkers . I'm not sure how I'm liking the colour pooling that is going on, but I'll have to see. The last shot is of the back of my Gathering Intenetions sweater by Fiona Ellis. What a great satisfying cable knit. The arems are about 1/3 done as well, but they look just like sleeves, so I didn't take a picture yet. Hopefully the next time I post about this sweater I will be wearing it. As for all of my ailments, it looks like I have Pneumonia. Lovely predicament isn't it? Not much they can do for me except insist t hat I rest alot. Mr. Man has been pretty understanding, and even though he is working full time as well, he is making extra effort to make sure I'm getting enough sleep. I caught a gem I tell ya. So...I'm off to take a little lie down. Happy Sunday everyone.

Well Over Due

I'm really overdue for a post or ten...sorry to the three regulars I get over here in Stickchicky land. I have so many things to post about, but most require picture which I haven't had the stamina to take lately. Work is kicking my butt....not to mention a house full of sick people. Me being one of them. I've had this nasty little on again off again cold going on since November that I can't seem to shake. There has been knitting though. I did manage to finish a couple of pairs of socks, and am about half-way through my Gathering Intentions sweater. Overnight work certainly does provide for a lot of knitting time, just not so much family time, and daylight hours.
Once spring rolls around I'm sure my sniffly nose tired shell of a body will finally be back to normal. Any good home remedies out there to stave off the cold?. I've tried every drug store concoction known to man, and I just think my body feels like staging a revolt against anything artificial these days. While I've got ya here, go check out my lovely former Secret Pal spoiler Jae's blog. She's knit-a-thoning for a really great cause. Help a girl out wontcha?

Hot Damn! I'm raisin' Knitters!

There is a joy in my heart this moment, that I'm sure a few of you can relate to. As of 5 minutes ago, my middle baby Josh(6yrs old) became a knitter. I was knitting away on a sweater (more on that later) and he out of the blue said "mom can you show me how to knit?"
This coming from the lips of my Alpha male "I never want to knit" son, who's life revolves around hockey, video games and wrestling acation figures. He had on many occasions let me know in no uncertain terms that boys who knit are wimps, and that the fact that his brother knits was "dumb". He had no interest, despite the fact that I kept reminding him that I would show him how any time he asked. Well tonight, I jumped out of my chair mid row and presented him with some yarn and needles like any good knittin' mom would do, and withing 5 sts, he was whinig for me to just let him do it by himself. We are now12 rows into a garter stitch scarf right now for which I have only had to pick up 2 sts so far. How amazing is that? He learned even faster than my 10 year old ( he is a lefty though). I am such a proud momma. I guess the knitting gene does rub off a little.
Here he is in all of his knitterly glory. Mr. Independant himself.....



Now, as for the sweater I was talking about, I recieved, Inspired Cable Knits by Fiona Ellis from my sister for Christmas, and I have begun a sweater. ....wait for it.....wait.....FOR MYSELF!!
I am so in love with this sweater, it better fit me! I've put on a few pounds since thanksgiving, and it is really ticking me off. Nothing fits anymore. I should join a run along like the 100M before April fools day or something. Then again that would seriously cut in on knitting time.
Sooner or later I'll get my sorry big butt off the knitting chair, just not this week. I'm too into my sweater.