Chin up it's almost done...

Two more days of work then I'll be able to get my crap together and post some proper photos of my finished CPH as well as a few other little things. It's been a crazy but very productive week. Work is throwing me a bunch of new projects, so I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Almost done...i just have to keep that chant in my head.

Ick...snow sucks

A quickie post cause I'm working a 16 hour day today, but I've found the camera..I've taken a few photos of craptastic quality, but Some photos are better than none right?
I need to pack a few small projects to take along with me today...it's going to be a long one.
We are getting hit with a bunch of snow today too. I really hate driving in it. The commute into town for work should be fun. OK I'll quit whining, and put up a few photos.

First up Central Park hoodie right before I seamed the arms in and seamed up the hood
Next up is the finished Koolhaas hat that is slightly smaller than I'd like but I'm hoping that a good blocking will fix that


And Henry, dear henry...when will you be cast off? Hopefully this week. This one is beautiful but tedious.
Catch you all on the flipside...maybe I will post from work tonight to try and wake myself up.


ETA * I'm still at work and barely awake...I may have had a moment of weakness and cast on a new project. But....I did finish the socks too. Details later.

If Cleanliness is next to Godliness, then where is my frickin' camera?

I've been finishing FO's like a madwoman the last couple of days. The CPH is done but for a zipper and my Koolhaas hat was cast off last night as well. Henry is 4 rows away from being done. But...I can't find the frickin' camera! it's been missing since New Years Day. That will teach me to organize my stuff...now I can't find anything. So in an attempt to distract you from the lack of FO photos, I'll show you some pretty pictures of Celtic icon blocking. It's already been given to the recipient, and she loved it, but I don't have a modeled shot yet...



I was really happy with the way the whole thing turned out. I even got the zipper in the first try! Thank heavens cause I was on a deadline. The sweater was delivered on Christmas eve at 9:00 pm.

This week I am attempting to clean my knitting slate a little so I can enjoy knitting again. WIP's just seem to make me feel pressured. Maybe if I cast on a little less and finished a little more I wouldn't feel this way.
Up for completion are:
*Henry (no problem)
*EZ's Norwegian mittens
*pair of socks (one is 98% done)
* felted bag that has been languishing a really long time in the basket (like a year and a half)
* a wisp scarf started in October that was going to be a Christmas gift, but never got there

If I can finish all of these things before January ends I'll feel like I have accomplished something

Here's a little pic of the carnage at Christmas . My Dad was having a blast checking out all the toys, and installing batteries.

If all goes well I'll find my camera and have a bunch of FO's to show you all.

A New Year

Today I have big plans...plans to get organized, plans to eat healthier (I'm going to try vegetarianism) and plans to have an even better family than I do now. I'm sure I won't succeed in everything I try this year, but I'm sure gonna try hard. I'd also like to renew my commitment to blogging. I'd really like to blog at least twice a week. I've had some health issues dealt with, and I've gotten some answers. So, now with the fresh New Year air blown back into me, I'm trying for a fresh start.
I hope all of you out there have a fantastic 2008. I plan to. My motto for this year, "Just let life happen".

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!