Where the Hell Have You Been?

My Family is Good for my Soul

I was a very lucky girl the week before last. My Sister and Nieces came from snowy Utah for a visit. It had been a year since I saw them. A year is far too long to go without seeing your family. Especially when you're as close as my Sister and I are. She is 3 years older than me and I've looked up to her since I was a tot. We stayed at my Mum's house for a few days and then drove down to sunny Phoenix to stay at my house. It was simply lovely. Nothing beats laying on the couch with my Sister, feet intertwined and eating Cadbury's Creme Eggs, while watching episode after episode of "Intervention". It makes my heart ache when I think about her living so far away. So 4 days of relaxing together did my heart a load of good. I sure do miss her now that she's gone home. My heart is aching once again. No completed knitting to show you just yet. But it's coming....one of these days. I'm the world's biggest procrastinator.

In Honour of the Hotness

Lord help me, I'm a Cougar. Label me all you want, I care not. May I present, Exhibit A.

Need I say more?

On Saturday, I'm going to Blockbuster as SOON as I wake up. My dear Hubby put a deposit on the 2-disc DVD set of Twilight. After purchasing, I will race home and deposit myself on the sofa. I will not move for hours. And hours. And hour upon lovely hour. I'm 35 years old and this saga (and movie) makes me feel as though I'm 17 again. The hotness that is Robert Pattinson (as Edward Cullen) is such a fantastic bonus to this daydream inducing story. Aaaah. I can honestly say that not a stitch will be knit during this movie screening.

I'm So Glad I'm a Knitter

I'm so glad I'm a knitter for many reasons. I love to start new projects. I love to finish projects. I love the feeling I get when someone loves what I've made them. I love meeting other knitters. I love Ravelry. I received an email from a fellow Ravelry member the other week. She was asking if I'd consider selling her some yarn from my stash. Normally I would gasp at the thought of parting with any item from my stash. I'm rather protective of it. This situation was a little different. This knitter was looking to buy my 3 skeins of Moda Dea Cache which has been in my stash for years. She told me she was knitting a sweater from it and ran out of the colour I had in my stash. Apparently the colourway has been discontinued. What kind of knitter would I be if I didn't help a fellow knitter in need? I told her that I would gladly send her the stash yarn, no payment needed. So what did this lovely knitter do? She sent me a thank you gift. Before I'd even mailed her yarn. I tell you what, you'll never meet nicer people than knitters. There are two nice things about this gift. The first is that I'm amazed by the kindness. For all she knew, I could be a big fat liar and never mail the yarn (I'm not, it was put in the mailbox yesterday). The second is that for a few months I've been plagued with terrible neck pain. I have routine check ups with an Orthopedic Specialist and Physical Therapist. My Physical Therapist, Peggy, (whom I love because her hands always smell like oranges, even though she beats the crap out of me every visit) uses a heat wrap on my neck for 10 minutes. Friends, it's heaven. I drift off into la la land every time. What did my fellow Raveler send me? A heat wrap. It will get SO much use and the bonus is that it has lavender in it, which is one of my favourite scents. Today was a very good day.

Block Me Amadeus

Yes my friends, that may possibly be the cheesiest blog title in existence. However cheesy, it was funny enough for my simple sense of humour to cause juice to spurt out of nose.

Ladies and Gents (probably not gents because it's highly doubtful there are any 'Gents' reading my blog), so never mind, Ladies....I have "finished" something. It's off the needles so to me that counts as being finished. Never mind the blocking (hence the subject for my oh so funny blog title) that needs to be done. As soon as I buy a spray bottle (lost mine in the move - hated that bottle anyway. It would only work on the "stream" setting. That's like a laser blast to a finished knit.) and hunker down on the floor to pin my life away, then it will officially be finished. Yea me.

Pattern: Cabled Button Wrap
Made For: Me
Yarn: 5 skeins Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Camel Heather
Mods: Pattern called for 19 repeats at 56". My gauge must've been way off because at 19 repeats I was nowhere in the vicinty of 56". So many more repeats for me.

Cable Guy

I'm embarrassed to admit that 1. This is the only knitted item I have ever made for my hubby. 2. I started this hat over a year ago. Make that almost 2 years ago. Embarrassment aside, I'm happy with the end result. He has worn it every single day since I finished it. After his initial dismay that this beanie would need to be hand washed, he tried it on and was surprised at how well it fit and realized that my offer to hand wash it for him was a good one. There was a period of worry due to his remark, "Sure I'll wear it if it fits okay and isn't scratchy". I think that's why it took me so long to finish. The prospect of all my hard work resulting in a beanie that would forever sit on the shelf was enough to make me set the project aside for months.. Okay, yes, years. Never mind that...it's done. He loves it. He will be rewarded by possibly receiving another knitted item this year. Heavy stress on the word 'maybe'.

Pattern: 3AM Cable Hat by Smariek Knits

Made For: Hubby

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino

Mods: Extra ribbing and cable repeats for a super long hat

Very Very Busy....The Ambitious Life of a Multi-Tasker

Phew, I'm tired. I've been knitting since Friday at 9pm. No stopping. Night and day. Okay, so maybe there was a bathroom break here and there, but it really does feel as though I've been knitting 24/7. I have to go back to work tomorrow and the thought of not being able to knit for 8 hours is devastating. Even more devastating is knowing that instead of knitting, I'll be working. Ugh. Double up....Ugh Ugh.

This weekend has been wonderful for my knitting ego. I PLOWED my way through Dahlia. Seriously, I never knit this fast. Not only did I knit at the speed of light, I did it without making any mistakes! Bravo me! (She's not finished yet, fingers crossed I can make it through without a disaster)

I successfully knit my way through 4 inches of the Miranda Cabled Scarf. Again, no mistakes. Whatis happening here? Am I in the Twilight Zone? The team consisting of Knitting, Me and Zippo Mistakes is not usually up to bat!

Well, I don't know about you, but I've had quite enough of knitting without mistakes. It's boring. My poor Mother has been patiently waiting for her birthday shawl since the end of October. Looks like she'll be waiting a bit longer. Mistakes in lace make the hair on my arms stand to attention. They also cause me to run and hide for an unknown length of time. You can't see the mistake in the photo but it's there alright. There's no telling how many rows I'll have to frog back. I feel sick. However, due to the numerous high points in my knitting extravaganza, I am not going to beat myself up over this one for long. I'll see you again soon Woodland Shawl.

Now what do you say we round off this post with another happy knitting experience? My fourth Irish Hiking Scarf. Actually, it may be the fifth, I don't know, I'm losing track. This scarf is so incredibly fast and easy, it just flies off the needles. You can never ever go wrong with this pattern. When your knitting has you down and you're questioning your skills, pull out a couple of hanks of something warm and squishy and knit away. You'll be patting yourself on the back in no time.