2007

"Oh. Hi. Uh, well, I'm Finnegan, and I'm the Little Dudes' cousin. I live with my Moms in lovely St. Catharines, Ontario. See, every once in awhile, and not nearly as often as I'd like, my Auntie Brigitte comes over to stay with us. This time, it was for Christmas! And I got pressies! Lots of pressies! Not only from my Grammy and Grumpy, but from my Moms and Auntie Brigitte too! It is SO COOL having a cute face, you just get loaded with stuff. *sigh* I hear my cousins are in bit miffed 'cause their Mom came home smelling, well, of me. Now personally? Nothing wrong with that. But I guess they're all "ew, you smell like dog, ew, you have long white hairs on you, ew, you...hey, are those pressies for us?". See, they secretly do like me, even if I'm not a cat. My Moms are silly. See? They make me dress up in funny costumes just so THEY can laugh."

"Oh, har-de-har-har Mommy Susie, har-de-har-har. Laugh at Finnegan's expense. Heh, they don't know I've been corresponding with my cousins, and they've taught me a few tricks, uh-huh. Like how to leave gifties. Or barf on the rug. Who'll be laughing then?! Well, anyway. I had such a great time with my Auntie Brigitte! And she got A LOT of loot too! She got a new DVD player, and a flannel blanket set (which I hear is quite cosy), a Scrubbing Bubbles automatic shower cleaner (she's weird with the cleaning things, so I hear), a Kitten calendar, a knitting book called "Aran Knitting Design" she went all goofy about, and a ton more stuff too! And stocking stuff! Mommy Renee baked all kinds of gluten-free goodies for Auntie Brigitte. I tried, but I wasn't allowed to sample any of them... Oh well.

Phew! This blogging stuff is HARD work! I'm just gonna lie here. Look cute.

Life's so hard.

Thanks for tuning in! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, full of family and fun! And, if you had a fraction of the fun Auntie Brigitte has when she comes over, than you had a great time. *sigh* Being a good host is tough work..."

2007

Who knew dogs and cats led such a secret life?!

Well, the Christmas knitting went over very well! I'll have to post some pictures when I get them. I had a great time in St. Catharines! Even though it rained and the weather was pretty gloomy most of the time, it was still a fabulous time. We hung out, I knitted and we watched some pretty good movies too - "The Devil Wears Prada" (annoying!), "Best In Show" (hilarious!) and a pretty sobering "An Inconvenient Truth", a movie by Al Gore about global warming. It was a great time.

I'm pretty sure most of you have heard all about Wendy's idea for 2007 - Knit From Your Stash 2007. Well, I've decided to take that one on as well, and I'm going to do exactly that - knit exclusively from my stash. Only, I'm going to set an initial goal of 9 months - no yarn purchases until my birthday in September. Here are my rules:

1. Sock yarn doesn't count,

2. Allowed is the Dale of Norway kit purchase at some point,

3. And one other purchase.

That's it. Sad thing is - I'll still not have made too big of a dent in my yarn stash... I have enough for Fair Isle alone to last me well past September 2007!

Now that the Christmas knitting is behind me, I'm going to work on finishing up some of my WIP's. First in line is Dalarna, as I have only one sleeve left. Then, I'll pick and choose from there. Still SO much to choose from...

I'm not a "New Year's resolution" type of girl, but there are a few things I'd like to concentrate on. First, reign in the diabetes, and get "healthy" - the Dale of Norway KAL will have to wait, as I need to shell out a considerable amount of money for the Dietitian (not covered by my supplemental insurance...). I'm also going to reign in my finances, and get better organized. Not purchasing yarn for most of the year should help that along quite well! On the knitting front - finish what I start. And try try try to have no more than 2 WIP's going at once. It just takes a little discipline on my part...

And that's it! This certainly has been an interesting year for me. I'm hoping 2007 will be just as full of new experiences and wonders, with some surprises sprinkled in along the way.

I'm sending all the best wishes to all my friends for a wonderful, happy 2007 full of FO's!

2006

"OK. This business of "being good" for Santa Claws? Look, I've been trying my best. But, what can you expect? I'm only a kid, and I'm so freakin' excited I make myself all dizzy and stuff. And that whole "issue" with the missing DPN's? Yeah, not me. I know it complicates the whole Christmas knitting thing for Mom, but it WASN'T me! See, my big brother Atticus likes to blame me for stuff, but this time - Santa, he's to blame for the missing DPN's! One more sleep! Wheeeee! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone from my brother Atticus (sleeping), my sister Mae (also sleeping) and me, Cutie McKittenpants - Gandalf!"

2006

This year has zipped by! Or is it that the older you get, the faster time seems to go by? Well, regardless. I have a lot to be happy and proud about this year:

*Ophelia

*Diva

*Lush

...and others more pre-blog. I made socks for the first time in over 25 years of knitting!

And I have a lot to be thankful for as well - my family (hi!), my friends, the Little Dudes, and the good fortune to live in a country that allows me all the freedoms and opportunities I enjoy. I have a good job, and even though it drives me to distraction at times, I'm thankful that I can work, and earn an honest living.

I'm also thankful for all the wonderful new friends I've made this year as well - Lorraine and Anne here in the Toronto area, Angie in Austria, and Chris, Carrie, Sharon, Marina, Jewel, Marji, Cynthia and a ton more. I am lucky to have met you all, as shmarmy as it may sound - you really to bring a lot of laughs and smiles to my days. I can only hope in return that I do the same for you and my silent readers (hello lurkers! yes, YOU!).

Well, the Christmas knitting is done! Thanks to one of the Little Dudes (my money's on Atticus actually...), it was cut a bit short, but nothing that can't be made up quickly at a later date. And - lookie!

One arm of Dalarna done, and one to go!

I also wanted to thank everyone for your kind thoughts and words about my diabetes. It made me feel good to read them, and to know that I have so much support. I see the Dietitan on January 3rd, so once I get a hang of this new eating business, I should be soooo much better.

Thanks everyone for tuning in! And here's hoping that wherever you are and whatever you celebrate, you do so in peace and harmony with those you love. I'll be off to see my sister and sister-in-law in St. Catharines for a few days. Next post - all about my plans for 2007!

Weird Stuff

"OK Knitsters, listen up! Mom has had a rough week, so she's sorry she hasn't blogged sooner! Me, my week has been rough too - my sleep was disturbed by my little pipsqueek brother a few times, I missed a jump trying to get away from him and knocked down Mom's bike, I had a hairball AND Mom had other humans over, which I just wasn't in the mood for. Now I lie on this mat - but it's strangely comfortable... Oh, aren't I pretty? Oh, right. Mom. Uh, whoops, she doesn't know I can type. Gotta go bye."

Mae - the feline's feline. She's everything a cat is said to be - unlike her brothers who act more like dogs and ferrets than cats! Mae is solitary, independant, finicky, and shy. But, she's a sweetheart who shows you love with rubs and tiny purrs, and will sit next to you, just because. Whereas Atticus and Gandalf want to be next to me ALL THE TIME, Mae comes out when she wants to. Making it that much more special. Awwww!

6 Weird Things

What, only 6?!! Marina and Lorraine had this up on their sites, so I thought, due to the lack of presentable knitting content (Christmas knitting ya know...), I'd give it go.

1. Like Marina - I don't drive. But, for entirely different reasons - I have a phobia of being in cars. Absolutely hate it. There are some people I will not get in a car with, because they make me too nervous. Now, I did have a license, I just never renewed it. I am a nervous passenger, and it is not the fault of the drivers in most cases, it's just the way I feel. To throw something even weirder into the mix - I think cars themselves as objects are fascinating, and I love to look at the mechanisms and new car designs. Weird...

2. Cannot stand the smell of alcohol, in particular liqueurs. Absolutely turns my stomach.

3. I will not eat anything right out of the fridge. It has to be room temperature, or I can't taste it. The only exceptions are some dairy products.

4. I have never had my wisdom teeth. No roots, nothing. They never developed. I hear I'm lucky...

5. I am a lucid dreamer. I've done everything from scratch myself, throw myself off my bed causing severe bruising, walked into my bedroom door a few times, and once woke up while feeding the Little Dudes at 2am... Dude.

6. My eye colour can change from pale grey to intense emerald green, depending on my mood. The normal colour is blue.

And just for poops and giggles - a bonus! I rarely eat meat - not because of ethical reasons - but because I cannot handle it raw. Raw meat preparation actually scares me! Like - real fear scares me. I usually only eat meat if it's prepared for me, and I'll enjoy it. If it's still on the bone, I will only pick at what I can see.

Weird.

My Week In A Nutshell

I have to thank Mae for looking out for me, she's a good girl to be thinking of her Mom! It has been a trying week, that's for sure. Busy with work - an offsite Disaster Recovery test that really had me running ragged (although the very cute Sales Rep was a nice distraction...!), and the prep work for another one in January. Ugh. But - cute Sungard Sales Rep representing my company's account... Hmmmm...

And other crap too; my week ended with a bang - a visit to the doctor's for my yearly physical. I've been seeing her a lot the second part of the year - abnormal blood work, intense fatigue and weakness unrelated to my fibromyalgia, and all kinds of issues when eating. Gotta love universal health care here in Canada, because if I had had to pay for all the testing... As I can't eat grains anyway, I had trouble figuring out what was causing my discomfort. Anyway - got the results yesterday, and I've been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. I'm relieved that I finally have an answer, at least I know that I'm not crazy. And - my biggest fear was that my fibromyalgia was getting worse, which if it was this bad at age 38, what would I be like in 5 years? Can't say I'm too thrilled with the diagnosis, but you know what? You deal with it. I have to see a Dietitian in January, as my doctor doesn't want to put me on medication just yet. Once I get the food thing straightened out, I'll hopefully start to feel better. It's an awful feeling being so tired all the time, and not having the energy at the end of the day to even eat. And when you do, eating makes you sometimes feel worse. It was getting to the point where I couldn't imagine what it used to be like to actually be able to do something in the evenings - I would barely have the energy to walk to my yoga class, which is 5 minutes away. It was frightening to me that a simple excursion to the store would leave me feeling incredibly drained. And it was tough trying to make other people understand that I couldn't do these things, and that it wasn't in my head but a real symptom that something just wasn't right. But - I know now that things will get better! And you can't imagine how relieved that makes me feel. I'm not overweight, but I am predisposed to it - diabetes runs in the family.

You know though, it could be worse. And hopefully by the time the Dale of Nor(th America) KAL kicks off in January, I'll be roaring to go! Hey, almost forgot to mention - one sleeve of Dalarna - done! It was actually a quicker knit than I anticipated. I managed to get her done in between the covert Christmas knitting I've been working on.

Uh, you do realize that in one week it's Christmas Eve!?!?!?!!

"Santa Claws is coming! Santa Claws is coming! Santa Claws is coming! Santa Claws is coming!Eeeeeee, I'm so excited! I've been good, and I'm cute, and he has my list and I've been good and I promise I'll be good and, and uh, and SANTA CLAWS IS COMING MAE!!!!"

"OK, settle down! Get off of me! I'm not Santa you little gnome! Man..."

(Oh, and as an aside - Gandalf has a new a new nickname - "Atticu-I-mean-Gandalf-stop-that!". Heh heh...did I mention Atticus was just INSANE at times when he was a baby?!)

Awww...

On Wednesday morning, my support pager went off at 4:30 - not pleasant. So, I dragged my tired butt out of bed, logged in, and started stick handling not one, but two major issues at once. I had fed the Little Dudes their breakfast, and at one point I thought - "uh oh, WAY TOO QUIET!".

But - look at why!

Awwww...you know, that made my day to see them all cuddled up like that in a row. Little munchkins. Then I decided to have some cheese, and before you can say "Double Cream Brie", the moment was gone and Atticus and Gandalf were at my feet giving me the "look", hoping for handouts. Oh well...

Knitting - well, there are no pictures! It's all Christmas, all the time these days. And the recipients, well, heh heh...can't have them see it before Santa delivers.

Speaking of Santa - I asked Santa for my Dale of Norway kit. Hi Santa!

The KAL is getting exciting! So many people are joining up, it's going to be a LOT of fun! Oh yeah... my choice. After going back and forth between stranded and Aran, I decided on a stranded design - http://www.beaellisknitwear.com/images/pb/enlarged/d170-3.jpg.
Oooooo!!! Ahhhhhh!!!

And, I do really, really love this Aran - http://www.beaellisknitwear.com/images/pb/enlarged/d144-1.jpg, but that will be for another project...

Hopefully I'll have some non-Christmas knitting next post. Dalarna's first sleeve has been getting some attention, but this past week she has been neglected...

Stay tuned! I have not forgotten my other WIP's. Maybe I'll (re)introduce you to them next post...

Lazy Weekend

Gandalf: "You know, it wasn't nearly as bad as you made it out to be."
Atticus: "Oh, I know. Gotcha going though!"
Gandalf: "You're a big meanie! Well, they were really nice to me, and I got to cuddle with all the nice people at the doctor's office you know. And they gave me a mouse to play with too! So there! NEAH! *sticks out tongue*"
Atticus: "Fine then, be like that..."

Gandalf came through with flying colours, and is pretty much back to himself. (Chris, there was hissing and whacking on the nose too, but lasted only until Saturday morning.) He of course was a perfect little gentleman at the vet's office, charming them all to the point they told me they almost didn't want to send him back home!

Awww!

Here in Toronto, we received our first good snow fall yesterday! I wish I had taken a picture... But of course, you don't think of things like that at the time.

Dalarna's first sleeve is coming along quite nicely, I'm pleased at how quickly she's knitting up. I'm about 2/3 of the way through the first pattern, so probably about half done at this point. The pattern doesn't give you a final stitch count, you just end it when you get to the end of the pattern, and knit on a facing. You increase throughout every 4th row, which is pretty standard.

I've also joined up Lorraine and Jewel's Dale of Nor(th America) KAL, and of course, selecting a project is a pretty scatter-brained affair for me. I keep going from one to the other, then I see something else... I think at this point though I will be working on one of their Arans. Pretty sure I know which one, but do I have the link? Of course not! Next post... And for anyone one on the fence about joining the KAL - it doesn't have to be a Dale of Norway ski sweater! They have much more than that - from the very complex to the "beginner" stranded sweaters, kids stuff, and loads of accessories too! I even had an afghan on my short list... So, lots to choose from. And, it starts up the 3rd week in January, so you have a bit of time to decide.

I had a good chuckle at the quiz on Marina's site - How Canadian Are You? Some of the questions are pretty stereotypical - but I still came out at 100%. (Heh, the Smarties question... oh, the memories!)

And, have you seen this?! Chris has a pattern up on Magknits! And a very cool one at that - what to do with one ball of Kureyon. A very cute little bag, Kureyon-Chan (love the name!). Check out her site for some cute pictures of Chaos and Mayhem modelling the bag.