Malcolm Is A Poet

Malcolm had his annual visit with the vet this past week. I knew he'd gained some weight, but I never imagined he'd gained over 5 lbs in a year!

He now has the dubious distinction of being the biggest cat I've ever had. Bigger than Atticus ever was in his youth.

"Yes! No longer the fat one!"

Malcolm weighs 23.5 lbs.

Indulge him, if you will. He stayed up all night composing this little poem. And if you stay to the end, you'll see not 1, but 2 (!) FO's. Seriously.

On Being Chunky, by Malcolm Boykitty the III.

My name is Malcolm, and I'm a cat!
Apparently, I'm kinda "fat".

It seems I've gained a pound or two.
My vet was all "dude, what did you do?!"

But I like to eat! And I like to sleep!
And sure, playing with my brothers is kinda neat.

("Wha'? No! I have not been biting Malcolm's tush. Why would you say that??")

I guess all that just isn't enough,
I'll have to work real hard, and get all buff.

So I'll eat a little bit less each day.
And play a lot more, even with Mae!

(Accidental spillage...or manna from heaven, depending on if you have 2 legs or 4.)

("I don't think so, dweeb...")

So that's my story, aren't you glad you tuned in?
To close, here's Atticus who says, - "it's good to be King".

The End!
'k bye.
Love, Malcolm

The King.

I'm seriously thinking of buying Malcolm a harness and leash, and take him out to the backyard for walks. We have a big backyard.

Poor little (big) love muffin. He was so pissed off after his vet visit (probably more with the vaccines and bum shaving than all of that weight talk) that he thanked me by pooping in the carrier on the way home. Something none of my dudes have EVER done before. Sure, Atticus has been known to pee on me while I tried getting him into the carrier, but he's never pooped once in the carrier.

Enough poop and poundage talk!

Look!

It's a cowl! From the "Maud" set, purchased from Virtual Yarns. Of course, it's been so mild this winter, I haven't been able to wear it yet. I've held off working on any of the other accessories in the set for now; I probably won't get a chance to wear them this year, thanks to our rip-off of a winter...

And! As I have more time on my hands these days, I try and spend a few hours each day working on finishing up long-suffering WIPs. I'm starting with those that have minimal work left to do, and the first up was this:

It's the "Oaklet Shawl", by Megan Goodacre. I used some Fleece Artist 4-ply Cashmere that I've had lying around since Pontius was a Pilate, so it was good to finally use it up. I have no idea when I started it. Really, does it matter? I'm pretty pleased with the results; my kind of lace - simple and not too demanding on the brain.

See?

Ooooo, easy!

Easy-peesy, lemon squeezy. My kind of lace.

And I even managed not to mangle the blocking process.

What more could I ask for?! Now, don't hold your breath waiting to see more FO's. I have a lot of WIPs... More WIPs than Malcolm has pounds to lose.

Have a great week everyone!

So It's Really Been Awhile...Whoops

I really had no intention of letting my blogging go for as long as I have.

What can I say? I've been having a tough time focusing lately. There's been a lot on my plate, and a lot I've had to deal with. Sometimes I find myself a bit overwhelmed by it all, and I shut down. Which means to say I keep to myself, mopping and being unproductive and anti-social. Probably not the best way of dealing with things, but it doesn't happen often. It's not a state of depression, it's more that my brain can't cope with the overload, and decides that instead of playing 52-pickup, it's going to just work it out in time. Like unraveling a tangled skein of yarn.

I think what triggered it was my visit to an Orthopedic Surgeon in late January. I have developed extensive inflammatory osteoarthritis in my knees, and it's particularly bad in my right one. So bad in fact I need to have knee replacement surgery. The surgeon was very surprised to see such extensive wear and tear on someone as young as I am. But there are 2 problems.

Firstly - because I'm only 42, they're reluctant to perform the surgery. I'm too young, and the replacement joint will only wear out and need replacing in x-amount of years. OK. So, how bad does it have to be before my age is no longer an issue, I asked.

"So bad that your quality of life is impacted to the point you have difficulty or cannot perform everyday tasks."

REALLY??? And right now, my life is so hoppin' that I can barely keep up??? I left, shaking my head thinking - wow, this is nuts. I face not being able to do the things I love to do in the summer - long walks, cycling - because as it is now, I'm not in enough pain to justify surgery??

I have to say, that did not make me happy. Enter brain, not being able to wrap itself around this.

And secondly? All that doesn't matter because of my polycythemia. The lovely bone marrow disorder I have that wreaks havoc on everything. Because I'm at an increased risk of hemorrhage, and my hematocrit is too high, I'm not a candidate for surgery anyway.


Win-win.

Brain mush.

So, needless to say, this put me in somewhat of a funk. I absolutely hated the feeling of having no control over my life. It just didn't make any sense to me. Yes, it could be a lot worse. But for the first time in my life, that thought meant nothing to me.

"Mom was bummed."

But, little by little I worked it out as best I could. Enter my GP doctor to the rescue. She's sending me to a sports medicine clinic, and to physiotherapy. At least I can try and get some mobility. At least I'm doing something. The damage to my knee is irreversible, but I can at least try to make it easier to live with.

And, to help my health along - I did do something good! (See? It's not all bad!)

Lookie!

Wow Brigitte, fruits and vegetables?

No sillies! They're the raw ingredients for my new toy.

My Omega Juicer, the Cadillac of juicers. Mmmm...green juice...

I was having a hard time with my appetite, and as a result, I wasn't eating properly. Some days, my stomach wants nothing to do with solid food. So, I scraped together my pennies, and bought this lovely model. And it is without a doubt some of the best money I've ever spent (next to yarn, of course). It's quick, quiet, and easy to clean. And - it gives me the nutrients I need.

This morning? I had an apple, pear, carrot, swiss chard, collard greens and parsley cocktail.

Mmmmm...appetizing green juice...

It may not look all that appealing, but trust me - once you've tried it, you'll love the difference it makes.

And that's a good thing!

So, did I knit while I was contemplating the meaning of life these last few months? I made some hats for my neighbours who both work for Canada Post. And I plugged away on Fulmar (I know! Can you believe it??!), socks, and other stuff that got started and then frogged. Lots of that stuff... And I made this too -

Oooo, pretty lace scarf! It's a pattern from Fiddlesticks Knitting, one of the 3 Necks-to-You designs. I used 2 balls of Fiddlesticks Knitting Silken Merino in Twilight.

And something else as well, which I'll show you next time.

Good things always come in the mail.

Meet Mavis the Monster, knit just for me by the wonderful Michele. She's a hit with the Little Dudes, although I think they're running her ragged.

"So anyway, I was all - you do that Gandalf and I'm gonna tell Mom! - and he just turned his back on me! ME! It kinda made me sad that he'd diss me that way, but being that I have hopes of one day being a Manly Dude like Atticus, I didn't let my emotions show. But it's hard you know. Is it OK for a boy kitty to cry? Mavis? Are you listening to me?"

"Oh yeah...the ladies always come over to Gan... Whoa, getting a little fresh there, Mavis."

"Let me tell you, it's sooo nice having another girl around here. We can gossip and play with Mom's makeup, and do each other's hair, and...hey, I hope you're not my friend just 'cause of my brothers!"

"Wow Mavis, I'm flattered! It's been awhile since a young lady has asked me out on a date. So...do we hold hands? I think I should ask my Mom first though."

Thanks for listening everyone. And rest assured I'm dealing with things now. Not to say I won't have my funky days, but I now believe that in time, it will get better, and things will work themselves out.

What Does A Gingko Leaf Look Like Anyway?

You may want to sit down for this one. I know I can hardly believe it myself.

Here she is - my Gingko Leaf tunic. Only took me 3 years, but it's done!

DONE!

What - Gingko Leaf Tunic from Fiddlesticks Knitting

Deets - Knit with Ecoknit organic cotton, using 3.5mm needles. It's knit in the round to the underarm, and the sleeves are knit flat.

Now. Don't get me wrong. The pattern is perfect. No errors, no omissions, and everything you could think of is explained to you clearly. The yarn, although splity and "fluffy", does wash beautifully and comes out even softer after a 15 minute run through the dryer. But, let's face it kids. It took me over 3 years to finish this thing - and it has nothing to do with the design or the pattern. The lace work was fine - you can't go wrong with the pattern. I worked on it in spurts. It's just that cotton...and Brigitte...ehn. I'm just not a cotton fan. But I do love this, it really is a beautiful piece and it fits nicely. It will stretch out - after I washed it, it had doubled in length.

Still. I'm wondering why I have nearly 4 skeins left of the Ecoknit...?

Who cares?? IT'S DONE!!!!!!!!!

Look what I received from the Sheriff!

Is that not the cutest little teapot?!! It has a little replica Atticus on the top of the lid. And Lorraine is bound and determined to have me beading. The kit in the back is a little beaded Christmas Santa scene. There were a few other gifties including some yarn and Christmas ornament (Lorraine knows how to spoil her friends!) - and of course some treats for the Little Dudes.

"Auntie Lorraine rocks! She says I'm handsome and her darling and never says I'm chunky."

Atticus obviously loved the treats.

As did Baby Mae. Who actually stuck around for a bit and didn't run and hide the minute her Auntie Lorraine came into the room.

"I may have had to beat back Gandalf for my share, but just try and keep me away from my Creamy Dairy treats."

"What's chunky? Do you mean tubby, Atticus? What? You want me to come down and say that to you? Um...why? Oh... No, I'm good. I'll, uh, stay up here..."

Lorraine also mentioned in her latest post how off the wall the weather has been here... All over the place. It's hard to believe that it's the first of June today! Regardless, it hasn't kept me off my bike.

On my way home from work one day last week, I ran into my neighbour. I hardly recognized him at first - his face was covered in bandages. While riding his bike on a downtown Toronto street (Carlton, in front of the old MLG, for you Torontonians), he hit a pothole and went sailing over the top of his handle bars. As a result - his jaw is wired shut, and will be for 4 - 6 weeks; he had one tooth pulled; a broken nose; 27 stitches from his lip up his cheek and various other scrapes and scratches; and two huge black eyes. Not to mention the road burn and bruises on his legs. The impact cracked his bike helmet.

And he's an experienced rider.

He said he doesn't remember the accident. He does remember getting up off the ground not realizing what had happened, ready to get back on his bike. Bystanders had to restrain him from getting back on his bike until the ambulance arrived. Adrenaline... They kept him overnight at the hospital for observation.

You can never be too careful, regardless of where you're riding. And wear your helmet!

(Ugh, Gandalf is being all goofy and licking the backdoor screen again... ) *sigh*

Have a good - and safe - week everyone!

The Home Stretch

Guess what? No, really - guess. Lorraine ran all the way over to my place and tagged me. So, while she's catching her breath...

The rules: Posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer. Play nice, children.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? Um, let's see... Oh yeah, I had just moved in to this apartment, after a "major life event".

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today - in no particular order? OK - clean the bathroom, brush the little Dudes, find the cheapest price for a new tire/inner tube for my bike, make my travel list for my trip to St. Catharines next weekend (shhhh, the guys don't know yet...) and re-do my toe nails (Diamond Strength my ass).

3. Snacks I enjoy - chocolate pudding, chocolate mint anything, gluten free fig newtons.

4. Places I've lived - Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Vienna, Austria.

5. Things I would do if I were a billionaire - Spread the joy to family and friends, travel, buy a house in the country, give to animal charities and hire a cleaning lady and private chef. Because I can.

6. Peeps I want to know more about - Let's see... Nicole, Carrie K., Shannon, Sonya and Bridget. I'll say Tracey too, but you know. The due very soon pregnant thing...

My little bud Stewie. The cheeky little guy now comes up to the door, waiting for me to put something out for him... At least he's not looking so scruffy.

"But...I...Wait! Stewie! I just wanna play! I'm sorry I chased you that one time, honest..."

So, as I alluded to above, I'll be heading to St. Catharines to visit with my sister and sister-in-law next weekend, as it's a long one up here in Canada. And of course, I get to cuddle and play with the little Dudes' cousin, Finnegan! There hasn't been a Kitty Counsel meeting yet on whether to allow me to go guilt-free or not... So, I plan on letting them know 2 minutes before I'm out the door. Heh.

You know what I discovered this past week? Gingko Leaf is a 3-year old WIP, and not 4 years, as I'd thought! The published date on the pattern is 2005. I feel that much better. Just a smidge. It's the home stretch peeps... I'm on the last pattern repeat of sleeve #2. It does look a bit shortish, but will stretch out after a wash. Heh, this is the only knit I've ever done that instructs you to throw the FO into a washing machine AND dryer in order to block (gentle, of course). It will soften up even more.

But hey. Um. I have a question. Should I be concerned that I'll have nearly 4 skeins of this stuff left over...? My gauge is...OK. So I may have started off a bit tightly, but not 4 skeins worth. Oh well. *sigh* I'll just be glad to finish it, I suppose.

"Atticus?"

"What?"

"Is Mom really our Mom? You know, like Mom-Mom?"

"Wha'?! Dude, of course she is! OK, so she's not a cat Mom, but you know. She feeds us and stuff."

"And picks up poop and barf too!"

"Um. Yeah. You really have to slow down when you eat. But, she also brushes us, and plays with us, and gives us treats just because, and we can cuddle with her and lie all over her knitting and she doesn't get mad."

"::cough:: You've been getting a lot of treats ::cough:: Well, that's good enough for me! Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there!"

Change Is Good...And All About Sleeves

Well, for me it is. A little change on the layout, and I feel as though I have a new wardrobe. OK, maybe not a new wardrobe...just a few new things. It's spring, what can I say.

Don't be deceived by her sweet, soft face and gentle disposition. Mae snores.

"Yeah, and sometimes she gets windy too, if you know what I mean!"

Gandalf on his "It's-Easy-To-Be-A-Tough-Guy-From-Up-Here" perch, looking out the window.

In my books, it's a good week when I actually make tangible PROGRESS on my WIPs. They may not be FOs, but they are that much closer to being finished:

Columbia is on the bottom. She's a Starmore design from "American Portraits". Marina has a completed one. We may have started knitting Columbia at around the same time, but Marina has considerably more discipline than I do when I comes to sticking to one or two projects. Because, you know. I'm not known for doing that.

And if I had, my Gingko Leaf tunic from Fiddlesticks Knitting would have been done sometime in 2004 when it was started. I really don't know why it's taken me so long to finish it up. Oh wait, I do actually. Lace. On both the right and wrong sides. And knitting with the Ecoknit cotton. It's incredibly soft yarn, but it tickles the nose... The finished sleeve is on top.

Laleli and I have decided to kiss and make up. I started work on the first sleeve yesterday. Every time I start knitting stranded/Fair Isle after having been away for awhile, I'm amazed I stayed away for as long as I did. It's love, kids... I made it through the day without messing up the chart or the colour placements. AND I remembered the differences between right and left, up and down, and how to count.

And the Mork socks? No, I haven't given up on them. I'm actually enjoying them, funky weird colour stripes and all. Um, they've actually been frogged (again...) and restarted. I tried to do a slip stitch on the top of the foot as well as the leg, but decided I didn't like the way it was turning out. So...once again. At least I know this is some pretty tough yarn. Despite all the pulling (and swearing) I've put it through, it's holding up quite nicely, with hardly any splitting.

So...have you heard about this? A new (to english North America) knitting magazine out of Europe - Verena Knitting. I haven't seen it yet, but as soon as I do, I intend to pick it up. Has anyone seen a copy yet?

Have a good Sunday everyone!

Enchanted

Voila! My lovely Enchanting...

(Sorry...you can't really see the eyelet pattern...)

Enchanting, by Dorothy Siemens of Fiddlesticks Knitting.
Knit Size 2, using Fiddlesticks Knitting Lace Sensation (100% silk), in the Robin's Egg colour.

I love her very much. She is a tad snug around the chest, but with wearing loosens up. Another lace thing I didn't know about...


And now what?


OK. Here's the plan (as of now anyway). I really, really, really (REALLY!) miss knitting with my wool. Yes Marina, I have come back to the fold... After perusing (and making a few purchases...) the She Ewe Knits Clearance page, I realized that I miss my Fair Isles! And I miss my Arans and my other wool projects *sniff*.


I *think* my brief affair with the non-wool is almost over. I'm going to finish up my three remaining lace projects - all are Fiddlesticks, go figure! - Endless Summer, Gingko Leaf (remember her?!!), and this one:



I also love her very much. It's the Twice As Nice Tee, in Shell Pink, and also from Fiddlesticks Knitting. A very easy, and very lovely pattern.


So, apart from the odd deviation (and startitis, of course), I hope to remain somewhat on track to CLEAR OUT my WIPs. Dammit.

Speaking of deviations... Weird thing about me (who knew?!). I really don't like wearing sunglasses. Odd when you consider how long I wore glasses/contacts up to 5 years ago when I had Laser Eye surgery. So, thinking I have to do something to protect my eyes from direct sun, I pulled out my summer hat. And I also remembered I had this pattern in my stash (only mine is a non-felted version, which I can't seem to find on the site) ...and quite a few odd balls of summery yarn in the ol' stash. I'm going to whip up a few; ok, probably more like a couple.

Cute? Hopefully. Stay tuned...

And in other hopeful updates. My Mork Socks have been transformed into Mork Slips a Stitch socks. I received a suggestion from LadyLungDoc (thanks again!) to maybe work a slip stitch around the leg to break up the colour nonsense. So - I thought I'd give it a try, and reworked the entire sock. Come to think of it, Chris has also used this design on some of her socks.


I'm nothin' if imaginative...

And In Gandalf News...of course.


And I wonder why he sometimes comes when I call him Dork.


There's a little squirrel that always comes on my deck. During the winter, I threw him a few pieces of gluten-free bread, and he gobbled it up. He looks a little weary... grey tufts in his tail and bald spots. So, when I see him, I put out some nuts for him (did I mention I nicknamed him Stewie? *cough* It was a long winter... *cough*).


Anyway, last week I was opening the back door to my deck, about to put out some stuff out for the squirrel when who should tear past my feet and after poor Stewie.

No really. Guess.

He didn't go beyond the end of the deck, but still scared the crap out of me. And the squirrel too.

I know, I know...just doin' what a cat does. But, knowing Gandalf, he probably wanted to play and sniff butt. So distinguished.

"Woke up...got out of bed...dragged a comb...across my head...na na na na na...and drank a cup...na na na na na...made the bus is seconds flat...made my way upstairs...and had a smoke...somebody spoke and I went into a dream...AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH AAAAAAAAHHHHHH AAAAAAAAAAA...na na na na na...AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH AAAAAAAAAHHH...na na na na na..."

"Shut. Up."

Mork Socks

"Hey."

"Mmmmph..."

"HEY!"

"Goway...Atticus..."

*smack*

"OW! Atticus! What the...All right, I'm up..."

"Chop chop, Lady."

Which is why I was up at 5:25am this morning.

"I want what I want when I want it."

Mork from Ork Socks

I have given them a name, at least. Maybe I should do that to all my socks. You know. That way I won't be so quick to ditch them when they don't work out.

Oh, and they are that bright orange. Now. Again I ask you. Why is it that my stripes look NOTHING like the ones in the picture??! Um. Does the fact that I'm making mine from the toe up matter...? Even so, the pattern should fall in line at some point... *sigh* Oh well. I guess instead of a funky self-striping sunset colourway, I have my very own Mork from Ork suspender-coloured socks.

So far, so good...

Hey! So in other "Am I At The Right Blog?" happenings:

I've finished knitting up Enchanting. Now, the pictures above aren't so much to show you the finished product as they are to demonstrate HOW MANY PINS IT TAKES (ME) TO BLOCK LACE.

Whoa.

Again, I guess I'm used to rolling my wool FO's in a towel, and setting them on a flat surface to dry. Enchanting used up all of my T-pins. You may be shaking your head saying - well duh, of course lace does - but keep in mind I'm relatively new to this lace business. Fair Isle? Not so many pins required...

You know, I could really get into this lace thing... As long as every pattern I knit is from Fiddlesticks Knitting. I know, I know, I've gone on about it before. But hey. I'll say it again. Patterns? IDIOT-PROOF. You cannot go wrong! They are so well written... And as long as I have my gazillion and one stitch markers, I'm actually able to do these without my stomach twisting in knots. Everything is charted! And the Customer Service? Amazing. I e-mailed Dorothy Siemens for a clarification, and she got back to me within an hour. Explained everything. Clearly.

So, all that's left of Enchanting is to seam the cap sleeves to the body, and knit up the borders at the neckline and sleeve edges.

And yes, I will post a modelled shot.

And what of my other FO's??

Take your pick. Which one?

I've just taken a small break. I get like this in spring, where all I want to knit are light and airy. But hey, I'll get back on track soon enough. I hope. No matter how I try, I cannot stick to one project. Project monogamy?? What? Me?

Heh. Knitting bags in my house are usually what you can find, and/or whatever is cat-proof.

OK. Time to go and remove the pins from Enchanting. Should take about, oh, the rest of the morning... 'kay, maybe not. Just feels that way.

"...I love you, Blankie of Invisibility..."

2 in 1

"Well... I'll be a son of a gun..."

It is possible to have 2 FOs in one week. That's 2 FOs. One week.


I know! I can hardly believe it myself!


It's the Seaweed Scarf from Virtual Yarns (actually, it was a swap with Lorraine), done in the Selkie colourway. This picture really does show the variegated colours of this shade.


OK. It's lace. So let's see... There is nothing wrong with the pattern. The instructions are clear, and the chart is...well, it's a chart. The instructions indicate you should complete 50 repeats of the 12 row chart. Some nights were good, and I could easily manage 3 or 4 repeats. Other times, if I could get in 1 without messing up, that was a pretty good outing! I didn't want too long of a scarf, so I figured I'd complete 35-40 chart repeats, and call it a day.

That day came after dropping oh, around 14 f-bombs (and other assorted colourful language) in one row. So, I decided I'd better cast off before I unceremoniously dumped it in a corner and forgot about it for another year or so. I think I have 34 repeats. More than enough! It blocked out nicely, and is more than long enough.


And yes, I'm proud of it. Yes, I'll be using it. No, I will never knit it again. Nothing against the pattern...it's just me and lace. You know. We need breaks. However, I will admit that I do not count this as the "other" lace project I'd set as a knitting goal for 2008. We do still have 11 months.

Wow. I actually have room on my knitting table. AND. I haven't felt the urge to start something new. Yet. AND. I have 11 rows before the I-cord cast off on Mermaid's right front. Then it's the sleeves...and then... Oh, let's not get too ahead of ourselves.


And yesterday? I worked on Delores. Yes. Delores.

In case you've forgotten.

I figure I've Laleli's chart pretty much down pat, so I can work on her for smaller periods of time or during the evenings after work, and still get a lot done. Delores on the other hand has colour changes nearly every row, and requires a bit more concentration, so I'll probably work on her during longer stretches of time (read: kitty nap times). Gandalf thinks all of those neat ends are pretty cool to play with.

If I thought I'd lost my knitting gumption, it was short-lived. It's back! I can actually contemplate starting something new WITHOUT GUILT. Well, not that I ever really felt guilty starting something new in the past...for long.

"Tell them about your bum knee, Mom!"

Oh right. The right knee from hell! So, I've had fluid on it since before Christmas (I know...I know, should have had it looked at sooner...), and it's been getting worse these past few weeks. It doesn't hurt, what hurts are the other muscles in my knee I'm straining trying to guard the swelling. I've iced it, kept it elevated, blah blah blah, and it's still there. I know it's because of two things - I haven't been wearing my arch supports (and I am now), and my days of wearing heels are over. *sob* (On the other hand...this does mean I get to go shoe shopping!) So, I'll be heading back to the doctor's next week to have them drain the fluid from the knee (eeep!), and head to physiotherapy and get fitted for some custom orthotics (gotta love insurance...).

*sigh*

I feel some yarny self-medication in my near future.

"Way too much going on here...finished knitting stuff, Gandalf sitting still, Atticus getting in the middle of a picture...way too much..."

First FO of 2008!

I have a lot of yarn. I don't pretend that I don't. I plan on using most of what's there at some point during this lifetime...the rest? Who knows... I have it all somewhat organized, in bins and those big XXL Ziploc bags that make me so happy. It's all pretty much piled in one area of my spare room. I've been lucky - it didn't seem to attract too much attention. However, Gandalf has discovered that it's kinda neat to climb all over Mom's yarn, to get as high as he possibly can, and then get stuck. Over. And over. And over. And over. Again. I'm hoping that it's just one of those phases he goes through, much like the tip-the-water-bowl phase and look-the-ringer-volume-button-on-the-phone-rings-if-you-put-your-paw-on-it phase. Oh, and the wheeeee-magnets-on-the-fridge-ooops-now-on-the-floor-fun! phase.

"I can't help it. Really, I can't. It's a brain thing."

*sigh*

But look! Look at what I have! Why, it's something completed!

It's not easy to photogragh, but say it with me anyway! Yay!

The deets:


Debbie Bliss "Cricket Cabled Sweater", a free pattern I received while I was a member of the Debbie Bliss club. I used Fleece Artist Woolie Silk 3-ply, on size 4mm.

Started: Obviously
Finished: January 12, 2008

An easy knit, with very little PITA factor, if any. It looks more difficult than it is, but the pattern doesn't change at all throughout the entire design. And, the instructions are pretty clear as to picking up the neckband stitches. I would have made it a bit longer though, but it's not too big of a deal. It looks small, mainly because of the cable/rib combination. It fits perfectly!



I have to say, I've been pretty good at cleaning up my WIP's up to now. Next in line is Mermaid, which had less to do than I'd anticipated. So, I have a bit of the right front to complete, and then it's on to the sleeves. Mermaid is nowhere near as complicated as it looks. I'm not even following instructions at this point - I'm just mirroring what I did for the left front, and reversing the shaping.


Arangenser on the other hand, has a lot more to complete. Unlike Fulmar and its crazy size 3mm needles, Arangenser is much more sensible at 5.5mm, and a much thicker yarn. So, even though I'm roughly 50% completed, it won't take me as long to finish. I'm hoping anyway.


And in between all of that... My lovely Laleli. Moving along quite nicely. Here's a progress picture (as promised).




It may not look like much, but I have approx. 25 rounds to complete before the back neck shaping, and then the body is complete! Then it's on to the sleeves, and the button band.


No progress picture of Fulmar, 'cause there's really not much more to show...


And hold on to your knitted hats ladies and gents, because I have a WIP that I keep forgetting to mention - and it's lacey too... Ooooo...



This is the Seaweed Scarf from VY. I'm knitting it in Selkie, which is a bit dark, but that's ok. I think the shock of me knitting lace is enough for you for to take in anyway. :D


I'm not sure when I started it, probably last year sometime. The pattern says to do 50 repeats of the 12-row repeat (which no doubt threw me in a tizzy the first time I read it), and I have approx. 32 repeats done. I will probably stop at around 40, mainly because I won't have a surface to block it on if it's any longer, and also to stop me from wanting to chuck it out the window.

When it is completed it will not only be a) a miraculous occurance, but also b) a bonus FO. I actually want to wear this one.


And before you ask (Marina) - devote ALL my time to finishing it up? No. I can no more devote my entire knitting time to knitting lace than Gandalf can stop being a wienie.

Speaking of wienies. So, I've been up since 3am, supporting a switch upgrade for work. Part I went according to plan, and I settled in to wait around for Part II to complete so I could start the testing. I waited. And waited. And decided to clear up some old e-mails to pass the time. First one I opened? A note telling us that Part II was to be postponed. Sent at 12:30am.

Nice.