Bittersweet

When it's not there, it's not there.

I really, really wanted to make this lovely bag, I really did. But, after finishing that bitch of a strap, and reading that was only half of it, I decided that this fling was over.

I consulted with my peeps on Ravelry, and they all said the same thing. FROG IT. Hey, I love the fact I won this prize from Virtual Yarns. AND - I love the 3-ply Hebridean wool, and the colour. I just really don't love the knitting part of it. And I cannot stomach the thought of knitting another stitch. So, I'll unravel it. And, to make that sour taste linger just a little longer - I'll be unravelling 2 strands of knitting, as the yarn was held doubled throughout. Whatever I end up making with this yarn better be damned good...

Hey, did I ever show you this?!

My Isobel of Mar? I'm pretty sure I did show you a pre-blocked version of it. Lorraine was kind enough to re-block it for me, as it really needed a good spin in her washing machine. AND - it does fit much better. I'm still looking for some nice buttons for it, and she'll be ready to wear out in the big world.

"Wow, Cousin Finnegan sent me an e-mail?!!"

And a picture, Gandalf!

"Life's so busy these days. I live in Nova Scotia now. By the ocean! I'm pretty sure those waves are out to get me though. They keep chasing me! Here I am, tired after a walk trying to figure them out. Moving rocks! I got some new toys! OK, so it's a pink turtle - so what?? My big cousin Atticus drinks water out of a flowery bowl. And he's no less a boy cat. This does NOT in any way make me any less of a boy dog either..."

This year will be the first year since 2005 that I haven't spent my birthday in St. Catharines with my sister and sister-in-law. They moved to Nova Scotia a month ago - which is a cool thing! I'll be able to visit them out there next year, and that will be a lot of fun! I'm pretty sure Finnegan will remember his Auntie Brigitte.

My birthday is this upcoming Wednesday, and I will admit to being a bit sad about it. But only because I remember the good times I had in years past, celebrating in St. Catharines. Not about my age though - I'll be 41, and proud of it!

Anyway - the good news is that they are all settling in nicely in Nova Scotia. They will be building their new home on the shores of the Atlantic. In the meantime, they are living in a little cottage, which is right next to the plot of land that the house is being built on. And to welcome them to the area, Maritime style - Hurricane Bill showed up on their doorstep. Can you imagine Atticus in a hurricane?! Oy...

"I'd sleep through it. Hey, can I go to Nova Scotia?!"

"I may surprise you. Maybe a hurricane would not bother me at all. I mean, c'mon. I'm not that bad..."

"Yeah you are!"

OK. Next week! I'll 'fess up to something I may have started working on that I should not necessarily have started working on because of all of the, uh, other things I have on the go...

Back to Business

Oh, it's certainly nice to get back to a routine. Change is always good (in this case - moving). But when it comes to a girl and her knitting, it really is nice to be back in business.

Yesterday, I picked up my Windsor Waistcoat, and couldn't believe I'd been away for so long! I missed my Fair Isle... (Those of you who have not yet joined the FI fold will probably shake your head. But worry not. We will bring you over. Oh yes. We will.) *sigh* It was so wonderful...

And! You know what I managed to do this past week? I actually finished something!

Now, this picture is a bit of a tease. In that you can't tell much from looking at it. I wasn't going to post it, because it is a stealth project. But, I decided to anyway because you can't tell a thing from looking at it. When I get it nicely blocked and figure out how to photograph deep red, I'll post it in Ravelry.

In the meantime...

"...picture sucks... You woke me up for this?? AND you're showing the wrong side..."

Heh.

I also have another stealth project going on! But - there will be no tease pictures. Instead - have a peek at my project page in Ravelry... All the sneaky details are there. But shhhhh! It is to be a surprise!

Instead, I'll show you a gratuitous picture of a Baby Atticus.

"Hi."

Hard to believe this is the same little baby Atticus!

Back in the present...

"Gandalf, what are we going to do with the squirrel if we actually manage to catch it? I mean, seriously."

What you can't get from this picture is Gandalf's tail swishing back and forth, as he tries to fit into the role of Tough Dude.

It must be a boy thing. Because Mae? Could not care less.

"I save up my energy to hunt for real prey, should the need arise. Boys are so dumb."

Mae has always been the "huntress". In the 11 years I've lived at this address, she has caught 2 mice. Not bad for a house built in the 1890's, with the original basement still unfinished in places.

As for the rest of the week that was... I officially finished unpacking all of my stuff. I do have 2 more pieces of furniture on the way, stuff my sister and SIL are giving to me before their move.

My intention is still to NOT dispose of my garbage in the temporary dumpsites opened by the City of Toronto for the duration of the city workers strike. And, after I saw how much has been piled up already...forget it. I will wait it out. I am not contributing to THAT mess. Oy... So, I'm being extra vigilant with what I do throw out. Good habits to keep for the long run, I guess.

Hey! I wonder what knitting surprises are in store for next week...?!!?

Settling In

Wow, it's been awhile! I hadn't realized it's been 3 weeks since my last post.

We've been busy. Kind of. Moving, you know...

I would leave both doors open - the one from the old place, and the door to this new place - to see if the guys would wander down while I worked and moved stuff.

Atticus was tentative at first, but the bravest of the bunch.

As more and more things were moved down, they became a bit more curious.

Did I not say I would never, ever move apartments on my own again? Didn't I say that when I started looking into moving earlier this year?? Aren't I a fool. Well, I did have people help with the big things - but I moved 75% of my stuff by my stubborn self. Now I'm scratched, bruised, I dropped my upright vaccum on my toe, hit my head in the same place twice and my knees are swollen from going up and down stairs a gazillion times. But, I have pretty much everything moved out, save for a few bits.

Now, things are falling into place. The guys are perfectly comfortable in their new home.

Gandalf has his spot.

Atticus still manages to find the most bizarre spot to get comfortable.

And Mae explores her new surroundings.

I think it's a hit.

"Wow Gandalf, this place ROCKS! We're like, really close to the ground now!"

"Can you see Guido? Is he still coming 'round?"

"Yeah! He's across the street, and I can see him! Wow, he's a big cat Gandalf... Um, we may want to rethink our plan of psychological warfare against him..."

"Did you tell people how your knitting stuff was the first to get moved downstairs to the new place?"

Of course.

Although still a little messy. It all has a home.

See, throwing stuff in boxes and bags however they may fall may sound like a good idea at the time, but it does tend to make unpacking a bit...disorganized.

But, every day it looks a bit better.

"Here I come! I love all the space I have run around in at TOP SPEED in! Wheeeeeeeeeee!"

So, what can I say? All is well with the world. Um, make that their world. Happy cats, happy home!

And you know what else was going on here? In between all of the "packing" and moving and work - I paid a little someone a visit.

"...vaguely aware...of camera...really too...*yawn*...tired...to care..."

Finnegan! I went to visit him and his Moms last week. For a bittersweet visit... See, my sister and sister-in-law are packing up and leaving St. Catharines for Nova Scotia! Which is an excellent thing - my sister-in-law has a great new job at the IWK Hospital in Halifax. They have plans to build a new home outside of Halifax.

I went out for a last visit at their home in St. Catharines before they leave at the end of July. It was a great home, and I'll always have good memories of St. Catharines because of them. And Finnegan too, of course. I always felt so at home when I visited them - I was always welcome, and ALWAYS had a great time. Not to mention always well fed too! So, even though it's sad to see them go, I know that there will be a lot of good memories to be made in Nova Scotia, once I started visiting them when they're settled.

And I still have a lot of stuff to do here to keep me busy for awhile.

I want to also thank everyone for the well-wishes! Yup, it was a doozy of an infection alright. I have my (hopefully) last appointment tomorrow with my doctor to make sure it has completely cleared out of my system. I'm pretty sure the eardrum has healed on it's own (Debby, a perforated eardrum does heal on it's own, and pretty quickly too!), finally.

You know, it's been a busy year up to now, and I'm really hoping that I have a bit of calm and quiet for the next little while. And knitting. I haven't knit too much these last few weeks! Except socks, and few other stealth items.

Back to the business of unpacking!

Good To Be Home!

Hi! I missed you guys! I realized just how much as I caught up on my blog reading.

Thanks to EVERYONE who wished me a happy 40th birthday! There were some who unfortunately didn't leave a return contact e-mail address - so to all of you, thank you! It's nice to be thought of so kindly.


I wuv my blog friends!


I had a great time visiting with my sister and sister-in-law, and of course - the little man Finnegan.

"Oh, Auntie Brigitte! Come back! I miss you! Look at me! Look at ME! LOOK AT ME!"

Finnegan is so funny.

Finnegan in the morning: OMGIT'SAUNTIEBRIGITTEIHAVEN'TSEENYOUINSOLONG! ILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOU!

The Little Dudes in the morning: Hey. Hey. *whack whack* Hey. Nope, she's not getting up. HEY! HEY! Lady! We're HUNGRY! Hello?

Finnegan when you come through the door: OMGIT'SAUNTIEBRIGITTEIHAVEN'TSEENYOUINSOLONG! ILOVEYOUILOVEYOU! ILOVEYOU!

The Little Dudes when I come through the door: Oh. Hi. *yawn* *stretch* Nice day? Good. Oh look, it's almost 5pm. You know what that means.

Finegan when I'm knitting: Please Auntie Brigitte, may I sit on your lap? Please?

The Little Dudes when I'm knitting: Comin' through. Sittin' on your lap, move this thing. Hey! Did you POKE me with your needle??! Watch it. Sheesh...

OK. Maybe they're not that bad... Wait. Yes they are.

But they were happy to see me, and they were well looked after and spoiled by their Auntie Raven while I was away. Mae even allowed Raven to PICK HER UP. Amazing for the little Miss Shy Girl.

Aw Shucks!

Look what I received from both Lorraine and Michelle!

Awwww....!!

I'm supposed to nominate 4 fellow bloggers in return - but why stop at just 4?

Let's see... There's of course Lorraine and Michelle themselves - Lorraine is such a good friend, I know I'll always have a laugh (we have the same twisted humour...). Not to mention she's a really good cook. And such a cool Mom... And Michelle? Totally buy my Avon stuff from her if I lived in the US. And believe me. I'd be her best customer!

And then there's Carrie K., I love her wry sense of humour, and we ALWAYS have something to talk about (and talk, and talk and talk...), she's a great shoulder to lean on; and my lovely, wonderful friend Chris, whose blog brightens my day and who's there to support and encourage me no matter the issue (we're both gluten-intolerant. Oh, and computer geeks. As a matter of fact, our lives are parallel in so many ways, it's twilight zone-ish.); Anne for being my source of all things Jamieson's, as well as being a friend (how lucky is that?!!); Shannon for trying out new stuff and having *such* a cutie puppy; Tracey for her humour, her adorable kids, and for being a fellow redhead; Bridget for her hilarious stories and writing style (not to mention having the coolest name. In my humble...); Michele for being a super knitter (not to mention modest) with the most talkative, yet strangely inanimate, housemates; Carolyn for inspiring me to knit on with my Starmore projects, and being so passionate about hers (wow, go have a peek - she just picked up a 1st and 2nd prize at the Alaska State Fair!); Jewel for being...Jewel - always funny, always kind, and with great taste in colour (pink!) - and Mia of course; Nicole, who expands my mind and makes me smile with her thought-provoking posts, and an adorable kitty; Brenda for encouraging me that I will be a better sock knitter (one day), and for sharing some pretty yummy cocktail recipes... And last but not least - Marina. For being Marina - one heck of a traditional knitter, and someone I can e-mail and say - "what the hell!", and she'll know EXACTLY what I'm referring to.

WOW. You guys make my day! I'm very lucky.

I thought this would be a very fitting Memory Lane picture this time around. With my sister looking over, I'm about to blow out the candles on my Smarties birthday cake! I would be...2? By the looks of it. (Man, was I really that blonde?!!).

"Mom's home."

"Really? Get away from my butt."

"Well, I'm going to say hi to her. You guys just lie there like lumps."

No, really, they were happy to see me! And there was very little destruction while I was away, although Gandalf did discover my latest tomato hiding spot... What is it with that boy and tomatoes??

Have a great week everyone!

What I Woke Up To

I woke up on Sunday morning to this little squishy surprise.

"Oh...wow. Hey! Don't look at me, I can't quite make it up onto the counter..."

"What?!! Mom! WT... I mean! Look at what happened! How did...? Do you think they rolled off of the counter on their own? Whoa...that's trippy... Cherry tomatoes jumping out of the basket and rolling onto the floor... Now I've seen it all."

Uh huh.

Of course, that was after I stumbled out of bed, seconds before the Little Dudes jumped to the ceiling. I don't remember hearing it, I just know I woke up as it happened (a good 10 km away from me), and the cats definitely heard something.

Sunday was a trippy day, to quote Gandalf.

And it was all about the sleeves.

OK. So it's one sleeve... But, I have started the second one! And look how purty Laleli is...! (Well, I think so.)

And Loreli, my cute little cardigan from Fiddlesticks Knitting (now, why isn't there a Fiddlesticks Knitting group in Ravelry?). And probably a record holder for the fastest project in the "Lace Details Non-Wool" category. Heh. One bell sleeve down, one to go!

(No, I'm not a crappy photographer. It's "artsy". Yeah, artsy. As in "fartsy".)

(Oh, I really have to stop posting after crappy work days...)

Heh.

Memory Lane

In this installment...

Why, who is that? That would be me, in 1971. I would have been 3-ish.

I don't remember exactly where we were living (and if I did, boy would that be a loaded story...), but I do remember Sabrina, the cute little doll I'm holding. It was a gift from my grandparents for my birthday. I can still remember what she looked like - the pink bonnet, the soft face with the big "smiley" eyes, and the polka dot pink dress. And I remember she had little sewn-on booties, and a soft stuffed body. Oh, and the perpetual smile and oh yeah, she also had rosy cheeks and eyelashes, although I think they were painted on.

And, I also my sister trying to flush her down the toilet.

I loved Sabrina... I do seem to remember having her for a few years after that, but I don't know what happened to her.

She was the first doll I was attached too, and I still look out for one similar to this day. I'm sure there has to be one somewhere (have you seen Toys 'r' Us??). After Sabrina, I was in love with my Oscar the Grouch hand puppet. That's another memory though.

If you haven't already - drop by Carrie K.'s blog and wish her a happy birthday! She is a wonderful blogger I'm proud and happy to say is a friend, and I hope she gets the castle she so deserves for her birthday! And the Bentley. Oh, and Don Draper too.

Lorelei

I keep meaning to show pictures of my little tomato plant.

I've had one ripe grape tomato so far, and I have about 12 or so in various stages of growth. Not bad for a container plant!

I love my little deck garden...

Oh! And guess what else I've been wanting to share with you!

Lorelei! Another beautiful design from the very talented Dorothy Siemens of Fiddlesticks Knitting.

The cardigan is worked in one piece to the armholes, where you then start working the left and right fronts, and the back separately. Very easy going. And I'm thoroughly enjoying this project, it's moving along so quickly. Of course, the fail-proof instructions mean you don't have to spend any time scratching your head wondering what to do next...

I haven't abandoned any of my other projects. It's either been too hot, or the progress doesn't look too...progressive. I'm thinking by next week I may have a significant update...hopefully...

Memory Lane

I've decided that every so often, I'd like to post an old picture on this blog, and recall what was going on, and what was behind the taking of the picture. I was going through my photo albums the other day, and so many of them popped out at me, I had to smile.

It's a bit of a blurry picture, but still a goodie. It's one of my favourites, as it was taken in one of my favourite places in the whole wide world - Marrakech, Morocco.

I took a trip there in 2002 for 2 weeks - and a wonderful experience it was. Here I am; and this was taken near the end of the trip, inside the "hidden" gardens of the Sa'adian tomb in Marrakech. The tombs had been walled in and forgotten about for years, until the age of flight and a chance sighting by a pilot flying over the city. They were re-discovered, restored and re-opened to the public. And just beautiful... Of all the places I've visited, Morocco remains my #1 spot in beauty, culture and the friendliness and hospitality of the people.

So Sad...

"Um. Mae?"

"What's up?"

"Why did that poor man die on the bus?"

"Well, humans do bad things sometimes."

"But, that was just really bad! I mean really bad. I think it really upset Mom."

"I know...and a lot of other people too. Sometimes, well, sometimes humans do things that don't make sense. Actually, it's more than sometimes it seems."

"But, cats and other animals, like the ones on Animal Planet, we don't do bad stuff like that!"

"Humans do. Who knows why? Humans don't always make sense."

"But, his poor family! His friends! And for what? I don't understand humans."

"Neither do I."

"It makes me sad."

"I know. Me too..."

"You know what Mae? Sometimes I think we kitties have it good. We may live in the world of humans, but we seem to be much smarter than them."