The Hat She Is Finished

Pay no attention to the nutjob grin on the model's face. He doesn't smile like that. He was being a pain in the arse because I interrupted his TV time.

I didn't fully line the hat because he wanted it done for today. It was amazingly easy to pick up and knit along the edge. If I do another for this guy in the picture, I will add about an inch to the total length/height of the hat because he's whining...I mean... he made the constructive criticism that it may ride up and uncover his ears. The lining goes about half way up so the ears have the double layer of protection. being wool it may stretch out and not do the riding up thing. We shall see because it gets its testing TODAY!

Instructions for hat based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's instructions:

For man's big melon, cast on 100 to 110 stitches (I used a hundred but could have used a few more ) in worsted wool on a 16 inch circular needle (4.5mm). (guage was 5 stitches to the inch but I estimated the sheer enormity of the melon..next time I will measure!!) Knit a tube. When its long enough decrease the tube by your favorite method..I started with a knit 20 k2together but switched to dpn 's after k3 k2tog for awhile and then k1 k2tog until I had maybe 20 or so stitches left. Next time I will knit until I think ready for the k3 k2tog. Then I cinched stitches tight with a darning needle and the wool, fastening to secure on the inside. The top of the hat is not a smooth fit but thats what I wanted..those folds/gathers can help with escaping body heat on the slopes.

Uncurling the cast on edge, I picked up and knit with an alternate color and kept going until about half way up. Cast off, fold where colors joined and secure on the inside. Make model put it on.

This hat has unlimited potential for easy breezy fun knitting with patterns and permutations galore. Goddess Bless Elizabeth Zimmerman!!!!

Day 16

Husband Man has already needed to tighten his belt a notch and a coworker noted his face looked thinner...this after 10 days on the low carb-ish diet I have him on. For me...its the same old same old. Also, after a glorious couple of days with no new acne break out, the monthly hormal thing is happening so guess who has a new break out or 3. BUT I can squeeze back into jeans I wore at Xmas. One pair only if I go commando, but I will take what I can get. Was that TMI?
On the chest cold front...I am sooooo tired all the time. Been napping in the PM when I can and each morning cough up horrid alien stuffs. But other than that I am as right as rain if very cranky with the PMS etc.
I haven't been logging my food and water..but I am being good. Seriously...I am. Really.
Hat: I had to rip it back because I wasn't decreasing right. Now I still don't have it right but really don't care so progress is good. Will finish the outer hat today.
Sock: only a few rows done last night while watching Grey's Anatomy...I Meredith gonna come back from the dead? How can she not??? HM kept making comments at the TV like "Oh right..like ALL the doctors would be in there with her instead of out with patients etc" and I threatened him with a duct tape gag like I do to my Ex SIL, Joyce. I love her but cannot watch medical shows with her because she is a former nurse and critiques everything. Guys! Just shush and let me suspend my disbelief already!!
Kids are good. Ben has a punishment for telling a lie and throwing his supper in the garbage when noone was supervising. Cameron has been pretty good this week.
Monkey is full of beans. One wouldn't know he had surgery by the way he is tearing through the house and attacking all the other pets in attempts to get them to play. He even jumped on the dogs back as she strolled by this morning. Ride 'em, cowkitty!
Today we go do passport paper work and send it in if all goes well. Thats all we have planned.
Tomorrow I will accompany the family to the mountain because apres ski we will go to Friend's cono at Tremblant. How fun!!!! I like these folk so it is no hardship on my part at all. Plus, they are Italian and the food always rocks.
Sunday, maybe will take the boys to see Bridge To Terabithia. We shall see.
Boat news: HM talked to a boat mortgage person yesterday and we can afford a better boat than we thought. Hellllloooo Beneteau. My nerves are shot with the whole worry aspect of reducing our debt but then taking on a boat mortgage, which was part of the point of reducing our monthly debt.... OY! But the Money man (HM) says he has it aaaalll worked out. Summer plans abound and await finalisation and discussion such as day camp opportunities in NS for the kids, etc etc etc.
I think I need a drink.....

Happy V Day.....

......My funny Valentines, and you know who you are. All of you.
My human in person Husband Valentine got me a lovely perfume that I demanded, I mean, suggested. Crabtree and Evelyn Wisteria. I think its purty. My kids like it too. Very fem and girly. Most unlike me most of the time.
He didn't give me any ideas and since he's not into cologne, man lingerie and all that crap I got him what he really loves. Chocolate. A big ass bar of Toblerone with the valentinesy wrapper. then while at the grocery store I saw that new All-Bran cereal that lowers cholesterol, Guardian. It has a big heart on the box AND heart shaped cereal bits. Hows that for love in every bowl?? Plus, since I made him give up sugar and bread he's been really good but misses toast etc for breakfast. Thus, I relented. Hey...its romantic if you think about it...really hard and maybe squint a bit.
Hat progress: decreasing crown. Need to move it onto dpns now because its too small for the circular.
Sock progress: got another inch done today I think.
Monkey progress: he had his nuts cut today and is very tender and careful when walking around but boys oh boys was he glad to be home. I got lots of quality cuddles this evening before he disappeared to wherever it is cats go to nurse grudges and plot against ball stealers. He was also very popular at the veterinary clinic and got heaps of snuggles and cuddles all day. They sent him home with pain medication to be administered once a day. I've had a few cats "fixed" in my time and none got meds to take home for pain. Interesting! I am extra glad I clipped his claws last night, now.
Since I don't feel like discussing the piece of Toblerone I stole or the two chocolate chip cookies I snarfed back, since chocolate is the official food of valentines day, I have nothing further to add. Be well, my darlings, and don't slip on the ice and break your butts. XXXXXOOOO

Day 13

Water: 500 ml so far
Foodlog: 1 cappucino and two coffees
Benefits so far: my skin has cleared up alot compared to two weeks ago!!! Yay small victories!!
Things remain the same mostly. Almost No sugar, bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes I had that apple baba thing last week and an occasional bite of something forbidden like a noodle or such). Lot of low starch veggies and protein at meals...lotsa water...weight is still 209ish..more like 208 yesterday actually. Not much exercise ( I know!! Thats the BAD part) though. Have too many other things beckoning to me..
Like yesterday.. I vacuumed the basement family room, play room, and laundry rooms twice and then mopped the floors to further reduce dust and pet hair. The vac just does not get it all plus there were some spill marks on the floor where drinks had dripped. It looked nice and shiny and smelled better too. Also I openned the window down here and the laundry room door to the yard and had a bit of a cold breeze flowing as I Lysolled those area that suffer from mildew (which was bleached out in the summer). Occasional Lysol spraying seems to help with that so far. So all was fresher down here in the depths of the house.
Monkey knocked puzzle pieces to the floor multiple times and that required lots of stooping and stretching so I worked some squats etc into that chore. Also folded a lot of clean laundry that was waiting and produced more. Knitting was done on the sock ("The Sock" in my mind because it is going to take so long) also.
Hmmm what else..oh yeah. I still feel a bit chest coldy and tired so I had a nap in the afternoon before fetching the boys and making supper. Thats when all hell broke loose but I won't bore you. Suffice to say I went to bed early from being made cranky/disgruntled/emotionally tired.
So thats my days in a nutshell. I could fit the exercise in but honstly really don't want to and for that I have guilt and annoyance at myself for letting myself down like this. Plus I think i am cracking the floor. Eeep.
Today its frigging cold out (minus 23 Celcius this morning) and I have no desire to leave my cozy, less dusty house . The upstairs is still dusty though so I may attack that later with mop and vacuum. And fill the woodbox for the fire.
For the next half hour though, I think I will listen to Cast On and knit on this sock and be happy to do so.
Tomorrow is Monkey's appointment with the Vet for his neutering. Maybe things will settle down a little after that.
Who am I kidding?

Monday Update

Sunday was the Montreal Knits meet up at Cafe Castel and what a great turn out. New faces!!! A very friendly time and I look forward to the next one I can attend. I thank Peggy and Molly Ann for the advice before I embarked on my Fair Isle experiment with the hat I began Friday night while stitch and bitchin' at Effiloche.

The pattern is of a type of Norwegian style snowflake and wasn't toooooo hard to follow. i did make mistakes and had to go back and fix. Some got missed though, as I look at the finished band, but i'm not ripping back that far. Still looks good. I am content with my first Fair isle project. The color in the photo isn't very true. Its actually a dark navy blue as the main colorand a greyish blue in the pattern.

After I left the MKs I headed to Effiloche for YARN (and the appropriate bamboo circular needles). Yes! I made a purchase of delicious yarnage for my first sweater. It will be for Ben and the yarn is Berroco Ultra Alpaca. Deep red/burgundy is my main color and a denim blue heather tone that goes great with it will be knit in as a patterned band across the chest, either in a textured stitch or a color pattern. Not sure yet what I will come up with. I got to play with the swift and ball winder since the yarn was sold in hank skeins , not center pull. Now I have these tidy little wound balls to play with...heeheee.

I'm yarn contented. sigh....

What Would a Real Knitter Do?

I am in a funk. Lush yarns beckoned to me with their luxuriant fibers and sumptuous colors, and I purchased none.
WHY? Because I could not make a decision, thats why. Would I buy superwash wool to craft a sweater for Cameron or Ben? Or would I buy the cashmere, wool, silk blend aptly called Sublime, to make a summer sweater for myself? And how do I hide the evidence of such a large expense of yarnage? Because the good stuff ain't cheap. And someone who makes the money in the household would get a bit pissy at the expense.
No, I fought my urges and purchased the needles I needed to knit HM a double toque.
Feeling kinda crappy today so no knitting took place. Cammie has seen fit to spread the germs of his sudden cold.
sigh. I think a big bunch of luxury yarn would make me feel better.

Day 9....how time flies

I have not been doing my mile because I was busy etc etc...but the eating changes have remained.
So yesterday I drank my water (about 2 or 3 liters)...had squash soup for lunch, had chicken and salad for supper followed by pistachios (the crack cocaine of nuts in this house), a small amount of popcorn, and an apple.
Today:
Foodlog: 1 espresso and one cappucino,
Water: 750 ml
Workout; Probably not because I have a play room to organise/clean and laundry piled up.

Supper tonight is going to be an Eating Well recipe for Ropa Vieja, which is a lowish carb beef stew.
Richard commented last night that it had been a week since he had any chocolate..a record possibly. When he goes out for lunch he does eat carby things but tries to make better choices than before and has avoided desserts. He also admitted that it is kinda hard, no smug "This ain't so bad don't know why you always complained and then fell off the wagon.." comments at all. I gave him a little bit of what for because I have spent longer on this (technically he started on Monday, my day 5) so if anyone should be making comments its me BUT I am very proud of him for doing so well. He really is doing so well and makes no complaints. I hope the changes pay off for both our bodies. I know that even though I have consumed more caffeine thanks to Dirty Babe the new kitchen beast, I am also feeling less fatigue and bloating which I do experience with a carb rich diet. With heaps of carbs in my diet I would still get really bone numbingly tired and caffeine didn't help. I still need to work on portion sizes though. And stop eating when I am not really hungry just feeling munchy. Gum might help.
Hmmm...what else....OH did I mention my Zimmerman books arrived AND the instructions dor the hat I want to make are kinda there... basically the idea I outlined. I may get adventurous and try adding color to it with stranded knitting. Need my circular needle though..could not find one while shopping yesterday. Couldn't find polymer clay either so my homemade needles aren't made either. Grr..
I briefly mentioned the play room plan. Its not very messy but basically you cannot find anything and the organization of it has gone to pot... There is no school today so I will have helpers that are going to sort the communal toys, get rid of some, and organise the rest so that all the Lego are again together, cars with cars, blah blah blah. It WILL be done..eventually.
Tonight I am off to Effiloche and will most likely find my needle purchase THERE and perhaps indulge in some yarnage. I am looking forward to it so much because I really love the atmosphere of the place.

Oh Yummy

Put skinless boneless chicken thighs between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound out until bigger and thinner. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning or herbs of choice. Lay on a paper thin slice of prosciutto. Roll up the chicken into a little bundles. Drizzle lightly with a vinaigrette type salad dressing and Sprinkle with parmesan and bake at 350 until cooked.
Serve with whatever...we had salad.

Two Hour Tidy

The desk area in my dining room becomes a catch all for just about anything. I used it as an area to do my homework when in the Crescent Moon program but it became overwhelmed with everything else. It has been tidied (restacked and pared down) but never fully organized and decluttered until today. The kitchen phone is relocated to here now too.

Sock Hell is not sooo bad...

I finishsed that sock yesterday with a lot of worry that is wouldn't fit. Did I stop it too soon? Did I make the foot too long?
Once Husband Man got home from work I sweetly asked him for a loan of a foot. Actually as he came in I started yapping at him with panic in my voice " Gimme yer foot! I need yer foot! I'm having a sock crisis!!" with much impatient pacing as he tried to get his coat hung up and shoes off and all those little annoying things he does before you can really say he is "home". FINALLY he sat and whipped off a sock and put on his hand knit one. It fits perfectly with enough ease to the garment that if it does hrink a we bit in the wash, it'll still be just right but slightly more foot hugging. WHEW!! Now to make the second one...
Last night at the Montreal Knits s'n'b, I strated a Lovikka mitten (3 times) with Bernat Lana 100% merino in navy blue. Its nice and soft. Then I came home and ripped it out. Husband's hat that I knit in December doesn't stop the wind when he's out skiing so I thought I would make a nice double layer toque that I saw somewhere on the net. Problem is, its a pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Around which Chapters said they could NOT get for me!!!
Screams of knitterly fury and frustration resonate with much bodily thrashing and flailing on the floor in a tantrum that would make any toddler proud to call their own.
So here is what I am gonna do. Go to Walmart and get me a 16 inch 4.5 mm circular needle and start knitting a sk8boi style brimless hat that I will guesstimate the number of stitches etc for, maybe get all crazy and attempt stranded knitting to make it pritty, then when its done, pick up and knit from the cast on edge and knit another, shove the second one inside the first, fasten and call it a ski cap.
Think it will work? Maybe the inside part can be made from sock yarn since the merino is pretty thick. And knits up so nice and speedy compared to sock yarn for a nice change.

Day 7 and sock hell

Water: 2+ liters
Food: yogurt and cottage cheese, salad, 1 latte, 1 cappucino, 2 espressos, 1 or 2 cups of coffee, haddock with pesto and steamed veggies, an apple baba at Second Cup that was made with splenda, prosciutto and cheese curds
Work out: none

Weighed myself at the veterinarian's office since I was there with Monkey to finally get him vaccinated and his appointment to get his nuts cut is the 14th..HA HA HA..no love for him.
Weight was 209 according to the big digital scale so when I got home I weighed myself here and adjusted my scale accordingly. So thats a pisser BUT the important thing is that NUMBERS are not important. The fact that my pants fit again is. Now for the sock stuff....
This is Richard's sock..#1 of the first pair I have made for him. I couldn't find a pattern like the one for the kids socks and I really liked theirs so I adapted another pattern. Sorta combined the two. But did I take notes..not really. Did I consider that the toe decreases on this sock had to be done differently because there were more stitches? Nope.. Not until the sock that would never frigging end was getting sorta..extra big. And I was running low on yarn left in that ball. thats when the light went on in my head that I had to graft the toe with more stitches left than usual. Coulda been worse. Now the fun begins because I need to make another sock that matches!!!!! OY! Why am I so stupid??? So I sat here and measured and counted and picked my own brain to rememeber what I did for sock one. And I Wrote it all down. Jeez I hope its right.
Why did I marry a man with such big feet???????

From This To That

Ok..I got the pics backwards but you can see the looser knit of the original bootie socks and the shrunk, felted, cozy version on my feet there in the top picture. They could be smaller but I am tired of running them through the washer and dryer. They could be fuzzier but I don't feel like taking the brush to them. They are however very slippy on the floors so caution must be used to not take any sharp turns at speed. To think, I had dimensional fabric paint in my hands yesterday at Walmart and put it back on the shelf. Oh well.
So there you have it. My Fuzzy Feet slipper socks from Knitty.com.

Maui Baby

In May the company Husband Man works for is having an educational conference in Maui, Hawaii. This means that for the first time, I get to leave the continent. The only other "foreign" country I have been to is again, the uS when I was 12. Was in Maine. Thats IT! I am an untravelled person! Was never even on a plane until 2004 (December). The excitement of adventure is palpable. We now know when we need to be there and have to get our passports (again..a first for me). The conference commences on HM's birthday in late May and we are discussing if we can afford to fly in a couple of days early because, come on, when are we ever gonna be able to do this again??? This is very exciting.
Whats funny is that the middle sister in my family (there are 3 of us plus 2 brothers) decided a couple of weeks ago to take a trip with her friend to Jamaica in March. Then Eldest sister found out her husband qualified for a conference in New Zealand in April. Then we found out HM qualified for this conference in Hawaii in May.
There will be slide shows galore at the next family reunion I be thinkin!! And our poor mother's mind is BOGGLING at the thought of her globe trotting girls. BOGGLING I tell ya.
2007 is a crazy year this far! ;op
Ok..what else...
Made a cool eggy breakfast this morning: Amounts depend on # of people eating.....
Throw some spinach in a hot sprayed pan (over medium heat burner) with a teaspoon or so of water or after having rinsed it. Put the cover on. Wait a few seconds for the spinach to wilt . While waiting, get your beaten eggs ready. Then pour in eggs. Put the lid back on and get some smoked salmon and grated cheese. Put a bit of smoked salmon on the eggs and then some grated cheese. Then pepper it. You could have added salt to the eggs. I forgot to tell you that. Put the lid back on. for a minute or two until the cheese starts melting nicely. Then fold it over like an omelette. When you are sure the eggs are set, dig in.

February 6 = Day 6

Water= 2 1/2 liters
Workout= none
Foodlog = 1 espresso with a touch of splenda, a chai tea with splenda and a splash of milk, coffee with cream and splenda, cottage cheese and peach yogurt, and another chai ( its friggin' cold outside and its my favorite tea!!! I do not have a chai dependency problem), salad with hard boiled eggs and 7 mixed beans and some beets thrown in, skillet stroganoff with rutabaga fries and cooked spinach dressed with lemon, olive oil and garlic, pistachios.

February 5th+Day 5

Weight- 205...thats 5 pounds of water weight gone. I do feel better.
Water- 2+ liter
Workout- one mile
Food Log- 2 coffee with cream and Splenda, scrambled egg , salad with smoked salmon, hard boiled egg, + havarti, deli type sliced turkey breast, pork chop, steamed mixed veggies (beans and carrots), salad, too many mixed nuts, decaf chai with splenda and a splash of milk

5 pounds down..even if its JUST WATER as everyone always says...I'll take it.

Here's something weird for ya........

I was in bed aroyund 3 AM this morning, sleeping, having dreams about goodness knows what. I do remember some knitting in the dream...Anyways, every once in awhile at one point I felt something poke me in the leg (don't be dirty, wasn't THAT). Just enough of a jab to disturb my sleep and change the dream. Teri said I must have a reset buttong in my leg.
Then it went from occassional jab to insitant. You know how kids start with Mom.....Mom...Mommy....mom.. And then get to Mom mom mom mom mom .. It was like that and the sensation was like a childs pointer finger poking my leg, trying to wake me up. But it WASN"T. The jabbing woke me enough to move my leg wheic meant I had to wake up enough to get comfortable again...and then I smelled it. Wood smoke...
I mumbled to Richard "I smell wood smoke.." which woke him enough that he got up to investigate because he smelled it too.
Here is our theory on why we got that strong scent of woodsmoke.......
Our airtight insert was running on low meaning the damper or draft or whatever its called was closed. During the night the temperature plummeted to minus 22 and because the stove wasn't burning hot, a cold pocket blocked the chimney from letting out the smoke which was not hot enough to push past. Smoke smell began to back up into the living room and come up vents into our bedroom, right above the stove. When Richard went downstairs he opened the draft and the door of the stove to blast some air into the fire box, get the fire burning for real and not just a smoulder and thus cleared the chimney cold air block. There was no visible smoke and the smoke alarms did not go off.
So who was poking me in my leg as I slept? Yes..common sense says it must have been a muscle spasm in that leg. But it didn't feel like one that I have ever had before. It felt like being poked not too gently by a finger or similar blunt intrument like a pencil (eraser end) or a very blunt large guage knitting needle..(I told you there was some dream knitting..). Very weird. Spooky even.

Cue Twilight Zone music here

Speaking of Knitting needles, I found instruction for how to make your own using wooden dowels and fimo clay at Glampyre. VERY COOL this is and may save me heaps of cash in the long run. I can also make DPNs! This will save money so I can invest in more circular needles and yarn. But first I have to finsh these socks for Richard.
Now I am watching You Are What You Eat. Holy smokes. Its British and aims to make the victim, I mean, person, eat healthier. They just examined what this girl was eating and there were NO vegetables in the run of a week and so much sugar even I felt sick. Also the chick was backed up, if you catch my drift, because of a lack of fiber and had to be sent for a colonic so that the health expert person on the show could examine the stool. EEEEEW. And they SHOWED IT. But I am learning some stuff. She weighs 16 stone..do the math.. and begins a detox diet now..This is really interesting. Gross but interesting.

Get Your Sexy On........

The Sexy Beast has a neighbor in the kitchen. Tall dark and sexy. As yet unnamed but I keep singing "Sexy Back" whenever I get near it so maybe Dirty Babe. Cuz cappucino machines are messy little buggers, you know. All those spent grounds and hot steaming milky foam.

And here we have Dirty Babe with its admirers, the espresso and cappucino cups and saucers. They have scenes of Italy on them. If my grasp of Italian is correct, and we have every reason to believe it isn't, they are dishwasher safe.
The espresso was complimentary from the shop owner (Cafe Creme on Fleury) where we bought DB and the cups and the nifty shiny frothing pitcher and two cappucinos for the grown ups and treats for the boys. They have fantastic Italian kitchen gear, foodstuffs, and delicious espresso drinks. Take THAT Second Cup bitter-ass crappy cappucino. I spit on you and the need for about 3 sugars to make you palatable! Pitooie!!
I cannot wait to steam something...mwhahahahaha. Don't worry..I know what I am doing. Had a coffeeshop for almost two years, don't ya know. I'd have a cappu tonight but I forgot to buy decaf. :o( Maybe I have some in the cupboard, but its not gonna be as good at the Cafe Creme espresso. Maybe just a vanilla steamer tonight.
Also, we went to Chapters and Indigo for books and book orderings. I will have my Zimmerman books soon. To keep me busy I got a People magazine at Loblaws and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Knitting Rules at Chapters. So now I have two outta 4 of her books. # 4 is due out in March I think. She makes me laugh out loud because the little observations she has about yarn, knitting, people who knit, and obsessions with all things knitterly are SO accurate. And funny. Funny because they are TRUE.
Ben and Cameron (oh yeah..kids..) were so well behaved that they each got to pick out a book. Even though I hinted heavily at books without pictures, Ben chose a Yugi Oh book and Cameron wanted Pokemon, which made for the trip to Indigo since Chapters was out. These are manga type books. I so dislike them but if the boys read them, terrific. Former English major and teacher wanna -be here! Reading is GOOD boys! Read MORE! They can read in two languages, you know. I'm so proud. ;oD

Got New shoes....

Sale! Sale!! I Love a Sale!!!!!!!!
I went to the local L'Equipeur (Mark's Work Wearhouse in the rest of Canada) and scored a great deal on a pair of 89.99 shoes.
Guess how much..just guess....you will never guess....


FIVE BUCKS!!!!!
How sweet is THAT??
I also got a couple of tops for 10 bucks each. I could have shopped more but I was getting dizzy from the sale fumes.

I got awesome shoooses..I gots awesome shooooeses.. heeeeeeheeeeee

Feb 3rd= Day 3

Food log: 4 pieces bacon, 1 1/2 cups coffee with cream and splenda, BIG salad with tuna, egg, cheese, salad again, chowder
Water: 2 liter
Exercise: .. 1 mile

My Sweetie is home

Husband Man returned from his crappy business trip last night. He is most happy to be back in his own space again. He and the boys are off to make up for the karate class they missed and then will high tail it to Mont Blanc for skiing. We had some new snow last evening and the temperatures are awesome for being out on the slopes. I will stay here thanks very much. My smashed right knee doesn't hurt hardly at all now but it still radiates heat. How weird is that? My ski pants are tight and my boots pinch my legs and make the rest of the leg ache. I don't want to go.
I have finally turned the heel on Husband's sock. These are taking much longer than the kids socks. I hope they turn out ok. I am adapting an adult pattern to suit my skill and patience level. Basically trying to make the same socks I made for the boys only much bigger. So far so good. On the gusset now.
I really really really want Elizabeth Zimmerman's knitting books. I heard about them via an early podcast of Cast On when Franklin Habit guest hosted. They sound interesting and absolutely useful for learning knitting techniques. Knitting Without Tears is the title he mentioned but there are several books and in my infinite greediness for all things bookish, I want them ALL. This creates a problem because while I CAN find them online, Husband is unwilling to reliquish his death grip on the credit card. He hates buying stuff online because of the well publicised risks. What we have here is a failure to gimme what I want. I must be patient..and wheedle endlessly until he breaks down. The reason I want these books sooooo bad is that she teaches how to knit sweaters without seams. I enjoy knitting in the round because I find it less clumsy than with straight needles. I really would like to commence with the learning how to knit sweaters after these socks are done and Cameron has expressed a desire for a mommy made "cothee" sweater since the socks mommy made are so beloved by the cozy boy. He loooooves his coziness. I would make it from some sort of machine washable non itchy wool and let him pick the color.
But I really want those books. sigh.

February 2nd+ Day two

Weight= 210
Workout= 1 mile
Food Log= cottage cheese and peach yogurt for breakfast, 2 cups coffee with cream and splenda, large green salad w/ 2 hardboiled eggs and cheese, 2 grapes, chowder(seafood), apple, orange, pistachios
Water= 2.5 liters

Its official...

I thoroughly HATE the elliptical trainer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hate it!!!!!
Will nOT be part of the daily routine at all. Hate IT.
Did the 1 mile walking workout with my Leslie Sansone dvd. I forgot how much I enjoy it. 1 mile is good for a beginning. Maybe I will do it in the evening too...eventually. Working up top the 2 mile..gimme a week or two. Its fast (15 minutes) and not totally dull. EAsy to fit into any schedule and if necessary can be done in jammies.
DAY ONE: 1 mile+, supplements (3-6-9, L-glutamine), Water intake= 2 liters
Yay Me!!



Want to try walking away the pounds? www.lesliesansone.com
I got my DVD 2 years ago at Blockbuster.

February 1st..again

Ok.
We got confirmation yesterday that Husband Man had earned us a trip to Hawaii for the big conference. Hawaii. Land of black sand beaches and bikinis. Me. In Hawaii. Are you seeing what I am seeing that is WRONG with this picture??:????
I am a white girl. Luminescent almost in areas where the sun hasn't been in awhile. Highly freckled everywhere else. Picture that on a black sand beach..I will be visible to satelites in space. In fact..I may garner attention from them as some sort of weird anomaly. "Whats that in Hawaii!? A large reflective surface appears to be positioned on a beach..Oh..wait.. Its just a fat white Canadian. Never mind."
Husband says at least he can't lose me on the beach since I will stand out so well agaist the sand. There is nothing I can do about being a fair skinned individual but being so fat is a whole nother thing.
The trip is in late May. It is now February first. This leaves me a whole bunch of days (you do the math..I am too stressed) to try and make a very bad physical situation less horrible. And PS: the no sugar thing died with my latest bout of PMS. I was doing good for awhile there and then I had to have cookies or ELSE. I also ate chip like snacks. But this is all just in the last 10 days.
It is a new day. A new month. A time for renewal.
I will stock up on salady stuffs, V8 juice, and frozen veggies. I must resist all things carby. Must resist!!!! And I must EXERCISE. Oh dear gods...this is gonna hurt. Out must come the elliptical trainer, the exercise dvds, and my sneakers. And..the scale. Yes..even the scale must come out.. and then go away again.
Be patient with this current obsession. I am trying to save my own life here.

February 1st, 2007 = Happy Imbolc!

Or Candlemas .
It is getting brighter out there in the frozen world as each day the sun stays a little longer. Welcome light into your life in its myriad forms! Tis the day of the Goddess Brigid (also a saint in Ireland ), a goddess of tranforming fire and deep wells, Matron goddess and saint of creativity, smiths, and childbirth.
The feast day of Imbolc celebrates the return of the sun and the quickening of the Earth under its mantle of snow ( its still pretty frozen here in the northern hemispherebut its a nice thought). Spring approaches, Winter is at its halfway mark. If you are a shepherd, your ewes would usually be lambing around now so offerings would be made for the ewes to have plenty of milk and healthy lambs.
Its a good time to do a cleansing of home and spirit. Meditate on the blessings in your life and banish those aspects that bring darkness (bad habits, baggage, hang ups, people). If you can, open a window and air out some of that mid winter staleness as you give the house a freshening. Light some candles in honor of Brigid to brighten and warm your heart and home.
Feast upon some fresh bread and cheeses, nuts and seeds, some of the traditional foods of Imbolc/Candlemas

9:30 pm update

So...
The slippers are done and I was only short about a foot or two of yarn so the yarn change is not noticeable. Thats the good news. The bad news is that after two runs in the washer (hotwash/coldrinse) and a trip through the dryer they have NOT felted as expected. This perturbs me since other things have felted for me before. Grr..stupid front loading washer.
I sit in utter perturbitude..
Cameron accomplished his mission on apology, writing lines, and missing tv, computer and gameboy for the day. He has done well, my little grasshopper, and has been made to understand thet th Eff word is not for younglings such as he and the another episode such as this will result in much eating of soap as his mouth is washed out. I know, he wrote it, but washing his hands doesn't seem a bad enough punishment. Humor me.
We lost Fishy the Swordtail yesterday. She too was given a nice toilet side ceremony. That leaves us 6 fish in the aquarium and one in Ben's room. I will be glad when this thing sorts itself out and YES I know you told me not to get fish until it had been running for a month, Scrappybear. Losing a fish a week is my just punishment. Unless you are the fish and then it seems very unjust. I'm not complaining I'm just sayin'...lost another fish.
Uuuum..hmm...slippers..fish..punishing bad children...Yup That covers it for tonight. Rest well and be awesome. G'nite.

10:30 am and already What a Day!

So, my 8 yr old says to me this morning as I lovingly prepare homemade pancakes from scratch at 7:20 am, "Mommy I have something to tell you" and you know that can't be good. Turns out that yesterday he got whats called a Billet Gris (Bee-yay gree), or a Grey Ticket. This is a bad thing at our school as it is a form on grey paper where the teacher checks off the misdemeanor and sends it home for the parent to sign. So he'd done something naughty. Ok.
I read said bee-yay gree and he had written "Fuck(teachers name)" in his English class scrapbook!! WTF???! Don't get me wrong..I KNOW where he has heard the word..but who taught him how to spell it?
I was a little surprised to say the least. He had a whole story worked out for me too, which totally didn't fly. He knew pretty much from the get go that I wasn't buying the whole "It wasn't about her it was about another person of that name" scenario, and when I said "you are spinning me a story aren't you?" he replied "yeah" without missing a beat then proceeded to well up into tears and beg me not to tell Daddy or smack his butt.
At this point I was still a little incredulous. I mean, where did I go wrong in his up bringing that he thought he could write something foul in his schoolbook AND NOT GET CAUGHT!!!!???
Time to kick it up a notch I guess.
Punishment: No TV, Game Boy, or Computer today and he has to fill a page of looseleaf with "I will not write bad words in my schoolbooks." And apologise AGAIN to the teacher.
When asked Why? his reply was that English class is boring. Now, who would have thought that taking English class in a French speaking school, when English is your first language would be boring. I think i would take a gun to my own head. And write cuss words in my notebook. I am not excusing him but I see where the problem arose. Bored kids get into trouble. Everyone knows this. Ugh...why MY kid?
Also, I went to the bank before going to buy groceries and guess what? Turns out its NOT payday. *head to desk X 3*
If it wasn't so close to lunch hour I would bury myself in my bed.
My slippers aren't finished and I am running out of that color yarn. I will join on another shade I have in the same type yarn but I am disappointed I didn't make it. So the toe end of one will be a different color. I suppose this could be worse, like the payday thing could have been worse. I coulda been in line at the grocery store with 200 bucks of groceries waiting to be paid for! These are slippers for me so it doesn't matter that they won't match. Much.

I'm HIGH.......

....... Speeding now. The problem with the phoneline etc has been all straightened out and I am speeding now. I am breathless with the exhileration of INSTANT gratification.
I can see funny, cute, touching video footage of my grandnieces right away insteda of slipping into a doze while I wait for it to download. I can listen to Cast On and Pointy Sticks and Deo's Shadow now!
I.....am content.
happyhappyhappysigh

Still Dialing Up

Grrrrrr.
For some reason the high speed doesn't work. Now Hausband Man is going on a business trip and the tech support guys will have to deal with me. Oh Dear Goddess...I hope my brain doesn't implode. Or theirs.
I was hoping/planning to be listening to podcasts and downloading stuffs by now. And I'm not.
poop

Another Bitchin Time!

It was yet another fun night at Effiloche. For those that don't comprehend the idea of a Stitch and Bitch, its like a house party without the obnoxious asshole drunks, and where everyone is knitting something. If you are stuck in your pattern, you can hit someone up for help. You gab with like minded people from all walks of life and ages. The age group last night was from their teens into the grey haired (greyer than me under my hair dye color). Skill levels run the gamut from expert to rank amateur. At the Effiloche SnB there is a potluck table with a kettle for tea, a coffee maker, bottles of red wine and glorious nibbles like pate and olive bread, sucre a la creme (fudge), cookies, tiramisu made by a 12 year old (it was to die for), chocolate madeleines, etc etc etc. I brought an easy to whip up caramel apple tart. Want the recipe? Here you go:

Alison's Tarte Tatin creme sucre avec des pommes (Carmel apple skillet tart)
*ingredient amounts vary with size of skillet used*

sliced apples tossed with flour
brown sugar cream (coffee cream is fine)
vanilla
butter
In a skillet, melt your butter. Then add the brown sugar. stir it around and get it melting. When ist melty add the vanilla and cream. Get it hot and add the flour coated apples. Cook until things are getting bubble, stirring occassionally. When you are not stirring you will be whipping up a biscuit dough for the crust.
Mine is based on my grandmother's recipe. You could use a mix I suppose (bleahck) or maybe pastry if you are feeling like it.
I didn't measure but it was roughly:
1 1/2 cups white flour
2/3 cup sour milk oR buttermilk oR a milk/ plain yogurt combination(thats what i used)
1/2 Tbs baking powder
" '' sugar
couple pinches salt
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in 1 1/2 Tbsp butter until it is well blended and all crumbly like rolled oats. Then add milk a bit at a time until you have a soft dough thats not too wet. Turn it out onto your floured surface and roll to 1/4 inch thick. This made too much dough for my skillet but if you used a big one and thus more filling ingredients it'll be plenty. Lay the rolled out crust over your filling in the skillet (oh..by the way make sure skillet is oven proof) and place the skillet in a 350 oven for 20 minutes or until crust is golden NOT BROWN.
Remove from oven, place appropriate platter or plate over the skillet and flip it so the plate is ion the bottom, now holding everything crust side down. Scrape remaining goodies out of the pan and onto the tart. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon. Et Voila! My version of a tarte tatin. Well, one of my versions anyways.

Knitwise, I started and got halfway through a Fuzzy Feet slipper (pattern at Knitty.com) in a Nova Scotian hand spun and hand dyed yarn that I've had since Julyor August. The pattern knits up super fast because you use larger needles since the slipper sock will be felted into an adorable rolled down top slipper. If I hadn't been gabbing and eating and making mistakes I would have been farther along when I brought it home and ended up ripping it back a bit to fix.
I am now in the foot and it should only take an hour to finish..then I will do slipper #2..Estimated time? ummm maybe 3or 4 hours. and then with felting I will have a pair of cozy wooly slippers that look like sunset on my feet (shades of golden, yellow, greens, blues, corals, pinks, magenta..). I'll take a picture eventually. Maybe Before and After the felting process.
I stayed up waaaaaay too late after I got home. I am off to curl up with my coffee and Interweave Knits magazine. The guys are heading off to skiing and won't be home before 5.
Sweet quiet.

Uh Oh

Another dead fish but this time it was one of Ben's swordtails, the bully known as Sword. Fishy is still doing fine. Dyson the bushy nose pl*co is a busy bee compared to Scrub's lethargic short existance. We actually see him actively foraging rather than just hanging there and almost every day a plant is found floating on the surface of the water so we know he's been hard at work rooting things up! Loach One and Loach Two still do their kookie little swimming upright thing that tickles us to no end. Angel is growing already! It was a very small angel fish when we got him less than a month ago. It seems bigger to me and is very hungry at feeding times.
But i will have to tell Ben that Sword is gone to the Summerlands and that is bound to go badly even though we have repeatedly mentioned that fish do tend to keel over for no apparent reason. Not looking forward to that.
On a happy note...the satellite TV is AWESOME. The kids are thrilled except now we are bickering over whose turn it is to watch a show. Ben was gracious and mature and gave up watching an episode of YuGiOh so that his dear Mom could drool over Mike Holmes on Holmes On Holmes. I love that show and haven't seen it in over 18 months. He is like a big defender of screwed over homeowners. He also reminds me a little bit of my brother, the contractor, but seems much less cranky and is bigger and stronger an soooo manly. Not that my brother isn't manly but he's my brother and not Mike Holmes. Such a burly yummy man. Ben enjoyed the show because they get to rip apart stuff and we see them fix everything. I always say "Hey, I betcha Uncle Ian does that too" or "Hey check that out!" when they do something neato. Very cool.
Today the Boys are not in school, per se, but are attending Service De Garde because since there is no school today they are going coasting at this hill here in town that has the inflatable donuts and a sytem that hauls you back up the hill. They took extra mittens, socks, hats, and lunch and snacks. I am aaaalll alone for the day..heeheeeheeeee. I'm gonna watch TV and doodle about on the 'puter, and make a stuffed pork loin for supper. Want the recipe? Ok here you go:
Mince onion, garlic and celery and sautee in a pan with butter or oil of choice. Remove to bowl and deglaze the pan with wine or apple juice. Put that in the bowl too as well as finely chopped apple (or some cranberries or dried fruit like raisin or chopped dried apricot or a combination of any), some ground pork or sausage meat or chopped bacon, cubed bread, some thyme, a bit of dry mustard, salt and pepper, and if its too dry add a bit of beef broth. Mix that all up. This is your stuffing for the pork loin (one pound).
Butterfly the pork loin and pound it flat and open with a mallet or rolling pin. Using some blanched cabbage leaves, line the loin with them and then put on the stuffing and commence to rolling up the loin. Using butcher string or skewers, secure the roll to keep it from un-rolling, rub the outside with a good rub or drape it with bacon and then roast for 50 minutes at 325 degree oven or until browned and juices run clear. You can serve this with a sauce or something or just as is with your side dishes. This is supper's main dish tonight. Let me know if you try my recipe and if'n ya liked it. Play with it and make it your own.

Might Require Diapers

We...have...REAL..TV...again. The gods of TV and all that is good about it have blessed this home by making Husband order satellite. The reception is...glorious. The color, the definition, the former blurry snowy forms that we now call PEOPLE. Oh sweet gods of entertainment, I bow low and thank you for your bounty. My brain is melting into happy TVwatcher sludge as we speak and I have so much fix getting...I mean..catching up to do that I dasn't leave the sofa. Seriously...this may call for adult sized diapers. 18 months without good tv..over.
No HBO for me right now though.
I refuse to pay an extra 16 bucks for a theme package I don't want, just to get one channel. But i did pay an extra 2.50 for National Geographic channel and an extra $5 for the package that had Discovery Kids so Ben would stop crying. He reeeeeally wanted the Discovery Kids channel. And its semi educational..how could I refuse?
Oh the excitement of it all.
Tomorrow I get High Speed internet.......oh gods of internetted goodness I bow down loooow before thee........

Thursday

I made bread yesterday for the first time in almost two weeks. Mostly I was perturbed because it wasn't very appreciated by the younglings..It doesn't taste or look like store bought so they don't want it. Husband Man's suggesstion was to find a way to make it less crumbly so he can slice it thinner and also make the loaves smaller. I thought I'd have to add gluten but my wonderful friend Barbara suggested another egg and adding (poison)white flour. So my bread now has 3 eggs, some white flour(poison), and some hot milk added. I also was more diligent on the raising time for the second rise...not allowed to get too big because big bread means bigger bubbles means crumbly. Also, watched the baking time. Too long makes the bread a bit dryer and you don't want that.
The verdict..perfection. 3 loaves of perfection. And a burned finger.
Ben's socks are DONE. They turned out terrific, both socks. I sat and watched Battlestar Gallactica season one dvds yesterday afternoon and knit . Then I cast on Husband's sock, got it started, set it aside and attacked the vacuuming. Husband went into a fit of tidying yesterady so I took the hint that my slacker house keeping ways were not cutting it. :oD But the bonus to that is, he tidied up a bit for me. Woo hoo. Then I swept in:vacuummed, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, made bread, and did some laundry. When he came home he was all "Wow you were busy today the house looks great!" which is weird cuz all I did was vacuum (like I don't do that several times a week usually thanks to the pets and kids). He thought I had mopped too, which I had inteded but..like all good intentions, got set aside . The kitchen floor could dearly use it thats for sure, living with the Mr SpillyPantses in this house is murder on a white tile floor. When I redo that floor, its gonna be much more cammouflaged! Mwahahahahaha. Same with the cabinet doors. No white! But the walls have to stay light because otherwise the kitchen would be a little galley style CAVE .
Knit circle update: Effiloche is this Friday night. I LOVElovelovelove this place. I want to move in. Ginette is holding the Winter 2006 Interweave Knits for me because it has a pattern I need in order to attempt a different pattern. It is sooooo beautiful. Called The Arwen sweater, as in Arwen from LOTR, a knitter created A Sweater For Merry..a baby sweater with the Celtic cabling from the Arwen pattern by Kate Gilbert. Its absolutely to die for and the link is available on Yarn Harlot's blog. I had a dream just before woke that I was pregnant and in labor, the babies name was to be Gabriella Louise(gahbriella not gaybriella) or something masculine that I now can't remember. How weird is that. If Cameron had been a girl he was to be Genieve Louise ( gshyawnyev not jen-eev). The Louise is for Husband's deceased mother. Turns out, when I woke up, I really really had to go pee. Anyone who has ever been preggers can feel me on that...the feeling of a very very full bladder is very very prevalent in the last stages of pregnancy. All that pressure.
I get satellite TV today! Clear reception, multi channels, fewer video rentals from sheer boredom...its all good. We will have cartoons again!!! I so happy..I mean..the KIDS are so happy..ahem I don't watch cartoons..really. Bell Express Vu man will arrive sometime this afternoon.. I'm gonna have HGTV again (shuddering blissful moan oooooohhhhh Mike Holmes), And music videos again ( oh how I miss music videos) and educational TV like History channel and maybe National Geographic channel. And Space again. Thats Husband's demand..MUST get the package that has Space channel.... But none of the packages in the cheapo deal have HBO. I NEED HBO because they will be making a series based on George RR Martin's Fire And Ice series of books. I think it was HBO..I must check SpaceMonkey Pants again. Also, I like the show Weeds.
I am nagging to go to the movies soon. Smokin' Aces look excellent! And not just because Ryan Reynolds is in it..really. ****drifts off on a silent reverie on Ryan Reynolds******
Where was I...
I think that is all. As you were and be safe out there.

At last....

For a couple of days now I have been trying to geth the aquarium water at a happy level of Ph and ammonia. After the vacuuming and water change today, we may have finally gotten there. I can sit back and breathe a sigh of relief that all is again as it should be.
sigh with happy little hum.....
~roof caves in over my head~ *damn* Back to square one.
Such is the life for one such as I, also called parent/wife. You wash clothes, dry them, fold them...then someone wears them and you have to do it aaaaaaallllll over again. Same with everything else that is my "job", floors, windows, feeding, cooking, blah diddy blah diddy blah. Its not the chores that makes me want to bleed out in a cozy bath, its the repetition. Not even the repitition. Its the MIND NUMBING repetition. Thats what gets me. I'm not complaining mind you. The job does have its perks and its not as if anyone is gonna fire me. Nope not complaining.
~ Eyes yet another dust bunny scampering across the plain that is our floor......~
Nope..nothing wrong here.
Sock Update: not done yet. Maybe tomorrow. They looks awesome though and I got a compliment from Roo yesterday in that she thinks they look like real socks.
Thats good, too, because the imaginary ones are all arse for keeping your feet warm.

Tough decision

I came to a decision and have sent in my resignation as a volunteer at the MPRC. Basically, its costing us a fair bit for me to trot in there up to 4 times a month and the battling with traffic after a weekend home with the boys is daunting. I'm just not up to it anymore. I feel bad...letting the MPRC down and all, but its just not working for me anymore. I dread Monday except for the chance to see the girls at Melange. I really enjoy Roo, Debra, and Shirley, and when Nathalie was there, and now that Scarlet is there. Its just a long, expensive slog in what with traffic, gas (its 45 minutes in on a GOOD day), parking (8.75), childcare for the boys at lunchtime and after school, and usually I end up getting lunch or buying something since I am down town. It adds up over a month for this one income family.
We are planning on the boys and I being in NS for the summer. Gotta get to saving the toonies for that too.
Its the right decision but I feel bad. Relieved but bad.

Sunday January something, 2007

Ok I checked...Its the 21st. How the Hell did that happen??? Wow. January is almost gone! Yay!!!!
My menfolk went to Mont Blanc yesterday for skiing and had a very cold time of it but fun nonetheless. The ski instructor for the kids class took them indoors twice to warm them up. They were bundled with helmets , hot hoods, neckwarmers, long johns, special cold weather socks etc etc etc but it was minus ten Celcius here in town and, so, colder and windier in the mountains. Brrrr.
I on the other hand had a blissfully silent day here in the house, BLISSFULL, I tell ya. I changed out of my jammies only to put on warmer ones. HA. Then I read, sipped coffee, talked on phone, snuggled kitties, flushed a fish, got bored and started laundry..LOL
That was the guilt kicking in actually. I also ran the vacuum and took it downstairs to its closet. But that was IT for housework...seriously.
I listlessly knit on Ben's sock and also matched socks from my missing socks basket (oops housework). I made about ten pair or so and the level dropped in a most satisfactory way. Eventually the guys got home and I cooked for the kids (of course Ben didn't eat) and then we all settled in teh TV room for some StarGate on DVD and I knit like mad all evening. Heel is turned and gusset in progress. Ben's sock will be finished TODAY/tonight.
Gotta go to the fish place to get some aquarium peat to lower our water Ph. Ammonia also tested as high so I added more Cycle.
Maybe this is what did in poor Scrub. Live and learn.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SPE8vL5hlFA Here is video footage of folk that have lived and learned to not drive on ice without winter tires. Fender benders in Portland. Watch it with the sound on and feel their pain. OOoh...eeep...whoa!!!

Goodbye Scrub

Well, Scrubby Dubbydoodle, Esq. was not long for this world. He had a burial at toilet today. Goodbye, fair fish.

Bit of Beauty

I was on my way to Bedfordshire last night (going to bed) and as I reached to draw the blind I noticed the frost pattern on the outer window pane. I am such a pathetic photographer that having a camera on hand would not have proven helpful, as my glarey photos posted here can attest. It...was...freakin'...beautiful... It was as if someone had pasted small glass beads on the glass in order to form the shapes reminiscent of branchy coral. ...Many many branched coral...formed of frost and ice. It caught the light from the neighbors house and sparkled and shone with ethereal beauty....ghost coral that will fade with the sun's appearance come morning.
An underwater treasure on glass made from ice. Impossible to recreate by human means. Breathtaking in its perfection.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr and Stash

So, as I have blathered incessantly about, I have learned some of the mysteries of knitting socks. For that I am thrilled. Tickled. Joyous. Proud.
What thrills me NOT is the fact that by knitting two pair of socks using the same weight yarn, same size needles, same pattern and number of stitches...I have one pair that barely fits (Cameron) and one pair that is slightly too big and thus perfect..well one half of the pair anyways since I only cast on sock 2 of Ben's pair today. But I am seriously considering ripping Cammie's socks apart and doing them over. ARGH
All..those..stitches....ARGH
Almost 20 bucks for that yarn and the just barely fit...GRRRRR. POOP!

I officially have a stash now. I always did but it was far too tiny to call a stash. A small cache maybe. Because of the Zellers marked down merino I have several skeins of merino now in 5 colors. I think I have 9. I couldn't help it..I had to free it from the blasphemous clutches of Zellers and their love of all yarns acrylic! It deserved BETTER. So now it is in its new home, my teak box/side table beside my chair in the living room with lavender essential oil drenched cotton pads tucked in for moth repellant, cohabitating with Fleece Artist hand dyed, Delia Burge handspun and dyed, my own hand spun that I can't seem to use because I just keep holding the small balls thinking " I spun this yarn with my own two hands..Trinity had such lovely chocolate brown fleece...sigh...". Thus those small bits are actually balls of memory and not simply yarn. The wool for Ben's slipper's (on the needles since xmas) is in there too as are the left overs from Richard's earflap hat (Twilleys of Stamford "Freedom"). Effiloche carries this brand and maybe at some point I will get some and combine leftovers and new stuff for something lovely and soooo soooofft.
I also have some Phildar " Confetti " sock yarn for Richard's socks and maybe a pair for a surprise gift to big bro. We shall see how that goes. And Cameron's leftovers from those socks that just fit...GRRR..
So much for thinking happy thoughts.
Today's To Do: Get aquarium glass scrubber thingy for this algae. Its too much for Scrubby.
Move freezer to play room so that there is room in the laundry room for the upstairs litter box.
Vacuum the downstairs and then haul it upstairs and do the main floor.
Maybe find more laundry hidden upstairs to be done..again.
Bathrooms? Kitchen...? ugh.
I need a nap already.

One fish two fish......

......I gots a new fish. His name is Scrubby Dubbydoodle (Scrub for short.. I wanted to name him Hoover or Dyson..and Electrolux was just too much name for such a wee fishy. Scrub stuck.) and I will love him and not pet him and let him eat all the algae he wants with his freaky little sucker mouth.
He is hard at work here, sucking the glass of the aquarium to the left of the flash glare. He works the aquarium's nightshift so the lights are off while he does his thing.

Pair of socks numero deux

This is a picture of what Ben's socks are looking like. This is sock one, after the turning of the heel and during gusset (the bendy part so its not a straight tube). The color is not quite true thanks to the flash. Its a bit darker/richer. I took the pic this morning with my hand in the sock.
We had lots of snow yesterday so Iemailed the shop to let them know my MPRC shift wouldn't be filled. Then I stayed in most of the day to knit. I say MOST. I did venture out to a Terrebonne shop for sock yarn ( Husband and surprise wild birthday sox for my brother. He LOVES homemade sox.) And to Bureau En Gros for toner. And to Walmart right next door, looking for a particualr calender because I have no freaking idea of the date these days. No calendar but I got something else I needed. Then I stopped at Zellers on my way back looking for size 2.75mm bamboo needles but their smallest was 3mm. Pooh. BUT I did find heaps of 100% merino wool yarn in grey or grey blue or navy or brown or ivory. I will be back for you my darlings. You will be felted slippersock booties!! (www.knitty.com Fuzzy Feet pattern) Marked down for clearance, $5 from 7 something. All of these stops were not very far from home and good thing because driving was HORRID. I should not have gone out but the call of the yarn was strong in me, since it was Husband's pay day.

I will finish sock one, pictured above, today and possibly have sock two done on Thursday night. My hands are a wee bit stiff from all this tiny needle knittyness but..I..cannot..stop..

The fish seem recovered from Ick if that is what the white spots were. Now I see algae starting on the glass. ARGH. The filter is back to running with a proper cartridge/pad now that medication time is over. The polywool kept the tank pretty much particle free during the Med time when apparently, according to the instructions on med, you shouldn't use carbon filtering , which our filter pads have. Time to turn the temperature back a wee bit and maybe turn the lights off more. And get a Plecostomus to sucker off lots of algae. Etc etc etc.

I Gots An Owwwie

We went skiing. Well, the family did. I was attacked by the chair lift and incapacitated for the day. My knee is very very very sore (hit so hard its not bruised but swollen and hot) and I have bruises on my elbows. Knee and elbows connected with the cement base of a big steel support pole. With great force. I cried my head off. Then I eventually went to the bar for the rest of the afternoon.
No skiing for me for awhile.

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Ok..I just had such an awesome night. I went to the stitch and bitch hosted at Effiloche (Eff-eel-oshay) on St Hubert and I was in yarn and fiber heeeeeaaaaavvvveeeennnn. I bought a new ball of sock yarn for Ben's socks, Trekking XXL from Germany in great red and orange colors with white and charcoal. AND I won a draw..a free ball of Tofutsies, a wool/cotton/ soysilk/ chitin blend. Its a newer product with lovely sheen and the chitin is naturally antibacterial..cool huh? The chitin fiber is made from shrimp and crab shells. Soysilk comes from soy. What a nifty yarn and its gonna make me a suh-weet pair of socks someday. But first the socks for Cameron (on the toe decreases of sock 2 and will attack sock one ASAP) and Ben ( estimated date of cast on is Monday January 15)and Husband Man.
I am so enjoying these knitty outings. They lessen my isolation and lonliness so much and the knitting really gives me something fun to do with my time. I am really enjoying myself and have a greater appreciation for this place now. Yay knitters!
Met some great people tonight. Sylvie, whose mom knits amazing socks, Andre-Anne who was fun to sit and talk with, Ginnette who has the greatest yarn shop I have been in since I got here, Joanne who was very cool, and Barbara of www.fuzzymitten.com . She makes yummy cookies too. There were lots of others including knitting teenagers! How cool is that!!
I treated my fish for Ick today. Monkey, as usual, was fascinated with the idea of fresh fish for dinner but was dee-nied! Look how much he has grown. Oh my doodness hims a big boysie now. Yes him is ooh yes him is.
Ahem. Sorry about that. Enjoy the pics. I am going to go fondle my balls (YARN) some more.

Madness!!!!!!!!

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/ Go read this. A bank accused a yarn vendor of running a scam because they were making too much money to be selling yarn for socks and refused their business. Its making waves all over the knitty world, even in the UK. Knitters want those bankers heads on beautifully knitted platters a la the Debbie New teacups..google Debbie New and you will find said teacups.
I would so hate to be this bank's manager when the shit hits the fan on NPR and the Oregonian, who have been alerted several times as has CNN. Hell hath no wrath like a knitter denied her sock yarn!!!! Be warned!
Now go to http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/ and buy me a sock club membership...LOL

Friday morning.yawwwwwwwwnnnnnn

All week I keep saying to myself "gotta get to bed earlier" and all week its been 11 or later. Thats odd because as I have aged I have become quite the non-night owl. Gone are the days of partying it up until 3 and bouncing out of bed, still slightly hammered, to attend class or go to work. Not that happened a lot...the work thing. I was responsible enough that it was only once or twice. Nowadays, I sometimes go to bed at the same time as the boys, sometimes earlier but not very much later than them. This week has bee an exception and I am TIRED. Twice I went back to bed after they went to school. Husband Man didn't make the coffee early enough for me to have imbibed sufficient to keep me conscious. Today, he did. Thank gods. Cup two and the eyes are not forcing them selves open quite as hard.
SOCK NEWS: I conquered the gusset. I think.. Anyways, on Sock two in all its beauty and fewer mistakes, I decided that no stinkin' gusset was gonna stop me, man, and so I continued with the pattern, following the seemingly nonsensical instructions and what looked like a disaster on sock 1 straightened itself out on sock 2. So maybe if I had kept going on sock one I would not be sharing this break through. Any hoo, I put the sock on Cameron this morning and have about 2 inches of knitting until toe decrease time. I can hardly wait. *squee*. So excited to finish both socks.
Cam noticed my knitting yesterday as I sat in my special chair in the corner with the confiscated floor lamp behind lit so I could see well, and he asked what I was knitting. "A sock" I replied. He touched it, said Cool, and asked who the socks were for and I said " You" and he grinned and said " Oh thats so sweet'. LOL I asked if he liked the colors and he replied in the affirmative. He's a boy who likes his coziness. He's very tactile, from a young age.
I can't wait to start my next pair, this time for Ben. He is more fussy about how things fit and feel but I think he will enjoy Mommy Made socks. Gotta get more yarn though...mwahahahahaha.
Tonight is the stitch n bitch at Effiloche on St Hubert. Wonder what they have in stock for sockses.......
I think two of the fish have Ick..I saw teensy white specks on the sworfishes tails, 3 on one, one on the other. Need Ick treatment for them so off I go to pet shop later this morning. And to the drugstore..and grocery store. Maybe no yarn for me til payday I am thinking.

Tagged.

Teri of She Said She Said got me. Here goes:

A) Single or Taken= Taken
B Best Friend~ Julie
C Cake or pie~ Cake
D Drink of choice~ Vodka soda with twist of lime
E Essential item you use everyday~ dishwasher
F Favorite color~ green and purple combinations
G Gummy bears or worms~ BEARS..They are cute and squishy so I must bite them. grrrr
H Hometown~ New Glasgow Nova Scotia
I Indulgences~ Books and yarn and ice cream
J January or February~ January
K Kids and names: Ben and Cameron
L Life is incomplete without~ snuggles
M) Marriage date~ June 11, 1994
N Number of siblings~ 4
O Oranges or Apples ~ oranges
P Phobias or Fears~ Losing kids
Q Fave Quote~ You can lead a whore to the library but you can't make her think.. Dorothy Parker
R Reason To Smile: Taking Ben to Barenaked Ladies concert in February
S Season~ Autumn
T TAG! Ummm... Jess, Tigerlily, Barbara, Suldog
U Unknown fact about me~ I dislike male strippers
V Vegetable you don't like ~ kale
W Worst Habit~ just one? cuticle picking, nail biting, scab picking, over eating, yelling
X Xrays? yes
Y Your favorite food= greek cuisine
Z Zodiac sign~ Sagittarius

January 8th

It was a pretty groovy day all told. The boys headed back to school and I had my MPRC shift. It snowed last night and then rained some today which makes for sticky wet snow. Can you say snowman? Can you say Oh My Jeez My Back? Good for you. We are supposed to get some flurries tonight too. Maybe winter really is here.
And speaking of winter, whats better than a cozy pair of wool socks? Especially wool socks knit with LOVE?
Pictured here today are Sock One and Sock Two. Sock one is about 1/2 ways done. I am stuck on the gusset part. VEeeeeery frustrating, after turning a heel for the first time, to have to stop. I tried, failed, ripped back to heel flap and top of the foot stitches. I put it on stich holders and shuttled some yarn to continue the work when I have help. Then today I cast on Sock two, the fraternal twin of sock one. See how much I got done in less than 3 hours??! I will get it to "stuck" , and then hopefully at a stitch n bitch (friday maybe?) someone can show me how to pick up the side heel stitches to continue with making the gusset and foot of the sock. That way I can finish them up closer together and present them to Cameron . Then I will make another pair, this time for Ben. If I am not Master Of The Sock after 2 pair, then I know Richard wants some. Mwahahahahahahahaha. I WILL be sock queen of this house. After 3 pair I will be able to try other sock patterns. Not all socks are created equal you know. I am a happy camper.
SexyBeast is getting a workout. What an awesome gift. Since its arrival in all its red shininess, Its been used at least twice a week. Why so much mixing when twere no mixin before? Because we are swearing off store bought bread, thats why. I have been baking our bread since SB takes so much of the effort out of the whole thing. No aching arms.
Todays bread: honey and molasses in very warm water and yeast= let sit to proof. I ground some organic rolled oats in the coffee grinder to make whole oat flour. I mashed a banana and mixed it with 2 eggs and some olive oil. Then threw in a teaspoonish of salt. Get out the whole wheat flour and ground flax. Added flax to egg mixture. When Yeast was all foamy I turned on SB and started adding the egg mixture, then oat flour, then whole wheat flour. Then I got all cocky and threw in some extra wheat germ.. Kept mixing and adding flour until the dough was no longer goopy, but pretty much a ball. Turned it out onto floured counter for a bit of hand kneading until it wasn't sticky then let rise in an oiled bowl (BIG bowl). Punch it down later then shape into loaves, put in greased/oiled pans and wait again (had supper). Its now in the oven. 20 minutes, turn, 20 minutes more ..400 degree oven (convection..for conventional do 15 and 15) with a pie tin of water on the lowest rack. The tops of the loaves were brushed with egg (eggwash) to make them shiney and nice. When they are done, they get tipped out of the pans and cooled. Can I resist a nice warm heel of fresh bread with butter and molasses on it?
So as long as I have the time and inclination, we will be doing the homemade bread thing. Every batch is different (just a bit), zero preservatives and made with LOVE. How can you do better?

5 days into it ...

Ok..so the using less sugar thing is going ok. Time to reduce it further I think so I will throw out all fudge that was recieved for Xmas. I'm the only one who'll eat it anyways.
Know what bugs me? And maybe it shouldn't...maybe its a selfish thing..but I don't care. It still bugs me.
If you are an newly recovering alcoholic..those that love you choose to avoid alcohol in your presence.
If you have just quit smoking, those that love you will avoid smoking around you.
Give up sugar and the one that loves you stocks the cupboard with cookies and Vachon cakes. What the fuck is up with that?? And trust me this has been an issue on other times I have tried to control my weight gain and perhaps LOSE a freakin' pound. But the temptation is always there. Always in the cupboard waiting for me to get weaker. As if that person who bought them doesn't know he needs to lose a few pounds too. And has mentioned it. And did give up pop. Yay you. But still..cookies and Vachon cakes does not a trimmer waistline make. And I have explained how the sugar works on some brains like cocaine addiction..not easy to kick that habit is it? Would one wave some snow under an addicts nose??? I think not Maybe I should switch cuz fer sure I would get thinner. Thats a joke...kinda...hmmmm..
When I was a teeager and called Porky by my brother and called a Fat Slob by my dad ( I shit you not...they may have no recollection of this but I do..vividly) I would declare myself on a diet. And my mom would promptly load the cabinets with cookies and chips. It happened more than once. Maybe she thought that they'd be safe now that I wouldn't eat them??? And thats about all the help I got in the weight loss game. When I was old enough to cook for myself and maybe buy my own diet foods, it was easier but still, Not a weight loss friendly house.
So here I am AGAIN. On my own. Trying to add a couple of years to my life span. I know Yoda would say "There is no try...there is only DO." but Yoda never had 60 pounds to lose and serious food addiction. Sanctimonious little green fucker. Ooooh..sorry.
Foods now on the NO list:

• refined sugar in its obvious forms ( sugar, brown sugar, cake, cookies, ice cream, candy, chocolate, gums with sugar)
• chips in any form.. any salty greasy delicious form

This list will increase (remember the baby steps plan??) as time wears on. Days one to 5 were no sugar in my coffee...now we have the list above. We will see what gets cut out in the future. If I switch too fast my body will revolt like it did last night when I scarfed back numerous Maria cookies and milk. Mmmmm milk. I like milk.

Instead of snacking inappropriately, I will knit. Knitting will save me for sure. Its wholesome and zero calories. Character building, except for the swearing. I have begun a beautiful sock for Cameron, it will someday be joined by another and he will have a glorious pair of stripey blue and green multi colored socks made with a machine washable wool blend that cost me almost $20 (Opal brand). Expensive for socks I know but soooo beautiful. Then I will find a color way for Ben. I'm much faster than I was a few years ago and attempted socks with this thin sock yarn. I already have about 3 inches done and only started yesterday. Also, I so rock because I am doing the leg bit not in simple stockingette stitch BUT in knit 3 purl 1 rib. Its so awesome. I will be so popular in this house when I master the sock. Husband still wears sock my mom made for him years ago. He literally wears them out. They are too thick to actually wear in shoes thought being made in a polyester yarn more suited to sweaters etc. They make excellent house and boot socks though. Also on needles are Ben's yet to be finished slippers. he doesn't really need them anyways what with the crazy warm weather. Noone else is wearing theirs anyways. For now my area of easily lost focus is THE SOCK. There is no try...there is only DO.