Buying stocks in Halls cough drops

Yay, it's Friday. I've been off work for the last day and a half, sick, sick, sick! blah! I hate coughing, sneezing and generally feeling bad. It doesn't help that your generally more clumsy when sick... I made myself a nice bowl of turkey soup for lunch yesterday and managed to accidentally drop my glass of water, sploosh, right into my bowl. So water got into my soup, onto my accompanying bun (ruining my lunch) and of course turkey stew all over me, the table, the floor and even the wall. So now, not only am I feeling like crap, and lunchless, but I'm covered in turkey stew and have to clean it all up from the dinning room before having a shower to get herbs and turkey outta my hair... I hate being sick. My husband laughed when I told him last night. Fair enough, it really is quite hilarious.

I didn't even get much knitting done...I started a new sock for Beth as the pattern I had chose was annoying. I've decided I'm not a cabled sock knitter. Sock Cables make me unhappy. The new sock pattern is an ankle sock and I'm now worried about it being too small. It was knit on 2mm needles and well, it's small. Should I chaulk it up to knitting while sick and frog it yet again? arg, I don't want to, but at the same time I don't want to knit something that will never get worn. Thoughts? Ideas? Comfort?

Greg's Christmas present - done!

I was determined to finish this jacket with my 3.5 days off and I did it! I actually did it! Well, I still have to sew in the zipper and then do the two hems that cover the zipper, but there is no more knitting to be done. And the zipper/hems will only take me like an hour.

I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I'm going to enjoy this FO for the rest of the evening. I'll wait until tomorrow to start thinking about what Christmas present to cast on next.

Speaking of tomorrow, it's Knit Night tomorrow - eek! I must clean my house! One of the down sides to mad knitting all weekend, the housework/cooking/eating/sleeping all kinda went on hold :)

Thanksgiving long weekend

I got a head start on my long weekend by taking off at noon yesterday. I finished the second sleeve for Greg's jacket and started the yoke. Today was spent getting Halloween decorations and preparations for our annual pumpkin carving party. Then knitting the yoke and listening to an audio book. Pic of progress below, and just think I have two more full days of knitting which only have dinner plans nothing else. Anyone else think that I just might finish the jacket before the weekend is over? I'm hoping... but for now I'm off to watch Hockey Night in Canada! wahoo!

October? Really?

So did anyone else look at the calander on Monday and pretty much crap their pants? Where did September go? Wasn't it August just yesterday?

That means Socktoberfest has started. I was thinking about participating, but I simply have too much Christmas knitting to get done. I'm trying to avoid becoming a knitting zombie close to Christmas and have been working like mad to get the first project finished. Greg's Avast Jacket is knitting up very fast. I finished the body on Sunday night, and then finished the first sleeve last night. so. fast. What else am I knitting for Christmas? Henry for my dad, Estelle for my mom, Diamond Fantasy Scarf for my friend, and a scarf from Victorian Lace Today for my step-mom. Which doesn't sound like too much, but will still take a while to get it all done... I'm a fast knitter though, I think I can do it :)

Sunday, Rainy Sunday.

I finished my SecretPal's Monkey socks on Tues... or Wed? Either way they are done and ready to be mailed as part of her 3rd package. I'm just waiting for a book I ordered from my work to arrive and the last package is complete :) I mailed her second package out today, but I'm worried that the sewing box won't arrive exactly together. I suspect it will be opened and the content strewn throughout the box, but if that's what happens I'll simply send her the before and after pictures of what it should look like :)

I've also made some great progress on Greg's jacket. I'm excited to be done the majority of the stockinette and start on the sleeves... I dread the yoke, but oh well, it must be done.

What else am I working on... oh Socks for my co-worker Beth! These are fun. Although I still haven't found a cable needle small enough for sock yarn, and cabling without a cable needle drives me bananas! Beth actually made a joke about knitting her socks with toothpicks. At the time it was funny, but I tried it out, for the cabling part anyways, and wouldn't you know it? It works like a hot damn!

I finally got the book I've been waiting for at the library and suspect a lot of it will be read today as it's wet and cold outside. Although climbing is calling and I may end up at CragX all day again. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, mostly because this blog is about my knitting, but I climb. I started climbing at the age of 8. My dad climbed SO much and of course got me into it quite young. He had these grandeur dreams of me becoming the next Lynne Hill. As such he pushed me quite hard and by the age of about 15 I decided I couldn't take it anymore and quit, much to my fathers dissapointment. To be fair, he had it coming... and that's all I'm gonna say. Moving right along, about 3 years ago I decided I'd take it up again on my own and even convinced my husband to join with me (he loves it!). We are now established annual pass holders each year and go at least 2-3 times a week for a duration anywhere from 1.5 hrs to 4hrs. I enjoy it immensely, more than words can really express. I heart rock climbing :) So there is another peice of the Kristy puzzle for you, enjoy!

The definition of tedious

Working along long edge of cabled band with RS facing, pick up and k 4 sts for every 5 rows along edge of band. 221 sts on needle.

But at least it's done. Now the mountain of never ending stockinette begins. Which is good, I agree with Grumperina that the amount and difficulty of project on the go is a delicate balance.

• I personally always need one pair of socks, at least, on the go for easily portable knitting. It gets me through my commute to and from work, through my lunch break and occasionally through line-ups or some sort of event I'm attending (football for example).



• I then need something easy that isn't really meant to be portable... although it could be I suppose. Something like Avast where, other than the cable band I just finished, it's mindless knitting I can do in front of the tv in the evenings. Something I don't really have to think about, I just do.



• And last I always need something challenging, something that really needs my full attention when knitting. Right now this is the Double Bordered Scarf with Diamond borders adapted from Weldon's 1904, from Victorian Lace Today.

There has also been some progress on the second Monkey sock for my Secret Pal, I'm almost finished the gussett now and imagine the pair will be complete before the week is over. Yay! The rest of my weekend was spent watching my cousin #66 at his Rebels football game (which included a streaker at half-time eek!) and making these:

It was a good weekend.

Secret Pal YOU ROCK!

I received a package from my Secret Pal today. I was so excited that I opened it at the Post Office :) After seeing what was inside I practically ran home so that I could take pictures. The pictures explain so much:

Do you see those Lornas Laces?! My mind is racing with potential patterns, oh and it's in my most favorite colours... Those swedish Fish candies... yes, those are all gone. If you look closely you can see I had already opened the bag before getting home. Coconut foot creme, Photo Book, Hand-made bracelet (which is fabulous btw), pretty paper with matching envelopes. All I have to say is Secret Pal, if I could reach through this monitor and hug you right now, I would. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In my life there is knitting, and it makes me happy.

In one word my weekend was wonderful.

Friday my credit card went into the freezer and I finished working out a budget plan which I've actually been working on for two months and it's really working, really! It made me feel good, although this means limited yarn purchases in the near future... I think my stash should keep me going though.

Saturday I went, with mom, up island to my cousins first football game of the season. It was entertaining, not only the game, but also watching all the girls giggle and swoon over my cousin, the quarter-back. Since it's 4 hours drive round trip and 4 hours of game, that's 8 hours total knittting time people!!! wahoo! I finished the first Monkey sock! When I had to frog the Jaywalker I went back to my old standby, I love Monkeys. Anyways, 1 down and the other started. Shouldn't be long now.

Sunday it rained. We stayed indoors. I was going to knit, BUT I got my invitation to Ravelry! I can't even begin to explain how happy this makes me. So Sunday was spent Ravelry-ing, I did knit 2 more repeats of the cable band for Greg's Avast Jacket, and then 3 hours at a rock climbing girls endurance training. If I'm not knitting, I'm rock climbing. They are pretty even competitors for my time...

Yes, it was a great weekend. And then this morning I woke up and it was weigh in day (yes, I'm trying to lose that 20lbs I gained back over last winter) and I was down another lb. Yay for me! Then when I got to work... Charmed Knits was sitting on my desk. Remember that Gryfindor Scarf I knit for my coworker? Well he bought me this book as a thank you. awwww, isn't that sweet? Now if only we can get this wonderfulness streak to last a little bit longer... for no reason in particular, it's just nice :)

Too Tight

The Jaywalkers for my secret pal... they are too tight. Apparently I'm not the only one with this problem... arg!

Little progress

So far this week there has been little progress on the knitting. I have been sick with a cold and sleeping pretty much every spare minute I find. I'm feeling much better today and suspect there will be something to show you after the comming weekend. For now I have pictures of my second Secret Pal package ready to be shipped out to my lovely pal in New York.

And also a picture of the progress to date on her Jaywalkers, which will be part of the 3rd and final package.