Last Chance

I just HAD to get in one post for December - it's been NUTS around here! I'll have to post for real after the DH goes back to work on Jan 7th!

Crazy month and too much going on. - OK last chance - talk to ya'll later with pics!

Ooops! Forgot to say that my KC is in remission! No insulin shots! Lucky kitty!

Holy Cow! Where did October go??

Between doc and vet appointments and the regular business of my life - October is almost gone already! DH is on his last week of vacation and we've only been to 2 places - day trips because we have to be back home to give the cat his insulin shots at 8am and 8pm. The weather has been GLORIOUS for both those days! It's actually fall-like for most of the day! We hope to get in at least one more trip - to Bastrop State Park - to hike around in the weather and the trees. I love trees.

This is my Ice Cream Shrug in progress: I did complete it on October 21 and wore it on the Day Trip to the Natural Bridge Caverns and The NB Wildlife Ranch (San Antonio).

This is The Greens Shrug (working name) in progress as of last night:

These are Eyelet Rib socks (WendyKnits pattern) completed the pair Oct 17:

One Mod: I used 4 rows between instead of 3.
K.C. is doing ok for now. At first the Vet had him on 2 units of insulin, then on 3, now he's on 2.5! Which is NOT easy to do - there's no half-mark on the syringe! But for him, I'll do just about anything, as long as he thinks it's ok.

October at last!

I finished some socks while taking care of Mom. These are my Dragonscale socks. More details on my Ravelry page in my projects. (I am knittybabe).

The Dragons in my new MaryJane Birkis! I love these shoes. I got brown, too.
Ravelry is great! I am slowly getting things put in. Haven't been home much. K.C. is doing a little better. Learned how to give him insulin shots (twice a day) and he went in thursday for blood work. He was soooooo MAD when we picked him up. He had to stay all day for the glucose curve. He would not stop growling until my DH took him outside! Any time anyone or anything made noise he'd growl louder. Poor baby!

We had to up his dose to 3 (from 2) so hopefully that will be better. He is still very tired from being there and being tortured. ;-) I hate to leave him. Well, we have a 2-week interval this time. I had to hide the carrier as soon as he got out of it. No reminders!

Mom started physical therapy this week! She is doing better and better. Still hurts, of course, but more movement today than on monday. OK. must go to bed....

End of September Post - thank goodness!

I've been at Mom's for 3 weeks and came home this week. Whew! I still have to go over and help every day but her arm is healing. She can't wait to get rid of the sling and start physical therapy! Getting dressed one-armed is a pain - literally!

I took lots of yarn and started some socks and finished a pair. Pics later. My Ravelry invite came while I was there but I haven't had the time to explore or anything yet! I look forward to that - as soon as I get Mom and the cat situated better.

Thursday, my cat K.C. had to go to the vet. While I was gone things went wrong. He has been drinking a LOT of water and using the litter box often (and not covering his business-eewww). I noticed his back legs looked kind of unsteady, too.

They did bloodwork (poor kitty) and he has feline Diabetes! Yikes!

I was terrified we were going to lose him all day thursday and friday until the doc called with the final test results. She had said he had it from a pre-lim test in the office on thursday and it sounded really bad. I cried all day! I was a mess. Friday she explained in detail and we decided to try the treatments and see how the poor kitty takes it.

What this means is... he has to have special food and insulin shots twice a day. Talk about YIKES. Big committment on our part. He's on the new food and Oct 4th, hubby and I go in to see how to give him shots. Oh man, I hope I can do this! I know *I* hate getting poked when I have to have my cholesterol and stuff checked (aka "feeding the vampires) which is back to normal thanks to *2* meds - a statin and Tricor. I hate seeing a live critter in pain - I never could do the frog-thing in science class. I sure hope I can do this for K.C. and that he lets me!

My email held a nice surprise today - I signed up for the first ever Hill Country Weavers Yarn Crawl! It's next Sunday and boy do I need that! Puurrrfect timing! Thank you Suzanne!!! A whole day of riding and knitting on a bus with other knitters and touring 7 yarn shops in 5 cities. I can't wait! Getting away from the daily stuff will sure help my stress level go down.

I will be glad when October starts and hopefully everything will get better. I don't know what I would do without my knitting. I took a plain sock to the vet - otherwise I would have been crawling up the walls while waiting! I counted the stitches even though it was stockinette - just to have something to concentrate on - and still made a mistake! BUT - it was before I even got there. I had picked up the wrong size needle to continue from the toe and so had to visit the frog pond. Ah well, it's the doing not the finished product....

I have so much to do I don't know if I'll ever catch up! Well, I am never BORED!

Winding Yarn and reading actual books

Here's what I've been up to: winding yarn to take with me when I go stay with my Mom tuesday. She's having her surgery wednesday - we have to be at hospital at 6am! I'll have lots of time to knit so I'm starting some more socks. This "tub" is 3 deep with yarn balls! WhooHoo! I tried to put patterns and yarn together in a big bunch but couldn't do it. Too many yarn/patterns don't work for me. I tried that before, but ended up changing almost every one! Soooooo I'm just taking all I can. heehee. I'll choose as I go along.

This is my August journal calendar - just look at how full! No wonder I'm tired!
This is one of the few decorative pages for August: Mostly ideas for future projects I probably already have stuff for.
I have actually been reading hard-copy books (vs eBooks on PDA)! I still love the feel of a book in the hand even tho I do LOVE my pda for reading at night or in the dark while on my stationary bike. I have been so busy I am too tired to even knit most nights, so I sit and read! I just started "The Rift" by Walter J. Williams this weekend and finished a Nora Roberts trilogy about vampires and time travel - The Circle Trilogy. That was pretty good and entertaining. I didn't want it to end. I love when that happens!

I also made a birthday card for a friend today: photo mosaic technique. Take old photos that may not have come out like you wanted but you had them printed anyway - rubber stamp all over them. Cut them up, glue them to a piece of cardstock you have run through a Xyron machine (puts self-stick glue on the back of papers)- leaving spaces between. In the spaces (since it is sticky) brush embellishing powders (like the ones from Jacquard - pearl some-thing or other I forget at the moment) in the spaces. Cut to the shape and size you want and glue it to a blank card face. Tada!

I also did a watercolor mock-up for a larger painting (over 3 canvases) of a magnolia:

AND made a mousepad! Covered backing with cardstock, pretty paper and clear vinyl.

Campanula Update - Finished!

I just finished both Campanula socks! Here are the baby pictures:
On the feet:

They are a bit loose, but they haven't been washed yet and I expect they'll even out nicely. I did try the bind off suggested in the pattern and I like it! Stretchy but not too. The only trouble I had (aside from finding time to knit!) was coming out of the first heel and getting the stitch count right. This is the first pattern I've worked where the stitch count changed and it did confuse me at first. It finally clicked and I got it on the third try and the second heel was a piece of cake! I do love the Smooshy yarn and am glad I have more!

Busy, busy, busy....

If only I had time to stay home - I could knit! Lots going on. I'm concentrating on my Campanula socks when I am home - one is done, 2 repeats up the leg of #2 (pics later).

My mother had a wee accident and has to have surgery on her right shoulder. Torn tendons on the rotator cuff. So - I am a busy chauffer for the next several weeks. She who doesn't like to drive - yep. Mindless knitting goes, too.

I am cleaning my studio when I have some time and the back of my truck is filling up with stuff. Now I have work space on the big table to lay out my yarn and pick for projects to do while waiting at the hospital and at Mom's house while she recovers. My collage work can be seen now, too and I have projects in various stages of prep. I just have to weed out things I no longer want to do and those things I know I'll never get around to (as in lost momentum). I've been working on de-cluttering for a while now. It just takes a long time to go through things and make a decision! I go back through several times and each time I do, I get rid of more links in the ol' chain that tends to drag me down when I have too much "commitment" hanging over my head.

Today worked on the laundry mountain. My washer is going out. Bit by bit the spin cycles are dying - re-spin, re-spin. Looks like a new front loader is on the horizon (with matching dryer - it's been bad for a while). Takes forEVER to do the laundry. Set the timer, run back to the machines, set the timer again... you get the picture. I just love the RED ones they have sitting in Lowe's! Don't know how the DH feels about that tho....

Continued

This is the batch of stash contributed to by my friends (Thanks, Gals!). I also got more Addi Turbo needles - for those times when I have Start-itis. In the back row: Lana Grossa Meilinweit cotton stretch. I love this stuff! It works up nice and feels good on the feet. In the front row - more "Smooshy" yarn. All purchased at my LYS, Hill Country Weavers.
Smooshy yarn in In Vino Veritas colorway - to the heel of the first Lace Wing sock.
This bag I found at my local Hobby Lobby for $6.99 - very kewl tewl! It's amazing what I can get in there! Pockets everywhere! I was tempted to get another, but one has got to be enough or else I'd never find my tools. They need to be together.
There are six outer pockets on each side and two large pockets on each side. Plus, two more pockets on the inside - with velcro closures. I am, at the moment, considering covering the velcro - I want to put a sock-in-progress in each pocket, but mr. velcro snags. I have paper behind the socks for now.
Other than the velcro snag - this is a great bag!

So, now that I have the day to myself, and I've caught up on blogging, I am going to KNIT!

Today is...

My BIRTHDAY! As promised, I am going to share pics of my presents. My Yarn Stash (yes, I can now use capital letters – it’s grown that much) is falling out of the basket.
My DH bought these for me: Favorite Socks book (eyed that for a while now)
Socks That Rock and some of Ray's lovely yarn - Wine and Cheese and some to dye myself later.
STR - Undertoe and Tide Pool:
STR - Lunasea and Love in Idleness:
This is Undertoe in winding stage: I put the skein on the reel and wound one large cake first. Then took that, put it on the scale to make the 2 even cakes. During this process, the large cake began to do a dance. It rose up and "bloomed" and while I watched it, it made flowers in the center. There is no way to describe how cool watching this is. You have to try it for yourself.

Toward the end of the large cake, it made a "basket" which is cool. There again, you have to see it for yourself. Or maybe I am just easily amused.
Here's what Undertoe looks like on the reel:
Undertoe also has the same colors as my fav ring: a Mystic Fire Topaz.
I will continue this in another post - I can't seem to figure out how to get the photos to load at the END of the typing! Anyone know how this works? This time, I loaded all the photos first, and then filled in with typing. Seems to work for some photos but not for a lot of them!

Campanula For The Cure – Update

While out and about yesterday I had the opportunity to go to my LYS and – TA DA – they had Smooshy Yarn! Tons of colors of it! They hadn’t had it before and I am so glad they do now! The color I had originally ordered (see other post) was much redder than it had appeared on my laptop screen. I got the perfect color though – “Cool Fire”. It reminds me of Double Bubble Bubble Gum (yum). The color blending in this yarn is sooooo beautifully done – I just love it! I got more than one color, of course (Happy Birthday to me –next Friday -Stash sharing later). Here’s a pic of Cool Fire in the cake.

I got started on the Campanula pattern, sock #1 last night and here’s my progress:

I am using Addi Turbo #0 2mm and magic loop. This yarn is very, very soft; nice and stretchy and it goes “sproing”! This makes the k3tog tbl’s much easier. If only I didn’t have to sleep!

I am using a stitch marker at the center to make counting easier and lifelines every so often. I get interrupted often so lifelines help me keep my cool. I have the pattern on a magnet board so I can keep track of the rows. Just have to remember to move the line marker.

For some reason, my cat is attracted to the pink wool - I've had to call him off it 3 times already.

Campanula For The Cure KAL

I just joined a Knit-a-Long, Campanula For The Cure. Breast cancer seems to touch most of us in one way or another. We've either had a relative or friend, or friend of a friend diagnosed with it. Knitting the Campanula socks will be a way to remember. In any case, we all need to be aware and remember to check-up!

I just ordered my yarn from Simply Socks Yarn Company - Dream In Color - Smooshy yarn - 270 - Lipstick Lava. This looks yummy and I've been wanting to try Smooshy yarn - just love the name! Now to wait - patiently - for it to get here.......

Anywho - check out the Campanula link above to see how to get the pattern and KNIT ON!

No Pic Post ... awwwww

I'm working on FO list still, have turned both heels on my Dragon Scale socks (link later), started one Embossed Leaves sock and have pics to post of some birthday presents! Just wanted to post quickly to keep my hand in.... more tomorrow when I can see straight!

Erck…Discovery

OK. I know I just started knitting Continental style in February and I knew my tension would improve and even out over time. One thing I did not THINK ABOUT: starting the first Baudelaire sock May 16 and then having to LEAVE IT sit for a while – coming back to it in July – only to find my gauge went from 8spi to 8.5spi! The second Baudelaire is tighter to get over my heel and looks a bit smaller when you lay them out side by side. Hmmmm…..




















It feels ok once it’s on and no one will be able to tell the difference if I keep my mouth shut! I’d like to finish and wear them on Friday to a family gathering. We’ll see if I can knit that fast!

This is another good reason NOT to get SSS! (second sock syndrome)

Oh man, I just heard thunder – again. This is very strange weather for Austin….. my son just called and he’s heading home from Dallas. He’ll be right in the storm all the way home looks like (on the radar). If it’s been raining all summer so far, (and it usually is very DRY in summer) WHAT is the fall and winter going to be like???

Monkeys Done!

Went to the doctor again last week (foot doc this time). I have a Morton’s Neuroma on my right foot -where the toe bones meet the ball of the foot. Basically it’s an inflamed tendon. I ran when I should have walked – literally. I was doing so well walking and my knee felt great – so why not start running again? Ok. Bad idea. Wrong shoes. The third time out – whamo. Too much, too soon. I should know better by now! So….. I have to wear a funny looking boot and got a Cortisone shot. Ouch. And no walking for 2 weeks. More delays in my weight loss. Ugh.

On the flip side: More knitting! I finished both Monkey socks Friday!

Jitterbug Monkey Socks

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A – Knitty.com
Yarn: Jitterbug #135 Sahara
Needles: Addi Turbo #0 circulars
Mods: Toe-up and PG-R short row heels
Time: Started 7-9-07, completed 7-20-07

These are nice and thick for Fall and Winter. And bright! Actually, I have a fall skirt (pumpkins etc…) that I made a while back and never wore…. These socks will be perfect with it!


I picked up the Baudelaire socks again. Started the second one yesterday and got to turn the heel before crashing for the night. So… they are both past the heel now and moving on up the legs!

We’re planning (Plan A) to take vacation mid-October and head East toward Florida this time. Been to Yellowstone twice and points in-between so we thought to head another direction in the country. DH’s brother and wife live that way, too. Three weeks on the road – and I AM looking forward to it! We really do enjoy driving and camping and try to go at least once a year for a long trip. We’ve been to Big Bend 3 times or is it 4? Anyway, we’ve been taking regular vacations since 2001. ‘Bout time! And I get to start a brand new Travel Journal this time out!

Smoke Gets In My Eyes

I am sitting in my studio and cigarette smoke from outside keeps getting in. The wind has been blowing from the east (the side of the house where the smokers live) for months now -along with all this weird rain. I have been putting up with this and I am FED UP!!!

This house was built in 1976 and we still own it - are in the renovation process now. We watched it being built but didn't know then what we know now about insulation, etc... There is very little of it in these walls!

The smoke keeps getting in and coming through the AC vents. I can't figure out how to stop it. I just have to keep wishing the wind would shift! Or the people would go to sleep! Speaking of.... that's where I'm headed. Early day tomorrow. What I hope will be my last physical therapy session for my shoulders is at 8 am. More about sock progress later....

Monday, Monday

FO Alert: The Sockotta yarn is out of my hair now. I put myself out of my misery (I really hate this yarn) by just making footies with a picot bind-off. Glad to be done! I made myself work on them before starting anything else.




Today at the doctor's office I started my first Monkey! Here's #1 after 2 repeats. Colinette Jitterbug Colorway #135 and I'm not sure but I think it says "Sahara" and working toe-up on Addi Turbo #0 - Magic Loop.

I have been waiting and waiting to start. Now, no more excuses. I have more appointments this week so they'll go with me. While in the doc's office (waiting for Mom), I noticed a lady walk by several times. She finally sat down across from me and we started chatting about what I was making. I guess she was working up the courage to talk to me? Makes me wonder if I looked scarey or something!

After I finished the Sockotta footies, I made this bag yesterday from 1 ball Noro Kureyon and THIS pattern. I just made it taller so I could put both balls of yarn in with the sock(s) in progress. Used it today for the Monkey socks. The bag was fast and fun! I'll probably make more. Hmmmm.... this would be nice way to test patterns..... OH and the shorter version would make a GREAT gift bag! Especially if it contained hand-knitted socks!

Working on an FO list for the sidebar. Man, I didn't realize just how much knitting I had done so far this year. I finished these Jawoll socks June 21. My own lacey rib pattern (unvented, I'm sure) with a PG-R short row heel. Gotta go knit "just one more row" on the Monkey!

Raining Again

I've never seen so much RAIN in the SUMMER. This is weird. I suppose I should look at the bright side - more time to KNIT! Although today I've been doing more reading about knitting than actually producing something. OK, we can call it "research".
This is my first post so I should tell what I've been working on. I just finished a pair of socks July 3 and I'm wearing them now. So comfy! They're made from Lana Grossa Meilenweit Cotton Stretch. 41% cotton, 39% superwash wool, 13% polyamide, 7% Elite(pbt) - whatever that is. It knits up beautifully! It's soft and stretchy and feels great in my Birkies. I'll post a pic as soon as I can figure out how. These were my "mindless" knitting. TaDA! Pic posted!

I have a pair of socks from Sockotta at the heel - both of them. I hope to turn the heels this weekend (since it will probably be raining). I don't like this yarn though. It's hard on the hands - no stretch. It's 45% coton, 40% superwash wool and 15% nylon. The colorway is mostly greens - aqua to olive. It's also self-patterning - my first experience with that type of yarn. Also "mindless" knitting.

I'm working on Cookie A's Baudelaire - the first one is just past the heel turn. It's been difficult to work on because of having to have the chart with me. I've been in and out of appointments for the last month and needed the mindless knitting above to take along. I made Twinkle Toes after catching Cookie on Knitty Gritty and couldn't wait to try Baudelaire! She was great to watch!
I need to figure out how to add links into this text. And make the photos go where *I* want them to go!
This is my sweet pussy cat, K.C. He's napping in my paper recycling box (just emptied it). He's smart enough to know what to do when I say "..back aWAY from the wool!"