Christmas UN- Fortune Cookie

My Fortune Cookie told me: Sheep will begin to unsettle you. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

Found at Susan's blog, my fortune sounds most unfortunate for a knitter!

Christmas was surprisingly low key, and unrushed. All the presents were wrapped and the food bought, decorations decored, and house cleaned by Friday night. I even finished 3 lingering WIP's on Saturday. One of which I got to wear for Christmas dinner. (pictures of that later).

Merry HoHo

My family at our local rink for a company get together.

Well it seems life gets in the way of blogging, just like work gets in the way of my knitting! I still knit, still have a job and still have a life, well some would beg to differ (damn muggles) I wish I blogged through the last couple of months to keep track of it all. Ahh well, there's always the new year.

Wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

CRR 2006

Yesterday this was the setting for a race.

The Cannery Road Race that my husband and my son K took part in.

K did great and placed 3rd.

G did awesome, he placed 1st in the 10Km for his division, and 2nd overall.

Take a look below at the great medals that they give out to the winners. This year was a plastic boat, and last year was a great plastic fish.

Brainy Lady

Trying to keep up with the regular posting, so here's my brain test. Who even knew I had a brain!

Your Brain is 60% Female, 40% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and femaleYou are both sensitive and savvyRational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headedBut you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Tieing the Knoose, I mean the Knot

Well, it seems the I managed to fall off planet at some point, happy to say I have returned. I hope to get back to regular posting and regular knitting. I haven't been doing alot of knitting, and I have been scouring my patterns, magazines and the internet for inspiration. That isn't always a good thing, now I want to make everything. Since it has been so long I won't try and remember what I have been doing in my blogging absence. But I will start with the one thing that marked the summer of 2006 for our family.

The youngest of my brothers got married on August 19th and the wedding was exceptional. The bride was to goregous for words, and a really great addition to the family. Great for us maybe not so great for her. *snicker, snicker* she may be rethinking her I do's! LOL.

I cried like you wouldn't believe, before, during, and after the ceremony and again at the reception. My brother and I are three years apart and as much as we fought during our childhood,teenage, and even our adult years I guess he kinda grew on me! I was really surprised at how emotional I got, well not really, but damn I didn't think I would cry that much. All of our immediate family and all of the bride's immediate family were in attendance. I didn't get as many photos with the digital camera as I liked but I will show you those I love.

My brother the Groom

The male half of the wedding party, All 3 of my brothers and my son's K&L

The ring bear/pillow guy, L

The deed's done let's getta out here.

MR. & MRS.

Mother Trucker

JessaLu was interested in our new vechicle so here is a picture I grabbed from the web. I have not yet taken a picture of it, come to think of it I haven't used the camera in eons! This our first brand new truck, we have owned two others, but they have been used. Just yesterday a friend was enjoying the "new car" smell. This will make our upcoming road trip a little more enjoyable. We are extremely happy with it, it had exactly what we were looking for. Good thing because this is it for a long time!

Before this very substantial purchase I was trying to talk my husband into a trailer. I think that I will eventually wear him down and hopefully we can manage a used trailer before next camping season. Because after tenting a few weeks ago my husband now agrees that tenting is not for us! And JessaLu, the earplugs made camping more enjoyable, because when you sleep in a tent that squirrel who was so cute the night before is not so cute chattering at 4:30 am when the sun comes up. Nor for that matter is the freakin' crow caaaaaaaa-ing for the zillionth time in the tree above your tent. Don't get me wrong I love nature, just not when I'm sleeping with it!

Shit Happens

Yes I am sure you have all expired waiting for pictures, those of you that still check back here that is. It seems time has a way of getting lost these past few months. Seeing as you have already expired I guess there isn't any rush for a picture. HA! I still don't have one.

Many things have happened, most I have forgotten I'm sure. So the few things I can remember:

I purchased an IPOD nano, and became a member of Audible (which I love btw) Plugged in to a great book with some sock knitting, what better way to tune out the world?

I had my laptop repaired and my pictures recovered. KAAAAA CHING! Funny how I said I would be extremely grateful if I could just get my pictures back, however it still stung when I learned that my files in the MY DOCUMENTS weren't recovered. Oh well!

We had a fantastic camping trip the Canada long weekend. Pomtini's + sun, friends, lake = fun camping and
tent + earplugs = better sleep!

We purchased a new vehicle.

We leave next week for a two week holiday, so I probably won't be around to often, so please for those of you who value your life, don't hold your breath waiting for another post! LOL

Have you turned blue yet?

I hope you weren't holding your breath for a picture of finished socka socks! If so keep holding! Work obligations are keeping me busier than normal (cutting into my blogging time) and besides that MY LAPTOP'S' HARDRIVE KAPUTTTTTT!!!!!!! I don't have the final diagnosis, but it's not good. I was and still am upset I still don't know if I will get all (or any) of my pictures recovered from the hard drive. Some good news though the techy told me they finally recovered files from MY DOCUMENTS which include every freakin knitting pattern known to man from the internet and otherwise!!!

So even though I am blogging I don't have the ususal get up and go. So cross your fingers and hope for the best. I must have made the knitting gods unhappy, I lost my knit mojo, I've hardly knit a stitch for weeks.

Stay tuned

On Sunday I had every intention of having a fantastic SockapalOOOza photo shoot here and posted for the Tuesday update. However, the forces of evil have conspired against me. As you see (or not see rather) there is not a sock in sight. That is because along with my internet being fritzy my camera and co-worker are a tad fritzy too. Well OK the camera wasn't but the co-worker definately is! ;-) Oh and a big "How old are you now, how old are you now...you look like a monkey and act like one too" to the very same fritzy co-worker! He's an eligible bachelor no less. Anywhooooo, the socks. The socks arrived alive and well, and were awaiting my arrival home at the end of a busy week of almost breaking bones, cutting fingers, and business schmoozing. I have to say they were well worth the wait, the socks are perfect, the yarn and pattern are exactly what I would have picked if I were making socks for myself. And even better yet they fit too, bonus! ! Along with my socks, came they leftover Lornas Laces and some verrry soft green sock yarn that I think I already have plans for. Thank you Felica, you did a great job, I hope you get the whole witness protection thing under control. ;-)

Bits and Bites

This weekend was a good friends birthday and I was able to complete her birthday socks on time. I love to knit socks for her, she loves them. I made a personalized sock band for her and away they went.

Another picture I found while looking for bloggable stuff was this fantastic picture my co-worker took of a local eagle. Cranky looking thing, maybe he forgot to sweep the nest out!

The seaplane picture was taken today, YUCK. Today is cold and wet. I look forward to warmer weather soon. I will pray to mother nature as my son does. "Muser Nature please bring me some SUN!

And the last picture is a beautiful Kiri Shawl knit by my friend S, in a gorgeous Kid Silk Haze. While the shawl is fabulous the picture is not. Hey I'm a knitter, not a photographer!

Oh and late last week I received an email from my sock pal (whom I believe is blogless) that she is indeed in the witness protection program (hence the bloglessness) and was in fear for her life that particluar week because Mickey Blue Eyes was at the local diner out in the sticks, askin' questions.

So she has since been relocated, and the socks are on their way. I hope Shifty Jackie Santoro hasn't tracked that package to me cause, I'll sing like a songbird, take the socks and Fuggeddaboutit!

SKEINS

Yesterday after seeing something on someone's blog, a blog I can't remember, (so helpful I know) I of course had to drop everything and make 1, well more like some. First I skeined up the yarn. Next I used some specialized tools, HA!, a ring, cable need and a crochet hook, some tape, some cardboard, Harlot's new book, and felt pen or two. Twist, turn use said tools for purposes not intended (nothing dodgy) and...drumroll please..... VOILA!!!!! Mini hank keychains.

So adorable, the one you see with the S.A.B.L.E. keytag I gave to my enabler knit partner from K.A. who has a serious stash and who just happened to have a birthday earlier this week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Shelly!

Socka..disa..pointed

Update below.
Well it seems I have the crappiest luck of all. I finished my sockpal socks and sent them out 1 day late (due to puking child), I even sent them priority post so I could track the package, and so she would get them sooner. I have tracked the package and see that she in fact received them, but still I have not heard that they indeed made it to the proper recipient. If that isn't bad enough, I have not heard from my sock pal. No, "Hey, I lopped my finger off and couldn't knit for a while your socks are going to be late.", or "I slipped and fell and couldn't get up", "My dog ate your sock and I had to knit another". Really at this point any explaination would be nice. Did I mention I'm impatient? Really impatient. Or that I'm the type of person who if told to finish and ship out by May 2nd, that I'm going to do everything humanly possible to do that so my sock pal isn't dissapointed, type of person And if something really did come up, like I am in the witness protection program and the mob has found out my alter identity and are after me, I would let my sock pal know! Just sayin' Anywho thought a rant might make me feel better, seeing as how the stuff I ordered to make me feel better has yet either! BAHHHHHHHHH.

Well, a long weekend is coming maybe the extra day might improve my disposition. Maybe. Probably not.

Update: I just heard via e-mail by that my sockpal received her socks. "I got the whole package and I love the socks! I'm sorry I didn't write to you about it but my life is really chaotic right now. The colours are just right for me, the chocolate was eaten immediately and the lamb is on my shelves. Thanks for being such a great sock pal! " Pheeww OK I feel much better, I was thinking my socks were out there on someone else's feet. Best of all she liked the socks. My mood has been restored. Have a great weekend.

Relay for Life

Just a heads up to let you know that the Canadian Cancer Society is organizing the Relay for Life on May 27 from 10 am to 10pm teams will run, walk, stroll around a track. A celebration of survival and a tribute to the lives of loved ones who have been touched by cancer. Twelve hours of fun, friendship and fundraising to beat cancer. Communities from coast to coast, taking up the fight. Find a Relay for Life in your community and show your support,help make cancer history.

My team is walking in support Barb, my friend and former co-worker, who is currently fighting brain cancer. We also walk in support of her husband, her sons, her family, and friends. If you would like to make a general donation to the Relay for Life, visit Here, or to support our team, visit here Barb.com's Army. Lastly, if you would like to pledge me in the Walk for Life copy and paste this link to your browser because the link I'm leaving on blogger is not working, GAHHHH here it is Michelle's pledge page:
http://www.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=147650&u=147650-124867715&e=580127550
I finished all the hats, and was able to drop them off to Barb last night. Here they are stacked before being packed away in bright orange, red, turqoise and pink hat box,which of course I forgot to take pictures of. Fantastic really take my word for it. They hats looked great on her, and I hope to knit a few more, I think two I knit maybe a little big.

(*edited to fix my pledge link)

Relax, and Enjoy

Yesterday my boys did a fabulous job of letting me do nothing all day. First gifts were given, coffee was presented. Next on the intinerary...relax on the deck with coffee, jammies, and sun. After lunch walk with the dog, alone, while the kids played in the yard. Home, relax and knit, watch a few taped shows in a quiet house. Up next bbq'd dinner, yumm homemade hamburgers with ketchup and mustard alien faces. Finally knit some more and watch Grey's of course. An uneventful, quiet day was had and appreciated by me.

Here is what I received. My husband did a fine job of picking out the cards for the boys to draw and colour in. And the Gift for you envelope held a gift certificate of a store my husband saw me coming out of a three days before Mother's Day. He went back and asked the store owner if I had looked at anything. (click on the pics and hopefully blogger will let you open them bigger so you can read them)

I will miss these little gifts when my youngest no longer makes them at school. The poem on his handprint picture made me cry just a little bit.

Your Special Day

Happy Mother's Day!

How many of you wished for yarn?

Waiting Patiently

Hell who am kidding! I'm the most impatient person in the world, especially when it is in anticipation of yarn. Well to be more exact socks knit for me. I enjoyed the Sockapaloooza sock exchange, and at last check the tracking number says that my sockpal received her socks on Monday. Alas, no word yet about either socks sent or socks coming. Send some sock wishes my way. Heh wouldn't it be funny if I wound up being my own sock savoir! Funny and truely pathetic! Don't I know it.

Anywho, a tiny bit of gardening has been going on around here. Well maybe not exactly gardening, more like preparation for gardening. I have weeded the front garden that currently holds "Aunty Tracy" our transplated Rhododen something something and an overative chive plant. Exciting I know, contain yourself. My husband has added some steer poop and compost to the dirt, excuse me soil, and my sweet garden awaits it's fate. This was exactly as far as I got last year.

In case you think I have forgotten how to knit I did mange to whip up 4 hats for a friend, and I am working on a 5th. The Lace Edged Hat in bright pink possibly to large,the Blanche Hat in light pink, my favorite, the Bucket Up in light blue, a little shallow, but we'll see. and sample of the No Hair Day Hat I did mine in a light brown/blonde looks great but I haven't a picture yet. Last but not least the Shedir hat from Knitty's Breast Cancer Awareness special issue. Love the pattern, but the yarn not so much, not for this pattern anyway but it will be OK, no picture yet.

This and That and another WIP

*edited again to fix my unclickable picture problem, one can hope it worked.*

Well the posting has been close to non-exsisting, my knitting has not. Although I have been knitting, nothing much has been accomplished. It seems I have a case of startitis. Thankfully, I have restrained from casting on for everything that has caught my fancy, and I tell you ALOT has caught my fancy. I have bought yarn, and cruised for patterns, I started another a pair of socks, and a Kiri shawl, I picked up my crocheted blanket again. Truth be told I only chose the blanket because I wanted to knit so many things I didn't know where to start, so the crochet blanket served it's time. The Purple People Eater is almost complete (that's an old picture BTW). So the WIP list grows, and the languishing projects languish longer.

Here is the downfall of having a yarn store downstairs from your place of work. My friend also fills in for the yarn shop owner on occasion, and this was the conversation: "Hi Michelle, she just got in the yarn I was talking about, bring the pattern I gotta knit it now!" "Alright I'll be right down" When all I can think while grabbing my wallet and running out the door is "BRING A GURNEY WE HAVE A KNITTER DOWN, SHE'S MUST HAVE GONE INTO A MOHAIR INDUCED COMA, PUSH 100 GRAMS OF MERINO SOCK YARN AND CHECK HER VITALS AGAIN!" Really a friends gotta do what a friends gotta do. Ok, so it was less dramatic than that, but dramatic is way more fun. Of course some of that lace weight mohair/silk made it's way home for me to cast on for Kiri immediately, friends support friend remember.

Last but not least the Sockapaloooza socks will be making their way to their new owner tomorrow. Can't wait to see where mine come from.

Sockapaloooza Socks

My sockpal socks are done, though I am happy with them now, it took a long time for me to feel the love. I hope that she likes them, they are very spring like.

That darn Easter bunny was up to his tricks again. I think the bun has a sock feetish, (LOL, I left my typo in, fitting no?) but I guess with feet that big who wouldn't! Apparently not put off by the fact they didn't fit his feet he found another use for them. Lets just before thankful he doesn't have two of something else! ;-)

My baby is FIVE

This is "LT" half his life ago (2 1/2)

This is him now.

In that first shot I was trying to take a picture of our dog, in the second before I took the picture he crouched right in front of me with that big goofy grin of his. "LT" still loves the camera . That first shot of him has always been my favourite. Happy 5th Birthday Baby, we love you and thank our good fortune for the shear joy and humour you bring to our lives. MWAH.

That Bunny Has the Sixth Sense

The Easter bunny made an appearance at our house. He just about hopped away with my new sock WIP, but not before I got a picture. Those socks are the start of Susan's great pattern (check out her April 2 post) the Sixth Sense Socks for the Sixth Sense Knit Along. The yarn is a self stripping in blues and greys by DGB Confetti. I have never attempted a short-row heel so if you here any cursing that would be me, I apologize in advance. Here's a close up of the the six stitch, six row repeat, sixth sense sox. Say that six times fast.

Happy Easter

ARRRGH Matey, we have sock progress

Yesterday was "L's" birthday party, he turns 5 on Easter Sunday, so we had an early birthday celebration. We had a great turn out, well great if you enjoy 18 children under 5. That wasn't a typo I really did say 18! We hade the children walk the plank, a treasure toss, and a treasure chest pinata. I've never held a party for this many children before but all went wall, with only two incidents both involving my pirate, of course.

I decorated the cake above using a Pirates Lego set, plastic gold coins, Hershey's almond and toffee chocolate "treasure chests" and graham crackers for sand and dyed sugar for water. I was very happy with how it turned out and the kids loved it.

This cosutme was really great, it is a cinderalla costume one side of the costume for when she scrubs floors, and when you turn it inside out it's a beautiful gown, to wear with her glass slippers. And the delinquent mother that I am I don't have a digital picture of my own children dressed up. My digital camera didn't like the lighting in the gymnasium.

And last but not least my sockapaloooza socks are almost complete, I am on the homestretch of the second sock. This picture is of the first sock but I have marked with the blue line where I am at on the second one. While I am not completely satisfied with them, they are growing on me.

Men knit!

Wow twice in one day, in a month were I've only posted what.. twice! But I just happened to come across this article and thought I'd share.

Picking up the Needles

Distraction

A quick drive by blog to let you know thatI am indeed still part of this blogging, knitting world. Life has been getting in the way, along with a little bit of the winter doldrums. The weather here has finally come around, the snow has melted and gone and we have been getting some much needed sun. So to distract you from the fact I have little time to post about the recent goings on around here I present to you a fantastic picture taken by my co-worker yesterday.

The local fisherman were feeding the eagles some fish scraps when my co-worker took this picutre. Enjoy.

(Edited to try a futz it so you can enlarge the picture by clicking on it, blogger hates me and my pictures!)

Blogging Block

Its seems that while I have bloggable bits, photo's , stash enhancement, and even a secret to share I still had blogging block. Maybe it's post traumatic olympic knitting syndrome?

I meet with a decent size knitting group every Thursday at a local coffee shop/yarn shop. We agreed before Christmas that we would have our christmas party late in January. Well, January quickly turned into February, and February eased into March. So, this past Saturday we had our Christmas in March party. We had some great laughs and drank Belini's, and Pina Colada's, yum. Everyone knit but me, I bought yarn, instead. We'll get to that later, it's part of the secret. Not only can our group knit apparently we can cook too! Our potluck was delicious. S took this picture of me wearing my Butterfly at the shindig.

I brought broccoli salad.

Now this is where the secret comes in, I bought the purple yarn is 3 shades of wool on the right to make a version of Carolyn's blanket on the left.

Now the big secret, I'm a h**ker. Thats right, (NOOOOO not that kind that stands on the corner) the afghan is crocheted. It's a plaid crocheted afghan changing colours every row and incorporating ends into the fringe.

Here is my progress so far.

The rest for another day.

Sockapaloooza progress

Quick update on the sock in progress. I still don't know if this is going to be "the" sockapaloooza sock. I will complete this sock, then start another and then decide which I will send away to my sock pal. My sock pal requested washable socks so I think the next sock I test will be a Regia sock as well.

Golden Butterfly

Looks as though Michelle had enough left in the tank to for a gold medal finish in this down to the wire cardigan final. Geez, I must be tired I am talking in the third person.

I'd like to thank my family for all there support, without them I wouldn't..hahahaha right who am I kidding, there the first to sabatoge my knitting mojo. Sick kid here, sick kid there, WHAT? you want dinner again tonight, who know these little people ate so much as so often!

Well it seems I did manage to pull it off. I did in fact finish what I set out to do. I don't think I could make it a monthly occurance, needing sleep an all. Here she is in all her golden glory, Knitting Olympic Gold Medalist...

Butterfly

And because I haven't had proper sleep in a few days and I really look the worse for I wear, I am not modeling. It turned out much larger than I expected, because I wanted the body of the cardigan shorter than the original I shortened those pieces by 2 inches, and because I heard of the issue of too long sleeves from others who have knit it, I shortened those 2 inches also and it's still too long, I would hate to have seen how big it would have been if I hadn't altered it. Well I must rest up for the closing ceremonies.

Congratulations to all the other Team Canada members!