Sunday, April 30, 2006

Update!

Well, another birthday has successfully passed! Yes, I am now the big two-three. I know that older people are like, yeah your so young, wait til your older, then complain, but this B-Day has been one of the more traumatic ones. Actually, it's not that bad, but I do have a few wrinkles.

I've been eating cake every day for the last week, so now I feel like I need that sugar to survive. I'm thinking that Tuesday might be my first cake-free day.

Amazingly, I did not receive any yarn or knitting paraphernalia for my birthday. But that's alright with me, because I'm just not in a new yarn mood right now. I think it's because I'm trying to knit up my stash, and new yarn makes that more difficult. Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally opposed to new yarn or anything.

I've been knitting away on my super plain sock, and I got the heel turned last night, and a bit more. I'll do some pictures soon.

Bird update: The three finches that are living in our hanging basket have all learned to fly, and flew away this morning. The fourth egg didn't hatch, and we know this because we saw that it is still in the nest.

We watched Pearl Harbour last night. Geez, what's with all the sad movies. I did learn something though, Josh Hartnett is h-o-t!! Ya learn something new everyday!

I think I'm going to head to the garden store for a few more plants today. I did get an amazing pot with beautiful things in it! It has lavender, grapefruit mint, pineapple mint, and strawberry plants! My parents always pick the most fabulous arrangements!

I also got some beautiful cut flowers from my friend Martin, and a super useful cookbook from my friend Carol, and her BF Mike.

A friend of mine is coming over this afternoon, so I need to get cleaning! See ya soon.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

It's My Birthday Tomorrow!!


I haven't been posting lately. It's not that I haven't been thinking about it, it's just that I haven't had the energy. Also, I've been training on computer stuff at work, so when I get home, I can hardly bear sitting down at the computer again.

I've started a new sock out of some Sunshine Yarn. I'm giving it a try on 3mm needles and it is sure knitting up quickly.

Our deck birds are growing quickly and appear to be doing well. You can thank Stu for the pic. You can see the birdie better if you enlarge the pic.

Talk to y'all soon!

Monday, April 17, 2006

One Last Day, Then I Must Go Back To Work...

Well, it's Monday. I was hoping to be back to work today, but reality set in last night, and I realized that I wouldn't be well enough to work today. On the plus side, I woke up feeling a little bit better this morning, and come hell or high water, I will be going to work tomorrow. I'm going to try to return to a bit more of a normal schedule today, where I'm up and about a bit more, so tomorrow isn't too shocking to my system.

I've got the sock bug again. I don't know if you've noticed, but I haven't been doing to much sock knitting lately. I think I burned myself out on socks, and just needed a bit of a break from them. Well, I actually have the desire to knit socks again, so that's a good sign to me. I cheated on my sock yarn diet not last weekend, but the weekend before. I was at my LYS, Urban Yarns, to get some yarn for a baby project for my niece, and they had just got some Lorna's Laces in. This is big! Until they got LL's in, you could not buy it in Vancouver. I picked up 2 skeins in Bittersweet. This colorway is mouthwatering! Beautiful! It was worth it even though I'm part of the SYAC (Sock Yarn Addicts Club), and I shouldn't be buying yarn.

I've been poking around my books and different websites for sock patterns to use with this colorway, and I wasn't having much luck until I went to Cara's website, January One. She's making the lace socks from the spring Interweave Knits magazine, and they look fabulous! Fortunately, my secret pal sent me that issue of IK in her last package to me, so I even have the pattern. I have to admit that I thought that pattern was just "alright" when I saw it in the magazine, but after seeing them on Cara's blog, I really want to make them.

I have one sleeve left on the baby bolero I'm making, and to tell you the truth, I really don't feel like knitting it anymore. I've realized something that will be important to my future knitting--I really don't like working with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Baby. I don't mind the other weights of Cashmerino, and I don't even mind the baby weight in other yarn brands. For some reason, I just do not like working with this yarn. I'll have to make sure I keep that in mind when I'm buying yarn next time.

We watched another movie yesterday, this time it was An Unfinished Life. It's got J-Lo in it. I was a bit worried it wouldn't be very good, but it was really quite fabulous! Oh, and the day before, we saw Fun With Dick and Jane, and it was very funny. I'd see it again. I'd see both of them again.

To wrap up, I'll be at work tomorrow, I'm going to knit the lace socks from the spring IK, and An Unfinished Life, and Fun With Dick and Jane were both good movies. Oh yeah, and I'm not knitting with Cashmerino Baby again... Well...at least not until I forget that I don't like it. Ha!

Oh, and we had a nice little Easter surprise: Our birdies that made a nest in our hanging basket on the deck have hatched their eggs, so we have 4 baby birdies living in out hanging basket! That's what that picture is all about.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

I'm Bored...

Do you remember those childhood sick days? Didn't they totally rock? What is it that happens when you become an adult that ruins sick days? I think it's probably all the responsibilities that don't leave you alone when ill.

Anyways...I'm getting sick of being sick, and the boredom has definitely set in. Although, I think I might be a bit better, but "a bit better" isn't great. I can still only be up and about for about 10 minutes before feeling absolutely exhausted, and I have a wicked cough.

I decided that I had to be productive yesterday, so I did my taxes. I don't owe anything, but it didn't make me feel much better.

Stu and I watched Brokeback Mountain last night. I figured I should see it, since everyone else was seeing it. Apart from the lack of plot, we both thought it was a nice love story. I guess we're pretty liberal in our views, because we didn't think it should have been all that controversial. That's what you get for living in Vancouver. The only problem I had with it was that it was really sad. I hate sad movies. I think we're going to watch Fun With Dick and Jane today, to balance out the sadness from Brokeback Mountain. I actually wanted to watch Fun With Dick and Jane yesterday, but Stu insisted on Brokeback Mountain first. My somewhat witty response to this was "I wanted to watch Fun With Dick and Jane, and you just want to watch "Fun With Dick!" Ha! Do you get it? Fun with Dick! I thought it was funny. I have been told that I have an "interesting" sense of humor.

I'm going to try to get the first Baby Bolero sleeve completed today (I'm about half way through), and I might post pics after that. I might, however, wait until I'm done the second one too. Regardless, there should be some progress pics posted by tomorrow at the latest.

I don't know if you know this, but we're coming up on birthday week. Most of my family was born in April. Just to name a few, my big bro's b-day (nice alliteration, huh?) is on the 19th, followed by my mom on the 21st, and mine on the 27th. My nephew's b-day is also on the 27th. I'm someone who gets super excited about my b-day, so there will be more on it I'm sure.

Happy Easter!

Thursday, April 13, 2006

I'm Still Sick!


I can't believe that I'm still sick! I took Tuesday off from work, and then Wednesday I tried to go in, but they sent me home at 8:30, because I felt, and apparently looked, like total crap. I went to the doctor as soon as I left work, and was diagnosed with the flu. I haven't had the flu in probably 7 or 8 years, and it's making me crazy. I feel totally guilty about not being at work.

I get bored pretty easily, so being at home all day everyday is like torture. With my small amount of energy I have left, I've been watching TV and knitting. A friend of mine dropped by yesterday to lend me her Happy Hooker book, because she heard I was sick and figured I'd want something to do. That's one of the nicest things a friend of mine has done in a long time.

I have been making good knitting progress as of late. I started on a cardigan on Friday night/Saturday morning for my niece who is now more than 3 months old. It's made out of RYC cashmere something or other. It has approximately the same content as Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. It totally rocks to work with. It knits up beautifully and quickly. I'm impressed that I was able to do the crochet edging, and I think it turned out very well.

I've started on the Baby Bolero from Cashmerino Baby II. I just finished the back. This one is a slow knit, so I think I might take a break from it to start on something for myself.

I wanted to post pics of my baby bolero progress, but since I'm really not feeling well, you'll have to wait.

I hope to be updating again soon.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

I Forgot To Post Last Weekend....


I've been trying to at least post once on the weekends, but I totally forgot last weekend. It's now Tuesday ... And I'm sick. I guess that's what I get for forgetting to post. The blog gods gave me a cold or flu or whatever!

You might notice the time stamp on this entry is in the morning. And as you know, I'm supposed to work all day. Well, I'm taking my very first sick day ever! I feel so guilty that I'm not at work, but I feel so bad that I don't think I'd be able to do my job. I'm hoping that some rest today will make me A-Okay for tomorrow, and the rest of the week (which is a short one because of Easter, so that adds to my missing work guilt). It feels like I have the flu without the throwing up---yet.

Okay!! Onto better news---

I got a package from my secret pal yesterday, and she has really outdone herself!! I now have two new yarns to try-- a pretty green alpaca (it reminds me of grass), and a very dreamy purple mohair (I think it's in fingering weight), and it's from a farm in Texas. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with them yet, but whatever it is, it's going to be very pretty. I also got the new IK from my pal, and there's a lace scarf in there that I think I might have to make with the purple. We shall see.

I also got an assortment of candles/incense in my two favorite scents: vanilla and lavender. It's nice, because all the yarn smells like it too from being in the box.

It's funny...Stu got home last night, and saw that I'd opened my package, and the first thing he says it "What did she send us to eat?". So, I'm missing a few gummy bears. See, my pal sends something for everyone in the house. Stu shares in the candy, the cat gets the box, and I get the rest!

Saturday, April 01, 2006

My Teeny Tiny Sock Yarn Stash...

It wasn't quite as small before, but I've been trying to knit my stash for several months, so I started early. I've got enough for 20 pairs of socks. Hmm....I'm not sure that's enough......

One Day On A Rainy Saturday In April...

It's not even 7am yet, and I've already signed up for SP 8! I thought I'd mention it here, because I know a lot of people miss sign ups, because they don't know they're happening. I've got to get my last package off to my SP7 pal. I know it seems late, but I've told her it's coming late, and it's strictly a "bonus package". She's already got her "real" SP 7 stuff.

I can't wait for my pal to be revealed!

I know I need to take a pic and do an inventory of my sock yarn for the knit your sock yarn stash challenge, but it's too dark at this point. I'm getting my hair cut at 11:45 this morning, so I think that pics will come after that!

I'm not looking forward to Monday morning, with the whole spring ahead. I'm not ready to lose an hour, I just got used to the time I have to get up. Don't forget to change your clocks on Sunday morning (only if you're supposed to be on daylight savings time, please!) ;).

I almost forgot! We have 2 hanging baskets on our deck, and some house finches have decided to make a nest in one of them. Yesterday afternoon, Stu discovered that there is now an egg in there, that wasn't there the day before!

I know it's a bit blurry, but I can't think of a better picture to welcome the month of April. Oh, have I mentioned that it's my B-Day this month? Well, it is! It's on the 27th. Just so you know.