I need a spanking....

Yes I'm a bad girl....

I cast on another project. I said I wouldn't but I did. I saw it on another blog. I'd love to do it in some yarn with long colour runs (which I don't have) but I'm contenting myself with using up cotton scraps I stole from mom...

It's the short row spiral afghan with a few minor mods.

Laaaaaaaaazy...

Okay... this weekend WAS a lazy one. I had Friday off, so Dave and I pretty much just lazed around the house for three days... well Dave played Civilizations while I yelled helpful tips about world domination across the room... of course I don't think he considered me so helpful....

On Friday there was a brief trip to a job fair (I'm trying to get a job at the new Indigo opening in Stoney Creek). On Saturday there was a brief trip to my parents. Today, we did absolutely nothing and went absolutely no where! It was lovely.

In between helping Dave rule the world, I got some serious reading and cat snuggling time, and I even got a little knitting done. And secret surprise #1 is 50 per cent finished! I also have a secret surprise #2, which I also got 50 per cent complete this weekend. But since they are secret surprises, you can't see any pictures.

I do however have to curse Samantha for making me sign up for Ravelry... my queue is getting quite long..... here are a couple of pics of things I want to make and totally can't cast on yet...

These awesome guys may just end up as Christmas presents.....

I love hats almost as much as I love shoes.. especially if they are vintage style hats. This one is awesome!This little cami is gorgeous..... And the perfect reward if I lose the weight I want to... so it probably won't end up on the needles until spring.

Damn you Ravelry!

Dissapointed, but then not so much

Okay, some of you may have wondered whatever happened to the little periodic "wellness" posts I promised to make all those ages ago...

Well I haven't forgotten, I just haven't had much progress to report.... and it's been... well... a little depressing. I do good for about a week, maybe two if I was lucky, but then fall off the wagon spectacularly. I managed to lose about 5lbs, but that was it (and I think that was all water)

Determined as ever to get fitter, about a two months ago, I invested in a Bowflex for Dave and me. About the same time, my friend Bree moved in across the street from me. So for seven weeks, I've worked out on the Bowflex twice a week, and gone for a walk with Bree twice a week. I've tried to eat better, but I'm still struggling with that.

I was sure the exercise would make a difference, but for weeks now the scale continues to read 180 lbs... it won't budge. I keep telling myself not to get too upset, I am adding muscle and muscle weighs more than fat, it'll start to go down eventually. But it would be nice to have the little number get lower to validate all my hard work.

After yet again stepping on the scale and reading "180" I got mad! I know I'm losing weight! I can see muscle definition in my arms! If I stretch my arms to the ceiling, I can see my ribs again, and I can feel my hipbones when my elbows hit them!

So, screw the scale, I got out the measuring tape:

Months ago, this was the prognosis
Arms: 12.5"
Waist 36"
Hips: 48"

Now....

Arms: 11.75" (a whole 3/4 inch smaller!)
Waist 35" (a whole inch!)
But my biggest triumph...
Hips: 45" (3 whole inches smaller!!!!)

So, I feel a little better, but I'd still like that scale to move!

Finito!

It's done!

It took longer than I planned but Liv is done! I've been meaning to sew it together all week, but just wasn't able to make myself do it. I finally got it together on Saturday while watching King Arthur and being neglected by Dave. (I should have kept my strategies for world domination to myself - I got a lot more attention when he was losing at Civilizations)

I'm not too fond of sewing set-in sleeves, but these went in better than the ones for Dave's sweater so maybe it just takes some practice. The neckband was a bit of a pain in the bum, but at least it's done! Now all I need is some cooler weather to enjoy it!

While I didn't sew it together this week, I wasn't idle. No sir! I was getting ready for an upcoming show...

It took a couple of evenings, but I filled my earring racks in preparation for the Pagan Harvest Festival on September 13. If you're in Hamilton, stop by Gage Park. It's a great one day festival that embraces a multitude or religions and beliefs. There are tonnes of great vendors and it's growing every year.

I've added a few new things to my jewellry line, including silver charms, and these: Too cute!

And, I knew there was a reason I should work in my studio, instead of in the living room in front of the TV: He insists on helping. Unfortunately his help consists of... Biting scissors...

... and knocking things on the floor... especially small metal things that can easily get stuck in people's feet.

Of course, when I am in the studio, he sprawls in the middle of my work table, but at least when he knocks things over in there, I don't have to clean it up right away... I can shut the door on the mess and deal with it later.

So, I picked up Dragon Scales again and I got a few pattern repeats done, but it takes a lot of concentration. I need a project that was a little more mindless for the days when Dave is buggin' me or just driving us around in circles, so cast on for another project. It's a secret surprise, so all you can see it this...

Interlude

Nothing new, just pure entertainment


more cat pictures

Cats like salad... apparently

I've mentioned before that Rocky is not a normal cat.

Aside from being ridiculously curious, he'll also eat just about anything (and I mean anything... have you ever seen a cat eat almonds? I have... he loves them)

So, when I heard him rustling through the grocery bags I'd just brought in, I shouldn't have assumed he was after the sliced turkey...

It was the lettuce he wanted... the romaine lettuce I had bought to make Dave a Chicken Caesar Salad. I rushed in to shoo him out and found him chomping away at the head of lettuce. I ripped off a piece for him and put the rest in the fridge. He ate the whole thing!

In other news, I'm proud of myself... I managed to finished the final sleeve of Liv this weekend. I've been blocking the pieces one at a time all week, and every time I brought the blocking board out of Dave's studio (the only room the kids aren't allowed in)...

... they took it as an invitation to have a nap. I'm not sure if it's the alpaca or the styrofoam (which holds body heat nicely). Once the final sleeve is done blocking, this will get sewn up, and only a year and a half after I cast on it'll be finished!

I was also a bad girl and cast on another project... the good news is I cast it off a few days later!This is the Celtic Cap by The Girl From Auntie. This is a really well-done pattern and Dave loved it. I have two balls of baby alpaca left from Liv, I think I might make one for myself.

Oh, and Sam made me join Ravelry (which is where I discovered the cap pattern...) I'm Wanderingcat! Wanna be my friend?

I feel like a princess...

I know I just posted this morning, but I had to put this up....

This is my newest jewelry design, and something I've been wanting to do for a long time:

Made with solid sterling silver, freshwater pearls and genuine peridot. This one is on my Etsy site, but I can custom make these with any stones. I want to make one for my own wedding with garnets and pearls.

Another weekend gone

This is why I don't believe him when he tells me he doesn't like cats:

Despite what this picture may suggest, this weekend was anything but a lazy one...

We did a lot of running around, mostly looking for elusive car parts... fortunately, Dave was doing all the driving, so it gave me a fair bit of time to knit.(Even though he whines about the fluffies that get left behind in the car). Couple that with a lengthy visit with my grandparents, and the fact that the rest of the time Dave was monopolizing my computer (I taught him how to play Civilizations) I got a lot of knitting done.

On Thursday after reading a post by Samantha about frogging a project, I got inspired to go through my knitting stuff, frog anything I was never going to finish, and just generally take stock.

I only frogged a couple of projects (my own designs that weren't working out) but I also discovered this:

I started this project last fall intending to make it for Sam's Ethan for Christmas. For some strange reason, I got the front, back and one sleeve done and then put it away and didn't touch it again. It's far too small for Ethan now (sorry kiddo), but it will make a nice Christmas present for my neice, Rowan. I finished up the sleeve on Thursday, and finished it on Friday. Again, being so close to the end, I don't know why I never finished it.

Another project I started and have been meaning to get back to is this:

Elisabeth Lavold's Liv. I bought the yarn for this ages ago from Julie (RY Classics 100 per cent Baby Alpaca) I finished the front and the back then put it away. After finishing the baby sweater Friday night, I cast on for the first sleeve and had it done Sunday night. One more sleeve to go. This one is for myself. This is the second sweater I've made myself -- the first was a bit of an experiment with angora yarn... it stretched (fine yarn on big needles), and felted on the underarms, so I was terribly dissapointed. Hopefully this one looks nice.

I also took Dave's Leo up to mom to fix the arms (which are about 4 inches too long) and the collar (which is way too big and looks like a scoop neck)

So, I'm making progress, and once I get Liv off the needles, all I'll have left unfinished it Dad's Christmas sweater, Mom's Christmas Surprise, a felted purse, Norbert and Dragon Scales... not bad.

I really want to cast on Icarus with the green silk I hand painted, but I want to get a few things off the needles first... oh I did cast on for this yesterday:

Paisley's dolly was tired of running around in just painted on underwear.