Sunday, September 14, 2008

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaawn!

What a weekend!
It started on Friday. I ran out of hours at work, so I took the day off. It really was a blessing, because I had spent the week playing Sid Meier's Pirates and my house was a mess. Not to mention, the Pagan Harvest Festival was the very next day and there were about 12,001 things I needed to do to prepare. I had planned on doing a little bit each day the week before... but the lure of the open (pixilated) sea was too much, and I am a professional procrastinator.
So, Friday it was time to buckle down and get to work. I started by sleeping in until 10:30. I got up, looked at the dishes, opened a can of Coke and headed for the computer. After about an hour and a half of Pirates, I decided it was time to get really serious.
I headed upstairs and beaded for several hours. The cats were thrilled that I was home all day, and with the fact that I was in the studio... a room they are not allowed in unsupervised. Of course when Rocky wasn't trying to run away with half my stash (the main reason he's not allowed in that room) Tux was trying to help me bead:
After about two hours I finally convinced him to get the hell out of the way and he settled on this perch to supervise.
At about 6:30 p.m. I stopped beading and headed downstairs to clean up the house before Dave got home from work. I cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned, cooked Dave some dinner and put it in the fridge for him, and then headed up to mom's to steal some cash for my float. I finally got home around 9:30. Thankfully Dave had done the dishes (dishes are my nemesis). After chatting with him for a while, I headed for bed around midnight, enjoying one of the worse nights of sleep I've ever had.

I was up Saturday bright and early and Dave helped me packed up the car before he headed up to my parents to fix his Buick. I picked up my friend Bree, and we headed to Gage Park.

We had been watching the weather all week, and it looked bleak for the outdoor festival. But we got through a wonderful & busy (albeit grey& dismal) morning, selling our crafts (Bree is a photographer). The Pagan Harvest Festival is one of the most interesting places I've ever vended at. You meet the most interesting people, and there is an incredible energy there. One of the work shop tents was right behind us, so we got to listen in. It was nice because when you're selling, you often miss out on all the non-selling events at festivals. There was a study on the significance of harvest festivals throughout the world, a workshop about learning to identify your spirit animal, and belly dancing lessons. When I have a little less jiggle to my jello, I might join them. It looked like fun. Unfortunately I left my camera at home, so no pics.

But, at about 2 p.m. the weather turned & the rain came down. Surprisingly though, it didn't seem to deter the visitors. There were a lot of umbrellas, but people where still milling about. But by 4 p.m. most people had cleared out. Not to mention the fact that Bree and I were pretty damp. My jewelry is impervious rain, and Bree had all her prints under plastic, but our tent didn't have sides (next year we're investing in some tarps) As it got heavier, we got wetter.

And of course the minute we got everything packed up and were taking the tent down... the sky opened up, pouring down so much rain we could barely see across the park. So much for being damp. We were soaked to the bone. (Image how ticked I was when I woke up this morning to a nice bright sunny day)

While I was selling I did manage to make some progress on my shortrow spiral afghan, which I now call "Frankenghan"
I worked away on it today as well, and here's where we're at...
After running out of yarn for the short row spiral, I picked up stitches all way around, and increasing on the corners I worked in the round until I ran out of wool again. Here's close of up the increases:
Once that was done, I decided I didn't want it to be a square afghan anymore, so working with one end I started knitting in garter stitch. I've done the same thing on the other end. Then I decided I really want this to be a full size afghan, not just a lapghan, so I'm continuing on with the peach yarn in seed stitch. I'll do the same on the other end. Even after that is done, it probably won't be long enough, so I think I may finish the ends in feather and fan in a different yarn. So I guess it's kind of a sampler afghan. All in all it's been a great way to use up those odd balls of yarn.

Monday, September 8, 2008

A-Okay

First an update:
A reader recently asked if Tux's fat lip was any better...

He says "Yes, thank you, it's just fine."

The swelling went down after a couple of weeks. It never seemed to cause him any pain, and from the reading I did, it looks like it was probably just an allergic reaction to something, or he bit a bug that bit back.

Onward and upward.

It was another busy weekend. Saturday bright and early mom and dad delivered a new (to me) dryer because mine crapped out a few weeks ago. Since Dave and I were up out of bed much earlier than normal we decided to get a lot accomplished.


We went to the beer store and took our empties back, and did some brief business at Bell Mobility (well Dave did... I won't deal with Bell for any reason). We got some lunch at Swiss Chalet. Between the gift card that had been sitting in my wallet since March and the change from the empties, lunch was free! We then headed out to Brantford so Dave could get a new starter for the great white whale:
The starter it had wasn't a performance starter and didn't like to start when it's hot... not a good idea for a summer car. And since we were in the Brantford area and Dave made me stand around a performance shop for half an hour, I made him drive me down the road to Mary Maxim so he could follow me around for an hour and a half!

I got some new yarn (only $1.49 a ball... I bought six) and some findings I've been needing, as well as some denim patches to repair Dave's jeans:
Plus some more fabric... I guess I better get my other quilt top together so I can make this one:


And to get even remotely close to being able to do that, I had to clean out the studio. So between cleaning and doing the laundry that piled up while I was dryerless, it was a pretty busy Sunday too.

Of course I didn't get to any sewing, and with the Pagan Harvest Festival looming, I probably won't get any done until next week.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Yarn to Dye for

Here are the fruits of Monday's labour (well some of them, mom kept a few skeins)
From top to bottom
Parrot Fish (the reef kind, not the freshwater kind)
Aurelia
and
Eternal Flame

Now the good news is, if you really, really like these... they will be for sale soon!
Along with these (if you'll remember from a previous blog)
(From L-R: Summer Vineyard, Bluebells and Cockleshells, Sunflower Garden and Louis' Last Sunrise)
And there will be much more to come!
Mom and I just have to figure out a few details and we'll be opening an Etsy shop! The moment that happens I'll let you know here!

Monday, September 1, 2008

Dizzy... and it ain't the wine

Round and round and round we go...
As you can see I spent most of the weekend making serious progress on the shortrow spiral afghan. I really like this pattern... it's very calming. Dave said it looks like I'm knitting a temple but he spent most of the weekend playing pirate games on the computer so what does he know?
I have, however, run out of yarn so I can't make this any bigger. (Rocky here gives you an idea of the size.) It's obviously not big enough. It's not even big enough for a baby blanket. But it's okay. I've got a plan! I'm not going to tell you what it is... but rest assured it's a good one. You'll see it soon enough.

And since Rocky gets a little too much face time on this blog... here are my other beautiful, loveable and irritating models.

Madam Jalapeno...


Peno has been particularly helpful with this blanket... keeping the other side of the couch warm and guarding the balls of yarn when they aren't in use. I have a feeling this will end up being "her" blanket.

And of course we can't forget Tux who knows what blankies are really for!NAP TIME!

In other news, Mom and I spent the day dyeing more yarn. You can check out that adventure here!

Friday, August 29, 2008

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.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

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!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

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!