Happy Birthday to Me!!!!!

Birthdays, mine, as a whole, are not very important to me. But, it seems the older I get the more important they do become. I have always tried to make the boys' birthdays special, celebrate on their day, do and eat what they want. I think I pretty much succeeded in that right. Today is my birthday, my sons are grown and live away and work. DS1 and his fiancee came down last night and along with DS2 and DH celebrated. Cupcakes and cake, gifts of knitting books, reading books and dog books along with jewelry were gifted and gratefully accepted. DS2 had to leave for work, DS1 and fiancee and I ate Thai food and talked while DH went to bed as he needed to return to work. All in all a grand celebration. I am always thrilled to spend time with my gang. Thanks guys.
Today is my birthday and the intention was to be in Vancouver at the Olympics, I would have watched the curling in person and attended the skating exhibitions. But it was not meant to be. SO I am at home, having taken the night off from work, and DS2 and his fiancee worked, but they called and emailed wishes of birthday greetings and DS1 had class and is at work but has Happy Birthdayed several times. DH came home from work and watched some curling with me and now is asleep having worked last night.
Sometimes .life just gets in the way of a birthday.

Happy Valentine's Day

There you have it. I LOVE Valentine's Day. The heart and the peace symbol are my two favorite shapes. Right now I am wearing earrings that incooperate the two. I don't know what it is..I guess I am a closet romantic. DH and I worked and I am at work again at my per diem job. There were years we did it up right, went away, were silly and goofy romantic. I am told we may have that again next year. We shall see. At any rate, dear reader ( I am not sure there is more than one of you) I hope you spent the day with someone you love and got some chocolate(no calories on VDay) and maybe a smooch or two. My smooching was even limited as I have quite the cold and germs must be contained. SO DH for you

Knitting
The ABC Blanket for my neice's first baby as well as the cute Peace Baby Set are adorable. Unfortunately I was not well enough or germ free enough to attend her baby shower. I was so disappointed but will send the gifts along to her this week. The next baby set is due by March 6. My brother and his wife are having their first child, a son and there is a shower. All this explains to some degree why Louise was not done for Opening Ceremonies.

Hmm....

OK I KNOW there was another post, where did it go?

Anywho....
We have just finished week 5 of the Knit A Norwegian KAL...my Lake Louise is lovely, but tedious.




I made it to the placket and opening ceremonies are this Friday, of course I am working.. :( I had my heart set on attending this Olympics, oh well....

The knitters on Ravelry in this particular group are all quite accomplished knitters, designers and it is an honor to "be in their company". I am finishing up some baby things and working on Louise, but she will not not be done for opening ceremonies, there is always closing, lol...

My next Dale sweater will likely be Lillehammer...I have wanted this for so very long and like most knitters , when first I bought the book, I felt it was a bit above me, which is surprising as I don't feel that way about a lot of things...but I am researching new yarn colors and what I have in stash and will firm up a decision this week.

Tomorrow, I am going to the 5th Anniversary Mass for my father...five years, so long yet truly just a blink of an eye. I think about how much my life has changed and the things I would have liked him to know about. I went to Katrina with the Red Cross Disaster Team, I rode a hundred mile bike benefit, DS1 received his under grad degree at 20 and first Masters at 22, he also met , became friends with, fell in love and is now engaged to a lovely young lady. He is prospering in his career and true to his word to my father he does not work Saturdays. DS2 has had a few surgeries which he came through swimmingly, graduated high school and pursuing his undergrad degree. He will graduate at 21 and who knows what life has in store for him. He drove a pickup and works in a home improvement store, my father was a carpenter by trade. He has formed many wonderful relationships with some really special young women and I am hoping soon he too will find his mate. My DH and I bought our first home, have renovated most of it and many times when I am high up on a ladder painting the house or cleaning gutters I see my father laughing or holding the ladder so I won't slip. I wish he were here to ask opinions about some of the things we do. We have added three dogs and two kitties to our family. Dad would have got a kick out of watching them run around land we have acquired. I am still on hold waiting to see if I will travel to Haiti in the relief efforts there on the team my hospital has sent, he would like that. But tomorrow we honor his memory at Church, his Church, a Church he loved and helped to keep in existence. Most, if not all of he and my mother's 11 children, their spouses, children and grandchildren will be there. Dad never got to see his great child and the fact that this year three more will be born and one more grandchild is a bittersweet joy.Oh well....

Nickolas is a wonderful little puppy...he has settled in nicely with his brothers and sister.



He is trying to do all the right things and learn and he loves me.
He can be running around and barking and playing and I will pick him up and cuddle him and he is gone. He was 15pounds when we picked him up 4 weeks ago, he lost a pound as he was a little sick from stress and now is 19 pounds. He adores Phineas, who is more than thrilled to have another being to herd. Oliver tolerates him but finds him a formidable playmate.



the kittens are still out on their decision.




I have not made many yarn acquisitions for some time...I have so much and am trying to use some of the stash in each project. This is my birthday month though and I am planning some pink Wollmeise as a gift to me....

OK, I will add pics and post this...for now

Hi Mom...Happy Birthday month to you also.

So Far So Good

OK we have had the lovely Prince Nickolas for two weeks...what a treasure he is. Oliver, our first dog, my and my sons very first dog, was a new and exciting venture for us. The poor pup was sick shortly after we got him and I used to wait for him to yawn to throw the pills into his mouth. It terrified me to pick him up and his teeth, well, I wanted a glove like falconers wear. Then came Phineas, first rescued pet, little guy with some obvious issues. rescued the very day he and is brothers were to be put down, not even 10 weeks old when we got him, already neutered, last pup to be adopted...much different looking with his coat of many colors and black rimmed devil eyes. He quickly stole our hearts and became Oliver's shadow. Then, for some reason known only to higher powers we rescued not one but two kitties. Brother and sister Artemus and Annabel, smaller than small, 6 weeks old....what the heck do you do with a kitten? Why do I have two pets I can now hold in one hand? Why are they so fast and what is with all the scratching? Well...Artemus, the little talker of the two, walks beside me and gabs and gabs filling me in on all the goings on of the house and pretty girlie Annabel watches the boys of the house and rolls her eyes. She is not averse to being held and when I ask her dance the paw is presented and we dance around the kitchen. They have been an experience, a time consuming, costly, funny, exasperating experience. I wish I had known animals all my life and am grateful for the patience and love they give so freely. Hmmm....4 animals, that should be enough for a house of three people. NOPE....I wanted another dog for about a year. I would bring it up and be shut down...finally I said I am getting another puppy and for Christmas I want support and puppy things. The family certainly came through. Two weeks before Christmas I found a litter of lab pups that were rescued. Actually their Mom was rescued, pregnant, the day she was going to be put down. Thank goodness there are places that rescue animals. A Lab Rescue organization scooped her up and she was placed in a foster home to give birth and to have the opportunity to mother her babies til they were old enough to leave. They all lived there, the foster home. They were luckier still that the home fostering them was full of labs, the family raised and trained labs so little ones were nothing unusual. What a great start to a life that was never intended to happen. Nickolas came to us well loved and cared for and a bit sad for having left his family but now after two weeks he knows he is home. He knows his crate and puts himself in there when wanting some solitude. He adores his animal siblings and freely kisses their noses, especially when he thinks they may be getting bored with him or angry at him. He shadows the big dogs and proudly accompanies them on their daily walks, determined and successful at keeping up. He has to be stopped and reminded he is only a baby. They have decided he is ok and have taken to looking out for him. Even the kittens have figured out he is staying and have come more close to him to observe him and his antics. He is the smallest of the dogs we have had. I am so glad I got to know him as a baby as every day it is evident he is growing quickly. Soon he will be giving the big dogs a run for their money. I hope some day to return the favor and foster some dogs til they can be placed in their forever homes...they will be welcome and loved and missed when given to their families. But, we have been on the receiving end and would like to repay the kindness.

This eating vegetarian was going swell til two days ago, I have been hankering for fish so may indulge. I am hoping to get to the gym Tuesday and Thursday this week...

Knitting...

Off and Running

OK so Sunday night or Monday morning will be the optimal times for me to blog. Just talking to myself and typing so you all got that info as well, lol.



Life

So many changes in 2009....my DS1 and his GF travelled to DIsney World in September. Now DS has been there dozens of times, always with family, me in particular :) so this was his first trip without his mother. So what does a young man do in Disney without his mother....GET ENGAGED!!!! I am thrilled...his GF is a doll, has always been a true member of our family and we couldn't be more excited. There are plans in progress for a May 2011 wedding, some knitting will be involved, and lots of fun to be had by all.

We hosted an engagement party for the couple in November and it was a lovely time. The deck is done at last and at one point seemed to have a million people on it, lol.



DS2 is starting his last semester as a college junior, wow does time ever fly. He turned 20 in December, a fine young man. He was able to find a job after months of applications and searching and is seeming to enjoy being a tax payer. Sadly he was in an accident last month, in the truck, and it was totalled. He could have been so badly hurt but the air bag deployed and used great wisdom bringing the truck to a stop. Lots of aches and pains, but he is fine now. We all know we were very lucky. We now have another truck, a usable cab that will seat 5-6 adults and accomodates the anmals nicely. It has 4 wheel drive, which with this nasty last few weeks of snow has been a blessing. I like trucks. People are always surprised to hear it is my vehicle of choice. The new truck and an addition of a brand new snow blower makes all this whit stuff easier to deal with.



DH has been on a weight loss program and is doing so wonderfully. It is nice to have his company walking the dogs and there is even talk of possible skiing this year. Not the optimal choice with my knee still needing surgery, but I am of the mindset that I know it needs fixing so until I have it fixed it is not going to impair my life. My skis will need tuning and all the gear will need to be located in the great barn of things, but I told DH if we spend the month of January at the gym getting back into good shape then sometime in February skiing is a lilkhood. I am actually quite excited about the possibility. It will need to be carefully planned with DS2 now working and the addition of a third puppy requiring sitting, lol.



Nickolas is coming Saturday, we need to drive a bit to pick him up from the transporter coming from Texas, but we are all so excited. DS2 will be in Florida for the week, so he will not get to meet him til next week, and DS1 is coming home to sit the other animals. We have had a surrogate Nickolas, a stuffed black lab which was gifted to me by DH, in the crate and the animals have taken turns sitting and keeping watch over him. It will be an intersting experience having them all meet for sure. I think we will have hit our max for animals for a bit, though. But we sure do enjoy the ones we have.



I must have 50 WIPs...it is sad, I go full force and then get distracted by some new more interesting project and there are emoty needles about so....I am committed to finishing ten of the unloved this year. If more become FO so much the better, but right now 10 would be admirable.



I am currently working on a Dale being knit in honor of the Winter Olympics.http://sheriffofknittingham.blogspot.com/Lorraine has spearheaded a Knit a Norwegian. Four years ago this group knit Dales in honor of the winter Olympics, my Foxie, 90% done has been located in the GBOT,(great barn of things) and stands an excellent chance of being completed as well. I am working on Lake">http://www.allegroyarns.com/dale/dale8501-1.html>Lake Louise 2001 in Dale Falk in grey, aubergine and cyclamen. The aubergine is from my stash which is also a plan for 2010, new COs must use some stash yarn, not all but at least some. I will post weekly updates here and am hoping for completion before the ending ceremonies.

There is much crocheting going on with so many new babies due in 2010, I personally know of 7..wow...so many little things are in the works as well. I will post finished pics only.



I have begun my venture into becoming a vegetarina, not a vegan, but a vegetarian. I have purchased some wonderful cookbooks and think this is doable. I am giving myself the month of January to ease into it but the first three days have gone well...updates on that as well.



So there you have it for this week anyways. Happy New Year to us all....here's hoping for health and happiness for all.



Have a great week, Mom.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Where have I been? No idea....we all have life that gets in the way and Ravelry stole so much of my time, but it was worth it. It is a new year. I have a new puppy coming. Yes a third..what can I say? I am smitten and my family is kind enough to indulge me. I am also casting on for a new Dale...in honor of the Winter Olympics. THE Olympics I planned to attend, THE Olympics I tracked for 4 years, THE Olympics I could not get enough tickets in venues close together in time to justify spending tens of thousands of dollars for the trip. I am so disappointed, this was likely the only Olympics I would ever get to....life, sometimes not a kind thing. BUT I am getting another puppy in a week.

2010
GOALS
Knitting
Finish 10 WIPS, not necessarily before CO new, just finish some of the old as well
Finish organizing knitting supplies as every time I want to find a needle I cannot, perhaps they live in WIPs?

Health
Get back into a good healthy lifestyle. I am going to try to be a better vegetarian, dday one has been successful,lol. I don't enjoy meat very much and love tofu and vegetables so it will be an easy transition. I have some new cookbooks to help in the endeavor.
Get back to the gym 2-3 times a week.

Blog
Weekly

There are others, but not feeling the need to publicly announce, lol.

MANY many family updates but let's start small ..lol

For now I wish everyone a Happy Healthy New Year...a new day a new start

Happy New Year, Mom

Welcome Back Me!!!

Long time, eh?
I have been laid up for two weeks so far with an injured knee. Oliver, now known as Crippler, clipped my left knee in his excitement to be groomed. The knee shifted one way and then back and it was never meant to shift either way. So an ER visit, Orthopedic visit and MRI have led to an Orthopedic appointment tomorrow also. I am hoping to get back to work next week or week after at the latest. But this has curtailed my house painting and dog walking and general getting about.
Anywho..
DM came for a visit in April. We all had a great time, shopping and visiting and dog walking. The pups tried to get DM at one point as they each went round her and their leashes being held by me also went round. Fortunately they are trained enough so she was not injured. Phineas took quite a liking to DM as she is a little lady and he likes to herd little things, LOL.
We have additions to the family. On Mother's Day we adopted two kittens. Our intent was to get one male and we saw him two weeks before we could get him, so cute. A few days before picking him we were asked to consider taking his sister who's adoption had fallen through. It was a wise decision as we could never entertain Artemus enough without Annabel's help. Annabel is a fawn colored full tiger tabby
and Artemus is grayish fawn tiger with white mittens.

They currently weigh 2.5 and 2.3 pounds respectively. The dogs are getting used to them and no longer are surprised when this"toy" comes to life.

Here is Annabel trying her very hardest to look menacing...I just laugh at her.
The kittens were tube and bottle fed and lived in a foster home with a dog so are mostly ok with the puppies. they are very interesting to watch all together. Fun fun.

DH has excavated the area of the yard where the deck will go as the land slopes away from the house. He and DS2 seemed to have fun with the oversized Tonka truck!! This week holes, inspection, cement pouring and then we can start. Of course the knee is not allowing me much involvement :( We did replace the fence that is between the barn and the house. The older worn was falling down and no longer dog proof. The new composite one is 6 feet tall and we placed the pickets so the dogs could see through just fine. I love it. We built it ourselves, got the individual pickets rather than a prefab fence so we could make it to our liking.

Much much Wollmeise has been added to stash, very lucky. This is a picture of most of the stash.

These lovelies are not in the big picture.



The WM group is having a Summer of Wollmeise trying to work down our stashes and then replenish in the fall. Hmmm..that means not adding WM over the summer, maybe not adding more than 10 skeins..heehee
Woolgirl has offered a Wizard of Oz Sock Club and I was lucky enough to get in on some and a Peanuts Sock Club. the first Oz shipment came today called "Over the Rainbow" Can you believe this package?
Lovely. Wizard of OZ is my most favorite movie followed very closely by Willy Wonka. A Wonka Sock CLub would be grand!!! Hmmm......

My Catriona Knee Socks by Wendy in Pillars of Fire are coming along nicely, but I need something with two colors soon. I want to finish this first sock and cast on the second before starting something else though. And I finally succumbed and have cast on a Clapotis in Saami Wollmeise.

I am going to post this and will update links and pics...I am out of work this week and at least two more....

Hi Mom

Congratulations to my nephew Greg, he married Crystal this past week, they are both Marines, very brave young people.

And my niece Cassy, is getting married this Saturday. I was planning on attending but this knee will not allow me to sit in a car for the length of time the drive will take :( I am hoping to see many pictures.

DS2 has a job he is thoroughly enjoying and finished his second year of college. Wow next year a Junior already....and DS1 and GF moved out, yes that is right. Gone....they are living in a lovely home and have gained back a lot of their life that was spent commuting. I think it is a very wise decision to want your free time to be your free time.

Wonderful Wollmeise

I was lucky enought to hit an update or two a few weeks back, as well as make a few trades and have almost all of my WM that is meant to live with me lately...so these are the groups of packages..

Most of the Gummy Bears that get sent along with each package, I ate one(hey I needed the energy to open the packages)
And the very beautiful Wollmeise....I present
4-Terra di Siena medium intensity 100% Superwash 2-Honigtopfchen 100%SW
Serpentin Laceweight 4-Serpentin 100%SW
4-Der letzte Versuch-Medium-100%SW (1 to someone else)2-Poison Nr 5-Medium- 80/20 Twin 2-Der letze Versuch-Dark-80/20T (1 to someone else)
7-Ebenholz SW (4 are going to others)
3-Schwarz 100%SW(1 traded) 1-Versuchskaninchen 2 100%SW(NEW FAVORITE!!!) 4-Admiral 80/20 t(1 traded)
1-Campari Orange laceweight-Dark 1-Miss May Laceweight-dark(traded)
4-Herzblut-100%SW 3-Indisch Rot-medium-80/20T
2-Tiefer See Wild Thing 80/20 Fluffy-medium 2-Amazonas Wild Thing -medium-80/20T 2-Pfefferminz Prinz-medium-80/20T 2-Farn(from trade) 2-Barist"O" laceweight-medium(Iwould get a better pic but both have gone to new owners in trade)But what a beautiful color... VergiB(purchase from Ravelry) and my first yarnissima Kit Spina de Pesce(?sp)
Ok, I must go and pet my yarn...another update regarding knitting tomorrow.

Hi Mom, all this yarn comes from Germany. pretty neat eh?

Warmer weather, Wollmeise and Weary Wednesday

I have started three updates in the past two weeks and never finished them. I have been stalking WOllmeise, yes yarn. Not just any yarn, Wollmeise, wondrous, wildly colored, wool Wollmeise. If one were to peruse my stash they would take note I have some, much compared to some stashes. I am not so much into sock knitting at this time and want quantities to make sweaters and shawls. I stalked for 8 months before actually hitting an update three weeks ago and two weeks ago I hit two(with the help of DH). At times, it is very convenient to have a DH working the same schedule as you especially when an update happens in the very wee hours of the morning. I obtained a bit, a bit more with DH help after having hit an early afternoon update. I am still waiting for the delivery of all the yarn and some has been promised to others in repayment for trades or just because they were looking and had looked for me. That is how it works. I am actually stalking as I type and hope not to miss another update even with all the yarn coming,lol. Truth be told if i miss it is ok, there are a few people I would love to grab a skein or two though. But there will be other updates and Claudia will make more yarn. I was lucky enough to get in on the first round of her sock club. quarterly we receive two exclusives colorways and a pattern. The shipments have always been gorgeous and we all went in with the very common sock club understanding of maintaining the exclusivity of the yarn until the club was over. Sadly there has been controversy as someone sold the current shipment on EBAY for more than $300!! Economic hardtimes were stated as the reason but the controversy that arose and the subsequent listing of sock club shipment has caused a sad feeling. It is only yarn but people agreed to behave a certain way and then add in the factor of hardtimes and wow!! Hopefully this will not sour the possibility of another club.
Here is this month's shipment the colors are glorious and I hate to use them as they will be offered down the road and I would like more,lol.
As you see the colors are very Oriental, rich and candlelit colored. The little pouch holds a stitch marker. I love these colors and can see them combined with more solid colors.
This is also Wollmeise, Schwarz-an almost solid black
and Herzblut-a red red
I obtained in a trade these two wondrous skeins...I have wanted to see them live for some time and they do not disappoint
Sultan

and Iris
I am hoping some of the other packages start coming in today.
Also, as always, the Loopy Ewe Sock CLub in all its magnificence

Yes indeed that IS Handmaiden Casbah...pretty awesome, eh? Sheri always tops the previous shipment, not sure how but she does. See the extras. a needle gauge and a tape measure with a built in pen on a caribiner...how ingenious. Love the color!
And we have the latest in the Chameleon Colorworks Sock Club, lordy this is too cute. I was looking at the yarn and the pattern and thinking great how exact the placement must have to be to get the yarn just right to come up in pattern...nah!! The skein is two half skeins, each being one of the two colors needed. These may get cast on immediately
and it is the BAMBINO, love bamboo, love Bambino..love Chameleon Colorworks.
This is the reverse side of the mittens for No More Humdrum Mittens Swap 4. I love these but will happily send them along as my pal is a cat person

Madli, poor poor Madli, she got frogged due to this

Too dang difficult to pick up with all the yo's so restarting, this time with beads. Hopefully a picture worth posting by Monday since I got a daylight lamp and hope to be able to see at night to knit.
Moving on to infinite coolness
The Zauberball, it looks huge doesn't it, naw about the size of a softball but alledges to have very long color sequences...here is another view

That came from the Loopy Ewe along with this limited edition Nyoni from Fiesta

Very limited run , very good yardage, very inexpensive($20)
While stalking for Wollmeise with the crazies over on Ravelry I was turned on to two new yarns, this being one,Squoosh Fiberarts the colors are Tangelo, Blackberry(both merinos sock) and Fissure(fat sock) very fast shipping, very "squooshy"yarn.

The WM Crazies also have me convinced I must learn to spin, drop spindle first. I received this from Vampy in the UK made for me as I "talked"with her online. Is it not gorgeous?
Can you see the sparkle in it? It is a batt that will I will spin into yarn...what am I thinking?
Another lovely from the Loopy Ewe

I love SheepPaints yarn, then I discovered it is also a German or European yarn which I seem to have a hankering for lately
OK one of the pups in their new beds, I ordered them thinking they were sherpa free but as you can see...almost sent them back but the pups do seem to like them

A big hullo to Mom, we went to a family bridal shower this past weekend, very lovely.

LINKS will be added over the next few days