Musings from the Happily Unemployed

ROFL

2006-10-16T23:13:00.000-06:00

Ok, no real blog update, just something I find really amusing. Guess I was right when I call myself liberal.

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 5% Conservative, 95% Liberal

Social Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Clapotis FO

2006-09-18T15:10:00.000-06:00

Well, I finished my clapotis and blocked last night! I absolutely adore it! My husbad loves it too and thinks I should make another one in green. :)

I love the way the dropped stitches look especially after blocking. I did end up adding two extra pattern repeats because I used dk weight yarn instead of the recommend worsted weight, but it was worth it. I had plenty of yarn (I used Lonesome Stone's 100% alpaca) left so I might tackle the clapotis cap.

What else has been going on? Hmm... well, I've definitely been enjoying the slightly cooler weather we've been having and really enjoying all the sunshine instead of thunderstorms! The doggie's been doing quite well, but even so, I've been finding myself having slight anxiety attacks. The last time he had been doing well for a couple months, we ended up going back for a third surgery, so I think that's what's wrong, but I'm managing to fight it off pretty well. :)

Besides, I've got a lot of things to look forward to: Mystery Knitting at my LYS is next Saturday and that's always fun. I have the knitting retreat to look forward to in October too. That should be so much fun!

Oya! My WoW main character is lvl 59 now. One more level to go (well, at least until the expansion pack comes out). My alternate character is only lvl 18, but she's really hard to play solo. As a friend of mine said, "a paper cut will kill me". LOL That's what you get when you play a healer.

Ok, enough babbling. Until next time!

Clapotis!

2006-08-29T20:53:00.000-06:00

Well, we started our Clapotis knit along tonight and it was a BLAST! There was a whole group of us who started it with all sorts of different yarns and each one will be beautiful. I'm using Lonesome Stone 100% alpaca in the cran brule colorway. The WIP doesn't look like much, and I'm a little apprehensive about dropping the stitches, but I'm going to trust the pattern. ;-)

We're going to meet again in a month to see where everyone is (and just to get together and hang out, too!)

I've been staying out of trouble... The doggie's leg is much better so we've been hiking and just enjoying the warm, wet weather we've been having. The wildflowers are still in bloom, if you can believe that. It's been beautiful! The indian paintbrush is very plentiful on one of our normal hikes. I'm used to marvelling at one flowering paintbrush on a long hike (coming from California), but here I'm treated to fields of red paintbrush flowers just when I'm out walking the dog! I love it!

And before any of you wonder... yes, I still play WoW too much, but that's ok. I'm not going to deny that I have a problem... Addiction is a terrible thing. ;-P My friends Diane and Susan are going to threaten me with an "intervention" if I don't watch out. But, in my defense, I'm admitting I've got a problem and that's the first step. LOL

Hedgehog!

2006-08-23T22:02:00.000-06:00

This is my latest knitted creation. He's a Fiber Trends Hedgehog and he's so cute! Megan from my LYS made two and then Meagan from knit group made a whole bunch and I just had to make one.

I actually finished him last week, but have been really lazy about posting a picture of him. LOL

I'm still plugging away at the Dale of Norway sweater for Luc. I've made some good progress on it in the last week and I'm hoping to have it done by the time I go on a knitting retreat in October (yeah, right...)

My knit group is starting a Clapotis knit a long and I'm so excited! We start on Tuesday, Aug 29. I'll see if I remember to bring my camera so I can take some pictures of the kick off!

Yes, I'm still madly playing WoW. Eddie Dean is lvl 51 and going strong! LOL

Meet Eddie Dean....

2006-08-09T02:20:00.000-06:00

Ok, I said I'd post this tomorrow, but I couldn't resist... LOL Here is Eddie Dean and a friend, Spleenbutter.

Eddie is on the right with the purple hair. The cat is Eddie's and his name is Tabbie. So now you guys now who I spend all my time with... Eddie's my guy! And Spleen's an awesome friend. We're in Booty Bay just chillin'. :-) In case there are any WoW players out there... Eddie is a hunter and Spleen is a priest. We're both night elves. Sexy beasts, huh?

So I've been slacking on knitting...

2006-08-06T13:59:00.000-06:00

Ya, World of Warcraft is eating my life. :-P But other than that, we did go hiking today. It's our first hike since our dog's last surgery and it was really nice! It was a bit overcast, so it wasn't too hot. Here are some pictures from today.

I'm still working on a fair isle/Dale of Norway sweater for Luc and a feather and fan wrap for me. But it's slow going... sometimes I knit while in flight in WoW. How sad is that? Maybe I'll get a good screenshot of my WoW character and post a picture of him. :-P

My LYS moved to a different part of town and I'm kinda sad! It was so close to my apartment before. It's not that much farther, but it was only like 7 minutes away before. Now it'll be 15-20 minutes! LOL I helped pack up the store on Friday and we had so much fun! I meant to bring my camera to post some pictures, but of course I forgot.

Oh! I saw Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest last week. OMG! Can I just say how much I love Johnny Depp? That man is gorgeous! Never mind Orlando Bloom.... the Keira Knightley character needs to go for Johnny!!! I'm trying to persuade some of my knitting buddies to go see it so I can see it again. This time I know the story so I can drool away to my heart's content. LMAO

Well, I'm off to play WoW for a bit and maybe knit some later on!

Lacy Tee

2006-07-15T18:48:00.000-06:00

Ok, Angie and all you guys, here is the picture I promised... Told ya it would be tonight!! Don't mind the dorky expression, I set the camera on the tv and used the timer. LOL

Spleenbutter, this one's for you... this is the woman behind Eddie Dean. ;-) (Knitters, ignore the preceding comment, it's WoW talk...)

Don't you hate when life gets in the way of knitting?

2006-07-15T11:06:00.000-06:00

Sorry for not updating in forever!!! I guess I've just been too busy!

Things are going well, though. Our dog is healing up and recovering from surgery nicely, so that's good. He still limps but he's pretty functional. We started phyiscal therapy with our favorite "auntie Kim" again yesterday and will continue for about a month. She doesn't think he'll need too much since he's only 2 and a half weeks out of surgery and he's walking pretty well.

I still don't have any pictures of any FO's! I hope you guys will forgive me! LOL But I did start the Dale of Norway sweater for my husband. I just finished the bottom cuff which will get folded under and will be starting some color changes soon. How exciting! ;-) I'll be going to knit group later on today and hope to get some of those color changes done there.

My knitting has sadly slowed down because I've been playing World of Warcraft too much. I know have friends that I go on quests with and just hang out with in the digital world. Crazy.... but it's fun and as long as it doesn't totally take over my life...

Enough babbling! Got to get some knitting done today!

Back Home!

2006-06-26T21:41:00.000-06:00

We've been back from doggie surgery since mid-afternoon. Surgery was an interesting process.... We originally thought he was going in for a wire removal and maybe a suture or two. He actually had a much more involved surgery. Dr. Bauer found the problem causing the limping, (which is good, don't get me wrong!) but it's going to be about a 4 week recovery period, instead of a 1 week. Blah! However, I can't say enough good things about the Veterninary Specialty Center of Southern Colorado!!!! (yeah, yeah, I know I sound like an ad) They not only take really good care of your pet AND you, they are the kindest people! To our utter shock, we left the clinic without paying a single dime for this last surgery. I can't believe it! I'm going to see if they have a donation program because they really do deserve it.

But, on the plus side, our little monkey is already feeling better. He's been up and playing for a little while now. He's still wobbly from the epidural and he doesn't use the operated leg at all, but it's good to see him cheerful!

Now, hopefully, third time's the charm and he'll be on his way to recovery shortly. We are excited because he gets to go back to his favorite physical therapist, Kim, in two weeks. It'll be great to see her again.

I went out in a monster thunderstorm yesterday to get World of Warcraft (WoW). I think I might be addicted! ;-) Anyone want to join me for a couple quests??

I managed to get a ton of knitting done today while waiting for Colorado to get out of surgery. I'm working on this Lacy Tee and today I finished the back and started the front. I love Saucy Sport! It's "affordable" yarn, but it's fun to work with.

I need to update with some pictures soon. I finished the Shapely Tank recently, but haven't had Luc take a picture of me yet. I'll be finishing up a couple pairs of socks too, so those pictures will also be forthcoming.

Surgery....

2006-06-20T11:22:00.000-06:00

We are headed right back for surgery next Monday. ARGH! The broken supporting wire needs to come out for one. The other thing that might be happening is that the patella is rubbing on the top of the bone funny. If that's the case, a suture to re-align it might help. Neither procedure is a big deal at all and will require probably only about a week of recovery time with no major setbacks. Poor doggie will be shaved hip to ankle and on his butt (for an epidural) again. The fur on his butt has just finished growing back in!!

Well, at least we can be with him the day of the surgery, right up until he has to be put out for x-rays, and surgery. Then we can be there right after he wakes up. I bet I'll get a whole lot of knitting done next monday! Anyone care to join us?? ;-) They have a good "movie" room at the clinic. haha

Here's to hoping that the wire comes out with no problem and it helps with the limping!!!

By the way, I did take my knitting with me to today's appointment, but no one said anything to me! I don't think Dr. Bauer even noticed!

Feeling Scared...

2006-06-19T22:01:00.000-06:00

I'm turning to my blog for a little comfort tonight... I'm scared because we have an appointment to see our doggie surgeon tomorrow. Our doggie has been intermittently limping more since about week and a half ago. He always has a slight limp but it seems to have gotten worse at times. I called the surgeon and he called me back in a panic thinking something terrible had happened. He is a wonderful caring dr! I told him what was going on and he thinks it may be nothing to be concerned about, but still wants to check him out just to be safe.

As many of you may know, he has a supporting wire in his knee that helped with the initial healing after surgery. That wire broke a long time ago. It's broken in about 3 or 4 pieces and I'm thinking these pieces might be moving around in his knee causing pain, discomfort and some swelling. Taking the wire out is not a "no-brainer" as Dr. Bauer put it, but can be done if it's a problem. If it's the wire that's causing the limping, it's better than other alternatives, so I'm hoping that's all it is!

When Janice from Dr. Bauer's called to confirm the appointment today, she told me to make sure he didn't have any food before the appointment in case Dr. Bauer wanted to do any procedures. Oh that's scary!!!! But I totally trust this dr. and know that he only wants the best for our little furbaby so if he says the wire has to come out or the tendon needs additional repair, then so be it!

Well, I was hoping blogging about this would help me, but I'm not really feeling any better... :-( Maybe I'll just get back to knitting my toe up sock! Diane (from knit group) says to knit when there's anything wrong, so I'll take her advice! ;-) I'm even planning on bringing my sock to the appointment in case I need to calm down.

Well, I'll update after the appointment tomorrow. Think good thoughts for us!!

Toe-Up Sock!

2006-06-16T01:16:00.000-06:00

I finally tried the toe-up sock on two circs. Here is my progress so far:

I tried the magic cast-on for toe-up socks and it worked beautifully. I'm not sure if this is correct, but I did the toe increases by increasing after the first stitch and before the last stitch on each needle on every other round. My increases were done by knitting into the front and back of the stitch. It looks good so I'm happy!

I had to do the toe-up sock because I have a very finite amount of Lorna's Laces sock yarn, so I separated the yarn into two separate, equal balls and I'm going to knit the ribbing until I run out. I want ankle socks (or footies) to wear with shorts and tennis shoes, so I think I have enough yarn.

I'm working on a Shapely Tank Top from some leftover Cotton Fleece, but I was a little bit short on yarn, so I actually had to buy another skein. LOL The point is to reduce the stash, not have more!! I'll post a pic in a few days when it's done. I'm hoping it didn't turn out too big!

Most of my knitting buddies will be going to the Wool Market/Festival in Estes Park this weekend, but I think a few of us are staying behind and we'll probably all end up at the LYS on Saturday, so it'll be fun anyway. ;-) Luc and I are going to Farmer's Market in the morning and then I'll head on over to sit and knit.

Farrah, I updated my progress bars for you! ;-) In case, anyone was paying attention... I did totally frog the reversible cabled wrap! So now I have over 1300 yds of sport weight 100% baby alpaca. YUMMY!

(I just noticed that I dropped a stitch right before I took the above picture. Don't worry, I picked it up and all is well, but if you look close you can see it! haha!)

Grandma's Birthday Present

2006-06-08T12:47:00.000-06:00

I've made a sweater, felted clogs, and some ankle socks for my grandma's birthday. The clogs aren't quite dry yet, so I can't ship them today. I'm not sure I'll have time tomorrow or Saturday, but her birthday isn't until June 18, so I should be able to get it to her in plenty of time!

I'm working on finishing some UFO's so I can start new projects soon. ;-) I'm itching to start another summer top, but I must be patient.

We are going on another geocaching adventure tomorrow, but this time we are going to stay within the Springs (just on the north end of town where we never go). I'll be planning the itinerary today.

Geocaching trip

2006-06-03T13:31:00.000-06:00

We went our first geocaching trip in a loooooooong time yesterday. It was so much fun! We've decided to make Fridays the "designated" geocaching day.

Here are some pictures:

We went up to Woodland Park and then made our way to Cripple Creek. It was beautiful up there! We only searched for and found 5 geocaches, but it's "not about the numbers". haha (We have friends back in CA that think it IS about the numbers). We've been geocaching since Feb. of 2003 and only have 639 found, but that's ok. We do the caches we like when we feel like it. No use in forcing yourself to do something that's no fun, right?

Anyway, I'd better run, since I wanted to go to an embellishment demo at my LYS.

2006-05-31T19:32:00.000-06:00

Here is the "To The Point Cardigan" I made for my grandma's b-day. I used Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Wysteria.

I have almost two skeins of Wysteria left and one skein of a green color which look really good together. I think I might make a tank for myself!

A few friends and I are going up to Castle Rock tomorrow afternoon to visit the Red Wheel Yarn Shop since they are getting rid of all their yarns and concentrating on weaving and spinning. Who knows, maybe we'll get good deals!

Here are some random pictures I've taken recently, lest you think that all I do is knit... ;-)

Intarsia class and Mystery Knit

2006-05-23T15:43:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone!

I took an intarsia class at my LYS last Saturday. We can either make a bag or a pillow if we take the Fair Isle class next Saturday. I'm going to make a pillow! Here is the finished class project and my first intarsia project. I love it! It's so much fun (once you learn not to fill up the bobbins too much!).
Last Saturday was also Mystery Knit night at the LYS. That was a blast!! This is the purse we made (but didn't know until the very end of the evening, even though we had figured out it was purse since the supply list on the instruction sheet called for handles and lining).

I added lining from my quilting fabric stash because the bag was too droopy otherwise. I love the way it turned out, even though it was my first attempt at lining a purse.

Aside from that, nothing much new is going on. We're just enjoying the nice weather (thunderstorms included). Our washing machine (rented from our apt. management co.) croaked yesterday while I was doing a load of laundry, and upon trying to empty the water from it to determine the problem, we had a bit of a mess! We did manage to clean it up nicely, since it was only soapy water. The maintenance guy came and fixed it today, so we're back up and running, but it was a mess for awhile. Thank goodness we managed to catch the water before it flooded onto the carpet!

Green Gable - FO!

2006-05-15T16:25:00.000-06:00

I finished my Green Gable top yesterday afternoon. This is it after blocking. I love it!
Before blocking, I wasn't too sure I liked it... and then I read on the Green Gable KAL (which I didn't join, by the way. :-( ) that some people's sweater stretched while blocking. Luckily, mine didn't. If anything, the stitches are a bit tighter, which is fine with me. If I make another one, I might just go for the medium or add another couple rows of waist shaping to the large. In any case, I think it turned out great and it's something I'll definitely wear.

I'm really happy and a little sad today... LOL Confusing, huh? I'm really happy because we had an orthopedic surgeon appt and a physical therapy appt for Colorado (our dog) today. Both of them don't want to see us anymore! That's a good thing, believe me, after everything we've been through, but these people have been so good to us, it feels like we are losing friends. But, they would love for us to just stop by to say hi without having to have to an appt. Dr. Bauer is really happy with Colorado's knee, even though he's still limps a little and still has some inflammation in the knee. If he's happy, then I'm happy too! We can go back to normal activity now. Yippee! Yesterday, we actually did our first short hike with him up to the Stratton Lower Reservoir and he did really, really well! We spent about an hour and a half on the trails and he didn't have any more lameness than he normally does after walks. He even played and spashed in the water (yes, the city does allow dogs to swim in the reservoir!).

My mom still hasn't received her Mother's Day Package (see previous post), but she will tomorrow. I'm excited to hear her reaction when she opens it. :-) I'm currently working on some basic socks for me and a cardigan for my grandma's birthday. I'm using Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Wysteria. Beautiful color!

I'll update tomorrow after my mom gets all her goodies!

New projects

2006-05-12T21:50:00.000-06:00

I've been spending so much time at my LYS lately! I've spent some time there the last 3 days and I'm going to Sat. knit group. Susan, Mary, or Kate, if you are reading this, you won't kick me out, will you?? Hey, if I didn't have fun, I wouldn't keep coming in, would I? ;-)

I'm still working on my Green Gable summer top but I hope to finish it by the end of the weekend. I know I'll be knitting away during the season finale of Survivor. (Go Cirie, go!) While I was at the LYS, I bought a pattern and yarn to make my grandma a cardigan for her birthday. I got Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, which I love, in Wysteria (a lavendery color)! I want to make her a light sweater she can wear in the summer or fall. But, I need to cast on ASAP, since her b-day is fast approaching on June 18. I can do it! ;-)

My mom called me today with some rather distressing news. Don't worry, nothing's wrong with her, but she's going through an upheaval in her life. Now, I feel bad that her Mother's Day package (see post below) won't be there until Monday or Tuesday. :-( Well, I'm sure that when it gets there, it'll put a smile on her face.

I finally made a new belt for my Starsky cardigan, and it looks good! I'll post an updated picture soon. Too bad the weather is warm now, huh? ;-)

Mother's Day Package!

2006-05-10T21:39:00.000-06:00

Yay! I got all 6 of the felted lambs done for my mom! Here's the flock:

They are cute, aren't they? I'm also including a few other things in package for her. This is a modified Booga Bag. I added a knitted on i-cord trip on the top and bottom and I made the straps short. I also felted it down to a tiny size, so it's more like a tiny handbag. I think she'll like it.

This is the entire content of the Mother's Day package! There is a Hermione hat in Lamb's Pride, Fiber Trends felted clogs and a little feather and fan dishcloth in Sugar n Cream.
You think she'll like it? I'm hoping so! She might not get it until Monday, though... I'll go to the UPS store tomorrow and see if they can get it there by Friday for a good rate. If not, then she'll just get it on Monday. :-)

I'm still working on the Green Gable summer top for me and I finally got around to ordering another hank of KnitPicks Sierra in Cranberry to make another belt for my Starsky. If I have enough left over, I'm going to take out the bound off edge on the collar and add a couple more rows. We'll see!

Where does time go??

2006-05-08T20:49:00.000-06:00

How in the world did I run so short on time?? I was supposed to have sent my mom a package a week ago and I'm still not done with the felted lambs that are supposed to go in it. I'm including her Mother's Day present in the package so I better hurry up!! Hopefully, I'll be felting the last of the lambs tomorrow and send it on it's way by Thursday. Yikes!

I'm sending my mom felted clogs, a knitted hat, and a little booga bag (and of course, 6 felted lambs at her request). I'll post pictures of everything before I send it off.

Today at doggie physical therapy, I asked Kim (the therapist) if it was ok to take Colorado up to the reservoirs in Stratton Open Space and she said YES! She's quite familiar with the trails and said it was definitely ok. I'm so excited! This used to be our favorite short hike/walk before the two surgeries. The general consensus of everyone that sees Colorado on a regular basis says that he's doing so well! He's getting stronger everyday and despite a bit of increased soreness, due to cutting his pain meds in half, he's steadily progressing towards "normalcy". Maybe we can take a road trip to Cali soon, although with the price of gas, it seems insane! ;-)

Felting Frenzy...

2006-04-29T21:04:00.000-06:00

Hi all,

Well, since my last update, I've been on the wonderful "field trip" to the Brown Sheep mill. That was sooooooooooo much fun! Farrah told me about Sea-Bands for motion sickness and they worked so well, I was able to knit on the whole bus trip and never felt sick! I usually can't even glance at a map in my lap when I'm in a moving vehicle!

We got a chance to buy Brown Sheep "seconds" (dye lots that are off, etc) at excellent prices (some way over 50% off the retail price!), and I managed to stay well under $100! I was proud of myself.

Other than that, I've been felting away! I need to finish 6 felted lambs to ship to my mom. I have 1.5 more to go. I also finished a booga bag this week. It's now being used as my purse. I love it! I'm also trying to finish my Lorna's Laces socks. Today at knitting group, I broke out my brand new Addis and transferred the sock to the Addis. I've slipped a couple more stitches than normal, but I really like knitting on them so far. I can't wait to get to the non-cabled part of the sock so I can really see how fast the Addis are! I'll post pics in a few days of all my recently completed projects.

In doggie news, Colorado is slowly improving each day. He's still pretty stiff when he first gets up after laying down for a nap, but usually works it out within a couple minutes of hopping on 3 legs. He's less tired at the end of his longer walks now too, so that's good. His good knee occasionally luxates, but so far it's been holding it's own, thank goodness!

Well, I better finish this update and go watch my DVR'ed Poirots from last week! I keep falling asleep on the couch so we're way behind on watching the shows recorded last weekend!

Belated Pictures

2006-04-24T20:25:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I took quite a bit longer than I expected to post pictures! But, anyway, here they are! This is a little felted backpack purse I made using a pattern I got from my LYS. It was easy and fun to knit up and I like it! I just wish I could use it now. It's still drying, plus I have to find a button for it too.

I've been working on these really gorgeous socks in Lorna's Laces. They are turning out really nice! I love working with this yarn! I'll definitely be buying more Lorna's Laces in the future. With this pair of socks, I'm doing the regular heel flap which I think I like knitting better, but I like the short row heel looks better.

Last, but definitely, not least, here are my husband's socks! I used this pattern. The ribbing was a pain in the rear to knit, but I'm really happy with the end result and so is Luc. After washing, they are soooo soft.

Tomorrow's the big day! My knitting group is going to the Brown Sheep Mill! I've got my sea-bands and dramamine all ready so I can knit on the bus without getting sick... hopefully.

In doggie news, we started our little guy in physical therapy with Kim Spelts, a wonderful physical therapist! He gets underwater treadmill sessions which he now loves, plus a massage. He's already showing improvement and he only started therapy last Thursday. We have a few exercises to do at home with him, plus longish walks. Overall, he's doing really well, in my opinion. He's pretty stiff and lame when getting up after a nap, but recovers within a couple minutes. He does have a hitch in is gait and a slight limp normally, but based on the improvement he's already showing, we're pretty sure it's only going to get better. Kim was really pleased when she saw him today.

Socks, Socks, and more Socks!

2006-04-16T20:29:00.000-06:00

I'm still working on my husband's socks. I think I'll be done with the second sock either really late tonight or tomorrow, if I get tired. ;-) Yesterday at knitting group, I cast on for another pair of socks for me using my newly acquired Lorna's Laces! So beautiful! I will post pictures tomorrow.

So what have I been up to? Well, let's see... We ended up going to the vet on Friday, instead of Monday, because my dog was limping really bad. Guess what?? The x-rays were good! We don't know why he was (and still is at times) limping badly, but he checks out pretty well, according to Dr. Bauer, so that made my day. We think it has something to do with his leg being immobilized for 7 - 8 weeks. He probably strained something that hasn't been used in two months. His ankle was swollen for awhile, but it's gone down and seems to be better.

As if that weren't enough to be an awesome day... I went to lunch at Culver's with Farrah and had walleye! YUM!!!! I haven't had fried fish in ages and it was delicious! Thanks for introducing me to Culver's, Farrah! ;-) Then, we hit up 3 LYS (that's how I got my Lorna's Laces). It was a really fun day!

Since then, things have been going pretty well. The weather's been great today and we got (on dr's orders!) to take Colorado for longer walks, which we all enjoyed. Tomorrow, I will call the doggie physical therapist for an evaluation. He walks really, really well when he's outside, but he seems to hesitate when he's indoors. Weird... Some of it must be psychological. Sometimes, he forgets and walks normally (well, almost since he does have a slight limp) indoors too. He's a truly a funny doggie, but we love him to death.

Hope everyone had a great Easter! I'll update tomorrow with some pictures of Luc's socks and the luscious Lorna's Laces.

Trying out a new way of posting pictures

2006-04-13T11:55:00.000-06:00

Felted Lamb - small

This will be a very quick post because I'm just trying to figure out a new way of posting pictures. Seems to work! By the way, this is the first felted lamb I did. I've since gotten better and found that I can use a lighter main color and it will still felt. I used KnitPicks WOTA.

Felted Clogs - Before and After

2006-04-12T16:04:00.000-06:00

I finished my mom's felted clogs! They are my 3rd pair of clogs and I love the pattern (from Fiber Trends). Here they are before and after felting:

They always crack me up before felting since they are sooooooooo huge! I love the way they turned out, though. They are drying on the patio in the warm afternoon sun right now. I also finished another Hermione hat also to send to my mom. It's made with Lamb's Pride Worsted leftover from my own clogs.

Well, my dog broke his splint yesterday, but when I called the vet to see if we could bring him in for a replacement, they told us to cut it off and come in next week for an appointment with the dr. and more x-rays. Boy was that SCARY! His leg has been immobilized for 7 weeks and he's so used to splint that it took him about an hour before he'd even put his foot down. His poor foot had been squished into an unnatural position and I'm sure it hurt to spread his toes! He's been using his leg a little bit more as time goes by, but he's not bearing full weight on it. And it's soooooooooooo skinny compared to the other leg. All the muscles have atrophied and now he needs to really regain some strength. I have a feeling that if we don't have to have another surgery, we might be starting physical therapy after next week's appointment. I really hope he's on the road to recovery and not on the way to yet another surgery...

Recipe for Nachos - AKA "The Stuff"

2006-04-10T20:11:00.000-06:00

Hey guys! Hope everyone had a great weekend! We didn't do much, but we enjoyed it (as we do everyday)!

For a change, I thought I'd post a simple little "recipe" of mine. It's our favorite "junk food" dinner. The name "the stuff" comes from my mom's boyfriend. I used to make nachos when we lived with my mom and her boyfriend. He used to LOOOOVE my nachos and for some reason called them "the stuff". Anyway, here it is:

1/2 to 3/4 lbs lean ground beef
Pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste)
2-3 tablespoons chili powder (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (to taste)
Tostitos Scoops (or any tortilla chip)
Tostitos Queso
Half a 14 oz can of refried beans
2 green onions
1/4 cup black olives
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 cup white onion, chopped (if desired)
Pace Picante sauce (or other salsa, mild or hot)

Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef (if the beef is lean enough, do not drain). Add cayenne, chili powder and garlic salt, mixing well. If beef is too dry, you may add a little bit of water. Line the bottom of an oven-safe dish with the tortilla chips. Layer the beef, refried beans and queso over the chips. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Top with the rest of the ingredients. Bring it over to the coffee table (make sure you put a trivet down!) and enjoy while watching your favorite tv show! ;-)

I'll post some pictures of my recent knitting shortly... I've been working on my mom's felted clogs and they are ready for felting! I'll post before and after pics.

We are definitely enjoying the warmer weather here, even though it can be overcast sometimes. Being from CA, I never really got to see the seasons change, so it's a real treat to see the grass turning green and the leaves starting to appear on the trees.

Some recent and not so recent knitting FOs

2006-04-06T13:45:00.000-06:00

I've realized that I haven't posted a lot of my finished knitting projects! So hope you guys like pictures! ;-)

This is my first pair of socks. Made from KnitPicks Simple Stripes in Storm and I followed Silver's Sock Tutorial. If you've never made socks on DPNs before, this awesome tutorial is the way to go! I wear these socks all the time and absolutely adore them!

This is a sweater in some novelty yarn I picked up at Hobby Lobby. It wasn't easy to work with, but the fuzziness hid the mistakes. ;-) I made the sweater for my mom who loves things like that! Yes, she is very tiny! Too bad I didn't inherit that from her. I didn't really use a pattern... I kinda winged it after looking at several short-sleeved sweater patterns.

Here's our clogs! I love these things! My husband and I wear them all the time. I used the Fiber Trends felted clogs pattern (sorry, don't have a link, but the pattern is not available online) and Lamb's Pride Worsted (bought from my favorite LYS, Knitter's Kove). I find that I actually like the way the clogs turn out when they are made too big (even bigger than normal felted items) because the felted fabric turns out a lot stronger! My husband's were really really big before felting and his are much sturdier than mine. (See the dog's paws in the picture? He did that on his own... he has to be a part of everything!)

Ok, only one more picture for this post... I'll see if I can take pictures and post them later. This is a Hermione Cable-and-Bobble hat (not a free pattern... it's $5.00 for a pdf). I actually made this hat to help someone from the Knitting Help Forum figure something out! I used some cheapo acrylic, but I really like the way hat looks, and I think I'm going to make one from Cascade 220 soon!

Hope I didn't bore anyone with some of my knitted projects! ;-) I'm excited to say that I'll be going on the field trip to the Brown Sheep Mill in Mitchell, NE on April 25 with my knitting group! It looks to be a really fun trip! Let's hope for good weather and fun times!

Starsky's done (well, almost)

2006-04-02T17:31:00.000-06:00

Hey guys! I finished Starsky today! A few things.... The sleeves turned out way too long for me, even though I followed the pattern (23" before armhole shaping). I also ran out of yarn for the belt and belt loops. I scrapped the tube belt and just did a garter stitch belt (and streeeeeeeeeeeeeeetched it out). I managed to have enough for two of the four belt loops. I'm going to order another hank of sierra from Knitpicks when I have some more yarn to order so I can make a better, longer belt and finish the belt loops. But anyway, here's the finished product. I still do like it! And it's quite warm!

I went to another knitting group yesterday at the same LYS (Knitter's Kove). It was a smaller group, but still so much fun! I think I might be taking a "field trip" with those ladies to the Brown Sheep mill in Mitchell, NE. It sounds like fun!

My dog is doing really well. He's only had one more incident of the left knee luxating (and I'm not even sure it was that, since he never did limp). I'm getting a little nervous about him actually getting the splint off, since he'll have no limitations (except for the ones we manage to enforce) any more!

First knitting group meeting!

2006-03-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

I went to my first ever knitting group meeting today and had a blast! It was so much fun to sit and knit and chat with other knitters. I'll definitely be going back. I met some really cool people and hope to see them again soon.

I'm actually going to try and stop by on Saturday afternoon since one of the ladies wants to see my Starsky cardigan. Hey! Maybe I can get it done by then... I'll be knitting like mad, but I might be able to do it. I have the back, right and left front panels and one and almost a half of the second sleeve done. Think I can do it??

As far as doggie news, I am very pleased to report that there isn't any more bad news so far! He seems to be getting around just fine on his splint. He uses his leg really well and his left (good) leg hasn't been giving him any problems. For the most part, he's really happy! He does have some periods of minor anxiety that's caused (I think) from not getting enough exercise, but we know how to deal with him now and he doesn't go into panic mode anymore.

Since this is not his blog, I will not overstep my bounds and talk about things other than me, but I would like to mention that my husband's mom is not doing very well, so if you know us, please do keep them in your thoughts (or even if you don't know us... :-) ).

Well, other than mentioning that my hubby made the most delicious dinner of crepes last night, I don't have much else. The weather was nice today, but it looks like we might get a thunderstorm or two this evening. The end of the week looks to be nice though. Too bad we can't get out and get a hike in, but hopefully soon! Crossing my fingers!

If I do manage to get the Starsky cardigan done, I will be posting pics.

Why is it that I never have good news?

2006-03-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Why is it that everytime I post here, it's never good? I mean, I've been dealing with the news that our dog's surgeon gave us on Monday... So Monday night, the dog limped on his "good" leg and I was sure (at the time) that his patella had luxated. Well, I managed to put that out of my head, but today, it happened again and now I'm 100% sure that his "good" leg is luxating. Will it ever end? Put that together with the fact that he broke his splint last night and we had to take him to the emergency vet to get the splint replaced... I'm just mentally exhausted. That means that we'll have to put him through surgery again at some point because he'll end up arthritic and unable to walk anyway.

I'm just so lucky to have a husband that cares for me though. I would never have made it this far with out him. I did call my mom this evening to "unload" on her, and I guess talking about it helps, but she's not really a good shoulder to lean on. She basically repeats what's already in my mind... "it's not fair!" But then again, is life really fair? She has her own set of problems though...

Well, on to brighter subjects... After finding out that a big error in the Starsky pattern had been corrected, I had to frog my almost-completed front right panel. UGH! But the good thing is that I'm almost back to where I was before the frog incident. Woohooo!

Found a knitting group in the Springs!

2006-03-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

I was visiting one of my LYS's here in Colorado Springs yesterday and found out they have a very loud and rowdy knitting group every Wednesday morning! So I'm going to go next Thursday. Too bad I didn't find out last week! LOL I'm excited about getting to meet fellow knitters.

I'm still battling horrific anxiety. My husband and I submitted an application for health insurance and we are waiting for it to be approved and then I might be able to get some professional help, although from the research I've done, it seems like anxiety like mine is best helped by helping myself. Some days are better than others, but it doesn't take much to set off the anxiety reaction. For example, I thought I saw Colorado limping on his good leg (he does have a luxating patella in that knee too, but it's never posed a problem) and I FREAKED out. Thankfully, I had some car insurance crud to deal with and it took the edge off my freak out. It's that kind of reaction that upsets, annoys and makes me angry all at once. I need to figure out how to stop that kind of reaction, whether it be prescription drugs or something else. Thankfully, I have a really understanding husband who really does try to help me.

He has a lot more reason to be anxious than me... It's a very long story (and the spacebar on my keyboard is broken, so it's making typing very hard), but to make it short. His mom has early onset Alzheimer's and lives in France in a nursing home. She has been on the decline for several years and she is only in her 60s. It must be soooo hard on him, but he's always been there for me, even though my problems are minor compared to his. I'm soooooooooooo very fortunate to have him! Besides, he doesn't mind when I go to the LYS and come back with a bagful of yarn! ;-)

In other news, I think I'll be done with the right front panel on Starsky today and hopefully start the sleeves. Woohooo! Exciting stuff! If I work my butt off, I may be able to wear the sweater to the knitting group next Wednesday. I think I might take socks to the knitting group b/c they are so easy and won't require me to keep counting, ya know?

Dog Surgery Update

2006-03-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I've kinda waited until the news sunk in before posting today, since I have been known to over-react... ;-)

We visited the vet this morning in horrible weather. The roads were so icy and horrific! Even the I-25 was icy! Well, anyway, Dr. Bauer was really impressed with the way Colorado uses his leg (even without the splint), but unfortunately the x-rays don't look so good. It seems something has stretched in his knee, which isn't good. One of the supporting wires has also broken, but that doesn't matter (it usually breaks anyway) and it can come out at a later date. The real problem is that the patella is riding higher than it did post-op. But he's walking on it and using it, so the dr isn't too worried. But, boy do I wish things looked better on the x-ray (and so does the dr). But, he's still using the leg really well and now that the splint has been changed, I hope his toe sore can heal. I'm going to focus on that. As the dr said, who cares if his patella rides high, as long as he can walk and get around normally, right?

We have the splint on for another month which is also not what we wanted to hear, but if it keeps him from needing another surgery (other than the one to take the broken wire out), then it's worth it.

One other thing with the doggie is that he's fearful of noises again. He's been this way before and last time he was also afraid of us (which is when he tore the tendon). This time he sticks to us like glue when he's scared. It started last night when someone set off a firecracker and has continued off and on. It's not too bad, but I hope it passes soon. It think that his lack of exercise contributes to a higher anxiety level, but unfortunately that cannot be helped.

I'm desperately looking for a knitting group or class I can take just to get my mind off the dog. I need something to distract me from obsessing over him. I know it's not healthy. I'm hoping to get involved with something like that soon. I think it would be good for my mental state! ;-) Otherwise, *gasp* I'll have to consider getting a job! Oh, the horror!

Starsky cardigan is looking good!

2006-03-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

So I just had to post the latest pics of my Starsky cardigan:

Back and Left Front Blocking

Close up of banana tree pattern

The weather here in Colorado Springs has been less than stellar today, so I did manage to get a good chunk of knitting done! And I'm looking forward to watching a new Midsomer Murders tonight. Woohooo! Talk about a good Sunday.

Now the only thing to wonder about is if we'll be able to get to our dog's surgeon tomorrow morning... If the weather is really bad, we'll have to reschedule our appt with the surgeon. :-( Too bad, because I really wanted to see him tomorrow. I was hoping we'd know when the splint would come off.

I'll end with a really cute picture of Colorado that I took right after taking the above pictures! He's sooooooooooooooo cute (ok, maybe I'm biased).

Doggie troubles...

2006-03-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

So our wonderful little doggie woke us up ultra early... I caught up on my knitting forum and figured I might as well do a quick update and explain about our dog, Colorado.

We absolutely love him to bits, but he can be a handful. Unbeknownst to us, he has a condition known as luxating patellas (slipping kneecaps). Both of his knees are affected, but only the right one has shown any symptoms. The symptoms first appeared one day back in January (seems like a lifetime ago) when he was playing with another dog from our apartment complex, Dusty. We really didn't think much of it at the time. He limped for a few minutes and then went on as if nothing was wrong. This continued to happen a couple times a day for about two weeks, before we took him to a new vet (we had just moved to Colorado Springs the month before). She "thought" it was a torn ACL and put him on "rest" for two weeks.

I knew it wasn't a torn anything! How could it be when he was fine most of the time and would experience periods of acute limping? So I researched it online after visiting the vet and it really sounded like a luxating patella to me. So during one of his limping episodes, I ran a hand down his leg and I could actually feel something POP back in. So back to the vet we went for x-rays, only she sedates dogs to do x-rays. That should've been my first clue that she was horrific vet. Well, she sedated him, but ended up not doing x-rays since she said she could feel that it was a luxating patella (I had told her that's what I thought it was a long time ago). Whatever, lady.... The only good thing she ever did was refer us to an orthopedic surgeon here in town.

To make a long story short, we met with the surgeon. He confirmed the luxating patella diagnosis, told us that it affected both knees, but only the right one was of any concern. He went over our options and we decided on surgery. Surgery went very well, but as soon as we brought him home, we began to notice fearfulness where he hadn't been fearful at all before. Unfortunately, we did not handle things well and as a result he ended up completely tearing his patellar tendon during one of the fearful episodes. What an absolute blow! I was devastated... I do believe the surgeon was more concerned for me than for Colorado. We had no choice but to go for a second surgery so that the surgeon could see what was going on and attempt a repair.

That was 3.5 weeks ago and we think he's on the mend. We have an appointment on Monday to see the surgeon and maybe get a bandage and splint change. I'm really hoping that he'll get the splint off and be able to use his leg normally, but we also don't want to rush the healing process...

He was feeling better two weeks ago and we decided to "walk" him. Boy was that a mistake... He spent a good few days not walking at all, while I freaked out that his surgery had been ruined and he had torn the repair. He's back to walking now, and I'm glad! We just try to keep him calm and not too rambunctious, but unfortunately that's why he doesn't sleep very well at night or wakes up ultra early. UGH!

Anyway, I believe it's breakfast time and then maybe I'll get some knitting done before taking a nap.

My first post

2006-03-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I went ahead and jumped on the bandwagon and created a blog... Can you believe it? I'm really not sure my life is interesting enought to warrant a blog, but nevertheless, let's give this a try!

As I sit here typing this update, I'm waiting for my corned beef and cabbage to finish cooking. What else would we be eating on St. Patty's Day?

As mentioned in my profile, one of my interests is knitting. I've been working on the Starsky cardigan alot lately. So far I've gotten the entire back done and I've started the left front. So far it's looking pretty good. This is a progress pic from a few days ago, but you can still see the pattern. I'm using KnitPicks' Sierra in cranberry. It's a wonderful yarn to work with!

I'm also working on a couple other projects right now. One other one is a cabled wrap/scarf for me in KnitPicks' Andean Treasure in lagoon. Another wonderfully soft yarn to work with.

I better wrap up this first post, since it's almost dinnertime! Too bad "college football" is ruining our tv schedule... I was really looking forward to watching "Close to Home" tonight while eating corned beef and cabbage. Well, at least we DVR'ed Survivorman so we have something to watch.