Aran Sweaters

It's been knitting full week after Christmas. I didn't do anything else but knit and eat and grocery shop and knit and eat.





After a few starts and some frogging I finally finished the second Aran sweater.

Next on the list is a crocheted summer top for my SD.

I'll be busy again, until the top is done.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Finally done

The sweaters for our granddaughter are done. I am just way too happy.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Knit one purl some and then frog

It's been a busy week or two in the knitting department. Oh, I did some crocheting, too.

This Christmas ornament is the ugliest ornament I have ever seen.

It's crocheted with beads, over a silver ball. UGH. and the worst is that I made it. It's sitting on a shelf, and looks very sad.

The Aran sweater needs a button band, the one with holes. The other side is done. However, I decided that I only have a few nights left to finish a pullover for our granddaughter that I started finishing that one. It's almost done. Well, to me almost done means that half of the other sleeve needs to be done and then put the pieces together. I didn't have a pattern for that one, I had just measured a tee shirt and checked some patterns in the web to get an idea how many stitches and how long the sleeves should be.

Work world is very busy, I don't even have time to check my e-mail. Fortunately that makes my days go fast, and I get home faster...at least that's how it feels. We got our bonus cheques today with a letter chocolate. The chocolate is shaped with the first letter of your name. The boss gives those every year.

On Friday we have our Christmas lunch in a nearby restaurant. I am taking Thursday and Friday off, but will attend the lunch. How can I miss a great time with co-workers...?

We have a wild kid in the neighbourhood. He likes to rattle the door handle and then run away, and when we try to catch him, he's already at home. So, what did hubby do? He put butter on the door handle, the boy came, and tried to play with the handle again, but stopped quickly.

He has not disturbed us since then, that was about two weeks ago.

Gift from afar

Look what I received from my friend, Janet, it's a beautiful sachet made with felt and beads, and a clever Christmas card with it.

I think it's a beautiful decoration for my tree, which is not up yet.

Janet's creativity shines right thru. I am so lucky to have received such a beautiful gift.

Thank You Janet!

Aran Sweater

The sweater for our grand daughter that I started about a year ago is coming up quite nicely. What a pain it has been. I didn't have any problem with the back, or the front pieces, BUT had with the sleeves. Fortunately I am knitting them both at the same time, now.

First, I started with the pattern and knitted away happily. It was going to be one sleeve at a time, BUT, then I noticed, after the first set of pattern stitches (8 rows...and I had done two sets already) that there were instructions for increases. DUH! I had done none. Why didn't the designer tell this before I started my cable pattern set? I had already cut pieces of paper, to make the pattern a continuous flow of rows, instead of : row 6 same as row two, row 7 same as row 3, etc, what a pain to be jumping back and forth, so I make copies and cut the copies to fit the rows, that way I have 8 continuous rows of the cable pattern. Needless to say, I was just too eager to get the sleeve done (I hate, with a passion, making sleeves), that I didn't notice the increases. I had to frog to the end of the first set of cable pattern.

Well, since I had to start almost from the beginning, I decided to do both sleeves at the same time. My next peeve with this pattern is that with the increases you are supposed to fit the increases into a pattern. Well, I don't want to start re-writing the dang pattern, just tell me.
Now I have, on both sides of the sleeves the same dang cable. When I sew them together, as you are supposed to sew the seams to make a sleeve to a tube, where the arm goes. What was I saying? Yes, I will now have two of the same cables side by side, and that is not how it is in the pattern in the middle. I am not going to frog anything any more. Damn, I am annoyed. Of course the seam part isn't always easily in view, unless the other grandmother checks my work, or the girl likes to throw her arms in the air all the time. Oh, well.

Oh, I almost forgot. This pattern some other irritating points. I started with 37 stitches, and am supposed to add 19 stitches EVENLY after the ribbing. Now, I am not a math genius, and don't really like fiddling with calculations, when I once in a blue moon follow a pattern. Sometimes I understand myself very clearly when I wonder about my lack of "eagerness" to follow a pattern.
So, how do you count 19 stitches evenly, from another odd number to an even number? Of course, after trying to count ten times, I decided to add the stitches to best of my calculations. Of course, you guessed it, I didn't quite make it. I got the first sleeve done, but I had done that a year before, I think, when my brain was a year younger. So, this time I was 5 stitches short, which I added when I started the cable pattern. It is not noticeable at all, unless the other grandmother checks my work. I've seen a magnifying glass floating around on her sewing table.

Not saying that anyone will check, no, that's not I am saying.

The sweater is going to be beautiful. I am missing half an inch from the start of the decreases for the sleeve. I am hoping to get the sweater done by Thursday.

I just checked the starting date and it was January 23rd this year. Haha. Here is the picture of the sweater, the one in the middle:

What nice looking pair of jeans those two have. I think I need to go and buy some jeans.

One more thing, why do people, who desperately want to cut in front of you, when there is nobody behind you? Then they don't drive the speed limit, they drive one mile under.

I sometimes wonder if those people know me and want to punish me, for what? but so far I have not recognized any of them. I usually forgive them when I pass, and look, and realize that there is a reason why things like that happen. Sitting glued to the steering wheel and staring at a ghost on the dashboard, would make anyone make stupid moves on the roads. Where do these people get their approval for driving? Yuck. I met two of them this morning, and there isn't even a full moon, or is there? It was a delightful drive to work. Always something entertaining on the way...I should have told you about the third one, on my way home, but I just wanted to get home, and didn't look who was driving, as if it had changed anything. I am a rubber necker, but only when someone makes idiotic moves, not when someone is stopped by the cops on the other side of the highway, like the man in front of me the other day, I almost hit him from behind, and it would have been my fault. I was watching him rubbernecking. Huh? Taught me a lesson, didn't it?

Comfort Ghan

Here is a picture of a comfort ghan our local crochet group had put together for me, for my recent loss of my father.

The ghan has been created with many talented ladies, and I am thankful for receiving it.

Thank you All!

Snowflakes

I had some Aunt Lydia Shiny thread left after making an angel with it. I made a large snowflake, and then a smaller one, and it looked like I had enough for another small one.

Guess what, I made two more small snowflakes. Gotta love that Aunt Lydia.

Startitis

My friend Sherri has invented that word "startitis", and she is very good at it, too. I, however, follow her steps quite well. I finished a cardigan, minus buttons, for our granddaughter, and started a new one. I was very good at the new one, and got quite a lot done. Only to notice that this new sweater was wayyy too big for a two year old. We are talking here about a small adult.
Another sweater for my step daughter, hmmm? I started a summer top for the other granddaughter, who is going to be 3 in May. I used some fancy Italian cotton, which split like crazy, and I decided to stick to my Paton's Grace cotton, if I ever want to make something cottony.

I also started a top, for that almost 3 year old, and dug up some yellow Grace yarn. It's a halter top, a'la Margaret Hubert.

I finished it last night. It's now Tuesday, November 28, 2006. Next on the list is to finish the little skirt that goes with that halter top. The pattern is with the top.

Never mind the Aran sweater that I had started last year, and frogged the other sleeve to almost the beginning. ARRRGGH.

The list goes on and on, and would get boring, if it isn't already.

On the brighter side of the knitting and crocheting world, there is the office life. I have been taking some days off here and there, since I have vacation time left, and have to use it before the year end. It's difficult to decide on the last minute way when to take time off. I've decided that around the weekend is the best time. Not so, seems to me that no time off from work is good, because it isn't. Don't ask. I still have three days left, and I have decided to take them a week before Christmas. so there and I don't care how much complaining that will cause.

Don't even say it

That Christmas is around the corner. How many days?

I went to get my passport, since the other one expired, a month ago. Got up shortly after six.
It's amazing how quickly one can get up, get coffee going, and shower, when something else than work is in the agenda. The passport office opened at 8, and I was standing in the line-up (I was third) at 7:25 a.m.

My process was quick and easy, because I had all the papers with me, and the application done properly. I didn't have to be late from work, but since WalMart was near, I just had to go and see how much damage I could make into my bank account. I was late only 15 minutes, and had made up the time earlier. No guilty feelings due.

I bought some acrylic and cotton yarns, "seasonal", thinking that I might make socks for Christmas, or little slippers. I saw the cutest slipper pattern in a Finnish blog, but I am not going to post it here, because then someone is going to ask me to translate it, and I ain't going to do that. (I know, improper English, I know, but I like how it sounds, so there)

Yes, the yarn is "Seasons Greetings" by someone in China. It has 95% acrylic and 5% lurex, and the ball is 100 g, and the yarn is red with red shiny stuff making the yarn festive. The other item I bought for Christmas stuff is "Aunt Lydia's Fashion Crochet Thread" size 3, color white/pearl. I didn't know that Aunt Lydia is in Hungary. I always thought that she was in USA.

I believe it is a Thanksgiving Day in the USA, and I wish everyone a Happy TD! We had ours in October. I am still full, and will not eat turkey, even if I prepare it for Christmas. I will eat meatballs instead. I am such a rebel.

On the knitting table I have work in process for a cardigan, pattern from Cabin Fever, for our granddaughter. Next in line is to finish the Aran cardigan for the same granddaughter. Oh, I need to vent a little bit about that. I am so upset. I had knitted one sleeve, for about 15 cm, when I realized that there should be increases, and sure enough, every 6th row. I had done none. I frogged to the part where I needed the first increase. I am not happy.

That's all for now.

Paisleys in Fall colors

Finished these paisleys today. I was to make 8, but ended with 10. They are for a paisley exchange.

I will continue with my knitting WIP now.

Just went to see what Janet had done today in her art program, and wow, her drawing is full of paisley shapes. At least that's what I think.

MeMe Questions

Visited Janet's pages again, and "stole" these questions from her site, the answers are MINE:

Someone knocks on your door at 2am, who do you want it to be?

A ghost, or a person who knocked on the wrong door. There will be some shouting involved in this case.

Your boss tells you he/she will give you a $20 raise if you'll do your job naked. Do you stay and take the raise?

Are you nuts? My boss gives raises once a year, and you don't have to be naked. $20 ? an hour, or a year?

Put yourself in a nutshell.

How big is the shell?

Ever see a ghost?

I think so, I had brutally high fever, one time when I was a kid, and I could have sworn that I saw someone by my bed.

Happy with your body?

It's still working, so I suppose so.

A reason to move to Iceland.

They have glaciers, and nice sweaters. I would love to visit, but not stay forever.

A place you've lived that you miss.

Does living on vacation count? I miss Mendoza, in Argentina.

A job you'd never do, no matter how much you were paid.

"Working girl"

A band/group you thought was cool when you were 13.

I think The Beatles had started around that time. When DID they become famous?

You have a nightmare, who's the first person you think to call?

Nobody, I just go and have a glass of water, and go back to sleep. I might cry a little bit, and that would wake my hubby. But I would not call him on purpose.

Wanna have kids before you're 30?

Been there, done that.

A memory from high school.

I got detention for not attending poetry reading by some old poet (I was 14-15 at that time, so anyone over 30 was OLD)I thought the man was disgusting. Our principal was in love with him, and he came at least once a year to read poems to the whole school, and if you didn't go, you had to stay in class and a teacher had to stay with you. My teacher was the principal, for that class period, and she was so angry with me that I got detention. Oh, the crushing hatred that woman had towards me, already, the fact she didn't get to go and drool over the poet didn't help. I was not a very nice student.

Ever had a crush on a friend's parent?

No, but I had a crush on my math teacher, big time, so much so, that I purposely got such low math marks that I had to take private lessons from my teacher. I didn't learn much else but he had beautiful brown eyes, and a wife. I was 14 FPS.

Do you look more like your mom or dad?

My mom

Something you've always wanted to learn to do.

Drive a race car.

How you'd like your life to be in 10 years.

Without worries.

Something you learned this year.

Never use hotel phone to call long distance, I did and paid dearly for it. Ask about the phone usage, when you chek in. Some of the hotels charge outrageously when you use their phone.

What do you want for your birthday?

Chocolate layer or cheese cake.

Name 4 things you did yesterday.

1. Went to Michaels

2. Went to WalMart

3. Knitted

4. Cooked dinner

Last item you bought yourself?

Circular needle, size 5 mm, 73.5 cm long.

What did you have for breakfast?

Bagel with cheese and coffee.

Name a celeb you crush on.

Right now? No crush on anyone, but I do like Mandy Patinkin.

Name the last 3 songs you heard.When? I heard a Christmas Carol on TV commercial, and I heard some classical music in the car when I went out.

How many hours of sleep do you get each night?If I am lucky, 6-7, but now that I am on vacation (one more day) I have had like 4-5 hours.

What do you wish you were doing right now?

Having great time with my family in Mendoza.

Who's the first person in your phone book on your cell?

My hubby.

Last time you witnessed a fight?

I didn't.

Name 3 places you'd like to travel to.

1. Argentina

2. Alaska

3. Nova Scotia, Canada

Do you know how to ice skate?

Yes, I do. I used to be pretty good on it, too.

Name something you like that's out of the ordinary.

Out of the ordinary by whose standards? I like to go to Formula 1, Grand Prix car races.

Is bigger really better?

Depends what is bigger. Bigger piece of chocolate cake is better than a small chocolate cookie.

What do you think of Brad Pitt?

Thinking just escapes me when I should think of him.

What color are your toenails.

Toenail color.

Do you own anything with a skull on it?
Does my head count?

Traveled to Europe?

Oh, yes, MANY times.

Last movie you watched?

Something about a Princess, Julie Andrews was in the movie, too. It was on TV, and there was nothing else!!!

Where were you when you had your first kiss?

If I remember correctly: on a haystack.

Last board game you played?

Scrabble

Leather or lace?

Lace, if I crochet, I love crocheting Irish Lace. To wear, if I had to choose, Leather.

Ever had a black eye?

I don't think so, black thigh, though.

Oh, wroooongg. I would have a black eye, or two black eyes, if I forget to remove mascara before going to sleep.

Have you ever worn fishnet stockings?

No, I left them for people who fish.

Knitting and knitting

Been busy with needles. With circulars, straights, dbl pointed and broken ones. I broke one circular needle. Or it just broke by itself. Fortunately it was the one I had bought at a dollar store, not the one I had spent 42 (including tax) Canuck dollars at the Needlework show about a month ago. Well, that needle came apart, too, but I can fix it with crazy glue. I hope. I haven't done it yet. It irks me too much.

Running from Michaels to WalMart to a private yarn store, looking for circular needles. Not that I don't have any, I do, but not in the right size. I have tons of 4.5 mm needles, but only one in 5 mm, and 60cm lenght. I forgot what that is in inches, sorry.

Where was I? Yes, I finished the Jeans Jacket for our grandson, and today I finished a sweater for his older sister. My fingers are screaming, but I am happy.

Friday Blues

Our office was closed today, due to Remembrance day, which is tomorrow. During this week I have walked by some old men, sitting patiently at shopping malls, holding boxes of poppy pins in their wrinkled, sometimes shaking, old hands.

I am wearing a poppy pin, and am thankful for the men and women who were fighting for our freedom. Thank You!

I went to the office, to do some "work"! Office work, that is, yeah. I had to mail a parcel to a friend, and I had the box, paper, and heavy duty packing tape at work.
I also paid some bills, and sent a claim to insurance company for my prescriptions. I was very satisfied of my "work" day. I spent an hour in the office. It was nice and quiet, no phones, no irritating interruptions from other staff members, no sounds from any annoying radio stations. Mind you, I can turn my radio sound down, but when I walk by a desk of someone else, I can hear the music. Not that I hate music, I just don't like loud music when I try to work. Actually I love music, and specially a variety of it. Almost anything goes. I could list the ones I don't like, easily, but I really am not in the mood for that.

OK, then I went to the post office, mailed my parcel, went to a magazine store to look for the latest knitting magazine from England, which was not in yet. I must wait another week or two, or what ever, to get it. Why does it take a month to get a magazine from England to come to a store here, when I could get it within a week if I subscribed to it?

I know, I know, airmail thingy, and the boat thingy, big difference. I didn't think that anything comes by boat any more. Or is it a cargo ship-something. I suppose they still bring important items, like knitting and crocheting books and magazines from overseas. Yup. That reminds me of a good friend of mine, from high school, he was a really nice guy. I heard that he is a captain of a large ship, somewhere. I hope he will bring my magazine soon, if he is steering that ship. That was a silly thought.

Came home; started preparing meal for the night. I made stew. It was not bad, but not the best stew I have made in my many stewing experiments. I don't think I am a good cook, normally, but sometimes I will surprise myself, and hubby! Today I surprised myself for not having a stew that was out of this world, it was just stew from my kitchen. Leftovers are for lunch next week. Had it been an extraordinarily delicious stew, there would have not been any leftovers.

I have done zero stitches today, although I had planned to finish the jeans jacket, that has been my WIP since last week. I have completed the back, fronts and one sleeve. Left to do things are: the other sleeve, button band, collar and pocket flap, plus finish some yarn ends. It' looks quite cute, if I may say so. I might get the other sleeve done half way tonight, but that may be just a "might".

Are there such things as empty thoughts? I think I have a remarkable collection of them.

STEW

Hamburger meat

leftover tomato sauce, with herbs and seasonings

carrots

onion

onion soup mix (optional)

garlic

green pepper

celery

pieces of cabbage (optional)

potato (peeled)

water

salt, pepper (if onion soup mix not used)

Put everything else, but potato in a pot, and cook about 45 minutes. stir the hamburger meat, so that it blends well with other ingredients. We don't want a big blob of hamburger meat in the stew? Of course stewing beef could be used, too; help yourself to choose your meat, or no meat.

Half an hour or so, before you are ready to eat, add potato into the stew, make sure you have enough liquid to cover the potato. Leave the pot open, otherwise your stew becomes a soup. We need some of the water to evaporate, don't we.

I did not include amounts of ingredients, because I don't usually measure things, I just add, look and taste. It's the same when I make scrumbles for free form stuff. Sometimes they are good and sometimes they just are.

Doodling

I might not have any ideas that are mine, because now I had to think about doodling. I visited Janet's pages again, and there she had a beautiful flowery doodling.

This is what I used to do in my doodling days:

The tree was done a long, long time ago, and
I made it for my hubby.

Picture is crooked

On the wall in our office. I can see it from my desk. I should get up and do something about the picture, but who would notice. It's been like that for weeks. The colors in the picture are fading; it used to be bright but now it has a bluish tone. Which isn't bad at all, but since I know it used to be something else, it catches my eye more often than when it was new.

I re-arranged some plants in my office this morning. I have three big ones, and one pot with four different plants and a fake bird. I said "re-arranged", well, I did, but ended up with the same arrangement as before. There is a glass wall in front of the plants, which are in front of my desk. I just want to cover the dang glass wall. I used to have a sign on the window "feed the animals", but it didn't work, I still had to bring my own lunch, and I still have the stupid glass wall. One of these days I will develop an angry fit, and slam the door so hard that the wall would come down in pieces. Wouldn't that be a sight. Nah, I better not.

My assistant (what a loose word - assistant? what does she assist, I have to tell her everything?) sits in front of me, on the other side of the wall, and I can see what she is doing. Right now she is not at her desk, again; probably chatting with the woman in the front. I can't see there, because the middle part of the office has our computer stuff and storage stuff room. Sometimes I wish that it was built with glass walls, so I could see who goes there to lazy off. haha.

Now, wasn't that totally interesting. This is the way this day is going to be: Interesting.

Guess what I did last night! Hubby and I decided that I could have a new blog connected to my web site. It's been there forever, and I didn't even know. So, we got the blog up and running, but, guess what, I don't like it. It's veeeerry complicated, and I have to log in every five minutes, or that's how it feels. I tried (tested) to post a picture this morning, and couldn't. I have a feeling, it's a yahoo thing. Well, the site builder is yahoo, or is that how it's called? See, I am not very clever with these things, and hubby wanted me to do the designing stuff. He got it going, and then he left the rest up to me. OH PHLEEEEZ. Well, I'll just blog along with this bloggie, and stay simple. At least every once in a while I get a few pictures posted. Like now, I am going to post a picture of a model, who was in a magazine, a long time ago. Oh, the picture isn't a photo, it's a drawing by me. memememe.

Blogger is mad at me, he doesn't want to post the picture. But I can link the pictures to my yahoo album, can't I?
I will try later.

I like talking to myself, so therefore I like the blogggging idea. "Nobody" else listens to me anyway, whine, whine, when I talk about myself, so it's perfect companion for someone who is quiet amongst other people. HAHA and thensome. Does anyone have a cork?

The vest

Oh, dear, I completely forgot to show off my knitted vest, or did I?

Well, I finished it, wore it the first time on November 2nd.

"For The First Time" meme

I was reading Janet's "For The First Timers" and thought of it being fun. She even has pictures of some of her stuff.

Here are mine (no pictures):

For the First Time....

1. Who was your first love? Pekka (Peter) when I was 14

2. Who was your first kiss and when? If you can call it a kiss, he was a boy next door, at 11 or 12

3. Who was your first prom date? Didn't have proms

4. Who was your first room mate? We had a girl from suburbs, boarding during schooltime, Kirsti

5. What was your first job? Babysitting a preemie, all summer, it was a good job, the mother was a nurse and very patient with me, I was 13

6. What was your first car? Mine, all mine, was a Mustang 1969, anything before that wasn't really mine. There was an orange Morris Mini GT, 1969 also, but it was then husband's and mine together.

7. When did you go to your first funeral? When my grandma died, I was 12. I was devastated.

8. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown? 19

9. Who was your first grade teacher? Elli something, she hated me. Ask me about my second grade teacher, he liked me, so did his wife, who was also my teacher. I met him at my father's funeral in September, and told him that he was one of the best teachers I ever had. He was now in his 80's, I think.

10. Where did you go on your first ride in an airplane? To Canada

11. Where did you go for your first date and who was it with? With Pekka, to meet at a railway station

12. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with? With a girl from my neighbourhood, to meet some boy she liked. I was late 5 minutes coming home; my parents had gone out, and came back about 5 minutes before I did. I got a hefty spanking for sneaking out like that. I was 16? I think.

13.Who was your first best friend and are you still friends with them? Riitta, and I don't know where she is now, somewhere in Sweden. She moved there when she got married, and after her divorce I lost touch. I wish I had a way of finding her.

14. Who was the first person to send you flowers? Probably my hubby, he's good with that kind of stuff.

15. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents house? With my ex in-laws. Don't ask.

16. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? my hubby

17. Whose wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsmen? Never been a bridesmaid, but the first wedding I attended and was close to the bride was when my sister got married.


18. What is the first thing you do in the morning? Open my eyes.

Some old drawings of mine

This is my Mustang, a wild horse. I love horses, and had great intention to start drawing horses, but I think the knitting and crocheting, as well as computer took over my drawing time.This is an old man, and I love this drawing, even if I say so myself.

I must have had a good time in 1999, because I was drawing quite a bit that year.

These are a few of my attempts. I say attempts, because I am just an amateur, OK.
I have some that are painted, using oil pastels, acrylics, pastels, but those are done on much larger paper/canvas than these, so much harder to scan. I will try to take a picture with my great digital camera, one of these days. But first I need to finish the sweaters and jackets for grandkids.

My renewed interest in drawing has been re-kindled by Janet's beautiful art. She does wonderful watercolor paintings: flowers, flowing fairies, you name it. If I was you, I would check them out.

Here is one of my favorites: drawing of an Argentinean singer, Mercedes Sosa. I love her song "Alfonsina y el Mar"
( http://www.lyricsdownload.com/mercedes-sosa-alfonsina-y-el-mar-lyrics.html ) (in Spanish). I don't understand all the words, but I love the way her voice travels through the lyrics. I can feel the song in my heart. (You might have to cut and paste the link)

I was going to spray that sealing stuff on the picture, but had taken the wrong spray can, and now the picture (in real, not in the scanned one) looks marbled. Also, the color isn't right, I used black pencil, but I like the brownish effect that the scanner gave me. This scanner is just an inexpensive office tool, with printer and copier, what not. I have a better one at home, but it's connected to hubby's computer, and I am way too lazy to switch the connections. (uhm, not sure how to do it, you may say) I really need to start practicing again. Drawing and drawing, and then some more. It's a shame that my inspiration comes in so rarely. Maybe I do have inspiration, but other matters take over, and this drawing side of me is hidden somewhere amongst yarns and needles. I draw with hooks and needles. Right?

Knitting for grandkids

Now I've done it. I have, once again, left all my free form stuff on a pile that keeps growing on top of a container that I keep handy when I work in the living room. There are other things, too.
UFO's, WIP's, and books/magazines. Is there no end to my madness? I am desperately trying to get rid of my stash, and not buying new yarn. So what did I do on Saturday? I bought 11 balls of RH Something so soft yarn to make sweaters and jackets for grandkids for Christmas.
Is that so bad? Well, I have yarn, lots of it, to make these items, but then my dear DIL decided that her daughter should get a sweater in "that" color. Well, guess what. I don't have "that" color, that would be suitable for a sweater for that grand daughter. I am sure you guessed it, I had to buy the yarn in that color. Not the light yellow as in the picture, but ecru.

Well, I was not going to make a nice, light, cabled sweater for our granddaughter, with afghan yarn. Why not? Because I am supposed to make an afghan with that yarn for a friend, who, fortunately isn't in a rush for it. When-ever, she had said. I have made a little bit of it, but since I am not too fond of making afghans, that work seems to be ignored a lot. Besides the friend selected a pattern that interests me ZIPNADANIL.

I still have an Aran sweater to finish for our granddaughter, but that is almost done. Hard to type when my fingers are crossed.


So, I am making a jeans jacket for our grandson, false cable sweater for two granddaughters, and nobody else gets handmade gifts from me this year.

The jeans jacket is with Paton's Country Garden, Denim (discontinued). Both these patterns are in the book for kids' knitted sweaters by Cabin Fever designers.

I am positive that I will finish the jean's jacket soon, because I really like it.

Beautiful Autumn Day

Once again, hubby and I went to a nearby park, via Tim's, of course. We just can't go to the park without our Tim's coffee. And this time the lid opening was not in the middle of the cup seam. Perhaps someone has complained.

It's been a beautiful, sunny, and fairly warm day. It is nice that we have this huge valley behind us, and are able to go and discover many nature beauties, even in the fall, when everything is ready for winter.

Some parts look sad, but behind the fallen leaves, and drying plantation, there is water tinkling between the rocks, running happily towards the next curve, turning to a slight swirl, and continuing its path over any obstacles that might be on its way.

Vesting dilemma

I started, some time ago, a sweater, pullover, cardigan, whatever, with my fancy silk yarn from Argentina. I made the front pieces for a cardigan, but something was not right. I tried to fix the "something is missing" with strips for buttons and button holes. It was a little bit better. Then I realized I didn't have enough yarn to make long sleeves, so this morning, after a heartbreaking decision, I opted for a vest, and started frogging pieces that I had made for a cardigan/sweater/whatever.

Guess what, I am very happy about it now. I have a new design, and new inspiration. I have the back piece almost done. Oh, no, I didn't make it this morning; I had started experimenting on the weekend. I had decided that the back for the s/p/we was going to be totally different than the front. It's more or less freeformish, and I feel great about it! the back part isn't too freeformish, but the front might be. Now that I have finally come to terms with this yarn, I can do what ever I want! No cables, no slip stitches, no nothing, just what ever comes, comes. I let the yarn lead the way. The yarn itself is so beautiful that it really doesn't need any special effects.

Oh, no! I was going to take a picture of the back, but it's at home, but I have my camera with me. DUH!

Oh, well, I took a picture of a Berenguer Baby Girl Doll I won at e-bay a few days ago. Not sure if I go for this type of doll making, seems like a lot of work, but if not, I just make some clothes for this one, and save her for my granddaughter. These dolls are made to look real, but when I saw, at the craft show how much work is involved, I decided that the doll needs clothes, and someone else might be more interested in giving her the "live" look.

Scarf

I wanted to make a crazy scarf with all the paisleys I had collected from my paisley exchanges.
Of course I could not find the zip log bag, where they all were stored. I spent many hours in my stash room, looking into boxes and bags, no luck.

I decided to make one quick one to wear at the CSNF today. I finished it last night and here is the picture:

This morning, I was looking for a tote bag for my WIP at the show, while I sit in the
booth. I took one, that looked like a good size and was not full of stuff. Just a few
zip log bags, and one of them had the paisleys from exchanges. Yes, you heard me.

Idle talk, part... um... 5?

I have a small fridgie attached on my filing tray, on my desk. The fridgie has a black cat coming out of a pumpkin. Now, why on earth would a black cat want to go inside a pumpkin? My cat, who isn't black, would do it, but a black cat?

A co-worker brought me a coffee from Tim's. Why do these people at these coffee places have to
dump the lid on the cup, so that the opening of the lid hits the seam of the cup.? Every single time. The seam gets wet from the coffee, when I drink it, and then it starts curling open and it's disgusting. I have started, in my conscious moments, to turn the lid around, so that the seam is far away from the opening. I would take a picture, but my camera is at home. Why would I bring my camera to work? There is nothing interesting here, just desks and people who work, or don't work, and filing cabinets, computers, chairs, piles of paper, and a dying plant on my desk.

Right now it is spooky quiet in this office. There is a meeting in the boardroom There was also a coffee brewing in the kitchen, and I was told not to drink it, because the coffee is for the meeting people. What makes them so special? Oh, well, I like my Tim's coffee more than the one that was brewing in that old coffee maker with some icky coffee grains, that we buy for the office. Can't we buy some decent coffee for the people here, who work so hard, or not? It would be so great, if there was a nice cappucino maker and some expresso coffee, and some nice tea, too, none of that general store brand tea. Although, I've heard those store brand items are the same as the ones on the shelf with higher price and nicer packaging. I know, it's true, I have tasted store brand coffee and compared it to the expensive one, same stuff. Almost. That reminds me,

I must go to the grocery store on the way home, we need coffee and bread. Should I buy some nice dessert, too? Like ice-cream? Maybe some orange/black iced cupcakes, after all, Halloween is around the corner, isn't it? I thought it was next week, but it isn't. We still have one full week of October, how nice. Oh, that relieves me from some self-indulged stress. I was rushing to make something for Halloween, don't know what, just yet, but something, and now I realize that I have plenty more time to procrastinate than before I realized this delightful misinterpretation of days to come. Please, bear with me, I make up meanings for words, when they look like they mean what I want to say. If they don't, skip the part.

I have not complained about the traffic lately. It's been a while. I want to say that traffic in the mornings isn't same as it used to be. I have let way too many people go in front of me, and not receiving a wave to thank me, and flicking the lights doesn't seem to be enough hinting. I must say that I was happily surprised one morning, when I realized that my car wasn't crying at one bridge, there was no clonking or other weird noises coming from the suspenders of my car (haha, a new word for those things that make the car sway smoothly, as a Cadillac would do)
when hitting this rough part of the street. No, the road was smooooooth. It had a brand new blanket of asphalt, or some other dark stuff on top. Oh, what a glorious morning that was. Finally, someone fixed the road. If only I could remember the name of the part in a car where the springs are. Shocking, isn't it, that I don't remember? I used to own a Camaro Z28, and the front was making so much noise that I had to take it to be fixed. Nothing was ever found. The poor baby was crying every time the weather got colder.

In the knitting and crocheting department, there isn't too much of anything happening. My left arm is suffering from too much knitting, and I must take it easy for a while. Until I get home tonight. Some orange colored earrings might be nice for Halloween, or maybe I will crochet a black cat and a pumpkin plus a witch who is boiling water in a big black pot.

Socks done

Hubby has new socks, and they fit perfectly. And now I will start some non-sock projects.
One of them would be a scarf with paisleys. First I need to find the paisleys that are stored somewhere in the stash pile. Wish me luck.

MeMe

I stole this idea from Aunt Purl's site, answers are mine:

Four jobs I’ve had: Department store sales person, Income tax office help, Construction Company AR/AP clerk, Pension Fund person from clerk to department supervisor

Four movies I can watch over and over: Sleepless in Seattle, Groundhog Day, Wedding Planner, Can't think of anything else

Four places I have lived: Finland, Sudbury, Toronto (that's three, I was always bad in math)

Four television shows I love to watch: Gilmore Girls, CSI, all of them, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, Everwood (again, counting error)

Four places I have been on vacation: Everywhere in Finland, Several Places in the USA, Bermuda, Argentina

Four of my favorite dishes: mugs, glasses, plates and soup bowls (hahaha), Lasagne, Green Peasoup, mashedpotatoeswithmeatballs, pizza

Four websites I visit daily: what do you mean? freeform, email, my yahoo, msn

Four places I would rather be right now: Bermuda, Argentina, Finland, at home

Four bloggers I am tagging: no tagging

Happy Anniversary!

Today is 20 years since I met my hubby. We met at a ballroom dance hall, of all the places. Somehow my girlfriend's boyfriend got him to come and dance with me. I had made so many subtle remarks about the man at the door, that there was no question about my intentions.

The link above shows a picture of the dance hall. It looks so much fancier now.
I am sure it was nice looking then, too, when it wasn't a ballroom dance night, but a wedding or some other special event night.

So, we danced a tango. Better yet, he danced and I stepped on his toes. Well, my dancing was a little bit difficult, since I was very nervous, and for the life of me I didn't know how to dance with my feet feeling like jelly. Furthermore, my partner is a foot taller than me. Fortunately he was interested in me, at least a little bit, as he didn't give up after that disastrous dance, but he came to sit with me at the table and we talked. We also made plans to meet again. We did, and we got married three years later, and are still married. By the way, we danced again at my son's wedding, four years ago.

He went to a bakery today, to buy a cake. We are going to have a nice dinner at home, he is cooking, he's a good cook. I don't know what he is going to prepare, but whatever it is, it's good. Trust me.

Twenty years ago, around this time, I was recovering from a major surgery; my mom was visiting me; I had bronchitis; I was attending an art course, which I had to quit, due to my bronchitis (I missed too many classes), and then I met my hubby. It was an interesting autumn.
Some other events have an anniversary on this day.

Saturday stuff

First of all, one sock for hubby is done, one more to go. The sock fits, and I am happy.


The yarn is wonderful to work with, and I am eager to begin knitting the pair for this one.







Secondly, I found nice, wood furniture in the antique market today, for 20 our bucks. Not bad. I also found a statue of an old woman sitting on a rocking chair, reading. Two of my little dolls are listening to grandma reading, in the living room. Oh, ok, the dollhouse is not built yet, this is a temporary arrangement. I wish I had tools, I would build the house with wood. Well, I don't have the tools or skills, so I have to pray for a miracle. Or, I might ask hubby to build one.

I will never promise anything

I promised myself, some time ago, that I will NOT knit more socks.
Well, HAH, I bought some sock yarn in Finlad, when I was there last month. I think I was planning to make scarfs. Yeah, right. Thanks to my friend Sherri, who posted a link to sock patterns, and, of course, I had to look, and then get all interested once again. Sheesh.

I am making socks for my hubby; these ones. In a different color, though. I am also using another yarn, so my socks are not going to look like these beautiful green socks. Mine are going to be beautiful blue socks. Ok, I am not finding the sample of the yarn, thinking of scanning, but no, I will take a picture when I get home, and have knitted some more. I am already doing the heel flap.
Ahem, not so bad, I only started last night. The yarn is Novita's Seitsemän Veljestä, Moni Väri in dark blue that has some lighter blue hues here and there.

I also made, last night, two more strips for the silk yarn jacket. I have a disturbing feeling that there is not enough yarn. Well, I will worry about that, after I've done with the blue socks.

Also, get this, I had an idea, HAD being the operative word, to make a doll house. I got discouraged, when I found nothing interesting in a dollar store, when I went today. I only found some idiotic, plastic, small kitchen appliances. YUCK. I want something nice if I am going to make a doll house. I want oak furniture, pine furniture, modern stainless steel appliances, and nice shades for the windows. Asking too much? Well, I am not giving up just yet. Why didn't I pursue my wood working career when I was 5? (I made a pick-up truck, when I was 5, my father made the wheels for it)

In closing for this chat, here is another picture from one of our beautiful parks:

Better today

I am back to work, and feel much better, thank you all for well wishes.

I stayed at home yesterday and was planning my knitting until noon. Then I decided that no stitches will be brought about, if I just plan. I need to hold the needles and yarn to get going.

Using the silk yarn from Argentina, I was able to make a strip with triangles. My problem was
that I had no idea what to do next, until later at night, while watching "Criminal Minds" I decided to make another strip. I tried to post a scanned picture of the strip, I have the second one with me here at work, but the Blogger, ggggrrrrrrr, doesn't want to post it.

While trying to catch my sleep: I'm usually knitting in my thoughts, and planning my knitting and crocheting projects, and making several beautiful pieces. The problem is that I have forgotten what I made, when I wake up in the morning. If only I had someone to write down, or better yet, videotape my dreams and my thoughts before falling asleep, I could have tons of ideas ready for the conscious mind. Last night, in my dreams, I decided to make a jacket, instead of a pullover. I remembered this one!!! Jacket is more practical for me. If I get hot under it, I can take it off, pullover is a different story, unless I have a shirt, if you know what I mean.
I have pen and paper, by my bed, for writing down my dreams, but by the time I wake up in the morning, different events in my dreams have taken place and usually have nothing to do with designing. Besides, I just get up and follow the aroma of fresh coffee, before there is any sensible thought in my head.

Once a year cold

There are not too many thoughts in my mind, since most of my thinking deals with cough syrups and cold medicines.

We managed to go to another park today, and of course some pictures were taken.

Surprise gift

I received a package on Thursday. It was a total surprise. Here is a picture of what was in the package. Look at the socks, they fit perfectly.













The other picture is of a sweater that I am going to make over again, since this first one has been worn thousand times and it's starting to stretch too much. I used 100% cotton. The color used to be navy blue in the darker stripe, but somehow some pink got into it, and I had to bleach the whole thing over and over again, to get rid of the pink. I got rid of the navy blue, but there is still some pink somewhere, fortunately not noticeably.

I copied the pattern from the old sweater, because I cannot find the magazine where the pattern is.

I've done 15 cm of the new one, using acrylic/wool blend yarn.

More Autumn pictures

Walk in the Park

We went to the park, had coffee and took some pictures:
The sun was shining brightly and the air was fresh. It was a good walk.