Keep going Girl!

First some whining,

back pain for over a week.  Have done too much lifting things, as in bags of yarn, boxes of yarn,
just yarn. Let me explain, I have a stash room (second bedroom) full of stuff, mostly yarn, in boxes, plastic tubs, and bags.  Decided to organize *organize*,  me?  Good grief!
Well, I did some, and now the back is screaming. Tylenol 3 snubbed, Arthritis Tylenol laughed, standing and leaning against the table helped after half an hour.  Sleep is great, no problem.

Should I just sleep?  NO, I must check the e-mail, check the Facebook, oh, and go to work.  Work
might have something to do with some pain to a degree.  Sitting all day, working on a keyboard, trying to get the correct information into the record archives, inside the data files.  That's hard work, and will cause discomfort sometimes.  However, I do love my work, and have always enjoyed going to the office.  Occasional getting up to go and fetch coffee or lunch, or water,
is a good thing.

Oh, I was not going to talk about work.  Back to whining.  No cork needed, since my whining has nothing to do with wine.

This is my solution for the problem, Aleve, which may cause tummy pains, but which is worse?

I realized something this morning, why is my back not in pain when I am in bed?  I have a padding with magnetic buttons inside.  Well, yeaah, sure.  This morning I took one Aleve, found another of those paddings in the linen closet.  Put it on my chair and what, I am practically pain free, unless I get up.  Is it Aleve or the padding with magnets?  Don't know, but I am going sit here all day, even
if I don't have the witch powers to move things around with the wiggle of my nose (I can't do it anyway, even if I was a witch, which I might have been in my previous life, which is another story).

On the reality side (whining isn't my daily topic):

What's up?  The Knitting goddess has been my friend for a good part of my weekly events.
There is a shawl, a scarf, a jacket, a freeform thing, another shawl, something that I don't even
know what, hats, and socks, but I am very organized (another "good grief).  Organizing is not a word I use lightly.

These are Hedwig socks (referring to Hedwig, Harry Potter's owl)  for my step-daughter-in-law.
I was going to add eyes and a nose but decided it was too much work.  :-)

Some baby stuff, little jackets and two blankets

Hat that will go to charity

This hat was meant for a friend, but it came out too small.  The brim is very loose, too. I have fix it, and then this one goes to charity, as well as

the baby hat here:

 I love this shawl, the yarn is size 10 crochet thread, Katie Jaipur, and the colors are amazing.

I have put this shawl aside for a few days, since I was busy with the hats and other things.

A scarf for my niece in Argentina:

The yarn, Patons Grace.

Forgot what this was going to be:

 

 And this is a Seraphina Shawl start, which might never see another stitch done:

 Crocheted this Edelweiss shawl in less than a week.  It will probably end up in charity section.

Guess who this is!  Merlin, of course, isn't he adorable?

Baby surprise Jacket.  Pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman, the knit master.

baby jacket in apple green cotton yarn, somewhere there is a pattern, but where?  Here!

Crochet bolero for my grandaughter in Argentina

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And finally, some of the plastic tubs that have swallowed some yarn.  These and some others are going in the stash room, if I can find a space for them.  (wiping tears here)

 

There has been some serious cabbage cooking too, in my kitchen.  Cabbage soup, Cabbage rolls, 

Cabbage casserole, and last night a soup with chicken broth, cabbage, ground chicken, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, red onion, and some celery, that was in the back of the fridge, still good, surprise.

I have lunches for two or three weeks now.  Of course it's possible I will have something else, too, since I am already getting somewhat tired with cabbage.   

I don't really have recipes for my cabbage dishes, I've used my imagination, and googled a few tricks and so on.  I am a freestyle cook.

I am also reading a lot these days, Currently P. J. Parrish's Louis Kincaid series.

Of course some others, but these books are my latest fancy.

The first book "Dark of the Moon" came from library as it's not available for Kindle.

Have started it but not even half way thru, yet.

Came across with this post in FaceBook, and thought it was good

http://sinivalakosinsilimin.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/kiiress-duunis-tois-busy-working-work.html

Decided that this was enough for one post.  Have to go and see if my mess will disappear at least a little bit.  

Shawls shawls and more shawls

I don't think I have anything else in mind right now. This is obsessive startitis phenomenon is
taking up all my energy these days. It's one start today, another tomorrow, or better yet, two or three on one day.

While looking for something in my stash room (yes, I have a room for my hoarded yarns and other important items) I find interesting yarn and then I must try it. Sometimes I like the pattern and sometimes not, but if I like the pattern, I go and find some other yarn that might look even better on that project.

Tell me if I am weird, I have four shawl starts on the table and one in my bag, which is almost finished. Oops, no, I still have to knit about four rows with 336 stitches, then double the stitches and then knit about 20 something rows. I forgot how many. The shawl is designed by Myra Wood and is called Damselfly Shawl.

I have great knitting time when watching the World Cup games. I have not made too many mistakes, but indeed a few. Frogging has been minimal, because my mistakes have not been design features, but actual missed stitches, which would have spoiled the look even with my Noro yarn. So, what I have done, I added a missing stitch, or knitted two together when I had too many. That has happened with this one.

I am now on the last chart of the pattern and have 672 stitches on this project. In the picture it's hard to see, because my cable/needle is only 100 cm long and the shawl circ is way bigger than that. I can't wait to finish this one and show off.

I also joined a Collage Swap group, and this is my first ever collage. I was supposed to do two of them, but I am not very good at reading rules, so I missed that part. I must work on the second one tonight, so not too much knitting done on the shawl. Yeah, right.

It's raining and the traffic flows with the rain, miserably.

Swallowtail Shawl

Another WIP started. If you call me crazy, it doesn't matter.

I started a shawl yesterday, I think. Or Saturday. It's Monday now, and we are on a long weekend mode. Queen Victoria's Birthday. I never met her, but it's OK, I enjoy my day off regardless.

Oh, the shawl. The pattern is in the "Interweave Knits" magazine, Fall 2006 issue, "Swallowtail Shawl" design by Evelyn A. Clark

I have done quite a bit already, although would be further if I didn't make so many mistakes, and so many froggings. I get careless with an easy pattern. It also isn't helping to watch telly and follow a chart, is it now?

Here is a picture of my WIP. I just finished the 13Th set of Budding Lace 2 set. One more to go, and then move on to a new pattern set.

I am using Noro sock yarn, which is not mentioned in the original pattern, but I wanted my shawl to have all my favourite colours.

I don't have lace yarn in these gorgeous colours that this yarn has.

Of course I have some regrets for using Noro sock yarn, because it's rough, and makes my fingers itch because the yarn is wool. (plus a little bit nylon, but that doesn't help).

I cannot imagine anyone, who has a sensitive skin, wearing socks made with this yarn. However, I know that I am just being mean, because wool yarn isn't very

cooperative with me. There are so many beautiful yarns now that I would love to knit with all of them, but first, they are pricey, and second, my skin shivers when I touch some of those fancy yarns.

I bought four skeins of this Noro yarn, intending to make a vest. So why the shawl? I saw one made with the same yarn, same colorway, in Knitter Gal's blog, and fell in love with it.

In Finland

Here I am, and have done shopping already. I bought some Nalle and Seitsemän Veljestä yarn.
I finished the batwing shawl in the plane, and made a bracelet with beads. I have alse bought two magazines, Kauneimmat Käsityöt and Moda.

There is one cute purse in Moda magazine, I might even make it one day.

Here is the shawl, which I made for my SIL; there is also a bracelet on top of the shawl (grey and black shades). I have my own little room, in the attic.

Well, I was brave and reduced the size to show the bracelet. It is supposed to be grey with black but in my eyes there seems to be awful lot of green. Oh, well, my eyes are green, so maybe there is some reflection.

Oh, and here is a new and improved picture of the black to grey to white shade shawl, which should go well with the bracelet, or vice versa.

I have to go now lunch is ready.

On my way

Going to Finland in a few hours.

I decided to let my sister have the batwing shawl, if she hints at least once that she likes it.

I started another one, with different color, and though of giving that one to her, but then decided that I want to give one to my brother's wife. This one is made of shades of old rose. The picture shows the start of a beautiful thing.

I don't know about anyone else here in Toronto today, but I feel humidity covering my entire being. Everything is sticky. Even the mouse I am using. This is insane. It's supposed to be nice and sunny and dry. That's what I want.

I'll be back in September.

Something gets done

I finished a baby blanket that I started last year. It only needed one end and one side to have the finishing row. I have a picture of it, not blocked, but it's ok. The size is 28 x 36 inches.
The yarn is some baby stuff.

Then...ahem, I started a batwing shawl on Monday, and I finished it tonight. Clap, Clap, Clap.

One thing is almost certain, the batwing shawl will not come back with me. I am sure my sister will hide it from me, when I am ready to leave for home.

I still need to make a few little gifts for my family members, but I still have time, like tomorrow night and Friday night. On Saturday I will be busy packing and on Sunday I will be leaving.
Hubby is going to be all alone...oops, with the cat, for two weeks.

Shawl done

After my great experience at the CGOA Chain Link event and all the freeform stuff, I have recovered, to my humble knowledge. I needed to make a gift for my sis, who has a birthday next Thursday. Well, it's done, with fringes and all. Now, the only thing is that I truly and honestly tried to follow the pattern, and once I knew how the system went, I didn't need the pattern again, just my attention. I could have done it with my eyes closed, but when I did, something happened:

Needless to say, the shawl had the very first row incorrectly done, but I only noticed on the next row, and if any of you have ever tried to frog mohair yarn, you know why I left the design a'la Pirk there. (It's not really noticeable, maybe only by my sister, or her sharp eyed friends), but
believe me, that first row isn't the only one with design cramps. There are more "mistakes" than I want to admit. The shawl is as if swarming with wild cats in a barn.

Well, when I am looking at it from the distance, the flaws, or design cramps, are invisible, so what do I worry. Just put it in an envelope and send it to my sis. and hope she will receive it on her birthday, or at least the next day.

I went, by bus, subway and streetcar, to Romni Wools today. Boy that place is warm. They had two big floor fans going, but that was not enough. I was standing in the middle of an aisle, and the leaking started. I could feel the little stream going down my spine area, I could feel the faucet in my forehead turned wide open. Hey, I stood in front of the fan for a little while, but I had gone to the store to buy yarn, not to stand in front of an inefficient fan. I managed to buy
some Bernats Cool Crochet, HAHAH, even the yarn name was mocking me.

I had no energy, or better yet, inspiration to even pay more careful attention to other yarns. The prices alone wiped the inspiration slate clean. Instead of looking at the yarns, after a few yarn slots, I started staring at the prices, and got totally disgusted and headed to the cashier. I must say that the young ladies, three of them, were great, I just was surprised that the older lady had not learned to treat customers politely. Maybe she was just as warm as I was, or she didn't have her morning coffee yet, it was around noon. Or maybe it was her nose bothering her, it was attached to a string hanging from the ceiling. Kind of difficult not to look down your nose. Well, what do I know, I am just a simple customer.

Well, here is the picture of the shawl. Had to put it in my yahoo pictures, since blogger is having a major tantrum with picture posting.

Just everyday stuff

There are three lanes on one of the roads that lead to my work. There are no "right" turning signs anywhere. Sometimes when I am on my lane, ready to turn to our little street, there is usually some dingaling who is going straight and I have to wait for the lights to change so we can proceed. GGGRRRRR.

This morning, I sort of cut in front of another car, not really, she was "nearly" parked about 200 yards away from the lights. This is one intersection before mine. She wanted to turn right. Heheh, I could see that she was shaking her head in disgust. Oops, I am in the way, and she has to wait for the light to change. For a miniscule second I was annoyed, and told her under my breath that there is no right-turn-only - lanes here, but then remembered my own reaction to the same phenomenon. Then I giggled and I was in a good mood. Yes, I do the same thing, I shake my head in disgust! I was smiling, how silly is that?

One thought came to my mind this morning, on my travels to work. I don't hear too many stories about violence against Tim Hortons coffee place. There are no robberies, no break-ins, etc, and I just wondered about that a little bit. This thought came to my mind when I saw a
police cruiser driving along the road towards Tim's. I see those cars quite often on my way to work. I am just wondering if that has anything to do with anything.

I have recuperated from my trip to Philly, or Valley Forge in King of Prussia. BTW, I should have known at the Toronto Airport that something was going wrong when the officer at the A/C counter was giggling because of the name or the place where I was going. Doesn't everyone know every place in the world? Well, I don't, but I don't work for the Airlines.

I think this is going to be an interesting day. I am full of sarcasm and plausible wit.

Yes, I am back from the trip. I have tons of pictures, and I am truly happy that I went. I really didn't need my suitcase, did I? I managed. It was just so funny to claim my suitcase at Philly airport, WHEN I WAS LEAVING. Hello, there you are, did you miss me?

I think I should do some office work, what do you think?

I started crocheting a Blue Jeans shawl for my sister, who has a birthday next week. Fortunately she knows that her gift is going to be late. It takes at least 5 days to go to her by AIR mail. AIR!!!! aaarrrrggghhh. Will it get there? I should be finished with the shawl by Sunday, unless something more interesting comes up. This shawl gets its boring moments, but I have to do it. It's a pretty shawl, don't get me wrong, but there is nothing freeformish in it. I have found two mistakes already, mistakes, no, design changes. Not going to frog, because the yarn is mohair, Angora Alize Special in deep purple, and frogging aint going to happen.

I was going to post some pictures here, but the blogger isn't in a good mood today.