How many years have pasted?

I can’t remember the last time I even looked at all the blogs I used to follow so carefully.  Life has a funny way of changing and some things go by the wayside.  I still love to check in on Attic 24 to inspire me with color and far away places.  I’m still knitting, maybe not as often as I would like, but I still love to cast on for a new project!  My friend Patty and I went to see Stephen West in Kent, WA a few months back and then out to dinner… that’s about as much yarn fun as I’ve had in over a year.  I want to start blogging again and keeping a record of projects and good times.  Last year in February I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and it made me look at some things differently.  Actually, just in the past few weeks I’ve been thinking about what things in my life are working and what are not.  I need a good spring cleaning of my life!  So… Cheers to making things happen this year.

Guess who?

Well it’s been a VERY long time. In fact I can’t believe how far I’ve gotten away from reading blogs and blogging.

I’m still knitting, had a brief set back in February when my Jack Russell (Cassie) accidentially bit me instead of her brother Leo (our newest member of the family – he’s a 3 year old Westie).

Long story short.. (too late) I ended up in the hospital having emergency surgery on my right index finger. I don’t have all the bend back yet in my finger, but I’m still working on it.

Now here it is April, and Cassie and Leo got into it again and my foot got in the way, and this time is was my toe! Another trip to ER because the doctor could see me on a Friday and it was starting to swell and didn’t look to pretty. Never a dull moment.

Well, I’m going to get my ducks in a row and I’ll update some knitting projects and a few pictures too.  More later!

wEiRd!

Today is Sunday… and this morning the sun came out and the day was beautiful… but very “fall-like”.  You can really feel fall in the air.  I do love this season, but it makes me sad that summer is over and now we have to turn our thoughts toward another winter.

Anyway, I’m already getting off track… I wanted to share something really weird!

First the pictures…

It's like a big hand coming out to greet me!

This is what I found in the RV!!!!!! How weird is that?  I don’t know how it got there and now I’m wondering if it will come back?  I used Lysol to clean very good under the trim and in the boards under it.  It was a little freaky to cut it down.  I made sure there was nothing left of it anywhere.

Like I said… WEIRD!

Really RED!

Wow!  It’s October already.

A touch of RED!

And already for the new fall season I’ve had the flu!  Yes, that’s right… last week I was out from work for several days and now here it is the weekend and I’m just now starting to ease back into life.

Last night was the first time since Monday that I was able to knit.  I was just to sick to even be able to stay awake or to concentrate.  So now I’m knitting today!

So what am I knitting on?  Why a NEW KAL!!!!  Are you laughing?  I just can’t help myself.  So here is what I have so far…

Clue 1 completed

KAL: Knit Purl Hunter – Triplicity Shawlette

YARN: Simplicity by HiKoo – DK weight

55% Merino Superwash, 28% Acrylic, 17% Nylon – 107 meters

COLORWAY: 047 Really Red

NEEDLES: size 10 US – Addi Lace

 

Loving this fun KAL project!

So far this shawlette is screaming “feel me”!  It is soooo soft and the yarn is very nice.  At first I had a little problem with my stitch markers splitting the yarn, so off with the pretty stitch markers and on with the pieces of my bright orange drinking straw.  FYI:  If ever you are looking for a lot of quick stitch markers, cut up a drinking straw.  I asked for an extra one the other day at my latte stand and it works great!

In this Mystery KAL we will receive a clue every Thursday for 4 weeks.  Right now I thinking I want a BIG shawl… not a shawlette!!!  So I may have to pick up a few more skeins of yarn while it’s still there.

Also if you are looking for a great first time KAL, this is the one, so jump in now!  She has wonderful instructions and video clips on the techniques.

OK… guess I better get back to my OTHER KAL project… last Thursday the 4th clue came out for the Susanna IC Mystery KAL and I still had 4 rows to go on clue 3!

Have a wonderful week, and add a touch of RED!

Susanna IC Mystery Shawl…

Maybe I have said this before, but let me say it again… I love the crescent-shaped shawls, and I LOVE, love, LOVE Susanna’s patterns.  Her shawls are wonderful!

This Mystery KAL is coming along great.  It’s fun to have friends knitting the same project and none of us knowing what it is going to look like until we are done.  I have 3 knitting friends that are working on this one, and there is a little bit of competition to see who gets done with the clues first.  The only time I have been first was with the first clue.  The 3rd clue came out on Tuesday and I have another 8 rows to go.  The clues are sent to us every 10 days so I’m in good shape.  Another reason I love this shawl is that it has beads on it!  Beads are fun!

Clue #2

The beads are hard to photograph, they have a bit of a purple hue on the inside of the clear beads, and some are brown and some kind of a copper color.

Clue #2 done and 2 rows of clue #3

 I’ll have to work on getting a better picture.  All I want to knit on is this project, and yet I have a pair of fingerless mitts that I need to have done by Monday for a friend at work.  Her birthday is Monday and of course I’m knitting up to the last-minute on them.

What I’m listening to these days:  Wedding Belles by Haywood Smith – I’m laughing and crying right along with these wonderful Southern ladies in the story.  What a great story to listen to while knitting.  I recommend this one to go with a good knitting project!

More later…

It’s all about Cassie!

I’ve been thinking that I haven’t really put much time or energy into keeping my blog up to date, and when I do post I feel so rushed.  So tonight I will share only one thing.

Leaving the Animal Hospital on Monday, the day before surgery.

I am so thankful that I have my little Cassie Rabbit to greet me each night when I get home!

You see Cassie had surgery again last week.  New Years eve 2009 we noticed that Cass was squatting everywhere acting like she had to pee.  It was so strange, and we could see she was pain.  We called the vet and they had us bring her in right away.  She had bladder stones.  They call them stones, but they look more like flat jagged rocks.  They said they are like little razor blades!  Can you imagine how much pain that must cause.  Poor little girl.  Anyway, when she had her check up 3 weeks ago I told them that I think she might have something wrong again, but maybe I was just being a little overly protective because of just loosing Thor not long ago.  They took some blood and I dropped off a little pee sample then next morning and then x-rays on the following week, and that’s when it was confirmed… they had come back.  So last Monday they had me bring her in and put a pain patch on her.  I thought this was strange, but they said it was going to help her a great deal.  So I was very thankful for that.  Tuesday just before 5pm I picked up my little girl and took her home.  Poor thing, she was swollen and mad!  I don’t think she likes them there at her vets office anymore!

Well, she did pretty good Wednesday and Thursday and then on Friday her daddy had to take her back to have the pain patch removed.  I am so glad that I wasn’t there.  They couldn’t get the patch off.  Yes, that’s right… the patch wouldn’t come off.  They tried warm water and a few other things, but in the end they had to put a muzzle on her and I don’t want to know the rest of how they got the patch off of her.  All I know is that it took her skin off too… the poor thing looked awful when I got home on Friday night.  Rick said that she really hates everyone there now.

poor baby resting at home after having the patch removed

She is doing great now, and I am keeping the lotion on her skin to help it heal and not get infected and she gets pain meds for another day.

I won’t show you her shaved tummy and the swelling, but I will say she is doing fantastic now!

Monday night the day before surgery... she was feeling pretty good with the pain patch!

So anyway, I just wanted to record what has been going on with my little Cassie Rabbit.   Right this minute she is snoring all curled up in her daddy’s chair.  I love that spoiled little dog sooo much.

OK – my next post will up date you on everything knitting!!!

More Mystery…

I have to say this first… I, like millions of other people, I can’t believe that 10 years has gone by since the terrorist attacks.

Yes, I do remember where I was, and more than that I remember thinking “I need to call my dad.”  I always called my dad when things got scary.  I was thinking when is this going to stop and are they going to come here.  Silly as is sounds, I was driving to work and couldn’t get there fast enough.  I needed to be around other people to feel safe.

OK, I’m going to move on with what’s on the needles!

Mystery Shawl - Susanna IC

Yes, yes I did join another Mystery Shawl KAL!!!  I loved the last one so much I couldn’t wait to do another one.  This one is being done because Susanna IC on Ravelry has 1000 members (a lot more now).  We received our first clue Saturday and we will receive 4 more clues, 1 every 10 days.  This is a crescent-shaped shawl (my favorite shape) and I am getting to use the beads I bought for a KAL a few years ago.  The yarn is called Moo & Ewe by Miss Babs – the colorway is Blue Leg Mushroom.  We cast on 361 sts on size 10 needles, and then the shawl is knit on size 7’s.    The color of the yarn is difficult to describe, it has a bit on khaki in it and maybe a touch of brown-gray.

yarn for my newest mystery shawl

The Westknits Mystery Shawl was the very first time that I finished on time and was able to post pictures for the random drawings.  I may not have won, but I do have a wonderful shawl!

iphone picture of me at work

In order to eligible to win prizes you had to post a picture of your finished shawl on Thursday the 1st of September.  I only had my iphone that I could use to download pictures from… so the next two pictures were also taken with my phone.

Hanging from my cabinets in my office space.

I can’t wait for the weather to get cooler so I can wear it.

And let me not forget that my Mystery Shawl with Wendy is all done and blocked too!  I didn’t stay true to the pattern because I wanted to try to make it be a crescent shape.  Not the greatest shape, but I still love it and I will wear it.

Not the greatest picture, the color is so much more beautiful.

Pattern: Summer Mystery Shawl 

Yarn: Pagewood Farm Yukon (sock yarn)

Colorway: Seabreeze

up close edge

I have a couple other projects on my needles right now, and I haven’t given up on my RV blanket in the happy Lucy colors.  I even started the pillow to go with the blanket, but I do not have pictures yet.  That will have to wait until another day.

Other things that have gone on this month are…

The Sock Blanket reveal!  On September 1, we had a knit night like no other.  The sock blanket we have all been working on was completed and pictures taken.  The big secret… well, the blanket was not really for Friendship house, but for our much-loved friend (and LYS owner) Sherri Hughes.  She had no idea that all along this was being made for her.

Friendship Blanket – Knit Night @ Tully’s – 09/01/2011

She worked on weaving in the ends, and commented to Linda that she wished she could buy the blanket because she loved it so much.  I wish you could have seen the look on her face when we folded up the blanket and handed it to her with a card.  I think we all had tears in our eyes.  Sherri has come through so much with over a full year of breast cancer treatments.  She is one of the strongest people I know.  I am so glad that she loves it as much as we loved knitted it for her.  So much love and fun went into this blanket.

Sherri opening her card.

 In the picture of the blanket in the chair you can see the I-Cord edging, it’s a perfect finish to this blanket.

Don't you just want to wrap up in this blanket!

OK, I leave you now with a picture of my baby girl Cassie.

She loves to lay in the sunshine and look out the window.

Can you have too many shawls?

OK, way too much time has passed since I popped in to keep a record of what I’m doing.  So what have I been doing?

Knitting… I finished my Summer Mystery Shawlette that Wendy had going back around the end of May through part of June.  I finished it on Rick’s birthday! (after his parents left to go home) – and it is still waiting to be blocked.

Almost done in this picture.

Why do I do that?  I think I have some kind of mental block about blocking I guess!!!

28’s Cousin 53…

28's Cousin 53

I almost forgot about this scarf… it’s very colorful!  It was very quick to knit and very easy.

Casting on the million or so stitches needed!

I think I would like to make this again using a DK weight yarn, with some wool in it.

Next up… I started another shawl it is the Arroyo.

1st of four colors

I have always like this shawl and thought I’d get started while waiting for my clues on the Westknits Mystery Shawl.  Are you sensing a theme here.  Yes, I am in love with shawls/scarfs.  The Arroyo is knit with worsted weight yarn (I think), but I wanted to use my sock weight yarn that has been waiting very quietly in the yarn closet.

This yarn is so yummy!

It’s the Unique Sheep Verve yarn in the colorway Japonica.  Japonica is 4 skeins of 100 yards each.  It is so pretty.  It is having to take a backseat to the newest project… Westknits Mystery Shawl!

OK, the official name of this Mystery KAL is Westknits Mystery Shawl KAL 2011: Earth & Sky.   I have several friends that have joined in on this one and we are all loving it.  I’m getting really close to finishing Clue #3 and Clue #4 came out on Monday… well the 4th clue is the border for the shawl and I’m hoping it won’t take long, because I have to be done to post pictures on the 1st to win me a prize!!!!  This shawl uses 3 colors and it was fun to see what everyone was going to use for their 3 colors.  I played it safe and I’m calling mine Shades of Indigo.  The yarn is Hand Jives and it’s bleeding on my hands just a bit.  I used this yarn once before and had the same thing happen, but when I soaked it to block it, all was good.  This yarn blooms wonderfully and is so pretty.  I’m not super thrilled with knitting with it, because it doesn’t feel super soft, but it is really pretty to me.

Clue #2 done

Not the greatest picture, but you get the idea.

Working on Clue #3

This yarn reminds me of washed denim… I can’t wait to finish it.

OK, what else… this past weekend was our 5th wedding anniversary and my birthday. (Thursday and Friday) So else would we do… take the RV to Cape Disappointment!  We had a great trip.  I was able to get a little knitting done and we had tons of sunshine on Saturday.  Friday night was super foggy and misty and WINDY!  It felt like sleeping on a boat.  Here are just a few pictures…

North Head Lighthouse

The walk out to the lighthouse is so pretty.  And we could not have asked for a nicer day.

Rick and Cassie on the trail to the lighthouse.

The view from the trail, looking back to where we camped.

In the far background of this picture you can see the North Jetty, and just before that in the trees is where we camped.

A view from the trail less traveled leaving the lighthouse.

Round trip is only a half mile trip… good thing, I was not wearing the appropriate flip-flops.

I think this is the lighthouse keepers house.

Of course there is a gift shop… Cassie and I waited while Rick went in and looked around for about 2 minutes.

the fog coming in for the night

Heading home on Sunday

Are you wondering how I took this picture?  Well you see this trip we decided to bring Rick commuter car down so we would have something to drive to go see stuff.  So I drove his little car and it only took a half a tank of gas from home, back to home.  Someday (I hope soon) we will have the capability to tow the car.  It wasn’t to bad, I got to listen to my book and he and Cassie got to listen to her barking!  This was our first trip without Thor and it seemed strange to not have him there.  I miss him so much still.   The biggest draw back about me also driving is that I can’t knit!

OK, I need to get back to knitting on my Westknits Mystery shawl.

One last thing… Thank you to everyone that left me comments about Thor.  Yes, pets really are a part of our families.

Knit on!

T H O R…

This post is dedicated to my much-loved sweet dog Thor.

This was one of his favorite places to lay, look out at the lake and watch the ducks.

Our big guy loved to go camping, or anywhere in the car with us.  He just loved to go places.  If you said “Beach” we went nutty, he sure loved going to the beach.

This was one of our camping trips in our pop-up trailer.

Over the 4th of July holiday weekend I noticed that Thor wasn’t eating much and was drinking tons of water.  After a couple of days I thought he was doing better and I saw him eating a bit more.  He was still drinking tons of water.

Last Friday I took him in to see his doctor.  They took blood and checked him over really good.  Doc said that his liver felt swollen but we would know more when the blood work came back.

The next day, Saturday, Thor’s doctor called and said that his numbers for his pancreas should be about 0 to 450 – Thor’s was 35,000!!! That’s when we first started talking about cancer.  He said we really needed to get an ultrasound to know what was going on for sure.

Monday morning, July 18th I took Thor to Tacoma to the animal hospital.  That’s when I was told that Thor had liver cancer and it was very bad.  All though his liver and maybe spreading into other organs.  They took a sample of his liver and sent it out to the lab.

On Tuesday night about 8:00 pm Thor’s doctor called me to tell me that it was very bad and that he thought a combination of steroids and stuff to make his stomach feel better should get him eating again.  Thor was thinking differently.  He never did eat again.  He started getting so weak and it was breaking my heart to see him hardly be able to go outside and up and down the 3 steps.  He still wiggled his tail when we talked to him and he laid by us and loved having his ears rubbed.

I took Thursday off work and stayed home with him so I could make sure he got his meds and that he was doing ok.

Thor had a gray beard from the time he was about 8 months old.

Rick was home with him on Friday and when I got home from work it really scared me… I knew the end was very near.  That night I helped him get up on the bed with Rick and he just stretched out next to him and went to sleep.  I kept our other dog Cassie out in the living room with me all night so she wouldn’t bother Thor.  My plan was to call the doctor in the morning.  Thor got up during the night and laid at the foot of our bed in his favorite spot and went to sleep.  In the morning Rick woke me to tell me that Thor passed during the night.  I walked in and saw him laying there… he looked so peaceful and like he was just sleeping.  I said good-bye and we put him on his blanket & bed.  We carried him out to the garage and called the vet on call.  About 10:00 am we delivered Thor to Petland cemetery to be cremated.  I will pick him up on Monday and we will scatter his ashes at his favorite beach.  I can’t even begin to tell you how sad I feel.  Today I have caught myself looking for him a couple of times.  I just want to have him here with us.  Rick and I got Thor the month after we moved in together.  Thor was 2 weeks old when we got him.  His mother was killed and that’s why we took him at such a young age.  I had to bottle feed him for at least the first month we had him.

Thor Thor Bing… January 2000 to July 23, 2011 – you will be missed sooooo much!

it’s starting to look a lot like summer…

On the beach at Ocean Shores, July 4th

Aside from the fact that there was TONS of smoke in the air on the beach, it was a perfect 4th of July night!

bye bye sunset... hello fireworks!

It has now become a tradition I guess you could say.  My mom comes to visit every year for the 4th of July holiday.  We always have a great time.  She crochets, and works on cutting fabric for her quilt projects, and I knit and we both laugh and gab A LOT!  This year it also included a Murder She Wrote marathon playing on TV while we gabbed.  LOL  Good times.  I was so happy to be able to give her the sweater that I have been working on FOREVER!  And did I take a picture of her in it?  Of course not.  I can’t believe I didn’t take a picture.  So I’ll have to go visit her soon to get one.  I can say that it was the perfect length and looked beautiful on her.

The wildlife didn't seem to mind the fireworks.

 Mom and I went to Elma for her to get more fabric… now I know where I get it from.  She buys fabric, like I buy yarn!  Daughter like mother.  I couldn’t help myself and I bought just a little bit of yarn.  3 skeins of Serenity Garden Yarn.  In these wonderfully colors.  It’s 100% Microfiber, and on Sunday I started a scarf.  It’s called 28’s Cousin 53, I’m on row 44 now.  Each row from 44 to 53 has 514 sts!!!!  That’s a lot of stitches.  My goal is to have it done this weekend so I can ONE, wear it next week.  And TWO, get started on a pair of socks!

So bright and colorful

This is a nice little pattern that I have been eyeing for sometime now and just wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it in a wonderfully soft yarn or something fun and whimsical… fun won!

About 15 rows or so done in this picture.

My other finished project is the gorgeous Mezquita shawl.  I finished this one and blocked and got to wear it to work this week.  It is so soft and yummy.

Blocking!

This was a really nice knitting project.  When I got to the end of pattern instead of doing the bind-off I added 5 seed stitch rows to help keep it from rolling so much.  It’s seems to have done the trick for the most part.  I love this scarf!

OK, back to knitting.  I’ll post more later!  Looks like we are going to have a sunny and wonderful weekend!