Monkey Sock

I finally decided on a sock pattern after days of looking. It's the "Monkey" sock from knitty.com. I'm so excited about it because it's the first lace knitting I've actually done (excluding the shawl experiment from a lace book I bought last year...which made lace seem like a four letter word - lol). And...I'm doing it and it's coming out! Wow! Soooo cool! I'm not sure if it's going to be too big though. It seems bigger than other socks I've made but I'm having trouble figuring out how to figure the gauge. It says that so many stitches in stockinette and lace (or something like that) equal four inches. I don't know if that means to measure an inch (as it calls for) of ribbing and then the lace or if it's an either/or. Or...if it's across or down. I'll see if I can find an answer on the knitty website. I'm having so much fun at it though that I almost don't care if it's too big cuz it's sooo cool to be doing this! Wow! I'll also need to read about blocking it too. I tend to knit kinda tight and I'm even wondering if it'll work to block it since it's so stiff and pulled up. Hmmm?

It's so funny...I've always thought it was really amazing that people could knit socks and I can do it now...and it's still amazing. But...don't laugh...I didn't think people really wore them...or wore them very often. But...I have been wearing mine and I love them so much. I can't believe that. I was just knitting them cuz it's fun. Now, I think an addiction is forming. I want to get good at this and make amazing socks. So many amazing socks that I have some for any color outfit and any mood. And.....wow! It's soooo much fun! That's so funny to me...but I love it! Anyway...enough of sounding like a ditzy knitter...I've got to get back to my sock....I hear it calling!!! :)

Completions! :-)

I like to post with a picture and I don't have any new projects to show right now. So...here's a picture I took a couple of years ago, on a hot, sunny day, on a fun outing with my daughter and a friend to an herb farm in San Diego County. I think it's a pretty cool picture and I love the colors. I hope you enjoy it. Great memories!

I've been busy trying to finish up some projects before I start more and it's going pretty well. I did the finishing on two scarves that were already knitted, and finished up the hat I had started last week. I spun up more yarn for a bag I've been knitting on and off for a while. And, I tried to finish that free-form crochet bag but I'm still stuck on that one. I made a lining for it last month but I'm not happy with it and haven't come up with a better solution yet. I'm also stumped on the handles. I didn't like how it looked with a drawstring so I bought leather-like handles for it a couple of months ago but the scale seems off...they look too narrow and short. So, I'm thinking on this project again. With the projects I've finished up I feel good about starting something new. I found some vest patterns at the yarn store last week and plan to start one with some alpacca yarn I have. I also want to start another pair of socks and I've been searching the internet for a pattern that I like and that will work well with the yarn I have.

It's seems to be another good hip day. Yay!!! And, the weather is nice so I think I'll head out on my bike today and get some exercise. I found out this weekend that a friend of mine from high school has arthritis in both of her hips and her symptoms do sound similar to mine, so....maybe that is what I have. I still don't have to like it! But, having it in one hip is sure better than two!

Well, I'm off to enjoy the warm sunshine on my bike and then it's back for some quality craft time before a full work day tomorrow! Have a great day!

Bloggin'

Wow! I just realized it's been almost a week since I posted on my blog. I've been pretty busy lately and so I guess time is flying by even quicker than usual. I've been feeling better and better. And, my hip has more up days than bad. I'm still not convinced about it being oseoarthritis because I thought that would feel more like 'achey' rather than sharp pain and because sometimes it seems like it hurts based on the position of my leg or what I'm doing....like when it hurts really bad when I walk on a flat surface or up the stairs but doesn't hurt at all when I go down the stairs, sit, stand, or bike. Very odd! I went for a bike ride of almost 10 miles last weekend and it felt great and did for a couple of days. That was encouraging! But then on Monday night it started hurting really bad all of a sudden. I'm going to keep exercising when I can though and see if it eventually makes it better or at least feels good more often than not. If I don't see enough improvement after a few months I'll ask my doc if I can see a specialist.

Update on the bad haircut...I've been getting a lot of compliments and it's so incredibly easy to style in the morning that maybe it was a blessing in disguise. I think I'm starting to like it. So far so good on not having frozen ears. lol I have started knitting another hat though...just in case. :)

I finished my other leg warmer. I knitted them with alpacca yarn and they are so soft and warm. Ahhhh...so nice! I really want to start new projects (and I did start the hat) but I'm trying to finish others that seem to have stalled for a while. I plan to spin up some more yarn this week for a bag I started last year. There's a couple of other things I want to finish up too before I let myself dive into a big knitting project...which is what I'm hoping to do...like a sweater or something. I'm anxious to get going on the quilts I have fabric for too. So many fun things to do and not nearly enough time.

My daughter had Monday off from school and we got to go to a gathering at my mother-in-law's house to visit with some of her friends that were in the area for a while...they travel around the country doing dog shows (they're so amazing with their dogs!!)...and a bunch of their friends and doggies. We brought our Airedale, Salsa, and got to test her with things we've been teaching her and she made us so proud! Yay, Salsa!!! She did everything she was asked to do on the agility course and her doggie dancing routine too. Raising a puppy is sooooo hard but it's so exciting to see all the hard work paying off. It's about time too since she's 2 1/2 now! lol

Have a wonderful day!!! :)

Argh!!!

Okay...what's with hairstylists that think they can do whatever they want to your hair?!!!! I went in and asked to have my hair cut like a picture I brought in. I even asked about being able to 'scrunch' it to have curls (I have some natural curl in my hair) and she agreed it would work. I don't understand what happened between then and now cuz I walked out in tears with my hair basically buzzed off. She said that 'she' decided to clean it up around the ears. I'll say! It's cut above my ears...my ears are showing...exposed to the cold! The picture I showed her (and she had it open on her table) has soft curls and waves all over, you can't see the models ears at all! I have spikey, short hair on top, exposed ears and hair so short that there's no way I could get it to curl. In fact my hair is so short it won't even wave!!!!! It's everything I didn't want!!! ARGH! I'm so upset I've been bawling my eyes out! Why would someone do that?!!! Now I'm stuck for months waiting for it to grow long enough to get something even close to what I asked for. I would have been better off trying to cut it myself!!! I had someone else do this same cut, with the same picture, last fall and it was NOTHING like this! My family loved that haircut more than any I've ever gotten. I hate this one more than any I've ever gotten. This sucks!!! I guess it's time to take some deep breaths and try to find something good in this experience. And, maybe it's time to dig out the hats I've knitted!!!

Brrrrrrr!

Wow! What a difference in weather from just a couple of days ago! It was 80 degrees earlier this week and now it's barely 40 and there is snow in all the surrounding hills and mountains. My husband said it's been raining hard all day in Carlsbad. I think they missed it on this forcast since it was only suppose to drizzle a little during last night. It's ok though cuz we need all the precipitation we can get and the snow is beautiful! It's so much better than the deep freeze in other parts of the country. And, the cold doesn't seem so bad considering it's suppose to reach near 80 again this weekend. Ahhhhh!

Not much knitting or fiber play the past few days as I have an interior design job going and I've been working away at that. I'm having knitting withdrawals though...I'm going to go sit down and get a little knitting in this afternoon while I can cuz it's more work tomorrow.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

More Sunshine!

Ahhhhh......more sunshine and warmth. I'm lovin' it!!! I'm so happy the weather has improved...at least for now.

I'm not working on any new and exciting projects right now. Just working on my second leg warmer. I went to San Diego last Thursday to check out "Rosie's Calico Cupboard". I'd heard so much about it and had to see what all the talk was about. Wow! They had a massive amount of fabric. There were big sections for each color range (like yellows, oranges, reds, bright greens, drab greens, dark greens, blacks, etc., etc.). There were huge sections for plaids, flannels, batiks, novelty, reproduction, designer, baby, and on and on. The book section was huge too. And, one of the best parts was that their prices were less than all the other quilt shops. It was an amazing place! I'll definitely go back for my next quilt project...after I finish the ones I have now. On Friday I went to a quilt show in Hemet with my mom and aunt. It was small but fun. They even had a room with donated items like fabrics, yarn, quilt and craft books and magazines, etc. for a guild fundraiser. That was pretty cool. The magazines were a great deal at .25c to 50c. I was a good girl at the show and didn't buy anything. I enjoyed all the quilts and all the pretty fabrics though. Afterwards was lunch and a warm ride home in the sunny weather. Ahhhh. I realized that I'm doing more shopping and quilt show hopping than I am actually quilting. I need to get to work. Especially so I can buy more pretty fabrics. :)

Yesterday I got an idea in my head to google kitty sweaters. To my happy surprise I found a website with kitty sweaters and patterns. There's even a gallery of pics others have sent in of their cats in sweaters that they've knitted. Check it out on my side bar. The kitties look sooooo cute in their sweaters! :) I think my kitty might need one....not that she'll want it...but I might need to knit one for her. :)

Have a wonderful day!

Vested!

I finished my vest...as you can see. I'm pleased to have made my first garment and my first cable. I also learned a bit about "shaping", which I had no idea about before. It was a really quick project, easy, and fun. It looks ok on but not as great as I had hoped. I had envisioned it over a white, long sleeve, button down top, with jeans (of course...is there any other kind of pant...lol...just kidding...but they are my absolute favorite). But, it doesn't quite work...or maybe I need a different button down top. I'll keep trying. I'm on a search now for a sweater that will use a single strand of yarn (this one was doubled) and that I think I'll like to wear, and, of course, be able to knit. But, my next project will be (or should be) my second leg warmer, a quilt or two, and I still have that afgan that I keep setting aside and really need to finish. I know I'll love it when it's done but for some reason it's just not a fun project. I want to try making some mittens too....my first step towards trying to knit some gloves. It's amazing to hear myself say that I want to knit gloves...it wasn't that long ago that I thought knitting socks was an amazingly difficult thing to do, reserved for knitting gurus that were all wise and could make anything. Now I can make socks and I don't feel anywhere near "guru" status. But, I am happy to know I can do that now and a I'm little impressed. :) Maybe I'll feel like a smart knitter when I accomplish a sweater, gloves, and...that four letter word...L A C E! :)

Sunshine and a Cable :)

It was a pretty good weekend compared to how things have been going. Yay! I haven't had to take any headache meds for four days. Slight pain but I'm trying to get off all these meds. Being off the hormones is helping and I'm feeling more myself each day. My family said they're seeing a sparkle in my eyes again. And life is looking a bit rosey. My hip is feeling better and better and I even tried walking on the treadmill yesterday. It felt fine and still did this morning so I went for a longer walk outside and enjoyed the sunshine and getting out of the house for a while. Ahhhhh! I'm thinking positive for another good day....and a great week!

I've been having fun with yarn...I finished knitting a leg warmer the end of last week out of blue alpacca yarn. It sounds like 80's but I love leg warmers under my jeans to keep my ankles and legs toasty. They're hard to find so I decided to make some. So far so good. I'll probably start the other one today at my daughter's harp lesson (a full hour of knitting once a week). And, I got started on my vest project and it's going really good. It's so exciting and fun...I'm making a garment and I did a cable! Wooo hooo! :) I've already finished the main part of it up to the v-neck, with a cable up the center front, and did the left side of the v-neck up to the shoulder. I'm almost finished with the right side of the v and then I'll be onto the back. So much fun! I hope it turns out great...I can't wait to wear it.

*@&%!!!

Well, I got news from my doc about my xrays and it is "osteoarthritis - degenerative joint disease"! *&#@@!! I say I'm too young!!!! Not fair! Wahhhhhhh! Ok! Stop crying! The truth is that it's been bothering me on and off for years and hopefully it will turn off again soon. I'm still holding out hope! And, he said it's mild. That's good. Now I'm waiting for more info if I need any therapy or anything and how to get exercising. I really need exercise badly. I'm in the worst shape of my entire life (maybe that has contributed to my hip discomfort) and it's good to lift my mood. That's another thing that needs help. I've been put on the pill by another doc for pre-menopause symptoms and even though it has helped some of the symptoms I've been increasingly depressed in a way that is totally not me. It's become like something sitting on my brain and I hate it. Also, the major headaches seem to be related to the pill. After lots of research the past few days and talking with my hubby I've decided that I should stop them (which I did last week as part of the cycle of 4 months on and a week off - I'm feeling better emotionally as the week goes on without the pill). I'm switching gyno docs too in an attempt to get a doc that will listen and try to help me out. Doctors can be so frustrating sometimes. My current doc acts like it's his way and don't question it. Even though everything I read, including the drug info for my prescription, says that some of the things I'm experiencing can happen and that some are dangerous. He just says that I'm fine and keep taking them, to just go to a mental health professional and get antidepressent meds. What a dope! It makes much more sense to adjust or stop the drug that's causing the depression than to just pile on another drug. They just want to keep loading on more and more meds! Anyway...I'm trying to have control of my health and find help. Wish me luck!

In the meantime...it's lots of knitting and fiber play for me...it's therapy you know! :)

Oh yeah...check out the "Plucky Fluff" blog (on the side bar) for the most recent challenge. It's pretty cool cuz it can help someone out as well as be fun.

Have a fabulous fibery Friday! :)