Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Not Much News

Not much knitting news to report. I've gotten very little knitting done in the last few days. Travis got home Friday night, so we didn't get the camper to the campground til Saturday around noon. It took most of the afternoon and three trips to the hardware store to set up. Travis wanted hard pipe for the septic. Got back, and the elbow he bought was a 45 when it should have been a 90. Back to exchange. Then the flex hose didn't fit the pipe (just barely off). Back again for an adapter piece. Then I realized while he was gone for the second time that our water tap was quite far away. The closest one to our site was already being used by the camper in front of us. (I don't know if they were using ours by mistake or if it really was theirs.) I called and tried to catch him before he left the store, but I was too late. Back again for a longer water hose and a shovel to pretty much bury the sewer line (and I needed a shovel anyways - broke mine).

To start off the weekend, I noticed that Pumba seemed to be having trouble using the bathroom. I didn't really notice til Thursday, but I think it had started a little earlier in the week. He gets constipated quite a bit from fur, and he has no tail at all, so that compounds the issue. (Bobtail cats are prone to have bowel problems.) Four or five years ago he had to be put to sleep and have a enema. It actually took two enemas to clear him out, he was that full. I didn't want him to rupture and die, so I called my vet. They were full for the evening - I was not happy at all. I've never had a problem with them, they were always great. I told her I was worried he would rupture and die. She said I could pay for an after-hours call or wait til the morning. I got mad and called the other vet that my parents used to use. They told me he should come down right away. I took him down and dropped him off, went to pick Travis up at the garage, and went back to see what the vet had to say. He totally surprised me when he said it was urinary. My other male has urinary tract disease and almost died when he was 11 months old. (He turned 10 in April.) Anyhoo, the vet said everything I already knew - have to put him to sleep and clear him out or he'll die... He told me he was going to do it that night, but when I called Saturday morning they said they had two emergencies come in after I left, so they did Pumba in the morning. I called back before they closed for the day at noon. She said they got about three handfuls of crystals out of him. He was just starting to come around. They were closed Sunday, so I called Monday morning. He wasn't allowed to leave til he pooped. She ended up calling me around noon and said he could go home. When I got there a different doctor was there. He said it was both urinary and bowel - he had to give Pumba an enema in order for him to poop, and I guess it was a good one! So in the end I was half right. They were really good - didn't charge me the $43 for the exam or for the enema. I came out $383 lighter, but that also included a case of wd canned food (they put the poor dear on a diet!), a 10lb bag of cd, and a tube of Tonic Lax. That stuff alone was probably $90. I can see that he did lose some weight, and I know cats with FUS shouldn't be overweight because it can cause more flare-ups. He's not a tall or long cat, and he kinda looks like he swallowed a beach ball. He's always been big. (He just weighed 17+lbs!)

So my baby is back, very unhappy with being on a diet and having to take Tonic Lax every day for the next week or two (then it's two or three times a week forever, I guess). The other two are treating him like crap - especially Nala, the girl. She's Super Bitch. Maybe Simba remembers what he went through way back when, and his was much worse - catheter, head cone, feet tied together cuz he kicked the catheter, hospitalized eight days... I almost didn't get Pumba back by the sounds of it. They all fell in love with him at the vet's. I paid my bill, took the food to the truck, no cat. Finally the doctor was like, "I guess you need a cat to go with that, huh?" I think he was hoping I wasn't coming back for him - he said he'd "fit in nicely" at his house. I don't think so! No one gets my Poomie Oomie! He was so happy to see me, I know he wanted out of the carrier, but I had to drive home and couldn't let him out. He plopped on my head (as usual) at bedtime! He was a miss, especially at night - he sleeps with me every night, usually on my head and pillow. (Travis was grumbling - "I go away for two weeks at a time. The cat is gone for a couple of nights, and you can't sleep!")

Hope to have a FO this week!

Happy knitting!

Friday, May 26, 2006

Camping

The camping season has begun. I've started getting our camper ready. Travis will be home late this afternoon, and we are taking our camper to the campground tonight. We bought a seasonal lot this year (with the price of fuel who can afford to haul it anywhere?). Also, with him gone trucking again for a couple of weeks at a time it wouldn't get used much. (I could never haul it anywhere and get it there or back in one piece!) This place is just about half an hour away, so I can come and go with the boys all summer. Friends of ours who have kids close to our kids' ages have their camper there for the season as well.

I think I will take the store's child's sweater with me. I have the back almost completed, then it's the sleeves and finishing. I doubt I'll get too much knitting done til the littlest monkey goes to sleep. I'll be chasing him all over the place I am sure! I may take an easy pair of socks, too. Something small enough that I can carry with me easily. I need one of these!

Happy knitting!

Monday, May 22, 2006

Yukon Leaves Finished!

I tried to get a little artsy and take the pictures outside. The inside pictures weren't coming out good at all - the color was way off. These are better!

Yukon Leaves with hand-dyed merino bought on eBay from this seller.

Started May 14 (I think!)

Finished May 22

The only changes I did to the pattern are I used 2.75mm needles - I got gauge with the 2.25mm, but they were t-i-g-h-t! These are perfect. I also did my normal heep flap instead of the band heel. I tried it, didn't like it. I did my toe as usual, but I think that was the same way the pattern did it, too. I usually don't read the toe shaping in patterns too closely. I just do it the way I always do it.

Now I am working on a child's cabled sweater size 4 that I started for the store awhile back. I would like to make Jaywalkers out of my Bittersweet Lorna's Laces next, but first I may make some Pa's Day socks. I've got some of this in Mercury to make basic ribbed socks for my step-pa-in-law, who just happens to love hand knit socks. They should go fast, so I should do them first so they're done, and I'm not in a rush to get them completed on time.


Bit of obsessive compulsion? Monster trucks and dinky cars have to be lined up all the time. Both boys do this. Maybe it's just a boy thing! Don't mess them up, either, unless you're looking for trouble!

Happy knitting!

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Mini Stash Flash

Here's just a mini stash flash. I am starting to build up sock yarns, and I forsee a fetish starting that will involve hoarding hand-dyed socks yarns (I really do!).

This yarn is two odd-dye lots from the store that I plan on using to make children's socks. They will be for the store, of course, and I think I'll use this pattern.

These three balls also belong to the store. They are more of a bluish/grey (called Denim) than the picture. I think I will make men's socks with these. If I have enough I'll make a pair of children's socks as well.


This sock yarn is mine. I bought it to make some socks for the boys. They will pobably be the same pattern listed above. I figure Munchkin #1 will get a couple of pairs, and Munchkin #2 will get a couple of pairs with different colored toes/heels from the leftovers. Hey, it works for me!


This is some leftovers from both pairs of Mother's Day socks. It's Regia that I will combine with the Kroy to get some children's socks.

Now we get to the good stuff! The hand-dyed 100% merino I got on eBay from this seller to make the dreaded Wyverns! Gotta learn short-row heels first!


I am currently bidding on this yarn from this seller and have Hedera in mind. (More hand-dyed merino!)


Then there's the two Lorna's Laces I bought on eBay but haven't gotten in the mail yet. I also have some I bought ages ago but haven't used. The color on top is Bittersweet and will become Jaywalkers. The middle one is Gold Hill, and I'm thinking of something cabley, maybe this. The bottom one is Rainbow, and I'm thinking something really basic, like 3x1 rib or something. I saw it on someone else's blog, can't remember who, and she had no luck with it til she ripped it out (think she had tried Jays) and just did a plain pair.


And let's not forget the Thomas yarn, also hand-dyed, that I got to make socks for the boys.


My current project for socks is a pair of Yukon Leaves for myself made in purpley pink hand-dyed merino bought from the same seller as the orangey stuff for the Wyverns. (Pumba looks enthused, doesn't he?) It really isn't flourescent like it looks in the picture. It is bright, though. I will try to get a better finished picture outside in natural light. I should get the first sock finished tonight. (There's also a bag of ragg yarn, grey and natural, that I got on eBay last year for a real steal that I plan on making some work socks for hubby with. There is enough for two or three pairs, I think. Not exciting enough to picture, plus I forgot!)

I think that does it for my sock yarn for now! My stash is sick compared to some, but it's getting there!

Lastly I want to leave you with a picture of something very nice a good friend of mine did (who also happens to be the assistant manager where I work). It was delivered this morning to the graveyard across the road from me. (Yes, I live across from a graveyard. My great grandparents and great-great grandmother are directly across the road from me, first ones on the left.) This is his great-grandfather and mother, I think, and their children. Most of them died of TB, and some have no dates as he wasn't sure when they died. He's not even sure if all the people listed on the stone are buried here, but he wanted them all included regardless. (The cemetery records in our community were very poorly kept years ago.) There was nothing to mark their graves, so he bought this for them. He is very into family tree stuff. He knows more about most families around here that the actual family members do! He's bought other stones and foot markers for other members of his family as well. I think it's so nice, and not a cheap thing to do, either!


I had to go up and take a picture of it for him this morning and pop in to show him. He had to work til 5 and didn't get to see it til then. I'm sure he was misty-eyed - things like that mean a lot to him. Also, his roommate's father died last year, and his stone was delivered today to another graveyard on the outskirts of town. I'm sure that was a cause for more misty eyes.

Happy knitting!

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Finally Done (After Only A Year!)


I finished my Ma's -- Ma's Days socks last night at almost midnight. She didn't try them on today, so I don't know if they fit. Her feet are smaller than mine, so I tried to adjust them by guestimating. I've only ever knit socks for myself or women with the same size feet as me, men's socks, and kids socks.





I also had completed all the pieces to the sweater I started for the store about a year ago. This morning it looked like this.


Then it looked like this after supper.


Now it looks like this, all done. I can't get anything but crap pictures of this yarn. Must be the ragg effect not co-operating with the flash. It does have two cables running up the front and a cable up each sleeve, with saddle strips across the shoulders. Now I can work on the other sweater I started for the store, and more socks, of course!

I did win that Lorna's Laces on eBay that I showed in the last post. I also won this from the same seller, too. Shipping was the same for two or four skeins, so I may as well take advantage (good excuse to buy more, right?). I see cabley goodness happening with these ones.



Happy knitting!

Tuesday, May 09, 2006


Not too much to tell anyone in the way of knitting. I am to the toe on the first sock of my Ma's -- Ma's Day socks. I will finish that one tonight, then I am taking a short break to try and finish the sleeve to the sweater for the store. If I can manage to finish the sleeve, say tomorrow night, then I am off Thursday and can work on sewing it up and doing the neck. I also brought home some of this in Crystallite Cream to make this sweater for the store. This yarn isn't really moving. The most I've sold of it was six skeins of Blue Brilliance to someone who wanted to knit a shawl with it. It should knit up quickly. I am going to make size large, and it only requires seven skeins, and it's on 8mm needles. I'm hoping that this will help get the yarn moving.

Trying to bid on some more sock yarn on eBay. I pretty much always get outbid. I'm trying to get this, and I'll see in a little over two days if I win.


That's pretty much it. Logan is doing fine. The knock on the noodle didn't slow him down at all! Didn't learn a lesson, either. He's pretty much been barred from the kitchen. He was in there today, playing on the computer. Next thing I looked, and he was up on the table again! I got him down from there in a hurry. Thanks, everybody, for your comments!

Still waiting to hear that my Sock Pal got her parcel. She currently lives in the States, I believe, and this was mailed to her parents in Canada. They will hold it til she gets there, which I hope isn't too long! I really want to know if she likes them!

Happy knitting!

UPDATE: My Sock Pal, Lindsay, got her Sockapalooza socks! They fit her perfectly, and she loves them! I'm doing a happy dance!

Friday, May 05, 2006

May Socks Completed!

May socks are done! These two pairs are for the store. They are both made with Fortissima Socka. The colorful ones are child size 6-8. The blue ones are toddler size 3-4. They turned out really nice, only requiring one ball each. (They were odd dye lots, that's why I figured I'd just make kid-sized socks.) The toddler socks are this pattern, with my regular toe. The larger pair is this pattern, only I used size 2.75mm needles instead of 3.25mm. I still class these as size 6-8. They would fit Darren, and he's a six-year-old who is the size of an eight-year-old. Now I have until next Sunday to make my Ma's -- Ma's Day Socks.

Got some new yarn in the mail today! Thomas the Tank Engine sock yarn from Brooklyn Handspun. Can't wait to make the boys some socks with this! Hand-dyed, superwash wool. I included both the natural light and flash-photos. Couldn't decide which one to use.
Lastly, this morning started off to a swooping start. Logan decided to crawl up onto the kitchen table where he doesn't belong. I told him to get down. First thing flip-flop backwards off the table, onto the floor on his back. The cat food dishes are on the floor right there, so he landed on those. I grabbed him, cuz I saw that he landed on one of the plastic ones. He was crying, naturally, then I saw the blood. I've been through enough with both of them to know that anything on the head bleeds like a stuffed pig. I had a towel laying on one of the chairs. I grabbed that and slapped it on his head. Blood all down his head, on the floor, on my pajamas. I didn't even really look and see how bad it was. Looked over at the cat dishes - two are thick ceramic - one is smashed. I grabbed the phone and called my mother first. She just lives up around the corner. No answer. 8am - she's washing her hair and can't hear the phone. I hang up and thought I called the hospital - no answer - where the **** is everyone! I'm shaking like a leaf, Ma answers the phone. I called her again by mistake. Babble at her to come down right away so I can take Logan to the hospital. Hung up and called the hospital (dialed the right number this time), told them I was bringing him up, and he may need stitches. By this time, Logan has stopped crying, so I got Darren to hold the towel on his head while I got his socks on, grabbed my socks, and dressed our feet. Ma arrived, told her to call the school, I'll run Darren up later, call Travis, he's on his way home and is expecting me to come get him in Bridgewater.

We get to the hospital, and they take us in right away (it was quite busy). It turned out to be more of a puncture wound than a cut. He played in the waiting area with the toys til our doctor arrived. He said he could put a stitch in it, but why traumatize him with the freezing/stitching when the wound was in his hair. If it had been a cut or somewhere that the scar would be seen then he would have stitched it. I agreed. So home we came. I gave him a bath cuz he had a lot of blood in his hair, and it was smelly. He's been fine all day since. We went shopping, and he got this, a new monster truck for himself and one for Darren, and he picked out a 2-pack of Transformers for Darren. He's very thoughtful - everything he picked up was one for him, one for Darren!

Ma cleaned up the broken dish - it was in five pieces! I threw the other one out, too. I was going to take a hammer to them first, but I calmed down and didn't bother. They have two plastic margarine containers right now. I had used ceramic because Nala had gotten irritated from plastic, and her bottom lip swelled up. And Logan best keep his butt down off things where he doesn't belong!

Time to go watch Most Haunted! Hope to have pictures of a finished adult sweater the beginning of the week!

Happy knitting!

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Sockapalooza Ready to Go!

Picture heavy post - may be slow to load.

Here' my Sockapalooza stuff getting ready to be mailed. I was walking by one of the local dollar stores today and saw that neat little lighthouse box in the window. They had four or five different sizes. I got the biggest one which was perfect for the socks, little floating flower candles (that match the socks quite nicely!) and postcard. The lighthouse on the front of this postcard with the cannons and stone structure in front of it is in my town. It's a museum now. It's not the clearest to see in the pic, it's over to the right. (I may pop in and pick some more of these boxes up - they're great when I do Sockapalooza again or do a Secret Pal exchange.)

I also snapped a picture of the baby set I was asked to make. It's shown here sans ribbon in the booties and bonnet. I didn't have enough, and the lady picked it up from the store after I went to the local sewing shop and got some ribbon. Thus, no pic. The color isn't very good. I tried to tweak it some, but I really need Photoshop back on this machine. The camera software sucks for retouching. I used Bernat Softee Baby in pink.


Had some friends stop by last week one morning. I threw some leftover hamburger buns out for them. He didn't eat, but she did!

The boys got some new Lego yesterday, too. We are using Alison's point system to save up for more. (See her April 21, 2006 post.) Pumba was the supervisor of the building crew. There was a Diego set not pictured in addition to the two Dino sets and the car carrier/race car set. (Logan loves Diego!)


I guess there may not be any eagle babies after all. One of the eggs is gone - they don't know what happened to it. No signs of it anywhere, no signs of egg debris. They feel now the other one either contains a dead eaglet or was never fertile from the beginning. You can read about it here. Very disappointing.

Happy knitting!