80s Flashback

Well, the late 80s. I think most of my junior high pictures are at my mother's place. I'll have to take a look next week one day. I don't like having my picture taken, though I did when I was a little kid, so there's lots of those pictures at her house.

The top picture is probably taken around 1988. The middle picture is definitely late '88 or very early '89. That baby is my nephew, who turned 18 back in June. The bottom picture is my high school grad pic (my parents never bought anything but the proofs!), Class of 1990.

I also have this, an obviously dead giveaway to my age!

So there's my belated 80s post. (Go check out Dipsy's pictures!)

I'm also a winner! I don't know exactly what I've won yet, but it's yarn of some sort. Thank you, Alyson! (And thanks to Aija for guiding me there!) Make sure you check out the "winner" link -- she got a whole bunch of links to free patterns.

This weekend is the last camping weekend for the season!

Happy knitting!

Wet But Wild!!!

Awe-some!! Even though it started raining right about the time Sloan opened the show it was awesome! (It rained the hardest during Alice Cooper. Saw him 17 years ago when I was 17 at the Metro Centre -- he's still awesome!) Kanye West ended his set before eight, and The Stones took the stage around 8:30. It was light to heavy drizzle during their show. Fireworks, flames, moving stage... Huge screen, awesome light and laser light show, giant inflated tongue...


These pictures were nabbed off the net, so they aren't the greatest. No cameras were allowed, but there were thousands of them there anyways. I didn't take mine or my cell phone (has a camera in it) cuz I was paranoid they wouldn't let me in. I had a backpack with three bottles of water, a sweater, and three Dollar Store rain ponchos, which was searched upon entering the main gates, of course. A can of beer was $7, water or pop 600ml $4, burgers and sausages were $7, I think, and a small bag of chips or bitty popcorn was $2. All we had were a bag of chips each. We filled up on Burger King beforehand and had pizza when we got back to the hotel at midnight.

All went well. So far I've read there were about 50,000 people. I think there were a dozen arrests for public intoxication mostly, and a few people needed medical attention for fainting, nausea, headaches (one girl broke her arm outside after the show when she slipped and fell on the slippery sidewalk). Most people were very nice and polite, all except the jerk sitting in front of us who was in the wrong section and refused to move when the people who were really supposed to sit there showed up. He was quite loaded, and he refused to be told he and the five others with him were in the wrong section. Finally one of the others in his group said yes, they were supposed to be in one section further back, but he wouldn't move. The people who were supposed to have those seats were mad, of course, but they didn't pursue it and just stood there. Basically all the "security workers" I saw were about 18-22 year old university students. (Not that there's anything wrong with that! Just how are they gonna move people who refuse to move?)

We were getting pretty cold near the end. The rain basically ran off the plastic ponchoes and soaked the seats, which in turn soaked our butts. Felt some good about halfway or better through the show when the did Sympathy for the Devil -- smoke machines, red lights, shooting flames out of the top of the stage that threw some majorly welcomed heat. (We wished they would have left them going! It felt good for the few seconds it lasted.) They opened with Paint It Black and closed with Brown Sugar, encored Satisfaction. At the end there were fireworks and more flames from the top of the stage. No troubles getting out. Our section had its own exit, so we took that, walked for about 10 minutes to get to the shuttle we needed, and at 11:45 we were sitting in the bus on our way back to Dartmouth.

I'd definitely sit in the rain to see The Stones again -- it was waaaayyyyyy worth it! We benefited not only in the entertainment but got work as well. Hubby is off to Ontario taking a load of the fencing back that was used to enclose the concert grounds! (Shoulda seen all the big rigs used to haul the equipment. They were parked everywhere around the Commons -- dozens of them!)

Happy knitting!

That Sucks

Well that sucks. Tomorrow is the big Concert on the Commons (The Rolling Stones!), and it's supposed to rain. All week the forecast was a 40% chance of showers, but now it's rain starting in the evening, probably about the time The Stones will take the stage. That sucks, but I've got my waterproof LL Bean shoes, and I bought us each a Dollar Store poncho to take (basically a clear garbage bag 50"x80" with a hood). Ya gotta do whatcha gotta do! Somehow I don't think we'll really notice the rain... Well, not til after the show anyways. Here's a couple of pics I found on the web. The first is their 9-story high stage. Is that gonna be awesome or what! Plus there's sections that come out of the stage into the crowd that the band can come out on. Too bad you can't take cameras. The second picture is of the bleacher seating for VIP tickets. There's an East Circle set and a West Circle set. (Yes, I am an idiot -- I got these tickets. I had no designs on standing for 10+ hours. Not allowed to take chairs of any kinds.) Our seats are right smack-dab in the middle of East Section C, Seats 22-24 in Row 16.

My poor brother doesn't know the city at all, and he's so scared we'll get separated. I don't think we will. Our bleacher section is supposed to have its own washrooms and concession stands, so there's no need to leave that area. (I'm sure those Gold Circle sections will be fenced in with security at the entrances to keep anyone out who has regular tickets. Plus I'm sure there's people there to help him find his way back if he can't find his seat.)

Been working steadily on the aran sweater. I tried to get a picture of the progress so far, but they didn't turn out well. The batteries for the camera need recharging, so I'll have to try again another night. Here's a not-so-good pic of my Mystery Sock. I'm using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Gold Hill. In real life you can see the braid better, but the variagated yarn does obscure it. It's mostly stocking stitch anyways, so it doesn't matter much. These are going to be hard to photograph. (I foresee strange looks from the neighbors as I trot around the yard armed with camera, taking pictures of my feet and socks hanging in trees...)

Will report on the concert happenings on Sunday or Monday!

Happy Knitting!

September Brownie Points

Patons Kroy in Tutti Frutti Jacquard

2.75mm needles, my own pattern

(which I will get around to posting soon!)

started September 14

finished September 19

The stripes match perfectly! Even the blurry heels and the blurry tip toes! These are for the store, but I would like to make myself a pair of these sometime. We've got the other Kroy Jacquards, too.

These socks would have been completed last night had the Littlest Monkeyman not taken off at one point with one of my needles. I couldn't find it, and of course he said he didn't know where it was. I looked in his usual hiding spots, nothing. I thought I had another set the same size but didn't. I stopped at the store today and got another set. It's a good idea to have an extra set anyways. Anyhoo, when he got home from preschool he was playing with his workbench, and lo and behold, there was the missing needle!

Since I couldn't finish the socks last night I was compelled to start something else. I started the cabled sweater I've been commissioned to knit. It's moving along nicely. I only ever knit this pattern once in the child size 4. Now I am making an adult large. There are two cables in it, one just your 6-stitch braided cable, and the other a fancier-but-not-too-fancy cable. (I could get out my book and see what it's called, but I'm lazy. Eventually I'll post a picture.) It's very easy to remember. The fancier cable is a 28-row repeat, and the braided one is only a 4-row repeat. I'm using Patons Decor, 25% wool, 75% acrylic. (She wanted machine wash and dry.) It's quite nice to work with so far.

I forgot to mention last week -- the elementary school in the north part of our county burned down. Don't ask me why the picture uploaded like this. All that grey is black on my machine. The fire started at some point through the night and was called in to 911 by a lady delivering mail. The school was totally destroyed (don't know if they know what the cause was yet - I heard it was suspicious), but they saved the high school, which is right next door. I heard today that the high school should be open again the first of October (smoke and water damage), and they are trying to work out alternative locations for the elementary students. It's a half-hour drive from there to here, so it's too far to bus small kids to our schools.

And on another sad note, our fuzzy little caterpillar has gone to the Big Leaf in the Sky. I went to give him new leaves today, and he had passed. He had been doing so well, we're quite disappointed. (I let the other caterpillar we had go last week. He wasn't eating anything I was putting in his container, and he wasn't looking so good. I thought it was for the best.)

Only four more days til The Stones! My brother is so excited he's just like a little kid! We have a hotel room and will probably take a shuttle or ferry/shuttle combo to get there. (Had to get a hotel in Dartmouth -- Halifax was full.) So far the weather is supposed to be warm with a chance of showers. Yesterday felt like summer -- hot and sunny. Today was almost as warm but started to shower mid-afternoon. Get the rain out before Saturday, please!

Check out Mossy Cottage's info on Dulaan 2007.

Happy knitting!

Have a Yarn!

I am in love! I went to Nova Knitter's fave yarn shop today for the first time, Have a Yarn. It was a quick, short visit. The boys were outside in the truck with Daddy being their typical noisy selves. Gorgeous yarns, wonderfully displayed, small but cozy, great samples, great selection... The first room when you enter has a wall of sock yarn. I could have easily spent $100, but I couldn't today. I did find this in the third room out back. I've seen it on the net and have been wanting to try it.

Can't beat the price. There's just a little bit out of the middle that they used for a swatch. I'll just knit one of the shorter-cuffed sock patterns I have. There's plenty there.

There was also a basket of Regia sock yarns 25% off, but I felt guilt over that and didn't buy any. We sell it at our store, and I get that as a staff discount. We carry extremely little of the same yarns they do. Two totally different types of yarn shops.

I plan on trying to make a trip back there with Nova Knitter after she comes back from her trip to England. We tried to arrange it before, but it didn't happen. The plan is now to save some funds cuz I figure the old credit card is in for a ride when we go! (I'll push to finish the sweater I've been commissioned to knit. Yarn money!) The lady there showed me some wool, I think it was Wool Gatto, too overwhelmed to remember correctly. (But I remember where it is in the shop!) I could use it for this for both of the boys.

Happy knitting!

One of my favorite shows is Dog the Bounty Hunter. I didn't know anything about this til today because A&E is showing a Dog marathon. I can't even express my disbelief that they could be in crap for removing a rapist from the streets. (Apparently bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico, which is where they captured him.) Hopefully they'll be back to doing what they do best in no time and leave this unfortunate mess behind them. This link is video clip.

Completed Felted Wool Hat & Mittens

I finished my first pair of mittens for the KAL. They aren't the first pair I started this month! I made this bucket hat and mittens set out of Patons Classic Wool in Dark Grey Mix. Here's the after picture of them blocking in my basement. (Best place to keep them away from little fingers!) I just finished felting them a few minutes ago.


When they are totally dry I will pick off any little fuzzies kicking around on them. This set is for the store, but I plan on making myself a set as well, probably in the same color. The only thing I meant to do differently was the mitten cuffs. I forgot, but in making these last year I thought they might be better doing the 1x1 ribbed cuff with a 4.5mm needle instead of 5mm. The entire mitten is knit on 5mm dpns. (It was a free Bernat pattern, but they discontinued the yarn, so it's no longer on their web site or in free tear-offs. Luckily I had some copies of it. Very easy, and you can make the mittens with one ball of the Classic Wool. The hat takes one ball as well.)
Have to finish the mate to my Dulaan mittens yet! I started it at least. Don't want second-mitten syndrome!

Let's everyone send prayers to the victims and their families of today's rampage in Montreal. So sad when someone gets that low and angry that they have to do stuff like that. Hubby was passing that area today to get his reload to come home and had about 30 police cars rush by him. He didn't know what was going on til I called him. He was lucky to get through because they blocked a lot of the streets off. He goes to Montreal every week and has to go past the college/uni district to get to the pier.

Yes, this is a lazy post! I copied it from my post to the Knittin' Mittens KAL blog! Well, except for the two pictures that wouldn't upload! You can check out the before pics over there.

Happy knitting!

Happy Birthday, Nanny/Mom!

Today is my mother's birthday. I won't say how old she is -- I'd be disowned for sure. We got her a cake and also these goodies. A pack of the goat's milk soap she likes, mint body wash, and pictured here an unfinished bath mitt. I started it last night following a pattern I pulled from somewhere on the net, but it was way too big. I frogged it and started it again. I finished it tonight.

*

one skein of Bernat Handicrafter cotton

4mm - 16" circs

Cast on 48sts.

Work 4 rows rib.

Knit in stocking stitch to you run out of yarn!

Divide on two 4mm needles and graft top.

Crochet short chain and attach for hanger, if desired.

Today my baby went to preschool! I thought for sure I'd have to stay with him. Even last night he was still saying that I had to stay with him, and this morning when he got up he said he didn't want to go. When we got there he made himself at home and made a picture for Nanny with some paper shapes and glue. When I went to get him he said, "I had fun!" Hopefully tomorrow will go as well as today, and I'll be able to get for a nice walk while he's there. Today I only got for a short walk because I had to get hubby ready to go away.

In the knitting world I made a bucket hat that is awaiting matching mittens and felting. I finished the hat yesterday and put it on. It came down over my head and rested on my shoulders. I asked the Littlest One how he liked my hat. He said, "It's too big."

I hoped to get my truck back today, but that isn't going to happen. It went to the garage last week, and I have a loaner. (Thank goodness this is all warranty work!) I'm too used to trucks now, it feels like I'm sitting on the road driving this thing. It isn't in the greatest shape, either. She said they are talking to Engineering about our truck, trying to see if they can help them. (The engine light keeps coming on, and they keep finding little pieces of cracked hoses. I'll get the truck back and like two days later the light is on again.) She said they'll probably have to keep it til tomorrow. Looks like I'll have that Neon for an eon! (I know, I know, bad pun.)

Congratulations to Miss Tonia! She was the first person to put comments on one of my posts in the double digits! (I've been waiting to hit double digits!) She'll be receiving this shortly:

The new Knitty is up. There are sock patterns! Other things, too!

Happy knitting!

* Yesterday Nanny said she'd like to have new teeth. She has top false teeth that she hasn't liked since the day she got them. She should have went to a denturist and not just a dentist. Anyhoo, The Littlest One made her this little picture so Nanny could have some "new teeth"!

Broadripple Completed

I finally finished my Broadripple socks, which were started back early last month maybe? Thereabouts. I didn't change the pattern any except for the yarn - I used hand-dyed merino bought on eBay. I think my next socks will be my socks for the Mystery Sock KAL so I can start reading their blogs! (I don't want to see the socks I've picked.)

Wonder what the neighbors thought of me with my foot stuck up in my front bay window. I wanted a natural light picture to try to get the color closer to real life.

Yesterday was the first day of school. It rained. I ended up taking him to school because he had a lot to take, and I also wanted to see his teacher. He went on the bus today. There are four kids on the street that go to that school this year. Last year there was only two. There are some older kids that go to the bigger school, and probably a couple in junior high. The smaller school is grades primary and one, the next school is grade two to six, junior high is seven, eight, nine, and high school is ten, eleven, twelve. They built a new high school in 1991. I graduated in 1990 and was part of the last graduating class from the old high school. Another old school was tore down. My old high school became the junior high. The old junior high closed and is now this place. A couple of the small schools closed, they built a new one a few years back (for grades two to six), and so on. Closing, opening, building, tearing down. (Yesterday when the bus arrived in the afternoon, three little boys were missing! Somehow they got on the wrong bus and arrived home 45 minutes late. No one was missing today, thank goodness!)

I also started a pair of mittens that I originally thought would be for my oldest, but I think I will put them in the Dulaan pile. My Dulaan knitting is slacking (plus this also gives me credit for the Knittin' Mittens KAL!). He really likes green anyways, so I've got some yarn in mind and patterns to try for him. Something with a matching hat maybe. Same with the Littlest One. This pattern is an old Patons pattern no longer in print, and I did the color changes myself. (I didn't write it down, so I hope I remember what I did when I get to the second mitten!) I am using leftover Decor yarn from a sweater that someone knit for the store. It's 25% wool,75% acrylic but really nice to work with, soft and thick. It's my first time using this yarn. I have to get my butt in gear and start some hat/mitts sets for the boys. I registered them for skating starting October 15. They'll need them. Well, the mittens anyways. They have to wear helmets.

I got a good shot of our caterpillar today. When we got him last week at the campground he didn't have those black spikey hairs. There's also some white ones now. He's been eating and pooping a storm, so he must be getting ready to soon make his cocoon. (Yes, caterpillar poop! And for such a small creature he sure poops a lot.) This little guy is probably only an inch long.

When I went outside today I found this little guy on our steps, so I put him in the other bug house. He's kinda blurry, but this one must be a butterfly-in-waiting. He's not hairy, just a light brown/beige, and he's about 1.5" long and quite fat. I hope they both transform like the first one did. I'm interested to see what they will look like. (When we got the first caterpillar a few weeks back I read on the internet that most hairy caterpillars will turn into moths, and the hairless ones will most likely be butterflies.) We were at the camper when the first one actually emerged from his cocoon. He was waiting to be set free when we came home. Pretty little thing. It would have been neat for the boys to see him "emerge". Hopefully these two will complete the cycle as well.

Happy knitting!

Merry Christmas

Lots of pictures ahead! Can't believe Blogger let me upload so many in one post. I have been cut off, however. Still haven't had time to sit down and play with Flickr yet.

The other day one of the guys I work with asked me what Bernat Handicrafter is used for. We sell lots of it. I told him mostly dishcloths and such. He doesn't know it yet, but I made one for him. He likes blue, and I happened to have a skein of it kicking around. Sorry the first picture is sorta fuzzy. The up-close isn't the greatest, either.

Cast on 38sts with 5mm needles.

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Purl

Row 3: K1, K2tog twice, *(yo, K1) 4 times, (K2tog) 4 times. Repeat from * to last 5 sts. K2tog twice, K1

Row 4: Knit

Repeat these four rows 11 more times or til desired length. A two-tone (or more colors) dishcloth can be created by alternating colors every four rows. (That's a great way to use up odds and ends!)

We took my old Super Nintendo with us to the camper. I have quite a few games for it, but it's old and takes spells where it doesn't want to work. Some games have pretty much given up the ghost. I forgot about this one. You are Bubsy, and you go around collecting balls of yarn from the alien Woolies. The middle picture shows a couple of Woolies (which you can get rid of by jumping on their heads), and the last pictures shows Bubsy collecting yarn balls.

It was Christmas at our campground this weekend. The next three pictures are all of our camper, taken at different angles. There were candles in the windows, but they're hard to see.

Santa gave out presents to the kids. The Littlest One got a table top soccer game where you put sneakers on your fingers and "kick" the ball into your opponent's net. He was playing with the son of friends of ours. The Older One got a car to build.

Of course there were sparklers -- not from Santa, but from Mom.

I did get some knitting done. I made a Christmas dishcloth for the store on the drive down and started another one on the drive home. I finished the front of the Briggs & Little adult sweater for the store. Well, to the shaping of the neck. The pattern calls for the front to be done first, but I forgot the pattern at home. I will finish that tonight. After finishing that I will work on completing the second Broadripple sock and the second dishcloth.

The boys found a caterpillar a few weeks ago. They put him in one of their bug houses they got with their bug collecting kits. (Funny -- they've got bug collecting kits, but 95% of the time they're petrified of bugs!) A couple of days after we got him he cocooned himself in one of the corners. I've been keeping an eye on him. He did change somewhat, but for the last little bit he didn't look any different. I checked him before we left Saturday morning, and he looked just a little different, couple of different rings. When we came home today he was out! He had emerged as a cute little moth, quite dark with some spots on his wings. We took him outside and let him go. They have a caterpillar in the other bug house, and he's either getting ready to cocoon himself or he isn't doing so well. He has changed his appearance since we found him at the campground on Thursday. He isn't the same as the other one was, so I hope he does "change" so we can see what he looks like! (I did read on the internet that if the caterpillar is hairy then chances are it's a moth. If it's hairless, chances are it's a butterfly.)

School starts Wednesday! The Littlest One starts his first year of preschool next Monday. Two hours on Monday and Tuesday mornings to myself!

Happy knitting!

New Magknits

The new Magknits is up! Three sock patterns that I may have to try -- Lombard Street, Snowflake Lace, and Snicket.

Going to the camper tomorrow after work for the long weekend. It's Christmas at our campground. I'll have pictures Monday night or Tuesday, I'm sure. Santa comes tomorrow night, so the kids are excited. We started decking our camper out Wednesday night because I have to work til at least 3, and we didn't want to be too late having everything ready tomorrow.

Have a good holiday weekend!

Happy knitting!