Nesting Make Over

The sunroom off our kitchen could be called a breakfast knook. But I have taken up residence because I value sunlight. I have given up calling it my "office" and have switched to the more chaotic appellation of "lab".

My favourite chair is called a "dog and man" chair, but my dog is too big to share and is no longer allowed on the furniture. We got it free when we bought a freezer and it turned out to be "just like" my friend's grandmother's chair that was promised to her. No, it was the actual chair. Whoops. But it is mine now and already needs to be recovered again.

In order to include my husband more in our morning coffee and to open up the space, I finally found the chairs have wanted since we had breakfast in the Denman Street Bread Garden about five years ago.

They are slipper chairs or armless chairs and very comfortable. I found a "roundy" table to put our coffee on.

The dresser is actually a file cabinet. Yay. I have much more stuff to put away and I need to find a flow of yarn in use and in queue. I like to have projects "in play" which means if it is out of sight, it is out of mind. Plus I can take quite a while to come up with the best idea and need little reminders.

The cold weather makes me want to feather my nest. When you come over, we can have our tea in the sunroom now.

Neglected But Not Forgotten

You know those bananas you put in the freezer when they go brown so you can use them in muffins? Well, mine were threatening to take over the kitchen. It was time for action. My recipe uses dessert tofu instead of eggs and they turn out pretty yummy. I made a 4X batch on Sunday.

With the excuse of muffins in the oven, I was able to turn to my Hey Teach as "Primary Knitting". It took a lot of time to put the button bands and collar on. Then on Monday I pieced the sleeves and this morning I finished all the ends. I'm not much of a project knitter, but the soft cotton/wool helped me with the excrutiating process. This sweater clubbed me over the head this summer, but I want to wear it at Christmas for family gatherings and darned if I wasn't going to finish it. Next stop: buttons.

I also reknit the Baby Surprise Jacket so the picked up stitches weren't right on the front by the button holes. This is important when it is a gift for a very thorough nurse whom I care about a lot. She was my mentor last year this time when I was trying to get back to nursing. I can only hope that she'll return soon after having the lovely baby. Any day now.

Flip Flop

Yesterday was beautiful and sunny and quite warm: just a polarfleece top-no jacket required- for walking the dog. Today is grey and cold and very rainy.

The sun tried to warm the wet ground in the local stream beds. We are on flood watch.

These are snow geese or trumpeter swans. My sisters would know which. I was switching back from night shifts and happy to have enough feet left for a good walk.

But I should not be allowed to pick up my knitting. I had dropped a stitch on night shift and picked it up rather poorly. When I finished the sweater- yes bound off and starting to sew the sleeve seams- I was unhappy with the job. First thing in the morning I started "fixing" it. I ripped back to row 64 from 113!!! The whole nights knittings. Man I was disappointed. Still I couldn't give this sweater to a nurse (and my preceptor) when the mistake ended up right on the front. With the baby surprise jacket I'm never sure what's what till the end. Harumph.

Em and I were invited to a baby shower and there was no way we could fit it in. But I said yes and lastnight I knit the baby hat from Leigh Radford's One Skein. Such an amazing book. I'm taking another look at the other projects now.

J picked up the Made in Brooklyn for me at Urban Yarns when she picked up her UBC student. Thanks so much. She'll probably make the first pattern from it. I also got the Patons Street Smart when I stopped in town to get needles. I picked up some chunky wool for Em and she's already knit her boyfriend a great pair of slippers. There's enough to knit a pair for herself, too. She's been home sick. Not the same as homesick. I hope she's better to go to the shower.
That is if the rain hold off.

Organized and Controlled.

Yes, I managed to fix the fingerless mitts, er gloves. I have heard the rant. I have been ranted at. I was a rantee. My sister insists that, as mittens do not have fingers to begin with, there is no such thing as fingerless mitts. These are fingerless gloves. I was also accused of cheating as if I didn't want to finish kniting the fingers. I sure hope they don't mind these as presents.
My one sister did wear the jaywalker socks I knit her and they are almost worn out. I should make her another pair. If they are just a titch too small for me, they will fit her.

I am conquering the "Hey Teach". Not without a tussle, but I completed both fronts in the last few days. Now I cast on for the sleeves. I am going to knit them simultaneously so that the fudging of the lace pattern (as you lose stitches in shaping) is symmetrical.

I also resurrected the woodland shawl. I knit this on the ferry last month and took it to the ice rink yesterday. Emily played O Canada for the Remembrance Day ceremony before the hockey game. She also drummed in the city parade with D piping. I took a picture with my phone, and it may be lost in cyberspace.

On Tuesday I helped a Joyful friend make juice from the grapes I picked in September. We made about 25 litres. Whew! Another phone picture. It will be used as the Communion wine. I don't care for canning and it was exhausting, but I feel it is enough of a blessing to use the gift of the grapes. It was great to see all the beautiful purple jars lined up on the counter, but I don't think I'd like to do it again.

We loved the Singing Revolution sent to me through Mason-Dixon. History in our time that we barely know about. Everyone I've talked to about it is so surprised. I hope it makes it quickly to the next knitter.

It is the season of cleaning and organizing as we get ready to cocoon. The kitchen is sanitized. The basement is being reboxed. And my sunroom is eagerly anticipating a makeover. It'll have to wait until after my set of shifts this weekend, but it should be good to organize the knitting/writing space.

A Study in Contrasts

Don't knit in the dark. Don't knit charcoal black wool in the dark. This is the work of a rather experienced knitter. This is the third time this fall I've knit this pattern. I do remember thinking what a wool suck the second one was. I admit I compared them at least 3 times and didn't catch this mistake. It is fixed with a rip-back and Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn cast off.
When I am accused of being a wonderful knitter, I now say that I can do it because I have already made that mistake. I walked down the street to take a picture of the dropping snow line. Mt. Cheam has her white shawl on and the temperature is seriously dropping. I am so thankful for my new bright green dog-walking parka and the reflective leash.
I found a blooming azalea. Poor brave thing. There was nothing I could do but take a picture. With the impending freezing temperatures, these blossoms will be sacrificed.

There's the snow. Hopefully it will stay on the mountains this year (sorry 2010 Winter Olympics)

We had a really fun time at the photo shoot on Saturday. It was so good to see my three sisters and Brenda from Norman's Photographic encouraged us to be ourselves. Maybe that was my biggest worry: that I would have to pretend to be someone else. We are such big personalities, it's hard to cover. We also had a lovely dinner out with the kids we could wrestle up.

Dan was so excited about this knitting/science link I am charmed that he is looking for areas of intersection in our interests. We are both busy with music, medicine and volunteering, but we don't do much together. Right now we're making a video with the Youth Group for a Christmas story based on a greedy innkeeper (cue the Olympic music).

Just In Time

I can't believe I got the Mason-Dixon epic journey vid-a-long DVD so soon! Thanks to Anne and the readers for sharing. This afternoon I'm going to donate blood, so I can malinger on the couch (it really knocks me a whallop) with this inspiration. If I'm lucky I'll be joined by J. who is also very interested. What I won't be doing is knitting the Shalom.

I was so excited to be done in just 2 1/2 days that I took a picture before I even wove in the ends. The Nashua Creative Focus Chunky is so soft. I was hoping to wear it tomorrow for a photo with my mom and sisters, but now I guess we're wearing "earth tones". We shall see. I am the baby and apt to do what I'm told to please the rest.

I will be knitting on the BSJ in Cadenza, the last Christmas mitts or the Woodland shawl. We'll see how I feel this time.

Time Change

The weather turned cold after Hallowe'en. I worked both the spooky evening and the time change night. Thankful blessed extra hour of sleep. Because I switched to nights, the single hour change was baby sandbox stuff. I did warn the nurses that the Monday morning after the time change (when we're driving home at 0700hours after a 12 hour shift) is the most dangerous time of the year to be on the roads. We still have sunny periods in which to walk the dog.
And the first thing I did when I got off work was go back and print this month's newsletter. I'm really enjoying it.

Finished the nephew sweater #5. The good news is that he is quite a bit bigger than Scott. It was also good news that Scott was home for a Halloween party. This sweater is too big for him, but he didn't want to take it off.

He wouldn't model my next finished sweater.

The whirligig shrug. It's for a nurse's baby that is probably 3 months old now. I knit the three month size, but used bigger yarn and got a nice 12 month(ish) size. The Berroco Comfort is a dream (especially on sale). The pattern from the new Interweave Knits Weekend Knits is well written and so quick.

I knit on the Cadenza Baby Surprise on nights and it went quite quickly. I also helped a friend figure out piecing her afghan together. It was fun. I also made a new friend through the turmoil of being short staffed with such ill patients. We worked well together.

Thismorning I cast on Shalom .
In a crazy move, I'm trying to get it knit for a photo shoot with my sisters and mom this Saturday. I need you to stretch the hours between now and then for our own time change.

A New View

Look in the tree. Protect your camera from the giant raindrops, but follow your neighbour across the bridge. He's not just looking for his little dog. He asked me to come and take a picture of an owl!

Here it is with flash. Just sat there and watched us. We have hopes that it will depopulate the introduced squirrels and maybe even a few of the congregating ducks.

This is a view I've never seen before. I didn't even really know where I was. There is a new road built through one of our First Nations Reserves. This is looking north.

It links my closest big road to the hospital. That's great. The deal was they get to build a casino. That is not so good. I don't believe that is the best way to spend money. There's only so much money out there and not everyone is playing with mad money. But that's my stinky position.

Here is another brand new view from the top of the "fly over" looking west on the TransCanada Highway. It wasn't supposed to be a proper exit, but the band got snitty about access to the casino. Don't get me started. The overpass and the road are only open to bicycles and foot passengers right now. But there were lots of people exploring despite the threat of rain. If you build it...

Have you seen TED? I am so hooked on this. I can only watch one or two talks at a time because the ideas are so stimulating. I love design and innovation. I was especially taken by Thomas P.M. Barnett's talk on peace resolutions. I didn't realize how stressed I was about the lack of solutions to the violence. I needed a new view.

I finished the Therapi Dashing gloves. Huge mods. I didn't want them to go all the way up the arm, but I wanted them longer than Fetching. so I cut out lots of rows between the cables. Plus I tidied the cables by keeping the purl stitch between them. It's a little bit tricky, but it's not a big project. The colour is more olive.
We're not through October and I only have 2 more pairs of fingerless mitts to knit for Xmas.

I'm on the second of three parts of the yoke of the nephew sweater, pretty close. But it's heavy and hard on my hands and dark.

So I started the whirligig shrug in Berrocco Comfort for a co-worker who had her baby girl a few months ago. I'm using what I thought was DK but is worsted (clearly labelled), so eventhough I'm knitting the smallest size, it's coming out about 18 months size. Elizabeth Zimmerman says babies come in many sizes so just knit.

I like that view.

Not This Weekend

We went to my sister's cabin on Harrison Lake for Thanksgiving a few weekends ago. It can only be reached by boat.

Salmon feast being unloaded with ample tipple.

We spied wild ginger in the woods behind.

This time I wore enough clothing and hand knits that others remarked. But I was so cold last time I didn't enjoy it. I am a wimp. Especially when the weather starts turning.

We are lucky now to have sunshine. The rain has been medieval and the last of the garden flowers are beaten about the face and neck.

Still, we are thankful. And it looks like this effort has paid off with spending more time with my sisters.

So Far, So Good

The sleeves and body are joined. I did add two inches to them, at first not on purpose, but now I know my nephew will need it. I have no little nephews. Even the three year old is tall. This pattern is from an old book I bought years ago: Vogue Fair Isle & Textured Knits No. 4 . It's from 1986 but doesn't have the overt oevre of that era because the patterns are based on old, previously published sweaters.

I got new boots. It was a bit of a schozzle because I live in a hick town. I know, you should be able to get cowboy boots in a hick town, but not to fit. I went to Stampede Tack and Feed in Cloverdale and found a suitably non-flashy pair of Pro-baby boots. My orthodics fit inside, and they are as comfortable as others have said. I wore them in the mall for a few hours before I decided to keep them.

Carly wants to know why I'm working so much and taking pictures of the ducks instead of her. This is one of her least favourite days: carpet cleaning. Ironic, because she is the main messer.

The ducks are congregating for their autumn meeting. They were all on the deck again until I opened the door and the dog went after them. But they aren't afraid because she is kept to the top of the garden with a radio collar. We don't use it anymore, but don't tell her it's not on.

The skies are actively changing with the changing seasons. I get to go to lunch today with my nursing refresher buddy and I've really missed her. We met last fall and clicked right away. Good thing, the hour commute would have been hell. She just finished her preceptorship in Home Health, so we have lots to talk about. Like you were worried. We haven't run out of words so far.

I've Come So Far

Last Wednesday I started out with my eldest sister on an Island romp. We took the ferry to Victoria. She went to a meeting and I drove to UVic. It is unnerving how easily I can navigate the confusing roads of this city. I spent many summers there as a child with my Aunt Anna and Scott and I spent several weekends at soccer tournaments. His room is nice and his friends waited their lunch for me. Sweet. This is a picture of the creepy bunnies that are on every lawn. They're not afraid of lawnmowers, even. The campus is gorgeous and he has some nice friends already.

Then we went to Saltspring Island. We missed a ferry and had a long wait. But we were fine with our books (and knitting).

Both of these sisters are pining for a sailboat, so we haunted all the harbours.

And enjoyed some of the beaches.

Pat is a sheep breeder now and gave me the most precious skein of her ewe's wool. Shetland! The tag says Standard White Chantecler, Silver Grey Dorking, Shetland Sheep. Unfortunately it was too dark when we were up on the mountain at her place. We barely saw the new studio where her husband does his carving.

We missed another ferry on the way home and worked hard to not get too tired on the drive home. I was several hours later than I had hoped and D was just back from another trip that took him to the other sister's in Kamloops. We were all out of phone range! Weird and a bit disturbing.

Then I jumped into the pool of exaggerated emotions that has been my shifts. I'm tired and a bit disappointed at some of my co-workers approach to difficult patients. But as a newbie and part-timer, I don't make the rules. There have been many stat orders and heroic efforts and sore feet (mine). One more night.

I already did a bunch of followup in my real life today so I can have an easy day tomorrow when I wake up.

Knitting? Yes. The nephew sweater is still appropriate for work.

The Woodland Shawl enjoyed the drive and the ferry ride. But my friend loaned me the book, The Thirteenth Tale, and I am enthralled. It has been a long time and I missed the feeling.

I have enjoyed lurking on your sites. I find the knitting community so loving and giving. Thanks.

I'll throw myself into another night of care giving and then assess how far I have to go.

Feasting

MIL cooks a mean turkey. There was plenty of dysfunctional family conversation, but the feast was astounding.

This is a picture of my in-law's old farm from their new house on the hill.

I also had planked salmon at my sister's cabin, but the pictures are in Mom's camera. I'll get them soon because Harrison Lake is a feast for the eyes.

I feasted on a bit of a wool crawl today. It started with picking up Scott on the busiest day of the BC Ferries. We had dinner at Coza in Langley and enjoyed it enough to leave my credit card (duh). The manager was super and I felt it was safe. As there was nothing to buy at my family feasts, I thought it could wait until Tuesday.

The usual suspects (Jean and I) valiantly sallied forth to two book stores and the Langley Knitopia which will barely cease to be when you read this. They are going back to White Rock. I tried to link, but it looks like they don't have a website.

I did manage to get 50% off wool. Yay! Not the Fame above which I intend to use as a gift shawl.

Not the Misty Alpaca sockweight that jumped out at me as we entered.

But this Briggs and Little Heritage pure wool, spun in the oldest mill in Canada for...suspense... $3.30 per 100 grams. I know!! It will make an excellent nephew sweater if it's not snapped up before that.

I had to drive because I was penitent about my mistake. But tomorrow my sister is driving us to Victoria and then on to Saltspring to visit a 3rd sister (just down one, and my husband is at her place right now).

Major knitting opportunity. I don't want to knit the wrong sister's mitts. I don't want to knit her son's sweater. So I am forced to cast on the Woodland Shawl in my grey-blue Heritage Cascade sock yarn.

I sure miss my Cozy and I hope this will assuage the saddness somewhat.

The snow berries are heralding the change of season.

The last of the bright sun on the echinacea (keep your immunity strong).

And another Christmas gift knocked out of the park. Intercostal mitts in Cascade 220 superwash. Woohoo!

Feast on that.