Almost time for May long..

and my weekend looks to be insane.

My plans include:

1. Helping a friend move (she just bought a house with her fiance and they get possession tomorrow!)


2. Go to the zoo (we have passes, and though it will be a madhouse due to the nice weather and the long weekend the passes mean we can walk past the huge lineup of people who pay and go wander wherever we want. Sadly, the cownose rays are dying and they don't know why. We got to see them when they first arrived, but before anyone could put their hands in the tank. I wonder if someone had something on their hands that harmed them as we were told when it was opened to touching people would be required to wash their hands before they put them in the water. I'd almost bet that people weren't doing so.)


3. Go to Fort Calgary on Victoria day and check out the party for the 135th anniversary of the NWMP (aka the Mounties)


4. Visit with Dad, since he will be down on Monday in the afternoon.

Do you see any knitting time in there? I didn't think so. I'll maybe find some time as I'm about ready to turn the heel on my fruit loops and it's my current bus project.

I'll also be taking my camera with me to go to the zoo and various places (as long as I remember..) so maybe I'll have some nice photos to share.

A cool September day

On this day, my mind turns to warm knits. It's definitely September, cold, chilly and grey. I even heard the dreaded word on the news last night!

Snow.

Not for us, but for the west of us, in the mountains.

I've got lots of things on my needles though, so I'm actually making progress on the second sock out of Jitterbug that I started ages ago (linoleum floors, they're quite chilly and I'm wearing my slippers but they are kinda heavy for the weather yet so I look at the one and a half socks and think.. 'Those would be perfect to wear..' so I'm working on finishing the foot). But I'm also pondering what to do for winter knits.

Velociraptor will be getting a pair of mouse mittens for winter, and I'm thinking Mom needs an Irish hiking scarf and a nice hat made out of Misti Alpaca (in the light blue to match her jacket). Those will knit up fast. Maybe one for Dad for Christmas too.

I'm also slowly making progress on the cardigan, thanks for the tip of colouring in the squares Gina that did help and it at least looks right now, though it is slow going. Once I hit my stride it'll move faster though.

I'm also pondering a Here and There Cables scarf from Scarf Style, which my friend showed to me when she was here on Wednesday. So I'll have to find something to make that out of. But that isn't an immediate concern, I have a scarf already so it can wait.

I'm also eyeing some finger puppet patterns as presents for Christmas. With all the toy recalls I'm leery of what I will buy for Velociraptor, he might like finger puppets and they can easily travel with me on the bus. (They're crochet too, so I'll get to learn to read crochet patterns since I only ever did what Grandma told me or made up as I went along!)

Lots to do, lots to plan and hope I have time for. But for now while my boy has his nap I'm knitting socks and watching a romantic movie. It's been a nice week off for me, but soon it'll be back to the usual grind.

ETA: and I just discovered (remembered?) I had 5 balls of Patons Shetland Chunky in a very nice blue-grey colourway. Enough for 2 Irish Hiking scarves, or one and other stuff. Since I don't have enough of the Misti maybe I'll make one for Mom out of this, it's still blue just a darker blue than the other..

It feels like spring!

Not quite yet obviously, but the Chinook has been bumping the temperature up and the wind for once isn't too cold.

So of course I want something to celebrate. What am I making? The Pithy Hat using a skein of Shepherd's Worsted from Lorna's Laces in the beautiful Black Purl colourway.

The Chill Chaser is still coming along nicely, I plan to have that done before spring truly arrives.

And ten of course I shall start on my Sweater for Arwen and maybe after that a little naked man (and some clothes for him) and a strawberry tea cozy.

Lots of things to do, so I think I'm going to take the last bit of free time today to watch Pretender and knit before Velociraptor wakes up from his nap. Oh, and he really loves the Lorna's Laces. He wanted to run off with it and play with it when I brought it home! Was holding it to his cheek and just smiling. He's a great kid. Maybe I should teach him how to knit?

Is 3 too early to learn?

Busy as a.. flibbertigibbet?

So what have I been up to?

Knitting-wise, not much. I finished one half of the fetching pattern for my Step-mom's Christmas present (I have a month and a half yet to knit the other one.. plenty of time!) and have figured out how to read the chart for Conwy from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road (when I try something for the first time I don't go by half measures! Not overly complicated, but complicated enough for a first pair of socks..).

I must admit to only learning to read it today. I realized I was reading it right to left, not left to right. It kept confusing me as to why a round ended with a knit when the written instructions (thank goodness for those!) ended with a purl..

But I understand now, and I have started the decreases. A little late in the pattern, but still early enough since when you finish the decreases you just keep going for awhile so it won't look weird. My muck up of the twined cables might though, but I just knitted a couple of rounds and then started the cabling over, and realized I was mostly right in the first place.

Who cares anyway? These socks are for me! If I manage to get them done and do decently, I'll try to make a pair for my friend who is a sock fiend. Hopefully I get these ones done before Christmas, with enough time to try another pair!

On the crocheting front, I have decided I want to make myself the Too Good For Your Boyfriend sweater in Not Your Mama's Crochet (I need a good sweater, it's hard to find decent ones that will cover my wrists AND my kidneys unless it's a guy's one. The bane of being a 6'1 female, I've practically given up on finding something not totally shapeless on me so why not make one?). This will wait though, but I do think I should hit up Make1 again because the yarn they mentioned getting in last time looks so nice and perfect for the sweater... hopefully they still have some when I can next get there!

I also had better get cracking on those mittens I wanted to make for my son, my little velociraptor. It's cold here, he needs something to keep those little hands warm! I bet he'll get a kick out of the mouse mittens

I have decided I want this mug. I was rambling around, and it's just too cute. I need more knitting things.

Speaking of which, I have several books on my Christmas wishlist and I shuffled stuff around to empty one of those smallish rubbermaid tubs to put my stash in. It will fit in there with room to spare right now. That will no doubt eventually change.. but it's enough for now.

But for now the plan is to go drink tea and knit while I watch some tv. Haven't gotten enough of the knitting time in, and I have a schedule to keep!