New Knitting Store!

I was driving in downtown Whitby looking for a comic book store for
my son and his friend. Of course they only knew it was on Brock
off of Hwy #2. I chose the direction north from #2 and no
comic book store. I then turned the vehicle around and
started back south. Then , on the East side, a sign jumped
put at me. WOOL SHOP. OMG, a wool shop in downtown
Whitby! I almost stopped the car then and there despite the
presence of two boys who would have made the visit irritating
( I assume) but I carried on south until the comic book store
sign jumped out at them. Then, what do you think I did?
You are right! I returned to the sight of the sign. I parked
my car. I entered the shop. Definitely a wool shop. A high
end wool shop! Silk, cotton, wool, hemp! Sock yarn and
DK weight too. All clean and new and only been open for
one week. The stock was choice stock although still a bit
thin in quantity. Of course I bought the sock yarn pictured
below! Opal Superwash, virgin wool., 100 oz., 425 m. Yum.

The Purple Flamingo really likes this yarn!
I really like this yarn.

Must....Not...Start....Another ....Pair...of...Socks

...Yet....

Must...finish...other ....2....pair...first.

Kessie is staring at me from her "Mommy at the computer"

spot says, "stayed tuned and see if Mommy can resist..."

The name and location in case those of you in the Whitby

Ontario region want to pop by: Kniterary, 229 Brock St. N.

Tel: (905) 668-8368

School's out..

School's out for summer! Ah, yes fading away as the sun sets!!

I have July off. I need July off.

I need to breathe.

I need to refind my center.

I need to reconnect with my family.

I need July off. I have July off.

I had a very frustrating day at work today. I confronted someone that, according to me, needed confronting. It always takes its toll when you choose to confront. It is not a route that I would recommend to anyone. But if you are a person like me with a really low BS threshold it is going to happen on a semi regular basis. Many people may think that I am a b-i-t-c-h and possibly they are right but there is only so long that I can hold my tongue. Then I start being abrupt and standoffish. Then if that doesn't take care of the issue, I confront. So today I confronted a very self centred, high need, childish, adult and I didn't solve a thing. I teach 4 and 5 year olds and I expect them to need my constant reinforcement and to talk to me without regard to what I may be dealing with at the time. Four year olds are by nature high need, selfcentered and childish and I accept that. I do not expect a co-worker in her 40s to need me to treat her the way I treat my 4 year olds. I need her to step up to the plate and do her job. I need her to be self confident enough and focussed on the children enough that her needs come in second (at least between the hours of 9 to 5). Oh how I wish I was a person who could take on these needy people and make it my life's work to make them feel better but that is not me. No it is not. So usually in December and in June I find that I have enough stressors in my life that I am completely unable to tolerate divas. I want them to all grow up! Suck it up! and do their jobs without being so needy!!

Ok. I'm done.

My apologies to any divas (of which I may be one)!

Sew a Long Top

I have finally cut out my top for the sew? I knit! sew a long! Why I ever joined a sew a long in June I'll never know but I am bound and determined to be completed be July 15th. That means I have 5 days to complete it if I want the top done before we go camping. If I manage to procrastinate enough and not get it done I will have 3 days to finish once we get back. We are getting a site with no electricity so taking the sewing machine to the camp grounds won't work. Knitting will be the order of the day there!

Kessie had her surgery today and came through it ok. It is a lonely house tonight with my daughter in Montreal and my dog overnighting at the vets. Just JM, Patrick and myself. That is why I decided to cut out the pattern tonight . Kessie likes being up on the bed and that is where I usually cut out since I have no table other than the dining room table large enough. It'd be no fun cutting out with a puppy bouncing around trying to attack the scissors and eat pattern paper.

No knitting action today as of yet but I think I'll do some work on the Canada goose vest now!

Ta Ta

Good Grief... It's Monday...OHM...

It's Monday. The day after a very emotional weekend. It is good to get back to some normality. I was actually having a tough time coming up with something to talk about that wouldn't bore any one (fair warning!!that may happen anyways!!) So I spent 10 minutes snapping photos because a blog with pictures is more fun to read than a blog with none!

This is another stained glass piece done by my Mother. It is wrought iron filled with stained glass. It towers over my garden like a big flower guardian. There are two more like it. One in blue and one in red. One day when I have no other pictures to show you I'll post them.

I love the textures of the rhubarb seeds agains the silver leaf vine. Pretty much how I feel these days ...gone to seed....

Kessie!! In the backyard. Poor baby is going to be spayed tomorrow. I'll be without her for all of tomorrow. Boo Hoo! She doesn't know what is coming and I feel so guilty knowing what is!

My corner of contemplation. The pond doesn't show well but it is there. The little black spot! There! Surrounded by a peony that is almost faded out, gout weed, tiger lilies, dog wood, hosta and fern. This is a corner that I needed this evening in order to put life into perspective. Ah, yes, the Father's wife is just not worth it, I am loved by those who are important to me and ...the mass I have to have an aspiration biopsy on will be nothing. Now that was a way to end a day! I go next week for a consult and to set up the surgery. All fingers crossed please.

AHH...Just another picture of my beautiful daughter on her graduation day. She left with her class today for a trip to Montreal. I know she is going to have so much fun!! I miss her so much!

Last night I didn't feel like working on the Canada Goose Vest (which I am almost ready to do the arm decreases for the front)or either pairs of socks...so I started one of those mindless fluffy scarf knits. Brainless fluff complicated only by the fact that I am alternating two balls of yarn. A present for when I need one and have none. It's always good to have a few of those in the cupboard.

I am now going to get out of my work clothes and go to the backyard and mindlessly knit more fluff! OHM.....

I thought this was kind of a fun quiz. I love being Cultural Creative! It expains me almost perfectly!! You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational. Cultural Creative 100% Materialist 88% Postmodernist 75% Idealist 56% Romanticist 56% Existentialist 50% Fundamentalist 31% Modernist 19% What is Your World View? (updated) created with QuizFarm.com I visited my Father in Kitchener today to see how he is progressing. He is now on a nursing floor in a retirement home for about a week then I think he heads home. His confusion has lessened substantially and I don't think he is wandering at night any more. So that is good news. Still the floor he is on is a locked floor just in case. There must be someway that retirement homes can be made more ...I don't know...Happy? I think that is the feeling I am looking for. Although this was a nice looking place with a really nice patio and garden area I was just blah! Beige floor, beige walls, beige art, brown chairs. I suppose easy to sterilize and clean but oh my how dull! I think it may have been the tapioca pudding for dessert that sealed the perception of dullness. I imagine each person's room is as colourful as he/she wants it to be but blah blah blah. Wouldn't people feel better with some colour? Some bright and interesting art? I am hoping that during the week there is more activity and joyfulness but today there was mainly quiet and stillness and a sense of overness. Then there was the table of ladies at lunch who proceeded to complain about the blandness of the foods. They wanted onions and chives and garlic! And the main receptionist as lovely as she was ...in black! Colour people Colour!!! Enough of that. Tomorrow I go to center myself again. This week has been a hectic week of work and low self confidence for me. I need to refind my divine center. And feel the love around me. Tonight I knit. I am making progress on the Canada Goose vest and I am slowly making the socks more sock like but knitting is slow right now. I have one more week of work and then at least a month off. I need the month let me tell you. I hope to have more pictures of knitting this coming week! Have a good Sunday!

The Grade 8 Graduate

Rhea is now officially a Grade 8 graduate! Mother and Father are both very proud!

She accepts the diploma from her grade 8 teacher! Yea!

The four crazy best friends!

Daughter and Dad share a special dance and little brother is a goof ball!

Before the graduation .

My two wonderful children.

I am blessed.
Rhea had her grade 8 graduation tonight! Mother and Father are both very proud!

The Revealing!

Finally! I can post the picture of the mobius circle shrug!

Louise looks happy to have it too!

My sorority chapter had our revealing night tonight in a greek restaurant called The Greek Tycoon. For those of you in the Durham region in Ontario it is on Brock St. just north of the 401. The food was stupendous!! The gifts were great! All secret sisters were revealed and new ones given for the coming year...

The shrug pattern is in the spring/summer 2006 Vogue Knitting International magazine. It calls for South West trading Company Bamboo and I used the same product only the Phoenix which is a tad bigger but I did knit it on the needles they called for (2.25mm and 3.75mm). Because the yarn was thicker I got less yardage in the ball so it took a little over 2 balls originally called for.

I enjoyed knitting the shrug because it was a challenge. Starting off the Mobius circle was a bit daunting but I wanted to push the knitting envelope. Before I blocked it I wasn't sure I really liked it. I didn't like how the mobius sat. When I was blocking it (I had the used of a steamer for it) I made sure I really set the twist in place and I flattened it a bit. Now I really do like it!

Enjoy it Louise!! I loved making it for you!

Myrtle Station

Today I spent 4 hours minding the store in Myrtle Station. The deal is that I am getting paid in product!! How cool is that! So...while I was there I saw some Rowan silk Summer tweed yarn that I fell in love with. I started looking at the Rowan book pictured at the bottom and found a few designs that I really like. The colours that I am considering are Rush, Butterball and Denim. They are the two pictures above The book picture. I have to decide which one I want to do first!!




The more I look at the pictures the more I lean towards the Denim for me.

Also in the picture is a sock yarn I picked up to knit while sitting there. The colours remind me of summer and ice cream. I don't know if you can see it but I am putting a cable on alternate sections.

I can't wait to mind the store again so I can get the yarn!!

Not Red...Black..!!

I wanted you to see the crazy Silver Lace vine that is growing on the railing of my upper deck. Every year it seems as if it is trying to reach the doors to get inside the house! It is kind of scary that a plant can grow as quickly as it does. We went away for almost 2 weeks one summer and could not get out the back door without using the pruners! I prabably should have chosen a vine that is a little less prolific than this one but it makes me feel like I have a really, really green thumb.

Well, I tried to look up the song red is the colour of my true love's hair and I found out that it is not red it is black. I don't want it to be black. I want it to be red. So what if it's a traditional song! It needs to be changed! I'm sure if I keep searching I'll find red....yes sir! Today though, blonde is the colour of my true love's hair. Kessie got her summer trim today! She looks so different and so much smaller but she is still mine!

RED

Red is the colour of my true love's hair... Huh? Thes lyrics just popped into my head. Does anyone know what song it is from??? Sorry I have no prizes for anyone who enlightens me. But you will get to feel the joy of knowing more than me. That's worth it right? I can see you all nodding yes with great passion! :-D

The red thing I have chosen is a stained glass rose that my Mother made for me many years ago. I love the colour of it and the way the morning sun shines through it. The center is made out of a saucer with glass "stones" on it.

Edited to add: I am so sorry!! I will never post in red again!! Go, rest your eyes!!

Blue

Blue here is a song for you...The only lyrics I remember from an old Joni Mitchell song off her Blue album.

The picture is that of a depression glass plate that I love. Actually it is two plates, one on top of the other.

That's the best I can do tonight. My Kindergarten class had their concert tonight and I am absolutely tuckered out.

Goodnight!!

Grey...or is it Gray??

Today is grey (gray?) day.

In my grey picture: a gargoyle, grey shirt, Canada Goose vest front, bicycle lock, cheese grater, a soap stone carving and a book called

Dark Horse about George Harrison.

Did you know there were 2 spellings for Grey (Gray)? Completely correct either way you chose to spell it. Go figure. The english language is so wierd sometimes!

Blog question....Can anybody see my sidebar currently. I can't when I view my site. The information is in the template but the #$@*&^ thing is not showing up on the screen. Has this happened to any one before? If so how was it fixed? I am not handling the frustration well at the moment.

Father update.... He is progressing well and has been moved out of ICU onto a ward. He is being a bit foggy. But fogginess is one of the temporary side effects. Apparently he thought my sister was giving him an ECG a couple of days ago and he thought one of his nurses was me until he realized she had bushier eyebrows than me. He thought maybe I had left JM and moved to Kitchener and was working at the hospital 3 days a week. This will probably embarass him once he has his wits back but as long as it is a temporary side effect it is a bit amusing.

Returning to the report card pile! I may surface tomorrow.

Tuesday Brown

Brown is so much easier to find for me.

In the above picture are: A teddy bear, a candle, salad servers, jazz shoes, an old camera bag and yarn.

Tomorrow is Grey. The synchronistic thing is that it is grey day at work tomorrow. We've asked all the children to wear something grey and bring a grey toy. I'll have to bring my camera to work!

White for Monday

One white Chicken

Two white shells

I am not a white person. White was very hard to come by in my house!!

Waiting Room Knitting

This lovely ball of novelty yarn was given to me by my
Dad's wife as she sat with me in the Cardio Waiting room doing her rug hooking. It is not a yarn that works for rug hooking so I will make a fun scarf for her using it and another eyelash yarn.

This is the extent of the Jaywalkers. I don't like how they are turning out. The zig zag pattern is not noticable enough. I want to frog and start a plain pair that I think would show off the yarn better. I'm taking votes. Should I or shouldn't I?

This is the Canada Goose Vest for my Father. I have completed about 8" of the front. I have finished the back already. The first row of the cable design was ripped out 3 times before I got it right. I was tired and distracted by my purpose in the waiting room. Once I got the first row finalized the cabling carried on easily. I do love to cable!!

As I was knitting this I felt, possibly unreasonably, that I was linked with the progress of his surgery and then recovery. I worried when I kept ripping out and felt more sure of the good outcome of the surgery as it came together.

Tomorrow is Monday. The end of June is nearer.

Tonight is a full moon.

Mind of an artist!

Your Birthdate: January 29

You have the mind of an artist, even if you haven't developed the talent yet. Expressive and aware, you enjoy finding new ways to share your feelings. You often feel like you don't fit in - especially in traditional environments. You have big dreams. The problem is putting those dreams into action. Your strength: Your vivid imagination Your weakness: Fear of failure Your power color: Coral Your power symbol: Oval Your power month: November

What Does your birthdate mean?

I have a mind like an artist, hmm. If that means it is hopelessly disorganized and always full of rambling thoughts and images then I guess I do. If on the other hand it means that I am always able to make that mind create unique art then I am sorry I don't.

I don't fit into traditional environments.

Oh, and do I have big dreams in that overcrowded mind! And, oh, do I have problems putting them into action!

November is the month between the months my babies were born in. It is the month of birth for most of my close friends and my sister.

I came home yesterday after waiting for my Dad to decide to wake up all day. My sister said that she'd stay asleep as long as she could if she had just been through the surgery he had. When we left at 6PM he was opening his eyes a tiny minute fraction and moving his hand occasionally. I would have really felt better if I could have stayed until he was completely awake but I had obligations to my children. This morning I called the hospital and the nurse said he was responding to commands but was still largely asleep. I will call again this evening for an update.

SO TIRED.....

I have spent the day waiting in the hospital in Kitchener waiting for my Father's surgery to be completed. His surgery started at about 7AM and he finally made it to the ICU at 3PM.
The valve replacement and repair went well but he was bleeding too much so they had to go in again to try and fix it. He had 6 transfusions and 2 bags of plasma but as of 8PM he was stabilizing.
They are going to keep him asleep for the night and see if he is ok to wake up tomorrow.
So, barring any more complications, everything is ok.
It is almost 10 PM and I have been up since 5:15 AM. I really need some sleep!
I'll keep you updated... Thanks for all the well wishes.

Travelling Critters

At the daycare we brought in the Travelling Critters Lady today. Here is a selection of the critters she brought in. The kids loved them!

The lady with the python named Monty. Monty Python..get it? You know what I mean?? LOL

I had this baby around my neck too!!

The 3 1/2 lb. Chihuahua with the big frog.

Big calm frog

The African Box Turtle

The African Hedgehog.

I just love their cute little faces!

The dog and the ferret. They were a riot to watch! They chased each other around the backyard almost the whole morning.

Thank you Travelling Critters Lady!!

Sorry, no knitting news just a few more rows on my Jay walkers. I wrote my first test for my on-line course this evening. It is due on Friday but this Friday my Dad is finally going in for his heart surgery and I will be in Kitchener at the hospital for the day.

I'll be getting some knitting in then!

Jay Walkers

Although my last post was complaining about how busy June is for me I did have time for some knitting. I managed to restart the Jay Walker socks and get a relataively good start at it. Because of the need to be working etc. the progress will undoubtably be slow but if I can knit a few rows a day I will be a happy camper.

Talking about camping. I booked our summer week of camping. We decided to go to Grundy Lake near Sudbury. It's about a 5 hour drive north of here so black flies and mosquitos should be abundant but there will also be the call of the Loons in the evening. I love to listen to the Loons. I am so looking forward to it....if only I actually make it though June with my sanity. Well, if I don't I'll be able to get it back while at Grundy I am sure.

The interesting thing about being a teacher, for me at least, is that it is a fairly extroverted job. All day long a teacher must communicate and be communicated with. I love it but my central essence is that of an introvert. I am very happy being alone and creating or reading. During a school year I don't get to do much of that since I also have children at home who need to be communicated with. In the summer all I want to do is be alone so it is what I do most of. Of course I don't cut off my kids or my husband but I really pull back out of society. Then once September comes again I know I have to gear up and go back into the world otherwise I would become a complete recluse. I like other people too much to be that. So my extroverted side comes back into dominance. It is a very bipolar life but a satisfying life!

Now I must go and get on with the multitude of tasks that loom before me!!

One hour at a Time

June is a busy month for me. It is probably a busy month for all teachers who have children. Report cards, school trips, graduation plans, dance recitals, soccer games and more report cards. I have decided that until my children are done with school and I have stopped teaching I have to take June one hour at a time. If I look at all the things I need to accomplish in the next four weeks I seize up. I find it so much easier to put my mind on "DO" and just do. I mentally tick off each task as it is completed and try to feel a bit lighter.

July is a bright shiny glow in the horizon. A month when freedom is queen. A month when I can escape into books and knitting. A month when I can commune with nature. A month when I can be quiet (I can't wait for just one day of silence!!) and think and analyze my life.

AH, July. I long for you. June hurry up and be done.

Rhodo, me, rhodo, rhodo

A Frogging we will go...

I started on my JayWalker socks yesterday which was a day of rain from dawn til dusk! I ended the day by frogging. Somehow I added two stitches in the first 5 rounds of the zigzag design (grrr). I was considering just picking back a few rows to see where I went wrong when I had a good look at the circumference of the sock. Too big for me. I want these socks to be for me. %$#^*(&. So I went a froggin'. Then I went to bed. Why were they too big? Well, let's see.... First off I am not one to do tension swatches. It seems like a waste of yarn and time. I am impatient. I always want to start the project NOW. Secondly I didn't measure the DPN's I was using. I picked up the ones that were sitting on the table and had been sitting on the table since the 12 year old boy socks were done because I didn't want to waste time looking for the exact proper size because I wanted to start the socks NOW. How did I add two stitches? Possibly because I was watching a CBC show on Canadian Comedians. We are a funny people you know. A fair number of the big Hollywood comedians are Canadians. Jim Carrey, Howie Mandel, Martin Short, and Mike Meyers to name a few of the men. The women haven't become quite such big names but there is Catherine O'Hara. Any how my point is I was paying more attention to the program than the knitting so was I was occasionally unsure of where I was in the repeat. So MAYBE that is what happened. I will start again today.
Today there is no rain so far. Maybe I'll be able to get out in the garden and weed. So maybe I won't to the sock until tonight. Or, maybe I'll change my mind and start my purse kit. I'll let you know next time!!

21 years of Wedded Bliss

Today at work I received the beautiful roses from the man I've been fortunate enough to share 21 years of my life with. I am truely blessed to be loved by him! Saying "I DO" was on of the better decisions I've made in my life. I hope to have 21 more.


I finally got around to taking a picture of the shawl that I made for Rhea's grade 8 graduation. It is very simple but the yarn didn't need any detail I think. It is a Jaeger Odessa DK mohair/acrylic with a gold strand running through it.

I may be biased but isn't she a gorgeous girl? She's another one of the better things in my life.