Go Away Rain!

Part of today was spent preparing the house for Christmas. What else can you do when it is wet and dreary outside and you don't have a job and the next day is the first day of December? It never even seemed like full blown daytime at all today. Perhaps that accounts for my melancholy mood. Although I must say that I am getting really tired of waking up with a sinus headache or a migraine every morning!! It has to stop soon!

My DH and I have been collecting Santas for many years now. We used to be able to put all of them on the mantle but now we just have too many. So this is what our mantle looks like this year.

I'll get pictures of the 2 other locations we displayed our Santas soon.

We got our tree up last night and today the lights got put on and the decorations started. I had to restrain myself because I know the children like to put on decorations too. This year I am aiming for red and Santa ornaments only. We'll see how it goes. I have hung all my angel ornaments on the banister above my angel figurines. I'll have to take a picture of that too for you!


These are three of my knit, felted and beaded trees. The two smaller ones turned out really nice I thought. The large one was not felted because it is not wool and it bothers me that you can see the filling through the holes. Lesson learned. Use a tight knit when not felting the tree. I have them sitting on my coffee table. Unbreakable and cute!



Tomorrow and Saturday are going to be spent finishing up the presents for the family that is coming on Sunday as well as housecleaning! You'd think with all this time on my hands I'd be up on the housecleaning wouldn't you?

Tonight is Grey's Anatomy but I may not be watching until tomorrow because I have been invited to a jewellery party. Not sure if I am going to like anything but it is a chance to visit with a few neihbours.

Rain, Rain go away!! Santa's Reindeer want to play!!

Did Some one Say Chicken?

May I present to you Santa and Mrs. Chicken! Such a hoot to knit! After I knit the green one I decided to make a Santa. Such cutenes belongs on Cuteness over load! The original green pattern is from the Toving book from Sandnesgarn. I used the Tove which is a felting wool but to me it doesn't felt the way I want it to. The purl ridges are still very prominent. I find it actually looks half felted. Other than that though I like the look of the sitting chickens.

I also like the ornament. which I have also done as a Santa.


Can you tell I am getting into the Christmas spirit?

Next time...Beaded knit and felted trees! Ah yes more Christmas fun!!

Knitting for Sale!

Really bad picture here but I put a black button as embellishment. Monika was asking what type of handle I was going to do. As you can see I did just a simple I-Cord handle. It was hiding in the last photo!

I am supposed to be joining a friend at a craft show tomorrow so I have finished all these purses to sell. All are felted except for the 2 little purple ones which are made out of linen yarn.


I also completed these scarves, Fetching gloves and kids hats. Now lets hope I actually sell some stuff! I think it is a small craft sale and I have no idea what to expect!


I have been knitting some chickens that I will show you as soon as I get them completed. They are felted and you all know how much I love felting things!! I should be finished tonight so hopefully you will get to see them tomorrow!

Productivity

The last two days have been quite productive for me. Feels good being productive so it does.

Yesterday I got out some older FO's to wash and get ready to take to a craft sale on Saturday. While I was doing that I blocked my Meditation Shawl. I could not believe how much time it took to shape properly! If I am going to be doing many more shawls I need to get some blocking wires!! I laid everything out on my bed and prayed they were dry enough by bed time. They weren't quite but dry enough to move....not that I had much choice in the matter!

Kessie was a little put out because she did not have access to my pillow. Yes, mean Mommy, I closed the door.

And here is the finished result in the backyard. Do you think I should put a fringe on it?

It is interesting how the sun changes the grey so much isn't it? The first picture is more true to colour.

This is a purse I felted. I really, really like it! Done in Peer Gynt 100% wool and knit in the round. I decreased every 5th or 6th stitch at the top of the paler red band then knit till I felt done and then increased at every stich with a YO, knit 3 rows and cast off in a picot edge. Cast on 2 stitches, cast off 6 and repeat. It was very floppy before felting and I love how it ruffled! I think it needs a bit of embellishment but I haven't hit on anything in my stash of goodies yet. I was thinking maybe some black seed beeds scattered around the brim...Do you agree or do you have any better ideas?



Last night I went to see a family about doing some respite care for them. I think it is going to be a good type of job for me. I have to spend some time with the family first and get to know the young man a little bit but I have a good feeling about it. If it seems to work for me I will probably try to get some more placements.

I feel happy today! Do you think that maybe I made the right decision in leaving the daycare? Well...YA!

A Monkey and a Red Fox

I present another FO! The Sock Monkey Hat from Knitty. I altered it a bit for a bigger head (24") so I cast on 66 stitches and decreased accordingly.
It has been a long time since I have knit a hat and I forgot how quick they are to knit! I believe that there may be more hats knit for Christmas presents. I think this may be the only Sock Monkey I do...but maybe not!

My first Christmas present exchange will be on December 1st so I am trying to get all the knitting done for that group first.

Time goes by slowly but carries on...I am still off work and knitting furiously. At the moment I am felting yet another purse and am getting ready to block the Meditation Shawl. (Yes, it is done! ) I am now trying to decide if I should put a fringe on it once it is blocked.

I was to see a family tonight about doing some respite care for them but the visit has been put off till tomorrow and then I think I will start getting a few hours a week with them. I am hoping that respite care works out for me, at least with this family. We'll see. The young man has a lot of physical and developmental issues. I also went for a brisk walk up to the corner to fax off my resume to a couple of places. I'd say that I seem to have come to the decision to move on.

I attended another guided meditation a week ago Wednesday and found my power animal. The power animal is an animal that comes to you in meditation with a lesson to be learned. Mine is the Red Fox. According to the info I have read I need to learn about privacy and adaptability among other things. I will be getting a complete info package this coming Wednesday.

I am finding the meditating is a great help. It slows my mind and allows me to relax and be more connected with all that is around me.

I hope to have more Fo's to post this week! To all a good week!

Uno

Uno

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.

No.
Explanations.

1. Yourself: complex
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend (spouse): caring
3. Your hair: short
4. Your mother: fighter
5. Your Father:intellectual
6. Your Favorite Item: books
7. Your dream last night: non-existant
8. Your Favorite drink: cuba libre
9. Your Dream Car: hybrid
10. The room you are in: north
11. Your Ex: none
12. Your fear: hate
13. What you want to be in 10 years? enlightened
14. Who you hung out with last night? Alva
15. What You're Not? linear
16. Muffins: poppy
17. One of Your Wish List Items: travel
18. Time: seven
19. The Last Thing You Did: ate
20. What You Are Wearing: sweats
21. Your Favorite Weather: sunny
22. Your Favorite Book: big
23. The Last Thing You Ate: ice cream
24. Your Life: full
25. Your Mood: thoughtful
26. Your best friend: admirable
27. What are you thinking about right now? words
28. Your car: Montana
29. What are you doing at the moment? typing
30. Your summer: fast
31. Your relationship status: smooth
32. What is on your TV? remote
33. What is the weather like? rainy
34. When is the last time you laughed? earlier

(stolen from Rabbitch--and then from KT!)

See?

My DH is an avid Birder. He is out in all kinds of weather observing and listing the birds he sees. He saw me knitting countless Fetching fingerless gloves and put in an order for a pair for himself.
I knit the gloves exactly as written except for making the 4x1 rib 20 rows in length, repeating the cable 3 times at the finger end and then doing a straight cast off instead of a picot edge.
And, here you are. Manly Fetching gloves. Perfect for using the binoculars and the spotting scope and the camera.

Bird Boy gloves!

106th post

I realized the other day that marking anniversaries of being part of blogland is part of being part of the blogging nation. (Ok, I hope you can figure out that sentence!!) I realized this after my 100th post which is why I am now marking my 106th post!!
Yee Haw!!

I actually do find it unbelievable that I have kept it up this l0ng! And I don't seem to be slowing down much. Well a little..I used to post every day and I was going to try and post every day this November. But you've all read about the emotional upheaval in my life these past few weeks.
I am progressing in my healing quite well. The doctor and the counsellor that I have been talking to seem to agree that I am not going off the deep end and my stress was (is) situational. Otherwise I'd be going bonkers in other parts of my life. I am actually very calm and happy in the rest of my life.
I have started keeping a daily handwritten journal and that is helping more than I thought it would. I have been having so many dreams that it is good to write them down soon after I get up. Oh, but I have been working out alot of things in my sleep! For the first time though I am really listening to them and trying to understand what my inner self really needs. I keep coming back to creativity...I need to be able to express myself creatively.

Isn't this an amazing picture?


Eye of a needle
Originally uploaded by Rune T.

I have been knitting. I got some more Patons Classic and knit and felted a bag. I finished some fingerless gloves for my DH. I completed another felted purse. I also started and ripped many little projects just because of lack of concentration. Running through my mind is a piece inspired by Norval Morrisseau.

I'll post some pictures soon my friends!

Making a Good Life

Just a visual demonstration of what I am going through right now.


What my life feels like right now.

What I am turning my life into.


This is usually where my cat-dog Kessie likes to sit when I am sitting at the computer. All 12 or so pounds of her. She looks out the window and
makes my left arm numb and impedes efficient keystrokes. Sigh.
She is the boss of me.

Field Trip!

Today My Mother and I went on a field trip!

We went to Kleinburg to the McMichael Gallery. One of my favorite native Canadian artists has a show on there. Norval Morrisseau. The Shaman Artist . His work is awe inspiring and mystic. The effect it has on me is almost beyond description. I love the bold colours and the native shapes and the stories the pieces tell.

Imagine this painting 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It just sucks you right in.


The McMichael Gallery its self is quite beautiful. It is set in a forested area and have many large windows that bring the outdoors in.
Here is my Mom in one of the sitting areas and her view is the following picture.

There are rest stations all over with such glorious views.

After our trip through the exhibit and our rest stop we had to visit the store (well, of course!) I got myself a pretty pair of native inspired silver earrings. A family Christmas gift (which shall remain a secret until then!) and pictures of these fun knitting kits.

The Szechuan Scarf

and a Cup of Yarn.

Too funny! Yarn, scarf pattern and a pair of knitting needles! I didn't look at the price. But fun marketing!


Then last but not least I had to stop by one of my favorite paintings by Canadian Artist Lawren Harris. There is something about this piece of art that relaxes me absolutely and totally. I could look at it for a long time and never get tired of it. It is called Mount Lefroy.

Lawren Harris is part of the Group of Seven. The Group of Seven is a very important group of artists in Canadian art history.



I really needed this recharging field trip! I am refilling my creative cup and enjoying the process.
Next step.
Refinding my self esteem. I don't think it is too lost!

Calendar Show and Tell

Playing along with the Calendar Girls! November 2006. We use this bird calendar because my DH is an avid birder. The bird in November is a Kestrel. We named our dog Kessie after this bird. It is smallest and prettiest bird in the hawk family.

I would like to thank my blog world friends for the continued words of support and wisdom!

A Deep Breath

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post. All the support has made coping through this time so much easier. It is wonderful to be a part of such a supportive community.

How have I been doing? Coping. I guess that is what you'd call it. I find myself often going over the group attack. Then I try to put it away and deal with putting myself back together. Not just putting myself back together but back together in a way where I handle stress better in general. In a way that will give me the skills to deal with such negativity and keep myself intact. I forsee a long drawn out process. As much as I fear putting myself through the process I fear going over the edge more.

I have been knitting. The meditation, healing shawl and the mystery knit. No pictures. They are the same but bigger. The routine of the knitting is allowing time for contemplation.

I have been writing. I have been doing research about creativity. I feel a book, a seminar or something coming out of this research at some point in the next couple of years. I am not sure exactly what but I seem compelled to follow through. I just have to make sure that the intellectual research is not used to shut down my emotional development. A hard task for me.

I have decided to reread the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron . I read through it several years ago without really doing the exercises. Now I think I am ready to use the book the way it is meant to be used. I'm sure that you will be hearing about it!

(2 hours later)

I have just picked up a new journal to start the journaling process needed to do The Artists Way. It took me about 20 minutes to find the book before I went out but YES I did find it! It was in one of my book racks, on it's side and out of sight until I started really digging. Maybe I put it away that way so that I could only find it again when I was really ready to use it. Who knows.

Now, I know there are no pictures, so let me amuse you with a few dog pictures I found at Cute Overload.




Oh isn't Halloween a fun time?