The end of 2008...

It's been a pretty decent year I would say. No major upsets in the lives of those closest to me which is always a blessing.

For 2009 I want:
To remain in this house, and not get posted out. (At least two years in one home since it hasn't happened for us quite yet)

To get married this year. I think after all this time we should be good and ready.

To hire a maid. We can afford it, and I really want someone else to do the bathroom. I promise to be exceptionally good to them.

To finish one knitting project a week, and one big one a month. I'm starting the year off with the one skein hat I made for Iliana over the past couple of days.

S.E.X!!!

Even with two kids in tow, you can't deny my access to more yarn.

Yarn for bags, a pair of work socks, a hat, maybe some mittens and a couple I don't know but I liked the look of it!

Now to get Corbin's Woobu sweater done, so I can do something else. It is so very cute, and addictive!

Woe is Me

I have been spoiled over the years. With any separations in the past I have always had internet or phone access to keep in touch. We even own webcams and a laptop because of him being away with work. Being out to sea with no contact all week is making me really unhappy. I just don't feel I have the right to complain to those who understand our life the best. Those women who have their husbands in a war zone for half a year. It just doesn't compare to my 5 weeks apart.

Corbin is turning 2 next week. We spent his first birthday in a hotel room on our move to our current home violently ill with food poisoning. I don't even have any pictures to mark the day, and I never saw the cake my friends brought over for him as I was in the bathroom. I wish this year was a bit more celebratory but he's to young to care. It really is all about how I feel we should be together and making a fuss over my baby not being a baby anymore.

Yeah I'm sick, my defenses are down so it's been a lot of moaning.

I have however accomplished some knitting. I am working on the gusset of a pair of monkeys for my mom out of my Araucania Ranco Multy. I finished a hat for him too, that he took with him out of a Alpaca/Soy/Angora blend.

I am the Hermit

This doesn't surprise me. It's the polite way of saying I desperately wish to be left alone. You can't contemplate your life when you have a 4 year old climbing you like a tree!

You are The Hermit

Prudence, Caution, Deliberation.

The Hermit points to all things hidden, such as knowledge and inspiration,hidden enemies. The illumination is from within, and retirement from participation in current events.

The Hermit is a card of introspection, analysis and, well, virginity. You do not desire to socialize; the card indicates, instead, a desire for peace and solitude. You prefer to take the time to think, organize, ruminate, take stock. There may be feelings of frustration and discontent but these feelings eventually lead to enlightenment, illumination, clarity.

The Hermit represents a wise, inspirational person, friend, teacher, therapist. This a person who can shine a light on things that were previously mysterious and confusing.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Mittens, mittens everywhere

I am now working on a pair of fingerless ones for me. I have had this apple green wool (I think it's the Georgia Wool from Walmart, similar to the big skeins of dish cloth cotton) in my stash for years. I love apple green and it deserved to be something bright and fun for me.

I also received my elann.com order today. I ordered 10 skeins of the Peruvian Baby Silk (80 baby alpaca/ 20 silk) and told my husband it was my birthday present. The Oxblood colour and I are in love.

A few hours later, I love the oxblood but I really truly hate lace projects. I think it is going to be a sweater, but I truly hate seaming. It can all go *bleepity bleepity* for now.

You Naughty Kittens!

In spite of the hatred of mittens from Corbin, and Iliana's penchant for losing them, I have managed to complete two pair for him, and one pair for her in the past few days. She really likes the slit on her playground ones so she can slide her fingers free while keeping them on still.

The red yarn I had just enough of lying around in my stash. The blue and green is Mirasol Chirapa. The pink and green yarn is Artyarns Ultramerino. A single skein of each from my weekend foray into Tangled Skeins.

These only took a little less then half the skein of Mirasol Chirapa I picked up from Tangled Skeins. I'm trying to get some mittens whipped up before the kids are in desperate need of being warm. There is enough left over to make another pair for someone else on my list.

He doesn't appear to appreciate them to much. He tried to gnaw them off before I could even get a picture.

slowly picking away at my stash...

It's been pretty quiet around this front. I just had my 31st birthday and haven't quite gotten through all of the chocolate yet. On the day itself I was able to attend Pacafiesta and pick up 2 lbs of superwash wool to spin. I forgot that I'm not very good at it, but oh well it's there for practice when I get the chance. I also received some nice yarn from Ann, and a project bag and stitch markers from Lesley which comes in handy when I'm dragging my knitting to the park with me.

I have been able to finish a hat for Iliana out of a skein of Del Cerro. I completed her pink and orange Opal socks today as well. I have to get started on some Christmas knitting but I'm just not feeling that great the past few weeks so all my knitting has been done curled up on the couch in ugly sweats.

Slow start to September

September has been a slow knitting month so far. I am working on a simple diagonal knit baby blanket for Corbin out of Bernat's Cot'NCorn. Iliana finds her hands are starting to get chilly when she's out in the early morning, but it's not cold enough for mittens quite yet. I made her a quick little pair of fingerless gloves in an afternoon to suit her for the time being.

My yarn from Politically Incorrect Yarns has arrived. I'm not sure what I am going to make with it quite yet, but with it being named Manwhore, I just had to have it.

The beauty of Cape Breton Island

We drove up to Louisbourg to see the Fortress of Louisbourg. While we were there we took our train enthusiast of a toddler to the Sydney and Louisbourg railway museum. After about four days there, we headed up and camped in the Baddeck area so we could drive up the Cabot Trail. Hundreds of pictures later, here's a sampling of what we got to see while we were on vacation.

and a partridge in a pear tree

Baadeck Yarns. Oh boy. I picked up some nice goodies while in Cape Breton. There are a few more but I don't have the pictures uploaded for them. I went a bit hog wild but the colours were worth it.

I also found a potter I liked and bought a few of her pieces. Overall an excellent haul.

I'm on vacation!

We won't leave until the morning but we're headed to Cape Breton Island for the week with the kids and our camping trailer. We should have a good time. The dog is off to the kennel and the packing has been started.

Before I left I wanted to complete a couple of projects for my team LSG in the Ravelympics so I leave you with these FO's.

I'm a medalist!

Look folks. I managed to medal in WIP Wrestling for completing the swirling confetti socks. HURRAY.

progress in the Ravelympics

My first tagged project is done for WIP wrestling. Corbin's second swirling confetti socks are finished as of last night while watching the men's beach volleyball (mmmm).

Ravelympics 2008

I'm busy over on Ravelry plugging away at my mom's "sailor's delight" socks. I have never knit a sock using magic loop, not completed a lace pattern before. I hear tell blocking makes it look attractive when I'm done. Right now it's just a big puddle of blue/green yarn that does not even resemble a sock.

I will try to do the socks, Corbin's baby blanket, and the second of his confetti socks before the torch goes out.

I have another set of 2.75mm needles courtesy of some shopping I have been doing lately. So the Orange Zoom socks are done finally. I love them very much, little faults and all. Excellent turn out for my first adult pair for myself.

More progress on the deck staining is taking place, so this picture was taken on my front step instead of out back as per usual. Staining an old deck with a good hundred spindly rails is NOT my idea of a good time. But it's looking nice.

I have completed my baby ribs sock in a red/orange shade of Trekking for fellow LSG'er lickmysticks new son. They turned out so very cute.

Now I have to finish some things up and get my yarns and needles ready for the ravelympics. If LSG finish anything I'll be impressed.

The orange socks are on the back burner as I snapped a needle working on the gusset of the second sock. *grumble*

This week what I have finished are Corbin's paintbox socks, and a cotton broken rib tea cozy for my husband (the only thing he has ever asked me to make since I learned how to knit a few years ago now)

With the weather cooperating I now like to take a drink outside and knit on the deck. We haven't finished staining it yet, or put in our fence, but at least the furniture is purchased and is quite comfortable for hours of knitting.

Adventures of the Orange sock

Sock number one was getting lonely, so sock number two has been started. It did not feel like sitting home on a nice Sunday so we went to the beach. Macdonald beach is on a lake on 12 Wing Shearwater property, so it only cost me 4 dollars to get in, and another 4 dollars for the paddle boat for my husband and daughter to take a spin. They had a good time, and sock #2 grew a few inches in the shade.

Whose hobby cost us more?

This is why I can't afford yarn at the present. It would be the main body of a 1938 Bren Gun Carrier. I tried to show off my finished sock to the husband and even knit most of it in the garage with him, his response was to pose with his track. *snort* It does however keep him and his little pink clad helper busy rebuilding the engine in the evenings so I can knit. I predict a spinning wheel in my future and A LOT of sock yarn to offset the cost of shipping something the size of a baby tank from British Columbia.

Doesn't everyone have one of these in the garage? :)

We spent last Saturday at the family days at the Naval Dockyards in Halifax. I think dad and Iliana had a good time. She sure enjoyed the fast boat ride in the harbour, and her tour of the HMCS Charlottetown. This is a shot of her sitting in dad's work station on board one of our Seaking helicopters. Hopefully we won't have the same equipment when she comes of age too!

Orange Zoom has a project.

this is what I am working on at present with the orange zoom I just received in the mail. It's such a pretty colour. The pattern and WIP is listed in my projects on ravelry.

More sock yarn for stash

This arrived in my mail today via a rather long trek. I had the wrong address on my paypal account so it went from the states up to Ontario, back to the states and back here to me in Nova Scotia.

This comes from a fellow raveler's etsy store (theytoldmesew) and it is absolutely gorgeous in person. Shades of orange, and a touch of yellow and pink. I am in love.

My latest Finished Objects

I finished the pair of Handmaiden Casbah socks in Masala for my daughter. She seems pleased with them.

I think I'll cast on for a pair for her little brother right now. I am in the mood for more small socks.

Halifax's WWKIP day is having a scavenger hunt for prizes. I am slowly picking my way through the list, but since I live on the wrong side of the water, have two kids, and no driver's license it's not coming along as well as some others. I have tried at least.

My WIP for my pictures is a sock out of the handmaiden casbah. The ones for my son didn't turn out, so my daughter is getting a pair out of the same yarn instead.