Getting Ready for Santa

It's hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it is 11 degrees Celsius with the sun shining, and warm spring like breezes blowing off the ocean...

See what I mean? This is Mr. Harley and I last week on the beach across the street.

Now that his stitches are gone and the cone has been permanently discarded - we let him chew the bits out of it and spit it out - he has a new doggy doo. More like a bobble head doo. Very cute and funny. We're trying to grow out a mustache for him. I donno - a little dog named Harley calls for a handle bar mustache, don't you?

We do have our outside Christmas lights up and are starting to decorate the inside, but I'm still a little sad and therefore hesitant to take out the surviving decorations - OH, we found out what happened to our decorations! Not a mouldy basement afterall. Just a $700 water tank that was leaking and needed to be replaced TODAY... bye bye $700... happy Christmas :)

Anyhow - that's fixed and I'm sure there are a lot more soggy goodies for us in the basement. The plummer said we were lucky - some tanks just explode and do much more damage. Bye angle tree topper... bye little clay snowman and Rudolph. I'll miss you.

Enough of that. Time to share with you some pics and news.

First off, here's Mr. Harley and his new hair cut avec Christmas sweater.



See the reason He needs a mustache - looks a little girly doesn't he? (Don't worry, the bows were removed at Honey's request immediately after this pic was taken.)

Knitting News
I donno, but is anyone else feeling this awful panic inside about knitting and Christmas. I have the urge to knit for me. Me, me, me. Only because I'm totally freaked out that it's not humanly possible to finish all I want to finish in 24 days! (and because I really want the button-up fingerless gloves on Straw )

So... because it's not humanly possilbe to knit all projects in time - I have decided to paint a bathroom...

Chow!

jak

Sail the seas with me?

Inspired by Moe, who was inspired by Minou...

Ahoy Maties! Captain Jenny Kidd on board. Who am I?

"Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!"

Pretty much describes me. Steady, planning, reliable. Gosh, I'm the most boring pirate on the face of the www. I need disembowel, stink, words like that... Oou I'm in a fine mood today. Haven't knit yet.

Captain Jenny Kidd
gone overboard

Christmas time is comin'... Christmas time is ....

To all the humbugs out there - there is not denying it. Christmas is coming. This is how I know for certain.

My Christmas Cactus is blooming! Isn't it beautiful? It normally blooms during Thanksgiving (Canada), but each year it has bloomed a little later. I suspect one year it will actually bloom during Christmas.

Very sad news - I dug out my Christmas ornaments and many of them are damaged beyond repair. My lace and silk angel tree topper ... gone, my dough ornaments... gone - I bought these about 12 years ago in NB for our first Christmas. I normally pack & store the delicate ornaments upstairs in the spare room, but I guess I forgot last year and they got put in the basement and the mold got them. Good reason to buy new ornaments - but still very sad. I didn't realize how attached we become to our ornaments...

On the bright side, Mr. Harley a.k.a Satellite Dog (echo) the superhero, due to the cone that has been on his head for the last 8 weeks, will be getting stitches removed today and will hopefully be back to himself. I'm sure his peripheral vision is a little messed up, so I expect a little banging around for the next little while.


Knitting ~
Well I'm working on several projects and still buying more wool for more projects... I'm not sure that I'll finish them all, but I shall try. I'm about going crazy with the fuzzy feet... Some finished some knit, but not felted, and still more neatly wrapped in their skeins awaiting my needles. So far I have used Lamb's Pride, but yesterday I bought some Cascade at Tangled Skeins and am going to try that to see what the difference is. Will let you know.

I also started knitting socks! My very first sock is almost complete. An inch or so more and I'll be rounding the toe. They are for my FIL. I'm not sure if he'll like them because the Opal (also purchased at Tangled Skeins) I'm using has a tiny bit of pink and purple in it. They are beautiful though. I'm using the new 6 ply, as I thought this would be a thicker knit (as well as a faster one:)

So far:


Interesting - even my honey and my little C said they would like knit socks! That's great, but what have I gotten myself into? Perhaps I'll have to dedicate my life to socks as well...

He was so excited, he even tried it on (mind you he had a little sippy sip of the vino beforehand). They are a little slouchy on him, but will hopefully fit FIL.

He's a good sock model.

I think I'm offended

I was talking to my friend's mom the other night. I love her very much, and call her mom as we were very close growing up. Here's the kicker - she says, "What are you doing tonight?", and I excitedly reply, "I'm knitting my puppy a sweater for Christmas!" She says, "How old are you? You're too young to be knitting." ... wtf?

She obviously does not know that the most trendy, creative, young(ish) women are making wonderful knitted items right now. She obviously has not experienced the wonderful wools and seen the beautiful colors.

On a lighter note. I finished Mr. Harley's sweater and he looks adorable in it. I used the pattern from Stitch n' Bitch as a guide, and made a few adjustments to our liking.

Here he is:

This is his 'over the shoulder pose' showing the 'rustic' snowflake.

Side view showing off the masculine stripes.

I had to take into account he's going to the spa in a couple of weeks and will lose a mound of fur, so it should fit nicely and not be busting at the seams :)

Happy knitting young ladies and lads!

jak

Here's to - new beginnings

Phew - it's been a crazy week so far. So much so, this morning I'm up and ready to go with no place to go. I thought I was supposed to be volunteering at the library today, but there is no library today... So here it is - 8:30 in the morning and I have the entire day to myself - weee weee.

Yesterday morning was my first training day at Tangled Skeins yarn shop. Aren't I lucky? As I was driving there Hawksley Workman was singing to me about it being November, beautiful fall leaves were blowing off the trees landing on the road in front of me, paving my way with yellow, orange, and red. And I thought, 'yes, I did it'. It's really the first time since I left my office job that I felt ok - happy even. As though the universe has embraced me. Weird, I know. But as Oprah would say - it was an 'ah ha moment', where I knew the change I made was right and that I was getting better, healing, if you will.

I got to the shop happy, and ready to learn something new and spend the day in the presence of creative people who love to touch yarn as much as I do. I perched myself behind the cash, and proceed to spill a large coffee all over the floor... Don't worry - no yarn of any kind was damaged in the process! My pride however, was a little bruised. So, now that I'm familiar with where the paper towel is stored and with the floors I think I'm ready for a full day next time :)

Some wonderful ladies did come in, and I'm still amazed with the levels of creativity and skill, and how everyone is so eager to share their knowledge. It truly is a wonderful thing - knitting.

Well, I'm off to spend the day... well, however I want. I suppose I'll do a little knitting :)

jak

P.S. Thank you 'S' for your patience yesterday.

What do you get when you cross a sheep...

with a tiger?

A striped sweater.

Little C brought home a joke book today, and I thought this one was appropriate for knitting bloggers.

A great week - first of all, would like to say a special thanks to HRM Stitch n' Bitch for kindly welcoming me as a newbie last evening. It was great meeting the new ladies as well as seeing knitting friends! Everyone is working on great projects, and I show up with a fuzzy foot... Not that there's anything wrong with fuzzy feet... I must admit I'm the, self confessed fuzzy foot pro at this time. I'm crazily working away to finish them as Christmas gifts. I must also say, they are VERY comfortable - I wear the hunter orange 'test pair' :)

Halloween News ~
This year we had fantastic weather! It was mild, with no wind, and yes folks I know it's a shocker, no rain...

Little C dressed up as a cowboy. Not a dead cowboy, or a mean cowboy - a good ol' fashioned gun slingin' cowboy. I was surprised by his choice with so many commercial costumes out there, but we went around to second hand clothing stores and rounded us up a cowboy hat and accessories and out he went. I was also surprised by his knowing when enough is enough. Candy. He's a kid and well, kids love candy. We went around our street one time and it filled a big pillow case about a quarter full. I wanted to go out some more as it was nice and the dog was enjoying the spooks, but Little C said he had enough. Hopefully he'll remain that way and never become a greedy person. Note: He shared his chocolate with me! He's an addict as much as anyone I know, and he shared... sigh... I'm a mama with a happy heart.

I've also been volunteering at the school library. I figure if I'm not working right now, I at least need something to put on my resume. Books, children, meeting people? why not. It has been great fun and I've met some interesting characters, as well as some wonderful women.

In the process of thinking about possibly (nothing definite here) going back to school. Will have to make up my mind soon, as I am aiming to start by January... What scares me the most is spending all that money... that I don't have...

In closing a pic. of my Halloween spooks -



Can you see them in the window?

Here's the cowboy ghost giving out candy...




And one more joke - I couldn't resist.

Knock knock?

You say...

Butcher

You say...

Butcher arms around me.... (sung in slightly slurred speech - much more funny that way.)