Spring is coming????

http://www.interweaveknits.com/preview/2008_spring.asp How can I stay in the winter doldrums when I see what Interweave has planned for their spring issue? Lots of cute little sweaters-still trying to work my head around the "negative ease" notion (I don't very often wear clingy things, so I am still kind of stalled on the idea of intentionally doing it!) The storm, today, is decidedly UN springlike-it kind of reminds me of that flash freeze scene in that movie "Day After Tomorrow" (now there's a movie to freak a person out)
Don't forget my contest- I have very few entries so far-either my readership is down, or else my prize is not very enticing. Hmm- I had better work on that. The lamb, by the way, is not a teeny weeny little bag- it is 22 inches tail to nose, and about 14 inches high (not counting the strap, of course).


Added later: What kind of yarn do you suppose I should add to the sheep?????Sock yarn? laceweight??? Mitten yarn???? (I have some absolutely gorgeous, but now discontinued Tibet by Naturally- lofty super bulky yarn with elastane-in cherry red-would make absolutely fantastic idiot string mittens!!!!!!)

Contest

Yes- for those of you who are in the doldrums of January (as I am) here is the brand new Not Pretty To Watch CONTEST!

It's simple-just email me at debdotseanatsympaticodotca (of course, you must remove the words in italics and replace with the correct symbols) and leave your name, city (and state/province/country) as well as a few sentences telling me what you do when you are in the doldrums- tell me how to get out of them! Funny is good, things you have tried-good- anything goes, really.

And the winner gets this.....

A beautiful sheep bag to carry around your knitting-big enough to carry a sock or two, or even the start of a sweater-and you know, of course, that it won't be completely empty when it arrives at the winner's door!!!!!! (I will do a wee bit of stash diving!)

So here's the deal-every person who enters with a story gets one ticket. If you put this contest up on your blog, let me know and I will enter your name again. I will get my trusty servant (missie Annie) to draw a name- and voila! That one person gets a brief reprieve from the winter doldrums! (I mean- how down can you feel if you are carrying a sheepy knitting bag on your arm????)

Let the emails begin!!!!!!

I just don't know WHAT it is, but man- have I got the heebie-jeebies lately. I can't seem to settle into anything. And, on top of all that, when I was sick and coughing up lungs and a pancreas or two, I aggravated an old back injury. So now I am walking around like Lurch. (Doesn't that give you a pretty picture???) And I feel like Ruth Buzzi on a bad day. It's like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. I just can't seem to get "into the groove". I tend to think it is a combination of January (one of my least favourite months) and pain issues (I also deal with a chronic knee problem) and maybe, the fact that I haven't been knitting. I am not kidding- with this back thing, I can't get comfortable knitting!!!! I swear I am like a little kid without the comfort of her blankie!!
Years ago, before I started knitting as much as I usually do now, I wouldn't have been able to fathom how much I would miss my quiet little times spent with some needles and a nice soft wool. But it truly DOES comfort me- gives me some time with my own thoughts while keeping my hands busy. And I miss it.
Hopefully tonight I can turn on some mindless TV (hmmm- was that a repetitive thing- isn't most TV mindless these days???), get out some knitting, and just gently ease myself back into the lull. I hat e to say it, but I feel like I am jonesing for some knitting!!!!!!!!!!
What about you? Are you feeling unsettled lately as well??? Got any suggestions for how to get out of it?

Well, on the good side-February is coming- both Annie and I have birthdays coming up.
I think a contest is in order. Let me think about it-and then go stash diving for something really nice........

You thought THAT was crazy.....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_kpeu8UWzYw This is what else my darling husband does- this is an airplane that his students built in his class. And this is Sean flying the airplane to make sure it won't fall out of the sky.

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm.

Baby it's cold outside!!!!!!

Well, first we had the warm weather- unnatural winds to go with it. Now we have the threat of snow and blowing snow and incredibly COLD days. The kids at school are so poorly dressed for the cold- not from lack of funds- it's all about STYLE! "Oh Mrs White! Only little kids wear snow pants!" Or, "I hate my hat- so I won't wear it" And then they complain that they are cold. "Duh, yeah, Goofy- ya don't wear the right clothes, you are going to freeze-why don't ya go and try to lick a metal pole while you're at it?????" EEEK.

Now to make you feel somewhat like the days of summer are really out there, somewhere-

My husband builds things with the kids in his class-(oops I messed up the placement of the words- and I got "kid sin")-he teaches high school-technology. So this is his little toy to play with. He tells me he is going to ride up and down the streets on this-he is almost 6 foot 3, and this is about 7 feet long, and maybe 3 and a half feet high!!!

Yeah. Film at 11.

Pictures.........(lots)......brought to you by Bear

Hello-it's me, Bear. I likee my party hat- makes me look oh so suave. But we are here to talk about knitting. First off.......

First came a pile of yarn- all of this is Ottawa, by Fleece Artist/HandMaiden. It is mostly 1 ply wool, with flecks of rayon. Really cool stuff.

This is Deb's design for a sweater- top down, high waisted, lacy skirt. Even though it is is a bit blurry, it is representative of the colour of the Ottawa.

And, of course, there is always a sock around- this one is Opal Rainbow, using the new Knitpicks dp needles (Harmony wood)


And, of course, Deb is knitting for somebody's baby-this is a Zoe Mellor sweater pattern-tiger on the front- made from Naturally Buttons yarn.

And, apparently, this little guy has a thing about tails (I will keep mine to myself, thank you very much)
So there is a tail on the sweater.

I just hope the little guy doesn't wear the sweater backwards- that would look odd indeed.



Me pretty tired now- I think I am going to go lounge on my dad. Whoever has a big enough lap works for me.

****snore*****

The weekend

Good news- My camera should be back into my hot little hands sometime this week-so you know what THAT means- pictures of the things I have been talking about. To tell you the truth, I haven't been doing a whole lot of knitting this past weekend-I met an old friend for coffee on Saturday, then took Annie and her friend to the pool in the afternoon (we went out to the military base sports complex-it was truly awesome!!! Sean took the kids down the slide a few dozen times, and then we spent some time together in the hot tub. Excellent change rooms, (even a bathing suit dryer!!!), two pools (a wader and a regulation pool), and the hot tub and comfortable chairs-we'll go back. Saturday evening, we took Sean out for his late birthday dinner at the local fish and chips place (and yes, Mother came, too). Then, Sunday morning we met the flying club crowd for breakfast. After that, grocery shopping and some marking and well, there goes the weekend. But I DO have plans-as well as a couple of things underway.
So stay tuned!!!!!

Okay....

Correct me if I am wrong- but isn't this the same kind of weather we had before that ice storm? I swear I am getting the strangest dreams at night just thinking about it!




In the knitting news- I started a new something for myself- out of Fleece Artist/Handmaiden Ottawa-single spun wool with tweed flecks (viscose?) dyed with some spectacularity. I had originally bought it to make the Ilga Leja coat-











but once I got into the swatch, I figured all of those dropped stitches-well, definitely NOT me. I would be likely to catch something in a dropped stitch and make a fine mess of all the knitting. The Ottawa I ordered is sort of like this in the picture- no blue in it though- all shades of green with a touch of taupe-I LOVE it. So- I went after a knitty pattern-http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTabotanicity.html that I think is absolutely inspired (yes, go take a minute and look at it- you will think so, too)-Okay, you're back?-and I played around a smidgen with the gauge- and I think I am making something that just might be THE most wearable piece of clothing I will ever own. I am using progressively larger needles across the bodice-and because "the girls" need some extra playground area, I imagine I will play around with some short row shaping along the front bust(fairly easy to do with the 1 x 2 rib pattern). Or heck-I could add a stitch here and there-hiding in the ribbing-we'll see-I might do both). I plan on playing with the sleeves- maybe not so long, sort of three-quarter length? ending in a bit of a flare maybe, with a lace edging? And the "skirt" part of the thing will be lacier-instead of the cabled pattern-but dense, not "see through" lace (don't want to give up all the mystery, ya know-and, personally, some things on me are best left all covered up). And when my BIL returns the camera I accidentally left behind, I will take a picture of what I have, so far (beautiful, let me tell you).
Has anyone made this yet? Or plan on it?

By the by-isn't fashion a great thing when non-prego women can wear maternity clothes and look stylish????????????????

Happy Birthday!!!!!

My darling husband is 46 today!!!!!!! Here is a picture from last winter doing something he loves to do-dancing with that crazy dog, Bear.
Here's to many more years together, babe. I love you!

Revelation

I should have maybe had my flu shot.
I think I will be missing tomorrow's work as well.
Going now........

BRRRRRRRRRRRR

You know it's cold when.........your big giant poodlehead goes out for about 4 minutes, bangs on the door to get back in (a very rare occurrence- this pup can stay out for hours), and then makes a beeline back into bed. My bed. Where he still is. With his eyes squeezed shut ("I can't see you, so I am oblivious to your requests to vacate the premises"). I think he is there to stay.

(The photo, by the way, is a repeat-I still don't have my camera back, and I have already given the old Kodak to Missie Annie, so.......)

I finally got a new calendar yesterday (gotta love those January sales- the same stack of paper was worth significantly more last week). It is called "Coffee Talk" and has retro 50's style ad pictures, with speech bubbles.

One of my favourites is an older lady, with the cup of coffee, and the speech bubble says "Espresso- Euphoria without the unsightly track marks!"

Yeah. Twisted.