Knitting groups can be hazardous to your wallet

I recently joined a local knitting group that was formed through a Ravelry forum.  The knitters I have met so far are very nice.  The problem is that they have been inspiring me to purchase more yarn and patterns.  Not only that, but the group is a great place for sharing tips and information.  (Plus to prod me to check my blog.  Thanks Shaela!)
Who knew that you could do "Judy Becker's magic cast on" when my usual toe-up socks?  (Thanks Sue).
Of course then I just HAD to purchase more sock yarn to make a pair of socks for my hubby.
Next I had to order yarn for EZ's "100th Anniversary Camp Half-Circle" shawl after seeing another member of the knitting group's version of this.  Of course with a brand new grand-niece plus a granddaughter who is due to make her appearance any day, there has been and still is baby knitting going on.  The items for the grand-niece need to be finished a.s.a.p. since her grandma is heading out to visit her and her parents next week.  The jacket and matching pants I'm making for my granddaughter just need to be sewn up.  The dress I'm knitting for her is a 12 month size.
On top of all that I discovered that I still can spin which led to the purchase of fleece.  In a way I'm pleased that fall is here since summer isn't really conducive to fibre related hobbies plus my knitting tends to get dirty when we backpack/hike during the summer months.
Our grandson is constantly growing.  He is still able to clear out our Tupperware cupboard in record time but is now able to reach the door knob for the hall closet.  It is just a matter of time before he's opening the rest of the doors.  He does know how to slam the kitchen door and he gets quite irate when we open the door to let ourselves back in.
Grandson A also quite enjoys Grandma's knitting projects.  One yoga sock was slipped on A's feet as if it were a pair of deformed pants.  Just imagine a sock without toes and heels.  The space for the heel was like the crotch of the pants and the cast-on and bound-off ends were the bottom hems.  Yeah, you'd have to see it to know what I'm saying.  His mom told me that she finished a crocheted hat for his sister-to-be and A ran off with it.  Cheeky monkey!
I'm actually looking forward to having the little guy spend time with us overnight or for a weekend.  My kids used to spend time with my sister-in-law and her husband.  They'd watch videos, shop, and probably eat junk food.  Whatever they did, they loved it!  I'm not too sure if I'd fill the little guy up with junk food but watching movies and staying up later than at home sounds like fun.
Well, the whole object of this updated blog was to show that I'm still around and I promise pictures soon, possibly of the new grandchild.

Where did the weeks and months go?

After spending another day with my beautiful grandson, I look back and realize how fast the weeks and months are flying by. It wasn't too long ago when Ashton was a fairly inert lump of baby with not too much interest in anything except food, sleep, and cuddles. Now he reaches for toys, other people's food and fingers, enjoys chatting on the phone (while he tries to figure out how to put the phone in his mouth), and he is eating real food!
It also wasn't too long ago when my babies were little. Eric was the independent, easygoing one and Lisa the stubborn one. Lisa is still the determined, stubborn one and Eric is still easygoing and independent to a fault. This generally means that I often am in touch with Lisa and in the dark about what is happening in Eric's life.
Lisa married a man with a small, local family and Eric married someone with a large family in a different province. Got the idea? I miss him dearly and worry that he may miss out on seeing his nephew grow up or not see his grandparents before they are gone.
There are so many things that I want to talk to him about in person, not over the phone. I'd like to share with him all the "new" hikes I've been on since he was the person who inspired me to hike more. Most of all I want him to be honest with us.

Last week Lisa, Jesse and Ashton had some professional pictures done of the three of them. Spencer Brawn took quite a few pictures and made a cd for Lisa and Jesse with both web and print quality pictures on it. We've printed a few which are to be framed and given to Grandma M for her birthday on Monday. I'll probably see if Lisa will allow me to print one or two for my mom.




Whoa! Check out all the flowers. Can I eat these?

Regarding the hiking: We've been doing some good hikes lately plus I have been hiking with some friends during the week while Pat is working. On one of those weekday hikes, I ended up with a tick on my belly, about 2 inches from where another tick had burrowed in a week or two earlier. Now I'm terrified that I've become a "tick magnet". I guess I'll just have to wear bug spray and to make sure that I dress appropriately (light clothing with long pants tucked into socks and a long sleeved shirt. Right! While it is 30°C outside). Tick 1 was disease free and I have to see the doctor regarding tick 2 on Monday.

Last minute Molly

As it seems to go each year, I am doing the last minute thing. My aunt, uncles, cousins and their families will likely get their Christmas cards in time for New Year. The Christmas baking that I had intended to do last week will be done tomorrow.. or later tonight.
I didn't make scarves, hats, socks or mittens for any of my family members this year. I just couldn't get into the holiday spirit.
P-- and I did go to the COG's Christmas dinner on Saturday. The snow started up just as we were leaving our house and it wasn't showing any sign of letting up after we had finished doing the awards, skit, and door prizes. We did manage to sing "the Twelve days of Christmas" which is a tradition for the group before it was decided to cut the party short in order for members to get home safe.
So, I have purchased gifts for: the couple who's name I drew from my family (as in brothers and partners); my daughter and son-in-law; P--; and my nephew W---. I didn't get anything for my mom yet nor did I get anything for my son-in-law, although I only got small things for my daughter on top of a bigger gift that is for the both of them. I figure that my grandson is too small for anything although I may just see about picking up a book for him on our walk.
As far as my son and daughter-in-law, we are not buying for each other.
L--- and I are doing gift baskets for my sisters-in-law with me providing the wine and some baking. Next year I have good intentions of starting this insanity around Samhain instead of starting at Solstice.
The snow had been showing signs of melting but now we have another snow warning and are expecting 10 - 20 centimetres more of this crap.
In between the previous entry and this one I haven't been idle. I got inspired to clear out the office last week and tossed a whole lot of stuff out. Now I'm sorting and bagging my stash in sealed bags to store in the top of the closet. Unfortunately the sorting did expose some unfinished items which are now taking up space in the basket of "ongoing" projects in the living room. There are only 40 rows of ribbing to go on my sock and then I have to finish my shrug (1/8th finished) before I can finish my sleeveless top.... and A-----'s sweater.

too many projects? Never!

I just got some more yarn in the mail which will allow me to keep my grandson nice and warm.... next year. I've been wanting to try creating some sweater designs using Ann Budd's book: " a Knitter's book of handy sweater patterns" So far it looks fairly simple. You figure what size you want to make. Then you do a gauge swatch and, based on your gauge, follow the various columns that list how many stitches to cast on, how far to work until armholes, etc.
I've bought A some superwash yarn in a worsted weight yarn and am going to be making a saddle shoulder sweater, possibly with cables.
In the meantime I got my copy of "A gathering of lace" by Meg Swansen from the library plus I'm working on my Noro striped scarf as well as working on another pair of toe-up socks for me. I can handle it!
Poor A had his first bath yesterday and he wasn't a happy camper about it.

The bath also revealed that A is likely going to have reddish hair. A real Scottish... (Dutch, Irish, Mohawk, German, English, American) Canadian!
He does seem to like the bouncy seat I bought him though and has discovered how to make the music work.

Happy 1 week birthday baby A!

My beautiful grandson is one week old today. He and his mom were freed from the hospital last Saturday.
Now that the weather is getting cooler I've decided that warm hats are needed to keep the little guy's noggin warm when he is out and about. I had almost completed a nice hat but it looked a bit like a green breast with a terra cotta coloured nipple so it was partially frogged and it should be ready soon.

As far as hiking goes, P and I went to Westwood Ridge near Nanaimo with the CVOC last Sunday. The weather was cool but dry, which was the important thing. Some members of the group had hoped to have lunch at Robert's Roost, a peak with a 360° view. Unfortunately to get there you need to cross DND property and there was an ongoing military exercise. Instead lunch was on a slightly lower peak with a view of Mt. Benson and Robert's Roost.

An immature eagle (approx. 3 years old) flew around us and seemed to like an area slightly south of us. After lunch we headed in that direction and could smell a strong smell of pot. (Slight wonder the eagle liked that area. It was a miracle that he/she wasn't flying upside down). Two gentlemen with sheepish grins emerged from that area as we passed.


Now I'm wishing that I had heard of CVOC sooner. Their hikes are a great way of working out and, as a group they do events such as snowshoeing/skiing or multi-day trips in other parts of North America. P and I are even considering joining the Outdoor club of Victoria.

At the beginning of the hike to Westwood Ridge M handed me a DVD which she had made of her trip to the BC Interior/Chilcotin. It was very well done so, knowing that M also has a Mac, I set to work trying to figure out how to create my own DVD of our trips to Strathcona (or anything else that could be made into a slideshow movie). It was a very simple procedure using iMovie and iDVD. Picture are dragged into iMovie along with your choice of music. Then, once the pictures and music are in place, you can add titles and tweak your creation before exporting it in order to burn it using iDVD. (Okay, so it isn't easy but there is a lot of how-to information available).

I'm a grandma!

My daughter gave birth to a healthy son weighing 10 pounds, 7.7 ounces. He was an occipital posterior presentation, meaning that his head was facing the wrong way so, after about 12 hours of labour, it was decided that a c-section was the best choice for both mom and baby.
I was amazed that my DD was alert and able to nurse almost immediately after his birth and A seemed to catch on right away. To me he seemed quite smart. While daddy was holding him, he'd turn his head towards mom as soon as he heard her voice.



I had to laugh when the nurse put his little hospital issue hat on his head. Since he was so big, his hat kept falling off.
Needless to say I have now knitted him 2 other hats that should stay put and I'm working on a third hat which should both stay on and keep his little noggin warm when he is outside.

His parents are still thinking little A should be a hockey player but dude, the kid is a big boy, more suited to football.

The great grandparents are tickled!

Without a doubt this one will be spoiled rotten! (Isn't that the job of grandparents?)

The power of the shawl

Well, there still isn't a grandchild but he really isn't due until November 7th. I'm betting on November 8th although something says that I should put my money on November 11th. Hey, not everyone has their birthday on a stat holiday!
DD figures that what is keeping her son from being born is the fact that his shawl isn't finished yet. The story is that, way back in the spring of '08 (I think) I started working on my second Fir Cone square shawl. The first one was done in emerald green for myself. I told my daughter that I was going to knit a second one for a future grandchild and the first grandchild born would get it. I poked along at it until my daughter phoned to say that the shawl would come in handy since she was expecting a child in November. I continued knitting but summer holidays and other knitting projects came in between until the shawl, needing just the last edging, found itself stuffed in a closet with other UFOs. As the date drew nearer for my grandchild's birth I remembered the shawl and started working on it in a mad fury. Now 2 of the 4 edges are complete. I'm counting on having a completed project by Sunday, November 9th.
Here is a token picture of the green shawl just to give an idea of the size.


Ok baby, you can come out anytime now. Your shawl will be done by the time you come home. (Notice my fingers are crossed?)