Etiquette question:

also: Hi! I have Christmas to post about and knitting to show... later. Probably on New Year's Day when I'll be home in the daylight to take pictures.

So I have an etiquette question for you fellow knitters/crafters. If you are knitting in public (or in your office) and someone comes up to ask what you are making and you answer them but then they GRAB what you are making WHILE you are currently knitting (without asking, by the way) is it considered rude to stab them in the hand with your knitting needles (after you finish the row)?

Strictly hypothetical of course*

Also if the grabber is a non-knitter/crafter who tells you how to do things craft-wise are you within your rights to follow the stabbing up with some sort of kick?

*Okay fine, it's not hypothetical. but I didn't stab anyone so I think I deserve points for that.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas

I don't bake that often, but the smell of baking cookies & buns is one of my favorite things about Christmas. I decided to take on the baking task this year, since Mom isn't doing any this year.


Gingersnaps (recipe from here). mmmmm. That is all I have to say about that. mmmmmm.


If the Gingersnaps earn an "mmmmmmm" then these earn an "mmmmmmm" with an added Homeresque drooling sound on the end.
Mom's Magic Cookie Bars. No idea where the recipe comes from but Mom made these every Christmas for as long as I can remember. These are addictive and good and..... Suffice to say I immediately put them in the freezer out of temptation's way as soon as they were cooled and cut.

It's not all sweet baking around here, I made these at Mom's request:

The recipe was called "Mini Frittatas" and I've been making them for a few years. I don't remember where I got the recipe or even when I came across it. The recipe calls for them to be baked sans tart shells in mini muffin cups. At some point along the years I started using the tart shells (unsweetened... one year I accidentally got sweetened tart shells... not good) and I like them this way a lot.


More Spiced Candied Pecans. I must have left something out when making these because they taste different than the first time around. However, they are still really good and they still need to be hidden away or there won't be any left and I will be unable to attend Christmas due to eating too many pecans.

Finally, my biggest accomplishment: Buns. My mom is an expert bun maker. I grew up watching her make them every couple of weeks and she had this unreal way of pinching off dough and squeezing it through her hand and, poof, there's a perfectly formed bun. I can't do that. But I am pretty happy with these. I've never been particularly fond of working with yeast dough (sticky, frustrating, etc) but I'm getting the hang of these (I made some last weekend as a test).




The hard part now is not eating them...

I think I'm done now, but we don't leave until Wednesday so there may still be another batch of something to come... Or maybe I should just do some knitting...

Wow, time flies, huh?

My weekend with Mom turned out differently than planned. On my way home my sister-in-law called to tell me that Mom was being transferred to Saskatoon to begin radiation treatments. I was almost to my hometown at the time so I just carried on and went to Saskatoon the next day. Mom looked really good and was in good spirits. Her symptoms (memory, speech issues etc) were still pretty noticeable but she was doing really well otherwise. So I spent the weekend visiting with her in the hospital there. On my way back to Calgary the Boy called to tell me there was a heavy snowfall warning, and he was not kidding. We got around 15 - 20 centimeters in one day. It was heavy wet snow and the roads were terrible. The last 150 km of my drive was so slow... it took about an hour longer than it should have. Whew.

The past week and a half have been COLD. -25C to -35C (-13F to -31F) ish. so cold. And snowy. And icy roads. And... Yes, I know, I live in Canada. Yes, I grew up in Saskatchewan (even colder and worse winters). But it's cold and I'm ready for a Chinook now...

So I made myself a new toque last night.


Yarn: handspun
Pattern: Merlot from Stickchicky.
Mods: I was running out of yarn so I did the decreases at the top faster than written (i.e. 1 dec. round, 1 round plain until I had 5 stitches between decreases then dec. every round)


Love this toque! It's big enough for my big noggin, long enough to cover my ears and just slouchy enough.



I'm not doing much Christmas knitting this year. But that doesn't seem to have prevented last minute knitting crunch time...

Mom's Christmas present in progress... I have time. Honest. (February Lady Sweater)

Available in Prescription Strength or Over the Counter

We haven't really had any news about my Mom. She will start radiation treatments on Friday. I'm going to be going to spend the weekend with her, leaving tomorrow morning. Things sort of hit me harder the last day or so and I've been a tad emotional. My poor manager, I burst into tears just trying to tell him I was going to take tomorrow and Friday off. The Boy has been very supportive during all of this, he's a keeper. He cemented that status with the following:

I apologize in advance if the following inflames feelings of jealousy in any of you.



He showed up at my office just after lunch with a 1/2 dozen cupcakes from Crave. My female coworkers were smitten by the thoughtfulness, and even more so when I shared a couple of the cupcakes with the group. I, of course, teared up what with being overly emotional and the thoughtfulness and the fact that I had just been wishing I had something chocolate to eat.

A couple of weekends ago, when we were just waiting for news and I was trying not to go crazy, I told the Boy that I wanted a cupcake and decided they should be prescribed for any emotional difficulties. I stand by that assertion after today. Trust me.

Serpentine Mitts

I can't believe I made it. 30 days. 30 boring posts! Whew. And, I also can't believe I can finish off with a finished knit! Woo hoo!


Pattern: Serpentine Mitts from Mim's Blog
Yarn: Sirdar Country DK leftover from stash.
Christmas gift for Secret Santa at work.



I love these mitts. They were a fast knit, about a day for each mitt, but they probably could have been done faster if I hadn't been so distracted in between. The ribbing makes them cozy without being tight. I think they will be forgiving for size (I don't know the hand size of the recipient).



I did a tubular bind off, which I am in love with. It makes the bind off stretchy and it looks very finished, you know? I'm so glad I forced myself to figure it out.



See that up there? On the right in that picture (it's actually the left-hand mitt)? See the top cable crossing? See how both of them go the same direction on that one but they go opposite directions on the other? Yeah. I didn't notice it until after I had finished both of them and was taking pictures... Oh well. Oops! I don't think the recipient will throw them down in disgust due to that mistake, and if she does, I'll keep them for myself... Hmm... now that I say that I do really like them... hmm.

Thanks for hanging with me the past month. I'm definitely not going to keep up the posting every day, I just don't have enough interesting things happening in my day-to-day life. I am glad though that I made the attempt, it was quite a challenge. So, thanks again.

Belated Birthday

My friend Julie was out of town on my birthday (her sister's birthday is the same day so I guess that's okay) so we've been trying to get together to do something to celebrate. So, today we went to the Festival of Crafts (I think that's what it was called) at the Round-Up Center. It was packed, and there were so so so many exhibitors. I got a few things, and got some good ideas for other things I'd like to try. After we left there we went for coffee and Julie gave me my gift. She said "I know you'll like this one" as I opened the first part.



Was she ever right! At the craft show there were several stalls selling nearly identical pendants! (She purchased this one while in the States visiting her sister). It is so pretty and exactly what I would have chosen... she always manages to do that!

The second part was bigger. (By the way, I love LOVE multi-part gifts. If you want to make me super happy on a gift giving occasion, give me a bunch of small, not expensive gifts wrapped individually) (not that I'm expecting you to give me gifts... you CAN if you want, but... you know) She said she got it when she visited Nova Scotia in the fall.



Again, how beautiful is this vase? It's about 4 inches high or so. I love it.

A belated birthday celebration is just fine by me when I get to spend the day with my good friend... and of course when there are such pretty things awaiting me! Thanks Julie!!

Friday.... finally

Today was a not much happening day. I just talked to my mom. She's at home, in her house, with my younger brother & his family for the weekend. The doctors don't know yet what they want to do treatment-wise yet, it's still up in the air as far as timing goes. There will be radiation but we're not sure yet when.

Have you seen the puppy cam? I don't remember where I came across it, but it is the cutest thing ever. I had a pop up window showing the puppies on one of my screens at work today and it really is what the internet is for. Dealing with difficult customers is so much easier when one is watching six puppies play or nap.

(yes, this post is lame. NaBloPoMo is almost over and I just couldn't quit now... )

...teach a man, er, woman to fish, er, knit...

My coworker, Wen-Shu, has been hinting that she would like to learn to knit. She is the super-generous soul who gave me that great yarn, and she was also the enthusiastic recipient of the toque I made last weekend. Today I remembered to bring her some yarn and needles. At lunch time, class was in session.

I cast on and knit a couple of rows for her to get her going. It seems to me that the cast on and first few rows are usually the most difficult and if someone is going to get disappointed or discouraged with their progress (or seeming lack thereof) the beginning is the place it will happen. We'll cover cast-on in future lessons.

I demonstrated both "English"/throwing and "Continental"/picking styles (I use Continental myself) and she felt more comfortable with continental. Within a half hour she had about 10 rows knit, and her stitches were really even.

My nefarious plan was a success She was hooked...

I present to you Wen-Shu, the newest knitter in the bunch:

(all pictures from my cell phone... apologies for the quality)

She took to it like a fish to water (or a natural crafter to a new craft if you will). This is her progress after about 15 minutes. I'm not even kidding. I didn't have to show her twice how to make a stitch.


Either she is really a natural or I am an A-MA-ZING teacher... (It's not the second option)

Now, the thing about this next picture. It was quiet today. This is very unusual. I haven't had a stretch of quiet like this since I started at this job over a year ago. It's nice but hard to fill the time in work-approved ways. You know? Our office is set up so that our backs are to each other and our L-shaped desks are kitty-corner (or catty-corner if you'd rather) to each other. In the middle of the afternoon Wen-Shu asked me to tell her if our manager was coming. I turned around and she was ... well, take a look.



Yes, my work here is done. Doesn't that warm your knitterly heart? You can imagine how much I'm enjoying having someone at work who is going to share my obsession....

*********************
Update: I heard from my sister-in-law this afternoon that Mom is being moved to the small town hospital just down the road from home. This is good because she will be able to have more visitors, and also then we won't have to scramble to be able to have someone stay with her all the time. We are working on plans to figure out who will stay with her when. I'm hoping to go home to see her in the coming week. My younger brother and his family will be there tomorrow through the weekend.

*********************
Update the 2nd: When I posted the picture in yesterday's post, I didn't notice the disembodied hand look of the picture... I only noticed it after reading several comments about it, and then when I looked at it that was all I could see!!! eeek. I don't think I could have set that up to look so strange if I had tried.

*********************
Not an update, but further evidence of Wen-Shu's crafting mojo: She hand-sewed this little puppy over the weekend from an old towel. It's like finding a kindred spirit, people. (Pattern found here at All Sorts)

Is this not the cutest little thing ever?? Look at his cute little face!!


I wish I had made him... I'm going to give it a try too.

Breathing (slightly) easier

I finally was able to talk to my Mom. Getting through the labyrinthine phone system at the hospital was more difficult than getting through to the Prime Minister's personal cell phone. (Or President if you'd rather. Or the Queen.) But I finally got to talk to her. We don't know much yet, she hasn't been seen by the Oncologist, but she sounds positive. There are still some short-term memory glitches and she says she still has trouble with using the wrong words for things and gets confused, but she's so much better than she was on the weekend. She is hopeful that they will transfer her to a small-town hospital closer to home tomorrow, but we won't be sure about that until she finally sees the Oncologist.

She wanted me to thank you all for praying. I want to thank you too.

*********************


I finished (in one day! well, 24 hours. I started it last night) the first mitt for my coworker's Secret Santa gift.
Pattern: Serpentine Mitts from Mim's Blog (the pattern link is on that page).
Yarn: Sirdar Country Style DK leftovers from stash.
Needles: US2

I like the pattern and the finished mitt. I hope my coworker will too. I may have to make myself a pair after Christmas.

*********************

Happy Thanksgiving to all you Americans.

No news isn't always good

So we still haven't had any word from the Oncologist. I don't know anything more than I did yesterday about Mom's situation. But, thank you all for your prayers, kind words and good thoughts.

I realize today that I should have parceled out my finished object pictures... I don't really have much to show you. I'm working on a present for my work's Secret Santa. I picked the name of one of my friends at work, and the day we chose names she inadvertently confirmed that what I planned to make her was a good idea. But... no pictures of that yet (i just started. Trust me. Less than an inch of 2x2 ribbing in the round. It's not so exciting so far).

My sock is coming along. I love the color so much


And... That's about all I have to show you today.

Finishing stuff...

Apparently being nervous and freaked out is helping me get around to finishing some things.

I finished a cowl I had started. Not sure who it will be for, but it's a Christmas present. I just need to find the right recipient. (normally this is not how i do things but it wouldn't let me not knit it, you know how that is).





Then I started and finished a toque for my coworker. This is not a Christmas gift, this is a "thank you for the crazy-generous gift of yarn you gave me" gift.





I used some not-me-at-all-PINK yarn I had spun (the softest squishiest yarn I've ever spun) and the Snappy Hat pattern from Picnic Knits (Link is here). I love how it turned out. I have a little bit left of the yarn so I might do a pom pom or somethign to embellish it (a flower maybe?).

AND I finished the Monkeys. I need to wash them and then wrap them quick or they'll end up in my sock drawer...


After I finished the monkeys I cast on for a pair of socks for me. I needed to keep moving last night while waiting for news. The Boy asked me what i was doing and said "Don't you have Christmas Knitting to do?" I explained that I needed something to take with me and I needed to just be doing something and why can't I make socks for myself. He said "You should be making something for me! A toque! Why don't you ever make me a toque?"

To which, jaw agape, I said "Excuse me? I made you TWO toques!!" He said "No, you made me ONE." I glared at him, astonished at his NERVE (i wasn't really mad but really, dude...) and then he said "Oh, right. Two. Well, you should make me another???" in that hopeful little boy voice they all seem to be able to pull out when they need to be cute.

So I'm making myself some socks from the Knit Picks Essential Kettle Dyed. Simple garter rib. Mindless comfort knitting.

****
Mom update: The CT scan (or CAT? I don't know the right terminology) showed "several" tumors. My information was all relayed through s couple of people so some of the details are unclear. It sounds like the biggest tumors are compressing the speech center and this is causing the current symptoms. She is seeing an ocologist today and we should know more about the plan of attack soon.

They treated her with steroids and there was some improvement today. I talked with my sister who had been there with her and said that Mom's spirits seemed good, in spite of the difficulties with communicating.

Knowing what it is doesn't help as much as I thought it would, but... at least we know. Thanks again and please keep praying.

Distracting myself

Thank you for your prayers for my Mom (and for me & my family). We don't know anything yet. My aunt took my Mom to North Battleford to the hospital but their CT tech isn't available on weekends (it's a smaller city). She was supposed to go back on Tuesday to get the scan. This morning my sister-in-law took Mom to see the family doctor and he wanted them to go to Saskatoon today to get a CT scan done right away. That doesn't ease my worry, but I guess I'm glad that someone is doing something. I can't do anything, which is very frustrating.

To distract myself yesterday I finished a rug I had started in the summer and just lost steam on. This has been on my loom for a few months... It was time I finished it.



The warp is Bernat Handcrafter Cotton and the weft is 3 inch strips cut from 2 different cheap-o cotton blend flat sheets. Finished size is 24" x 28.5" not including fringe.



The colors are predictable really, given my brown/blue obsession all spring and summer. I really like how it turned out and will probably do more like this (one day).

Now I need to find something to distract myself until I hear back from my sister-in-law. Football and some knitting should help.

Thank you again for your prayers.

Worry doesn't help

I had planned to post some knitting pictures today. But now all I can think to post is a request for prayer. If you are the praying type, please pray for my Mom.

Last year my Mom's cancer came back and she went through chemo all winter. She was feeling so much better and had energy and was looking like she had beaten it again. She battled breast cancer in 1995 and beat that, so we knew she could beat this one too. My Mom is the strongest person I know.

Now she has something else going on, but we don't know yet what it is. Something is affecting her memory and cognitive abilities and she is worried. I am worried, my siblings and their spouses are worried. She went for blood work earlier in the week but didn't hear anything back from those tests because the small-town doctor is away. My aunt, who lives in the town where my Mom lives, decided to call around today to try to get some answers and was told to get my Mom to a hospital in a larger center right away. On a Saturday. That is both a relief and a worry. They wouldn't say that if it was nothing.

So today, instead of mindless drivel or knitting pictures, I'm asking you to pray because that is all I can do aside from worry. And worry doesn't help. I don't know what tests they are doing, I don't know how my Mom is feeling or if things got worse since I spoke with her on Thursday. I don't know anything. But I can pray, and I can ask you to also.

So please pray, if you are the praying sort. Pray if you aren't. Because me worrying isn't helping.

Favorite Things Friday

I had a long day. Long and frustrating* and long. I decided I needed to think about some favorite things:

1. Spiced Candied Pecans

(recipe from BeanPlate) Mine didn't look as nice as Melanie's, but oh my heavens, these are amazing.

2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

(recipe from here. I subbed in peanut butter chips instead of the chocolate chips in the recipe)
These are A-MA-ZING. Like brownies but in cookie form. The only bad part is that I only have 2 left.

3. Eyedrops

My eyes are d-r-y. Partly from the surgery (which was to be expected) and partly from living in Calgary.

*My day was frustrating due to frustrating questions asked by people who have asked the same question over and over and over. My favorite from today was when a caller asked me why I hadn't let him know that we hadn't received his fax. He didn't seem to understand that if I didn't know the fax was being sent I would have no way of knowing that we didn't receive it. I'm good, but I'm not that good!

My 2nd Birthday

I was going to post this yesterday but I was still thinking about it. Then I read Melissa's post at All Buttoned Up about preparing to pick up the newest addition to their family and it made me want to say something.

38 years ago yesterday (November 19) my parents picked me up at the hospital. I was 4 days old and my birth mother had given me up for adoption.

There are stories I was told when I was growing up about that day, I loved hearing them. When I was little my dad used to tease me by telling me that they had picked out a little red-haired girl, but when they went back the next day she was gone already. (In my imagination as a kid, the baby hospital was much like a store where you pick out what you want from shelf after shelf of options) Dad would tell me that I was in the crib where she had been and they thought I looked cute so they took me home. It's probably not surprising that when I was small I did NOT like kids with red hair. I think I was afraid my parents would try to switch me.

I don't know if Mom ever heard Dad telling me this, but when I was in my late teens or early twenties, Mom was telling someone about when they were going through the adoption process before they got me. She was saying that they had been approved and were literally on their way out the door to drive 6 hours to go pick up a baby in Regina when they got a phone call telling them that the birth mother had changed her mind. They then found out about me a month or two later (I may have that part wrong). I stopped Mom and said "It was TRUE???" She asked what I was talking about and I told her the story Dad had been telling me all those years. "Daniel!! How could you tease Lori like that?" was her immediate response.

When I was little, I thought I should get 2 birthdays... The day I was born and the day I was adopted. That didn't really work out too well. But, still, in my mind, I always want to mark the day I became a member of the family.

I've met my birth mother and 2 half brothers, about a dozen years ago now. I've lost touch with her, but hear from one of the half brothers from time to time. I'm glad for that knowledge of where i came from, but my family, the ones who know me, raised me, teased me, love me... my family is the one I was adopted into.

I can't ever say thank you enough for that.

I got (next to) nothin'

So... what's new with you? You look nice. Is that a new shirt?

Yeah, I'm kind of boring out of things to write about today. Oh, there's this:


Crappy indoor evening photography of slipper parts in progress!

Pattern: Aran Isle Slippers from Interweave Knits Holiday 2008
Yarn: Rowan Magpie from stash

Instead of completing or even working on any of the kajillion projects currently on my needles I started these a couple of evenings ago. But, they are Christmas present knitting, so I'm giving myself a pass. Whew.

So, yeah. There's that.

I'll try harder tomorrow. I promise.

Toques

Quickie post today, I know it's terribly disappointing. A full day at work in front of my computer left me with strained, dry eyes. Need to rest. Plus, I don't really have anything else to post... but... ehem... moving on.

Toques for my nephews and niece:


Kaylee's Toque
Pattern: Brioche Helmet Hat from Interweave Knits Fall 2005
Yarn: Bernat Satin from the big stash of acrylics.
I hope it's big enough after all this. I love this pattern, but the k3tog when combined with the yarn overs from the row below are a killer!


Nephew Toque #1 (twin boys... I wouldn't want to tell them which toque goes for which twin... they decide for themselves!)
Pattern: I used the short-row directions from the Brioche Helmet but knit the earflaps and brim in garter stitch and the hat itself in stocking stitch.
Yarn: stash acrylic.


I did raglan decreases for the top, I love how it looks with stripes.

I have one more "boy" toque to do and then mittens for all... yeah, this post should have waited. I blame NaBloPoMo...

Leftovers Blanket: Mitered Corners (or Mitred Corners, if you prefer)

I've had a few questions lately about how I knit the mitered corners for the Leftovers Blanket. I needed something to post today to do more rounds of the solid colored bands, so I thought I'd start the next one and document the corner. You're welcome.

This band is 18 stitches, knit on to the previous round like so: on the wrong side (WS), slip first stitch, knit to last stitch, slip stitch (sl 1), pick up & knit one from previous band, pass slipped stitch over (psso). Turn work, slip first stitch with yarn in front, knit to last stitch, knit through back loop.


Knit to corner of previous band, and begin short rows:

On WS knit to last unwrapped stitch (in first row of short rows, knit to stitch attaching to previous band) wrap stitch and turn: bring yarn to front, sl 1, bring yarn to back, return slipped stitch to left needle, turn and knit to end. Continue in this manner until there is only one stitch left.

You will now begin to knit, picking up wraps. On WS knit to first wrapped stitch, pick up wrap and knit together with stitch, turn and knit to end.

Continue in this way (slipping the first stitch of WS rows and adding one more stitch each row) until all wrapped stitches have been worked and you are back at the previous band.


And, there you go.

I hope this was clear and/or helpful. If nothing else, it is a post, and I haven't missed one in November. NaBloPoMo!

Not cool, Nature. Not Cool.

Yesterday was sunny (for the most part) and warm(ish). Would it have killed you to do that for one more day? Really?

Not in the plan. Nuh uh. Not at all what was agreed upon.

If you need me I will be holed up in bed with my knitting and my computer (blog reading, catching up on Corner Gas) until the situation is rectified.

Cowl in some of my handspun. I'm using the patterns from the Spiral Boot sock (!). This will be a gift for a co-worker

I don't think unseasonably warm weather and sunshine are too much to ask on one's birthday, are they? (clever how I snuck that in there, huh?)

I can SEE!!!

I'll spare you the complete blow-by-blow details of the surgery and my day yesterday, but wow, was that a long day. Lots of waiting around. Lots of time to get nervous. The surgery itself was over so quickly, though while it was happening it seemed to take forever. (Hold your eye open while someone is randomly touching it and count to 40 or more...) The pain was minimal, more of a cutting onions kind of pain than anything else. After the numbing drops wore off my eyes clamped shut. It was like they said "Look, we had a meeting and, well, you don't seem to be too discriminating about what you let happen to us right now so we are making the decisions." and stayed shut.

After eyedrops (with the help of the Boy who had to actually hold my eyes open) and a nap, I was much better. I had my follow-up already this morning and my vision is just slightly better than 20/20! It is truly unbelievable. I've worn glasses since I was 10.

This morning before I got up I was lying in bed thinking "I wonder what time it is? I'm too cozy I don't want to find my glasses to see. OH! I don't have to!" I imagine I'll have that kind of moment a few times before I get used to it.

I was slightly disappointed that I didn't get the super cool huge brown wrap-around sunglasses for after the surgery. The ones they provided are just not as awesome.


But, I did get to wear eye-shields for sleeping

I was debating whether to post a picture of me in the eye-shields but, honestly, it made me laugh everytime I looked at it so... you're welcome

...and they gave me this REALLY awesome FANNY PACK to hold all my drops and sunglasses & eye shields. Yes, a Fanny Pack. You're jealous. I know.


Today I get to use the computer! and watch TV! and read!! (when I told the Boy I wasn't allowed to do those things yesterday he said "Those are your favorite things!") But right now, I need a nap (my appointment was at 8! what?! on a Saturday??!!)