Swatching and sampling but no TNNA

I decided this morning that the creeping crud that has had hold of me for the last week wasn't going to go away soon and that I had better stay home and not infect the folks in Columbus with whatever cruddy virus this is. Feels like a cold - acts like the flu. Loverly!

Couch life is good for knitting and swatching though - working on a couple of things for the Sock of the Month club - one for soon/June and one for later. Both have possibilities and both need more work before seeing the light of day.

I think my consolation prize for not TNNA-ing will be to allow myself to start a new sweater. I have a few things to make for September and I might just get going on one of them as a special treat. On the list are Beth Brown-Reinsel's Celtic Dreams
in Jo Sharp's Silkroad Aran Tweed or possibly her Marilyn
in the same yarn - different colour.

Unless it is too hot then it might be something in silk instead - HandMaiden Lace Silk I think

And perhaps some gardening - hostas to divide and shrubs to move plus some tidying up of the front garden which is a mess and needs attention.

8 Random Things

OK so I have been memed. I am supposed to tag 8 people but I dont' think I know 8 bloggers who haven't already been tagged so I guess that I am the grinch who stopped the meme.

8 random things about me:

1. I love Jane Austen - both books and movies ... old and new and try to read at least 1 of her books every summer, although this summer it is Charles Dickens's Bleak House (written about 50 years after Jane's books). My favourite Jane Austen is Persuasion.

2. My favourite movie is "Truly, Madly, Deeply". it makes me cry every time I watch it but then my daughter complains that I cry at movies all the time.

3. I started playing the cello when I was 8 and still play it now (community orchestra and chamber groups). Piano Quartets are my favourite.

4. I garden and my favourite plants are Heuchera (Coral Bells - have you seen all of the leaf colours developed in the last few years?), Hosta - especially with yellow or white and Geraniums (the perennial kind, not the big blowsy blossom kind which aren't really Gernaiums at all!). Spring in the garden is the best time.

5. I remember my first phone number (Mohawk - 0847 which changed to Hudson 3 - 0847 and then to 483-0847)

6. I live in the same city I was born in (Toronto) and my children were both born in the same hospital where I was born (Wellesley). My paediatrician when I was a baby had the same phone number that my children's paediatrician has.

7. I went to the same University (BA in Psych and Math) that my Grandfather (MDCM) and Uncle (BA - Modern Languages) graduated from (Queen's University) and the same University (MBA) that my Mother (Mus. Bac), Father (MA - English Literature) , Brother (B.Sc (Med), MD) and son (not quite done yet) graduated/will graduate from.

8. I have 5 cats - the oldest is 20 (Calico female) and the youngest is 2 (see previous post for cute picture). Arthur the Godlen Retriever is 12.

That is all.

Kauni, mitres, cats and orchids

Grabbed my son today to take some pics of works in progress and these are the results!

In order of cuteness:

Bean or Bunny - our youngest - named Bunny because his ears were bigger than him when he was a baby.

Orchids (blooming) and Clivia (not blooming but great potential) in last year's Mother's Day presie from my DD:

Mitred Squares in sock yarns - hmmh - where have I heard that before? Begun last Fall and debuting on blogger today!

Kauni (not) Cardigan - langushing on the bistro table on our porch. Garter stitch band on the bottom - I am not a fan of ribbing pulling in at a wide part of my body!

And back to work - a big box of Lorna's Laces just arrived. Don't Envy me - there is Envy in BOTH Shepherd Sock and Sport!

Polyglot

Great word - love the sound of it. It means someone who speaks several languages and now it also means a geometrical lace sock knit in Colinette Jitterbugand speaking the lovely languages of lace and geometry and colour and hand dyed yarn .



It is speaking to me !

Now back to Kauni.

Psst - Fleece Artist has 2 new sock yarns coming out.............

Doggy care

Babysitting Arthur and making sure he doesn't scratch his stitches (which are staples). His breathing is so much better I keep checking him. From noisy and wheezy and hard panting to quiet snuffles and a few snores as he sleep. He is still a bit wobbly from the anaesthetic but is much perkier today and has asked to go out a couple of times this morning already. Sweet relief!

This weekend is open house for all 3 of my major suppliers so I am hoping to get there either later today or tomorrow to check out all of the new lovlies and patterns. Then the first weekend in June is TNNA which is the major North American trade show. I am booked in at a hotel in Columbus and hope I will make it this year to see some more lovelies that aren't available at the 3 big distributors here.

Then I am hoping to get to Colorado to see my Uncle and Aunt and cousin and also go to Estes Park Wool Market and see my lovely Cormo shepherd from there as well as the Interlacements people to choose some more colours.

Money, time and animals all willing ( not necessarily in that order either).

Kauni (not) Cardigan is almost to the sleeve steeks so good progress has been made. The rest of today will be sock swatching for my SOTM. Stay tuned.

I planted a tree yesterday - a Pyramidal English Oak - Quercus rubra (or it might be ruber) pyramidalis - tall, narrow and sprouting the sweetest lovely fresh green leaves! Scored at Home Depot for a VERY good price. Makes me feel very grounded and stable to plant a tree.

Arthur is fine

Thanks for the comments and good wishes for Arthur. The Doc called and said he was doing just fine and came through the anaesthetic and the procedure well. All being well we can bring his goldieness home tomorrow.

Kauni (not) Cardigan is now about 8 inches and growing nicely. The simple pattern with lots of plain rows between the squares makes it a good project for the somewhat distracted (me)

I have been watching Bleak House on PBS's Masterpiece Theater(re) and got a copy of the book out of the library. I have read a few Dicken's novels - Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Old Curiosity Shop, Little Dorrit (my favourite) and Oliver Twist. I used to pick one to read during summer breaks at University (Queen's and then U of T) but haven't read any for years. My attention has been focussed on Jane Austen instead and I have worked my way through all of her books in the last couple of summers and have re-read Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion (my favourite) a few times each.

So Dickens it is this summer. Picture me outside in a Muskoka (Adirondack) chair reading such beautiful English.

"Smoke lowering down from the chimney-pots, making a soft black drizzle, with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snow-flakes - gone into mourning, one might imagine, for the death of the sun"

and that is from the very first paragraph!

So much more to come

Progress

Kauni (not) Cardigan is coming along - not a cardigan but rather a v-necked tunic with a garter stitch edge. I am shaping it a little as boxes do not look good on me (not even with 33 fewer pounds!). I am about 5 inches into it and will post a photo in the not too distant future.

Maryland is off, sadly, as my dog Arthur needs surgery which is happening tomorrow. His breathing has been very noisy and I have been concerned about something growing there that should not be but happily there isn't a tumour or anything ugly like that. Instead he has Laryngeal Paralysis which means the flaps which protect his bronchial tubes from getting food in them aren't working properly and not only not letting food in but also not letting air into his lungs - thus the heavy breathing and the surgery requirement. Breathing is a very good thing and the surgery will make it easier for him. Not without risk but not doing it is not an option.

The Frolic was fantastic - lots of yarn, much roving and many patterns didn't come back home with me!

Many knitting celebs came by including Amy Singer who signed all of my copies of No Sheep For You, Jenna Wilson wearing her Rogue, Stephannie Roy, Robin Melanson and Julia Grunau, Fiona Ellis and the Yarn Harlot herself who created a ruckus when a group of women from Detroit recognized her and started an impromptu picture session. We are so lucky to have so many fantastic knitterati in our guild! What a group!

My kids and my niece helped on the day and my nephew also helped on Friday to carry heavy things like shelves and big bags of yarn. What a great team!

Got to get some more stuff inventoried so things are back to normal here. Many bags of yarn still in the living room and the cats want their running track back (living room to dining room around hall and into kitchen then to front hall and careening around back into living room) - mostly all blocked off to keep them out of the yarn right now).

I am thinking maybe Rhinebeck in October to make up for the Maryland-lessness of May. Hmmmh......