14 Years ago...

One of the other girls at my rink called me "Bendy Straw". I wonder why...?

It's raining today and my hip really hurts - I have skating to thank for that. Despite the aches and pains, I wish I could still skate. Too bad most rinks around here have gone out of business. Too bad I'm getting too old for that freestyle stuff - turning 30 tomorrow. I'm sure falling at 30 hurts a lot more than it did at 16.

Anyways...

My second project for stash reduction is the "Cabled Rangoli Hat", by Desi Knitter . One of my friends posted this in her blog and I printed a copy and set it aside. I picked it up again after putting the hiking socks down - I wasn't in the mood for frogging. It's a little more than halfway done and moving along nice and quick. This would make a good gift. The only change I made was removing the puffs. I couldn't get a handle on purling five stitches together and puffs aren't really my style anyways...yeah, that's it. This is another project using Lionbrand WoolEase, this time in sportweight. The hat looks a little small on the needles but I have a small head so it may work out. If not, I need to find a kid to give this to or just save it in case I have a daughter next.

Pain in the neck!

After three years of procrastination, I finally bit the bullet and painted our living room. It hadn't been repainted since the house was built in the early 80's and a fresh layer was desperately needed. I swear, the next house we live in will NOT have a vaulted ceiling! Did I mention I painted the ceiling too? Yeah...pain in the neck. I'll never touch that again with a 10 foot pole.

I'm not entirely done as the walls around the upstairs landing still need paint but at least the hardest work is done and it's nice to finally get that over with. Now I need some art to hang on the big empty wall. Tomorrow I get to rearrange furniture and finish painting. *joy*

Socks for the 1ft Feet

I have some yarn I collected when I was learning to knit that I'm just not that interested in anymore. I have managed to give away some of these acrylic & novelty yarns that I just KNEW I wouldn't use but kept a few of the better ones on hand just in case. And now that I've learned to spin my own yarn, I really need to make room! So now I start my stash reduction:

My first project is a pair of hiking socks for my husband's size 15 feet. I've made one so far but it's a bit short. So now I need to back up a few inches before the toe decreases and make it longer. It does look comfy, though and the man agrees. This is my first sock I've knitted so it's definitely a confidence booster. The project is from Interweave's Favorite Socks, "Eesti Trail Hiking Socks" pattern by Nancy Bush. I'm knitting them with Lionbrand WoolEase.

As for Pixel...he's doing better now and is glad to get that collar off but he's still not allowed outside. Should be getting those sutures out in the next couple days.

Poor little guy!

I was on my way out to work this morning when I noticed some blood drops on the floor where Pixel was eating. Lo and behold, there's a big bleeding hole in his leg! So I had to call into work late and get him to the vet right away. I left him there for the day while they stitched him up and then picked him up on my way home. Now he's stuck indoors with a big plastic collar and a toddler to keep away from. He must have snagged himself on something while he was outside earlier in the morning. Anyone willing to scratch his ears is his new best friend.

Needless to say, our plans for my husband's mountain bike race this weekend are canceled. We can't leave poor Pixel at home in this state and we weren't feeling too ready for another 24 hour race after the last one in September. Not to mention after this $445 vet bill, we can't afford the gas to Whiskeytown anyway. Bummer.