We're still babysitting our Grandkitty Monty......

We've had him since June 17 as my DS left for a weeks holiday in Vancouver visiting our DD. Well his one week holiday is looking like it's going to be more like three weeks. He's had the unfortunate luck of breaking his right leg just above the ankle.The Tibia and Fibula both broke, as well as ligaments and tendons tore. This above picture was after trying to set it twice, and then surgery to implant a pin, plate, and half dozen screws. Tomorrow afternoon he'll have day surgery to remove a couple screws, and then hopefully get the okay from the doctor to fly home.

So in the meantime Monty (who's all of five months old) has been a rascal, which leads to getting some timeouts in his room. The thing is he's just so darn cute, and I had to post this latest video of his obsession with anything paper.....

So there in lies the reason why we've put this Christmas bell thingy around his waist. He doesn't seem to mind it, and it really helps to let us know where and what he's doing in the house. Like when he's getting into paper towels and he's kicking and wrestling with that those bells really start jingling.Oh Monty........you're such a sweetheart xoxo

The first blooming thing in our pond......

This is an Iris that was split from a friends plant, and the thing was stuck in a pail and then jammed into the rocks in our pond, and it's growing! I have had a pond lily that I've been babying for a couple years now, and the thing still hasn't bloomed. I was told that I'm not fertilizing it enough so I remedied that and I'm hoping I'll see some blooms this year.

In the meantime DH and I are babysitting our grandkitty Monty.

I can't say that my two old girls (two female cats, 17 &18 yrs) are enjoying the experience, but they're dealing with it. To give them some peace at night Monty goes into one of the bedrooms where we've set up his own little bachelor pad.

I wish I had a bachelor pad to go to. Who knew keeping the peace was so exhausting. :)

My knitting has been going slow, but of course I love the close-ups so here is a couple pics of the Birch Leaf Socks and what I've done so far....

The front design.

The above picture shows the blue dye in this brown alpaca sock yarn. Whereas the picture below you would never know there was a speck of blue.

I'm loving this sort of cabled rib pattern on the back of the leg. It's meant to be used for just the cuff, but I'm wanting to carry it down the whole back of the leg before starting the heel flap. Very stretchy.

And finally .... I finished one slipper that will be felted and I'd love to do some needle felting on it after. Maybe a flower here and there. Gotta make the mate to it first.

Have a great weekend!!
P.S.: An after thought......Have a great and relaxing weekend! Monty sure knows how ;)

The rain brought more than we bargained for.......Spring will be here hopefully, again, by the end of this weekend. Anna and Noodles were crying to get outside to chow down on some grass, but they walked away in disgust when I opened the screen door to show them the wonderful whiteness. Now they're trying to sleep away the weather.Well one good thing that comes from this is that our overseeding of the lawn will get a boost from this moisture. Hopefully the farmers are welcoming this. I don't know how this snowfall falls into the management of their fields.

No knitting pic's for today. Still trying to finish ufo's. Hopefully will have something to post soon!

TGIF.......

I have no pictures of knitting or spinning today. Just a few pictures of the work I've been slogging away at outside. Basically spring cleaning the flower garden, and I'm amazed at how it's starting to green up outside with a little bit of rain. Some garden Mum's breaking through the leaves.We have lived in the same neighbourhood for 29 years, and this is the first time I have had a little visitor of the squirrel kind. So Cute!DH and I are heading over to some friends for supper, and DH offered to bring dessert. Something decadent but light was requested so I came up with a recipe out of Company's Coming Christmas Celebrations by Jean Pare.I know it's in a Christmas cook book, but this Snow Angel Trifle translates well for an all year dessert. Snow Angel Trifle
4 cups Milk
2 Boxes of instant white chocolate (or vanilla) pudding powder (4 serving size, each)
17 oz. Commercial angel food cake, torn into 1 inch pieces.
8 0z. Package of cream-filled chocolate mini cookies (oreos), 12 cookies reserved for garnish
3 cups Sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups Frozen whipped topping, thawed

Beat milk and pudding powder on low in medium bowl for about 2 minutes until thickened.
Layer ingredients in large glass serving bowl as follows:
1. 1/2 of cake pieces
2. 1/2 of cookies
3. 1/2 of strawberry slices
4. 2 cups (500 ml) pudding, spread evenly
5. Remaining cake pieces
6. Remaining cookies
7. Remaining strawberry slices
8. Remaining pudding, spread evenly

Spread or pipe whipped topping in decorative pattern on top of pudding. Garnish with reserved cookies. Chill for at least 4 hours to blend flavours. Makes about 12 cups (3 L).

p.s.s.: For my picture above I doubled the amounts for the angel food cake and cookies. It seems like it's a lot, but when spreading the layers it all compacts down. The bakery section at PC Superstore is where I find the already baked angel food cake, and I use the mini oreo's for the chocolate cookies.

The actual picture out of the book just for reference.....Our weekend will be consisting of painting and doing yard work, but I'll get to visit my Monty. Here's a quick snippet. Don't mind the wiggly video, or my pink crocs, or the sounds I make to get Monty's attention. He's full of piss and vinegar Love and Cuddles. :)
Have a great weekend everyone!

Where there once was a wall......Now there's a window.

This is my DS house which we're helping to reno. I have since figured out that between doing renovations at our home (because of a flood) and working on DS house, I much prefer the demolition side of tearing down and throwing out. Finishing work like drywalling, sanding, and trim work is a pain in the backside, and takes long to do.It started out all innocent, 'Oh let's open this up and it'll make it brighter in here!' To then actually stepping back and thinking that this is a support wall so we'll have to do some creative building. Thus an extra wall was built to support the support wall and put in a header before we cut the opening. (The headers not up yet in this picture.)

Renovations continue as well downstairs in DS house so that we can utilize the basement suite, and make it it's own contained space. So a couple walls were put up to close it in. The entry into the suite. (Primed and waiting for molding and baseboards)The kitchen area.

Finally the last wall in the laundry room. Enough about renovations.....there's been some weaving going on at my house.I can't describe how exciting it's finally been to sit down and finally start weaving. I'm using left over yarn from the stash, and if I would have had one straight afternoon I could've had this scarf done. Saturday night I couldn't stop. 10:00pm rolled around and I thought I should really stop, but then it soon turned 11:00pm and I was starting to make mistakes and I decided to quit for the night.

The biggest challenge was warping, and then tieing on, threading it through the heddles, and getting my coordination working with the loom. I was exhausted but just thrilled that I had tackled it along with a couple great books which were a BIG help
Weaving Made Easy by Liz Gipson
Hands On Rigid Heddle Weaving by Betty Linn Davenport

More sock knitting is happening as they're great for packing along.Calloway Sock Pattern by Cookie A. I'm using Knit Picks 2.25mm dpn, Yarn: Briggs & Little Durasport 1 ply in colourway: Smoke. It's a tough little yarn and I'm putting it through it's paces. I like to knit my socks with a tight gauge and this 1 ply seems to be holding up. 80% Pure Wool 20% Nylon.I love this pattern. Diagonal Lace Toe-up Socks. What makes it even more loveable the price is FREE!! From a wonderful designer WendyKnits. You'll find the pattern on her website under Free Patterns with the added bonus of over 40 more free patterns. I'm using Knit Picks Harmony Wood 2.00mm dpn's. Yarn: Regia The Sockwool Jet Set Color. 4 ply.One more shawl that I spied on Smoking Hot Needles. Monika was knitting this up and I had to follow. I'm such a follower of people with great ideas ;)
Pattern: Multnomah designed by Kate Flagg. It is a free pattern you can find on either Ravelry or Hello Knitty. I'm using Knit Picks Harmony Wood Circular needles 3.25mm. Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light. Colourway: 4275

Anyways that's all folks! Time for a nap....

Just a few pictures of our new Grandkitty.......

His name is Montgomery Clift. Monty for short. He's a little older than two months now. My DS found this half pint at the local SPCA, and his life just got a little busier.Monty is an indoor cat, but loves sitting by the front door watching the goings on in the park across the street.

His toys are too many to mention. He has no fear even with this skateboard.

He's a boy's boy. He loves everything that moves and will chase until he plops down exhausted. I didn't know cats love to play tag, but this little fellow loves to run up behind you and tag you in the back of the legs and run past you as if to say, 'Tag, you're it!"A peaceful moment.

A girl's gotta have a new dress for the New Year.....

Too shy....

And just when I'm in the middle of doing laundry, and cleaning the bathroom....everything had to stop. I had a hankering to make Noodles a bracelet, and take some pictures. This looked pretty on her for two seconds, and then it ended up being a toy that rolls along the floor really nice.

What was completed over the Christmas holidays. Drops Design Pattern No.116-7. Free from Garnstudio.Snow Glade Mittens by Patricia Lewis. I'm using my own handspun Alpaca for the white, and the green contrasting yarn is Noro Kureyon Sock yarn. I'm using 6" Harmony 2.25 dpn's from Knit Picks. Love these double points.
A short video of how cooperative Anna can be with just a scratch under the chin.

Wishing you a Happy New Year and All the Best for 2010!!

Baby it's cold outside........

-27 Celsius this morning and the frost was on the windows. No going outside for the kitties today!I just love the lace like effect on windows. When working on my stained glass projects my favourite glass has to be glue-chip which is the same as what frost on a window looks like.

On to my next obsession which is getting some mittens knit up. Drops Design pattern No. 116-7 from Garnstudio.com pattern. Everytime I go on this website I feel like I need to shout it out.....all these designs are free for the taking people!! So I'm rockin' with Drops patterns right now. I'm using Noro Kureyon, colour 194. The long colour changes make for a really interesting mitten. The black is from my stash, Gaella Irish worsted knitting wool. Front view of mitten.

Back view or the palm side of mitten. Still have to finish the thumb and then block it. I've started the second mitt while we were watching the Canadian Curling Olympic play offs here in Edmonton.

Finished project which I blogged about earlier....yup I am finishing stuff around here.

I'm lovin the cables right now, and I would be further along on this if it wouldn't be for the mittens right now...yeah I'll blame it on the mittens ;)

A quick video of who keeps my lap warm while I'm on the computer. My sweet Noodles.

More Spinning......

I was browsing through my blog entries and realized I hadn't posted pictures of the finished navajo plied merino/silk blend from Aurelia. I finished spinning this last month, but with the basement reno and the furnace installs I just plain forgot. Bought this fibre from Aurelia Wool in Merritt, British Columbia, Canada when we were travelling to Vancouver, B.C. to see DD. 80Merino/20Silk, Spun to 12 wpi which on my chart means DK weight. Colour: Pink Parade. Total weight:96gr/3.5oz. Total metres: 211.5m/231yd. This was wonderful to spin. It's sooo soft, and will be wonderful knit up for anything close to the skin. Oh and I discovered something....when you have the flu try to avoid stranded knitting.....I came down with the flu last week Friday and after a couple days laying in bed I decided to try finishing off some Latvian mittens I've been working on. Well after ripping it back three times I thought I was finally on track, but eventually realized after knitting the entire body of the mitt, there was still three huge errors......so again ripped it back all the way and started again. Flu-brain, yuck. Some thumb shotsA week later and I'm still feeling the effects. With regret I'm having to say that we never made it to Phoenix. I was so looking forward to some warm temps and relaxation, but when you're sick you don't want to leave home. I don't know what was worse the flu or letting my DH and my sister and her family down by not going. Either way I'm feeling somewhat normal now, and the flowers from DH did help :) And my other sweetheart that has become even more clingy, and loved having me sick in bed because I was a great source of heat for her. I swear she would love living in a warmer climate.