Last month, I posted about a new cat toy - the Pawbreaker. Well, I got a video of Ricky playing with it (see - I told you there'd be more cat movies :) You'll have to excuse the poor lighting - Ricky knocked the thing into a dark corner.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Phoebe and the cycling jersey
Our cats are attracted to some pretty unusual things. For example, Ricky likes the smell of feet & loves sticking his head into a freshly vacated shoe. He'll roll around like he's on a catnip high. And he'll only do it with hubby's shoes. Phoebe has a similar attraction to hubby's clothes. In particular, his stinky cycling stuff - the stinkier the better. Enjoy:
(We got a Flip video camera at Christmas so expect more cat videos)
Hubby must have a scent that the cats find irresistible. He is their favourite lap/sleeping spot/cuddle buddy.
PS. We don't leave clothes all over the floor. I took this video in the bathroom while hubby was showering.
(We got a Flip video camera at Christmas so expect more cat videos)
Hubby must have a scent that the cats find irresistible. He is their favourite lap/sleeping spot/cuddle buddy.
PS. We don't leave clothes all over the floor. I took this video in the bathroom while hubby was showering.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
wacky weather
Thurs was an incredibly crazy weather day. Hail started falling from the sky and kept falling. After about half an hour, my backyard looked like this:
The pellets weren't very big but there was a lot of them and it kept coming down:
It was very localized - starting about 2km to the west of my house and ending about 3km to the east. So drivers weren't prepared and many got into trouble. I had to drive to my weekly quilt meet-up and saw many accidents/stuck cars. There were two Miatas spinning out on the hwy. I got stuck behind a semi waiting to turn left. The road that he was trying to reach was blocked by a semi with a back wheel perched on the center median. The cab was pointing uphill which made it impossible for him to move. I had to drive around the semi waiting in the left turn lane and then drive around the one that was stuck. When I got to the top of the hill, there was a police car blocking the road. A minivan was perpendicular to the road and wasn't able to move out of the way. I was forced to turn left and go the long way around the golf course. You can see pics of the stuck yellow semi and the mini van in the Vancouver Sun's website. My car did fine driving in the mess - love my 4 wheel drive and super fancy snow tires! My Dad asked me on Wed when I was going to take my snow tires off. I think I'll wait until March just to be sure because they're predicting snow for the beginning of next week. Didn't the groundhogs forecast an early spring this year?!?!?!
Not a lot of knitting this week. My sock mojo has up and left me. There are half finished socks all over the house and I have no interest. This is very odd.
I haven't blocked the fuzzy Sasquatch sweater pieces because I don't have anywhere to lay it out to dry. The guest bed is currently occupied - I'm looking at you, Ricky!
I made the necessary repairs to the pink sweater. I shortened and reknit the cuffs on the sleeves. I also took out the ribbing on the body and lengthened it. But when I was done and tried it on, the center cable panel looked "wrong". Like I'd forgotten to cable at the bottom. So I ripped it out again, added an extra cable twist in the appropriate place, and reknit the hem. It's also waiting to be blocked.
Yesterday and today are bright, sunny days and it seems like the hail never even happened. Ricky is very happy about the sunshine.
Awwwwwww!
The pellets weren't very big but there was a lot of them and it kept coming down:
It was very localized - starting about 2km to the west of my house and ending about 3km to the east. So drivers weren't prepared and many got into trouble. I had to drive to my weekly quilt meet-up and saw many accidents/stuck cars. There were two Miatas spinning out on the hwy. I got stuck behind a semi waiting to turn left. The road that he was trying to reach was blocked by a semi with a back wheel perched on the center median. The cab was pointing uphill which made it impossible for him to move. I had to drive around the semi waiting in the left turn lane and then drive around the one that was stuck. When I got to the top of the hill, there was a police car blocking the road. A minivan was perpendicular to the road and wasn't able to move out of the way. I was forced to turn left and go the long way around the golf course. You can see pics of the stuck yellow semi and the mini van in the Vancouver Sun's website. My car did fine driving in the mess - love my 4 wheel drive and super fancy snow tires! My Dad asked me on Wed when I was going to take my snow tires off. I think I'll wait until March just to be sure because they're predicting snow for the beginning of next week. Didn't the groundhogs forecast an early spring this year?!?!?!
Not a lot of knitting this week. My sock mojo has up and left me. There are half finished socks all over the house and I have no interest. This is very odd.
I haven't blocked the fuzzy Sasquatch sweater pieces because I don't have anywhere to lay it out to dry. The guest bed is currently occupied - I'm looking at you, Ricky!
I made the necessary repairs to the pink sweater. I shortened and reknit the cuffs on the sleeves. I also took out the ribbing on the body and lengthened it. But when I was done and tried it on, the center cable panel looked "wrong". Like I'd forgotten to cable at the bottom. So I ripped it out again, added an extra cable twist in the appropriate place, and reknit the hem. It's also waiting to be blocked.
Yesterday and today are bright, sunny days and it seems like the hail never even happened. Ricky is very happy about the sunshine.
Awwwwwww!
Monday, February 14, 2011
utter & complete sweater failure
I finished the Mondo Cable Pulli:
But I can't wear it. The body blocked out to the correct measurements yet my belly button gets drafty when I wear it. The length in the back is fine but I think the cable pulls the fabric up so the front needs to be longer to compensate. Either that or "the girls" are too big. I'm going to rip out the ribbing and add an inch and see how that looks. The second problem is the sleeves. They are very, very looooong. So long that you can't even see my thumbs. Those'll be ripped back and reknit. I am so happy that I didn't weave in all the ends before blocking.
I started another sweater while I was waiting for the pink one to dry. I'm using this crazy super bulky furry yarn called Gedifra Sombra (80% wool, 20% nylon) that will make me look like sasquatch's younger sister when I wear it.
I started knitting Fri - completing the front, the back, and one sleeve over the weekend. The pattern calls for 13 balls of yarn. I was halfway through the 12th ball with one more sleeve (120g) and the collar to knit plus seaming. I double checked my gauge and all my measurements and everything looks right. I even weighed some of the balls to see if any were short.
I knit the second sleeve and half the collar (I don't want it that wide) using the very last bits of the 14th skein this morning. I will have to unravel my 12g gauge swatch for seaming in order to avoid breaking into a 15th ball. Because I used extra yarn, I don't think I have enough to knit my sister's sweater. I got the Sombra at a big sale and I doubt there's any left. Pooh!
But I can't wear it. The body blocked out to the correct measurements yet my belly button gets drafty when I wear it. The length in the back is fine but I think the cable pulls the fabric up so the front needs to be longer to compensate. Either that or "the girls" are too big. I'm going to rip out the ribbing and add an inch and see how that looks. The second problem is the sleeves. They are very, very looooong. So long that you can't even see my thumbs. Those'll be ripped back and reknit. I am so happy that I didn't weave in all the ends before blocking.
I started another sweater while I was waiting for the pink one to dry. I'm using this crazy super bulky furry yarn called Gedifra Sombra (80% wool, 20% nylon) that will make me look like sasquatch's younger sister when I wear it.
I started knitting Fri - completing the front, the back, and one sleeve over the weekend. The pattern calls for 13 balls of yarn. I was halfway through the 12th ball with one more sleeve (120g) and the collar to knit plus seaming. I double checked my gauge and all my measurements and everything looks right. I even weighed some of the balls to see if any were short.
I knit the second sleeve and half the collar (I don't want it that wide) using the very last bits of the 14th skein this morning. I will have to unravel my 12g gauge swatch for seaming in order to avoid breaking into a 15th ball. Because I used extra yarn, I don't think I have enough to knit my sister's sweater. I got the Sombra at a big sale and I doubt there's any left. Pooh!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
better late than never
Remember last May, Gladys and I had a big fundraiser to help our hubbies raise money for Ride2Survive? One of the prizes was a pair of handknit socks. Linda - you will be pleased to know that your socks are finally done! And I'm going to spoil the surprise by blogging about it.
Pattern: Thelonious by Cookie A.
Yarn: Wollmeise 80/20 Twin Sock in col Stella Polaris
Needles: 2.5mm Addi Turbo circs
Notes: My 58th pair of socks.
It does not normally take me this long to knit a pair of socks. I originally started with a different pattern. After knitting an entire leg (of twisted stitches and complicated cables), heel flap, and heel turn, the sock ended up being way, way too small. I couldn't pull it over my heel so there was no way it was going to fit Linda. The sock was unraveled and the yarn put into time out while I dug around for a different pattern. The next pattern had to be a little more forgiving size-wise (i.e. not twisted sts). In the end, I settled on Thelonious because it's lace & lots of ribbing. Christmas knitting got in the way so I only managed to get one sock knit in 2010 and finished the second sock yesterday night. I hope Linda likes them. And they'd better fit!
Pattern: Thelonious by Cookie A.
Yarn: Wollmeise 80/20 Twin Sock in col Stella Polaris
Needles: 2.5mm Addi Turbo circs
Notes: My 58th pair of socks.
It does not normally take me this long to knit a pair of socks. I originally started with a different pattern. After knitting an entire leg (of twisted stitches and complicated cables), heel flap, and heel turn, the sock ended up being way, way too small. I couldn't pull it over my heel so there was no way it was going to fit Linda. The sock was unraveled and the yarn put into time out while I dug around for a different pattern. The next pattern had to be a little more forgiving size-wise (i.e. not twisted sts). In the end, I settled on Thelonious because it's lace & lots of ribbing. Christmas knitting got in the way so I only managed to get one sock knit in 2010 and finished the second sock yesterday night. I hope Linda likes them. And they'd better fit!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
hoppy new year
It's Chinese New Year and the year of the rabbit. I thought it appropriate to knit myself a new sweater in pale pink.
I started the sweater last weekend and was hoping to have it finished this weekend but as you can see, it still needs a sleeve, neckband #3, and a lot of blocking. I've knit the neckband twice but both times it looked horrible. The third time should be a charm. It's superwash yarn and my math says that the body should block out to the correct length but it looks so short on me when I put it on. I'll be biting my nails until I can try it on after blocking.
I like wearing short sleeve t-shirts but sometimes my arms get chilly when I'm sitting still. I had some yarn leftover from the great fingerless mitt knit-a-thon of '10 so I made myself a pair of arm warmers.
Pattern: my own
Yarn: Gedifra Volata Tweed; col 9046; 2 skeins (total 100g; 200m)
Needles: 5.5mm dpns
Ricky has been a bad kitty - stealing Phoebe's sleeping spot. She gets a heated bed for her arthritis and last week's chilly temps meant that he was searching for a warm place to sleep. So I bought him a heating pad. When I got home, I put down an old towel, plugged in the heating pad, and covered it with another towel. I walked away and when I came back, Ricky was lying on it. The heating pad wasn't even warm yet. He loves it. See:
I started the sweater last weekend and was hoping to have it finished this weekend but as you can see, it still needs a sleeve, neckband #3, and a lot of blocking. I've knit the neckband twice but both times it looked horrible. The third time should be a charm. It's superwash yarn and my math says that the body should block out to the correct length but it looks so short on me when I put it on. I'll be biting my nails until I can try it on after blocking.
I like wearing short sleeve t-shirts but sometimes my arms get chilly when I'm sitting still. I had some yarn leftover from the great fingerless mitt knit-a-thon of '10 so I made myself a pair of arm warmers.
Pattern: my own
Yarn: Gedifra Volata Tweed; col 9046; 2 skeins (total 100g; 200m)
Needles: 5.5mm dpns
Ricky has been a bad kitty - stealing Phoebe's sleeping spot. She gets a heated bed for her arthritis and last week's chilly temps meant that he was searching for a warm place to sleep. So I bought him a heating pad. When I got home, I put down an old towel, plugged in the heating pad, and covered it with another towel. I walked away and when I came back, Ricky was lying on it. The heating pad wasn't even warm yet. He loves it. See:
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