CHristmas and Knitting Gifts

I have waited to post fully about Christmas and my knitting gifts because for me and my family it didn't end until this evening. My aunt and uncle were away visiting their son over christmas and didn't get back until last night. We held off with their gifts until tonight.

As you saw in my previous post I did get my KP Options needles, from my parents, which I am very excited about. My sister, her husband and their 3 children gave me a bunch of Red Heart yarn. I'm planning on making an afghan with it. My case manager and that program also gave me a bunch of yarn. I guess they didn't know what to get?! One of the most exciting knitting gifts besides the needles though was what my aunt and uncle gave me.

They got me a pattern for an Aran sweater and about 12 skiens of Paton's Classic Merino Wool in the Aran Color.

I just have to share this gift even though it's a non knitting gift. I was also given my grandma's wedding band. She passed away 13 years ago and my dad has been holding onto it for me all these years.

I got the Knit Picks Options needles!!

Yay!

One of my longtime friends has started knitting. We've known each other for 8 years. She started knitting to make her kids scarves for her children to give for christmas gifts. She's on a roll now. I'm so happy.

Pictures

I found the camera and have gotten some pictures for you (if anyone reads this at all). The first one is of what my Secret Pal sent me. I also have pictures of me knitting at a holiday party and of Cliona.

Last Words On 2006 X-Mas Knitting Progress Here

X-Mas
All my X-mas Knitting is done. I am knitting no more gifts till next year. I don’t care what creeps up. The next project is for me. I need to do something for me with the way the weekend started out and went. I was having to call and check in with staff all weekend to reassure them I was ok. Now that the week is here, my meds are back in my posession and I have met with my therapist, I need to make something for myself. The last step to my distressing over what happened Friday. Also to destress over the holidays.

Thank You SP

I got ADDI TURBOS today!! I am participating in SP9 and I got my package today. In it was a set of 5, size 3 dpn s that are Addi Turbos. I also got: A pair of earrings that she made, a felted bowl that she also made, 2 skiens of 100% natural colored virgin wool from Wilde yarns (Peach and Clover),a package of dyed hemp twine for beading, gold bagler cord, glass stones with sayings, butter bar soap, tea, birthday confetti, a tinkerbell pen that lights up, a card telling me about herself, a hank of Koigu KPPPM 100% merino wool yarn, a christmas ornament, marshmallow snowmen and trees, a little photo album, a magnetic notepad (she must know I have a horrible memory), a little wooden basket with Savannah Bees Company's Minj Juliep Body Wash and Lotion, an issue of VOgue's Knit Simple Magazine, and Sandpiper Soap Company's Whipped Body Butter (apricot). My SP rocks. I'll provide pics as soon as I find my camera I'll post pics. THANK YOU

I have officially finished knitting for my family when it comes to this years Christmas! My dad's scarf totaled out at around 7 feet. Danged bulky yarn. I now have definitley 18 hours, and if I'm lucky 37 hours form now to finish a scarf for a friend for her daughter's cancer benefit fundraiser. It's only aobut 1/5 - 1/4 done. Thankfully I am going to be attending a Christmas party tomorriw afternoon where I can sit and knit for the majority of the party. I then have to whip out another 2 more by noon Tuesday. GOtta thank my dad for reminding me about those 2. Just as I thought I could relax. Oh well. At least I had a good birthday.

I started dad's scarf thinking that it wouldn't take too long to knit. 2 weeks later I'm still going on it. It measures 6 and a half feet and it's just getting to the just long enough length. It's taken on the nickname of "Green Monster" I went to watch a movie that a friend rented yesterday. I sat and knit through the whole movie (2 or so hor) and it seems like I got nowhere on it. It seems like I've reached this rift in time. Maybe it's the fact that there's so little time before christmas is here.

I also have until Friday to finish a scarf for the benefit/fundraiser for a friend. Not much time when you factor in all that I'm doing this week: 1 group; 1 therapist appt; another appointment with someone else; possibly babysit 2 afternoons; 2 holiday parties; going out to dinner for my birthday with the family; a birthday party; and a couple late nights at the store. I have to finish by early friday afternoon. I'd go to the benefit, but I need to get up early the next morning.

I have come to face the truth. I will succeed in knitting all of my family's gifts, but my "family's" gifts are going to be a no-go this year. I will have to start earlier next year. SO the list of knitting is:

IMMEDIATE FAMILY (referred to as Family)
Dad --- Cable Scarf
Mom --- Branching Out (Scarf on Knitty)Ruffle Hat
Aunt Shelly --- Embrace (Scarf on Knitty)Ruffle Hat
Uncle Herbie --- Scarf & Hat (both of my own design)
Aunt Bo --- Scarf (drop stitch)Ruffle Hat

OTHER FRIENDS

Don (not going to have time for)

Robbyn --- Slipper Socks

Diane --- Slipper Socks

ADOPTED AS FAMILY (referred to as "Family")( I'm unfortunately not going to have time to make items for anyone on this list. thankfully they understand).
Pam, Jon, Mandy, JR, Julie, Nicky, Carlie, Ally, Kirsten, Madison, Sydney, Sammy, Jonny

Holiday Knitting

It seems like I just can't get ahead this year in the christmas knitting this year. As soon as I get one person off the list, another person replaces the project that just got crossed off. I'm starting to stress and can see some late nights coming up.

Below is mylist of christmas knitting that is to be done as it stands now. Red = Done, Wrapped, & Tagged.
IMMEDIATE FAMILY
Dad --- Cable Scarf
Mom --- Branching Out (Scarf on Knitty)
Ruffle Hat
Aunt Shelly --- Embrace (Scarf on Knitty)Ruffle Hat
Uncle Herbie --- Scarf & Hat (both of my own design)
Aunt Bo --- Scarf (drop stitch)Ruffle Hat
ADOPTED AS FAMILY ( Completely Subject to change or if time doesn't allow, elimination)
Pam --- Slipper Socks
Jon
Mandy --- Drop Stitch Scarf (purple)
JR --- who know what yet, but in orange
Julie --- Slipper Socks
Nicky --- Scarf
Carlie --- Scarf
Ally --- Scarf
Kirsten --- Scarf
Bubby --- Scarf
Jonny --- Felted Paint Brush Holder
Sydney --- Slipper Socks
Sammy --- Fingerless Gloves
OTHER FRIENDS
Don
Robbyn --- Slipper Socks
Diane --- Slipper Socks

Interesting Knitting Group

What an interesting day Saturday was. I finally returned to knitting group after a 2 week absence. It was from watching my landlady's store while she was away on vacation. Knitting group was wonderful. Afterwards one of the people in the knitting group (we've been friends since we were toddlers) was going to drop me off at the mall, but her car battery was dead. So another member's husband jumped the car. It kept dying so my friend called a couple friends. It turned out that the battery was truly dead. We went to Wal_Mart to get a new battery and since it was a long wait my friend our other friend did it ourselves. We should have gotten pictures.

I am admitting defeat in the time department. I have come tot he realization that I will not be able to get the Irish Hiking Scarf done in time for Christmas to give to my Dad. I tried plan B, but that didn't work si I have moved on to plan C. THat one is working out great and I will be able to get that one done in time. Also just when I thought I was done knitting scarves done for the year I Have another one to make. It's being donated to a Cancer benefit. My friend's 18 year old daughter has cancer. She has to go tomorrow to have a cone biopsy and that will determine if she has to have a hysterectomy. Later this month there will be a benefit/fundraiser held in her behalf to help raise money for her treatments. I'm going to be donating a scarf to the raffle they will be holding.

Otherwise knitting has been going quite well. All the major people's gifts are done (besides dad). I am finally returning to my knitting group this weekend and man I cannot wait. I haven't gone fore 2 weeks and I've been gatting cranky and antsy about it. My landlady knew I was going this weekend no matter what was going on at the store.

I know this has no knitting content, but I just had to share it with you guys. It's my adventture the other night with my cat and the animals I was petsitting.


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Cliona freaking. Cast: Cliona, Nikita (a fully grown Alaskan Malamute), and me. For anyone that is not familiar with Alaskan Malamutes this is what I got from the American Kennel Club and Nikita fits it "There is a natural range in size in the breed. The desirable freighting sizes are males, 25 inches at the shoulders, 85 pounds; females, 23 inches at the shoulders, 75 pounds." Nikita isn't a show dog though.
Now my apartment has a set of stairs that you can go down to go into the house where my landlord and lady live and I have access to the house at all times. The weekend before thanksgiving I was down in the house letting Nikita have roam of the house. I went up to the 2nd floor and Nikita followed me. I heard Cliona meowing and opened my door to check on her. Nikita started charging up the stairs. THe following events happend so fast. At the sight of Nikita, Cliona at the top of the stairs jumped higher (like there were springs in her paws) than I ever saw her jump before. She started hissing and growling (and did so through the whole thing), launched herself off the banister, across the stairway, then off the wall. Nikita is now up the stairs. Cliona is coming down out of the air (thank you gravity) and I have to duck. If i didn't I would be like the person in the comics with a cat hanging off my face, with the front claws in my face. I'm trying to keep Nikita from getting all the way in to the apartment, but decide it's a loosing battle. Cliona hits a wall, lands, sees where Nikita is ans up she goes again. I manage to catch her midair. Ad I catch her I see that Nikita has found Cliona's favorite toy, a fur covered mouse and is licking it and proceeding to destroy it. I manage to get Cliona into the bathroom and shut her in it. You can her her grown through the door (solid wood). I quickly make a peanut butter sandwich (she loves em) to lure the dog away from the toy which is now mutilated and out of the apartment. I get Nikita squared away and go to check on Cliona. She's curled up behind the toulet. She lets me hold her for about 10 min., then wants down, only to walk around with her back arched and tail like a bottle brush for the rest of the night. I never did see her in the morning. I laughed myself to sleep. To make it even better the cat invites himself up 2 nights later. Trust me I was in the cat house for that.

Recipe for a potential disaster here:

Ingredients:
1 mischevious cat named Cliona
1 Foolish human
1 6.5 foot artificial Christmas tree (prelit)
Christmas Decorations
More Tree lights

Directions:
Have human assemble the 6.5' tree. Leave Cliona unattended with the tree.

Where's the disaster: Cliona has never experienced a large tree in her 2 previous christmases. SHe has only experienced a small tabletop one. Now that I have the room for a larger one I went and got one. TOnight will be the first night for her with the tree. In a stroke og genius though I have tied fishing line around the tree and anchored it to the wall so that she cannot knock the tree over. THere is stil potential for disaster though.

Coolest Thanksgiving Knitting Haul

I got the coolest haul today. It was almst like Christmas a month early this morning for me. My mom's mom (my step-grandmother) used to Knit and I mean Knit. I never really got to know her and see her knit though. Over the past year I have been inheriting her knitting needles that mom has saved since her death. Well today mom gave me a bag of needles. They were all circs!!! We're talking 17 pairs of circs ranging from size 2 to 10 and from 12" to 32". Most are all plastic, a few are all metal (including the cable), and some are metal tips and the rest plastic. Most of the needles are bent near where the needle becomes/joins the cord. It was so cool.

I need another needle case now.

Also my Secret Pal got her package and liked it. I'm happy about that.

Hidden info for my SP

I got this from my SP.

A - Age: 26 (counting down to 27)
B - Band listening to right now: Led Zepplin
C - Career future: For the next week and half: Running my Landlady's Paint your Own Pottery and Stained Glass Studio After that: Job Hunt Eventually: Social Worker
D - Dad's name: Richard
E - Easiest person to talk to: It's a combo of: Ada, Robbyn, Diane, and Jessi
F - Favorite song: any of the songs from "The Phantom Of THe Opera" never could choose a favorite.
G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: Gummy Bears
H - Hometown: Waterford
I - Instruments: (I'm assuming this means musical instruments played) It was standard that in 3rd grade everyone played the recorder. I later played the Flute and was Horrible at it.
J - Job: Volunteer most of the time
K - Kids: None myself, I live vicariously through friends and friends adopted as family. Through that I have in girls: 3,5,7,9,12 year olds and in boys: 2, and 13 year olds.
L - Longest car ride ever: New London, CT to Cape Canaveral, FL
M - Mom's name: Biological: EggDonor Step-Mom (a.k.a. Mom): Nancy
N - Number of people you've slept with: I don't think about this topic as it sets off flashbacks and nightmares.
P - Phobia[s]: Snakes, Pekinese dogs
Q - Quote: "Everything great that has ever happened to humanity since the beginning - has begun as a single thought in someone's mind. And if any one of us is capable of such a great thought, then all of us have the same capacity - capability - because we are all the same. " -- Yanni
R - Reason to smile: I'm alive!
S - Song you sang last: La Vie Boheme -- Rent
T - Time you wake up: Saturdays: 7 a.m. Sun & Mon: 11 Tue - F: 10
U - Unknown fact about me: I'm an only child and love it.
V - Vegetable you hate: brussel sprouts
W - Worst habit: Tempting fate with my latex allergy. Example: Trying to get a rubberband on or off something (using something else to pry or using paper towels as a barrier which are a bad idea) that I know I definitley can't without help.
X - X-rays you've had: Mre than I can remember.
Y - Yummy food: Sweet potatoes
Z - Zodiac sign: Sagittarius (and i do take after the sag's traits)

FYI

If I seem to go missing over the next couple of weeks I haven't forgotten about any of my secret pals. I haven't forgotten about updating. I haven't forgotten at all. Starting Thursday Night I am taking over running my friends store while they are away on vacation. I know it will be hectic for me and I fully intend to do my best to get here during the time that I am watching over the store, I just wanted to post this just in case.

Note to my SP: Your package went out today.

Busy Weekend

The past weekend was one heck of a knitting weekend. I did so much knitting that at one point my index fingers didn't want to completely straighten out without hurting much. Between SnB Saturday morning, the bus ride home afterwatrds, and watching TV in the evening I knit just about an entire hat (all but 1" of ribbing) including making up and one whole slipper sock. The hat took longer than most hats since it was the first time I did a hat without a pattern. Yes I ventured into the land of creating your own patterns. Sunday after housework I started the mate to the slippersock I did the day before. I had a birthday party to attend, and a migraine to sleep off afterwards which meant sleeping through most of monday, but by 7 yesterday evening that slippersock was done. Like I said it was one heck of a knitting weekend. I got more done in 3 days than I did all week.

knitting X-mas List Updated

Below is mylist of christmas knitting that is to be done as it stands now. Red = Done & Ready To wrap

IMMEDIATE FAMILY
Dad --- Irish Hiking Scarf
Mom --- Branching Out (Scarf on Knitty)
Ruffle Hat
Aunt Shelly --- Embrace (Scarf on Knitty)
Ruffle Hat
Uncle Herbie --- Scarf & Hat (both of my own design)
Aunt Bo --- Scarf (drop stitch)
Ruffle Hat

ADOPTED AS FAMILY ( Completely Subject to change or if time doesn't allow, elimination)
Pam --- Slipper Socks
Jon
Mandy --- Slipper Socks (purple)
JR --- who know what yet, but in orange
Julie --- Slipper Socks
Nicky
Carlie
Ally
Kirsten
Madison
Jonny --- Felted Paint Brush Holder
Sydney --- Slipper Socks
Sammy --- FIngerless Gloves

OTHER FRIENDS
Don
Robbyn --- Slipper Socks
Diane --- Slipper Socks

A new week, what trouble can one get into?

Yay! It's a new week. One thing not everyone knows about me is that I love Monday nights. Not because the first weekday is over, but because I get to see a bunch of friends the next day at DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy). Having DBT is my Monday.

I started DBT because (and I'll be quite frank) back in 2001 I started cutting myself as a form of release. I have since stopped cutting thanks to DBT and other things. Through this group I developed several friendships. We're like family to each other. What's different about these friends (my groupmates) is that even though they are non-knitters, they understand about me and my knitting. They don't mind if I ask if I can call them back in a few minutes because I am i in the middle of a row and need to finish it or "I'll be messed up when I return to it." They know to approach my bags with caution as you never know where a knitting needle or whatever else I may have for knitting may be in it. They don't try to take me away from my knitting. They let me talk about knitting even though they don't understand what I'm talking about. Heck when they come upon free yarn and they grab it for me. One of them gave me a skien of Lion Brand's Homespun for christmas last year. They don't ask questions. They just nod, smile, and let me carry on.

As for trouble I can get into, I have several WIP's, I started another, and looking at another to start. Oh and I'm planning on starting a couple stained glass projects this week too.

My Secret Pal's package is all ready to go out. I'm just waiting for a couple things I ordered to arrive. Once they come in...out the package goes.

Is it Saturday yet??????

It's been one of those weeks. The time change has messed me up. Yeah I appreciated that extra hour of sleep. My body though took a few days to adjust to it. I adjusted to a 5 hour time jump 9 years ago better than I adjusted to changing the clocks back an hour. The 5 hour time jump was when I went to Ireland and then returning from. They're 5 hours ahead.

I haven't been able to get much knitting done this week since I've been sleeping. Trying to adjust from the time change. Also allergies are doing me in. Gotta love it when the leaves fall and you have an allery to mold. We had tons of rain and wind over the wekend so that helped the leaves fall and now that it's nice out the mold is growing. I'm stuffed up and miserable. Also busy helping out at the shop and babysitting. Well more like adolescent sitting, but what are you going to do with a 12 and 9 year old after school nowadays. Daycare isn't an option as they are too old and you can't leave them home alone. So I watch my niece and nephew (ok landlord and lady's grandkids, but they're like family).

Hope to get back on track with my knitting come Friday. If not Friday then I'll efinitley get back on track Saturday. I'm definitley looking forward to Saturday. Knitting group, friends, great coffee with chocolate in it...what else can one ask for. Ok maybe not having to get up at 7:30 a.m., but I can deal with that part. Why so early? Well on most weeks I take the bus and on the bus it takes 90 mins and then a 10 min walk to get to knitting group. It's only 2 towns away, but busses around here it can take 30 min to get a regular 10 min drive away. There are times I can walk half the bus route faster than the bus can drive it. Last week, this week and for a couple more weeks a friend is picking me up. We have a couple places to go first before knitting. It's all worth it though. To get out of town, see friends, and knit elsewhere, when you don't have a car...you'll deal with getting up early. So is it Saturday yet??