So, I was asked....

What sort of New Year's resolution I am making this year.

Last year was a pattern diet - didn't last long at all. (side note: I'm using Foxfire instead of Internet Explorer for a while - just because. It automatically does spell check for me - and for some reason, it is indicating that there is a problem with the word, "didn't".)

Anyway - pattern diet did not work. I started out all right; thought twice about what patterns to save. Started going through folders and saved files, deleting some that I really didn't need to keep. But new books and pattern leaflets at work... finding ones while familiarizing myself with our stock... *sigh*. BUT - I do think I've reached a certain saturation point. I'm beginning to see the same patterns over and over, with simple colour changes, or basic stitch pattern changes. So, I have invested in a few "stitionaries" and a few basic "how to" books. Yes, I have a ton of knitting experience, and a half-ton of crochet experience; but I'm not so arrogant as to believe that I know it all or can't learn something new. I'm doing a crochet afghan right now, using "granny" type motifs (for those of you who follow the Annie's Attic Free Pattern of the day, it was last Saturday's cat afghan) to make like patchwork squares. For the first round, the join isn't done by chaining, but with an hdc. Now, why on earth no one thought of that before, I really don't know.... But I think I'll try to remember and use it from now on... Makes a much neater beginning to the next round. See what I mean? I can always learn something new.

On the "what's on my needles/hooks/etc" note: I'm working actively on a baby blanket (don't want to talk about how many times I've started it); a sweater for same baby, but will be for 1 yr size; going to start a sweater/pants outfit, 6 mth size for same baby - friend's first grandkid due in March. Have recently finished (knit in a day and a half over Christmas Day) a hat for co-worker of DH by request. Last winter, or maybe the one before, I shared a pic of the hat I made for DH, black with grey stripes. Same hat, same stripes, different yarn.... I'm also going to start cleaning up current projects - meaning ones I've started or bought all the yarn ready to make.

Which brings me to this year's resolution: I'm going to focus on MAINTENANCE. Maintaining what I already have. In all areas of my life. House work (which I've done so little of, since being angry about the condition of the house itself); house "maintenance" - the kind like the painting and repairing of what needs doing; craft projects already started; junk collected; computer files bursting at the seams; etc. I'm going to seriously see about what all I have, what I really need, what I don't need- and get rid of the excess/worn out/old/broken/outdated/outlived/etc.

I mean, really.... I'm approaching my fiftieth birthday. Not a bad thing - I think it is great that I've made it this far :) BUT - the reality is, I have a limited time left. My whole life is behind me, not ahead of me anymore, lol.... NO, I don't mean that in the depressed depressing pessimistic way - I mean it in the reality way. I'm thinking "bucket list". I'm thinking, I want to LIVE the rest of my life - not be held back by outlived outdated dreams that really won't enhance my life anymore. One of the weirdest, least sensible things: You buy something, but can't get rid of it, even though it has outlived its usefullness to you. BUT - you have no problem throwing out that tube of toothpaste that is empty, the worn out whatever... Ok, not greatest examples, but I'm suddenly blanking here.... Anyway - if something is not "used up", you can't seem to get rid of it, even though you'll never use it again. Fine, if it is still useable by someone, give it to a thrift store or something... but don't keep it "just because". Like, for example, I needed something that will help me carry/tote things from point A to point B. So, I bought some really cheap (they won't last long, really) laundry baskets from the dollar store. They will have a purpose - while I'm working on this maintenance thing, they'll help me lift and carry. Then, I can get rid of them, because they will have served their purpose to me. Why can't I get rid of other stuff that has outlived their purpose? Because they cost money.... that really is why. I've had that ingrained in me for so long - DON"T WASTE MONEY - that it is the hardest one to fight back. But - I can do it with the dryer (don't care what it cost, it isn't worth the pain it causes)* so I can do it with other stuff. If it doesn't bring me pleasure anymore, out it goes. I've learned that one about the knitting (and crocheting etc.) too... I used to feel really down if I messed up a project and had to rip it out - felt like a big waste of time, etc. Now, though - I can rip pretty much anything out, with an "Oh, well - it wasn't working this way". I can restart any project, knowing that the first time was a "learning experience". (no, I'm still not saying how many times I started the blanket. LOL)

*New dryer is coming on Saturday. I'm spending the rest of this week making space in my basement for it to be delivered. I work Saturday, but that's OK. I could have had it delivered today, but we bought it Sunday, and I worked yesterday. No where near enough time to move things around!! Oh, and the new one has all sorts of better features. I am going to like it. Still has a stupid cool down cycle (clothes coming from the dryer should be warm and fluffy, not stiff and ice cubey.) ("didn't" isn't acceptable, but "cubey" is???)

Oh, well - I still know I'll like it much better than the junk that I'll have to use one more time....

I almost signed off, then remembered - I was thinking about a no prize contest... sort of a guessing game.... See, I had this experience at a book store. I went in to browse, pick up some magazines, and maybe buy one of the books on my wishlist. Well, there used to be terminals, and you could access your wishlist from the terminals. Turns out, the new upgraded terminals you can't get to your wishlist anymore. So, I wracked my memory, trying to remember what was on it. A different book popped into my head. I checked - not in stock, but available to order.... Several different options.... three possibilities: All trade paperback. One was $9.50, one $10.50, and one $11.50. Ok, why the difference??? So, I hunted up a clerk to ask. She pointed out the 9.50 one was a children's publisher. Otherwise, couldn't tell me any othe reason. I mentioned that I likely would stay away from the children version, lest it be an abridged version, I wanted to be sure to get unabridged. Well, she said, "What does that mean, "unabridged"? I've never heard of that before".

Keep in mind, she works at a bookstore....

So, I explained it to her. During this explanation, I made reference to Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I could tell by the look on her face, that she may not even be familiar with that author and/or title....

She *does* work in a bookstore.....

Anyway - I ordered the book, and as I was leaving the store, I was just through the door, when the title of the book I wanted next from my wish list finally popped into my head!!!

So - the "contest" guessing game.... Leave a comment on this post, guessing which book I thought of in the store.... I'll give you one more hint (besides trade paperback, could be a kid's book) it is something that has been on my mind of late....

So, that is likely my last post for this year. Next year, I'll be continueing my retrospective of my blog by the month.... and I'll try to get posting pictures - I owe a few, and I really need to update my photo album, and update my Ravelry stuff.... (am I the only one who's over the "honeymoon" with Ravelry? I mean, I still like it, and will still use it, but I find I spend way less time there than I did....)

So - that's it for '08. May all my readers (all two of you??? Nah, I know there are more!) Have a Prosperous and Peaceful 2009.

Some finishes

Ok, so I got a major pita project done. Only pita because it was on a timeline, and I don't like pressure when I knit or crochet or whatever. I enjoy the process, more than the product. But, life being what it is, I know that sometimes, we must face deadlines. So, I was making some WWII era wrist warmer things for our local museum. I will take a picture before I turn them over. I just haven`t done that yet (getting lazy on the picture taking, I know).

My other completed project (also no picture - especially dumb because I should have done a before picture - oh, well...) is a felted tote bag. If you want to see it sooner than me getting a picture up - it is in the Fall `08 Knitters Magazine, called 'Ripple Me This'. Turned out quite lovely!!!

So, I finished the two main projects that I`ve been working on, and suddenly, don`t know what to do next! I will, of course, go back to working on a baby blanket for a baby due in March. Gives me two months to knit it... I think I`m going to rip it back, and start it over, though. See, it is really a small blanket, pram cover style, not a good ol' wrap 'em up snuggly warm thing... and, since it turned out that the mom-to-be had to go in for an ultrasound because they thought she might be having twins... well, I am a little concerned that it will be a big baby... I know, I know - the extra might not be all baby, it could be water, fluid, etc. etc. But I would rather be safe than sorry. Besides, it turns out that the yarn I am using is a discontinued colour. :( I am using a pattern that has a blanket, matching sweater and pants, and hat. I was thinking about doing the whole set. So, I bought extra yarn.... then, when I tried to get more, turned out it was discontinued. I have enough yarn to make the blanket as is, and the hat, and the pants. But not the sweater. I don't have enough for the sweater and blanket as is, and the grandma to be specifically wanted to have the hat as well as the blanket.... so - I might as well use the extra yarn to make a bigger blanket.

And I found another suitable pattern for another sweater and pant set, that I can do instead. :)

Since I've decided that I really want to stop buying lots and lots of yarn, and since I have lots and lots of UFO's, I am going to try to restrain myself, and get some of those projects done. I just don't know which one to start working on next....

Ok, so I have the baby blanket to do; a pair of bamboo yarn socks for DH; I need some warm mittens or gloves for this winter; I need a replacement scarf 'cause I'm sick of the one I have (don't have yarn for this yet, though); and I have a request to make a hat for a co-worker of DH. That is a small project - shouldn't take more than a couple days.... (famous last words, right?)

Maybe I'll just go sort out the mess around my chair, and see what UFO's are hanging around waiting for me.... :)

I know, I should be getting ready to paint. But life reared its ugly head, and I might not be getting any painting done for a while yet. Not happy about that at all. But sometimes, no matter what, there are some things you cannot control. But I still have some basement clearing to do... that is one I am NOT backing down on. Not that I am backing down on the paint, just delaying it, but the dryer - I am NOT backing down on one bit. I still have way too much anger, that gets refreshed every Wednesday....

Anger takes precedence

*Sigh*.... Anger. It can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Good, if it is focussed in one direction and gets people up and moving and doing something instead of becoming complacent and apathetic.

Bad if it lashes out in all sorts of directions, and accomplishes nothing except damage.

I like to think that mostly, last week's anger was the good focussed kind. Like I mentioned, I have paint chips all properly selected and organized and ready to run back to the store and get paint.... However, the lingering anger caused me to forget to blog yesterday about the bright spot in the week....

Sunday I went to Cats. :) I LOVED it. Can't say enough good things.... Can't get some tunes out of my head, either, lol... Not that it is a bad thing, these tunes. But yeah, I got them roaming around inside.... :) Wish I could remember *all* the words, so I don't have to have the same phrases/phrains of tune going through over and over, kind of like a record with a skip in it (anyone too young to remember that??)

I have a VHS tape of Cats. I know I watched it once. (would watch over and over if I still had a tape machine/TV that worked decently). But to see it in person - So much better!!!! Get to look where you want to look, not where the director/cameramen think you should look. Though, it is tough to pay attention to everything going on, on stage, at once. Sometimes, during certain parts, some of the Cats were sitting off from the main focus, but still being catlike - scratching an ear, rubbing/grooming a companion - And I'm so impressed with the dancers. Flowing, fluid movement - very catlike. And even though I've read "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats", somehow, hearing it changes the nuances - hadn't realized just how cat-like some of those stories are.... Many bits reminded me of bits of life around our house - I saw/heard Roxy, Mica, Bone, Ashleigh, among others....

All in all a thoroughly great time, and Yes, I would go again to see it. I`m not sure how many years since it was in our city last, but for sure, if or when it comes back, I`ll be there.

Speaking of my kitties - I have to be quicker on the reactions to grab our camera. I need to get a picture or movie of something that has been going on for a while, but I have only recently begun to be aware of. DH says he's seen it before....

Ashleigh climbs up to the counter, and digs around, until she finds the box of Milkbones. She reaches in, either with paw or mouth, and pulls out a dog treat. Picks it up with her teeth, and takes it down to the floor, where she starts trying to eat it. Bear gets the funniest looks on his face - confusion, interest, uncertainty.... Then he approaches.... sneaks up, sticks his long nose in from the side, and takes the dog treat. Ashleigh looks up, trots over to where Bear is crunching away on the Milkbone, and tries to catch the crumbs and bits that fall out of Bear's mouth.

When the treat is done, the process often repeats - Bear ends up with two dog treats, and Ashleigh ends up with a chunk or two....

What makes this especially humourous, is the fact that if I offer Bear a Milkbone, he is not interested in it. He'll take it, sometimes, and drop it on the floor. He'll only eat it if the cats are interested in it....

Now, Dog Cookies are another matter all together! There is a store brand dog cookie, not dog biscuit, that Bear really does like. They come in carob chip, peanut butter, vanilla wafer, and banana biscotti. He'll really gobble any one of those up!! Bear also likes the soft chewy type- 'Beggin' Strips' for example...

Anyway - must get off the 'puter now - I work today..... :)

Whoops...been a while again.

Wasn't sure if anyone was interested in my retrospective of the past blog posts... but, what the heck, I was enjoying it. So, I'll keep it up, until I finally catch up to the present :)

Not today, though. Today you get the present... well, sort of... well, new pictures, anyway....

First up - a bear I made many moons ago. So, I guess that is from the past... I made it before we moved into the house we're in now. Which is some 13 years ago. Plus - it came from a Better Homes & Gardens magazine - either Holiday Crafts or Christmas crafts - published/sold in the early '90's. It is a little sewn from store-bought felt bear.

Cute little guy, isn't he? I hadn't gotten around to ever taking his picture before. I really never bothered to take pics of my crafts, then it was a case of needing/preferring to use a digital camera - waiting until we got one; then since it was a Christmas decoration, it was a case of digging it out, remembering to take pics, not really having much tree or decor thanks to the girls (they still aren't really old enough to trust with the fragile ornaments yet). So - anyway - this year, when I came across the bear, I immediately got out the camera, and took the pic.

Oh, and like I said:

I'm not sure if I can totally trust the girls.... Though, I must admit, mostly here Ashleigh was just interested in testing the cuddliness of the tree skirt...

Recently - I was knitting myself a sweater. A Lopi sweater. I have always loved making these style of sweaters (meaning decorated yoke, patterned sweaters, etc.) I have made several over the years - for other people. Well, it was high time I made one for me. I knitted it in about two and a half weeks - working on it only evenings and weekends, and not exclusively working on it. I had/have some other projects that are also on the go, other committments that I had to/still have to complete. It took me another half a week to be finished the sweater, though.... See, I have this thing. I don't like weaving in ends - one of my least favourite parts of a project. BUT - for some reason, I'm most attracted to projects that involve a lot of colourwork.... So, while trying to avoid weaving in the ends, I also started and finished knitting a tote bag that got felted (but I see I forgot to take an "after picture", I only have the before one.... I'll have to remember to do that later) and I also started and finished knitting a fingertip towel.

The bag is a pattern from Ram Wools; uses Noro Kureyon - I tried to play with the contrast on the picture; you really can't see the colours so great.... it is rusty browns and deep greens....

The towel is my own pattern - basically, seed stitch, then a garter stitch "towel topper"...

Not bad accomplishments, really, when you consider I was trying to avoid things.... lol....

Oh, the sweater? You want to see the sweater? Ok...

Let's see, what else? Oh, right.... I'm going to do one of those rare things... post a picture or two of me.... DH snuck up on me with the camera while I was getting ready for a Hallowe'en party. So... You are going to get a candid shot of me, then a better one when I was finished getting dressed up.... I went as a "Gypsy", which is apparently no longer politically correct to do. I should have gone as a "Fortune Teller". Same thing, but you know how it is. My "crystal ball" was really a cat toy covered with aluminum foil. We have this ball thing, with cut out shapes, and a smaller ball inside. The cat is supposed to try to paw at the smaller ball through the cutouts... Key phrase being "supposed to". I think it took all of three seconds for them to figure out that if they got it moving fast enough toward a solid object, the big ball would split and they could play with the small ball to their hearts' content.... So, I glued it together.... they now ignore the ball.... and I had a very rattly costume prop, since the glue made it impossible for me to remove the small ball for the evening....

Anyway, there are other reasons for me to share these pics... I'll explain after... Just ignore the mess for now...

Ok. So - that really is how big my kitchen is. If you refer back, there is a picture of the Care Bear afghan... Dh is standing in the corner between the stove and sink... you can just see the edge of the cupboard there... then, there is a doorway to the bathroom, stairwell, linencloset... refer back to my Hallowe'en pic a year or two ago, with me sitting on the stairs, and DH standing in that doorway with an ax.... Small kitchen.

I still like it.... mostly.... longer story....

Anyway - I am tempted to say, excuse the mess - after all, it was the day after Hallowe'en, I was cooking pumpkin (stacked on the corner of the table, waiting to go in the fridge, pot on the stove) all day; I had a party to get ready for... I can come up with lots of excuses. But really - a recurring theme throughout my blog has been how much I hate housework, and how much I need to get busy on it. Having a small kitchen, and lots of kitchen gadgets but no where to put them, and being a pack rat, and all that other stuff - well, I don't seem to get anywhere. Well, I finally realized... the excuses were just that. I mean, really - blaming my dislike of housework on things like having a part time job? Anyway - I know there are deeper feelings involved... some of them are quite valid. However, they are things that I really need to overcome, or things that if I'm being truly honest, I have overcome. I just like to hang onto them for the excuse factor. Well, it is time to give those up. And the excuses... I did some thinking and soul searching, and realized that the real roadblock.... We've lived here for just about 13 years now (close enough to call it that) but we haven't really changed anything... Look at those white walls... Aside from finally tearing out the carpet from the living room last Christmas, and slapping some paint on the living room walls (we really did a crappy job of it - not fixing holes or cracks first, me having a serious allergic reaction which revealed my allergy to peanuts, slopping paint onto the baseboards) we're living in someone else's idea of decor. Not mine. It feels like it isn't my home. So, I lost it... Last week. I lost it. I told DH how much I hated how the house looked, and that I just didn't care about cleaning it up, 'cause I hated how it looked. I now have paint chips in my purse, for every room in the house. There will still be a little white left - bright, snow white inside the closets and cupboards, but everything else will not be that gawd-awful, neutral, rental don't ever make yourself at home 'cause you're not staying here off white crap ugly walls. We are starting to paint this month. I need to start getting things packed up and out of the way, so we can move furniture and paint. So, I'll be taking some before and after pictures. I don't care if the whole world (or at least those of you who read my blog) see what a disaster mess the house is in right now - it *will* become something I can be proud of.

I'm also going to get rid of that nasty ****** dryer that I hate. Every week, I am reminded when I do laundry of what a bad experience that was. I also haven't liked the dryer at all. I didn't buy it for features, I bought it because it was the only one they had that was small enough. I don't like any of the features it came with, and I don't like the features it doesn't have (especially a bell to tell you when it is finished - very annoying.... no, I can't time it, because one of the features that it *does* have, is a stupid cool down cycle, that it uses at the end, and can run anywhere up to 15 minutes beyond the timer... ) Anyway - I was already upset, and p*ssed off, so last week was the last straw for it, too.... I hate it with a passion. I told DH I didn't care what it cost, or what another would cost, but I wanted it out of my house. (note, not my "home", not yet - not until the painting is completed). So, I won't be getting a new stove to match my new fridge for Christmas this year after all. It will have to wait, and we will hope that it lasts just a little longer (it is getting old and showing signs of its age). I'm getting a new dryer for Christmas.

The other reason I wanted to share the pic of the kitchen.... Ok, see on top of those cupboards.. I know, it isn't easy, but there is a tin collection up there. I collect tins- cookie tins, tea tins, cat and dog treat tins, coffee tins (decorated, not the plain kind), collectible tins, etc. I keep them on top of the cupboards. See also, there is a kind of weird, out of place, high-up cupboard? You probably see them normally like that over top of a refridgerator. Well, when we bought the house, the previous owners did have a fridge there - and a smaller stove than we have. Our stove overhangs the doorway just a tad - if our (old) fridge would have fit under that cupboard, we still couldn't have put it there. Between the stove and fridge, it would have blocked too much of the back doorway off. Not to mention, been hard to open the fridge door. So, we haven't had anything under it. Now, do you see, where the cupboard meets the wall? Ok, so doesn't quite meet the wall? Well, we should have been paying more attention to that fact. Oh, sure, I knew that the house shifted, and that the cupboard moved away from the wall a bit.... Well, it isn't there any more. It fell off the wall. I went to open the door, to take something out, and the whole thing came down... the door hit my arm on the way down (big nasty bruise, but not broken, thankfully). Crashing and banging of tins across the table.... one glass broke, one container of butterscotch chips got scattered. Bowl of dogfood had to be disposed of, in case broken glass inside....

That happened about two weeks ago. More reason to get off our butts and fix the place up a little....

Well, I best get on with it - need to move some stuff in the basement, so removal of that scrap metal can be done, and my new dryer can be bought and brought in. Then I need to box up stuff from the bedroom, so we can start painting there. :) I can hardly wait. :) I'm so looking forward to finally being able to settle in to this house and put down roots. I do like the house.... Really. It just has never ever felt like home before (still sorta doesn't, not until we actually get further than paint chips in my purse and the go ahead to start buying paint...)