Triumph over pain... well soon I hope!

Somehow, someway, I managed to throw my back out at work on Saturday night. I hobbled home, and spent about 3 hours at the computer before sitting was no longer "a good thing" for my back. The next 12 hours were spent writhing in pain on the bed, when I wasn't passed out from the Tylenol. Getting up to go to the washroom upstairs was a new experience. Even crawling up and down them when I was in labour with Alex wasn't as difficult as it was yesterday. The worst part of it all was when I couldn't knit or crochet. I really wanted to make some good progress on my ML sock, but my back would *not* cooperate. Finally around 9 or 10-ish I forced myself out of bed and whimpered most pathetically as I tried to get into a relatively comfortable position while sitting. It wasn't until about eleven that I was able to be upright enough without my back spasming me into hysterics. Since I had slept a good portion of the day away {an allowed offense since I *do* work nights} I was able to get some good knitting time in until I tried lying down again around 2 or 3. Derek got up for work at 4, and I managed to get myself into a relatively vertical position again. A quick attempt at the computer proved futile, so the couch it was for me. With a decent knitting posture finally possible, I did get my sock to progress more than I had expected after my injury. I have about 25 more rows to go before I start the toe decreases. This means that with some luck, I'll be able to cast on my Pretty Petals sometime tomorrow.

Since I had made so much unexpected progress on my sock, I decided to try working on my curtain a little bit. The Addi I bought on Tuesday is dreamy. Granted, I *am* comparing it to a Red Heart circ, but other than a little bit of yarn catching at the join {which could me being hyper-sensitive}, it's everything I could have dreamed of. The needle itself is silky smooth, and the cord is so thin and flexible, it might as well not even be there! I'm heading back to the couch for some down time, and will hopefully be able to test out my Addi some more today.

Maple Leaves on the way out, Pretty Petals on the way in...

Well my batteries are dead in the camera, so I'll need to change them. Today is supposed to be cleaning day, so I'll have to wait until later to get fresh batteries and take all the shots I need. I have my heel turned, and am currently working on the gusset decreases for my second sock. I've got about 50 or so more rows until I do my toe decreases, and I hope that I can get all that done by Monday. I will be using the same set of needles that I used for my ML socks, on the PP ones. They are a really nice set of 2.5 mm bamboo dpns. I bought this yarn in the Blue Mix colourway for the PP. I had the Plum Coral already, but they haven't told me which pattern they want to be yet. I've also chosen {but not purchased} my wool for the Cascading Leaves KAL which starts on Sept. 1st. It will be Regia 4fadig in the Royal/ Turquiose colourway. I used this same wool in the Red/ Wine colourway for my Maple Leaves. I really like the way the 4 different colours plied together seems to really show off the pattern without being a boring solid.

Bright Idea # 926 {aka: Geeks will be geeks!}

Well I didn't get any pics taken today. In typical geek fashion, I got sidetracked by computer stuff and coding! I've got a completely new layout for my blog, and I think it looks pretty spiffy. It took nearly the entire afternoon, but I finally have it mostly the way I want it. This is what happens when a geek decides to finally do a long overdue update of their sidebar. It turns into a complete renovation of the site. Doesn't this sound like one of my typical not so bright ideas? Drop me a comment and let me know what you think of the new look of The Purl in the Oyster.

One week later...

Well Derek has survived 5 working days of being shaved and coming home clean. He didn't think it would be possible, but it was! He even wore his Mission Falls socks to work yesterday and said that they were really comfy in his shoes! That's even more motivation to get his blue ones finished off.

I'm going to have to take some status and stash shots later on. I went to Ram's on Tuesday to pick up my first Addi ever, and brought home yarn for the next KAL, Pretty Petals.

I've just finished turning the heel and picking up the gusset stitches for my second ML sock. I've spent most of my week working on Britt's anklet and one of my Kroy socks. I need to get my ML sock done by Monday so that I'm ready for the cast-on on Tuesday.

More to follow...

Derek, before and after!

Derek has been working in the tire business ever since he moved to Winnipeg over 6 years ago, and quite a bit before that too. He's finally made it into the office now after talking to his boss about getting out of the shop. He has quite a bit of adjustment to do to his new responsibilities, as well as the new dress code that he needs to follow as a paper pusher instead of a tire man. I'm positive that I will get used to his new look a lot sooner than he will!!!

Here is what Derek used to look like on a typical day at work. He's all filthy, smells like tires and sweat, and is in desperate need of a haircut and shave... don't forget the ever-present ballcap!

This is what Derek looks like now that he's gotten a promotion... and he looks like this when he comes home too!

Other WIPs to report on.

Since I am *far* from a monogamous knitter, I've got tons of other projects on the go at all times. Other than the ML KAL, two of the more than I can count projects I'm working on are Fiber Trends clogs, and Cascading Leaves socks.

This picture shows just how big these things are before you put them in the washer. I feel like Bigfoot wearing it. Derek is concerned that it won't felt enough. I think that's just because he's afraid I'll make him wear them!!! If they actually *are* too big, I'll just pass them on to my best friend Lyz, because she *is* a decendant of the original Bigfoot!!!

This pic shows the clog in relation to the tile floor. The tile is 12", so you know this is a yeti-sized slipper at this point! I'm doing mine in Patons Classic Merino in a deep plum, and light pink colour. I hope these look as good felted as they do un-felted.

I finished this sock while I was in Thompson, but I was too lazy had forgotten to could have cared less hadn't taken a photo until now.

This pic shows the lace on the leg a lot better, but until I get a sock blocker, any pictures of my own socks will be sadly lacking.

Maple Leaf KAL update

Well I've been working hard on my ML socks. Once I got the gusset picked up, I was able to bring it with me back and forth to work, and the foot progressed along faster. I've put it aside a bit as I work on Britt's ankle sock, as well as my clogs. The second sock is on the needles and I'm working on my second leaf repeat. Even though I finished my sock earlier this week, I just got around to finally taking pics of the finished sock until just before doing this post.

Here is my sock just before I started the toe decreases. Please ignore my work boot callous on the top of my foot! I must have tried this sock on half a dozen times, and even frogged it back a bit to make the toe more pleasing. I'm beginning to think I should start knitting right and left socks.

Here is another shot of the sock pre-toe. You can see the gusset and leaf pattern a little better here. I felt like a porcupine rying these on!

Here you can see my first sock all done, toe kitchenered, and ends all woven in. You can also see how the toe looks a little lop-sided, which is making me consider to make right and left socks from now on.

You can see the eyelets for the leaves with this angle, and the sock on my foot. Until I get a sock blocker, I'm stuck with lousy shots of the legs of my socks. IMO, this photo does show off the colour of the finished sock really well.

Socks, socks, and yet more socks!!!

Well last night I finally bitched like hell quietly asked Derek why he hadn't tried on the socks I had made him yet. One of those socks is the one I shipped to him while I was up north so I was absolutely heartbroken a little hurt that he hadn't gleefully put the matching pair on immediately. He said it was because he was too damned lazy to wash his stinky feet his feet were too smelly for him to put them on. Like a good hubby, he must have sensed that I was pre-PMSing he went and got them and modeled them for me.
They are made out of an olive shade of Mission Falls 1824 100% superwash worsted weight. I used the same pattern I had used for his Tuffy socks. Lissa insisted on joining in the picture fun and made me take pictures of her with her Spongebob flip-flops. This wouldn't have been quite *that* bad, but she was showing off the dirty bottoms, not the printed tops!!! I didn't want to gross anyone out too badly so I left those off the post.
Then it was Alex's turn to model his camouflage socks knitted out of Bernat Sox in Army Hot. These socks were made months ago, but recently reappeared from their "safe place". I quickly got a shot of him wearing them before they return to their hiding place.
Lissa then asked me *again* to take more pictures of her. Since I was eager to get the ones I had just taken uploaded, I told her I would later. She runs and finds one of the socks I had knitted for the girls nearly a year ago, and one of the socks I knitted for myself. She puts on this mis-matched pair, and looked so adorable, so what choice did I have? She even ran over and got herself up on the chair that Alex had been using, and started posing for me to take many shots of her in her fabulous socks!!!

Bright Idea #237

Well unlike most of my other *bright* ideas, this one actually worked out, and didn't cost me a small fortune to finish stayed within a reasonable budget. The kids had trashed their old dresser. I *think* it had five drawers originally. At least two were gone entirely, and another one or two were missing the fronts. We had this dresser in the basement, so I got another one of my bright ideas, and decided to refurbish it a little and bring it upstairs. The process *did* take longer than I had originally planned, but I'm blaming that on being very tired this week from stocking rather than working on the reno at work. I had guesstimated that it would cost me about $25-30 to dress up the dresser, and I wasn't far off. The only thing I overspent on really was the hardware -- Derek talked me into spending an extra 50¢ per knob {$1.47 vs. 97¢} for ceramic rather than plastic -- for obvious reasons of course! 4 cans of spray paint, 2 green scrubby sandpaper sheets, 8 new handles, and several sanded-out kids later, we have a nearly new dresser for less than $35!

Here's me painting one of the red drawers. It looks like I'm getting ready to put another coat on my toes at the same time!
Here I am painting a yellow drawer. I wonder how well the yellow and red leftovers would mix to touch up those grey roots while I'm at it?
Here I am painting the dresser itself. It ain't a perfect job by any means, but it looks better, and is WAY cheaper than brush painting it. Plus the kids got to help me out, whether they wanted to or not. Alex and Lissa were the most enthusiastic about helping, which made sense since it was meant for their room!
I feel like I'm painting graffiti on the side of the dresser! Why is it that there isn't even one *remotely* flattering photo of me here???
This is what the finished product looks like with the new hardware and old junk on! You can see that the gloss finish is kind of uneven, but like Derek had said, it's not going to be long before the kids add their own touches to the dresser anyway!

Maple leaf socks - week one progress; FT clogs stash shots

Well I took a pic today of my progress on my Maple Leaf socks for the sock KAL. I have done 4 repeats of the pattern, and started the heel flap. I will be following the heel pattern from a different pattern, and will be reducing the number of foot stitches to about 64, rather than the 72 that the pattern states.
Like I needed any more yarn or patterns, I went ahead and bought the two Fiber Trends Clogs patterns, in adult and kid's sizes. I also bought the wool I'd need for a purple and pink two-tone pair for me, and a bright, Barbie pink pair for Lissa. I'm hoping to start these once my ML socks are off the needles.

Yarn Shots!

Well here we go. Yarn pr0n!!!

This is the Regia 4fadig I bought to make my Maple Leaf socks with, along with the pattern.
Here is a close-up of my progress on Day one of the KAL. I got the ribbing done mostly on the 30th, but the entire first repeat was done on the 1st.
Here is the sock yarn I got in my June sock-yarn-of-the-month surprise package from Ram's. I can't wait to get July's!

Lotsa socks!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!

Well I went to Ram's yesterday to pick out sock yarn for the Maple Leaf Socks KAL I joined. I cast them on yesterday, and am nearly done the ribbing. I hope that the colour I chose will turn out nice. I'll post a picture later on when I've got the first repeat of the pattern done. I also bought the June sock-yarn-of-the-month. I'll take some pics of that and post them later too. Looking at the ball, it sould make a really cool looking pair of jacquard socks. Those will be my portable project once Derek's last Mission Falls sock is done sometime this weekend.

Derek finally got back late Wednesday from Edmonton, and he had brought me a present to make up for being gone so long right after I got back from up north. It's a gorgeous gold bracelet that he bought as a belated anniversary present {6th anniv was June 3rd, the day before I went to Thompson}. My weekends are now Thursday-Friday, so we went to the drive-in Thursday night. He's never been to one before, so it was a great opportunity to go. We saw Click and Nacho Libre. We had a wonderful time, and I can see us going again before the end of the season. I have tonight off for the holiday, so we can go out together on a REAL weekend night! The zoo is supposed to be free today, so we might take the kids there. Then tonight we need to decide what time we're going out to play pool since if we decide to go out later on, we can take the kids to the fireworks.