Should Be Cleaning/Packing… December 24, 2008

But instead I’m posting. Figures.

So, I have a theory that I haven’t yet put to the test, but maybe it’s big knitting that causes me pain; the needles I used for my grandmother’s neck warmer were 8mm and typically I’m a sock knitter. We’ll find out tomorrow when my parents, grandma and I head south to my cousins’ and I can knit in the car.

In spite of my lack of holiday spirit, many of my gifts are done. I painted two paintings for my friends’ sons, made my grandmother a neck warmer (I finished it last night as I hadn’t knitted since the 13th) and a Father Christmas figure, and embroidered doves onto place mats for my mother.

I had to put some stuff on hold due to lack of funds and the shoulder, but my plans to finish include painting a couple T-shirts, etching some glasses, and knitting some socks for my father (may as well wait till I have his measurements) and a Domo Kun for my cousin’s son. Oh, and getting the materials to replace the gift I lost for my cousin’s daughter (a sock-monkey kit…must find purple socks), as well as the materials for my friend’s wall art I plan on doing, but I need her to help me choose the fabric since she’s got to live with it (I printed off a tutorial of what I plan to do for her).

There may be some embroidering as well…

Anyway, I’m going to the land of dial-up so the radio silence that has bowed down to the crafting is going to continue. Catch you on the flipside!  Happy celebrating whatever festivities you dig on!

In Regards to the Repetitive Stress December 14, 2008

Still can’t knit (though I did for about 45 minutes last night and it HURT but it was necessary for something exceptionally cool that I can’t discuss until late tomorrow night…or Tuesday sometime), and the hand-work is getting tougher too.  So I’m being proactive; I can’t get to my chiropractor until the 24th but in the interim I’m going to go get a theraputic massage tomorrow.  It’s right above the yarn store I used to work at which is exceptionally handy (especially since the yarn store is closed on Mondays and I won’t be tempted).

In other news, tonight I’m making the buns that my grandmother is notorious for.  However I didn’t get home until 6-ish so I have to sit up until 1 am or so because you have to kneed it every three hours twice, then make golfball sized balls out of the dough and place them on cookie sheets and let those babies rise over night.  I’ll be making buns while I sleep, y’all!  The kneeding may or may not help work the shoulder muscles.

Frack! December 12, 2008

Today it’s -6 C (21.2 F) and going to get colder all day, with the low being -21 C (-5.8 F).

Tomorrow calls for a high of -21 C and a low of -31 C (-23.8 F).

Sunday’s high -27 C (-16.6 F) and low -32 (-25.6 F)

Monday is the worst with an anticipated high of -29 C (-20.2 F) and a low of -34 C (-29.2 F).

These are January temperatures.  I don’t like it, not one bit, and my car will like it even less.  At least I got my winter tires put on on Wednesday.

New Christmas Tree! December 10, 2008

I got a new tree today; it’s only 4′ tall, but it’s a good size for an apartment. My old one isn’t very stable so I’m going to use it at work rather than at my home. It gets decorated with button garland (rather appropriate for a costume shop), but my new tree decided it wanted to be simply sophisticated. I’ve used blue/silver ribbon as garland, white LED lights that kind of remind me of Light Brite pegs, and blue, silver and gunmetal balls.  Also, I have four crosses my grandmother crocheted for me, and I think I’ll have to crochet some snowflakes to go with them, and I have to figure out what I’m going to do about a star, but I’m really happy with how this turned out and how easy it was to do.  I’d show you a picture but it didn’t turn out; I’ll have to wait until there’s daylight.

In the interim, here’s an arty shot of the balls I put on the tree.

And the view from my office window this morning.  Poor sheep seems to have lost her friends.

Oh, and for those of you who covet the shirt from today’s previous post, the shop is here.

Gifted! December 10, 2008

So I haven’t knitted in awhile.  I’m itching for the needles, but the shoulders are still a little stiff.  Although yesterday I sure gave them a bit of different exercise; I shoveled the walk a bit (it’s been snowing quite a lot, yay!  No more brown Christmas!) and hauled my winter tires to the car.

Oh, and Sunday night I rearranged my living room because my friends brought me their old 32″ TV and the desk my computer was on became my TV stand (it’s made of saw-horses that I built with the guidance of my dad and topped with a hunk of plywood); I love what I’ve done with the place.  Now I just have to get a new tree since the stand on mine is dead (I’m thinking of taking the old tree to work; it might be possible for it to stand there).

But the TV definitely isn’t the only gift I’ve received.  Last week I got my lovely package from Jennicakes through Back Tack 4.  She sent some awesome chocolates, a hand-embroidered wall hanging and little lined bag, glycerin soap, and a sweet little cupcake necklace.

And a coworker gave me my early Christmas present, and I was all but undone.

It’s so true.

Repetetive Stress December 7, 2008

So, the Christmas crafting may be coming to a screeching halt.  My back muscles have been causing me pain from my shoulders to my brain.  I have to work my real job with those muscles, so my Christmas knitting is definitely on hold till I recover, and we’ll see how the embroidery and spinning is going to do.  Oy.

I went to see my chiropracter on Monday and he said I should come back more often, but he’s a two-hour drive away (I have yet to find a chiropractor as good as he is…plus I used to work for him so there’s that too).  I’ll try to see him when I go home over Christmas.  For now, it’s ice-packs, leaning against wall corners, stretching and (worst case scenario) ibuprofen.

But I do have pics to show.

This is a hat I knit for work.  It’s from a vintage pattern I bought as a download but I stumbled upon it googling for patterns, so I don’t remember where I got it.  I will hopefully edit this and get back to you on that.  As well as the name of the pattern.

And here’s the scarf I’m waiting to finish knitting for my grandmother.  I’m going to make it the kind that buttons up on an angle rather than the multiple-wrap kind as the intention is for her to wear it indoors and out.  It’s Zitron Loft in colour 945, which is kind of weird; I think the fibres are felted together rather than spun.  I’m hoping the wobbliness this creates in the fabric goes away with blocking.  The pattern is My So Called Scarf.

So last night instead of knitting I played Lego Indiana Jones on the Xbox 360…for about 6 hours.  I cleared all of the mailboxes and artifacts for Raiders of the Lost Ark!  Woohooo!