WIP it!

I bet nobody in the history of knit blogging has used the title "WIP it!" while showing pics of their works-in-progress. Nope, nobody. Not even the Yarn Harlot.

Feel free to kick me for that one.

I've been working on a few projects lately. Let's check them out, oldest first:

Boring Socks.



I call them Boring Socks because that's what they are. Knit 2, purl 2 ribbing for the cuff, heel flap, heel shaping, gusset shaping, the k2p2 for the top of the foot and knit the bottom until you do the toe shaping. I started them when I needed a project to work on on the train or at a knitting group.

SweaterLacy Waves Top from Lace Style:



Um, do I remember the name of this? No, I don't. Okay, I just went and checked my Ravelry projects page and its the Lacy Waves Top by Norah Gaughan.

I took the above photo on March 21, and the next day I went to my lovely Sunday knitting group and got a bit more progress done on it:



It's grown!!

It's about as exciting a knit at this point as the Boring Socks are, but I can knit it while watching TV, which is more than I can say for that Swallowtail Shawl.

Speaking of the Swallowtail Shawl. . . I ended up frogging it. Again. I couldn't tink back one stinking row, so I frogged, and ended up having to sacrifice a couple of yards because it tangled so much. I started it again, and have a ridiculously early lifeline in. That'll teach me!

I also practiced some crochet:



I know it's not great but it's a start. I think I want to move on to some granny squares. I'd love to make a blanket with some of the scraps of yarn I have laying around.

Has Ellie lost weight?



I don't think she has, yet, but we are trying to get her to reduce a little bit. Speaking of that, I need to reduce a bit as well. The pants I wore today are a wee bit snug around my bottom. I'm now on my 2nd day of making sure I get some exercise -- yesterday was a 40 min. workout at the gym, following by a 20 min. walk home. Today was a 30 min. walk through the hilly part of town home. I've been trying to get my eating habits back to normal and not eat so many damn sweets. I haven't made a goal yet, because I don't know how much I weigh.

The next question is, should I publish my weight on my blog and continue to publish my progress? Will that give me some accountability, or just set me up for failure? I'll tell you my size, right now, is a 10 or a 12, depending on the store. My size, when I started this blog is 2005, was a 4. My size in late 2003, when I started weight watchers, was too big for a 14 in the "regular" stores and too small for a 14/16 in the "big girl" stores.

Where do I want to be? Not a 4 again. I was so neurotic about my food intake that I must have been lots of fun to be around. I certainly don't want to be bigger. I'd guess around a size 8 or so would suit me.

Now, I'm hungry.

Moving on

Thank you to everyone who has commented on my blog, on other places online, and in real life. I know it doesn't feel like I'm making much of a difference when I say, "I'm sorry" to someone who is grieving, but, having been on the receiving end, it does help to know that people care enough to say they are sorry.

I want to move on, to happier blog stuff. Like Ellie in the window:



Or in the closet:



How about my parents' new kitteh, Peaches:



Peaches playing with the stuff mouse I gave her (that I made, of course):





(I caught her while shaking her head in this picture, which made her lip look funny and puffy. No, she doesn't have cheek puffs like the Simpsons' cat does.)

I really like her "cattitude" look here. Reminds me a bit of Solvie:



Peaches is cute, and so tiny compared to our chubba bubba! I've seen her eat, however, and it won't last.

How about some knitting?



I started the Swallowtail Shawl in February. I'm about 35 rows in, but ended up with two more stitches on the needles than I should have, so I must have thrown in an extra YO or two. I need to tink back, but I hate tinking, so I've put that one on ignore for now. It's only one row, 101 stitches to tink back, but I'm a lazy bint and haven't done it.

I've been working on boring socks too:





I tried to knit the Swallowtail at my SnB, and it was making me crazy, so I decided to cast on for simple, 2x2 rib knit socks that I can take to my SnB and knit on the bus/train. These are them. The yarn is some random wool yarn I purchased on eBay in 2005 that was hand-dyed (probably with Kool-Aid).

I also cast on for the Lacy Waves Top from Lace Style, but I have no photos of that. I'll do that at some point; that's pretty mindless knitting so far as well (which is great for watching movies), as the back has some ribbing, then stockinette stitch for 14 inches. Snooze. The yarn is really pretty aqua blue Gedifra Cotton Merino.

We're finally getting some signs of Spring here. I've seen some robins, and a few crocus blooming, daffodils pushing out of the ground, and today I had nice itchy eyes every time I came in from outside. I really shouldn't complain, because OMFG I'M FINALLY SEEING SOME SUNLIGHT!!! and I CAN GO OUTSIDE WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT SLIPPING AND FALLING ON ICE!!!!! I think I've made it pretty clear how I feel about the warm months (love 'em!) and the cold months (want to kick them in the taint).

Isn't it nice to read a blog that doesn't mention any Rav Drama? ;)

Ken

I've been having a hard time getting up the courage to write this post. It feels as though if I don't blog about it, I can make it not true, although I know in my heart that it is true.

Ken is gone.

He went into heart failure last weekend, and had an overnight at the emergency vet hospital where they removed fluid from around his lungs. He never was 100% (or even 50%) once coming home, so he went back and it turns out his kidneys were going too.

I don't know how old he was. Between 5 and 8, I'd say. We've only had him for 18 months or so, but he was the most important thing in our lives.



He had so much love in him, for us, for Ellie, and for life. We'll miss him.