Done

I finished Creatures last night, and it's blocking as I write. I promise to post photos tomorrow!

Espanol

Hubby and I decided to get a "Learn to Speak Spanish" CD-ROM and learn a new language together. We do have a goal we're shooting for, we didn't just pick a language at random....we're hoping to go to Cancun next year, and would like to be able to speak at least a little Spanish when we're there.

Plus it'd be fun to be able to talk in front of other people without them knowing what we're saying. Heh heh.

In an unrelated topic, my cat is weird. Last week, I was sitting on the couch with some potato chips and dip next to me. I went into the kitchen, and heard my husband start laughing. When I came back I asked what was so funny. He said, "When you got up, Taffy must've jumped up on the couch, but I didn't see her. All of a sudden I heard this 'slurp-slurp-slurp' and looked over to see her licking dip right out of the container." The little butthead cat waited til I left the room because she knew I'd shoo her away, then ate sour cream and onion dip.
And how blind is my other half that he couldn't see a 15 pound cat jump on the couch?!

>< This Close

I've been working on Creatures all afternoon, and I'm 40. rows. from. done.

I can't do anymore tonight.

My eyes hurt.

I'm not participating in the Knitting Olympics (in case you were wondering why the obsession), but when you're only 40 rows from done, it's always (for me, anyways) a race to the finish at that point. And I could probably stay up tonight, bleary-eyed, and just finish it, but......

Eh.

It'll get done tomorrow.

P.S. Thanks to Melissa for answering my "wash or no wash" question. Zephyr is supposed to be dry clean only, but she told me she washed her Frost Flowers and Leaves in Eucalan just fine.

My Day Off

Woohoo! A day off! And I actually made it through the day without cleaning anything. I sat around catching up on blogs, downloading some music (my sis used an ITunes card on my computer and let me have the $6 left over, so I spent $15. Eh.), and knitting, of course. I didn't get to go to Stitch-In the other day since my sister ended up staying with us through the evening, but it was a blast spending time with her. We went bowling that afternoon, and we were both so terrible we just had fun laughing at each other. That night we made tacos and nachos for dinner...yum! Last night my parents, sister, and I (Brad had a headache) went to Rockford for Motorcycles on Ice, which was NOT as fun as it sounded. I expected lots of crashes but was sorely disappointed :( So as busy as I was the past two days (I also had a doctor appointment yesterday--uneventful), I needed a day all to myself.
I told my doc I wanted to stay on the PTU--no RAI for me, thanks--and she was fine with it. But for all the emotional symptoms I'm having, she wanted no part of it. It was just, "Your numbers are looking good, get a blood test on your way out, and see your primary care doctor for the other stuff". Bah.
I'll try to get some progress pics up soon....

A Perfect Fit!

I can't believe it! I got it right on the first try! I know, I wouldn't have to worry if I actually made a gauge swatch. Hmph. But doesn't he look so cute?!


And I had to share the purty sunset tonight

Four hours

Yep, four hours' worth of knitting was done yesterday, and I don't have any pictures to post. But I did get the body of Taz's sweater done, with only the sleeve ribbing left to do (good timing with all this snow--he'll be able to wear it right away!); I should be able to finish it tonight. I did mess up on it a little, I did the same decrease on both sides (laziness) now one side looks lovely and the other side looks wonky.....so I finished the edge with backward single crochet (crab stitch). It would've looked weird with no finishing anyways, the decreases weren't smooth all the way down the back. So instead of a gentle, sloping curve going from the belly to the back, it was more of a stair-step look. Ugh.

So....yay! One project 90+ % done, and another 50% done. Almost time to start something new ;)

First, my Valentine's gift. Awwwwwwww. The chocolates lasted all of about five minutes....
Hubby took me out to dinner since he didn't have his cavity filled right away; we tried a new Mexican restaurant "El Patio", and it was very good. I got a fishbowl-sized margarita--yum! Then Brad got to laugh at me the rest of the evening because I was on a goofy-giggly-tipsy-high


It is sooo icy here. It has been raining since last night; we even had a freakin' thunderstorm this morning! I am trying to show you the ice in this photo, but it isn't showing up very well. And I'm not going outside to take a picture, I'll fall on my ass for sure


The attention hog. You know you've been in front of the 'puter too long when the cat plops down in the middle of the room like this

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope everyone out there in blogland has a wonderful V-tine's Day. My hubby has to get a cavity filled today :( so I'm afraid we're not doing anything (not a big surprise here...he hates V-tine's). He told me last night he was "sorry he didn't get me anything (yet). How about you pick someplace nearby we could go for a weekend?" Yay! What a cool gift! I'm thinking...maybe Chicago. Or Galena. Dunno....

With all the shawls I want to make, I'm thinking about investing in some blocking wires. If you have any info (good or bad) about blocking wires, let me know, as I won't be buying them for a while yet. I'm eyeing the set at Patternworks for $22.99

Progress on the shawl

Here is the current progress on Creatures! I started on the starfish section last night...woohoo!


Up close and personal


Taffy keeping an eye on things from bed. What a life.

Not much else going on here. I'm doing a lot of research on the web for Graves', I've ordered two more books (and I'm thinking of ordering another), and I'm considering switching doctors. We'll see after my appointment next week.

Speaking of next week, my sister's going to be here from sunny Arizona (stupid! Who comes here to Illinois from Arizona in February!), and I can't wait to see her. Sounds like she'll be spending the day with me on Tuesday, and I have no clue what we'll do, although I could drag her to Stitch-In that night. Wednesday night we're all going to some Extreme Ice Sports thing in Rockford, watching motorcycles race on ice. It sounds insane, yes?

But this week I'm pampering myself with a pedicure today and a one-and-a-half-hour massage Wednesday.

Can't.wait.

The Yarn Field Trip

Yesterday was such a great day! Linda and I went to Verona and Madison on a "Yarn Field Trip" and went to four yarn stores (three good, one...not so good) . We visited: The Sow's Ear in Verona--awesome store, great ladies who work there; Stitcher's Crossing in Madison, which is a combination quilting/knitting store--very nice, and again great staff; The Knitting Tree--let's just say Linda liked it as much as I did (her exact words, "You never have to go there again. Promise.") :P ; and Lakeside Fibers, which is one of my favorite stores around (and now Linda's). Now we'll get on to the good stuff--what I bought!


Some beaded stitch markers--two for me, two for my SP; a necklace with a purple yarn/needles charm for my SP. Sorry the stitch markers didn't show up so well on the dark couch!


Yarn. I actually bought yarn! This is alot for me to buy in a store, too. I got: four skeins of Cascade Quatro (the red and red/purple) for a moebius purse or felted bag of some sort, and three skeins of Berroco Foliage in a beautiful green/blue/purple colorway, which I have no idea what to do with. Can you felt yarn that has acrylic in it? It's 53% wool and 47% acrylic.


Yarn Porn

Oh, I also got some Addi needles for the next shawl I want to make (more to come on that later), some lavendar Eucalan, and a travel mug from The Sow's Ear with their knittin' pig on it. For anyone who lives near Verona, The Sow's Ear is a great place to hang out and knit at, their coffee shop prices are a downright steal. I'm taking a few days off of work the week after next...I believe I'll spend an afternoon there!

Presents! Progress!

Secret Pal goodies! I got: a skein of Fleece Artist sock yarn that is sooooo soft, two soy candles in Vanilla and Chocolate, two buttons, some hot chocolate mix, and some Icewine and Brandy


Yummy yarn. Isn't this colorway beautiful?!


Liquor! I have the best secret pal ever!


And a progress photo of Taz's sweater

My friend Linda came by yesterday...with a copy of Yarn Harlot, The Secret Life of a Knitter for me! Hey, if Stephanie's book doesn't cheer me up, nothing will, right?! Linda also suggested we go to Rockford or Madison for a yarn crawl next Wednesday, which will be so.much.fun. Just what the doctor ordered (hmmm, could you imagine a doctor telling you, "I'm going to start you on X medication for Y condition, but I suggest you go yarn shopping immediately")
Then today I got my Dale Baby #110 booklet, practically running to meet the UPS guy at the door. And I can now breathe a *sigh* of relief that I have it.
And my best-laid plans of working on Taz's sweater Wednesday went in the crapper. I didn't knit anything then. I am earmarking that project for my SuperBowl knitting. In between eating.

Phew!

I had a mini heart attack when Snow announced the Dale Baby Book #110 (with the adorable Moon and Stars set) was out of print. I searched every site that came up on Blingo, and found a site that had TWO copies left. My credit card was whipped out of my purse so fast it would've gotten whiplash...if it had a neck. And I got an email today that it has been shipped!
I was thinking that might be a good project to make during the RAI, because after I make it I'm just going to pack it away. Hmmmmmm

If I end up sounding crankier than usual, it's because I'm overhauling my diet. Weight Watchers just isn't doing anything for me (mainly because I'm not following it, but that's beside the point), and I found the book You, The Owner's Manual, which is changing the way I think about food. Really. There was a one-hour special on Discovery Health Channel of the same name, which you should definitely check out when they broadcast it again. In a world where the outside package is everything, and people diet to lose weight (look better), this program showed what happens on the INSIDE when you don't take care of yourself. Seeing this just made it all click with me. Plus, I'm finding things out in the "Living Well" book I didn't know, like Aspartame (NutraSweet) poisoning can be misdiagnosed as Graves Disease. And I drink a LOT of product with NutraSweet in it...well, used to. I quit cold-turkey last night after reading that, which is going to be hell for me, but blood tests at my next doctor's visit on the 22nd may let me know if that may be the culprit (if my levels change dramatically), which would be a relief and a shock. I don't want to get the RAI if I don't have to of course, so as hard as it's going to be, I need to cut NutraSweet out of my diet altogether and know for sure before I agree to that procedure.

Well, I better get my butt in gear and get to the grocery store so I can come home and spend the rest of the afternoon knitting. I'm going to try to get most/all of Taz's sweater done today, and maybe start on Mom's legwarmers.