finished knit socks

It's more than official:
the alpaca is not going to be part of my life.

the innocent-looking velvety yarn
has given me serious
asthma induced problems & i'm going to be laying low for a few more days.
it's like a hangover; but without the drinking.
I have serious pain & coughing...
and lack of breathing.
hopefully i won't be going to the hospital today.


on a much brighter note
(and of more successful knitting! );





completed
fleece artist merino socks.
100% merino, hand dyed.
these feel Fabulous to wear !
they are incredibly soft. (ooh & aaaah)
Socks are being modelled next to a sleeping
Knitting Companion.

we've had more than 41 cm of snow here in montreal today.
and next week will be the shortest day of the year.
Winter solstice will be here on Wednesday.

daily happenings ...

Look, up in the sky!
it's a bird, it's a plane, it's .. a ribbed, Regia sock cuff !

while i did not remember to bring my
camera last night to the Montreal Knits
get-together,
i did work on this sock cuff ...


My fellow knitters were
very sypathetic regarding my newly discovered,
confirmed sensitivity to working with the lovely, velvety soft alpaca.
Here you can see the three skeins that started off to become a pair of mittens for moi.
i had been using three strands at once, to create a cozy and warm fabric.



and, below -
here you can see the mitten cuff as it was last night.
the cuff that will not become part of a pair of mittens for
moi, because i cannot continue to work with this miraculously soft
fibre. (nature can be so cruel). It's causing huge asthmatically related problems.
Serious problems.
well, maybe i'll have to frame the mitten cuff as my first and last alpaca project.

* Sigh *





Later in the evening, we (of Montreal Knits) discussed the
pros & cons of Manos del uruguay wools.
(coming soon to a yarn store near us)
Last week, i sent of a pair of touques that i'd knit up
with this yarn. I think they'll be warm.



The Knitting Companion
was sleeping off his "big-day-hangover" yesterday,
and still looked sleepy after i came back home.
Here he is, wedged between cushions, me and a blanket.
Looking Very Very sleepy.

an Ode ...

My lovely friend Morris,
of Australia, has died.

Morris was the kind of man with a twinkle in his eyes.
No matter his age, or state of health, Morris was the
man with the twinkly eyes.

Morris was stationed in Canada during
World War Two for training.
He became Almost Engaged to a Canadian
nurse at that time.

When the war was over, Morris returned to his Native
Australia and married the Lovely Diane.

They made a visit to Canada in 1998,
and I had the good fortune
to meet them in Québec city.

Morris had wanted to show his sweet Diane
the Canada he had "discovered" all those years ago.
They went from coast to coast,
rolling along Memory Lane;
visiting Morris' old friends, and even
his almost-fiancée.

Diane and Morris celebrated fifty years of marriage
this year. I feel very fortunate to have had the chance
to meet them both when i did.

I can't imagine how Diane feels now, walking without her Morris.

somewhat of a Button

Click to join montrealknits



Ok, i have, to this date,
found that i am not successful
establishing buttons in the sidebar of the blog.

it is not for lack of trying.
(however, it has been VERY very trying.)

here, i have the button
for the Montreal Knits group.
it is not established in the side bar,
where one would like to put buttons.
but at least this way it appears
(although not entirely as it should)
(and i don't know how to correct that state)
here, in the blog's body.
at least you can SEE it.
which is a lot more than i can say
for 99% of the buttons that i have been able to establish.



On to some good news:
(don't blink, you'll miss it).
i have been using the lovely
bamboo needles that were a gift.
have started a pair of mittens.

i have heart wrenching
Knitting-news. I am
asthmatically allergic to the
adorably soft, cuddly alpaca yarn
that i've been saving for mittens.
this is very bad news in my world.

One mitten cuff is complete. Base
of Mitten-hand is underway.
i had to stop.
before i couldn't breathe at all.
My chest is burning. Not in a wu-hoo, look at me
kind of way: in the way that hurts. Badly.
this is not happy news, to say the least.
There is no photo because it's all just too upsetting right now.

i am feeling quite ticked about this state of affairs.
(and in pain, besides that)

On the bright side: there's
a knit-meet this evening. and i shall go &
be consoled by fellow knitters.

Wednesday & time is flying

How is it that time
seems to go by so quickly ? it's almost surreal.

This week, the Knitting Companion
made his first visit to Santa Clause.
it was over quickly, and not without a photo and a dog cookie.
Yesterday he went to toilettage (hair grooming for dogs)
and today he's just tired from all the excitement.

on a more serious note,
i had a phone message from Australia this week.
that can mean either very bad news, or there is a visit in my future.

I'm sad to say that there is no visit in the immediate future.

a beautiful quote

'If you're really listening,
if you're awake to the poignant beauty of
the world, your heart breaks regularly.
In fact, your heart is made to break;
its purpose is to burst open again and again
so that it can hold ever-more wonders."

Andrew Harvey, *The Return of the Mother*

The forecast for this week ...

GEORGIA NICOLS December 11, 2005

All Signs (Eastern Time Zone)
This week there's a Full Moon in Gemini on Thursday. Generally when the
Moon occurs in a Mutable sign (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces) it's
not a big deal, especially compared to a Full Moon in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio
or Aquarius. This week the Full Moon occurs with Pluto in the picture. Oy!
People will feel quite emotional about things. The thing to remember is
it's an emotional situation but it passes quickly. Therefore, don't react.
And make your words sweet in case you have to eat them later. (Which is
why I keep whipped cream in the fridge.)