IT'S COLD BUT I STILL WENT FOR X-RAYS

I don't know who wrote this and how long it has been traveling around the Internet but thank-you Lorna for sending it to me. Oh how true it is.

My Manitoba

It's winter in Manitoba
And the gentle breezes blow,
70 miles per hour at 52 below!
Oh, how I love Manitoba
When the snow's up to your butt.
You take a breath of winter air
And your nose is frozen shut.
Yes, the weather here is wonderful,
I guess I'll hang around.
I could never leave Manitoba ,
'Cause I'm frozen to the ground!'

So Friday past in the absolute bitter cold I finally went for some x-rays. X-rays of my lumbar spine, hips and knees. I made sure I got to the x-ray dept late enough so not to wait and maybe get right in and out. YUP no one was there and they would be closing in half an hour. The receptionist asks me to sit in a chair in the empty waiting room. Maybe four or five minutes later (I was able to read several pages in my book while I waited). I was called in to the changing room and given a paper gown and told to undress leaving on only my socks and panties. So I do as told and when called for my x-ray I am asked if I have any jewellery on. I say just earrings. I am told I need to remove them. I look at the x-ray tech perplexed and ask why I need to remove my earring to have my lower spine, hips and knees x-rayed. She tells me I am having my C Spine x-rayed. I tell no I am not. I was at the doctor's complaining about hip and knee pain. BUT she says this is a C not an L. I say I don't need an x-ray of my neck at this time and it is an L not a C. She tells me to wait while she discusses it with the girl out front. She comes back and says okay you now need to go back to the changing room and take off this paper gown and put on a cloth gown but I don't have to remove my earrings. I am the last person in the dept for x-rays yet I still needed to change gowns. Go figure.
I must have had 10 or 12 x-rays taken. Of course, she ushered me out before I could even ask if I could see them. I am just curious. Apparently, I have arthritis of my lumbar spine and according to the last doctor a few years ago when x-rays were taken my hips were "pristine". The same phrase my current doctor told me of my knees about six months ago. I should have "pristine" joints at my age. I have seen x-rays of my spine when I had those free chiropractic x-rays taken and I saw the arthritis in my spine. They look like the hooks on the wall you hang your clothes on but are facing the other way round and are attached to a part of my spine not a wall to hang clothes on. That is what is causing my hip pain and spasms. I just want to know if it is still my spine or if there is now a reason my hips hurt even more. AND my knees are really starting to bug me. So I need a base x-ray in case these "pristine" knees get worse. AND the cold in Winnipeg certainly isn't helping.

AGAIN I won a prize for guessing the correct pattern of the cloth on the home page at love2knit dishcloth group on Yahoo that I belong to. BUT Solara and I didn't win a prize in the Bunny Thumper Contest.

Speaking of Solara look at where I found her.
I will take you on a tour to get to her.

I keep the door shut so she doesn't get into this room. This is what you see when you enter the room. Don't laugh too loud. There is excess Avon, empty boxes, fabrics, quilting and beading stuff, sewing machines, ironing board, threads, and STUFF. Yes there is empty floor space in front of the ironing board. Enough to actually do a small dance. Since I was ironing the turquoise piece of fabric on the ironing board which is a queen or possibly a king size sheet and I needed space, I moved my large bags of yarn and other items kept under and on both sides of the ironing board about the room to have room for the fabric.

Off to the right side are the shelves of fabric, fabric I am not able to use presently. Now a close up view of the shelves.AND even closer. Can you see her? No not yet. So lets get even closer. There she is.
The only reason you see her is due to the flash of the camera. She stayed in there all afternoon and evening. When she finally left her sacred space I quickly shut the door to the room. She definitely wasn't happy with me.

FIRST FINISHED ITEMS OF 2008

It is only January 20 and I have three finished items already.

One is a UFO I completed for my December whoduknit project. It was done for the project of the book A Farewell to Yarns. I finally learned how to put together a granny afghan I crocheted. These squares were originally from a swap in the Yarn Lovers Room and has been hanging around for about three or so years. In this swap we were to send one 10" square to everyone on the list. It could be any color but had to be edged in black. AND as usual in swaps there were some who didn't play nice but still there were enough squares to make a small afghan. I hope later the Yarn Lovers Room will have another similar swap calling for 10" squares in any color edged in black. I will join it so I can get more squares for this afghan. Then when I add it to the original squares the afghan can hang over the bed. It is so ugly I love it. No one is the world will have an identical throw as this. Some squares are just indescribable but I love them also. That is what makes this such a unique afghan.

Here it is: and close ups:




AND just so you can see it even clearer here are some of the individual squares. I didn't photograph all of them. I guess you are going Thank G-d for that.

Actually, I have another bunch of squares from another swap in that same group to put together. I also have a lot of squares crocheted using "wool" by the Woolman who lived and had a yarn shop in my city many years ago which I received after he died to put together.
Squares received from people in the Yarn Lover's Room Swaps are all very different and no two people in this swap have the same completed afghan as everyone doesn't necessarily send the same crochet/knit pattern or use the same colors in their squares they send out.
The one I haven't finished is from a blue and white swap and the squares had to be in only blues and whites. In this swap we sent two seven inch squares to each person in the swap. AND again some people didn't play nice. I want to edge these blue and white squares first in either blue or white to give them some co-ordination before I put them together.

This whoduknit project was fun as I got to finish a UFO!!!! and learn how to put my granny square afghan together. I am sure there are other ways to join squares and I hope to learn more ways eventually.

This past week I have knit two scarves. The first turned out too small for an adult. It is one of those potato chip type scarves where every third row you increase in each stitch. Only the first one I didn't put enough stitches on so it is sized for a child. It was made with just plain variegated sayelle and the last row and cast off was knit in some fancy yarn with a bit of glitz.
I have put it in my stash for a just in case needed item.

The second one I knit using the Paton's Bohemia yarn. I have made one of these before to give away in a scarf swap. It is the loopy scarf where when you are finished knitting you unravel the first three and last three stitches. It is all garter stitch and knits up fast with two balls of yarn. It is also oh so very soft. This one came out quite nice. Even Solara thinks it is nice.I wrapped this one up to give to a friend.

AND I am still working on a very special item for a special friend. A photo will be up after it has been completed and received just in case she checks out my blog. I am also working on my Harvest sock but very slowly due to doing these two scarves and needing to get my special project done.

I have also decided on my project for the January read in whoduknit. We are reading Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann only I am having problems finding time to read the book. I have taken it out of the library twice. This time when I took it out it was only available from the express best seller area where you can only keep it for one week and there is no renewal allowed. I had to do this as the other copies all have waiting list even the large print version. So I guess I will return it and go back later when it is back on the shelf I hope and take it out again as I am only on chapter three. WHY??? I have been working on and have finally completed the worksheets of my Avon for my income tax. I just need to put this information in an excel spread sheet which I hope to do tomorrow so when my T4 arrives I can fill in the proper forms and send my income tax forms in and collect my refund early. AND you ask why is this taking so long? I have to go over and check everyone's order and what they paid and what I made as there are different rates of commission on different items and sometimes if I sell more I make more than usual on the main items. I had a lot of customers and there were a lot of items to go over this past year. BUT I have started on the orders for 2008 so I will be ahead of the game next year. From now on I will work on each campaign as they happen. Then it will be so much easier next year as all this will be done and complete. I also will be able to get back to putting photos in ravelry, knit more and read more both my books and emails once this income tax business has been completed.

I WON I WON!!!

Reading my emails I see I have won a prize for the granny square afghan above. YIPEE!! I don't know what it is but I am surprised as I also won last month. I think I will opt out of this months prize or pass it on to someone else if I should win again. I am wondering if I am winning prizes now should I get tickets more often for the LOTTO? Is it a sign of what is to be?

Solara was visited by her Auntie Janice on Friday. Her Auntie Janice received a treat from another friend which I gave her and that meant that Solara also got a pressie. The gift was in a bag and here is Solara trying to get into a bag that is way way way to small for her. When she finally realised she wasn't going to get her body into the bag she decided to go and get into the box the gift came in. Well almost anyway. So she gives us her back when she gets as much of her body in the box as she can.
Here she is from the side showing how little actually got into that box.
BUT her Auntie Janice loves her despite her silliness. Even if I wanted to write more I can't as my fingertips are frozen and tingling from the lack of heat in my apartment.

MY MONKEYS HAVE LANDED

Knitting Goodness

Thursday's mail brought me my long awaited monkeys which were made for me by a monkey angel. AND this monkey angel's name is Eve and she sent me my monkeys all the way from Switzerland.

Here is how I received them: On the reverse side of the label are two little sheep. Very very clever packaging.

Here is a close up of the monkeys: AND here they are on me: They are not orange. They are a brick rust color and they are so very nice and best of all they fit just right. I am so happy with my monkeys.

Now Eve didn't just send me monkey socks she also sent me candy. YUP candy from Switzerland. She wrote in her card; what is a package from Switzerland without chocolate? Wasn't that extra sweet of her. I do so love chocolate. AND she didn't send just one chocolate bar, she sent two chocolate bars. YUM YUM!!!

Thank-you so much Eve for stepping in as an angel and sending me lovely well fitting socks and the extra goodies you sent me.

BUNNY THUMPER CONTEST

Thank you Lisa my secret pal from SP 11 at Purl This: http://www.purlthis.blogspot.com/ for letting me know about the bunny thumper contest over at: http://kitkatknit.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/bunny-thumper-challenge/ which "involves measuring your cat's "bunny thumper" - from the tip of their longest rear toe to their "heel". Presumably the length of the "sole" if you were insane enough to knit a pair of socks for your cat".
Here is a photo of my Solara's thumper. This is the best I could do. It measures just a bit more than 4.25 inches which really surprises me as she is a tub of lard weighing over 13 pounds. She will be 2 years old March 2 or 3. Now her tail is an entire other story. It is 10.5 inches to the tip and with the bit of hair beyond the tail bone it is a bit over 11 inches. You should have seen her take off when she saw me with the tape measure. LOL

KNITTERS SCAVENGER SWAP QUESTIONNAIRE

Here are the answers to the Knitter's Scavenger Swap

1) Do you knit, crochet or both? How long have you been doing it?
Both but I am better at knitting. I have been knitting for many many many years. OOPs I may be aging myself here. I can only do basic crochet like granny squares definitely nothing with any shaping involved.

2) What is on your needles/hook right now?
A lace shawl, a scarf, a pair of socks and another pair of socks and and and and. How many items should I list? HEE HEE

3) What is the most frequently used tool in your knitting bag?
I just think the best answer is my knitting notion bag I keep in my knitting bag as it holds all the needed extra items for a project needed when knitting and my swim fins for swimming laps in the frog pond.

4) What are your 3 favorite yarns (fiber type or brand)?
Usually it is yarns I can’t afford (such Tilly Thomas the yarn with “things” in it) and yarns from the indie dyers (especially sock yarns) and those yarns that are not locally available. I also like wool both the kind that can be felted and the kind that can’t be felted.
What are your 3 least favorite? Phentex the kind the slippers were knit with in the 60’s and some of the acrylics and anything scratchy. I have definitely become a yarn snob.

5) What is your favorite color?
Pink and then blues, red, purples and I do like black, white and some greens. Browns, oranges, lime green and bright yellows are most definitely not on my fave list. They are okay if they are with other yarns thought.

6) If you had a 5 minute shopping spree in your LYS, how would you plan your attack?
Can we pick which LYS in which city we would like to raid? Can we have a helper? I also would need to know what kind of cart I could use. I would probably preplan after checking out the shop layout really really well. so I could do the most damage possible

7) What is your favorite FO and why? (post a pic if you have it!)
Usually it is the one just completed.

8) What are your favorite things to knit/crochet?
Socks, bags, and now lace shawls

9) Do you collect anything?
Yes, yarn, knitting and cooking magazines, knitting books, did I mention yarn?, cats, angels, fairies, tassels, Americana, cobalt blue items, yarn, and fabric which is on hold until I can sew and quilt again. Oh I like to collect yarn especially sock yarns.

10) What are your five favorite things (not necessarily knitting related)? They are not all just things.
Solara my feline fur toddler, my friends, my computer, yarn and books, my computer, TV and music

11) Are you on Ravelry?
Yes
What is your ID?
pennala

12) Do you drink tea/coffee/cocoa?
YES, YES and YES

13) Favorite Sweets?
HMMMM YUMMY!!! I have a bad sweet tooth and am a cookie monster. I love chocolate, dark chocolate, Jelly Belly’s, cookies, and cake, ice cream

14) Any allergies?
Only wasps but I abhor black licorice

15) Do you have pets? kids?
Yes one feline fur toddler Solara

I DID A BAD BAD THING LOL

YUP Do you know what I did? I joined a swap. BUT BUT remember I didn't say I wasn't joining any swaps, I was just cutting back. I joined the Scavenger Swap which can be found here: http://knittersscavengerhunt.blogspot.com/. It sound like a lot of fun. Check it out. In my next post I will put my questionnaire which has to be up by Jan 31 unless all the spaces in the blog are taken and the questionnaires are all up before then. Being this is a scavenger hunt you have to find stuff to send your partner. Here is a list of the categories and some information:

You must send one item to represent each category. An item can fit multiple categories, but you must pick one to classify it. Please include a note to your pal in your box matching each item to it's category.

1) Something local

2) Something round

3) Something green

4) Something related to the letter 'T'

5) Something funny

6) Something hard

7) Spoilers choice (make up a category for your item!)

TODAY WAS ONE OF THOSE GOOD DAYS

YUP today would be considered a good day all around. A very good day indeed.

First I wasn't nauseated as I was yesterday. I paid my VISA for the month and if I pay more it is extra. So all my bills are paid even if I have no money left or have not put any away for my co-op fees this month. LOL

AND AND AND I now have a new monitor. New for me but you couldn't tell by looking at it that it is about three years old. Thanks to my good friend Shelagh who bought herself a larger one I got to inherit her old one. YES!! Even though this monitor is a 15" it looks as large as my old style 17". I even took its measurements to check the two and they are very close in numbers. OH and my new monitor has a flat screen too.

THANK-YOU SHELAGH

I didn't even remember my blog had dark wine writing, pink headlines and pink edging. On my old monitor the screen was pink!!! What a difference! Shelagh and I though it would be fun to try and replace the plug from the old monitor (which is eight years old) to the computer with the new one and see if that was the problem but the plug didn't come out of the monitor. So even if it is the plug the monitor is useless. If it was only the plug I would have liked to donate it somewhere but now I don't know what to do with it. It is sitting in the middle of my living room floor. So what do you do with an old monitor?

I can't wait to try a DVD on my computer now. My DVD player doesn't work properly either. It could be just a loose connection. The sound is fine but the screen goes all blue and I have to go and wiggle the cords in the back. I have even unplugged some cords and when it works it still works even with these plugs unplugged???? Knowing me I may have just attached all the plugs incorrectly. I am just electrically challenged.

Now on to some knitting goodness

I didn't get to tell you about the final package (#4 of 4) from Sharon in weluvknitting as I hadn't taken a photo of it yet but I have now.
I received a lovely flying Santa only it will have to wait for display until next year as it arrived on NYE. Also, in the package was some stickers (one package was epoxy stickers however those are different from regular stickers I don't really know), candy (caramel chocolate and some chocolate in lovely little gingerbread boy and girl molds), yarn and some treats for Solara.

AND here is the yarn. The top one which looks dark blue is actually black. I am waiting to hear from Sharon to tell me what this yarn is as it came without labels.

I also can put a photo here of the finished sunflower tea cozy I knit for a friend for Christmas. I am pleased with how it came out and so is my friend. I think she has my blog address but don't know if she reads it. AND yes I gave her the teapot also as it was a perfect fit for the cozy.Ram Wools is having it's sale now and I was there on the first day. AND of course, I purchased some goodies for myself, I got more Noro Silk Garden to finish my "Cavendish" serape blanket shawl. I also got a Rowan magazine (The Kasbah Collection) I have wanted. I found a lovely pattern in it (actually I found two I would like to make for myself); page 21 Twilight and page 19 Dusk. BUT maybe not the bottom part.I won't knit it with Rowan's Summer Tweed which it calls for but instead get some Tweedy Silk in the Provence Blue, Denim Blues or Granite from Elann and still at a much better price especially when I will need more than the nine called for as Elann's yarn's has a slight bit less yardage and I seem to knit looser than tension. HMMM AND upon looking through this magazine again I think there may be a couple nice tanks in this issue too.
I bought another Addi Lace needle which in the end I am not using but instead I am using a Denise US #7 as on the 3 1/4mm Addi some of the knitting looked too dense. I also purchased some Estelle Watercolors at $2.07/skein; four skeins of a variegated multi teal to knit yet another shawl and one skein of a solid color fuchsia to knit the inside of a pair of mitts but I will need to get the yarn for the outer part of the mitt still as there was none in stock when I was there. My other purchases included two Fiber Trend patterns, the new Great American Afghan booklet which as nice as it is I feel is done in just awful colors.

Now not to forget about Mona at Woseley Wardrobe and her sale I purchased some lovely Freedom Wool 100% wool by Twilley's of Stamford to go with my Bernat Felting Natural Wool I bought back in 2007 at Wal Mart. The Bernat Yarn was for the Andrea Bag I wanted to make myself. I made one for a swap and I really liked it. I changed it a bit by adding a slip stitch bottom and I made it a little bigger (wider). The Bernat being an unspun type of wool was hard to find a match for and I was excited when I finally found the Freedom yarn but I decided to take a chance and wait until Mona had a sale on her yarn hoping it would still be available when I got to the shop.

As for all the swaps of the past two months I am still waiting to receive my whoduknit holiday swap which could have gotten caught in the pile of mail being delivered over the holidays. I have heard some people are still getting packages sent in December so there is hope yet and if not an angel will be assigned. Also, I heard from my monkey swap angel and she has mailed my socks. I am so excited and looking forward to receiving them. Boy did she knit them quickly. Just a few days ago she wrote and told me she had turned the heel of the first sock.

As for my participation in swaps I did join the Sockamaniac Pedicure Swap as I had been saving goodies for it for a while. Of course, I can't say what I have, what sock yarn I found or what pattern will be sent. I don't want to spoil it for my partner who checks my blog but lets just say I think she will be well spoiled and quite pleased with her package when it arrives. HEEE HEEE HEEE The next few swaps I join will most likely be just dishcloth swaps as they can fit in an envelope for just a couple of stamps and I have lots of nice cotton yarn to knit them with. AND I do have a Valentines gift to mail to my friend in Florida as well as a gift for another friend in Florida who is not expecting it. Once I put the plastic canvas in the bottom to firm it up and sew the lining in it will be ready to be mailed.

What is Solara doing while I am writing this? What do you think? She is napping.

THOSE PESKY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

YUP it is that time of the year again. You know when we make resolutions we keep maybe for a day or so. They do sound good when we make them and we do have such good intentions. WELL at least I do.

I am going to make a few and see if I can keep them longer than a couple of days.

My first is to go on a swap diet. Now I am not saying I am not going to join any more swaps. I am just going to curtail how many I do join since there are some I really like to get in on. I was so good at this first resolution I didn't join the Cocoa Swap. I am sad about it. Getting packages in Feb when it is dreary and cold out and also is my birthday month is a great time to get pressies. BUT I held fast. I have to follow through with this swap as I need to save money for my share fee for when I get the call that there is a co-op for me to move into to. It will be four years I am on the list this April and I spent the money I had saved for it over the four years. There are three people ahead of me and they have been waiting two years longer than I have. Maybe after all these years they won't want it and I will move right up to the first spot. Of course, I need a subsidy so that will play into when I can get one also. So you see I really need to follow through with this resolution.

Ressie #2 is to be better at posting on my blog. I was very good when I started it but got lazy as time went on. I hope to post every other day. HA Post Script to this resolution re-reading this makes me giggle as today is January 8 and I am just finishing this January 1 entry.

Ressie #3 is to finish up some of my UFO's such as the two grannies (well actually three but I got the third knit by the Woolman after he died ONLY it was not put together and now must be waiting 15 - 17 years as a UFO and it is in wool). The first two were crocheted in swaps from the Yarn Lovers Room http://www.knitting-crochet.com/. They have a great selection of granny square swaps to join. Check it out. When you have yours complete it will be a very unique and one of a kind afghan. I know when I sent my squares off to the different individuals they weren't all the same and some were knit while others crocheted. In some swaps you send one square and in other two. The size depends on the swap. At the Yarn Lovers Room click just for fun and then join our granny square swap and when there click a list of swaps to join and choose among the many there. I also want to either finish or toss the baby surprise sweater I knit but just needs to be put together. I don't like the colors I did it in but it was only to learn how to do it. AND all I need to complete is the sewing up the shoulder seam. GEESE!!! I also want to finish my lace shawl from the Romantic Style Rowan book I am doing in pink Ovation and my 10,000 bead shawl both of which have only about an inch or so knitted.

#4 resolution is to get myself back on ravelry by putting my photos back the missing photos and finishing up the list of books I have if in the database. Oh and be more communicative in the community.

AND lastly #5 be more communicative in the many knitting groups I belong to.

I hope I have not bitten off more than I can chew but judging by how long it has been to complete this entry it may be.

OH and Miss Solara my knitting kitty has here own resolutions which she thinks is quite manageable.

1. Be more finicky about what I will eat

2. Meow longer and louder for treats and want them more often

3. Listen less and respond less when spoken to

4. In general be more of a "nudge"

BUT I must admit my housemate sure has me under her spell when she comes out of the shower as I love when she rubs my fur with her "wet" feet or cuddles me in the "wet" towel. "AH this feels so good", says Miss Solara.