Jack In the Box

Jack in the Box is being sued by their competitor because of these commercials:

And this one:

Personally, I think the commercials are fabulous... and the plaintiff is a sore loser.

Toe-Up Socks

Here's my progress of my toe-up socks. It looks like I'll be able to get a decent cuff on them after all.

I didn't do anything fancy because I didn't know how much yarn I had. I do things backwards. I inherit yarn first and then figure out what to make with it.....

You know how so many knitters say that they have a bunch of single socks because they don't feel like starting the second one once the first is completed? I think that if you don't finish the first one, and sort of progress two at the same time - like when you knit on two circulars, you'll be more motivated to because you're making two at once instead of one followed by another.... well that's what works for me.

The HOW of your knitting (again)

I wanted to know the answer to my burning question : How do YOU knit? But I only received two replies on my blog. I wanted more, so I posted the question on Craftster. It's been read 371 times and there are about 22 replies.

It's very interesting to hear the 'how' - like using paperclips for stitch markers and beaded bracelets for row counters and keeping all projects in zip-l0ck baggies for ease of movement/travelling etc.

A wonderful spring day

It's a beautiful 25 degrees here today, although it feels much hotter. Yes, I have seedlings in the min-greenhouse but they're not much to look at right now, so I planted some purchased ones (a gift from JP).

Here are some garden photos:

See? I've got all my ducks in a row!

How many dogs can you spot?

Flip Flops are Flying!

Another project finished - this one very basic and very quick - a pair of flip flops from Michael's, some left over fun fur, a 6.5mm crochet hook , about 20 minutes and voila! A pair of fuzzy flip flops.

Furry flip flops finished fast for feet fun featuring fantastic fuzz for future fiestas!

Who hears the fishes when they cry?

I am sad to report that I had a fish tank crisis over the weekend. I had 5 medium sized goldfish in a 10 gallon tank. I knew the water was getting close to needing to be changed when I took a close look on Saturday morning. However, by Saturday night when we returned home, I had a crisis. Due to the size of the fish and an aging (or possibly faulty) filter pad, and the nitrates in the water (from fish and food waste) the pH dropped below 6.00 and caused the fish to actually be suffocating in their water. One fish was found dead. The smallest one.

I worked hard draining the tank, and adding various things to bring the pH up to 6.6 that night. I added some medicine to help the fish. However, by Sunday morning a second fish was gone. The fancy one. I did a water change on Sunday and just checked the pH now - and it's at 6.8 - which is almost neutral.

They are still showing mild symptoms and haven't really been eating, but I'm hopeful more won't be lost. These three fish should be the right size for the tank as long as they don't get bigger (I had to sell one about a year ago who was over 8" long! ~ too big for a 10 gallon tank.) I am monitoring the tank very closely and sure hope I don't lose any others. I hate when pets die.

"Away with the superficial and selfish philanthropy of men; who knows what admirable virtue of fishes
may be below low-water-mark, bearing up against a hard destiny, not admired by that fellow-creature
who alone can appreciate it! Who hears the fishes when they cry?."
---Henry David Thoreau, from A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers

Toe-up Sock Progess

Just finished the heel, will do a few rounds as is, then switch to larger needles and start a 2x2 rib for the cuff. Once I switch needles, I'll hold this sock and then start on the second one. I'll be able to finish the cuff when I know how much yarn is left.

Sound like a good plan?

HOW do you knit?

I know HOW to knit. But what I'm curious is, what things do you do for the knitting process (or crochet - for me they are interchangeable-no snobbery here).

For example, many of my patterns are from the internet - so I am working from a couple sheets of paper. Sometimes I make copies of the pattern for the books I have, so I am working from paper and don't have to wrestle with a book that keeps wanting to close.

I also can't seem to knit without a Post-it Note. That's how I keep track of my place in the pattern and often count rows by writing on it.

If I am using small needles, I use a finger protector, which seems to help. Should I be trying to toughen my finger tip? What do you do?

I have a little pouch which I've tied a counter to the zipper pull to make for easy access and easy clicking. Inside I keep a small crochet hook(for dropped stitches), some felt which holds some needles, some pink thread (semi-neutral), a pen, small scissors and a yarn hook.

Sometimes when I am working on a project, I use a tray. Then I can carry all the little project parts from the lawn chair to the bed or anywhere I'm working. The tray is a hard surface so I can write my row or stitch count as well.

Do you only knit in the same spot? Where do you prefer to do it (couch, chair, bed)?

So what "things" do you use, besides your needles and yarn when you knit (or crochet)?

How do you know if you're intolerant or if your neighbour is just and a**hole?

Well after reading the BigGirlFeet blog today and what I'm going to write below, perhaps there is no where near a city that isn't subject to people who, for one reason or another, are either obnoxious, or crazy, or rude or selfish and cause their crap to overflow in our little worlds.

So. How do you know if you are intolerant or if it's the other person?

- is it acceptable to play music with heavy bass until 10:30pm on week night when your living room wall is 15' from your neighbour's house, and their bedroom is on that end?
-is it acceptable to always have lots of guests with lots of cars when you live at the end of a cul-de-sac and your guests continuously block neighbour's driveways?
- is it okay if your Jack Russell Terrier terrorizes your neighbours when they try to use their backyards? Is it okay for your dog to bark constantly at everyone and everything and never discipline your dog to be quiet or take him in? Is it okay for said dog to "attack" the fence (that your neighbour paid for) and allow him to tear chunks of wood from the fence when the neighbour tries to garden within 15' of the fence?
- is it okay for your friend's kids to play street hockey in front of your neighbour's driveway, so when a slap shot misses the net (which happens often as they are kids, but the "men" join in too) it hits your neighbours house or their cars? (What's wrong with playing in front of your own house?)
- is it okay to use the fence (the one your neighbour built and paid for) as a back stop for soccer so that boards are knocked out and your neighbour has to fix?
-is it okay to store all the used doors and windows from your job all around your property so everyone in the street can look at your scrap yard?
- is it okay to let your dog, your guest's dog and assorted children run through your neighbours front yard, and don't do anything about it until the neighbour sends them home?
- is it okay to leave your Jack Russell Terrier home alone with the window open so he can bark his head off while standing on the window sill for all the hear?

So when is a neighbour intolerant and when is a neighbour a jerk? Is it all just part of life? I've read some of your blogs and seen some pictures, like these... do we all have to endure one bad egg in each of our neighbourhoods? Is there really a great neighbourhood? And if there is, is there a 'For Sale' sign anywhere?

K-tel Knitter

Dear Crafty Friends,

I was recently at a thrift store and bought a bag of sewing notions. In it were two K-tel Knitters. Intrigued, I searched for them and found this and this . It's selling between $15 and $20 for the original packaging, yarn and 25 pattern book. I'm surprised.

Have you had any experience with it? Is it a pain to try? Any comments ? This looks like a good safe craft to take on the airplane. It looks like it was around in the mid-60's to early 70's

Signed,

Curious Knitter

EDITED-2014: There are some good sites shown on Google - this is one of the most comprehensive. I have never pursued the patterns, in fact after this post in 2007, I put them away and haven't seen them since. 

The little sock that almost wasn't (and still might not be)

Yesterday, I did not garden. I knitted instead. And here's a little story:

Early in April I started to crochet a sock from the toe up. I worked on it for a few days and then left for my vacation. Upon return I resumed crocheting and everything was going well until I started to work the heel and looked at my skein and realized I couldn't make a second sock with what was left. So I frogged it.

But I loved the yarn and since it seemed to have stuck together a bit when I was frogging it, I thought it was wool, so I knitted a square thinking I could felt it and sew it into a little purse or pouch. So I knitted a square and threw it in the laundry. But nothing happened.

While it was going through the hot cycle, I discovered a bag with a second skein. Oh no! I could have had the crocheted socks completed by now and I would have had enough yarn! And when I found the second skein, the one with the label, I realized it was 25% mohair and the remainder something else (it was in German) but not wool which is why there was no felting going on.

Auggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! (like the Charlie Brown comics) This is what happens when you start a project, and don't finish it, BEFORE a vacation! Well now, I have enough for socks again.

So I go through my sock pattens and find this short toe-up version that should be perfect. But it wants a set of 5 size 2.25mm needles. Hmm that might be a problem. Most of my dpns are in sets of four. But I happen to have little bundles of dpns when I've bought bags of needles at the thrift store. So I pull out my handy-dandy needle gauge and voila! A set of 5 is found! Of course they're the most motley looking set - one longer than the others, a couple are bent, but they do the job so off I go.

I didn't garden yesterday, but I started on my sock - here's my progress:

I really like this yarn, which I guess is why I'm on my third attempt of making something, anything, with it! I'll get a good photo once I've knitted a bit more so you can see the beautiful colours (lavender, turquoise, greens).

Where does the time go? (When it's not around here)

For the past week, everyday after work I have been spending 2 to 2 1/2 hours each day in the gardens. Then I clean up, make dinner, eat dinner with JP, clean up and then knit.

On Saturday I walked the dogs, sewed and hemmed (by hand) some pants for the kid, did laundry, gardened for two hours, cleaned up and then went to a family function, then out to dinner and then home.

Sunday (Happy Mother's Day), I walked the dogs, phoned my mum and then we went downtown. Came home, ate dinner, watched the Sopranos, washed dishes and went to bed.

That's it. Where does the time go? My "office" room is a mess. I just don't know what to do. Finally the weather is so gorgeous, who wants to spend time indoors, sorting and decluttering? This afternoon, I may not garden. I may sit in the sun and knit. There is still lots to do in the garden but at least the seeds are in the ground and all the rush jobs are done. Oh who am I kidding? Of course I'll just do one thing, which will lead to another and pretty soon 2 hours are gone again!

Here are some flowery updates - my ornamental cherry has littered my front lawn with blossoms, it almost looks like a bridal scene. This is a very beautiful thing the first few days but usually shortly after that, we get rain and then I have a lawn full of little brown flower balls!

Here's my beautiful azalea bush

And some miniature yellow poppies...

What I have been doing

Well as far as I'm concerned, our first Spring day was Tuesday. It was finally warm enough to go outside in a t-shirt (long sleeved t-shirt though) and enjoy some sun. After work I've been spending about 2-3 hours each day in the garden. I am very behind due to our horrible March and April weather, plus my little vacation two weeks ago (my how time flies!). I decided to concentrate on the front yard first and have tidied up my carport as it's open for all to see.

Here's what is in bloom now:

Ornamental Cherry Tree

Viola

Muscari

Garden critters:

Stellar Jay

Squirrel

I'm working hard on the back yard. Some gardens are going to be deleted. I admit it - I just can't win the battle with my neighbours morning glory. It's too aggressive and fast growing. And some plots no matter what I do - they just keep having too many weeds. I will delete a strawberry patch because of the constant weed situation despite covering the ground with mulch but also because every time I just get a nice big strawberry, and I'm leaving it to ripen on the plant - a stupid slug or snail comes along and gets to it before I do. I so hate that.

But you know what I hate the most? Flower thieves! I found out from my neighbour that another neighbour has been helping themselves to my lilacs. Now you can see from the photo that I have a very nice plant. But what you don't know is that I've been working and pruning this tree for about 3 years before this many blooms could be achieved. These neighbours know me, surely they could knock on my door and ask if they could have some. But they did not. They proudly told my neighbour that they cut a bunch for the house and then some more because their daughter just came out of the hospital and they were going to get a step stool so they could get some more! Now if they had asked me, I would have said yes. But the fact that people are just helping themselves to my flowers is theft. Plain and simple. What do you think?

Notice there are no flowers on the bottom of the bush?

Video: Remember Me.

You must watch this



Send all those soldiers home alive!

**Edited**

Something for nothing

After a recent shopping trip, I was looking over the receipts to enter into my home accounting program and I noticed an item on my receipt that I did not buy. I suspect that the cashier may have scanned the book for someone to find out the price and forgot to delete it, or other possibilities. The tough part was proving that we didn't buy the item. As it turned out, the manager was kind enough to see that the first item on our list, was not something we'd most likely buy, so she granted the credit.

However, when we got home I again went through the receipts and noticed the return reason:

"paid something for nothin"

I thought is was an interesting reason and wonder if that was something the return clerk did, or if they have it programmed into their system... made me chuckle anyway.

Ravelry

If you're a knitter or a crocheter, check out this website.....I think you'll really like it. It's still in the testing stages AFAIK, but keep an eye on it.

You tell me what you think of it - you'll probably have to wait until you've been invited though.

Seaworld Sea Lions

When I was at Seaworld last week, I bought some fish to feed the Sea Lions and Seals. They made lots of noise and were my friend only as long as I had food. For two minutes and $4 I was wanted and needed.

Thank Goodness people aren't like that!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How come suddenly I have sooooo much to do? I need to clean up and clean out so much of my house, and it seems like practically everything in my yards needs to be redone!


JP and I should be going ring shopping this weekend, and I'd better hustle on finding/ordering a dress! I'm waiting to hear back from my brother who lives in Medicine Hat to see if he happens to know any of the marriage commissioners.

I'm getting married !

That's right, I finally am. It will be in early July, where my mom lives as she can't fly because of her heart attack. A very small affair with close family only.

It's one thing to plan a wedding, but out of province in a town I'm not all that familiar with will also be difficult. There is so much to learn, I sure hope I can do all the planning and arranging. More details to follow once we've made a few reservations.