Consipiracy Theory - expiry dates

I think that food manufacturers must LOVE the new expiry dates on everything from crackers to toothpaste. Okay, sure they have to be a bit more accountable for delivery times, and may lose some product sales when consumers don't buy expired products - although I've found out that those expired foods are just sent to liquidators where people don't seem to care about expiry dates.

But I also think that they benefit greatly from these dates. Personally, when it says "best before" I take that as a suggestion, so if I go a few days after the date, big deal. Yes, "expiry dates" mean a whole different thing.

But JP and people like him, seem to take these dates very seriously. In fact, just the other day, I happened to have a bag (or two) or tamari chips beside my computer. Sure they were a little old, but I was fine with it.

Then suddenly they disappeared.

I looked on the floor to see if they had fallen and searched to see if one of the dogs stole a bag and hid the evidence, but they were nowhere to be found. So then I had no choice but to ask him (you'll find I am and extremely curious sort). Yup, he decided to care enough about my health to check the date on my snack food and threw them out because they were past the date stamped on the bag.

One more happy food marketer loving this great little scam. They don't care much about my health, just as long as I am a mouth eating their food. But they looove to sell their products!

So not only do you have to pick up every item at the store to check fat content and calories, you now have to check for dates. I really don't understand why more people don't just shop the perimeter of the store for all the ingredient type food and skip all the pre-made cookies and crackers because they're becoming a lot of work to purchase. And then to burn off those calories too.

In knitting news, no progress on the sock, just working on the shrug. Not feeling to well the last 2 days and had a big deadline at work.

Tonight it's snowing Way Out Here, so all I want to do is hide under the covers. And knit.

Craft: the magazine

I have been looking for the magazine, Craft: for quite some time. I've asked JP several times when he was in various locations around Vancouver to pick one up for me, and he couldn't find it. In fact, he went so far as to suggest it didn't even exist(gasp!). I asked my friend at Big Girl Feet where she picked up her copy and she was kind enough to name the store and location, so JP and I were set to trek into the city this weekend for magazine glory(plus some other goodies of course). (Hi, my name is Denise, and I am a magazine-a-holic...)

But then this morning I was in small pharmacy close to where I live and there it was! Tricky little feller - just 1 km from my house! Innocently hiding on the bottom shelf, smack dab in the middle of the store's magazine rack. Now this is super amazing because yes, I live Way. Out. There. I'm so happy to find the magazine, but sad because I don't think there will be three more people like me who will pay $17.99 for a magazine Way Out Here.

And then yesterday I read this, on Carol Browne's blog:

I've given this some serious thought and, I'm officially finished with Martha Stewart Living. I'm going to cancel the subscription I've had for 7 years. I feel like a traitor, but, today after reading the March issue - the gardening issue - I realized that I've read this same gardening issue every March for 7 years. I've kept every issue I ordered and I never refer back to them. Many of the articles tell you to refer to her website anyway. And I figure if I really want an article, I'll just buy it off the newsstand

And I agree 100%. I've been subscribing to Martha Stewart Living since 1997. And lately it just does not have it. It's become a big yawn. So I won't renew my subscription when it ends in the fall. And that will leave a hole in my budget for Craft: the magazine.

The meaning of knitting

So I've been reading several knitting blogs over the past week. And I started to get a bit discouraged. So many knitters seem to finish so many projects so quickly. I don't consider myself that slow, although I know keeping the yarn in my right hand is a bit slower.

But then as I read on, I found out that some of the bloggers don't have a job outside of the home. Granted being a mommy is a tough and time-consuming job, but I certainly see how can you sneak in a few more rows each day than those of us who have to report to other types of jobs. One lady in particular seemed to have somewhere around 7 hours each day to knit! Besides the fact that I don't know how her hands and shoulders could withstand that many hours,(maybe lots of breaks) she certainly could complete lots of projects at that rate. But then she mentioned she had a housekeeper! Well, can you imagine? Being able to stay home with your child or children and having a housekeeper.

I started to feel a bit better about my progress.

And then I read something else. One blogger reported that there are mistakes in her work. No I'm not saying that I knit perfectly, but it got me to thinking - perhaps for some it's about quantity and not quality. I usually have only one project on the needles and work on it until I'm done. I take care to not drop stitches and to correct pattern mistakes. I recently tried to have multiple projects going as I am sure you have read, but I think as I finish them I'll just continue to keep one, maybe two, going at the same time.

So perhaps it comes down to this? The nicest part about knitting, is that there are no rules. Well sure there are instructions for making patterns, but some may take those instructions as suggestions. Maybe that's why knitting is popular. It's okay to change the colour, to substitute the yarn, to alter the pattern, to be perfect or imperfect. Maybe in a world with so many restrictions and rules, that the joy of knitting comes more from our freedom than the actual process?

Lil Grey Sock, Lil Grey Sock

Do you read the cartoon Mutts? The cat often sings about 'lil pink sock'. Well I just finished my first grey wool sock. It's a good think I'm curious because I tried it on as I was working on the foot and if I had continued as per the pattern, it would have been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too long. I didn't decrease for the toes as much as you're supposed to because of it, but I think it turned out okay. I was going to give this pair away but there are a few mistakes (very minor) so I will keep them and make another pair later to give.

And socks sure are hard to photograph aren't they? Especially when you only have one completed and you're trying to take the picture yourself! Here's the best I could do.

It's not fair.

Saturday night. Warm bedroom. I am sitting in bed, knitting and watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on TV. That's fair.

Then JP comes into the room and starts watching too. Nothing wrong with that.

But then the kid comes in and insists he wants to watch TV and not play video games anymore, so the channel must get changed. That's not fair.

You see the kid is only eight and Harry Potter's rated PG-13 and he's been having nightmares because the kids at daycare and school have been telling him about demons. And something about "Bloody Mary". Their version: If you say "Bloody Mary" three times and then go into the bathroom, you'll come out with bleeding scratches on your arms, or something like that. Oh sure, he's all tough in front of his friends, but scared *&%$-less at night, so much so that he needs a nightlight and someone to be with him at bedtime, and often wakes up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. So we're not taking any chances of scaring the living daylights out of him with a movie such as Harry Potter.

I check the cable listings and Harry Potter's not scheduled to be on again within the next few days .... dang it! That's not fair. But what can you do about it? Can't scar a poor child for life for selfish reasons, can I?

UFO updates: Well, I put a few more inches on my mohair shrug last night. Watching Cops -that's not scary to an eight year old.

And turned the heel on my sock - all by myself! I've never knitted a sock without my mummy! She's always been there to help. Turns out I can do it by myself and it's not that hard. What was I waiting for? Knitting confidence I guess. And, as I am sure many of you are nodding your heads while you read this, knitting a sock is a great thing to do as a passenger in the car, especially when you're working on the leg or the foot. I like that with the dpns the project folds flat and doesn't take up that much space when you're traveling.

On the mohair shrug, I liked how the colour was "puddling" in the beginning, but then when I switched to the smaller needles, it's become self striping. I am not as fond of that, but it may turn out really nice when the project is done, so I am learning to postpone my judgement.

FOs

Here's the finished dog sweater, fits my mum's schnauzer perfectly. I'm not going to mess with a good thing, this pattern was the best for him.

And here's a message from the recipient (I did not write this):

Dear Jazz and Maxx mom,

Thank you for the present you sent me today. I
like this sweater as much as I liked the white one with the black stripes. I
have worn that one a whole lot this winter and what's so nice is that it covers
my tummy underneath because that's where I don't like to get cold and wet.

People say that dogs can't see colours. Well maybe I can't see red too
well, but I can see the colours of my new sweater. You know why? Because that's
what the sky looks like and the little blue flowers I saw last summer and mom
didn't want me to pee on.It's a good thing that I can have an extra skin put on
when it is cold, because where I was born we didn't need those things.
You
know I was born in Oklahoma, right? Before I was big enough I was sent on a trip
far away and now I live north of the border of Montana. And boy does it get cold
here! So here is one very thankful Mini Schnauzer and my breed might sound
German, but I am a snow loving American doggie living in Canada, not as far as
Alaska though.

Thank you again. Oh let me put that in Schnauzerese:
YYooooowllllloooooohhooooo!!

Woofwarf, bye
now

Finnegan

And here's the finished wool toque, my mom has placed a beautiful snowflake pin on it and it looks very nice.

Edit: I just found out that my mom didn't have roses in her house when she took this photo; she Photoshopped roses into the picture. How clever is that? Especially for an 'elderly woman'.

The finished and the unfinished

First the finished: my mum received the navy wool cap and the blue/green striped dog coat in today's mail, super fast because I mailed them on Wednesday, even though I told her I sent them earlier in the week. Sad isn't it, still fibbing to my mum. Poor lady.

Then the unfinished: 3 projects on needles! That's pretty rare for me. Usually, I completely finish a project before starting on another. Am I evolving as a knitter?

First - an attempt at lace. Fern pattern. A shawl? A project I really want to do, but tedious as all get out, so it often gets skipped.

Second - 5 skeins of mohair to be part of a shrug. Although with each row I ask myself, "Am I too late? Are shrugs still in style? Do I need to be in style? Will I look weird wearing mohair just around the house? How would anyone know?" And so, with much self-doubt, I continue because mohair is nice to work with and the needles are big. Sometimes fast progress is good. Especially useful to balance a slow project such as the fern lace project mentioned above.
Third - socks. The 56 stitch, 56 row sock from Chic Knits. Okay I admit it. I just didn't want to be like everyone else. But then I did want to be like everyone else. I keep hearing how great home knit socks are. How wonderful wool is to wear. How some can knit a sock in their sleep and they are so fast and quick. I hesitated because I don't like repeating projects and I have to make two, back-to-back, going against the basis of my whole self. Does that make any sense?

No it's not a black and white photo, it's just Elephant Grey Wool. Don't worry, I'll embellish them. Somehow.

I knitted a pair of knee highs when I was 10 - 11. No, not ten or eleven but ten to eleven. It took a long time. I asked my mother why she would let a kid proceed with such an arduous task of knee high socks. Granted my legs were shorter then, but still, there are inches and inches of just going round and round and round.

She told me that I was stubborn (I must have grown out of that) and she couldn't talk me out of it. I give myself 'points' for sticking to my guns at such an early age.

I still have them, heel worn out and all. My mom says I wore them a lot. Until the heal wore out. When I get near them again, I show you the picture.

Treats!

Yay! I got treats!

JP had a business meeting in Washington this morning and brought home some US goodies - Squeeze Cheese! (4 bottles), and SNICKERDOODLES! (which I love, but homemade is still the best way to go) and a Hot Chocolate notebook and a striped file sorter (I've already installed the alphabet tabs and filed knitting/crochet patterns)


Wasn't that sweet of him! Yay! It's nice to get treats. And for that I'll make him a lovely port tenderloin with potatoes and corn. Yum. He'll love it.

Blogaversary! 1 Year Old!

It's my one year Blog-a-versary! Wow. Time is just whizzing by. And, if I look back, I didn't do too badly. I started and completed quite a few projects, that feels pretty good.

Should I do anything to mark the day? What do you do for your blog anniversary? What's the best one someone else has done?

FO - felted purse

So I had a ball of wool, the kind you use to make a Cowichan Sweater (scroll down for photos, a West Coast Native style) and knitted it on 12mm needles. Then I felted it. Boy was it thick! But I decided to make a purse out of it anyway, a black felted purse which my cherry brooch:

I know it should have been shaped better, but I was in such a hurry to take a photo. And since it's a bit fuzzy, I probably will add a liner to it.

Demi & Score!

So the other day on The Biography Channel they had an episode about Demi Moore which I watched. Then another channel featured a movie with her in it on Friday, and today, after watching G.I. Jane , I saw that Ghost was on next. So I said to JP, "What's all the hype about Demi Moore this week? What's she doing?"

And JP answers "Ashton Kutcher".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday I scored in the yarn department of the thrift store. I know there is only one ball each, but these fun yarns are great for edgings of purses etc. They were $1 each!

A new spring coat

Finished - a spring dog sweater in Phildar Pegase+ (which is wool and acrylic) for a little schnauzer living in a cold city. The pattern is from Stitch N Bitch Nation and I had previously made it in cream and black. Of all the dog sweaters I have knit for my mum, she says the striped cream and black one For the past year I have pretty much been making things from my stash which I have inherited from various sources. This time I actually went to a LYS and purchased yarn specifically for the project. My mum's an artist so I really hope she likes my choice of colours. I'm a bit on the fence. What do you think of the colour combinations - sky blue, 'olive' green, pale limey green?

I am very pleased with it, I really like the gauge, and the way it knit up and I do like the stipe variations. For some reason I feel really good about this one. I think it's time I went to a LYS and bought yarn specifically for a project for me!

Here's the dog coat:

I know, it doesn't look like much without a dog inside of it; I'll include pictures of him wearing it when she receives it.

Here's what the first one looked like: Finally, a sunny day where I can take photos outside! I just came back from a 5+ km walk with one of my dogs - what a beautiful day! Lots of little snowdrops and crocus bulbs starting to emerge and the sun was up at 0700h! I love early sunrises!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hello Blog Readers! Wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day or Happy Emotional Distortion Day, as the announcer on NPR calls it.

I have to gush for just a minute: JP is a fabulous gift giver! He had a large Valentine's bag full of treats for me. He made me the best cup 'o tea and had bought a bunch of Hot Cross Buns for breakfast, he gave me a g-i-ant Hershey's kiss and an In Style magazine. He gave me some presents which I can't tell you about, but they will be enjoyed frequently! And, of course he wrote me a beautiful and wonderful Valentine's card. He's the best gift giver I ever met. He seems to have a talent for buying me presents I didn't know I wanted!

I wish I could give him presents as great as the ones he gives to me. But today I did luck out - I had ordered a book for him in January but when I checked on it two weeks ago, it hadn't even been shipped! I sent them a notice and they said they would send it soon. Their website said it would arrive February 13th to 20th, so I crossed my fingers that it would make it in time. But it was not here yesterday. A checked the website this morning and the ETA had been changed to February 20th! Not fair! So, I gave him a card with a note to say that another gift was coming - but then it arrived in the mail today after all!

And the same thing happened with a Valentine's card my brother sent. He went through all the trouble of having the card sent to the US so it could be postmarked from "Loving, New Mexico", and even had the cutest Hershey's Kisses stamps. I talked to him this morning and he was disappointed it hadn't arrived yet. But then an hour later when the mail came, it was there! Yay! Two for two with Canada Post!


Here's a tea rose from a potted plant JP gave me earlier in the week, isn't it sweet?

The Awakening

I found the following on this blog, but wanted to include it because I thought it was very good, and wanted to share it and remember it.

"The Awakening"
A time comes in your life when you finally get it...when, in
the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and
somewhere the voice inside your head cries out...ENOUGH! Enough fighting and
crying and blaming and struggling to hold on.Then, like a child quieting down
after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world
through new eyes.This is your awakening.You realize it's time to stop hoping and
waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to
magically appear over the next horizon. You realize that in the real world there
aren't always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily ever after"
must begin with you... and in the process a sense of serenity is born of
acceptance. You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not
everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are... and
that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions. You learn the
importance of loving and championing yourself... and in the process a sense of
new found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop complaining and blaming
other people for the things they did to you - or didn't do for you - and you
learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn
that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not
everyone will always be there for you and that everything isn't always about
you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself... and in
the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance. You stop
judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to
overlook their shortcomings and human frailties... and in the process a sense of
peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to
new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining
who you are and what you really stand for. You learn the difference between
wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've
outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with. You learn that there
is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through
life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. You learn that principles
such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but
the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.
You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world
and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn that the only cross to bear is
the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake. Then you
learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not
as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely. You stop
trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish
between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and
learning to say NO. You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings
aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that your body
really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You
begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise.
You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take
more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So
you take more time to laugh and to play. You learn that, for the most part, you
get in life what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a
self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth
working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working
toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve
success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no
one can do it all alone, and that it's OK to risk asking for help. You learn the
only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and
through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and
to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms. You
learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of
impending doom. You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what
you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good
people... and you learn not to always take it personally. You learn that
nobody's punishing you and everything isn't always somebody's fault. It's just
life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges
instead of walls. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and
resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out
of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to be thankful and
to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that
millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator,
clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower. Then, you begin to take
responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never
betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart's desire. You
make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every
wonderful possibility. You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can
listen to the wind.
Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand,
you take a deepbreath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best
youcan.
by Virginia Marie Swift

Grass

I received this note via email:

I hope this picture comes through for you - of this Canadian Army soldier, stationed in Iraq, with his tiny "plot" of grass in front of his tent. It's heartwarming! He asked his wife to send him dirt (Canadian soil), fertilizer, and some grass seed so that he can have the sweet aroma, and feel the grass grow beneath his feet. When the men of the squadron have a mission that they are going on, they take turns walking through the grass and the Canadian soil - to bring them good luck. If you notice, he is even cutting the grass with a pair of a scissors. Sometimes we are in such a hurry that we don't stop and think about the little things that we take for granted. Upon receiving this, please say a prayer for our Canadian soldiers who give so unselfishly for us.

However, when I "googled" for the image, I found two other references saying he was an American soldier. The point is, either country, it's a touching thought. It's too bad the Internet allows people to change the story of the photo.

After growing up in a house, with a front yard and a back yard, the thing I missed the most after a couple years of apartment living, was "a lawn". My girlfriends and I would love invites to each other's parent's house so we could have the opportunity to sit on the lawn and run our bare toes and our fingers through the grass.

The point is to be thankful for the things we have, no matter how small, and desire less of the things we don't have.

And to be thankful for those brave men and women around the country who give their lives to fight for their country, whether you support the war, or not.

Poor Anna

Anna Nicole Smith found dead in her hotel room at 39. How sad. She had such a tragic life. I'm so grateful to have not lived her life. The poor girl. She just had a baby 5 months- poor baby, I wish her little girl a much better life. It just seems so tragic.

According to a former Smith attorney, Lenard Leed she "She wanted to be like Marilyn her whole life and ironically died in a similar manner," Leeds said. Monroe died of a drug overdose at age 36 in 1962.

We really must be careful what we wish for, and live our own lives. Shouldn't we?

Pretty flowers

Here are some flower bulbs from a basket my mum sent me for helping her out, a pretty hyacinth which should be open in a few days: and a pretty tulip, which will probably be open by Friday:

Self portrait of a woolen hat I just knitted for my mum, her specifications:

My dog really doesn't fit in this bed..... silly dog

WIP - Dog Coat

OK, last one. After trying a variety of styles for dog coats and hearing my mom say that the striped one I made last year, still fits the best, I took the hint. I especially went to the LYS to buy these yarns. Of course, they didn't have what I wanted and so I substituted and now have to got back for more, because I mis-calculated... but that's a different story. Here's what we have so far: I have switched to a lighter green for some of the stripes, but will alternate back to the darker green. I wish I could have found that turquoise blue and limeade, I love how bright they are. BTW, that's the Stitch 'N Bitch Nation book for the pattern.

And here's a photo of my girl Jazz. She doesn't like the camera, she probably thinks it'll steal her soul or something (well, that's the look she gives me). She's got issues...she's 10 years old now!

It's pouring rain outside today, and JP is in Indianapolis this week and it's minus 18 Celsius, so I wouldn't trade him. This is the first time he's been away from me for more than 1 night. Usually I am the one who goes away and leaves him behind. After my April trip to San Antonio without him (which is already booked), I don't think I'll leave him behind again. It's no fun being left behind. I had no idea. He doesn't tell me these things. From now one I'll travel with him.

Red Sweater Revisited

Remember the crocheted red sweater that was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too big for my mum's schnauzer. She lives in another province so it's hard to imagine the size of the dog as mine are sooooo much bigger than he is.

Anyway, my mommy redid it and it looks pretty good. She said "don't mind the dog, he just woke up from a nap"

Here's what she did: Unfortunately, I had to remove the lightblue wool, but there was not enough usable wool left to redo the edging. I undid the final row at the neck which was too tight and finished it with dark navy wool, then folded it down and sewed it as a collar. Now it fits over his head and seems comfortable around his neck. I had to move the armholes as they were too close, but that was no problem because it was crocheted it was real easy to fix and pick up stitches. This wouldn't have been possible if it had been knitted. I finished the hem with the same navy and I thing all it needs now is maybe his monogram or something. The crochet work is nice and even so the whole thing looks neat.

Finished Objects

Here's some finished projects. The Terriersaurus Rex(too small):

The red crochet sweater(too big):


He doesn't look very happy to be in any of these, does he?