It's my birthday tomorrow. I will be 31. I've got the place mostly cleaned up and ready for company tomorrow so I've got nothing to do today except spend some time knitting. I'm going back to Starsky and getting those damn sleeves done! Also, a big happy birthday to my friend Ivon, he's an April Fool just like me.

We talked to Jeremy's carpenter friend and it looks like we can make a deal. He's free in a couple of weeks and I can certainly live with the door in its current state until then. Ah, relief. Depending on what he's willing to charge for his time and expertise, I'm sure we'll call him for help with a bunch of things around the house in the future. He's willing to work out friend prices as long as we share some of the labour, which is how we'd like to do it anyway.

On the kitty front, we've still got problems with runny poop. While the giardia has been confirmed to be cleared up, something else is bothering the kitties and we don't know what. On the vet's advice we've tried a few things but they don't seem to be working so we're just going to have to take the cats in tomorrow morning. Jonah enjoyed himself at the vet last time, but Cuba was scared. Maybe if they both go together it won't be so bad for her. Wish us luck, cat diarrhea is so frustrating! At least Jonah is not messing himself as much anymore and I don't have to chase him with wet paper towels before he sits down. In any case, the cats seem healthy. They're happy and active, well hydrated and maintaining their weight.

We've given up on the door. We spent hours and hours and hours and just couldn't get it to hang right. In the photo above you can see our first attempt at shimming the jamb into the frame. We thought we did a great job since our level told us it was perfectly straight and square. Apparently the level lies, because no matter what we did we could not get the door to hang correctly. One corner insisted on sticking out and scraping the jamb.

Continue reading "Door Debacle"

What have I been doing lately? I've been disillusioned with my knitting. The last time I picked up the baby blanket for Astra, it looked a bit funny. I folded it over and realized I had loosened up in my gauge so much that the width of the blanket was almost 2" wider than at the cast-on edge. I was horrified. I argued with myself about letting it go and working it out in the blocking, but in the end I just couldn't continue. So I'll be ripping about half of it out and reknitting. Sorry Astra! I swear Sebastian will get this blanket before he goes to university.

Starsky went swimmingly along until I got to the plain stockinette sleeves. I knit the back and two fronts in record time but for some reason, when I started working the sleeve, I just couldn't keep gauge. What is wrong with me? I ripped out the sleeve back to the ribbing twice. I think I need a smaller needle to get gauge with the stockinette. I was using a 4.5 mm for the rest of the sweater, and I'm going to try again with a 4 mm for the sleeves. Believe it or not, the pattern calls for a 6 mm. How tightly do you people knit?

In the meantime I have almost finished a pair of socks. I made the second one a bit too short, so I have to rip back the toe and add about 4 rows before I reknit the toe. Not only can I not keep gauge, I also cannot measure. I have just been so frustrated!

Jeremy had the last couple of days off, so we decided to get something done around here. We used a gift card from Christmas for Home Depot to buy a new door for Alex's bedroom. We have plans to replace all the doors because they are awful, but Alex's came first because it was hung the wrong way. It opened into the centre of his room instead of toward the corner; when the room in question is so small this is awkward and stupid. Particularly awkward was the fact that the door, when opened, obscured the lightswitch. You had to enter the room and close the door in the dark before you could turn on the light.

We've never hung a door and jamb before, but lack of experience doesn't stop us. We tore off the trim, ripped out the old jamb and started shimming. On the top and left side it was easy to get the jamb plumb. The other side was a nightmare because the framing for the door was way too big. The new door is exactly the same size as the old door, and we discovered only after ripping out the old jamb (which was shimmed in the most creative manner!) that we were going to have to get creative as well. What we ended up doing is screwing the old jamb directly to the 2x4 of the frame, and then shimming the new jamb from there. It sounds confusing but I took some pictures and it'll all make sense when I post them later on.

Anyway, with some struggle we managed just fine, and that jamb is perfectly square! We are awesome. It's probably the only square thing in our house. Right before we went to hang the actual door, we decided to read the instructions.

Now, we used some vague directions we found online. That combined with watching countless doors hung in countless frames on countless home reno shows gave me the confidence that we knew how to do this. When we looked at the instructions that came with the door, they said we should hang the door before we shimmed the jamb. Wha? I guess that would work when your jamb actually fits into the frame with millimetres to spare, but we were working in a space that was about 3" too wide. Anyway, the door hangs correctly, but it doesn't swing because the bottom needs to be trimmed about a half-inch to allow for the bedroom carpet. Jeremy's going to saw it off this morning, and tonight Alex can have his room back!

We spent the entire day at my parents' place yesterday so we could eat some of my dad's birthday cake. Alex had spent the last few nights over there for March Break and Jeremy took me over yesterday morning before he went to work. I'm a big lazy ass and couldn't be bothered to get ready before we left, so I went in my jammies and showered there. I got some work done on Starsky before dinner and the left front is about 4 rows away from being finished. Afterward Natalie and I tried to drink a bunch of wine but somehow it didn't work out and we couldn't make it past the neck of the bottle. How sad is that?

Alex has been sick with a cold of some sort; it's afternoon and he is still in bed getting some rest. I've missed his company since he was away. The cats are also asleep and the house is way too quiet. Jeremy has been working late every night on the tv pilot and doing weekends at his day job. I'm starting to get lonely! I haven't spent any real time with him in almost two weeks.

We managed to fit in a few episodes of BBC's The Office in the evenings (which we borrowed from Rabsy) and all we've got left is the special. Oh my god. I have an ulcer from watching that show, torn between laughing hysterically and wanting to crawl into a hole and die from embarrassment. I am a fan of the American version of the show and think it's great, but it's apples and oranges where sheer discomfort is concerned.

The back of Starsky isn't much to look at yet because the pattern draws in a lot and needs to be blocked out. I'll do that when the fronts are done so I can block them at the same time to get it as even as possible.

Continue reading "Starsky Photos"

The back of Starsky is done but there is no photo today because eh, I just couldn't be fucking bothered. I cast on for one of the front pieces last night, but didn't get far. I think I'm burned out on the Banana Tree pattern, as lovely as it is. At least the pattern finally sank into my skull and I barely need the chart anymore which means knitting is going much faster now.

I was torn about which size to make. The designer has intended the garment to have 8 inches of ease around the bust for a loose, oversize fit. Being big, I'm most comfortable hiding inside a loose, oversize fit but the reality is that I just end up looking much bigger than I really am. I've got a huge chest and my upper arms are big so going oversize can end up making me look more round than I'd like. Also, since I've lost some weight and I'm still gearing up to lose a little bit more, I would like the sweater to become oversize rather than end up way too big. In the end, I chose the XL which gives me about 3.5 inches of ease, and once blocked I think it'll drape the way I want.

I also added a tiny bit of waist shaping. Despite the giant breasts, I'm not an hourglass sort of person and my waist-to-hip ratio is rather small. I only decreased 2 stitches at each edge, reducing the waist circumference by two inches at the narrowest point. I also made the sweater a half-inch longer from underarm to hem, and have increased the armscye by a half-inch to allow a bit more ease for my upper arms. If you remember, my row gauge is tighter than the pattern calls for and so when I knit the sleeve caps I'm going to have to change the shaping a bit to make it work both with my larger armscye and gauge discrepancy. I'm just going to wing it, following the shaping at underarm as written and then adding more height as I go. I'll have to take careful notes so I can replicate it for the second sleeve.

I'm hoping the wrap nature of this cardigan will allow for extra room where I need it in the front, and will fit me well in the back. It should be loose enough to wear over long sleeves.

Today is my dad's birthday. He's 62. Happy birthday, Dad!

The cats have discovered bugs.

Last fall Jeremy and I discovered these weird black and red bugs that liked to bake in the sun on the front of the house, near the ground. When it started getting cold, they worked their way into our crawl space for warmth. We know this because on particularly cold days they crawl into the ducts and pop out of the vent in the kitchen, looking for a warm area. These bugs aren't particularly nasty, they're slow and easy to kill and while I don't like them at all, they don't freak me the hell out.

This past week was really cold here, and the bugs came up to visit. Jonah and Cuba welcomed them. At first I thought it was hysterical to watch them stalking these little bugs, pawing them, nosing them around, until I noticed that they'd crawl up Jonah's leg to get away from him. Then I starting getting worried that they'd crawl in his ear, so when I saw them playing, I'd kill the bug and take it away. Jonah has since taken to picking them up in his mouth and running away from me because he knows I'm going to ruin his fun. The final straw was when he ran under my bed with one of the bugs. He came out and I got it, but now I'm all freaked out wondering where else he's deposited these things.

The bugs only pop out of our vents in the front of the house, under the crawl space, because the vents in the back (that run through the basement) have been sealed with aluminum tape. The purpose of this was to keep hot air from escaping so we could hopefully save a few bucks in heating costs. The plan has been for Jeremy to get into the crawl space and do the same but he hasn't gotten around to it yet. And who can blame him, really? I certainly don't want to do it. But now, with these bugs...Jeremy will be enjoying his next day off, that's all I'm saying.

The vet finally got back to us and told us that they believe Cuba and Jonah are experiencing the side effects of the giardia meds. I was looking up everything I could find and read that side effects include lethargy, nausea and possible vomiting, and the vet confirmed it. The process of killing off the parasites creates antigens which can make the cats feel sick and weak. They told us to keep an eye on them, of course, but that there isn't a reason to bring either of them in until it's time for their boosters next week. I'm relieved. Live and learn. After tomorrow's dose we can hopefully put it all behind us and the cats can just be free to enjoy themselves.

Continue reading "Lookit"

Jeremy got a new gig working on a tv pilot, which means for the next two weeks I'll barely see him. He's got shifts at his day job to cover on the weekends as well as 12-hour days on the show. It's a good thing because this is what he loves to do and the money ain't bad (financially we are a bit behind so we need this) but it's long hours away from home and we won't be spending much time together. I've got lots to do in the meantime (spring cleaning - the excitement never ends) but I'll miss him.

I am a big liar to myself when it comes to knitting, which I'm sure you already know. I cast on for Starsky even though I said I wouldn't and am now six inches up the back. The cable pattern is surprisingly tricky! I thought it would be simple. Physically it is quite simple since you're only switching around two stitches at a time so there is no wrestling. But the pattern isn't easily memorizable so I have to actually read the damn chart. Now that I've passed a complete pattern repeat I can read my knitting (at least on the RS), so I can see what comes next and don't have to refer to the chart as often.

The kitties are doing well, but we're worried about Cuba. She caught Jonah's cold and was gagging/coughing. We got meds for her from the vet and she improved immediately. The meds are long finished and she was absolutely fine but late last night she started gagging again. What the hell? This time the gagging is different so I thought she might be ready to send out a hairball, but nothing's come out. We'll be calling the vet tomorrow to see what we should do. Both cats are due to go back at some point next week for boosters. It turned out Jonah had giardia (a parasite); the shelter obviously dropped the ball here because he should not have been adoption-ready. We got meds for both cats from the vet and they've got two doses to go before the giardia is cleared up. Once their poop is tested again and found clear, they'll get their boosters.

Now, I don't want to play games with the health of my kitties but we've already forked over a bunch in vet bills that we didn't expect and we're very tight with the money. I'm hoping we can wait until the booster visit to see about Cuba's gagging. Of course, if the vet thinks she needs to be seen we won't wait but in between the short gagging spells she is okay and active and happy. Maybe the giardia medication is causing it? The cats take pills very easily but this stuff is liquid and must taste so foul, they really struggle to get it down and are quite upset for a few minutes afterward. Only two more doses. I am scratched up, yo.

Tonight I am roasting a chicken and potatoes with lemon, garlic and rosemary. It's been a while since I roasted a whole chicken, I think this is my third? I originally wanted to do stuffing and gravy with it, but Natalie and my mom are coming over for dinner on Tuesday and I've got a turkey breast in the freezer. I'll save the stuffing and gravy for them. They're coming to take Alex for a couple of days during March Break. Because of Jeremy's hours I'll be alone most of those days, and I'm kind of looking forward to it. Quiet time with my knitting and the tv.

My Knitpicks order for Starsky arrived this morning. I wasn't going to actually place the order until my birthday since I'm using my mom's gift to pay for it but I was drunk and I didn't know what I was doing! Okay, I was impatient. But I could have just as easily been drunk. Don't judge me.

Anyway, the yarn is here so I swatched it up. I can't get row gauge. The pattern calls for 16 stitches and 18 rows to 4 inches and I can't get any closer than 16/22. I'm getting a full row per inch more than I should but to be honest, I don't see how you could. If anyone can achieve 16/18 with Knitpicks Sierra I wanna know about it! It's not that big a deal, I'll just work to my own row gauge and slightly alter the sleeve caps to fit. I still haven't decided on which size to knit, nor whether or not I want waist shaping.

The needles I need for Starsky are in the baby blanket right now (I pulled them out to swatch) and that's making me knit a little bit faster. The blanket seemed to show no progress no matter how much I knit until this afternoon; now it's suddenly so big! I've got about a third left to knit before blocking and a crochet edging. It's just a simple basketweave but it's so, so pretty. I want to make a bigger one as a throw for my living room.

I also spent some time working on Durrow. I read about Ken's neckline being too big, looked at what I had so far and realized that the neckline would be too wide for Alex, too. As yet I've only knit the back and one sleeve, so I ripped the back down to the underarm bind-off, calculated an appropriate raglan shaping and reknit from there. I must have used the wrong needle because it looked like shit. Rip. Reknit. Wrong needle again. Rip. Reknit. Fuck. Anyway, now I'm pissed off so I shoved it back in its bag and I'll give it another try tomorrow. I can't believe I couldn't remember what needle I was using. I've got to get better at keeping notes.

I finished the first Embossed Leaves sock, tried it on, ripped it out. It was a bit too tight around the leg and the twisted ribbing in the cuff made it just too hard to get over my heel. I started again with a larger needle for the ribbing, and I also cast on 4 extra stitches to work into the purl parts of the pattern. It's much better now, but when I get to the foot part I'm going to decrease down by 2 stitches for a snugger fit in that area.

I've had a request for the pattern of the handpainted socks I just finished so I'm writing it out. It's more of a tutorial than a pattern; because the sock is plain stocking stitch it doesn't need a particular stitch count so I thought I'd give directions for how to calculate and design your own sock and plan heel placement. Writing it up turned out to be harder than I thought so I'm only halfway done. Then I'm going to get someone to read it through because I fear it makes sense only to me.

On Sunday Jeremy and I attended Rabsy's Oscar party. It was a lot of fun. I love their apartment, it's in a brownstone walk-up and when we're there I can't stop looking at the wood trim and baseboards. So beautiful. We had a great time, I drank the better part of a bottle of wine and filled up on fondue. I don't understand how I got so full, though. It must be the way I ate...I didn't actually put away that much food but I guess just the act of grazing and picking is what did it. I left my dirty fondue pot there for Sandra to wash because I'm like that. In exchange, we stole their set of The Office (BBC) dvds.

Tonight was my SNB. Our very own Angela has a pattern in Debbie Stoller's new crochet book which is very cute (p. 168). I worked on Astra's baby blanket and I'm just over halfway finished. She's coming over tomorrow with her new baby and I'm glad I can at least give her the cardigan, yay!

I must have this.

It's all Mi's fault, she linked to it and now I need it like nothing else. I can't afford the yarn, but the timing is good: my birthday is in exactly one month today so it'll be a birthday present from my mom. I'm going to use it as incentive to finish other projects as well...I have to finish the baby blanket for Astra and Durrow for Alex before I cast on for anything else. Socks, as usual, don't count.

Speaking of birthdays, Jeremy turned 33 on Saturday. Natalie and some friends came over and brought their Xbox 360 and satellite radio with them. I got quite drunk; I hope I wasn't too obnoxious since I really enjoyed myself. Jeremy got some really nice gifts. I can't get him away from his PSP since Nicci and Aaron gave him Battlefront II. Natalie gave him a few Michael Connelly books that he wanted and some new pyjama pants which is good because I am just so tired of looking at his crotch. Now I can throw the old holey pyjamas in the trash.