Cuddle Group

No, the cuddle group is not a naughty story. It is about my cats (Jack, Jill and Onyx) and dog who are my cuddle group.

I was sitting there knitting the other night, working on a hat to go with my February sweater, not paying any attention to what was going on around me and my daughter called me. I looked up and the cats and my faithful companion, Di, surrounded me. I have three cats, and Di is a large Dalmatian so this was no mean feat to have all of them lying around me as I sat in my chair and a half, knitting away. Moreover, they were in the chair with me, not just at my feet; the arms, the seat and the back were covered with my furry friends. Normally, Di, will growl and chase the cats just for the fun of it, but they have gotten so used to her doing that, they just flip their tails at her as if to say “Pshaaw to you” and go about their business. But that night they peacefully shared my chair with me as I sat there working on my little yellow hat (with the crappy yarn). Isn’t it great how animals know when we need their comfort and unconditional love? When we are sick and need a cuddle, my Di, is always there along with all three cats to let me know that they love me and are sorry that I am sick, but they are hungry and the litter box needs cleaning. However, my cuddle group is much easier to deal with than the kids or my husband cause they almost never talk back or get snippy (unless they are hungry and the litter box needs cleaning) and they love it when I leave yarn laying around cause it is just a new toy for them to play with.

I finished the February Baby Sweater, I will have to post another picture because it is very cute, but I will post it will do that when the hat is completed. I was soo lucky I got in the Sock Madness 2, just before the deadline. The more I read about it the more nervous I get, but am going to stick with it, even if I have to call in sick to stay in. lolololol We got the supply list, so now I get to shop, not a lot though, since I have a good deal of the yarn I will be needing, grrrrr. I think I will go online right now so I can find the yarn I need, ooh boy.

Whose day sounds the most intriguing?

For this week, go through those who've commented on last week's topic - find someone who had an idea on their day that sounded appealing to you, as well, and tell us why, or what appealed to you, and link to their blog! If you can't find someone who has a day you think you'd enjoy, find one that you thought was interesting, odd, or funny in some way, and talk about it!

Some of the perfect or ideal days I read about did not sound so fun to me, but everyone has their own idea of a wonderful day. The person who had the day that seemed most idyllic to me was Alaina at I’d Rather be Knitting. In fact, our ideal days where somewhat similar as they both involved the beach, the sun, water and knitting. Her day was better though because she involved her friends and children, which feels better than mine with just books and knitting. I would wish my children where there all day if I was at the beach alone, because they are my bestest friends. However, I would love the water, the "sunshine, laughter, knitting, chocolate, swimming, good food, and comfy chairs....all smushed together into one awesome day.....” (Alaina, 2008). I want that to be my day now. Thank you Alaina for improving my day!

If money were no object, and the day was just perfect - not to hot, not too cold, sun shining, slight breeze - how would you spend a perfect day out that had been given to you in the middle of a cold and blustery winter?

If money were no object, I would spend the day at the beach or on a sailboat, either of these things are my favorite way to spend the day, no matter what the weather, however money is almost always a consideration. Unfortunately I have to work for a living and I live near Atlanta, GA so I cannot hit the beach whenever the urge strikes. I love to sit on the beach or a sailboat and knit, watch the birds and talk to other people who are enjoying the day. I always would have my Di with me who loves to swim and play in the water and we would have a wonderful day!

Swap Stuff and Other Knitting

Yeah! The stitch markers that I ordered for my secret pal came today, so now I can pack up the package and send it off. I made two washcloths, bought a pretty ball of yarn, some wonderful lavender soap, and, of course, no swap package would be complete without some wonderful Godiva chocolate. I hope she like it, I love the ombre pink one, even though the pattern is simple, and the color is gorgeous. The solid pink one has a heart in the center, though I could not get it to show up in this picture.

I am still working on the February EZ baby sweater for my friend who refuses to have anything pink. She does not know it but she is going to have a pink bib, simply because I like my swap partner’s ombre pink washcloth so much :-) but only one, and everything else will be off colors such as green, purple, yellow, and white.

I am also working on my BBS for Socks for Soldiers. I do not think I will ever finish those, it seems to take forever and I am having so much trouble with my wrists now that it is easier to avoid them; however then my conscience bothers me and I pull them back out. It wouldn’t be so bad if I had a ton of money that I could send them, but I am paying of cruise debt (well worth it) and trying to get my house ready to sell, so I do not have too much extra every week. I so admire Kim for the work she does with the group, she is an inspiration to all of the members and she seems to be doing a wonderful job raising her children at the same time.

Winter Doldrums

I live in the south, so we usually have enough sun to avoid the doldrums, which is wonderful. However, when the weather turns and it stays cold and cloudy for more than a week I will get down in the dumps or the doldrums. If it is really bad, I will go to a tanning bed for a few days and the lights will lift my spirits, this works really well, but I have to be careful and use sunscreen. I love the feeling of laying in the sun and soaking up the shiny rays, even if it is bad for me. I used to try shopping, but then I would get depressed about spending money that I didn’t have, so I decided that did not work for me. Going to the movies sometimes helps, especially a romantic comedy, or something that will make me forget what the outside looks like.

Another thing I do to make myself feel better is spend a day in bed with my favorite snacks, knitting and a book and do exactly what I want to do for several hours. Normally this makes me feel better for having been so selfish for the day. I guess that makes me a selfish person, but it works and I feel better at the end of the day.

I have finished my swap partner’s second dishcloth, and I love it, though it is very simple. Sometimes the simplest cloths turn out to be the prettiest. Now as soon as the other stuff is delivered, I can mail it off to her.

I am now working on a baby sweater for a friend who is having a girl and asked for nothing to be pink. I settled for the ubiquitous yellow, a good fallback when I am knitting for a baby and I do not know the sex. This woman hates pink stuff for some reason, soooo . . . I am using EZ’s baby sweater out of the Knitters Almanac and it is so precious. I almost wish I was knitting for a baby for me, but then I shake my head and realize I don not really want another baby, I just want one that I can cuddle for a few minutes and then hand back to its mother.

Well, back to knitting, this is a selfish Saturday, though I am not in bed, but cuddled up in MY chair in the living room with a fire going (though it really isn’t cold enough for one).

Knitting and Weight

I want to know how other people who knit lose weight or at least avoid gaining weight as they knit. I am not coordinated enough to knit and walk as so many others say they do, going to the gym takes forever, and I am not motivated to walk around my neighborhood. The problem is that everything I like to do is very sedentary, even work is sitting at a computer all day, so I just don’t get enough exercise. And of course I love to eat, good food, bad food, chocolate :-)

I have completed one of my swap partner’s washcloths for Defeat the Winter Doldrums. I am going with a Valentines Day theme, so everything is either heart shaped or pink, which is good, as my partner likes pink. Now I just need to find something else to put in the box that will be a nice treat and surprise my swap partner.

Topic of the Week- Yarn and stuff

The yarn I use most often is Peaches ‘n Cream and I have a ton of colors because I order it on line and normally order several colors at a time. I use them for baby bibs as well as for washcloths (dishrags lololol), so there is always a variety of colors on hand for whatever I need. I have several different pairs of needles that I use for knitting these same items, I prefer my Knitpicks options, but they always have something on them, so I also have a pair of bamboo needles that I like (I have used them a lot so they are nice and smooth) and a pair of Addis that I also like. I also keep lots of stitch markers on hand for patterns with lots of changes.

Last weeks topic was stories about hand knit items we had used as gifts for others. I was traveling for work and sick as a dog last week, so of course, I did not post. I am healthier now and home again, so I can post this now. I worked for weeks on an Irish Hiking scarf for my father in law, who is 6’5”, which means that the scarf had to be quite long. I bought beautiful super wash wool that would blend with his favorite topcoat (and was expensive). The scarf was perfect when I finally finished it. The kicker is I don’t know whether he liked it or not, I have not heard a word. My heart was in the right place and it was a gift for him, so if he did not like it, that’s okay. Not everyone appreciates the work that goes into hand knitted gifts, or the love and care that is knitted into the gift.

I had to travel for work for the past two weeks, which of course means I got my normal travel cold, only this one is very bad and I have ended up losing my voice from so much coughing. I bet the people I was working with were glad when I quit talking so much. I hate getting sick like this when I travel, it seems that whenever I travel for work I do get sick, which makes for bad news when one travels as much as I have to. Maybe I should start wearing a mask on the airplane :-)