What happened to December??

No, really! What happened? I feel so dazed and confused, like I've lost a couple weeks of my life. Seriously. For me the weeks before and after Christmas are like a black hole. Don't. remember. doing. anything. I'm frantically trying to get to the 100 unanswered emails that have been languishing in my inbox, the unchecked to-do lists, blog posting and work. Egads, I'm behind!

Anyways, the In-Laws came to visit for Christmas and to check out The House for themselves. They were quite impressed. Which was a huge relief for reasons that I won't go into here but it culminated into a very nice visit without incident. (Although I probably should have kept that to myself as I know probably jinxed the next visit.) Plus they brought delicious chocolate (that I have promptly inhaled already)! I did finish their arm warmers (from The Last-Minute Knitted Gifts book) in time. I even had a chance to wash them in Eucalan before gifting (plus I blocked the garter stitch shawl I made for my friend in LA... I mean Huntington Beach). They turned out so soft! Although I don't think they'll ever get worn (including the shawl). Oh well. It's the thought that counts right?? I just wish I had taken a picture of the arm warmers on the recipients. It's been a bit since I've finished anything and it would have been nice to have that proof. A pic of the Gypsy Shawl will be coming soon.

I did get a bit of knitting done because we did a lot of sitting around and talking. I finished the heel of the HELL sock, I completed the back of the Noro sweater, started Paul's arm warmers and I realized I royally messed up Lace Wings. Besides the Lace Wings everything was a positive and made me fee as if I was getting something done.

At Wednesday Night Knitting, Sophie (I'd point you to her blog, but she has stopped blogging. *cough, cough*) came bearing gifts: Socks That Rock in colourway Roctoberfest and Sandra Magazine.


If you've never picked up Sandra magazine you should. I mean right now, run out and get one in your hot little hands NOW! Keep in mind that you're not buying it for the patterns. Nooooooo! You are buying it for the descriptions.

Read such beauties as:"An extravagant and rather transparent eyelet pattern decorates the sweater in noble soft yarn. The broad and elastic ribbed collar, knitted separately, does a good service as regards to warmth and transparency."

Or delight in: "Hurrah, my sausage will be ready soon. Then I'll help the others since my outfit with cap, sweater and turnbacks keeps me warm."

Sandra Magazine == brilliant. I am sending an extra headbangin' air guitar solo your way, Sophie!!

Tonight's my Smoochy Pie's birthday so we are out and about this fine evening in a low-key kinda way. After tomorrow I will thankful and relieved that I can return to my regularly scheduled program of my life. I leave 2006 with a cat picture because I felt it needed to be done.

See, even Elena loves Socks That Rock!

Fetish Knitting

Violet Blue, a columnist on sfgate.com, has a nice little interview with Nikol Lohr of "Naughty Needles." Violet Blue isn't really into knitting, or girly crafts for that matter. She's more into sex, porn, robots and technology and writes about them in her column Open Source Sex and on her blog Tiny Nibbles. Her column is fairly work safe (depending on where you work) buuuuut her blog is not. A quote that made me giggle like a schoolgirl: "And one delightful section called "Disobey Madame at Your Peril" shows several whips that can be created in an hour. So basically, if he's an hour late, Lohr has your back."

Check it out Knitting for Adults Only

I think this book is officially added to my Christmas list!

DKC Fashion Show - a success!!

I want to put an official shout out that the DKC fashion show on Thursday was a success! And it couldn't have happened without the amazing MCing skills of Sandi Purl and the people wrangling skills of Sophie, Jen and Wendy Eng. Give yourselves a big "woot" for your amazing efforts!

I have to say this meeting caused a lot of anxiety for me, but now that it's done I'm very happy with it's outcome. The guild seemed happy and I've received a bit of positive feedback.

Being a veep for the guild has been very stressful as I feel I'm constantly rebuilding the wheel for each meeting. I was talking to Sophie yesterday and she confirmed that I am a bit of perfectionist and that I'm an "organizer by nature" and that maybe what I need to do for the upcoming meetings is just step back and recognize when I'm starting to become a wee bit anal about things. Seems simple enough.

If you're interested, click on Sandi to see some of the quick photos I took of the show participants. There was some really nice stuff!

Taggggged!

Stephanie got me, so here goes!

“THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”

Six weird things about mememememe:

1. I like going to the dentist and I try to go every 6 months.
2. I can't go to sleep unless I have the covers pulled up right under "my chinny-chin chin."
3. I have a secret desire to belly dance.
4. When I was young I would not swim in a pool by myself because I feared the invisible sharks that lived there would get me and no one would know.
5. I read my husband's Scientific American.
6. My other secret desire it to be Ms. Manners and when the mood suits me to chide people in public for their rotten manners. (Mostly in the way of social interactions as opposed to which fork to eat a salad.)

But REALLY am I that weird?? I think not, but you be the judge. Anyways I'm tagging LadyLungDoc, Nadia, Sandi, Ms. Snark, Sophie and Needle Addict.

I'm in! I'm in! I'm in!

So yesterday's event wasn't so much of an interview. Unless you consider being asked two questions and showing some ID an interview. The questions were:

1) Do I have any dependents in or out of Canada?
2) Have I ever been denied entry into Canada or been deported because of a crime or other reason?

Voila! Signed on the dotted line. That's was it. In 6-8 weeks I'll get my actual card. Then I can apply for Social Insurance, get on OHIP and most importantly travel freely in and out of Canada. Whee! I spent more time traveling to/from Scarborough and waiting for my number to be called than I did in the actual "interview." I really thought they would have asked some questions about my relationship with Paul, scrutinize our marriage license or SOMETHING! Oh, well. I'm not complaining.

Unfortunately today I'm feeling a wee bit under the weather. It started last night at dinner. I guess I really stressed myself out with not knowing how the interview was going to be handled and all that stress I had built up not knowing really has taken a toll on me. But I can't collapse yet. I have to get through the DKC meeting tonight. Hopefully I'll have a voice still by this evening.

x-posted in my LJ journal

T-minus Two Hours...

Two hours until my permanent residency interview in Scarborough. Wish me luck!!

OT: In My Nose

Right now I have the most amazing homemade soap stuck in my nostrils. It just arrived in the mail from Ms. Snark herself over in Snarkland. (Thaaaaaank you!) Enjoy the Snarky Soap!



Flying Pig is Hazelnut & Sugar Pumpkin scented goat's milk w/ Chamomile exfoliant, Mouse with Candle is "Feliz Navidad" scented goat's milk and the ladybug is "Yuzu Cybilla" scented olive soap. Yummmmmy!



We've decided that we need to do a "Not-So-Secret Secret Pal" exchange. Her soap has inspired me to be crafty. I need to unpack my books so I can find some inspiration.

Technical Difficulties...

Hmmmmm... for some reason blogger has decided to quit emailing the comments that folks have posted on my blog, so I haven't seen any of the fantabulous comments that people have left since the END OF NOVEMBER.

BTW - Thanks to everybody being so supportive in my time of craziness! You guys totally rawk!

Not getting people's comments has made me really sad. I've checked all the settings and everything seems to be in order now. Would you kind folks mind posting a comment or two to see if the problem is fixed? (SIDE NOTE: Although I have a feeling it is my spam catcher that is causing all the problems. We switched hosting providers and I think they are being overly cautious.)

Thaaaaanks!

If I said I was distracted...

Would you believe me? I was thinking last night as I was knitting in my living room, enjoying the beauty that is new furniture, and I realized I haven't finished one knitted object since the Tit-bit in early October. In fact, last night was the first night I dedicated any amount of time to my projects. One thing I realized is that I have lots of projects in various stages of not done.


CLOCKWISE: Huggable Toy Bear from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts in Mission Falls 1842 Wool (One stubby arm complete.); Official Kitty62 hat from kittyville.com in nasty-assed Mary Maxim Starlette (What can I say? It was to be a Halloween costume. I swear! If it makes you feel better I'm having lots of trouble with the yarn); Tithe from Noro Unlimited by Jane Ellison (That's the back piece. I'm already at the arm shaping.) and then finally the Lace Wings shawl in Handmaiden Sea Silk (I've done 13cm since the end of September. Do you think I'll get it done by February when I plan to go to California to give it in person?).


CLOCKWISE: "Gypsy" Shawl in Gypsy by NY Yarns (I need to have someone show me how to crochet an edge and then this puppy will be complete.); Orangina in Mandarin Petit (Which has been a work in progress since May); a cabled scarf/hat combo from Rebecca #30 in Blue Sky Worsted (I know it looks like a cuff, but it's not. It will be ripped and turned into something else.); Very Cherry in Rowan Holiday (Another project that's been in progress since the beginning of June. Considering ripping it out.); Gauge Swatch in Estelle's Woolly Bully (Slated for either a cowl neck sleeveless or a plain ol' top-up seamless sweater.); in the middle are the dreaded socks of despair that I am doing for Amy (Must keep under wraps, but seriously it looks like it's in a wee body bag, which is fitting since I've had to rip it so much I'm ready to kill it. If you *can* kill an inanimate object. Please tell me I can.)

Gak! What a terribly boring post. Oh, well. I said I was distracted and I guess going on a weird tangent is part of it. BTW - I have my Permanent Residency interview next Wednesday, the 13th, at 4:00pm. I have to go to Scarborough. I think that's the bulk of my distraction. Plus I'm trying to get things done for the DKC's December meeting which falls on the 14th. Eep!