Duck is yummy bbqed

I managed to get home last night after teaching to see the Canucks get two empty netters to clinch the game and go on to the next round. What a great feeling! Those were some very happy hockey players. It was a long series with some incredibly lame reffing. I hope the next one is better. Ducks aren't exactly a pushover.
It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since Roger Neilson hoisted that towel in surrender. I still remember it well. Within a couple of weeks almost everyone at school had a Canucks towel. It's become a symbol and a lot of other teams use it now. But for us, it still brings back Neilson standing up on the bench with his makeshift flag.
Keep winning guys. The Cup really should come home.


Many, many metres of three-ply corrie for the monkey. He still hasn't thought of what he wants his sweater to look like. Hell, I spun the yarn faster than he's making this decision. Men. He'll likely want a plain crew-neck. Bleh.


Jacqui sent me this great stuff. She'd left a comment about wanting to swap socks and I took her up on it. She'll probably be more careful about things like that from now on.
The timing could not be more perfect. I plan to make the mate to this lovely sock (which is Roza's Socks from the spring IK) on the trip next week. I've got some Wildfoote in the Stash (I know, you're sooo surprised), but I haven't actually knit with it yet. It feels really nice. And pretty much everyone knows my major weakness for Opal. But this soap. Damn. I wish I could figure out how to make the blog scratch and sniff. It's spearmint and lemon and I would happily just wander around with around my neck. It smells so good. Thanks Jacqui! You realise, I will be putting Hello Kitty stickers on all out going parcels now.
On a less happy note, we had a bad scare with Loki this past week. He has congenital heart failure and we have him on meds to try to control it and make him happy. But he had built up so much fliud that he looked like a barrel. The vet was very concerned and said we might not have much time left. He drained the excess fluid and we're adding another heart med to his regime. He seems as happy and goofy as ever, so I hope the vet is wrong. Loki's family and I don't know what we'd do without him. Okay, I could do without the appalling farts he lets go. He walks up to you, farts, gives you a dirty look and goes to the other side of the room. Acts like the stench was all you. Clever little beast.

Go Canucks Go!

I like this man a lot!
And hey, what's not to like? He's italian, but not smarmy, very flexible and he's keeping pucks out of the net. That's huge, the keeping pucks out of the net thing.
Now. If we could just give Sopel a good bath and a haircut...
Oh, and no more seven period games please. I could outskate you guys after seven periods of hockey. It's just not civilized.


The massive egg basket finished and full of stuff I can't tell you about. Soon all will be revealed, but for now, mystery.
The monkey's yarn is done. My tendonitis is less painful than it was a couple of days ago and I drew up two patterns yesterday. Things are chugging along.
Roz and I leave for the Sock Crusie in less than two weeks, so things should maybe be flying rather than chugging, but you take what you can get.
Go Canucks!

How I Spent My Easter Long Weekend

While the monkey was up at his mom's for the weekend, being pampered, eating ham and chocolate, I was at home doing this:


I've been spinning this corrie for almost a week solid now. I have 6 and a bit of the 10 bumps spun. I've being spinning at a rate of about 80g per day and, at this rate, should be done by Monday at the latest. That'll be almost two pounds of 3 ply double knit weight when it's done. The monkey's trying to think of what sort of sweater he wants.
I anticipate something plainish. Men are sooo dull. He thinks the self-striping sock yarn is "girly".


oooh, aaah...Russian support spindles!
I've been pretty restrained lately when it comes to spindles, but these were just too pretty. One's cocobolo nd the other is tulipwood. I can't wait to see what the plying spindles are like. I've never tried the russian spindles, but I have to now.

Blocking Day

You thought I was kidding when I said no more plain socks for a while, didn't you.
I had to wait for the sun to make another appearance, because I like blocking outside. Today I got lucky. Monday snow, today 17 C. Go figure. Thought I'd better take advantage of the good weather 'cause who knows how long it will last or what will come next. Tornado? Water funnel? Hate to guess.



Luna Moth Shawl done in Alpaca with a Twist Baby Alpaca. It's a small shawl that took about two and a half balls and just two days of knitting.



Shetland Triangle from Interweave Knits Wrap Style. I saw Melanie's last month and instantly wanted to make one. I even stole her idea of beads along the bottom. I did a few more repeats and still had yarn left, but the pattern is only a ten row repeat and it was getting a little dull. The yarn is a hand dyed bamboo that I got at Fibrefest last year from a weaver. Can't remember which one, but I love the colour. The bamboo was very slippery and a little on the splity side. Feels nice and looks shiny though, so it was worth the struggle. I started this Saturday night during the last period of the game and finished Tuesday afternoon
The spinning for the monkey's three ply corrie gansey has begun!

Uh, WTF?

I enjoy a good joke as much as anyone, but seriously, this is NOT funny. If it had happened yesterday, I might have seen some humour in it, but come on, it's April 2nd.
Yesterday, the monkey was out doing yard work all afternoon with his new lawn mower and edge trimmer. That trimmer is a scary thing. I tried it and let it dip a little and *poof* the grass in that spot was gone. Nothing left but dirt. Turned a little and the damned thing went through a plastic plant pot like it was butter. Good thing we got what the guy at the store called the wussy one. Can't imagine what the "real" ones would cut through. Yikes.
But, that was yesterday. The sun was shining and I was thinking of switching out the winter clothes for the summer ones. Good thing I waited. Apparently, while we slept, our house was moved up into the freaking artic. Even Loki tried to get back into the house when we were starting off for our walk. Normally, he's waiting for me impatiently on the driveway when I come out with his leash. Not today. He was scratching at the door as I tried to get the harness on him. He kept looking up at me like I was insane to want to go out in that weather. Even when we got to the beach, he didn't want to get out of the car. He was looking at us like, "uh, why don't you guys go and I'll just wait for you here. In the car. Where it's warm and not full of that cold white stuff."


The almost week of sunny warm weather did help me get back on track with some projects more interesting than plain socks. This predrafted BFL got turned into this:


It's more three ply sock yarn, but I promise it won't be plain socks. I have a couple of sock patterns sitting in my head and I think I'll try them out with these last two batches of handspun.
I also started the Shetland triangle saturday night and it should be done later today. Pulled out some corrie that I had processed that's going to be a sweater for the monkey. I'm thinking three ply DK in a gansey. It's a really dark chocolate colour. Very Manly.
Gotta go make some tea now, still a bit frozen from the "bracing" walk on the beach. Hope to thaw out by the end of the week.