Friday, March 28, 2008

Books n' beans

yawn Goodnight all... shoot, is it 10: 30 already? Today just sped by and left me in the dust. After watching Monk, two episodes of Walker Texas Rangers, going to the gym, making lunch, going for hubby and doing some minor grocery shopping I am kinda wiped. But I'm not complaining. The kids are on vacation so I didn't have to take them to school or pick them up today so it was like a mini vacation for me too. Well, vacation is a bit of a stretch seeing as I have an assignment due in what... 4 days! hmmm - what exactly am I doing here in that case??

Before I go on, I want to thank you guys for your kind words following my last post regarding the beagle that never was. I'm feeling alot better now and I can think of the situation without grinding my teeth or welling up even just a little. Thank you! You are wonderful.

On the knitting scene, I have another FO! I've finished the Jacobean socks from the penthatlon. What do you think? I'm still not sold on them - I know I used a yarn that wasn't suitable for the pattern, but once I got started it was hard to rip back
and start fresh with something new. I'm ready for round 2!

Socks


And I've finally received my books! one of the the things about living in the Caribbean is that some companies don't ship to Barbados and those who do will have to charge alot higher shipping fees for obvious reasons. Knitpicks falls in to the former category so I had them ship these lovelies to my cousin in New York who is understandably busy and wasn't able to ship them until March after receiving them in late January was it? Anyways, I'm thankful to her for doing it - she's a darling!

Here's Sensual Knits (not that you haven't seen the cover before or anything!):


And here's Wrap Style. I honestly only bought this book for the lovely Shetland Triangle but am so happy to discover other gorgeous knits in here that will wind up on my to do list for example Moon Beads and Wrapped in Tradition.


I have some more awesome books such as Vintage Knits and Knitting Nature scheduled for an impending purchase - along with some 47 inch US size 2 needles for my next sock showdown.

Ok, it's bedtime for me. I have an early morning spin class. So far I'm enjoying it but last Saturday was a bit of a struggle. All this working out (at least 4 times a week) and not a pound lost. Seriously! This morning that evil scale tricked me by telling me I was 5 pounds lighter than when I last weighed when in fact it's stupid battery was loose. It's now in the "Garage Sale" pile.

Night all!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Heartbroken

Some time last year I called the kennel club as I was looking to purchase a puppy for our family. I had done some research and thought that a beagle would make the perfect addition to our family. I was put in contact with a lady who had a beagle bitch and she told me that when the bitch had pups she would let me know. She did let me know and told me that around September they expected the pups to be born. When September rolled around she told me that the pregnancy wasn't viable and there were no puppies but she would let me know when they expected another litter. She called me sometime in December and told me that they expected pups in February or so and what was I interested in. I told her a male pup and when February rolled around she said the pups came and there were two males. She told me the price and said they would be ready in 6-8 weeks. Last week we made arrangements to go see the puppies today, after she sent me two emails of the darlings. We went today and I was instantly in love. We picked the sad eyed boy and talked alot about the care of beagles etc. She gave me a sheet and told me she'd write everything up so I wouldn't have to remember it all right away. She said that a judge was coming to see the pups next week and we would get sad eyes after Easter. This evening she called me - hours after we met and said that she wasn't going to sell the pup to us as she didn't think we were good candidates because (get this) we work and our yard isn't fenced in. He's a BEAGLE - he was going to be a house dog and he didn't have his last two shots so he couldn't go for walks anyways until late April. I said, "I see" and she started up saying "Don't be like that". I burst out in tears and bawled "I'm in tears here!" And I really was. So many things have disappointed me and upset me and caused me to teeter on the edge of depression and this was a faint light. Hubby is travelling at the end of the month and sad eyes was going to keep me company. We even went shopping for his little bed today.

I do think that her decision to not sell us Snoopy (yes, I had a name picked out and everything) was based on who we are. When she greeted us at the gate she said "Oh, you were the lady I met at the dog show", I said "yes" and she said "I thought you were someone else all along!"

All I know is that I'm so hurt by this - and thinking that it may or may not be because she thought I was someone else (or at least looked different) makes it worse. It's funny eh? I could hold it together when the workmen refuse to show up, when it seems as though this house will not get finished but something like this brings on the tears in a hot second.

: (

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Orange sockie anyone?

Sunday was finishing day for Jacobean #1. Like I said before, I am not so keen on this sock mainly because of the yarn I used. I'm seeing other lovely versions in the group albums and am ever so slightly jealous. Maybe next pattern will be the one for me and I can beat that woman who knit her entire pair of socks in nine hours! Yeah, I think that's kinda funny too. Anyways, here it is:







What do you think? Can you see the pattern from the top down shot? Hubby says he really likes it and can see the diamond shape things as he calls them. I've finally cast on for sock #2 and should have some progress shots soon (if the rubber band around the camera holds). Adamas is growing nicely and I am more and more enamoured with it as it gets bigger. It's the leaf tee's turn to languish but not for long - I am loving that too! I must remember to check ravelry again to see any new pics of both projects. I'm kinda thinking about my next project after I get these off the needles but that's on the back burners as Personal and Corporate Taxation is taking up a good deal of my thinking time and I have an assignment due soon as well! Don't they realise I only JUST got the books? That ITA book is about 2000 pages BIG!

Ok, I'm off to bed now, I have some errands to run tomorrow and really should get up early to get them accomplished. Oh and I might be able to squeeze in a pic of my purple peppers I got from the agricultural show : ) Laters.

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Holy Immortal Kiss Batman!

*kaff kaff* Hey guys *snort sniffle* I hope you're doing alot better than me. I got hit with the cold/ flu bug again. In fact all of us here at casa knittykitty has some form of runny nose, dry/wet cough, itchy eyes and an overall feeling of ickiness. The kids are mostly over it but hubby and I got hit at the same time and up to yesterday looked a sorry pair. Today is a bit better as I even went to work and had a meeting and all - now if I can get rid of this persistent coughing! My head feels like it's going to drop off any second. Blargh.

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned it but in addition to getting my surf on I enjoy a good television show. I'm hesitant about getting in to new shows because I really don't want to invest my time in a show that turns out crappy - case in point Desperate Housewives, Dawsons Creek and (eek) maybe even Grey's Anatomy. I've gone off that show cold turkey and I'm not even sure if I want to get involved again. Too many quirky attractive rambling oversexed interns! Anyways I might change my mind later who knows. Anyways, I kept seeing these ads for New Amsterdam and thought that it did look good and had an interesting concept to it. I watched it's premier and enjoyed it and was pleasantly surprised to see it was on again tonight! And I was pleasantly surprised. In case you don't know the concept behind this show, it's about this guy Amsterdam who, due to the fact he tried to save a Native American woman from being killed, was given the "gift" of immortality. Only when he finds "the one" will he be able to die. He's been looking for her for 400 years! Anyways, so one of his past loves that he hoped was the one was an African American woman. Now this may not be so unusual but there was some full on hot and heavy romance going down - and from all camera angles too. In all my years watching tv I don't recall seeing an interracial romance portrayed (maybe I'm watching the wrong shows, or maybe it's the fact that here in Barbados we get but a fraction of the channels bigger countries get - either way you tell me.) not even in commercials - again I might be missing something. Anyways, it was refreshing to watch! Did anyone catch it?

As for knitting content, I have an almost finished Jacobean sock. One more repeat and it will be done. I have to confess that I'm not really feeling this sock. Yes, it is a beautiful design but it's not working so great with the carrot coloured yarn I bought some time back. I can barely make out the pattern on it but it's knitting up fairly quickly (by my standards anyways) and I'm almost done this one anyways. I have no hope of coming first for this pattern so there's no rush but I do wish I could enjoy it more! I have some craptastic pics of it taken with my phone camera but I'm too tired to share. My wips are keeping me busy as I make progress on them all - man monogamy was so much easier! Anyways, tomorrow God willing I shall share and maybe you can tell me what you think about the orange sockie?

Btw - did I tell you that I've started another course for the CGA? Tax this time - good times, good times! Let the "fun" begin! (again).

Nite all!