5 And A Beagle

I just discovered some podcasts on knitting. Thanks to a post from Katrina I've just spent the last few hours knitting yet another one of a pair of socks while listening to people talk about knitting. Something that illicited much eye-rolling in the household. Apparently some members of the family felt that it would be more exciting to spend the evening watching the Canucks' game.

Check out Katrina's links on her 11/30 post. Some fun listening while doing just about anything. (maybe even while watching a hockey game?) The only thing I have yet to co-ordinate would be to listen to podcasts while simultaneously knitting and riding the stationary bike. I'm feeling a little guilty about the amount of me that fills the chair when I sit down. Exercise while knitting - is it possible?

Still no functioning camera/downloading system so all of the pictures I have taken are in limbo for a while longer. Imagine if you will, a pair of fuzzy feet similar to this pair made for myself back in the spring, only in denim blue with a little multi-coloured trim for dear #5's petite little feet. Or perhaps a pair of socks in the yarn sent to me by Bertha for Backtack II. Or perhaps the view from my office window of the mountains with a fresh dusting of snow. Or maybe even a picture of Miles looking very guilty after having pulled down and devoured a freshly made struedel from the counter. Yes, all fun shots that must for now, be left to the imagination.


And here, because even when the camera download doesn't work the scanner still does, is the sock yarn that I recently purchased with the intention of knitting up 5 pair of socks for stocking stuffers at Christmas. Yes, this Christmas. A mere 25 days away. Let's see, that's 1 pair every 5 days - call me crazy.



Time for a couple more rows, then off to bed. The company I work for relocated out to a new facility a further 20km away and I am now starting work at 6:30 am so as to be able to pick up my youngest from school in the afternoon. Getting up at 5:00 am is no fun. I think I just may wear out the snooze button.

Don't forget to stick a pin in the frapper map - just click on the button on the side bar.

Here, in honour of this month's self portrait theme "Exploring Your Identity", I present to you my husband, posing as a employee of a telecommunications company. Today, he will regain his working identity as he heads back to work after a four month lockout. He will once again be an active employee of the friendly telecommunications company in our province.
Of course both of us would rather that he was working for Telesystem Tirol in Innsbruck, Austria where this picture was taken. But as the song says.... 'you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.'

Who knows...maybe tomorrow I'll get him to load the pictures from the camera onto the computer. So many pictures to post, so little knowledge on how to pull them off the darn loaner camera.

I have finished one of a pair of socks with the yarn I received from Bertha, but because I can't figure out how to download pictures with my M-I-L's camera, I can't post it yet. ARGH!!

So instead of doing something productive, I sat on my big duff and set this up. Go ahead, leave a 'shout' - stick a pin in that big 'ol map!

Here is my backtack parcel - arriving all the way from the other side of the continent. Bertha put together a beautiful bag and co-ordinating zipper pouch

and filled with such so many great things.



There were 4 skiens of Knitpicks merino, a colour wheel and oodles of packets of kool-aid for me to dye my own yarn. Plus the Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook that has some great tutorials on dyeing. The funny thing about getting all of these things was, I had just packed up my recipients stuff and was pining about the things I was sending her that I would have liked to have kept. What were they? The Knitpicks merino and the Twisted Sisters book. Turns out that both Bertha and I had gone to the same person to ask for suggestions. The talented Dani at Knitting Sunshine .

Plus... there was sock yarn and dp bamboo needles (already in use) and some yummy chocolates and lolipops (already gone).

Thanks so much, Bertha for all of the great stuff. This coming Thursday is knit night and I'll be taking the bag and the socks in progress with me.

What a process, trying to get everything to come together.
:: First get my hands on a camera. - Thanks to my mother-in-law, I now have use of a digital camera.
:: Get the pictures loaded on to the computer. - Thanks to the technical wizardry of my husband, I now (he now) can load them on to the computer.
:: Find the time to post. - Well, that's all in my hands isn't it.

Who's got the time when you're working five days a week, doing the regular day to day household stuff, helping kids (actually, 1 kid) with homework. By the time I have time, I'm too tired. But here finally, the finished socks.



And who's feet should they belong to?
#5 who uses them as a swiffer picking up dog hair from the floor as she skates around on the hardwood?
#4 who may just loose them in the mess that is her bedroom?
Or me, who will only wear them once the floors have been vacuumed and who will always put them in a safe spot when they're not on her feet.

And here, while we're showing off the family feet - is Miles.


Doesn't he look exhausted? He just got back from 4 hours at the doggy salon. I didn't stick around to watch the process, but I'm sure he enjoyed a relaxing soak in the tub, a little grooming and a session with the resident pedicurist.

Miles is a rottweiler dressed as a beagle. I'm always worried when I bring him places, because I just can't be sure how he'll react to people. The groomers said he was just fine. Quieter than they expected - apparently other beagles tend to howl in protest when they get groomed. Miles just resigned himself to putting up with it all, so they said. But obviously he was just bottling it up inside and saving it for some unsuspecting person. As soon as we left the shop and made our way to the car, he went bananas on the first poor soul that had the misfortune to walk towards us. Then when we got home, he and his freshly buffed nails had a long nap.

My backtack parcel arrived and I received a lovely bag and lots of great stuff from Bertha. Tomorrow - pictures of all of the goodies as well as a progress shot on the socks I've already started from the sock yarn she sent.