Saturday, September 23, 2006

First picture from Home

Here is the first picture of Katie in her new home. We're getting along just swimmingly. She is laying at my feet as I type this. She hasn't yet discovered the joys of yarn, but I did have to move my vase of wood needles because she thought they looked like a good thing to chew. She hasn't snuggled up in the Pi yet. I showed it to her and she stepped in it but there has been no evidence of napping there. She seems to prefer sleeping next to me while I'm knitting, which is fine with me.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Pi for Katie

I started and finished this Kitty Pi in 4 days... including felting. I think it came out great and I'm going to make another one because it was just a blast to make, and I may try to figure out how to make one with a higher back for better hiding and snuggling.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Almost owned by a new kitty

I went to see Katie tonight and she stole my heart. She is much prettier in person than in the photo. I knew I was OK in her eyes when she jumped up on the bench I was on and wedged herself between my leg and my bag.

I'll be picking her up next week. I need to get a new carrier and litter box and food and treats. I even started a purple Kitty Pi bed for her. The folks at the Vet's office said she LOVES her kitty bed so I figure she needs one for when she gets here.

I'm so very excited!

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Katie-cat

I've been dreaming about cats lately. I think it's a sign that I'm ready for a new pet.

I called the vet's office yesterday to see if they had any cats for adoption. They have a 4 year old cat that is in need of a home. Her name is Kitty but they've been calling her Katie. It's so sad that this kitty was given up after being in a home for 4 years. She has a typical cattitude, according to the woman at the office. She sounds perfect. I can't wait to go see her live and in person.

I found out she is on Pet Finder, so here is the picture of her. I'm going tomorrow night. They're open till 8. I'm really excited about the possibility of adopting her.

They also have two little boy cats who are 6 months old named Moe and Oliver. I wouldn't want to split them up and I'm not sure if I want more than one cat. I got used to just me and Nikki in the house. There are also a bunch of kittens and who doesn't love a kitten? But I know that older cats are less likely to be adopted and I want to give a cat in need a home.

Knitting finishes and other stuff

I’m happy to say that I finished a Christmas present! I made "Mrs. Beeton" for a friend. They are right up her alley, Victorian/funky. Besides, she's always cold and this is my little way of helping keep her warm. Like the intro to the pattern says, it will keep her pulse points warm and therefore will keep her warm. I love how they came out and am in the process of making a pair for myself. Sleeves are never long enough for me and I think these are a great way to compensate.

I also finished another pair of socks. I was going to make the Jaywalker socks by Grumperina, but as I started the inch of ribbing I discovered that the Trekking XXL I was using was a faux fair isle stripe and it wouldn't work out well with the pattern. So I made a plain ole pair of socks. The colors are very "Spring" but I don't care. I'll wear them all winter.

I think I mentioned the sock pattern I found on line somewhere called Mata Hari. I actually started the pattern with the pink/purple Koigu I bought on Canada Day. First - I understand about Koigu now. I was a little sad that it wasn't so soft and yummy when you touched the skein, but I bought it anyway. Then I started knitting it - heaven.

Mata Hari and I had a complete and total disagreement. This was around the time I was in NC visiting my parents and knitting a bazillion Nauties. Maybe she was jealous, but the ribbing was so tight I couldn't get it over my heel and so I frogged. You should have heard my Mom gasp as I pulled out the needles. Hee hee!

I pulled the Koigu back out two weeks ago and cast on for the Jaywalkers. I love the pattern. Very easy to memorize and to follow. Then I started to have a heart attack. Why? Look...

Think there'll be enough yarn to finish this sock? I don't think so. I need to knit 8 inches for the foot before I start the toe decreases. I have one skein of this yarn left which I'd have to dip into to finish this sock and then I won't have enough for the other. Having size 10 feet has never been fun, but running out of a specific dye lot of hand dyed sock yarn... ~whimpering in the corner~.

I did actually think about tearing out the sock and instead of the 7 inchs from cast on to heel flap, I would have done 5. But the thought of ripping all that out and hoping I picked up all the stitches was too much to bear. So I decided I'd continue on and hopefully I'll be able to get another skein of the Koigu to acommodate my aircraft carrier sized feet.

P.S. - I just got off the phone with the LYS I bought the Koigu at and she still has some skeins of the pink/purple dye lot! And she's open late tonight! Yippee!

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Freaky Friday

Last Friday was the weirdest day I've had in a long time. I neglected to mention that I broke a tooth on the way home from NC. I went to the dentist last Monday and he put the temp filling in and we scheduled for what I thought was just a mold of my tooth on Friday.

So, I get to the dentist's office a little early and check in with the receptionist, sit down and pull out my knitting. I knit till they called me into the exam room. I put the knitting down and the dentist gives me the Novocain. I knit till I'm fully numb and they take me into another room.

This is when I find out that they will me making the porcelain inlay right then and there and my tooth will be repaired in one visit. I've never had anything major done except cavities filled so I had no idea it was a one visit job. So - they get part one done and the dentist takes the mold and CAD-CAM's me a new tooth (it looked like a CAD-CAM type program from where I sat) and then sent my newly designed tooth part to a machine to create - in 15 minutes. So I knit some more.

I was there for 2 hours and man did my jaws hurt by the time I left there. I was in so much pain and so hungry that I went and bought soup because there was no way I could chew anything. All I wanted to do was get home, eat and take a pain killer and go to sleep.

On my way home from the market, my phone rang. It was a staffing agency I interviewed with a couple weeks before I got fired. "Are you currently working?" ~No~ "Do you want to start a job on Tuesday?" ~Huh?~ I laughed and said YES! It's not too much of a pay cut and is a temp to perm position for a company 3 towns over. The weird thing is that they never interviewed me. I think they just wanted a warm body in the vacated seat because they were kind of stuck in a jam. I find it kind of odd that I'll be showing up to work for someone I've not met before, have no idea of the parameters of the job and only know that they are an environmental company, but what the heck. It pays way more than unemployment.