Yopping Update 35 - a frog, a sock, a tree of life and firemen too!

Yes, I frogged this week. I picked up my Cookie A socks which I had cast on during my cast on flurry a number of weeks back, and working with the dark blue was making my eyes very tired and me very cranky. What's the fun in that. I have not abandoned the pattern, but I think I have just the homespun that will do perfectly. Stay tuned.

I finished the first quadrant of my baby blanket and it is very pretty, and knit up fairly quickly. Look at all those trees of life.



I picked up my Tibetan socks that I am making from homespun and voila



first sock done and ....



second sock to the heel so I will finish these tonight while watching the Oscars. On a side note the book in the picture is my go-to sock book. I have made every sock in the book, but these tibetan ones I have made at least ten times. I LOVE Cat Bordhi.

Oh and the firemen story....

I was swimming laps yesterday and had been in the pool about 30 minutes when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a flashing light I had never noticed before. I looked up and saw all the lifeguards ordering people out of the pool. This usually happens if a baby's diaper has failed and, well, you know.

But no, this time the lifeguard told me to follow everyone OUTSIDE! It was 7 degrees outside (celsius) but felt like it was 0. Luckily I had brought a towel onto the pool deck, something I rarely do, so I wrapped myself up and followed the line of people. A lovely man joked with me that he thought the pool was the safest place if there was a fire, and as I was already starting to shiver I agreed.

The staff were handing out extra towels, and I snagged another one, and although they didn't make us go right outside, they did make us stand near the doors in the large atria. I was tempted to snuggle up to the warm looking Dad who was holding his three year old, but I only stood close enough to get some of his body heat.

The firemen arrived all geared up and searched the building and finally determined it was a false alarm and the blasted alarms were turned off, but are still ringing in my ears.

They allowed we could go back to the change rooms but the pool wouldn't open for another five minutes while the lifeguards got reorganized.

I headed for the shower and turned on showers for all the little girls that were shivering. Once they let us back into the pool I headed for the hot-tub, then the steam room, then the sauna and then back to the shower.

I think I am warmed up now.

My excitement for the week. And why are ALL firemen so gorgeous? Is that is the job description? Wondering minds want to know.

We had snow again this week, but my hoya is blooming so I have to believe Spring will come. Two blossoms this time. I know my mother is looking down from the spiritual world giving me props.



I did get three things onto the blocking mat this week and took over the kitchen table for a day. I will post artsy pictures once they are dry and I can find a gorgeous model.



Please notice the sun coming in the window. Sun!! Made for a crummy picture, but SUN!!



And to close here is a picture of my long suffering husband.



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Yopping 34

This week I spent most of my time on my traditional baby blanket - one more repeat and I can bind off the middle section and start the first of four quadrants.




My peace cowl is now at 23 repeats and I am just going to keep going until I run out of yarn.




So that's my week.

Short and simple.

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Yopping 33

So this week I finished the socks and I am very happy with them. I had to rip out 17 rows of the first sock so I could match up the amount of yellow I had left, but it was an easy re-knit. The gusset uses the riverbed architecture so the gusset is under the instep - very cool idea.




On Monday my niece, who teaches biology at at local college, asked me to knit her this. It was a cool knit and both of us are happy with the result. Here is the link to the pattern and the double helicies can be done with colourwork like I did, or with cables. AND it is a free pattern.



My dh was a good sport and modeled it for this pic:


I have done 13 repeats on my peace cowl. I pick it up when I need to do a relaxing knit and I find the repetition of the pattern is very soothing.



I did another ten rows on my christening blanket



and another inch on my Cookie A socks. I am still doing these two at a time, but on two separate pairs of needles because my circular needle wasn't cooperating and I spent more time fighting with the loop than knitting. Now things are going much smoother.



My tibetan socks were the only wip that didn't get any attention this past week. I'll probably pick them up again soon.

Happy yopping everyone. The sun is out, the snow is melting AND I got to the pool three times this week plus a yoga class.

So things are looking up.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Yopping 32

Nothing made it to the blocking mat this past week because this week was all about the virrat streams socks and of course starting new projects.

My first time on a nine inch circular needle. I am almost finished the first sock.





My wool order arrived from England so I have started the traditional Tree of Life Christening Blanket.





First repeat done - 10 more to go!

That is just the center of the blanket. Then I knit the four quarters and then the edging - this will be a long project I think.


I have done 8 repeats on my latest (fourth) Peace Cowl. I spent at least a day looking through Ravelry trying to find a different cowl pattern to make, but nothing compared to this pattern. I am seriously addicted to this pattern. Seriously.



I spent a whole afternoon darning my daughter's favourite socks - heels and toes - I am pretty proud of myself for rescuing them from oblivion.





I also made an i-cord for my cowl and wove it through the top so that it could also be a hat! Now I am doubly happy with this project.



As for the rest of my week I attended the funeral of a classmate. He and I went to school from Grade 3 to Grade 12, and I am so thankful I got to see him last summer for one last hug. He gave great hugs. He was an elder of the Musquem people and he will be sorely missed in the lives of hundreds of people from all walks of life.

My anxiety has been pretty high this week (I have stopped watching any kind of news for the time being) and my back is still very sore - especially early in the day. I am faithfully doing my exercises prescribed by my Physio, I did get to a Yoga class, but haven't made it to the pool for a week! It has been snowing like crazy for the past two days so besides a lot of sleeping I have been knitting a fair bit too.

The Super Bowl starts in an hour - so I am getting knitting all organized (and snacks too).

Blessings to all of you this week. Hug your loved ones. Make those phone calls you keep putting off. Answer those texts.

Time truly is shorter than we think.