Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Lazy Days of Summer!

I've been bad! With all this time on my hands, I haven't gotten squat done--AND--I haven't blogged! Let's see since last I posted:

What Goes Up Must Come Down!

Mikey went to the vet on Friday for a blood test and his sugar level was actually too low! It was 45 and normal should be about 150 - 250. So the vet dropped his insulin from 7 cc's to 4 cc's! This is good. So I took him back yesterday and his sugar was still somewhat low at 111. So he was dropped to 3 cc's! There's actually hope that he may end up coming off of insulin eventually. On a sad note--while at the vet yesterday--there was an emergency situation. Animal control was called because someone saw two black labs in their fenced yard with heat stroke. It was in the 90's and the humidity was quite oppressive. One of the dogs had to be brought in on a stretcher. The vets tried everything but that one died. The owners weren't home and a message was left for them. PLEASE! If you have animals, do NOT keep them outside in this heat or in a closed car!

Mikey shows his approval!

In spite of this God awful heat, there are some things I love about summer. Here are two:

Raspberries! 12 ounces of them from BJ's! I get so tired of paying huge amounts of money for itty bitty amounts of out of season berries! Unfortunately these aren't organic, but I guess I can't have everything!

Cherries! This bag was full the day before this photo was taken and these are now gone!

Knitting news! Fifi is now in progress! I really like this pattern. It is full of cables and they give instructions for doing the cables without a cable needle. At first I used a cable needle and it was taking forever so I gave it a try! I really like it! It is much quicker to not have to pick up and put down a cable needle over and over! I will soon get to the place where I have to try on the sweater and make some sizing decisions. I really fall between the two smallest sizes. This sweater is made with negative ease. The finished sizes are 29 and 33 inches. I need this sweater to be at 31 which is midway between so I will try it on when I get to the place where the sleeve stitches are removed from the body and the front and back are joined in the smallest size. If it fits, then I'll go with the smallest size. If not then I'll go further. That's what I love about top down sweaters. You can fit as you go so you end up not frogging! How could anyone not love that!


See what I mean about all the cables?

I also ordered the yarn for the second SKC KAL. The pattern calls for Classic Elite Playful Weekend with is a very pricey silk ribbon. It is a bulky weight though the pattern has it knit on size 8 needles at 4.25 spi. I ended up finding Noro Hana Silk at a fabulous price at Stash, a yarn store in the UK. The prices were significanly lower than anywhere in the US (including Ebay) and the skeins are actually bigger! I decided on a color called Vivid Red! Should prove to be a bitchin' top!

My Secret Pal revealed herself to me with her last package! Her name is Valerie and she her blog is Knitting in Pink . Check it out as she also has an online store for sock knitting yarn and stuff!

Here are the goodies she sent me:

A card; a little memo book--great for knitting bag notes; and some lovely stitch markers!


Here's a closeup of the stitch markers! They are silver and fresh water pearls! Aren't they lovely? I like them because they are dainty and lightweight so I now have pretty markers to use with more delicate knitting projects!


A lovely citrus scented candle and some handmade soap!


Last, but certainly not least--a skein of Artyarns Silk Rhapsody in a fabulous colourway of golds and reds! Lookls like a winter lace scarf, if you ask me!

Thanks again Valerie for all the goodies! You have been a fantastic Secret Pal!

And now, from the Kitty Cam:

Greg--a beautiful black blob! The only contrast is his eyes when they are open or his tongue when he yawns!

1 comment: