2015 in Review

I thought I'd take a look back at some of the things that happened in 2015.

First up, Squish. His thyroid packed it in early in the year and he must now take medication for the rest of his life. 1 pill twice a day. Makes vacations tricky. Hopefully he'll be with me for many more years.

Squish

Next up, Ahab. In February he had to leave Scent Hurdle due to his missing paw and it took until December to get him back. This involved a major change to the rules of the game. He's back in action now though!

Whistler, Oliver, and Ahab at his last Scent Hurdle tournament of 2015

Continuing with health issues I had a major gallbladder attack early in the year which ended with it's removal in November. While I was getting that done Soccer had the worst ear infection ever which took over two months to clear up. I think that's it for heath crises in 2015.

Now for the fiber stuff!

Seamless Red

Fist project finished in 2015, although it was started in 2014 was a little red sweater for my Wee Niece, completed before I even new she was a Niece not a Nephew. It's sized for a toddler not an infant.

Grey Baby Blanket

Then a baby blanket for the same kid. The picture doesn't show the texture in it at all. I'm told Wee Niece quite liked this blanket as it's very soft. My sister likes it too because it's acrylic and easily washed. The grey yarn came from a commercial sweater of mine that fell apart and I scavenged the yarn for a future project. Well used I'd say. The yellow was pulled from the stash, a leftover from another baby blanket made years ago. I was unemployed while making this one, hence everything coming from the stash.

Cell Phone Case

Then I made myself a cell phone case. I used it for a while but found it inconvenient to have to fish my phone out of two pockets.







I found I needed something to hold treats for the boys so I made myself a bag to carry dog training treats in. It fastens to the belt loop on my pants.

Dog Treat Bag

Niece Socks

Followed by socks for my not-so-wee Niece. There were definitely socks for my Nephew completed around this time too but apparently I didn't put them in Ravelry or take pictures.



Then Wee Niece got an adorable little overall that ended up fitting her for about two weeks. Kids grow so dang fast at first.

Pepita

Got selfish and made some socks to keep my own toes warm. Actually, I don't think this counts as selfish. I need socks too after all.

Super warm socks

Mom and sweater

Followed by a sweater for my Mom. She wears it lots, which is really cool.

Knocked off a quick pair of booties to go with the overalls for the Wee Niece. Feedback regarding these says they stay on quite well, Wee Niece wasn't able to kick them off immediately.

More socks, this time Mother's Day socks for Mom.

Eventually, I got around to making another something for myself. A tank-top for hiking. Note to self: go hiking more so you can use this.

Papita II

I got worried about the little overalls not fitting the Wee Neice, with some subsequent justification I might add as she was a big baby, so I made a larger version of overalls for her. Although at this point I still didn't know she was a girl.

Had to interrupt all the baby knitting to make some Father's Day socks for my Dad.

Father's Day Socks

Then straight back to baby knitting for some booties to match the second overalls.

Found an adorable pattern for toy mice for the cats so Squish and Mouse got a catnip filled treat. Where they are now I couldn't say, under furniture I suspect.

 

Returning to baby knitting I couldn't resist making a hat to complete the set for the Wee Niece.

Sister socks.

Decided that a new mom might need some new socks too. The colour in this picture is all wrong, it's the same yarn as the Father's Day socks. 

Socks for BiL

And if a new mom needs new socks surely a new dad does too. Made these for my Scottish BiL. The colour in this picture is much closer to reality than the socks for my sister above.

Experimented with some Star Booties but ended up not liking them because I chose the wrong cast on. It's a neat pattern but I need to think about the cast on.

A$$ Juice Cozy

Got caught up in a record keeping mistake and ended up making an A$$ Juice Cozy for work. Modeled on a wine bottle here. Completed with only three days warning.

Another blanket for my Wee Niece. This time a Loom Knitting experiment. I like this technique I can see ways to do some really intricate colour work.

Loom Knitting

A random pair of socks that ended up going to Mom because I got caught up with baby stuff and ran out of time to make her a pair for her birthday in December. Good thing I had these in reserve.

Mossy

Then something for myself again, a green vest done in double moss stitch. Don't think I'll be doing that again in a hurry. Worked out though as I wear it a lot.

More baby stuff, this time for a different baby. The overalls and booties went to a co-worker for his baby. When I met his girlfriend at the office Christmas party she said she quite likes them.

 

Another vest for myself. This one from the same yarn as Mom's sweater.

Gallbladder

Because I had requests to bring in my gallbladder after it was removed I knitted one as it turns out they don't let you take your organs back after they've been removed. Imagine that. It's presently in a jam jar on my desk at work.

Christmas hats for the Canadian Niece and Nephew. I think these went over well as they wore them home after opening them.

 

And another a pair of socks for myself. In fact, I'm wearing them as I write this.

And to finish off, a final pair of socks for Dad for his birthday in January. Didn't notice how different the two skeins were when I started and ended up having to rip out the first sock back to the heel in order to make the heel and toes in the second skein.

Wow, 33 projects finished in one year. I sure hope I don't have to exceed this in 2016.

And I guess that pretty much sums up 2015. Looking forward to a great 2016.

Current Weather

Mostly sunny and 1C.

Move along there

Finished up Dad's birthday socks at last. Really wish I'd paid more attention to the skeins when I bought them. Oh, well it's done with now.

Pattern: Improvised
Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta Regia 4-fädig
Needle: 2.0mm

Also got the sleeves joined and the raglan decreases started on my Just Pain Blue sweater. It's coming together nicely so far. I did leave life lines where the sleeves joined the body though; just in case. I realize it's a rather plain sweater but I find that is what I want most of the time so I'm going with it.

Next I think I'll start a pair of Monsterbukse by duBedåre. My sister specifically asked for something like this for my Wee Niece. How can I possibly deny such a request?

Here's the yarn, notice how there is no pink. I object to the "pink for girls, blue for boys" thing.

Current Weather:
Mostly sunny and -8C.

Sunday Spinning

I have decided to make Sunday mornings A Time For Spinning. This week it happened on Monday. Oh, well; it was a day off work and it would appear I'm not setting this in stone.

Spinning evidence, complete with Spin-Off magazine in the background.

I'd really like to get more practice in with spinning so I can feel more comfortable with my wheel and maybe take the Master Spinner Level 1 course during Fibre Week at Olds College in June.

Speaking of my wheel, here she is:

Wheel

I bought this wheel second hand  about three years ago and it didn't occur to me to ask the lady I bought it from exactly what kind of wheel it is. Of course, it's possible she told me and just I didn't retain the information. I was just a wee touch excited at finding such a good wheel in working condition for an extremely reasonable price. It was a rare case where the lady knew what she was selling; she had two wheels and didn't need one of them any longer, and wanted it to go to someone who would use it. I swear I'm trying.

However, after a bit of research on the internet I believe she is an Ashford Traditional Single Drive built sometime in the 1970s. Although I'm pretty sure she's a "she", she doesn't have a name but I'm open to suggestions.

Knitting News

I would be finished a pair of socks for my Dad if I had realized the two skeins were completely different before I finished the first sock. I had to rip back and do the heel and toes in the second skein. Hopefully I can finish these in the next day or so. Then I need to start a pair for my Nephew but to do that I need to find some green yarn. I don't seem to have any green sock yarn right now. Well, there is some 15% silk blend but frankly that's not going to kids socks.

My blue sweater is soooo close to being ready to have the arms attached that I might even get to that today.

Gotta love how much knitting gets done when you have some time off work.

In Post Christmas News

Christmas went well. Much feasting was done. It is nice to get back to normal again though.

I think the kids liked their hats, they put them on right away and wore them home. Gift opening was done at Gran and Grandpa's place which necessitated the wearing of hats to go home as it was about -20C Christmas day.

Also my Niece told me she really likes my socks for snowshoeing and skiing. Thus ensuring herself a perpetual supply. Not that she realizes this of course, she's only 7 after all.

Weather Update

Current Temperature: -7C
Overcast and snowing lightly

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

And so this is Christmas.....

Christmas isn't really my favourite time of year. Actually, that's not exactly right, I quite like Christmas; I dislike the commercialization of Christmas.

Moving on.

I don't knit many Christmas gifts, I decided years ago that I'd knit for birthdays instead. Otherwise you end up with far, far too many things all coming due at the same time. I want to be able to relax and spend time with family at this time of year, I don't want to be stressing myself out over finishing knitting gifts. Besides, my family hasn't really exchanged Christmas gifts for years, most of us get something for the kids but that's about it. We made this change years ago as it was starting to seem sort of pointless to buy gifts for each other, if any of us want or need something we go and buy it. And none of us like the whole idea of searching for the perfect gift for everyone. Much less stressful this way.

I do usually knit something for my Niece and Nephew here in Canada though.

My Nephew is getting a hat.

When I asked he said his favourite colour is now green. So I made him a Sockhead hat in bright green, I just hope he didn't mean that his favourite colour is dark green. I modified this one to make it non-slouchy. I wasn't sure how he'd like slouchy so I went more head fitting.

Pattern: Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Macaw
Needle: 2.5mm

Green hat.

My Niece is also getting a hat.

This is a Wurm. It certainly looks like a warm Wurm. No modifications to this pattern at all, just made a small size for her. He favourite colour is still pink, I went with a dark pink.

Pattern: wurm by Katharina Nopp
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport in Rouge
Needle: 3.25mm & 3.75mm

Pink hat.

My Wee Niece will be getting a tonne of things when she comes to visit next summer as I object to the cost of international shipping. At least, I do while she' still too young to notice; we'll see as she gets older.

Unrelated to Christmas knitting, I finished a pair of socks for myself.

Pattern: Improvised
Yarn: ONline Supersocke 100
Needle: 2.0mm

Having finished those I started a pair for my Dad for his birthday in January. I fished the first one in no time. Unfortunately the second ball of yarn, although it's labeled the same dye lot, looks completely different. I'm going to have to improvise something here. Toes knit with the second ball of yarn are the most likely. I'll just have to see how far I get with the second sock and go from there.

In other Christmas news

My office Christmas party was held at the Banff Springs Hotel. And everyone got to spend the night. Cross that off my Bucket List. "Wow" is all I can say about that place; it's amazing.

There were trees everywhere. Here's just one hallway.

A hallway of trees.

And two Father Christmases were guarding the entrance to the breakfast room.

And the party was wonderful too. Kudos to all those in the office who planned it.

In other completely unrelated news

Soccer has been fighting an antibiotic resistant ear infection for about two months now. Yesterday we made (yet another) trip to the vet and it looks like it's finally cleared up. I'm keeping him on a preventative treatment plan for a few weeks to make sure it doesn't come back.

He seems to have figured out that the phrase "poor Soccer's ears" means he's going to get something unpleasant put in his ears. Yesterday when I said it he immediately lay down and put his head down. If his shoulder joints worked in such a way that would allow him to do so I suspect he'd have put his paws over his ears.

Here he is at the vet; this is also about what he looked like last night after hearing "poor Soccer's ears". At least he didn't run away and hide. Poor pup.

Soccer at the vet.

He also has a growth in his eye. Not sure how well you can see it below but his right eye is swollen and a bit red. The growth has been there for years, apparently it's not uncommon in dogs although he is the first one I've had that developed it, and it didn't really seem to bother him until this whole ear infection fiasco. I suspect he initially irritated it when trying to scratch his ear. Now it's weeping constantly which is causing a rash to grow there, the vet says it's a bit like diaper rash on a baby, and it won't go away because the area is constantly damp. He's now getting eye drops to control the infection as the vet and I are both reluctant to put him under anesthetic to remove the lump due to his age. He's 11 years old now and that's pretty old for a dog which could make anesthetic fatal. Unless there's no other choice I'd rather he didn't have to have surgery.

Soccer still at the vet.

Oh, and if you think there's something odd about his left eye you're right. It's partly blue. Not uncommon in Catahoula Leopard Dogs.

He also lost weight during this whole fiasco. This is actually a much bigger concern for me than anything else as he's been so consistent in his weight for the past 10 years. Plus, he's always been a rather lean dog, he just doesn't have a lot of weight to loose in the first place. I really, really hope it was just because he was on such powerful antibiotics for his ears and he'll regain weight over the next few weeks. I'm giving him a lot of high calorie foods to help with that. I'll take him back to be weighed in a few weeks and if he's still down then I'll have to see about blood work to see if we can isolate what's wrong.

Baked

Today I baked cookies for the office cookie exchange. Whew. Fortunately I only needed half a dozen for each participant not a dozen. 54 was more than enough cookies.

Progress continues on Christmas presents and I just realized I really, really need to get some socks done. I miss commuting to work on the train; I lost a lot of knitting time when I changed jobs.