I've been a bad blogger. Sorry.
Last week was pretty much about mourning the most recent loss, and the first half of this week was about daily outpatient treatment, in Edmonton (a 4.5 hour drive from here, each way). So it is official: the Bubble de Logan is no longer.
In the good news column, however, is that we have been ordered to keep the next three months as "strictly recreational" and in January, we go in for a massive amount of testing (my specialist calls it the $1000 testing) to try and find out why the Bubble de Logan and its predecessors all bit the dust in 6 - 12 weeks. Maybe some good will come out of this yet!
On the quilting front, I am right now feeling quite the itch to get back to my studio. I've tidied up the work area, but have yet to tackle the cutting table or the design wall. Plus, I'm slowly working my way through the piles of stuff I have accumulated that prevent me from standing back and perusing my fabric stash. It is coming together, though slowly.
We are having family (mine) here this Christmas, so I want to get the fabric/yarn room in enough order to put a guest bed in there if necessary - or at least to hide in there if the family gets rambunctious. What, my family, rambunctious? Oh, yeah, baby. We've been known to have fart contests at the table during Christmas dinner - that's what you get when you're the only girl.
My brothers, whom I love and adore, are big, brash, and not the least bit refined. You can dress them up nicely, but they're more likely to burp out the words to the national anthem than sing it. DH loves having them around, as all the standard rules of conduct go right out the window. They're not rude all of the time, just, you know, whenever we're dressed up and trying to be polite.
Anyway, I'm hoping to have a new quilt ready for the guest bedroom, a matching wall hanging, and a new wall hanging for the master bedroom as well, all done by Christmas. As well as the zillion or so gifts I'm knitting. And the new large square shawl (which will be a throw/wrap for the guest room). Oy. Better get started!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Poked with a Sharp Stick
Off to the city again to get "examined" by a specialist in burst bubbles. Fun.
Monday, October 17, 2005
GrumbleFutz
Some days are just grumblefutz days. Today the sun is shining, the wind is gentle, the temperature mild, and yet I'm grumblefutzing my arse off. The malady is melancholy. Poetic, huh?
It seems that the Bubble has burst. Am still waiting for the results of the latest series of blood tests, but know in my heart that it's over. I'll try and pull my head out of my arse later this week, but for now I'm going to stay in grumblefutz land. Knitting, with tea and a cat. And wool socks (stole some from the husband). And my hap shawl. And a homemade quilt or two.
Maybe, once medical confirmation of the end of the Bubble has come in, I will drown myself in apricot brandy. Seems like a sensible thing to do.
It seems that the Bubble has burst. Am still waiting for the results of the latest series of blood tests, but know in my heart that it's over. I'll try and pull my head out of my arse later this week, but for now I'm going to stay in grumblefutz land. Knitting, with tea and a cat. And wool socks (stole some from the husband). And my hap shawl. And a homemade quilt or two.
Maybe, once medical confirmation of the end of the Bubble has come in, I will drown myself in apricot brandy. Seems like a sensible thing to do.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Logan needs...
Tee hee. Found a new thing going around in the blogosphere, and had to try it. Google "[your name] needs", and then enjoy the hilarity that ensues. I tried to limit my list to the top five, but way too much hilarity ensued, so here (in no particular order), are some of the things that Logan needs...
... to hear Bobby say it out loud, that it's okay like this, raw and deep, with nothing between them except the slick, wet heat of the moment.
... secure fencing, and a big yard.
... a ride that means business.
... a specialty harness to keep [her] in the seat while we are on the road.
... to take action.
... defending, since [s]he's such a brat, but defending [her] would be betraying the correct way of living. Dirty communist.
... another Wal Mart like Logan needs another Chinese Buffet.
... to be f#cked with a sharp stick.
... to be less timid about bossing around teammates.
... to take a good hard look in the mirror.
... needs to go.
And on that final note, Logan is outta here. Until tomorrow, anyway. Toodles.
... to hear Bobby say it out loud, that it's okay like this, raw and deep, with nothing between them except the slick, wet heat of the moment.
... secure fencing, and a big yard.
... a ride that means business.
... a specialty harness to keep [her] in the seat while we are on the road.
... to take action.
... defending, since [s]he's such a brat, but defending [her] would be betraying the correct way of living. Dirty communist.
... another Wal Mart like Logan needs another Chinese Buffet.
... to be f#cked with a sharp stick.
... to be less timid about bossing around teammates.
... to take a good hard look in the mirror.
... needs to go.
And on that final note, Logan is outta here. Until tomorrow, anyway. Toodles.
Friday, October 14, 2005
It's just one of those days...
DebR is addicted to blog quizzes. Usually, I am amused or touched by her results, but don't bother doing the quiz myself. Today, ignoring this quiz was impossible. Yup, I succumbed to the quiz called "Which Absurd Cat are You?" - and my results were, well, umm, uhh, ... absurd but appropriate?
 |
| You scored as Pissed at the World Cat. And here we have the next serial killer. Try having some cotton candy, it'll make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Psycho. |
Which Absurd Cat are you? created with QuizFarm.com |
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Christmas, it be a-comin'
Christmas is coming. Last year, I had a plan - custom made reversible quilted placemat / runner combinations for everyone. I started working on the gifts late summer, and was done, quilted, and ready to wrap by November. It worked out really well, and the gifts were well received.
This year I have another plan. Hand knitted scarves for everyone (except Dad & his wife, who put in a special request for this Christmas).
I collected the yarn while on my gad-about with Mom, Adrian and Carla in early September, and by the time I got back from that trip, had already finished two (of the 15 I need to make). Yarn weight, fiber content, and colour was selected specifically for each person.
Scarves for men are pretty predictable - most of the men in my family tend to like plain, boring knitting, so are getting scarf stitch (aka mistake rib). To get that over with (and avoid dread of an abundance of plain boring Aran weight scarves), I worked on those first. Of the 5 of those, 4 are finished, and the last one is for a 5-year old, so will be little(whew). Of the three additional men I need gifts for, two will get Fancy-Man* scarves, and the last, well, I have no friggin' idea what to do for him. He may not get a scarf at all. We'll see. * I define Fancy-Man scarves as still knitted in scarf stitch/mistake rib, but with swanky shiny (silk content) fingering weight yarn, rather than heavy Aran weight yarn.
The women, however, are a different story. I really don't want to give them all variations on the same thing (even though that's what I'm doing for the men - double standards abound in LoganLand). And, I have a lace knittin' thang going on right now. So, each woman is getting a custom selected yarn AND a custom selected lace patterned scarf. The first (and only completed woman's scarf so far) was Branching Out, from Knitty.com. The rest I am designing as I go, based on lace patterns I've found in a number of different places. And, like the one man I'm not sure of, there is one woman in the bunch who I just can't pin down. Should she get a shoulder shawl instead? Or lace gloves? I just don't know. Will have to wait and see.
Anyway, now that I've rambled and rambled and rambled, you've probably figured out that knitting scarves is currently boring the cr@p out of me. As such, this morning I started knitting a work sock for DH. He loves his home-made work socks, and I hope to have two pairs ready for him for Christmas. Which means Second Sock Syndrome, times two. Oy. Also, he likes his socks plain. Really plain. Like solid charcoal, with an allowable two stripes, but they have to be in the same place, the same width, and the same colour (dark red). Or, medium gray, with the requisite two red stripes. If I want to get really wild, I might be able to convince him to accept oatmeal as a main colour, but (of course) with the same requisite two red stripes. Although, oatmeal as a main colour may be so scare-ily different that the stripes will need to be charcoal to make them more acceptable. That's my man. Stable, dependable, and don't mess with my socks, dammit!
Gotta say, I'm really looking forward to the one quilted gift on the list (for Dad & Marion). Especially seeing as how with the bubble on board, I can't drink myself into believing that this repetitive knitting is fun, fun, fun.
All for hand made gifts. Which I love to give. And are worth it. But oy, the knitting. Next year, something quilted again.
This year I have another plan. Hand knitted scarves for everyone (except Dad & his wife, who put in a special request for this Christmas).
I collected the yarn while on my gad-about with Mom, Adrian and Carla in early September, and by the time I got back from that trip, had already finished two (of the 15 I need to make). Yarn weight, fiber content, and colour was selected specifically for each person.
Scarves for men are pretty predictable - most of the men in my family tend to like plain, boring knitting, so are getting scarf stitch (aka mistake rib). To get that over with (and avoid dread of an abundance of plain boring Aran weight scarves), I worked on those first. Of the 5 of those, 4 are finished, and the last one is for a 5-year old, so will be little(whew). Of the three additional men I need gifts for, two will get Fancy-Man* scarves, and the last, well, I have no friggin' idea what to do for him. He may not get a scarf at all. We'll see. * I define Fancy-Man scarves as still knitted in scarf stitch/mistake rib, but with swanky shiny (silk content) fingering weight yarn, rather than heavy Aran weight yarn.
The women, however, are a different story. I really don't want to give them all variations on the same thing (even though that's what I'm doing for the men - double standards abound in LoganLand). And, I have a lace knittin' thang going on right now. So, each woman is getting a custom selected yarn AND a custom selected lace patterned scarf. The first (and only completed woman's scarf so far) was Branching Out, from Knitty.com. The rest I am designing as I go, based on lace patterns I've found in a number of different places. And, like the one man I'm not sure of, there is one woman in the bunch who I just can't pin down. Should she get a shoulder shawl instead? Or lace gloves? I just don't know. Will have to wait and see.
Anyway, now that I've rambled and rambled and rambled, you've probably figured out that knitting scarves is currently boring the cr@p out of me. As such, this morning I started knitting a work sock for DH. He loves his home-made work socks, and I hope to have two pairs ready for him for Christmas. Which means Second Sock Syndrome, times two. Oy. Also, he likes his socks plain. Really plain. Like solid charcoal, with an allowable two stripes, but they have to be in the same place, the same width, and the same colour (dark red). Or, medium gray, with the requisite two red stripes. If I want to get really wild, I might be able to convince him to accept oatmeal as a main colour, but (of course) with the same requisite two red stripes. Although, oatmeal as a main colour may be so scare-ily different that the stripes will need to be charcoal to make them more acceptable. That's my man. Stable, dependable, and don't mess with my socks, dammit!
Gotta say, I'm really looking forward to the one quilted gift on the list (for Dad & Marion). Especially seeing as how with the bubble on board, I can't drink myself into believing that this repetitive knitting is fun, fun, fun.
All for hand made gifts. Which I love to give. And are worth it. But oy, the knitting. Next year, something quilted again.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
All is quiet on the homefront
Not much going on here that is blog-worthy. DH is working, I'm knitting and quilting and avoiding the housework, critters are licking themselves in a sunbeam, and world is alright.
Bubble is still with us, and now has a fun trick of making me regret not just eating, but drinking too. Even water makes me nauseous. Oy. If this one is going to end (like all the preceding bubbles so far), I hope it finishes soon - although the weight loss is kind of a nifty side effect. We're not getting our hopes up, as they've been dashed way too many times. However, it's kind of interesting how something so microscopic can completely take over and f*ck with my body. And I though I was in control. Hah!
Okay, back to the couch for me. And if I get adventurous, maybe some time on the balcony in the sun.
Bubble is still with us, and now has a fun trick of making me regret not just eating, but drinking too. Even water makes me nauseous. Oy. If this one is going to end (like all the preceding bubbles so far), I hope it finishes soon - although the weight loss is kind of a nifty side effect. We're not getting our hopes up, as they've been dashed way too many times. However, it's kind of interesting how something so microscopic can completely take over and f*ck with my body. And I though I was in control. Hah!
Okay, back to the couch for me. And if I get adventurous, maybe some time on the balcony in the sun.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Finished Object Alert
After 20 days of garter stitch madness, my Hap (Everyday Shawl) is done! After a Eucalaan Lavender bath, I blocked it to the width of a queen sized bed (60"), and used the stripes on the liner of an old comforter as a pinning guide. The critters were not happy about being shut out of the guest room overnight! 
Once it was dry, I unpinned it and took it outside for a photo shoot. The strong gusts of wind made for interesting acrobatics, but the Hap seemed to enjoy being aired outside. Maybe later today it will make its uptown debut when I go grocery shopping.
Specifics: Shetland Shawl by Sidna Farley, page 26 of The Best of Knitter's Shawls and Scarves. Used 7 1/2 balls of the Rockies Brown shade of Shetland 4-Ply, by Harris Tweed Textiles, from Elann.com (approximately 1600m / 1750yds). Knitted on US size 10 needles (~6mm). Cast on 2 stitches, then knitted section by section, with no internal cast offs or sewing required. Garter stitch grafted edging (13 stitches) to finish. I did make some minor modifications to the pattern (changes in the lace only).
After fighting the wind, I brought it inside for a still life shot, with serving dishes, on our 60" diameter oak table. The kitchen table gets a lot of natural light, so the colour is pretty darn true.
Also finished is a scarf I'm calling Persnickety. This is standard fern lace, knitted in opposite directions from the middle to make it symmetrical. Tassels were added for a touch of frivolity. I charted the pattern and added my notes, so if you are interested, email me and I will send it out (pdf file).
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Some Things that are Growing
Some things that are growing in my household right now...
- my everyday wear Hap shawl (7/8ths of the edging finished, so damn near fully grown);
- the finished knitted Christmas presents pile (I always start early, as I tend to slump in November then panic in December);
- the stack of dishes specifically designated for use during a large (for us) gathering (there will be a minimum of 8 here at Christmas, so we had to buy extra plates, larger serving dishes, and still need to get more cutlery);
- the blue/green fungus on the old loaf of bread in the pantry (since located and disposed of);
- the microscopic bundle of cells I am carrying in my uterus (ultrasound confirmed correct placement of said bundle of cells, although what was actually viewed on the ultrasound was a bubble/yolk sac). My hormone levels have continued to rise, and as correct placement has been confirmed, yay bundle of cells!
Some things that are not growing around here include...
- the leaves (all have faded from green, and most are now down due to strong autumn winds);
- my arse (I've lost three more pounds, probably due to stress and sleeping through meals);
- whatever it was that two teenage girls buried out behind my yard. Very, very weird. I saw two teeny-boppers leaving the area with a shovel, sniffling a bit, before we went to Edmonton for tests. Today I noticed there is a freshly turned pile of earth with a little plastic cross and some toys out there, right behind our yard. Creepy. I'm not sure on the etiquette of this, but if I had any idea who the girls were, I'd be asking them to relocate the final resting place of Fluffy or Guinea Pig or whatever they buried, so that I don't have to look out on the grave while eating my morning oatmeal - especially seeing as the local dogs have been sniffing around there quite a bit, and if we get a digger, I expect to find remains strewn about my back yard. Ugh.
Tomorrow, photos of some sort. I promise.
- my everyday wear Hap shawl (7/8ths of the edging finished, so damn near fully grown);
- the finished knitted Christmas presents pile (I always start early, as I tend to slump in November then panic in December);
- the stack of dishes specifically designated for use during a large (for us) gathering (there will be a minimum of 8 here at Christmas, so we had to buy extra plates, larger serving dishes, and still need to get more cutlery);
- the blue/green fungus on the old loaf of bread in the pantry (since located and disposed of);
- the microscopic bundle of cells I am carrying in my uterus (ultrasound confirmed correct placement of said bundle of cells, although what was actually viewed on the ultrasound was a bubble/yolk sac). My hormone levels have continued to rise, and as correct placement has been confirmed, yay bundle of cells!
Some things that are not growing around here include...
- the leaves (all have faded from green, and most are now down due to strong autumn winds);
- my arse (I've lost three more pounds, probably due to stress and sleeping through meals);
- whatever it was that two teenage girls buried out behind my yard. Very, very weird. I saw two teeny-boppers leaving the area with a shovel, sniffling a bit, before we went to Edmonton for tests. Today I noticed there is a freshly turned pile of earth with a little plastic cross and some toys out there, right behind our yard. Creepy. I'm not sure on the etiquette of this, but if I had any idea who the girls were, I'd be asking them to relocate the final resting place of Fluffy or Guinea Pig or whatever they buried, so that I don't have to look out on the grave while eating my morning oatmeal - especially seeing as the local dogs have been sniffing around there quite a bit, and if we get a digger, I expect to find remains strewn about my back yard. Ugh.
Tomorrow, photos of some sort. I promise.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Human Pin-Cushion
I have a new title: Human Pin-Cushion. My old title (Queen of the World) was disputed at length by husband and cats, and really was more befitting the Peanut than me. Thus, I was dethroned.
Why HP-C? Because if I was to drop dead in the street half an hour from now, the medical examiner would assume I am a heroin addict (although would likely be confused by my obvious excess of nourishment). My arms are all bruised, bloody, and have teeny tiny little holes in them. Both arms. Numerous holes.
Why the little holes? Because in order to find out exactly when I begin the upcoming (we know it's coming - at least we're all pretty sure) miscarriage, my blood hormone levels are being taken every 2nd weekday. I get poked on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. That way, the doctor can figure out when the miscarriage starts, and hopefully attach possible causes. Which may then be tested with other, future miscarriages. Such fun.
It's a good thing I no longer consider the state of pregnancy (for me) as anything other than a minor illness, kind of like having a head cold or the flu. Otherwise this would be rather depressing.
But, on the up side, nobody expects anything of me any more - they're all waiting for the inevitable, and want to analyze my every move, so have basically stepped up and are allowing me to spend most of the day, every day, sitting on my arse and knitting. Or surfing the web. Or napping (I do lots of napping).
Except for being stuck with needles all the time, it's kind of like a holiday. No litter box to clean, no heavy lifting, no exposure to harsh chemicals like bathroom cleansers, etc. I can sit around drinking milk, popping vitamins, and watching new bruises form on my arms. The multiple layers of bruising on my left arm, currently in various stages of fading, kind of look a little like Kermit the Frog, but more colourful.
Oh, and for anyone getting all depressed my this post, please don't. This is the first time in years I actually feel that something positive is being done in the quest to find out why I keep spontaneously rejecting fetal tissue. And, under Murphy's Law, because we finally have proper medical care and are being observed closer than we ever have been before, this will most likely be a pregnancy that sticks. Because that would be kind of ironic. Kharmic justice. Almost funny. And probably loud. For the next 18 years or so. Yup. Uh-huh.
Now, if you'll be kind enough to excuse me, I have to pack a knitting project. We leave at 5:00am tomorrow to drive 5 hours to the clinic for an ultrasound. So, of course, I have to drink 4 8-ounce glasses of water, while on the road, and then hold it. While bouncing in DH's work truck, on crappy roads. Then drive back home the next morning, so I can be here for the Wednesday blood test. The fun never stops.
Why HP-C? Because if I was to drop dead in the street half an hour from now, the medical examiner would assume I am a heroin addict (although would likely be confused by my obvious excess of nourishment). My arms are all bruised, bloody, and have teeny tiny little holes in them. Both arms. Numerous holes.
Why the little holes? Because in order to find out exactly when I begin the upcoming (we know it's coming - at least we're all pretty sure) miscarriage, my blood hormone levels are being taken every 2nd weekday. I get poked on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. That way, the doctor can figure out when the miscarriage starts, and hopefully attach possible causes. Which may then be tested with other, future miscarriages. Such fun.
It's a good thing I no longer consider the state of pregnancy (for me) as anything other than a minor illness, kind of like having a head cold or the flu. Otherwise this would be rather depressing.
But, on the up side, nobody expects anything of me any more - they're all waiting for the inevitable, and want to analyze my every move, so have basically stepped up and are allowing me to spend most of the day, every day, sitting on my arse and knitting. Or surfing the web. Or napping (I do lots of napping).
Except for being stuck with needles all the time, it's kind of like a holiday. No litter box to clean, no heavy lifting, no exposure to harsh chemicals like bathroom cleansers, etc. I can sit around drinking milk, popping vitamins, and watching new bruises form on my arms. The multiple layers of bruising on my left arm, currently in various stages of fading, kind of look a little like Kermit the Frog, but more colourful.
Oh, and for anyone getting all depressed my this post, please don't. This is the first time in years I actually feel that something positive is being done in the quest to find out why I keep spontaneously rejecting fetal tissue. And, under Murphy's Law, because we finally have proper medical care and are being observed closer than we ever have been before, this will most likely be a pregnancy that sticks. Because that would be kind of ironic. Kharmic justice. Almost funny. And probably loud. For the next 18 years or so. Yup. Uh-huh.
Now, if you'll be kind enough to excuse me, I have to pack a knitting project. We leave at 5:00am tomorrow to drive 5 hours to the clinic for an ultrasound. So, of course, I have to drink 4 8-ounce glasses of water, while on the road, and then hold it. While bouncing in DH's work truck, on crappy roads. Then drive back home the next morning, so I can be here for the Wednesday blood test. The fun never stops.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
First Snow of the Season
Time for some photos, as I'm boring myself with my blog.
This is what things looked like out back a week and a half ago, when it was all sunshine and golden aspens around here. We had a couple of very windy days right after this photo was taken, and they stripped away most of the leaves.
Then, last weekend when my in-laws were here, we were treated to an early morning deer raid. There were actually six of them (including two young ones), but they spread out too far for photo taking. Please excuse the fuzziness of the shot - the light was extremely low (did I already say early morning?) and I was shooting from the relative security of our shaded front porch to the house across the street. When I ventured out onto the driveway to try for a better shot, they all took off. Apparently, the deer in this area are smart - they know to hang out in town during hunting season, as there is no shooting allowed in the populated areas (duh).
I got up from my afternoon nap today (no snickering - lazy chick with a stowaway here) to this - DH working on the front garden, in the snow. Not just any snow either - the first snow of the season, and showing up in the form of uber-flakes. Of course, it is a few degrees above freezing, so all the snow is really doing is watering the lawn and providing a cool effect on camera. But I'll take that. Yay for snow! Fun snow!
Knitting and quilting content to continue shortly. I just finished (but still need to block) a new scarf that I designed, and will be putting the pattern up here for anyone interested.
This is what things looked like out back a week and a half ago, when it was all sunshine and golden aspens around here. We had a couple of very windy days right after this photo was taken, and they stripped away most of the leaves.
Then, last weekend when my in-laws were here, we were treated to an early morning deer raid. There were actually six of them (including two young ones), but they spread out too far for photo taking. Please excuse the fuzziness of the shot - the light was extremely low (did I already say early morning?) and I was shooting from the relative security of our shaded front porch to the house across the street. When I ventured out onto the driveway to try for a better shot, they all took off. Apparently, the deer in this area are smart - they know to hang out in town during hunting season, as there is no shooting allowed in the populated areas (duh).
I got up from my afternoon nap today (no snickering - lazy chick with a stowaway here) to this - DH working on the front garden, in the snow. Not just any snow either - the first snow of the season, and showing up in the form of uber-flakes. Of course, it is a few degrees above freezing, so all the snow is really doing is watering the lawn and providing a cool effect on camera. But I'll take that. Yay for snow! Fun snow!Knitting and quilting content to continue shortly. I just finished (but still need to block) a new scarf that I designed, and will be putting the pattern up here for anyone interested.
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