Celtic Cast On

T started swimming lessons at the local pool last week.

She is enjoying it so much, a regular little fish. The first day of  class it was pouring buckets out, I figured she wouldn`t want to get in but it didn`t fizz her a bit, she loved every minute.  There are lots of fun toys to play with and a good amount of  people watching too.

 We bought a little blow up pool to have at home, Boss and Moo are enjoying being able to play too. 

Dame Edna eat your heart out!

Water is a fun way to cool off on these hot hot days.

Happy and Denny agree!

I’ve been working away on my mystery socks. Time is definitely a ticking and I’m unsure at this point whether I’m going to make the June 30th cut off.

One sock is complete and the other is in the works….

I was trucking right along until last night when I picked up my sock and realized I had  skipped the cuff altogether and started off with the leg chart. *groan* I made sure to use my highlighter second time around, highlighting CUFF, LEG and RIGHT SOCK. This was just before I frogged the entire thing. Hopefully it won’t take too long to re knit.

I’ve had lots of questions about the yarn I’m using. It’s  A Piece Of Vermont in the Jam colourway gifted by Lynne. The dyer is no longer making this yarn which is unfortunate as I have really enjoyed working with it  and seeing the subtle colour changes as I knit. It looks quite a bit different knit up than it did in the skein, I was quite surprised to see deep blues and some pinks throughout.

Boston and Molly are enjoying lots of outdoor time but wish black fly season was over. It’s much more enjoyable when you aren’t getting your ears eaten.

Boston : “I know I heard something squeak in here, you find it yet Moolee?”

Moolee: “sniff sniff sniff, Nope!”

I’m so happy with my little Lupin bed. Two years ago I made the bed and planted two packets of Lupin seeds just before Fall. Last year only two plants grew out of about 20-30 seeds with 3-5 flowers on each. I was quite disappointed as I was expecting it to be full of them. This year however the Lupin’s have bloomed VERY early and I have over 20 flowers on each plant. I just need one more plant in the front there and my little bed will be perfect. Can you imagine what it would have been like with 30 plants?? lol I bought some more Lupin seeds yesterday, packets with multiple colours, with plans for more Lupin growing this year. We have a whole side hill that would look sooo awesome covered in colourful Lupin’s.

Some people have been wondering how Boss and Moolee are handling the new arrival…

Think its safe to say they are getting along swimmingly!

No your eyes are not deceiving you that really is snow! Yes I said snow, and its October 14th…… *sigh*

Sarah posted a few days ago that they got a skift but I did not think the “chance of snow” the weatherman talked about was THIS MUCH!!!

This is what our yard looked like just as the fluffy stuff started to fall….

Amazing huh??? Apparently the trees weren’t prepared for this either, they are all bent over and we even lost one on our trail down back, I had to detour through the pine trees to get around it this morning.

Molly was not impressed with the wet flakes falling last night….

but when she realized the fluffy edible stuff was back to romp around in she was ok with it.

Boston enjoys being outside in any weather but I think he too is a bit partial to the fluffy stuff. He’s just waiting for a snow bank to perch on top of so he can survey his land.

I on the other hand would prefer that my winter jacket buttoned, my snow pants zipped and that I wasn’t currently wearing the winter woolies I would usually be donning in February!! Tadpole will get a shock to the system when he arrives!!

This last week I’ve been quite miserable as I seem to have caught a cold that I really needed to get with just over 2 weeks to my due date. I seem to be getting a bit better but it will be nice when I have some energy back and can breathe through my nose again.

I have WIP’s, FO’s and packages to get caught up on so I best get posting.

 Having two months of rain, fog and cold weather really makes you think about Autumn more and more. I’ve been dying to cast on for a cosy warm sweater for myself but seeing as that’s pretty much impossible at this present time I settled for a pair of cosy toe socks instead.

 I cast on for the  Gentlemen’s socks with Lozenge pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks, tailored for my little feet.  This is the third or fourth pattern I’ve knit from this book and it has once again proved to be a wonderful library addition.  I’m using Louet Gems in a lovely fall orange, these will be a lovely pair to have on hand this fall.

Of course the minute I start working on them we get beautiful weather, at least for one day anyway. Maybe I should just keep knitting socks if it makes the sun hang around.

My mum and dad are in the process of building a house on the most beautiful water frontage. Dad of course is building the house himself, and Moose has been helping out when he isn’t working. Being the preggo that I am I’m not much good for lugging wood and standing up walls so instead I get to enjoy my surroundings and do a little knitting.

I found a nice half shady half sunny spot on top of a pile of sheathing to work on my socks as well as keep an eye on the dogs.  Molly is perfectly content as long as she can see Moose at all times. She spent most of her day with me on  top of the sheathing watching her daddy’s every move.

After month’s of not being able to find buttons to match…..

I can finally show you my finished BSJ!

Pattern:Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport  multi in Bittersweet

Needles: 5mm circs

Start Date: March 3rd 2009

Finish Date: April 6th 2009

I don’t seem to have ANY notes from knitting this sweater… bad knitter! I do remember that I didn’t want to knit it again anytime soon, it seemed very fiddly to me always having to count to make sure I had enough stitches on either side etc. Once I got nearer to the end it seemed to get easier but it definitely wasn’t the relaxing knit that I was hoping for.

Luckily for me this sweater is for the Tadpole so I won’t need to make another one anytime soon

Just because they are soooo darn cute……  My babies!!

They were perched on top  of the sand pile we were using to make a level spot to put the pool…. don’t ask how it went, we no longer have a pool…. Bosty however loves to dig and enjoyed snoking and digging his little heart out while Molly preferred to use it as a crow’s nest to keep a close eye on her Dad.

Enjoy the sun we are finally getting!

Enough already with the SNOW!!!!

At 8 o’clock this morning I was out shovelling snow from the fence, no not the driveway the fence!!! 

We’ve had to dig a trench all the way along the fencing of our property. There is just sooo much snow that it was actually higher than the fence we put up and Boston was able to just walk right out on to the road. Leave it to my little devil to find a way out.

We were blattered with 30cms of snow in a meer 7 hrs in the early hours this morning which easily filled the previous trench we had dug on saturday. This morning it was back to trench digging while Moose plowed out the driveway.

All that work for this little Bohemian trench jumper!!

I did of course have my trusty trench guard on duty to make sure there was no trench jumping while I dug it out again. 

After 3 hours of digging we’re back to a jump free zone only to find out we’re getting another 5-10cms before the day is out.

PLEASE SEND SPRING!!!

So yesterday marked a day…. the day Moose and I officially became farmers!!

This is the pasture! We’ve be working on it for months now. See before it was pasture it was tree’d ferny land that we morphed into pasture. From clearing the land and picking rocks…….. picking rocks over 2 and a half acres I might add TWICE!!! Tilling, disc harrowing, are you getting the picture yet??

Yesterday was the day! We walked the pasture and sowed the seed. I am offically a farmer! Aren’t I??? Heck yes I am I sowed seed now all we have to do is wait for grass to grow and we’ll have us a dang good pasture! We’re hoping to get the fencing hung before the snow flies, at least on the outside posts!

A lot of you had noticed in my last post that Autumn has finally hit the ridge.

This is what we get to enjoy everyday!

At first when September hit and  I took the dogs for a walk I could just see a few trees turning yellow. Then it seemed like a whole line across the valley was colourful but when I walked down at the start of this week I was blown away. Full blown colour staring me in the face!! How could you NOT be in awe of that view!! I must say though its even more wonderful in person, you just can’t capture that on camera! Once I hit the clearing I gasp EVERYTIME, its soooo wonderful, I’m so blessed to be living in amongst all this beauty!

We don’t have many red trees around the house, most seem to be orange or yellow but there is one. One lone tree that I can see while i”m knitting, through the front window and I wish I could just scoop it up and replant it in my yard. It currently sits right across the road from our mailbox.

 Its so bright it just pops out from between all the green foilage. I love it so!

Our CSU *counter squirrel unit* have been busy, chasing squirrels, partridge, and enjoying all the new smells that Fall brings.

My little fern eater Molly is such a good model!

Boston…. not so much. I’m lucky I captured this shot before he bounced off in search of something else.

As much as I love my woodstove… I don’t want Fall to end, its such a short time, and my favourite time of year. Soon though the cold will set in and the snow will fly…. I’m not quite ready for that yet!! Hang on Fall, Hang on!

Pattern: Cashmere Neckwarmer by Kim K.

Start Date: September 1st 2008

Finish Date: September 1st 2008

Yarn: Queensland Kathmandu Aran in Brown

Needles: US 11

This was a quick little knit I polished off while watching my newest obsession 24. I’m nearing the end of the first season and can’t wait to get stuck into the next 6.

Queensland Kathmandu is such a yummy yarn, I had two balls left over from Moose’s Cobblestone so I thought i’d whip up a nice little neckwarmer just in time for fall. The weather here as been rather fall ish with the odd hot day here and there so i’m thinking i’ll be using this soon rather than later.

It’s long enough that I can tuck it into my jacket for a little bit of extra warmth when it gets really cold…… I’m trying not to think about that yet but it will be fastly approaching!

I finished it off with a nice chunky wooden button, delic!!

I have been getting geared up for the cold season, but this week, and for the last few months now I have been sweating my hole off piling wood. We ran out of wood last year so this year we ended up getting 6 cord and it was lucky me who gets to pile it.

Last years process took a LONG time because I was using a small 4 wheeler trailer to cart the wood from the pile, to the basement door and then wheel it inside with the wheelbarrow. Not this year, this year I have the tractor and a large trailer that I am piling as high as I can get it before taking it around back.

I was doing pretty good, the pile was slowly but surely getting smaller with each load but I was really getting sick of seeing that pile of wood everytime I walked out the door so I grabbed Moose on Sunday and we assessed the damage. He figured I had a good 6 trailer loads full left before the pile was finito so a challenge was born.

My challenge was to get it done by the weeks end. If I did two loads a day for 3 days it would be done. Of course things and appointments happen that cause 2 loads not to get done in a day but I still figured I could get it done by the weeks end. Today is Friday and baby I just finished the last load of wood!!!!

I had one load left to do and was determined to get it done today and then I wouldn’t have to look at another wood pile until next year.

Of course it had to be boiling hot out!! The heat factor paired with coveralls, gloves and wellies makes it sweaty work. I did however have my trusty helper.

And….. my not so trusty helper……

Sweet victory was mine when I picked up the last log from the trailer!!!

Those coveralls look hot huh *wink wink*

Challenge complete!!! Done for another year!!!

*you can’t see them but there are two more rows behind that one*

Last week we took the dogs to Cassidy Lake for a bit of a paddle to get cooled off. It was a scorcher for sure and even I *won’t get in unless its bath water* took a little dip. When we arrived at the loading zone it was empty and ready for two big dogs to frolick. Being so close to the road was a bit of a concern as Boss and Moolly normally roam free on the Ridge but Moose took them down and then tied their leads to a long rope that we could just grab if the need be.

Molly is like her mother, in that she doesn’t like to get wet so we weren’t sure she would even go IN the water but with dad by her side, anything is possible.

After some wading around Moose got out the Dingy we had brought along to fart around in it. There’s a story to this dingy. I won it in 1999 at an Irving Mainway Convience Store. The manager called to say I had won a dingy, two paddles and pump, when could I come pick it up……… I won….. but how did I win??? Apparently I had put my name in for a draw….. ohhhh right the draw…… I’d figure out who entered me in for the draw later, but for now I’ve got me a boat to pick up. Turns out my mum had entered my name, it ALWAYS happens to her, she never wins unless she puts someone else’s name on the ticket.

Now that dingy has been sitting my closet at mum and dad’s house for 9 years now!! I guess I never really had anywhere I could use it and it got forgotten about. Mum brought it down to us the last time they came over and when we discovered Cassidy Lake was not far from out house while out on a bike ride we knew the dingy would have its first voyage.

Moose took it out for a paddle while I stayed on shore and kept an eye on the dogs. However someone didn’t like being left very much and followed.

Wait for me Dad!!!!

Of course he came right back for her, in she got and off they sailed leave poor Boston and I on the shore.

She absolutely LOVED it and had a grand ole time. I still laugh when I see this picture, Captian Molly leading the way! She lay down in the boat with her head hanging over the side having the time of her life! Of course dad came back to get Boston but he wouldn’t get in without me… can you tell who’s dog is who’s???

Of course I couldn’t get pictures when all four of us were in it together but next time we come i’ll be sure to bring my tripod to capture Boston. It was an awesome day and we’re now looking into Dog lifejackets so we can get farther out and not be worried about Boston jumping ship

It was a good doggy day!