2025 Knits and Gathering of Things

So I never really wrapped up my knitting last year. Burt and did enough knitting to amuse ourselves. We started a shawl and carried on with it through many months. I just had to look it up January to April I knit on that shawl.

Burt especially likes it when the shawl gets big enough to drape over him and still let me knit.

I just love how colorful this is. I am thinking I will make another one out of left over yarns, but I think instead of triangular I would make it rectangular shaped. It is a bit awkward to wear.

I made myself a pair of rainbow socks since I enjoyed knitting D's pair so much. These make me feel better every time I put them on. So cheerful.

I really needed some color in my sock drawer so I knit up some bold orange socks too.

I tried out a bit of color work. Not terribly good colorwork but still fun. They are cat paws if you cannot see. I have a problem with my ribbing always flipping over so maybe next time I will make the cuff longer, who knows?

I did a bit of yarn and tool purchasing too. What can I say, I love Malabrigo and having good tools.

I also like trying out new stores and yarn types. And sometimes I even buy the same color twice because it was so much fun the first time. Teal Torch on the end I am looking at you. 

I started and finished another Color Affection shawl but have been enjoying my other shawls instead. It is really quite pretty but I am horrible at washing and blocking. Now would be a perfect time to do that since the air needs water so we can all stop zapping Burt with our static electricity. 

You will notice how much color I need in my life now. I discovered Gusto Wool and knit up even more pretty socks for myself. I love the color changes on these. 

I knit up some "Let me tell you about my uterus" socks from yarn I ordered after our Dollywood trip the fall before. Not my normal colors and I love them more for being special. Plus it is fun to giggle over the yarn name when you're waiting for a Doctor to come in.

D and I went to a very small local festival and I could not turn down a buy four get one free deal at a booth. Then the local yarn shop was there and I wanted more Z Yarns.

You got to love good color transition yarn like this.

Helpful Burt as always modeled some special yarn I ordered from NY because my friend went to a festival and found some interesting local yarn. Non-superwash Corridale Cormo blend grown and processed in NY. I should have taken a day off work and toured that mill.

I continued in my quest to gain learn more about knitting  and tracked down some books I missed out on when I first started knitting. And I just let whimsy run amuck too. I realized I don't have to want to knit everything in a book, sometimes inspiration is enough. 

I rounded out the year with D's Christmas socks made out of more Gusto Wool. With color changes like this why be plain and boring?

Doing Fine

Burt wants you all to know he recovered from his surgery just fine.

He does not appreciate his new bite being called a "damp clamp." Human you're walking on thin ice with that quip. You should respect me for the king that I am.

I do appreciate this new blanket even if it sounds like we are cuddling in a sleeping bag. It is way less zappy than the fuzzy blankies.

Daddy got new Christmas socks, then wore them for a couple of days straight. Guess they fit just fine.

Momma and Daddy went to something called The River of Lights. Which made Momma so happy cause she loves pretty lights.

 Happy New Year to you. It is time for a nap!

Burt's Very Tough Week

Burt has had a very tough week or so. It all started Thursday the 16th. Momma would not feed him as requested through the night. He was scheduled to have all his remaining teeth removed. No midnight snack or breakfast?! What the heck Momma? I vomited in protest. Great way to start a stressful day.

I anxiously dropped him off at the vet. While waiting I saw someone give up their small cage to a tech. I realized it was an expired little one when I saw the woman leave in tears and get a hug outside the doors. It broke my heart.

Once they took Burt back all I could do was go out to my car and cry. My friends said it would be alright and several hours later I went and picked up Burt. 

He sat in front of this water dish for a good 15 minutes. You could tell everything felt weird. But then he got Churus after meds and we had some good sleeping sessions. Eat, take meds, and go back to bed. Mom covered his pillow with a towel to soak up any drool.

We lived with a very dirty chin for a few days.

Being tucked in didn't hurt either.

On the second or third night after surgery his chin was so swollen.

Thanks for staying home with me Momma.

Soon I was able to clean up a bit and my slightly surprised mouth showed up.

Mom took 42 pictures of me cleaning up and only one had my mouth open. My momma's photography reflexes are not good!

We started asking if my surgeon was Mike Tyson on this day.

Now I'm just sick of being sick. I want my crunchy food back, but I'm glad my abscessed teeth are gone but I'm done with my whole mouth healing thing.

Two more weeks of stitches but less than a week to get my regular food back.

 

 

Checking In

The weather is turning cooler and we are so thankful for it. So I guess it is time for a report of some of the things we did with our summer. 

I knit Hubby some socks. I enthralled the anesthesiologist at my colonoscopy by knitting while all gowned up. I did not knit while waking up so that is good.  

I started a shawl.

I finished some cool socks for me.

I started (and finished) another pair for me.

We had boba at a yarn festival at a wildlife park.

I bought yarn. Yes I know this is really not new for me.

I got to try out weaving so I figured D needed a really neat bookmark. I should have bought one too.

We got nifty little keychain dice holders with the dice included. I have always wanted a D20 dice.

We started going to estate sales and I found awesome pyrex dishes.

And a very pretty lap quilt for 
Burt.

I am learning how to do a knitted I-cord edge and now all my shawls will have this edge. Or at least the colorwork ones. You can hide your ends in there without having to weave them in!

I bought more yarn that Burt said he would model. 

I bought more books to feed my nostalgia. The Vogue Knitting Sock book especially is stomping up and down on my nostalgia button. 

I matched my prettiest and most unique shawl to my only dress for a wedding. (I didn't get to wear the shawl because ABQ in September is still just lovely, but not shawl weather.)

I made myself a birthday cake. Never trust YouTube recipes. This one overflowed the pan while baking and took double the amount of time to bake. 

It did taste lovely. I would make it again and set the timer for longer to not keep interrupting the baking.

Yes I am so basic that vanilla cake and vanilla ice cream are my favorites. I wouldn't say no to chocolate chip cookie dough though.