The problem with not posting in a few days a week is that I feel a need to catch you all up on what's been going on but that just seems like a monumental task. Actually, this week it's not so hard - finished Cassidy, drove the bus, worked in the office, drove the van, did housework, rinsed and repeated and finished Elise's black & white Koigu sweater.
I did a charter to the Ontario Science Center and helped Leigh get a cowl started. She'd never worked on a circular needle before so when she found out that I was the other driver going down she packed her knitting!!
And the squirrels!! 
OMG they were huge and tame to the point of cockiness! Squirrels up North are scrawny and have the fight or flight reflex down to a fine evolutionary art. Down in the T. they wait until you're almost close enough to wind up for a good swing with your leg and then they'll move off - not scurry or scamper even!! - just enough to watch and see if you're going to drop a tasty morsel for them.
I've also made a vow that, in writing it here I will certainly not fail at keeping. I will finish Julie's Patrick before the end of the year. There will be no acceptable excuses - it shall be done.
I'm watching the finale of Survivor and will be back with TAR next week!
Even when the rest of my life is in shambles, knitting provides a comforting, stabilizing continuity. Thanks for your encouragement - I'm sure that I'm not the first mom/parent to go through this kind of -altering torture difficult phase, and I probably won't be the last.
I love The Boy so much & I feel like every decision is the wrong one and he mostly hates my ideas & consequences and rebels to the -nth degree. I must be doing something right! LOL Mostly I can shrug it off but once in awhile I just have to let it out.
The Boy does drive me to eat - what with the bus driving morning & night I'd make either a very lame alcoholic or a very dangerous bus driver and the perfectionist in me doesn't like either of those alternatives.
Patrick & I have been busy making stitches - and we've done good!! The rest should go faster - I find that the back is (or at least I perceive it to be - it could be some sort of food-induced altered state of being) the slowest piece.
I'm always measuring, re-measuring, oops - frogging, and measuring. Once it's done then I just have to knock of the front to match and then re-calculate the sleeve increases according to my row gauge.I know, it looks especially large but keep in mind that this is Rowan Denim and it will shrink about 20% in length with the first washing. 
But yes, it is a lot of knitting!!
I've also knit up the back & fronts of a cardigan for 
Chicknits. I'm well into the 1st sleeve, so it won't be long now Bonne!
And finally 1st sleeve for a side-to-side sweater for Elise. I'm using Koigu Kersti & while I really loved it before I'm in extra-deep, hard core lust now!
So I went to Julie's with Joan & Amanda yesterday and picked up the yarn to knit another Patrick for Julie. I looked at so many new things that I started feeling a bit numb and was easy prey for Amanda who is going to get a cute little shrug from Sirdar.
We're going to use the purple Denim Tweed DK (it's #634 and despite being called "blue wave" it's purple).
I dropped off the Hydrangea Lace Scarf. It will be at the KW Knitter's Fair this Saturday if you want a closer look. Julie will have the chart that I made for the extra leaves that I added. BTW - I will be at the Fair as well - for the first time in about 10 years!! I usually work at the store, but Cathy will be there so I lucked out. Apparently it's crazy-busy, but if you see me make sure to poke me or something & say "hey"!
The neighbour is taking the "labour" part of Labour Day very seriously. 
They have been doing the roof since early Saturday morning. It is not a quiet kind of job. I don't fault them for this effort at home maintenance, but it isn't endearing them to me either.
The constant noise may have contributed to my less than stellar knitting performance yesterday.
The following image may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.
This is what a mitten looks like when it "was a mitten" but "is no longer a mitten". 
I spent Saturday knitting this up with a cable pattern that I had agonized over knit up the back of the hand. To be fair, I wasn't really feeling the love for it while I was knitting it, but I persisted. I have been previously diagnosed with "Wishful Knitter Syndrome". The dominant symptom is knitting past a point of certainty; knitting on, hoping and wishing that it will be okay and when it's not, wishing that I hadn't kept going. I think that the noise from the next-door roofing was obscuring the noise that the cautious side of my brain was trying to make.
I utterly snapped when I couldn't get the cable centered for the top shaping for all 3 sizes that I'm designing it in. I had so carefully planned the ribbing to flow into the cables, written instructions for the right & left hand so that they would be perfectly mirrored and graphed the chart - by hand and with S&M Maker. No, I don't believe in doing anything by half measures. So, there be Saturday's knitting.
I started over again today and I'm very pleased with what is coming off of the needles. Again, complex enough that I'm writing RH & LH instructions so I don't want to jinx it by showing it before I've done the RH at least - knock on wood, I should be finished it soon.
I also stopped to pick up another copy of the Brazilia Stop and Go pattern that I'm making I've been making for months now. I went to pick it up a few days ago and the pattern was nowhere to be found!! I really want to finish this for Amanda so I just bought another pattern. Having the shrug in the wings is great incentive to get this one done. Finally.
I savoured our last night together. You came to me to make you into the sweater that we both knew that you could be and I enjoyed every minute of it. 
I know that you'll make Julie as happy as you've made me.
How can I stay mad at him for long? I actually can't - it all depends on how much of a break he takes in between trying my patience! 
and I'll catch you on the flip side!!
I won't start making excuses - other women are busy and they find time for the special man in their lives. You've been so very patient and so today is going to be all about you.
I'm making coffee right now which I will drink while I take a nice soak in the hot tub. 
I'll be thinking only of you. Then I'll slip into something nice & comfortable and we'll curl up together on the chesterfield and spend some quality time together. 
