My Goodness! How Time Flies!

I’ve been busy with so many things, that I completely neglected this blog. I realized that this last week when I clicked my bookmark to it and realized I’d not updated it since we got the cats. In February! I’m embarrassed.

So, to catch up here’s the Reader’s Digest version:

The cats became and are very comfortable with each other unless Watson (black male cat) is hungry and wants to annoy Smudge (calico female). Smudge has been in and out of the vet hospital with tail problems and finally had the tip docked (they say that’s a nicer word than amputated) because of a cancerous growth on it. She finally had the last of the stitches fall out today, and has been Cone Of Shame free for about a week. She’s back to her happy, snuggly self and we’re all very happy she made it through with flying colors.

I, myself, am also recovering from surgery. In January, my shoulder started hurting and over the winter and spring, it got worse and worse. It was a frozen shoulder and I finally had surgery for it on June 22. I’m off of work until August 13 when I hope my doctor will think I’ve improved enough to go back to work. But on the bright side, it’s been nice having part of the summer “free” – if you don’t count physical therapy and the pain. I am slowly, slowly getting my range of motion back. Should be 100% better by Christmas, I’m thinking.

I’ve been mostly knitting for my American Girl dolls, but my son and dil are having another baby towards the end of this year, so I’ll be knitting a new baby blanket and Christmas stocking for my next grandchild. No word yet as to whether it’s a girl or a boy. Either way, we’re all excited for them.

Two New Additions

Now that we’re settled into our new home, we decided it was the right time to go see if there were any cats to adopt at the local shelters last week. I thought it would take a while to find a cat (or two) that would fit our needs – able to get along with a dog, be an inside cat, and be very, very affectionate – you know, the kind that would leap up into your lap when you sit down.

Well, the first place we went, there they were: two older cats, a little on the tubby side, both declawed and, best part of all, they liked each other already. We played with them, and even though they were a little porky, they both were rubbing up against us and chasing the toys we dangled.

But we had to wait until this week when my friend came back (you have to prove that your landlord allows pets if you’re renting). So this morning, she called and gave her approval ad after work today, I went and picked them up.

Meet Smudge (female calico) and Watson (male black).

The two cats we fell in love with at the shelter

Smudge hiding under the cat tower after vacating her cat carrier.

Watson exploring the room while Smudge snuggled down under the bed.

I’m sure that Smudge will come out from under the bed once she feels comfortable. Watson has already made himself at home, checking out the whole room and even using the cat box already!

We’re in love!

What Is on My Needles – and What Just Got Off

I’ve been following the ravelry AG Doll group’s KAL (Knit A-long) but didn’t participate in the December one because I was moving. However, I did finally finish the November one, which was “Winter Holiday” theme.

I made a doll-sized Christmas stocking based on the pattern I designed for my grandson last year. I split the Red Heart yarn so that it could be made with the same colors, as I don’t have the resources (or the time) to go hunt down crayon colored sports or fingering weight yarn. You can read all about it on my project page at ravelry. I hope to have a pattern by next fall so that you can knit your girl a full-size stocking and her doll(s) mini stockings.

But here are the finished pictures:

Jane holding her new Christmas stocking

Close up of stocking

Doll stocking next to full-size Christmas stocking

Ivan in his stocking with his proud parents (last year)

But what am I working on now?

The January 2015 KAL, which is a 3 Pattern Challenge. We are taking 3 different patterns and using parts of each to make a complete 18″ AG doll outfit. I’m not sure if I’ll finish in time – I’ve got a lot of knitting to do before the end of the month. But I’ve finished the first step of the knitted top:

Finished the knitting part of the wrapped top.

Unfortunately, the skein led me to believe that the colors varied faster than they do, so I ended up with a pink top with a purple/green waist. I think the skirt will end up looking better – unless I decide to make it a solid green that matches.

Tomorrow I have four, count them, FOUR doctor appointments – only one of them is not for me. *sigh* But they will all have time to knit in the waiting rooms. So I may have more to show tomorrow on the skirt or hat part of the outfit.

What Has Been Happening for The Last Few Months, Besides Knitting

I was sitting on the computer, browsing my ravelry account, and realized that I’d not updated my blog here for quite some time. So, here’s the scoop:

I decided this last fall that it was time to divorce my husband. I found a good lawyer, found a place to live that I could afford (living with a friend), and got everything ready and the girls and I moved out Dec 4th. I served him with papers the next morning.

December was filled with unpacking boxes, the girls painting their new bedroom and general Christmas stuff. Maybe I’ll post pictures later, but it was very nice. We also celebrated Hanukkah with my new roommate’s family.

We are in a new ward at church, but I still go to my old branch to teach belly dance classes.  (also, should post pictures of my class dancing for International Night in October. Must remember … write it down for future post).

I guess the reason I’m writing this is that today was the first court hearing of (hopefully) not too many and the first time I saw my husband since I moved out. It was a good hearing for my side; not so much for his. But we made it through and hopefully, we will be able to decide all the other things involved with the divorce as quickly as possible so that we can both move on with our lives.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog posts about knitting.

A Spin-Off Blog

Yesterday I got my daughter to go outside with me and take pictures of my American Girl Dolls and their cat, posing around the yard, like I’ve seen other in my knitting groups over the years do. I’ve always thought it looked like a lot of fun.

Getting their cat, Shadow, out of a tree.

Well, it is. In fact, it’s so fun that I’ve decided to spin it off to a new blog where I just post pictures of my dolls doing things. I want this blog to be focused on the things I started it for.

So, here’s a link to my new blog, Dolls Playing. Let me know what you think!

Felicity Joins Kirsten and Jane

Long story,  not to be repeated here. Suffice it to say, we’re all glad that I finally found Felicity in a box instead of the thrift store I thought I had accidentally sent her to.

 

Whew.

American Girl Doll Cat

On ravelry, I’m in the knitting for American Girl Dolls and other 18″ (and other) dolls group. Every month, they have a Knit-A-Long (KAL) and August’s KAL was “knit your dolls a pet”.

I decided my two dolls needed a cat. I started one pattern from revelry, but it was taking so long that I didn’t think I would finish. I will, eventually, but I found a smaller, faster pattern. I knit it up and here are the cute results:

my two dolls with their new cat

 

Cat playing with Jane’s shoe lace

So fun to pose my dolls with their new cat. I plan to take them outside when it gets sunny and take better pictures. I can’t wait for next month’s KAL.

Accountability

I’m trying to get better at accountability, so here I am, reporting back in on the deadlines I set for myself last week. So, here they are with the results:

1. Shred all the paper from my office by Thursday, Aug 21.

RESULT: It was done last night, Aug 24, Sunday

2. Mail all boxes to my son by Fri. Aug 22.

RESULT: Done by the date specified. With the exception of the tent and putter, which are waiting for the gladiolas at my store to give up a box so I can mail them (tent & putter) this coming payday (Thursday)

3. Finish AG crop top by Sat, Aug 23.

RESULT: I finished the knitting ahead of time, but then didn’t like the look of it. I finally, this morning, decided to put the buttons on it anyway, dressed my dolls up in their summer jeans and sneakers and crop tops. Now they are very, very cute, and I like the look of the yellow crop top better with buttons. (pictures are forthcoming after I get my photographer daughter to go on a photo shoot with me.)

4. Make a schedule for decluttering the rest of the house and keeping it clean with daily, weekly, and monthly tasks.

RESULT: Nope. not yet.

 

So, all in all, I think that the deadlines worked pretty well this week. I am making new deadlines, but I probably won’t post them here. I’ll post them on my computer and on the fridge though.

 

Knitting in a Post Vacation Visit Funk

My husband, as a surprise to the girls (and me, except that I found out about it a couple of weeks early), flew my son and his little family (and me) to CA to visit my sister and mom and then flew us all back here to NJ for a two week visit. They helped us clean out the massive mess that was my home while they were here, besides having fun times with the girls and my daughter-in-law’s sister and husband that also came up to visit from MD.

They left last Friday and since then, I’ve been in a funk. It was nice to have a two-week vacation from the things that have been pressing on my mind. Unfortunately, as is usually the case when others see your life, some “new” things cropped up during their visit that I now have to deal with. And, of course, those things that were put on hold for two weeks are now all clamoring to be done. That, added to the lack of sleep which, in my case, always accompanies vacations and visits with family, has put me in a blue funk.

Knitting has taken a back seat to these activities, but I’m still doing a little. I started a KAL from the ravelry American Girl Knitters group – to make an AG sized pet for our dolls. Of course, I feel like I should design a pattern, knit up a sample and then make two or three, one for each of my dolls. I can’t help but want to add variations to the pattern I chose (a cat sitting all prim and proper). We’ll see if I finish it, as well as the second one that I’ve already got plans and yarn for.

I’m also working on the second sample for an AG doll top that I’d like to get ready and have test knitted soon, but because of my funk, I have a hard time making myself do it. The thing is, it’s in a bright, happy color and I found the cutest buttons on the planet for it. But I still can’t seem to make myself sit down and knit it. Ok, I started yesterday and have 4 rows done, but still!

Along with those, I’m trying to finish up the (feels like overwhelming) task of finishing the decluttering we started two weeks ago, plus trying to instill habits in all of us to maintain the wonderful, newly super-cleaned parts of the house so that we never, EVER, have to do that kind of deep, super cleaning ever again. All while trying to catch up with things that need to be done and all the things that are done regularly now: church responsibilities; chair yoga class for me; SAT practice for my 17-yo; helping my 19-yo find a job; working at my day job; finishing up my third book on programming so I can eventually leave that day job; home schooling said 17-yo; getting my belly dance class ready to perform in Oct; getting back on a good sleep (DETOX!!) and eating schedule; going through all the medical bills again to make sure that they all have contacted the third insurance company we had before the deadline to submit “old” claims.

Not easy – especially when all I really want to do right now is sleep until the Second Coming.

I need to make deadlines for myself. Ok, here are some:

1. Finish the sample AG top by Sat, Aug 23.

2. Mail all the boxes of stuff that I promised my son by Fri, Aug 22.

3. Shred all the paper still needing to be shredded by Thu, Aug 21 ( that’s paper recycling day here in NJ)

4. Make a schedule for decluttering the other rooms by Sun, Aug 24.

And do all the other stuff by the time that it is due.

Oh well. It’s time to drive my husband to the train and get on with my day. I’ll print out that little list of deadlines and get going.

American Girl Doll Bathrobe Now Available

I am proud to announce that my newest pattern is available for sale on revelry:

Cozy 18″ Doll Bathrobe

Cozy AG Bathrobes

 

I’m very happy that I had it test-knitted. The women that tested it for me really helped me find errors and refine how I worded things.

The link to buy it will be on my pattern page.