I see the light at the end of the tunnel!

I can see the light at the end of the pattern rows - at least for the main body. Here is the front:


and the back where I'm almost done with the flower:


I'm wondering though if I have the stamina to do the same thing all over again with the sleeves. Maybe? Maybe not. I may need to take a break to do something that doesnt' require having to check back to a chart every minute.

I am getting estimates to have central A/C installed in my home. I've lived here 19 yrs and braved Colorado summers with an attic fan and a water cooler in my bedroom. I recall reading that "real Coloradans" don't own A/C. But the summers are getting hotter, my tolerance is getting weaker, so I've decided to take the plunge. Unfortunately my electric panel is full so I'm being told I need a bigger one (approx $1500). And my old furnace isn't going to hack cooling off my bedroom with cathedral ceiling and skylights - so I need a furnace with a variable speed blower. Bottom line - what started as a reasonable amount I could afford is growing into a project which I cannot afford and also buy a new car. I think I will need to find a solution that cools down my bedroom (getting a new electrical panel and buying a one zone ductless system) and then - next year - I'll get the whole package (A/C and new furnace). The joys of home ownership!

Also found out this week that I have borderline glaucoma. That really made my day. The doctor has decided to just watch it for now and I have to come back in 6 months for another checkup. If it gets worse he will put me on eye drops for the rest of my life. Makes me think that choosing a career which required me to stare at a monitor for 8-9 hours a day may have been a bad idea?

At the same visit - I swapped in my old trifocals for two pairs bifocals.. one with Near/Far and the other with Mid/Near (for computer work). The first was great, the second I couldn't see at all. The gal told me they were made to wear over my contacts. Geezz.. now why would anyone buy prescription lenses to wear over contact? Duh? So now they need to change the lenses.

If you read about the Colorado snowstorm that caused a 30+ car crash on I-70 yesterday? I didn't get any snow at all! Amazing - Denver has many mini-climates within the metro area. I'm closer to the mountains which "sometimes" protect us from storms. Sometimes..

Ricki

Moving along slowly

I have made some progress on my Dale but slowly:


Part of the reason is that I've been dizzy and headachy all week (still am) and reading these charts (see below) makes it worse. And I spent most of yesterday talking to the electrician who was installing a new kitchen fixture. I'm just about past the big flower in the front. I'm enjoying the Dale but suspect I'm not going to be doing a second one in the near future (despite the kits I ordered). I cherish the memories of doing a symmetrical pattern that can be memorized. I think I may knit another Philosopher's Wool sweater after this is done.

And I think I may have some puckering in the area below the pattern - hoping it comes out when I block it.

Here is part of the problem. There are 5 subsections to the pattern. Three for the front which I've taped together and two for the back. I keep having to move back and forth between pages.


The good news is "yes Virginia - there is pavement under all this ice" - as you can see in this snap of my driveway from my guest bedroom:


Yay!! The dogs are going on their normal 30 mins walks again. And the garbage men can see my garbage cans again on my sidewalk (tomorrow is garbage day...).

I also put money down to order my Honda CR/V.. it will come in the first week of May. How exciting!

Has anyone had central A/C installed? I found out yesterday that in addition to the cost of the A/C - I am going to need a new fuse panel installed outside which will cost $1900 - eeekk!! I decided its time. I've been strong thru 20 Colorado summers but they are getting hotter (global warming and all that stuff..). Plus its too hard to knit when its 100 degrees in my bedroom!

Belle says - yes Mom - we want to be able to sleep on the soft bed when you go to work in the summer!


Have a good week!
Ricki

Snakes and St Moritz and Poopies!

I spent my day watching "Snakes on a Plane" - which is hysterical, one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time (not sure if it was supposed to be), working on my St Moritz (finished the section that you are supposed to duplicate stitch over using Wendy's technique to weave in the second color when it was needed), and took a break to shovel up dog poopies encased in snow. Progress on all fronts!

Here is where I am with the sweater:


It finally looking like a real Dale of Norway sweater. I'm very happy with it altho I think I may run out of yarn. Oh well - Heilo is easy to find and not that $$.

I also made an attempt to shovel some of the ice that hasn't melted yet in front of my driveway. So tired of driving over it. There is still a big pile of snow/ice to the right of my house in the cul-de-sac but it is getting short enough that I can start putting out my garbage cans. Until now - it was so high it blocked my sidewalk. I had to put my kitchen bags into big black trash bags and leave them on top of the snow pile so the garbage men could see them. I really sympathize for up-state New York right now. I will be happy if we don't get anymore snow for the rest of the year. I don't ski so I can say that.

Ricki

Toto, we're not in Kansas Anymore

Ahhh... finally onto something interesting. The good thing is that aside from the 2 center sections - the pattern is regular and I can memorize it. The bad thing is that the 2 center sections are very different and require a lot of concentration. And having to keep switching between 5 different pages is a royal pxxx ix txx axx (there is an insert for the front center) I enlarged the pattern so I can read them - but they ended up being slightly different sizes so I can't just cut them all and tape them all together. But - as I said - my knitting life is now challenging again.

Here are the first 11 rows of pattern:


Work is work.. long hours (I put in an 11 hour day on Thurs) and tiring. No matter which of my 10 assignments I work on - my boss wants to know the status of one of the other ones. Some days - I just want to turn in my badge and call it a day. I so envy all you who can knit all day long. I've worked 29+ years for my employer and you would think I would be in a groove. But lately its been harder. We are getting a nice bonus this year so they do appreciate us but I'd rather be knitting.

Some good news.. Denver has had a week or so of warmer temps and I can see grass. There is still icy areas in front of my house and a 2 foot pile of snow on either side of my driveway - but its definitely subsiding. And - if I avoid intersections - the dog walks are getting much easier - as long as we don't meet up with the neighbors who walk their dogs off leash. My two are much easier to live with and that does make me calmer too.

More photos at the end of the weekend!
Ricki

One more inch!

10 inches down and 1 more inch to go:



My left arm is getting sore from so much stockinette - so I think its time to put it aside. I've already made copies of the patterns so I can start them as soon as possible. Now if I can take some lunch hours this week.

Go Bears! I learned football watching the Bears play - back in the early 70's when Walter Payton was king (Ah Sweetness). Then I moved to NJ and my manager was Jim McMahon's cousin. Remember the Superbowl Shuffle? And the Refrigerator? So seeing My Bears back in action is a delight!

Ricki

My Future Toy

I didn't go to the Creative Festival. Guess I'm too much of a chicken driving on ice. I don't feel too bad tho - I got a lot done on my Dale St Moritz.. By tomorrow I should be ready to start the pattern. I will post more photos when it is more exciting to look at. Dull, dull now.

This post is about my future toy: a 2007 Honda CR/V! Drum roll please!



I'm so excited. I drive a 93 Honda Accord which has served me well but its time for a replacement. Have spent $3000 for repairs over the last two years. The CR/V is Glacier Blue (prettier than the photo) with grey leather heated (yes!) seats, a moon roof, 4WD, 6 CD Changer and lots of other stuff. The only thing I'm not getting is the navigation system - the car I test drove today had one and frankly, from where I sat - I could not read it. Maybe its my old eyes and small fonts - but I know it wouldn't get used. The car I think I'm getting won't be manufactured until the end of Feb - so it should arrive around April or so. There are long wait lists for these.

So - something to look forward to!
Ricki

Can it get any colder?

Here in the Denver area - the windchill is -32 degrees. Accidents all over the streets due to ice. I'm on vacation today and trying to decide if I dare venture out to the Creative Festival. I envision white knuckling it (I have to go down a long steep hill) and arriving only to find out that nobody else is as foolish. Or - since I have to park my car outside - to not be able to start it when I'm ready to go home.

Belle says - Mom just come back to bed under the blankies. Its too cold to be anywhere else:


Jesse is just mad at me for not taking him for a walk:


What's a Mom to do!
Ricki