My Leap Year Baby Wanna Be

If my son Lorne had followed my wishes, he would be 7 years old today.  He couldn't have wait a few more days? Instead, he’s 28. 

His due date was February 29, and I really, really wanted him to be born on his due date.  He would have started school at 20 instead of 5. He would have started driving at 64 instead of 16. He would have registered for the draft at 72 instead of 18. (I would have overlooked voting at 72.)

I have always said that the problem with raising independent children is that they grow up and leave you.  Sometimes motherhood is just hard.

Back to the needles. (sigh)

We have a ghost

I think we have a ghost.  She’s not your normal ghost – if there is such as a thing as a normal ghost.  She doesn’t appear in a wispy form at the top of the stairs. She doesn’t blow cold air on the back of your neck. She doesn’t even make strange sounds that go bump in the night.  In fact, neither Ken nor I have never seen, felt or heard this ghost. But Neko has.

I think it is a ghost of Sadie. Sadie was a stray cat that adopted us about 10 year ago. One spring day, she showed up at our front door, loving and affectionate. I am sure that she was accidentally left behind when someone moved because no one would leave this kitty behind on purpose. I tried to make her an indoor cat, but she wouldn’t have it. She had to be outside. She would come into the house to be fed and take a nap.  Of course, out here in the foothills, outdoor cats don’t last very long. She showed up one day very thin and sick. We took her to a vet, which was something since she was not our cat, and found out that she had been bitten by a rattlesnake.  After the vet discounted the bill since she was a stray, we had to let her go. It hurt as bad as if she was my cat – which I think she was.  That’s why she came to live with us – as a ghost!

Now Neko plays with her ghost.  He chases her through the hallway and up the stairs. He pounces on her, stalks her around the pantry corner, and bats at her with his paw.  He plays as if there is another cat here. 

I always said that if all cats were like Sadie, everyone would have a cat. However, if all cats were like Neko, no one would have one.

Andrew Rainbow Ski Hat

 

Be fashionable and warm with this adorable stocking hat using slip stitches to change colors. It is perfect for either men or women by just changing colors. It is so much fun to knit that you will make several – just like I did!

If you have never worked with multiple colors before, slip stitch knitting is a great way to begin. Even through you are using multiple colors, you are knitting with just one color on each round creating the effect of fair isle knitting without having to carrying additional as you knit.

I named this hat after my nephew Andrew.  He specifically asked me for a hat in black and gray. I made some of these hats a few years ago, and they were big hits, so I used my pattern using two colors instead of four. I especially like the rainbow hat and sold it at our church. I will have to make some more. 

This pattern is available at www.Craftsy.com. Click the Patterns tab and search for Andrew Rainbow.

Back to the needles

Foothills in the snow - Cougar and human

Here in the Colorado foothills, we have snow. Maybe you are thinking “Colorado – winter – snow – duh!” but the truth is winters at the foothills of the Rockies are a milder than many other places. It is nothing to experience 60° days in January and February. In fact, our average temperature is usually in the 40’s.  It is also normal for the snow to melt within a day or two, so the fact that the snow has remained for a couple of days is unusual for us.  What I love about the snow is the stories that it tells me.

We live on a hillside with a wonderful view of Roxborough Park and the Pike National Forest.  When the snow doesn’t melt by the next day, it is covered with the paw prints, hoof prints, and yes, even footprints. 

Ken went outside to shovel the snow and discovered these paw prints just outside our garage. Yes, those are mountain lion prints.  The prints next to the lion’s prints are probably fox prints. I would like to think that these sets of prints were put down a few hours apart, not the lion chasing the fox.

I don’t mind the mountain lions and foxes walking around our house, but I am more afraid of the human footprints the snow shows as well. These footprints appear around many houses in our neighborhood as well as the reports of a peeping tom. We see evidence of someone walking up to our doors and windows, obviously checking to see if they were locked. Thank goodness they were.

I would rather have the mountain lion prints.

Back to the needles.

The Continuing Story of Neko

It took me years to convince my husband Ken that I needed a cat. Whenever he asked what I wanted for a birthday, anniversary, Valentine, or Christmas, I was automatically answer a cat. Everything else was a second choice.  Finally on my 50^th birthday, he said he would get me either a new car or a cat.  I chose the cat.

Now, before you pick up your mouth from the floor, there was a method to my madness. If I picked the car, I would never get a cat. If I said I wanted a cat, Ken would remind me that I picked my Prius over a cat, and I would be without a cat forever. However, if I picked a cat instead, I would still get a new car. It’s not like we can do without a car.

So here it is a few years later, and I have both a car and my mean little kitty, Neko, and Ken realizes he can’t out-think his wife. I am now sitting here in my armchair with my knitted afghan with a fluffy little kitty in my lap. Ha!

However, not is all sunshine and cat fut. I still don't have a cat. Neko is Ken's cat, not mine. More on that later.

Back to the needles.

The Sue Hat

I have many friends named Sue. We once hosted a party where 7 Sues showed up. 

So I wanted to dedicate this little diamond lace hat to all my “Sue” friends. It is a simple over-all lace pattern of small diamond shapes. If you want to try knitting lace in the round, this is a great pattern to start that experience since every other row is just knitting around.  The hat is designed to be a little loose so it will not give you ‘hat hair’. It will still keep your head warm and stylish.  Pattern available at Craftsy.com.

Back to the needles.

The Taylor Hat

I spent the weekend working the dimple stitch and created a cute little hat.  I named the hat the Taylor hat becaue it is perfect for both men and women, and Taylor seems to be a name popular for both. The stitch pattern adds a graphic dimension to the hat as well as warmth and texture. Whether worn on the ski slopes of the nearest mountain top, or the streets of a bustling downtown, this hat is stylish and fashionable, plus it takes only one skein of yarn!

I am absolutely in love with Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool yarn. I have purchased several skeins now in many colors. It has a wonderful feel and easy to knit with. The only problem is that now and then, I find a little twig or stick in the wool, but they come out easily.  The pattern is available at Craftsy.com.  Just search for the Taylor Hat

Back to the needles.

Grapes of Wrap Wine Cozy - do you want red or white?

I posted another pattern up on the Craftsy website site. The Grapes of Wrap would make a great gift. It is knitted on double-pointed needles and felted to fit the bottle. Embellish the bag with felted grapes and leaves with a little bit of embroidery. If you have never tried felting before, this is a great project to learn. It knits up quickly and you already have the form to fit felted bag around – a wine bottle. 

I made both of these wine cozies this past weekend, so they go very fast. If you want to purchase the pattern, go to Patterns on Craftsy.com and search for Grapes of Wrap.

Back to the needles.

I told my husband Ken for Valentine's Day, don't give me flowers, don't give me chocolate, don't give me jewelry, don't give me greetings cards. Just give me yarns. So he started telling me stories.
Some men are so clueless.