Something Wicked this Way Comes

I've gotten to the point in my life where if I can't celebrate my birthday in the way that I want, I'd just rather forget about it. This year, for the second year in a row, I had to get up at 4:15 am and work for 12 hours before any type of celebrations could begin.

Turns out that my birthday celebrations had to be shared by a celebratory meal for the teen. (Which means we went to her pick of restaurant so that she could have her favorite meal) So armed with the man and three kids we went out for supper after work.

I was looking forward to quick and quiet birthday celebrations but as it turned out....that was not to be.

Remember Lulu...the very naughty sheep??? I asked Denise if it would be okay if she came to visit while on her world travels. Denise agreed and the arrangements were made. After all, Woolworth was dying to meet her.

So when did she appear on my doorstep? You guessed it....my birthday. So not only did I have to share my birthday celebrations with the teen but I was shoved into the shadows further by sheep on a date.

Woolworth was so excited until he saw the empties. He began to get very nervous and wondered what he was getting himself into by begging me to invite her to our home. Lulu is a unique creature....frankly I've never met a sheep who likes beer......my beer....as much as she does.



Woolworth is a gentleman and despite being scared to death of the energetic and amorous advances, he took Lulu to the movies and bought snacks. (He'd been saving his allowance for weeks)



He treated Lulu to Avatar: the last air bender. She really seemed to like it, although she did complain about the lack of style in the design of the 3D glasses.



The following weekend I went to a friend's place for additional birthday celebrations. What am I saying...I'd hadn't actually celebrated my birthday yet.

Again the lush was into my birthday beer and drinking like a fish. Glad my friends have a keg machine so that they could easily quench her thirst. Good thing she wasn't the designated driver because by the end of the night, she was in no condition to drive.

Well Lulu needed to check out other things besides the beer that Canada's capital has to offer so I brought her to visit the gang at KnitKnackers and Biogenie. Lulu and I both got our legs done, she got to meet the great Emily and discovered Malibrigo.



The fun didn't actually start until I brought her to work with me one night. At that time my job was still babysitting a building but I did so by watching camera monitors.

"How do you work this thingy"

"What thingy, Lulu?"

"The thingy that moves the camera?"

At this point I should have locked her in a closet, because my night became a whole lot more "interesting". But no, as I was trying to be a good hostess, I taught Lulu how to operate the cameras.

"So if I turn this knob then I can zoom in really close?"

"Yes, Lulu....really close"

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized what I had done. I had created a monster. A spying, snooping and peeping monster. She couldn't be left alone for a moment I couldn't even turn my back on her.

I even developed a mantra that night: "NO Lulu, you may not use the cameras to spy on the cute guy in the apartment across from us"



She was a fun guest but that sheep tried my patience that night. She is home again, where she belongs. After having her for a couple of weeks I can understand why Denise sent her on a holiday.

Woolworth however, is still in therapy and still trembles around aggressive females.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Have Sheep, must Travel

Me: Woolworth what are you doing in my suitcase?
WW: I bought a book.

Me: OK, but what are you doing in my suitcase?

WW: I bought a book!

Me: I understand, you bought a book. But why did you get my suitcase out and why are you sitting in it?

WW: I have to go see Denise.

Me: Denise?

WW: I want her to sign my book.

Me:(clarity has come upon me) Oh I see. You do know that Denise lives very far away.

WW: That's okay. I have to ask her something very important.

Me: Why don't you ask me, it would save you a very long journey.

WW: No, it's something that I can only ask her.

Me: OK, but you'll have to wait a bit before I can get you and the book to her for the question and the signing.

WW: I can wait.

Me: I'm glad that you are showing such patience.

WW: So next week then?

Me: Not next week or even next month.

WW: So when?

Me: Before you know it.

WW: When is that?

Me: Forget what I said about you having patience. Why are you so anxious to meet Denise?

WW: Denise? I don't want to meet Denise. I want her to introduce me to LuLu.

Me: Lulu? This has just been about meeting Lulu?

WW: Yup.

Me: Figures!

Until next time

Yours in Yarn,

The Fibreholic

What Santa Brought

Woolworth: Looks like Greek to me.
Me: It would help if the book weren't upside down!
As I happen to have a direct line to Santa, I asked for a knitting book that would challenge me. Well he did a very good job in that respect and gave me Latvian Mittens by Lizbeth Upitis. It's challenging enough that I may even like making mittens. Now that would be something!

There are many changes going on at the casa of my stash. I've got a second part time job and I've registered for a night class to get me back into the swing of things academically. I'm planning on returning to school full time....I have no idea when I'm going to find the time to knit now and that's a scary thought.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

How to make crazy Socks

1. Gather all those leftover bits of sock yarn. They should all be about the same weight.
2. Put them all in a bag. Nothing clear or see through.
3. Take out your first bit of sock yarn and start to knit. When you have used up that leftover, pull out another and keep knitting. Remember to use whatever yarn you pull out. Doesn't matter if they don't match, the sock will look good in the end.

Please note: If there is a lot of leftover from one particular sock yarn then keep the strip to about 2 inches/5 cm. Use whatever sock yarn you pull out next, with one exception: mixing colours is best, so if you pull out a yarn that is similar in colour to the one you just used you may put it back and choose another. I was going to show you the other pair of crazy socks I had knit, but the teen went into the clean laundry pile this a.m. and is wearing them to school.

I was told that Kaffe Fassett uses this blind picking method for colour work. So I guess that great minds do indeed think alike.:)

For all of you who are participating in the Southern Summer of Socks or those who just like crazy socks, you MUST check out this pattern for Rainbow Socks. They are so on my to do list now.

Gotta finish the Jane Ellison sweater first...must not deviate.....don't look at the socks...your plate is already full.....don't look at the socks.......to much to do already......I looked at the socks.....

The Other Day

There I was minding my own business, fondling yarn in a wool shop......
ME: Woolworth, I know it's soft, but get out of there.
Great, just great. A sheep with expensive tastes!!!

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic
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The teen just got home and I was right. She wore the socks to school. This is the first pair, the one that started it all.Once again
Until next time
Your in Yarn
The Fibreholic

Bellydancing, Booze and Ben E. King

It was a wedding to remember. DH and I need to have more friends whose weddings are like the one we went to on Saturday. A Greek Orthodox ceremony is not spoken but chanted. That, and the fact that because it was partially in Greek, my kids didn't understand a word of it. The church was gorgeous with images of the saints painted on the walls and ceiling. After he discovered this painting on the inside of the dome ceiling, DS had to know HOW could they possibly paint pictures all the way up there.

And because they look so happy and cute together, I just have to add the happy couple to my blog. It was one of those surprise kind of relationships where the guy has his mind set on never getting married and from out of no where he meets the love of his life.

Back to the swap sock

I frogged back to the spot where the mysterious increases occurred and finished sock number one on the way to the church. Now because even Hogwart Socks need mojo, I took a great picture, just so I don't get into trouble with the TSA again. I know that I've said that pictures ruin surprises, but this is the view of the bottom of the foot which I've done in plain, boring stripes. I've done this because 1) no one ever sees the bottom of your foot and 2) the texture I've put into the rest of the sock might be a bit uncomfortable to walk on.

On To the Reception
Teen DD: (AS the couple entered the reception hall) Woo, Woo, Woo I can scream louder than you mom.
ME: Kid...this is a wedding reception, NOT a rock concert!!!!!

8 year old DD: Mommy, my head hurts. I feel like I just got off a merry-go-round.
Prior to going down to supper we were served hors d'oeuvres. DH got punch for the kids during this time. They each had about 2 glasses each.
Server: You know that there is alcohol in the punch......
OOPS!!!!
The bride was not happy to hear that the punch was spiked and it was not labeled as such.
DD #2 did recover around the time the third course arrived and went wild on the dance floor. She was doing a mixture of performance art and high impact aerobics.


DS went into stealth mode and went sneaking up to the guy sitting at our table. He turned his head and was visibly shocked to see my little guy just standing there looking at him.
GUY: Whoa....he just showed up...out of no where and is standing there.
ME: He's kind of like the Chucky Doll.


Now if the reception had been a typical one with speeches, cutting of the cake and dancing at the end, my story would end here. But no....the bride's family is Syrian which brings different wedding traditions to the mix. They had a Belly dancer at the wedding. DD#2 has now declared that she no longer wants to be a vet when she grows up. She wants to be a Belly dancer.
Let's not forget the food which was amazing (all four courses) and the wine flowed along with champagne for the toasts. Woolworth is not one to be left out of the festivities so when my back was turned......

He wasn't able to make it to the Phantom the next day. His head hurt to much.

Until next time

Yours in Yarn,

The Fibreholic

PS...The happy couple had a good omen in the form of music. Not only did they have one piece of music in their ceremony that DH and I had at ours, they chose Stand By Me by Ben E. King for their first dance, just as we did several years ago.

Froggin' Socks

Last night I decided to work on my swap socks. Arrrggghhh I was at the right length, ready to decrease for the toe when I discovered that the foot of the sock was looking a little odd. So I counted. 1, 2, 3, 4,......39????? How did I get 8 extra stitches on the third needle???? I wish that I could show you what they looked like but pictures ruin surprises that and it's nice to keep photographic evidence of my embarrassments to a minimum. So I frogged about one inch.

Oh wait.. I know how this happened....looks like I can't tell DH Tink's cure for baldness and knit at the same time. BTW DH has a full head of hair...wink wink!

This weekend is full of wonderful things and I'm looking forward to it. Saturday we have a wedding to attend. It's a fancy affair that will probably turn into a wild and crazy event. We lent the groom to be our copy of My Big Fat Greek Wedding as a training aid. This event will likely take up all Saturday.

On Sunday we are taking the kids to something that will blow them away. The Canadian touring company of Phantom of the Opera is in Ottawa until Sept. 9th. DH and I are taking the kids and can't wait to see their reaction to a stage presentation as grandiose as this one. DH and I saw Phantom twice in Montreal about 15 years ago.

All three of the kids love the music to Phantom. My oldest even knows all the words (and even does the voices) to the soundtrack. We bought the movie a couple years ago and after the first time, seeing the movie, they played Phantom for about 2 weeks. It will be interesting to see how the stage production does to and for them.

ME: Hmmm I wonder if I should bring any knitting to work on while watching Phantom?

DH: I don't see why not? (yah gotta love this guy)

ME: I could work on a sock but I think that I should work on something a bit more fancy.

DH: You should bring Woolworth and get a picture of him watching the performance. (the man deserves another sweater just for suggesting this)

I don't know if Woolworth is able to sit still for Phantom. Maybe I'll appease him and take him to the wedding. If the wine flows freely enough, no one will notice his antics.

I told DH that he's taking me out tonight...not sure what we're doing but after yesterday, I deserve it. I took the kids school supply shopping. Need I say more? (If I do then you are obviously not a parent)

So until next time

Yours in Yarn,

The Fibreholic

Visiting my own City

You've heard all the tourist ads...be a tourist in your own town...well this summer we've got to. If you are wondering why. check out what it costs to fly to Aus.

Yesterday we went to see the changing of the guard on Parliament Hill. This is done by the Governor General's Foot Guard. You can see their official website here.

The procession is headed up with the band followed by the rest of the guard. The Sock wanted to see what was going on.

While you can't really see it, behind all those furry hats, the parade square is lined with people. The show lasts for 30 minutes and my DD who has learnt drill in cadets decided to inform everyone around us what maneuvers they were doing whether we wanted to know or not. The changing of the guard is quite popular in Ottawa (I think that fact that it's free has something to do with it) so everyone was out that morning.

If you look very close....no closer I don't have a zoom feature on my camera....there is a brown spot in the grass. That is a gopher who appeared from no where and freaked out. It ran along the edge of the parade square in front of the spectators finally scaring one poor lady by running pass her. Parliament Hill is very close to the Byward Market so I think that the poor animal just wanted to go to some trendy cafe for brunch before picking up the concert tickets he won on the local radio station.

Not wanting to deal with the line-ups for tours of the Parliament buildings, we headed down the East side of the Hill to go to our next stop. Along the way we found The Famous Five. They are statue number 3. "These women won the "Persons" Case, a 1929 court ruling which legally declared women as persons under the British North America Act and made them eligible for appointment to the Canadian Senate." And as we're now legally declared persons, if we want to knit....we can....

On it was to the Royal Canadian Mint. BAH!!!! they had to take a vacation when DH does so the tour would consists of looking at machines just sitting there....doing NOTHING. What's the fun in that? Woolworth was hoping to get his picture taken with the solid gold brick in the gift shop. (they let you touch and try to lift it). But taking photos is not allowed and the big burly guard was not one to be crossed. So Woolworth had to be content with getting his face on an RCMP quarter.

Back to the car, then we're homeward bound. On the way we passed by the entrance to the National Gallery of Canada. There is oldest DD off to the side because she's too cool, DS trying to climb the spider's leg (another burly guard told him to get down) and this is what DH and second DD were looking at in the middle. A spider complete with egg sack. Okay that's enough of Ottawa for today....

Until next time,

Yours in Yarn,

The Fibreholic

A Day of Surprises

Yawn!!!!! I roll over and snuggle up to DH........

DH: Happy Birthday

ME: Happy Anniversary....(yup we got married on my birthday)

DH: There is someone staring at you.

I look around wearily expecting to see one of the kids.

ME: There is no one here. (Go back to snuggle position)

DH: There is a pair of brown eyes staring at you.

Now you've got to remember that I'm half asleep and can't see straight yet. I again look around the room.

ME: There is no one looking at me.

DH: There is a pair of brown eyes staring at you.

I rub my eyes, determined to find this pair of brown eyes. I roll over and sure enough I found the pair of brown eyes staring at me.

I start laughing my head off because this is what DH got me.

Sheep:HI

ME:Hello?????

Sheep: My name is Woolworth.

ME: Woolworth?

Woolworth: Yes, that's right. I should also let you know that I'm a merino sheep.

ME: I don't believe it.

Woolworth: Honestly, my name is Woolworth.

ME: No, I don't believe that you're a merino.

Woolworth: Perhaps not, but I'm cute enough to get away with it.

DH adopted a Serta Sheep in my name. The money goes to the Children's Hospitals in Canada via the Children's Miracle Network. It looks like the adventures with Woolworth begin.

As I mentioned in my last post, I spent the better part of the day at the Knit-Out in Ottawa. I volunteered to help out at the Learn to Knit table. I taught how to cast on, changing colours, and a few other techniques but what made my day worth while was ten year old Jacob.Jacob picked up how to knit straight away and knit several rows while he was there. I was so impressed....sniff sniff He just made me so proud. His mom put in an order for a scarf this Christmas.

Woolworth had to get in on the action, so I pulled out the sock...

I introduced Woolworth to a couple of knitting friends and the conversation went down hill from there. From the topic of misbehaving Serta Sheep it went to knitting names for cats to rudely placed bobbles on sweaters. I have a feeling that Woolworth and Lulu are somehow related.

The day ended all to quickly and my clan came to get me. While DH and the kids prepared kabobs for the BBQ, I put together my other gift...a Muskoka chair. This is something I've wanted for a while as it's nice and roomy with a place to put my drink on the armrest. It's my knit outdoors in comfort chair.

On Tuesday DH and I will head out to see Bourne Ultimatum. Because one....I loved the other two movies and two (and perhaps most importantly) it is starring Matt Damon. He is also taking me to dinner to the Outback. This is an Australian themed restaurent complete with didgeridoos along the wall. Funny this is their signature dish is a blooming onion which I'm told by Taph is NOT an Australian dish......but it is GOOD!!!!!

So the secret to a good birthday......spread it over several days. :)

Until next time

Yours in Yarn

The Fibreholic