pretending it's spring

I have half a row on block #5, I'll be done with it tonight.

lizard ridge, plodding along.

Don't get the wrong idea. I love knitting this blanket. Each skien is a surprise, the colors are beautiful and amazing, the yarn is so soft. I'm just not knitting as fast as I should be. Here is the begining of block #5.

I think this may be my favorite color of kureyon yet. Don't worry, I'm keeping notes of which colors I used and when I started and finished each rectangle.

Here's the other four pieces, all together. I love them.

I originally wanted to use a different color for each block, but now I'm thinking that I may do some repeats, with variations. More on that to come.

A Visit with Bekah

Letting Sarah's picture do the talking. I love you Bekah.

Updates.

Since this is actually a knitting blog, or at least that's what I intended when I started it way back in 2005, here is the latest knitting progress. What you see here is my fourth completed segment of Lizard Ridge, and the skein of Kureyon I will begin on tonight. I am loving knitting this blanket. I had to take a hiatus for a few weeks while I recovered from the nasty abraded (abraised? braised?) cornea, but I am back on track and moving right along. I don't know if the blanket will be finished for the Sprout's arrival, but I am optimistic.
I am so glad that my eye has healed. My doctor ended up putting a contact lens in my left eye and leaving it in for five days. This helped the abrasion to heal (Doctor actually used the words "tissue knitting together") and protected the scratch from becoming irritated by my incessant blinking. I still have to put non-medicated drops in my eye three times a day to prevent this from happening again. I hope none of you ever has to go through something like this, and if you do, you have my sympathies. Tearing a ligament in my ankle was less painful and less of a pain in the behind. I am once again fully capable of reading, knitting, driving and emerging from the house during daylight hours.

Here's a new shot of Sweet V, with her Mama. They came to visit this week. V is laughing and smiling all the time now.
I cannot believe she is almost 4 months old. The changes she has made and growing she has done in such a short time is incredible. People always say "Oh, they grow so fast!" but it is true. I know the Sprout will be the same way once he or she gets here.

Speaking of Sprout, I wanted to share with you the adorable burp cloths Miss Enya Nightmare had made for me. Aren't they cute? I love that she had them trimmed in the league colors too. This baby is going to be such a spoiled derby baby.

And speaking of Derby Babies, here we have Prima Basherina and her daughter G. I've known Prima for years, all the way back to when she was a Ballerina, not a Basherina, and was called Bean. When she told me she was joining up I was so excited to have her back in my life I almost squeaked. I am so happy she is a part of the league and I love the fact that she brings her daughter to practice. We seem to be growing an entire crop of next-generation derby girls already. If you go to my myspace page and look under comments for the one Shortkick left on February 14th, you can read how she feels about the famous Hel-Kat. I love that our league is somewhere the skaters feel comfortable bringing their children and that the kids I know have the chance to see female athletes in such a positive and supportive environment.

Okay, that's it for now. I need to take a nap. Sprout kept me up half the night with the rolling and kicking and playing bongos on my bladder. Maybe this kid will be a drummer like his or her Nonna. Only 6 1/2 weeks to go!

Snow day

snow day 049
Originally uploaded by archrivalrollergirls.

We skipped out on our obligations and skidded into the Royale. We holed up all afternoon and ate warm toasty things and drank yummies with the Rollergirl/Royale Snowday Commandos. I decided against sledding, since I plan on an April baby, not a February one. Many team names were bandied about, pink plastic religious icons were misused and a good time was had by all. Thanks to Sleaze McQueen for the pictures!

New Sprout pictures!

We had our last ultrasound today, everything is fine. The baby is healthy and big and has a normal heartbeat and everything. Wanna See?
Check out the schnoz on that sucker! Definitely takes after Daddy in the nose department.

Last but not least, here's the "3-D" picture. The reason the baby's skin looks all wavy is because the texture of the interior of my uterus is showing up. Sorry. I couldn't help it.
That's all for now. Exterior photos will be featured in 8-10 weeks.

Holiday Party

Mattie and I attended the annual BbH holiday party. This is the fifth year I have attended the holiday party. I had a really good time, considering that I am 32 weeks pregnant. Rachel and Dan did a really good job of planning and everyone made tasty food. I had three kinds of chicken!
Tasha was my secret santa and she bought me yarn! I have three new skeins of Kureyon for Lizard Ridge. Also, in the package was a special surprise from Rachel at Knitorious. Thanks Rachel. I should be back this week for Knit Night.
The baby kicked all thru karaoke (I treat it as a spectator sport) and I especially enjoyed Africa Jacket and Monica's Mariah impersonation.
Mattie, however had a few too many shots and isn't feeling the best right now.
I'm wondering if I would be a lousy person if I decide to make him sleep on the couch tonight. He snores something awful when he's drunk.

P.S. Thank you to everyone who commented and sent me emails and called me with condolences about Louis. You are all so kind. Annie O. put it best. He was a stellar individual.

Why is it that the little lives hurt so much when they end?

My sweet kitty Louis died in his sleep this morning. He was around fourteen years old and was my first cat. He was a tough guy, raised in an alley in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago. He moved in with me on my birthday in 1995, after my friend Rachel "adopted" him from a neighbor who had been feeding him in the alley. When we lived in Chicago, he would often sneak out the window and down the fire escape to catch rats in the alley and bring them back to me. Anyone who has seen a Chicago rat knows that this is quite an accomplishment for a ten pound cat.
He was sweet and smart and very affectionate. Everyone who met him thought he was special. He was a yellow tabby, his fur was almost blond. He had big green eyes and wore a black spiked collar the entire time he lived with me. He was both a tough guy and a lap cat. In short, he was perfect.
He was a prolific hunter and a terror to small urban wildlife when we moved back to St. Louis. As he got older he mellowed out a little, restricting his hunting forays to the backyard where he continued to half-heartedly terrorized the sparrows and cardinals in our tree. This past summer he managed at one point to take down a squirrel, which is an incredible feat in and of itself, but he did so without a single tooth in his mouth and with rather thick cataracts. I'm not positive, and I wouldn't want to insult his memory, but he may have had some help from one of his adopted sisters.
Louis was my first pet. He was a huge comfort to me the first year I was living away from my family. He was cuddly and wonderful and I will miss him terribly.
We had noticed this week that he was getting a little thin and Matt bought some fancy wet food to try to tempt him to eat more, but he just sniffed it and went back to the office to sleep on the heating vent. When I woke up this morning he was laying on his side and breathing heavily. I called the Vet's office and moved our appointment up to this afternoon. I moved Louis to the bed and was petting him while I called around for a ride to the appointment. He died right there, while I was with him, with no fuss or commotion, just as sweetly and quietly as possible.
I am glad that he didn't seem to be in any pain, and that I was with him at the end, but my heart is a little bit broken. I will miss his sweet face.
I'll find a picture later.