Recent FOs

I'm knitting a square shawl, have just finished Sabrina, and finished a triangle shawl the other day as well (it's a triangle, just badly blocked).

The square shawl is being knit out of this, which Zaria found fascinating before it was wound into two balls:



And I FINALLY finished my Rogue:

Isn't it gorgeous?

Brief update as my shoulder is sore today...

6 weeks post op. So dot points will have to suffice:

• Saw the surgeon on Monday. I got another gold star for progress and more admonition to slow down and take it easy. Which is funny because I'm hardly doing the exercises I've been given, and I am still so freaking frustrated with the lack of what I *can* do that I'm hardly pushing what I can do.
• On the upside, I can drive again (YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY) and go back to work (yay) next week. I can now do all range of movements, which means I can focus less of don't.do.that and more on the woah protect yourself feeling. Which is fine, but still frustrating.
• Unfortunately, when my shoulder gets sore, the rest of my symptoms come back. Sore neck, amazingly painful spot in my trapezoid, pain down hand, sore spot on ribs... and it makes me want to wail because it is SCARY to know that that pain is still there, just out of reach and view. And I am heartbroken to say that I'm having to face up to the realisation that is slow in coming - that no one is going to fiz me. I have to work through the next 12 months of inflicting pain on myself and pushing myself and encouraging myself to be the bext that I can be.

I am knitting though! Did I mention that I've finished my Perfect Sweater a few weeks ago:


More photos on Flickr as always (and there are mousse photos as well!).

And I've cast on an I Do:

as my wedding day is just 10 weeks away and you know, as it's in New Zealand in April, I wanted something extra to go with my dress. We've set a date - for April Fool's Day (01/04/09) (or 04/01/09 for those in North America!). Anyone who knows us will say "yup that's perfect for you" and those that don't will be aghast, and also be horrified that we firstly wanted to do it on Friday 13th but that's in March (too soon) or November (too far) so AFD it is.

I've gone ring shopping, which was REALLY fun and scary because I've never Shopped Specifically For Jewelry before, ya know? The e rings don't count as I was nervous at that stage and just chose what I loved whereas this time around I'm not as nervous. ManFriend isn't wanting another ring at this stage so I've only had to find one for me. I'm thinking of getting one made to "match" my e ring. Will let you know after the date I guess!

I'm wearing the same dress as I wore for my e party, though I'll want to make a shrug to go with it I think, and find some stockings to make it a bit more suited to the weather!

Cat sitting has been organised.



Not sure what else to say really - it's kind of organised, very fun to sort out an o/s trip, but otherwise pretty easy :). Eloping is fun!

My house *doesn't* smell like vanilla!

The moron who lives across the road is a moron. He drives a revolting V8 which is horribly tuned and idles far too fast and in the morning, he gets up at 5am and moves the car outside his garage and front fence, to park in front of our house. How do I know this, when I don't willingly get up at 5am? Because his car is LOUD and rumbly and is so revoltingly EXHAUSTY that it gets into our place and makes my sinuses ache and my stomach clench. Which wakes me up, whereupon I ponder the meaning of life and the sanity of living across the road from him and plot his downfall.

He then leaves at 6:35am and goes to work. He returns at 2pm ish and pulls into his driveway a smidge, and leaves the car idling while he gets out and opens his gate and then his garage door before driving into it. He does this by planting his foot and accelerating fast into the garage then slamming on the brakes.

If I'm sitting on the couch with the front door open, I score a lovely house full of disgusting black grey greasy smoke. I usually get up and SLAM the front door while muttering under my breath because it is RUDE and it is gross and revolting, and because I have previously asked him not to frickin' do it.

In other news of neighbours I hate to live near - the guy down the road with the Land Cruiser that he doesn't warm up before driving off so it blows smoke, pings and chugs until it gets around the corner, people who are stupid enough to rat run via the maze of streets next to our house which doesn't get you anywhere because of the one-way streets that funnel cars around where people are trying to rat run. It's annoying. ManFriend and I are known to mutter "frickin' tourists" when that happens.

Oh while I'm at it - long trucks that try to do this and hit cars in the process of driving around back streets, I curse you.

AND - the light on the corner of the street near us? Annoyingly bright. And angled into our bedroom. Not impressed. Not owning a sling-shot means I can't shoot it out.

AND further: the council recently approved the moving of a business into a large house at the end of our street. This is a residential area. And now there are 20 cars parked on our street. So a normal back street street is now a parking area. And if one more of them park across my driveway, there will be words spoken.

It's a good thing I have a very cute kitty though - she cheers me up.
This is Zaria. She is 9 years old and has lived in lots of places with me. She is very pretty, is a character and a half, and is fabulous company. She is determined to grown bindies this year so I have to brush her every day. She has a couple of local friends because she's so friendly - neighbours stop to chat, people walking home visit with her, little children come to visit too. It's very cute.