Uncle Leona's Day Camp

Where did that scratch come from?

I forgot how much a new kitten can be hazardous to your dermatologic health. Buster has been relentless when it comes to bloodletting. But how can you stay upset with this?

He and Grady are becoming even better pals. Lots and lots of wrestling, instigated by both parties. I think that's good. No one seems to be getting hurt. Except me.

Lots of knitting of late to try to keep from a last second Christmas gift frenzy. My sister-in-law's sweater is on its final front:

I am hopeful that I'll have this done sometime today. Maybe, just maybe, I can get some seaming done tonight. Then I have to decide whether to use buttons, clasps, or a (ugh) zipper to finish this. I'm thinking in that order. The pattern calls for a zipper, but I hate putting in zippers. Stay tuned...this has mental anguish written all over it.

I also found a nice pattern for my niece. The fall edition of Spin Off magazine had a pattern for texting mittens. I had some stash yarn, so I thought I'd give it a try. So far, here's what I have:

Yes, those toothpicks I'm using are size 1's. I'm knitting the worsted with 3's. I will be shocked if my fingers survive this pattern. As it is, I'm not sure the worsted works. It seems very stiff with those size 3's, but I guess that'll help keep things warm. I may just try 4's on the cuff to see how it works.

Yep, they'll be done with hours to spare.

On an non-knitting, non-feline front, I have made a decision to get into shape. When I first mowed the yard this past spring, I realized that I was more aerobically challenged than ever.

And that's saying something.

So, I bought a Nordic Track treadmill, and I am one week into the Couch to 5K program (it's all over the interwebs), with the express desire of running a 5K sometime in 2011. So far, I have a left knee that's talking back a little, but that's what Motrin is for. It helps that the treadmill links up to my laptop so that I can watch myself run/walk in places like Vegas or Hawaii--that helps speed things along. Every workout so far has been a little more rigorous--in one week, I managed to get from a 3 MPH pace to a 3.6 MPH pace on the treadmill for my jog, and I now am walking at the 3 MPH pace.

Not exactly Olympian, but it's a process.

I have a good heart...or an insane mind...the jury is out

So, I decided to start exercising last Wednesday. Eventually, I'm looking to be running, but seeing as the bras that I have at the moment won't keep me from giving myself a black eye as I jog, I ventured out for a 2 mile walk. About...oh...15 seconds into that walk, that little black furball came bounding down the neighbor's driveway right toward the road. I grabbed the little guy, pet him a bit, then sent him on his way. I sent myself on my way.

He followed me. Wouldn't go away. So I put him in my fenced-in back yard while I walked. I couldn't in my right mind let him be out near the street, and I figured he'd crawl under the fence and go back to his home.

He didn't. When I got home, he was meowing his heart out on my backyard deck. And Grady was watching. And growling. Whatever. I brought the little guy inside, where he promptly chowed down on some cat spew that Grady left by the door.

Handy.

Long story short, no "Lost Kitten" signs have emerged, and I'm now $120 poorer from a trip to the vet to get him deflea'd and dewormed and tested for kitty AIDS. Oh, yeah, and Grady got the flea medicine, too. He's getting worm medicine tomorrow for good measure. That poor cat has had a pretty lousy fall. And now he has a protege. Who destroys his toys:

Grady has taken to the little guy, though. He likes to look for him:

And then, he likes to take his head off:

They are pals, though. Grady will groom him here and there. Now if I could just get the little guy to stop eating Grady's $30 a bag prescription cat food and concentrate on his kitten chow. He doesn't reason real well. He does have a name, though.

Seeing as my boobage is one of his favorite sleeping spots, "Buster" seemed a good fit.

Despite spending a good amount of time throwing the little guy off my lap, I managed to finish the back of a sweater I'm making for my sister-in-law for Christmas. It's a Fiber Trends pattern that I got off the net from Patternfish (the cabled sweater pattern's back is done, by the way, but it's on hold until this one is finished).

I'm using Vero Tweed from Naturally Yarns, which was on sale for less than $3.00 a skein at elann.com. Pretty and cheap. Just like me.

Excuse me...I think Buster gave me a furball.

Anyhow, the sweater has an interesting modular construction. Not only are you picking up stitches along the rectangle blocks, but you're also picking up stitches on crocheted chains. Eventually, the chains go bye-bye, and the live stitches are used for a 3-needle bind off. The applied I-cord is done as you knit. It's very clever. I may have to make one for me, too! Good thing I have yarn that needs to be knit in Ikealand.

I also made a little snow angel ornament from some MaggiKnits angora for a gal at work who retired last month:

It's from a Halcyon Yarns pattern that was featured on their last email newsletter. Of course, they didn't tell you what the pattern was called, but I managed to surf it down.

I got some mad skillz.

I do have things to write...eventually

But in the meantime, I need help naming this:

He's a stray that adopted me. He's frisky, sweet, and flatulent. Any ideas?