Secret prezzies

Am back! Still home sick, but am definitely on the mend now!
The doctor finally advised me to drug myself silly with cough syrup and Gravol. Apparently the coughing is caused by the coughing. So I needed something to knock me out to give my throat a chance to heal. I daresay it worked. I go back to work tomorrow, so we'll see how my bronchii hold up.
Meanwhile, I've managed to complete some long overdue gifts that I'll be shipping off to London in the morning.

The first is an embellished beret for N. It looks so good on me, I'm tempted to keep it! Hmm... does she REALLY deserve it? Probably not, but it's on its way to her anyway.
Also have a CD for Dad with the pilot version of the new show I'm going to host in the summer. It's called Mashup and will be played across Canada. Yay!
Have something in the works for the youngest sister as well. But I know she reads this blog, so I'm not posting it for the moment. Perhaps it will just show up in the mail!
All this time off has given me the opportunity to knit quite a bit lately. Am taking full advantage. Have started my second attempt at the Chevron Scarf from "Last Minute Knitted Gifts". The first one ended up in the frog pond because I began to hate the way the two colourways interacted. The purply one is "Backstabber" and the greeny-brown "Frogging" by Blue Moon Fibers' (Socks that Rock). Too bad. Will make lovely scarves or socks though.
Meanwhile, I cast on a second version of the same scarf. This version will be skinnier (I only used half the number of stitches) and am really LOVING this colour combo. In the photo it's only just begun. After my 5 hour wait at the emergency room (to have a chest X-ray), it's now nearly complete.
Woo-hoo. You know what that means though!
Yup, just cast on yet another project. And no Namu, you can't have this one.

Home Sick

Am just getting over one of the worst sinus infections I've ever had in my life (not that I've had many-- I was always the kid that prayed to get sick and stay home from school... and seldom did). Lots of coughing, lots of MAJOR fatigue; but on the bright side, also lots of time to catch up on my knitting.
Huzzah!
I recently taught myself how to knit socks (had been terrified for ages by (sinister music) the turning of the heel...). But thanks to Larissa Brown's wonderful pattern in her "Knitalong", I'm now officially a sock knitter! See?
Yay! Those socks (in Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Bulky in my own hand-dyed colourway called "Spring Greens") are for the 'usband.*
* Note: 'e's an 'usband because he's French Canadian and they have this endlessly charming (and amusing) way of transposing their 'h's, so you'll end up eating "heggs" with your "'usband". It's been nearly four years since we got together, but I still haven't stopped laughing about it.

Made myself a pair of socks as well in another hand-dyed colourway that I call "Lava". They've become my favourite "wander around the house (and cough on things)" socks. 50 bucks say that the 'usband felts them before spring ends. I'm carping the diem as it were and enjoying them while they still fit.

Have started yet another project but it's secret, so I'll only be able to let you see it when the recepient gets it. It's coming along--I'm about halfway done and hope to have it finished within a week.

While not coughing and running out of energy and generally feeling miserable, I'm rather enjoying having a full week and a half of doing nothing but eat, sleep and hang out with the animals. It already feels quite summery in the afternoons with temperatures climbing into the early 20s. His royal felinity, Steenki (that's SIR Steenki to you!) has been encouraging me to take regular sunbaths on the carpet with him. I have to admit, he's a little hard to refuse.


He's even magnanimously taken to sharing the
dog's bed with her (usually Steenki gets first dibs on whatever spot he chooses). I think he's actually beginning to really take to Lucie. I've watched him head butt her several times, purring like all get out and shivering his tail. Lucie, probably alarmed by all this attention from the strange almost-dog-looking creature that formerly ignored her (and occasionally hissed and smacked her) usually sits really still during these sessions and sends Steenki calming signals by yawning and looking away.
As you can tell, I don't get out enough. And don't care much for TV.

Took a walk to the park today with the 'usband and dog. Bathed in the sun. Feel better. Still coughing and low energy, but for the first time in 10 days, I feel like I'm turning a corner. Yay! Hopefully I'll be able to go in to work on Monday and not be killed by the backlog. Also start a new assignment next week that promises to be fantastic fun, if a little labour intensive. Am actually rather looking forward to it.
Tomorrow, I'll stop being so mysterious and introduce myself more fully (and also the furry members of our family).
See you then.