STILL STOOPID

THANK YOU to the folks who have emailed, called or messaged me about my disappearance from my blog! I love knowing that you 'watch out' for me ... and I'll try harder to be respectful of that and post more often!

For several days now, a kingfisher has been landing on the bowsprit of the sailboat next to ours and just hanging out there for a few minutes. Every single time I've reached for my camera, got it out of the bag, turned it on, checked the settings, and walked over to quietly open the door of the boat to capture it .... and it has flown away at that very moment. Until yesterday!
Isn't it adorable?

Well, it's been a month since I posted about my 'little patch' of exema becoming a huge reaction to an antibiotic ... and it ain't over yet. Things cleared up a lot while I was on four different antihistamines (plus prednisone, a nasty drug all by itself) ... but as soon as the doc started cutting back my dosages, the 'chemical burn' on my hands came back with a vengeance -- to the point where I've lost the top layer of skin on my palms, more than once! NOT fun at all -- both hands are extremely sore and burning all the time, in spite of being back on all the stoopid-making drugs.

I hope that's not 'too much information', and yes, I'm able to knit ... thank God, or I'd really go crazy! But it is slower than my usual pace, and clumsier (hmmm.... is that a word?) because I'm having to wear cotton gloves 24/7 now, and it's hard to concentrate on any kind of serious pattern because antihistamines make you stoopid. In spite of that, I have finished a few projects:

This is the 'Bufflehead' cowl, the second in the 'Great Cowl Knit-Along' I'm participating in on Ravelry:
That's not the designer's name for it, but I called it that because that deep purple is exactly the color of the bufflehead birds wintering here in the harbour:
I finished the 'Christmas in January' shawl, too, and I love it!
Not blocked yet, but I couldn't wait to show it off!

Finally, I have two new commissions, both for local folks. I couldn't find a top-down pattern for a doll cardigan (which doubles as a dress when it's on backwards) so I designed one myself, and got it approved by the woman who owns the dolls I'll be dressing! I've got an initial order for 5 of them, and I've finished two so far. They're blocking as we speak, and when they're dry I'll get a picture and show you.

The other commission is to knit a vest for a retired gentleman who is a friend of a friend. HE supplied the yarn ...
.. which was actually spun for him by my old friend Susan Berlin, here on Salt Spring. This yarn is DOG HAIR, and it's absolutely lovely -- it's a gorgeous light brown with some grey in it, and soft like you wouldn't believe! There's supposedly about 900 yards here, so it may be a basic vest with a 'panel' on one side of the front just for some unique-ness. He's actually hoping there will be enough for a sweater, but we'll have to see how it goes, and add the sleeves after the fact if I can. It'll be a fun project, anyway! (Oh, and I just know you will want to know what kind of dog this is, and do you think I can remember right now?? I'll find out and let you know...)

So that's my life in sunny little Fulford right now .... laying low, trying to heal (AGAIN), knitting and watching the birds go by.
:-)