Friday Follies

Well, it's the end of the fourth week of the strike and still no movement. We're thinking that the various contractors believe that we'll just cave because we're now starting to miss the paycheques. They don't get that that isn't the point. Wednesday we picketed the one yard in York Region that is still operating - I read a few tweets about it as we were leaving and there was one that said something about a "surprise strike". Um, hello... ? Then yesterday we had a demonstration at the Regional headquarters which was kinda fun. So was the picketing, actually. For me it was almost more of a social outing - got to see my friends for the first time in what felt like forever.

As I was leaving yesterday after the rally I stopped off at Serenity Knits to see if they had any Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend as they were listed in the store locator on the site but they said they hadn't carried it for a couple of years. Instead I wandered off to the corner with the sock yarn and fondled that for a while :) I actually managed to escape without being seduced by the yarn, but it was a close thing. After that I decided I'd swing by another shop in Bowmanville on my way back to the house, where they do carry the Manos I was looking for but they didn't have the colourway I was looking for. I have ten skeins already, but that's too much to use up by making accessories and not enough for a sweater or cardi. They said they could order it for me, and asked if after Christmas would be okay. Considering the current state of my bank account, I said that that would be just fine :) This is the colourway I want:

Pretty, no? :)

In other knitting news, my Strike Hoodie is coming along beautifully :D I finished the sleeves and sewed them on the other night, and last night I started on the last piece - the hood. Woohoo! I wove in most of the ends as well, while I was attaching the sleeves, figuring that getting that out of the way would make me much happier. In other news, I'm very pleasantly surprised by how much (little?) yarn I'm using for this hoodie even though I've bumped up the size a fair bit from the pattern. I'm on the seventh skein of the light grey, and will probably need at least part of an eighth skein to finish the hood though I doubt I'll need the whole thing. Even with the dark grey that I used for the bottom border and cuffs I should still come in well under 10 skeins. I've been caught short so many times when making a sweater or cardi that I guess I went a little overboard for this one.

I'm also plugging away at Mel's Stripey Strike Socks - the new name for them :D I got a boatload done while picketing on Wednesday and then again at the rally yesterday. I made her try the first one on on Tuesday, to be sure I got the size right, and it fit perfectly. She keeps looking at the progress and grinning madly. I think she's excited about getting her socks.

I'm still going to the gym, though I have to admit I'm a little depressed about how little results I'm seeing so far. I know it takes time, but I was hoping I'd be seeing at least something by now. I do feel a difference at least, so I know something is happening but it's not showing on the scales or in the fit of my work pants :-( Soon, I hope.

Later.