Moving right along at a brisk pace....

Friday: Got the materials and made a bigger, better cage for the guinea pigs (who were getting a little cranky with each other).


Lulu looks up from her relaxin', Ginger on her way over to investigate the camera
The new cage is a good bit larger, and topless (hello googlers) to allow easy acess to the girls (oh dear).
We tried bedding them down on towels as I'd read it would make clean up easier... but without investing the time into creating the layers of different materials... it was just smellier.

Saturday:
Went to the Toronto Auto Show.


I like the concept cars

Sunday: worked the old job

Monday: Started the new job.... ooo! I think it'll be fun.... new and scary (in a good way).... but fun!

Hopefully I'll get some knitting or sewing time in soon. Between the new Full-Time-For-Now job, and the old part-time, there might not be much hobby time!

Oh Valentine's

Valentine's Day has never been a huge thing in my family. It's also been a holiday to celebrate everyone you love - friends, family... not just your "romantic" interest. Usually it's marked with an exchange of cards and silly Valentine candy.
I sent cards to some friends and my mom and grandparents. I also sewed up a quick bunny (like the one earlier this month) with a heart on the tummy for my mom (sorry, no pic, I'll snap one next time I visit her).

The Boyfriend, on the other hand, tends to pull out all the traditional stops - dinner, flowers, candy, presents... Which is delightful, but I end up feeling guilty for not going as all out for him too.
This year I thought I did pretty good. Two of his favorite chocolate bars, a tin of expensive espresso coffee he's wanted to try, a handmade scottie-dog plushie (picture to come later), and a handmade card. Oooo, I also baked these:

Molton Chocolate cake... actually I made it into cupcakes and cooked it longer/lower temp. so we had very rich - but not gooey - cupcakes. Also... I used my "connections" to get this expires-in-march package for $6, instead of the regular $36. Sooo good... but my budgeting would never allow for buying it full price - dude, it's cake mix

We were going to go to a movie, but the Boyfriend was sick so we stayed in instead. He surprised me by getting me a used game cube and game I wanted. Woah! I was thinking about getting one when I start my new job, but then was starting to wavier in favour of waiting until my birthday in September. The Boyfriend admits he goes all out for Valentine's... but defends himself saying it's the last occasion he has to give me a gift before my birthday... which is suuuuch a long way away!

So, my Old Job messed up my availability... thought I was starting New Job this week... so I had the week off. Tuesday and Wednesday were sooo nice out I did a lot of walking. I'm really aching for spring, so yesterday I stopped by Allan Gardens for a bit:



I woke up this morning to a blizzard.

Recent Events

Well, I've been trying to be busy and productive this year and I think I've been succeeding.
I've been going to the fitness room in my building more regularly, I've been knitting a little more often, I've taken up a new hobby (sewing), and I'm trying to make a point of practising my driving (gotta get that final, full license before mine expires in July). The very best result of increased commitment to being productive and busy? A new job!
Another part time one unfortunately, but this is one that I could very realistically progress to a full-time position. In a bank. The pay is good. The hours are enough that I will get benifits. Training starts the end of this month and I'm so excited! The training will be full time, so my retail job will be going on the back burner - which is fine by me! As much as I like it, there's really nothing in it for me at that job. It's a dead end, as enjoyable as it may be at times.

Anyhow, you're not interested in that! You're interested in this:

My bunny! Made on my new mini sewing machine, with a pattern from this blog

The bear (Fred) and her superman pjs are from Build-A-Bear Workshop, the hat and the sweater are knit by me!

Fred's bunny hat was knit a while ago (I couldn't bear -haha - to part with it), and the sweater is new. The sweater was adapted from a smaller pattern offered by WeeWondefuls (the blog also linked to above for the bunny pattern). I haven't put the rest of the buttons on the front yet.. I'm kinda diggin' this one-button look.

If anyone wants to know my changes for a Build-a-Bear sized sweater (one size should fit all their stuffed animals), ask me in the comments and I'll get back to you.

Finishing the Showing-off of Chistmas Knits

Ok, first off... it's my blogging that's slow, not my knitting! All the gifts were knit before Christmas, with the exception of a pair of socks for my Grampa, which was finished early January.

Gifts I knit:
-Turtle Mittens (green and brown for StepDad)
-Frostbite Mittens (Blue and black for Dad)
-Black Mittens (for Boyfriend'sDad)
-Purple Mittens (for a friend)
-Wooly Mittens (a great deep reddish/purplish wool spun by Boyfriend'sMom, and knit for her)
-Kitty for StepMom (from this pattern. Attached to the rest of her gift)
-Plain Black Socks for Grampa

-Bunny for Boyfriend'sSister:

Knit from this bunny pattern. Turned out better then my first one I think. The extra give in the acrylic was more forgiving then the cotton I used previously.

I think that's it! And now that that bit of sharing is over with... my new posts can be about my new projects! I may not have been doing a lot of blogging so far in the new year, but I've done a good bit of knitting!