Something There Is

that doesn't love the outside, and it's currently living in my house.

All day yesterday I heard odd knocking and thumping sounds from my kitchen. I would listen, shake my head and decide that it was just the house/cabinets/whatever? settling. After all these years?

But this morning, Bad Boy Baxter was clawing at an area under the dishwasher that goes to the basement. I don't know why that opening is there, but it is. Baxter clawed, meowed, scratched and meowed some more. Now I KNOW something is there. It's not the house settling. It's probably a chipmunk.

There is a room in my basement we call dH's "workroom." However, it is sometimes a workroom, but it is mostly a hoarder's dreamworld/landfill/toxic site. And there is a door to the outside which is occasionally open when dH goes in and out while doing yard work. I believe that is when something got IN.

dH is going out of town for the week, so I'm going to ask him to set the havahart trap in his workroom/hoarder's world/landfill/future EPA site and hope that whatever is in the house gets in the trap instead of running around the kitchen. Granted, Baxter would be happy to chase it around, but I would not.

If it turns out to be a chipmunk, I'll say hi to it and set it free. If it's a rat, I'll scream like a girl and run.......

Oooooh....

Everyone at my LYS has been working on circular scarves. They are knitted on a 16" length, size 6 circular needle. Most of the knitters have been picking out about 10 colors and knitting the scarves in stripes. But last night, one of the knitters was working on hers---all in one brilliant yellow color. So I thought, hmm.. why not just two colors and not in stripes. I found these gorgeous colors (Rowan kidsilk haze: 70% super kid mohair, 30% silk) and fell in love. PLUS, I had a coupon for ten percent off any one purchase during September. So I HAD to buy it, right?

I started this afternoon knitting with the green, and will continue with that until I run out (3 skeins) and then switch to the magenta. I think it will be gorgeous! However, my joy in the project was briefly derailed when I started casting on; the yarn is the thinnest stuff I have ever used. Really, it's just fuzzy thread, and I am not exaggerating. After a few rounds, the stitches became a little easier to work with. I have learned that Addi turbo needles do not have very pointy points. I imagine it would be impossible to knit lace with them, but I don't intend to try lace any time soon.

To add to the thrill of this new project, my husband left a window open (no screen) in his basement office. Two chipmunks have come by to visit me. Indoors. I screamed, then dh caught the first one. The second is somewhere still, but I've let the cat in and maybe he can hunt it down. I think chipmunks are cute, but good grief! They belong outdoors!