I just realized that my KnitMeter says "I haven't knit any this year".

Nooooooo!   I HAVE, honestly!  I just haven't updated my KnitMeter.

Between my moving into a larger apartment and helping Mom get moved in, we've been too busy to do lots of things we normally do on a regular basis.  My knitting even fell far behind, but I had to starting making time for it.  I'd forgotten how much knitting helps the arthritis in my hands until I began slacking off my knitting.

We're still working on getting Mom's house all cleared out and unpacking done at the apartment, so I'm not knitting nearly as much as usual.  But eventually all the cardboard boxes will be gone and the closets will all be neatly reorganized, and I can get back to the soothing clicking of knitting needles on a more regular basis.

In the meantime, I'll work on updating my KnitMeter so that it doesn't look quite so startling!!

Life Goes On

It's no exaggeration to say that there have been many changes in my life in the past couple of months.  After Daddy passed away, Mom decided that she didn't want the responsibility of keeping the house (not to mention the yard work that would be involved) and that she wanted to sell it and get herself a small apartment.

I told her that I thought it was a great idea, and we began watching ads for an apartment near me (for convenience's sake, since Mom doesn't drive).  One Sunday morning, she said that she had a proposition for me.  She wondered if I'd be interested in moving from my two-bedroom unit to a three-bedroom unit and sharing it with her.

Once again, a great idea.  Unbelievably, a three-bedroom unit came available very quickly, and I hurriedly decluttered, donated, packed and moved into it.  It was a long, difficult task; I learned that I could get sore in places I'd forgotten I HAD!

But I'm moved in now.  Unpacking is still happening, but I'm moved in.  Next we'll get Mom packed, sell the house, and get her moved in.

So, as you can imagine, I haven't had time to do much knitting in the past few weeks.  As a result, my hands became very stiff and sore.  I took last Saturday and did nothing but lay on the couch, watch TV, and knit dishcloths.  Dishcloths are very relaxing.  It did me a world of good; my hands loosened up, and my mind settled considerably.

Word to the wise:  No matter how busy your life becomes, make time for a bit o' knitting.  It's good for you!  :-)

World-Changing Events....At Least In My World

Where do I begin?  I guess the best place is with the reason I've been away so long.  On December 14, 2013, my Dad, age 80, succumbed to an aggressive case of lymphoma.

He'd been unwell for over a year due to degenerative disc issues and rheumatoid arthritis.  Anemia caused him to be hospitalized for a few days in November, followed by three weeks in rehab to try to build his strength.  But we didn't learn until the evening of December 12 that he was truly ill.  Two days later he was gone.

So, I'm healing....knitting helped me through long hours in the hospital and rehab center.  It steadied my nerves as we made final arrangements.  It centered my thoughts during late-night discussions with my Mom about nearly everything imaginable.

It provided stability during the most unstable period of my life.

Did knitting make everything all better?  Of course not.  But it provided a valuable source of calm in my decidedly unsettled world.

The TARDIS Shawl Adventure

Fall is in the air in my little corner of the world....there's a nip in the morning, warm sunny afternoons, and cool crisp evenings. I love Fall, and always have loved it. I love the look in the autumn sky after the August haze lifts. I love watching the trees for that first hint of color. I love being able to sit comfortably on my deck in the evenings after work, knitting until it gets too dark to see. *Happy Fall Dance* A lot of my knitting time in the past couple of weeks has been in waiting rooms (Daddy's having some back issues), so it's mostly been relegated to what I refer to as my "Waiting Room Socks". I always keep a pair of "plain vanilla" socks on needles in a little bag that's easily carried into waiting rooms. The pattern is so simple that I don't need to carry it with me (except for a little 3 x 5 cheat sheet that I still use when I turn the heel to be sure I don't make a mess), and it's a great conversation starter. At home, though, I'm working on my "Bigger On The Inside" shawl, because I want to have it finished by the Doctor Who 50th anniversary celebration on November 23. I've now completed the Time Vortex Lace section and have completed 8 of 41 rows in the TARDIS section. The yarn is as close to TARDIS blue as I could get, and so far I'm very happy with my progress. As with most shawls, I won't really know how it looks until it's completed and blocked. I'm anxious to see how it finishes up!

Wombat Withdrawal

It's been awhile since I posted; I was excitedly preparing for a visit from my Aussie family. I finally met my darling grandson (aka "Wombat") for the first time and it was love at first sight! They were able to visit for three weeks, and the silence in my apartment has been deafening since their departure. The good news is that they arrived back home safe and sound and are, in fact, now off on a second trip. Little Wombat is already a seasoned world traveler! The toys I had knit for him were well received and went home with him. During the last few days of his visit he began calling me "Nan-Nan"; I can hardly wait for our first Skype session so I can hear it again (I hope!). Okay, I've been pitiful long enough. *LOL* Now, on to my current WIP: an entrelac beret! I'm knitting it from some yarn I bought at The Exchange Place during the Fall Folk Arts Festival last year. It's Lambs Pride, hand-dyed with daisy fleabane. The color is probably not a good one for me with my coloring, but I don't care. I love it, and plan to wear it. :-) Right now my only concern is that I still have a few rows left, and NOT MUCH YARN!! Keep your fingers crossed that I have enough to finish, because there is absolutely no hope of getting more! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Virtual Sit 'n Knit?

Well, that mobius scarf I mentioned in my last post didn't work out as planned.  I actually knit it, and it was so atrocious that I immediately frogged it.  I suspect I didn't knit it properly, but was out of love with it by the end and didn't investigate further.  The yarn has been rewound into a neat little yarn cake awaiting my decision on what it will transform into next.  :-)

In the meantime I finished Mom's "Sweeney Todd Scarf" and one of those Sashay scarves for a friend at work.  The Sashay scarf actually wound up being crocheted; here's how that happened:

My friend came in wearing a multi-pink Sashay scarf that had been made for her by a cousin.  When I complimented her on it, she said that the scarf was MUCH too long.  As it turned out, it was twice as long as she wanted it.  So, I picked up my office shears from the desk and we cut it in half.  *LOL*  I tied off the end, and she was quite happy with the results.  I told her I'd take the remaining tail home and knit up a second scarf with it.

When I completed knitting it, it was unfortunately too short.  The knitting method I use to make the Sashay scarf makes a full, fluffy scarf, but uses more of the yarn in each round, resulting in a shorter scarf.

So, I hopped on the internet and found a YouTube video that taught me the crochet method of making the Sashay scarf.  The first two videos I found didn't produce the result I wanted, but the third video worked like a charm.  I started working it up last night and will be able to finish it this evening.

I think my next project will be a knitted caterpillar for my grandson, who'll be coming to visit in about a month.  I just love being able to say that I'm going to knit something for my grandson.  :-)

When I logged into Blogger I noticed that the "Blogs I Follow" on my site still lists dear Knit Purl Gurl's site.  I just can't bring myself to remove it.  I went back and read a few of her last posts again and was struck by something she said in her post "What To Do When Your LYS Snubs You".  I'm very fortunate that my LYS is warm and inviting.  The only thing that keeps me from visiting it more often is that it's also expensive.  They have glorious high-quality yarns and needles, but sometimes I require cheap and servicable!

In her post, Knit Purl Gurl makes the point that "Knitters and crocheters can meet up virtually with a webcam, and join knit group in their jammies!"  A virtual sit 'n knit.....brilliant!  There are groups that meet at my LYS that I can join (and actually have in the past), but usually by the time I get away from the office I just want to go home.  I want my dinner, a warm shower, my comfy sweats, and my recliner.  Once I'm in the recliner, I'm ready to reach for the knitting basket that's always nearby.  The thoughts of going to my LYS, knitting awhile, and then driving home is just too tiring.

But a virtual sit 'n knit?  Where I could attend from my recliner, wearing my comfy sweats?  Now there's an idea I could get behind.  I'm going to be pretty busy in the next few weeks preparing for my family to visit from Australia (happy dance!), but maybe this summer I'll look into the possibility of joining a virtual gathering by webcam.  It's always good to commune with your fellow knitsters!

Knitting In High Stress Situations

Tuesday my Dad had back surgery.  Now this is not an uncommon occurance in the world.  Most men the same age as my Dad (79 last November) have had several hospital visits in their time.  But this was his very first hospital stay.

So, we were all understandably a bit on edge.  The repair that was planned involved two tiny incisions, and the surgeon was the same one who did my back repair a few years ago and did a great job with me.  That helped, of course.

The procedure went beautifully, and Dad did well.  But the surgical schedule was backed up badly on Tuesday.  He waited several hours longer than expected before surgery; he didn't go into the operating room until nearly six hours after we arrived at the hospital.  Then, because his procedure was finished so late he had to stay the night.  (He'd expected to go home after surgery.)

Needless to say, Mom and I spent a LOT of time in the waiting room with family and friends that day.  And it was slow going getting him released from the hospital the following day; we didn't get him home until 2:00 p.m.!

What kept me sane during all this waiting, wondering, and worrying?  My beloved sticks and string!  I didn't dare work on anything more complicated than "plain vanilla" socks, but keeping my hands busy kept me calm and collected.  I actually believe that Mom was able to deal with the situation better because I was calm.

It wasn't an experience I want to go through again soon, but Daddy's doing well, and I'm thankful for that.

I feel sorry for people who have to go through that without knitting in their hands!

Saturday At Last!

It's been a fairly exasperating, exhausting week; I'm always happy to see the weekend roll around, but it's particularly welcome this week!  I've been battling some sinus issues and a high level of stress at the office, so I found myself more tired than usual last night.  I actually fell asleep in the recliner and awoke at 4:00 a.m. with a vile migraine and a fever blister.  *ick*

I took migraine medication and treated my achy lip and started in on my SMHD (Saturday Morning Household Drudgery).  My energy level is suffering today, so I haven't finished my To-Do list.  But I had to take a break anyway.  I think it's time for a "Knittin', Netflix, and Nappin'" session.  *LOL*

Since I completed my mittens, I've been working a little on a couple of pairs of socks from my UFO pile.  One of them is a pair of plain vanilla socks that I've already turned the heel on and am working my way up the calf.  The other is a pair of Michigan Lake Shore socks that I'd laid asie just after starting the heel flap.  Today I want to complete the heel on those and start up the leg.  I wanted to have a couple of projects up to the "fairly mindless knitting" stage because my Dad's having back surgery Tuesday and I'll need something to knit in the waiting room that won't require me to pay a lot of attention.  Knitting is CRUCIAL to my ability to wait patiently in a situation like that.

I'm also waiting for a delivery from WEBS of yarn I've ordered to knit a blanket for my grandson.  He's coming to visit me in a few weeks, and I want him to have a blankie from me when he arrives.  *happy excited dance*

Well, time for a bit o' knittin' and a wee nap.  Have a great weekend!

Hard to Believe

It's hard to believe, looking out my living room windows at the bright sunny Saturday morning, that snow is predicted for tonight. Not a lot of snow, just a dusting, but snow all the same. February. 'Nuff said.

I've been knitting this morning because my favorite Saturday morning activity is knitting and sipping good coffee. This morning I've been working on my adult version of Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. It's a lot of garter stitch, but it's good relaxing knitting. I've made enough progress on it that I can't carry it around very easily. (I usually carry socks to knit in public.) I'm going to visit my parents this afternoon since the weather's predicted to turn semi-ugly tonight, and I plan to take my Surprise Jacket along to work on it while visiting. I'm hoping to finish it in time to wear it a few times before I have to switch to my spring wardrobe. *LOL*

And so, fellow knitsters, I wish you all a terrific weekend with lots of sticks and string!

2012 Begins

This evening I noticed that my KnitMeter currently says "I haven't knit any this year."  That's not true.  I HAVE knit this year.  I just haven't FINISHED anything yet this year.  *LOL*

I have, as usual, several different things on needles.  But this weekend I had to be out of town due to a death in the family (a dear cousin who lost a hard-fought battle against esophageal cancer).  None of the projects I had on needles were a good size to pack for travel, so I started a small cowl to work on during spare moments at the motel.  I didn't get much done on it, so I now have one more WIP.

That's okay.  It's January.  :-)

TGIF....REALLY....

Ever have a day that's fairly crummy, but not because of anything that happened to you personally?  I had one of those today.

My day wasn't so bad for myself, but my dear daughter had a perfectly awful day.  While in the hospital recovering from thyroid surgery and wanting to go home, she learned that one of her beloved cats had been struck by a car and killed.  To top it off, it's her birthday.  And she lives in Australia, too far away for me to give her a hug.

It's just a sad, sad evening.  :-(

Best Laid Plans

I was on leave last week....a whole week away from the office!  I was so glad to have some time for doing just what I wanted to do for a change!

It didn't work out quite like I'd planned.

On Day One (Saturday) I did some laundry and household drudgery with (naturally) some knitting tossed in here and there.

On Day Two (Sunday) I went to visit my parents.  Mom had an upper respiratory thing going on which was distressing, but otherwise it was a good day.

On Day Three (Monday) I went to a local park and spent a lovely day exploring their nature center and walking the lakeside trail, snapping digital photos of beautiful fall color.

On Day Four (Tuesday) I woke up sick.  Can you believe it?  I'd caught Mom's cold.  Is my luck crappy or what??

So here's the good news:  Mom's much better, and I was well enough to return to work today.  And my brief illness caused me to have to stay in the apartment and rest.  Which I needed.  REALLY needed.

One day I didn't feel well enough to knit, but the other days were filled with mugs of hot tea, an Alka-Seltzer Cold medication buzz, and lots of yarn.

All in all, not a bad week.  :-)

Finally!!

After all the overtime I've worked in the past few weeks, I finally get two days off IN A ROW! Saturday and Sunday...I never dreamed that getting a weekend off would feel like such a treat!

So what am I going to do with this lovely "regular" weekend? Well, this morning I've done a few (very few, admittedly) household chores and have Netflixed a bit. As soon as I finish this post I'm going to knit for an hour or so, then go visit my parents for a bit. I've been so covered up at the office that I've not visited them in the past couple of weeks.

Tomorrow I'm going to catch up on some more of my housework, then settle happily into the recliner with coffee, remote, and knitting. *happy dance*

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Sick of Snow and Cold Weather in General!

Yes, I know, I'm the one who's normally really excited about getting a snow day and having more time to spend in the recliner knitting. But DANG, I'm getting tired of winter!! The hot water bottle cover I knitted last year has come in handy LOTS recently.

Okay, enough grousing, let's do a little catching up since it's been nearly a month since I've visited with you! First and most importantly, Mom's aneurysm repair on December 20 went beautifully! They kept her in ICU overnight as a precaution, but released her the next morning without even moving her to a regular room. We had her back home by 10:00 am, and according to her follow-up visit with her surgeon this past Wednesday she's doing just fine, thank goodness.

Our Christmas was quiet, but lovely. To keep Mom from trying to do too much, I stayed with her and Dad Christmas Eve so I'd be there early to try to keep her from doing much for Christmas dinner. She was still in the kitchen, but hopefully I took some of the work off her. It's tough to keep her still, THAT's for sure. :-)

All who received knitted gifts from me for Christmas seemed to really enjoy them. I love knitting for folks who appreciate it!

I knitted a lot while I was off work for the holidays, but a lot of it was dishcloths. I'd given a lot of them away as small gifts, so I wanted to start building up a little stockpile again. Also, they're good mindless knitting to do at the hospital and while talking to visitors.

I'd also purchased two skeins of lovely yarn on sale at my LYS some time ago, thinking they'd make a lovely Baby Surprise Jacket. I started that a week or so ago and it's going to be really nice. I'm going to take it along on a visit to Mom and Dad this afternoon (between winter weather systems...*SIGH*), so I plan to make some pretty good progress.

And so, my knitterly friends, I hope your holidays were filled with peace and love and that your new year is filled with health and prosperity!

I wish you the best from the frozen mid-Atlantic states!!

A Family Heirloom

During a visit with Mom and Dad yesterday, Mom said, "Oh, I ran across something the other day I thought you might like to have." Then she gave me this beautiful darning egg! Mom never used it much ("It just got in my way."), but it was given to her by my grandmother.

This means it must be AT LEAST 50 years old. I was just tickled pink to have it. Another link with my past, y'know?

You can tell that it was much used in its day; the varnish on the end has nearly been scratched away by many, many needles long ago.

I just love family heirlooms, don't you?

Vacation Knitting

I'm on vacation this week, which you would think would mean TONS of knitting time. But I've been so busy with other things, I've not knitted nearly as much as I'd like!

I did get some extra time in on Wednesday, though, while visiting with my 99-year-old great aunt....who STILL crochets and knits, by the way! She's so much fun....she showed me the knitting needles she's accumulated over the years and lots of really old crochet patterns that she has.

Yesterday my parents and I went to Pigeon Forge to visit the Titanic museum and do a little shopping. Since Daddy drove, I was able to get in a couple of hours knitting in the car. I still don't understand how I can do that, because I'm notorious for my extreme motion sickness. I can't read in the car at all, but as long as we're on interstate highways I can knit away happily with no ill effect. Thank goodness. *LOL*

So today is "catch up the housework" day, but I'm hoping for some time this afternoon on the balcony in the sunshine with my knitting. Have a great weekend, everyone!