Trying to feel better

I've been trying so hard to feel better but there's a limit to what I can do.  All I can do is keep asking doctors and reading anything I can find for ideas of things to try.  Today I am exhausted but I'm trying to do whatever I can.  I am making my husband a birthday cake.  I keep messing everything up but in the end there will be cake.  It won't be perfect but I know that will be okay.  Everyone around here likes yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  It will probably be gone by tomorrow.

My husband has been working a lot and he's very tired.  He's on call this week and there's a major thing going on. I hate to see him so tired but I'm also proud.  He's been working such long hours, sometimes going in at night and the working the next morning too.  He has stayed in a pretty good mood considering.  I am trying to prevent any extra stress by doing whatever I can around here.

I have not been making anything crafty-wise but I have all kinds of things I WANT to make.  I have beautiful new yarn and patterns and I just need to feel better.  I decided to come in here and write and see if that helps my mood at all.  

I have been reading whenever I can.  I am currently reading A Light in the Window by Jan Karon.  I have read it before so I know I love it.  I love the whole Mitford series and decided to read them all again. I always wish I could move to Mitford.  I know I would love it there. I want to sit in Grill and chat with all the great characters.  I haven't read the last book in the series though.  I think it will actually be the final book and I'm a little nervous about what's going to happen.   I'll read it after I refresh my memory of the other books.  

I read the first book last month and decided to do something new.  I always end up googling a lot of details whenever I'm reading.  I look up quotes and authors mentioned, maps and look up photos of places, food, recipes etc. but I don't usually do anything with that information so it just gets lost.  This time, when I read At Home in Mitford, I decided to write down lines from the book I loved and any other info and slip it in the pages.  The next time I, or someone else reads that book that information will be right there.  

I read that Mitford was probably based on Blowing Rock, NC and that Miss Sadie's amazing home called Fernbank is most likely based on the real Flat Top Manor.  I found a postcard of that and put it in the book.  I collect postcards and I've done that with another book as well.  I plan to do that with all the books I keep, which is just a few, but I'll be collecting many more book related postcards.  That is something that brings me joy and I can use all the serotonin I can get.    

YOP update

I finally have something finished.  This WIP was almost 2 years old but now it's no longer a WIP!  My Peak Season Shawl is finally a FO.  This was one of my goals for YOP15

I do have another project that I finished and need to weave in ends and block and all that.  I don't really call it done until I can take the final pictures and post it finished on Ravelry.  I will wait until later to share more about that project and another small project I just started.  

There has been so much going on that I had to stop all crafting to get ready for the holidays and other things so now I'm trying to get back to finishing projects.  

The weather has been really special here lately.  We have had several days of -40 F weather and I totally forgot just how cold that is.  It has been a really long time since we've had that many days of really deep cold like that.  When it is colder than -40 the lightbulbs outside turn into strobe lights which is a bit alarming.  Even my thermometer on my porch gave up.  It was reading 80 degrees and now has shifted to about 75.  I believe it's time for a new one.  It has "warmed up" since then to where it snowed and even rained lightly and we had a short blast of some high winds.  It is now 17 degrees which seems almost tropical compared to -40.  

My body reacts to the changes in temperature or weather so I've been having a lot of pain and fatigue.  I'm really hoping for some more stable weather for a while.  

My youngest son's 29th birthday was the 19th so we all went out yesterday for his birthday dinner.  He actually wanted to just order pizza hut (and not leave the house) but we dragged him to a restaurant so the whole family could see him and chat.  

I forgot to get the stuff to make him a birthday cake so I'm going to make chocolate chip cookies.  I make the Original Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe and he loves those.  I made him a berry smoothie too.  He always says he doesn't need anything so I like to spoil him with food.  

On the mend

When I said I was getting better last time I was wrong.  I think I just try so hard to be optimistic and I also really hate going to First Care.  I did have to go though.  I did have a sinus infection and an asthma type reaction in my lungs.  I had to take a round of prednisone for the irritation in my lungs and it's still not totally better yet.  I hope I don't have to go back in there.  I am almost done with the antibiotic and cough stuff so I'm hoping I can get back to normal now.  

My niece just got the box of things for the baby and she loved them.  I just got pictures of the baby all dressed up in the little outfit.  I make things for babies all the time and it's not often I actually get a picture of them in it or with a baby blanket or whatever.  It really makes my day to see those pictures.  I'll be making more things for her in the future. I'm going to plan out projects in different sizes that I can hopefully get finished in time for her to use them.  I have some yarn I've been holding on to for making a baby dress that I just never found the right pattern for so I think I'll use it to make something for her.  I bought it a long time ago to make something for a different baby and almost used it many times.  I'm hoping I will finally be able to find the right project for that yarn.  

This past week I have slept a lot because of the meds they gave me but when I wasn't sleeping I spent some time going through my yarn.  My husband put together a cube shelf wall thing a while back and then put one of those wooden crates from the craft store in each one.  That way I can pull it out and go sit down with it.  He sorted all the yarn into those by color for me initally but I realized I wanted to keep some types of yarn together so I've been sorting that out.  

It is really good to go through all of the yarn again as I'm getting lots of inspiration.  I've got a bunch of patterns saved that I need to use and a lot of bookmarked patterns online and on youtube.  I did start something that I've been wanting to try but it's not really working out right.  I thought it  would be a great way to use up some stash.  This is called kaleidoscope granny.  I saw a youtube video by Fiber Spider but I must have done something wrong.  It isn't coming together right and has puckers.  I was going around the whole thing with black but at the corners of the blue square it doesn't lay flat.  There needs to be more open spaces there so it's too tight.  I was sick and out of it on meds when I was working on that so I'm sure I just messed up.  I'm going to have to take out the corner sections in the red and green and see if I can figure out what's wrong and fix it.  I am better at working with written patterns or charts than videos.  I wish I had instructions for the whole thing instead of just how to get the smaller center part started.  

I just finished reading The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst and that was a cute fantasy story.  Not amazing but it was cute.  Here's a quote I liked.  

"It wasn’t that she didn’t like people. It was only that she liked books more. They didn’t fuss or judge or mock or reject. They invited you in, fluffed up the pillows on the couch, offered you tea and toast, and shared their hearts with no expectation that you’d do anything more than absorb what they had to give."

I'm a sickie sicker - or I should saw WAS (YOP)

I have been so sick.  I was actually going to get up early this morning and go to the walk-in clinic the moment they open the doors to have them check out my lungs.  If I go early I can avoid waiting in a crowded room full of other sick people and crying children for HOURS in very uncomfortable chairs.

I've been putting off going because It seemed like I was getting better but I started to feel like when I have an asthma flare up situation which can get bad.  I don't have that all the time.  I have allergy induced asthma but most of the time I have no problem.  I just don't think there's an allergen now but maybe just inflamation.  Sunday will be 2 weeks from when I got sick and it's been *rough*.  Everyone here got sick but I got it a lot worse.  Other people stayed home from work a few days and then went back to work but it seems like a lot of people had a round 2 and had to take a few more days off before they were 100% better.  I think that's what happened but I had a very short period of feeling better - less than a day - and then started feeling bad again - twice.  Anyway, I woke up this morning feeling much improved so I took some more meds and went back to bed instead of going to the doctor.  I no longer sound like a 98 year old chronic smoker who started smoking at age 8.  

This past week I did make a few things.  I have this ball of pink baby yarn that I've been trying to use up and I finally remembered what the yarn is.  It is Bernat Baby Coordinates in Baby Pink.  That is what I made the baby converse sneakers in.  This is left over from a baby blanket I made for someone a long time ago.  So I'm trying to use that up.  I made this baby dress that was in my Q.  The flower is made with Caron Simply Soft Party in Snow Sparkle (same as the shoes).  That pattern also had a diaper cover and booties but I didn't like them.  I feel like the diaper cover wouldn't stay on/up and I already made shoes.  I decided it would be cute if she had some little leg warmers.  I found a ball of white Bernat Baby sport in my stash that was left over from another project.  I used up that whole ball to make two pair of the leg warmers.  The pattern doesn't say how long to make them so the first pair are way too long - maybe as long as the whole baby lol  She's pretty small.  I made a small pair to go with the little dress.  I'm thinking the dress could be worn over a solid onsie so the butt would be covered.  Then I made a Bunny Lovey to match the blanket I knit in the Loops & Threads Soft Ombre yarn.  I am trying to fill up a small flat rate priority box so I keep looking for something else to make for it.  Last night I remembered that she likes angels so I made this angel out of a small ball of left over who-knows-what baby yarn.  I think this is a nice little starter kit and I'm probably going to be making a lot more baby things.  

I am rooting for a good week next week.  I have a lot of things to do and books to read!  

-Donna

Fiber Festival & YOP update

I went to the Fairbanks Fiber Festival last weekend and it was pretty neat.  I love seeing all the crafty people all gathered together.  There were so many amazing yarn venders!  I wanted all of it!  There was a lot of gorgeous fall colors in yarn of all sizes and I was loving it.  I was walking around looking at yarn and trying to work out in my head what I'd make with it and how much I'd need.  I was looking for the right yarn to make my oldest son a new hat but I never did find the right colorway in the right size yarn.  He likes dark reds, grey or black and is pretty peticular.  The hat that he is wearing now is looking pretty worn out.  I found one colorway would have worked but it was fingering weight.  We live in Alaska and that would not be warm enough.  My son walks to and from work a lot so I probably need a worsted weight at least.  My husband tried so hard to be patient while I was browsing but he wasn't enjoying it at all.  Poor guy.  He mostly followed me and reminded me when I was forgetting something on a table. They had bunnies upstairs and I would have loved to go see them but I'm allergic and had to leave that area.  I could only peek at them from across the room.  They were so fluffy!

I wish I had taken some pictures while I was there because it was amazing but it was so crowded.  I tried very hard not to buy more yarn because I really have way too much already but here are some I couldn't pass up.  

These two are definitely related and have to go together.  I wonder what I should make with them.  I was first drawn to the yellow.  I picked it up and put it back and least 3 times.  Then I saw the other one.  I wanted there to be one with just the blue alone too but no luck.  What will this become in the future?  Hopefully not just pretty bundles of yarn in my stash.  

Here are some others I was attracted too.  I believe some socks will be happening.  The top one makes me think of army colors but there is a little yellow in the there.  I believe there are actually more toasty warm colors that are hiding in that one.  I should have turned it.  

I do believe all of these will be gifts for me, myself and I.  

This last one is actually small.  It's a box of minis.  I must think of a really great pattern for this!  

I don't think I mentioned here that I bought a new ball winder a while back.  I bought a nice sturdy one that can make bigger cakes.  I wanted to be able to cake up worsted weight yarn without having to separate into smaller cakes.  It's a Stanwood Needlecraft Large ball winder.  I got it on amazon and it's a really good one.  My husband helped me rearrange things so I can have it set up all the time.  I have my swift there too so I can just open it up if I need it.  I hated having to climb up and get that stuff down and set it up everytime I needed to use it.  So now I've been looking through my yarn for any messy partial balls that need to be caked up.  My buddy Stan and I are going to be busy.  I really enjoy caking up yarn.  I love how the neat cakes of yarn take up less room.  

I had this one messy bundle of pink baby yarn that I caked up and now I'm trying to use it up.  I have no idea what brand it is or how old but it's time for it to be used.  It has that little bit of pearl shine in it but you can't really tell in this photo.  So far I've made these little Converse baby sneakers.  They do have the converse circle thing with pink star but you can't see them in this picture.  There was a few things I did wrong or wish I did differently so I'm going to make some more and I want to make more colors of these.  The white yarn I used has sparkle and I think it is Simply Soft Party.  I want to make these in a lot more colors.  Oh and these were #5 in my ravelry queue which is ridiculously huge.  It's about time I made them.  

Now I'm sick with a nasty cold and can't really do much.  I've been sleeping a lot and my eyes are really blurry.  I keep thinking about making something but end up mindlessly watching TV.  I really hope I get better soon.

One thing I think is kind of cool.  There is this new show that came out on Apple TV called The Last Frontier.  It's set in Fairbanks, Alaska where I live.  I was watching the first episode and it shows the hospital were my husband works and I used to work.  Then it showed this swing set that is right across the street from my house.  This is my street.  If you look between those trees you can see a white car and a little bit of a house.  That's my neighbors house. My kids played T ball at those ballfields. You can see my reflection in this but I couldn't avoid that so HI.  I actually played at his same park when I was a kid but everything was different then.  The main character of the show, deputy marshall whatever of alaska, asked his wife if she wanted to have lunch with him at the Chowder House.  That is a small place down the road from my house.  It's just so weird to hear and see such familar things in a TV show.  I did have to look up where it was actually filmed because it didn't quite feel right.  It was filmed in Canada but they had some shots... maybe just still shots from here.  Still kinda cool.  

YOP Update - I'm still alive

I've been feeling bad a lot but I don't like to write about that stuff here.  I try to keep it positive.  I recently saw a new doctor that would increase one of the meds I was already taking.  My primary wouldn't increase it - period.  They were willing to put me on multiple drugs that cause side effects and then more drugs to help with the side effects when this ONE that I already take and tolerate fine can treat 3 different things I have at a higher dose.  This new doctor called them and took over that prescription and now I'm starting to feel better.  It never occured to me that the key person to have in my corner would be my pharmacist.  I've been using the same pharmacy for years and years!  When I was worried about the side effects of the drugs I called her and she stepped up.  I'm doing much better because of her helping me get in with the doctor I'm seeing now.  

I had a few days where I felt really good and actually got some things done around the house.  One day I actually drove and went somewhere by myself.  It hasn't been very long and it takes a little while to work so I'm excited about this.  It has to keep getting better, right?   I'm hopeful.  Keep your fingers crossed my brain cells come back to the party.  

I have been knitting on the baby blanket and steadily making progress.  It is slow going though because it's a challange for me and I don't want to mess it up.  The baby I'm making it for was born on Sept 19th and she is so precious.  Everyone is really loving her but I'm so so far away.  I want to go see her but that's a really long flight (more like 2 - 3 flights from AK to GA and I just can't handle that right now.  It's over 4,000 miles.  I can't believe I have 2 great niece, 2 others that are unofficially adopted, and 3 great nephews.  I ordered a personalized baby onsie for the new baby and my niece loved it.  The problem is I ordered a 3-6 month size and she's tiny so I won't be seeing her in it for a while.  I didn't see there was a newborn size because it was at the bottom of the dropdown list after the biggest sizes.  I am thinking about ordering it but she will probably grow so fast. My 2 boys were both close to 10 lbs so this little 6.7 lb baby looks super small.  They just gave her her first bath in one of those little baby bathtubs and she looks super tiny in it.  Everyone thought my boys were a few months old when they were newborns because they were so big and long.  They had big heads that's for sure.  

I do have to say, I like that now the baby is born I feel less pressure.  I still need to get the blanket finished (before she goes to college) but the deadline has passed.  Now I can just knit and try to do a good job.  

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Update to update: It is finished! I feel like I leveled up with this one. I did so much tinking and tried to catch all the mistakes and fix them but I did forget the P in the psso a few times.  I am so P'd about that but I was several inches away by the time I noticed.  I did decide to end it a little early because I was running out of yarn (and patience).  It will be plenty big enough.  I did lose at yarn chicken though - on the bind off.  I was not happy but my husband is awesome!  I texted him since he was out and about.  I sent him a picture and he took his too-manly-self to the girly craft store and he bought the last ball of this colorway.  He even sent me a text with a picture asking, "This one?."  Yes, that one!  Guard it with your life!  I needed less than a yard.  I just wove in all the ends and washed it and it's ready to go transfer all my love and hugs to that baby girl.  

Update

I've been having a rough time lately.  It has been one thing after the other causing me pain so I haven't been doing anything fun.  I feel like things are starting to improve so my focus is on doing whatever I can to help keep that momentum going.  I started the day with some yin yoga and I feel like my body really needed that.  I feel like a got a nice adjustment for my posture that helped relieve some pain.  After spending a lot of time in bed or slumped in a recliner unable to focus on anything, the yoga really felt good.  Well, it was a little tough going at first and I had to adapt some poses with yoga blocks but then things loosened up. I need to keep doing that on a daily basis.  I let the habit of doing nightly yoga slip but I was doing 30 min on the treadmill instead.  I think I'll add in the yoga in the morning.  I use Yoga With Kassandra on youtube and she's great.  

I'm also playing music today instead of turning on the news or other TV.  That is helping to lift my mood.  

I picked a project to focus on and I decided to paint my little metal table with two chairs that goes in my yard since it is finally not raining or super wet from recent rain.  They are a little rusty so I'm trying to sand some of those spots and then get them painting today.  Winter is just around the corning and I can feel it in the air.  I haven't seen many yellow leaves yet but I am pretty sure fall will be short this year.  I hope I'm wrong.

I haven't been reading because I'm having trouble focusing on a book.  I recently listened to a few Alex Cross books.  I'm trying to catch up with that series.  I have finally read all the James Patterson books I have.  I am going to listen to a Clive Cussler book from the Isaac Bell series as soon as my brain reunites with my body.  

I have been knitting on the baby blanket occasionally but it is slow going.  I keep messing up or dropping stitches and having to tink back to fix it.  I am determined this blanket will not be full of mistakes.  I didn't take a picture because it really looks the same but just a little bigger.  

I did buy some new yarn for a new crochet project and I'm excited to start that.  My yarn ball winder broke about a year ago so I finally ordered a new one.  I should get it on Friday and I want to try to figure out a place to put it where I can leave it out.  I'm just not sure if that's going to be doable though.  Maybe my husband can figure out a way.  He's better at that.  I need to take a picture of the beautiful blue yarn I bought for it.  

Another one of my fish died and I have no idea why.  He wasn't really that old so I'm sad.  He was a little rubber pleco so one that doesn't get real big.  He crawled up in a hole in the bottom of a tank decoration and my son thinks he may have gotten stuck in there.  Maybe that's it.  My son pulled him out for me and I really appreciate him for that.  Maybe that decoration thing needs to go.  I'm bummed because he was such a character.  Also, the only pet store we have here is having trouble getting shipments of fish now.  The tanks have been nearly empty so I'm not sure when I'll be able to get another one.  I think I'll rearrange the tank and enjoy the fish I have right now.  I need to make sure no one else dies.