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.  

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

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.  

And knittin', knittin'....

  "I am not the weather. I am the wide and open sky, and so I can let pain move through me and out of me." - Josie George

Let's get it started....  

song by the Black Eyed Peas  

I have not been feeling so hot lately but I am doing my best to do life.  I haven't been able to knit or read much for a while until last night.  I picked up the baby blanket I'm working on and got some done.  I've been knitting on it today in between household chores.  I have finally gotten the groove of this pattern.  I made so many mistakes when I first started and took it out several times but then I looked at the pattern repeat and counted the stitches.  I put in markers between where each repeat should be and that has helped a lot.  If I have extra or too few stitches I'll notice before I move on.  At first I was counting after each repeat to make sure I hadn't missed a yarn over or something.  Now I don't have to do that anymore.  There are 16 rows to the pattern but the even rows are easy (just knit the knits and purl the purls & yo's).  I think this will be a very pretty baby blanket and the yarn is so very soft.  I like that it is a light weight yarn because it can get hot in Alabama.  

• The pattern is Bernat #778 Cable and lace Blanket (intermediate level) 
• The yarn is Loops & Threads Soft Ombre in Plum/Periwinkle/White (light 3 weight)

I have gone on a few small adventures that I will have to post about later.  I did not go very far but found some interesting historical things close by.  A few of them I have seen before but didn't really explore in a thorough fashion until recently.  

I did listen to an audiobook although not the best.  It took a crazy long time to listen to an audiobook I would normally have finished in 1 or 2 days.  It was James Patterson's Cross My Heart (Alex Cross #21) James, I'm not thrilled.  It was really only half the story.  I'm continuing on with the next book, Hope to Die.  I hope it is better and less depressing.  I'm sure he didn't die though since the series has more books lol  

I've had a few medical adventures that were not nearly as fun.  I got a new med, it started working and then I had side effects so had to stop taking it.  I got a different new med and when I added it to my Samsung health app on my phone where I can set up reminders it popped up a warning about a serious interactions with another med I take.  It said it can cause heart rhythm problems among other issues. I called the clinic and the doctor was out of the office.  The nurse there did not seem to take me or my health app warning seriously.  While talking to her I just googled it and got the same exact warning.  She said, "oh but that's google.  You can find anything on google."  She wasn't interested when I said I could check the source (NIH).  I told her I would call my pharmacist then and my Rheumatologist who prescribes the other med I have been on for years.  My pharmacist is phenomenal and really went to work for me calling different doctors and other people.  Now I have a new doctor who is apparently skilled at figuring out the best meds for people that won't cause interactions and hopefully without side effects.  To be fair, I am a tricky patient but tricky patient does not want to die from a drug that is supposed to help.  

Off to another day...  hopefully full of fun adventures and chocolate.  

YOP update

I've been sick and having some other health issues so I didn't get as much done as I wanted.  I did get a lot of knitting practice in.  When I feel bad and try to knit anyway I usually mess up a lot and have to redo it.  I just call that knitting practice which I can always use.  I started knitting a baby blanket for my niece's new baby and it was more challenging than I expected.  I had to tink back and fix mistakes a lot and I improvised corrections in a few places.  I finally got irritated and tore the whole thing out.  I'll start over when I feel better.  I haven't knit for a while so I guess I'm pretty rusty.  I don't want to send her a blanket full of mistakes.  A hundred years from now my niece's family would be passing around my handiwork saying... God bless her, at least she tried.  

© Bernat

Cable and Lace Baby Blanket

I found a headband pattern (Wheat Headband) and made two with the green yarn.  I still have enough yarn to make one or two more.  Wouldn't you know that little skein is not enough yarn to make most things but when I finally find something it is suddenly way too much.  Well, now my sister and I will both have one of these and possibly a few nieces/cousins etc.  At least this pattern is easy.  I have been having a lot of dizziness and headaches or migraines (side effects of a new medication).  I can knit this pattern with a headache and while watching TV.  What's that Kelly Clarkson song?  What doesn't kill me makes me.... crazy?   

On a side note, I did win at Bingo a week ago.  I'd been going occasionally with my husband.  We tease each other about trying to steal the money from the old people even though we fit right in lol  We have both gotten so close with only 1 ball needed on multiple cards and someone else calls bingo every time.  This was the last game for the night and I was already checked out.  Then my husband said you got it about 3 times, nudging me, and I was confused...  I got what, looking at my hands.  He said, that's your ball.  I look up and was stunned.  I won a $1000 bingo and no one else called.  I'm still stunned.  

Well, there will be more fun to come.  I am hoping I will start feeling better so I can get some real work done.  

New goals for crafting

Spring is finally coming and it's time to come out of hibernation.  It is so nice to see the sun shining again.  I can't wait to see green grass again and get some flowers planted in my yard.  

I took a big break from every kind of crafting for a while so I want to get back into that.  I did make a few things recently so that's a start.  My husband fixed up a better area for my yarn in the garage so now I need to get in there and organize it.  I have too much for the space though so I need to use some of it up.  I am going to look at what I have and see what patterns I can find to make with it.  I'm thinking about doing YOP (Year of Projects) again.  I wish a had a little space for a chair or something in there but there's just not much space.  We have two exercise machines in there close to where my yarn is.  I did just donate a bunch of stuff so I'm going to try to find a little room there.  It just won't be anything really cosy.  

I have been reading a lot.  I have started to read more new books and mainly using kindle unlimited and books from the digital library.  In years past I've been really focused on reading the oldest books on my shelves and moving them out.  I still have a lot of books that I need to read though.  I really need to focus on finishing some series that I've started and just keep dragging around.  

I also started watching Doctor Who again starting from the very beginning (1963).  I love watching those old shows.  I even watched (or listened to) the missing episodes.  I'm now up to season 12 with the 4th doctor.  He is who I remember from when I was a kid and I love him and the crazy things he says and does.  

D

Learning Mosaic Knitting and Crochet

I've recently been learning about Mosaic knitting and Mosaic crochet.  It is so fascinating to see how it is done.  I first saw a knit hat pattern that combined Mosaic knitting and small cables that travel over the surface.  I enjoyed making that.  It was really not difficult to do.  I did learn to do some simple cables this fall so this wasn't my first time doing cables.  These cables are only 2 stitches though - one each side.  This is Skenonto Hat by Mat Kladney.

I am going to start making another one soon.  My husband wants one in black and grey.  

The next thing I tried was mosaic crochet.  I saw this pattern called the Maka blanket on youtube.  There are 2 sizes and I made the small size.  I was just using yarn I already had on hand so I used red heart black and a stripes called fruity stripe.  I thought that stipe colorway looked like sunset colors and the black really set off those colors.  It really looks great.  Now I need to pick out another project.  

The Maka Blanket