Friday, May 02, 2008
Friday FO
Isn't it cute!?
The little Exploring Stripes bag. It's little, but will hold a cell phone and small wallet.
And there has been progress on 28Thirty
I'm ready to attack the sleeves. Actually, it'll be nice to have something other than straight stockinette to knit, as the sleeves have the purl row every 6 rows.
Next up will be this:
I know, but I have so many UFOs! But I really have an urge to knit with Noro…
On other fronts, BIL is medically stable and we are looking into post-acute care facilities that will take patients with a tracheostomy. His recovery is slow, but he was sidelined by two bouts of double pneumonia and hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). We are now 5.5 weeks post surgery, and I think the stress is finally getting to my sister. I suppose you really never know how much you can take til you're in the thick of things. We've all adapted to new schedules of picking kids up and making sure there's dinner on the table, but summer's coming, and things will be a lot different when the kids are out of school.
My biking buddies and I rode the "Wild Goose Chase" with the Terry Bike folks on Sunday the 27th in Cambridge MD. OMG. I don't think the weather could have been much worse! AND there were no potties on the route. That's right ladies – 400 people, 64 miles and NO POTTIES. So we had merciless headwinds, rain, cold and no potties. I know, I sound obsessed with this little detail, but seriously, we're talking swamp, marsh, snakes, ticks, other "wildlifes". Would you want to "find a bush"?
DS comes home at the end of next week. One year down. I can't believe he's finished his freshman year already! And I'm sure the next 4 months will fly by as well. His housing for next year starts on August 1.
And DD turns 16 in 18 days. I'd like to make it special without going over the top. So many of her friends have had "Sweet Sixteen" mini galas. I'm sorry, I just don't get into that. Maybe a nice pendant from Tiffany's – she had a couple on her Christmas list that Santa did not find, or the Longchamp bag she's been drooling over?
How have my kids grown up so fast?
The little Exploring Stripes bag. It's little, but will hold a cell phone and small wallet.
And there has been progress on 28Thirty
I'm ready to attack the sleeves. Actually, it'll be nice to have something other than straight stockinette to knit, as the sleeves have the purl row every 6 rows.
Next up will be this:
I know, but I have so many UFOs! But I really have an urge to knit with Noro…
On other fronts, BIL is medically stable and we are looking into post-acute care facilities that will take patients with a tracheostomy. His recovery is slow, but he was sidelined by two bouts of double pneumonia and hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). We are now 5.5 weeks post surgery, and I think the stress is finally getting to my sister. I suppose you really never know how much you can take til you're in the thick of things. We've all adapted to new schedules of picking kids up and making sure there's dinner on the table, but summer's coming, and things will be a lot different when the kids are out of school.
My biking buddies and I rode the "Wild Goose Chase" with the Terry Bike folks on Sunday the 27th in Cambridge MD. OMG. I don't think the weather could have been much worse! AND there were no potties on the route. That's right ladies – 400 people, 64 miles and NO POTTIES. So we had merciless headwinds, rain, cold and no potties. I know, I sound obsessed with this little detail, but seriously, we're talking swamp, marsh, snakes, ticks, other "wildlifes". Would you want to "find a bush"?
DS comes home at the end of next week. One year down. I can't believe he's finished his freshman year already! And I'm sure the next 4 months will fly by as well. His housing for next year starts on August 1.
And DD turns 16 in 18 days. I'd like to make it special without going over the top. So many of her friends have had "Sweet Sixteen" mini galas. I'm sorry, I just don't get into that. Maybe a nice pendant from Tiffany's – she had a couple on her Christmas list that Santa did not find, or the Longchamp bag she's been drooling over?
How have my kids grown up so fast?
Thursday, April 24, 2008
It's 5 O'clock Somewhere…
Yarntini Time!
I snagged some this week from Woolgirl. It's a luscious Zinfandel, and I think it may become Hearts for Heidi.
Mmmmm.
I snagged some this week from Woolgirl. It's a luscious Zinfandel, and I think it may become Hearts for Heidi.
Mmmmm.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Grab it while you can…
Time, that is.
DH is sailing tonight and DD is at a track meet, so I'm on my own. Free time, wow.
And I actually got out for a ride this morning. It's been another week since I've been out on my bike and today was gorgeous!
I thought I'd take the time now to document… My First Yarn Reclamation Project!
I picked up an American Eagle Outfitter turtleneck sweater, size M, at Goodwill for 5 bucks. It's a really soft and pretty yellow knit. It was nicely constructed, so I figured I would take a stab at frogging - a whole sweater!
69% wool, 19% angora rabbit hair, 12% nylon. Doesn't it look soft? I started with the collar, then the side and sleeve seams. It was well put together.
And about an hour and a half later…
300 grams of YARN! I've actually ordered myself a Lendrum niddy noddy and will skein the yarn, soak it and then try and figure out how much yardage I have. I've already done that with a two yard section and it wraps at 10-11 wraps per inch.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to knit. :)
DH is sailing tonight and DD is at a track meet, so I'm on my own. Free time, wow.
And I actually got out for a ride this morning. It's been another week since I've been out on my bike and today was gorgeous!
I thought I'd take the time now to document… My First Yarn Reclamation Project!
I picked up an American Eagle Outfitter turtleneck sweater, size M, at Goodwill for 5 bucks. It's a really soft and pretty yellow knit. It was nicely constructed, so I figured I would take a stab at frogging - a whole sweater!
69% wool, 19% angora rabbit hair, 12% nylon. Doesn't it look soft? I started with the collar, then the side and sleeve seams. It was well put together.
And about an hour and a half later…
300 grams of YARN! I've actually ordered myself a Lendrum niddy noddy and will skein the yarn, soak it and then try and figure out how much yardage I have. I've already done that with a two yard section and it wraps at 10-11 wraps per inch.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to knit. :)
Friday, April 11, 2008
Just How Did it Get to be April?
I swear, I've even forgotten what day it is. It's Friday. Right?
My Brother in law had been making fairly good progress following his brain surgery, but contracted double pneumonia last weekend and that has unfortunately derailed the progress. He has in fact regressed a bit. He is still intubated and in a coma like state. The doctors plan to do a tracheotomy to get him off the ventilator and administer meds to aid in waking him. We have hope.
Last weekend we drove down to Williamsburg to see DS run in a track meet at William & Mary University. What a beautiful campus! And we wound up spending the night in the very same hotel that we spent our so very pleasant "Evacuation from Hurricane - Bonnie" time. Unfortunately, it hasn't changed much in ten years. Still a dive - but walking distance to Colonial Williamsburg's center. And we had dinner, just the two of us, at the Kings Arms Tavern. The most amazing meal I have had in quite some time! We both had the "Cook’s Mixed Grill", "The Cook’s Selection of Meats, Game, and Seafood Venison, Rabbit, Duck, Vegetables, and Bacon Lardoons served with the appropriate good Sauce, Potatoes, and seasonal Vegetables". We added a bottle of a Prince Michel Cabernet, a Virginia wine and had a fabulous meal in the colonial tradition.
On Saturday we headed back north, stopping in Richmond to take DS and his girlfriend out for lunch. We walked around Carytown, along Cary street in Richmond. It's a wonderful stretch of funky shops and restaurants and of course, I ducked in to the Yarn Lounge! I bought a skein of this:
Pagewood Farm Hand Dyed Sock Yarn - Denali in Really Red. The beads came from Bangles and Beads. They, and the yarn are for this:
Exploring Stripes by Holly Webb
And two skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted - in VCU colors gold and black - for a hat for DS.
There is so much going on, I need to compartmentalize my thinking. While we were away last weekend, DD, who was supposed to be staying with a friend, decided to have a little "gathering" at our house. Needless to say, she left a few too many "clues" and is grounded for a month. Just what I need now. I guess I was an idiot to trust a 15 yr old. This was the first time we've left any of the kids home for an overnight - and not with a grandparent.
Oh, and on the way home from my sister's house last night, my car was acting strangely - it's a 2000 Ford Taurus wagon, which I LOVE! I immediately changed course and headed to the dealer for service - and long story short - I now have to look for a new car. :(
It needs a new transmission. (among several other things totaling over $5000)
It's not worth what the new transmission would cost.
I am so bummed.
My Brother in law had been making fairly good progress following his brain surgery, but contracted double pneumonia last weekend and that has unfortunately derailed the progress. He has in fact regressed a bit. He is still intubated and in a coma like state. The doctors plan to do a tracheotomy to get him off the ventilator and administer meds to aid in waking him. We have hope.
Last weekend we drove down to Williamsburg to see DS run in a track meet at William & Mary University. What a beautiful campus! And we wound up spending the night in the very same hotel that we spent our so very pleasant "Evacuation from Hurricane - Bonnie" time. Unfortunately, it hasn't changed much in ten years. Still a dive - but walking distance to Colonial Williamsburg's center. And we had dinner, just the two of us, at the Kings Arms Tavern. The most amazing meal I have had in quite some time! We both had the "Cook’s Mixed Grill", "The Cook’s Selection of Meats, Game, and Seafood Venison, Rabbit, Duck, Vegetables, and Bacon Lardoons served with the appropriate good Sauce, Potatoes, and seasonal Vegetables". We added a bottle of a Prince Michel Cabernet, a Virginia wine and had a fabulous meal in the colonial tradition.
On Saturday we headed back north, stopping in Richmond to take DS and his girlfriend out for lunch. We walked around Carytown, along Cary street in Richmond. It's a wonderful stretch of funky shops and restaurants and of course, I ducked in to the Yarn Lounge! I bought a skein of this:
Pagewood Farm Hand Dyed Sock Yarn - Denali in Really Red. The beads came from Bangles and Beads. They, and the yarn are for this:
Exploring Stripes by Holly Webb
And two skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted - in VCU colors gold and black - for a hat for DS.
There is so much going on, I need to compartmentalize my thinking. While we were away last weekend, DD, who was supposed to be staying with a friend, decided to have a little "gathering" at our house. Needless to say, she left a few too many "clues" and is grounded for a month. Just what I need now. I guess I was an idiot to trust a 15 yr old. This was the first time we've left any of the kids home for an overnight - and not with a grandparent.
Oh, and on the way home from my sister's house last night, my car was acting strangely - it's a 2000 Ford Taurus wagon, which I LOVE! I immediately changed course and headed to the dealer for service - and long story short - I now have to look for a new car. :(
It needs a new transmission. (among several other things totaling over $5000)
It's not worth what the new transmission would cost.
I am so bummed.
Friday, March 28, 2008
And there has been knitting
I cast on for the 28thirty on March 20. Finished the collar section over the weekend and much of the upper body on the 25th - the day of the surgery. I have separated the sleeves and am now heading down the body.
The Rowanspun Tweed is nice to knit with, and I hope it will get a little softer after wetblocking.
I decided to go for the small and it was a good thing I double checked the pattern. The smallest is an XS. I almost went down that road. It would definitely been too small. As it is, I think it will grow a little.
Anyone care to guess who might have been here?
Maybe one of these?
They've never bothered with yarn before, much less yarn inside sealed ziploc bags.
Must have been the cashmere/silk blend. Those were balls of Laines du Nord Cashsilk, and they didn't snag the yarn - amazing.
They (the yarn) have now been put in a safer spot.
Behind Bars.
The Rowanspun Tweed is nice to knit with, and I hope it will get a little softer after wetblocking.
I decided to go for the small and it was a good thing I double checked the pattern. The smallest is an XS. I almost went down that road. It would definitely been too small. As it is, I think it will grow a little.
Anyone care to guess who might have been here?
Maybe one of these?
They've never bothered with yarn before, much less yarn inside sealed ziploc bags.
Must have been the cashmere/silk blend. Those were balls of Laines du Nord Cashsilk, and they didn't snag the yarn - amazing.
They (the yarn) have now been put in a safer spot.
Behind Bars.
Breathe
Easter had special meaning for us this year. We all got together to celebrate with my sister and her family on the eve of the surgery.
He went in Monday for placement of a shunt to relieve pressure on the brain.
The surgery was Tuesday and was successful. Now begins the long road to recovery. The surgery itself was 14 hours long, and included a "cardiac stand-still". He was responding appropriately to painful stimuli and will be weaned slowly from the anesthesia over a period of several days.
So far, so good. We feel that every day without incident is a giant step toward a good recovery. Brain aneurysms are very tricky things.
He went in Monday for placement of a shunt to relieve pressure on the brain.
The surgery was Tuesday and was successful. Now begins the long road to recovery. The surgery itself was 14 hours long, and included a "cardiac stand-still". He was responding appropriately to painful stimuli and will be weaned slowly from the anesthesia over a period of several days.
So far, so good. We feel that every day without incident is a giant step toward a good recovery. Brain aneurysms are very tricky things.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Curly Mo is Done!
I actually finished something!
Well, I do still have to sew in all the ends… but it's finished! And it fits! Yay!
Now I have to resist the urge to cast on for something new. I have so many other WIPs, I can't possibly be thinking of something new?! Can I?!
HA.
I woke up with a headache this morning. One of those, "my vision isn't quite right" headaches. I feel almost guilty for even having a headache, with all that my sister and her husband are going through. He is at home, waiting for his surgery, which will be done on the 25th. Perhaps I should cast on for something new. Mindless knitting will be done at length next week. We are expecting a 7-10 day period following the procedure where he will be heavily sedated and intubated while they monitor his brain for something called vasospasms. Spasms in the vascular system inside the brain. These can resemble stroke. Scary.
More later. Tomorrow is YPF. I have more yarn.
Well, I do still have to sew in all the ends… but it's finished! And it fits! Yay!
Now I have to resist the urge to cast on for something new. I have so many other WIPs, I can't possibly be thinking of something new?! Can I?!
HA.
I woke up with a headache this morning. One of those, "my vision isn't quite right" headaches. I feel almost guilty for even having a headache, with all that my sister and her husband are going through. He is at home, waiting for his surgery, which will be done on the 25th. Perhaps I should cast on for something new. Mindless knitting will be done at length next week. We are expecting a 7-10 day period following the procedure where he will be heavily sedated and intubated while they monitor his brain for something called vasospasms. Spasms in the vascular system inside the brain. These can resemble stroke. Scary.
More later. Tomorrow is YPF. I have more yarn.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Wow.
I have been a little distracted lately. My last post was March 5.
That night my sister's husband went to the ER with a bad headache. They did a CT scan and gave him meds and sent him home. The next morning, they called him to come back in. They did MRIs and MRAs and admitted him to ICU.
He has a basilar tip aneurysm and will have to undergo brain surgery on the 25th of this month. The delay is to assemble the surgical team, a difficult one because they also plan to do a heart bypass to relieve pressure in the brain during the procedure. It has not burst, which is one good thing, but it has to be clipped with a titanium clamp by way of a craniotomy.
Unbelievable. Scary as hell. Sobering. I could go on…
My sister and her husband are both 45 years old, with three kids, house in the DC suburbs, a business, and a large extended local family, thank God. It will be a long road ahead even if the surgery goes without complications. I have done a LOT of research on Brain Aneurysms and Surgical Procedures in the last several days.
And I have done a LOT of knitting while sitting with my sister in various waiting rooms.
And in the car. Our son was home for Spring Break last week. Not great timing, but it was really good to spend time with him. We drove down to Richmond on Friday to see him run in an invitational track meet. He ran the 5000K. No records broken, but it was a decent run for him. Then we took him out for dinner. We went to Comfort. Incredible food, funky old city building. I highly recommend it if you're ever in Richmond, VA.
Did some thrift shopping in the past couple of weeks as well. I scored a huge bag of yarn for $4 at the Village Thrift that included 8 balls of red Lion Microspun, two balls of purple and one of lime. There were also 4 large skeins of red acrylic without labels. I need to find a home for those. And there were two skeins of a bulky spun wool yarn, varigated blues. I have no idea what they are. Both 45 gram skeins. Any ideas?
Then yesterday I found a really cool box-o-yarn. Circa 1979. Softball.
The idea was to turn the ball on its side inside the box and knit from the box, thus keeping your yarn "clean". Cool. Plus it's a pretty pink. Looks a lot like the unidentified cotton I got last year at the same Goodwill. But this stuff is a teeny bit heavier in weight and darker pink.
Prayers for J & J…
Happy knitting
That night my sister's husband went to the ER with a bad headache. They did a CT scan and gave him meds and sent him home. The next morning, they called him to come back in. They did MRIs and MRAs and admitted him to ICU.
He has a basilar tip aneurysm and will have to undergo brain surgery on the 25th of this month. The delay is to assemble the surgical team, a difficult one because they also plan to do a heart bypass to relieve pressure in the brain during the procedure. It has not burst, which is one good thing, but it has to be clipped with a titanium clamp by way of a craniotomy.
Unbelievable. Scary as hell. Sobering. I could go on…
My sister and her husband are both 45 years old, with three kids, house in the DC suburbs, a business, and a large extended local family, thank God. It will be a long road ahead even if the surgery goes without complications. I have done a LOT of research on Brain Aneurysms and Surgical Procedures in the last several days.
And I have done a LOT of knitting while sitting with my sister in various waiting rooms.
And in the car. Our son was home for Spring Break last week. Not great timing, but it was really good to spend time with him. We drove down to Richmond on Friday to see him run in an invitational track meet. He ran the 5000K. No records broken, but it was a decent run for him. Then we took him out for dinner. We went to Comfort. Incredible food, funky old city building. I highly recommend it if you're ever in Richmond, VA.
Did some thrift shopping in the past couple of weeks as well. I scored a huge bag of yarn for $4 at the Village Thrift that included 8 balls of red Lion Microspun, two balls of purple and one of lime. There were also 4 large skeins of red acrylic without labels. I need to find a home for those. And there were two skeins of a bulky spun wool yarn, varigated blues. I have no idea what they are. Both 45 gram skeins. Any ideas?
Then yesterday I found a really cool box-o-yarn. Circa 1979. Softball.
The idea was to turn the ball on its side inside the box and knit from the box, thus keeping your yarn "clean". Cool. Plus it's a pretty pink. Looks a lot like the unidentified cotton I got last year at the same Goodwill. But this stuff is a teeny bit heavier in weight and darker pink.
Prayers for J & J…
Happy knitting
