Summer maybe still no vacation

….

I had begun this post, some time ago. The weather had finally changed for the better, but chaos was only beginning.
It must have been about the time when school was getting out. 3-4 weeks ago?

Things had hit a rather nice stride with Nadia, Libby and I. Some chores here and there, exorcises, the Barn! Maybe some shopping with an ice cream treat.
The Barn was the most important. I was trying to get our visits from 1 a week to 3 times a week or better. We were really doing good. It seemed like we were getting there every other day.
We started off with about 2-4 hours of grooming Dreamer , feed time and then letting her back to her supposedly “dry” paddock. Our visits changed a very hairy and dirty pony into a very sleek and trim trotter.

The last week we visited I managed a slight mishap while educating the four of us. It irritated the herniated disk in my neck enough to pinch the nerves in my right arm. Oh fricking joy! So no barn for a week hoping the chiro can fix me… Nope. So today I took my self to the Walk In Clinic and they told me what I did and have me some stuff to help it settle down a little. We hope. Oh do I hope.

Other than that… I have just about….
Not
Knit
A
Thing

It’s freaking me out.
Oh and the Narcolepsy symptoms are making me nuts. o.O
But everyone knew that already.

I think I can sleep now 🙂 it’s after 3 am. Haha. So much for pain meds today.

Just – fail

Have you ever had one of those days where you have picked up a ball of yarn without a label and you think you know exactly what it is?
Even getting exact gauge with it?
Well, it lied. I had that Brand of yarn. Even the same Style of yarn.
Just not the right weight of yarn.
Interesting difference between worsted and bulky.
Just goes to show how often I work with either weight yarn.

Happily it was an easy and quick fix. One that didn’t affect anything other than my tension for the upcoming swatching.

Which is where I am today.
although I am still trying to get comfortable with the yarn weight, tension, and needle size so that I can produce the gauge square I am looking for.
This is SO the wrong month to be working on a Masters.

Can I have a vacation from my life and my body so that I can finish something that I want to finish?

I mean holy fucking crap. The weather has been pretty decent for “monsoon” season. But migraine season sucks. The Neurologist I was referred to for FMS couldn’t “diagnose” me, and instead decided to play with my migraine medication and remove all NSAIDs, caffeine and other migraine inducing foods from my diet.
I REFUSED to give up chocolate.
And something else, because then I would probably die of malnutrition or starvation. There is just about nothing left in WI that is safe for me to eat. Sigh.

So migraines have been getting worse prior to the season and the FMS I have been trying to get treated? Not treated and still getting worse. NOT to mention the FATIGUE!

So yeah. Vacation time is due me.
And stop the freaking ringing in my head.

Nothing else new since my last post. Wish I could say I had finished a sock and moved on… But read the above. Then it might make sense.
I have hardly spent any time on Ravelry in weeks.

I wonder if this is what boneless chicken feels like before slaughter?

Socks and rain

I have not finished that re bind off of the green socks. I have to pick out the sewn bind off and pick up stitches and rip back…

I saw these socks

And JUST had to keep the knitting momentum going right now.
I pulled out a ball of Cascade Heritage Hand painted sock yarn that I’ve had since I was pregnant. I swatched… And swatched. I thought Owlie socks would be cute. But not full Owlie socks. I AM on a partial-mostly cable ban.
It took a little thought and trial and error and some research. I’ve used the short row toe up for 10 or so years. As long as I have knit toe up socks.

That’s pretty much where I am now, plus a few rounds. I stopped short of adding as many stitches as I has originally calculated for. Normally my socks are about 64 sts on US 2. I think the green socks were US 1. These socks are on a US 1.5. 80+ stitches seemed a bit much. So I left it at 70.

My online research says the toe is called a square toe. It’s more like a rectangle.
I think the next time I try using it, I will use a size up on starting the rectangle, then go down to the needle I want when I pick up the stitches all around. I think that might help it not to pucker. The stitches are so tight. Not that it really matters over that little inch, but I think it would look better.

It’s migraine season. Preventatives have been on the increase for the last few months. Now the Neuro has added a rescue. It’s a triangle shaped pill. The directions say to take 1/4 to 1 pill… How the heck can you devise such a pill into 1/4?! I could barely divide it into 1/3. Crazy pharmaceutical companies.

Last week we did have 1 day that reached 70. Beautiful. Nadia napped in the car and we ran some errands and had some ice cream. I can’t wait until I can start going out for walks!

If only

Spring sprang short. Winter’s still clinging on for the week. I hope that this is the last breath. Nadia and I both desperately need to get outside and get some Vitamin D. As well as exorcise.
Next week is predicted to be in the 60’s. We just might get to the barn and see Dreamer.

I finished knitting that pair of socks I started and frogged and started again with a different stitch pattern. I think I started them while visiting my Mom for Stitches West. I know I was really into the first sock on the plane home.
So, yeah. They are done. Well kind of. I did the bind off on each cuff differently. The last cuff I liked better. So I need to pick out the first cuff and rip back a few rows and re knit and bind off. Then they will be done.

Swatching. Endlessly. I seem to want to start to make All The Things. But can’t really get past this step. Blah.

I suppose the swatching bug is a good thing. I think I’ll be doing that for quite a while yet. I ordered the yarn for my masters course. 16 swatches. Wow. And 1 project. That will be fun. And reports. Lots of reports. Haha. Good thing my Mac is up and running!

With the yarn order I also included a skein of that new sock yarn, Hawthorn. It looks Soo pretty. I can’t wait to see it and see how it knits up. Ha! Like I need more sock yarn. I think my stash is 90% sock yarn. …

Life other wise has been pretty boring. Dealing with migraines and fibro flares. Spring weather is just fantastic for both conditions. Lucky for me both love my heating pad and blanket. So a lot of afternoons are spent with Nadia in the bedroom watching movies and documentaries soaking up some heat.

Gray green white

My mojo still seems to be missing. But I am still plugging away at my green socks.
I have also started swatching and charting a pattern for the green yarn from the 01/2010 trip to FL.

Two green things in my life. Makes all that nasty winter crap outside seem even bleaker. It melts. It snows. It freezes. Sometimes the sun shines. The wind blows the most on those days.

Nothing feels better than a hot shower or my heating pad/blanket. Drinking hot chocolate with Nadia has become an evil pleasure. The new Dr has “outlawed” all the good things in life, but I refuse to give up any form of chocolate. It’s one of the very very few things left to me that do make me feel good and charitable. And lest likely to harm. Haha!
The other thing I have come to enjoy this winter is cereal. Specifically Lucky Charms. I can’t eat it straight. I have to mix it with a plane cereal like chex or chrispix. Dora the explorer cereal is good too, but lo and behold, seems to be slightly cross contaminated with wheat.
There you go. This months excitement.
Migraines and flair ups not included.

I am looking for some yarn and a pattern to fall in love with… Someone please point the way

Irrationally thinking spring

I have been home now for a week and a half. Give or take.
It was almost 50F yesterday. Today it’s sunny and around 23F.
The birds are singing. Birds. They just appeared one morning and have been increasing in numbers exponentially.

As for knitting…
I was very well behaved on my trip. I purchased 2 skeins of yarn. 1 at Stitches West from Miss Babbs, and the other from Claddagh Yarns on Berkeley. That store was wonderful. It was just down the street from my brothers house. Makes me jealous.

This trip made it seem that every time I turned around, there was a yarn store or something else wonderful within walking distance. I really miss that experience.
Not to mention the ability to go outside and not worry that your fingers might fall off.

Knit wise, I knit to the cuff of Jim’s sweater. I had him try it on yesterday and this time it fit. Now to knit the last sleeve.
I think I will block out the body of the sweater before I attach the sleeves and add the neck and bottom hem.
Ahem. I also want to make sure the body will block out the way it it supposed to before I finish it and then possibly might have to frog it…
This sweater has been an experience.
It is not ornate. It is rather simple and hopefully will conform to the requested specifications.
It’s the first sweater I have knitted for Jim.
So.

I finished one green sock. I have just cast on for the second sock.
Using typical short row toes, then I made 3 wedges for the heel based on the Sweet Tomato heel.
I like the way it stays cupped against my heel when I point my toes – instead of bunching up. The sock feels a little tight over my ankle across from my heel. I’m not sure if that would be a problem, or if I will need to figure out how to add some ease into that middle wedge in the heel.

I need to take some pictures of things.
Time for some hair cuts today and maybe some Qudoba.

Where did it go?

I lost my knitting mojo somewhere
I didn’t find it at my moms
I didn’t find it at Stitches
It was not hiding in the nice yarn store on Piedmont Ave.
I could not even find a shawl pin
I did find 2 books and the HiyaHiya sock needle set I was drooling over.
I also found a HUGE skein of Kilimanjaro yarn in the neatest color way from Miss Babs.
Don’t get me wrong. I have a lot of yarn I want to knit and a lot of patterns in queue.
Nothing is a heart stopper right now. I need something I can’t put down.
I just realized that’s why I have been roaming Ravelry and not finishing anything…

We are now on our way to visit family and stop at a new yarn store nearby my brothers house.
Why can’t I live closer to yarn?

Blank…

February has flown by
Transportation to the East Bay went extremely well
Family experiences with Nadia have been fantastic
The kind that make you want to pick up and move closer
The down side right now is that she started coughing on the plane
Then ran a fever
Her personality returned to normal in about 2 days and she has been running me crazy
Then on day 2 I started having problems
It’s been a bumpy ride
Cough syrup does not go well with medication
Unless you like being sick and loopy

On the knitting front – I’m at the cuff of the sleeve. I frogged a sock and started it over. I’m still at the toe. I brought along a Tshirt I started last year from bamboo yarn I bought last year while visiting after Stitches.

I am trying to prepare myself for Stitches. It’s going to be very interesting with a 3 year old and this cold (sinus infection?) and FMS acting up.
I have another day. Need more walks.

It’s all white

The Republicans can’t argue Global Warming anymore… Well, at least that we have had a disastrous impact on our environment over the last 10 years. Significant proof is obviously the last 2 years of weather.

We purchased Chasing Ice before Christmas and watched it at home and at my In Laws in Ohio.
Beautiful and scary documentary movie.

What does that have to do with Today?

There is at least 2 feet of snow on my back deck right now. This is of course after 4 months of sublimation and more snow.
I think snow is beautiful. There is something magical about it. Even without Christmas involved. Now that I live in Wisconsin, it’s even more obvious.

I spent 10 years in Nebraska and thought there was never enough snow. I never had the opportunity to go sledding.
My first winter here not only did I go tubing, but I went “skiing” twice.

I love seeing all the seasons here as well. However, they are not all equally divided. Typically Winter is the longest. The longest and coldest winter I remember was 2010. When Nadia was born.

This year,2013, has just been COLDER. I think “at least there is snow, and it lends beauty”. It lends a sort of insulation. One that can only be enjoyed visually right now.

Knitting

The weather makes me wish I could knit as fast as I used to. I could be enjoying 4 sweaters, give or take. Or 1 Orenburg shawl, knit and spun.

Mostly it makes me want more color and scarves around my neck.
Which seems to be the normal sentiment in Blogville.
I have spent most of my time looking for something to knit, or for inspiration for my own designs.
I have found inspiration in a type of short row knitting called Swing Knitting.
Oh the shawls/wraps/scarves!

Stitches West is fast approaching. As is my trip to visit my Mother. Haha!
Stitches is the excuse we use to visit. It’s amazing that a yarn convention is stronger than any other holiday. We are SO lucky it does NOT coincide with a holiday, otherwise I’m sure there would be a zillion scheduling conflicts.

Have you ever been in a mood where you desperately want to knit, need to knit something, but have nothing you want to have those emotions/memories knit into?
I guess that would be a perfect time to knit those swatches, but then they might not be correct for some people, myself included.

Knitting new

I don’t see 1/1 as being a true New Year. There are many different New Years from Chinese New Year, to Halloween, and even Yule.
This year, for me, I see my birthday as a good beginning for a new year.
There is a good amount of time after the holidays to reflect on the past as well as on the holiday extras – cookies and pies to be exact this year.

Last Year I had thought about returning to school via and online course. I even visited the physical school in San Francisco while in the Bay Area with my Mom “for Stitches”.
It was very inspiring, but not for me at this time. ADHD + Toddler does not equal good study habits. Especially for an expensive school.

I have thought about doing something for the last 10 years. At most times it has been in an unreachable realm. Unrealistic and vain I suppose.
Now it seems to be the perfect time and opportunity.

I am talking about completing The Knitters Guild of Association’s Master Hand Knitting Program.
There are 3 levels. I would like (and hope) to finish all 3 by this time next year. However there is no due date.

Knitting

With the winter ending up so extreme, Nadia needed new mittens. Jim’s sweater sleeve took a break, and I knit a pair of lined mitts. No thumbs. It’s just too cold to have them.

I washed and fulled them a little. It took a while to get them dry.

I am back to working on sleeve #1 (take 2). The body is finished and shoulders bound off since Thanksgiving. Knitting a whole sleeve and finding that it didn’t work out is a little disheartening.

I have also spent way too much time browsing Ravelry. Looking for ideas and patterns. Of course.

Non Knitting

Still having problems with my neck. I see a chiropractor every week, which helps, but is getting expensive. Especially with the new year and a new deductible.
My Dr sent me to see a Bone and Joint specialist – who wouldn’t see me before when it was for FMS, but will now for a herniated disk. Haha.
Now I have supplements to take for a while.
Next up is a Neurologist. Have not seen one in 10 years. It would be fantastic if I could have an appointment be for Stitches. It’s not looking like that will happen.

Jim build me a prayer bench for the family room. Now I can kneel on the floor and sit on the bench and my legs won’t fall asleep. It also has the added bonus of keeping my hips and spine in proper alignment. The couch is not designed for the vertically challenged such as myself.
The bench really helps my neck, and enables me to knit more comfortably.

Now I just need better weather