Finished

 The Pumpkin Spice Cowl is finished -- here you see it reclining at leisure on the Decisively Pumpkin Scoop (I'll try to get a photo shoot tomorrow if I can wrangle a boy into taking pictures).  

I fumbled the kitchenering, and it's not as slick as I'd like.  As of right now I'm not inclined to rip the join back -- the recipient won't care (and would, I'm sure, be expecting a seam anyway.)

I'm back to the mind-numbing monotony that is Cumberland Gap.  (Knit Picks Brava in Marina).  I'm almost to a cable row.  Woot!  

The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul

 Yesterday afternoon I was knitting on my cowl and I looked over and saw this:

My knitting is dark, the yarn is mostly dark.  But like the first green shoots of spring, you can see, if you peer closely at the center of the ball the bright yellow peeping out.  The things that keep a knitter going.

One other thing that came up in the blog break decade was that I developed Type 2 Diabetes. (When I turned 50, along with a couple of other chronic health issues.  It was like my warranty expired.)  I'm struggling to keep it under control, and am somewhat frustrated by my PA's reluctance to refer me to an endocrinologist.  Anyway, what is working for me now is 1) I changed the time of day I give myself my insulin shot.  It used to be in the evening, per the PA's instruction.  Now I do it in the morning and my numbers are much better.  2) I've started only eating once a day.  Yeah, that's a bummer.  I have coffee (with my Pumpkin Spice creamer - Yum!) in the morning, and at 1:00 or so I test my blood sugar.  If it's too high [which it has been], I just have a cup of tea.  Then I eat a (modest) dinner with the guys.

Do you like my mug?  My sister Jane and I buy each other mugs with our initials on them.  Sometimes we send them to each other (she has the "J" version of this mug at her house.)  Sometimes not (I have an "L" mug to use when I'm there visiting -- also my Evil Twin, who is also an "L" and she lives just around the corner from Jane.)

Color Choices

 One of the things that I did during the blog lapse was dye yarn professionally.  I was a part owner of a yarn shop, and I dyed yarn to be sold in the shop. 

I often heard from customers buying yarn that they didn't "know how to pick colors".  I would then tell them it was easy enough -- and give a little lecture while I pulled yarn for their project.  I'm using the example of my "Pumpkin Nice" cowl pictured above (it's coming along nicely, the skein join is not even noticeable as the color change matched perfectly [see the ends sticking out to the left in the yellow?]).  

Now, there's a lot about color theory which you can find and read if you're interested (which I am) but for someone who is just wondering what colors go together for their project -- here's a tip.  Let a professional do the work for you.  Find a multicolored object (and we'll use this yarn) and copy their colors.  That simple.  

You want a Fairisle yoke sweater?  Make the body that deep blue-violet and your yoke colors orange, yellow, and violet.  You want to pick colors for an afghan for your sister and her favorite color is orange?  Chose the rest of the colors in this combination to go with it.  Lay them out side by side and see if you like them.  

And you don't have to stick with just yarn for inspiration.  Look at wallpaper (they pay colorists to pick those colors) or art, or...anything.  One of the fun color games I've played in the past is to go to Pinterest  and just type in a color and search.  "Pink", "Aquamarine", "White".  Fabulous, inspiring images that you can pull the colors out of.  Just saying.   

Again With the Pumpkin Spice

Did you know that Pumpkin Spice items are available in the grocery now?  Maybe you did, but I don't get out much (or at all) anymore.  I think last year the guys were ready to stage and intervention for me and the Pumpkin Spice creamer (but it is so delicious and creamy!). I usually do my shopping online and pickup groceries curbside, but I had to go make an emergency milk run earlier this week and I found the Pumpkin Spice creamer and some Pumpkin Spice coffee.  Mmmm.  (The Pumpkin Pie Kit-Kats are ok as long as you're not expecting them to taste like a Kit Kat, because they don't.)  I went back to the store yesterday (because I needed ground coriander for dinner -- Don't look at me like that, I'm not making excuses) and got more Pumpkin Spice coffee and creamer (not pictured above is the box of Pumpkin Spice K-Cups which is almost empty and the first Pumpkin Spice creamer which is empty and in the recycling bin.)  What?  I live in dread of running out.  Younger Son was putting away the groceries and was all "Do we really need this much coffee creamer?"  Yes.  Yes we do.  

--Mom, step away from the creamer.

--No! It's my precious!  My preeeciousssss.

 

My current project is kinda Pumpkin Spice (Pumpkin Nice?  I like it!) as well.  Chroma yarn from Knit Picks in Sedona, 1x1 rib.  You can see the crochet provisional cast-on to the right.  I'll kitchener the ends together when I'm done.  This is not quite one ball (and gosh, that ball put-up is the worst) and it's a good length.  For awhile there last night it seemed that the ball was not being used up, it was like The Yarn Ball of Requirement.  The yarn itself is on the thin side to be called worsted, I'd generously call it a light worsted, but I think you might be able to get away with using it as a DK.  Also see the gradation blip?  I couldn't exactly throw away half the skein.  There was no knot in the yarn it looked like the spinning just didn't get the color.  There was a weird join -- like a spinner's join, not a knot.  Oh well, I won't have to worry about when I make the skein switch in the knitting.  It's not like it could show worse than that.

Also, on a personal note, my "Quarantine Fifteen" has been negative.  Yep, I've lost 15 pounds since the beginning of quarantine.  Do you think that says something about my cooking?😀

I'm Back! And Why

 I'm back to blogging.  Why?  Well, I realized as I was walking home yesterday that I still think of things like I have a blog.  All these years later.  So I thought I should be blogging again.  Also, I feel like there are things I want to say that I really can't say out loud.  Or maybe I just need to organize them like this.  Lots and lots of stuff has happened in the intervening decade (!).  We'll try to catch up in the next little bit.  But since this was a knitting blog, some knitting.  

Last night I started a cowl for my bff Michelle, since (I think) it's a big birthday for her in a month or so.  I made her a Decisiveness Scoop (picture later, but the color is named "Pumpkin") and I had gotten some Knit Picks Chroma (in the colorway "Sedona") for the cowl.  Michelle is a red head, these are her colors.  I thought and thought about what pattern to use in the cowl.  I knew I wanted the colors to stripe in chunks around the cowl, not on top of each other, so I knew I was going to knit flat and kitchener the ends together.  Here's my swatch:

Notice my YOs.  I swatched (since Chroma is a worsted weight) with a 7, 8, and 9 needle.  The YOs mark the transition of the needles.  My personal preference is for a reversible fabric for cowls (because the inside does show), so this is a 1x1 rib.  I know.  But I wanted something simple, and yesterday it just hit me that 1x1 that looks like stockinette on both sides was what I wanted to show off the color gradations.  But wait, the craziness doesn't end there (not at all) because the other project I have on the needles is this:

That's Cumberland Gap.  And I made it extra wide too.  Miles of 1x1 rib (it's reversible too) with the occasional interminable row of cabling.  This is a gift for another fabulous friend, Traci (we've been friends since Junior High).  I made no promise of when it would be done, I've been working on it for months now and I'm not even half way.

Re-Launch

I'm attempting a relaunch. Just a test to see if this is still working. I seem to have it. Next up to see if I can get back here tomorrow.

Cue Fanfare for the Common Man

Once again I am proud to say I'm an Olympian! Yes, I'm competing in the Knitting Olympics with Yarn Harlot. Also on Ravelry as part of Team PA (just because I had to pick a team to participate there. Whatever.) Anyways, my project is Rib Waist Cardigan in Waterlily (Rav link) from Curvy Knits Vol. 2. I'm knitting it in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Kettle dyed in Soot (which has been discontinued). Here is my progress after the first half day of competition:


Can you see the snow on my knitting? It's still snowing here. Today the sun was shining and it was still snowing. I'm living in a giant snow globe!


This looks really big to me. I quadruple checked my gauge and I'm right on, the width is even what the pattern says it should be, but it still looks too big. I'm just going out on a limb and trusting Jillian Moreno here. I can always rip and reknit later (after I complete it for my gold medal, of course.) I know some of you out there are also competing -- I can't wait to see all the projects!

My Spidey Sense is Tingling

I had this conversation with Older Son recently:

OS: After putting on his glasses and waving his head from side to side This is really weird...
Me: What's weird?
OS: I have this kind of proximity alert thing going on that's somehow linked to the bridge of my nose and my glasses are setting it off.
Me: What?
OS: It's an alert that's telling me someone's close to me and it's going off because I'm wearing my glasses...
Me: You mean your glasses are setting off your Spidey Sense??
OS: Well, yeah....

I've been knitting footie socks (aka "No Show Socks") for me in brown (I have no brown socks) and tonight I spun up some Wensleydale from Spunky Eclectic in "Cold Front" (blues/greens) -- the December fiber club selection. I'm trying to perfect my low twist singles, but I think I'm overtwisted. Even w/ slooow treadling on my slowest whorl. Don't know what's up w/ that. No pics because everything (camera, knitting, spinning wheel) are all downstairs.

Needling and Snowmageddon

Remind me of this photo the next time you hear me whinging about how I can't find any of my knitting needles.





You say you can't find your size 6 double points, Laurie?







Yeah. I didn't put them away when I was done with them. There's a pair of 10-1/2 straights on the floor next to this couch right now, too. Notice my cool spinning bag, though? Spunky Eclectic.

Also, you may have experienced or heard on the news that we had a bit of snow here. I like the term Snowmageddon (stolen from Knitterly Things. Here's a picture of Older Son shoveling.






He's standing on a step up from the ground. That's 27" of snow.







We were snowed in over the weekend. Dave and Younger Son were camping (I know! They were in cabins, but still...Must be a guy thing.) The guys will have their third day of no classes tomorrow. I was told that if I don't go in to work tomorrow I will have to use a vacation day. I'm still undecided about going in or not. Monday my commute took 2 hours to work and 3 hours home. The roads in the city looked like they hadn't been cleared at all. Several inches of hard packed snow/ice. Today was better. I blame this on panic. I think the city panicked because there are several more inches of snow forecast for tonight and so finally cleared the roads today; and everyone else panicked about the threat of snow and left work early so that when I finally got out of work after 5:00 there was very little traffic and although it was snowing the roads were mostly just wet.

Belated Belated Roc Day

Several other beautiful fiberistas and I celebrated Roc Day belatedly on Sunday. Since Roc Day fell on Thursday this year and my employer doesn't acknowledge that day as a holiday (I know! Go figure), we celebrate on the closest Sunday. Heather hosted, as usual. We all brought our wheels and had a wonderful time, and I even managed to get some spinning done.



From left to right in this picture: Julia, KnitLust, Heather, and Celtic Queen. The empty wheel is mine, I was behind the camera.

This baby is sooo knit spoiled, we're always making something for her! But baby things -- who can resist? They're so little, so cute, so quick to make! Julia knit this most adorable bear for her.

Holiday Goodies

I didn't quite make the Epiphany deadline for my knitted gifts. Younger Son gets half a sock (or one quarter of a pair, which sounds even more depressing). But I'm cranking away on it.

It's a little more than half a sock now after I knit on it this evening.Yarn is a Wee Skeins kit from Knitterly Things




I received this Christmas a new Butterfly Girl spindle from my BiL's SO (she's a fiberista too). It's even Steeler Colors! I immediately started spinning some 100% Merino that I had got as a gift from Julia at Knitterly Things last year. The colorway is "For Laurie" (in case you can't see). Yummy! (This may have in some small way contributed to YS getting half a sock for Christmas.) I was so inspired by knitting Ishbel that I've decided I want to do a big shawl. I think this fiber when spun up to a 2-ply will be perfect, enough color variation to give it some texture, not enough to make it stripy or not show a pattern. Mmmmm. Stay posted.

What We Have Here Is a Failure to Communicate

Knitting -- I'm so totally in love with my Knitterly Things Wee Skeins Vesper Sock kit. I can't wait to get another one. LOVE.IT.

Non knitting, and really apropos of nothing much except that we're talking about men, can I just say that I had a big arm pump "Yeah!" moment yesterday when I heard a (male) psychologist say in an interview about James Ray and the deaths during his "motivational exercise" in October that he was "in a state of testoterone induced psychosis" at the time. We all knew testosterone poisoning makes you crazy, right?? But back to the knitting. I'm sitting next to Dave just a few minutes ago having the following conversation:
Dave: "Did you notice I found your babbaloo?"
Me: "Huh?"
Dave: "You know, your babbaloo." Waves arms about.
Me: "Wha??"
Dave: "Your babbaloo, your babbaloo, that thing you use." More waving of arms.
Me: "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Older Son: "Yeah Mom, your babbaloo!" He had no idea either, he was just making fun of us.
Dave: Still waving arms."That thing, you know, the babbaloo. I put it in the bedroom." (Have you figured out what it is yet?)
Me: (Having been in my bedroom and noticed the new addition) "You mean my niddy noddy? Yeah. Where's the rest of it?"

He didn't know, he'd dug it out of the attic (actually a finished fourth and fifth bedroom that we use for storage) while he was up there setting up a server for work.


Poor Babbaloo is missing a leg

Socks and Frustration

Knitting-wise I've finished a pair of socks (Knitterly Things Vesper Sock yarn, colorway "Hellfire")


and started another (Knitterly Things Vesper Sock yarn, Wee Skeins kit w/ Pavement, Stormy, Lumber Jack, and Twitterpated -- I wanted something manly.)

I'm cranky and frustrated. Last year we went through this thing with Older Son where he wouldn't register for classes. We went through all this aggravation w/ the insurance company threatening to cancel his health insurance and having to rush him out there to register at the last minute, it was a nightmare! And he did it not once, but twice! So I kept after him all this term. Register, I said. Remember to register before the end of the term. And he told me he did. Over and over and over he swore to me that he did. But I'm trying to pay his bill and there's no bill. Did you register? Yes. Well guess what? Finally it comes out that he's not registered. He still insists that he registered. I don't know what the problem is. All the kid has to do is register -- that's it!! Now he has to rush out there tomorrow (classes start and registration ends on Wednesday) and talk to his advisor and try to get things worked out. Arrrgghhh!!!

Epiphany

So I didn't get all my gifts knitted by Christmas. But I've decided -- and I'm making this a new rule, feel free to adopt it -- that a knitted Christmas gift isn't late if it's completed before the Epiphany. It's the Twelve Days of Knitting rule. So, want to see some of the things I DID get done for Christmas? Sure you do.
A Noro Striped Scarf for my sister (details on my Ravelry projects page).

Another scarf for my sister-in-law






along with Ishbel by Ysolda Teague. (That's Older Son holding it for me. I make my minions do the dirty work.)



Bella's Mittens and a matching neckwarmer for my boss -- she's a HUGE Twilight fan. Loved the pattern and the yarn (Knit Picks Cadena). Two thumbs up!A couple of other things too, that I'm waiting for someone else to blog. Check my Ravelry projects page for the full details.

Gleeful

I'm totally obsessed with Fox's new show Glee. I've watched both episodes (and the web exclusive clip) three times already. I even visited the fan site (I know!) I highly recommend it. Really funny, without being slapstick; and all the characters are totally over the top charicatures. I hope they don't ruin it by making them more "human" as time goes on. I don't know how long it will last, I imagine that it's got to be expensive to produce since every episode has 3 or 4 music videos in it. But I like it. So go watch the episodes and be prepared to discuss at knitting group on Friday night. Speaking of knitting, I'm knitting a toddler dress right now in some (truly) vintage (from like the early 60's) baby wool from my stash. 100% wool and I'm totally digging on the spit splice. Finally I'll leave you with this pic I snapped from my car. I was driving along crying and just looked up at the red light and saw it.

Lost in High School

I realized today when I saw his picture on the front page of the paper that I don't like the way Ben Bernanke looks. I think he looks entirely too smug and condescending. It's a pretty strong gut reaction. Obviously he resembles someone I've had a bad experience with.
Back to school today, and we didn't get off to a good start. Older Son called me at work at ~1:00 PM (college classes start for him next Monday) saying that the high school had called and Younger Son was absent. What?! I sent the kid off there this morning. Immediate panic set in as I frantically called the school to confirm whether he was really there or not. I told them I was ready to call the police. They found him. Turns out they'd just misplaced him. So now the homework wars start again. I hate school. I've been having nightmares about it for a solid week now.
But there has been some knitting. Unfortunately I can't show it to you because my camera and computer are having a failure to communicate. I want a new camera. I'll edit and add pics later if I can (they were cute baby pics, too!) I got pictures!
I finished this cute little romper for BabeE last week. Isn't it cute? (And not pink?) There's sparkly buttons for the butt too, but I didn't have thread to sew them on so her mom will have to. (Hey, it's not a free lunch, you know?) Pattern is "Florence" from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Collection. Here's the front:

We liked the retro feel of this pattern, and mom's a big fan of the seed stitch. And there's this beauty too:
(I can only take full credit for the sweater. I'll take partial credit for the baby. It was my birthday celebration that put that glimmer in her mother's eye.) April Baby. I subbed out the Gull pattern as I'm wont to do. Can't remember the name of this one, only that it was a six stitch pattern so I had to do some math to make it work out right. And her mom dyed the yarn, so I guess I can give her partial credit on the sweater too.

Coming Back

First off -- thanks everyone for your condolences. It means alot to me. I'm trying to get back to the business of life. I told my sisters that I don't know what to do with myself. I've been taking care of my parents for the past 15 years. My sisters were in town until yesterday morning, so yesterday evening and today have been a little hard since it's the first I've been on my own. I talked to everyone today and none of us are sleeping well. Then there's the issues around any kind of gathering, good or bad. Can you believe that one of the visitors at the viewing for my dad gave a family member grief because she didn't feel that she was paid enough attention while she was there?! Just thinking about it boggles my mind. "I was at this funeral home and the grieving family just didn't pay enough attention to me. They're all snooty and stuck up." Sheesh. (For the record, everyone did talk to her, someone was talking to her the whole time she was there, and she left because she said she had to be somewhere else.) Work has been very good, and it's helpful to keep busy. Unfortunately, though, I now have no excuse for putting off the housework I've been neglecting. Well, I did today because it's eleven thousand degrees out, and I'm not moving from my bed because any movement at all makes me break out in a sweat. Maybe I'll get to it tomorrow...

Goodbye Pap

My dad passed away this morning. He slipped into unconsciousness yesterday morning and didn't wake back up.


I sat with him throughout the night and he never showed any signs of distress or discomfort. The last time I spoke to him was after a visit from Celtic Queen. His face lit up when he saw her and he was happier than I've seen him in weeks. It was a blessing.



We were very grateful that his end was peaceful. I imagine that he's enjoying a long-awaited reunion with his "Honey Bea" (his pet name for my mom) right now.



I was also fortunate that the nurse on call was a neighbor who knows me well, and so I knew he was in good hands.



As he himself said, he "lead a good long life and was really blessed."



He will be greatly missed by my sisters and I, (this is one of my sisters, not me in case you're wondering)



And all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Everyone who met him liked him, and I've heard over and over "He was a really good man."

Burn Me

I love Burn Notice. I was just saying to the boys how much better my life would be if I had good looking people with guns and plastic explosives on my side. Those hospital and nursing home people would straighten right up. And then they could start on my boss. The boys say that that world isn't the real world, but whatever! A girl can dream, right?
Anyway, there has been some knitting -- I finished an object, even.
I'm so-so about this sweater. It's Bad Penny from Knitty. I modified by using only one yarn, adding short row bust shaping, longer arms, and waist shaping. I love the mods, but they only went so far. I should have cast on fewer stitches (it's knit top-down) and done an increase after the ribbing for the neckline. My neck/shoulders aren't that much bigger around than someone w/ a 34" bust, but to get enough stitches for my size at the end of the raglan shaping (the distance from neck to underarm is about the same, too) I had to cast on waaaay too many stitches. It's ok at the beginning of the day when the yarn is still tight, but by the end of the day I'm like Carmen with my sweater drooping off one shoulder. Which surprisingly isn't all that attractive a look for me. Also, I've lost ~20 lbs since I started this sweater, so what was close fitting then is a little baggier now. Overall ok, but I may rip and re-knit over the winter for something better next summer. And today? For the first time in a long time I was too tired to knit, or spin, or do anything fibery. I'm watching TV and drinking beer. (Well, one beer and a couple fruity "malt beverages". I have a story about the beer.)

Birthday Link-Fest

It's that time of year again. Time to shop for your favorite forty-something fiberista (Apparently I'm all about the alliteration.) So here's a list of links to stuff I covet. So as to make the shopping easier on you all.

I love Etsy! Here are some of my favorite vendors:

KBShimmer One of my favorite indugences recently has been hand made soap. I am seriously lusting after some of these soaps (love the kaliedo-soap! And Caravan!)
Sparta Soap More handmade soap. I've bought from this seller, and was very happy. This is a local seller, too.

Fiber:
Dicentra
Jazz Turtle (love those batts)
Enchanted Knoll Love the sparkly batts and rovings (I've been looking out for Gold Dust Woman.)
TerraBellaSpun More batts
Butterfly Girl Designs Batts and spindles.
Zebisis Designs More batts and spindles.

Another recent find was varietal honey. I bought some from Bee Folks when I was in Maryland, and loved it! One of my fave "little indugences" is an afternoon cup of herbal tea with honey at work. (But I didn't care for killer bee honey.)

Knitterly Things is a favorite. I love all of Julia's fiber and yarn. (And it's really nice to get stuff from someone I know!)

Also, Amy King, aka Spunky Eclectic has a New Book (buy it from Amy at the link and she'll autograph it!) that I really want. And you know, you could order up some Custom Dyed Fiber while you're there. (For the uninitiated, choose the fiber here then state what colorway you want when you place the order. Yeah, I think it's a little clunky too, but I didn't design the website.)

A gift certificate to Bloomin Yarns wouldn't go amiss either.

A yogurt cheese maker. Homemade paneer! Yum!

And an an immersion blender. Soups and smoothies, here I come!

Whew! Enough choices for you all? I may update with more later.

TdF Day Two

I wound off the bobbin from yesterday (this wheel has only one bobbin) and started spinning a fresh bobbin of the same fiber for today's installment of the Tour de Fleece. I split my 8 oz. of fiber into two lots and will put each one on a bobbin (the bobbin will hold 4 oz of fiber). The plan is to mix and match the six lots while plying to get a more even distribution of singles.

My other TdF project at the moment is this spindle project with some wool from a vendor I can't remember at MDS&W. They're in one of the barns at the very end closest to the sheep barns, and they have lots of baskets of loose fiber in lots of colors stacked up on the walls. Anyone?

Here's a picture of the whole lot of this fiber, -- I think I have 2 and a half pounds of it or so. It's a wool/mohair mix maybe 50/50? I should have enough of this to make a sweater for myself, if I ever get it all spun up. The spindle is a Bosworth in tulipwood.

TdF - Day One

ONE of my projects for TdF is to spin up this fiber:
purchased at MDS&W in 2006. I had 1.5 lbs of it, and this
is the end of the first 8 oz. I'll start the second today. I also spun some of the blue fiber I bought at the same time on the spindle I bought then too. (It's like a MDS&W 2006 reunion.) Actually, that's just the stash bin I happened to open. Yeah, my stash is stratified by years, so what? Anyways, this yarn is destined to become a 3 ply which I will knit into either a sweater or vest, depending on yardage.

It's Been a Hard Day's Night

::sigh:: I'm not asking for life to be easy, just a little less hard. I ended up crying at my desk this afternoon at work. Not fun. Not much knitting going on. I forgot, until I downloaded the pictures from my camera that I'd met Ysolda Teague at Bloomin Yarns. She was very nice and charming and now I want to get all her patterns. As soon as I have some money I'm ordering Otto, Elijah, and Sophie. They were unbelievably cute in person. (Birthday alert! These patterns would make great gifts!)
Then at knitting last Friday Terri brought these cute balls stuffed with lavender -- they're for her mom who can't see very well, but she can hold them and feel the nice squishy wool and smell the lavender. What a great idea! I might make some for my dad, who has to exercise his hands for his OT.
And I also taught Janice to spin with a hand spindle. She was going like gangbusters using the park and draft method. Fiber by Spunky Eclectic in the colorway "Eclipse" -- it was a club color last summer. Romney, so super easy for a beginner to learn on.

And finally here's my Brown Penny. I've got the sleeves done. Mods to the pattern so far are longer sleeves, more room in the bust, some short rows for the girls, and some waist shaping. I'm hoping to finish this in the next week or so. Hopefully it fits. (It looks big, but I could just be underestimating my size, which I do frequently. I can always rip and re-knit.)

Tentatively Hopeful

I did hear back from the VA today and the man said that they have approved my dad's claim! So complaining and stressing out about things really does work! I'm not going to totally believe it (or stop gathering medical evidence) until I see something in writing, but I am tentatively hopeful that this is going to work out alright. I must have sounded sufficiently frantic on the phone yesterday. (I always try to remember how I sounded for future reference, but it never works.) They called me today when I was with my dad so I was able to share the news with him right away. I still have a couple of cards up my sleeve, though, including Dave talking to our State Legislator about it (Dave serves on the church board with him). So I'm less stressed today, and I got to visit Heather too because my work was cancelled due to the severe storms yesterday. I was even destressed enough to knit a little (I hadn't felt up to it for the past couple of days). Hopefully pics tomorrow in the daylight (I'm knitting short rows to give the girls a little extra room).

New -- With Tornadic Activity!

We had some wild weather here in the 'Burgh this evening. It started out with just lots of lightening and thunder. Older Son and I sat out on the front porch and watched it. Then all the local emergency vehicles came screaming down our street and turned at our corner. Except for this big rig, which parked in front of our house for about 20 minutes. OS scampered up the street to see what was on fire (nothing this time -- but there was a fire up there somewhere yesterday) and came back to report that he thought it might be a downed tree or something and that it was really tight space-wise so he thought there just wasn't room for this truck. Eventually this and the other emergency vehicles all left. I was too shy to ask a fireman to hold a sock for me.

On a personal note I'm strangling in red tape. My dad was denied his VA benefit for Aid and Assistance (Geez, he can't feed himself, bathe himself, dress himself, or go to the bathroom unassisted. What do they think constitutes requiring Aid and Assistance??) The letter I got says that he has to be examined at the local Veteran's Affairs facility. Now, I had gotten a call from them a month ago (coincidentally on the day my dad fell and broke his hip) wanting to schedule an exam. I called them back and told them they could do any kind of exam they wanted, but they would have to come to him seeing as how he was in the hospital. They told me it wasn't necessary. Yesterday I got a letter saying that his request had been denied because the medical records didn't substantiate his claim (I'm also suspicious that either the doctor's office or the nursing facility he was in didn't send the records they said they did -- but the VA won't tell me what they have or don't have. Double ARRGH!). So I called them back. The conversation went like this:
Me: I got this letter denying my dad's claim, they say that he has to be examined at your facility.
VA Person: Yes, I see that we spoke on May 18th, and he broke his hip. You don't need to come in.
Me: You don't understand. I got this letter (reads letter) yesterday saying that his claim is denied unless it is substantiated by an exam from you.
VA Person: Well, he can make the claim based on the medical records...But wait, you're saying that the claim was denied with those...
Me: Yes. I need to know when the exam will be scheduled because I have to arrange a wheelchair transport and if the exam is going to require him to get out of the wheelchair you'll have to have someone there to get him in and out of it because I can't lift him.
VA Person: This sounds like it's a hardship...I don't think you need to come in.
Me (frantic): Well, if this is the only way to get this claim approved I'll get him there. I'll do whatever it takes.
VA Person: Well, I don't know what to do...I have to talk to my supervisor and get back to you.
ARRGH!! Needless to say she didn't call me back. I'm frantic. The expense of keeping him in the assisted living facility he's in is just over $1000 a month more than his monthly income. And guess who's on the hook for it all? The facility has been willing to wait for their money until his claim was processed, but what happens if it's denied? I feel like I was taken for a ride by the nursing facility who told me he "had" to go to an assisted living facility, and the director of the personal care home he's in, both of whom told me that there would be "no problem" with him getting this benefit. I can't take him out of the facility because as soon as he leaves that means he'll never get reimbursed for the money he's out so far. (It's taken almost 5 months to get to this point.)

She Who Dies With the Most Stuff....Dies

One of the difficult things I had to do in the past several months was finally deal with all my mother's things. While my dad was still living in their apartment I put it off, but we had to move my dad to an assisted living facility because of the complications he's having. Which meant that we had to empty the apartment. My dad took a few things with him, but the rest...My sisters were here and they were absolutely ruthless. We didn't have the time to pack up and deliver anything to a charity (the Salvation Army had said they would come and pick things up but then cancelled at the last minute) so that meant everything went into the dumpster. My mother wasn't a collector, quite the opposite, so the things she kept were things that she really wanted or used. All I could think as we made trip after trip to the dumpster was that these were the things that my mother had accumulated over her lifetime, that meant something to her, and in the end it was all so much garbage. Very sad, and not a comfortable thought. I keep thinking about all the things I have and love and wondering if they'll end up in a dumpster or sold for a fraction of what they're worth. I salvaged what I could, but still... Maybe it's because I'm a very visual person so seeing things makes me remember. It was like I was throwing away my memories. I tried to explain this to my sister who I could tell was exasperated by my unwillingness to get on with the job and throw everything out. "When I see this," I said, "it brings back my memories of Mom. I'm afraid I won't be able to remember her anymore once it's all gone." She didn't have any answer for me.

Knitting Now

Here's what I'm currently working on. I couldn't get the picture to show accurate color (that's what happens when you don't get home until 10 PM to take pictures of your knitting). I posed it on the skirt I'm knitting it to match and since its color is off as well you can see that it matches perfectly. The pattern is Bad Penny from the fabulous Knitty which is now my favorite knitting magazine. (Yay! It's a new issue!) I've modified and am not doing the YO increases and I will have add some shaping in the body (when the arms are big enough for me, I still need 3" for my bust, and I also want some waist shaping.) The yarn is CotLin from KnitPicks. I love this yarn. I'm already considering what other color I can make a summer sweater in and if it would be possible for me to finish two sweaters this summer (they have short sleeves -- that should make all the difference, right?) And I've also knit up something fun and summery in this yarn. Do those colors scream "Summer" or what? (It's a bit brighter IRL).

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I'm back! Long time no blog, I know. Let me explain...No, is too much I sum up.

The Good -- we have a new baby in the family! Meet ConMan, my evil twin's grandson. Born March 11.

The Bad -- The little guy was born with severe Spina Bifuda, which required surgery within hours of his birth, and is further complicated by hydrocephalus which has required two brain surgeries so far to relieve the pressure on his brain. On a positive note he has had a much better outcome than expected, he has some movement in his legs and the hydrocephalus didn't develop until after birth so we're optimistic that there will be minimum if any brain damage as a result. Little guy has had some swelling and scarring from the brain surgeries though, so I had to make him a hat. I'm hoping to make him several more. (It's good to be related to a knitter!)

The Ugly -- And this is the main reason I haven't been blogging. My father is dying. It's not tragic, he's 87 (almost 88). But it's sad. And hard and painful (physically) for him and (emotionally) for me. It's been a slow drawn out process, none of which is pretty or uplifting. I'm not really sure how much of it I want to share, and it's a lot of what's going on with me right now. I even gave up knitting altogether for two weeks. But it's come back with a vengeance this week and I'm working on a sweater for ME! (More on that later). I'm trying to find and/or restore some small pleasures in my life and knitting and writing are part of that. So I'm going to try to blog some about my knitting and maybe about finding some good in an otherwise bad time. Because I can't find it if I don't look for it, right?

No Cake For You!

The Blog has spoken -- No cake for the boys. And it's not that bad, Older Son doesn't even like cake. He just wanted it because he couldn't have it. He got the left over icing, which is all he likes anyways. And Younger Son...He's an indiscriminate eater. He should be satisfied with the close to a dozen pieces of pizza he ate for dinner last night.
Did you know that you can watch videos at IMDb? They have 56 episodes of the Twilight Zone, old CBS commercials and all. I watched "Nothing in the Dark" (with an absolutely dreamy Robert Redford as Mr. Death. I hope I get him when the time comes.) So be sure to tell your husband about it (you know who you are). I myself couldn't get the full screen to work, but I'm sure I'll figure it out soon. Makes me wonder what other shows are there. Of course, this does cut into my knitting time, though.

Let Them Eat Cake?

Well, I finally got my cake. I had to make it myself, but there it is. I'm having a party for myself. Seems as though I've finally made it to menopause. So it really wasn't PMS last week, after all. I decided a momentous event such as this called for a cake. Right? When I informed Dave about it, that's what I told him. "I think I need to have a party for this." I don't think he got it. Next week I'll compare notes with my evil twin and find out where she is on this road. Anyways, I'm feeling surprisingly good, and sleeping a bit better so maybe things are finally on the up swing. The big question now is...Should I let the boys have some of my cake?? Younger Son dropped my first one (and the worst part of that? The whole house smelled like cake and I couldn't have any.) Older Son promised to make me another cake and didn't come through with the goods. And neither has done his chores completely. Weigh in in the comments. BTW, YS did not want to throw himself on the mercy of the blog, while OS thought you'd go for him having cake. Finally,no knitting I can show pictures of, so I'll leave you with this. I think the yarn shop should get one.

I'm a Woman on the Edge

I'm batting about -1000. This week my bank (Dollar Bank, big boo hiss) decided to charge me six (!) non sufficient funds fees and my account was never overdrawn. Even after they sucked out over $200! So yesterday while I was on the phone fighting with the bank I got a phone call that my dad had fallen at the personal care home he's at right now. Then my sister calls and wants me to solve a crisis with my niece. Heather tried to cheer me up last night but I seem to be back in that tunnel today and I don't think that light approaching is the end of it, either. Dave's working out of town and keeps trying to get home, and getting called back before he gets here (this afternoon he made it all the way to the Liberty Tubes.) My dad had digital cable installed because that's the deal right now. But they didn't show him how to use it so I had to go online and download all the setup info myself. Which I left at work. Yeah. Came home and tried to get some fried fish for dinner, and the two places Older Son and I went were not having fish fries this year. What's up with that? When I got home I demanded that Younger Son make me a cake. So after much let's say, "intensive", negotiation he finally got with the program and put a cake in the oven. Which was set on broil -- even though I told him to make sure it was set on bake. I caught that in time, I believe. But then in some monumental teenage moment of spaciness he dropped my cake on the floor. I lost it. Not my finest moment as a mother, but what can I say, I'm a woman with PMS. (Why do you think I demanded a cake in the first place?) Someone come over and put me out of my misery.

Over and Under

I'm still here. Just overwhelmed, or under water, as the case may be. Just about every aspect of my life right now has come to a crisis point that requires some kind of intervention on my part within the past week. I'm overstressed, under pressure, overworked, and under appreciated. Not much knitting getting done, and nothing much to show anyways. I always thought that in situations like this I would knit to relax, but you know what? I have no desire to knit all these bad feelings into something. Maybe things will start looking up tomorrow. I have been visiting yarn shops for the past two weekends, and made some purchases. I'll try again tomorrow.