A Little Update

Hi everyone, I have missed all of you.

I have been really, really, can I say that again, really busy.  My Mom is back in a rehab facility after yet another round of ER/hospital stay.  Another UTI and slight pneumonia.  My parents are not happy she is in rehab but it is the best for everyone.  It is strange but last year at this exact time this happened.  It was the first week of school, when I am crazy busy and here we go again.  I was so busy last week with my Mom and Dad, work and school, plus high school swimming,and everyday life that I didn't even have time to read blogs let alone write.

I didn't even have time to knit or crochet.  I think that was worse for me than anything.  In times of high stress the best thing for me to do is sit down, take a few moments to center myself with some yarn in my hand.  I know many of you feel the same way, it maybe yarn, quilting scrap booking, embroidery or cooking.  But whatever it is, it feels like it is such a big part of you doesn't it?

I have also missed reading your blogs so much.  I love to hear about your life and you projects.  I love to hear about the good things so I can rejoice with you and send you positive thoughts if things just aren't right.  I kind of feel like I am in  high school and I am sick so I am missing out on all the fun.  I feel like I am missing the little things that make you feel close to someone by reading their blog, even if that someone is across the country or across the world.

So don't give up on me.  I plan on pulling myself together and getting back to things as soon as I can.

But until then I am missing you all and I am hoping you are healthy, happy and taking some time for yourself.

The Rustic Autumn Shawl

I know most people around the United States are thinking about Autumn, cooler nights, lovely fall colors and and of course football.  Here in Florida it is 93 degrees every day and it never cools off in the evenings.  So to get myself prepared for Autumn, and the potential for less excruciating heat sometime in the future, I have decided to make the Rustic Autumn Shawl from Knit Purl Gurl.  You can find the link to this very fun, very fast shawl on her side bar.  It will lead you to her ravelry site and you can download her pattern for free.

 I am a pathetic picture taker, I know, but I don't have the time or energy to fix them so here they are.  The shawl is not shown in all its glory in the picture above but just take a peek below.

 I love it,  I needed a pretty simple project after the circle vest disaster.  I need to only think a little bit on a project, so this is perfect.  Karrie from Knit Purl Gurl is an amazing mother,who devotes so much of her time to introducing us to may new books, knitting related items, yarn and just great information that is really fun to read about.  I have just started the diagonal rib portion of the shawl so I am excited to see how that looks.  Karrie is having a knit along with this shawl pattern if you so choose to join.  I am knitting along, but have not joined as I am up to my eyeballs with issues with my Mom and Dad.  I just wanted to knit this at a pace that was perfect for me.  The only change I made in the pattern was in the very beginning.  I cast on three stitches, knit two rows and then on the third row I knit one, yarn over, knit one, yarn over and knit one.  That gave me five stitches and I followed the pattern after that. 

The pattern calls for Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn.  I am a Noro lover through and through, but I am using Universal Yarns Classic shades.  It has a long color repeat like Noro but is a lot more cost effective.  I have used this yarn a lot lately and I think it knits up great.  I am making my shawl on a size 10 1/2 needle so I just have 229 stitches before I started the diagonal rib chart as opposed to 239.  A shawl is fun this way, you can adapt as you go along.

 Things are pretty rough with my parents.  They are competent enough to make decisions, just not the right ones.  When I am stressed, as I am right now I usually buy yarn.  But when things go really bad I go right for knitting or crochet books.  So this past week I bought three new ones.  Knit Noro is fabulous.  And if you have a JoAnn Fabrics and crafts by you, use a 50% off coupon and get it for half price like I did.

 This is what hooked me, well this (above) and of course this (below).

 Knit Your Own Royal Wedding just made me laugh.  I have seen so many blogs mention this that when I saw it I just had to have my own copy.  Do I think I will ever knit my own Royal Wedding?  Absolutely not, but I will smile every time I look at this book.

 I do however intend on knitting Spud the sheep in the Spud and Chloe series.  She is adorable and Spud looks like a ton of fun to make.

 One thing I love about Florida is the sky.  The clouds are amazing.  I took this picture this afternoon as the afternoon storms were coming in off the Gulf.  My life feels a bit stormy right now so I think this is a very appropriate picture.  Hope you are having a calm and peaceful day.

Knitting Stinks.....Sometimes

First let me thank each and everyone of you for your kind thoughts.  My Mother was discharged from the hospital yesterday but is very, very weak.  She is having a terrible time walking, and my Dad who is 88 is her primary caregiver.  I think she should be in rehab but he thinks differently, this is not looking good for anyone involved.  I am expecting a phone call at anytime that she has fallen, I just hope there is someone around to help me get her up.  I can't lift her myself and my Dad can't help... so the cycle continues.

My knitting has not been all that therapeutic lately, actually it has been downright frustrating.  First, I spent all that time making the knitted dress, that I have yet to wear because I still don't like it. Next, I had the great idea to make this amazing vest from the latest Interweave Knits magazine. 

This is a very interesting concept, make a nice big circle, knit a rectangle to attach is the middle of the circle for the back, leave the sides open for arm holes and you have a vest, right?  Well that is what is supposed to happen.  I didn't use the tape like yarn suggested, no I went into my stash and found beautiful alpaca, I knit a gauge swatch and casted on.  I loved knitting it and learning this really cool fan pattern.  Sounds like it should be perfect doesn't it?  Well it's not.

 This is a picture of Julie who so kindly shared her beautiful yarn with me.  I bought this yarn at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival years ago.  It is from Ideuma Creek Alpaca Farm.  Each skein comes with a cute picture of the alpaca who is sharing her yarn.  Julie is a total cutie don't you think?

 When I finished the circle I casted on the back, easy cast on 60 stitches, knit for 13 inches and you are done.  So I did it but added an extra inch because I am pretty tall.  I single crocheted them together and put it on....well you can only imagine how horrible it was because my circle is way and I mean way bigger than it is supposed to be.  Okay, don't panic just take apart the bind off edge, pick up the stitches and knit some more.  So I did, then I made it way and I mean way too long.  So I took it out again and finally after wrestling with fibers sticking together, knots and a vest that I know deep down inside is not going to work, I gave up. 

 Now I have this......a big circle that I have no idea what to do with.  It is too stretchy, and too mushy, and well just too everything to fix.  I am putting it in time out, just like the dress and it is going to sit there until I can figure out what to do with it.

I guess I am happy that I didn't spend a fortune on yarn, I learned how to do this cool fan and I loved the yarn in my hands.  Look, I am trying to find the bright side of this disaster.

Hope your projects are going better than mine!

A Crochet Tale

Yesterday was a long day.  My husband and I found my Mom unconscious when we went for our regular Sunday visit.  It took several minutes to revive her, which was very scary.  We called for emergency help and she was promptly taken to the hospital.  My Dad and I spent about 3 hours in the Emergency Room waiting area  before  they had an available room in the ER.  My Mother is being held for observation and some testing.  She has done this before, but never been out for this long.  As you have read before my Mother is failing, slowly, and this is so hard to watch.   I really thought she had had a massive stroke, thankfully that didn't happen.  She was back to her ornery self in the ER, wanting food and not being happy that she had to stay in the hospital over night.

So while I was in the waiting area I pulled out some yarn and rolled it into a ball.  I took out the only crochet hook I had in my bag and started to crochet another cowl.  Since the hook was a J size I couldn't double my yarn, so I just kept holding the chain up to my neck to measure.  My Dad was walking around, or pacing as he likes to do so the chair next to me was free.  After several minutes a lovely older man sat next to me.  He asked if I was crocheting or knitting, so I told him crocheting.  He asked which one I thought was easier and I told him that I really didn't know as they can both be easy or difficult depending on the project.  He told me his wife knits and just finished a baby sweater.  He has been married for 63 years, she finishes his thoughts and his sentences.  Isn't that lovely?  He was waiting to hear how his wife's brother was doing, they brought him in for severe back pain.  We chatted away, he has two boys, both married.  The oldest has adopted nine special needs children.  Amazing. We chatted until the room opened up for my Mom and we were allowed to go sit with her.

I love how knitting or crochet draws people to you.  I was calmer with the yarn in my hands and he was able to open up a conversation with me because we had a common ground to start on.  I think that when you have yarn in your hands people feel free to ask you about your project, or tell you they learned to knit or crochet when they were young.  I have had so many people tell me that their Grandmother used to knit or crochet, and they seem to have a good memory about it.  Others say they could never do it but when you demonstrate how easy it is you may have made them interested enough to eventually give it a try.  You are much more approachable because you are doing something that others are familiar with even if they have never held needles or a hook. 

I hope I made this lovely older man's time in the waiting room a little bit more tolerable.  I know he made mine better, to hear about his life was a gift he gave me.

Back to Blogging

Thanks so much for all your wonderful comments on my son's swim meet.  He is handsome isn't he?  He has had this week off swimming, his first in a year and a half.  So we took him and some buddies to Universal Studios in very hot, humid Orlando Florida.  Can I just say hot and humid again for effect?  It was 97 degrees everyday we were there, and the humidity in the center of the state of Florida is horrible this time of year.  Actually the humidity in the whole state is horrible this time of year.  He had a great time and I tried to stay inside as much as possible.  While I was there I finished project number 38 for the year.  You have seen it before, but I love it just the same.

 A Cascade Echo Duo scarf in a lovely shell pattern. 

 While I was in Atlanta a little surprise came in the mail to me from across the world.  Grateful 4 Crochet sent me these beautiful cards she hand makes from children's books, as a special thanks for my first ever give away.  Can I just tell you how excited I was?  These pictures do not do them justice, my lens kept fogging up, as I said previously Florida in August is disgusting.

 The envelopes are brilliant and the cards inside amazing.  I just love, love, love them and I am thrilled that anyone would think to send me such a lovely present. 

Ok, how pathetic are these pictures?  You don't see the vibrant colors or the wonderful pictures, in fact all you see is fog from all the humidity.  Please go visit Grateful 4 Crochet, a beautiful crochet filled, gratitude filled blog.

Now that I am home from various short trips, I hope to be a bit better at blogging and reading all of your wonderful blogs.  Have a tremendous weekend.