New Projects

I have about six projects on the needles right now. I'm working on The Clementine Shawlette in some amazing hand painted fingering weight merino with sterling silver that was given to me by a dear friend. I'm also making a pair of socks using some Intention Yarn by Lime & Violet using the Nutkin pattern by Beth LaPensee that was giving to me by another great friend. Yet another friend (I know, I'm so lucky) gave me some Blue Heron Chenille that I haven't found the right pattern for yet but I'm looking. I don't have photos of any of these projects and I haven't added them to Ravelry either.

I've also started Print O' The Wave by Eunny Yang out of some gorgeous Penthouse Silk by Neightborhood Fiber Company that I bought a couple of years ago. I started several projects with this yarn but none stuck until now. I've got about 8 inches of the center panel finished and was going pretty strong on it until the Loopy Ewe got in a shipment of Handmaiden Sea Silk. I've been waiting a long time for some Ivory Sea Silk and there it was in my cart at last. That's when I saw the Moss color. Out flew the Ivory, in went the Moss and that was that. I had been saving my money for Stitches East in November but a skein of Sea Silk might be impossible to find there so I wasn't taking a chance. It came a couple of weeks ago and I fondled it and sniffed it and let it sit on the coffee table for weeks knowing that I wanted to make the Swallowtail Shawl but that I had so many things going right now that I just couldn't start another one.

You know where I'm going with this of course. On Sunday I finaly wound the skein and dug out the Fall 2006 issue of Interweave Knits and started. It's going really fast because this isn't really a "laceweight" yarn.

I'm always working on baby socks and have a pair done. I'm working on matching handsies to go with these socks because I had a request for a set.

I've had two chemo treatments now, one-third of the way done, whew! This one left me tired, so tired. But I can't complain because I can handle tired just fine. I'm back at work this week and next week and then it'll be time for my third treatment. Friends and family are taking such great care of me. How will I ever repay everyone's kindness?

It comes down to this...

• On July 28th I found a lump in my left breast
• On July 30th I had a mammogram and sonogram
• On July 31th I had a biopsy
• On August 4th I found out that I have an Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.
• On August 8th I had an MRI
• On August 12th I met my Radiation Oncologist and discussed treatment options
• On August 13th I met with my surgeon to schedule the surgery
• On August 26th I'll have a lumpectomy.
• Sometime after that, if all goes well, I'll have radiation (MammoSite RTS) twice a day for five days (if there's not enough healthy tissue left I'll have seven weeks of conventional radiation)
  
• Sometime after that, I'll start chemo.

That's my life right now. I'll go for hours and forget all about it and then something reminds me that, oh yeah, I have breast cancer. When it's on my mind I can't concentrate on anything else. Work is getting to be joke right now but I think my boss and coworkers understand. I have a lot of stuff to get done before I leave next week but I just can't muster up enough brain cells to think about them right now. Time is running out though and I must force myself to concentrate on the tasks at hand for a little while.

My boss is okay with me working from home while I'm off. I'm taking my laptop home and there will be a spare one on my desk for those days when I feel like coming to work. I'll officially be on sick leave (because my employer doesn't have a "work from home policy" in place) but at least I won't have to come back to a mountain of work. I'm the only one here who can do my job (webmaster) so except for emergency postings that will be done by one of my coworkers following my written documentation, everything else will sit and wait for me to get to it.

I think I have a good attitude. My friends say I'm taking it very well. I haven't had any breakdowns, though I came close when I found out the the tumor is most likely triple negative. The surgeon said that the biopsy only samples a very small portion of the tumor and the pathology report after the surgery may show that there are some positive hormone receptors in the much larger sample that is examined. If there's even one positive cell in the sample then I'll receive the hormone treatments. Otherwise, I'll just have the radiation and chemo and then wait. I couldn't have regular breast cancer, oh no, I had to have triple negative breast cancer. But I'm not complaining because there are worse kinds of breast cancer and worse kinds to cancer in general. Breast cancer is highly treatable these days.

And by the way, all you ladies out there who are reading this and saying to yourselves that you don't have anything to worry about because there's no history of breast cancer in your family should WAKE UP AND DO YOUR BREAST EXAM RIGHT NOW (unless you're at work, of course) because the only history in my family was a great-aunt on my father's side.

I never thought of getting breast cancer for that very reason although I did do my exams. You see, cancer has cut quite a swath through my family, but not breast cancer. My mother and her mother both died of colon cancer and I have regular colonoscopies because of that. My father died of lung and brain cancer, and my half sister (dad's daughter) has kidney cancer. Everyone who didn't die of cancer died of heart disease. So breast cancer took me by surprise.

Fortunately for me, I have a fantastic husband, great friends and coworkers, a wonderful local breast cancer awareness program and good medical facilities very close by. I'm more curious than scared at this point.

My wonderful sister-in-law from Santa Fe sent me a beautiful Zuni horse fetish that I've been wearing in my bra. According to my research "the horse is an animal of freedom and the horse fetish has the power of healing, strength and safe movement". I'm knitting a pouch for him right now that I can fasten to my bra so I don't have to keep feeling myself to make sure he's still there. I've named him Victor (the Lone Ranger's nephew's horse's name, from A Christmas Story).


He's my constant companion now and probably will be for the rest of my life. Isn't he beautiful? I think he's carved from marble with veins of pyrite. Thank you, Robin, for sending him to me.

He's posing with my latest pair of baby socks. They're Koigu and the pattern is Miriam Felton's Infant to Toddler Sized Socks. We've given away all we had so I've been working on these when I get the chance and hope to complete some more while I'm off from work. So, that's how it stands right now. I'll update the blog again after the surgery but I don't want this to turn into a "breast cancer blog". It's all about the knitting!

Spring Fever

I've been very busy knitting this spring but just not in the mood to blog. I don't know why I keep up this blog. I don't think that anyone reads it and I don't really know why they would want to. I have nothing witty or interesting to say. Just the same old stuff.

What have I knit?
Well, I knit Miss Dashwood, Katja, and these ribbed soakers all from Kraemer Yarns Little Lehigh Pebbles. Katja and Miss Dashwood are from Knitty. I found the soaker pattern while cruising on Ravelry and don't know where it came from.

These were knitted as a gift for one of our favorite waitresses at the Waffle House who is due in mid-May. They were very quick and easy to knit except for Miss Dashwood (the hat). I found it a bit of a challenge where the brim joins the hat but I think it was mostly due to the non-elasticity of the yarn I was using.

I also knit an alpaca baby jacket (b13-3 Jacket, socks, soft toy and blanket in Alpaca by DROPS design) using Classic Elite Alpaca Sox in the Oatmeal Melange colorway. This is the cutest little thing.
I left the crochet edging off because it was for a little boy and I thought that might make it look a little too feminine. I knit the Baby Bell Bottoms by Alison Hansel out of
Cascade Yarns Cherub Collection DK to go with the jacket. These were made for a friend who had her little boy a couple of weeks ago.

I made numerous pair of baby socks using Miriam Felton Baby to Toddler Sized Socks pattern to give away and I did indeed give them all away and am making more. I didn't keep track but I estimate that I've given away a couple dozen pair by now. Here are photos of just a couple of the
them. I ordered more Moo Cards to attach to them in case the mothers have any questions about care or materials. I love making these socks and always carry them in my purse as my portable knitting. So far no one has turned me down when I ask them if they will accept a pair of socks for their new baby. It was all my husband's idea to start giving them away to strangers as an act of kindness.

I've completed a couple pair of adult socks as well. One pair was made for one of my co-workers, Harold. He's an avid fisherman and when I came across a skien of yarn from Woolly Boully called "Fishing with my Father" I knew they were for Harold.

Socks for Harold
Woolly Boully Softie Sock
100% Merino
Colorway: Fishing With My Father
Purchased From The Loopy Ewe
Pattern: my usual toe-up on #1 circs
I can't remember where the leg pattern came from. K3, YO, K3, SSK then reverse for the other leg, K2tog, K3, YO, K3.

This is Harold modeling the socks. I wanted to get a detail of the heel and the leg portion. I'm making a pair for me out of Claudia Handpaints with this same pattern.

Let's see, what else have I knit and not blogged about? Oh yeah, I just finished "A Better Bucket" by Amy Swenson. Talk about quick... I started Thursday and finished Saturday without even really trying. I've got to get a button or a big pin to put on it for decoration.

I'm buying the yarn to make another one of these for another waitress at the Waffle House who is graduating from college soon and moving out into the working world. I know she rides horses and this is a very warm hat. I wish I had made mine last fall. Now I have to wait months to wear it. The brim is double thick Malabrigo Worsted Weight Merino Wool right over your ears where you need the extra warmth. I may get some wear out of it at the baseball games for the next few weeks until it really warms up once and for all.

That's about it for now. I started "The Woodland Shawl" out of Dream In Color Smooshy in the Flamingo Pie colorway on Sunday but I don't have any pics yet. Enjoy the spring weather because it'll be hotter than Hades out there soon enough.

Many Irons in the Fire

I know it's been a while since I posted. I just haven't been very talkative lately, I guess. So here's an update on what I've been doing.

I made a pair of socks with Trekking XXL Color 100 that I purchased at Y2Knit with Christmas money. It's my usual recipe based on Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Socks. Knitpicks Harmony size 0 circs.

Let me sing the praises of the Harmony needles. They have the smoothest joins - I mean that it's like there isn't a join at all. I didn't have any problem seeing this yarn on the stained wood. All in all, an A++ rating.

I also made a baby jacket using Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton. The pattern is Super Natural Stripes by Fawn Pea. Isn't it cute? I followed the directions without deviation and it turned out great. I still have to add a button and a loop.

The yarn has a tendency to fuzz up while you knit and I don't really like that look but I guess that's how it's supposed to be. If I make this again I may use a different yarn. The colors really speak to me though. I'm an earthy kind of girl and I really like this combination.

I also started a new lace project from Victorian Lace Today. It's the Harebell Fichu and I'm making it for a waitress at our local Waffle House who will be graduating from college in May and starting work for the federal government. She's been waiting on us for years and I wanted to give her something that she can use in her new job. This should ward off drafts quite nicely while staying in place. For a lace project, it's a little understated and therefore perfect for office use. She is a natural redhead and I think the emerald green should suit her perfectly. I'm halfway done and should have plenty of time to finish and block it before she leaves.

I'm still making baby cloths and socks. One recipient is due any day now, one in April, and two in mid summer. Doug has suggested that I carry socks with me at all times so I that I can give them out whenever we see a new born or an expectant mother. He calls them random acts of kindness. Whenever we're out he points out babies that I could give socks to if I had them with me. Do I have a great husband? Yes, indeed I do.

Somebody Stop Me, Please!

I can't seem to stop myself from making baby socks. I've already gifted one pair and I've almost finished the 6th pair. I haven't even modified the pattern yet, though I keep thinking I might. I'm seriously addicted to these little things.

Pattern: Miriam Felton's Baby to Toddler Sized Socks

Yarn: (clockwise from top left) Cherry Tree Hill "Jewels", Cherry Tree Hill "Serengeti", Cherry Tree Hill "Spring Frost", Perchance to Knit "Seascape", and (center) Tofutsies "Three Feet Short"

Needles: KnitPicks, HiyaHiya, and KA #0us/2.0mm.

My husband reminds me often of how tolerant he is of my obsessive behavior. He even got me a new Cub Cadet to help me refocus my compulsion and do something "useful" at the same time. I enjoy the mowing but it hasn't stopped me from making baby socks.



I have two friends who are due in Feb. and Apr. and I have quite a few items I'd like to make including Baby Bell Bottoms by Alison Hansel and Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman. I think I might be the only knitter in America who hasn't made one of the those yet.

So my poor, long-suffering husband will have to bear with me and my obsessions for a little while longer. He's a good man and like I keep telling him, there are worse things to be obsessed with then knitting.

Progress Report and Knitting Scout Badges

My step-mother fell on Monday and broke her femur just below the hip joint. The surgeon inserted a rod and some screws and now she's in the rehab unit for a few days. She has lived alone since my dad died in March 2006 and really values her independence. She lives about 100 miles from me so I'm not going to be able to look after her for more than a week (vacation from work) and I'm worried about how we're going to work this out. I know she doesn't want to come here because she doesn't know anyone and there still wouldn't be anyone there during the day. She'll be out of the hospital in a day or two so we're going to have to come up with a (low cost, cause none of us are rich) solution quick.

I've been working on a pair of Miriam Felton's Baby to Toddler Sized Socks for my step-mother's physical therapist. Her son is 5 months so I'm using Size #1US needles so that he can get some use of them before they're too small. I've finished one and cast on for the second. This is the third pair of these I've made and I'm still not tired of them. I'm a slow knitter and I can finish one of these in about 3 hours.

I was knitting in the hospital room and was amazed at the number of people who commented on my socks. One lady asked if I sell them and I told her I didn't think it was practical because the yarn cost over $20. She said I could probably sell them for $75 and I had to wonder who she thought would ever pay $75 for a pair of socks. Paris Hilton, perhaps?

I've stopped working on my Double Eyelet Rib Toe-Up Socks by Wendy Johnson of WendyKnits to work on the baby socks but I only have the leg of the second sock to finish and they're done. This has been an enjoyable if somewhat boring pattern to knit. It's only 4 chart lines so it's very easy for a beginning lace knitter. I didn't use the heel from this pattern because I didn't have it in front of me when I started the heel. Instead I used the wrap-less short-row heel with a gusset from Wendy's Southwestern Socks pattern. I really like this heel and it may become my favorite.

When I read Miriam's page I saw these Cast On Scout Knitting Badges and decided that's a few of them apply to me so I created a little bar with the applicable images. Thanks, Brenda.

Awwwwww....

Isn't it cute! It's my first baby sock ever. It was a littly wonky working with something that small on my dpns but I stuck with it and about 1-1/2 to 2 hours later I had a finished baby sock.

Miriam Felton created the pattern and it was just what I was looking for. So many of the baby sock and bootie patterns I looked at are knitted flat and seamed. I didn't want to fool with a seam.

This will go to one of my friends who is due in February. Late winter babies need lots of warm socks so there will no doubt be other pairs made from leftover sock yarn. There are so many things that I want to make for this baby that I know I'll never get them all done. I've never had a baby to knit for before and this is my big chance to knit baby things.

I used to crochet baby cloths and sell them at craft shows many years ago when I was unemployed for a brief period. That was fun but this is better. Not only am I enjoying the knitting but I get to use yummy yarns. Back then I used Red Heart. Yeah, I was young and stupid.

Project details:

• pattern: Baby to Toddler Sized Socks by Miriam Felton
• size: newborn
• yarn: Perchance to Knit, Seascape colorway from the Loopy Ewe
  
• needles: #0US/2.00mm dpn's