Late, Pictureless, WIP Wednesday

Why? Because last night in a fit of unexpected organization I pulled out my label maker and starting filing away all my loose patterns. It all started when I decided to search on line for knee high sock patterns and kept thinking that "I have that printed out already" and that I should look for it at home.

That proved more challenging than I thought. I have patterns all over; in every tote bag and every bag from work, in files and folders and in stacks on the end table, absolutely everywhere. So the two new expandable files I got at Target were put to use. Time flew and when I finally had everything in order and arranged the way I wanted, it was 10PM. So, no pictures.

But, I’ve been working on Soleil from Knitty. I’ve had my eye on this pattern for a while and when I went to a “please buy it all so we don’t have to count it” inventory sale last month, I splurged on Rowan Calmer. The color is “Tinkerbell”. Not to mention if you bought a sweater’s worth of yarn – 35% off. How could I resist?

This is the first time I’m using Calmer and it’s a joy to knit. It’s beautiful stuff. I’ll definitely use it again.

I’ve also been working on golf socks for my Dad. I haven’t got very far, and feel like I’ve been knitting the foot for ages. Remind me not to make any socks for my brother who wears a size 15 shoe.

Tomato is sitting next to my knitting chair and has been ignored for the last week. I’ve re-knit it back to the colorwork and then I put it down because the Calmer was next to it and it wanted me to cast on and I couldn’t resist. I’ll get back to Tom as soon as I have Dad’s socks done.

Unless I decide to start the mammoth project of organizing my yarn.

Kidneys, Yarn, and Socks*

First, thanks for all your well wishes. I'm in the process of getting the second kidney stone taken care of which means I've been doing a ton of running around for x-rays and whatnot. Soon this will all be a distant memory.

The sucky thing is that the time I took off and the time I will be taking off (there may be another day or two for stone 2) was originally slated for a trip to NC to visit with my brother and parents in mid-August. So I've been calling my days off "My Kidney Vacation". I'd have rather spent it at the beach in NC.

Since I was missing out on my vacation I ordered yarn to make me feel better. (It's a valid excuse. It is!) I was home last week when Loopy Ewe had their "sneak up". I missed it (damn pain pills), but there were still some goodies to be had.

note the Panda Cotton was cast on at lunch to try and I love it!

This yarn called to me. I've wanted Sea Silk in this color (Lily Pond) for a while, but I had this flash of insight while looking at it on line. I'm making knee socks with it. It may be a little insane what with my long legs and all. I also have to look for a pattern, but they may end up being plain vanilla stocking stitch because I don't want to detract from the color.


The Hedera socks are finished and I'm happy with them. I love the color and the pattern was fun to knit. The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shephard Sock, color: Cool, knit on US 1 & 2 needles (cast on and 5 rows with larger needle).


And as an aside: I love Hells Kitchen. LOVE IT! I love when Chef Ramsey calls them donkeys. I giggle with glee. I was so incredibly delighted when he fired Josh and threw him out of the kitchen on the spot. Talk about someone who had the ego but not the skills. I was shocked he made it to the final 5. And - how much do you love that Chef is going to put Julia through culinary arts school? I've never seen anyone leave that show where he sang their praises on the way out. I wanted her to win, even tho I didn't think she would. She did so well making it to the last 4. I hope she's on the show again another season when she is done with her schooling and kicks butt!

* Oh Turtlegirl! I need alternate lyrics to Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.

Harry Potter Weekend

There are some things you have to do once in your life. Standing in line for the last Harry Potter book was one of those things for me. I had fun. Stood in line with a fellow knitter, picked up my book and was home before 1AM. I'm glad I did it for the last book and not any of the others because I wouldn't have ever done it again.

I read the entire book this weekend. I didn't stay up and read all night or put off any of my usual errands. I finished Sunday morning around 10:30AM.

I really enjoyed the last installment. I'm also a little sad that it's ended, which I guess is exactly how a series should end.

Back to knitting content tomorrow!

Bigotry

I’m on the mend. Everything came out OK or to use Bezzie’s phrase, everything passed quickly. (Not really quickly but it passed)

I went to the urologist on Tuesday as a follow-up and to see what could be done about kidney stone #2. I’ve never been to an urologist so my PCP gave me a referral. I got to the doctor and went through the exam and agreed with the doctor on what he needed me to do about KS2. He wrote out an Rx for the X-rays he needs me to get before my next appointment and told me I needed to up my water intake. All of this took no more than 10 minutes.

The last thing he said to me was that I need to lose weight. I knew it was coming. My gyno has been after me for the last two years and when my weight was down at my last appointment this past April, he didn’t acknowledge it but he didn’t bug me either.

So the Urologist told me that I need to lose weight (no shit). I said “I’m trying”. He had the NERVE to say, after seeing me for 10 minutes “You can say you’re trying but if you were trying there would be results”.

I was stunned. He has known me for 10 minutes and he dares to assume that I’m nothing but a fat slob and that I don’t know I’m fat? Not only that but he dared to assume that I am doing nothing about my weight. I may not be doing what he or my gyno want me to do (nutritionist, gastric bypass, enter your extreme solution *here*), but I am doing what I can do and what I enjoy doing. I refuse to force myself to do exercises I hate because I won’t continue doing them.

Besides, other than the KSs I’m healthy. I’ve been in and out of the doctor’s office this year getting all kinds of blood work, (among them Lyme disease – I do live in NJ & deer are all over the place) and everything has come back normal. My blood pressure is in a perfectly healthy range. My cholesterol is too.

And why do I have to justify myself? Why do I feel the need to do that? I admit that I was completely embarrassed and my self hatred was dialed up to 11. Why didn’t I just tell him that he doesn’t know a thing about me and how dare he make assumptions and shame me for no good reason?

It’s a good thing that I got angry instead of wallowing too long. I’m sure it’s because I’ve been reading Shapely Prose (thanks for the link Roberta!) I never understood why we find it OK to think fat people are slovenly, dirty, smelly, couch potatoes. I can think of a couple of popular shows that have slid in snide remarks about fat people, and one show that dealt outright with the issue of being sick and “you’re fat” as being the easy answer.

I have a lot of conflicted feelings about all this. I don’t want his bigotry to become an excuse to stay the way I am. Right now it’s making me angry and giving me a reason keep going to yoga class and walk and eat better. I hope it stays that way for me.

In one of my more lucid moments...

...I thought I'd mention that I spent the better portion of yesterday in agony in the local ER. I was in so much pain I couldn't even read, or knit!

I was sent home at 2:30 PM with a diagnosis of kidney stones (yup - 2 of them!) and after picking up pain pills my brother dropped me home and I slept. All I've been doing since then is sleeping, peeing, drinking water and cranberry juice. The pain pills help so much, but I only get about 45 minutes of lucidity till I'm napping again.

I'm fairly lucid right now because I don't have to take my whopper of a pain pill for a little while yet.

So, HI! You bet I am!

Gotta go pee before I nap again.

Stuff I needed to get off my chest

I’ve never considered myself to be a super smart, brilliant person. Lately, I’ve begun to consider myself Mensa material.

I work with some highly educated people and it never ceases to amaze me that they are completely unable to do even the simplest of tasks here around the office. I actually had someone ask me how I knew how to change the toner cartridge on one of our color printers. Ummmm. Huh? There are only directions all over the machine and an entire instruction pamphlet inside the box with the new toner. I just laughed it off like he was joking with me. I really don't get it.

*~*

I’m so happy with the Retro Cardi. Unfortunately, I totally convinced myself that it fit me, just because the sleeves were perfect. The body is a couple inches to small and would never be able to button. I’ve decided to make another for myself and make some alterations to the already completed one and give it to my Mom for her birthday. I’ve given Dad the task of measuring one of Mom’s long sleeve shirts so I know how much sleeve I need to rip back. She’s going to love it.

*~*

For some reason I keep thinking that I’m going to lose my job. It was right around this time last year that I was fired from the butt crack of hell. I’m sure it’s just flash-back emotions.

*~*

In answer to Kniterella's question:
Tomato is being knit with Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Crocus and the patterned band will be Cream. I got gauge with the suggested needle sizes.

The Hedera socks are knit with Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Cool. I'm using size 2 needles to cast on and knit the first couple of rounds and then switch to size 1. I'm also going to try a new toe with this sock.

*~*

I've been very cranky lately and I can't tell why. I kept blaming it on the weather, because nothing is worse than the 3Hs. But I don't think it's that. The weather has been really beautiful the past two days and I'm still cranky. I was reading that when Mercury comes out of retrograde it's makes people just as kerfluey as when it go into retrograde. So basically no matter where Mercury is, it's gonna mess with us. Can we demote Mercury and reinstate Pluto?

*~*

Tomorrow I'll be up bright and early to go to my nephew's swim meet. They are long long long events because there are many kids and many heats for each race and then semi finals and finals. I'll have my knitting with me!

*~*

Too hot WIPs

Too hot to post anything long. So pictures..

Hedera Socks for July Socktopia


Re-started Tomato.

How did you spend the holiday?

It was kind of a weird Independance Day this year. Since it fell on a Wednesday, we had just the one day off. It was nice having a day off in the middle of the week, but it wasn't like when it's closer to the weekend and you get 3 or 4 days to celebrate. You can breathe a little, let your hair down and have enough time to mentally prepare for work before the first day back. Not this time. I didn't take any extra time off so there was no point to doing anything much else but chilling out at home.

On top of that - the weather was crappy. Gray and overcast all day. I was doubting that the fireworks would go off and when we got the torrential downpours between 7:30 and 8:30 last night, I figured they would be postponed. Nope, they went off at about 9:20 and it was like one huge Grand Finale. I'm sure they rushed them, but it still was really fun to watch.

Since it was such a craptastic day, I didn't do anything. Well, that's not really true. I did THIS:
Now you know why I didn't post a WIP Wednesday. Mostly because I was "In Proces" all day with the finish line in sight. Oh - and yesterday was the first day I knit on the Cardi since the last photo shoot. Granted I do have to seam, block and find some fabulous buttons. But all the knitting is done.

I'll be sewing up the sleeves tonight and this weekend I'll block it and hit the fabric store for some buttons. Looks like I will be able to wear it to Rhinebeck after all.

Oddly enough I have a LOT of yarn left over; 1.5 hanks of Sonoma and about 2/3s of a hank of 4th of July. These may become hats for the Dulaan project. Or maybe a pair of mittens for me. Or both.

Oh - and go look at Trillian42's Molly Sleeves (scroll down for pic). So awesome! I may have to put this on the To-Do list.

One down (almost)

I finished the construction of the crochet part of the Larger than Life Bag I’m giving to my SIL. I also bought fabric to finish the bag off. I really need to decide if it needs a zipper or not. I only have 3 weeks to get it done.

I also got fabric to finish my LTLB. The fabric totally dictated what the squares would look like. I had knitted up a couple of test squares in the colors I was planning on using and the one square looked so great with the fabric that the whole bag is going to be the same color squares.

I really like this bag a lot. I’m hoping the finished product will be as awesome as I see it in my head.