Two Wooden Sticks and a Ball of Wool

A Blanket for Alisa

This is the blanket that was sent to Alisa in February.  This is blanket #6 from the Warming Grace Project.  I am so proud. 

My awesome blogless friend Carole did the finishing (I love you chick!) and the blanket and a couple of goodies were sent to Alisa who is dealing with cancer.  I did receive a note from the person who helped me to get the blanket to Alisa and they are so very thankful.  As always I owe a huge amount of gratitude and thanks to all the knitters who donated a square for this blanket.  You guys rock!

Some close up photos of parts of the blanket.

So 2008 really sucked.....

Wow.  It's hard to believe that I am actually writing a post.  2008 ended up being such a hard year for me healthwise.  I anticipated not having a great summer (the humidity really bothers my fibro) although this summer was spectacularly bad - we had so much rain.  Which continued into the fall and the heightened level of moisture just kept all things fibro (and otherwise) at an exacerbated level. 

Add to that a wicked burn (I have a really nice scar on my forearm as a nice memento) I gave myself taking a broccoli frittata out of the oven which turned into a bacterial infection and then the rather large kidney stone that has decided to take up residence and it was the making of inflammation, pain, fatigue, nausea, tinnitis and general lousyness (oh and the added bonus of some perimenopausal symptoms) that I haven't experienced in oh so long. 

I think that my vulnerability and level of anxiety always increases during these bouts (and they always seem so much worse when I have had a taste of more normalcy) and my isolation becomes so much more severe (my level of cognitive fatigue just doesn't allow me to expend a lot of energy - hard to describe but it is soooo debilitating - kind of similar to that feeling you had in University when you pulled an all nighter or two).  I am in turn very hard on myself (see I just can't get that "I can accept where I am" crap) and the vicious cycle becomes quite a spiral.  I feel very much like the outsider looking in on a life I want to be living and my thoughts become very dark and the cup nearly empty rather than half full.  I want to be involved, I want to do more, I want to be able to get out and go places. I struggle with feeling that I am not giving enough in my relationships or my life (I have 900 emails in my inbox, phone calls to return, things to take care of, projects to finish, dreams to actualize) and I have so much guilt about what Nick and Ed have to put up with.  Chronic illness is a bitch.

Tomorrow (Monday, January 12) I have a lithotripsy scheduled at the Kidney Stone Clinic at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.  With any luck (and please feel free to send positive energy my way to bust up and expel the fragments) I can get this taken care of without further procedures and get back to aiming for some abatement of the 'other' current symptomology I am experiencing.  Of course, as the specialist noted my stone is in the lower pole of the kidney so not the best possible scenario.  My good fortune.  It's funny, in some totally perverse way, that my fibro pain is so bad these days that the kidney stone pain is not really that bad (and anyone who has had kidney stones knows that it rates up there with the worst), or at least it doesn't seem so to me.

On the knitting front, I totally blew up on the ABC along - I think I got to E.  I didn't join this year. Prudent move on my part I think..lol.  Of course I did sign up for a few clubs but no 'a-longs.'  Why court more disappointment?

In terms of knitting, 2008 wasn't a total bust - I finished some long standing WIP's, 3 sweaters for my two guys, 3 baby sweaters, 3 shawls, 1 scarf and 1 moebius cowl, 2 Lizard Ridge blankets and 6 pairs of socks (all posted on Ravelry but I am throwing in a few gratuitous pics here).  The knitting (even though I have pretty constant pain in my joints and muscles from my shoulders to my fingertips) is meditative and soothing and, most importantly to A types like me, something I actually accomplish.  I am so not "process" oriented.

I also read a lot last year and really got into papercrafts (card making, scrapbooking) although again my dreams of what I can accomplish are always so much bigger that what actually gets done.

Thanks for letting me vent.  I know I still have it so good in spite of all the bad.  If I owe you a phone call, an email or a good laugh I do promise I will get around to it.  I have to say I love the changes to Typepad.  Can you believe how big Nick is getting?  He is such a sweetie.

Note to self: Update the sidebars!!

Covering Up

I want to start this post by saying THANK YOU to all the heart felt messages I received after my last post; it means so much to be cared about and appreciated - I really appreciate you too...so much (and at the risk of getting over emotional - my state these days and oversentimental - I have had to rewrite this a couple of times, I will stop now).  I am going to try and moderate myself....which should be quite a challenge.

So,this isn't a B post; I actually got a couple of things finished and had to show them off!  Woohoo!

I was planning to give this to my Dad for Christmas but then and I got sick and it didn't get done.  He got it last weekend.  This is Version 2 of the Lizard Ridge  (the photo above is a little dark, the two photos below are more representative of the colours of the Noro #178).  I am also making Version 1, and while this baby is hefty to knit, especially as you get to the last few repeats, I must say it is an easier knit on so many levels.  The short-row rows are killer (I can say with complete certainty I have the technique down!) but at least there are some nice long knitting stretches in between.   Let's just say Version 1 - not coming along too quickly!

After blocking it I decided not to put the crochet border on - I felt it looked really good just the way it was and I didn't think my Dad would care too much.  He has actually been pretty touching about the whole thing - he was soooo pleased when I gave it to him, and he has slept with it every night since I gave it to him (he put it on top of his side of the bed - he ain't sharing with my mother!) - it gives me a great sense of pleasure to have given him something that he is clearly so enjoyed by.

I have also finished my Azure socks! (Photo above -side shot below and frontal on top- is not completely reflective of the colour - the one below is closer - got to love that winter sun!).  This is a great pattern and a nice knit.

Okay I lie.  I have to say that having spoiled myself on Short Row Yarn Over heels (best tutorial ever; if you haven't tried these do so), doing a traditional heel flap, even toe up, was a bit of agony for me - I felt like it would never end (I do have the short row heel into a bit of a science - or perhaps I am just a little rigid...).

 

I wanted to remain true to Deb's pattern - she has really done a great (clearly written) job on the instructions.  In the end I am really glad that I did.  They are truly lovely socks....just sayin'.