Catching Up

Allow me to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you who have wished me well for my therapy on my foot. I so appreciate your warm wishes. An update to all this will follow my knitting update.

Thank you to all of you on the compliments on the round dishcloth. I was pleased with how it turned out, and so quick.

Did I say knitting update? Now what I have is serious knitting frustration.

Here's why, yes the Pomatomous socks are turning out pretty nice which surprised the heck out of me. But here's the pattern that has seriously kicked my arse to the curb. I have ripped this Horseshoe Pattern Dishcloth out four times. It is currently ripped out and in a time out for who knows how long. What's up? I have an accounting background via work experience not educational wise. Knitting patterns like this are mathematical logic, right? Am I ready to do a lace shawl when a dishcloth pattern has made me say Uncle? Probably not. I'm so not worthy, YET. No dishcloth pattern is going to defeat me. Right? Stay tuned, the distracted humbled> determined knitter will soon attack this project and make IT say Knitter. (keeping my fingers crossed)

While at Ava's blog the other day I saw a beautiful stitch design for what is My So Called Scarf where she provided a link to the pattern. It's beautiful and looks almost like woven material. It calls for Manos Del Uruguay and I found some at one of my two LYS's. The feel of it though is just a tiny bit itchy for me and so I looked around some and found some Mountain Colors yarn that felt so smooth and the colors are gorgeous. I didn't buy any, YET. I'm going to brave the Penn State football traffic as soon as I'm done here, and go the 8 miles to my other LYS and see what they might have and then make a decision. This will be my main scarf this winter and I want to make sure I have the perfect yarn. I know with this stitch pattern that the stitch will probably do all the work but the variegated yarns in both blogs are really calling to me. By the way, did you see how many projects Ava has on the go? Wow.

Two knitters came out to our Thursday night group this week after seeing the article in the paper. Lori showed up with this in the recycled silk version - beautiful and I want it, but because I take my knitting to hockey games I have this. However, because it's round, it's cumbersome. I need something like this if someone spills a hot chocolate or coke.

For a quick update;
Short story version is I'm back to PT on Tuesday morning.

Long story version: I went to the therapist and after our evaluation appointment she instructed me she wouldn't start therapy until after I was cleared by my family doctor as the therapist was concerned that I had signs indicative of possible blood clots in my legs. My doctor brought me in for an appointment a few hours later and set me up for an ultrasound study of veins and arteries at 7:30 that night. Diagnosis is I'm A-OK!! A big shout out to my ultrasound tech who during the hour and a half long test, laying flat on my bad back thank you, she was personable and friendly. She was second shift at the hospital, and had already done nine STAT tests before starting mine. Twenty minutes into my test (with my nips and bits darn near exposed) someone called the exam room asking her to stop my test and run one that a doctor wanted her to drop everything to do, she told them no and to contact her supervisor if that was not satisfactory. They called her back 15mins later and said the doctor said his could wait till the next shift came in. I appreciated her standing up to them for my sake. I was at PT at 7:00am, then work, then doctor, then work till 7:00pm, hospital at 7:30pm, and arrived home at about 9:30pm, had she done what the doctor originally demanded, once she was done with the other study she would have had to start all over on mine. I appreciate the hard working, sometimes underappreciated, people in the medical profession.

FO and Accident Prone Whining

Ta da here is my finished round dishcloth:
Pattern: Knitted Lacy Round Cloth by Rhonda K. White
Yarn: Lily Sugar and Cream two colors from stash unknown names
Needles: 7 US straight
Oddities: frogged once due to wrong size needles, one twisted stitch due to tinking, ran out of one color and added another for last four rows.

Yep, even made a mistake on a dishcloth. Very heavy sigh.

Taking a little break from the P socks for required domestic linens so I started another dishcloth with Lily Sugar and Cream - started and frogged one uh three times. Current state is 12 stitches cast on. Let's move along shall we.

At my last Thursday night knitting group the local newspaper sent out a photographer and reporter and here is the story that appeared in Saturday's newspaper. The photos aren't on the web.

Oh did anybody else see the Broncos beat the Patriots Sunday night? Damn but that was a late night in the Accident household. Penn State lost to Ohio and that wasn't a big surprise, but I think a big surprise was Coach Paterno jogging off the field as he wasn't feeling well. Kudos to you Coach, your stamina and grace under pressure impressed me.

I know whining is unattractive but I'm going to indulge for a moment no more knitting news so you may want to "Exit - Stage Left"

Back in March I fell down the stairs and broke some bones in my foot. In years past the ankle of this foot has been broken twice - and you thought Accident Prone was my knitting accidents right? LOL. My foot has been causing me problems ever since. I gave in to the pain (when I'm on my feet) and swelling (all the time) today and went back to see my orthopedist. X-rays reveal the breaks are healed but the soft tissue trauma hasn't been looked after. Off to physical therapy for me in the morning. Currently I can't walk two blocks without my ankle giving out on me and my foot hurting, a lot. It's always swollen, I need to get in shape and get back to a healthy lifestyle but I can't trust the foot to get me through. I got hit by a car when walking across the street just shy of two years ago now - I mentioned accident prone, eh? So of course with the limping from the foot pain it is aggravating the back injuries and now even my neck is stiff. I know there are others who are in worse pain or worry from illness or worse trauma than I, even some of my friends here in the blogosphere. OK enough feeling sorry for myself. I expect in a couple of weeks after therapy I'll have a whole new outlook and will be able to "make tracks" again.

Necessity Knitting

I so need some new dishcloths and luckily had some Sugar and Cream yarn so yesterday I cast on about 25 stitches and just started making it up as I went along on the recommended size 7 needles doing my version of a slip stitch pattern inside a garter stitch border. The downside is I can't even knit a dishcloth without having to rip it out. The first time I forgot that my straight knitting needles are metric sizes rather than US and so started on 7mm needles which are around 10 1/2 US. Into the frog pond that went. Then I remembered that I had a pattern on my wish list and this is what I have so far. There's a small error in this and I don't know if I have enough of this colorway but I do have some solid color beige that I can use to finish if I run out. I wouldn't normally be this haphazard about something but as it's for me and a matter of necessity I figure this is what using up leftovers is all about. I feel a trip to Michael's during the work week for some Peaches and Cream I hear they have and then make a quick stash of dishcloths.

I finished one of the Pomatomous Socks and cast on the second. In order to get these puppies to come close to matching I had to waste almost a whole color pattern repeat. I just weighed the yarn with my food scale, which is not a minutiae scale by any means but I think I'll be ok for the yardage.

I was at the bookstore the other day and picked up a book that I think will help a great deal. The internet has been a great resource for terminology and "how to" but there are times when I can't access the computer for help. This book has already come in handy. One of these days I'll be able to do the kitchener stitch from memory. If any one is looking for a book with lots of nicely illustrated instructions I highly recommend this.

In laws are here for a visit. They brought four tins of Timmy's coffee and two packages of peameal bacon. Good stuff and the coffee has to last us until our next trip up north which will probably be around Christmas. MFB and FIL have been working with power tools the whole time they've been here including building new outdoor steps down to the cellar door and built a new cellar door. The opening for the cellar has really odd dimensions so they sandwiched insulation between thick sheets of plywood and installed a deadbolt. What we had before was basically a piece of broken plywood that was being held shut with a nail. We're now insulated and secure. The only thing needed now is a coat of paint.

Progress on Pomatomus Socks

Summer is almost over and I am so not ready for Fall. I thought I was but after the week we've had here weather wise the Cabin Fever I generally suffer from in January or February has already become a concern for me. I'm from Colorado which is a state that has one of the highest number of days of sunshine a year and yet when I lived there the inevitable Cabin Fever would strike. By Cabin Fever I mean the feeling of "my leaves are turning brown and falling off due to lack of southern exposure". I need sunshine and fresh air but we have had a tremendous amount of rain over the last couple of months and so much fog in the morning that we had mushrooms growing in the yard. So on Sunday when I was able to drag myself out from under the fog that working extremely long hours (I'm sure you can relate to that) can bring to my brain, MFB and I hopped in the car In Search of Sunshine. We decided on New York State and about 20miles from home we were in sunshine, than the Pocono's, and about an hour later the George Washington Bridge. We headed north and found ourselves in West Chester County. We had fun exploring a beautiful part of the country I've never been.

Knitting group on Thursday was too much fun. I think next time I'm taking something I don't need to concentrate too much on a pattern. So much laughing, talking, sharing ideas yarn and the like, that I would knit a row, then tink back and had to do that a couple times. Even so here is my progress on my P socks. This is such a neat pattern to watch develop. I know that whenever I do a stitch pattern other than stockinette I'm saying how much I enjoy it, I guess it's because for so long all I was doing was stockinette or garter stitch. Here's something else I learned from this pattern, I enjoy working cuff down socks more than I thought. The first leg warmer sock I made, which is destined to be without it's mate, I hated picking up the stitches for the gusset. This sock is different, it seemed more methodical somehow. One of my knitting friends from the group is using the same yarn and colorway in a plain stockinette and the colors are subtly blending and warm, absolutely beautiful. Her yarn looks so different I didn't realize it was the same yarn.

MFB just left the house to go play mens hockey. The Penn State Icers Blue/White game is nine days away - the official start of the college hockey season for us as MFB broadcasts all their games so he'll be back on the road again. My MIL and FIL are arriving tomorrow for four days, bringing a supply of Tim Horton's and hopefully some peameal bacon as well as their wonderful company. Canadian Thanksgiving is about a month away and again I'm asking myself where has the year gone?

Pomatomus Socks

These socks have been popping up all over the web so I decided to join the crowd. I'm using Opal Petticoat color 1290. I thought the colors would be a bit more subtle than what they are but they are growing on me.

I'm enjoying the pattern but I've discovered that lace type patterns are a bit ironic for me. Back several months ago I discovered that when I re-taught myself knitting I re-taught myself wrong - by wrong I mean I would knit into the back loop and I can't remember what I did for the purl stitch but it was wrong too. The result was my stitches were twisted (bad enough I'm twisted - but that's a story for another day) and even the edges of my garter stitch scarves curled. Well if you've knitted lace you know where I'm going with this - lace calls for knitting through the back loop. Heah good news - I've got that part down. What I don't have down is a reasonable perception of the size of my legs for the sock cuff. Sunday I started the socks and after a couple inches discovered that the cuff would be too tight to get on, so frogged it and cast on with a pair of 2.75 mm dpns. The picture is my current progress after one pattern repeat. These are fun.

Thanks to everyone for the nice comments on Mr. Hedgie. He was fun and a good lesson to me to work on a project until done. He came with me on "Take your Hedgehog to Work Day" and has decided he's pretty comfortable there. He'll be joining me Thursday night for my usual and very enjoyable outing at the local library with our local knitting group. One of my coworkers asked me if he had a squeaker in him and I said "No that would be tacky" But as we talked more later I thought of the show NCIS and the character Abby (she's the Goth Forensic Scientist - a great character) who has a stuffed gorilla that has a whoopee cushion. I thought yeah a tooting Hedgehog, that's not tacky that's hysterical!

Five Years After

The most devastating attack against freedom that has occurred in my lifetime. I remember where I was the morning of September 11 2001. My husband told me over the phone about the first plane flying into the First Tower. While we were on the phone the second plane flew into the Second Tower. I said "this can't be an accident". Steve said "no, it's terrorism." We said goodbye as he was a News Reporter and Sports Director at Radio Pennsylvania which meant he was going to be busy. I went and told a couple of co workers what happened and went back to my desk to try and get some work done.

Shortly afterwards, Steve called and said he was heading off to Shanksville, PA where United Flight 93 went down.

Steve was gone a couple of days and was dealing with reporting on the tragedy that terrorism brought to freedom loving people everywhere. I was dealing with the same thing that most of us dealt with. Shock, anger, frustration, immense grief and helplessness. As a retired cop I also felt the pull of the brotherhood of fellow police officers, firemen and other first responders who lost their lives doing what they were trained to do - keep the public safe.

It is five years later and our lives have gone on as they were meant to. We've grown, we've learned, we've healed and we will continue to do so.

Finished Object Update

Mr. Hedgie is finally finished! I had planned on embroidering his eyes and nose but it looked horrible so I bought some buttons. Don't worry he's mine he's not going into the hands of a baby so there's no danger of a little one swallowing them. Darn, but this little guy was difficult to capture with a decent photo but I finally managed it.

Pattern: Huggable Hedgehog by Fiber Trends
Yarn: Body with Lamb's Pride Worsted 85% Wool/15% Mohair 1 skein Sandy Heather
Tips of Paws with 10 yards of unknown - Molly at Knitters Underground gave it to
me Thanks Molly)
Fur with Park by FFF 2 1/2 balls color code 37
Stuffing: Standard issue poly fiberfill
August 5 - September 7.

I cast on for another pair of socks because I finished these:

Pattern: Wendy's Generic Toe Up Feather and Fan Socks by Wendy D. Johnson (aka Wendy Knits)
Yarn: Knit Picks Dancing color code either 64030 or 23593 41% Cotton 39% Wool 13% Nylon and 7% Elastic.
Needles: Chiao Goo Bamboo dpns size 1 6 inch (broke one and had to get them replaced)
August 12 - September 9

The only football I kept up with over the weekend were two games the first of course was the Penn State Nittany Lions at Notre Dame. Let's move on shall we. The second game was the Denver Broncos at the St Louis Rams. Again - moving on. OK OK yes my team lost. Yes the Denver Bronco offense embarrassed themselves. If you didn't see the Bronco game and just look at the score you'll think the Broncos were a lot better than they were. Don't let it fool you - the Rams offense wasn't very good either but at least they didn't turn the ball over on fumbles and interceptions the way the Broncos did. In a nutshell it was an ugly football game on both sides of the ball.

Tomorrow is of course September 11th and the 5th year anniversary. A time for reflection probably for most of us, myself included. I'm always sad on September 11th but the day also reminds me to live each day to the fullest. Take care everyone.

What ?? WHAT??? I can't hear you!

A terrific Delbert McClinton concert last night but LOUD. Delbert had a two piece horn section on top of the usual keyboard, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and drummer. The whole drive home MFB and I were having to repeat anything we said because as we've aged lived our lives our eardrums appear to be living in fast forward (apologies to Kenny Chesney).

I wonder if Delbert has a new CD getting ready for release as there were some songs we hadn't heard before along with some of my favorites. He has such a repertoire that he can't cover everything. Here's a link to Amazon that has quite a few of my personal favorites that you can give a quick listen to if you haven't heard his stuff. He's Honky Tonk Blues and Rockabilly with fantastic ballads. My favorite song is I'm With You.

The opener was Ruut. That's her name - originally from Finland but has lived in the states for several years. I enjoyed her keyboards but her lyrics were a little angst ridden for my taste. (I'm not a fan of Alanis Morissette either) But I've certainly heard worse opening acts. She told us her web site address, but when I go there it's a suspended page. Very beautiful young woman - but MFB didn't care much for her music either - just not our style of music.

MFB and I are at home today. He's working from home and I took the day off - he just walked by me and said "My ears are still ringing!" LOL

If any of you want a concert experience with a terrific band and a singer/songwriter who knows how to pace a concert and mix his music selections from ballad to driving rock and who can hold an audience in his hand, run don't walk to a Delbert McClinton concert.

(Disclaimer: I am by no means a music critic)

First Fetching

I have a feeling I'll be making more of these. I really enjoyed doing the cables. I wore them on the drive in today but they're a little slippery on the steering wheel. I wore them a little at work when the air conditioner wouldn't stop blowing straight down on me. They are so nice and comfy.


Pattern: Fetching by Cheryl Niamath
Yarn: Zephyr by Jagger Spun 50% Chineese Tussah Silk 50% Merino Wool
Needles: 3.75mm dpn
Technique: cables sans cable needle I did a regular cast off rather than a picot edge (bad knitter)
August 26 - Sept 1

I've also made progress on my Feather and Fan socks. I'm past the heel on the second sock and about eight rows up on the lace pattern so I'm farther along than what the picture shows.

Serious wife points have been scored. I got hooked up for a couple of tickets to Delbert McClinton. One of our very favorites. So after work tomorrow MFB and I head to Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg. We've seen him here twice before and even though it's going to be a fast road trip and a late night, we know the music will make the trip worth while. Let's see, concert starts at 8:00 should be over around 11:00 then about a two hour drive home.

Happy Birthday Peri

Today is my friend Peri's birthday. Happy Birthday dear friend and confidant. MFB and I hope your day is terrific. Sorry about the crummy weather we're having (it's not his fault). LOL

Adventures in Felting

I did it, I finally weaved in all the ends on my Huggable Hedgehog from Fiber Trends and made my way to the washer for felting duty. I've never felted before but knowing that I have a good washing machine there should be no problems. I selected Regular, Hot water, (picture shows current load not Mr. Hedgie) Low water level and tossed Mr. Hedgie into a zippered pillow case and ensured hot water was going into the tub. Five minutes after agitation commenced I took out the pillow case and that water was COOL. OK I didn't have my new glasses on when I set this, but I FELT hot water filling the tub. So I drained the cool water out and MFB came to make sure I was pushing the right buttons and he is a witness to the hot water flowing into the tub. Five minutes later, Cool water again. This happened a couple of times.

So we turn the cold water supply to the machine off. Logical, no? A couple minutes later in the middle of the hot water wash it starts a new beeping sound and the cold water light starts flashing. We now have two reasonably sane people trying to have a rational conversation with a washing machine about the logic be it human or computer of Hot water not standing for Cold. I go to the manufacturer's website and find the phone number for Customer Service. I know it's a holiday here in the States but this is a New Zealand company and they answered on the second ring. The very nice New Zealand sounding man on the phone said "Oh, you want a traditional hot water wash then." Apparently the logic of our washer is that it starts with hot water but then cools off. We had to program the Favorite button on the washer so that it's only hot water. Imagine that.

So here's Mr. Hedgie felted, temporarily stuffed and drying. The only problem I have is that the back where I carried the fun fur along with the wool hardly felted at all. Maybe that's normal? If any of you have hung in this post long enough to get to this point and have any insight I'd sure appreciate your feedback. I want to embroider his nose and eyes if I can get a needle through the felt. Molly at my LYS said to "Felt the Crap" out of this and not knowing the exact definition of it in this vernacular I think I surpassed the crap level on the body in an effort to get the back of him to felt. When rinsing Mr. Hedgie I discovered that one of the paws almost felted shut. Busting through the fibers to get it open again was a bit of work. If I find it too difficult to embroider then I'll have to purchase the eyes and nose. This picture doesn't accurately show his cuteness quotient.

I can see clearly now

(to paraphrase) the blur is gone!

Over the last year I've had some minor headaches, had to put my reading glasses on for menus in restaurants and two months ago noticed that even with my glasses on I've had to move papers farther away to read. You've probably seen me - I'm the one who would hold something out at arms length so I could read it.

Almost three weeks ago I finally made the time to go to the eye doctor and get my eyes examined. (I wish I could have had my head examined at the same time but that would be a story for another day) It's probably been a good three years since my last eye exam so I was like a bill that wasn't paid on time - PAST DUE.

I picked up my new reading glasses on Thursday. It took so long because I wanted rimless glasses and the lenses for those have to have holes drilled in. Why rimless? You will so laugh when I tell you why. When I'm knitting at home I'm usually watching TV. I only need glasses for close up work so I slide my glasses down my nose to watch TV (nice picture isn't it). With my old glasses I could see the rim, it was distracting and I would have to push the glasses further down. I'm adapting to the new prescription but I have to take them off when I walk around or else I get vertigo. I need the fit tweaked a little bit as I have a hot spot on the right side. Finding the time this coming week for a refit will prove difficult. Here's the good news, I can see!

Will the new and improved glasses help my knitting? That's yet to be determined.