Thursday, December 12, 2013

the corner

Here it is, December 11th. 2013 and I'm still waiting for energy!  I haven't knit even one sock since I finished last years Christmas presents.  I had such high hopes for loads of socks for this year.

I can say that I am feeling better, but that is because I got rid of a major stress situation.  I never realized stress could cause extreme pain, but it can.  Get rid of pain and the exhaustion goes away.  I was sleeping 3 out of 4 hours daily, no kidding.  Now I'm not sleeping my life away.  I do have more energy and my concentration has really improved to the point I am reading more complemented novels.  Still not quite up to knitting just yet, but close I think.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Post Surgery

Surgery was on the 25th of March and all went very well.  Now I'm just trying to get my energy back and then will address the other issues that came up when I got the CAT scan ~ re kidney issues. 

I haven't gotten much of any knitting done since I got out of the hospital.  My tension just is the pits.  Just like when I had my tendon surgery a year ago.  Knitting along and then look at what I've done and woops, loads of big loops just hanging on the needles!  Time will correct that.  I don't have the energy level to sit at either machine for any period of time, so that is out for now.

I was grounded from driving for 2 weeks, after surgery.  That was really hard on me ~ not being able to go when I wanted.  Well, my first trip was to UPMC NW in Seneca (south of Oil City) for a blood test.  That is about a 40 minute drive and after the first 20 minutes I was starting to hurt.  Now I know I'm not in any hurry to go anyplace more than 5 or 10 minutes away!  Yesterday I ran errands and was totally exhausted and sore by the time I got home.  I really do want to go places and do things, I just don't want to wear myself out and then hurt!

Oh well, not bitching, just complaining!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Christmas gifts

I went to Mary & Eugene's sons house for Christmas Day dinner.  I took yarn with me and asked each person there which yarn they wanted a pair of socks made out of.   I had purchased 25 skeins of yarn at a big discount, so I had 5 100 gram balls of 5 different colorways.  They all chose their yarn.

It took awhile for me to make the socks, but they are all done.  I made Mary's socks on the 72 cylinder and then switched to the 60 cylinder for the balance of the socks.  They all turned out great.  Six pairs of socks + one pair of tube socks (on the 72) for Mary.  I've learned that you really shouldn't save up socks, made on the CSM, for kitchner!  CSM socks have 3 times the number of stitches to kitchner as a hand knit sock!  It took me forever!

I've hardly been out of the house, other than doctor's appointments, since the first of the year.  What with the weather and my being so tired, I've been staying home.  The CSM knitting has had a temporary set back.  I just don't have the energy to sit down and knit a sock on the CSM, since finishing the Christmas gift socks.

 I have knit 3 squares from the booklet The Great American Aran Afghan.  I have decided on the 4th square, but don't quite feel like starting it yet.  My goal, at first, was one square a month; I think that will continue to be my goal.

 I started a shawl called Circles Within Circles from the Cast On magazine.  I found errors within the chart for the CWC so I redid the graph in Stitch & Motif Maker.  Once I get all the way through the 28 row repeat it should go faster, but it is a long rectangular shawl.  I'm using my Elsebeth Lavold yarn, Silky Wool, for the shawl.  I'm getting gauge, so mine will be the same width of about 2 feet, but I don't have enough yarn to make mine 91" long, which is fine!  I don't want one that long!  Mine should end up at about 5 feet long (60") because of the amount of yarn I have available.  That is the approximate length I had planned on anyway.  The one in the magazine is made using a natural color linen, which would not be all that warm.  I want mine warm and am using a rust tone color.  The pattern is showing up beautifully.  If a person wanted to make it using crochet cotton it would make a beautiful curtain.  I keep eyeing my short, but wide, bathroom window!  I must be out of my mind!  Anyway you look at it, although this is not a quick knit, it is good for sitting back, relaxing and knitting to keep the hands busy.