You Can Take the Girl Out of the Country

I've been on a knitcation this week. It has been excellent!!
I've been knitting my way through several TV and movie series - Firefly, Star Wars, Star Trek, Supernatural - and aside from some Back To School laundry & shopping it has been all knitting, all the time!
Today I took 3 hours out of my day to do down 4.5 dozen corn.



Shucked


Blanched


Shocked


Kernels cut off


Cobs after mandolin


Cobs after being scraped clean with a knife


Sweet milky meat below the kernels


Gloved up after the obligatory mandolin injury. Not serious - just sliced lightly through the nail and into the bed. Not very deep or long. And certainly not the worst that I've done to myself.


Vacuum sealing. I can't even describe how much I love this machine!! Even with having to clean out the drip tray after every bag (mmmmm, corn milk!!) it's a tool I can't believe that I waited so long to purchase.


13 bags (most just over 1.5lbs), a meal of corn on the (actual) cob and 16 cobs that I am freezing to try this.
Probably not especially economical, but it's local corn and in the winter when we eat it the taste of late summer will be priceless.

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There and Back Again, a Knitters Tale

If to err is human, I am feeling especially human!!

I was knitting away on Irish Coffee,


feeling pretty good but just a bit hesitant. I don't know why - I had read through the pattern (and it wasn't my first babycocktails pattern so I was comfortable with their format), I'd knit & blocked a swatch, I was set.
I finally figured it out. For whatever reason I had swatched and was knitting at a 5sts/inch gauge not the 4sts/inch called for!! GAH!!! Absolute idjit mistake and I don't know how I messed that up from my brain to the needles but there was nothing for it.



As luck would have it I had Monday & Tuesday off and Lee is still out in BC on work, so it was Mission Knit Fabric.



Mission Accomplished!!

Poor Toby has been missing Lee a lot and he misses the puppies too. Today he dug one of the holes that Petey & Chica had started a bit deeper and had a lay down.



He looked so forlorn, but nothing drags him out of the doldrums like his favourite game!!


After 45 mins it started raining so he conceded to the weather and gave me a break. I swear, Toby would rather collapse from exhaustion that give up playing ball.



As you can see the Chuckit is well loved. If I'm lucky I can eke about 4 months out of the ball. Chuckit needs to either make them sturdier or send us a few freebies!!

I have been kept super busy at work with Back to School in full swing and cleaning up in the back room. I finally had the chance to sort out the ribbon mod, fill it and adjust the counts. A small piece of perfection if I do say so myself!!



Back to the needles - I close tomorrow night so I can knit late tonight. I'm really hoping that the storm clears away so that I can see some of the Perseid meteor shower.


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Bloggable

July was a challenging month.
The weather has not been kind to my head, but I have meds and a drug plan so I shan't complain over much.
Amanda has been struggling. She's had much to deal with the last few years and has kept so much bottled up for so long. And of course being a teenager is not making it easier. But she comes from intelligent and sturdy stock and we are getting through a day at a time.

On the good news front, I have finished one of the mystery projects and am onto Irish Coffee by babycocktails out of Steamer Trunk by Mrs Crosby for Julie.


Top down, that's the v opening on the neck.

I have been remoted (promoted to the job that I previously had; yes, I unvented the word) to Dept Mgr!! I have Crafts & Stationery - I know, perfect for me!! It's not great yarn but it is yarn nonetheless and all the other crafty things!

The puppies are doing very well and Toby is a good big brother to them.









They are such fun - a lot of work, but I get so much pleasure from their antics and company. They have been a good bit of comfort and distraction for Amanda as well and she has been so good helping with their training.
They have such distinct little personalities as well. Chica is a little whirlwind, initiating most of the play and is always the one leading them into trouble. Petey is a chill guy, much more laid back and easy going but so eager to please.
Chica absolutely worships Toby! She pesters him relentlessly and collapses into submission trying to win his approval. Toby is alternately irritated by her then protective when he thinks that Petey is hurting her when they play.

We had a bit of a hail storm the other day!


Some of the pieces were the size of a small marble!!

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It's That Time of Year!!

Relay for Life is just around the corner and I need to ask for your support.

This is the 10th year that the DKC has had a team and we are planning all sorts of fun yarn related activities for children of all ages! We will of course still be knitting and spinning the night away - creating yarn and scarves filled with love & hope for Survivors.

All donations help to support research and the services provided by the Cdn Cancer Society. I don't know what I would have done without the support of their driving program!!

Donate or join our team here. Thank you!!!

New Family Members

Yesterday was kind of a lazy day, felt a bit off. Nothing specific, just meh. Met up with Helen and got her started/re-started on a few projects, did some grocery shopping and then made coffee cake - needs some tweaking the next time 'round - and tacos.

Lee & I just about got caught up on Game of Thrones. It's challenging to watch it after having read most of the books; we're always like, "Was that in the book?" or "That's def not what was in the book!". The series interpretation is good, it's just confusing when you're trying to keep up with what the written story was.

Today I moved a couple of bookshelves into the living room - book moving will happen over the next couple of days - and then Amanda and I went shopping for Petey & Chica.

Their mama is a Jug (Jack Russell/Pug) and daddy is a Chihuahua. They are only 5 weeks old but have been weaned. Amanda has everything pink picked out for Chica - no surprise there!!  Chica is the tiny one and has a bit more of the delicate Chihuahua about her. They are utterly adorable and already loved!!

Comfort Knitting

A much easier day today. I fended off an early migraine with a Rx and a wee nap.
The day was beautiful and I sat out and knit for a bit in the sun.



I couldn't stand the intensity of it for long but it was lovely while I lasted.

The ease and peace of stockinette continues with Shelter.


It is a pleasure to knit with; easy on the hands, sliding lightly through my fingers and around the needles and the fabric promises lasting warmth.

I had enjoyed this cherry wine


so very much that I purchased it's peach cousin.


I couldn't believe how much I disliked it, even the scent of it!!! Though Lee declared that this was indeed peach wine, I couldn't detect any of the luscious sweetness that I associate with ripe peaches.


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Next!

So I finished knitting the Loft sweater. I didn't have to do the finishing for it so and it's been posted. Wow - not finishing is oddly & abruptly final.
No time to dwell on that - right into the Shelter sweater.



3 days post-ablation and the cramps have struck! I'm not sure if it's just the natural course of the NovaSure procedure or the timing of my cycle, but I was well grateful for the Rx and the time off to just roll over and sleep.
It may be 2-3 months to feel the lasting relief, but at least there is relief in sight. Why can't anything be immediate?!?


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Spun

Today's knitting looks remarkably like yesterday's knitting. It's not though, promise! It's the second sleeve.



I have been going gangbusters on this stockinette stitch. It is so very enjoyable for me. As much as I enjoy the challenge of cables I could crank out stockinette or garter for the rest of my life and be very content. That being said, it would have to be quality, worthy yarn.

I did neglect to share with you some wonderful news. I took a spinning class with Barb Aikman at the Frolic and I am very impressed withy results!! Barb managed to set me up right and the fibre that we used was a superwash and the combination just clicked.





I'm going to fill this bobbin, then another one and then ply them and see what I've got.

I'm spinning lengths of plain cream, then lengths of cream spun with purple/blue/merlot. It'll be interesting to see how it plies up - I'm not doing any planning or measuring. I know, quite a departure from my usual controlling tendencies. Spinning is very liberating for me in that respect!

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Glimpses

So I'm knitting on work projects - more with the talented designs of Veronik Avery and the luscious yarns of Brooklyn Tweed.



totally tubular dude!


Stockinette is nearly as zen as garter.

My wretched cold is down to an occasional dry cough just in time for the procedure yesterday.

The ablation went well. I was out for a wee walk this morning. I am feeling quite well but have been warned off doing too much too soon or that feeling will go away fast! So I have some time off of work because if I were there I would be running around, lifting & schlepping and going 5 steps back.

So it's on with the knitting.


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Is it just me, take two

I'm laying in bed, coughing up a lung and it's occurred to me that I get sick a lot more lately.

Maybe I'm just getting old.

I think that I always was "normally" prone to colds and such; got them, got over them.

But the year after chemo I was as healthy as I has ever been. I felt fantastic and except for an occasional migraine I was as fit as a fiddle.
Then I'd get a cold. And another one and it lingered and drained me. Even if I didn't get a full-blown cold if be fighting off symptoms for over a week.
Then the issues with my uterus kicked off and that been a year and a half uphill, pain-plagued, Rx-swallowing battle. For which the procedure is on the 20th - I am very excited for the relief it will bring!!
I've been fighting off this cold for 9 days and it's been working it's way from my head to my chest, glands swollen all around my neck. It's viral, I just saw my Dr on Tuesday.
I don't know if I'm just aging badly, or looking for an excuse for my frailty, but I wonder if the chemo has affected my immune system. I hesitate to Google it - I'm sure that opinions & research can answer it any which way.
But I am knitting through this as well. I'll get you caught up in the coming days. Time for a nap.


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Date test

My last post uploaded oddly so I'm trying to see what the issue may be.


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New Project

So Julie sent me yarn to knit Vodka Lemonade.


I thought that it was Malabrigo, but I stand corrected.
Julie told me today that it is Super Secret Yarn. This is the DK weight and it is a wool/silk blend.

It is knitting up very nicely so far!





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Progress

Everything is progressing.

Amanda is back home!! I don't know how, but I forgot the drama that my teenage girl carries but it's all worth it to know that she is safe and cared for. She'll adjust to my house rules and I'll get used to her ways of doing things. I'm just glad that she's back <3 about="" all="" am="" br="" but="" creative="" do="" get="" had="" have="" her="" i="" if="" in="" not="" nothing="" of="" room="" that="" the="" to="" what="" with="" yarn="">

I have started physio and it's making a difference already! I am still knitting - secret projects and challenging deadlines - and I can knit for longer and I'm sleeping way better! I said to Lee the other day that it was nice to sleep through a night w/o the pain caused by pulling a duvet over my shoulders waking me up. Of course, I still have all sorts else that plague my sleep, but one less is an achievement. Lee is off Home for a couple of weeks so I will be knitting up a storm!!

I have also scheduled an endometrial ablation for May 20th. The doctor has allowed that I am at an "ideal age" for the procedure to bring about the desired results. A cessation of my monthly cycle and the resulting crippling pain. It's been about a year and a half that I've been on T3's and Percs for about two weeks out of the month - not a good long  term solution. After everything else, this will be a relatively simple procedure.

And then it will be softball season!!! I can't wait!!!

Just a wordy post covering the basics. I will (once again ... I know ...) try to be more diligent with posts and pics (even if they have to be useless).

100 Happy Days

So I have been participating in 100 Happy Days challenge.

I have missed a few days, not necessarily because I couldn't find joy in anything that day but the day just got away on me.

Yesterday I met up with Myrelle and picked up these:

Myrelle had commented on my last blog post that she had stones that she no longer used and would I be interested. Would I?!? I am so thrilled - this kind of happiness will stay with me and make me smile every time that I use them.  And while some of them are doubles that perfect because I have brought some to Lees. For all that the man cooks a lot, it's pretty much all stove-top, he doesn't bake so has no tools for it. Now he does; or rather I do.



Today when I arrived at Lees I saw this:


Lego Central!! I'm not sure who enjoys the Lego more - Lee or Jake! Jake loves playing with it though, not just building it; he'll spend hours playing with it.

So, this is days 7 & 8. What makes you happy?

Seasoning

I love Pampered Chef - especially their stoneware. I even sold the stuff for awhile.
One of the very first stones that I bought was the bar pan. I loved that stone - I used it for everything and made sure that it was cleaned properly (never with soap).

Somehow a stovetop element was left on while Lee & I were make Christmas dinner and I put the stone on top of it. All we heard was a very loud "CRACK" and that was all she wrote. Fortunately I have a very chill attitude and it just snapped in half and didn't make a giant shard-disaster that needed to be cleaned up.

Check out how deep the seasoning went on my stone!! And that colour - perfection!!!

So now I'm going to have to buy another one and start from scratch. Another beginning. Anyone I know sell PC?

PS - dinner was a massive success!!

Bilateral Epicondylitis

No, it isn't any more fun than it sounds. Bilateral epicondylitis

I am just too good at being a cashier. Pushing through over 1000 (and upwards of 1200) items per hour on a full time bias will take it's toll.
It's been creeping up for about the last year but I put on the arm bands and started taking Aleve. When those stopped being effective my Dr. prescribed Vimovo and I finally had to be written off of the belts and relegated to the Express lanes. Unfortunately I still put through the same # of items and it was such a busy time of year that it was of no consequential relief. About a month ago my doctor put me on lighter duties and it became a whole WSIB Thing.
I miss being a cashier. Not that I don't have the skills to be on the sales floor or that it isn't a nice change but I really love the Front End.
Unfortunately 3 weeks of zoning (picking up and putting away) didn't help. It was less than being on cash but still too much. I have now been put on the lightest and most menial of duties - scanning outs, changing labels and only the merest of zoning. Still important but I have a very hard time not doing the most that I can the fastest that I can. I am getting better at it though.
I've been doing the exercises and will have to start actual physio for the ultrasound and other adjuvant therapies. I ice it constantly - I even take an ice pack to work.
I go back to the Dr. in a week and since I am still not feeling any appreciable improvements I will be referred to a sports specialist and will most likely have to do the Cortisone shots.

My knitting output has decreased over the last year, but fortunately the way that I support my knitting and the way that I just flick the yarn keeps my knitting from being a stressing factor but the pain in general is what puts me off. I took a week off of knitting and my elbows (though it's mainly my right one) weren't helped; I even had worse days if I did too much (like using a can opener) :-\

I know - I'm a physical disaster!!! And of course I fall into the 10-20% that have bilateral symptoms.

But I'm a Survivor and I can totally deal with this. I need to - baseball season is coming!!!


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