Starting Again

I took a few pics of the Wollmeise yarn outside,






but still not quite capturing the depths, richness, and subtleties of the colours that make it inimitably Wollmeise.

I have finished Clue 1. Again.


I am already so much more pleased with this version!!

The following contains graphic images and is not for the faint of heart.

So I was zoning (straightening) yarn at work today and I jammed my thumbnail into a shelf. Any of my other 9 finger nails and the acrylic would've snapped under the stress and that would've been that.
But this was my single un-reinforced nail. The thumbnail that is only on by 1/2 the nail bed because of the staph infection a few years back.
So this happened.


Fortunately I was on about 130mg of codeine (for my tummy pains) and while it hurt, and I felt a bit nauseous, it was not the agony it might have been.
Then to the clinic, (handy having one at work), where this


and this


followed. Again, not nearly the torture that having fingernails pulled off is portrayed in the movies thanks to the Rx.

The naked nail bed is quite delicate and it's going to be a challenge adapting to having no thumbnail, again, but not bad, all in all.

Inventory prep is a crazed challenge at work, but I've never backed down from a challenge yet. And all will be ready for Tuesday because it must be. Simple as that.


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Decision Made

Another project done and on its way.


Well, mostly done. Véronik always finishes her own work. It's kind of nice, but I feel very odd sending off an incomplete item. But it does make for a lovely surprise when the pattern is published ;)
Lee was great this weekend. He had dinner ready on Saturday after the Frolic. He did up the dishes and cooked all the meals on Sunday so that I could really be productive. He was even not as sarcastic as usual during Bar Rescue. Though he declared "enough" eventually - lol!!

I didn't finish clue 3 of Romi's Mysterious Shawl, and I didn't start clue 4. I just couldn't deny my doubts about the main colour. Lovely in its own right, but it was just too "baby blue" and I wasn't feeling it.
I have wound Wollmeise Spina Di Pesce to be the Main Colour, still keeping Blue Bell as the Contrast Colour.


I'm going to have to try an outside pic. I can't ever seem to get the greens & purples accurate.Now that I've finally ripped out and wound, I'm giddy to get started.

Having a not bad few days pain wise and that's kind of how I roll these days, day-to-day and happy for the good ones; still waiting for a surgery date.
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Frolic'ing

As always, had a great time at the Frolic!! Working at The Needle Emporium is a sweet torture; so many gorgeous yarns and enticing colours ... but I wouldn't want to miss it!!

On the way down I amused myself by changing the colours on the ambient lighting in Helens truck.





Then I dozed off. Not really sleeping, but not entirely conscious.
My original bestie Joan was there





to greet us (and treat us to coffee).

Helen & I were on back door duty, making sure that only badged vendors were permitted entry, keeping all the yarny goodness safe. Thank to most vendors, it was good times!






Scored a few skeins of Lambs to the Frolic early on from Indigodragonfly. I was only going to get two, but I couldn't cut one.





A true sock blend, a Bluefaced Leicester that squeals shawl, and the merino/cashmere/silk blend, well, the way the silk takes the dye just a little different than the other fibres just gives it such character!
They sold out at the show, but if you're quick you can buy online

ZigZag Stitches had found Day of the Dead fabric (per Helens request from Knitters Fair last fall) so I totally had to have one of those!!





And the Paris large project bag just would it release my gaze. Unavoidable.

At lunch one of the volunteers came in and showed the door prize that she had won. The stranded cotton intrigued me, so I popped over to Unraveled to have a look. I ended up buying 2 containers to do an Auburn Wave.





Spring colours and cotton yarn should make for a lovely summer shawl!

Swung by Soak to see Jacqueline and restock on Soak.





She is an inspiration - craftily & business-wise.

Remembered to take pics this year with a few people who wandered by!














Afterwards, Helen & I made a detour through East Toronto before heading North and saw this gem.





We each found a book that will be enjoyed and returned.





It was a fun little stop that made is happy.

Home to Lee's, who is preparing a mouth-watering curry as I type. I know, he's a keeper!!

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Checking In

Not made a whole lot of progress on any one thing. I've felt especially exhausted all week long. Capped off by waking up in the early morning hours with a migraine on Saturday AND Sunday night. that's me off of red wine for a bit!!
But after frogging on CEY Moss Cardigan, again, fortunately not as much ripping as I've had to do before


I realized that I have some sort of mental block about what size I'm working on. I pulled the pattern out of the plastic sheet protector and circled the applicable numbers for the size I am actually to be doing.


I'm trainable. Eventually.
Then back at it.


I'm going to knit on Véronik's project for a bit before bed.

I'm getting excited for the Frolic; only 5 more sleeps!! you can count it on one hand now!! I'll be working at Julie's booth - come by and say hey!

I had put together a good week last week with my pain at a bearable level without taking the T3's. This evening has seen an increase and I'm going to hit the bottle (of drugs). Still trying to change my mindset that it's not "caving" to accept pain management that's available.
Still no surgery date; I did call to make sure that I hadn't fallen through the cracks. Nope, just waiting to get scheduled.

So I signed up for baseball again, the women's league and a mixed league. I'm stoked about this- going to get as much in as I can!! Since the surgery won't likely be until into August, I'll get a majority of the season in, for me & the teams.




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Day of Rest

How could I have forgotten to brag about my little interior decorator who built my discount fireplace?? I need to empty a bookshelf in order to shift it enough to plug in the fireplace where I'd like it to be, but it's portable enough to slide to another outlet for now.


It throws the perfect (adjustable) heat at floor level, especially since it's almost always my feet that are cold.
It also operates without heat, so will be just perfect for romantic snuggles on the floor with my puppies.

And I am really the last person to know about this creamy, perfectly cinnamony and brown sugary deliciousness?!?


I could eat it with a spoon!!

Today was a gorgeous day! I went outside with the dogs and truly intended to knit. I had the stereo turned up, perfect outdoor knitting, - garter stitch strip - and then the T3's kicked in at the same time as the sun became drowsily warm. I just let my head loll back and relaxed.


The puppies didn't argue.









I brought us in before anyone got burnt, and after everyone took in water we went for a walk.
I'm swear I'm going to buy a harness for Toby; he's so strong that his pulling when I walk him takes all of the pleasure out of it.

Toby misses his main human. He loves the puppies & I, but we aren't Lee. Toby spent a good while keeping watch for Lee's return.


It was both sad and heartwarming.

I knit, finished Breaking Bad, grilled salmon for dinner. The puppies had some fun digging while I ate!






It's been a decent day pain-wise, for which I am grateful. Now - back to my knitting :)



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Romi Mystery Shawl Spoiler

Friday was a struggle, but that's alright. By the end of the day I chose to not take any Rx, clear my head and body a bit. I worked some on Romi's Mystery Shawl. I'm not sure about the colour. it's lighter IRL


A darker colour will get worked in later on (this is Clue 2 of 5). It just seems quite pastel. I know, but like baby pastel. I'm keeping on knitting as I'm hoping that the darker colour will help some of the coloured bits in the the Dream in Color Smooshy pop. But I am reserving final judgement and might still use the lighter Wollmeise


(on the far right in the pic).

I slept for 12 hours. Between the constant pain (in varying degrees), and the drugs, my body is exhausted. My choice today has been to accept the pain. Easier when I can just relax (kind of) and knit through it. Not having to deal with people makes it easier to bear as well.

Still working with the hand-pleasing Loft from Brooklyn Tweed. Secret Project. You know.

Enjoying, as ever, the garter stitch. Especially in the variegated CEY Liberty Wool.


I do like the redo better; the colours seem to lay nicer. I know, sounds crazy, but there it is.

Amanda came over for a couple of days to hell with the puppies & Toby. Lee went on an impromptu drive to Boston. He misses the sea.





Don't worry, I explained about Oceans & Seas ... Amanda & I coloured (I bought her her own Enchanted Forest and colouring pencils) and had a lovely time. I should have taken a pic of her colouring - we have very different styles. She walked dogs and fetched bagels - a good daughter.

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Self Pity Day

When I was in treatment a friend gifted me with a book, which I can't remember the title of, but I really enjoyed it.
One part that I personally took away from it was that it's okay to feel sorry for yourself, to wallow a bit; not endlessly, not to your detriment. Put a time limit on it, let go and feel all the sadness and let the self pity wash over you.
When the time is up, move on. Pick yourself up by your boot straps and get on with the business of living.
Today I am just feeling overwhelmed by the relentlessness of the day-to-day pain I'm in, the amount of narcotics that I need to deal with that pain and the effects that it all has on me.
Choosing between the pain or the lethargy/buzzyness, itching, sleep disruption and fogginess doesn't really feel like a choice at all. But I do choose, and I hate that too.

So between being back at work and "whatnot", I've been not been very knitterly. But deadlines loom, and y'all know that there's like a deadline to motivate. And my time limit is one day. So come pain or side effects, it's back in the saddle tomorrow.


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Recovering

So after three days of taking all of the drugs, (and I was good, didn't take more than I should, scared even myself a couple of months ago), medicinal amounts of alcohol, and still fighting through pain to get done what was needful, I am exhausted.

I can feel my body fighting to rid itself of all the stuff I put in it. I've been drinking water like crazy. An Epsom salt bath is running. My brain is struggling to process just about anything; fortunately I've been functioning on muscle memory and instinct.

I have the greatest admiration for women who do this every day.
Fortunately, my day-to-day pain is manageable with T3's and I only have to deal with such an extreme for a few days. even though it seems interminable in the moment And I have surgery on the horizon. though four months seems very far away in those moments extended into a small eternity by pain

So, no knitting done yet today, but I've made it through.

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Never Enough ...

... knitting. So I couldn't help myself. I went stash diving and came up with yarn for Romi's latest MKAL. I greatly admire her design aesthetic and am thrilled to be in on the action.









I am using Dream in Color Smooshy (light colour), and Wollmeise Pure (dark colour).

... Rx Since then my period came (a week early, so kind of caught off guard), and I am on all of the drugs (100mg Codeine Contin, and 2
T3's every four hours), okay, and a few drinks and I am still in nauseating pain. I know that the worse will pass by the end of day tomorrow oh gods please!!! so I am loathe to waste 4-6 hours in emerg.
I see my Dr again ion Wednesday; I'll certainly be asking for some better Rx or combination.

... colour I came across Johanna Basford's
Colouring books. I have purchased Secret Garden and ordered Enchanted Garden online (significantly cheaper online at www.indigo.ca ) and ventured into Curry's for some lovely Copic markers. I will be buying Staedtler or Prismacolor pencil crayons & felt markers from WM when I return, but I am excited to try something new and better. I


While I am no artist, I do have an eye for colour and can't wait to blend to my hearts content.


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Groundhog Day

Seriously, doing everything over again today.

I *knew* that I was supposed to be doing the M size, but somewhere along the way when I turned over the page and looked at the numbers, I ended up doing the S.



Fortunately I realized this fairly early on and I do love knitting garter stitch.

So, today will be about correction and tomorrow can be about actual progress.



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Next

I made an error on Véronik's project so while I was awaiting approval for a potential work-around, (no simple fixes on such detail-oriented shaping!), I was able to start on a perfect 2nd project.



Good thing since it was my take with project for the day.

I am going to have a hysterectomy. The ablation was a limited success, but since November I have been in nearly constant pain ranging from low-grade nagging to nauseatingly fierce. Fibroids have returned, and I just can't continue; not with the pain or the amount of drugs that are needed to kind of control it. Hopefully I'll get a date in the next couple of days; not likely until into August. Not ideal, but it could be worse.

Chica's basking in the last of the morning sunshine rays that light up my living room.



And I've declared today Hobbit Day,


so I'd best get back to my knitting and adventure!!

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