Blur

This week has been a blur of pain work and migraine.

The APSGO meeting was good and I'll be continuing with it. Anyone who has reached out to a support group knows that it is sometimes easier to talk to other with similar experiences than those whom we love and/or who love us.

I had my winter tires taken off (the back two were nearly slicks!) and replaced with all season Matrix tires. I've not been able to find out much online about them; anyone had experience with them?
Now I have a few months to find 2 winter P195/60R15 tires and 4 15" rims. Any leads would be appreciated.
While this was happening I put the waiting time to good use and finished Romi's Mysterious Shawl!!


I love it and it just needs a solid blocking.

Afterwards I spent some time at the courthouse as a moral supporter, and swatched A Hundred Ravens. Totally found the Sweet Spot!! I'd forgotten how much pleasure I get from deconstructing a yarn like this.


I hope that they'll be at the Knitters Fair again so I can get more yarn. Though I will order online if not.

I am so close to starting the next chart on my Châtelaine Mandala.


I find cross stitch so restful in a different way than knitting.

The puppies have been with me for a year - can you believe it??


They have grown so much and not the least amount in my heart.

Lee had given me a gift certificate for Amazon.uk for Valentines Day and after waiting for Broadchurch series 2 to be released, I put in an order. They're here!!


SQUEE!! Tomorrow I'll be purchasing an inexpensive DVD player in the hopes it will play or have a hack to play 15 discs.

The Loft for Lee's Longfellow. Mmmmm - can't wait to start!!

Yesterday I tried pushing and working through a migraine. Not such a great strategy.
I had felt more human after I got home, took the Rx and had some sleep, but it was still not quite fine this morning and I was feeling quite off. Dizzyish and just wrong. And I laid off the T3's while I was taking the Zomig, so it's not that. I'm feeling better now, but my uterus is kicking off hard again, but at least that's a more manageable pain. Lol.

Ok. Early night, make sure I'm fit for duties tomorrow.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Whatta Weekend

My sweet girl needs your prayers and/or most positive thoughts/vibes/karma. She has gone down a more challenging and trialsome path than most anyone would intentionally choose. She is struggling and needs all the help she can get and then some.
It is said that God takes care of children and fools - I pray that this is true and thus she is the best hands possible.

My mind has been on her and while I have been desperate for distraction, my heart was not fully on baseball and I had poor games on both Friday night and this afternoon. Fortunately the teams pulled through with a win and a tie respectively.

I made some visible progress on my Châtelaine mandala.


It was restful stitching. Almost ready to start the specialty stitch flowers!

I have also managed to get near to finishing Romi's Mysterious Shawl, especially while doing an epic laundry this morning.



I have had my Under Armor slides for going on 5 years; they owed nothing.


Sportchek had a sale on sandals, so I went in to see what was on offer. The young man who offered assistance suggested that Nike and UA might not be incl in the sale. "Seriously??? Given that 2/3 of your sandals are Nike & UA, what kind of sale is this?" Needless to say, my 2^nd pair was indeed 50% off. Then I had to have them refund the difference of $34.99 to $29.99 on my Fitbit Flex bracelets. It was my day, monetarily anyway.

Lee made burgers and I've been having some lovely drinks. Tomorrow morning may be a struggle.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

End of Clue 4

I'm way behind the pack on this one, but that's ok. I'm thoroughly enjoying each stitch.
Have I mentioned that this is my first Wollmeise project? I had stashed a number of her skeins and nothing seemed quite special enough until my first Romi knit came along.




Petey loves it at Lee's, not in small part because Lee leaves socks all over and Petey brings them to me like the most precious gift.


Chica doesn't bother with these humble offerings, but Petey is persistent, much to Lee's chagrin. But not so much chagrin that he picks his socks up!!

Rough day for pain; had to go to the higher dose codein, but I am grateful for the relief.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Yes!

So, thanks to the neighbourhood chainsaw enthusiast I was up early (for a holiday). The puppies were pleased, and I didn't really mind. I don't like messing up my early rising schedule over much; it makes going back to work that much more difficult.

So after sorting out the puppies and getting a coffee made, I approached the Magic 8-Ball with humility and hope.





So I stitched some more Honeydew on my Châtelaine mandala.

Then a nap, during which Petey, like the other men and children that have shared a bed with me, managed to gain more than his share by disguising it as snuggling.


Truth be told, he's a very good companion. He generally stats in his bed, but when he doesn't, his warmth is welcome.

After the puppies and I arrived at our country retreat, I set to on Romi's Mysterious Shawl.


Still deeply enraptured by these colours!!

A lovely and productive Victoria Day. I hope you all enjoyed it as well.






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Rough week

Inventory prep at work kicked into high gear last week and over the weekend. Of course this coincided with me period. I felt like calling in just wasn't an option, so I doped up on all the Rx and zombied my way through. Monday was a migraine - same story.
But I got through, the store was ready, but the numbers were not good. I'm sure that there will be a game plan by the time I go back on Thursday. I've had today and tomorrow off for putting in my time on the weekend.

I've been making decent progress on Romi's MKAL. I am *so* much more pleased with this colour and now that I've added in the 2^nd colour - I'm just giddy!!


The thumb is good. It was warm for a few days, but nothing was infected; it's scabbed over and perfectly serviceable.



Today was a lovely day to be off work. I did errands, hung my laundry to dry, then sat outside for some all natural vitamin D.


I was sitting downwind off the clothesline - it was relaxing to just sit back to the scent of clean wash.

The SmartSilk people were at Costco today. I've been pondering a duvet for a few years now and had narrowed it down to silk or wool. I took the plunge and purchased one, spent ages finding a duvet cover at Bed, Bath and Beyond - Lord have mercy!! I was intimidated and a bit frightened by that place!! - and will give it a go.


(Yes, that's Petey's bed. He sleeps with me when Lee's not here.)
Lee is a fan of down, but he can't possibly dislike silk more than he likes my penchant for layers on the bed.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone