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Born Trippy is knit, blocked and ready to wear!! I loved knitting this pattern, and the yarn ... all the love!! 

Once I had decided to start with Hush (lavender) as the first CC, then realized that there was a solid MC section, I had to rethink my plan to go with a tonal

progression. I went with the brights in the centre, which if I was wearing it myself would have them on my face, finishing with Coral, so that it lays and compliments Hush when worn. At the end of the day, it still works out as a tonal progression! Go me!! 

 The living alone life kinda sucks for taking modeled FO pics, but Julie rocks this, so I'll leave it to her. From me, this is what you get - functional shot. 

I cast on for Amanda's Messy Bun hat last night. This style of hat is super hot and trendy at the mo, and Amanda was so excited when I tagged her in a Facebook post about it. 

 It doesn't look like much yet, the Charly print melange gives it a less than flat-black look. Those Signature Needles sex it up tho!! Amanda specifically requested "black" so I took that limit as far as I could and still stay true to what my client asked for. I *do* want her to wear it and love it when it's done. I also chose this yarn for its superwashness - Amanda isn't really the hand-wash kinda girl. 

With the work schedule that I have and the long days I'm putting in lately, I use weekends to go to the shops and cook. I love cooking and am still unable to cook for one or two, which works out well for meal prep. Yesterday I made another batch of curry, the sausage mix that I use to make omelets, and a new recipe - chicken parm stuffed peppers. They turned out fantastic and I'll definitely be making them again! 

I have a remarkable amount of food in my home for a woman living and cooking for mostly just herself. 

 

I buy a lot at Costco, then use my FoodSaver to portion it down and keep it freezer-fresh until I use it. I have a lot of ready to grab-and-go meals in the freezer. Working nights and not being able to pop out for something if I don't take food is a massive motivator, and saves money in the long run.

Trending

Born Trippy is knit, blocked and ready to wear!! I loved knitting this pattern, and the yarn ... all the love!! 

Once I had decided to start with Hush (lavender) as the first CC, then realized that there was a solid MC section, I had to rethink my plan to go with a tonal

progression. I went with the brights in the centre, which if I was wearing it myself would have them on my face, finishing with Coral, so that it lays and compliments Hush when worn. At the end of the day, it still works out as a tonal progression! Go me!! 

 The living alone life kinda sucks for taking modeled FO pics, but Julie rocks this, so I'll leave it to her. From me, this is what you get - functional shot. 

I cast on for Amanda's Messy Bun hat last night.

 It doesn't look like much yet, the Charly print melange gives it a less than flat-black look. Amanda specifically requested "black" so I took that limit as far as I could and still stay true to what my client asked for. I *do* want her to wear it and love it when it's done. I also chose this yarn for its superwashness - Amanda isn't really the hand-wash kinda girl. 

With the work schedule that I have and the long days I'm putting in lately, I use weekends to go to the shops and cook. I love cooking and am still unable to cook for one or two, which works out well for meal prep. Yesterday I made another batch of curry, the sausage mix that I use to make omelets, and a new recipe - chicken parm stuffed peppers. They turned out fantastic and I'll definitely be making them again! 

I have a remarkable amount of food in my home for a woman living and cooking for mostly just herself. 

 

I buy a lot at Costco, then use my FoodSaver to portion it down and keep it freezer-fresh until I use it. I have a lot of ready to grab-and-go meals in the freezer. Working nights and not being able to pop out for something if I don't take food is a massive motivator, and saves money in the long run.

Top to Toes

Born Trippy is trippin' right along! I'm on to the last colour, Coral. It still is a remarkable thing how  blocking transforms wrinkled, undefined stitches into ordered loveliness.

 

 

Another bit of knitting magic that I shall never grow weary of. 

I finished Marks first sock, but I gave it to him last night to take home and try in before I thought to take a picture. Sigh. Hopefully his narrower leg translates into as narrow a foot. 

But I had a fantastically productive night on dock last night and am to the heel flap! 

 I don't know how it happened, but I have a slight bend on the tip of one of my Signature needles!!  

The needles were in the socks, which were in my TARDIS sock bag, which was in my backpack. I certainly don't use these tools as pry bars for anything. It's really a mystery!! Fortunately it doesn't adversely impact my knitting; it's an odd feeling on the tip of my finger as I shift the stitches along, but the knitting clearly goes on. 

We celebrated Craig's birthday a week late because we were both feeling so sick the previous week. The Keg had a prohibitive wait time, so we chose Montanas. Good thing too - there's a Birthday helmet tradition there!!Craig is utterly immune to embarrassment and soaked up his moment. 

 

 

It was a lovely meal and a memorable one. 

So Not Boring

So I blocked out Born Trippy last night. OMG - the magic of blocking rivals only the magic of turning a heel on a sock!!

 

 Here it is folded upon itself to show the colour progression. I am thrilled with how it's turning out, and I rarely get so excited for a project before completion! 

While it was blocking, I got a bit more done on Marks sock. I'm loving it as well!! 

 This is the one that I had thought he would pick; there's no way this is going to be considered boring!! I'll have to hit up the stash to find a heel/toe yarn; I don't want to run short.

I had to run out, do a couple of errands today and make a Costco run. I had really been hoping for a whole weekend of couch-surfing rest, but needs must. 

I am home now, wild rice and pot barley simmering for the soup that I made yesterday. 

Ah yes, shit got real. Cold 2.0 vs Wannietta has been stepped up a notch and I brought out the big soup pot. 

Frozen chicken carcasses, celery and extra onions.  It turned out well, even without carrots, but needs the carbs, fibre and toothy bite that the wild rice and pot barley will provide. 

Okay ... now for hopefully my most difficult decision of the day; sock or scarf? 

Great Week

It's been a productive knitting week!! 

I have finished a sock, started the 2^nd one AND gotten through the increase sections of the Born Trippy scarf.

 

I also used the bread maker that Craig bought me for Xmas. It won't get used overmuch with just the two of us, but he was well impressed with the initial offering. 

 

Born Trippy has a section using just the MC, and I considered starting with it - that would have eliminated a few ends that are created in the increasing. I might still, but I'm going to need a scale (which is at mine) to track my usage of the MC. Having the solid MC section inside the scarf will also break up the length of the striped sections. There really is more to this than one would initially assume. I'm quite certain that I'm overthinking this ... I shall sleep on it and let

My subconscious be my guide. 

Craig and I are going to have a lovely evening in for New Years Eve. I had asked him if he had any plans or thoughts on what he'd like to do and he said no, we could do whatever I'd like. I just gave him that, "Really? You know what I wanna do" look, combined with a lopsided grin, and he picked up what I was putting down and said, "We can stay in and knit". He really is a keeper!! 

Chevrons Two Ways

So I decided to do a temperature afghan. There were all sorts of crocheted ones, but I decided to do a knitted one.
I picked this chevron pattern, Bravo Worsted from Schachenmayr, this chart for the colour/temp breakdown


, and used AccuWeather for the stats.
I decided to go with daily lows for the winter months, and daily highs for the summer months. This will make for better use of the colour range.
I am very pleased with January!! A lovely randomization of the colours.


February is looking to be larger sections of colours.
This is shaping up to be more of a bedspread than an afghan. I'm looking at about 14' - yikes!! But it's going to be awesome, I'm very excited about the project!!


Question - would you do a stripe (the winter white in this case) to separate the months? I'm of two minds on the matter ...

I'm also working on a ZickZack scarf for The Needle Emporium. I was very excited to see that I was going to be knitting it out of two balls of Rialto Luxury Sock. With its lengthy, harmonious colour changes, it makes the garter stitch just keep flowing.


I just keep going to see what the colours are going to do next!!

I finally got around to getting a pedicure! My feet really deserved it after that wretched cast came off.


I feel very pretty, even if I'm just sitting home knitting.

The puppies were adorable the other day. I was blocking a swatch in front of the fireplace to sped up the drying. They love laying in front of the fireplace and helped with the blocking by deliberately, and without influence from me, surrounding but not laying on the swatch. It was sweet.



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Progress

I loathe cardigan bands that are knit separately. They are just a PITA. I think that this mental block has been, in part, why I've been so slow getting on with the finishing stage of the Mock Cape sweater.











But I've pushed through the left front and am well started on the right front. I may take out the LF and adjust the band:sweater ratio depending on what I work out on the RF

Petey and Chica enjoyed the pond in Springwater today.











They don't go in far, but they love the freedom of trotting through the forest. We don't go in far at the mo; just a nice stroll.

I am waiting to hear back from a couple of yarn stores, but at the moment I can confirm that Gaspereau Valley Fibres carries the Nature Spun sport required for the Dr Who scarf. Result!!

This is a video of them encountering a cat for the first time on our morning walk the other day. It looked like a stray, and all parties were wary and cautious.

On the hysterectomy recovery front, my doctor is firmly supporting my recuperation at home. Apparently I'm quite the asset at work, it's ok, I had quite a laugh as well but they will have to make due for another 2 1/2 weeks. I still need a solid nap even if I don't do much of anything. I am still spotting, but this is completely normal. I do have crampy bouts, but it is more discomfort than pain, and insignificant compared to what I was suffering before.

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Dr Who Scarf

I have a friend who has requested a Dr Who scarf. initially in jest, but I know he meant it He's a Whovian, and would truly love it.


This website is a treasure trove, detailing the colours, yarns, and dimensions to make as authenticate a replica as possible. Everything except meterage. I guess I'll just have to buy enough! though given the nature of the project, dye lot is not over much of a concern

The Behr colours listed are discontinued, so the chips are no longer available. Not even in the U.S. yes, I set a friend on a Mission. Thanks Cheryl!!

Plan C would be to have testers done up. Even though the sample chips are not available, the formulas are in the computer and can be made up. I may have to go this route.
The Jamieson's DK/Nature Spun Sport combo, for which all of the colours are still current but I am having some challenges sourcing the Brown Sheep Nature Spun sport in Canada. I have a few emails out to Brown Sheep retailers; I'll let you know how that goes.
Camilla Valley Farm is a stocking dealer for Jamieson's, so their stocked range of Jamieson's is complete. If I can't find the recommended Nature Spun sport colors, I'll do up my own paint chips, take a road trip and sort it myself.




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Things That Are Done

Another pain dazed day. I cant focus on much when the pain is so intense that it requires the most codeine. So I mostly just lay in bed, scrolling through Instagram, and playing solitaire quite badly. I let myself doze off. I check the time, but it doesn't really register unless it's 11:00, 3:00, or 7:00 when I can take medicines.



Chica lays with me during the day because she can jump up on the bed. Petey gets nights; I lift him up. Or he sleeps in his crate. Depends on our moods. They are steadfast guardians, doing their utmost to keep all harm from befalling me. And when pain assails me, they kiss me better, tails wagging earnestly, understanding in their eyes.

The pain is easing off now, which is to say that I can take less codeine; it's ridiculously relative.

I finished Georgitte



& the Favourite Soft Mittens





a few days ago. I'm finally getting to blocking out the Linen Stitch Scarf. The bind off edge is tight, despite my being deliberately loose in the doing of it.





(The colour is way off - hideous lighting in my bdrm!!) I think that next time I'll do a plain seed stitch row before casting off; that should alleviate some of the tightness.

I have been working on a sock for me. Easy, mindless knitting; just what I need. I love when the colours spiral like this!






I'm not sure what the yarn is, it's stash.

Early to bed again tonight. I'm exhausted despite massive bed rest. Pain and drugs are exhausting and I am counting down the days to their end like a prisoner getting released.

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All the Things

I knit in the baby blanket last night while out with some colleagues for a going away drinks do at my local.
This morning I slept in a bit, walked over to Tim's for a coffee as I'm out of Tassimo pods. I know, I don't know how this happened. Then I was fit for Churchmouse linen stitch scarf. Progress was made.
After a nap, I packed up the CEY Moss Cardigan and headed to Crabby's to watch the FIFA ladies Canada vs China match. Happy for a win, even if it was in the last minutes.


I made excellent progress! I calculated my yarn consumption at .04km/hr. This includes eating time and alcohol consumption. It doesn't sound very fast, but I don't have much to compare it to.

Anyway, I'm 5 days T3 free! Stomach bug notwithstanding its been a decent week. Though the abdominal pain was kicking off today, I got by. Taking it one day at a time, I won't endure pain I don't have to but I like the clear-headed feeling.


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Linen Stitching

I can't really blame linen stitch for being slow, the 450 sts isn't making for rapid progress.
But I've been feeling well and truly wrecked the last couple of days. While my abdominal pain was ghastly over the weekend, I've been pain free and on medicated since Monday evening.
I don't know if it's some sort of virus, some off salad or my stomach just doesn't know what to do without codeine, but I've been getting by on guts and will power and sleeping.
I've also been feeling incredibly pained through my legs and feet. I'm sure that this is from mostly not feeling the creaks of age whilst on the codeine. I truly can not wait to be off of the drugs. As much as I need them, I don't know any more why anything hurts or what to do about it.
But I have managed to keep knitting a bit. I am very much enjoying the artistic colour work as the three colourways play and shift into and around each other.



And I am reminded about how much I really love fingering weight yarn. It is the perfect weight for making everything ideal!!

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X marks the spot

Many, many little x's!!

The last couple of days progress.





The variegated flosses make it so easy to just keep going. Just like my passion and enthusiasm for hand dyed/variegated knitting yarns, the depth and richness of the colours in the silk is intoxicating. I truly can't get enough.

I did finish the afghan.


It is cushy, plush and the turquoise/teal contrasts nicely against the smooth, shiny leather.

I'm still working on my neon socks.


Mmmm - that pink!!!

And I just banged out a frilly scarf.


Helen knits various things for charity but loathes these scarves so I offered to knit a couple. And this brings me to this evening.
What to work on ...


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In with the New

So I picked up a box from Julie at the Post Office yesterday. I was so excited!! Finishing a project makes me happy but it's more a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Starting a new project is just a thrilling rush of excitement!!

So there is a Mountain Colors (sic) Yellowstone River scarf. I think that this is going to be a challenge. I'm going to get it set then sit down and knit it, no stopping, and see how long it takes.




Then there is also 30 balls of FDC Zara Melange in lovely shades of pink. Julie & Beth are deciding what it is to be ... I'm not even bothered, I love the colour so much!!

The body on Elise's top is blocking. I have less of the solid yarn left than we had anticipated so I used the scale and divided the solid in half. The sleeves will be as long as the yarn will allow. 

I am making Lucky Stars again! 

I couldn't for awhile because of my thumb and while the thumbnail on my right hand is still not long enough for the job I have practiced enough to be able to do them with my left hand. I'm so happy. I find a place of peaceful and restful mindfulness when I'm making them. 

I am utterly exhausted today. Maybe the week of stress, recovery and lack of sleep has caught up with me but writing this post is the most I've done all day. I've mostly slept, drank water and had a burger. I am likely going to sleep more before going to bed eventually. I am just complying with my body's needs - listening, not arguing and complying.


The wounds are healing well. I've been using Bio Oil, massaging it in gently a couple of times a day on the scars. 
The scars on my belly are strangely sensitive and numb. My stomach still feels tender and bloated inside and there are strange pulls and twinges when I turn or move somehow it doesn't like.
My breast is numbish all over. There is a strange sensitive area just on the swell of it just before it goes numbish and the muscles across the top of my right chest are still sore. Not even quite sore but tight. The patch is healing well, still bruised but hopefully the Bio Oil massages will help. I take 81mg of aspirin and garlic capsules as well. Nerves are healing - every once in awhile there are sharp, piercing pains that just come and go.



Thanks for all of the support - I do write this as a therapy, to keep track of what is going on, (I tend to live in the moment and I forget a lot of what happens week-to-week), to stay in touch with my friends and to try to help anyone that I can with anything that I know.

Celebration

Thank for all the support & - it seemed like it was going to be such a long journey back in July and now that treatment is over it seems like it's been a whirlwind! Now I need to adjust my mind set from "getting through" to "moving on" and while this will be another long/short journey I know that I will be equal to this task as well ... with the support of my friends!!

I met up with my friend Joan on Saturday for lunch and a knitting afternoon. She surprised me with a "Celebration Scarf" from the Toronto Spiders Back to Back team!! Everyone contributed - spinning and/or knitting - to a scarf that I can feel the love in. There's a square with a bit of sparkle, awesome variegated sections with fleece that was donated by Louet and OMG - check out the bottom LF square (or RH as you're looking at it ) ... yes, it's a spider!!! You ladies rock - we've won & lost the B2B title together and now we're winning the battle against (breast) cancer together! I'm especially looking forward to our Challenge & Relay for Life this year ... no matter how hot it is I'll be wearing my Celebration Scarf. Thank you my friends!!!