Getting my Knit On!

I am cranking out hearts - I'll totally reach my initial goal of 100, I'm pushing for 150 & dreaming of 200!!

Gilda's House

We are lucky enough to have 1 of 2 Gilda's Houses in Canada here in Barrie. They offer a beautifully appointed house that hosts a variety of programs for cancer patients/survivors/families/supporters. It is brand new - the grand opening is September 17^th so they are still getting settled. Like most charitable programs it runs on the dedication of volunteers and donations.

I have seen their yarn cupboard - it is sad. Acrylic that is very old - like matted on the ball kind of old. I am going to go through my stash and take in some decent yarn - nice acrylics for afghans, wool for felting, stuff that would make someone happy to knit with, give and/or receive.
I would like to ask that if you have any yarn that you think would fit this bill that you perhaps wouldn't miss too badly or would like to know that it is in different loving hands, please let me know {naturalbornknitter AT rogers DOT com}. I am going to be spending a lot of time up there (it's right beside the hospital!!) and will be helping out with some of the knitterly programs in particular and would be really thrilled to be able to share the pleasure of nice yarn.

I am knitting little hearts right now. Ann (Program Director) called me yesterday morning and asked if I could help out with some knitting. Apparently a young girl won a contest with Avon & is donating the $10,000 prize to Gilda's House. She & her mother wanted to knit these hearts for the ladies at the presentation where she will be giving a speech. This was a lovely plan until they found out that there were going to 400 Avon ladies there!!! I know - and they need them by the end of this month!!! I told Ann that I would not be able to do all 400 but would do my best to help out - realistically I will probably only get 100 done. I'm trying to get as much done on the Beverly Cardigan - that's deadlined - and still crank out the hearts. Knitting the 2 halves takes about 15 mins, sewing & stuffing takes about 10. I'm thinking that once Emily is home that I can teach Amanda the seaming/stuffing - it's totally not hard - & I can focus on the knitting. Or I'll talk to Ann on Monday when I go up for yoga and see if she wants to put together an evening where it can be a party. LOL Here are the first 10.

Progress

Oy - Amanda has had a friend from Milton up this week so we've been doing stuff - malls, beach, drive-in - to keep them occupied. They haven't seen each other in 5 years but have kept up on Facebook and are getting along really well. I've not been as productive as I may have wanted but I've been having fun & rest.

Thank you all so much for your continued support!! I'm doing good ... really. I'm feeling quite healed, there are still twinges if I reach too far or lift something wrong but the swelling & tenderness is going down. I make a conscious effort not to think ahead to the chemo. I'm making a list of questions for the Dr. but until we meet with him and get some data there is no way to predict how it's going to affect me so I'm just not borrowing trouble. I don't know how quickly they will want to start the chemo, but since I'll have waited that long I'm going to negotiate like an Apprentice to get it pushed out pasts the 11^th 'cause I'm not going to miss the Knitters Fair!! While I'm not going to borrow trouble I'm not going to be naively optimistic and I want to be able to have a great day without worrying about side effects.

OMG - I can't believe that Julie's tent sale sneaked up on me!! I totally thought that it was next weekend. I know, but when she was blogging about getting ready I really thought that she was just ... getting ready! D'oh!!! I don't have the time to go up today and with taking Emily home tomorrow won't make it before it closes. I've been at the tent sale for time beyond memory ... Son of a Nutcracker!!! No, I didn't have anything in mind to buy & I totally don't need more yarn ... that it completely beside the point. ARGH!!!

I am almost ready to start the 3rd colour on my Creatively Dyed Sweet Spot strip - I love the vibrant colours on this 2nd colour. Sorry, I don't have the name for this one,.

The Beverly Cardigan is moving right along. The colour changes are moving along - I told Julie that I'll just have to knit faster to make the colours change more swiftly. I've split off at the armholes & can fit all of the stitches on a straight needle so I think that I'm going to be able to pick up a bit of speed now. 35,960 sts to the end of the body.

I've been neglecting China Clouds - she's sitting beside me in her basket, quietly watching me with my other projects. Her silence makes me feel even more guilty. You know I love you darlin' - I'll be back.

On & On

Thanks everyone - all of your comments, cards, emails, positive thoughts & prayers are so appreciated and give me strength when my own strength wanes.

Amanda takes good care of me - she is a most excellent aesthetician-in-the-making & maid, along with general minion extraordinaire. Don't tell her, but it makes her bouts of teenage attitude slightly easier to bear.

Kerwyn surprised me with flowers yesterday - a "good diagnosis" cheer. Along with wine & Chinese for dinner it was perfect, especially since there is always enough Chinese for leftover the next night!! No, I don't sit with the flowers all the time, just for the photo op. Just when I thought the romantic in him had gone for good!

I spent some time outside chillin' on the deck. I have become seriously addicted to McD's Iced Coffee. A large vanilla iced coffee with an extra shot of vanilla totally hits the spot every time. I am dreading when they take it off of the menu which I'm sure they will when the weather turns. No ... not thinking about that!!! I have never been a fan of cold coffee, when my hot coffee hits that just-past-lukewarm stage I can't even drink it, but there's something about this iced coffee ...

Getting on with the Beverly Cardigan. At this point I have 422 stitches on the needle and am increasing 8 sts every 2 rows. I know, but just 9,280 more sts to go before I should be able to split off the sleeves - if my row gauge isn't too tight then I'll have to put in some extra rows. Fingers crossed!!!

Good News

Thank you for all of you positive thoughts & prayers - they totally worked! There was enough clean tissue around the tumour & the lymph nodes - all 7!!! - are cancer-free!!!
All of that being said, the tumour was large & aggressive enough to be a stage 3, 3^rd grade cancer. I'm an over-achiever, what can I say? LOL I go to see the oncologists on Sept. 3^rd to sort out the chemo - the Dr was quite certain that it's going to be an aggresive regimen based on the aggressiveness of the tumour. It grew from 2.3cm to 4.5 cm in 8 weeks. I know, I'm just nurturing like that! So at least I will have a few weeks to enjoy the rest of the nice summer weather before the rigours of chemo commence.
More good-ish news - apparently the tumour is non-progesterone/estrogen receptive which means that I won't have to take Tamoxifen or some such nasty estrogen blocker! According to the Dr. that's also not so good news because after the chemo & radiation there is no other adjuvant therapy to help prevent recurrence. But the next good news is that this kind of cancer responds very well to the chemo. So, all in all I'm counting it as a positive.