Better hand me my raincoat….

My spirit is sagging. Right along with the weather, which continues to rain, intermittently every day, just enough to keep my geraniums from showing their full potential, and more than enough ironically, to dampen my spirits.

It’s been quite a week. Read on, if you dare.

DD1 is trudging down the tough cancer road: it is fraught with roadblocks and wild emotional side roads and it takes everything we have to navigate it some days. But I remain solid that love will get us through it all, but wow, it is really, really, really hard some days!

My still-new-to-me 5-year-old fridge, quit. Just like that. Not worth repairing apparently. After only 5 years. Yup – I’m ticked off! Money for a new one was duly handed over. Ouch.

A long time acquaintance, a person who truly rejoiced at life, and lived it large, fully and passionately, and imbibed everyone he met with his love of living, met with tragedy and died suddenly, leaving behind a large black hole in his huge human circle.

And the one that threw me the most. The one that has left me simply reeling in its wake: dear, dear friends of ours have announced the end of their marriage after 34 years. Knocked the wind right out of me. I totally never saw it coming. I am still shedding tears, selfishly as much for me as for them.

Now please excuse me. I really need to go kick something.

Knit on…

Wiggin out....

This is what happens at the end of a loooooong week when you have a wig, and chemo patient, a few drinks and a grumpy cat:


Knit on....

Check, check… and check.

First Alligator sock is done. Check.

Yup, just like that. And I am still madly in love with it. Ask my DD’s. And their friends. And my co-workers. And the G-man. I pull it out of my purse everywhere and say, “Look. Look what I did. Isn’t it beautiful?” I’m driving them all crazy!

And DD1’s chemo #3 is done. Check.

The nurses and other patients in the hospital chemo daycare also liked my sock too. Yes – I showed them. We are there for a long time, and we have to do something to pass the time and distract ourselves. Might as well admire my sock!

Cast on for the second sock. Check.

I’m halfway through the ribbing on the second Alligator sock. It will be a quick knit I think. Too bad! Did I say how much I am loving it??

Knit on…Check!

I am enchanted….

Look.

Isn’t it so pretty?

I’m completely enchanted by it. This is my first attempt at a lace sock – usually I just like plain Jane ribbed socks. The little yarnover’s within the 2 x 4 ribbing are thrilling me to no end, and the fact that I have been able to memorize the pattern sequence is a triumph of major proportion for me! I’m zipping along, resenting every moment I cannot pick it up and work on it.

The colors (which do not show with the camera as richly as they really are) draw me in every time I look at it, and I am compelled to pick it up and admire it. My DD’s are dropping very, very broad hints about foot length, and stopping by to say admiring things about the knitting. But it will be mine I tell you, all mine!

It is very close by. I took it to work. I usually have my sock knitting in my purse near by, but this time I couldn’t let it languish hidden away for the day waiting for a chance to pull it out and have a go. I have it on my desk, out front and center, where I can rest my weary computer eyes on it now and again, and I become instantly refreshed! I’m showing it off to my colleagues too!

I adapted the stitch pattern from Creative Knitting Magazine May 2008, Baby Alligator socks – I just doubled the stitch pattern to fit my size. It’s working out perfectly. The yarn is OnLine, of course. The colorway – Holiday – how appropriate! It is a holiday every time I look at it!

Total enchantment, I tell you. Total.

Just mumblings...

Been wondering what to write about for a few days. It’s not that there isn’t anything going on. Lord knows my life is busy, busy, busy, these days! It’s more that I have haven’t quite (close, but not quite) finished anything yet.

Knitpicks Multi Peacock keep getting pick-up and put down as they are my travelling knitting, and there hasn’t been much waiting time in my travelling lately. But do you notice a trend with the striping of the knit picks yarn - once agian the stripes have gone bonkers on the second sock - I don't like this at all...

Still I could tell you what a fabulous time Susan (seen here with the lovely Alpaca cria's from Victory Farms) and I had with the Ottawa Knitting Guild roadtrip to Janie H. Knits in Perth last Sunday. While the weather wasn’t stellar, it didn’t really rain, and the drive was great given that Susan was an awesome passenger and navigator, keeping me laughing, and from taking the wrong turns!

We were both quite good I think with our purchases, only buying a few luscious things to amuse our selves, some sock yarn for myself and some bamboo and ribbon yarns that I had wanted to try in the form of some of my knitted caps. I did also get two new tools – it’s all about the tools, was the motto for the day. I finally purchased a WPI tool and a set of WIP tubes to hold my double points in my socks inside my purse. Oh these babies are just the ticket – should have got them a long, long ago.

Janie’s was a wonderful store – brimming with inspiration and wonderful selections of both new and old favourites. It really was hard to know what to look at given that I hadn’t a purchasing agenda like some of the other OKG members obviously did! There was a lot of debate about the husband un-awareness purchasing plan going on! I know I’ll be back to visit now that I know what she has.

This week, in between work and catching up on household chores, and DD1’s second chemo session, has been devoted to helping DD1 plan her Hodgkin’s fundraiser in the form of a Martini party at a local club, complete with draw prizes and the ceremonial cutting of her hair before it falls out completely from the chemo. Sadly the hair is well on its way to being gone. But I love this kid of mine – she’s a “if it’s going to happen, then go big or go home” kind of girl! Hence the big party tonight. Yeah, now that’s my girl!

So there you have – my busy week.

Knit on……….