Merry Christmas to all!

I wish you all a joyfilled holiday season, however you celebrate!

Peace and all good things to you and yours in 2010.

kate

Finshed this & that....

This, step two, is finshed:
- DD1's stem cell collection - top scores in the stem cell production department for my girl! She's a machine!

This is finished:
- remember the postscript that had me churning our more scowls than a one decent girl requires, from this entry? Done!










This is finished:
- more from the I needed that catagory, I needed this too! Com'on - I had a scarf in this color - it was lonely without a hat, and such a nice one at that!










And there is another beret and scowl done in shades of caramel-y and chocolate syrup - yummy, and yes I guess even a decent girl might make herself too many scowls! Sadly no pictures yet.

I am enjoying this simple-knitting imterlude that I am currently in. I have choosen to knit mostly for myself, only what I want. It feels good to have something go easy for a change.

Knit on.....

A busy week.....

Well DD1 has done magnificantly this week, and Round One of Bone Marrow Transplant chemo is over, and nary a VomiBag* was used! (we had quite the giggle over the "hipped up" trade name - I mean who thinks up this stuff, really?! Can you just imagine the commercials?!)

Her perm-cath was put in on Monday, Tuesday was spent in the ER for low blood pressure which is being attributed to an over-stimulated flight or fight response (gee, I can't imagine why that's happening! My body would wanna run like hell too), and Thursday and Friday were 10 and 12 hour days of DHAP chemo.

So far the nausea has been well controlled, thanks in part to a new drug called Emend (we are saying Amen to Emend! - which by the way is considered a luxury drug and is not covered by OHIP - imagine that! Like anything to do with cancer is a luxury! Grrrrr!! Don't get me started!) and her portable hydration pump (we call it the hydration spa!) from the Homecare nurses who are in everyday at the moment. Tomorrow most of the heavy duty nausea drugs are done so we'll see how she fairs with plain old Gravol.

Step two - today we start the Neupogen shots again - same as last year, but twice the dose and twice as long to build up those stem cells for collection (step three) next week - the localized, stabbing joint and bone pain associated with super rapidly growing stem cells is not fun, so heavy duty pain-killers will be introduced. I am becoming quite good with giving injections.

My lovely sister-in-law arrives shortly to provide some much needed support, and baring any complications I'm back to work tomorrow. It will seem very restful in comparision I think!

I am knitting in between despensing meds, doing laundry, disenfecting everything in the house every day thanks to H1N1, making toast and soy smoothies, helping with baths and washing hair, and recording everything swallowed! My 2nd beret and scowl in cream and muddied brown tones are done, and I'm working on the set commissioned by a work collegue in a lovely soft heathered grey.

Knit on....

I needed them.... really....

I needed another scarf and hat - an actual set, for the fall. Really. I did. If you can imagine, I didn't have a matched set to my name. Shameful really, for someone who calls themselves a knitter. I needed something for those 6 a.m. forays across the parking lot at work which is the size of a couple of football fields.

And I saw a scarf, more like a scowl (scarf morphing as a long cowl, hence a scowl) at the local department store for ridiculous prices, and since one of the things I like to do is try to re-create run-way looks for next to nothing I got these whipped up in no time:



My beret is standard issue, no fancy work this time. The pattern is Taos Beret - google, you'll find it.


The scowl is really just a long (6ft x 10in) retangular scarf join at the ends, but not a mobius join (don't twist). Just a straight end to end join. Had I been on the ball I would have done a provisional cast on and grafted the two ends together, but now with the cheesy seem, it looks store bought, which was the point of it all!














Lightweight for Fall, made from 4 skeins of inexpensive Bernat Satin at 2 skiens for the price of 1, my cost, with yarn left over for mitts maybe, was about $7.50 for the set.

And to cinch the deal, the very same scarf/scawl and beret style were featured on Oprah as this seasons must haves for fashionistas everywhere!

And now I'm back to my Patons Cardigan, back and fronts done, sleeves and turtleneck to go.

Knit on............

postscript: that Susan asked about the yarn which completely an economical purchase, so only 100% acrylic and was as cheap and cheesy as they come, so not so warm for our Ottawa winters, but lovely and comfortable for a lightweight fall set. I'll do a more practical woolly set for the January freeze. And yes, I own a stupid number of scarves with no hats - I shunned hats until recently, but age has a way of reminding you that suffering for vanity sake is ridiculous - and when warmth looks this good, I say bring it on! Funnily enough I wore my set this morning in the nippy 2*C , and was all but accosted by a collegue (who literally ran across the parking lot) from another building demanding to know where I got them! Happily I confessed my accomplishment, and when she expressed her sadness in knowing she couldn't get a set, I did what any knitter would do when confronted with copious expressions of admiration - I caved and offered to make her a set too! Good thing I like this knitting stuff!!!

Yup.. still breathing1

The days are flying and I've little finished to show you. The baby bibs are finshed and waiting for photos. The Patons Turtleneck Cardigan is well under way, back finshed and front left 1/3rd complete. Clapotis is missing the correct needle size (likely on a WIP I've forgotten about!) and so its start is delayed. Socks on the needles are one down, 2/3rds on second to go.

DD1 and I made an un-scheduled stop on our way home from Princess Margaret Hospital (she went for a second opinion - no real new revelations, which is fine by me and I think by her too, so we are full steam ahead into her Bone Marrow Transplant.) in Norwood, ON when traffic flow ground to a halt. The Thanksgiving Fall Fair was on, and since we missed our annual trek to our home fair in Erin, ON, we pulled in and parked and spent a leisurely 2 hours meandering the fine, fine fair that Norwood puts on every year.

Smitten we were by the ginormous heavy horse competion - magnificant creatures!


And darn it, I was without my camera and there was spinning going on in the craft barn!!! You know I spent some quality time oberving that! And DD2 bought super warm Alpaca boot insoles, locally made of course. It was a great afternoon and the best way I have ever spent time out from a traffic jam!

Meandering about in the warm fall sunshine, I was able to soothe the rage (at myself) I had felt moments before the traffic jam, when officer friendly nailed me for speeding (in my defense I was passing some lunatics who could not hold their accelerators steady and I about ready to throw up from the speed up/low down thing that they were doing all along Hwy 7)!

And so I blew past them at the first passing lane I could find (few and far between on Hwy 7 as you might well know!) and Bam! Busted! Lights and all! I completely forgot it was a zero tolerance weekend! It was my first ticket ever in 30 years of driving. I am mortified I can tell you! And to add insult to injury, it seems the G-man forgot to put the new insurance card in the little holder in the glove box, so guess who is paying the second ticket for that!! So $330.00 and 3 points poorer, when the fair came in sight I welcomed the break and a chance to redeem the day.

So there. Now you are caught up, and I am left to figure out if I can wriggle my way out of the points and into a lower fine - my own officer friendly (the G-man, who thought this string of bad luck I was having very funny until he broke his car windshield putting lumber in it and closing the door - hard! See how that 350 bucks hurts dude?), is on the case! Now we will see if it pays to sleep with a man with a badge!!!

Knit on....



.

falling behind....

Where on earth did September go?? I bought some mums for the front step (no pic, sorry) and these for the kitchen - such gorgeous colors! As a Libra I am very partial to the richness of fall colors!








And I finished these (exceuse the poor layout - photo blogger upload was not helping at all tonight!):


















and this you already knew I'd finshed :












As the days zoom by, I know I am falling behind (pun intended - you knew it was coming so stop groanning!). I have been madly knitting the Mason-Dixon Bibs 'o Love and am just finishing up lucky bib number seven.

Then I desperately need to get Clapotis on and off the needles as quickly as possible, as it will be required soon by the recipient. I wound the yarn yesterday, details later.

Knit on....

Scrambling for a tissue....

Not much knitting or motorcycling news here, although I have started some Baby Bib O' Love's for a good friend's pending arrival. My cycling classes are on hold until the strike is over, and looking more like it will not be until the spring.

Two weeks ago we received news on DD1's status in her on-going fight to over-come Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Sometime in October she will begin the 1st of 3 rounds of high intensity chemo in preparation for a autologous bone marrow transplant.

This has left us scrambling for tissues, taking a deep breathe and making plans to provide the extensive care she will need. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Knit on....

just checkin' in...

Not much going on around here. Work is, well, work - never ending, dull, blah, blah, blah... but it pays the bills and fills part of the day.

After work, well, not much else as the drive test folks have not yet settled their strike issues and I am still not able to write my M1 license. That means I have to push out my motorcycle classes by another week! Bummer...

In the mean time, I'm checking on on these folks: Sanna - that's a totally cool vest!!, and that Susan - who has a way cool husband Wayne - look what he has accomplished!!!

I finished my Shrug - as I thought might happen, my substitution calculations require more finessing, so while it fit me, it looked way, way better on DD2 (I'll edit in some pics later), and so she now has something warm to pull on when lounging in her new abode. Yup - she's gonner as of next month, heading off to room with pals, and try her hand at the whole independence thing. I fell better knowing I have have covered her from head to toes in woollie goodness, and hope it will keep her toasty warm while waiting at the bus stop during the nasty winter that I know is just around the corner.

That is all - oh, a pair of socks on the needles of course (doesn't everyone have a pair on the needles?). And now I'm pulling out all the baby stuff for a pending arrival later this fall (not mine, praise be!). Bibs of course, and I've got a charming baby kimono pattern, socks - for sure... and, oh yes, must do a carriage blanket I guess. I've got travelling time this weekend coming up, so must go up and raid the yarn stash to see what I've got that is portable.

Knit on...............

Kate

Grumble, but no rumble....

The strike by the Drive Test folks has left me stranded without an M1 (learners permit) for my motorcycle class which would have started this week, so I have been left on the side of the road, so to speak, until they settle their issues and I can re-schedule my test. I'm all grumble, and no rumble!

And so I'm knitting while i continue to study my handbook, on yes - more socks, and this. Easy, peasy - I'm on the second sleeve and headed into the round and round 2x2 ribbing that serves as the collar and waistband, after just one weekend of knitting here and there. And even better, I used yarn reclaimed from a sweater a few years back that was in my stash, in much the same color as shown. My contrast is much more subtle - main color held double with a new yarn I found at Yarn Forward called Fame Trend, colorway 655.


On a plus note, the G-man has asked to see what kind of bike I'm eyeing (see it here) to purchase next spring and wants to know exactly where I plan to park it in the winters (that's what biker buddies with big garages are for - I know just the one I can bribe with a well loaded Starbucks coffee card!), so I'm taking that as a very good sign that he's accepted my newest hobby, God love him!

Knit on!

Kate

Inching forward with my plan.....

I'm collecting my biker bits (and some "babes" along the way):

got this:
http://www.power-trip.com/ladies/ladiesjackets_jetblack.html

here:
http://www.greenmtnharley.com/default.asp

met Tammy, who really helped me find the right jacket and gloves:









and Fran, who's picture I cannot find on staff yet, but who was so enthusiastic on learning I was going for my license and moving into the drivers seat, that she high five-d me over the counter and made me promise that I would come back to Vermont and ride with her. I can't think of anything finer!

I've been knitting and studying all weekend!
knit on..........

What is she up to now?

Here I am....

I am staying here for the long weekend with friends. They live in this amazing house in Old Quebec City!

Even the never ending rain can't dampen the charm!

And while I travel, the sock maufacturing fest continues....

Knit on.

Stash bustin' big time!

Have you seen this yet?

Rachel John....EXTEREME KNITTING

Whoa - definitely the biggest stash busting maneuver I've ever seen!

Knit on................

Foot Fetish...

I'm freakng myself out with all the socks I've had on the go lately. You'd think I couldn't knit anything else!

These are finished:










And although this picture was taken only last week, these are the same as the green bamboo above and are now done too, pretty in pink:









There is a pair of Online socks finished sitting on my favorite chair waiting to be grafted and photoed, and another pair started to keep in my purse in case I am out and about and bored out of my skull! I think there is another pair waiting in a bag somewhere that needs grafting too.

I can't seem to pick up anything else. My chair is surrounded by WIP's but I keep finding another pair of socks in my hands.

Not sure what this says about me. I know for fact my feet are not cold. I have been barefoot since the beginning of June regardless of the crappy weather we've been having. It's principal with me: summer = no socks.

Knit on.......

Summer vacation....

A proper blog with pictures and all when we get back from the cottage. All is well and we are enjoying the summer all that it brings now that it is finally here.

The Americo cardi-wrap is in it's final stages, with only the sleeves to do - it will go to the cottage and I will hope that a few afternoons by the St. Lawrence will have it completed or nearly upon my return.

A few pairs of socks are done, and more on the needles, and a charity baby blanket is also in the final stages.

DD1 raced in the Ottawa Dragon Boat Races and did very well for a novice team. For it me it is truly incredible that she is well enough and strong enough to have participated in such a physically demanding sport a mere 16 months after her Hodgkin's diagnosis, and only 6 months after her last chemo. I'll post some pictures of the race and our amazing paddler when we get back from the cottage.

In the mean time, I wish you all a wonderful, sunny summer.

Stay well, and knit on!

Quiet time....

When I was a little girl, very elementary school aged, we spent the summers at our summer home in the Town of Erin (that home eventually became a permanent one).

With four small children underfoot during those long hot summer days, my mother, to save her sanity, instituted "Quiet Time". If you were of napping age, well, that is self-explanatory. Those in between napping age (at either end of the spectrum) were instructed to find something quiet and stationary to do for a minimum of one hour and leave my mother in peace.

Various acceptable activities included reading, hand sewingdolls clothes, playing very quietly in one of the numerous tree forts that occupied different sectors of our 65 acres, or just lying in the fields of tall wild grass inside the small clearings of the evergreen forest hand planted by my family, his family (including me) and friends who came to visit in the early years before the big house was built. In fact, day-dreaming the afternoons away while staring at the clouds and imagining what they looked like, was a very acceptable pastime on those long summer holidays.

And so it was one evening last week I found my self alone, sans the G-man and both DD's, unexpectedly for several hours, between work and a late supper. For 4 hours I blissfully knit and read on my front proch while the sun, so infrequent of late, streamed brigfhtly on the porch where I sat. At one point there was not a sound, no cars, no neighborhood children, no barking dogs, just the sound of little birds in my cedar hedge going about their daily business.

And so it was, as I sat on my porch and knit and knit and knit, that I recalled those "Quiet Times" of my childhood, and wished with all my might that I could go back and re-institute those mandatory periods of peace, those moments of day-dreaming freedom into everyday life. I think we would all be better off for it.

Knit on..........

Pina Colada anyone?....

What a crazy couple of weeks!!

In between coughing and sneezing and losing our voices DD1 and I went been back and forth (she drove almost every other day, poor lamb!) to Montreal to the McGill Fertility Clinic in a last ditch effort to salvage the G-man and I some future grandchildren! Collection day was the worst with both of us fainting after an obscene number of tries to get a IV line in (an unfortunate side effect of chemo has left DD1's viens scarred and all but useless), but the good nurses persevered and one very large Visa bill later (no OHIP does not cover this even for cancer patients - call your MP!) we have 5 grand champions on ice! Money well spent, I think! Your can't get any better grandparent guilt complex than your grandchildren owing you their very existence, now can you:))))

And so as we came to the end of the week, and the end of our colds, DD1 was as ready as she could be for her heamotologists' appointment to get the Bone Marrow Transplant underway. I should have known something was up when she made pina colada's for supper that night! Seems while she was been prepping for the big bang, her body was doing some covert manouvers of its own, and lo and behold her mass has shrunk a substantial amount all on its own!

To say we are all amazed would be an understatement! There were more than a few tears of relief over those yummy drinks, for sure! And the paper umbrella? The transplant has been postponed for at least three months as they take a watch and see approach!

Does it get any better? I think not!

Knit on......

Busy, sneezy and

Just popping in to tell you we're fine, but battling summer colds (at least I thought it was just a summer cold until the G-man informed me my symptoms are 5 out of 6 for N1H1 a.k.a. swine flu...great...just great....:(.

The cardi-wrap is growing, 25" now and ever so squishy and lovely! Just lovely!

Knit on....

Americo.....

The Americo Waffle Ridge cardi-wrap is on the needles!!

And the first few rows went something like this: knit 3 rows, tink back two rows, knit 3 rows, tink back 2 rows. What was up with this simple little waffle weave stitch?? My fingers had a complete breakdown, I tell you!! Finally after about the 6^th repeat, it is now under control and I’m getting about 2”-3" done each evening – with 60” more to go it will take forever if I don’t keep at it. Slow and steady wins the race, or so the tortoise says!

Still, I’m just loving the gorgeous coppered coloured Alpaca as it flows through my fingers – simply heaven, the quality speaks for itself. The other fabulous but sadly blogless Kate, from my TAFK group (which is on temporary hiatus) has started her Americo Tina vest, too and reports back the same heaven felt knitting sensations! Sometimes I just like to sit with it on my lap and pat it like a small pet!

Totally aside from nothing, will ya check out this crochet gone wild by artist Carol Hummel (google her and read her explanation for this piece under her portfolio section if you are interested in her explanation of creating a tree cosy!):

Really messes the eyes, don’t it??

Knit on….

Finally fini!

Holy mackeral that took a long time! And no wonder - check it out - I thought is would never end:

But I am pleased, the detail is lovely and it will be so nice to wrap myself in it, in all it's woolly goodness:









And now to cast on for the Americo Cardi Wrap!!!

Knit on......

What can I show for another month having ticked on by?
Not a heck of a lot apparently!

But I did find my mum a terrific new young dog to keep her company - this is Jordie! Very cute, if I do say so myself!

In knitting news I have resurrected a shawl using the gorgeous Aerquipa from Wool-Tyme purchased last year (I am so ashamed it has taken that long!) that was lounging about unfinished, and am down to the last 2 repeats. I WILL finish it this week!

And a pair of socks is off the needles and waiting to be grafted and photo-ed, and a new pair is on in the needles -
Mary Maxim Bamboo

A bit splity this yarn is and way, way too slippery for my favorite Knitpicks Nickel Plated double points, so I am breaking my steadfast dislike of bamboo needles (too hot in my hands) and will transfer the stitches over on the next round.

I do like how the colorway is shaping up, though, and the 75% bamboo and 25% nylon has a lovely cool feel to the knitted fabric and I am looking forward to wearing these babies over the summer.

So, I guess I have done a wee bit after all!
Knit on.....

One thrum at a time.....

I think I am finally recovering from my pre-holiday bloggers burn-out. Not that I was ever a prolific blogger to begin with. Not like that Susan anyway, who faithfully hits the keyboard every couple of days with her entertaining stories about dancing and school, and pictures of her incredible FO’s! I so admire her commitment to the blog! I was always glad to just get around to blogging at least once a week. By early last fall I was happy if I got an entry in once a month!
But somewhere around November of last year, it all become too much – the calendar was full, DD1’s chemo was coming to an end after a long eight months and her exhaustion and the long term effects were constant, and I just couldn’t focus on anything else except getting through each days. The holidays loomed, the transit strike sucked the life out of me – the 4:30am mornings had me falling into bed at 8:30pm, the freezing temperatures - which never excite me at the best of times - had me grumbling about extreme layers of clothing required just to survive, and more recently the news that DD1 will have to continue her extreme fight against Hodgkin’s just knocked me flat on my ass. My brain was foggy, my energy had flat-lined, and writing was out of the question.
But now I find I want to blog a bit again, just a few words, here and there. I’ve missed it, and you! I am taking it as a good sign.
So where am I at these days?
1. We’ve been on holiday – me, the G-man, DD1 & DD2, the whole dang family – Barbados was gorgeous, sunny, and the warmth seeped some life back into my body and mind.
2. The transit strike is finally over after 51 days, and the buses running, and although that means that work here in Transit Supply is ciaos, I can manage.
3. The weather here is fine – only one coat required, and no shovelling. I can do that.
4. And DD1 has re-ignited the flames of determination, and with a take-no-prisoners style, is teaching the family all about “Clean Eating” and “Clean Living” to help ready her body for the next stage of her treatment. It can only do us all good!
5. And, after numerous projects being cast on that have been laid aside for various reasons, most of which have nothing to do with the project but more to do with my fuddled brain, I have found a small knitting project that is actually pleasing me immensely. See here?:

Yup – thrummed mittens! I’ve never knit a pair before. With yarn from my stash, which makes me doubly happy! Cottage Craft worsted weight, from my trip a few summers back to St. Andrew’s, New Brunswick. The roving is Fleece Artist – now how could I resist the chance to pop up the thrums with those gorgeous colors! The pattern is from Yarn Forward, their own shop version.

They are for my Mum since she recently told me how she showed up for snow-shoeing at my sister’s farm wearing only a pair of Dad’s old woolly work socks on her hands – she couldn’t find her mitts!

My knitterly disbelief was enormous – how could I have let this happen? My very own mother did not have a pair of handmade woollen mittens? How could I have not made her a simple pair of mitts by this point in my knitting career? I was mortified enough to dive into my stash immediately and pull out some straights and drive over to Yarn Forward to procure some suitable roving!

I’m loving them, and so does everyone else in the house! I can see that thrummed mitts will be intermittently my future for a bit. That’s ok, I’m ready for a break from just toting around socks in my purse!

Knit on………….

I’ve been gone a long time, and I had thought that when I came back to my blogging world it would be with a renewed sense of purpose and energy. I thought that after we, and especially DD1, rested from slaying the dragon, I would be on such a high that the words here would practically write themselves. I though we would resume our easy days, and the enjoyable little diversions from the daily grind would resume, and life would go on. My simple knitting forays of the New Year would once again take center stage.

Call me cocky, foolish, over-confident, or naïve, whatever you will – I thought for sure DD1 had rigged the fight, with her as the undisputed victor. That the battle against Hodgkin’s would be over by Christmas and the New Year would find her standing inside the fight ring, raising her hands high and accepting the applause and accolades she so truly deserves for a battle well fought. I allowed myself to think it was over, she had won, and life goes on.

So when she came to us last week, barely one month post end of chemo, and asked us to stop watching TV and listen - this only two days after her follow-up PET scan - my heart tripped, my confidence cracked, and a week later my gut still feels like someone hit me. I was wrong. I was fooled. I feel tricked out of something that I thought was somehow rightfully ours, or rather hers, to have. I foolishly thought it was, well, a done deal. I thought we, she, had beaten the odds.

The problem is, her opponent didn’t play fair and stay down for the count of 10. Her opponent still stands, and has the gleam of a comeback clear in his eyes. He has refused to be beaten, and my certainty in the outcome of this fight is shaken to the core. I was certain, you see, because I have absolutely no doubt in the strength of my daughter. It has long been known that you don’t mess with her and walk away unscathed. Her ability to endure, overcome, persevere and continue knows no limits; her courage is, and always has been, beyond measure. I know this about her without question and I have always known it. She is, quite simply, a winner.

I am paralyzed in a way I never have been before. I feel thick headed and foggy and directionless. My words stick in my throat, and what comes out is not always what I really want to say. Mere thoughts make my eyes tear up. I watch the TV, read a book, listen to the radio, and something or someone brings me to tears. Where the first time through this fight I was able to quickly corral my emotions into action, this time I am having trouble. I am lost like I have never been. And as a parent, it is remarkably frightening. I can only begin to imagine how DD1 is feeling and yet she continues to show remarkable leadership and drive.

Yesterday evening I ventured out to a Guild meeting. I haven’t seen most of my knitter pals since well before Christmas. Understanding, as knitter-ly women are apt to do, they knew instinctively that all was not well and without a word the hugs began and went on and on and on. We huddled together, too many for the small table, and I relaxed in their comforting presence, drew refreshment from the rowdy laughter, and my mind gratefully accepted the welcome diversion they provided.

Today DD1 has undertaken to begin to change our eating habits to “clean” organic foods (see this magazine http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/minisite/ce_index.htm for ideas on how to do this). No easy task as we are slow old fools and set in our ways. Next up is a complete swap out of all non-organic household cleaners. It is all a bit over-whelming, and I am still stumbling out of the starting gate, but DD1 is off and running, her determination to effect major change for maximum health benefit now setting a new bar inside the family to reach. But she is right. She has no more time to waste. She cannot leave anything to chance as round 2 commences.

To kick start the need for rest and rejuvenation during this temporary eight week hiatus before DD1’s next match begins, the family is jetting to Barbados on Monday. One whole glorious week of sun and sand. No snow, no minus –20* plus wind chill, and no transit strike (yes- it is still on, day 42)!!We’ll make the most it. There is no more time to waste.

Now what should I knit while I’m vacationing? Here’s what I’ll have to work around: