Month: May 2011

Knitting

The one where her self control

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was tested, but she was able to hang on until it was officially WIP Wednesday.  Here’s my WIP Wednesday project, Knitty’s Slippery Socks.  I’m seriously in love with this yarn, surprisingly.  I lean toward blues and violets, so loving this particular orange/red/yellow colorway is a departure for me.  Could the knitting fairies be trying to tell me something?  Maybe something along the line of “Girl, everything you knit is the same (almost) color,  you seriously need to branch out!”

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I shall tell you a great secret my friend.  Do not wait for the last judgment, it takes place every day.  Albert Camus (1913-1960)

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Knitting

The one where she’s poised

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to buy an absolutely gorgeous yarn bowl on Etsy.  I’d never really thought about actually using one until I went on my winding binge a week or so ago and had yarn rolling all around the kitchen when it escaped the paper sack I had it in to prevent exactly what it insisted on doing, rolling all around the kitchen.  So, I hit Etsy and went yarn bowl shopping.  Here’s the result –

Sage and Yellow Yarn Bowl

The Etsy shop is CommonThreadsinCraft and I have a feeling that a long and happy relationship is in the future.  OK, a little self control here is needed; I need a minute to compose myself.  There, much better.

I have a WIP that’s burning a hole in my knitting bag but I’m trying to hold off until the official WIP Wednesday.  Must. Be. Strong.

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.  Frank Capra (1897-1991)

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Knitting

The one where we decide

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what kind of treatment my father is going to undergo for his lung cancer.  We met with a radiation oncologist this morning, she recommended a course of radiation, then reexamination and further treatment if needed.  One thing at a time, one day at a time.  It’s to be started May 23, a week from today.  As someone who thrives on taking action, I think it will feel good just to start carrying out a treatment plan.

I’m definitely going to start the Slippery Socks from Knitty.  It’s written for dpns but I think I’ll try it on magic loop.  ML has really got me spoiled, it’s just easier for me to handle a long circ than to wrangle 5 dpns.  Here’s the link:

http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTslippery.html

Here’s the intended yarn –

Jitterbug Ruby Saffron 100% superwash merino

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.  Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)

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Knitting

The one where the Papoose

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has her first birthday.  That’s right, as of today, Susannah is one year old.  Mr. Iknead and I missed her party because of other family issues, which was hard for us, but sometimes things like that happen.  My father has an appointment in the morning with a radiation oncologist, that’s why we missed the festivities and it’s difficult to have to assign priorities, but sometimes it’s a necessity.  Hopefully, radiation treatment is an option, since surgery is out of the question, but if it isn’t, well I guess we’ll have to suck it up and move on to the next thing regarding his lung cancer.  Trying to stay positive here.

The En Point Pullover continues to move along, but not as quickly as I would like.  I think I have too many projects on the needles at the moment and none of them really get the attention they need to become FOs.  I’ve had my eye on Knitty’s Slippery Socks but have been able to stave off actually starting another project until I get one of my current problems off the needles and into the Legendary Land of the FOs.

I just looked at the clock and it’s past time for me to settle down for the night; I’m having a challenge getting a picture of a project I’m lusting after  posted and my frustration tolerance is at a low ebb.  Maybe I’ll have better luck tomorrow.

Here’s the obligatory blog photo.  She looks very concerned, doesn’t she?

Writing is a struggle against silence.  Carlos Fuentes (b. 1928)

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Knitting

The one where home really is

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where the heart is.  It’s where I know all the quirks, which door sticks and which door will never stay closed, where to find the corkscrew even though I don’t drink and knowing exactly how many potato peelings it takes to stop up my disposal.  I can remember every detail, where I was sitting, whether or not the TV was on and what I was snacking on when DD and DSIL called to tell us we were going to be grandparents and what was going on when DS told us he was going to propose to (now) DDIL.  I remember sadder things too, what we were doing when we got word that my DSIL had been in an accident and was in the hospital, the last time that Cheyenne, our sweet weimaraner, climbed down off the couch and what was happening when I noticed that my parents had gotten old.  I’ve been away from home most of the last couple of weeks, but I’m home now and really do feel wrapped up nice and tight, the way I think a newborn feels when it’s swaddled, fed, warm and secure.  I’m happy to be home, can you tell?

For my FO Friday, a less than perfect pic, but here’s the Brittany Jumper in all it’s glory.  I’ll post again when I get a photo of the Papoose wearing it.

Cute buttons, don’t you think?

Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.  James Thurber (1894-1961)

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Knitting
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Sock project isn’t exactly lighting up the dials. So far, my socks don’t look anything like the picture. Hoping that when I get a few rounds done it’ll look more like I think it should look.

I’m becoming an expert at posting with my iPhone. I know I can post pictures too but I don’t know how yet. I just haven’t had time to work on learning it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back in the computer groove soon.
He who hurries cannot walk with dignity. Chinese proverb

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Knitting

The one where she doesn’t care

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how odd sock toes look when they’re just started.  I need a WIP Wednesday project and this pair of toes is it.  I’ve felt more than a little down today, thinking about what’s going on with my family, Mom and Dad specifically.  It hit me suddenly at Target when I thought looking for a birthday card for the Papoose for her first birthday was a good idea.  So, I was looking at cards and it suddenly dawned on me that Mr. Iknead and I were going to miss her first birthday party because my father was diagnosed last week with lung cancer, pretty advanced we’re told, and I have to make yet another trip to DeQueen to pick him up to bring back to Little Rock (this will be my fourth trip in a week and a half) for an appointment with a radiation oncologist.  Put that on top of Mom’s dementia and her being in a nursing home, I suddenly felt piled upon and had to fight back tears, it’s so hard to have to make a choice between my grandchild and my father.  And I’m fighting tears again.  So, sock toes it is, with a little Josie Pug thrown in.

The difference between life and the movies is that a script has to make sense and life doesn’t.  Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909-1993)

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Knitting

The one where we learn

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that surgery is not an option for Dad’s lung cancer.  We met with the surgeon this morning, who, after looking at Dad’s scans, pulmonary function tests and examining him, told us that with the number and size of the tumors, along with disease encasing his aorta and probable invasion of the chest wall itself, surgery is just not a viable choice.  So, what we’re left with is his strong recommendation that Dad undergo radiation treatment and possibly chemo.  I work at a radiation treatment center, so we should be able to get in for a consultation and get treatment started pretty quickly.  That’s at the head of my to do list for tomorrow.  Our spirits are good, obviously not wonderful, but not horrible either.  So, that’s the situation for the moment.

One happy thing about today, we were able to get in to have a PET scan without having to make another appointment, necessitating yet another trip to Texarkana.  We ended up spending about 5 hours altogether at the imaging center, by the time our appointment came around and then three hours for the scan, I got a respectable start on my newest sock project.  No pictures today, sock toes always look weird to me anyway.  Tomorrow.

I’ve about half decided to go ahead and start another blog, but I may feel completely different tomorrow.  We’ll see.

Love in its essence is spiritual fire.  Emanuel Swedenborg  (1688-1772), Swedish scientist, religious teacher and mystic

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Knitting

The one where she thinks she’s

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wound about ten miles (at least) of yarn over the past two days.  Actually, I had a couple of skeins that were missing in action and in searching for them I became reacquainted with a lot of my stash.  So, I got out my handy dandy ball winder and swift and wound and wound and wound.  You get the picture.  I had several oh my goodness look at this moments, a lot of them really but on the other hand, I had more than a couple of oh my gosh, what was I thinking moments.  Especially regarding about eight skeins of Cashmerino in about eight different shades of green.  Who knew there were so many shades of avocado?  Yuck.

The Brittany Jumper is blocking.  YAY!   I love the feel of the cotton yarn, which gets softer and softer the more it’s touched but, on the downside, it takes ages to dry, even after running it through the spin cycle a couple of times.  I’ve got it under a fan and that speeds things up a bit, but it’s still slow.  Take a look, please.

Besides being a yarn windfest, it was also a bakefest.  I made a Cream Cheese Blueberry Coffee Cake, a tried and true favorite and also tried something new, a Whole Wheat Fresh Apple Ring.  I learned something new with the apple cake.  It’s nearly impossible for me to shred fresh apple.  It has too much juice or something.  I’m sure some baking whiz can do it with one hand tied behind them, but in my world, it ain’t happening.  I finally just chopped the apple really fine and called it good, and it was.

A Daddy Update:  I’m driving to DeQueen tomorrow after work, he has an appointment at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday with a surgeon, I’m guessing to discuss whether or not surgery is an option.  I’m anxious to hear what he has to say.  I’ll be glad to get this trip and appointment behind us.  This will be the third trip down there since last Sunday.

Still haven’t decided about a new blog, on one hand I enjoy putting my thoughts down on paper (yes, I’m aware that there isn’t paper involved in this blog, but old habits die hard).  On the other hand, lately it’s been very difficult to make time just for this one.  Do I really want to add another?  Could the three kind people who actually read this blog please weigh in?  What do you think?

We are shaped by our thoughts.  We become what we think.  Buddha (563 B.C.-483 B.C.)

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Knitting

The one where she is getting used

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to taking on a sort of parental role with my parents.  I have to say, the whole situation feels really odd, making the switch from child to parent, taking on the role of caregiver for my mother and father.  I have noticed that they defer to me to take charge.  It just feels odd, but I expect it will become more comfortable with practice.

Here is a pic that I especially like and that I want to share –

Go to fullsize image For some reason I am captivated by angel wings.  I love the soft colors of these.

An optimist is the human personification of spring.  Susan J. Bissonette

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Knitting

The one where she learns

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that her father has lung cancer.  I had a bad feeling about this last week when his doctor asked me to call and discuss the findings on a CT scan done then.  I work in a cancer treatment center, so I knew that most likely he was facing a diagnosis of cancer.  With my mother in a nursing home with dementia, this is doubly hard to deal with.  Our next step is to meet with a surgeon and start exploring treatment options.  His diagnosis is squamous cell carcinoma, left lower lobe, lung, moderately differentiated.  Not a great prognosis, but not hopeless either.  One day at a time.

I’m thinking about starting another blog with my dad’s diagnosis and the journey that my family are about to start.  If it happens, chances are that it will be updated once or twice a week, depending upon what’s happening.  My only reservation is that I tend to be a tad obsessive and usually run myself ragged trying to live up to my (impossible) demands.  You know, this could be a way to practice being kind and caring to myself, learning that sometimes “good enough sometimes is good enough”.  This is sounding better and better.  I can always shut it down if it gets overwhelming.  But, this really doesn’t mesh with my never say die, strong-willed, I can do it all personality.  They say old dogs can learn new tricks.  I think I’ll sleep on it.

OK, now I know I’ve got too much on my plate.  Again I notice that I did a blog post last week but neglected to publish it.  Maybe another blog right now isn’t such a good idea.  I’ll still sleep on it.

I’ve no new pics to post, but this never fails to make me smile –

Gotta love the sweater.

A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good company.  Charles Evans Hughes (1862-1948)

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Knitting

The one where I decide to share

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a couple of things other than the warm fuzzies I usually talk about.  In a nutshell, my mother has been in a nursing home for the last year due to vascular dementia and all it’s ugly effects.  My father spends all day, every day by her side in the NH, despite strong suggestions by his doctors, that he start taking better care of himself, eating more (he’s skin and bones) and getting more rest and relaxation.  He’s 82 by the way, has a pacemaker and is very arthritic, has a difficult time standing or walking for any length of time.  He and my mom live way down in southwest Arkansas, about three hours away from Little Rock and he has refused to even consider relocating closer to me and Mr. Iknead.  On top of that, I’m an only child, so I don’t have a sibling safety net.

To make a long story short, my dad went to his family doctor last Tuesday to follow up on the chronic problems he has, mainly a pacemaker check and bloodwork for the heart medications he takes.  She did a CT scan to check out his lungs and found that he has three separate masses in his left lung, along with a left adrenal gland mass.  He has a biopsy scheduled for Monday morning, which is day after tomorrow, to find out whether or not he has cancer.  I spoke with his dr Tuesday morning and she pretty much told me that these are more likely than not malignant and that it’s spread to at least his adrenal gland.  We’ll know for certain one way or another after the biopsy.  Mr. Iknead and I are going down there tomorrow afternoon and honestly, I expect that I’ll be down there for at least three days, while he recovers and we get a clear answer on what to do next.  We’re hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.  Thank heavens Mom is in the NH, that’s one thing I don’t have to worry about.

On a more upbeat note, the Brittany Jumper is, ta-da, finished, right down to weaving in the ends.  I’m going to block it tomorrow and hopefully will get a photo to post.  Did I mention that the Papoose is the most wonderful baby on the plant?  No, I didn’t think so.  Here’s a peek at the light of my life –

It’s impossible not to smile along with her!

Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force.  The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward.  When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.  Dr. Karl Augustus Menninger  1893-1900

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