If It Weren't For Bad Luck

Somehow, I think no luck is better than bad luck. Sad how many links come up on a Google search with most them bloggers using that as a title. Don't know if it's sad that many have bad luck or that many watched Hee Haw growing up. Frankly, I'm used it by now. There's just those years, in my life, when so many strange things go wrong, I have a constant raised eyebrow watching for just what strange set of occurrences will happen next.

I blew any chances at NaBloPoMo last week I posted. Duane had four straight days off and two of them he totally hogged the computer. That Friday, I had lots planned, he he, yeah right. That Thursday, DD comes in with her DD and says we have her until Sunday. Well, that blew all my plans. DD (one not standing for dear) doesn't watch DGD at all. It's all left up to me. When I tried to lye down and rest on Friday, asking DD to please keep an eye on her DD. Nope. I had DGD in bed with me. I told the little one she had to lay down if she was going to stay with me. She then took the tv remote and smacked me right in the eye.

The kids (her father as well) just don't understand that when they constantly smack her every time she does something they don't like, it teaches her to hit as well. I wasn't able to see out of my left eye for a couple days, with a pounding ache in it as well. Cleared up by Monday, or I would have went to the Dr.

Wednesday, I was finally somewhat better and cleaned the kitchen, dining and living room for company the next day. That would have normally taken several days to do, so saying I way over did it is an understatement. Joint and sciatic pain to the extreme.

When I was in my twenties, I had a pastor that just turned 40 and just started jogging. I asked him later if he was stiff and sore the next day. He told me it was a funny thing once you turn 40, it doesn't hit til the second day and wowee when it did. Takes a couple extra days to recoup as well. Now, that I turned 40 this year, I know exactly what he was talking about, only I'm not nearly as good health as he was.

Besides the sciatica from a displaced sacral illiac joint, I have joint disease where my immune system attacks my joints, left over from an infection that wasn't diagnosed properly for months. Bursitis in my left shoulder, an old nursing school injury that flares up with an extended use. I popped it in an out of place a couple weeks ago, trying to reposition myself on the bed. Pressed down with my left hand to push myself over and instead my shoulder popped so loud Duane heard it. The cute thing is, when I yelped in pain, all five cats came running onto the bed. They stayed for quite awhile to make sure I was ok, and seemed like they wanted to do something to help, with the looks of concern on their little faces. That really aggravated my bursitis, and pinched a nerve as well. I have pain shooting down my arm to my hand on occasion, and drop anything I might be holding. It will heal in time, if I can manage to rest it for awhile. I guess I'm just a mess.

DGD was back again for Thanksgiving. Her father dumped her off two hours earlier than pre-arranged. We love having her here. Just wish DD would watch her better. DD finally signed her enlistment papers and gets shipped off on January 10th. It's a shame a child could actually make a parent look forward to their enlistment date. Well, not looking forward to going into to the Army, just the leaving part.

Of course, there are other small strange occurances that happen on a frequent basis as well. Like the mailman not coming by at all one random day a week, besides the usual Sunday and holidays. Or getting some elses mail, or their getting ours and keeping it for several weeks, you know time sensitive stuff. Like please pay up by such and such a day or we'll shut you off, and you get it the next or several days later. Would have paid it the first time, but never got the original bill. Also, there is the never ending travels of objects and papers growing legs and wandering about, never where you last put them. It's just a never ending barrel of entertainment.

We won't talk about my friend bringing by my six year old grandson for a visit. I hadn't seen him for 2 and half years. Let's just leave it at that I'm still trying to untangle my spinning wheel. Makes the 2 year old DGD a total angel.

Not much knitting to report, of course. I have been knitting a little on this and that on days I'm trying to recuperate. Actually, thinking about pulling out some old cross stitch projects. That way I can keep my left hand still and rest my shoulder. I did get some auctions listed on ebay this past Friday. Well, I still have some dishes leftover from Thanksgiving, that I should be getting to. Duane would help, but they've working him like a dog at the restaurant since Friday. I guess DD is trying to help me rest by osmosis, with sitting around knitting the past couple days.

It's been an interesting couple weeks, I'm looking forward to a little boredom soon, or maybe some positive entertainment will be nice change of pace. Will be back soon, with your reguraly scheduled needlework picture intensive post.

Help Me, I'm In Finishing Mode

So far, in the past few months I've finished two shawls, a pair of socks, a pair footies, a hat and now Granddaughter's sweater is finished in time for her second birthday this weekend.

Duane agrees that is quite an accomplishment for me and that I deserve some new yarn. Of course, he would say that when finances aren't quite up to a purchase. There are about four maybe six more projects that are half to three quarters done, that I could probably get finished up in a few days to a week each. I've been trying to straighten up around here slowly, looking for a ton of missing paperwork and what not from those six weeks I was less than conscious.

This was my first sweater pattern I ever knit, a basic top down raglan pattern, made for my daughter while I was pregnant for her. Was only fitting that would be the first sweater I knit for her daughter. The first one was knit in Jamie Baby yarn, the only yarn I could afford at the time.

It seemed to grow with her, knit at six month size, she was still wearing it at age three.

This is knit with two skeins Mandarin Petite, I bought from a lady on ebay. I finished the sleeves first, the finished the body until I ran out of yarn. I'm hoping it will be long enough. It's cotton, so the length should stretch a bit with blocking.

Rainy Days and Mondays

How many immediately thought of the song when reading that title? If so, I'm guessing you're 36 or older. The weather has been dreary yucky here for days, and doesn't look like the sun is going to find it's way to Rochester, any time soon. It's enough to drive a girl crazy, resisting the urge to hide under the covers for a long winters nap.

I've been in quite a finishing mode as of lately. Which is so not the norm for me. On Friday on finished my footies.

Then yesterday, my best friend called, her mother has lung cancer and is going through chemo. I found I had an extra ball of the Knit Picks Ambrosia, so I whipped up this hat for her. It's the Lace Edged Woman's Hat from Headhuggers, size US 6 needles in the medium size and that's how much I had left over from the 110 yard skein.

Tomorrow, I'll have pictures of my granddaughter's sweater that almost finished. Her birthday is Sunday, so there is quite an incentive to get it finished.

Peacock Feathers Shawl

This weekend hasn't been nice to me, but, oh well, I'm used it by now. I did force myself to block my Peacock Feathers Shawl. Now, it is folded up nicely in my dresser drawer.

The basics, I knitted this using 2/20 silk, that I hand dyed myself. The colors I used were purple, violet, royal blue, blue, teal, emerald green, teal and turquoise, and plan to add this lace weight silk to our online store. After reading other bloggers posts about how big theirs turned out, I used a size US 5 knitting needle. This took just a little over a month to knit, even with occasionally rotating other projects.

Call me crazy, but I did not use stitch markers, except for the middle stitches or life lines, everything went smooth throughout. Considering this was knit during the summer, when everything else was going wrong, the knitting gods must have had mercy on me. (click for bigger)

This shawl is for sale. If interested,please e-mail me to negotiate a price.

These pictures aren't that great. I really should have used a white background. There is a large piece of white muslin floating around here somewhere. I'll look for it later and take better pictures.