Tis the season...

Hiya. I have been knitting "secret" Christmas gifts lately, so not much to show. In the spirit of the season, I did get a little somethin' for myself...

Do ya see it?

How about now?

Yay!!!

Now I have to figure out how to use it...

Knit Night!

Tuesday was the first Knit Night for my little group of knitters that I have spawned since living here in California. I'm so happy that they enjoy knitting enough to gather together and knit. We had a nice dinner and then we got out the sticks and string. I have a smallish couch... but we managed.

From left to right: Me, Sarah, Elaine, and Eugenia

During Knit Night, Eugenia worked on being loose, Elaine knit little yellow tubes, and Sarah finished her very first project! She knit her mom a scarf/blanket for Christmas out of Knitpicks Panache. It's such a warm cushy scarf! And you can wear it so many ways... :) Here Sarah models:

Traditional scarf mode.

Head envelope mode. This thing is seriously big.

Yay for knitting. :) Great job Sarah! I can't wait till next Knit Night.

P.S. I'll try to write up a simple pattern for the Vintage Cloche while I knit myself one. But who knows when that will be... I have some Christmas knitting that will take precedence.

Cutest hat ever?

I'm no good at keeping secrets. So how cute is this hat I made my sister for Christmas???

Vintage Cloche
Yarn: JoAnn's Sensations Dolcetto
Amount: 51grams
Needles: US7
Pattern: based on Witterings, but modified for gauge and details
Started: 2Dec06
Finished: 4Dec06

I love it so much that I'm going to make myself one ASAP. It was so quick and simple. I love when designs in my head just work effortlessly on my needles. Yay! :)

Holidays are awesome.

I had a great Thanksgiving holiday! I hope everyone else did as well. I flew to Allentown, PA to hang out with Eric and his family. It was practically perfect. Very relaxing and we did lots of fun things like shooting clay pigeons with shotguns, eating yummy pizza with good friends, wandering through the woods, wine tasting, a Gov't Mule concert, and brewing some beer.

But... I'm getting ahead of myself. First let's start with a picture of my protege student Elaine and the hat she knit for her brother! She finished it the night before we all scattered for Thanksgiving. I'm sure her bro loved it!

We were video chatting with Eric. Hi Eric!

Now for some pictures from the visit back East. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. I didn't knit much, but I did start a scarf. I also ate way too much deliciously good food...

In the light of the setting sun.

Cool lookin' lichen.

Malabrigo scarf from the Shifting Sands pattern. Only blue... Rippling Waters?

Picturesque views in the Penna countryside.

And just tonight I finished up a hat for Eric. It's warm and soft and it matches his socks!

Wow... my coffee table is cluttered.Topview.

Now it's time for bed... I'm still on East Coast time. *Yawn*

"time for a post baby"

When your boyfriend tells you that it's "time to post some knitting on your site baby!!!!!!" you know it's time.

First, I'd like to thank every one for the support that I have gotten in the past weeks. I would not have stayed sane if it weren't for all the wonderful people in my life. I love you all! I'm feeling pretty well these days. I still get sore and I really miss being able to just run around and do whatever physical thing I wanted. But I'm trying to be as happy as possible and hoping that the specialist has some good info for me next week.

Okey, now it's time for "some knitting." I have been knitting during this last month but not as much as you would guess. I started a sweater. It's the Urban Aran by Patons in their Street Smart booklet. I've already knit two sweaters from the booklet and I've had the yarn for this hibernating in my stash for some time. I'll be making it a cardigan like a lot of other bloggers. I also started some fingerless mittens adapted from the Pomotomous sock pattern like I've seen and coveted on other blogger's sites. I'm using Socks that Rock in Apple Valley Lane... I loooooove them. They are a nice break from the thick bulkiness of the sweater.

Pink Pomotomous and Mint Urban Aran (the colors are not so accurate here).

Also... I made a big order from Knitpicks. I've been wanting to try out a bunch of their yarn and their needles. When my mom came to help me out, she mentioned that she wanted some Alpaca Cloud to make a lace tunic. It was all the excuse I needed to make the order. Gloss, Alpaca Cloud, Panache, and Palette to make Norwegian Mittens. Yay for yarn!!! I also got two books: Knit Fix and Vintage Sock Knitting. And two needles: US0 and US1 circulars.

The booty.

Okey. Time for bed. :)

Sad.

Weeeeell. I have been away for awhile. It's been a rough two weeks. I was in the hospital for 12 days, suffering from a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) that ran the length of my left leg. I don't usually talk about things other than knitting here, but this has been the most traumatic thing I've ever been through in my life. I thought I was just having ovarian problems, but it turns out that it was WAY MORE SERIOUS. I am a very active, 23 year old, mostly perfectly healthy girl. I have never smoked anything in my life. I rarely drink. I should not have gotten a blood clot. My only risk factor is that I was on birth control, namely the NuvaRing. IF YOU ARE ON THE NUVARING, STOP RIGHT NOW. Or atleast, seriously reconsider your choice. It seemed like the perfect birth control for me. It cleared up my skin and regulated my very irregular cycle. I only had to worry about it twice a month. However, on their website it states,

"The risk of getting blood clots may be greater with the type of progestin in NuvaRing® than with some other progestins in certain low-dose birth control pills. It is unknown if the risk of blood clots is different with NuvaRing® use than with the use of certain birth control pills."

Apparently, even though they knew the ring may cause more blood clots, they did not perform the studies to see just how much higher the risk would be. My doctor did not tell me that the ring might have a higher risk than the pill. I was on Ortho-Tricyclene Lo for 7 years with no problems. I was on the NuvaRing for 5 months.

I now have 3 stents, 10" long in my iliac vein holding it open so that the blood will flow and not clot. During the 12 days I was in the hospital I had to undergo 6 operations where they put catheters through a shunt in the back of my leg to perform veinograms, angioplasty, bust up the clot with powerful (expensive) drugs, or install metal stents. I was in the intensive care unit for 2 days because there was a danger that I might bleed to death because the drugs were so strong. I was forced to keep my left leg perfectly straight while I was stuck flat on my back for 7 days because I had an 7" shunt in the popliteal vein behind my knee. They had to put two shunts in my vein because after the first time they thought they had fixed me, but the clot came back. It came back despite being on a heprin drip 24/7 into my leg becasue my vein was collapsing. I had every painkiller you can think of in the hospital and they were a godsend because I was in serious pain. Morphine was my best friend. Demoral, phentinol, vicodin, percocet... all of my good friends.

And now I am finally home. I am pretty weak from being in a hospital on bed rest for the majority of 12 days. I have good venous return in my left leg now, thanks to the stents. However, the stents run over the bend in my hip. The continual movement and flexing of the metal stent as I move my leg will eventually cause it to fail and kink. When this happens, my vein will be occluded and I will be plagued by a swollen, painful left leg for the remainder of my life. Stents cannot be removed. Your body internalizes them and grows epithelial cells over the mesh. The stent could fail in 2 weeks or 10 years. No one really knows because they don't usually used them in young people, and especially not over joints. I have to wear a support stocking on my left leg for who knows how long. I have to give myself a daily injection of a anti-coagulant in my tummy. I will eventually have to take a daily oral anti-coagulant for probably a year or so. I will never again go on hormonal therapy. I will always live with the fear of possibly having another DVT. Or worse... throwing a clot and having a Pulmonary Embolism (PE). Or even worse... a stroke.

My life has been forever altered. And I am sad.

See other people's stories here.

Finally!!!

Yay! My mom has finally sent me pictures of the shawl I made for her. It was a birthday present for her. I bought the yarn in Philly when she came to visit me on day and promised to knit her a shawl. The yarn is a lovely variegated green that is definitely her color. The pretty colors and the Lace Leaf pattern made a great combination.

If you look closely you can see Libby's tail (our chocolat lab) in the background...

Specs:
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM ( ???? & P426)
Amount: 225grams
Pattern: Leaf Lace Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark
Needles: US5(?)
Started: April 12th
Finished: August 16th

Close up of the purple scalloped tips of the shawl.

Doesn't the scarf compliment her new coat? And can you see Libby sniffing Shotze??

The sand in this pic is reminiscent of the color of her coat... Cool coincidence.

I really loved knitting this shawl for my mom. It turned out really nice and I'm happy that my mom likes it. Now she is all set for the winter cold. :)

Knitting away...

And now for some recent knitting; tonight I finished the knitting on the pink cabled bag. Now I have to figure out how to put it together with some cute bangle handles and some brown satin ribbon. Also, I have begun swatching for Forecast. Bring on the wool sweater knitting!

TWO!!!

I did it! I finished my first pair of socks. There is a whole pair of them. And they are super cool... er... warm. The first goal of Socktoberfest has been accomplished. :)

Specs:
Yarn: Trekking XXL Colour 69 Olive
Amount: 86grams
Pattern: based on Wendy's generic toe-up pattern with some ribbing thrown in for fun
Needles: US1
Started: August 1st-ish
Finished: October 13th

Too big for even my size 11 feets.

And I finished the wavy scarf! Two socks and two FOs. I feel so productive.

Specs:
Yarn: Elizabeth Lavold Silky Wool (#012 & #008) and Silky Tweed (#02)
Amount: 141grams
Pattern: based on the Misty Garden Scarf from Scarf Style
Needles: US6
Started: September 18th-ish
Finished: October 13th

I really like how this scarf turned out. To tell the truth, I usually think the feather and fan stitch looks very inelegant, but it looks great in these colors and the finer gauge yarn. Very delicate and pretty, but it will still keep the neck warm. Yay!

Now I feel like I can start something new. What shall I choose?? I think I'm going to fix the toe of my Jaywalker first. Then I'm going to start an new sock to get another pair on it's way. And then I'm going to start a sweater. A wool sweater. Because I have a good stash of lovely wool and I'm thinking that the wool sweater knitting season here in SoCal is pretty freakin' short. But then again... there is the lovely chocolate Kidsilk Haze that is call my name ever so sweetly... Decisions... decisions... but what fun decisions to contemplate!

Let's talk about socks, baby...

I have a problem knitting socks. Exhibit A:

One is the loneliest number.

I have never once completed a pair of socks. I have knit plenty of single socks. I have started single socks and never finished the poor sock.

I am not a good sock knitter.

However, I am trying to change. The first thing is to admit you have a problem... Well. I've admitted it. I understand it. I am too often seduced by other pretty yarns and pretty projects. I get bored with the fact that I have to knit a second sock in the same yarn.

I have taken several actions to change this behavior. Exhibit B:

Socktoberfest 2006!

October is going to be about socks for me. Not just socks, but I'm going to make an effort to pull myself out of the depths of Second Sock Syndrome hell. I am going to finish the Mountain Man Socks and claim a victory as the first pair of socks I have completed. The second sock has already been started and is well on it's way to the heel (See Exhibit A). I am going to fix the toe of my Jaywalkers because I love the yarn and the sock and the pattern. But I do not love the toe. I am going to start a second sock to pair one of the multiple single socks that I posses (either the Bruise Sock or the Summer Sock). And finally, if I finish another pair of socks (beyond the MMS), I will maybe allow myself to start another pair of socks... just to keep it interesting.

P.S. I'm also thinking about picking up a KnitPicks circular needle to see if I would be more satisfied knitting two socks at once. Or even just to try knitting a sock using the magic loop method... I've only used dpns up to this point... No pun intended. :)

Quickly.

I have been knitting pretty much every night this week and I'll have plenty of time to knit this weekend. I have been working on a couple different things, including the pink cabled bag, and Eric's socks, but I also started something new.

Wavy gravy dude.

This is a Wavy Scarf using the feather and fan stitch made from Silky Wool and Silky Tweed. I love these yarns and I think the colors are awesome. It's for someone else though... a birthday/Christmas gift, I think. Fun! ♥

Giraffe Sweater!

Presenting the Giraffe Baby Sweater.

Specs:
Yarn: Cotton Fleece (Nymph, Wild Sage, Teddy Bear)
Pattern: Template from The Sweater Workshop book
Needles: US7

I'm sending off to Taylor tomorrow. I really hope it fits a 4mo old person... it's pretty big for Mr. Bunny, so that's a good sign. :) I'm really happy how this turned out. It's pretty cute! I like the dangly giraffe legs... haha. ♥

Oh such fun!

I finished the baby sweater!!! Better pictures will be taken tomorrow morning.

Snaps are not that easy to install...

I even sewed in one of my brand-spankin'-new tags! Fresh in the mail today. I LOVE THEM.

Brown and blue... Lovely.

I have started the second MM Sock. Yippee!!!

No SSS here... nosiree.

In other crafty news, I took a watercolor workshop at a local adult learning center. We learned how to paint rocks. It has inspired me to paint more... and buy quality water colors...

Rocks... and some trees.

Finally, designing things from scratch is difficult and involves much ripping and knitting, ripping and knitting. Oy.

It was a nice first attempt and into the frog pond it goes...

Time for bed! ♥

Hi!

Hello. I have been away. Eric and I went on vacation to the Northwest. We attended a beautiful wedding and then drove and hiked our way around Oregon and Washington state for a week. We visited Olympic National Park, Mt. Rainer National Park, and Mt. St. Helen's National Monument. It was glorious. We drove 1100miles. We hiked 30miles. We were raided by sneaky raccoons, visited by Bigfoot, kept company with docile deer, snacked on by mosquitoes, slept to the lullaby of sea lions, and viewed an elk herd from a distance. We saw massive glaciers, tiny wildflowers, and pesky chickarees. I grew a blister on my pinkie toe that was as big as my pinkie toe. We were surprised by a waddling marmot as we filtered water from a glacier stream. ( I think he was just as surprised as we were). We (or Eric did) cooked steak on a tiny backpack stove and then made a side of Easy Mac and sugar snap peas in the same pot. We saw the moon rise at Moose Lake over the ridge of the mountain. I could go on forever. It was awesome to be with Eric. Pictures will soon follow, but there are ~900 of them to sort through so be patient. They are so worth the wait...

Ok, now an update on knitting. I was sick today (an after effect of drinking filtered wilderness water??? I hope NOT!!!) so I finished the first Mountain Man sock and the Giraffe Baby Sweater. I finished knitting the Mountain Man sock just as we touched down in Portland on September 1st. I made Eric try it on and it fits great! Too bad I forgot to take a picture of that. Ooops. I re-did the bind-off this morning so that it was a tubular bind-off... I like the "finished" look it gives the sock. I also finished the first fingerless mitt that I am making with the purple felted tweed. I still have to weave it the ends.

See?

I completed the knitting on the baby sweater before I left for vacation. But there was a ton of finishing to do. Dozens of ends to be woven in, Swiss darning, French knots, i-cord legs... and I still have to install the snaps!!! It's an open raglan design to make it easier to get over a baby head so there will be snaps down the right raglan seam. I'll take a final FO pic once it dries and I get the snaps on. Then it's off to Taylor! I really hope it fits him...

So many ends for such a small sweater.

Hello Giraffe.

So there we go. I'm going to cast-on for the second MM sock tonight. I must try to avoid the dreaded SSS (Second Sock Syndrome) that has captured me in every other sock making attempt I have made.

Also, I received a shipment of yarn today from Webs. Yay! You can never have enough yarn... I have passed the bug onto Elaine; she has begun building her stash too!!!

Yarn for me. Bershire Bulky, Silky Tweed, and Malbrigo.

Yarn for Elaine.

Elaine and I are going to attempt to knock-off a cute cabled bangle bag that she saw in a fashion magazine... like these. I'm also beginning to ponder hand knit Christmas gifts. Hmmm... must make a list of worthy recipients. Ha. ♥

Wanna start somethin'?

Ahhh! I have startitis!!! Look over to the right. I only have TWO (2!?!) things on the needles... I want to start something new and grand and exciting right now!!! But I really should finish the baby sweater...

Whose idea was it to do stripes and intarsia??? All those ends to weave in.... ugh.

At least the baby sweater is all in one piece now and, more importantly, on one needle. Also, if I have any hope of finishing the Mountain Man Socks by September 1st I have to knit them every waking moment of the day until then. Uh oh.

Oh! and here is a picture of the Dream Swatch on my head.

Pretty turquoise head band. I think the people at the grocery store liked it. Personally, I think it went well with my PJs...

But what is that purple loveliness in the photo with me? It's my "teaching aid." I'm knitting fingerless mitts/wrist warmers with Elaine as her first project. I'm using Rowan Felted Tweed and I love the color!!!

So I guess I did start something new...

But I want to knit lace... must... resist... or a nice cozy sweater... the weather is getting a little cooler. Eeeeek!!! ♥

We have a heel!

So I have turned the heel on the first Mountain Man Sock. It turns out to be 10.5" long... Perfect! It's actually pretty cozy on my foot thanks to the ribs. Now I have to decide whether to continue the ribbing around the whole upper part of the sock or just continue the ribbing up the front... What do you think Eric?

My foot does not do the Mountain Man Sock justice. :) It needs a true Mountain Man.

I also finished the Dream Swatch. Woot! It's blocking now and I'm excited to use it as a head band... I'll put pictures of it in action here, once it's done drying.

Turquoise bamboo snake.

Giving it a good blocking... stretch!

Also... I have a new knitting buddy!!! Guess who I taught to knit. Elaine! It's contagious, I tell ya. We are going to make wrist warmer/fingerless mitts for her first project... I'm sure I'll have more details on that as they develop.

Elaine is a natural! She picked it up super quick.

Finally. I took some pictures this weekend of fun things: a trip to the Hollywood Bowl, baking citrus cookies with Elaine, and other random things. They are over to the right on the side bar... click the Flikr thing! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. ♥

Sneak peeks.

So Kaylee left yesterday night on the redeye back to Pittsburgh... I'm sad she's not here. It was great to have company. She even cleaned my apartment!!! Can you believe that? Thanks sista! You can visit anytime!

I have been knitting and the Mountain Man sock is growing. Although it fits the length of my foot, it still has a way to go before the heel turn. Why do guys have such big feet?? I'm still loving the subtle color changes of Trekking XXL. Fun.

Socks! For the man. Haha.

And just a little sneak peek... I finished something tonight... See all the ends I had to weave in? :)

I'm pretty sure my mom is going to like this one.

Have a good night sleep everyone! I know I will. ♥