Time to catch up.

I've been a bad blogger. I'd like to promise I'll be better, but nah....not happening.

Here's what did happen:

I finished another Mindy Ross pattern, Giggle with a Jiggle.

It was great fun to knit. Right up to the last section (green) when finally, and unexpectedly, I had enough, and just busted through it. This was also knit in the lovely Shibui linen. This is a photo that is unblocked. I gave it a good soaking and hard blocking and the eyelets opened up even more. I used lime/copper lined triangle beads, nearly 100 grams of the buggers, and I really love it. I'll probably wear it rather soon, even though the weather here is quite cold.

I also took some time to do some beading this past holiday. This is the first time I've used traditional beading techniques, since I busted up my shoulder in 2013. I found I missed it and ordered the supplies to work on a few more:













I bought the components for these back in November 2013, then was injured and unable to work them. I then injured my wrist 9 months later and that ended my beading career for the entirety of 2014.

Now, finally, I have the ability to get back to it and I'm trying to make up for lost time.

The Summer in Review....there may have been some knitting....

Let's start in late May. I went to Atlanta with two colleagues, and presented with one. The highlight however, was this:

This is a sea dragon from the Georgia Aquarium. What a fabulous place! Go. Just. GO. If you have the opportunity.

June, found me finishing Dangling Conversation (info in a previous post) by Mindy Ross done in a wonderful Shibui linen yarn. You may have seen this earlier.

June also found me on a crocheted beaded bangle kick. I was getting ready for a class that was ultimately cancelled. But I couldn't stop making bracelets.

See what I mean? I Simply couldn't stop. These are 6/0 beads, and tatting thread. The lamp work bead was purchased years ago in a bead store in Mountain View California.

I have been working on Showoff Stranded Socks for a Christmas gift. For some reason I had trouble with the pattern, even though it isn't that complicated. Just one of those things I guess. It has a different gusset than I've used before, and I think I like it.....if only I could get it right.

The yarn is Cascade in Heritage Paint Colors.
I don't know why it is so dark but I'll post a better photo when the pair is finished.

 Finally this.
They are building a 12 story building RIGHT NEXT DOOR. My view is being destroyed. The only people happy about this are the construction workers, and the tax collectors. The rest of us are totally depressed. My view of the Old Main Bell Tower is very nearly gone already. This is progress?

Never, Ever Forget....

.... this is my Pearl Harbor.

In case you need a reminder, here's the newly dedicated Flight 93 Memorial,

And a victim who escaped:

Tilly's Story

Even 15 years later, I remember the day - especially how blue the sky was. Today, there are too many fluffy white clouds in the sky to mimic that day. It was solid stunning blue.

Our lives changes irreparably after this day, and continue to evolve, and not in a good way. Our children have no idea how different their lives would be if this event had not occurred.

Never forget.  

And there's more....

......I am not LYS monogamous. Sorry about that Cynthia.  

I get regular emails from a lovely LYS near my mom called Gosh Yarn It. They will occasionally send emails describing new yarns and projects. They are totally inspiring to me. Last time I visited, I had just received a link to the following blog posting:

New Yarns

Take a look at their version of Dangling Conversion.

I went immediately and purchased the Shibui Linen, in caffeine and "a color I can't remember" and made this!

It is light and airy and lovely. It was an easy knit, and would be great gift knitting. This version does not have the beads described in the original pattern. I don't think beads add to the design. (And for me to say that, is something.) The only advice I could give is that if you are using two colors, use the color you prefer to cast on. I would have wanted the orangey color to be more of the piece. But I couldn't tell which was which from the original pattern or the altered pattern.

Am I susceptible or what!

Bad, Bad Oyster

Another FO is a Bad Oyster that was finally for me. As always, I knit a shop sample for a class first, then I knit another and gifted it for Christmas. NOW at long last I have one for me, this one made from Wollmeise, blend. This is a delightful blend of wool, cashmere, and polyamide. It is soft, snuggly and the color Himbeere (which I have no idea what that means in German) is intense. And remarkably it hardly bled at all when I gave it a bath, to straighten out the fringe.




 I can highly recommend this pattern. If you just want low stress steeking, this is the pattern for you. I did make one change, and that is I added about an inch and a half of seed stitch at the top to eliminate the rolling (you can see the roll on the pattern photos on Ravelry). So mine isn't such a Bad Oyster after all - it has purls.I'm not a big fan of rolling, and the seed stitch put a stop to it. I can't wait until Fall to wear it....did I really just write that I can't wait until Fall? I must be crazy.

New Knitting At Last...

Throughout all the turmoil of the previous 5 months, I kept knitting...and knitting. Here's my THIRD, and probably last Color Affection. The first was for me, the second was a shop sample for my class, the third is a wild version that I really love. 

 

This is Rhichard Devrieze fingering weight yarn. The colors are pink, multi, and orange. They had really cutesy names, which I just simply cannot remember. It was really hard to get a clear photo of the colors. I tried with this closeup. I really loved knitting with this yarn. I can highly recommended.

Though the colors are electric, I can wear it with nearly anything. I really liked knitting it. But I think three is over my limit. There's more but tomorrow is another day.

Sorry I've been away...

Yikes, I can't wait until this year is over. Why you may ask?

Let me say, I lead a small life. I have a small group of friends here (mostly knitters). We don't have a large extended  family, which has decreased in size for reasons I will not get into. And none of our families live nearby. But that's OK. I'm fine with my small world.

How is it then that in my small world, I've lost 4 important people in 5 months. First my father-in-law in January, then my uncle, my Dad's last surviving brother, in February. Then his spouse, my aunt, 38 days later. The only thing that keeps this from being tragic, is because all of these folks were in their 90s. They had all lived good, long, productive lives and were deteriorating physically. It was just that we barely recovered from one death that another was on your heels. Exhausting.

Then the real tragedy, on the morning of May 12th at 7:30am, my cell phone rang. This is not a usual occurrence. Not many people have my cell phone number. I didn't recognize the phone number and nearly didn't answer. But I took a chance, and heard one of the owners of my LYS calling (at 7:30!!). She was calling to tell me that Kim, her partner in the store, had died the evening before. A tremendous chill ran down my spine. She was calling her teachers so they were not blindsided by the email she was preparing to send later in the day. Thank goodness she did.  Kim was only 43 years old. She had no known health issues. She was a dynamic artist, an author, and tremendous person. Her quilting designs were sublime. Everyone loved her. She, her partner, and another teacher were to meet for dinner at a local restaurant, Kim and the other teacher arrived first and Kim just collapsed. Two nurses were there having dinner and began resuscitation immediately. The EMTs were there within moments, to no avail. I'm still stunned, and sad. Her partner is forging ahead, and we're all trying to help in any way that we possibly can. The only thing it made me think, was to make the most of each and every day. You just never know.

Kim would want me to post something lovely. That's who she was. I'll keep the knitting for later.....for now, my contribution to the online art exhibit in her honor:

Happy Spring!

Seriously?

I'm going to jail!

Best 419 Nigerian Scam EVER! Notice "James"  is a "Regional Director" but is based in Washington DC, not in my region. Also notice that "Agent Williams" seems to have been absent from his college English classes more than was good for him. And poly sci too, did you know we have a 1991 constitution? I have a feeling James Madison is spinning in his grave.

I'll write you all from jail....

 Federal Bureau of Investigation
                                      Intelligence Field Unit J. Edgar Hoover Building
                                        935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C.


    URGENT ATTENTION BENEFICIARY


    WE SINCERELY APOLOGIZED FOR SENDING YOU THIS SENSITIVE INFORMATION VIA E-MAIL INSTEAD OF A CERTIFIED MAIL, POST-MAIL, PHONE OR FACE TO FACE CONVERSATION, IT IS DUE TO THE URGENCY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE SECURITY INFORMATION OF OUR CITIZENRY, I AM SPECIAL AGENT JAMES WILLIAMS FROM THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI) INTELLIGENCE UNIT, WE HAVE JUST INTERCEPTED AND CONFISCATED TWO (2) TRUNK BOX AT JFK AIRPORT IN NEW YORK, AND ARE ON THE VERGE OF MOVING IT TO OUR BUREAU HEAD QUARTERS.

    WE SCANNED THE SAID BOX, AND FOUND IT CONTAINS TOTAL SUM OF $4.1 MILLION AND ALSO BACKUP DOCUMENT WHICH BEARS YOUR NAME AS THE RECEIVER OF THE MONEY CONTAINED IN THE BOX, INVESTIGATIONS CARRIED OUT ON THE DIPLOMAT WHICH ACCOMPANIED THE BOX INTO UNITED STATES SAID HE WAS TO DELIVER THIS FUNDS TO YOUR RESIDENCE AS PAYMENT DUE YOU FROM THE OFFICE OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AS UNPAID BENEFICIARY.

    WE CROSS-CHECKED ALL LEGAL DOCUMENTATION IN THE BOX, AND WERE ABOUT TO RELEASE THE CONSIGNMENT TO THE DIPLOMAT WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT THE BOX WAS LACKING ONE VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT WHICH MAKES US CONFISCATE THE BOX.

    ACCORDING TO SECTION 229 SUBSECTION 31 OF THE 1991 CONSTITUTION IN MONEY LAUNDERING, YOUR CONSIGNMENT LACKS PROOF OF OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE FROM THE JOINT TEAM OF THE IRS AND HOMELAND SECURITY, REPLY FOR DIRECTION ON HOW TO PROCURE THIS CERTIFICATE WHICH WILL ENABLE YOU RELIEVED OF THE CHARGES OF MONEY LAUNDERING WHICH IS A PUNISHABLE OFFENSE UNDER SECTION 12 SUBSECTION 441 OF CONSTITUTION ON MONEY LAUNDERING.

    YOU ARE REQUIRED TO REPLY THIS LETTER WITHIN 72HOURS, OR YOU WILL BE ARRESTED, INTERROGATED AND PROSECUTED IN THE COURT OF LAW FOR MONEY LAUNDERING.

    ALSO, YOU MUST NOT CONTACT ANY OTHER BANK OR PERSON IN NIGERIA OR UNITED KINGDOM OR ANY PART OF THE WORLD FOR ANY PAYMENT, BECAUSE YOUR PAYMENT HAVE BEEN CONFISCATED BY THIS BUREAU HERE IN THE UNITED STATES..


    YOURS IN SERVICE
    AGENT JAMES WILLIAMS
    REGIONAL DIRECTOR

What a crazy ride.

So much has happened.

My DH retired at the end of the year with 25+ years of service to the PSU Veteran community. He never had time to get used to a different life and we lost his Dad. Dad was 94, but it was still unexpected. This was the man that I knit a new cap for every Christmas. He wore them constantly and he always had a supply. My sisters in law asked what they should do with the hats and I told them to donate them to a worthy charity. I'd like to know they are keeping someone, somewhere warm. So now the wrap up that accompanies this kind of death is what is occupying my DH. It is a tremendous amount of work.

Not three weeks later we lost my uncle. My Father's last surviving brother. It was really my last connection to my dad's family, and he was a big part of my childhood. It was a very great loss.

Both of these deaths required that we travel hundreds of miles in terrible weather and road conditions. Though we had a choice with my uncle, we, of course, did not with my father-in-law. Naturally, we are having the same horrible weather much of the east is having. Are you tired of hearing about it yet? I am. We're so weather weary, it is hard to describe.  I was looking at a woman in the elevator today, and she and I were both dressed in tired parkas, and boots that have seen too many days of muck and slush. We both looked like we'd been working in a barn. I think she was an attorney. And we're expecting more muck today. And because we live in "weather central" (Accuweather, home of the US National Weather Service, Penn State Meteorology) we know that the precipitation will start at exactly 11:15 am. How lucky are we? Sometimes I wonder if ignorance is truly bliss.

I continue to work to completely recover from my injuries of last year. It has been really slow going. But I CAN knit. I finished another Color Affection (photo pending), this one for me, and I'm now working on finishing a few UFOs, before I start a new project. Here is one of them. I call it Starry Night, but it is actually  Dainty Bess studded with crystal beads. I've hit the "black hole" of knitting. It is about 56 inches long (unblocked), but I'd like it to be about 70 (i.e., six feet). It is lace so it will need pretty aggressive blocking. I'm using one of my favorite yarns Madd Tosh Light in Graphite.

It seems I hit knitting black holes pretty frequently. Probably because I got so used to the fingerless mitts and the hats I knit for Christmas.

So I'm going to try and stay connected, now that, I think, the worst is over. I'd ask what else can happen, but I'm afraid I'll find out.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

It's been a long and crazy year. I was so despondent (and had trouble typing) with a broken right wrist, so soon after being discharged from therapy with my shoulder, that I couldn't imagine what I could possible say. Yet again, I had to suspend my knitting, but also I couldn't do anything that I needed my DOMINANT hand to do. Signing documents, typing, using a computer mouse, cutting food, everything became an exercise in frustration. The only upside was that after the first week or so, the pain was bearable, and unlike a shoulder, didn't keep me awake at night. So I wasn't loopy from lack of sleep on top of everything else.

So as soon as I was out of the cast and into a removable brace, I started knitting again...making up for lost time.

These are all Christmas gifts. Made from the pattern Welted Fingerless Gloves . The pattern calls for DK weight yarn, but in every case, except for the purple cuffs on the left, the yarn is worsted weight. The Geilsk Tweed is more like a sport, so I held it doubled. I have to say that I was not always happy with it because it broke easily. It is not a durable twist. I have no worries with it doubled.

They will all have buttons, but I've not gotten around to finishing the purple yet.


The buttons on the pink pair have kitties....for the cat lover in the family.

Cute aren't they?

This pattern is very fast to knit especially with worsted weight. And you can use leftovers. Which is another reason I like it.

My one other mod is a 3 stitch I-cord bindoff, at the top which mimics the welts.



At this point I think I'm over the limit for broken bones, so though I'm now rebuilding the strength in my wrist, I think fate will probably have to leave me alone.

And I'm pretty good on my Christmas knitting!

I remember knitting ....

Read the last post then take a gander at this...

I just couldn't make this up. And why would I want to? 

Sigh. 

Still here.

So what's new?

I'm back in the office nearly full time. I say nearly because a few hours a week I'm still in PT.  Now I'm working on rotation (think reaching behind you to zip a zipper), and strength. I still have difficulty pushing a full grocery cart.

I'm knitting though. I'm teaching a class for Bad Oyster, in August/September. I'm teaching a beaded bracelet next month. I use 0000 needles for the bracelet, and I'm not sure how it will go. Everything old is new again. I'll start a sample next weekend and I'll accommodate if I need to. I've become really good at that.

As for Bad Oyster, it has unusual increases and an unusual shape, you start on DPs and move to circs or magic loop and steeking. I always like to teach projects that have lots of interesting techniques. It's actually an easy knit, and I think will make really nice gift knitting. It is definitely car and travel knitting.

 I finished the sample this week:

I used a little bit less than a skein of Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Citrus. I love Mad Tosh. I'm using it for a second shop sample of Color Affection. I was supposed to teach it this past spring/summer, but couldn't knit for those two months. So we're now pointing toward Fall.

 It was a very happy knit because of the color. I found I hit a black hole of knitting somewhere around the 12 inch mark. You knit a funnel-like tube to 18 inches deep. Then steek to create the fringe. It blocked to more than 18 inches on the fringed sides.

Here we're on break, so the town is quieter. Well, quieter if you don't count all the construction. We cannot drive anywhere directly. Apparently, all the people who plan these projects don't talk to each other. It's easier to escape from Alcatraz than it is to get a loaf a bread. Never a dull moment.

Long time no write....

...but I have a great excuse. I've been concentrating on getting all my parts back in working order. I'm better thanks to a steroid shot...but still have a ways to go. I'm stunned that I'm still in PT, but I don't know why I should be. I'm hoping soon I'll be able to put on my own underwear if you get my drift.

I am, however, knitting again. Not as long or as fast, but I'm not worried about those things. Hanging around the house for so long enabled me to take stock of some of my well loved knitwear, and some I had to part with. For example:

These are my beloved French Press Slippers. I made them in 2010, and wore them out.....what do I mean wore them out?













Allow me to demonstrate:



 I installed suede soles on them so that the holes in the soles would not be visible, however, it wore them through again anyway.....

Not even I could justify keeping them, so I snipped off the soles, and out they went.








I started from scratch....

Can't help but love the red......

These were OK to knit, though I struggled a little with the triple yarn on the sole. I'm still struggling a little with knitting. But the designer made substantial improvements to the pattern, and they were easier to sew together.








And here is the finished product:

 I reused the suede soles, and changed out the buttons. I think they're sweet.

















And because they're like potato chips, I had to knit a second pair in graphite. You can see the comparison here. I need to add a felted shot though. I made a few changes to the black slippers making them a little deeper. They look less like ballet flats and more like regular slippers. They will be fine though especially if we have another winter like the last one.











Love this pattern. Easy peasy. And the finished product is highly useable.

That's not all I've been doing though. I started a Prayer Shawl for a friend and colleague who is going through a brutal treatment for melanoma. I don't know how she is managing. I just don't. I started the piece, enlisted my knitting colleagues, then we passed it all over the university to anyone who wanted to add a stitch or two, even the men who tried to demur. Everyone then signed a cardstock graphic wishing her well. The illness and treatment she is experiencing really puts my shoulder and, neverending, physical therapy into perspective. Who needs to be able to reach behind to hook a bra really?

What you should know about breaking a shoulder.....

• They do not typically cast a shoulder. they simply immobilize it in a sling. You are left petrified that you are going to knock it out of position. (Unless you have surgical intervention.)

• Only do it in the summer. In the winter, at least in colder parts of the country, you will be unable to wear a coat properly. And unless you are very lucky, all your coats will be too small to fasten with your slinged arm inside. And I will guarantee that you will have the coldest winter in two decades.

• Dressing is more complicated than launching the space shuttle. You are unable to pull ANYTHING over your head without desperate pain. Invest in button front everything, especially pj's because going out, just isn't worth getting dressed. A friend asked if I could "clean and jerk" an anvil yet, and I replied that all I want to do is wear a sweater that doesn't have buttons. (No can't do it yet.)

• Pain. All the time, but especially at night. Be prepared. I'm told if one has a recliner sleeping is easier, however, I have my doubts.

• Rehab is no better. My PT, though very nice, is a sadist. He tells me that I'll be a hurtin' turkey for 2 to 4 more weeks....and you know what. I don't believe him. I'm thinking it will be longer....much.

• It changes every part of your life. If you're a runner, don't expect to run for a long time, the jostling is excruciating. If you're a knitter, take my advice and don't even attempt it until week 6. If you're a reader....Kindle. You can't hold a book (and turn the pages) comfortably. An iPad is too heavy. The Kindle was my only option. It also is nice in the wee small hours when sleep is impossible, to download new books. Daytime TV really, really sucks.

• Expect that every light bulb that is in an inconvenient spot or that you need two hands to change, will burn out. The smoke detector will need a new battery.....count on it.

• If you have pierced ears, prepare to put one pair of earrings in and then not change them for the duration. In my case, it was seven weeks. Recognizing that I wouldn't be comfortable sleeping in studs, but that leaving them out for an extended period would cause the piercings to disappear, I opted for silver ear threads with the rubber stoppers on the back. It was a bit of a struggle at first, but overall it worked out well...until I tried to take them out at about week 7. The rubber stoppers had hardened and could not be removed. I used Puppy Snips to cut the stoppers. 

All in all, it has been a bizarre two + months. But glacially, slowly, I'm getting better. I hope I survive it......


Though I'm not back to full force in the knitting area, this is my first completed piece for 2014.....

Collared Seed Wrap in Tahki Adele...I got the yarn in New Orleans...it's very sparkly. I had to hold it doubled (because I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it), so I couldn't make it as long as I had hoped.

This is what -10 looks like.

This is what -10 degrees looks like at 8:00 am. The high today is going to be just over 0 (zero). The wind chill is predicted to be in the -30s. Why should it matter? Well, of course, I have an orthopedic follow up today, of all days. The coldest day in two decades. With my shoulder in a sling, I can't wear a coat properly, and I have to dress like a bag lady.

All my wool creations are really coming in handy today. The positive side of being a knitter.

Remarkably MORE of the same.

Stunningly we lost another member of the extended family. 

In three weeks:

16 year old 2nd cousin to suicide
Cousin succumbs after a 13 year battle with breast cancer.
27 year old 2nd cousin dies after working out, while visiting her parents for Christmas. Apparently a brain aneurysm.

WTF?

The family is stunned. 

Progress report

S.L.O.W.

It has been three weeks since I knit. Every now and again I pick up my sock to see if I can manage. I can't, yet. Saw the doc on Thursday and everything is copacetic, but that only means; 1) no healing is visible on the x-ray yet; 2) the bone is nicely aligned; 3) I must refrain from using my arm for FOUR, count'em FOUR MORE WEEKS.  And this is NORMAL. 

Life here is not. The extended family lost a 16 year old to suicide, and a close cousin succumbed to breast cancer after a brilliant 13 year battle. It was one of those sad blessings. Lots of prayer here in the Knitnbead house this season. 

These things also put my whining about four weeks into perspective.

I hope whoever is still reading this has a blessed Christmas, and healthy and joyous New Year. 

Maybe I'll be typing with both hands soon. And if anyone has a suggestion for a good iPad dictation app (not Siri), I'm listening!

I wish I had better news.

Here we are the first week of December and all that remains of my Christmas knitting is about 3/4 of a sock for my Mom. Last Saturday I received my bead order for the makins' for the traditional beaded ornament for my sister-in-law. Apparently, I got too cocky. 

Monday I slipped on some ice and broke my shoulder. In case you've never been so "lucky", let's just say it is painful. Good news: it is my non-dominant arm. Bad: it doesn't seem to matter. All movement is painful. I certainly can't do fine beadwork, but I'm hoping I may be able to knit again soon. I'm an English style knitter, so most of the work is done by my right hand. But I'm still at the don't move under pain of surgical intervention phase, and frankly not even the pain meds are working very well.

Well, enough one handed typing for now. I need to lie down........

And now...

... they've brought friends!