A Little Yarn On The Side

Meet cloths 10 and 11: So, I'm either REALLY doing the Project of the Month, or I've sprung a screw & have become addicted to cotton circles. Either way, it adds 660 yards of yarn used up from the stash. Sewing project number 3 is done: For an experiment, I thought they turned out pretty well. It's hard to see, but the thread is a metallic gold that really looks sharp on the plush. I haven't decided on sewing project number 4. I'd like to start cutting these for some summer table cloths, but cutting things out is still really hard for me, and I have promised myself to finish whatever I start for the 10-in-a-row, so I need to be able to do the next project. I was thinking of playing with some ideas for decorations...or if I get REALLY desperate I can look through the rather large pile of sewing WIPS and finally finish a few of them. Yikes--that really would be a sign of pure desperation......

After a slight rearrangement on the sewing front, I have finished the dress, so number 2 out of 10 is done (the bags all getting to count as one). I am getting stronger every day, but I think it will still be a bit before I could actually lay out and cut out a new pattern--everything taking a surprising amount of energy--so I decided to play around with a simpler sewing project: OK, looking at that picture, if you guessed I was trying to make fabric bacon strips for some unfathomable reason I can't say that I could blame you, but these bizarre objects are napkin rings. I am a big lover of interesting napkin rings, but so often the ones one can find in a store are both badly made and expensive, so I had been thinking about playing around with ideas for a while. I think they would be fun gifts--especially personalized ones with favorite quotes or names.... It was 94 today & we have opted to not turn the air conditioning on yet--in fact, I think the heat is still on as it FROZE ...

There is SUCH a fine line between "optimist" and "slow, slow learner." Really, somewhere deep down I know that it takes a while to recover after surgery, but every day I'm still surprised by my inability to do things. I had my first outing on Thursday--my mother taking me to the grocery store--and I had to spend the rest of the day in bed. If I'd have known that I would have aimed a little higher than fresh produce. Did you know taking a shower can be exhausting? I didn't either, but I actually have to lay down and REST afterwards!. Three and a half more weeks.....three and a half more weeks....then, LOOK OUT WORLD!!!! I'm still struggling with sewing for any length of time, but I did get the bags finished and because I really need to be DOING something, I'm stockpiling gifts. Yet another washcloth: I like Alison's idea of using them for baths instead of dishes--at least the round ones. Who really feels that festive about washing dis...

When they said it would be 6 weeks to recover, I don't know exactly what I thought, but I know I expected to really be able to do almost everything. Obviously, I have been choosing to live in Fantasy Land. I'm doing better every day, but I now believe that they really mean 6 weeks. There has been one more dish cloth, because these circles are addictive and it used up the last of a big cone of cotton, which makes me feel good in the STASH PROGRESS sense. The shawl for my mother is getting the most attention: though has lost out 2 days running to reading murder mysteries. I would never have believed it, but I really can't knit all the time. The baby blanket has gotten some attention though it still doesn't look like I've progressed much. I have discovered the key to needlework: small projects...and possibly a shot of tequila After this it will be back to pillowcases & smaller items. I have altered my 10-in-a-row sewing regime just a bit. Because...

In the high-excitement world of post-operative recovery, I was finally a little tired of knitting today (something I truly never thought I would say), so I read. Normally I knit while reading, but I'm still a bit fuzzy, so multi-tasking is a bit above my head right now. I wonder if this is what it's like to be a guy? I almost cast on a celebratory pair of socks today, but the sock yarn would require some major moving of boxes in the sewing room, and I can't lift things for another 5 weeks. Of course Andy would have helped if I asked him, but if there's one cardinal rule amongst yarn hoarders, it's: Never let your spouse know the true size of your stash. I might be a bit addled on pain killers, but I haven't lost sight of the important things.....

9 days and 7 washcloths later, I was a bit tempted to order yarn today. Not that I need any--or was even tempted by any particular yarn--but I'm already bored with my recovery & have 5 more weeks stretching in front of me. Not that I don't have a basket FULL of knitting projects, a bin full of half-finished knitting projects, and a 6 YEAR SUPPLY of yarn, but I think I was looking for something to do. Luckily, shopping for yarn takes about the same amount of time whether you buy or not, so I browsed for a while today. BUT, I did not give in! However, I'm thinking I might move past dish cloths. 7 qualifies for a completed Project of the Month don't you think?????

So last Tuesday, I had surgery--nothing major--and while it seems odd to wait until now to say that, we still have the hostile ex wife obsessing about us & she seems to read my other blog almost daily and I didn't want to give her a chance to do something vile while we were either not home or just under a lot of stress. I am happy to report that everything went well & it was really nothing serious and I got to come home Thursday. My sidekick has taken upon himself to nurse me back to health --even diligently waking me up every 4 hours for my pain medication--and I was even able to do a little knitting the day OF the surgery, though I was too groggy to correct people when they asked about my lovely crocheting. I didn't get as much done as I would have liked because it's sort of hard to knit with an IV in your arm, but the new shawl is looking great and the dish cloths are piling up: The pain killers are making me a bit too nauseous & dizzy to sew, but I'll...