A Little Yarn On The Side

So, the big monster beret was supposed to look like this , or rather "sort of" as I'm using a totally different yarn because no matter how tempting the idea of angora was, I just couldn't see giving everyone hats in baby pink or baby blue.  With a slight bit of editing, I think I can make the pattern work with the mohair, or I could make mohair scarves.  Idahoans don't wear hats as often as they do on the east coast, I think, as we really don't walk anywhere in the winter.  Maybe one more hat and then some scarves? Do you guys get more use out of hats or scarves?  And, I'm thinking of adding beads to the scarves, which I don't think I can do to the hats.

The mohair hat ended up, well.... really freakin' huge.  And did I check gauge?  Of course not, because I am a slow, slow learner.  It still works as a hat, but it's now a beret rather than the tam I was hoping for.  As it's mohair, it's easier to change expectations than change the hat, but I think in future hats, I will be casting on far fewer stitches for the band.  My back continues to improve, though instead of leaving Friday's physical therapy session full of spunk and energy like I did on Monday, I was so exhausted that I actually came home and fell asleep--then slept another 10 hours that night, and might have made it to 12 if Theo had thought that appropriate.  I have been resting a lot this weekend, which has resulted in the long-promised new sweater finally being cast on and currently resembles some sort of purple ramen-noodley mess that will hopefully be straightened out with some very severe blocking, and because I seem to love frustrat...

The new bribery plan:  I only get to play with the new yarn if I behave myself and don't "overdo" The GOOD news is:  I feel a lot better after only one physical therapy session The BAD news is:  Being me, and having been severely restricted in movement for over two weeks now......well, it was probably just a foregone conclusion that I would be a complete idiot at the first sign of recovery.  I'm probably lucky I didn't do anything completely insane, like cartwheels through the house. I don't think I did anything that would involve a set-back or the need to take those darn Valium pills, but I will be resting for a while and behaving myself for the rest of the day.  And if I DO behave myself, I get to play with this: This is one of the new gift hats I ordered yarn for.  I'm thinking that I might end up getting two hats per ball instead of one...which means I have a LOT more knitting ahead of me than I thought.  I'm enjoying it, though you can t...

Meet finished project number 111: which is what ALL the fashionable oatmeal containers are wearing this season.  What about project 110, you ask?  Shhhh--it's a secret.  It is Christmas, after all. I have finished 111 projects!!!! I am not yet willing to concede that there is anything good about throwing one's back out, but I will admit that it gives one lots of knitting time.  And speaking of, guess what arrived yesterday? And the timing couldn't have been better.  Between the pain, the pain pills and all their side effects, Thursday's set-back, and the fact that I can never accept that things don't just heal quickly because I want them to, I have been a bit low the last couple days.  Being able to bribe myself with new yarn is helping--especially since it will be a while before I'll be able to sit enough to sew again.  I'm sure I'll be much more cheerful Monday evening once I've been to physical therapy and have learned what I can do to...

This has been my view much of the last 2 weeks: Theo has been quite a good get-well kitty, though I think he's a bit relieved to see me making enough progress that he feels he can leave my side--or my chest--for a while.   And I'm quite relieved that Andy headed him off with the live mouse get-well gift he found the other day.  Kitty nursing has a few drawbacks. I had a bit of a set back yesterday so there were pain pills AND valium (though not at the same time, obviously), but after they wore off a bit I was able to finish project number 109: and of course, I have immediately cast on another project.  This will be a new hat with a doubled-over band, which explains the teal yarn used as waste yarn.  I'm almost there!  And some pictures of past projects that haven't been on here yet.  The latest chemo cap: and the red hat: It's really a pretty cute hat, especially for a free pattern .  I saw the spine specialist yesterday, a...

Seriously, this just makes my day!  In other exciting news, I have finished the red hat and I think I know where I left my camera, so will share soon.  THREE more projects to go for the year!!! And--now this is big--I have been able to function for the last 24 hours on just Aleve--no scary pain meds.  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I can now knit something besides stockinette!!!!

Thanks everyone!  I am happy to report that I can mostly function with just the over-the-counter pain medication the doctor recommended (Aleve, I believe is the non-generic name--I can't pronounce the actual name on the label), though if I'm moving around much I have to resort to the stronger pain killers, which make it hard to read, type, or do much of anything EXCEPT move around, but this is huge progress!  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!  Seriously, earlier this week even with the pain pills AND resting it still hurt, so this is big. I have finished the first plain-Jane sock, and am on to the second one, and I have started a hat for my more lucid moments.  I have been SO tempted to cast on a new sweater for Andy since he's been such a champ taking care of me this week, but I thought if I attempted to figure out gauge right now, the sweater would either be large enough for Andy and three of his closest friends OR just the right size to fit Theo.   So, I'll stick with the s...