A Little Yarn On The Side

Yesterday I went to the gym and lifted weights (lowest weights, long reps) and walked in the pool for 40 minutes.  I'd have liked to do an hour, but my muscles were done.  I'll go back tomorrow for another 40 minutes, and then build my way back up.  Then I came home and worked on our taxes--getting as far as I could without the instructions which I managed to misplace. This morning I'm off to get new instructions, get groceries, and finish our Federal taxes.  I'll tackle state tomorrow, then I don't have anything that has to be done, so I am hoping to take a few days to sew as much as I can.  Because of the sitting problem, I can't just sew the entire day, but I could do it in little bits.  I'm hoping to finish Andy's pajamas and maybe the green jacket, which has been started but has a long way to go.  Maybe I could even make a pair of pajamas for me since I've already washed the fabric.  Just those 3 projects would use up over 13 yards of f...

In different circumstances, I might be upset that I ended the first quarter of the year with only 3 yards of fabric used and 19 projects finished.  However, how I really ended the first quarter was with a fever and the stomach flu, so being a bit behind was not the biggest problem.  I wasn't feeling really better until Friday, and still wouldn't be up for Mexican food or tuna fish just yet, but I'm definitely better.  Yesterday I even started sewing Andy's Valentine pajamas, and discovered that a mannequin of even the wrong sex makes pinning facings like this almost easy.  Luckily Andy is a very secure man and won't be troubled that I'm using a female dummy for his clothing.  And he's not likely to complain about finally getting his gift almost two months late and when it's almost warm enough to not need flannel pajamas. There is always next year..... I also made some lace ornaments yesterday.  The French horn is part of the ornament set I...

As I've been sick the last few days, I'm doing a recap of April Fool's Posts from past years: http://yarnontheside.blogspot.com/search/label/April%20Fool%27s%20Day

I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a wee bit of self-pity going on in the last couple weeks and while I have had a double-dose of kitty therapy, it's hard not to get depressed when I have set-backs with my hip/back.  This has gone on for SOOOOOOOOOOOO long and so thoroughly dominated my life that any hint that it might not be ending as quickly as I hope is hard to cope with.  When I can get out and walk (which can include moderate hills now in my 3.5 miles), it keeps me going.  But when my days shrink back to just our bedroom, it gets harder to find ways to distract myself.  I'm trying to avoid "retail therapy," but realizing I still have a few ups and downs ahead of me, I thought sometimes it might actually work.  In January I had noticed that Herrschner's had an Ornament of the Month Club , which is actually 4 ornaments in a month, and thought it would be fun to try and had planned to join it next January.  Well, next January I hope to be so flipp...

Oh my!  It's already OVER week since my last update!  Oops.  The lace and I needed some time apart, so, there is a new chemo cap!  I haven't made any caps in a while, but several have gone out to friends, so it seemed like a good project to work on while I am recovering from the I-don't-exactly-know-what-I-did set-back two weeks ago.  Nothing puts the old back issues in perspective like the thought of people dealing with cancer.  I managed to do the decreases for the crown a different way than the pattern said to do, but I sort of like the swirling effect that gave it, so we'll say it was on purpose.  And the fact that I have one more finished project before March ends doesn't hurt either........ It's been an up and down but busy week.  Tuesday night we went to the Idaho Songwriter's forum, which is a monthly get-together where people can perform songs they have written.  No less than THREE of our friends had written songs, so we we...

I'd love to be able to show you something I finished today, but at least there was crafting.  My hip/back still hurts, but I'm recovering from last week's setback pretty quickly.  I was able to walk 3 miles yesterday, and about a mile today.  I can't really sit yet, so I took the opportunity to continue cutting out the latest jacket.  This pique cotton has been in my stash for a while.  I don't have exact records of dates, but I purchased just under 6 yards of this stuff for $8.81 at some point, and made this in 2009: which is just perfect for gardening--even if I look a bit like a frog in it.  It softens up with washing, so it will make a nice casual jacket.  Not bad for about $9.  Luckily, my "helper" didn't discover my activity until everything was cut out, and I was just trying to get pieces marked.  Of course, his instinct for covering both the first pattern piece AND the instructions is as unerring as always.   I did...

Somehow, between trying to go at the therapy exercises a bit easier so I wouldn't be so sore and cleaning out old files in my "office," I managed to throw my hip out of place over the weekend, and the getting-it-back-IN part was almost worse and now all the little nerves are on edge and cruising for the next fight (I picture them as the Jets in West Side Story ), so it was a bit of a long weekend.  Everything is back in place and I've stepped up the exercises, but sitting for even a brief time is out for a while. It has given me some knitting time, and this is BY FAR the most re-knitted bit I have ever, ever done.  I think I have knit enough on this cuff to make an entire scarf.  I got the decreases wrong, got the diamonds too wide, missed bits--the only thing I didn't do was drop a stitch.  The second one had no problems, which is probably best as I have frankly run out of problems to HAVE. My original thought was to knit the sleeves THEN the fronts be...