I Really Should be Knitting...

Calendars... Ugh!

For some reason, I had it in my head that the shower was March 19. It's the 12th. Yikes...

So far, I've got the afghan done, the sweater, and a baby-sized hat. Working now on the Toddler hat, just because the sweater is big enough for perhaps a 12-month old. I figured I'd do a 2-row pattern on that - a little more sophisticated, and maybe just do the tan pompoms. 

I biggened the pattern, and I'm mostly ok with how it turned out. It needs refinement, which I will do at another time, with no deadline! I'm doing a "Dagwood." One big button. Funny enough, I don't have a picture of the sweater - yet. I think I'll do the picture of the whole layette soon. As soon as I get my fingers flying to finish the last hat!

I did tassles on the baby hat, and they were cute, but tiny (as befits a baby hat). I have enough yarn and a decent pompom maker device to do bigger ones on the bigger hat, which makes sense. I love this pattern, "Easiest Baby Hat" available on Ravelry. Sorry, there's no link, it's in my library as a download. It's basically a rectangle. You can do two colors, with the contrasting color at the crown. I did that on the baby hat, and it was a bit of a miscalculation, but as I think of it: now it can be worn 2-sided with a larger stripe in front, or a smaller one. The one above is stripes, and I've calculated how long the 2-row repeats need to be before I can finish with the same 4-row swaths and the back cuff. Then, just knit it up the sides. 

The baby hat is in the Baby Softee. The toddler hat is in the Cascade 220 Superwash. The sweater is in the Cascade, so I figure that was a good choice.  

Then there's the packaging. I haven't even gotten the stuff I need to put together the gift, but I can get that next week. I don't have to go "baby," especially if what I find is all gendered. My mom said that at Party City it was all either boy or girl - which is kind of silly, because there are those rare birds like my nephew and his wife. They didn't want to find out the gender "unless it was blatantly obvious on the ultrasound," and even if THEY know, we don't. Which is kind of cool. 

There aren't enough good surprises in this life, right? 

The Saga of the Hip...

Well. I went for my 3rd PRP shot. I'm now scheduled for PT, which I'm taking at a place a few doors down from my studio. It's a unique set-up: instead of a batch of patients assigned to the PT, this person spends the hour on you alone. For those of us who are hyper-mobile, we need supervision! I'm really glad to be able to not only have a place close-by, but also -- let's be honest -- not be exposed to a batch of strangers. I have a mom to be aware of. 

I took a picture of the device that spins the blood down. For some reason, it reminded me of something out of Star Trek: one of those "I'm growing nanobytes" kind of pods. 

The doc was very happy, because I once again was able to produce a large amount of plasma. 

I have to say that while I notice some improvements, this treatment is not for the impatient folks. The changes are incremental, some are pretty subtle, and it's going to take a long time to get to a plateau where I'll be more stable. 

I have some goals: Get back to a yoga practice that's not in a chair; ditch the cane; get back to the stable to muck out stalls; ride my bike. Not feel pain when I get up off a chair, or try to sit in one. Just the basic stuff. Oh, put my own socks on. That would be nice. 

The PT and the doctor assure me that those are indeed reasonable goals, and that I can expect to get near 100% of achieving them in some fashion. Of course, I'll never be "before arthritis." But that's to be expected. 

It seems also that they're more concerned with the arthritis than the torn labrum. I did ask about "blasting the bone spurs," and the doc said, "Yes, but no." In other words, yes, there's technology. And no, it won't fit my situation. Fair enough. I'd rather he be honest instead of just doing something that would mean I'd be back time and again to repeat the process. 

So today is my second PT treatment. I was sore after the evaluation, so this could be interesting!

It's Supposed to Snow...Or Not...

As per usual this winter, it's all weather hysteria all the time. Two school districts cancelled school today, because we were supposed to get "whalloped" with snow - up to 8" if you followed certain weather info. 

Mind you, yesterday, it was 50 degrees and sunny. Today is grey. And not a flake in sight. I'm really not sure what it's going to do today. Snow? Rain? Both? Neither? 

I mean, 10 years ago, we were sub-sub-zero and had 2 feet of snow on the ground. Today, I'm looking at my hyacinths starting to break through the ground, and whispering, "Go back! It's not time yet!!" 

And of course, we could be in California, suffering with feet and feet of snow, in areas where they never usually get snow. I have a friend in Tucson who was posting pictures of the 2" of snow on her car. I honestly have no idea if it has ever snowed in Tucson, but apparently, this was news. 

The weather is totally jacked up, but what's going on in DC? They're banning (or trying to) everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community because they can. They're also trying to ban free speech. They're also destroying legitimate safety nets as fast as they can. Because who needs them? Only the marginalized, and if the marginalized aren't rich donors? Pffffffffth.... be-gone!

And Then There's Flori-DUH...

Seriously. Wanna watch a slide into fascism, let's go to the Land of the Mouse. Dirtbag DeStoopid is hurtling down that road quickly and apparently, there's not much to stop him. Their latest is an attempt to ban the Democratic party. I'm not kidding and it's not on some erzatz "news" channel. 

Digging into the history they're wanting to ban (because we don't want to upset the feelings of little white kids...), they've realized that once upon a time, the Democratic party was the conservative party. The Whigs (a/k/a the present-day Republicans - though not quite as crazy as this bunch) were the liberals. 

So, they decided to ban "any political party which, at any time, had ties to slavery." Neat trick - use the history you deem to "offensive" to teach our kids, to virtually eliminate your biggest political rivalry. THAT is offensive, folks. DeStoopid is making a kingdom. He's paving the way to the biggest opportunity there is, and if he can finagle his way into the White House, we're in big trouble as a country. 

Where are the folks who can do something about this? I'm honestly asking, because if this is allowed to prevail, then our country as we know it will eventually cease to exist. 

And people wonder why I'm actually happy to have no grandkids...

Random Picture...

A student handed this to me. "I know you make your own, but..." -- it's Mexican Vanilla. Hubby says it smells really strong, in a good way. Can't wait to bake something with this. 

I feel humbled to have students who are friends. They've hung in there with me with this hip thing, and they're dedicated to their practice. 

We're hoping to increase our student population. We've got workshops scheduled for March, April, and May. Hoping to get more students to decide that a regular yoga practice is a good idea. 

Covid has been rough. Small businesses are still struggling. If you have a local shop, whether it's a book store, yarn store, coffee place, pub or restaurant -- do them and yourself a favor and patronize them. 

Small businesses are indeed the backbone of communities. We are invested in the area, we want to be able to serve you and your family. And we need your support. 

Often, I hear, "I can get yoga free at my gym." Yes. You can. But can you get personalized attention, do you know your teachers and their qualifications, and do you understand the time we spend making sure that the classes we have fit you and your fellow yogis? Do you know the money we've spent on training - because it's a lot, for sure. And we use that to ensure that our classes are safe, effective, and helpful to each student. Learning about modifications, adapting a sequence on the fly for students, holding specialized workshops for your benefit. 

It's a lot, and we do it for you. So please support us!

Christmas Knitting

 Yes, you read that right. 

Christmas knitting. We'll get to that. 

COVID-19 Recap...

Well, I got my 2 shots (Team Pfizer) and had, aside from a sore arm, NO side effects. I'm not sure what that means, if anything. Everyone who'd had COVID was telling me that if you had it, then your first shot acted like the "second" one -- which is where most got side-effects. 

Me? Bupkus. Well, a sore arm. But other than a couple hours after Shot #1 of feeling "meh," I really didn't have anything go wrong. It could also be that I built myself into that "meh" as well...anticipation of feeling like crap generally makes you feel like crap. 

So it's been time enough: I'm immune-ish. As immune as one gets with a vaccine. I'm still wearing a mask and washing hands. I don't trust other people; maybe that's the casualty of this whole thing. We've lost the ability to trust humans because they're either crazy conspiracy theorists or they just ignore the over 500,000 dead people because it hasn't directly affected them. 

Political Recap...

I was a judge at our municipal elections. Municipal elections are where it starts, people. Get involved nationally, too -- by all means, VOTE. But don't forget the place you live. Elections really count at a local level: your school board, library board, city council...all those offices are where the Tea Party (remember them?) started. That's where they got in and where they began to move up the ranks. 

I wanted to talk about the Chauvin verdict, the censure of Liz Cheney and the continued killing of black and brown people. But I can't. 

It's not that I'm not informed. I just don't want to have the conversation while I have some other things on my mind. 

Christmas & Regular Knitting Recap...

Well, not actually a recap but an organizational post plus an update on a "mostly" finished object. I finally -- FINALLY -- got down to see my friend Kelly at Le Mouton Rouge Knittery. It's a solid 2 hour drive one way. But it's worth it. I've gotten a few things at a closer shop, but for the stuff I was planning, I needed to get down there and poke around. 

I got more yarn than I planned -- but I have 3, no 4 - yes, 4 projects for Xmas. And I need to get skippy and get them done. 

At the top, you see purple (looks blue) and grey hanks. The colors are much more rich; the grey is speckled with purple and lime green, surprisingly. This will be my next Breathe and Hope shawl, for a special person. 

Well, not to brag, but you're special if I knit for you. I'm picky about who's "knitworthy" or not. 

In the middle are the round "cakes" of Mandala yarn; it's something I picked up on clearance. My friend got me a Caron cake, and I did that purple sawtooth shawl. Well, these are going to be for friends; not sure who's getting what. The pastel one will be either a sawtooth shawl or a "bamboo" pattern cowl - a long one that can be wrapped a couple times for maximum warmth. 

The darker one (on the right) is described below...and it needs discussing. 

The bottom is a deep blue with a grey and COPPER SPARKLES!! That is, technically, for me. I'm sending my first Breathe & Hope to a friend (they don't know it yet) -- the bright blue + flamingo pink one. This one is for me, so it's kind of last on my list, but still, I'm anxious for my friend to get the first one, and for me to make this one for myself. 

Breathe & Hope moves along quickly, so I'm not too worried about getting the one at the top done... 

Here's my plan: I'm making some stuff for Christmas. Seriously, my first project is the Baxter Street Cowl. Now, it's a "beginner" pattern, but it uses 590 yards of that Mandala yarn, and it's mind-numbing stockinette stitch (K on right side, P on wrong side). For miles. Miles. 

The thing is, even though it's "basic," in my opinion, this is where your skill as a knitter shows. I'm actually pretty good with tension, and eleventy-billion yards of stockinette stitch is a kicker. It's not only TV knitting but it's also a screaming advertisement for your ability to keep your tension even. 

This is a long cowl as well - it can be worn by a tall person as one big loop or by us shorties as a double (maybe triple?) loop. It's almost 5 feet long. Maybe this is as close as I get to a Time Traveler scarf? 

Anyway, you knit for the length of a trip from the earth to the moon, then you sew the short ends together. I can't make a moebius because there's a "wrong" side. But that's ok. 

I was hoping to find something specific on Ravelry with regard to cowls, but nothing fit the Mandala yarn and I'm not even sure the "bamboo" one will. I may end up doing something similar with the pastel one. Who knows? 

Oh, I finished a sock! So I did the Strong Heel, and I remembered why I liked it. It really fits better than the heel flap. I should tink the one blue sock, which I won't, because the heel flap is too short (this is the OTHER blue sock...not pictured). 

I realized that I have wayyyyyyyyy too much Opal in blue colorways. Nothing in purple. Which is weird. I love purple. Why can't I find purple Opal? 

This is that leg design that's super-simple -- it doesn't show a lot in the picture, but I do think it looks pretty good. I have to cast on the 2nd one. I was going to do it right off, but I made the trip to Bloomington....and there you go: started on Christmas stuff. 

Yoga Training Recap...

So I finished the modules for the 500-hour teacher training. I have to do some ancillary workshops and start on my thesis project, but I'm essentially done. Which means that, aside from the workshops, I'm actually in a period of relative slack. Which relates to the knitting above. I feel like I'm going to have time this year to do this stuff. 

That, coupled with the reduced work schedule, and my own commitment to not think about guilt when I'm sitting on my butt knitting...I've got a crap-ton of projects that I want to do, and I'm going to do them. Or at least make a dent in the pile. 

Random Picture...

I've found a new place to meditate. Or at least to catch my breath. Yes, it's a car wash. For about 3 minutes, I can just sit and detach. 

There's no cell reception. The radio won't pick up. The car is getting clean. Nobody can contact me. I have nothing to do but breathe for the length of the car wash. 

I try to wash my car at least every 2 weeks. More in the winter, if it's not freezing, because we still use salt on our roads. 

I used to wash by hand, but with the SUV, I can't reach the top easily, so it's cheaper and more eco-friendly, honestly, to use a car wash. 

Sometimes, you've got to grab the calm when and where you can. All in all, I could use less of the "strobe" light effects, but I can just close my eyes and turn my head. 

Looking for yoga classes and there's no studio available? Check out our online classes, our subscription service and -- if you're in the area, come in for classes!

Just Breathe Yoga Studio, Crest Hill, IL (815) 546-2770 (call/text)

email: info@just-breatheyoga.com

website: www.just-breatheyoga.com

Home again, home again...

Room 10 at Patchwork Inn

What's the nursery rhyme? 

To market, to market
To buy a fat hog.
Home again, home again
Jiggety jog. 

That's actually only one verse of it, but it's all I can remember. 

Anyway... This past weekend, when the bowels of Hades opened up and barfed upon us such heat as to curl the sidewalks and make even the birds decry the trees... We went up to Oregon, IL. We were mainly pleased, but also disappointed. The B & B, Patchwork Inn, was lovely. We'd stay there again. Mom was, at first, against a B & B, but I think I've converted her, at least in this format. Each of us had our own bathroom, which is a "must" for her. Me, too, if I'm honest. I digress; the hosts were wonderful and the breakfast was amazing. We only stayed for 1 breakfast, but after the "brunch cruise," I think I should've just taken them up on their breakfast because the cruise one was a definite "meh" with a side of, "jeeze, some of it's not even warm..."

Back yard of the Inn

The Blackhawk statue, whose proper name is "The Eternal Indian," was under repair and he looks to be in that condition for more years to come. Oh well. We saw it. We also went up to Castle Rock Overlook and seriously, you wouldn't think you were in Illinois: flat, boring Illinois didn't exist here. Hopefully, I'll have pictures, because for some reason, my camera/phone hasn't synced in a while. 

The Eternal (Covered) Indian

Mom found a '50s diner and her only complaint was, "Needs more neon!" Authentic burger, according to her, and the decor was really cool. Actually, on the drive up to the place, we stopped where Kid #2 lives and while he was out of the area, we were able to hit up a sandwich spot there for a bite before we got too late to have dinner. Her idea of dinner is 4:30. Mine is 6:30... 

My oils for the trip

And seriously. Saturday was hot. Hot to the point of the stable cancelling all activities and my phone practically melting with all of the "heat advisory" messages. In my hometown, they were saying it "feels like" 119 degrees. Yeah. Phoenix temps in the Midwest. It wasn't pretty. That was the day that mom decided that hiking was a good idea. Mind you, 'hiking' at this point was not about a 3-mile jaunt through the trails. It was more like, "Let's try this and see how it goes." And it went about a half-mile - which, for an 82-year-old in that heat? I'm thinking that was pretty spectacular. 

Castle Rock Overlook

The river cruise was nicer, since the temp dropped about 30 degrees; down to a bearable 75 degrees or so. I saw a couple of eagles! I don't have a super-long lens on my camera, nor does my phone take those kinds of pics. But I saw them; I'm happy with that. The drive home was a relief; not because we were sick of each other, but both of us wanted our own beds. Why do places have spectacular linens and mattresses, but pillows that are flatter than a pancake??

Slept like a log last night! 

The Knitting...

Well, the green project I showed you last time is finished. The Traveling Short Sock is FINISHED... I have a pair of socks!! 

As you can see, they're fraternal - done in Opal yarn, but I never really try to match them. Hubby asked me to move my feet so they matched - I really don't have oddly sized feet! 

I have a big whack of this yarn left, so it may be the base for some Crazy Socks. It would probably work well, since I tend toward socks in similar hues as these, though these do have far more white than I'm used to. 

I won't know what yarn is in the next phase of the Green Mystery Project till later today; so at this point, with (wait for it...) a FREE DAY... I picked up the Copland Shawl, and got moving on that. I'd forgotten (a) how pretty the yarn is and (b) how ABSOLUTELY BORING meditative it is to do about six bazillion miles of straight stockinette stitch. Seriously, the two KFBs on either end and that set of yarn-overs for the "spine" of the shawl aren't necessarily enough to break up the monotony. 

I should review my Gaitri Mantra while I'm knitting, just to keep my mind occupied.  

I did find kind of a unique shop in the Conover Piano Factory, which was overall a disappointing venture... It's a yarn shop of sorts, but it's to benefit a sheltered workshop, which is fine by me. They get end runs and discontinued colors to sell to people via donation and the money goes to the workshop. I bought some hand-dyed yarn (Wool-Ease) for a prayer shawl, and a batch of stuff I can't quite figure out. I'll post a picture next time; it's quite the amalgamation of fibers in one worsted-weight yarn. Pretty colors; likely destined for a shawl. 

The Politics...

OK, so let's chat about "go back where you came from." Let's talk about how ignorant that is on its face; how it's actually harassment and against the law; and how it's a major distraction by #DonTheCon to keep our attention off the Mueller testimony this week. Among other things, like the Epstein sewer. Let's also talk about the #manbaby whining about "presidential harassment" and how, in my opinion, one (a) can't claim that (see Obama for 8 years); and (b) should be presidential before complaining of presidential harassment... It's not a crime, dude. Get over your nasty self.

"Go back where you came from" is usually reserved for brown people, because bigots always assume that white folk are the only "legal" ones. While small, there's still a significant percentage of "white" illegal immigrants, to use the current un-PC designation, for purposes of our discussion. From Migration Policy Institute, between 2012-16, five percent (5%) of the immigrants who came here illegally were from Europe, Canada, or Oceania (the lands of the Pacific Ocean). That's a little over 570,000 - which is still a sizable chuck of humanity. 

But this administration* only wants to talk about the brown ones. This Shyster-in-Chief only wants to talk about the ones who don't look like his "base," though for the life of me, why anyone who's brown or black actually supports this guy is kinda beyond me. 

Ilhan Omar is a legal US Citizen.
AOC comes from The Bronx (that's in NY).
Ayanna Pressley was born in Chicago.
Rashida Tlaib was born in Detroit...

Soooooooooo - They're all as legal as I am. 

The phrase "Go back where you came from" is also discriminatory. Not because I'm a liberal snowflake. The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - founded in 1965) says it is. Here's a nice discussion of that law. Also, from NPR, here's another enlightening piece you might want to look at. It's good to have the history of the phrase in the back of your brain. You're welcome for all the research... 

The upshot of all of this is that the Shyster-in-Chief has once again trampled a law to bits because it suited his purpose. And we're waiting, those of us with working brain cells, for the other shoe to drop. Mueller is testifying in Washington. Epstein's smoking, putrid cesspool actually has tapes that could cause problems in 2020 for a LOT of people, up to the royalty in England. 

Time will tell; and y'all kind of already know my own leanings. I don't want 4 more years of this. We have to get our country back on an even keel, now more than ever. 

The Food I Ate...

Breakfast protein

I've been really, really careful, and I've found something that's driving my stomach nuts. And it's upsetting me. Because I think it's gluten. I'm not diagnosed with celiac (I already had that tested). Back to our trip, I was very careful of what I ate, but at a few points, it was beyond my control, and the commonality behind all of them were wraps. I tried to avoid bread & pasta, and I succeeded for the main part, but on 3 occasions, I had regular wraps and yikes...my stomach was not happy. 

I've come to the conclusion that there's probably a gluten sensitivity there somewhere. Nuts. (Well, those I can eat...) I guess it is what it is. I could have worse problems. 

Right now, with Kid #2 baking bread like a man possessed, I can't quite come up with what those "worse" problems could be... although y'all know I'm just kidding. With the health issues in our family tree? So I don't eat bread...big deal. 

Though I did find a pizza I liked: Caulipower pizza - a cauliflower crust that actually tastes like something. I'll buy it again, but sparingly; it's definitely a "treat" thing. 

This weekend, I was ok in my food, except for that little encounter with a bag (large, sorry) of Kettle Chips "Uglies." Yeah, I know. I felt bad afterward, but I figure that (a) I haven't done anything like that in over a year; and (b) it's done, so don't beat yourself up over it. That won't change it, so just roll with it. 

Always another day to make better choices. Speaking of which, I have these two Young Living protein powders to add to my morning repertoire. I find that MIXING them -- yes, 1 scoop of the chocolate (yummy in itself) with one scoop of the vanilla spice is really a nice combo. That's mixed with half & half almond milk & coconut water. It works for me. 

Random Picture...

We walked, the day we got there, down to the Rock River. It was still blazing hot, but we figured we weren't in a hurry... This was a shot just on the opposite side of the dam there. 

I thought we'd have a breeze off the water. We did not. At least it didn't stink of fish! We sat under the picnic shelter and just kind of decompressed. It was nice to do that. 

The entire Oregon area is really pretty; doesn't look anything like what you might think "Illinois" looks like and I'm glad we went. 

Will we spend the weekend in the fall? Likely not. We can drive up there, do the horse thing, and then take a walk (because if she's on a horse and then I stick her in the car for a 2-hour drive back? I won't get her OUT of the car because her hips will lock up!), and maybe stop at "our favorite 50's diner" for lunch, and THEN go back home. 

It's a goal. 

Hashtags

Well, as much as I try to get here regularly, I can't seem to stick to a schedule. And maybe that's ok. I'm sitting at work, eating lunch -- trying to eat a "wrap-thing" that isn't quite a wrap and not get it down my front. Definitely a "First World" problem, but for those of us whose lunch does tend to wander, it's an issue. 

#shadesformigraine 

Today, as well as being Summer Solstice, First Day of Summer and "Almost 4th of July" is also Migraine Solidarity Day. With #shadesformigraine, those of us who suffer from migraine, and our family and friends, are trying to build awareness. Migraine is not "just a headache" by any means. It can be debilitating, and like many "pink" diseases, it's mainly a woman's disorder. Which means that not only does medical science ignore it, but it's demeaned in the workplace and in some families. 

Frankly, I could write a book about my experiences as a migraineur (which is the term for one who suffers from migraine). I remember teaching my kids about "Mommy has a really bad headache, so please be quiet." I clearly remember a conversation with my neurologist telling her that I was going to shoot myself if the pain didn't cease. That was before we really got them under control - which is very much a "trial-and-error" process. I remember my own mother's "Mommy has a headache so please play outside till dark" requests. The Migraine Diet (eliminating potential triggers). The prescriptions. Keeling over when I was clearly over-medicated - usually in the process of substituting a "better" drug for the one that became ineffective over time. Oh yeah. Good times. 

Oh, oh, oh... My FAVORITE one... I was working at a job (which shall remain nameless) and I had a migraine over the weekend. It was a 3-day migraine, and on Monday, I was still under the weather. I called in and said I had a migraine and wouldn't be in that day. About 3 hours later, the phone rang (I wanted to shoot it...) and there's someone on the phone from the job wondering "how bad the headache really was?" Lucky for them(??), Hubby answered the phone. 

Let's just say it wasn't pretty. The person got a new seat ripped into them courtesy of Hubby, who's been my staunch ally in this journey. And then, when I got in on Tuesday, I read them chapter and verse about migraines...and pointed out that, in 3 years, that had been my ONLY sick day. Trust much?? 

Anyway, the reason I'm blogging about this is that I found out about #shadesformigraine by accident. I had a migraine starting on Tuesday, and I neglected to put sunglasses in my car. Hey, it's Illinois, and this is the "season of no sun" lately...it was raining when I left for work. Well, I posted on Facebook, "Pro-tip for migraineurs - always carry sunglasses" and a fellow sufferer gave me the info. 

Let's show the world that migraines are a problem. Help me share by taking a selfie with your shades, and using the hashtag. Thanks!!

The Knitting...

I can't remember if I posted this, but this is still as far as the shortie socks have gotten. I brought them home from work; I haven't been able to work on them during lunch, so I thought I'd at least whack out the heel at home and then perhaps carry them in the car. It won't take too long to finish them. I think I'll shoot for a Star toe, which I have in a reference book somewhere in my office. 

I'm really enamored of the colorway. So summery. At least, if this summer pans out like the Farmer's Almanac says it will (colder and wetter), there will be SUMMER ON MY FEET!!

So this is all I have left of the Secret Project. Well, not really. It's all I have left of the first 2 balls of yarn. I've got enough to stash for the ultimate project: a Stripey Scrappy Baby Cardigan. I'll use my favorite pattern, which is easy and adorable, and I'll use up all my worsted scraps. It'll be wild... 

I haven't really done much on Copland. But I am loving the tones of the brown yarn. The more I knit with it, the happier I am with it. The hand -- I mean the way the fabric drapes ("the hand" is the term for that) -- it's just so lovely and soft. And the stitch definition is scary-good. I mean, this is all stockinette stitch - so I've got about a zillion miles of stockinette that has to be pretty much perfect. 

Because the tiniest "blip" will show. Lucky for me, my tension is usually pretty good (Wait - the Knitting Goddesses did NOT hear that from me...!!) and I'm pretty confident (wowza, I'm brave...) that this will be lovely when it's done. 

No thanks to my knitting (trying to appease said Knitting Goddesses), of course, but to the lovely Expression Fiber Arts yarn. 

I've started another project, and I love the way the colors are coming together. As you can see it's from a "refreshed" 8-Hour Baby Blanket book. I love what they've done to the patterns. There are some old faves there and some new ones that are just lovely.

What I like is that they're "lap robe" sized, which is a blessing for me. My church has a fairly active Prayer Shawl group, and I really don't have tons of time to knit a full-sized shawl. I'm so slow that it's not even funny and if I'm going to do this, I'd like to actually complete one in a year. I'm not kidding... I'm pushing my luck with Kid #2's afghan AND the Copland being a Christmas gift!

Anyway, this is going to be the project in the upper left picture; the other color is a cream-and-green tweed, heavy on the cream. I've already started that section and it's popping nicely with that beautiful green. 

 Encore Worsted is such a great, economical choice for not only baby stuff but things like prayer shawls. It's around $9/hank and so it's totally reasonable for charity knitting. It's durable, being 75% acrylic and 25% wool. And warm. It knits up really nicely; especially with this "8-hour" method -- on size 13 circulars. 

A lap robe, for instance, can take me about a month. Combine slow knitting with work, and I can deal with a month for a project like this. 

Huzzah!! In between paragraphs, I managed to finish lunch, and nothing landed on my shirt!

I'll take little victories today. 

Current Events...

I have to confess, I've been in a bit of a news hole lately. There's a limit. 

I am not surprised at Hope Hicks' refusal to answer questions. I am scared, though. Scared that this nightmare won't end. Scared that we've turned a corner which we'll be unable to retreat from, in 2020. 

I'm afraid that this administration will flourish, thanks to the likes of Mitch McConnell, who's getting exactly what his little turtle-mind wants: he's using the Useful Orange Idiot to strip the country bare. He simply doesn't care about anyone or anything unless it directly profits him or his cronies. And the rest of us, and the planet? We can go hang. 

What I don't understand is where does Mitch think he and his buddies are going to live when we've irretrievably polluted this planet? You still need, last I checked, air to breathe and water to live. 

Tippi Update...

Well, the Tipper wasn't doing so well this week... Chemo took its toll on her, and she had a day of vomiting and not eating. I expected it; the labs we got back showed that her system was bottomed out. The vet told us this. 

She's still subdued; eating but not her sparkly self. I would love to get her out on a short walk, but (a) her immune system is kaput; and (b) because of the Prednisone, she wants to Eat All The Things. 

Silly me, I had a half-day today, and I should've brought her here to work. Of course it didn't help that "Almost 4th of July" is happening and fireworks are now a nightly occurrence; we had a rough night last night. 

Yes. In Illinois, they ARE illegal. But we know how that one goes... I almost wouldn't mind the little "poppers" -- those ones on a string that are tiny. 

But I actually DO mind, thank you very much, the half-sticks and the M80s. One of my students remarked that last year, the only reason the cops came out to her neighborhood was because a half-stick actually lifted part of the street outside her house. First off, that's insane. And second off --- THAT is a problem. You want to blow your limbs off, that's fine with me. But shooting half-sticks of dynamite in a neighborhood causes property damage. 

We live near a river that's used heavily for barges. There are sheds along the river where sometimes construction companies store supplies. One year, about 8 years ago, one of the sheds blew up. It did have dynamite in there -- not a lot, thankfully, but we're about a mile or so from the actual river. 

Debris landed in our yard. Pieces of roofing, large shards of metal, shingles. One mile from the blast. Our whole house shook; we thought it was the chemical plant about 1/4 mile down the road. 

This is what idiots are shooting off "for fun." It's not fun. It's stupid and dangerous. 

Random Picture...

My friend gave me this mug. It's a really nice one; but I'm not sure I entirely agree with the sentiment. 

I guess I agree in a sense of "stop living in the past," but as we can see from current events in this day and age, we NEED to look back because in a very real and scary sense, history is repeating itself. And not in a good way. 

And I'm not talking about 80s and 90s fashions coming back. I'm talking about the hate, division, and evil being actively encouraged by the Useful Orange Idiot. 

There are many who do see the parallels. There are a significant number who don't see them. They do appear to be a bigger group, but I sincerely believe it's because they're just loud. 

I have to believe, if I'm to keep my head on straight and for the good of my kids and yours - that cooler heads and those with brains will prevail and this country will correct itself. 

I will soon start to research candidates more thoroughly. I will soon immerse myself in the upcoming campaigns. 

But for right now? I'm meditating on lovingkindness and working locally to encourage people to get involved and - most importantly - to talk to one another. 

Ding, dong, the tooth is dead...

Well. Eventful it's been. And painful. And expensive. 

And that's not even counting the crap that's going on in Michigan and Wisconsin...

So. One thing at a time. Top to bottom...

The Vicar Is Installed...

It's done and she's ours... Our vicar has finally been installed. I got the banner done (no picture - I'll grab one this week, I promise), and it turned out ok. The cake? The cake was, in my opinion, FANTASTIC. And no, I didn't taste it - I'm not all that fond of cake, actually. I do love this frosting, though. Now to remember what I did to it...

This is the cake; a spice cake for 70 people, which was, once again, far too much. The Hospitality Ladies told me it was all going to be "finger food" - and I believed them. Silly me. It was a literal banquet. Way tons of food, enough for several Coffee Hours. 

The music was great, the service was beautiful. Her wife preached an amazing sermon. And now we start to do the work she was hired to do: rebuild the church. Shades of St. Francis of Assisi, right? 

Pickle Soup for a Toothache...

About a week ago, I started to have a toothache. At times, my teeth will get a bit more sensitive, usually when the weather changes. Didn't think too much about it, except this wasn't fading. It was actually getting more painful. 


It was a tooth I'd had crowned about 10 years ago, and frankly, I'd forgotten that that crown was that old! I was finally reduced to eating liquid food - and at that, only at room temperature, because it was starting to hurt up into my ear. 

I went, one day, to the Polish Deli, down the way from the office, and thankfully - PICKLE SOUP!! There are a couple of recipes out there, and this one is a blessed marvel! Zupa Ogorkowa - the stuff of the gods. The link here is just about the closest I can get to what this deli does. 

The pickles in this soup here are shredded. The celery and carrots are chunked, and it uses a chicken broth. You could go veggie stock, and have it all vegetarian. But it's a sweet + sour sort of creamy soup that just hits the spot. 

Hubby thought I was nuts, but it felt good. On this day, however, I bit into a cracker, touched the bum tooth and wanted to barf. 

I finally "bit the bullet" (go ahead - groan) and called my dentist. Got an appointment that night - and it was bad enough that I got a sub for my yoga class. The nausea came in waves all afternoon, and no - not because of the soup (I'm telling you - try this. It's amazing.) - but because of the tooth. It felt like I'd been punched in the jaw. 

Long story short: It was determined that I had to have a root canal. 

There's a special kind of terror to me on the very thought of "root canal." And of course, everyone has a "nasty root canal" story. I had the first appointment Thursday, got steroids and antibiotics - mainly to "calm down the hot tooth." And the RC was scheduled for this past Monday. 

As an aside, because I have to work late this Thursday and next Monday, that will be a cumulative TWO WEEKS of not teaching yoga... I'm not happy with my dental dealings... 

Come Monday, the tooth is still insanely painful. Root canal it is. Back story: I give my dentist (who's also a dear friend) a huge - I'm talking VERY LARGE - cookie tray for him and his staff. I told him last Thursday that I wasn't happy about the RC and he promised it would be "the best root canal you'll ever have." I told him, "Your 2018 Cookie Tray is resting on the success of this treatment. No pressure." 

I have a "nasty root canal story." Well, sort of. I had 4 shots to numb me. And one of them gave me a pretty rotten reaction - my heart went all tachy on me and I was shaking like, well, like a huge whack of epinephrine entered my system. Which it did. And it still wasn't numb. I'm not sure what exactly was done on Shot #4, but finally, I was numb. They were saying that if they couldn't do the whole procedure, they'd just "pack the tooth and have me come back." Nope. Do it now or don't do it. 

They did it. Honestly? That 4-shots-and-awful-reaction thing was the worst thing that happened. I did feel some slight tugging. But I got a bad verdict. 

I need an implant. See, here's the thing. The tooth is dead, and cracked all the way through. It was a big filling and the crown was supposed to hold it together. It did its job till the tooth started to die. I've got a referral to have the tooth extracted (there goes about $3,000) and then 6 months later, the final "pretty tooth" gets put on (there goes another $3,000 or so). 

The alternative is a bridge. Which would affect THREE teeth: the dead one, and the teeth on either side. I've just got done paying for braces to fix my teeth. I don't want to whack up the alignment now. 

The referral is in January. Lucky me - I'll make my deductible, for sure. 

The Generosity of People...

This is a story about how good people are. I wanted to tell you about the patients at the clinic where I work (backstory: I have 3 part-time jobs; I don't talk about 2 of them, having learned the hard way that you really shouldn't talk about your jobs, especially if you're not having a great day). We did a month-long food drive. And people really got into it. We filled the doctor's SUV. Almost to where he couldn't fit anything more in it. 

I was very proud of our patients. They gave so that people could have food and other necessities. And today, they were asking if we were going to do something for Christmas... I've got to talk to him about perhaps doing a sock drive for the local homeless shelter. They get hats, gloves & scarves, but socks... Socks could be gold. 

I decorated the office for Christmas; keeping it from looking like the elves barfed in the place. Kept it a little classy, with nice touches. People seem to like it. 

The Charlie Brown tree, complete with blue fleece for Linus's blanket, sits next to our Premium Starter Kit, just in case someone wants to buy a kit for Christmas. Ask me - they make great gifts! 

Last year, I'd purchased about 50 snowflakes of different sizes, glittered on one side. I had them all over the office. This year, I did it a little differently. There are small Christmas stockings on each treatment room doorway, and a snowflake in each room. And then over the PT tables, and down the hall, are the other snowflakes. We have a small tree, to which the doctor added about 200 more lights, and I wrapped the pictures in the front waiting area. Those seem to be getting the most comments. People like them. It's the closest I'm coming to wrapping packages, that's for sure! Oh, and see the ribbon on the tree? One of our patients did that as my tutorial in How to Make a Pretty Bow. 

Of course, not much is done at home. I'll be lucky if we get our tree up this weekend. 

Hand-Dyed Holiday and Finished Objects...

OK, I finished the Precious Metals scarf. That's getting blocked tomorrow night. I'll run it in a bath, pin it out and see if I have to steam it. I think I will have to. I've ordered a new ironing board pad - ours got toasted with the church banner... 

I was really close to the end of the yarn. The Grapevine Lace pattern was supposed to end on the 12th row, but this ended up at Row 7 - close enough. I had to have enough yarn for the 5-row Rice Stitch finish + the bind off.  This is a worsted weight yarn, and the pattern was written for a more lightweight yarn. Perhaps it wouldn't have "sausaged" if I'd used the lighter weight yarn. But maybe it would have. 

It's a bit shorter than I thought it'd be, but then this seriously needs a blocking to pop that lace. Anyway, this pic is all the yarn I had left. Yarn Chicken, anyone?? 

I picked up the Terribly Simple shawl, hoping to get cracking on that one. It's kind of a boring knit, but it's something I'd like to use soon, so off I go. Great lunchtime knitting, for sure. I can watch a movie and knit at the same time. The Terribly Simple is on Ravelry - every link I've seen sends you there. If you haven't joined Ravelry? Well. You're missing out on a ton of patterns and wealth upon wealth of knitting/crocheting knowledge. 

Again, this pattern is for fingering weight, but the designer says, basically, "go for it" with any yarn you want. This is Indulgence, it's a DK weight. It's going to be interesting. That's all I can say right now. 

It's not laying out quite like I'd like the colors to lay out. But it's mostly shades I wear (minus the green; I don't wear a lot of green, so I'm still not sure why I purchased this colorway...). I figure that it's got enough grey and black in it to go with the many things I wear that are -- grey. Or black. 

I was supposed to go to the Hand-Dyed Holiday with my friend R. We'd planned it for at least a month, if not more. But life gets in the way and she couldn't go. I went anyway. I'd been looking forward to spending the time with her, yes. But I was also looking forward to seeing Kelly at Le Mouton Rouge, and honestly, disconnecting from my routine for a while. 

It was wild. This is me in the line to check out. It was so tight in there that I was actually glad that R couldn't go. She's got some mobility issues and the tight quarters would've been problematic. 

The goodies... Oh my. Must say at the outset that I didn't like Kelly's "Christmas colors" this year. It's me. Not her. They were based on vintage Christmas cards, but it just didn't flutter my wings. 

Beer and yarn? Hmmmmmmm. I didn't buy this, but it did look intriguing. A Harry Potter based project, including a "letter of acceptance" to Hogwarts. I don't know what it was supposed to make, but I did love those colors. 

Didn't love 'em enough to buy it, though. I had other plans. 

I got some new DPNs. I'm going to try these. Got a new crochet hook, and got 2 different 9" circulars to try socks on those. I'd still switch to DPNs for the heel flap anyway. 

I got my new stash of Eucalan, my preferred wool wash/rinse product. I got the unscented - not that the "scented" smells like much, at least to me. But I was running low, so I got a couple bottles. And then I got a bag that says, "My house is wool insulated." Pretty much. 

Found a "sheepish" infinity cowl that's light, but remarkably warm. I've already worn it. It came with me to the root canal party... Ten bucks - not a ton of money. Kelly  had red ones, too, but again: grey is my basic color. 

Of course, I got sock yarn. The Opal is just a fun colorway. The other one in the middle is kind of interesting - I've never used it. 

And the one on the right there? Sweet Georgia again, and yes, it'll be socks, not a shawl. I need to have some brown/beige socks. Probably a Vanilla Latte or maybe I'll try Jaywalker, though I've heard those can be a bit tight for someone with "biker calves" like me. 



And finally, a shawl with a new kind of blend: merino + linen. It's a wide shawl, like a drape, which is cool. Could be a scarf, sort of. 

A little bit of lace in it, and it should be interesting to knit. I'm a bit disappointed in the colorways of the yarn, though. This is a steel blue, which is fine; I was looking for stronger colors, but I liked the feel of the yarn, so I'm going with that. 

I also got a few stitch markers and a little alpaca pin. Just for fun. And a "purple Tribble" (a/k/a a pom pom) for my hat. I'll get a shot of that soon. It's adorable. Oh, and coupons, so R and I are going back there later this month. 

Not that I need yarn, and not that I'm going to drive 200 miles - well, 180 at least - for yarn. But I like Kelly; she's a friend, and since she's moved to Bloomington, I don't get to talk to her often. 

And it will be nice to get together for lunch with R. We may go to Rosie's Pub... It's kind of a cool place I found when I was on the way home. Good Reuben sandwich. 

What's with Michigan & Wisconsin...

Ok, so we know that we recently had midterm elections. Seems that some of the Republicans are sore losers. In both states, outgoing Republican administrations are doing things like stripping early voting hours/locations, gutting legislation trying to fix gerrymandering and otherwise basically uttering a strong "screw you" to the Democrats who were duly elected. 

As a friend, a woman who lives in Michigan, says, "This is chicanery at an extreme level." And it does fly in the face of what the voters want. And it should be illegal. News stories are telling the tale. One proposal on the floor in Michigan will basically repeal a constitutional issue - which, by Michigan law, CANNOT be done in the Legislature. 

But they're going to do it. Because they can. 

Is there no level to which they won't stoop? 

Apparently not. Votes don't count. Power is the ultimate. The be-all and end-all. And they're determined to keep that power at all costs. 

What they're doing should be illegal. They're emboldened by the Orange Idiot. 

It's got to stop. Before we're all screwed. 

Random Picture...

Tippi had a problem recently...She had an infected anal gland. Ugly and smelly, honestly. So she got antibiotics and a shot in the butt. As well as having her glands expressed, which she dislikes intensely. 

I was able to take her to the college for her visit. And when I got there, I found that they'd closed the campus because of an outbreak of mumps! Thanks for telling me. At least I've had them and Tippi can't get them! 

So here's my girl next to the "fireplace" in the library, where we visit. She's got the Christmas scarf on that the vet gave her. Small recompense, in her opinion, for the indignity of having her butt probed and poked. But she liked the visit and we had a good time. We're done for the semester, so we've got a month of rest for her. And Tuesdays off for me for the next 4-ish weeks. 

What's on your needles? What are you reading? Let's chat!