Between Loads

This was my son’s creation for his Blue and Gold Cake contest. Can you guess what the theme was? 

As I write this, I am amazed that 2008 is actually coming to an end!  I do not have a new calendar purchased…does this mean I can ignore the fact that tomorrow starts 2009?

My knee surgery went well.  I was home basically by lunch time on Thursday, the 18th.  I did have an issue with some of the medications they gave me so my stomach was very unsettled for the next 12 hours.  The biggest surprise from the surgery is that there really wasn’t much of a tear but that I have arthritis developing under my kneecap.  My surgeon tells me there are many things he can do before I need a knee replacement but that is probably in my future in about 10 years or so, oh well. DH and I were up and about on Saturday, the 20th for Christmas shopping!  It is amazing though to witness how clueless people are when it comes to the motorized carts.  I felt invisible and people would step into my path and not move…anyway…said shopping was a success.   I am still taking Vicodin and finally started driving yesterday although I can’t bend my knee very far yet. 

Our Christmas was nothing if not flexible.  My mom’s train did not get into the station until 4 AM instead of the usual 10:30 PM due to the weather issues in Chicago.  Her original departure date back home was sold out and the next day’s train was delayed 12 hours due to the weather out west so buses were used to transport riders to their next terminal. My son’s flight did arrive on time from Baltimore and we had a wonderful time at my daughter’s house.  We didn’t spend time with my sister and her family due to work schedules, maybe next year that will work out.

I have been knitting a lot though.  My mom and I went to Coldwater and I snagged 8 skeins of a heathered blue Galway worsted.  I started the Chicknits Basic Hoodie and am working my way down the body.  The picture is a little dark due to the lighting but I hope to have this finished soon! I am working the lace pattern into the design.

I finished my Annetrelac socks with the Noro sock yarn my dh gave me for Christmas last year:

I love the way they turned out and they are very comfortable!

I also whipped up this little number:

This is from the Mason Dixon book and is a potholder.  It is fine but I am going to modify the pattern.  I was going to give this to my son but it is a little too narrow for his hand and he wants it longer.

Oh yes…I almost forgot…I was mulling over a design I wanted to make, trying to figure out if I had anything in my stash and viola! This is Keltic.  I got it at Coldwater during one of her fabulous sales for $1.88 per skein!!  It swatched perfectly!  I am going to shorten the pattern just a bit as I am short 2 skeins, but that will be just fine.

But I guess I better get my “Christmas Cards” finished so I can get them into the mail Friday…

Well - I am not too sure that I would want to be associated with a product that causes people to come to them out of annoyance - but that is what has finally happened to me.  I finally signed up for a Ravelry account - kicking and screaming!  I am cportlas.  I don’t have any friends yet.  I haven’t posted any stash, patterns, projects, books, reviews, or joined any groups yet but at least I can go to Ravelry when reading blogs who do a link and do not post any other information regarding their project etc.  I was running into this more often than not lately and was finding the blog reading a great waste of time.  We’ll see how much of a time trap it becomes.  I will tool around and will probably succomb to it all…sigh.

The other event where I am kicking and screaming is that I am having knee surgery on the 18th.  Actually I am not kicking and screaming…I want to get this darn thing fixed.  I have had knee pain on and off for the last year, especially after taking walks.  As I posted back in October, I really messed it up.  I have been hobbling around ever since and finally had an MRI.  I have a torn lateral meniscus and a cyst that has formed so this had been coming for a while.  I also discovered I have some sort of benign tumor in my femor above my kneecap - probably formed when I grew quickly as a teenager.  (Thank you Title 9!) The tumor is going to stay put and not be touched - these are common and nothing to worry about.  Oh yeah - I probably have arthritis forming in my knees due to an amount of wearing away under my kneecap…sigh.  Knee replacement - here I come!  (I think at least 2 of my uncles had them and my dad probably would have had one had he lived longer-the signs were there).

The surgery is outpatient and I will only miss a couple days of work.  Hopefully I will get some more knitting done.  I have actually finished up several more projects and really need to get them posted - maybe on Ravelry?

BTW - Did I mention the 18th is my B-day?  Happy Birthday to me indeed!

Well - I finally blocked this sucker - for some reason it was more difficult to block than my other Forest Canopys…don’t know why.  I made this from Baby Ull Yarn by Dale of Norway / Dalegarn - in navy.  It is very soft and has a nice drape.  Hopefully I will actually wear it!  Maybe Miss T and I can wear them at the same time - if only at our work desks? Alas, I see that hers is destined as a gift. 

I will show you another FO - it is not mine but my mom’s just finished (she needs to change the date function on her camera)  Secret of the Stole iii  by the Nautical Knitter - with beads!

I didn’t even cast on for this one - I am still working on the last one.  She actually finished during the alloted time and won a prize during the last week! The stole is called Estes Park

So there you have it - 2 projects for the price of 1!

As promised - a true knitting post.  I scrounged around my knitting bags and pulled out some WIPs and finished them up.  This is just a sampling…I have more to come!  The pictures are already taken but I am not going to post them yet - you will have to wait.

First project - 2 hour mittens

OK - I know that is a cop out - 2 hour mittens and all - but that is what I started with. 

These are made from an extra skein of Sirdar Denim Ultra I had in the stash.  They are 60% acrylic, 25% cotton, and 15% wool.  I have no idea how these will stand up to a snowball fight but they will be nice for cooler weather.  They are thick so will be quite warm I think.  I got the pattern at my LYS.

Next up - Garter Stitch Mittens

I got this pattern from Gale Woods Farm.  I saw these knit up and all of the sizes fit someone in my house.  After knitting up the smaller size in good ol’ Cascade 220 - I decided that these would be better with a nubbier, a little thicker type of yar, more homespun like they have at the farm.  They are comfortable but a little floppy.  I am looking for leather chopper mittens for my ds to wear these.

Lastly for tonight’s posting pleasure - I bring you this scarf . 

I knit this with 3 skeins of Mano del Uruguay - color M - Yum!  This was a very easy knit, I started it during the Olympics but then had  to buy another skein because 2 were not enough.  It is nice and long to wrap up on a cold day!

There is plenty more to come - I have already photographed 2 more much more complex projects but you will have to wait…