This was the least of my concerns...

Does this give you an idea of what things have been like lately?

It all started on Saturday, January 20th. I taught two beginning sock knitting classes. Both were entertaining groups and I learned a lot about structuring the classes. I got home around 5 pm, pretty much worn out. I walked over to my parents' house to find them getting ready to leave for the emergency room. Daddy had not been feeling good lately but the doctors could not put a finger on the specific problem. Saturday the symptoms changed and it appeared that we were dealing with appendicitis. I ran to grab some knitting and went with them. When you are 70 and have a heart condition, you don't go just anywhere even for routine issues. We went to Crawford Long in Atlanta. It is about an hour and a half away and I had to drive them.

We got there around 7 pm. Around 4 am, the diagnosis of appendicitis was confirmed and Daddy was admitted to the hospital. I went to move the car from the Emergency Room parking to the regular parking deck. I accidentally lowered the back window instead of the driver's side when I got the parking time thing. The window would not come back up. Here I am, its 4:30 am and I am in a downtown Atlanta parking garage all by myself with a stuck window. I moved everything to the trunk, locked the glove compartment, and parked under a light.

Daddy asked the ER nurse for a roll of tape that they use on people and told me not to worry about it until one of my brothers got there.

Surgery was delayed since Daddy was on 3 blood thinners. While in surgery, he started bleeding and they had a hard time stopping it. After several days in ICU and then finally a regular room, Daddy is coming home today or tomorrow. Since I have their car, I'll be heading out to get them.

The rest of the window story...Armed with hospital tape, Brother H, Sister-in-law B, and I got the window in place. My brother wedged in a folded-up map to help hold the window. It held great...until about the time we were merging onto the interstate in downtown Atlanta. I told the T-man to turn on the heater and deal with it. We were not stopping there, and I needed time to think. We drove on to Hobby Lobby which was a previously scheduled stop (0f course) and I thought that surely they would have some plastic that I could use to cover the window. They did not. However, I bought some poster board which they put in a really big plastic bag. I asked for an another bag. Using the rest of the trusty hospital tape, I covered the window. Mr. T was very curious about how I would manage to cover the window and was impressed with my solution (especially since that meant lunch was the next stop, not Wal-mart to buy plastic). He said "Mom, you are smart!". Music to my ears since everyone knows that when you are 12, your parents don't know anything.

This has been a rough week on all of us, but God is good and we got through it all. It was a bad week for me to miss three days of work, but I still managed to finish up two major projects. I just have to catch up on grading papers and lesson planning. I was even able to teach the second session of the knitting classes that I started last week. Hopefully things will be more like normal this coming week.

Note to Anonymous: I didn't have the title just right. The card is "A Poem for Your Birthday: All About Farts" published by American Greetings. I got mine at Wal-Mart. The T-Man (age 12) thinks it is funny.

More on hospital knitting later. I have to get a shower and hurry up to wait on the doctors to decide when Daddy gets to leave.

I Posted First

Here is the hat that I finished over the weekend. This pattern has been great fun to knit. Just a step above mindless knitting with enough changes to keep it interesting.

Kimberly, Knitting Wonder Woman, said we should do a KAL. I had already started a second hat, so I suggested that she join me. I knew that she would catch up in no time. Well, not only has she finished the hat that she started after me while mine is not yet done, but she has already started designing another hat pattern. Then she sends me a cheery "am headed to bed message". Bed???? I can't go to bed. If I sleep now, she will manage to finish designing and knitting another hat before I even get to finish mine. So, I did the only thing that I could do to possibly keep up. I posted first.

P.S. Well, there is one more thing. The next son to have a birthday will get the "Dictionary of Farting" card that I saw the other day.

This is what you look like at your daughter's birthday party if you are a photographer.

Because of family concerns about putting too much information on the Internet and the public nature of my job, I will rarely post a picture of a person and will try to remain pretty anonymous. However, I figure this picture is safe. This is how my brother, the professional photographer, looked 90% of the time at Niece A's birthday party. The party was at his studio. See that thing sticking out of the top of his camera that looks like some sort of remote control antennae? He had the place rigged for super powered flashes to go off in the room anytime he took a picture.

Enabling

First, Niece A got her knitting needles, beginning of her stash, and a Pink Cinderella knitting bag. She was very excited. She is ready to learn to knit, but we did not have time for a lesson today. These needles are so cute.

She enjoyed putting all her knitting stuff in her bag and carrying it around. She also got a set of knitting looms and some yarn from someone else.

She loved the doll shirts. The pink butterflies was her favorite. The rest of Plan B was cookie decorating stuff to use with her Easy Bake Oven that she got for Christmas. Cookie cutters, icing, sprinkles, and edible markers. This was also a big hit.

Enabling Part 2

I am knitting this hat pattern. I'll post a picture soon, but am too lazy to get out the camera now. Mine is in purple so it does not show the stitches as good as a light color, but I was knitting from my stash. It will be a warm hat to send to Mittens for Akkol.

Now, here is the serious enabling part, check out the other patterns by this designer. I bought my pattern from the folks at Carodan Farm and then took a look at the designer's site. There are several patterns that will definitely be going on my wish list.

I hope this post turns out OK. It looks right on one screen and all messed up on another. I would rather knit than spend any more time fooling with this, so if it looks bad, it may stay that way.

Good Thing I Had Plan B

I did manage to sew two more shirts for Niece A's doll, but just could not get in the groove (look Kim -- two o's). I learned a long time ago not to force myself to sew. I just end up frustrating myself.

I changed the pattern a little (no surprise for people who know me). I lowered the first button which meant I only needed three buttons instead of four. I believe that will be better for a child dressing a doll. The fact that I had fewer buttons to sew on had absolutely nothing to do with it.

This week saw the debut of the boring brown socks. I think I started knitting on these last summer. I don't even remember the brand of the yarn. It does have tiny flecks of other colors, so it is not totally boring. Unfortunately, many of the more interesting yarns will not go with my work wardrobe.

These are toe-up with an afterthought heel. This was the first time that I used Dawn Brocco's method for the heel. I love this method.

The cuffs are a simple knit 2, purl 2.

I tried knitting in some clear elastic thread at the top of the cuffs. It was not pretty. Also, I don't think that the elastic helped the socks stay up.

I really like doing the afterthought heel, but I think that the first socks that I made with gussets and heel flaps fit my feet better. I will continue to use the afterthought heel if I am doing any stranded colorwork or using a self-striping yarn.

Birthday!

Our family has two special birthdays to celebrate today. Niece A turned 5 today. Her party is on Sunday, so I still have time to sew.

My Daddy turned 70 today. So, Daddy, now that I have a blog, I would like to mark this occasion by publicly saying how much I love you and appreciate you!

Happy Birthday Daddyman!

Birthday Sewing Has Started

Niece A turns 5 on Tuesday. I finally found time to start sewing for her. She's old enough now for real buttons and buttonholes.

Her party is on Sunday, so I have a little more time to sew. Just in case this week is too crazy to sew, I bought a gift also. It is so much fun being an aunt.

The Fruits of my Labor

I taught a sock knitting class yesterday. Three ladies attended. We had a lot of fun. It amazes me that people think I am a good enough knitter to pay me to teach them. My class project is a toe-up, afterthought heel toddler sized sock or a fingertip-to-cuff, afterthought thumb toddler sized mitten. The two projects are so similar that it does not matter to me if I have different projects going in the same group. Yesterday, all three ladies knitted socks. We do it in one marathon session. I learned after the first one, to pack a lunch instead of trying to go out for some lunch during a break. Two ladies knitting in the shop that day asked me and the owner to schedule another class. All three in yesterday's class want to take the class next month and do mittens. I think that they underestimate their own abilities and could do it on their own now, but if they want to enhance my stash, then that's OK with me. So, I am teaching again the first weekend in February.

Speaking of stash enhancement. Yesterday's loot is pictured above. I spent all but $8.06 of what I made. I guess that covers my gas.

Back row, left to right: 2nd Time Cotton for a Shapely Tank. I started knitting it a while back and even though I am getting the exact gauge, I got worried that I would run out of yarn, so I bought two more skeins. I wish you could see the colors better, but the studio is improving (more on that later). Next we have purple and red Cascade Fixation. I want to adapt Cat Bordhi's Baby Life Ring Socks to my preferred methods. The green is Cascade 128. I don't know if you call it chunky or bulky, but I think that it will make some warm Mittens for Akkol.

Front row, left to right: An Addi Turbo needle sizer. I have a Lion Brand needle sizer that does include the millimeter sizes in between US size, but I couldn't pass up another neat gadget. Trekking XXL. I made myself a pair out of this yarn before. They were too big. I frogged them and made them smaller. You guessed it. My mother really enjoys her socks. Maybe I will have better success this time. Next is two skeins of Fortissima Socka in a really pretty blue. I have a project in mind that will require some blue. Just in case it does not work, or I change my mind, I got enough for a pair of socks. Last is Regia Stretch that I have been wanting to try out.

Did I remember that I wanted to get yarn for a CIC sweater while it was all on sale 25% off? Of course not. I got there early to look around, but one of the students also got there early, and I got distracted while helping her decide what to get.

Table Top Photography Studio Update

Gray poster board is hard to find. I resorted to hanging some gray fabric (stop laughing Mama, I know that is what you suggested in the first place), but even though I ironed it (yuck), it still wrinkled. It is a temporary solution. I'll keep looking. Also, I think that I need to add some more light. Maybe brother H will get caught up enough to help me one day. He is a professional photographer. One time I got him to take some pictures that I wanted by telling him that if he did not take the pictures, then I would take them. Then I would tell the whole world that he took them. Wonder if that would work again?

Old background on the left. New background on the right. I'm not sure which one I like best.

I survived.

Three weeks off at Christmas is wonderful! I could not work at the pace required to keep up with my job without some serious down time in between. Fall quarter was really rough because we had a key person unexpectedly leave with little notice and therefore no time to prepare for the transition. My boss decided that I could do two jobs "for a little while". That was August and I'm still doing both.

I had to return to work yesterday. It was a crazy day, and I felt rough at the end. However, I am back in my grove today. Unfortunately, my poor mental and physical state was reflected in Tuesday's knitting, so no pictures today.

The true test will come tomorrow when I have to get the T-man out of bed and awake and in his uniform (he goes to a military prep school) instead of just awake enough to stumble over to his grandparents' house while still in his pj's to go back to sleep in his grandfather's recliner.

I do have some thoughts to share about Christmas music:

1. The Twelve Days of Christmas sung by a rock band is different.

2. Surely the Beach Boys could have come up with a better line than "Christmas comes each time this year." I want to yell "Duh!" every time I hear that.

3. Why did I suggest that my parents buy speakers for Mr. T's ipod?

Recent Knitting Projects

I'm also trying to learn how to use my new camera. I asked Brother H who is a professional photographer how to get better pictures of my various projects. He suggested a table-top photography studio. After extensive research (two articles: here and here), I gathered items for my own version (Mama, stop laughing). I wanted a gray background, but Wal-Mart did not have gray poster board. I was anxious to try things out, so I got black for now. I guess that this blog will also record my attempt to become a decent photographer and hopefully show improvement along the way.

My latest project has been knitting mittens for the current CIC challenge which is a special gift for Mittens for Akkol. I like knitting mittens, so I will be knitting for both groups in the future.

Worsted weight yarn, also hand dyed by Kimberly. These are a child's size small. Niece A was asked to try on the first pair so that I could see how they fit. She liked them so much that she asked to keep them. Of course, Aunt Sally did not say no.





The Kelazon!

This pair was supposed to be the Corazon from the Winter 2006 issue of Knitty. The chart for the top and I did not get along. So I listened to two friends who always tell me the truth and frogged. It was funny to watch the face of a new knitter (on her second project) in the group as I calmly pulled out my needles and frogged half a mitten. Kimberly and I were doing my very first KAL. She said it was OK to change the pattern. Check out her completed mittens here. Of course, Knitting Wonder Woman Kim finished hers, designed another pattern, and almost finished a second pair before I finished mine. I stayed up very late last night to make sure that I finished before she finished her second pair. She did all that with 5 children. I only have one.

I'm a little disappointed in the quality of work on these, but I am always critical of my work. I did learn a lot and they will be very warm mittens, so I am sending them on.

The yarn is Cascade Quatro (red) and Cascade 220 (white). My favorite part of knitting these was working on them while watching Georgia beat Virginia Tech. Then Georgia Tech lost today. Life is good.

Recent CIC Socks

These will be mailed the next time I get enough to send a box. They are the Eenie pattern of EenieMenieMinieMo (Heartstrings Pattern A23 - 5059)

On the left below is a close up of the stitch pattern. It really is easier than it looks. On the right, two simpler versions. All were knit out of Cascade 220 worsted weight.

My First Blog Post

Kimberly has been after me for a while to start a blog. January 1 seemed like a good time begin something new.

I'll start with some of my recent projects. More to follow as soon as we get some sunshine and I can get some good pictures.

Gift doll and wardrobe for Christmas 2006 is above. I have so much fun making the clothes and imagining what it would be like to be a child getting so much for my doll at one time.

I did get a shot of one outfit. The hat, scarf and mittens were knit out of Kimberly's Bohemian Wrapsody handpainted yarn. She is so talented!

The scarf has a small opening to slide the other end through to help it stay on the doll.

Niece A and Niece K both got American Girl dolls for Christmas from their grandparents (my parents). Niece A is older and already has a more economical version of the doll and lots of clothes. But Niece K needed some clothes right away. Her mother is a nurse, so I made her doll a mix-and-match scrubs wardrobe. She also got a pair of flare jeans and a red T-shirt. Both nieces have birthdays coming up so I will be sewing and knitting more.

Hey Kim, I told a little fib the other day when you asked what I was doing on the computer. I didn't want to spoil the surprise, so I didn't tell you everything that I had been doing.

Happy New Year!