That Rundown Feeling

Wednesday I had a Dentist Appointment. I decided on the way over that I was a bit hungry so I stopped to get something to nibble and a toothbrush and toothpaste to clean up since I was not carrying the knitting bag that has the travel tooth care stuff in it.

On my way back to the car, a young girl, in a new to her car, ran into me. Knocked me on my rear, major point of impact was my left knee, which is sore as can be at the moment and hurts like heck.

So I have been sittin' and knittin' mostly the last 2 days.

I got my computer back but when I went to hook it up discovered that in changing the motherboard he had failed to notice, (or do anything about) the fact that the network card was on the old motherboard. So I have been cut off from the world! OH DRAT!!

Obviously that is an bit of an overstatement since I am managing to post a blog entry, but I am still using the kid's computer, which is very slow, has a non-ergonomic keyboard, and is on a too-high table.

Yes I could move the whole thing, but then what would I complain about?

Learning to hobble around with a cane is a learning experience. The first night I really needed it and since we had it, I adjusted the height and started using it.
Things I have learned about using a cane: (your mileage may vary)

1) arms were not intended to support over weight people, they get sore pretty fast.

2) you need to move very slowly, and make sure where the weight is distributed before moving.

3) the first thing you need for bathroom visits is a place to put the cane where it will not fall over, and out of your reach, so that when you have finished what you went in there for, you don't need to sit and yell for other family members who will come to the door and shout at you through it, but not open it because yuck "you're in there" or stand and laugh at you while making "I've fallen and I can't get up" remarks that they find enormously funny. At least this is what you go through if you have my family.

4)you can't carry nearly as much as you usually can, and don't want to make unnecessary trips so you plan carefully before you move.

4 a) pockets are nice.

All in all I am sure as time goes on I will appreciate this small tutorial and find it useful, but right now it is a pain in the ....Knee.

Back to knitting, I have Taa Daaa finished Christopher's FLAK, and if he makes it home this weekend (still iffy when I talked to him yesterday) he can have it to wear to the Irene Ryan competitions because one just has to do better in a hand knit sweater, made specially for you.






Christopher is not home so Sierra is the model it looks like some of the knitting magazine pictures, without the sleeves pushed up to show her hands.

Once this was being blocked I went back to Beadwork. And have finished the top of the fronts, and picked up the sleeve and started the top sleeve portion, finished 1 repeat of chart A. I have somewhat mixed feelings about chart A. I don't think it shows as well as I would like it to. Oh well it is at least easy to do and I don't need to carry a pattern or chart around for the sleeves. the sleeves from the bottom of the front armhole to the bottom of the back armhole is chart A, except for the one chart B running down from the saddle. The underarm is going to be seed stitch when I get another inch or so done and cast that on.

Computers are annoying

We finally managed to get all the schedules together to see Chase and give him his Christmas presents. He likes his London beanie, and even wore it out in public. Quite an accomplishment, making something that a 17 year old will actually wear.

The FLAK for Christopher has been hogging all of my attention lately, even when I sit down to work on something else it seems to jump into my lap and get itself worked on, up to 16 inches, (of 22) so moving right along.

I am having computer trouble so am working on
the children's computer which is slow! It seems designed to teach patience. I am not enjoying this.
My computer will be delivered to the computer Dr tomorrow. and we will see what the verdict is.

Monday

This weekend I watched movies with Sierra, and knitted. I worked on Christopher's FLAK and on Beadwork. I have the fronts down to where I cast on all the additional stitches to work down and am about halfway to the armhole length, I would like to be able to pick up the sleeves this weekend. We will see what the week brings.

Pictures again

Finally got the camera talking to the computer again. So the last two posts now have pictures. And just what have I been doing?

After finishing the sleeves of Christopher's FLAK I put the body onto the needle that I had knitted the front and backs with but it was too short to hold both, so I went upstairs and got out the old Boye Needlemaster set and put 2 cables together and tried that but it was too long, so last night I finally wised up, took the shorter of the 2 cables off, and now it is Just Right, I feel just like Goldylocks!
So it goes into the scheduled line up after Beadwork, (which has not been touched because I was too tired yesterday, but as soon as I finish this post it comes out.)

I have been spending a fair amount of time organizing, So I have made up a number of kits, (or P.I.G.S as they really are at this point,[projects in grocery sacks]) There is the Jaywalker socks of Lorna's Laces Shepard socks in Childsplay to match Rayne's Christmas sweater which will go in the mail to her when they are finished.

I am knitting the smallest size on 0's (the rib was done on 00's) and I think they will be small enough. will probably decrease at the start of the foot.

Then there is Rayne's Christmas 2007 sweater which is this very girly girl sweater and purse combo, in Debbie bliss Cotton Cashmere. Both Stash and sale yarn and using all of the cherry red that I have. I love it when it works out like that.

I have started the swatch, and done 3 repeats of the floral pattern and it is looking good, I will go down a needle size and see how that looks before I make a decision.


Socks and swatches are the late night and carry around knitting, because they require little concentration.

I have some Cotton ease that Caleb liked a lot, and kept picking up and carrying around when he was here last October so I pulled it out and added the left over encore, from Mark's dog sweater, for a dog Hoodie for Caleb. I will not do anything with this pattern or yarn until Feb 1 because Caleb is going into the hospital for major heart surgery on Jan 22. And I just don't want to start anything until he is out and fine again. I know that this is necessary and commonly done surgery, but this is my Youngest grandson, and even though I spend a lot of time telling every one else that he will be fine and the doctors do this all the time. I am still scared and am not willing to temp the evil spirits, so it will remain a P.I.G.S. until Feb.

Next up is Mark's Leaping Lizard sweater, this is the one that I had to purchase yarn for because I did not have beige, dark brown, and lime green in the stash, but I did have the denim.

The only grandchild's knitted present I don't have planned yet is for Dwayne. At 13 one must be careful about the design if one wants the boy to wear it so I am still thinking on this.

Sierra has ask for socks and picked out the pattern and yarn so that is another P.I.G.S. although to be exactly correct it is a P.I.Z.B (Project In Ziplock Bag) which is not as easy to say.

Now one may very well ask if I have perhaps taken leave of my senses, plotting out gifts for 11 to 12 months from now for growing children. And leaving aside the question of sanity, I have this plotted out, all sweaters will be either knit top down to the place where I think I should start the bottom edging on both the body and the sleeves, and then they will be placed onto waste yarn for finishing in Nov. or (Mark's) started with a provisional cast on knit up, and left, if additional length is needed the sweater is at a point where I would add a contrast stripe before more brown so the 1/2 stitch jog should disappear into the lime green stripe.

The socks will be knit top down to the start of the toe shaping and left on waste yarn for either the toes or more length and then toes.

Just words no pictures (sorta like reading a book)

The windows program on my computer has been steadily degrading lately so I broke down and re-installed the thing. So now I am re-installing all the stuff that is now broken because Windows is fixed. Bah! You figure it out, I can't.

So I went to the web site for my Olympus camera and looked for the driver I need and after clicking 40-11 buttons, got to the software page to get a "there is no software available for this item" message. Sent them an e-mail and am waiting for the driver so I can download the pictures. Yes, I did find the disk that came with the camera but it only has the driver for Windows 98.

After sending off the request for driver, Mom and I took off for our local gambling den down on the river, where we had a Swedish massage each, a very nice hotel room, and 2 very good meals before coming home today. I got the baby sweater for the people who just moved in across from my Mom, finished as far as the knitting is concerned. Must sew in a zipper once I buy one.
















I sent the 2 baby sweaters that have been done for a while which I have just not gotten mailed. And I stopped at the store and got toilet paper before coming home.




I knit 1 row on Chris's FLAK, and I need a different needle, which I will find tonight. I looked at Beadwork, and it is not a bit farther than it was the last I looked. Where are those darned fairies when you need them anyway?

And to top off the evening I screwed up the 2nd rectangle of the left side of Trip trap so I can rip that out tonight.

I did find some possible yarns for the Grandkids, and think I will only need to buy yarn for Mark's sweater.




Tonight I will pick out the yarn for a pair of socks for Mike, for his birthday, Feb 6.



Mark's birthday is Feb 3 and he has requested Harry Potter, which his Mother has agreed to read to him. I can only see this as a win-win because Megan has not done a lot of pleasure reading, lately, so now her son can keep her on track, and I have gift ideas for at least a couple of years.

I am taking pictures and will pull these up and edit them and put in the pictures once I hear from the camera people.

January 1 2007

New Years Day on the Christian calendar.

December was frantic hurry up and finish knitting and I did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked. Son-inLaw Mike's socks are the grey ones, and the blue are Christophers.

So I have already started the gift lists for 2007. Picked out the patterns and made lists of the yarns needed. I will have to buy some of the yarn for the grandkid sweaters because I have been knitting up the Encore stash, and it is pretty well depleted.

The oldest granddaughter wants socks and has picked out the pattern and yarn.

I neglected getting pictures of the last of the Christmas presents so I will post them when I get them. I made socks for my son-in-law and Chris. The dog sweater for Mark. Slippers for Mom and Bob. and a London beanie for Chase.

Today I finished 2 sleeves hoping that in 2007 I will not be spending months on sleeve island but will finish in one day. (and if I knit nothing but baby sweaters this will come true)



It has been cloudy all day so I have not gotten any pictures, I will try tomorrow and up date if I can.