Doing What I Can

Well, sometimes you just have to hang in there, even when you don't feel like it.
My Auto-Immune-Fibro junk has body slammed me (again). It's been a rough few weeks, my pain scale is really high. I don't think I've been this bad since the summer of 2007. I haven't been able to go for my walks but the regular occuring evening thunderstorms have made me feel less guilty about that, plus my legs wouldn't hold me up even if I wanted to go. It's also terribly humid, not a great time to be outdoors for people who already feel like crap. I have two doctor appts next week but honestly, my hope is waning that I'll ever get any answers, or any meds that actually DO something to help the pain. I guess I'm just feeling tired of hearing the same ol' stuff. Sigh. Trying to keep good thoughts.... trying...trying....trying....

I'm barely knitting, but I did manage to start my Mom's scarf for Christmas. I hope I can get it done in time. I want to try to do one 20-row repeat a day so I should make it by then! Thank you Dawn for helping me with the pattern.

I'm using some dark brown Malabrigo Sock yarn (which looks like just a black dot on my screen). It's got subtle shading and varigation to it, so I'm thinking this will look so pretty worked up this way. I hope I like it once I have more to see!

I'm also working on my other project, this is from Sandy as posted on Ravelry: "The University of Alabama fans at Serendipity Needleworks in Tuscaloosa, AL have challenged the University of Tennessee fans at The Yarn Haven, here in Knoxville, TN to participate in their 2009 Yarn Bowl Challenge. This is a competition pitting knitters and crocheters supporting the Crimson Tide against those who knit, crochet and cheer for the Tennessee Volunteers. Between now and Saturday, October 17 we will be making preemie caps to see which team can make the most caps. I hope you’ll want to join us as we seek to win this challenge and help high risk infants at the same time. At the end of the Challenge, the caps will be divided equally between the 2 shops and we’ll be able to donate our share to the East TN Children’s Hospital for distribution in their neonatal intensive care unit. So, Vol fans, are you ready to start making preemie caps? Caps must be made of very, very soft yarn that is washable. They must be between 9-12” in circumference and 4-5” in height. I will need to have the caps delivered to The Yarn Haven by Friday, October 16 as I will be mailing them to the Alabama shop the next day. If you need a pattern or have any questions, then please PM me. Come on Vols…let’s help out these little Tiders and little Volunteers!"


So, here I go:

I'm on my 18th one so far. The first 10 I had already made and was planning on donating anyway so the timing is awesome for me. My goal is two a week, I'm slightly behind right now with my health issues, but they're so fast to make I hope to catch up soon.

That's it. Just simple knitting. No socks right now, the scarf yarn is enough tiny string for me at this point. Happy Knitting. Ooooh, here comes another storm. Time to get cozy.

Little Knits

I think I finally got some of my "sock mojo" back because I've begun to have more than one pair going at a time again, AND feel the need to stuff one in my purse on the way out the door. For awhile there I didn't want to even SEE a sock for some reason! Fiber Angst Craziness I tell you.

I began to explore some different yarns I have in my stash so I started a pair for my Mom in Berroco Comfort Sock yarn.
(Colorway: Southland - 1813)
Size 0 Needles
64 St cast on
Review: Very Splitty, but also very soft. Not sure I'd use it for socks again, maybe a scarf. I also had one knot with a messed up color join right in the middle of one sock. Bummer, but it happens.

I'm experimenting with other needles I've heard so much about too. Above are my Kollage Square Needles. My first impression of them was that they felt strange to my fingers (I totally feel each corner), but they really aren't much different to knit with. Like anything else, they just take getting used to. I personally seemed to knit slower with them though, so I'm not sure how often I'll use them. I also had remembered the advice about them backwards: buy UP a size, not BELOW the size you normally would use. Oh well, they worked anyway (because for socks I'm not a gauge checker. Oh heck, I'm usually NEVER a gauge checker!)

I also tried my Hiya Hiya metal circ on this pair of socks (magic loop).

I felt "drag" on both brands, but I'm already partial to the smoothness of Knitpicks DPN's and Circs so I'm probably more sensitive to it. I also had constant "snagging" on my Size 0 HH Circ while working the socks up. The join doesn't look much different from Knitpicks, but boy, it was very evident while pulling up the yarn (major PITA). I finally just switched back to my KP Circ. It could've been the yarn I guess, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and try them again one day.

I also had to stick the Hiya's in hot water to try to relax the cable (which I never have to do with my KP's). It was still very curly but once your sock is in progress it's under some control. Another thing is the tips, both brands aren't as sharp as KP's but if you like that, these are pretty decently in between too sharp or too blunt.

All in all, I'm okay with both brands, (I still want to try a Kollage circular one day in a larger size) but I'll probably still use my KP's first and foremost.

I also gave my 9" Hiya Hiya for socks a test run too but my hands began to cramp really bad so I'll have to retest them again one day. I'm not sure that method will work for me with my pain issues but it would be awesome since I do most of my socks simple stockinette stitch. To not have to do any shifting with needles at all would probably make the socks fly off the needles.


The Big Guy got another hat:


Pattern: Hat Fit For a Boyfriend (or Hubby in this case).
Yarn: Queensland Kathmandu Aran
Size 7 needle

Oooooooh. SOFT. He loves it. Of course it fits his head snugger, he's got a big noggin.

I also got some more Preemie Hats done:


Yarn: Bernat Baby Jacquards in various colorways.
Pattern: Preemie Hats For Charity
Size 3 needle Magic Loop

I can't say enough about how much I love making these. I think my next bunch will be mostly ribbed since ribbed hats can easily fit more head sizes. I totally need small projects. I believe I'm probably the most impatient person ever and these are done in a such a jiffy. They're pretty portable as well.

Perfect for my sanity.
Happy Knitting!