Random Thoughts

I can tell you that there is something very satisfying about knitting a sweater. It is a bit like eating freshly baked bread from your oven. It just feels so right.

Adriene and I had a video chat the other night. She knit on a blanket and I knit on the sweater. I was using different colored markers but they feel the same. I did a set of increases at the beginning of the round marker. I fixed it but the stitches were sloppy. I had rip back because triple size stitches don't even out just because you want them to.

Hubby made good progress on his convalescing puzzle. Burt is not thrilled to have to give up his comfy chair while Daddy works on the puzzle. The sacrifices a kitty makes...

We have been blessed to receive some meals from the church ladies. It is so nice to not have to think about dinner. I came home to the smell of beef stew in the crockpot.

There is talk of Portland getting more snow this weekend. If we don't I'm going to try going to the church knitting group.


Which reminds me the Rose City Yarn Crawl is coming up soon too. Maybe I need to work on getting my driving route planned out. It is a four day event,  may want to start pacing myself now.

Burtis reminding me that morning comes earlier than we wish.

Actual knitting

Yes I know I am surprised that I have pictures of actual knitting here too. I have finally finished a pair of socks for D that traveled with me all through his hospitalizations and recovery time so far.

The yarn is Into the Whirled Manchester sock in the Trek colorway. I'll just say that I loved this yarn and the colors so much. It made me feel warm like I was holding a campfire in my hands the whole time. Campfire without the burns is always a nice feeling. As you can see I ran out of yarn before finishing the second sock. I went leftover stash diving and found a complementary red to finish off. And since he is moving slower with his walker I have time to take pictures.

I started these socks for me on the move West last summer. It took me just over a month to knit them up with settling into the new place. It took me five months to get a picture of me wearing them. Apparently D is not the only one that needs to slow down for a photo every now and then.

These are also Into the Whirled but in the Gloucester base in the Aurora Borealis colorway. One of my former knit mates gave the yarn to me as part of the drive by yarning last January. I am going to miss my knitting buds and not only for random yarn gifts either.

They have been sending me support via the internet through this whole ordeal with hubby. So even if you can't make the meetings the knit group is still there for you.

And speaking of support Burt took care of me through the Daddyless times and through my own bout of flu. I just love how his ears are telling me don't even think about leaving the bed Momma!

I have cast on for a sweater for D. I had bought the yarn a few months ago but kept mulling over the idea that I should try knitting him a different style of sweater. I admitted that I want to knit a sweater and not just think about knitting a sweater. So I pulled out a familiar raglan sweater pattern and cast on. I am much happier in doing so. So D will finally get his red/wine sweater that he has wanted all along. Burt says orange/red is the color to be, and who wants to argue with a cat?

Moving forward

Well we've had an interesting end of one year and start of another. I thought we had made enough life changes for one year. I was foolish to think the changes were over.

A few days after Christmas Hubby went for his first bike ride into Portland. It did not end the way we would have liked. Streetcar tracks and bike tires do not get along very well. He was thrown from his bike and broke his pelvis. Even seeing him in pain in the ER we had no clue how our lives would change.

I can tell you that we have managed to keep our sense of humor and good will through the process. We are stronger and weaker than we've ever been. That whole sickness and health thing really does mean a lot to us.

I'm negotiating to get an hour of massage for each week of care. I may even have earned a few skeins of yarn in the process. While I have knit in all kinds of rooms sitting next to Hubby, I've not finished anything. I'm a bit of a worrier and fretter so I was mostly doing that.

Hubby proudly pointed out my handknit socks to anyone he could during the whole process. We even had a nurse that proudly showed off her socks knit by a German great aunt. I got to see two pairs of her socks. She was definitely sock worthy.

I'm trying to match or contrast a yarn to finish hubby's Indispensable Ensign socks. Looks like one toe will be different from the other. The question now is how different should it be? I'm leaning towards a nice dark grey.

So we're moving forward one slow hopping step at a time.

Somebody lied to us

It rarely snows in Portland.

This is respectable even by New York standards.

 The difference is NY knows how to deal with it. PDX (Portland) does not have the equipment, skill or experience NY does. 

So even if you "know how to drive in snow" you don't know how to do it here. Plus the hundreds of people in front or back of you may or may not "know how to drive in it." It is a completely different beast here. I think it is an angry beast too.

Daddy wanted some snow shots so I opened the patio door to get them. 

I picked up a looky loo in the process. 

That's a lotta snow Momma!! I thought it didn't do that here?

It is a lotta snow Burtie my boy. Doesn't it make you happy to stay inside with Momma? I'm so glad I found you.

Me too Momma, me too.